BETH-EL SYNAGOGUE NEWSLETTER
P O Box 568, St. Johnsbury VT 05819
Schedule of Services and Beth El Activities
MAY 2
Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)6:00 PM Vegetarian Potluck
6:45 PM Services by Ilene Kanoff and the Hebrew School. Followed by Oneg (Carol Novick and Yvonne Gammell)
This Friday, May 2, will be the last Hebrew School service until next fall. We ask that you (and a friend or two) come to synagogue for the pot luck at 6:00 p.m. and/or services at 6:45 p.m. to support the Hebrew School children and their families. The service will be filled with much singing. Bring a musical instrument if you'd like (strings and small percussions only, please; guitars and tamborines are welcome; leave the tubas home. ) There will also be a parsha play performed by the children. Lots of good ruach. If you have any question, please email Ilene . Thanks so much. See you on Friday evening.
MAY 4
Beth El Brunch 10:30 and 12:30MAY 9
7:30 PM Services by Jon Margolis. Followed by Oneg (Terry Cantor & Jake Pendleton).
MAY 16
7:30 PM Services by TBA. Followed by Oneg (Richard & Joanne Axelrod).
MAY 20
6:30 PM The next meeting of the Beth El Board of Directors will be on Tuesday, May 20 at 6:30pm at the synagogue.
MAY 237:30 PM Services by Al Zeller. Followed by Oneg (Roberta Traub).
MAY 307:30 PM Services by Joan Cooke. Followed by Oneg (Joan Cooke).
Shabbat Parshot for May
Saturday, May 3
K'doshim, Shabbat Mevarkhim
Va'yikra 19:1-20:27
Haftarah: Amos 9:7 - 15
Omer 13Monday May 5
Rosh Hodesh Iyar
B'midbar 28 1-15
Omer 15Tuesday May 6
Rosh Hodesh Iyar
B'midbar 28 1-15
Omer 16Wednesday May 7 Yom HaZikaron (Israel Remembrance Day)
Omer 17Thursday May 8 Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Independence Day)
D'varim 7:12-8:18
Haftarah: Isaiah 10:32-12:6
Omer 18Saturday, May 10
Emor
Va'yikra21:1-24:23
Haftarah: Ezekiel 44:15-31
Omer 20Saturday, May 17
B'har
Va'yikra 25:1-26:2
Haftarah: Jeremiah 32:6-27
Omer 27Friday, May 23
Lag ba'Omer
Omer 33Saturday, May 24
B'hukkotai Va'yikra 26:3-27:34
Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14
Omer 34May 31
B'midbar Shabbat Mevarkhim
B'midbar 1:1-4:20Haftarah: Hosea 2:1-22h 16:19-17:14 Omer 41Communication is Very Important to Our Community
Please Contact One of Us if You Have a Comment or Suggestion
PRESIDENT: Lisa Adler
VICE PRESIDENT: Craig Schein
TREASURER: Mandy Lane
SECRETARY: Carol Novick
BOARD MEMBERS:
Dick Axelrod
Patty and Harvey Caplan
Deborah Goldberg
Jon Margolis
Rachel Siegel
TREASURER'S REPORT
Mandy Lane
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Membership Dues:
Building Fund Donations for New Members:
Hebrew School Tuition:
Beth El strives to be available for all members of the Jewish community. Special consideration/abatement arrangements for dues and/or religious school fees may be made by the Abatement Committee. Please contact Lisa Adler, President or Amanda Lane, Treasurer.
YOU CAN HELP
Food shelves are being hit hard this year and we just want to remind everyone that we have a basket in the hallway outside of the sanctuary where you can bring food shelf donations. Please remember to bring a donation when you come to services. Thanks in advance for your generosity.
ANOTHER WAY YOU CAN HELP
Elinor Levy
The free lunch program held at South Church on Fridays needs help during the summer. During the year, academy students help out. This summer they are down to three people to prepare and serve lunch to about a hundred people. The food mostly comes from the academy, but needs to be put together and served. The program is under the umbrella of the Kingdom Community Services. They can use help ranging from someone willing to take responsibility for the operation, to someone who is willing to come in for a few hours every now and then. Ted and Fran Merchant will train volunteers. People can contact me by email (emlevy@bu.edu) if they are interested. They need people starting at the end of May. There is going to be a meeting to discuss the summer lunch program Wed. May 14th, so I need to know if anyone is interested by then.
SECOND ANNUAL SPRING BRUNCH
Sally Margolis
Heads up everybody! It's time to get serious about the brunch.
Our second annual spring brunch, a modest fundraiser and a good chance for our congregation to get together with each other and the greater community, will be held on THIS Sunday, May 4. There will be two seatings - 10:30am and 12:30pm. We'll need everyone to be involved in some way in order for this to succeed.
Tickets are on sale now at Gauthier's Pharmacy, Railroad St., St. J. There are also flyers there which Carol Novick has agreed to give out to people willing to post them. If you would stop by and take a couple and find a place to post them, that would be a BIG help. ASAP! Talk it up among friends, neighbors, club members.
We hope to sell tickets to the greater area community but this does not mean that congregation members can't buy them as well. Just because you're contributing all that time and effort doesn't mean we won't take your money!!
Thanks.
Ziva (Angela) Wilkie
Well here goes another foray into the world of Jewish themed entertainment. Thank you Mrs. Levy for letting us know about the Israeli movie at the Catamount last month. I’m always looking for things for myself and family and I welcome cultural exchange with other members.
This month I would like to share a few artists with you. In the contemporary music department there's an A Cappella music group called 613. My children and I love their versions of Lecha Dodi, Yigdal, & Mimkomcha. Eishet Chayil is one of my personal favorites but I guess, that's a matter of slow and sweet as opposed to toe tapping. The Jewish Juke Box has a complimentary cd they gave with purchase and on that I found several new artists (well new to me). Aneini by Lev Tahor is one I just close my eyes and feel. For unexpected there was Tehil Hashem by the Yeshiva Boys Choir. It sounds like techno pop with electronic music but somehow it works. If you like totally silly try “Jewish Housewives, Fabulously Funny Songs For The Frum Woman”. My daughter couldn't believe they took the Barbi girl song and turned it into Bubby’s Girl. Dancing Queen becomes Shabbos Queen and the list goes on.
I know I'm just scratching the surface and I would love to hear what some of you are listening to. One of my favorite albums is “When you're in love the whole worlds Jewish”. Now I know it's not music, it's comedy but it brings back fond memories. If you've never heard it the skits are hysterical. My daughter has been sharing some of them with her teachers. It's nice to find somethings are timeless. We may not be able to go back in time to retreats in Catskills but we can bring humor and entertainment into our homes.
Also don't forget the Israel@60 celebrations taking place in Burlington May 2-4th
Ziva (Angela) Wilkie
Growing up two of my heroes were Golda Meir and Ben-Gurion. For me they were Israel. I remember watching the made for TV movie Golda and thinking how wonderful it was to be her, wresting Israel from a barren wasteland and building a homeland. Now as we approach the 60th anniversary the family and I are looking through the Israeli books and photographs that we have. It's truly a time to reflect on our own commitment to Israel.
The cover of Hadassah magazine for May 08 says Israel at 60. The Hope, The Reality and the Future. I ‘m not old enough to know what it felt like when Israel was born but I know what it has always meant to me. Everyone has their own definition of what direction Israel should be heading. Yet all of us have a commitment to the preservation of the state and recognize the need for a homeland that is distinctly ours. We have to hope that in spite of the changes that are taking place we will have a secure future. I'm sure each of us will commemorate the anniversary in our own way, looking toward the future with hope.
If you interested in celebrating with other members of the tribe: The Israel@60 celebration will take place throughout the Burlington community May 2-4th. There are many events planned, within three themes. A night to honor Israel, Celebrating our heritage, and a day at the fair. The Ohavi Zedek website has a full list of the events. The fair which runs from 11 am to 2 pm will have a children's fair as well as Israeli dancing, food and music and other entertainment.
NEWS AND NOTES
Carok Novick
SAVE THIS DATE: Wednesday July 16th. We are planning a Play and Learn Mah Jongg night from 6-9 pm. More details will follow as Mary Scheiber, Sheila Aronoff and I firm them up.
Amy Ehrlich
My first grandson, Aaron Mikhail Ehrlich Williams was born on April 5 in Los Angeles, 8 # 10 oz, the most wonderful baby ever of course!
Bob and Nancy Kantar
Addition to last month's note. I have three grandchildren. The newest, Ella D'Auria and father Lee Kantar. The other two children, Caila and Justin are the children of my oldest son Jeffrey and his wife Kendra, both Kantars.
Deborah Goldberg
Alexandra Goldberg Patch performed in St. Johnsbury Academy's 'Gorgeous Raptors', a student-directed one-act play for the annual Drama Council Festival. St. Johnsbury Academy won the competition at the regional level and on April 5th, won at the State level, where two out of ten schools were chosen to go to the New England Drama Festival! The New England festival was held in Rutland on April 17th, with three days of performances of all the winning schools in New England. Alexandra received an Excellence in Acting award. Our "informal" second-night community seder at Beth El was enjoyed by all. The pot-luck food was delicious and Rick Schwag along with Deborah Goldberg and others shared in the reading of the Haggadah and the seder rituals. Deborah Goldberg will be performing with the Community Chorus on Saturday, May 10th at 7pm. The concert will be held at Lyndon State College's Alexander Twilight Theater and works by Haydn, Mendelssohn and Handel will be featured. Admission is by donation.
OTHER CONGREGATIONS
Celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel Delicious Israeli and Middle Eastern vegetarian appetizer buffet and music at Ariel's Riverside Café and Bar, 186 River St., Montpelier (formerly Finkerman's) Music by Gabe Halberg and Mac Ritchey of 35th Parallel 35th Parallel weaves a sonic spell, winding a musical trail through the Middle East, North India, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. Their signature MediterrAsian sound blends Middle Eastern oud and Indian tabla with a variety of other non-Western instruments. "Undeniable musical chemistry." Burlington Free Press Sunday May 18, 2008 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. $15/adult; $25/couple; $5/children under age 13 Cash bar sponsored by Beth Jacob Synagogue Montpelier, VermontHUMOR
An IRS agent comes to the shul and asks the rabbi, "Does Max Katz belong to your congregation?" The rabbi says, "He does." The agent asks, "Does he contribute to the congregation?" The rabbi says, "He does." The agent asks, "Did he give ten thousand dollars this year?" The rabbi hesitates a second and replies, "He will."
This is the email edition which is being sent to all members and friends of Beth El. If you have a friend who would also like to receive the Beth El Newsletter, please let me know his or her email address and I will include them in the "emailing".
The deadline for each monthly edition is the 21st of the previous month. Articles and letters will be printed if they are signed and if they deal with topics and ideas, NOT personalities.
Send your correspondence to:
Diana Senturia, Newsletter Editor
The newsletter will be posted on the Beth El web site:
http://www.congregationbeth-el.org/ monthly.