Bulletin Highlights from Beth El Hebrew Congregation
May 2008
Table of Contents
Message from Rabbi Isserow
This year’s CCAR conference, which I attended last month, took place in Cincinnati. It was somewhat nostalgic being back on the campus of Hebrew Union College where Jinny and I had studied for four years and certainly special visiting the historic Plum Street Temple, the site of our ordination in 1991. The experience encompassed old teachers, old friends, old buildings, old texts, but also the ever new interpretations, the new ways of looking at words and situations, and most important, the knowledge that our Movement is continually renewing itself through advanced scholarship and innovation.
The conference opened with an address by David Harris, Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee. He summed up the position of Jews and Israel in the world by quoting Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” Poignantly, this says it all.
We also heard from Doris Kearns Goodwin, historian and biographer, who brilliantly shared insights into the life of Abraham Lincoln. Arnold Eisen and David Ellinson, respectively the Presidents of JTS and HUC, discussed how Conservative and Reform Judaism differ, why it is important to maintain these distinctions and how we can strengthen each other and liberal Judaism by cooperating in important areas.
One whole afternoon was dedicated to a discussion about Interfaith Marriage. The session was led by Len Saxe, Director of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis, and Steven M. Cohen, Professor at HUC-JIR and a leading sociologist. Contrary to expectations, neither addressed the issue of officiation and in fact stressed that in their opinion officiation should not be our major focus.
Based on the results of surveys of Jews both nationally and in specific areas like Boston, each has recently published a paper assessing the results. Their focus was primarily on the future of the Jewish community in the US and whether it will grow, hold its own, or over a not-so-long period disappear.
It is, of course, fascinating how the same information can be interpreted so differently, but in summary, Saxe and his colleagues feel that what will determine the future of Jews is engagement and the quality as well as quantity of that engagement. It seems not to matter whether children are the products of in-married or inter-married parents; what does count is how they are raised and how intensive is their Jewish experience as they grow up. Rituals, religious school, summer camps, trips to Israel all have a marked influence on whether these children will raise Jewish children when their own time to become parents arrives.
Steven Cohen has a different take. He sees a distinct difference between in-married and inter-married, maintaining that the former will produce 75% of the next generation of identifying Jews even though the in-married constitute a much lower percentage of the total number marriages.
The bottom line, as far as I am concerned, is that it matters not so much who is more correct, but that we take their warnings seriously. Quality of education, involvement in the Jewish Community, bringing ritual practice into our homes, these are the things that will ensure that the generations to come will identify as Jews and it is only together that we can achieve this vitally important goal.
We will continue to provide the opportunities that Jewish families need for involvement, not only for our members but for the larger community as well. Please help us to be successful and in addition, invite those whom you know who are currently on the margin to join in this endeavor.
L’shalom
Brett
Both papers are available online –
Saxe’s It’s Not Just Who Stands Under the Chuppah at
http://www.brandeis.edu/cmjs/index.cfm
Cohen’s Tale of Two Jewries at
http://www.huc.edu/faculty/faculty/SteveCohen.shtml.
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Notes from Cantor Steinberg
In musically marking the 60th birthday of the modern state of Israel, our teen choir, Shir Tz’eir, comprised of teens from both Beth El and Agudas Achim and directed by Chazzan Elisheva Dienstfrey and Adrian Durlester, will present a special Sermon-in-Song on May 9. As might be predicted, we will sing the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah, at the conclusion of that Shabbat service.
Hatikvah (The Hope), has had a surprisingly controversial history. First, a little background. The poet Naftali Peretz Imber had arrived in the Holy Land from the Ukraine in the early 1880s. Tired of persecution and anti-semitism, his 1878 poem was supposed to be an expression of his thoughts and feelings following the construction of one of the first Jewish settlements in late 19th century Palestine. The hope he spoke of was the hope of the return to Zion and the establishment of a self-determining and free Jewish nation.
The poem gained a great deal of popularity among the immigrants in the Holy Land as the Secular Zionist movement took root. By 1888, Samuel Cohen had adapted the melody from a Bessarabian folk-song, Carul cu boi (“Carriage with Oxen"- a melody also used in Smetana's Moldau) for the poem, and it was very quickly named the official song of the Zionist movement.
Typical secular Zionists of the late 19th century did not attribute any religious aspects to their dream of a return to Eretz Yisrael. Their hope was to rely on courageous individuals like Herzl, who could lead the Jewish people in establishing a homeland. The plan was to establish this homeland in the promised land, but if this were to prove to be impossible, other options might suffice.
Rav Abraham Isaac Kook, the head of the religious Zionist movement, disagreed with the attitude that the poem conveyed. For him, Zionism was specific to Eretz Yisrael as supported by the Torah. He viewed Zionism as a movement of faith rather than hope. He therefore wrote an alternate poem in direct response to Hatikvah, entitled Ha'Emunah (The Faith). He hoped that it would ultimately replace Hatikvah as the favored anthem of the people. Even though he, like the secular Zionists, subscribed to the concept of nationalism, he viewed the return to Eretz Yisrael as something that we have known would happen for centuries. His poem, while popular in the Yeshivas, never caught on in the popular culture.
The text of Hatikvah has presented more than an internal Jewish ideological problem for religious minorities and Arab-Israelis. Many non-Jewish citizens find it difficult to accept. Particularly, the specific reference to the yearnings of "a Jewish soul" is often cited as making the text impossible for a non-Jew to identify with. Notably, Raleb Majadele, the first Arab citizen of Israel appointed as a minister in the Cabinet of Israel, refuses to sing the anthem, stating that the song was written for Jews only. Also some left-wing Jewish Israelis have expressed reservations about the text, and on various occasions have made proposals to replace, adapt or change the text, or compose a second anthem with words which all citizens of Israel could find acceptable. However, so far no such proposal has come near to acceptance.
The closest was Yerushalayim shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold). Naomi Shemer composed it in 1967 for the Israeli Song Festival. The Six Day War broke out on Monday, June 5, 1967, and the Old City of Jerusalem was captured by the Israel Defense Forces on June7.When Jerusalem was freed, Jerusalem of Gold immediately became an anthem of sorts. During liberation of the city, soldiers burst out singing Jerusalem of Gold at the Western Wall. Shemer wrote an additional stanza in El-Arish on the day the Old City was freed. A day after the Six Day War ended, author Amos Oz criticized Shemer in the daily Davar for the articulations verbalized in the additional stanza which speaks of the empty marketplace, Temple Mount and Jericho Road. He maintained that the marketplace, Temple Mount and Jericho Road were not empty, but full of Arabs who would soon be displaced -- thus the beginnings of the end for this song's national anthem aspirations. In fact, the presentation of a bill in 1967 to the Knesset to make Jerusalem of Gold the national anthem, never went to committee.
When our choirs performed at Strathmore Concert Hall in Febru-ary, the music of the concert had been chosen to tell the history of Israel. The most powerful moment, however, was at the end of the evening when audience and performers, 700 people, sang Hatikvah together. I thank God for the fulfillment of our hope and I pray that our beloved homeland, a land where my heart lies, will find peace in the years to come and forever. Come and add your voices to that prayer by singing Hatikvah with Shir Tz'eir and our congregation on May 9.
~~ Cantor Sharon Steinberg
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President’s Message: Communications
A synagogue is no different than any other organization in that a key component for success is effective communication. It does little good to host an event or provide meaningful services if few people know of the offerings, or—nearly as bad—learn of them too late to plan for their attendance. The introduction to Beth El's Communications and Coordination Process Guide notes specifically how consistent and well-understood communication is critical for ensuring an integrated and effective temple (copy upon request).
As you undoubtedly recognize and have even come to expect, your Beth El Bulletin is continually packed with important listings and concise summaries of past and future congregational events, services and activities. The Bulletin has been, and undoubtedly will continue to be, the primary mechanism for communication with temple members. Working with the clergy, office staff, officers and numerous volunteer committee chairs, we have our long-time volunteer Bulletin editor, Ellen Feldstein, primarily to thank for these monthly updates. But sometimes The Bulletin may be misplaced, an article overlooked, or an event scheduled too late to make the timetable for publication. Therefore, to further enhance communication between Beth El and its members, several means for electronic communication have been established.
Sue Klemens, our volunteer webmaster, has contributed many hours of her time to create Beth El's attractive and informative website. If you have not done so already, please take the time to bookmark our website at www.bethelhebrew.org and then spend a few minutes navigating all it has to offer. The latest events are summarized on its home page, and up-do-date calendars (for Temple events, the Religious School, and Friday night usher schedules) are only a click away. There are opportunities to shop, to learn about social events and committee activities, to make charitable donations (tzedakah), and to read past and current Bulletin articles on-line.
Beth El also offers two weekly news services, available to anyone with an email. Thanks to office staff Fran Simon and LaToya Price, subscribed members receive concise, attractive weekly summaries of upcoming Religious School events and overall Temple activities. These electronic Weekly Bulletins include important announcements, schedules, event notices and calendar updates. If you have children in school and would like to receive the Beth El Hebrew Religious School Weekly Bulletin, let us know. If you would like to be put on the mailing list for Beth El Hebrew Congregation Weekly Update, please send me an email. They are once-a-week updates that can only be sent by the Religious School and Temple offices (that is, no spam is possible nor will listserve debates fill your in-box). And a final reminder to return to Diane DeMaio and her volun-teer committee the request form for updated contact information: This data sheet will form the basis for a greatly needed up-to-date Beth El Member Directory. After all, a first step in good communication is to know how to communicate to whom.
To be added to our Weekly Bulletins (or to comment on any facet of this article), just send an email to president@bethelhebrew.org. Let the communications expand.
~~ John Jankowski
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Message from Executive Director Moshe Teichman
Save the Date! Join Beth El in Celebrating Israel’s 60th Birthday
June 1, 2008 -- Be There!
In May, Israel will celebrate its 60th birthday — a very significant milestone that deserves special recognition and provides a great opportunity to celebrate Israel’s achievements and history.
Please join the Congregation in celebrating this very special birthday on Sunday, June 1. Our celebration will begin in the Beth El parking lot at 10:30 am with an Israeli tailgate brunch provided by the Religious School. Following brunch, we will proceed to the National Mall to join the greater Jewish Community for what promises to be a fabulous and memorable afternoon of music and dancing to celebrate Israel.
The brunch is free. A bus has been chartered and seating will be limited to the first 44 who respond. Watch your mail for detailed information.
~~ Moshe Teichman
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School News
Open Letter to a Congregation of Potential Teachers
Shalom, Beth El Congregant,
In each of you is a spark of a great teacher. We need you to utilize that spark to ignite in our children ( and our adult community) the energy within them to live the life of a Reform, committed Jew and an active member of our Beth El, greater Jewish and world community.
Your first response may be “I am not a teacher – what do I know?” Some of you may not want to teach but before you decide that question – ask yourselves these questions:
✐ Can I connect to the kids?
✐ Can I try at least once to test my teaching prowess?
✐ If I attended a training course geared toward the lay teacher – would I feel more comfortable teaching youth?
If your answer to any of these questions is “yes”- please read on. For a number of years, the Religious School has had an elective program for seventh and eighth grade students. In the beginning, congregants volunteered to teach a 4 - 6 week course on a subject they had an interest in conveying to the students.
Over the past two years and especially this year, the program has somewhat waned. There are a number of factors contributing to this - primarily the busy life of our congregants and my own questioning of the program with all of its logistical components and the time required to assure that the elective is of value to the teacher and student. Quite honestly, I was ready to significantly reduce or drop the idea to “electives.”
This momentary thought was eased with the occurrence of two significant events. One, I spoke to our seventh grade students and they were candid in their opinion that the electives, when geared to their interest, were an enjoyable and relevant learning experience. The second was my reading (and my continuing study) of Redesigning Jewish Education for the 21st Century - A Lippman Kanfer Institute Working Paper and other current research papers on Jewish education. These two events rekindle my excitement for the Elective Program.
Among the recommendations from the “Redesigning Jewish Education for the 21st Century” is the importance of “empowering the learners an active agent in fashioning his/her own learning experience.” In my opinion, a well-developed elective program is one way of meeting this need.
In light of the above – here is my request. If you have an interest in facilitating the learning of our Jewish teens, please email me at bsmith@bethehebrew.org or call me at 703-370-6644. We will discuss the subject, develop a plan and schedule We will try to have training during the summer. With your assistance and enthusiasm, we will continue to develop a program of Jewish education that is “experiential, learner–driven and deeply relevant to student lives.”
L’shalom,
Barry Smith, Director of Education
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BEFTY Beat!
Jr. BEFTY (6th - 8th grades) is ready for summer. Join us for a Pool Party on May 4 from 1:30 - 3:30 pm at the JCCNV indoor pool. Snack will be provided.
BEFTY (8th - 12th grades) is getting ready for a night on the town! Come for dinner in Old Town Alexandria, schmoozing and a shul-in at Beth El! Keep May 31 available and look for more information to come.
BEFTY would like to thank everyone who particiated in our Silent Auction during the Purim Carnival. We made more than $450 that will be donated to Nothing But Nets.
The members of BEFTY who were able to head down south for Spring Kallah had a great time! Watch for more information over the summer regarding upcoming regional events, including MAJYK (Mid-Atlantic Junior Youth Kallah) here at Beth El December 5 - 7! This event is designed to introduce NFTY to 7th and 8th graders in the MAC region. We will need the help of everyone in the congregation.
Questions? Contact Nori White, Youth Advisor, at jrbefty@bethelhebrew.org.
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Wednesday Night Study — Come, Learn, Enjoy!
Reform Prayer: A Concise History in Two Parts
Wednesday May 14, 7 - 8 pm
Rabbi Isserow shares stories about how the Reform approach to prayer has shaped current liturgy. What was left in? What was cut? How and why were choices made? How does the English translation vary from the traditional text? How and when have changes been made since the Reform movement began? Come to learn and make sense of your own experience praying in different places and at different times.
Jews & Christians: The Differences
Wednesday, May 21, 7 - 8 pm
Jews and Christians read the Bible very differently and expect different things from their study. We will use the book Irreconcilable Differences? edited by Rabbi David Sandmel of the Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies in Baltimore (and others) to discuss whether the differences between us are a curse, a blessing, or both. To RSVP or for more information, contact Deb Smith-Cohen at dsmithcohen@cox.net.
Reform Prayer: The Choreography of Prayer
Wednesday, June 4, 7 - 8 pm
Rabbi Isserow takes us beyond the words themselves to explore the choreography of prayer. When do we stand? When do we sit? When do we bow? When do we turn? Why don’t Reform Jews shokel (sway) in prayer? And why do Reform Jews generally sit during the Amidah (standing prayer)? Find out more about what you are doing during services, what it means and how it got started.
Note: The June 4 adult study will be the last meeting until fall.
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Beth El Directory Update
If you have not already done so, please return the updated information form that you received in the mail right away to assist us in producing the new directory. Mail it, or place it in the drop-off box in our new lobby.
You are invited to become a patron for the new directory. See your name listed with fellow members to show your support! Send your check for $36, payable to Beth El, to the temple and write Directory Patron in the memo line.
You are invited to purchase a listing in the Business and Professional Section at a cost of $50, or a Display Ad with the cost based on the ad size. Please consult Page 15 in this Bulletin. Call Diane DeMaio for more information.
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Spring Pot Luck Dinner in Del Ray
May 18, 5 - 7 pm
Please come to the lovely home of Jeremy Flachs and Elizabeth Hernandez in the Del Ray section of Alexandria. Enjoy socializing over a Sunday pot luck dinner with other Beth El members who live in the greater Alexandria area!
Please let us know whether your pot luck offering will be an appetizer, main course, salad or dessert. RSVP by May 14 to Diane DeMaio or Francie Schweber.
Directions and parking suggestions will be emailed to those who request them at a later time.
~~ Diane DeMaio
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Important Notice Concerning Dues
Just a reminder that Beth El’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30 of each year. You will soon receive (or may have already received) the Dues Packet for Fiscal 2008-09, starting on July 1. You’ll recognize the packet easily since it is bright yellow.
It’s very important for the continued success of the Fair Share system that you fill in the form accurately and return it promptly. Please confirm or correct your income range, sign the form and select your method of payment on the back. If the signed form is not returned to Beth El by May 12, we will assume the income range on your form is correct and your dues will be calculated at the corresponding Full Fair Share dues level. Dues will be billed at this rate beginning July 2008.
Remember all financial obligations, up to and including first quarter dues (July, August and September), must be paid before High Holiday tickets can be released or before your child(ren) can begin Religious School in the fall.
As always, if you are experiencing financial issues, you may call the temple office and ask to set up a meeting with a Fair Share Committee member. In fairness to your fellow congregants, if you have been granted dues relief in the past, we ask that you reexamine your financial resources and return to your fair share level as quickly as possible.
Ann Levy, Chair
Fair Share Committee
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Needed: New or Gently Used Women’s Clothing
WRJ is teaming up with the Beth El Social Action Committee to collect and distribute clothing, through the Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church, to women living in poverty along the Route 1 corridor. Since Beth El will not have a Treasures and Junque Yard Sale this year, please look in your closets now; clothing you no longer need may be a very special gift for someone else. You will find a collection box just inside the kitchen entrance.
Looking for the ideal gift for mom? Think Judaica Shop! Watch the May weekly updates to find out about our expanded hours during the week leading up to Mother’s Day.
Please mark Friday, May 16, on your calendar as we hope you’ll join us to celebrate the WRJ Shabbat that evening.
~~ Ann Levy
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Beth El/JCCNV Preschool Needs a New Name
The Beth El/JCC Preschool has thrived this year,
BUT there’s a problem looming, we fear.
Here’s your ticket to fame.
We need a new permanent name!
The school embodies Jewish traditions, has a nurturing staff and implements an engaging preschool curriculum. So grab a pencil and start crafting names right away! Please send your ideas to DinaB@jccnv.org.
~~ Lauren Johnson
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Car Donations Welcome!
Do you have a vehicle that is safe to drive but no longer one that you want to use? Consider donating it to Beth El.
We’ll pick up your vehicle on your schedule. We need only your keys, clear title and registration and enough fuel in the tank to get to Sterling, VA. We’ll explain title transfer on site. The car should be cleaned and washed as if you were going to sell it.
In two cars, we will drive to the DMV for re-titling to Beth El; then the car will be sold to CARMAX. Plates, sticker and all information about the sale will be returned to you.
Ready to start the process? E-mail ernielevy@cox.net with make, model, year, VIN, mileage and your estimate of condition. He’ll take it from there!
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ALIVE! News
Sunday, May 4, is the 27th annual StepALIVE! Walkathon benefitting the ALIVE! Child Development Center. The walk begins at 1:30 pm from First Christian Church, 2723 King St. in Alexandria, (1.6 miles from Beth El).
We’ll walk about 5 miles to Old Town and back. Registration (which includes a StepALIVE! t-shirt) is $10 for 19-65-year olds and $5 for 12-18 years old. All other walkers are free. Sponsor forms are available from me (schaffer4@gmail.com) or at www.alive-inc.org.
Thank you to everyone who responded so generously after the warehouse where ALIVE! stores much of its food was burglarized. (Burglars Plunder Food From Charity, Washington Post April 4) It’s important for us to remember that as a member congregation of ALIVE!, that theft affected all of us. ALIVE! is not just an organization Beth El supports, Beth El is a part of ALIVE!.
~~ Deborah Schaffer
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Beth El House
Congressman Moran Supports Work of Beth El House
Congressman Jim Moran has helped obtain a federal grant of $71,000 to assist Beth El House (BEH) in its work of providing housing and support services to previously homeless families.
Beth El House will use the funds to provide transitional housing for additional homeless persons and to improve services to all the families it serves. Beth El House typically houses three families at one time, usually mothers and their children. These funds will allow us to increase that number during the coming year.
In addition, for some time, BEH has wanted to strengthen the services it provides to families, especially in the area of psychological assessment and counseling.
The residents of BEH typically arrive with an array of difficult problems, and since our goal is to assist them in preparing for independent living and a better future, we believe this is an area where more help is desirable.
We are very grateful to Congressman Moran for his support, which was critical in our obtaining the grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The number of homeless families in our area is increasing, as the housing crisis worsens. With these additional funds, BEH will be able to increase the help we give to homeless families.
You can help Beth El House too. Join us at the Religious School Walkathon for Beth El House on Sunday, May 4 at 11:00 am. All are welcome.
Needed by BEH Residents:
• Used car in working condition.
• Kitchen items: microwave, dishes, pots/pans, utensils.
~~ Barbara Rosenfeld, President, BEH
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Preschool Registration Opens for Fall 2008
Our Beth El-JCCNV Preschool has plans to double in size in September, going from 3 rooms to 6 and including younger 2s, older 2s, 3s and 4s. Registration is open and classes are filling up! We are so delighted to welcome new children to our program!
We will also be looking for warm, wonderful and experienced teachers and teachers’ assistants. If you are ready to fill your day with the joy and laughter of little people, please call and let’s talk about your interests.
For more information about the school, contact Dina Backer, Dinab@jccnv.org.
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You are Invited to the Beth El Permanent Endowment Fund Annual Meeting
Sunday, May 18, 10 am - 12 pm
The Endowment Fund Board of Trustees cordially invites you to its Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 18, at 10 am to conduct Endowment Fund business and gather input and options about the growth of the Endowment Fund and its future.
We absolutely need your input.
Voting members, contributors and those who simply want to know more are invited — indeed are encouraged to attend. (A voting member is any Beth El member who has donated $500 or more to the Endowment Fund)
RSVP by May 14 to Steve Rabin, steverabin@cox.net.
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Attention, 2008 Graduates
(or their parents)
Beth El is proud of the accomplishments of all of its members graduating at any time in 2008, and would like to recognize them in a future Bulletin. We hope that all graduates, or one of their parents, will send the following information to Ellen Feldstein at efeditor@cox.net no later than June 1:
• Name of Graduate
• School awarding diploma or degree
• Degree earned and/or honors (if appropriate)
• Plans for fall (i.e., school, job, military, etc.)
We don’t want to leave anyone out; please respond, asap, at the above e-mail address.
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NoVa Jews and Beit Shemesh Kehillah Conduct “Real Time” Discussion of Jeremiah
On an overcast and cool Sunday afternoon, a group of Jews from Beth El and Adat Reyim, gathered in Beth El’s new media center, and their co-religionists in the city where the Ark of the Covenant once rested, Beit Shemesh, jointly studied the Book of Jeremiah. Thanks to a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the wonders of modern technology, the 4,500 miles gap magically disappeared and the Diaspora Jews studied side-by-side in English with students in Washington’s sister city in Israel.
Leading the discussion was Gilah Goldsmith. A former religious school teacher, Gilah has led the Beth El Torah Discussion Group for about 20 years. Last fall, Rabbi Brett Isserow, Adat Rayim Rabbi Bruce Aft and lay leaders introduced the Northern Virginia students to the Book of Jeremiah in four separate sessions. On the Israeli side, there was a very enthusiastic partner with the Kehillah at Kibbutz Tamuz in Beit Shemesh, one of the three urban kibbutzim in Israel. Last year, Kehillah Education Director Liat Alon came to Northern Virginia to lay the groundwork for the joint study sessions. The Kehillah chose the talented and gifted Dr. Yiftach Goldman to lead the discussion of Chapter 34 of the Book of Jeremiah. Fluent in English, Dr. Goldman is a member of the History and Theory Unit of the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem.
With Passover less than three weeks away, Dr. Goldman chose to attempt to understand the motivation of the ancient Israelites, first in freeing their slaves, and then in re-enslaving them. The discussion touched on the economics of the Israelite slaves, and the differences between the treatment of Jewish slaves as prescribed in Torah and as actually practiced in the First Temple period. The hour long discussion included many pointed questions about the text such as questions about the economic rationale for Jewish slavery. Some of the Israeli participants asked about the post-emancipation treatment of American slaves.
Three more study sessions are planned. Although the first session was an audio conference, future sessions are planned to be video conferences. Thanks for the able and dedicated work of Beth El’s Gilah Goldsmith, Howard Marks, Stew Levy, Arnie Meyrow and Rabbi Brett Isserow and their counterparts in the other two organizations.
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CCC Delivers Purim Bags
Mishloach manot, the sending of gifts, is discussed in the Book of Esther (9:22). From that, the custom has evolved of sending food to friends, neighbors and relatives at Purim. The temple’s Caring Concerns Committee delivered beautiful blue bags filled with hamantaschen, a grogger, clementines and a holiday card drawn by a child from our religious school to 22 homebound or recently widowed congregants this Purim. Thanks to Susan Mosse for organizing the effort, to Sylvia Kassalow for providing 100 hamantaschen, and to Shelli Ross, Ruth Perlstein, Enid Liess, Myrna Beck, Jeanette Astrow and Susan Mosse for delivering the bags.
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Culture Club Lunch and Jewish Film Festival Matinee
On Friday, May 9, we’ll meet to enjoy brunch/lunch at First Watch in Fair City at 11:30 am. Then we’ll head across the parking lot to Cinema Arts for the JCCNV’s Film Festival 1 pm screening of Jellyfish, an Israeli/French movie.
Be sure to RSVP by Wednesday, May 7, so I can make a reservation at the restaurant. Movie tickets and lunch are pay-as-you-go. Remember, you only have to be a Beth El member or a friend of a member to join us!
Important Note About June 13 Adventure to the Newseum:
We are currently holding 20 spots for our group at this new location of the Newseum - the one you’ve been reading so much about following its grand opening on Pennsylvania Avenue. Advance payment is necessary because of the time/date sensitive arrival policy. To reserve your place, please send me a check made payable to Meryl Goldhammer, no later than May 21. Reservations are confirmed only when check is received at 9900 Yacht Haven Drive, Burke, VA 22015. Cost is $17, a discounted group price.
~~ Meryl Goldhammer
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Renaissance Group: A Night on the Town
The Renaissance Group will head to the new Carlyle Club in Alexandria on Saturday, May 17, at 7:15 pm. Go back to the night clubs of the 50s and 60s for an evening of fine dining and ballroom dancing on a large dance floor surrounding the stage. Return to the big band era with a full orchestra. This upscale place is elegant, so plan to wear dressy attire and be ready for a memorable evening.
Check it out at www.thecarlyleclub.com to see what it’s like, then write your check for $50 per person, payable to Linda Vogel-Renaissance Group and send it to her at 10355 Fitzpatrick Lane, Oakton, VA 22124 by May 10. If you have questions about this event, email Arlene Hewitt at ARLENEHEWITT@aol.com.
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Social Action in Action
The Oral Rehydration Therapy project, which took place in March, was a great success. The project was co-sponsored by Immanuel Church on the Hill, and volunteers came from all over the metro area to help assemble and pack 16,377 packets of life saving powder. We very much appreciate the work Bobbie Gershman does to coordinate this event each year.
As you finish the last crumbs of Passover matzah, think about those newly freed Israelites wandering in the desert. How did they survive? Miriam had the knack for digging wells and finding water, and manna fell from heaven.
Beth El has the Can for Cans, our year-round drive to provide “manna” to those wandering in the desert of poverty. We are not just feeding the homeless; we are feeding the working poor and women fleeing violent homes. Please make it your habit to leave something in the can each and every time you come to Beth El. (That said, no Passover food, please.)
May 13 is our Mother’s Day Diapers and Wipes Drive for the Alexandria Battered Women’s Shelter. Drop off points are outside the kitchen and at the entrance to the Brotherhood Mother’s Day Brunch.
Don't forget Nothing But Nets: For $10 you can save lives by sending an insecticide treated mosquito net to Africa. Go to http://urj.org/nets to buy nets online. Or if you’d like to buy a net in someone's honor, I'll personalize a birthday or other tribute certificate. Just contact me with the information you want on the certificate.
~~ Deborah Schaffer
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Tidal Basin Boating Beckons Young Professionals
Paddle boating on the Tidal Basin on Sunday, June 22, is the next event planned for the Young Professionals Group. Put it on your calendar now; more details will follow.
The group celebrated Passover with a chocolate twist on April 6. Led in chocolate songs and prayers by Rabbi Isserow and Cantor Steinberg, the group enjoyed the sweet treats of the chocolate Seder.
For more information about this group and its events, contact Stacy/Mark Weiner at stacyapar@yahoo.com.
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