February 2015 Shevat 5775 - Adar 5775 Volume 5775 Issue 7 In This Issue: CBI Announcements A Message From The … Rabbi … Cantor … President … Executive Director Adult Studies Tu B’Shvat Youth A Message From MERCAZ A-Team Sunday Morning University February Calendar Women’s League Mitzvah Men’s Club Life Cycle Events Mitzvah Grams Donations Todah Rabah Around the Community Advertisements 2 - 3 4 - 5 6 7 8 - 9 10 11 12 - 13 14 - 15 16 17 18 19 20 - 21 22 22 23 - 27 Page 12!
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The Talmud relates that an old man was seen planting a carob tree as the king rode by.
“Old man,” the king called out, “how old are you?” “Seventy years, your majesty,” the old man replied. “How many years will it take for that tree to bear fruit?” asked the king. “Perhaps seventy years,” the man replied.
Mockingly, the king went on: “Do you really expect to ever eat of the fruit of the tree?”
“Of course not,” the man said, “but just as I found fruit trees when I was born, so do I plant trees that future generations may eat from them.”
Tu B’Shvat, the 15th day of the month of Shvat, is the New Year of the Trees. The reason for this particular date is that until this point trees are sustained in Israel from the rainfall of the past year; from this point on, they are sus-tained from the water of the following year. Thus, Tu B’Shvat is primarily of agricultural importance, marking the renewal of the trees.
Trees are vital not only to the fertility of the soil, but especially for sustaining all of life. This recognition came early in Jewish history. Moses warns the Israelites prior to their entry of Canaan: “When in your war against a city…you must not destroy its trees. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down.” (Deut. 20:19). In modern times, the message of Tu B’Shvat has been broadened to include ecology and environmental issues. But even this idea is already found in the Midrash. When God created Adam, He showed him all the trees in the Garden of Eden and said: “See how beautiful and perfect are My works! All that I have created, I have created for you. Therefore, be ever-mindful: “Do not abuse or desolate My world. For if you abuse or desolate it, there is no one to repair it after you.” (Kohelet Rabbah 7:28).
Tu B’Shvat therefore serves as a powerful reminder of our connection to the earth, our relationship to the Land of Israel, of our dependence on nature, and of our obligations to future generations. So many of our holidays and ob-servances focus on our history, our past. Tu B’Shvat focuses on our future. And that future, to a large extent, will depend on how careful we are to preserve and keep safe our environment.
Celebrate Tu B’Shvat. Plant trees in Israel. Pay attention to ecological concerns. Protect the earth. Eat the fruits of Eretz Yisrael.
Join us on Wednesday, February 4, at 7:00 pm for our annual Tu B’Shvat Seder presented by our Hebrew High School students led by Janice LeVine in cooperation with JNF and our A-Team. Shalom,
From the Cantor
A few days ago, I was watching a nature show about California redwoods. These trees are the tallest living things on Earth – many grow to more than 300 feet tall, and the tallest tree
on record is 379 feet tall. I have stood in the presence of these giant, majestic trees, and
they are massive, some more than 25 feet wide at the base. I have marveled at the im-
mense scale of these trees both in their direct presence and through watching the nature
show, where I watched footage of a man walking through a redwood forest, and he seemed
like an insect next to these wondrous trees. The oldest California redwoods are also the
oldest living things in the world – many are known to be 1,200 to 1,800 years old, and the
oldest known specimen is about 2,200 years old. They are also endangered. They were very much prized by the logging and lumber industries for the wood’s
beauty, light weight, resistance to fire because of its low resin content, and resistance to decay. According to Wik-
ipedia, “Before commercial logging and clearing began by the 1850s, this massive tree occurred naturally in an esti-
mated 2,100,000 acres along much of coastal California (excluding southern California where rainfall is not sufficient)
and the southwestern corner of coastal Oregon within the United States. An estimated 95% or more of the origi-
nal old-growth redwood trees have been cut down….” As we get ready for Tu Bishvat, the New Year of the Trees, let us thank the Almighty that we live in an age of eco-
logical sensitivity, an age where logging of redwoods is limited and restricted to second growth trees. Let us also be
thankful that we now recycle paper, so that trees do not need to be cut down so that we may write. At the same
time, let us also thank God for creating fruit trees, so that we may eat of their bounty – on Tu Bishvat and through-
From the President The secular New Year has just passed. We may have made resolutions to ourselves, and
they may have already been broken. In the spirit of the New Year I am asking myself and
you to set aside 18 additional hours during the next year just for Congregation B’nai Israel.
How you use those 18 hours is up to you, and nobody but you will measure or record
your progress. Some of the ways you can give to CBI include: attend more Shabbat services,
tutor or read books in Pauline Rivkind Talmud Torah/Early Education Center (PRTT/
PRECEC); help in the office; attend minyan and/or services more than you usually would; attend
an adult studies session; and there are many more ideas that can come from you. Finally, Tu B'Shevat is the Jewish New Year of the Trees. As you will recall, customs for Tu B’Shevat include planting
trees and eating dried fruits and nuts, especially those native to Israel. I would like you to think about nurturing an-
other planting you have already made. All of us have planted our religious roots at CBI and our congregational fami-
ly. However, for those roots to flourish and become something spiritually meaningful, they must be watered, fed,
and nurtured just like a sapling tree. In the spirit of Tu B’Shevat, think about how you will nurture your religious
roots and help water and feed those roots by spending some more time at Congregation B’nai Israel.
Shalom, and I will see you at CBI.
From the Executive Director
It’s February again, so it’s time to say, “Let’s ‘do’ Mitzvah Month at CBI!” What can we do
to help repress the very real problem of hunger right here in Pinellas County? We can make a difference on a local level by helping replenish non-perishable food items at
Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services (“GCJFS”) in three ways.
Be a part of I Can, 1 Can. When you come to the shul for an adult education class, to pick
up your child at preschool or PRTT, to volunteer, to daven at week-day minyan, or any reason
whatsoever (except on Shabbat), bring a can of food to be donated to GCJFS.
Write a check to GCJFS, and send it to 14041 Icot Boulevard, Clearwater 33760. Buy a gift card to Winn-Dixie, Target, Walmart, Walgreens, or one of the many vendors available through our
Mitzvah Gelt program. Write a check to CBI-Scrip, and let Carolyn Moritz (727.381.4900, x1001) know how
much you’d like to spend. We’ll send the gift card to GCJFS.
Participate in the Pinellas County Crop Hunger Walk, sponsored by Church World Services, on Sunday afternoon,
February 22 (AFTER you’ve participated in Sunday Morning University!), to benefit the St. Pete Free Clinic and
Daystar. Registration is at 1:30, and the Walk begins at 2:00. Visit http://bit.ly/cropwalkpinellas for information.
We can help on a worldwide basis. Visit mazon.org to learn facts about the reality of hunger in America. Did you
know that 49 million Americans – including 17 million children and almost five million seniors -- are hungry? Write a
check or donate online at mazon.org, and make a difference. Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger is an organization
that (a) provides for people who are hungry and advocates for other ways to end hunger and its causes; (b) educates
and raises the consciousness of the Jewish community regarding its obligation to alleviate hunger and its causes; and
(c) promotes making donating a portion of the cost of life cycle events (historically, at least 3%) to MAZON a perma-
nent tradition in Jewish life. When you visit the website, check out some of the great links to information about hun-
ger in America, references to verses in the Torah, and the halachic foundation of Jews caring for the hungry.
Yes, hunger is even a problem, not only around the world, but in the Jewish community right here in St. Pete/Pinellas
County. In February, we’re saying “I CAN bring 1 CAN every time I come to CBI (except on Shabbat).” If we all join
Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and an impressive cast of Israeli top talent give bravura comic turns in HUNTING ELEPHANTS, a bank heist caper and coming-of-age tale from writer-director Reshev Levi (Lost Islands).
At the bank where his father works, 12-year-old Jonathan (Gil Blank) watches helplessly as his father succumbs to a sudden heart attack while testing a new high-tech security system. In a cruel double blow, the evil bank manager (Moshe Ivgy) refuses to pay the father's pension. In the aftermath, widow Dorit (Yael Abecassis) leaves her son in the care of his cantankerous grandfather Eliyahu (Sasson Gabai) and mate Nick (Moni Moshonov), both former Zionist freedom fighters now barely existing in a nursing home. Guilt-ridden over his father's death, and mortified when his mother begins dating the bank manager out of financial desperation, Jonathan and the aging misfits hatch a plot to rob the bank that wronged his family. Joining the misadventure is Jonathan's great uncle, a disgraced British lord and frustrated actor (Stewart in a scene-stealing role).
Nominated for seven Israeli Academy Awards including Best Film, HUNTING ELEPHANTS is a delightful concoction of jocular hijinks and tender moments
RSVP by January 28 to CBI at 727.381.4900 in order to have enough materials for
the event.
For more information, please contact Beth Glickman Morris at [email protected] or
727.536.5263.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Congregation B’nai Israel 300 58th Street North • St. Petersburg, FL 33710
BRANCH OUT! GET OFF YOUR STUMP! LEAF YOUR CARES AT HOME!
Join us for a complimentary seder featuring an interactive, family-friendly sing-a-long with David and Janice LeVine and the teens of Hebrew High.
JNF will make a special presentation to recognize CBI’s completion of a second Parkland Project and commencement of a Woodland Project. In addition to CBI’s support in the greening of Israel, as a partner with JNF, CBI receives a 20% monetary benefit from your gift to JNF that is used for Zionist Education & Advocacy programming, which provides stipends for high school and college students to supplement expenses for advocacy events and programs in Israel.
Pauline Rivkind Early Childhood Education Center (PRECEC)
One of the most important aspects of building a growing school is being able to develop and foster a supportive
community that is engaged and proactive. This semester, Pauline Rivkind Early Childhood Education Center is
reaching out to our surrounding community, families, and congregation members in order to build a stronger
foundation. Inspired by the incredible parental support our school receives, we can all look forward to another
fantastic semester learning and growing together!
As our school has focused on through our Torah Aura Flyer, “A home is more than a house. It is where a family
lives. A synagogue is more than a building. It is where a community gathers.” Throughout the month of February,
children will be learning all about what it means to be a community by studying Community Helpers, Transportation, Health and Wellness, and taking a closer look into Tu ’B’Shevat and taking great care of
the earth. Children can look forward to visits from a nurse, a police officer, and many
other special volunteers while working on problem solving skills and
creative expression.
This month, we are delighted to announce the opening of our Tiny Owl Infant Room.
This classroom, serving families of children ages 2 months to 12 months, is a wonderful
new addition to our school as we welcome our youngest students to our
PRECEC family! For more information or enrollment questions, please contact me at
The Mitzvah Men’s Club was honored to present Past President Jesse Rodman
with his outgoing President’s plaque.
Good Evening,
When planning this introduction, I was going to go into detail about all of the hard work that this dedicated
man has accomplished for us throughout the last few years, but then I noticed that if I did that, we wouldn’t
have much time for the meeting itself! Suffice it to say, he has worked endlessly and tirelessly to help keep the
Mitzvah Men’s Club in tip-top shape while working alongside the various entities that make up this
congregation. In addition, his business acumen has and will allow us to save money and time in various ways
that were not known to us in the past. In our discussions, we turn to Jesse for his “I think we shoulds” that
always precede his useful suggestions. As a result of his talent and hard work as Past President of the MMC, I
now proudly present him with this beautiful plaque.
Steve Feld, MMC President
Mitzvah Men’s Club
Pictured: President Steve Feld (left) awards Past President
Jesse Rodman (right) the outgoing President’s plaque
WORLD WIDE WRAP XIX
Join the us for the World Wide Wrap!
Sunday, February 1
8:30 am Instructions on putting on the Tefillin
9:00 am Morning Minyan
Minyan followed by brunch and a presentation by
guest speaker Neil Solondz,
the “Voice of the Rays.”
“The World Wide Wrap is a signature program of
FJMC focusing on a unique ritual imbued with story and
metaphor that spans ages and generations. We bind up,
we engage, we use our whole bodies, we share
ourselves as symbols for others while we involve
ourselves in very personal and soul searching moments.
We teach and we learn. We participate in the ritual as
an integral part of and vehicle for expressing our
personal and community values. We lead by example
and we teach through innovative engagement using any
and all media, method and spirit.”
Orin Rotman, World Wide Wrap Chairman
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Life Cycle
In Memoriam Harold Berger
Brother of Beverly Dikman
Jacqueline Wellington Bush Mother of Caryn Baird
Asheri Engelman Husband of Marcia Engelman
Father of Dr. Greg Engelman
Jill Engelman Wife of Dr. Greg Engelman
Mother of Leigh Engelman
Aimee Engelman
Daughter of Morton Stenzler
Sister of Robin (Dr. Jimmy) Post
Cindy (Alan) Weisser
Camille Flashman Mother of Ronnie (Fred) Geffon
Elihu Nemiroff Brother of Ricki (Mark) Lewis
Joseph Shure Brother of Beverly Sherman
Harold Wolfson Companion of Leatrice Tucker
Father of Steve (Penny) Wolfson
Karen (Jim) Dawkins
Mark (Julia) Wolfson
Ellen (Manny) Valladares
Brother of Bette Schroeder
Lorraine Denenberg
May God comfort the families among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
Mazal Tov! Linda & Steve Grau,
Lillian Grau, Hannah Freid
Marriage of their daughter and granddaughter
Sharon Grau to Marty Russell
Arthur & Diane Jay
Engagement of their son
Justin Jay to Elexis Persino
Audrey Kopelman
New home at Lake Seminole Square
Lisa Robbins
New position as Assistant Director of the
Young Adult Division at the
Jewish Federation of North America
Sandi Rodman
New business venture in real estate at
Keller-Williams Realty
Ezra Sembler
Graduation from the University of South Florida
with a B.A. in Elementary Education
It’s A Girl!
Jackson Hutch Benstock
Daughter of Alexis Benstock & Michele Hutchins
Granddaughter of Peter & Tonya Benstock
Tracey (Benstock) Solomons
Great-granddaughter of Jerry & Jean Benstock
Lilly Shay Berman
Daughter of Joel & Cari Berman
Granddaughter of Ira & Susie Berman
Lenny & Betsy Englander
Debi Englander
Layla Rose Lincoln
Daughter of Drew & Stefanie Lincoln
Granddaughter of Dr. David & Arline
Dresdner
Annie Ronay
Daughter of Alex & Alexia Ronay
Granddaughter of Jorge & Masha Ronay
Great-granddaughter of Aron Bass
19
Mitzvah Grams
Join us in wishing Mazal Tov! to members celebrating their birthdays, anniversaries, and B’nai Mitzvah. Your good wishes can be part of their memories, while at the same time supporting B’nai Israel’s commitment to help our schools, youth groups, and Synagogue through your donations to our
Mitzvah Fund.
MAZAL TOV!
Anniversaries
Jesse & Sandi Rodman
Bruce & Mary Ann Marger
Alan & Laney Kay
Lou & Yollette Frey
Drs. Ben-Ami Braun & Anita Braun-Luria
Ben & Yael Alpert
Robert & Sheryl Sutton
Dr. Frank & Kathy Mendelblatt
Tom & Carol Epstein
Masha Ronay
Dolores Diamond
Edward Ginsberg
Joseph Fuchs
Dr. Sheldon Scheinert
Michael Noonberg
Fred Geffon
Terri Gross
Carol Epstein
Edward Bailey
Marilyn Goldberg
Patricia Adelson
Ellie LeVine
Marian Lustigman-Rooth
Eileen Richman
Bryan Greenberg
Leah Sandler
Beverly Sherman
Rony David
Dean Hershkowitz
Dr. Starr Silver
Livia Wein
Mark Howard
Jeffrey Litt
Sarah Blanchard
Charlotte Goldberg
Vivian Neumann
Dr. Mark Sokolov
Chaim Bloom
Rosalind Litt
Eric Pastman
Dr. Maury Seldin
Millie Gelfond
Tertia Kunins
Beverly Levine
In Honor of: ___________________________
Check the names of everyone to whom you want to send a Mitzvah Gram.
Send this form together with your check, minimum $10 donation fro each acknowledgement to: CBI St. Pete, C/O Kesef Accounting Services, PO Box 159 Montvale, NJ 07645, donate online at cbistpete.org, or drop off your check in the synagogue office.
*The minimum donation per acknowledgement is $10.
Please print:
Your Name: ______________________________________________