E-KI
April 7, 2005 Vol. II No. 14
Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel
8339 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027 215.887.8700
Torah Time Online
Shabbat Tazria – Leviticus 12:1
II Kings 4:42
Defilement, strange diseases, and ritual impurity are the focus of this week’s Torah portion. Tazria is universally known as one of the most gruesome sections of the Torah. The portion discusses in excruciating detail how to care for a person who has been struck with an infectious so that both he and the community can heal. Many of the rituals instruct the individual must go to the priest in order to be determined healthy and able to re-enter the community.
The details of some strange disease and how the ancient Israelites went about making sure it did not infect the community may seem to lack relevance in our modern age – but if you read between the lines, the instructions contain a lot of teaching. First we learn that illness is a community problem. By addressing how illness affected the people in the community we are taught a valuable lesson, that those who are sick must be cared for. Second we see that the priests are intimately involved in the situation. In this way the leader of the community can ensure that the proper procedures are being followed. How often do we say if we had only known that someone was in need of care, or just of company - we could have done something. Finally we learn that Judaism is not just a religion of holidays and Hebrew. The book of Leviticus was written for the priests (Levites) so they could instruct the people on how to live a holy life. Caring for those who are sick, reaching out to those that can not leave their homes, informing others in the community of those in need - these things are the essence of holiness.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Stacy Eskovitz Rigler
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AT KI
Worship & Study Opportunities
This Week – Friday, April 8 – Tot Shabbat at 6:00 p.m. in the Chapel; Dinner at 6:30 p.m. $8/child; $12 adults. Information: Fran Braslow (215) 887-8704; Shabbat Evening Service honoring Rabbi Sussman on the 25th anniversary of his rabbinic ordination, at 8:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Rabbi Maslin, Cantor Allen, and Cantorial Soloist Sherrie Rosenblum will participate in the service. Saturday, April 9 – Torah Study Havurah at 9:00 a.m. in the Library; Shabbat Morning Service at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary, when we will celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of Toby Jean Hamovitz, daughter of Nancy and Stephen Hamovitz.
In the Week Ahead – Friday, April 15 – Blue Jeans Shabbat at 7:00 p.m. in the Youth Lounge; Shabbat Evening Service at 8:00 p.m. in the Chapel – Rabbi Maslin will speak: “The Menace of Religion in Israel and Elsewhere.” Saturday, April 16 – Torah Study Havurah at 9:00 a.m in the Library; Shabbat Morning Service in the Sanctuary, when we will celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of Dara Rae Lazarus, daughter of Shari and David Lazarus; Shabbat Services at 2:00 p.m. at Rydal Park Retirement Home.
Coming Up -- Friday, April 22 – Brotherhood Shabbat at 8:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary, with guest speaker, Reverend Keith Hayward, and the gospel choir of LaMott A.M.E. Church. Passover Begins Saturday Evening, April 23. Friday, May 13 – Shabbat Evening Services at 8:00 p.m. with guest speaker, Barbara H. Bergen, of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger.
3rd Annual Super Get Ready for Passover Day – on Sunday, April 17. Rabbi Sussman will teach at 9:30, “Did the Exodus Happen and Does It Matter?” Workshops at 10:15 a.m. to noon: Rabbi Peter Rigler will discuss making your Seder meaningful; Cantor Lefko will teach traditional Passover songs; parents and grandparents are invited to attend craft workshops with their children to create Passover projects for the Seder table.
Dayenu! A Family Seder—on Sunday, April 24 at 6:00 p.m. in K/G—complete Passover Seder led by Rabbi Lance Sussman and Cantor Amy Lefko. Four-course traditional kosher meal—vegetarian available. $45/adult, $25/children 14 and under. Reservations must be received by April 10. Checks payable to KI, Attn: Brotherhood.
Listen to Most recent Shabbat evening sermon – click on this link! http://www.kenesethisrael.org/Sermons/ShabbatService.htm
Adult Education
Rabbi Sussman will discuss The Americanization of Ben Franklin, by Gordon S. Wood, on Thursday, April 14, at 2:00 p.m. (Adult Ed Book Discussion Group)
Rabbi Sussman and a British Kiddush—at Gam Yahad Model Seder and program on Sunday, April 17, at 2:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Information: Ann Rappoport (215) 884-4155.
Free Tay-Sachs & Canavan Screening – during May at area locations. Information: (215) 887-0877 or ntsad@aol.com or www.tay-sachs.org. Sponsored by National Tay-Sachs & Allied Diseases Association of Delaware Valley.
Dr. Irene Reiter reviews “The King & I: The uncensored Tale of Luciano Pavarotti’s Rise to Fame. . .“on Monday, May 9, at 7:00 p.m. Free to WRJ members; $4 for guests. Book is available in the KI Library. Refreshments. Sponsored by WRJ. RSVP to Joan Kamen by Monday, May 2 (215) 947-5926.
Aaron Lansky Speaks at KI – on Sunday, May 15, at 7:00 p.m. Lansky, recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Award, is founder and president of the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA. The Center has created special programming, translated Yiddish titles into English, enlisted Steven Spielberg to digitize the entire collection of Yiddish books, and helped foster a Yiddish renaissance in this country. He is the author of Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books. Event is co-sponsored by KI’s Library Committee and the Meyers Foundation of Philadelphia.
News from the Meyers Library— Library hours are: Sunday 9:30-12:15, Tuesday 4:30-6, Wednesday 10-3:30, and Friday before 8:00 p.m. services. (You can also visit the bookcarts at the Oneg.) For adults: Howard S. Rubenstein and Judith Rubenstein, Becoming Free: A Haggadah for Passover; Deborah G. Felder and Diana Rosen, Fifty Jewish Women who Changed the World; Rabbi David J. Wolpe, Floating Takes Faith; I.B. Singer, The Manor; Rich Cohen, Tough Jews: fathers, sons, and gangster dreams. For children: Madeline Wikler (illus. by Nicole in den Bosch), Let's Ask Four Questions; Salop Byrd (illus. by Lil Goldstein), The Kiddush Cup Who Hated Wine; S.Y. Agnon (translated by Robert Friend with illus. by Arieh Zeldich), Agnon's Alef Bet, poems by the great Israeli writer for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Naomi Pasachoff, Basic Judaism for Young People : vol. 3, God; Etan Boritzer (illus. by Robbie Marantz), What is God?
Cultural Opportunities
Silver Simcha – Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Rabbi Sussman’s ordination and the occasion of his receiving an honorary doctorate from HUC-JIR in New York with a special Shabbat Evening Service on Friday, April 8, and a festive evening on Sunday, April 10. (Reservations are closed.)
WRJ/Sisterhood Annual Interfaith Luncheon – Sounds and Songs of Our Heritage on Tuesday, April 12. Cantor Lefko will present a musical dialogue at 11:00 a.m. followed by question and answer session. Complimentary luncheon at 12:30 p.m. All neighboring churches, synagogues and KI members are invited. Reservations – Mickie Levin (215) 698-0314.
Cultural Council 60+ – Iraq: Where Do We Go from Here? Trudy Rubin of The Philadelphia Inquirer on Thursday, April 14. Lunch at 11:30 a.m. KI member luncheon fee is $10.00. Send checks to KI, Attn: Cultural Council. Information: Doris Parker, 215-886-9267. Sponsored by the Rosenau Fund.
KI Men’s Softball – KI plays Temple Sinai Men’s Club on Thursday, April 14 at Mondauk 4 Field. Everyone is invited to come support out team.
STAR at KI – Meeting on Thursday, April 21, from noon to 2:00 p.m. at KI. Community educators, nurses and social workers will present a program on sustaining freedom and independence while living in your own home. Transportation available. Information: Michele Kramer (215) 673-7741 x. 227.
Mother’s Day Brunch – sponsored by the Brotherhood on Mother’s Day, May 8, at 10:00 a.m. Cantor Amy Lefko is the guest vocalist. $10/men; $5/women. Send checks to KI, Attn: Brotherhood. RSVP by May 3.
Movin’ Out at the Merriam Theater on Sunday, May 22. This dance musical, which won a Tony in 2003, is choreographed by Twyla Tharp and features 24 of Billy Joel’s classics. $128/person includes brunch (at KI at 10:30 a.m.), transportation (bus leaves at noon) and a seat in the orchestra for the 1:00 p.m. show. Send checks payable to KI (with WRJ Theater Trip on the memo line and envelope) to KI. Limited space available. Questions: Barbara Bronstein (215) 673-1435.
Preschool and Religious School
KI Puppets Opening Tuttleman Children’s Library at Gratz College – Torah Turtle et al will join the Arthur Kurzweil’s Magic Show dedicate the new children’s section of Gratz’s Tuttleman Library on Sunday, April 10, at 1:30 p.m. The program is free and open to the public. Information: Eli Wise (215) 635-7300 x159.
Do you know someone who might be interested in KI’s Preschool or Religious School? We are enrolling now for next year. Please contact either Kathy Goldenberg at (215) 885-2425 or Rabbi Stacy Rigler at (215) 887-8704. We are always happy to speak with and welcome prospective students and their families.
Super get ready for Passover day – Join your kids for a special program to help your family celebrate Passover on Sunday April 17, 2004. Preschool community invited.
Mitzvah Day - Each grade in the Religious School will be working on its own mitzvah project in school on Sunday, May 1. Parents who are not involved in other mitzvah projects are encouraged to join their children in their classrooms.
Social Action Opportunities
Mitzvah Day is coming – on Sunday, May 1. Join your fellow KI members in serving our community. A letter with a sign-up form is in the mail. You can complete and return it to KI or e-mail the information to Kevin Parker, kpcyclist7@aol.com. In addition, each Religious School grade will have its own project.
Kehillah Celebrates Israel at KI — on Thursday, May 12, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to sing, dance and jump (moon bounce) for Israel at the community’s fourth annual celebration of Israel’s Independence Day. Israeli dancing with Rak/Dan. Proceeds go directly Israel. Contributions from last year’s event purchased computers for Netivot, our sister community in Israel.
Cook for Sharing Is Caring –Help assemble meals in the K/G kitchen for clients at Newman Senior Center (Klein Branch JCC) from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on May 24 (last Tuesday of the month). (No cooking in April due to Passover.) Info: Gladys Segal (215) 635-5815.
Pic”KI”nic—on Tuesday, May 24 – barbecue supper at Alvethorpe Park. Fun run/walk to benefit Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger. Mark your calendar!
Ways To Get Involved
Human Resources Expertise? Could you offer limited assistance to our congregation? We are in the process of forming a personnel committee and we would very much appreciate your input and participation. Please contact Evan DuBro at edubro@kenesethisrael.org or Carey Roseman at croseman1@comcast.net.
Shabbat Pulpit Flowers --You can now sponsor the Shabbat pulpit flowers in honor of a birthday, anniversary, baby naming, safe travel, recovery from illness, or any other happy occasion. You can also sponsor the flowers in memory of a recent passing or a Yahrzeit anniversary. An acknowledgement will be listed in the weekly Shabbat folder recognizing your generosity. Please make your check for $45.00 payable to KI, Attn: WRJ Sisterhood.
Do you Love KI?—KI’s Membership Committee is looking for current members to partner with our new members and help them become integrated into the KI family. This is a great chance to discuss with new members all the cultural, religious and social action opportunities available at KI. Or volunteer to come to an event and help recruit new members. Call Andy Brookman at (215) 887-0777.
Sharing Our Simchas – Share your happiness with our congregational family. Consider underwriting our beautiful Oneg Shabbat. Contact the Administrative Office, (215) 887-8700, for further details.
Sisterhood Gift Shop –will be open on Sunday mornings during Religious School hours and by appointment. Special Passover hours: Monday, April 11, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Tuesday, April 12, one hour after Interfaith Program (about 1:30 p.m.); Thursday, April 14, one hour after Cultural Council meeting (about 1:30 p.m.); Monday, April 18, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Tuesday, April 19, 10:00 a.m. to noon, 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.; Thursday, April 21, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Friday, April 22, 10:00 a.m. to noon. For more information, call Joan Kamen (215) 947-5926 or Administrative Office (215) 887-8700.