BJC Newsletter: December 2018

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IN THIS ISSUE

Shabbaton & Concert
New Member Dinner
Chant Circle
Gun Violence Prevention Shabbat
Book Club
ICYMI: Interfaith Thanksgiving
ICYMI: Gene Weingarten
Committee Opportunities
"Our" Family Updates
Meet A Member

December 2018 Newsletter

Rabbi Elhanan ‘Sunny’ Schnitzer

Kislev--Tevet 5779

CLICK for the Complete BJC December Events Calendar

Kriat HaRav—The Rabbi’s Call

Rabbi Elhanan “Sunny” Schnitzer

Hanukkah.

What’s not to like about Hanukkah? Pretty candle flames lit by young hands providing a glow for families gathered together. Songs and blessings. Toys, dreidels, fried foods, chocolate coins, new socks! Tales of brave dedicated Maccabees successfully struggling for Jewish freedom. Miraculous events surrounding the holy oil needed to light the seven branched candelabra in the Temple.

The historical story surrounding the Hasmonean revolt is, however, anything but joyful. The First Book of Maccabees describes how the Seleucid Greeks forbade the observance of Shabbat, kashrut, and circumcision. Many Jews chose to martyr themselves rather than abandon their faith, as the story goes, but this was not yet cause for rebellion. According to this account, written in the first century BCE by a Jewish writer of the Hasmonean court, the revolt began with an act of passion against religious coercion: the Jewish priest Mattathias spontaneously kills a Greek officer who forces Jews to make sacrifices to pagan gods.

But according to rabbis who wrote of these events 500 years later there is an even darker side to the Festival of Lights.

According to Megillat Taanit , a list of festivals and fasts that was compiled in the Second Temple period, and an accompanying commentary, called the Scholion , which was composed in the Talmudic period but edited sometime between the 9th and 11th centuries, the Greeks sent officials to the Land of Israel for the purpose of raping brides before their marriage, a legal ordinance also called jus primae noctis in medieval legal documents or “right of the first night,” in modern scholarship. T he Jews, out of fear, responded to this Greek policy by abstaining from marriage, and then by engineering underground weddings. But the upcoming nuptials of Hannah, the daughter of the high priest, prove too prominent to conceal. When an uninvited Greek official arrives at the wedding to partake of what he considered his right of the first night, the Maccabees defend their sister’s honor. This is what sparks the rebellion. [My Jewish Learning.com, Alieza Salzberg, 2014]

There are multiple stories in a similar vein throughout later rabbinic literature. So, what really happened, and what can these different versions of the Hanukkah story teach us?

The medieval rabbis’ obsession with stories of sexual violence gives us a sense of the anxiety they experienced in the Diaspora. These stories are an allegory for the emasculated position of the Jewish people in exile, ghettoized, persecuted, and often forced to abandon their faith.

These stories also reflect a patriarchal perspective. The stories dramatize a class of people, namely women, who are even more vulnerable than the men suffering under oppression, and the stories create the opportunity for the masculine heroes to eventually rise to their protection.

However, in one late version of the story, it is a woman who leads the resistance. [ She’iltot of Rav Ahai Gaon, 8th century CE] An unnamed woman discovers the elders are resigned to abandon her; rather than risking persecution, they plan to let her be taken by the governor. But she does not agree. The lack of effective action of the elders, she reasons, will be a sign to all the women of Israel that they, too, will not be protected. She prefers to martyr herself rather than become a symbol of desecration.

In a dramatic subversive action, she exchanges her fashionable clothing and jewelry for rags, brings a jug of wine to the public square, and drinks with all the passersby. In one version, she strips entirely naked at the pre-wedding feast. Her family is embarrassed and outraged by the guerilla theatre she enacts.

“Where are all the good men?” she cries. “Are you ashamed by my nakedness, but you are not embarrassed to abandon me to the uncircumcised?” Her plea finally spurs the Maccabees to hatch a plan. Like a Trojan horse, the stunning bride is paraded through town to the house of the king, who lets down his guard and allows the newly activated Maccabees into his inner sanctum, where a slaughter ensues. [ Beit HaMidrash , Rabbi Adolf Yelenik, 19th century CE]

She martyrs herself to protest the spineless Jewish leadership. In this story, the woman is the heroine. She reminds her brothers that when tyranny seems impenetrable, even the weakest member of society can inspire a rebellion.

I am drawn to this last version of the story at this moment of human history. Last month, a record number of women were elected to serve in the United States Congress. Many of them were elected to shake up the status quo and challenge the patriarchy of government. Will they be effective? Will they keep that promise or succumb to DC business as usual? The pressures upon them to do so will be great. How might the public support their integrity? Will they heal the divisions within our society or will they exacerbate them?

As I prepare to light the Hanukkiah the evening of December 2, I wonder: will these women be a light that takes us out of darkness and illuminates our nation or will their flame flicker and gutter?

Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer

From the President—Shoshanah Drake

H anukkah = Dedication

As we enter into December, we celebrate H anukkah. Many think of Hanukkah as a holiday celebrated with children and gifts, but as I’ve been talking with friends and family who either don’t have children or are empty-nesters, I’ve been thinking about this holiday in a different way.

The word H anukkah means dedication. It commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend, Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt.

BJC is dedicated to many things. We are dedicated to bringing you a spiritual experience that meets your needs. We do this by offering a variety of different types of services for Shabbat throughout the month, as well as programs like our chant circle. We are dedicated to building better relationships with all of our congregants in ways like using our name buttons to make sure we are able to greet each other by name, sending High Holiday greetings, celebrating our new members through new member Shabbat, and by listening to you and your ideas. Don’t forget the BJC Idea Bank here .

We are dedicated to providing interesting, educational, enjoyable, and social programs that leave you excited for more through things like our Great Names in the Neighborhood speaker series, our Book Club, our Torah Study, our Purim Spiel, and our Jewish Renewal Weekend. We are dedicated to your safety within our walls and have been working along with BHPC to make sure we are doing everything we can, including applying for and receiving grants, and meeting with experts to give us feedback on our plans and process.

In short, we are dedicated to YOU! As you light your Hanukkah candles this year, think about how you can rededicate yourself to BJC. I wish you a Happy Hanukkah and look forward to celebrating with you on December 7th as we light our candles together and welcome our new members.

From the Director of Congressional Education—Mindy Silverstein

Questions

Has anyone ever been in an empty room? If a fly loses its wings, is it still called a fly? What is the meaning of life?

Questions are intended to elicit a response of some kind. Some questions require a factual response, while others require a creative one. Some questions require the formation of an opinion based on fact, and others have the potential to define our priorities.

As an educator, I value well-phrased questions from students as they generally indicate a true attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the material being covered.

Recently, I was discussing with a group of 2nd and 3rd graders the story of Jacob receiving the blessing from Isaac. As you may recall, this blessing was intended for Esau. Specifically, the group focused on the section where Rebeccah told Jacob to leave their home and go to Laban’s house. One of the students asked if Jacob brought any of his belongings with him. This question then segued into an amazing conversation about Jacob’s future plans. The insight and wisdom from these children stemmed from a question posed by a student.

Judaism is a religion that encourages questions. We have several examples where we see this in the Torah, but perhaps the most familiar text is found in the Haggadah when the Four Questions are being asked.

Former Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks writes,

And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ (Ex. 12: 26-27)

In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him,. (Ex. 13: 14)

There is another passage later in the Torah that also speaks of question asked by a child

In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” tell him: (Deut. 6: 20-21)

These passages have become famous because of their appearance in Haggadah on Pesach . They are the four children: one wise, one wicked or rebellious, one simple and “one who does not know how to ask.” Reading them together the sages came to the conclusion that

children should ask questions,
the Pesach narrative must be constructed in response to, and begin with, questions asked by a child,
it is the duty of a parent to encourage his or her children to ask questions, and the child who does not yet know how to ask should be taught to ask.

Isadore Rabi, winner of a Nobel Prize in physics, was once asked why he became a scientist. He related how every other child would come back from school and be asked, ‘What did you learn today?’ But his mother used to ask, “Izzy, did you ask a good question today?”

Questions have the power to open our world, encourage personal growth and understanding, and motivate. What question will you ask today?

A Special Note from Our Administrator

Muchas Gracias

By Diana Abadi

I missed you all while I was in my native country of Colombia taking care of all sorts of obligations. While I was gone from October 18 until

November 15, so many of you stepped up to help. Although I could do many tasks remotely, it mattered a great deal to our community to have a friendly face behind the desk in the office, extra hands at Onegs and Shabbat services, and helpful volunteers who met the challenges of unexpected occurrences that our congregation had had to deal with. I also offer my most sincere thanks to the Rabbi and Mindy Silverstein , who took on even more than they already do.

Special thanks to everyone who pitched in, particularly these members:

Burt Bachrach

Helit Broza

Helen Dalton

Linda Engel

Barbara & Marty Faigin

Anita Farb

Judy Folsom

Michelle Frank

Jim Korelitz

Susan Kraut

Karen Levi

Judy Scott

Norma Stern

Eliot Sternfeld

Lorrie Van Akkeren

Elise Yousoufian

Rabbi's Message

Please be in touch with me in times of joy, sadness, or illness in your life or in the lives of a loved one or another member of the congregation. This is particularly necessary now that HIPAA regulations have made getting information from hospitals extremely difficult. I greatly appreciate your help keeping me informed of the health needs of our congregation. Please call: 301-469-8636 #3.

EVENTS

Click for the complete BJC December Events Calendar

Jewish Renewal Shabbaton

Saturday, December 1 at 10:30 AM and 7:30 PM

BJC, in partnership with the Jewish Studio and Minyan Oneg Shabbat Present Rabbis Andrew Hahn and Rabbi David Evan Markus Return for a Jewish Renewal Shabbaton Weekend.

Saturday morning services will be at BJC, led by Rabbi David and Rabbi Sunny beginning at 10:30 AM. No reservations are necessary.

The Saturday night concert begins at 7:30 PM, doors open at 7 PM. Tickets in advance are only $20 online at here . Tickets purchased at the door are $25.

New Members & Community Dinner

Friday, December 7 at 6:30 PM

Please join us as a community for our Congregational Shabbat Dinner to welcome our newest members of BJC. Dinner will be followed by our Shabbat Services and our celebration of the 7th evening of H anukkah.

The cost is $18 for adults, $12 for children under 13. As our guests for the evening, there is no cost to new members for the dinner. RSVP by December 1 here , at admin@bethesdajewish.org , or call 301-469-8636.

If you would like to participate in the gift exchange, Mystery Maccabee, please bring a small wrapped present worth no more than $10.

Chant Circle

Saturday, December 8 at 4:30 PM

Chanting is a form of meditation that can open the doors of the heart. Repetition of a sacred phrase can clear the mind of clutter and connect us to each other and the divine. We chant on the second Shabbat of the month.

Gun Violence Prevention Shabbat

Friday, December 17 at 8:00 PM

December 14, 2018 marks the six-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy.

Every year over 124,000 people are shot in the United States in murders, assaults, suicides and suicide attempts, police interventions, and unintentional shootings, and 35,000 people die from firearms injuries. Nearly two-thirds of these deaths are suicides. Over 17,200 children and teens (0-19) are shot and over 2,700 die each year from firearms injuries.

Following the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students all across the United States took to the streets to challenge lawmakers to enact effective gun control laws and to encourage voters to elect representatives who will support these laws. This past summer, students from Parkland and other states visited the DC area on a cross-country tour to encourage students and adults to support gun control and to be involved in the 2018 election.

Please come to our Friday night service for National Gun Violence Prevention Shabbat. In the spirit of tikun olam , Rabbi Schnitzer will address this issue and we also will welcome Dani Miller, a senior at Churchill High School and co-leader of Montgomery County Students for Gun Control, who will tell us about their goals and the actions they are planning in the coming months.

Please plan to attend!

Book Club

Wednesday, December 19, 8 PM

The BJC Open Book Club meets in the Lounge at 8 PM usually on the 4th Wednesday of every month. Anyone is welcome to join or just drop in for a particular book discussion. For more information, please contact Evelyn Ganzglass eganzglass@gmail.com .

The following are upcoming selections:

December 19 : (3rd Wednesday) Educated , a memoir, by Tara Westover. This memoir is an account of her struggle for self-invention after being raised in rural Idaho by her religiously fanatic father and her mother, who wasn’t diligent on the homeschooling front. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes from severing one’s closest ties.

Look Ahead: January 23: T he Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead is both a kinetic adventure tale of one woman’s ferocious will to escape the horrors of bondage and a shattering, powerful meditation on the history we all share. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.

In Case You Missed It: Great Names

Gene Weingarten

By Harri j. Kramer

I f you weren’t there on November 18th, you’ll never appreciate the fun several hundred of us had at the last of the 2018 Great Names in the Neighborhood Speaker Series with Gene Weingarten and his most able artist-assistant Eric Shansby (a/k/a Shansby). While Gene was speaking with us, Shansby was busy drawing.

Gene began by describing himself as a secular Jew and atheist and admitted being in a Temple was a bit intimidating. He then segued into an interesting riff on birthdays, first questioning why birthdays are such a big deal when we had nothing to do with it, and then involving the audience in an experiment to disprove the popular myth that there will be a birthday match within any group of 30 people. From that he went into a bit on horoscopes. Gene found someone with his exact birth date to prove the same horoscope couldn’t possibly be correct for all born on a specific date. That person was the performer, Sting. And if that weren’t enough to prove his point, Gene then confessed to an ineptitude with money and noted the second individual he found with his exact birthdate was a former comptroller general of the United States.

Gene then talked about his children’s book, Me and Dog. He first explained a bit about the children’s book publishing industry, noting the publishers insisted, Murphy, had to be male – although the real-life Murphy is female. Another publishing bit of trivia: Gene also shared that this is the first children’s book to include an illustration of a dog’s rear. When asked why a dachshund, Shansby replied that Gene’s real dog is a Plott hound, who did not render well in cartoon form and that doxies were much more fun to draw.

After reading the 400-word book to us, Gene graciously responded to questions.

Asked about when he realized he wanted to be writer, Gene confessed that he had always wanted to be a doctor, but his college chemistry class helped him think differently about his choices. And, he reported, that when he got his first byline in the college newspaper, he was hooked. Gene explained that there was no magic in dealing with writer’s block; his Friday 4 PM deadline always made the words come.

We learned about the genesis of the daily comic strip he created with his son, Dan, “Barney and Clyde.” Gene also recounted his inspiration and the efforts that went into getting Joshua Bell to play at the subway and how he went unrecognized.

Many in the audience took advantage of a book sale to pick up several of Gene’s book and have them autographed and to have a more personal conversation with Gene. It was a wonderful conclusion to a great speakers’ series.

Kudos to Committee Members: Marty & Evelyn Ganzglass , Bruce & Wynne Busman , Karen Levi , Don Brenits , Joan Wolf , and all of the other BJC members who help out.

COMMITTEE NEWS

The Program Committee

BJC’s Program Committee is looking for a few new members! We meet once a month to create fun, engaging, and purposeful programs for a range of audiences. Innovative upcoming programs in January and February include our Tu B’Shvat Seder with a mosque and a community-wide Ladino music concert. If interested, please contact Ruth Magin , Program Chair: ruthmagin@verizon.net . We are looking forward to having you join us!

Social Action Committee: Let’s Make a Difference in Our Community

by Amy Shapiro & Harri j. Kramer

The National Center for Children and Families (NCCF) provides shelter, food, clothing, and counselling for homeless families in our community, and its main campus is in BJC’s backyard on Greentree Street. NCCF empowers clients to transform their lives. Programs provide wraparound services to help clients become self-sufficient and not to return to dependency and poverty.

For many years, BJC members have willing given of their time to support NCCF residents. Over the past year, the Social Action Committee has been working with NCCF to determine how we can broaden our support beyond individual projects, such as the annual school supply drive and our Community Days in the fall.

We are considering several opportunities, but we can’t plan further until we know that there is support in our community. If we’re going make a difference, we need critical mass, and in some cases special skills.

One project is focused on reading with the young residents. We intend to do this project jointly with members of Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church, which is committed to this effort. Read-Alouds are 1-hour long reading sessions held at the Greentree Shelter, held all year. Most of the children are ages 4-12; younger children are welcome with a parent. A staff member is always present.

Within the hour, the volunteer teams of four engage in 30 minutes of reading. One or two books are read to the large group of kids, then they split up into small groups and continue reading. Only adults read books aloud to the large group of kids! Then, there’s a 15-minute activity and time for cleanup.

NCCF provides reading packets and projects for the volunteers. Volunteers can change the book choices.

Read-Aloud is for one hour every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 PM at the Greentree campus. Our goal is to field one team of four each week that would be composed of BJC and BHPC members. If you would be willing to participate in this Read Aloud program, please click here .

A second project would help support a resident and her child who live in Betty’s House , a transitional housing program sponsored by NCCF. There is a specific family in mind. The client, in her mid-twenties with her toddler are originally from Central America and came to the United States in March 2018. She reports that when she crossed the border she and her child were detained by Immigration and they spent 5 days in a detention center in Texas. Her then-boyfriend was living in Maryland and the client was released with an ankle monitor. In June, she reported that her partner came home intoxicated and assaulted her. She had been previously sexually assaulted in her home country.

This mother and child, who speak Spanish, need support acclimating to this country, learning English, help navigating employment options, and, in general, learning basics of running a household. If you are interested in helping, please click here to see the areas where we need help. You will be under no obligation. But without enough members offering support, we won’t be able to help as a congregation.

Also, on the horizon: we’re considering a one-time project as a community starting in January to refresh the NCCF community room used by the teenagers. Stay tuned for details!

* * * * *

Of course, beyond these two possible initiatives, as an individual, you should consider getting involved at NCCF. They have made it very easy for you to volunteer at a time that works for you. Check it out here .

Interfaith Family Refugee Initiative:

November 2018 Update

By Brigitte Burgett, BHPC, and Evelyn Ganzglass, BJC; Co-chairs Interfaith Refugee Initiative

In September of 2016, moved by the worldwide refugee crisis, members of BJC, BHPC, and the Idara-e-Jaferia Islamic Community committed to sponsor a newly arrived refugee family through Lutheran Social Services (LSS). We formed teams to carry out the various tasks associated with sponsorship and raised the necessary funds.

Since March 2017, we have been supporting two related families and a young man from Afghanistan who are in the United States on Special Immigrant Visas available to individuals and their families who have worked with the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Karimi Family

Zabi Karimi continues to work full time for a commercial heating and air conditioning company and is now in year 2 of a 4-year apprenticeship program for which he takes classes 2 nights-per-week at Montgomery College.

Their 8-year-old son, Farhan, is in 2nd grade. Over the summer, he was enrolled in a county summer camp for 6 weeks, took swimming lessons, and was able to attend a 2-week Valley Mill summer camp, thanks to a scholarship arranged by members of our team. He likes to play soccer and, of course, video games. His participation in all of these activities was made possible because of the efforts of a group of dedicated drivers.

After a few months of maternity break for Hasina, Zabi’s wife, she and their 3-year old son, Mudesser, and 8-month-old daughter, Omra, are back at the two-generation parenting and English language/ career development program. The children are healthy and thriving. Hasina passed the written part of the driver’s test. She is taking a drivers’ ed class and lessons behind the wheel with one of our volunteers.

Ehsan, Zabi’s brother, arrived in June 2017 and, at Zabi’s request, we agreed to support him as well. He completed a computer training program at Montgomery College and would like to continue his education in some form. For the time being, he contributes to the family income as a driver for Lyft.

Our financial commitment to the Karimi family ended in March 2018. However, we continue to support them with funding for educational opportunities, provide transportation for Hasina and the children, and help them navigate the health care and social service system.

The Yousufy Family

Hasina’s brother, Mubarak, his wife Olfat, and daughter Golan arrived in September 2017, and we decided to sponsor them through LSS. Mubarak has been working in housekeeping at a Marriott Hotel and is currently attending a maintenance certification program at Montgomery College to improve his job prospects. He is working part time during the duration of the class and plans to return to full-time work as soon as possible.

The Yousufy’s daughter, Farhat, was born at the end of September. Our team held a baby shower for Olfat and provided all of the necessary baby supplies. A group of enthusiastic tutors has been teaching Olfat English at home. Olfat, who spoke no English when she arrived, recently qualified for the two-generation mother and child program that Hasina and children have been part of. She, 3-year-old Golan, and 2-month-old Farhat started the program just before Thanksgiving. Golan has attended an integrative preschool program since September and is very excited to go to school. We are hoping for a smooth transition.

The Yousufy family likes to garden. (The picture is of Golan in the garden.) Thanks to one of our volunteers who secured a community garden plot in Rockville and many donated garden tools, they were able to harvest a bumper crop of vegetables this summer.

Our next tasks are to help the Yousufys find a new apartment in the spring, establish college savings funds for the 5 children, and continue to provide mentorship support and transportation to help the wives and children access educational and enrichment activities.

Our team continues to meet monthly. We are grateful for this opportunity to serve and for the friendships with each other and the families. Nancy Brown, one of the co-chairs moved to Western Massachusetts, and we miss her.

We always welcome help, particularly drivers, one time or regularly. We occasionally add tutors and announce training opportunities for tutors. Please contact us if you are interested. Click on our names to reach us. Brigitte Burgett and Evelyn Ganzglass

BJC END-OF-YEAR DONATIONS

As the Days Grow Dark, Let the Feeling of Giving to BJC Brighten Your Heart

By Sandra Walter, Board Vice President & Fundraising Chair

As the days grow short, it’s time to let light into our lives through our generosity to the causes we care about most. Soon we’ll celebrate Hanukkah and the power of light to strengthen our belief and our lives. It’s a time of joy and of miracles made by people doing deeds for the greater good.

As we approach the year-end charitable giving season, please consider expressing your belief in BJC with a meaningful gift that will strengthen its ability to be a beacon in the Jewish community and in our lives, to be the place that inspires and nurtures us and a new generation. Help BJC be a center that draws us together with amazing and inspiring worship services, music, social action, and educational and community programs that make us feel so proud of OUR BJC!

As 2018 draws to a close, we invite you to consider and act to financially and philanthropically make an impact on our community. As you know, synagogue support is a significant piece—but not the only component—of how BJC makes its annual budget. Throughout the year, your donations and support of fundraisers and events ensure we have the means to move ahead.

Your generosity ensures we have the funding to make BJC accessible to everyone who wants to participate, regardless of income. Your giving makes that possible, too. Unrestricted support allows us to use your dollars where they are most needed.

I welcome the opportunity to talk with you about making a named gift, or directing your support where it means the most to you. Thank you!

Consider These Ways to Support BJC, and Jewish Life & Values as 2018 Closes

Contact BJC Fundraising Chair, Sandra Walter, at Sendit2Sandra@gmail.com or 202/550-7692 for a confidential conversation about your interests; or contact the BJC office for instructions on transferring stocks or IRAs.
Consult your financial advisor or attorney for tax and legal information. Contributions to BJC, a 501(c)3, are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Send the final amount for your 2018-19 Synagogue Support (membership dues). Giving the balance of your dues by December 31 helps the shul and provides you with a receipt for the 2018 Tax Year.
Make a year-end contribution...OR make BJC your first donation of 2019. Add a meaningful donation when you reply with the balance of your synagogue support. If you want your gift to be for tax year 2019, just date your check January 1, 2019.
Give appreciated stock. Consider transferring stocks to BJC for a tax-deductible contribution that will support our Jewish community and BJC programs.
Direct an IRA Withdrawal to BJC. If you are 70 ½ or older with an IRA with a mandatory minimum withdrawal, consider supporting BJC’s programs with a charitable gift from your IRA this year.
Write BJC into your will/estate plan. After you’ve taken care of your family and friends, naming BJC and other charitable organizations in your will is a true mitzvah—a lasting gift expressing your commitment to Jewish life and values and to the future of BJC.

Here’s a suggestion for simple language to include in your will: I give, devise, and bequeath $________(amount) or _____% (percentage) [Optional: and residue of my estate] to the Bethesda Jewish Congregation (BJC), 6601 Bradley Boulevard, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. Funds from my bequest should be designated for operational and/or program needs as recommended by the Rabbi, Board President, and Treasurer, upon approval of the Board of Trustees.

PERSPECTIVES

BJC members are not known for being without opinions. Why not share yours now? You don’t have to wait for High Holy Days to impart your wisdom. We welcome them! Youth of all ages are encouraged to share what’s on your mind. Send your thoughts to: hjk.obx@verizon.net

Nachas Notes

Editor’s Note: We all need a little good news. Here's a space to let your BJC family know about the great news in yours. Share! Send to: hjk.obx@verizon.net

Mazel Tov to Mario Arovas and his family on his Bar Mitzvah on November 3.

Mazel Tov to Liz and Jim Korelitz, who welcomed their first grandchild Samuel James Dankner, son of Katy Korelitz and Nate Dankner, on November 11, 2018 (at 11 am, making the birthdate 11/11 at 11).

Meet a Member: Alan Kirschner

By Alan Kirschner

My wife, Zhongchi Liu, and I joined BJC about 9 years ago, after a few years attending High Holy Day services and enjoying many wonderful all-music Shabbat services. We also spoke with parents of kids enrolled in BJC’s religious school, who praised its teaching and parent engagement. Our son Matthew attended a few tryout classes, and he was happy to begin his Jewish schooling at BJC. Several of his memorable school activities involved dressing as his great grandfather David who came to the United States via Ellis Island and his field trip to the Philadelphia Jewish Museum. In 2014, Matthew became a Bar Mitzvah at BJC

Zhongchi is from Wuhan in central China. Not a huge city by Chinese standards – only about 12 million people. Zhongchi is a professor of cell biology and plant genetics at the University of Maryland, College Park. In other words, she knows a lot about the genetic make-up of plants, not so much how to grow roses and tulips. Her research is on strawberries and raspberries.

I’ve been a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations most of my career. I retired from the United Negro College Fund about 15 years ago as EVP for Development and formed my own fundraising consulting firm. Currently, I’m raising funds for renaming the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia after my old boss at the College Fund, former Congressman William H. Gray III, who passed away a few years ago.

During the summer, my wife and I teach at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan – Zhongchi in plant biology and I in the law and business schools.

Our son is a senior at Walt Whitman High School, going through the arduous process of writing essays and submitting applications for college. One of his essays deals with being both Jewish and Chinese. Another essay comparing Chinese and Jewish culture was recently published in Washington Jewish Week and in this newsletter.

At BJC, I’m privileged to serve on the Communications Committee with the dynamic duo of Helen Dalton and Robin Sorkin , whose work in promoting BJC activities and initiating BJC press has been truly remarkable and put BJC on the map.

Yahrzeits

December 2018

Robert J. Blaney, father of Maureen Pelter

Herbert Abraham Blumenthal, father of Diane Blumenthal

Lawrence Bogorad, father of Leonard Bogorad

James Brenits, brother of Donald Brenits

Steven Chiaverini, husband of Joan Wolf

Sara Dash, mother of Judy Dash

Elizabeth Eig, mother of Jonathan Eig

Phyllis Gold Frank, mother of Stuart Frank

Reba Frankford, mother of Norma Stern

Marvin Jay Shapiro, father of Amy Shapiro

Joseph Sugarman, father of Elsa Weinstein

Lisa Gail Sternfeld, sister of Eliot Sternfeld

Yetta Grant Sternfeld, mother of Eliot Sternfeld

Irving York, father of Barbara Silberman

Mel Zimmers, father of Marla Hewitt and Gary Zimmers

Thank You

Editor's Note: Because many volunteers were working in the office during the Administrator's absence, some acknowledgement may not be noted below and will be shared next month.

To the General Fund

Lorrie Van Akkeren

Annie Cifarelli, in memory of Jill Camp

Annie Cifarelli, in memory of Sana Shtasel’s mother, Thelma Flanders Shtasel

Susan McGee (and others),in memory of Jill Camp

Norma & Edward Stern, in memory of Jill Camp

Martha & Kelley Shanahan, in memory of Jill Camp

Margaret & Burt Bachrach, in memory of Jill Camp

John Camp, in memory of his wife, Jill

Harri Kramer & Russ Hogya in memory of Allen Grunes’ father, Jerome Meyer Grunes

Harri Kramer & Russ Hogya in memory of Rochelle Banta’s mother, Estelle Barios

Maran Gluckstein, in memory of Sana Shtasel’s mother Thelma Flanders Shtasel

Maran Gluckstein, in memory of Rochelle Banta’s mother, Estelle Barrios

Bruce Baum, in honor of the 60th anniversary of his Bar Mitzvah

Alan Lichter, in memory of Rosalie Lichter

To the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund

Liz & Jim Korelitz, in memory of Jill Camp

Liz & Jim Korelitz, in memory of Allen Grunes’ father, Jerome Meyer Grunes

Lorrie Van Akkeren in memory of Jill Camp

Wynne & Bruce Busman, in memory of Jill Camp

Wynne & Bruce Busman, in memory of Alan Grunes’ father, Jerome Meyer Grunes

Wynne & Bruce Busman, in memory of Rochelle Banta’s mother, Estelle Barios

Wynne & Bruce Busman, in memory of his father, Leonard Busman

Wynne & Bruce Busman, in appreciation of the special service held on November 2nd to honor those killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh

Rochelle Banta

Sana Shtasel

Susan Levin

Edward Clemens Elson

Amy Scott & David Cooper, in honor of Hannah's wedding

To the Maran Gluckstein Education Fund

Margaret Bachrach

A Special Thank You

All who “round up” their Synagogue Support payments and to all who continuously donate their time to volunteer at BJC.

Board of Trustees

President Shoshanah Drake

Vice-President Sandra Walter

Treasurer Lance Pelter

Secretary Lorrie Van Akkeren

Trustees

Howard Berkof

Helen Dalton

Jason Engel

Alan Grunes

Ted Posner

David Slacter

Committee Chairs

Communication Helen Dalton

Financial Advisor [An Opportunity!]

High Holy Days Jim Korelitz

Student Representative Sammy Peterson Intercongregational Partnership Liaison

Marty Ganzglass

Membership Joan Wolf

Past President Rachel Mosher-Williams

Programs Ruth Magin

Social Action Harri j. Kramer

BJC Administration

Spiritual Leader Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer

Director of Education Mindy Silverstein

Synagogue Administrator Diana Abadi

BJC News

Interim Newsletter Editor Harri j. Kramer hjk.obx@verizon.net

Bethesda Jewish Congregation

6601 Bradley Boulevard

Bethesda, MD 20817-3042

Tel: 301-469-8636

admin@bethesdajewish.org

bethesdajewish.org

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