Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017 Or ... · December 1 - No Shabbat Services. Please help welcome other Or Chadash-ites to your home for a relaxing Shabbat dinner.

Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017

OR CHADASH FOCUS 1

Or Chadash FOCUS

By Rabbi Alison Kobey

During the festival of Sukkot, Jews around the

world read from the Book of Kohelet,

Ecclesiastes. It is, in many ways, a troubling

text. We have just come from the prayers of

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, asking God to

metaphorically write us in the Book of Life.

Then, in Kohelet, the writer starts in an almost

Eeyore-esque manner, questioning its purpose, a

“woe is me” fatalistic attitude with an

acknowledgement that nothing is new. It has

happened previously and will happen again in

the future, such as the sun rising and setting

every day.

But, the author remains unsatisfied with the idea

that life is futile. He takes us into another

direction, that we must enjoy life while we have

the opportunity. The text states: “I know that

there is nothing better than to rejoice and do

Wednesday, October 4 - 7:00pm Erev Sukkot

Services

October 6 - No Shabbat Services. Please help

welcome other Or Chadash-ites to your home for

a relaxing Shabbat dinner.

October 7 - 10:00am Shabbat Services with the

Bat Mitzvah of Corinne Murphy

Wednesday, October 11 - 6:30pm Erev Simchat

Torah Services with Consecration and Israeli

Dancing

October 13 - 7:30pm Shabbat Services with

anniversary blessings

October 20 - 7:30pm Shabbat Services with

birthday blessings

October 27 - 7:30pm Shabbat Services with 1st

Grade Participation and Jr. Choir

SHABBAT and HOLIDAY

SERVICE SCHEDULE

November 3 - No Shabbat services. Please help

welcome other Or Chadash-ites to your home for a

relaxing Shabbat dinner.

November 4 - 9:00am Shabbat services with 7th

Grade participation

November 10 - 7:30pm Shabbat services with

anniversary blessings

November 17 - 7:30pm Human Rights Shabbat

with birthday blessings

November 18 - 10:00am Shabbat services with Bat

Mitzvah of Melanie Siskind

November 21 - 7:00pm Interfaith Thanksgiving

Service. Location TBA.

November 24 - 7:30pm Shabbat Services

December 1 - No Shabbat Services. Please help

welcome other Or Chadash-ites to your home for

a relaxing Shabbat dinner.

December 2 - 9:00am Shabbat services with 5th

Grade Participation and anniversary blessings

good in one’s life. Also, it is a gift of God for

anyone to eat, drink, and enjoy good with one’s

labors…”

We should enjoy life while being decent people.

This idea is an important reminder for the festival

of Sukkot; a time in which we build the sukkah, a

dwelling representing the frailty of life. We are

meant to eat our meals there and even, if possible,

sleep there. We are also meant to engage in the

mitzvah of inviting others into our sukkah, of

welcoming guests. Let us use the lessons from

Kohelet to enjoy and cherish life while reaching

out to others.

L’Shalom,

Rabbi Alison B. Kobey


OR CHADASH FOCUS 2

Contacting Us Rabbi Rabbi Alison Kobey 301-482-1025 [email protected] Cantorial Soloist Deborah Sternberg [email protected]

Location 24800 Kings Valley Road Damascus, MD 20872 Office Hours Tuesday - Friday 9:00am to 2:00pm

E-mail Address: [email protected]

Mailing Address 24800 Kings Valley Rd Damascus, MD 20872 Web Address www.cong-orchadashmd.org Telephone and FAX (T) 301-482-1025 (F) 301-482-1027 To Receive E-mail Updates Send your e-mail address to [email protected]

Contact Us

Religious School Director .................Rabbi Alison Kobey ............ 301-482-1025 [email protected] Temple Administrator .......................Bita Silverman ...................... 301-482-1025 [email protected] Religious School Administrator ......Anisha Goyal ....................... 301-482-1025 [email protected] President ...............................................Phil Dicken ........................... 301-926-7825 [email protected] Vice-President .....................................Andrew Felrice .................... 301-515-8570 [email protected] Treasurer ..............................................Karl Gussow ......................... 301-963-3069 [email protected] Secretary ...............................................Karen Dean ........................... 301-607-6241 [email protected]

Immediate Past President..................Karen Conner ....................... 301-540-1567 [email protected] At Large ................................................Scott Chidakel ...................... 301-253-5485 [email protected] Matt Dwoskin ...................... 301-874-2343 [email protected] Rob Eisenberg ...................... 301-253-1922 [email protected] Melissa Hyman .................... 301-428-2888 [email protected] Alex Lebedinsky .................. 301-947-4881 [email protected] Laura Sardilli ....................... 301-540-4610 [email protected] CORY President ..................................Jessica Pavelle ...................... 301-869-1741 [email protected] CORY Advisors ...................................Jaime Hendi, Laura Jackel, Eileen Kerwin, Alana Kiviat, and Dara Santa CORY NFTY Advisor .........................Jamie Hendi .......................... 301-471-3611 [email protected] Jr. CORY Advisor................................Ilene Krom ............................ 240-477-9902 [email protected] Kiddish Kids ......................................Karl Nadler ........................... 301-509-5081 [email protected] WCOC/Sisterhood President ............Ellyn Baum ........................... 301-972-0075 [email protected] Brotherhood President .......................OPEN

Ritual Committee Chair ....................OPEN Adult Education Committee Chair Donna & Coleman Clarke .. 240-344-8412 [email protected] Adult Social Group ............................Jeff Bass ................................. 301-802-7907 [email protected] Library Committee ............................Michael Abrahams ............. 301-428-1025 [email protected] Membership Committee ...................Howard Benowitz ............... 301-947-4056 [email protected] Fundraising Coordinator ...................OPEN Oneg Coordinator ...............................Julie Swain ............................ 301-916-9214 [email protected] Social Action Coordinator .................Rita Shewbridge ................. 240-812-9233 [email protected] Religious School Committee ............Howard Benowitz ............... 301-947-4056 [email protected] Building Administrator .....................Ray Lessans .......................... 301-355-4990 [email protected] FOCUS Editor ......................................Debbie Eisenberg ................. 301-253-1922 [email protected] Webmaster ...........................................Marti Kerner ......................... 202-957-9540 [email protected] Dues or Tuition Relief .......................Andrew Colby ..................... See Temple directory

mailto:[email protected]





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OR CHADASH FOCUS 3

Torah Parashiyot (and Writings) _______________

Upcoming Parashiyot and some of the many topics to consider:

October 7 – 8:30am Chol HaMoed Sukkot – Generally

we choose to read V’Zot HaBrachah, Deuteronomy

33:1-34:12. What would you want your final words to

be? How is God portrayed here?

October 14 – 9:00am Ecclesiastes (Tentative, please

discuss attendance with Rabbi) – Ecclesiastes

10:00am Bereisheet (Genesis 1:1-6:8) –

How does science and religion work together? How do

the creation stories relate? What is your favorite day

and why? How do you view God in this portion?

October 21 – 9:00am Writings (Nechemiah)

10:00am Noah (Genesis 6:9-11:32) – Is

Noah more righteous than we previously thought?

Does silence lead to righteousness? Why do we talk

more about the 2x2 animals then 2x7? How do you tell

people they are wrong?

October 28 – 10:00am Lech L’chah (Genesis 12:1-

17:27) – When and how do you get out from under your

parents’ influence? Can our religious identity be tied

with our parents? Who are we called to be? Is it easier

or harder to know your destination?

November 4 – 10:30am Vayera (Genesis 18:1-22:24) –

How do we know when God taps us on the shoulder?

Can we laugh and cry at the same time? How does

hospitality impact our burdens? Can sibling rivalry

ever be okay? How do we test God and how does God

test us? Who wins?

November 11 – 10:00am Chayei Sarah (Genesis

23:1-25:18) – How does Abraham show respect to

Sarah after she dies? What does that teach us?

What does a matchmaker look for in finding mates

for others? Does a woman get a voice in arranged

marriage, both biblically and today?

November 18 – 8:30am Toldot (Genesis 25:19-

28:9) – Is birthright spiritual or something else?

How is parenting twins (or triplets?!) different than

singletons? What is Isaac’s covenantal promise?

How important are parental blessings? Is stealing

ever okay? How does God show favoritism? Did

Isaac have memory loss?

November 25 – 10:00am Vayetzei (Genesis

28:10-32:3) – Does Jacob have human friends or is

he lonely? What is the first vow in Torah? Do Jews

believe in angels? Is there such a thing as love at

first sight? Can you hold a grudge and still work

for that person?

December 2 – 10:30am Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4-

36:43) – What is a prayer and what is a blessing?

How do we reflect our inner struggles? How do we

reconcile with our foes? Does reconciliation mean

closeness? Is revenge ever acceptable?


OR CHADASH FOCUS 4

President’s Column For those of you who were not able to hear my

presentation at the Rosh Hashanah morning

service, I’d like to recap the essence of it for you

here. A few key points are that we have a great

group of people that create a warm and

welcoming community. I’ve enjoyed my time at

Congregation Or Chadash and look forward to a

fantastic year getting to know each of you.

Thank you to everyone who provided their input

with our survey. It will greatly help us as we

continue to seek opportunities to improve and

grow our congregation. Our congregation could

not be successful without the help of our

volunteers. I’d especially like to thank each of

you who has contributed your time over this past

year to make Or Chadash a welcoming home.

For those of you who have not yet taken

advantage of the many opportunities to

volunteer, please consider doing so now. My

challenge to each of you is to make yourself

available at least 6 hours out of the 8,760 hours

in the coming year. We have 130 member

families. If each family donates at least 6 hours,

we will have 780 volunteer hours. This would

make an enormous impact on our ability to

address the issues that you raised in the survey.

Volunteering has significant rewards for both the

giver and receiver. As Karen Dean told me,

“Not only am I helping Or Chadash grow, Or

Chadash is helping me do the same.”

Not sure how you can help or how to get started?

I’ve taken the time to make this very easy. I

created a form included in the back of this

month’s Focus that lists some very specific areas

where we need volunteers. The form provides a

brief description of what we need and how much

time it will take. All you need to do is check the

box and fill in your name. Email the

form to [email protected]. Let’s

go for 100% family participation and

make Congregation Or Chadash even

better!

Phil Dicken



OR CHADASH FOCUS 5

Religious School Committee Update __________

Religious School is off to a great start! We are

excited to see all of our returning students and

families, and so many new ones, too! If you missed

our New Parent Orientation on September 10, or if

you have any questions about Religious School,

please contact Rabbi Kobey, our Education Director;

Anisha Goyal, our School Administrator; or any

member of the Religious School Committee.

Don’t know who is on the Religious School

Committee? Then come to one of our meetings, meet

our members, and better yet, become one of our

members! We are trying something new this year:

instead of holding our meetings in the synagogue on

the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00pm, we

will alternate each month between the first

Wednesday at 7:00pm and the first Tuesday at

6:45pm. So, our next meetings will be Tuesday,

October 3 at 6:45, then Wednesday, November 1 at

7:00pm. If you are dropping off a child for Religious

School on Tuesday night, stay for our meeting. We

will finish the meeting before school ends at 8:00.

One of our favorite traditions is to welcome new

Religious School families to the Congregation Or

Chadash family through our Consecration service

held on Simchat Torah. Whether you are a new

member or current member, please plan to attend this

special service on Wednesday, October 11, at

6:30pm.

We will once again offer several awards to students at

the end of the year:

Perfect Religious School Attendance (for Sundays,

Tuesdays, or both)

Excellent Religious School Attendance (for

Sundays, Tuesdays, or both)

Shabbat Service Attendance (for attending at least

10 Shabbat services during the year)

Hebrew Achievement (for pre-K-3rd grade students

who master at least 5 prayers, and for 4th and higher

grade students who master at least 10 of the prayers

they are expected to know)

Jewish Reading (for students who show the

Rabbi that they read at least 10 Jewish books

during the year)

Pirke Avot of the Week (for students who,

during the year, complete at least 10 of the

Rabbi's sheets about the Pirke Avot, a

compilation of the ethical teachings passed

down by the rabbis).

In addition, each class in which 75% of the

class over a semester thoughtfully (i.e., the

answers must show some effort from the

students) completes weekly Pirke Avot sheets

will earn a party. So, if a class has ten

students, then, over a ten week semester, at

least 75 of the 100 sheets in that semester

must be thoughtfully completed.

SAVE THE DATE: If you can’t fit a

Religious School Committee meeting into

your schedule but want to learn more or offer

feedback about Religious School, come enjoy

bagels and coffee with other parents, Religious

School Committee members, and Rabbi

Kobey, at a Coffee with the Education

Director on Sunday, December 3, 2017,

during Religious School.

L’Shalom,

The Religious School Committee

Religious School Calendar Religious School Days

October 3

October 8

October 10

October 15

October 17

October 22

October 24

October 29

October 31

November 5

November 7

November 12

November 14

November 19

November 28

No Religious School October 1, November 21, 26


OR CHADASH FOCUS 6

Religious School Highlights October 8 - 4th grade intergenerational program

October 10 - Open House

October 15 - 6th Grade Field Trip to Great Falls

(weather permitting)

October 17 - 6th Grade Parent Meeting

October 22 - 3rd grade Reading with Ruach

October 29 - 7th Grade Reading with Ruach

November 5 - 4th Grade Field Trip to Adas

Israel Mikvah

November 12 – 10:30am 8th-9th Grade Teen

class

November 14 - 6:30pm Special program about

Six Points Sports Camp (open to 3rd grade

families and above)

November 19 - 3rd Grade Field Trip to Ratner

Museum

4th Grade Intergenerational Program

Pre-K-3rd Grade Family Please join us for Family Education on Saturday,

October 14. We have an adult and student track

and then we will come together for

dairy/vegetarian pot-luck dinner and havdallah..

4:00-6:00pm Pre-K/K-1st Grade

5:00pm-7:00pm 2nd-3rd Grade

4th

-7th

Grade Parents Visit the

Classroom Tuesday, October 10, 6:30-6:45pm and/or 7:30-

7:45pm then you can meet with Rabbi Kobey

6th

Grade Parent Meeting for

B’nai Mitzvah Tuesday, October 17 at 6:30pm. Get all the

materials, the handbook of what your family

needs to do, ask questions, etc. This is an

important meeting and we ask that at least one

adult per family attends, if at all possible.

Where are our Teens? Our older teens have rotating trips. This

year, our 10th-12th grade students will be

taking a trip to Philadelphia, PA. They will

learn more about American Judaism, engage

in social action, and more. Our trip is

November 10 - 12.

Additionally, we will also be taking a trip to

Washington, D.C. Even though the physical

location is basically our backyard, this trip is

dramatically different. We are participating

in the URJ’s L’Taken program. This is a

Jewish social justice / social action program

for teens around the country. The Religious

Action Center runs approximately 5

weekends a year. There is always a long

wait-list for congregations wishing to

participate and we are so glad to have this

opportunity for our teens. Our students will

learn about different social/political issues

from a Jewish perspective, choose one topic

on which to write a speech, and then lobby

our Senators and Representatives. Our trip is

January 26 - 29.


OR CHADASH FOCUS 7

Keeping Up With Or Chadash ________________

Faculty Meetings /

Teacher Trainings Wednesday, October 18 7:00pm

Sunday, October 22 8:00am

Tuesday, October 24 8:00pm

Adult B’not Mitzvah

Class October 17 9:30am-11:00am

October 24 9:30am-11:00am

November 7 9:30am-11:00am



Committee Meetings Religious School Committee (RSC):

Tuesday October 3 6:45pm-8:00pm

Wednesday November 1 at 7:00pm

Ritual Committee:

Sunday October 15 at 12:00pm


OR CHADASH FOCUS 8

Tot Time Our younger members are always welcome

at our dinners, programs, and worship

services. But, in addition, we want to

recognize that our younger members also

like having experiences more specific to

their needs. To that end, we now have a

monthly Tot program. These events target

children ages 5 and younger and their

families. They are open both to members

and non-members, so if you know of

someone Jewish and unaffiliated, please tell

them about our Tot programs and also

please give Rabbi their contact information,

so that she may directly invite them to these

different events. Some events are Saturday

mornings, some are late Saturday

afternoons, and some are even midweek.

Programs will include snacks and some

variation of music, stories, crafts, and play.

We hope that you will join us for as many

events as your schedule allows.

In order to ensure that we have sufficient

supplies, we ask that you PLEASE RSVP

as soon as possible, but at least one week

before any event (events may be cancelled

if insufficient RSVPs). The upcoming dates

of Tot Time programs are:

October 6 10:00am

November 12 10:00am

Jr. CORY Save the Date! October 29 at 12:00pm


OR CHADASH FOCUS 9

Social Action Committee News The Social Action Committee is getting back in

the swing of things and needs your help! Join us

in making a difference in our community and

beyond. We are currently seeking committee

members to help us plan our Fall projects, the

first one being in October! Don’t think you have

a lot of time, no worries, we can Skype you in or

do a Google hangout to make sure you are

included. Help us brainstorm ideas and move

forward in action. I look forward to chatting with

you soon, please feel free to email me

at [email protected] to get involved

or give me a call at 240-812-9233!! Don’t forget

to also sign up for the Social Action Trip to

Greensboro.

Greensboro Social Action Trip Trip dates December 28-31, 2017 (back in

Maryland in time for your New Years Eve

plans!) See flyer on page 16 for additional

details and to officially sign-up.

Refugee Support Or Chadash’s Refugee Support group, in concert

with the Montgomery County Interfaith Refugee

Resettlement Neighbors, is actively providing

support to 17 refugee families.

If you would like to make a financial donation to

help the families, please make your donation to

the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund, and add a

note that the donation is intended for Refugee

Support.

If you would like to join our group or ask

questions, contact Debbie Eisenberg

at [email protected].

Community Coffee with the Cops Wednesday Oct. 18 at 9:00am. See flyer on page

17 for more information.

Sukkah Hop Do you build a sukkah at your house? It would be

fun if we shared meals at different sukkot (plural

of sukkah), rotating to different houses. If you

build a sukkah and are interested in sharing some

meals at your sukkah and at other people’s, or if

you would just like to eat in a sukkah, please give

your name to Rabbi Kobey and hopefully we can

set up some matches

Sukkot Festival Please join us immediately following Religious

School on Sunday, October 8 from 12:00 p.m. to

1:30 p.m. for Or Chadash’s Sukkot Festival!

There will be games, snacks, face painting, and a

moon bounce! The festival is sponsored by

CORY, and we can’t wait to see you there!

Update on the Talmud Project We've had a very good response to our request

for pledges to enable Or Chadash to buy a

Talmud for the Library.

(A pledge is a commitment to donate $36, which

will pay for one volume of the 78-volume

Talmud)

We are in the home stretch - and a few more

pledges will enable us to reach our goal.

If you haven't pledged yet - and you want to -

please contact the office, or contact Susan White

([email protected]) who is in charge of this

project.




OR CHADASH FOCUS 10

Special Services _________________________

Celebrating Simchas (Happy

Occasions) Celebrate your birthday with your Or Chadash

family. Be called to the bimah and receive a

special blessing and a birthday treat to mark the

occasion. We have birthday blessings every

month. For the month of October come on

October 20 and for the month of November join

us on November 17. Services are at 7:30pm.

We also celebrate anniversaries within our Or

Chadash family. Again, be invited onto the bimah

for a special blessing and an anniversary treat.

This is also monthly with anniversary blessings on

October 13 and November 10.

Do you have other simchas to share? Let Rabbi

Kobey know, so we can rejoice together.

Reflective Prayer Service (also

known as Healing Service,

Meditation Service, or

Contemplative Service) We might not be able to agree on a good title for

these services, so call it whatever you want!

Regardless of name, this is an opportunity for you

to engage in a monthly prayer service not on

Shabbat. Many of the prayers are the same as

Shabbat, but there is also an element of

challenging God, finding hope, looking to do

better, directly or indirectly being in need of

physical, emotional, or spiritual healing, praying

for other people who might have one of those

wants, or whatever might best connect with you at

that time. All are welcome. Upcoming dates are:

Wednesday October 25 at 7:30pm

Sunday November 12 at 7:30pm

Consecration /Erev Simchat

Torah Services Whether or not you have a Consecration

student (all of our newest students in Or

Chadash’s Religious School), join in the fun

of seeing the entire Torah unrolled (which

means we need ALL of you to help hold it

or we cannot do it), the joy of drawing near

to Torah, and seeing our newest students’

faces light up as they receive Torah scrolls

of their own. We will have Israeli dancing

that evening as well! Erev Simchat Torah

services are on Wednesday, October 11.

Interfaith Thanksgiving

Service Hard to believe this is now our 8th annual

Thanksgiving service! We now have four

congregations participating: St. Paul

Catholic Church, United Methodist Church,

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, and

ourselves. Rabbi Kobey, Father Lee,

Reverend Pierce, Reverend McMurtrey, and

Reverend Cooney have been working

together on creating this special worship

service.

We really hope that our Or Chadash

community will have a strong presence

there. The hope is that we see many

members from our faith communities, as

well as people from the greater Damascus

community coming together to celebrate

Thanksgiving. Our choirs will participate

as well. Join us on Tuesday, November 21,

2017 at 7:00pm.


OR CHADASH FOCUS 11

Israel Trip I love Israel. Some of you have heard me say

this phrase before, or maybe you have heard

me many times on this front, but I do. I love

the country. As many of you know, we had a

successful Temple trip to Israel in 2016…

So…

I am so excited to say that I will be offering

another Temple trip to Israel!! The

enthusiasm already exists and the planning is

well underway. Initial deposits are due this

November.

Here are some basic details… the trip itself

will be in August 2019. This will give you

plenty of time to plan, both financially and

emotionally. The trip will be open to our

whole congregation (all ages). If space

permits, it will also be open to our members’

extended friends / families. We hope you

will join us.

Are you interested? Even as you wait for the

information sessions, please send me your

name if you are interested to allow me to start

gathering a list of potential travelers. The

next information session is Tuesday, October

17 at 7:30pm.

Let’s love Israel together and let’s visit

together!

Rabbi Alison B. Kobey

Prospective Members We need your help! We know that word of mouth

is the best way for people to find us and get to

know us. If you know a possible member, please

send us the name and any contact information you

might have. Then, we will reach out and include

the person(s) in a small group opportunity. We

hope to hear from you! As a reminder, there is

now a financial incentive for our members to find

new members!

Congregation Or Chadash Book

Club Schedule 2017-2018 November 10: The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem

by Sarit Yishai-Jevi

January 12: Landsman: A Novel by Peter

Charles Melman

March 9: The Bridal Chair by Gloria Goldreich

May 11: The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who

Saved Israel by Uri Bar Joseph

June 8: Planning for 2017-2018

All meetings start at 11:30 AM. Meetings are the

second Friday of the month unless there is a

holiday or special event.

Meeting location can vary but is usually Panera,

19965 Century Boulevard, Germantown. This

Panera is located in the parking lot with Taco

Bell, Green Turtle, Chick-fil-a and Carrabbas.

All books on this year’s schedule are available at

the Montgomery County Public Libraries except

Landsman: A Novel . Contact Jane Harris at [email protected]

to RSVP for the meeting or to be added to the

email list for meeting reminders.



OR CHADASH FOCUS 12

ThankYou to Our Donors __________________

Thank you to our generous donors. Note that this list includes donations that were deposited during

July and August. Please contact the office for more information.

General Donations

Howard & Melissa Benowitz

Susan & Scott Chidakel

Andrew & Suzanne Colby in memory of Helene, mother of Fred Marx

William Dean & Karen Rosenfeld-Dean

Rob & Debbie Eisenberg

Karen & Richard Kwasny

Ray & Debbie Lessans

Bari & Joseph Levin in honor of the birthday of Elizabeth Gatti

Diane & Sydney Levitus

Gerald Ray Mollie Lipshy Charitable Trust

Jonathan & Andrea Pfeffer

Jeffrey & Annette Smith

Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund

Jon Clark & Maureen Ruskin

Yarzeit Board

Michael Critzer & Lorraine Schack in memory of Florence Schack

Howard & Melissa Benowitz in memory of Paul Benowitz

Condolences _____________________________

Congregation Or Chadash extends our sympathies to Alana Hyman on the death of her

mother, Ina Glosman Weinstein, who passed away on August 22.

Congregation Or Chadash extends our sympathies to Annette Smith on the death of her

father, David Earl Zarin, who passed away on August 28.

Congregation Or Chadash extends our sympathies to Melissa Lebedinsky on the death

of her father, Saul Keisler, who passed away on September 9.


OR CHADASH FOCUS 13

Mazel Tov! ______________________________

Congregation Or Chadash extends our congratulations to Rob and Debbie Eisenberg on the

marriage of their daughter, Julie, to Jeff Arenson on September 3.

Congregation Or Chadash extends our congratulations for the upcoming Bat Mitzvah of Corinne

Murphy on October 7.

Congregation Or Chadash extends our congratulations for the upcoming Bat Mitzvah of Melanie

Siskind on November 18.

Welcome _______________________________

Welcome to our new members:

Stephanie & Michael Ames Milton & Rona Kandel

Joseph & Alanna Blake Risa & Patrick Robinson

Alan & Karen Accardi Epstein Lisa & Viacheslav Slavin

Mickey & Michelle Fortune Susan & James Witter

Jacqueline Horner


OR CHADASH FOCUS 14

Wednesday, October 4 7:00 PM Sukkot Service Marci & Karl Nadler Bette Kennard & Ed Korenge

Saturday, October 7 10:00 AM Shabbat service with Bat Mitzvah of Corinne Murphy

Julie & Patrick Murphy

Wednesday, October 11 6:30PM Consecration Simchat Torah services with Israeli dancing

Cindy & Jason Partlow Sara & Eric Moline

Friday, October 13 7:30 PM Shabbat service with Anniversary Blessings

Melissa & Andrew Hyman Heather Gould

Friday, October 20 7:30 PM Shabbat services with Birthday Blessings

Melissa & Alex Lebedinsky Melissa & Howard Benowitz

Friday, October 27 7:30 PM Shabbat service w/ 1st grade participation and w/ Junior Choir

Alyssa & Sam Mvros Keri & Chris Hennelly

Saturday, November 4 9:00 AM Shabbat services with 7th grade Class participation

7th Grade Families

Friday, November 10 7:30 PM Shabbat services with Anniversary Blessings

Susan White & Michael Abrahams Audrey & Brian Barbazette

Friday, November 17 7:30 PM Human Rights Shabbat with Birthday Blessings

Sindi & Aaron Siskind

Saturday, November 18 10:00 AM Bat Mitzvah of Melanie Siskind Sindi & Aaron Siskind

Tuesday, November 21 7:00 PM Interfaith Thanksgiving with OCS Board Of Directors

Friday, November 24 7:30 PM Shabbat Services Susan & Howard Lichtman

Saturday, December 2 9:00 AM Shabbat Services with 5th grade class participation and Anniversary Blessings

5th Grade Families

Friday, December 8 7:30 PM Meditation Shabbat with Birthday Blessings

Jean & Dave Bender Marsha Weber & Fred Petok

Friday, December 15 7:30 PM Hanukkah Shabbat service with Pre-K/K participation and OCS (BYOM- Bring Your Own Menorah)

Laura & Jonathan Jackel Jen & Marc Strelser Beth & Tom Smolko

Friday, December 22 7:30 PM Shabbat Services Maureen Ruskin& Jon Clark Sue & Richard Carr

Friday, December 29 7:30 PM Shabbat Services Heather & Craig Held Huyen Nguyen & Adam Cohen

Oneg Calendar __________________________ Thank you to our oneg sponsors! After every Shabbat service, there are delicious treats for everyone

to enjoy as we all chat and catch up. Oneg sponsors bring food before the service or donate to our

oneg organizer, so that this service is provided every week. Birthdays and anniversaries are great

times to sponsor an oneg. Family yartzeits are another meaningful time to sponsor an oneg.

All families are expected to host approximately twice a year. Each sponsor will receive an email

indicating what food and drinks to bring on their designated Shabbat date. If you have any questions,

please email Julie Swain at [email protected] or call 301-916-9214.



OR CHADASH FOCUS 15

Yahrzeits ________________________________ If you have an upcoming yahrtzeit that is not listed, please call the office at 301-482-1025,

and we will add any names you wish to remember. Names will be read at Shabbat services

during the week of a loved one’s death. When two dates are shown, the names will be read

during the Friday evening and Saturday morning Shabbat services. Note that the second

column lists the observing member.

**Yahrtzeit plaque

Saturday, October 7 Flora Fridberg Mother of Michelle Fridberg Charles Fruman Grandfather of Eileen Kerwin Yetta Bell Mother of Heather Bergman Bernice Perselay Aunt of Jane Harris Lovice Price Mother of Esther Streusand Gertrude Held Mother of Craig Held Norman Dissin Father of Alan Dissin

Friday, October 13 Nellie Menick Aunt of Annette Smith

Friday, October 20 **Yta Gellert Mother of Charles Gellert Howard Seal White Father of Susan White Arline Baum Mother of Joseph Baum Meyer Epstein Father of Alan Epstein Lorraine Aronson Mother of Marci Nadler George Goldenberg Grandfather of Diane Levitus Maurice Clarke Father of Coleman Clarke Bettye Yaw Mother of Greg Yaw Friday, October 27 Franklin Rosenfeld Father of Karen Rosenfeld-Dean Nicholas Stroud Father of Nicholas Stroud Alvin Charens Uncle of Michelle Bailen Stanley Goldberg Father of Julie Swain Carolyn Dean Mother of William Dean

Saturday, November 4 Arthur Aronson Father of Marci Nadler Florence Lazar Grandmother of Eileen Kerwin Edith Slonk Grandmother of Barbara Marx Ida Thorner Mother of Bruce Thorner Joseph Binder Father of Irwin Binder Gertrude Lessans Mother of Raymond Lessans Morris Glosman Grandfather of Alana Hyman

Friday, November 10 Louis Zeik Risa & Patrick Robinson

Saturday, November 17 William Ostrov Grandfather of Fred Marx Marshall Rosenthal Uncle of David Bender

Saturday, November 24

**Cheryl Schwartz Wife of Saul Schwartz Sadye Goldenberg Grandmother of Diane Levitus Armand Grenadier Great Uncle of Ellyn Baum Harold Jacobs Father of Jen Strelser Rheta Sosland Grandmother of Andrew Hyman Liba Binder Mother of Irwin Binder Anne Rosenthal Mother of Cindy Bender

Saturday, December 2

Melvin Moskowitz Father of Sindi Siskind Larry Bernstein Uncle of Ellyn Baum Benjamin Bender Father of Larry Bender **Morley Harris Father in Law of Saul Schwartz Eugene Levitus Brother of Syndey Levitus Caren Goldfine Uncle's wife of Ellyn Baum Ruth Solowey Mother of Rona Kandel


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OR CHADASH FOCUS 17


OR CHADASH FOCUS 18

Congregation Or Chadash Volunteer Opportunities Your Name:

__________________________________________________________________________________

Your Preferred Contact Information (Email Address / Phone Number): __________________________________________________________________________________________ Interested to receive more information

Group Name Description of Tasks Estimate of time required

Name of person to contact for more information

Contact Information

Treasurer Record funds received in our tracking system. Make payments for the temple’s obligations. Provide a financial report to the board.

5 - 10 hours a week

Karl Gussow 301-963-3069

Finance Committee

Participate in the committee meetings. Update financial records. Assist with dues relief where needed

Contact Karl Gussow for more information

Karl Gussow 301-963-3069

Board of Directors Member at Large

Attend monthly board meetings to listen and vote on behalf of the congregation. Complete action items from meeting as needed including writing letters to members, contacting vendors

2 – 4 hours per month

Phil Dicken 301-926-7825

Membership Committee

Direct Or Chadash's external marketing and attend community events to promote Or Chadash.

5-10 hours a year.

Howard Benowitz

240-731-3400

Brotherhood President – Coordinate activities and write an article for the newsletter



Social Action Organize or participate in social action committee events such as food drives. Contribute ideas for the group

As little or as much time as you can devote

Rita Shewbridge

rita.shewbridge @gmail.com

Fund Raising Committee

Develop ideas for fun activities to raise money for the congregation. Organize events



Or Chadash Singers

Participate in scheduled events by singing in our choir and attending rehearsals

Contact Rachel for more info.

Rachael Goodrich

rachel.stroudgoodrich @gmail.com

Teacher’s Assistant

Inspire our youth by being a substitute teacher or a teacher’s assistant in our classrooms. Help our students learn more about Judaism

Contact Anisha Goyal for more information

Anisha Goyal principal.or.chadash @gmail.com

Rabbi’s assistant Assist with small ad hoc tasks such as researching information on the Internet, administrative tasks such as stuffing envelopes or buying items needed for the congregation


Rabbi Kobey rabbikobey@ gmail.com

CORY Advisor Organize fun events for our teens. Send inputs to our newsletter. Assist with social action events

A few hours a month depending on the events you organize

Jamie Hendi [email protected]

Junior CORY Advisor

Organize fun events for our temple youth. Send inputs to our newsletter. Assist youth with social action events

A few hours a month depending on the events


Oneg Coordinator

Send reminders to families about their sponsorship responsibilities. Assist with setup and cleanup of oneg. Buy supplies for oneg when families are not available

3 hours per oneg. This is split among the coordinators

Julie Swain [email protected]

Sisterhood President

Involve other members to participate. Coordinate activities and write newsletter article.




OR CHADASH FOCUS 19

Interested to receive more information

Group Name Description of Tasks Estimate of time required

Name of person to contact for more information

Contact Information

Building Administrator

Lead the building administration committee. Coordinate vendors to get estimates. Escort vendors while they are working Collaborate with the board on expenses

Varies depending on needs of the building at the time

Ray Lessons raylessans@ gmail.com

Building administration committee

Assist with coordinating vendors to get estimates. Escort vendors while they are working

Varies depending on needs of the building at the time


Religious School Committee

Members attend monthly committee meetings, which involve addressing any school-related issues and discussing ways to improve the school. We also sponsor two coffee sessions with the Rabbi and school community during the year.

1-2 hours per month for committee meetings. Coffees are one hour each, twice a year.

Howard Benowitz

240-731-3400

Ritual Committee Chair

Lead and organize the ritual committee Contact Karl Gussow for more information

Karl Gussow [email protected]

Adult Social Group

Help organize events. Contribute ideas for the group to do. Invite others to participate

Contact Jeff Bass for info

Jeff Bass [email protected]

Adult Education Committee

Help organize events. Contribute ideas for topics to cover

Contact the Clarkes for more information

Donna & Coleman Clarke

clarke86@ comcast.net

Library Committee

Selecting books to add to the Library, adding them to the online catalogue and to the shelves, tracking books

2 hours per meeting 4 or 5 times per year

Michael Abrahams

mlabrahams@ gmail.com

Focus Editor or Assistant

Collect input from the authors of the articles for our newsletter. Edit the articles and create the final document

20– 25 hours every two months

Debbie Eisenberg

301-253-1922

Webmaster Assist with posting updates to COC’s Website. Contact Marti Kerner for more information

Marti Kerner martha.kerner@ gmail.com


OR CHADASH FOCUS 20

Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017 Or ... · December 1 - No Shabbat Services. Please help welcome other Or Chadash-ites to your home for a relaxing Shabbat dinner.

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