Beth Israel Congregation’s

BBUULLLLEETTIINN

Rabbi’s Message

An Esther for Our Time

Our rabbis identified Queen Esther as a typology of the “hidden

Jew”. They asserted that in her public role as the queen of Persia,

Esther did not share with others that she was Jewish. The name

Esther was associated with the Hebrew verb s-t-r which means

“to hide”. (Actually, Esther is a form of the Babylonian goddess

“Ishtar” which is another fascinating angle. Why would a beloved

Jewish personality be named for a pagan deity?) Esther hid her

Jewish identity until she “came out of the closet” to act on behalf

of her people. She chose to empathize with her people in Persia

who were threatened with annihilation by Haman. The queen

would no longer remain in the shadows as a hidden Jew. She

boldly informed her husband, King Ahasuerus of Persia, that she

was as frightened for her fate as any other Jew in Persia. By

asserting her identification with her people, Esther saved the Jews

of Persia from destruction. Esther is celebrated as the Jew who

reclaimed her destiny and thereby gained a hallowed place in the

history of our people. She was no longer the hidden Jew of the

shadows.

Recently, the well-known American Jewish comedienne,

Roseanne Barr, has committed herself to challenging the BDS

(Boycott-Divest-Sanctions) movement which seeks to

economically marginalize Israel. Ms. Barr and others will

participate in an anti-BDS conference in Israel later this month.

Roseanne Barr identified with the personality of Esther and the

festival of Purim when she shared her plans. Like her Biblical

forbear, the comedienne has publically come forward as a Jewish

woman to identify with her people and the attacks against it. Just

as Esther in the Bible, a well-known personality has stepped

forward to advocate for the redemption of Israel.

It is praiseworthy when Jews who are public figures step forward

to identify with their people and their tradition. Sadly, we know

of all too many Jews in the public arena who are either silent or

hostile to Judaism. As odd as it may appear to many of us, the

ringleaders of the BDS movement are often Jewish academics on

college campuses. Their radical leftist politics has hidden any

sense of belonging to the community of Israel. Their supposed

commitment to “universal values” trumps any sense of loyalty to

their community. We might respond that these individuals are

merely seeking acceptance in the culture of the political left by

forsaking who they are. They are hidden Jews. . Unfortunately,

many Jewish university presidents have remained silent to the

virulent hostility that Jewish students have faced on campus

because these students have stood up for Israel.

--Continued on page 2

March 2016/5776

General Service Schedule

Friday—7:30pm; Saturday—10:00am

March Events

Mar. 4 @6:00pm- Shabbat Across America

Dinner and Service

Mar. 12@ 7:00pm- Trivia Night

Mar. 13@10:00am- Book Club

Mar. 20@10am- Joint Purim celebration at

Temple Bat Yam

Mar. 23@7:30pm- Megillah Reading for

Purim Eve

April Events

Apr. 22 - First Seder

Apr. 22-Apr. 30- Passover

Apr. 23 @6:00pm - Second Congregational Seder

Apr. 30 @ 10:00am-Yizkor Service

Religious School Schedule

TBA

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times Mar. 4 – 5:41pm

Mar. 11 – 5:48pm Mar. 18 – 6:55pm Mar. 25 – 7:02pm

The Beth Israel Book Club will meet on Sunday, March 13 at 10:00am.

We will be studying the Joseph Story- Genesis 37-50

. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Rabbi’s Message, Continued …

The most prestigious public and private universities are often the

focal point for harassment. The response from many in the

academic community has been to hide in the shadows.

Throughout the centuries, Esther has been esteemed for her

emerging from the shadows. Indeed, many of the conversos, the

coerced Jewish converts to Catholicism in Spain and Portugal,

identified with Esther. Under duress, they hid their identity to

gain personal safety and economic security in the Iberian

Peninsula. Miraculously, after some five hundred years of

separation from the people of Israel, individuals with Jewish

ancestry have returned to our faith. The synagogue in Porto,

Portugal – the second largest city in the country – has re-opened.

A young dynamic Spanish rabbi has returned to Judaism to teach

our beliefs and practices in his homeland. The hidden Esther

always has the possibility to reveal who she truly is. We are

joyful when Esther and her contemporary descendants emerge

from the shadows. They are often the source of our redemption.

--Rabbi Bienstock

From the President:

I wanted to use my little time to mention a few things

going on at the synagogue this month. On the first, we

have our monthly board meeting. On March 4th,

we

have Shabbat Across America that we are celebrating

pot luck style. On March 14th , we are having a Trivia

Night. Lastly, every Friday night and Saturday

morning we have Shabbat services. In the coming

months, we are going to have a Passover dinner, a

general membership meeting, and our Annual

Holocaust memorial. We are always looking for people

to help with these different events. In fact, during the

next few months, we will be putting together a ballet

for a new board that will be voted on this spring. We

are seeking a new president, as I have held this position

for two years and believe it is time for someone else to have this honor.

I also wanted to share with you that my family and I

had the pleasure of attending a former congregants

B’Nai Mitvah in Florida over the weekend. Aaron and

Rivka Furman, had a joint service in St. Augustine,

Florida. It was wonderful to see two kids successfully

make the transition into adult hood. They did a great

job with their parts and they have found a new religious

home in Florida. They extended their thanks to their

previous teachers and Rabbi Bienstock during their

speech.

--Todd Berman

SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016 AT 7:00 BETH ISRAEL’S FIRST ANNUAL TRIVIA NIGHT

Teams will be composed of up to four individuals. Prizes will be awarded for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place team! There will be 20 categories of questions, light refreshments including beer, wine, and soft drinks. For those who prepay, the cost to compete will be $8.00 per player or $10.00 at the door. Your hosts for this “fun evening for adults” will be Andy and Karen Karten and Mark and Lucille Rudnick. We may need a couple of volunteers to make the evening go more smoothly.

If you would like to reserve your place for this fun evening, please mail your payment to the synagogue by March 7.

Beth Israel Congregation

600 Camden Ave.

Salisbury, MD 21801

Join us for a great night!

Andy, Karen, Lucille and Mark

Purim Celebration

We will be having a joint student Purim celebration with

Temple Bat Yam on Sunday, March 20 @ 10am. The

celebration will be held at Temple Bat Yam, 11036

Worcester Hwy, Berlin, MD 21811. After the celebration,

the students will enjoy themselves at Planet Maze. ($3.50

per person playing). The event will end about 1pm. Have your children dress in costume for the costume contest!

On Wednesday evening, March 23, 2016 at 7:30pm we

will have our reading of Magillat Esther, the Scroll of

Esther, at Beth Israel.

.

Donations:

In Memory of Sophie Slavin

Hillary & Harvey Needleman

In Memory of Jennifer Ehrlich

Hillary & Harvey Needleman

In Memory of Sophie Spieler Feldman

Janice Spieler

In Memory of Michael Lane

Mark & Lucille Rudnick

George & Brenda Lane

Joanne & Richard Moshman

In Memory of Dorothy Givarz

Joyce Kamanitz

Donna Tzinamon

Miriam Hirsch

Yahrzeits

Mark & Lucille Rudnick Yahrzeit of

Robert R. Rudnick

Marlene Lustig Yahrzeit of

Letman Lustig

Please come and join us on March 4th at our very own

Shabbat Across America.

The meal will be Pot luck style but served with fresh baked Salmon.

Please RSVP with Julie bicsecretary@verizon.net or 410 742 2564 by February 29. Please

bring a Dairy or Parve item. The fee for this meal will be $4 per person to cover Salmon dish

and paper items. You may bring a desert, drinks, or a side item to share, but they must follow

the new Pot Luck Policy.

Donations:

Yahrzeits

Robbie Raffish Yahrzeit of

Paula Kaufman Raffish

Robert & Judith Scherr Yahrzeit of

Bernice V. Kessler

Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund

Dr. Andrea Kahn Yahrzeit of

Roslyn Gnatt

Trivia Night

Jeffrey & Doris Sherr

Feed the Homeless

Mark & Susan Tilghman

Thank you for purchasing and delivering food to the Church of the Nazarene. General Fund

Roy & Ann Hansen Yahrzeit of

Isadore Perlman

Michael & Doris Ehrlich Yahrzeits of

Jack Ehrlich

Jennifer Ehrlich

Sophie Slavin

James Hatley

Yahrzeits: March

Member-to-Member Beth Israel Congregation extends its sincerest condolences to the Lane family upon the death of Michael Lane. May G-d comfort you among your fellow mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. May G-d spare you from further sorrow and grant you healing. Condolences to the Givarz family on the death of their mother, Dorothy Givarz- grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother. Dorothy Givarz was a pillar of Beth Israel when she lived in Salisbury. Thank you to Chris Parypa for showing us how to make some easy Kosher dishes. And thank you to all who attended. For many months, a reversible black/ brown size 6 Aigner rain coat has been hanging on the coat rack. Please claim by March 5. It will be removed after that date. Need a babysitter or after school care in the Salisbury area? Hailey Jerome has a lot of experience working with children and has been a camp counselor for 2 years. You can contact her @ Hjerome1@gulls.salisbury.edu

BIC Birthdays:

Karen Karten –Mar. 17 Mina Pincus –Mar. 22

Lynn Kushner –Mar. 25 Sadie Hall –Mar. 28

SERVICE DATE

James Lowell Fowler Mar 4-5, 2016

Colman Mehlman Mar 4-5, 2016

Moshe Amernick Mar 4-5, 2016

Adelaide Weinberg Mar 4-5, 2016

Mary Horowitz Mar 4-5, 2016

Helen Shein Mar 4-5, 2016

Elaine Snyder Mar 4-5, 2016

Linda Kehayias Mar 4-5, 2016

Roslyn Gnatt Mar 4-5, 2016

Murray Cooper Mar 4-5, 2016

Ruth Rosenblit Mar 4-5, 2016

Paul Feig Mar 4-5, 2016

Boruch Beatus Mar 4-5, 2016

Jack Ehrlich Mar 4-5, 2016

Richard B Lewis Mar 4-5, 2016

Miriam Landis Mar 4-5, 2016

Norman Herring Mar 4-5, 2016

Joseph Garner Mar 4-5, 2016

Molly Martucci Mar 11-12,, 2016

David Miller Mar 11-12,, 2016

Hilda Wahlberg Mar 11-12,, 2016

Claire Kutzin Mar 11-12,, 2016

Daniel Allen Kamanitz Mar 18-19, 2016

Katie Klein Mar 18-19, 2016

Leon Herman Holt Mar 18-19, 2016

Milton Rubenstein Mar 18-19, 2016

Harry Balin Mar 25-26, 2016

Nathan Cohen Mar 25-26, 2016

Ann Kramer Mar 25-26, 2016

Samuel Hyman Mar 25-26, 2016

Beatrice Schwalb Mar 25-26, 2016

Edward Shilkret Mar 25-26, 2016

Beth Israel Staff Rabbi: Arnold Bienstock Office Manager: Julie Thompsen

Board of Governors President: Todd Berman Vice President: Arlene Miller Secretary: Andy Karten Treasurer: Shari Silbert Youth Education: Sara Stivelman USY: Ella Davis Religious: Jaimi Hall Membership: Susan Tilghman Ways & Means: Susan Lewis Paciga House: Joe Beatus, Mike Folkoff Contact Us 600 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21801 Phone 410-742-2564 Fax 410-742-2697 www.bethisraelsalisbury.org General Information: bicsecretary@verizon.net Summer Office Hours: Wed. - Friday 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. Shabbat Services: Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

The mission of this Congregation shall be to establish and maintain a Synagogue and such educational,

religious, social and recreational activities as will help further the cause and objectives of

the Synagogue and Conservative Judaism.

Established 1926 Do you love ONEG?

Who doesn’t? So come celebrate a simcha, remember a yahrzeit or just make it a great end to a long week by hosting one! It’s easy and quick. Call Julie in the BIC office for details. 410-742-2564.

Beth Israel Cards Appropriate for every occasion and affordable, BIC

Cards can be purchased in the Office.

Church Confirmation Class Visit

Beth Israel will be hosting the Confirmation Class of

Asbury United Methodist Church on Friday, March

18, 2016. Please join us to welcome the students.

Our Beth Israel students are encouraged to be present

as they will probably know many of these

confirmation students from school.

Would you like to honor a loved one?

There are many ways to acknowledge your loved ones at Beth Israel.

Consider a leaf on our Tree of Life, displayed in the lobby. This is a wonderful way to commemorate a special event or to honor or remember a special person. The cost of a leaf is $500.

You may also wish to consider purchasing a Yahrzeit Memorial Plaque for your loved one. The cost is $360 and will be displayed in our Sanctuary.

Or maybe you'd like to purchase a chair for the social hall in the honor/memory of a loved one. The cost for a chair is $50.

Please contact Julie at the Synagogue Office and she'll be happy to assist you with your tribute.