Whats NU?
news & updates from Temple Beth El
Temple Beth El is affiliated with the URJ
(Union of Reform Judaism)
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October, 2021 Tishrei - Cheshvan, 5782 |
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Shabbat Services are now being held in person. Because of COVID19 and the Delta variant we will not yet hold Onegs. Watch for further announcements.
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Upcoming Events
Friday Night Services: In person. Every Friday Night at 7 pm.
Torah Study: Saturdays at 10:00 am
Wednesday, October 13: Knitting/Crocheting Class for Mitzvah Project
Friday, October 15: Men's Club Shabbat
Wednesday, October 20: Movie Night - Pixar's "UP" 7 pm
Thursday, October 21 - Women of Beth El/Sisterhood 6:30 pm
Sunday, October 30: Mens Club BBQ and Halloween Family Party
Friday, November 5: Women of Beth El Shabbat
Sunday December 12: Farewell Party/Open House for our Clergy
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A Message from our Temple President, Ron Eiseman
Shalom, Temple family and friends,
I hope everyone is doing well! First, I would like to thank Rabbi Sternfield and Cantor Bard, Joel Auerbach, Kate Richmond, and her committee members as well as all the volunteers that helped us prepare for the HHD Services. I know everyone involved put a lot of time and energy to ensure our video services were enjoyable for all who participated. I am excited to report that we had an excellent turnout with approximately 1600 total viewings for our services. For those of you that didn’t get a chance to watch our HHD videos, we will leave them up on our website until October 15th. Thereafter, they will be available on YouTube. I also want to thank everyone who recently made donations to Temple Beth El. We truly appreciate your generosity!
The Temple Beth El Men's Club is embracing a new mitzvah project with Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee County. There is a critical need for help on this project that will start on Wednesday morning, September 29th. Please contact Ken Handelman if you have an interest in volunteering for this very worthy cause.
Just a reminder that the Manatee County Food Bank still needs our help! Many unfortunate people find themselves struggling to buy food during the COVID 19 pandemic. If you would like to donate money, I am attaching the link for your convenience. https://securepayment.link/mealsonwheelsplus/ We appreciate your help with all our mitzvah projects.
Wishing everyone a Very Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year! If anyone needs help, please let us know.
Warm regards,
Ron Eiseman
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News and Views
By Rabbi Michael Sternfield
Tzniut: A proposal for dignified viewership
We are entering “the awards season,” when the entertainment industry promotes itself by awarding each other shiny trophies and bragging rights. The entertainers are avid participants, mostly women, dress in expensive and often revealing gowns. Some are indeed beautiful; others are intended more for shock value. At the recent Emmy’s, one particular “celebrity” wore an outfit so immodest that afterwards, she felt compelled to apologize to her father for embarrassing him. This actress’ tasteless display has already been forgotten, but it provides us with an opportunity to ask ourselves some questions about that seemingly outdated word, modesty.
Censorship is a lost cause because of the internet alone. There is almost no restraint when it comes to public exploitation. Granted, it is problematic to assume the role of being the arbiter of taste, of what is obscene and what is not.
This is not about censorship. It is about dignity. Thanks to the Internet, we now have unlimited access to unlimited vulgar materials. Virtually every boundary has been obliterated. Any person, even young children, have access to the crudest content, often unsolicited, that pops up on the screen. Popular music should also be considered. Although I personally refuse to listen to what can hardly be described as music, but I do know that much of this genre explicitly deals with explicit sexual acts, using language that never spoken by polite people.
(Continued below)
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New Members
Roy and Ruthann Manus
Returning Members
Robyn and Neal Spirtas
William Oser
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Mitzvah Projects are Underway at
Temple Beth El
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Learn to knit or crochet and join the Women of Beth El in making newborn baby caps and more to be donated to needy new mothers. Or make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the Salvation Army. Or help Meals on Wheels put together food boxes for distribution. See details below. Get involved. Make a difference!
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BBQ Halloween Football
It's a Party
Sponsored by Temple Beth El's Mens Club. This event will be held outside at the temple and will be COVID safe. Cost is $15 per person for ages 12 and over, $8 for ages 4 to 11, and age 3 or under eat free!
Halloween Costumes are Encouraged
RSVP to TBE office or by calling Neil Clark by October 15 at 941-724-4779
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Who Knew?
Did you know that “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was written, not about the mythical Land of Oz, but the homeland of the Jews - Israel?
The lyrics were written by Yip Harburg, the youngest of four children born to Russian-Jewish immigrants. His real name was Isidore Hochberg, and he grew up in a Yiddish-speaking, Orthodox Jewish home in New York.
The song's music was written by Harold Arlen, also a cantor's son. His real name was Hyman Arluck, and his parents were from Lithuania. Together, Hochberg and Arluck wrote "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," which was voted the 20th century's No. 1 song by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.
In writing it, the two men reached deep into their immigrant Jewish consciousness — framed by the pogroms of the past and the #Holocaust about to happen — and wrote an unforgettable melody set to near prophetic words. "And the dreams that you dare to dream / Really do come true."
Let us honor those that dreamed of "the land that they heard once in a lullaby," those that never saw the Promised Land, and those who rose from the ashes to make the dream a reality.
from a post in FaceBook
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All Shabbat Services are now Live and In Person.
Friday Evening Shabbat Services at 7:00 pm and Saturdays 11:00 am for Torah study. Conducted by Rabbi Michael Sternfield and Cantor Deborah Bard.
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October 20, 2021 at 7:00pm in person
Movie Night: Pixar's "UP"
FREE Popcorn
Raffle
A 78-year-old curmudgeonly balloon salesman, is not your average hero. When he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America, he finally fulfills his lifelong dream of adventure. But after Carl discovers an 8-year-old stowaway named Russell, this unlikely duo soon finds themselves on a hilarious journey in a lost world filled with danger and surprises
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Women of Beth El/ Sisterhood - Thursday, October 21 at 6:30 pm. Many new projects and plans are in the works, starting with our monthly Mitzvah Projects. Plan for the new year and new programs (including popular Rosh Chodesh events). Bring your enthusiasm, fresh ideas and creativity as we explore ideas for camaraderie, learning, worship and mitzvah. Via Zoom. Watch for Zoom connection information.
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Aleph Bet - Thursdays at 1 pm Basic Hebrew class ongoing. Taught by Cantor Deborah Bard. This class will continue for the near future. You can still join if you have advanced beginning Hebrew reading skills. Brush up your reading and learn translation. Please RSVP for Zoom link.
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Sandwich Mitzvah Project Continues
Ken Handelman and the Temple Beth El Men’s Club, mitzvah organizer of the peanut butter sandwich project announced that we will continue to deliver peanut butter sandwiches to the Bradenton Salvation Army's 14th Street location. This will be an ongoing Mitzvah Project delivering sandwiches made by our congregants every other Thursday.
By taking the sandwiches to the Salvation Army, we are able to get the food where it is needed. If you are interested in participating in this program, send a message to Ken Handelman or text at 941-840-4132.
Donations to the Salvation Army can be made here
Food Bank Needs Volunteers
Every Wednesday from 8:30 to 11:00 is the TBE time to help prepare donations for distribution at the Food Bank of Manatee located at 811 23rd Avenue East 34208. YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED. If it is your first visit, please bring proof of vaccination. Ken Handleman will be there to help you sign in. Contact Ken with any questions or concerns.
Get Those Needles Flying
Now is the time to crochet or knit items for newborn babies. The Women of Beth El are making items that will be distributed to local hospitals in December. Don't know how to knit or crochet? No problem. Bayla Kolton will teach a class on October 13. For more information contact Deena Kanoff.
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Notes from Cantor Bard
“Oh Music, you lovely art!
O song! In how many grey hours have you uplifted me
And brought me to a better world!
A sweet sacred chord, a joyful tune lead me to a better
moment in time.
O Song, O music, you lovely art,
I thank you.
I thank you.”
Adapted from “An Die Musik”
By Franz Shubert
With this in mind I am happy to say “Calling All Singers and Choir members” We are planning this month to get back in the groove with our wonderful congregational Choir! Vocal warm-ups, reviewing our rich repertoire of Jewish music, traditional & contemporary. Preparation for a special pre-Thanksgiving Shabbat and at our Chanukah celebration in December.
Please note that appropriate COVID guidelines will be followed.
If you are interested in participating, and would like more information on rehearsal schedule, please contact Cantor Bard directly at email: cantordb@prodigy.net.
And here’s to music, O lovely art!
Lomir alle zingen! (“Let’s All Sing”)
With Best Wishes,
Cantor Deborah Bard
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(Rabbi - Continued)
There was that historic night in 1956 when Ed Sullivan presented Elvis Presley to the national TV audience. The television censors made sure that Elvis should only be seen above the waist, due to his purportedly vulgar hip movements. How innocuous that seems today! How far we have come, or should I say, how low we have sunk!
I cannot help but wonder if, in some respects, we were better off then, when not every act was suitable for public display, when modesty and dignity were still considered admirable virtues.
We have descended into the sewer, and there is seems to be no going back.
In traditional Judaism, there is a word that expresses this attitude very well: The word is tz’niut, which means modesty. Tz’niut means that certain behaviors simply are unbecoming. Why? Because people are created in the Image of God. We are to conduct ourselves with both dignity and modesty precisely because we have been created in God’s image.The Jewish religion has long recognized modesty and dignity as important human qualities.
Modesty of speech and of dress long have been considered the outward manifestations of a person’s dignity. If you have watched “Shtisl” or “Unorthodox,” you have seen the ultra-modest attire of Orthodox Jews, the women especially covered modestly from head to toe. Obviously, that is not a style that we would even consider emulating. And this definitely reflects the subservience of women, which is especially objectionable. For what it is worth, the men also dress modestly. No shorts or T-shirts for them. (even in Florida!) Though we have no desire to emulate their model, Orthodoxy reflects an attitude of modesty and of dignity which is deserving of our understanding, if not agreement.
For the traditional Jew, Tz’niut governs the way one dresses, the way one speaks, the kind of entertainment we choose for ourselves and also the way one relates to other people. Some might complain that Tz’niut is no more than religious repression.Yet it also says that not everything is ok, and that certain behaviors are beneath the dignity of those created in the image of God.
Tz’niut:
A dignified human being would not expose much of himself or herself to the public, for the sake of gaining publicity or merely seeking attention.
A dignified human being would not lower himself/herself to using sexually explicit language just to get a cheap laugh.
A dignified human being would not subject himself/herself to viewing certain kinds of entertainment, and I am not just alluding to sexual content. Explicit violence may be even more offensive.
Judaism is not inherently puritanical. But our religion does encourage us to live according to higher standards than what we may see in the world around us. It advises us not to lower our standards. Tz’niut entails much more than modesty in dress. It is a value that elevates and ennobles.
It encourages us to stand in resistance to all that cheapens, degrades and coarsens the human spirit, whether it be internet pornography, sexually explicit music, or the crass and exploitational gratuitous violence of popular entertainment. We realize that nothing is going to change in the world of entertainment. So why even raise this subject, you may ask? And the answer is plain: what we choose to regard as entertainment is a reflection on each of us.
In the Pirke Avot, a chapter of the Mishnah, we read: “Im Ayn Derech Eretz, Ain Torah.” If there is no civility or decency, there can be no Torah. We should do what we can to preserve human dignity for our own sake.
TV and the movies are not about to clean up their act. There is too much money to be made. Rather, let us ask ourselves when we choose which programs or films to watch: Do these choices reflect what we are? Or should we aim higher?
And if you need a few suggestions, here are two: “Call the midwife” and “Ted Lasso.” You will feel entertained and uplifted, I assure you.
Shalom,
Rabbi Michael P. Sternfield
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Simcha Grams
TBE sends Birthday, Anniversary, Bar/Bat Mitzvah and other celebration "Simcha Grams" to members in honor of their special day. This is a great way to contribute to your Synagogue and to send your TBE family good wishes.
Names must be received at the office by the 20th of the month prior to the birthday, anniversary or special event. Include a note with your name(s), the name(s) of whom and what you are honoring and how you would like your signature on the card they will receive. The donation is $2.00 per name. In the memo area of your check write "simcha gram" and mail to: Temple Beth El, Attention: Simcha Gram. 5150 Peridia Blvd. East, Bradenton, FL 34203.
If you wish to pay by credit card use the "DONATE" button below.
The card will be mailed to those individuals prior to their special day and your donation will be acknowledged in the newsletter. If we have somehow overlooked your Simcha or made an error in printing the date, please accept our apologies and call the temple office at 941-755-4900 or send an email so that we may update our records.
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Donations as of September 30 |
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General Fund
Schneider, Barry
Rosenstein, Albert and Stacy
Kol Nidre
Adelson, Robyn
Clark, Sandra and Neil
Damoulakis, Wendy
Holinsky, Terry
Jawitz, Paula
Johnsky ,Marlena
Kipnes, Hyman
Knoell, Karen A
Levy, Andrew
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Kol Nidre (continued)
Lewis, Mark
Matuson, Jaqueline
Morgen, David
Nutlay, Andrew
Paul, Richard
Roback, Ira
Mitch Rubinstein and Marcia Blacksin
Sehres, Betty
Seide, Cindy
Spector, Sidney
Susan & William Spielberg
Taplinger, Henry
Tropp, Phyllis
Weinberg, Gary & Sarah
Weinstock, Irwin
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Thank you to all of our generous donors. Your gift helps keep Reform Judaism alive in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. |
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October Birthdays
10 Brian Lipka
11 Dick Solyn
15 Robert Sokol
16 Jay Givarz
19 Micah Clark
22 Joel Auerbach
25 Daniel Muraskin (son of Susan and Bill Spielberg
26 Erwin Segal
29 Stephanie Peshek
October Anniversaries
5 Michelle & Jose Torres
30 Joshua & Lisa Leuchter
October Yahrzeits
Weekend of October 1st & 2nd
Susie Konicov IMO Rosa Halberstadt
Marlena Johnsky IMO Florence Harris
Anna Bever IMO Jewel Neiman
Weekend of October 8th & 9th
Anna Bever IMO Norma Neiman
Celia Strickler IMO Nathaniel Strickler
Paul Stahl IMO Helen Slater
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(Yahrzeits Continued)
Weekend of October 15th & 16th
Ron Adelson IMO Julius Adelson
Weekend of October 22nd & 23rd
Sharon Carlson IMO Edward Ger
David Meier IMO Karl Heinz Mai
Bayla Kolton IMO Evalyne Halasz
It is traditional to light a Yahrzeit candle on the evening of observance. In addition, we urge you to attend services to honor the memory of your beloved and of course to recite Mourner’s Kaddish on the Yahrzeit. If you are staying safe at home, please observe through our YouTube service. May your memories of the departed always be a blessing.
To commemorate your beloved, it is also customary to memorialize the departed by making a donation to the synagogue. You can donate below or mail your check to the Temple at 5150 Peridia Blvd East, Bradenton 34203
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