THE SHMOOZE A Weekly Newsletter for Members and Friends of

THE SHMOOZE
A Weekly Newsletter
for Members and Friends of
Bais Abraham Congregation
Hyim Shafner, Rabbi
Rori Picker Neiss, Maharat
Parshat Noach
Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan
25 October 2014
Candle Lighting 5:52 p.m.
Shabbat Ends 6:50 p.m.
(according to www.myzmanim.com)
This Shabbat and Bais Abe Events
Contacts
Shul Office
(314) 721-3030
office@baisabe.com
Rabbi Hyim Shafner
rabbi@baisabe.com
Rori Picker Neiss, Director of
Programming, Education and
Community Engagement
rori@baisabe.com
Greg Storch, President
president@baisabe.com
Kiddush Sponsorship
kiddush@baisabe.com
Shmooze Submissions
shmooze@baisabe.com
Davening Schedule
Shabbat
5:52 p.m. – Fri. Mincha/Maariv
9:00 a.m. – Sat. Shacharit
5:30 p.m. – Sat. Mincha, Maariv
Sunday
8:30 a.m. – Shacharit
Monday – Friday
6:30 a.m. – Shacharit
Office Hours
Mondays: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesdays: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursdays: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Fridays: 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
All are invited for a Lunch and Learn following Shabbat morning services.
Rabbi Jordan Gerson, the new St. Louis Hillel campus rabbi, will speak on
the topic of “Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll…in the Talmud.” The speaker
previously announced, Carol Wise, will be unable to attend. The Lunch
and Learn is sponsored by Vivian Kranzberg in memory of her husband,
Maury Kranzberg.
Musical Pre-Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat Service and Dinner- Friday
Evening
There will be a musical pre-Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat service and dinner with
children's programing on Friday October 24th at 5:30pm.
YABA Torah on Tap – Monday, October 27th
Join us on Monday (10/27) at 8pm at Blueberry Hill in the PacMan Room as we
delve into a Jewish topic with Maharat Rori Picker Neiss. What topic you may
ask? You'll just have to show up to find out!
New Bais Abe Social Group for Retirees and Almost-Retirees
There's something for everyone at Bais Abe. It's time for retirees and almost
retirees to do their thing. Let's start by pooling our ideas--and even car pooling-to take advantage of the free and inexpensive fun things to do in our
neighborhood. Please email Alice at alicebt@aliceb.com with your ideas and/or
meet up for a lecture that is a part of the FREE, open to the public Wash U. Fall
2014 Assembly Series. It will be Eric Kandel, "The Age of Insight: The Quest to
Understand the Unconscious in Art, Mind and Brain from Vienna 1900 to the
Present", Tuesday, October 28 in the Graham Chapel. Alice says, “I will plan to
be there about 4:30 in order to get seats in good hearing distance and will try to
hold some seats so everyone can sit together. We can chat afterwards and plan
our next adventure.”
Shalom and Welcome!
We at Bais Abe pride ourselves on hospitality and openness to Jews of all backgrounds. We strive to build a community
rooted in mutual respect and commitment to Torah values and Halacha (Jewish law). Please feel free to contact Rabbi
Shafner at rabbi@baisabe.com for any information that may be helpful to you. If you would like a place for a Shabbat
meal, our eager hosts would love to welcome you. Please email hospitality@baisabe.com.
Bais Abraham
Board of Directors
Greg Storch
President
Gabe Douek
Exec. Vice President
Lilly Canel-Katz
Vice President
Daniel Picker
Treasurer
Dan Weisz
Secretary
Phyllis Shapiro
Immediate Past President
Community Service Opportunity – October 26th - CANCELLED
Due to logistical issues, the SHED community service opportunity for this Sunday
has been cancelled. Please save the date for the next opportunity, November
23rd. We will be working to help elderly and disabled individuals with home projects.
RSVPs are necessary so that we can coordinate the appropriate number of
projects. Email Barbra Danin, bdanin@sbcglobal.net and include if you have any
particular skills that would be helpful for matching us up with appropriate projects.
SHED, Safe Homes for the Elderly and Disabled, collects requests from individuals
who are not capable of caring for their own homes on their own and invites
members of the community to help them with projects. Volunteers from SHED
perform minor building repairs, painting, yard work and other jobs that do not
require special tools or skills. They work with various churches to match up people
and projects.
Directors:
Barbra Danin
Larry Friedman
Morey Gardner
Tessa Gardner
Barry Ginsburg
Judy Hoffman
Daniel Iken
Alan Nemes
Roz Neuman
Michael Novack
Michael Richter
Oscar Schlafman
Dan Scharff
Dan Vianello
Rob Wasserman
Richard Wise
‘Klinghoffer’ As Gateway To Dialogue
Maharat Rori has an op-ed in this week’s Jewish Week. To read her views on the
recent protests in New York, as well as what occurred when Klinghoffer was
performed in St. Louis, see the following link: http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newyork/klinghoffer-gateway-dialogue.
Yitzchak Rabin 19th Memorial Service
On Wednesday, November 5th at 7:30 pm, Bais Abe and St. Louis Israel
Connection will mark the anniversary of Yitzchak Rabin’s passing with an evening
of film and discussion. All are welcome to watch a special video about Rabin’s life
and engage in educational round-table discussions. For more information, contact
Ela Bokobza, ebokobza@jccstl.org, or 314-740-9935.
Artwork Available for Purchase
Artist Berta Goldgaber will have her work available on Sundays, 12:00-1:30, at the
Shul for viewing and purchase. Find out more about her work at
www.judaicafabricart.com. 15% of Sunday morning purchases will go to the
program of the buyer’s choice.
Bais Abe Junior Book Club-Save the Date
The next meeting of the Junior Book Club will be on November 8th, 2014 at 11:15 am (following the
children's tefillah). The group will discuss “When Life Gives You OJ” by Erica Perl. For more
information or to get a copy of the book, please contact: Renee Shpall Wasserman:
reneewass@gmail.com or Maharat Rori Picker Neiss: rori@baisabe.com. Donations ($5 to cover
one book, $10 to help cover the cost of the program) can be made via the Bais Abe website.
Hebrew Tutors Available
Looking for a Hebrew tutor? Rabbi Shafner has information on tutors. Please contact him for more
information.
Shalhevet Women’s Kollel
The Shalhevet Women’s Kollel will meet on the following dates: September 16, October 7, October
21, November 4, November 18, December 2, and December 16. The learning will begin at 7:30 pm
at Bais Abe. Women of all backgrounds are invited to participate.
Support the Shul While Shopping
Every time you shop at Schnucks, you can earn money for Bais Abraham. Our shul participates in
Schnucks’ "Scrip" program. It's easy. Just show your Bais Abe scrip card
when you check out and your purchases create automatic contributions to
the shul of up to 3% of your purchase price. Our mathematical consultant
ran the numbers and estimates that if we have full participation, the shul
can make approximately $6,000 a year. Email or call the office for a scrip
wallet or key-chain card and begin earning money for the shul on your next
trip to Schnucks.
Our Weekly Shabbat "Tefilat Yeladim" (Children's Service)
Our weekly Tefilat Yeladim is a wonderful opportunity to introduce
your children (or grandchildren!) to the beauty of praying with a
community on Shabbat morning. We use a special colorful
children's siddur with illustrations (by Koren publishers) that
familiarizes the children with the prayers they will hear in shul as
they grow up. Spearheaded by Caley Chill and supported by the
Benot Sheirut, services will be at 10:30 every Shabbat in the Bais
Abe auditorium. Tefilat Yeladim is sponsored by the Feen family
and an anonymous donor.
Hinenu – Shabbat Study Group
Hinenu will meet one hour before the printed mincha time on Shabbat afternoon at the shul (this
week at 4:30 p.m.). Hinenu is an informal gathering where the weekly Torah portion or other topics
of Jewish interest are discussed and studied.
Shul Announcements
Chesed Committee Opportunity
STL Food Rescue’s mission is to alleviate hunger in our community by collecting perishables that
would have been discarded from local food retailers and immediately delivering them to the
organizations most in need. Volunteers pick up food on Mondays and/or Wednesdays from the
Whole Foods in Town & Country, when they close at 10:00 p.m., and deliver the food to either
Tomchei Shabbat or the Kollel. To sign up, please use
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ah2z9GUSGE0mdFVUUjJseUF1OGhSZmRVOFdG
ZVlMOHc&usp=sharing_eil#gid=16 or contact the shul for more information.
New Chesed Committee at Bais Abe
If you like to help with Bais Abraham's new chesed committee please contact Fawn Chapel or
Roberta Gutwein. The chesed committee will help to coordinate meals and assistance for people in
the Shul who are ill or need help. Fawn can be reached at fawn.chapel@gmail.com and Roberta can
be reached at robertagutwein@gmail.com .
A Way to Help Our Shul
Looking for a way to help our shul as a volunteer? A job that would take about one hour a week and
make an enormous difference in the appearance of the shul is to be in charge of the bookshelves in
the auditorium. Help organizing the rest of the library is also needed. If you can take on one or both
of these jobs, please contact Rabbi Shafner who will give you some basic guidelines on where
various books go.
Bais Abe Mailing List and Directory
We are in the process of updating our mailing lists and our directory. Please send all updates and
corrections to office@baisabe.com. We list addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses in the
directory. Please let us know if you would prefer not to have us include your email address.
Shabbat Retreat – Save the Date
Bais Abe will be going on a community retreat in beautiful rural Missouri on March 6-7, 2015. Details
to follow.
Volunteers Sought
We are looking for a few volunteers to help with kiddush setup on Shabbat. If you are willing to be
part of the rotation please contact Rabbi Shafner.
Do you “Like” Bais Abe on Facebook?
Find Bais Abe on Facebook at www.tinyurl.com/BaisAbeFacebook.
Sponsoring a Kiddush at Bais Abe
Sponsoring a Kiddush or "Lunchish" is a wonderful way to mark a simcha or yahrzeit. Or you can
honor a loved one by sponsoring one of our monthly Lunch & Learns. Now, you can also sponsor
seudah shlishit for just $54! If you would like to sponsor (or co-sponsor) any of the above, please
contact Alayne in the office or Kiddush Chair, Judy Hoffman (jshoffman@swbell.net). They will go
over costs and help you plan the Kiddush or lunch you want. Please help shul members plan ahead
by letting us know about your wish to sponsor at least 10 days in advance. Thank you!
Reminder: No perfume/cologne in the synagogue
Please refrain from wearing perfume/cologne in the synagogue because some of our members are
highly allergic. If you inadvertently arrive at the shul wearing any scents, please wash them off.
Attention: people with nut allergies
If you have a nut allergy, for your safety please assume that any foods or beverages served at Bais
Abe may contain nuts or have been prepared on equipment that processes nuts. Please feel
comfortable asking those in charge of food or beverages about their nut content and they will try to
provide it if possible.
Upcoming Kiddush and Shabbat Calendar
November 1
Kiddush Lunch in honor of
Alberto Goldgaber’s 80th birthday
Sponsored by Berta Goldgaber
November 8
Cholent Kiddush in honor of the
aufruf and wedding of Zach
Novetsky and Jen Csengody
Sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Gary
and Sandy Novetsky and Mr. and
Mrs. Tom and Susan Csengody
November 15
Cholent Kiddush
Sponsor Invited
To RSVP for an event email office@baisabe.com or call 721-3030.
Bais Abraham Learning-at-a-Glance
Class
Instructor
Time & Place
Basics of Judaism
Rori Picker Neiss
“Torah on Tap”
Rabbi Shafner
Women’s Class:
Book of Shoftim (Judges)
Rabbi Shafner
Parshat Hashavua
Rori Picker Neiss
Beit Midrash Chevruta
(Partner) Study
You and your chevruta (partner)
Beginner’s Gemara Class
Jack Shapiro
Deepen Your
Davening/Explanatory
Prayer Class
Alternating between Rabbi
Shafner and Rori Picker Neiss
Each Shabbat, approx. 10:30 a.m.
in the Gardner Beit Midrash
Shalhevet Women’s Kollel
Partnered learning + shiur with
Rori Picker Neiss
Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 pm (every other Tuesday) at
Bais Abe
Mondays, 7:30 p.m.
at Bais Abe
Periodic Monday nights
see Shmooze for exact dates and times
Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m.
Gardner Beit Midrash
Wednesday, 1:00 p.m.
Location: rotating. Contact Rori for location.
Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.
in the Bais Abe Auditorium
Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.
in the Bais Abe Auditorium
St. Louis Jewish Community News
The Shabbos Project Comes to St. Louis
On October 24 and 25 there will be a global Shabbos project for the entire Jewish people. The Jewish
world has just experienced so much darkness. We have united over loss and grief and injustice. Let us
now unite pro-actively over what makes us so blessed and so special. Let us unite over family and
heritage; over our common destiny. Let us unite over what keeps us together. Let us unite over
Shabbos.The Shabbos Project is a program created and organized by the Chief Rabbi of South Africa,
Rabbi Warren Goldstein. For more information visit: http://us8.campaignarchive2.com/?u=088e38b9f842a7cb975c98a98&id=96750bd448&e=75f99413b0
Jewish Social Action Network Outerwear Drive
The Jewish Social Action Network, a project of the Jewish Community Relations Council, will hold an
outerwear drive October 26-December 5 to benefit immigrants and refugees served by the
International Institute. For more information, please see the flyer in the Shmooze.
Jewish and Muslim Day of Service Toiletry Collection Drive
The annual Jewish and Muslim Day of Service will be held on Christmas Day 2014. In preparation for
the day of social action, there will be a toiletry collection drive. See the flyer in the Shmooze for
more information and for a list of drop off locations.
Community ListServe
The St. Louis Jewish Community has an active ListServe where members can offer items for sale,
ask for items or services, read about community events, and more.
The ListServ is a perfect place to offer items that you no longer need that someone else may enjoy.
Many people benefit from such posts.
To become a member of the community ListServe just email STLJCL-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Posting is easy! Just email your post to STLJCL@yahoogroups.com.
Torah Trailblazers Adventure Torah Studies Hike Program – October 26th, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Registered Yoga Teacher Maxine Mirowitz will guide participants on a hike to a scenic viewpoint
where students will gather to discuss Jewish values followed by standing yoga and breathing
sessions. The program on October 26th, 10:00-12:00 includes a family hike of 1.5 miles for
elementary school age children or older with adult supervision at Laumeier Sculpture Park. To enroll
please visit the website: www.Torahtrailblazers.com .
JPAT Launches Speaker Series on October 28
Renee Wasserman, founder of SleepyHead Solutions, will kick-off a four-part speaker series for
parents of young children presented by the Jewish Parents as Teachers program (JPAT),
on Tuesday, Oct. 28, from 11:15-12:30p.m., at Congregation Temple Israel, #1 Rabbi Alvan D. Rubin
Dr. in Creve Coeur. Wasserman will present “Sleeping 101: Foundation for Healthy Sleeping Habits.”
The program is free and open to the community. Complimentary babysitting is available.
Reservations are required by Thursday Oct. 23, to Leslie Wolf, lwolf@ti-stl.org or 314-567-4299.
Wasserman is a Family Sleep Institute certified infant and child sleep consultant. She empowers
parents to teach their children to become healthy sleepers. For more information on the Speaker
Series or on enrolling in JPAT, contact Mindy Woolf at stljpat@gmail.com or 314-567-4299.
Stone Unveiling for Norman Sussman – November 12th
The stone unveiling for Norman Sussman will be held on Wednesday November 12 at 10:30 am.
The ceremony will take place at his grave site at Chevra Kadisha Cemetery (Page and North and
South) in Sec. North, Row YY, Grave 40.
“On the Fringe” – Do a mitzvah and express yourself too!
Comfortable, stylish, affordable tzitzit. Colorful, 100% cotton cloth, plaid, polka dot, many solid colors.
Reinforced seams, hand-tied for the mitzvah. Small, medium, large, and custom sizes available. Handspun or machine-spun tzitzit available. To order, contact Ben Shafner, 314-308-8324,
benshafner@gmail.com. $25.
JF&CS Volunteer Opportunities
Jewish Family & Children’s Service has the following volunteer opportunities:
-Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry has volunteer opportunities for assisting clients in the pantry,
sorting donations and preparing Bima Baskets to raise funds for pantry operations.
-Community Chaplaincy: Volunteers are needed for making Friendly Visits with Jewish residents of
care communities, providing companionship and a listening ear.
To learn more about our volunteer opportunities and how you can make a difference, contact Anna
Lehrke, Coordinator of Volunteers, at 314-812-9386 or alehrke@jfcs-stl.org.
ElderLink St. Louis
ElderLink St. Louis is a free telephone information & referral service for Jewish older adults, their
children & caregivers. The program, coordinated by Jewish Family & Children’s Service, is staffed by
Lori Zimmerman & Ken Schwartz, who have Masters Degrees in Social Work. For a personal &
confidential consultation, or for more information, call 812-9300 8:30am-5:00pm, Mon. thru Fri.
The Jewish Food Pantry Needs Our Help
The Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry is looking for these specific items in order to provide wellbalanced nourishment for the community in need: canned fruit, any type of canned vegetables,
kosher foods, canned tuna fish, peanut butter, canned pasta with meat, healthy cereals, toothpaste,
toothbrushes, hand soap, and detergent. Items should be brought to your synagogue collection site.
For further information, please contact Louise Levine, 636-227-1259.
We are seeking sponsors for this exciting scholar in residence weekend. Sponsor in honor or in
memory of someone. Contact Rabbi Shafner or the shul office.
‫שלום שבת‬
Submit articles and announcements for publication by Thursday morning to shmooze@baisabe.com.
Advertise in the Shmooze Classified section and on Bais Abraham’s website for two weeks for $18. For
further news and general information about our shul please check out our website at www.baisabe.com.
The Shmooze© is a community publication of Bais Abraham Congregation, 6910 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis,
Missouri, 63130.
Hyim Shafner, Rabbi.