- - 1 Congrega(on Beth Elohim 133 Prospect Street Acton, MA 01720 Michael Rothbaum, Rabbi Sarra Spierer, Cantor Leann Shamash, Director of EducaBon Susan C. Perry, Director, Early Learning Center Ezra Habif, Administrator Lewis Mintz, Rabbi Emeritus The Star August 2018 • Volume 40, Number 10 Contents Calendar 10, 11 .............................................. CBE Exceeds the Hineni Challenge! 5 ............. DonaBon Acknowledgements 6-8 .................. Early Fall BeauBficaBon Day Needs You! 4 ..... Hineni Donors Flyer 9 ..................................... How to Reach Us 4 ......................................... InstallaBon of Rabbi Mike 7 ........................... Membership CommiYee News 3 ................... Schedule of Services 3 ................................... Sisterhood News 4 ......................................... Welcome Back Shabbat & Open House 2 ......
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The Star January 2017 Congregation Beth Elohim...January 2017 THE STAR Congregation Beth Elohim - 1 - Congrega(on Beth Elohim 133 Prospect Street Acton, MA 01720 Michael Rothbaum,
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The Star is generally published monthly by Congregation Beth Elohim and is mailed at Acton, MA. To request a subscription call Congregation Beth Elohim at 978-263-3061 or write to 133 Prospect Street, Acton, MA 01720.
The deadline posted in the previous month’s issue, is generally the 15th of the previous month, slightly earlier in case of holidays.
Material for inclusion in The Star may be submitted: • by disk with hardcopy printout;• via email: [email protected] (receipt
acknowledged);• as camera ready or handwritten copy; or• by FAX: call Congregation Beth Elohim or the editor.
Receipt of material can be verified by calling the editor after the deadline. Editor: Bob Becker 978-263-8097.
Here’s a riddle for you: What draws from thirty towns and cities and has welcomed twenty-seven new families in the last year? If you said CBE’s mem-bership, you’d be right! In the last twelve months, the CBE community has grown in the most wonderful ways—not only in terms of numbers, but also in terms of diversity and geography. In short, it’s an ex-citing time around here! And with all of these new members, one of the things that’s been on the minds of CBE’s Board of Directors is making sure that everyone who comes through our doors feels wel-comed and at home. With that in mind, membership has a few things up its sleeve for 5779.
First, we are excited to explore the feasibility of permanent, reusable name tags for our adult mem-bers. Many synagogues and churches do this, and our informal research tells us that their members really like it. It’s a great way to put names with faces (or, in this era of electronic communication, to put faces with names) and to help us all get to know each oth-er just a little bit better. We will sort out the details around this in the coming months.
Another effort we hope to “revive” in the new year is a mentor program for new members. The idea is that each new member family will be paired with a CBE member who can serve as a helpful resource—whether by phone or email or in person—and be a familiar, friendly face at services and events as the new family gets settled. If you’re interested in help-ing out with this low stress, very rewarding and im-p o r t a n t w o r k , p l e a s e s e n d a n o t e t o [email protected].
And of course we’ll continue some treasured CBE traditions. Please plan to join us for CBE’s Welcome Back Shabbat dinner and family service, which will be held the evening of Friday, September 7. This is a wonderful “homecoming” for our entire community after a long, hot summer. And mark your calendar for our New Member Dinner and Shabbat Service on Friday, November 2. All are encouraged to attend this special evening, as we formally welcome our newest members! Please watch the Star-Lite for details about both events.
Finally, as we enter “peak season” for CBE mem-bership activity—the time of year when families be-gin to think about where to spend the High Holidays and, in some cases, enroll in religious school—it’s a perfect time for me to say thank you. Thank you for creating such a warm, inviting community. This membership work truly takes a village and, as mem-bership chair, I am grateful that all of you are in mine. ✡
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ScheduleofServicesAugust 1, 2 3:55 PM Mincha Service (Wednesday, Thursday) Friday, August 3 7:30 PM Shabbat Service August 7, 8, 9 3:55 PM Mincha Service (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Friday, August 10 7:30 PM Shabbat Service—Lay Led August 14, 15, 16 3:55 PM Mincha Service (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Friday, August 17 7:30 PM Shabbat Service August 21, 22, 23 3:55 PM Mincha Service (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Friday, August 24 7:30 PM Shabbat Service—Lay Led August 28, 29, 30 3:55 PM Mincha Service (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Friday, August 31 7:30 PM Shabbat Service
#-DenotesservicesconductedbybothRabbiandCantor.
AdultEduca(onclassesThe Adult Education committee would like
to offer you new classes. Please help us deter-mine what topics and classes would interest you by:
Hello Sisters! I hope you are all having a wonder-ful summer.
The Sisterhood Board has been busy planning activities to bring us all together in the upcoming year. Here’s a quick look at some of the events we’re working on, so mark your calendars and look for de-tails in upcoming issues of The Star, as well as in the Star-Lite, email, and Sisterhood Facebook page.
Thursday, August 23: Girls’ Night Out. Sunday, September 16: CBE Welcome Back
Fair. Sunday, September 23: Breakfast and sukkah
decoration with Brotherhood. Wednesday, September 26: Wine & cheese in
the sukkah. Sunday, October 14: Annual Sisterhood
Membership Dinner. Saturday, November 3: Havdalah and yoga. Sunday, November 18: Holiday Shopping and
Book Fair. Thursday, December 13: art project with Sheri
Hoffman.
As always, we invite new Sisters to join us, and past Sisters to return. To sign up and pay your dues for the new membership year, you can goto http://www.bethelohim.org/getinvolved/sisterhood.html, then “How to join Sisterhood” and follow the instructions. Of course you can also bring a check to any Sister-hood event. Dues are $25 for first-time members and $50 for returning members.
The CBE Sisterhood is dedicated to fostering friendship within a diverse, multigenerational com-munity of women. Throughout the year, we host many events and activities, such as those listed above, which are designed to promote social interac-tion as well as the personal growth and cultural en-richment of our members. We also provide opportu-nities for community service and charitable donations that support both our synagogue and the greater lo-cal community.
Won’t you join us? ✡
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HowtoReachUsTelephone
The congregation office telephone number is 978-263-3061. Dial these extensions for:
Ezra Habif 1 Rabbi Rothbaum 2 Cantor Spierer 3 Leann Shamash 4 Susan C. Perry & ELC 5
Web Site O u r c o n g r e g a t i o n w e b s i t e ,
www.bethelohim.org, includes the online edition of The Star as well as a variety of other information including a bookstore l ink (Amazon.com) and a donation form.
EarlyFallBeau(fica(onDayNeedsYou!Sunday, August 26 - 9:30AM – Noonish
We CBE congre-gants have a wonder-ful, exhilarating op-portunity to help get Beth Elohim in great shape for the High Holidays, which are very early this year. So we have to schedule our cleanup date even before Labor Day. The work will go very quickly! Many hands make light work, so the more the merri-er.
There will be adequate supplies (rakes, mulch, shovels etc.)—and free bagels and refreshments, too—ready and waiting for all who volunteer.
Young & Old, Parents & Children Everybody is Welcome!
Please reply to Bob and Deena Ferrara at [email protected] or 978-263-8642.
Hineni Totals Surge Past Half-Million Dollar Threshold In only five weeks, Hineni Challenge match
donors gave $53,283 toward the $50,000 challenge put forth by some generous congregants. Once again, our congregants have stepped forward with tremen-dous generosity to support the wonderful CBE com-munity that has so enriched our lives. Here are the latest highlights of the Hineni “Stand with CBE” mortgage reduction campaign:
• By meeting the challenge, Hineni overall totals have increased by $103,000+ to over $520,000—more than half-way to $1 million goal of the campaign in only 21 months;
• This latest wave of giving to Hineni will increase our savings related to mortgage interest payments from $35,000 to $44,000 per year—year after year.
• We thank the seed donors for their leadership and generosity in presenting this challenge to our community, and the 78 donors who participated in this challenge match.
• We are grateful to the 190+ Hineni donors (see page XX) for playing such a pivotal role in improving CBE’s financial outlook. To show how broadly and generously CBE has embraced Hineni, consider that 61% congregants have donated to Hineni and 42% of them gave multiple times. Plus, the average total donation to Hineni per donor is $2,700+.
• Congratulations and thank you to the Hineni Committee members who worked tirelessly to support and orchestrate this campaign. They include Ann Budner, Barbara Green-Whitbeck, Dan Klein, Pam & Jonah Laufer, Natalie Matus, Linda Minkoff, Lindsay Rosenman, and Ellen Valade.
• Even though the challenge has ended, giving to Hineni continues. Please join us by helping fulfill the Hineni campaign goal of $1 million and increasing the annual savings in mortgage interest payments to $88,000. http://www.bethelohim.org/give/hineni.html
Todah rabah to our 2018 Hineni Challenge Match donors listed below:
David Baumritter & Kerri Chartier, Emily & Michael Blumberg, Judy & Gary Budiansky, Peter & Debbie Berson, Ann Budner & Harry Hollenberg, Malcolm & Ina Burdine, Andrew Carvalho & Alyson Saykin, Frank Cohen & Linda Gordon-Cohen, Marjie Cahn, CBE Sisterhood, Dr. Jason & Amy Cohen, Peter Darlow & Sandy Roschelle, Bob & Deena Ferrara, Jeff & Mindy Fishman, Joe & Jaymi Formaggio, Barbara Frank & Craig Michaelsen, Bill Freeman & Franny Osman, Denis & Linda Friedman, Jen & Paul Fried-man, Joel & Marjorie Friedman, Barbara Green & Chris Whitbeck, Richard & Shelley Green, Rita & Lar-ry Grossman, Stephen & Susan Grossman, Andrew & Sue Gruskay, Lee & Rachel Gwaltney, Sandy & Jeff Haber, Barbara Hirsch & Christopher Herpers, Ron & Joanna Honig, Mark & Elaine Kahan, Phillip & Melis-sa Katz, Ronda Kenger, Dan & Shelley Klein, Matthew Kline, Julie Kozhukhin, Allan & Ellen Krueger, Jonah & Pam Laufer, David & Amy Leers, Steve & Sara Levine, Jon & Wendy Linden, Peter & Heidi Lovitz, Len McCauley & Amy Itzkovitz, Dr. Steven & Susan Michelson, Linda Minkoff, David & Melissa Morse, Chips & David Naparstek, Dr. Benjamin Nelson & Meghan Blute-Nelson, Chuck & Lauren Pollak, Natal-ie & Roger Matus, Rabbi Lewis & Naomi Mintz, Barry & JoAnne Nyer, Julie & Robert McCall, Cantor Sarra Spierer & Elan Riesman, Erik & Lindsay Rosenman, Bruce Sabot, Danya & Gary Sclar, Robert & Sue Seger, Harold & Ann Seigel, Martha Shane, Neil Sil-verman & Julie Agapite, Rick & Cindi Silverman, Lauren & Leonard Solomon, Iris Stutman, Ellen Valade, Tom & Marlene Wachtell, Stuart & Susan Wachter, Ike & Liz Walker, Wesson/Haberman fami-lies, Alan & Arlene Weiss, Robert & Jodie Zwirn, Anonymous (8). ✡
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When you shop using Amazon Smile, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase amount to Congregation Beth Elohim. For easy, one-time directions, visit www.bethelohim.org. Pull down the “Give” menu at the upper right, and click on “Shop Amazon.”
The next time you want tobuy a book — or practically anything else.
Jacobson, Jodi Krampf, and Randi Taylor, is very excited to request that you please reserve the evening of October 12 to attend the formal installa-tion of Rabbi Mike Rothbaum of Congregation Beth Elohim. As the summer unfolds, we will provide more details as well as a more formal invitation to this wonderful event.
Please contact the Installation Planning Com-mittee or Ezra if you wish to offer your time, tal-ents, or donations to help make this a truly memo-rable event.
We greatly look forward to celebrating the blessing of Rabbi Mike's installation, and truly hope you will be able to join us for this special evening.
Congregation Beth Elohim THE STAR May 2018
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To the General Fund from:
Beth Schrager & Jeff Handler in memory of Lillian Schrager, mother of Beth Schrager, on the occasion of her yahrzeit.
Dan & Shelley Klein in honor of Grandpa Louis Berkwitts’ yahrzeit.
Karen & David Jarsky in appreciation of the CBE Community.
Eileen & Benjamin Myers in memory of William Ross, father of Eileen (Ross) Myers, on the occasion of his yahrzeit.
Bob & Kathie Becker in memory of Sandra N. Mendelsohn, mother of Robert Mendelsohn.
Eileen & Benjamin Myers in memory of Howard Ross, brother of Eileen (Ross) Myers, on the occasion of his yahrzeit.
Bob & Kathie Becker in memory of Fannette Adelman, mother of Ed Adelman.
Dan & Shelley Klein in memory of Fannette Adelman, mother of Ed Adelman.
Ronni Kenger in honor of Ethan Thomas Halpert, son of Kira Matus & Jon Halpert and grandson of Natalie & Roger Matus.
To the Adult Education Fund from:
Matthew Liebman & Amy Michelson in memory of my father, Jerome Liebman, MD.
To the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund from:
Anonymous
Charlotte Bloomberg in memory of my beloved father, Manny.
Sue Abrams in memory of Gladys Wood, mother of Doug Wood.
Robert & Kerstin Mendelsohn in memory of Sandra N. Mendelsohn.
To the Choir Fund from:
Dan & Shelley Klein wishing Carolee Schaffer a complete and speedy recovery.
To the Amy Naparstek Fund from:
Andrea Harris in honor of Chips & David Naparstek.
Mark Naparstek & Family: “The Las Vegas Naparsteks in both honor and celebration of David & Chips’ 50th wedding anniversary!”
Doris & Freddy Goldstein: “To our friends, Chips & David, a warm 50th anniversary; mazel tov on this special milestone.”
Alex Lelchook & Randi Wallen in honor of Kathie & Bob Becker’s 40th anniversary.
Denis & Linda Friedman: “A hearty mazal tov to Chips & David Naparstek on their 50th wedding anniversary, with love.”
Donations
The congregation thanks our members, their relatives and friends, and the larger community for donations recently received…