chai lites december 2012

CHAI LITESTEMPLE ISRAEL OF GREATER MIAMI

NOVEMBER 2011 / CHESVAN-KISLEV 5772 VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3

CHAI LITESDECEMBER 2012/KISLEV-TEVET 5773 VOLUME 71 NUMBER 6

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF GREATER MIAMI

Installation ofRabbi

Moshe Thomas HeynDecember 14, 2012

More details on page 10

www.templeisrael.net December 2012/Kislev-Tevet 5773 Volume 71 Number 62

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF GREATER MIAMI- a progressive Reform congregation -

has been celebrating its diversity indowntown Miami since 1922.

Table of Contents

MESSAGES 3-5Rabbi’s MessageScholar-in-ResidencePresidential Perspective Executive Director A Musical Interlude

SPECIAL EVENTS & PROGRAMS 6

EDUCATION AND YOUTH 12Notes from the ECC Religious School NewsYouth Activities

ADULT LEARNING 15

GET INVOLVED 16Sisterhood Corner Dorothy Serotta Social Justice Forum

WORSHIP 18December Schedule

LIFE CYCLE EVENTS 19Mazel Tov Birthdays & Anniversaries Yahrzeits

SUPPORTERS 22

DECEMBER CALENDAR 25

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS 26

CHAI LITESPublished monthly at:

137 N.E. 19th Street Miami, FL 33132Phone: (305) 573-5900

Email: info@ templeisrael.net

Peter Bermont*Dr. Joan Bornstein*Orlee BushmanMarsha B. Elser*Martin Fine*Esta FriedmanCynthia Sobel GoldSusann GoldbergDr. Andrew GottliebMichael Graubert, M.D.Frank FuternickSuzanne HafkinLance HarkeBrian HirschDouglas M. Jacobs*Jane Kahn Jacobs*John Kanter

Edythe KernessMichelle Krinzman

Jannet Dannon-MairenaArthur Marcus

Richard MilsteinMichael D. Orovitz*Norma A. Orovitz*

Oliver PfefferCandace Ruskin*

Jack Schillinger*Gerald K. Schwartz*

Donna SeldesMichael A. Silver*

Stanley G. Tate*Robert L. Waxman

*Past President

Ben Kuehne, Chair*Leonard L. AbessJoAnne BanderJoe FarcusSeymour HeckerDouglas HellerBetsy KaplanElton J. KernessNathan S. LeeLawrence Leitner

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

ADVISORY COUNCIL

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President-Administration

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President-Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President-Endowment and Capital

Campaign Strategic Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President-Membership

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President-Public Relations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President-Real Estate

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President-Programming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President-Religious Affairs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Secretary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Treasurer

Joan L. SchaefferHenry E. Wolff, Jr.*Merri MannBen Kuehne*

Howard D. GoldsteinRobert Glazier*Neil RollnickBeco LichtmanRobert WaterstoneCarla NeufeldHarris Reibel

Marlin LewisBudd Mayer

S. Ronald PallotKenneth D. Rosen

Barton SacherSandra Simon

Brenda ShapiroSuzanne Trushin

James Weinkle

CLERGY AND STAFFM. Thomas Heyn

Mitchell Chefitz

Dr. Alan Mason

Marla Towbin

Federico d’Angelo

Isabel Montoto

Janice Baisman

Iris Amador

Ellen Goldberg

Chaim LieberPerson, RJE

Gigi Epstein

Valleen Aguilar

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rabbi, Spiritual Leader

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rabbi, Scholar-in-Residence

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Music

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Director

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Facility Manager

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Office Manager

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Assistant

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bookkeeper

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marketing and Communications Coordinator

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I nterim Religious School Director

. . . . . Director of the Joni and Stanley Tate Early Childhood Center

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrative Assistant

ext. 406 [email protected]

ext. 418 mchefitz @templeisrael.net











www.templeisrael.net December 2012/Kislev-Tevet 5773 Volume 71 Number 6 3

Messages..........................................................................................................................................

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Rabbi M. Thomas Heyn

RABBI’S MESSAGEWhat are you doing for Christmas?

There must be more for Jews to do on Christmas than goingout for Chinese food. I know many who are members of “blended families” will do something with their relatives who celebrate Christmas. But what about the rest of us? Are we to just carry on as if December 24-25 is just another day?

Jews have always had something important to do with this seasonal holiday. The best-selling single of all time, the song “White Christmas,” was written in 1940 by a Jew – IsraelBaline, better known as Irving Berlin. And, of course, we all know that Jesus himself was a Jew.

But much has happened since Jesus walked the earth and learned what he knew of Torah from other rabbis. In the two millennia since then, our respective traditions and sacred narratives have gone in very different directions. And so it’s often around holidays, when our stories and beliefs about “salvation” come to the foreground, that we find ourselves wondering, “how do we find our place in relation to a story or belief that is not our own?”

The uncertainties raised by this question explain whyJews have such an ambivalent relationship with Christmas.Longstanding attitudes characterized by hostility orindifference have generally given way to acquiescence and accommodation. But a more interesting response has been for us to see the holiday as an opportunity for performing mitzvot - deeds which many consider to be our moral, if not religious, obligation as Jews.

In 1969, a Milwaukee resident by the name of Albert Rosen encountered a man who was upset about not being with his family on Christmas because he had to work. That night, he called a local radio station and asked the disc jockey toannounce that a Jewish man wanted to work for a Christian on Christmas.

For the next twenty-eight years Rosen stood in for strangers,doing their jobs on Christmas Day. He filled in as a policedispatcher, bellman, switchboard operator, televisionreporter, chef, convenience store clerk, radio disc jockey, and a gas station attendant, taking the time to train for eachposition in advance. Occasionally Jews asked him why he would want to ingratiate himself with Christians. He replied by saying, “I do this because I’m a Jew. Judaism is about being a light unto the world.”

Perhaps the most ironic manifestation of performing a mitzvah around Christmas is for a Jew to play the part of

Santa Claus. Jay Frankston of New York City took up the role of Santa in 1960, at first to amuse his children. Later, upon discovering that the third floor of the city’s main post office served as the storage place for letters addressed to Santa Claus, he managed to gain access to the letters and decided to send telegrams to eight of the children saying, “Santa is coming.” Dressed as Santa, Frankston then made good on the promise, bringing the delighted children their presents. By 1972, he was providing gifts to 150 children. Publicity about Frankston’s good deeds attracted donations which he, in turn, gave to charitable organizations to distribute at Christmas.

Today, thousands of American Jews find a place for themselvesduring Christmas by doing mitzvot – volunteering in soup kitchens and hospitals, visiting the homebound, preparing or delivering Christmas meals, buying Christmas presents for the poor, or substituting for colleagues at work. These kinds of activities, here at Temple Israel and around the world, are a perfect way of combining the Jewish values of tikkun olam, repairing the world, with the Christmas spirit of bringing joy to the world.

December will be a busy month as you’ll see in this issue of Chai Lites, but when our Temple family’s celebrations come to an end on the eighth day of Chanukah (Sunday, Dec 16th), we’ll be ready to put into practice all the inspiration andwisdom we’ve gained. What could be a better expression of our Jewish values than making ourselves available to serve?

I look forward to seeing you this month, whether it’s at one of our many important events at the Temple, or when we’re delivering or wrapping presents from our Toy Drive, or when we’re serving food on Christmas Eve at the ChapmanPartnership.

What are you doing for Christmas? Hopefully you’ll becelebrating the holiday as Jews - in a way that goes beyond withdrawal on the one hand and acquiescence on the other. By “being a light unto the world,” we also end up creating for ourselves a better place in it.

IntegrativeShabbat Service

Friday, December 21, 20126:30 pm

See page 18 for more details.


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4

SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCEThe Secret of CreativityA Torah-Ted Talk, Sunday Dec. 9, 10:30 AM

Rabbi Mitchell ChefitzScholar-in-Residence

PRESIDENTIAL Perspective

Joan L. SchaefferPresident

Continued on page 20

Ah, if I had only heard this talkbefore I began my rabbiniclearning, it would have made that learning so much easier. Instead,I got lost in the peculiarities ofbiblical Hebrew and the variousdocuments that constitute the manuscript of the Torah.Interesting enough, but not

helpful for understanding the process of creation.

The Torah is attempting to convey creation as best it can, with story after story – four, all told, each expanding one upon the other.

First is the story of the adam, the original earthling. The earthling is given but one responsibility, to name everything it encounters. With that task complete, it recognizes it is alone and complains to the Creator, “Take me back! There is no complement for me!” But the Creator does not take it back. It presses it into a deep sleep, divides one side from the other, one to be female, the other male, and says, “Now you have a partner.” And, creation continued.

The second story is of the woman, Eve, and her partner, Adam. They try to eat their way back to the Creator. With knowledge, they perceived the Tree of Life. Should they eat from the Tree of Life, creation would collapse, so the Holy One sent them away from the garden to interact with people from other stories, the unwritten stories.

At the end of Parshat Beraysheet, the opening chapters of Genesis, we learn that humankind were having sex withangels, trying to work their way back to the Creator inintimate fashion. That’s what brought the flood. After the flood, creation restarted.

At the Tower of Babel humans attempted to assemble aDivine Name and ascend to reunion with their Creator, but the Holy One babbled that name and dispersed them to the ends of the world.

Then, Abraham began the work of reassembly, welcoming strangers into his tent. The process of reassembly has been going on ever since.

We’re not forbidden to study the process of creativity. We’re only forbidden to misuse it.

The Kabbalah has within it a work called Ma’aseh Berayseet, the Work of Creation. Those who master it learn the secret of creativity, a process that enlightens text and, even more, enhances all relationships.

A TIME FOR MIRACLESI am truly blessed to be able to spend lots of time surrounded by the sounds and faces of young children who spend their days on the Temple Israel campus. That

really propels me to commit myself to Jewish continuity. I am also fortunate to be able to participate in the Jewishcommunity of this city in many venues. Recently, TempleIsrael hosted a meeting of MART- the organization of Reform Temples in Miami-Dade. I was reminded of our special place in the larger Jewish community of Miami and how we areentwined with others on a similar, yet different, path.

Like most people, I love the festivities related to the celebrationof Chanukah- the food, the music, the exchange of gifts and the fellowship. But this year, we at Temple Israel have so much more to celebrate. It feels on so many levels that we have been given an opportunity to begin again and I am always thankful for new beginnings.

We will mark the Installation of our “new” Rabbi, Moshe Thomas Heyn, with a number of events scheduled for the weekend of December 14th. I hope you will join us aswe celebrate Chanukah as a Temple community with acongregational dinner and very special service on Friday, December 14th. We will welcome our new members on this special Shabbat. The weekend will be full of events for everyone, and I encourage you to join us as we continue to celebrate the miracle of Temple Israel. We will be hosting Rabbi Arthur Green and Cantorial Soloist Rachel Brook for the weekend.

I also want to mention the appropriate seasonal activityeveryone can join in as we combine our efforts and strength with other local synagogues as we work with Habitat forHumanity in building homes for those in need on Sunday,December 2nd.

I want to wish all of you a very joyous Chanukah. I invite you to fully participate in all the activities we have planned for Installation Weekend which is sure to be miraculous in many ways. And I want to take this opportunity to thank all who have been so supportive in reinvigorating Temple Israel of Greater Miami.

Chag Sameach-

Joan SchaefferPresident


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A MUSICAL INTERLUDE

Alan MasonDirector of Music and

Doctor of Musical Arts

December Is The Month To

Purchase Concert Tickets

The Bertha Abess Sanctuarywill get quite a lot of visibility onSaturday evening, January 19 when Jewish Life TV broadcasts the Winter Jewish Music Concertlive on television. The station

reaches 4 million homes around the world, and theirdemographics indicate that Saturday evenings at 8 pmattract a viewing audience of 300,000. That’s a lot of people viewing the Winter Jewish Music Concert, seeing the beautiful interior of Temple Israel, and seeing an audience of 700 enjoy the concert.

I can’t say “look how far we’ve come,” because the first concert of this sort, presented in January 2009, attractedan audience of over 700. What I can say, though, is thatin the short span of five years, the Winter Jewish MusicConcert has firmly been established as the finest concert ofJewish music in the nation. What makes it the finest? Thequality of programming. The quality of the singers. Thequality of their selections, and the magnificent quality oftheir performances. The choice of repertoire is carefullyconsidered, and the manner in which the singers perform is considered with great sensitivity, providing the discerning audience with the highest degree of Jewish vocal music they can hear anywhere.

Tickets to the concert are $18, and may be purchased at 1-800-838-3006, or at www.jewishconcert.org. Every seat in the Sanctuary is bought up during the month of December, so please don’t wait until the last minute to secure your seats. It’s a concert not to be missed.

SPECIAL MUSICAL TREATS DURING DECEMBER

Cantorial soloist, Rachel Brook, who provided such outstanding service for us during the High Holidays, will join us on the Bima for Rabbi Heyn’s Installation Service on Friday, December 14.The Lighthouse for the Blind will present one of their residents, a classical violinist, as our musical guest artist during services on Friday, December 21.

JOAN SCHAEFFER’S Miami Herald letter to the editor

Letters to the EditorPosted on Tuesday, 11.06.12

Temple shares its richesWe, at Temple Israel of Greater Miami,

enjoyed Mike Eidson’s Nov. 2 Other Viewscolumn, Downtown’s cultural corridor blossoms. However, while the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts debuted in 2006, Temple Israel has anchored the neighborhood since 1922. We have provided cultural, educational, civic and environmental enrichments, as well as a central address for progressive Judaism.

Having celebrated our 90th anniversary, wewelcome community members to participate in our current season, which includes therenowned Winter Jewish Music Concert,Interfaith Chorale Festival, Miami Jewish Film Festival, educational offerings and a weekendof learning with Rabbi Arthur Green, apreeminent authority on Jewish thought and spirituality.

Temple Israel’s enhancements to Miami’s cultural corridor are and have been a priority to our leadership and clergy for generations. With the arrival of Rabbi M. Thomas Heyn, we are well positioned to continue adding to the richness of the central city for another 90 years and beyond.

Joan L. Schaeffer, president, Temple Israel of Greater Miami, Miami


Special Events and Programs.........................................................................................................................................................................................

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JEWISH JOURNEYSJoin Chavurah in examining the personal paths we have chosen or have had chosen for

us. Along the way, we will seek to identify experiences and events perhaps even those

of seeming unimportance and connect them to our life with a sense of finding a larger

purpose and meaning in them. In this endeavor we look forward to the guidance and

insight of Rabbi Heyn.

Chavurah is open to all Temple members and their friends. In a casual setting we

share our common interests, field different ideas, meet new friends, and enjoy light

refreshments, too.

For further information contact: Dody Raskin at 305-891-5823

or [email protected]

You Are Invited To Spend the Evening With

CentralChavurah

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 20127:00 PM IN KAPLAN HALL

Bermont Advisory GroupAsset Management and Consulting

Over 40 Years of Managing Assets for High Net Worth Individuals,Not-for-Profit Organizations,

and Corporations

Peter L. BermontManaging Director

2800 Ponce De Leon Blvd. Suite 1300 Miami, FL 33134305-443-6600 866-395-6565

Fax 305-446-6688


Seven hundred peoplegather in a historic 1926sanctuary in downtownMiami to hear the best

of Jewish music fromaround the world:

Yiddish, cantorial,Ladino, Israeli, folk,pop, classical, jazz,beatbox, tango (and

magic too!).

5TH ANNUALWINTER JEWISH

MUSIC CONCERTin miami’s vibrant urban center

saturday, january 19, 2013 | 8 pm

PerformersSharon Alcalay-LeiboviciBagels ‘n BoxAviva BassMichelle Auslander CohenErik ContziusAlejandra CzarnyNorman Cohen FalahDafnaSagee GoldenholzDavid Aaron KatzMark KulaDonna Mashadi-AzuShira Silverman Nafshi

Annette SandersSammy SchechterRebecca SchwartzLisa SegalStephanie ShoreEllen StettnerStephen TexonYonina & MiriamNatalie Young

Susan Shane Linder, guitarBrian Potts, percussionAlan Mason, piano

6pm $18 Food Reception by8pm $18 Concertwww.jewishconcert.org to purchase ticketsor call 1-800-838-3006

Bertha Abess SanctuaryTemple Israel of Greater Miami137 NE 19th StreetMiami, Florida 33132

Come early for our Hors d'Oeuvre Food Reception at 6pmAiring live on

JLTV!

(Jewish Life TV)


Featuring renowned spiritual authorities and practitioners, including:

RABBI ARTHUR GREEN:“SPIRITUALITY FOR A NEW ERA”

Sunday, December 16, 2012, 9:30 AM-12 PMPowerful forces shape Jewish life and identity. What does it mean for us?

Join Rabbi Green, a highly-respected scholar, teacher and expert in the fieldof contemporary Jewish spirituality, in an open conversation about

our future and how we can play a more active role shaping it.Light breakfast will be served prior to the program,which begins at 10:00 AM. Open to the community,

with a suggested donation of $5 per person.Rabbi Arthur Green is Rector of Hebrew College

Rabbinical School and Professor Emeritusat Brandeis University. He was Dean and President of theReconstructionist Rabbinical College from 1984 to 1993.The author of several books, including Radical Judaism:

Rethinking God and Tradition, Green’s most recentwork is Hasidic Spirituality

for a New Era.

DR. NATHAN KATZ:“CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL SPIRITUALITY”

Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 7-9 PM

According to a recent Pew study, more than 21% of Americans describethemselves as “spiritual, but not religious,” a category that did not exist a

decade ago. In an effort to make sense of this emerging, global trend,prolific author Dr. Nathan Katz, who has studied with and brought His

Holiness the Dalai Lama to Miami three times, offers a working definitionof “spirituality” that distinguishes it from both religion and values,differentiates between traditional and contemporary “secularized”

forms of spirituality, and explores the interactions between spiritualityand any number of human concerns: business, health care, the arts, and

warriorship. Florida International University Research Professor inthe School of International and Public Affairs, Katz is Bhagwan Mahavir

Professor of Jain Studies, Director of the innovative Program in the Studyof Spirituality, and Academic Director of the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU.

For decades he has been on the forefront of Hindu/Buddhist/Jain-Jewishdialogues, and is editor of the Journal of Indo-Judaic Studies.

MORE PROGRAMS TO FOLLOW!

For more information about Temple Israel’s Jewish Spirituality Series, contact the Temple office at305.573.5900 or [email protected].

Temple Israel of Greater Miami

Jewish Spirituality Series


PLEASE JOIN US ON DECEMBER 24TH AT CHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP(Empowering the Homeless at 1550 North Miami Avenue)

to serve dinner and dessert, distribute gifts and spread holiday cheer

to those who need it most!

RSVP to the Temple Israel Office at 305-573-5900 or [email protected]


Jewish Spirituality SeriesRABBI RAMI SHAPIRO: “AMAZING CHESED”

Friday, March 1-Sunday, March 3, 2013

Ask most Jews if grace is a central concept in Judaism and an essential element in living Jewishly, and, chances are, their answer will be no. But that’s the wrong answer, Shapiro argues, who draws from many facets of

Jewish wisdom to answer that question in the affirmative.Rabbi Rami Shapiro is recognized as one of the most creative figures in

contemporary American Judaism. An award-winning author, poet,liturgist, and essayist, his prayers are included in worship services across

the denominational spectrum of American congregations. Founding rabbi of Temple Beth Or in Miami, he has served spiritual communities worldwide.

For more information about Temple Israel’s Jewish Spirituality Series,contact the Temple office at 305.573.5900 or [email protected].

Please bring in UNWRAPPED TOYS

for kids of all ages by

DECEMBER 17TH.

Drop-off boxes located at

Temple Israel front office.

HOLIDAY TOY

DRIVE FORCHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP

Temple Israel Mitzvah Project


A WEEKEND ofTEMPLE ISRAEL OF GREATER MIAMIinvites you to join us for a Special Dinner & Service

in Celebration of Shabbat, Chanukah and the Installation of

RABBI MOSHE THOMAS HEYNFriday, December 14, 2012

Temple Israel of Greater Miami137 Northeast 19 Street

6:00 p.m.

Shabbat Chanukah Dinner Adults @ $25.00 per person

Children (12 and under) @ $8.00 per personRSVP required by December 10

to Temple Office 305-573-5900 or [email protected]

7:30 p.m. Installation Service

with special guest, Rabbi Arthur Green,Rector of Hebrew College Rabbinical School and Professor Emeritus

at Brandeis University

Service led by Rabbi Mitchell Chefitz with Cantorial Soloist Rachel Brook, Dr. Alan Mason and The Temple Israel Singers

8:45 p.m.

Festive Oneg

h

10


CELEBRATION& LEARNINGh

11

Our weekend of celebration and learning continues…SHABBAT MORNING, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15

9:30 - 10:45 AM

This Shabbat coincides with the 7th day of Chanukah and the reading of Parashat Miketz, which relates the story of Joseph’s

journey from a prison cell to becoming Pharaoh’s second-in-command. The sermonic possibilities of these intersecting themes,

as presented by three rabbis, will make for a stimulating and enriching service.

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Rabbi Green leads a discussion around “Joseph’s Table” based on his essay, Restoring the Aleph. This conversation will resonate

for those who participated in discussion groups about this essay – and for anyone interested in the many forms and expressions

of authentic Jewish spirituality.

SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 169:30 AM

“Spirituality for a New Era: A Conversation with Rabbi Arthur Green”

Powerful forces shape Jewish life and identity. What does it mean for us? Join Rabbi Green, a highly-respected scholar, teacher

and expert in the field of contemporary Jewish spirituality, in an open conversation about our future and how we can play

a more active role shaping it. Light breakfast will be served prior to the program, which begins at 10:00 AM. Open to the

community and free of charge. Rabbi Arthur Green is Rector of Hebrew College Rabbinical School and Professor Emeritus at

Brandeis University. He was Dean and President of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College from 1984 to 1993. Rabbi Green

is the author of Radical Judaism: Rethinking God and Tradition (Yale University, 2010), Ehyeh: A Kabbalah for Tomorrow

(Jewish Lights Publishing, 2002) and A Guide to the Zohar (Stanford University, 2003). He is the translator and interpreter of

The Language of Truth: The Torah Commentary of the Sefat Emet (JPS, 1998). His latest book is Hasidic Spirituality for a New

Era (Paulist Press, 2012).


Education and Youth.........................................................................................................................................................................................

NOTES FROM THE ECC

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In addition to our participation in the

Temple’sAnnual Toy Drive,

we will be accepting gently used children’s

clothes to donate to a local shelter.

SABABA MEANS AWESOME!A FUN AND ENGAGING SHABBATEXPERIENCE FOR FAMILIES WITH

YOUNG CHILDREN(AGES 5 AND UNDER)

Join us on the first Friday of every month for a special Shabbat led by Rabbi Tom Heyn and our song leader Mallie Duboff for an

awesome Shabbat experience with your child(ren) in the awardwinning Sophie and Nathan Gumenick Chapel

FRIDAY, December 75:45 pm - We will welcome Shabbat with blessings and prayers...we will sing and dance fun, upbeat Shabbat songs and read our

favorite PJ book of the month.6:30 pm - Family-friendly Potluck dinner

(Reservations required)To sign up for your potluck selection please contact:

Megan Blyth Gerstel at [email protected] phone: 702-321-9604 or [email protected] phone: 305.607.8580

Please R.S.V.P. to Janice in the Temple office at 305-573-5900 ext 405 or email [email protected].

We proudly announce our new program at

JONI & STANLEY TATE EARLY CHILDHOOD

CENTERTuesday Mornings

(2 times per month)Lead by Rabbi Heyn

Rabbi Heyn will come to the ECC classrooms to conduct our new program: “Hebrew with Rabbi”. Hebrew with Rabbi will introduce our children to

the Hebrew language with songs, activities and fun props. Rabbi and the teachers will work together through the year to further stregthen each child’s

grasp of Hebrew.


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RELIGIOUS SCHOOL NEWS

and presented with a certificate marking the occasion and symbolic gifts like miniature Torah scrolls. They also receive a special blessing, acknowledging the importance of this new beginning. In celebrating this during a Shabbat service in our sanctuary, all generations present will have the opportunity to see Judaism as a tradition that is interactive, celebratory, engaging, and growing!

The Shabbat prior to Chanukah is a fitting time for us tocelebrate the “dedication” of our religious school students.The Hebrew roots for “dedication” (Chanukah) and“education” (chinuch) are one and the same. The Englishdictionary defines “consecrate” as “to make or declaresacred.” Surely, the start of a child’s Jewish education marks the beginning of something sacred. “To consecrate” also means “to devote or dedicate to some purpose.” In the very act of consecrating our children to the purpose of furthering their Jewish education, we dedicate ourselves to the task of passing our sacred heritage onto future generations.

We encourage all members and religious school families to attend. Consecration, like so many other rituals in our tradition, is about coming together to as a community to welcome new students and new families. As we see the hope and spirit in our young people, we cannot help but feel within ourselves a renewed passion for Jewish learning.

Chaim LieberPerson, RJEInterim Religious School Director

Religious SchoolCONSECRATION

Service & Dinner EVENT DATE:

December 7, 20126:30 pm: Welcome Shabbat/Family-friendly

Potluck dinner (Reservations required).To sign up for your potluck selection,please contact Megan Blyth Gerstel at

[email protected] or 702-321-9604, or Chaim Lieberperson at [email protected]

or 305.607.8580. RVSP to Janice Baisman in the Temple office at

305-573-5900, ext 405, or [email protected].

7:00 pm: Camp Coleman presentation

7:30 pm: Services begin in Bertha AbessSanctuary- Religious School Consecration

Temple Israel and its Rabbi Colman A. ZwitmanReligious School will celebrate Religious School

Consecration as part of the Friday nightShabbat service on Friday, December 7 in the

Bertha Abess Sanctuary. This will be an opportunity for students and their families to participate in this special service when the entire congregation honors

the children’s Jewish learning.

Prior to the Consecration Ceremony andService, at 6:30 p.m. there will be a Shabbat potluck

dinner for Religious School families in WolfsonAuditorium.

During dinner, there will be a short presentation by URJ Camp Coleman about Jewish camping opportunities and we will hear from our own

Religious School youth who are Coleman campers.

The ceremony of Consecrationmarks the beginning of Jewishlearning for the children of our Temple’s extended family. When our young people begin their study of Judaism, they arehonored before the communityas talmidim (students of Torah)


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YOUTH ACTIVITIESIn October a group of religious school students began the project of archiving the papers of Abe Aronovitz. Thestudents are being led by Francesca del Posso, Sarah Glick, Cindy Gullo, and Brooke Savitt. Known to many as “HonestAbe” (after Abraham Lincoln), Mr. Aronovitz continues in distinction as the only Jewish mayor that the citizens ofMiami have ever elected. Serving from 1953-1955,Aronovitz was also a longtime member of Temple Israel and active in B’nai B’rith, the American Zionist Organization, and the Anti-Defamation League. As a highly respected attorney in the community, Aronovitz also provided legal representation to Max and Dave Fleischer when they produced some of their later Betty Boop celluloid films here in South Florida.

Through the efforts of executive director, Marla Towbin, Dr. Andrew Gottlieb, curator of the Hollander Collection, was able to secure these papers. Religious school director, Chaim Lieberperson, has designated this as an ongoing project to celebrate the theme of b’rit kehillah (community covenant). James Weinkle, member of the Temple advisory board, has brought local attorney Tod Aronovitz on board, anxious to share with us the stories of his great uncle, “Honest Abe.” Finally, Dr. Gottlieb is working with local Miami historian, Dr. Paul George, to turn this into a “for credit” dual enrollment course for our teens.

At this point, the students are scanning the documents,exposing them to one final flash of light before they areretired to the protective shroud of acid-free vacuumpreservation. The documents with which the students are currently working date to the 1930s. Even today, seven

decades notwithstanding, the urgency with which theletters were written remains clear. One is a letter from Henry Ford, urging the Jewish community not to interpret his views as anti-Semitic. This particular letter, however, is stapled to a letter typed on B’nai B’rith letterhead indicating the need to expose Ford’s actual views.

There remain many equally impressive documents, includinga letter from the Tampa Christian Ministries, supportingAronovitz in his lobbying against the rising Nazi party of the 1930s. As we follow the documents through the end of that decade, and into the early 1940s, there are documentsreferencing Mr. Aronovitz from the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League, Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish JointDistribution Committee, and others. Many of Aronovitz’writings were published in The Jewish Floridian (of which Temple Israel’s Norma Orovitz is the only woman to have served as editor). One of the Jewish Floridian printings in this collection is a 1937 transcript of Mr. Aronovitz’ radioaddress on WIOD Miami: “The Jew in This AmericanDemocracy.”

All interested are encouraged to visit religious school onSundays and participate in this history project.


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ADULT LEARNING

WEDNESDAY NOONTIME LEARNINGwith Rabbi Chefitz

December 5, 12, 19

Exploring Abraham Joshua Heschel’s poetic

prose and poetry. The poetic prose:

Heschel’s classic work “The Sabbath.”

The poetry: Zalman Schacter-Shalomi’s

translation from the Yiddish: “Human-God’s Ineffable Name.”

TUESDAY NOONTIME LEARNING with Rabbi Tom Heyn

Integral KabbalahDecember 4, 11,18

The next program in a series of

TORAH-TEDTALKS

given by our ownScholar-in-Residence Rabbi Mitch Chefitz:

The Secret of CreativitySunday, December 9

10:30 amThe Board Room

Free and open to the community


Get Involved.........................................................................................................................................................................................

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SISTERHOOD CORNER

Suzanne Hafkin Donna Seldes Susie GoldbergSisterhood Co-Presidents

If you missed the Paid-Up Membership Brunch on Sunday, November 4, 2012, chaired by Dr. Madeline Levine and ably assisted by Susie Goldberg – well, we missed you and you missed a great morning! As our first major event of the season, everyone thoroughly enjoyed being back among their warm and caring Temple Israel extended family!

In the true spirit of Sisterhood tradition, there was delicious food – a carte du jour that would make even the finest chefs take notice! A round of applause to those who participated in its preparation, along with our wonderful kugel makers, amazing bakers and those who came early to help with the set-up: Dr. Joan Bornstein, Saranette Bulbin, Esta Friedman,Dena Glazer, Richard Goldberg, Ivonne Gordon, EdytheKerness, Herb Klein, Gail and Marlin Lewis, Dody Raskin, Donna Seldes, and Phyllis Littman, who along with our darling teen volunteer Cynthia Chiang, greeted everyone at the Reception Desk and provided assistance wherever needed .

Once underway, Donna Seldes welcomed the record crowd and thanked everyone for their affiliation and membership,which are vital to maintaining Sisterhood’s support ofTemple Israel, including our valued Friends of Sisterhood and its Liaison Henry E. Wolff, Jr. A meaningful reading was shared by Scott Wenders, and anticipating our hungry guests, Rabbi Tom Heyn led us in the Motzi over a freshly baked challahby Gail Lewis. Rabbi praised us for our good works andencouraged us to continue our efforts of tikkun olam. Rounding out this fun and friendship happening was theannouncement of the door prize winner – Alison Cohn – who jumped with excitement when she was handed a magnificentorchid plant generously donated by Isabella’s Orchid Creations!Before leaving, each Sisterhood member received a 2012-2013 Sisterhood Directory fastidiously put together over the last few months by Linda Datko and Gail Lewis; what an onerous task – we thank them from the bottom of our hearts!

Also in the mix on the auspicious day was the Holiday Boutique! Organized by Suzanne Hafkin, the vendors with all theirwares added a dynamic dimension to an already marvelousmorning! Special thanks to Scott Wenders who assisted withthe design and room set-up and manned Sisterhood’stables along with Linda Datko; and to our treasurer PaulaXanthopoulou for ensuring our financial affairs were in good order at the Cashier’s Table. With Hanukkah just around the corner, the timing of this fabulous Holiday Boutique could not have been more perfect.

Every member is an indispensable part of Sisterhood, and we welcome your interest and active participation. It’s never too late to become involved with our vibrant Templegroup. For more information, please contact us [email protected]. SAVE THE DATE for the next Sisterhood Event: Rosh Chodesh Pot Luck Dinner: Wednesday, January 23, 2013, at 6:00 pm. Watch your mail for more details!

On behalf of Sisterhood and Friends of Sisterhood, we wish you a blessed and bright Hanukkah and a very happy, healthy and peaceful secular New Year 2013!

THE LAST WORD“Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown into flame

by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light.”

…Albert Schweitzer

Ivonne Gordon, Esta Friedman, and SusieGoldberg, Vendor Harriet Flashenburg

Bob Waterstone with Olinville Treasures’ Sherry Tomas

Edythe Kerness with Sobe Cookies’ Linda Serbin and her sister.

Temple Israel President Joan Schaeffer with door prize winner Alison Cohn


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Social Justice ForumDOROTHY SEROTTA

Gary Brown

The Board of Directors has approved the Dorothy Serotta Social Justice Forum public policy proposal for support of the Fair Food Program. The policy states that we reiterate our support for the humanity and integrity of the farmworkers of Immokalee, Florida by supporting efforts of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to implement their Fair Food Program.This program seeks to ensure living wages and decent working conditions for all people employed in the harvesting of fruits and vegetables in South Florida.

The Fair Food effort coincides with the Temple’s initiation of the Reverse Hunger campaign, under the leadership of Rabbi Heyn, with the contribution of Rabbi Cheryl Weiner. This multi-pronged initiative seeks to combat hunger on both a local and international level. From sermons on the bimah to food drives in Ghana, this is an important effort to improve the world around us.

The third portion of our efforts is visible at the Temple’s Community Garden, where tomatoes, beans and collard greens are currently growing. Students from local public schools as well as people from Lotus House are contributing to this effort, with assistance from Faith In the City. Please join us in our efforts to keep moving forward in all of these endeavors.

“TO PROTECT, CONSERVE, PRESERVE, & RESTORE”WHAT CAN YOU DO? 1) DO A HOME ENERGY AUDIT

- visit FP&L online - switch to L.E.D. or compact florescent light bulbs

- install low voltage programmable thermostat(s) / motion sensitive light switches - unplug electrical devices not being used or purchase smart power strips

- convert to an on-demand (tankless) hot water heater / lower thermostat of existing water heater

2) CONSERVE WATER - install water- saving shower heads and faucets - fix leaky faucets and check for hidden leaks

- convert to low flow bathroom fixtures - if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down

- don’t leave water running while brushing teeth, shaving, washing dishes, cleaning foods, etc.

- turn off water while soaping up in the shower -an average 5 min. shower consumes 12 to 50 gallons of water

3) RECYCLE- pre-cycle: think before you buy and reuse / recycle everything you can

- purchase products made from recycled materials - recycle all paper, glass, plastic, and metal

- visit ECOMB’s (ecomb.org) recycling resource database4) ECO-WISE CONSUMING

- use phosphate-free detergents - use natural / organic cleaners

- promote eco - wise companies that are socially responsible - buy locally produced products / food

- avoid products tested on animals - skip foods made with palm oil

- palm oil farms are replacing natural habitat and farmers are slaughtering native Orangutans to extinction

5) CONSERVE FOSSIL FUELS / REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS- use phosphate-free detergents

- use natural / organic cleaners - promote eco - wise companies that are socially responsible

- buy locally produced products / food - avoid products tested on animals

- skip foods made with palm oil- maintain your automobile(s) - keep tires properly inflated / don’t store heavy items in

your auto- drive elegantly: accelerate modestly / brake gently. Most energy efficient speed is

between 55 & 60 mph - vacation locally / purchase carbon offsets for air or cruise ship travel

- use natural gas & electric appliances wisely6) QUESTION PURCHASES OF “STUFF”

- make purchases based on quality and durability vs. style and status - need vs. want

- consider energy & resources used to produce “stuff” and where it will end up when disposed of

7) DECREASE OR ELIMINATE CONSUMPTION OF MEAT, CHICKEN, PORK AND FISH NOT TO MENTION DAIRY AND EGGS

- energy intensive - millions of acres of land deforested to provide for grazing and grain production (as

feed source) - billions of tons of untreated waste dumped into rivers and oceans - food animals and their waste produce massive greenhouse gases

- significant ocean & lake pollution created to raise “farmed” fish - most fish now shipped from far-away lands/waters

8) GET INVOLVED !! - participate &/or financially support local and national environmental organizations - ECOMB, Sierra Club, The Tropical Audubon Society, & Friends of the Everglades

to name a few - The Clock Is Ticking ....

Sea levels have risen approx. 1 ft. since the mid 1950’s and are expected to rise another 1 1/2 to 2 feet by mid-century

9) COPY AND FREELY DISTRIBUTE THESE BULLET POINTS

THE ENVIRONMENTALACTION COMMITTEE

OF TEMPLE ISRAEL

THE ENVIRONMENTALACTION COMMITTEE

DECEMBER 197:00 P.M.

Please mark yourcalendar to join us the

3rd Wednesdays ofeach month.

ALL ARE WELCOME !!!

T H E N E X T M E E T I N G W I L L B E O N


Worship and Spirituality.........................................................................................................................................................................................

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JOIN US:on Shabbat mornings

December Schedule

11:00 am – 12:30 pm: Joseph’s TableWeaving Torah texts of the great Jewish spiritual masters into a fabric of many colors and shades. Our friend and mentor Joseph Grosbard is no longer with us, but his presence remains around the tables.

Feel inspired as you rejoice in Shabbat and connect with our welcomingcommunity in the world renowned Bertha Abess Sanctuary. Our Shabbat service is a gentle mix of traditional and spontaneous song and prayer. Can’t join us in person? Connect with us either by tuning into 880 AM radio, or you will find us streaming on the web at:www.templeisrael.net or www.880thebiz.com.

with Rabbi Heyn and Rabbi Chefitz9:30 am - 11:00 am

SHABBAT MORNINGSERVICE

Morning blessings, Psalms of praise, the Sh’ma with its meditations, and Standing in thePresence of the Divine. Sometimes with the prayerbook, sometimes not, but always seeking deep attachment.

JOIN US ON FRIDAY EVENINGS7:30-8:30 pm

DECEMBER 75:45 pm Sababa Shabbat - First Friday of every month7:30 pm Consecration Shabbat Service in the Bertha AbessSanctuary followed by an Oneg Shabbat

DECEMBER 159:30 am Shabbat Worship Service, led by Rabbis Heyn and Chefitz with participation by Rabbi Arthur Green, in the Sophie and Nathan Gumenick Chapel

DECEMBER 147:30 pm Rabbi Tom Heyn Installation/Shabbat Service in theBertha Abess Sanctuary followed by a Festive Oneg Shabbat. Cantorial Soloist, Rachel Brook. Special guest, Rabbi Arthur Green.

DECEMBER 287:30 pm Shabbat Service in the Bertha Abess Sanctuary

followed by an Oneg Shabbat

INTEGRATIVESHABBAT SERVICE

Friday, December 21, 20126:30 pm – Integrative Shabbat Service in the

Bertha Abess SanctuaryEnjoy a different kind of service…•Organic, synergistic, using acoustic instruments like harmonium, folk drums, etc.•Emphasizing “one-ness with God” (devekut), kavanah (prayerful intention), sanctification (of the Sabbath,) and separation from theconcerns of the week•Not performance-oriented, liturgy or text-based; informal, free-flowing, inviting dance and movement•No song sheets or service booklets, except maybe one page with words to chant…then stay to participate in the regular7:30 pm – Shabbat Service in the Bertha Abess Sanctuary followed by Oneg

DECEMBER 216:30 pm Integrative Shabbat Service in the Bertha Abess Sanctuary (note new location this month)7:30 pm Shabbat Service featuring Lighthouse for the Blind musician in the Bertha Abess Sanctuary followed by an Oneg Shabbat

RABBI HEYN’S MORNING SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

Thursdays 8:00-8:30 amAt the Chapel

December 6, 13, 20, 27Followed by Coffee

A


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...................................................................................................................................................................................Life Cycle Events

December Birthdays

SIMCHA CORNER

December Anniversaries

Please email us your simchas so that as a community we can celebrate together. We need to celebrate life together and share in each other’s moments of joy. Please email your Births, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Engagements,Weddings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Graduations to: [email protected].

Please put simcha corner on the subject line. We will do our best to include submissions received prior to noon on Wednesday in the current week’s e-bulletin as well as the next edition of the Chai Lites. We look forward to hearing from you.

Kristina and Mark Pickard

Alicia and Jose Hadida

Thelma and Richard Altshuler

Dick and Chick Weiner

Lisa and Robert Waxman

Boni Mollins and Stuart Kester

Richard and Maria Gershanik

Isis and Andrew Gottlieb

Phoebe and Lawrence Weinberg

Ellen and Zooey Kaplowitz

Randi and Joshua Rosenberg

Candace and Lloyd Ruskin

Carol and Murray Shear

Jeffrey and Susan Postal

JoAnne and Michael Bander

Iris Roth and Lawrence King

Joseph and Jeanne Farcus

Ellen and Melvin Brazer

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Howard Germain

Bryan Jacobs

Michele Kabat

Albert H. Kahn

Arlene Sokolow

Ashley Abess

Ronald Pallot

Asia Hart-Eason

Jody Ellenby

Julie Goldberg

Sara Leviten

Michael Bander

Larry Kabat

Gerard Kaiser

Ellen Rock

Keith Rosenn

Aaron Guerrero

David Sherman

Scott Orth

Jordyn Tate

Debra Schwartz

Richard Ashenoff

Seth Feuer

Benji Waxman

Simon Bloom, Jr.

Howard Goldstein

Samuel Schandler

Sandra Darrall

Leon Simkins

LeAnn Sagmeister

Ruth Srebrenik

Elise Greenberg

Rosalee Paskow

Jessica Hafkin

Paul Hartman

Daniel Markson

Suzanne Pallot

Susann Goldberg

Stuart Jacobs

June Jacobs

Joshua Rosenberg

Maurice Serotta

Miles Udell

Isaiah LieberPerson

Victoria Simons

Enrique Neufeld

Masha Enriquez

Katherine Greenberg

Erin Tate

Nathan Lee

Scott Wenders

Avi Flashenburg

Kami Landy

Matthew Harke

Murray Shear

Jonah Stepakoff

Carl Wagman

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RITA AND JOEL COHEN

WILLIAM SCHULMAN

We value our Members. If you know of someone whomay be interested in finding out more about

Temple Israel of Greater Miami, please contactMarla Towbin, Executive Director, at ext. 404. Thank you.

WELCOME TOOUR NEWEST MEMBERS


OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHYOn behalf of Temple Israel’s Board of Trustees,

Rabbis, and Administration we extend our condolencesto the entire inmediate and extended

family and friends of:ZELDA DRUCE

Aunt of Joan SchaefferRICHARD J. HALPERN

Brother of Rabbi Larry HalpernTHERESA PALMATORY

Sister of Frances McDonoughROY “ROB” SCHECHTER

Husband of Terry Schechter, father of Nicole (Adam)Darnell and George Schechter, nephew of Patricia Papper

HAZEL TRUJILLOPartner of Elly du Pre,

daughter of Juan Jose and Amparo Trujillo,and sister of Ivy, Maria, and Heidi

*Names listed denote deceased whose plaque is in the Bertha Abess Sanctuary.

Messages.....................................................................................

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MAZEL TOV TORICHARD MILSTEIN

for being featured in a November 7, 2012 Sun Sentinel/Jewish Journal article describing him as a “champion of human rights

and equality throughout his life while promotinganti-bigotry and anti-hate”

NATIVIDAD SOTOrecipient of The H. Samuel Kruse Silver Medal Award - the

highest honor of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Miami Awards. The Silver Medal was awarded in recognition for her accomplishments over an extended period of time for Service to the Profession, due to her participation in furthering the cause

of the profession of architecture and providing inspiration to her fellow architects

TEMPLE ISRAEL’S MUSIC DIRECTOR DR. ALAN MASONwho will be performing in concert at the Kennedy Center in

Washington, D.C. on Sunday, December 6th as well as at New York’s Museum at Eldridge Street on December 2nd. Theconcerts will pay homage to the Golden Age of Cantors

and to the liturgical music of modern times

ELLEN BRAZERwho spoke at the Miami Book Fair International, the most

prestigious book fair in the United States about her newest book, And So It Was Written; the book premiered on Amazon as a

bestseller under Jewish Literature.

BETSY KAPLANretired School Board member, who was presented with a lifetime

achievement award for her achievement, contribution andexcellence in art education by the Miami-Dade County

Art Educators

DR. ALAN MASONwho has been invited to New York by the Union for ReformJudaism to serve on the Music Selection Committee to help

evaluate and select the newest of Shabbat musicto be published by the URJ

ELIZABETH SCHWARTZwho was sworn in as President of the

Miami Beach Bar Association

ERNEST WALLISwho was awarded the medal for the Knight of Legion of Honor,

France’s highest military distinction for his service during World War II; he was presented with the award by the French

Consulate in a ceremony that took place on Veteran’s Day

ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY JAMES A. WEINKLEwho was elected to the Board of Directors of One Spirit Learning Alliance and the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City

SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCEThe Secret of CreativityA Torah-Ted Talk, Sunday Dec. 9, 10:30 AM

In the Torah-Ted talk on December 9th at 10:30 (note the time), I’ll share a simple framework with you, the framework of The Four Worlds.

It is guaranteed to enhance all of your creative processes.


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KaddishMay God’s name be exalted and hallowed throughout the world that He created, as is God’s wish. May God’s

sovereignty soon be accepted, during our life and the life of all Israel. And let us say: Amen.May God’s great name be praised throughout all time. Glorified and celebrated, lauded and worshiped,exalted and honored, extolled and acclaimed may the Holy One be, praised beyond all song and psalm,

beyond all tributes that mortals can utter. And let us say: Amen.Let there be abundant peace from heaven, with life’s goodness for us and for all Israel. And let us say: Amen.

May the One who brings peace to His universe bring peace to us and to all Israel. And let us say: Amen.Zichrona L’vracha, May their memory be for a blessing.

YAHRZEITS

DECEMBER 7:Milton I. FriedmanArchie KronsonHyman SmithJoseph GorinsteinBebe Zilber KatzDr. Emanuel PapperJoseph S. BulbinRhoda FreshwaterBernard David LebarLt. Martin QueenthFanny E. UkelsonSamuel BergsonMollie LiebermanMolly SilversteinHarry SlosbergLillian Wolfson SteinAlexander FetersonRobert NadlerAbraham OrovitzRuth Greenfield SchwartzVirginia TorreullaRichard FriedmanHenry KaplanCharlotte NewlandCharles Albert CopeEmanuel GoldweberHelen Fox HarrrisWilliam H. LeeGeorge ManneErvin PickDECEMBER 14:Jack FreshwaterKlara MarkovitzDr. Stanley OlsonRobert RichSteve M. WeisharBernard WilenskyJacob L. YoungerHattie (Sunshine) BrooksMac LeiderCharles WoldenbergSamuel Barr BermanAbraham Coleman

Elsie CowanPhyllis NewmanHarry SleyHannah SloteFay SussmanLeonard H. CooperGeorge A. DiamondDr. Edward FaustBenjamin FriedmanLeo GumbinerPaul KutnerMaurice MalmuthClara TrifieldBarbara Weinman-McElweeHerman WhitelawHannah WolffClara Gewertz BrickAlexander CogenHenry E. DavisJoel FishkinSydney FrankfurtLouis GramSarah HoltsbergDorothy Schy KaufmannDr. Donald KobleyRae RosenbloumJacob ArnoldIsidore CoretPaulyne Fleisch GrossPaul KramerHarriet (Dolly) LevElla R. WeinbergJessie WolffRobert K. GrossMadison KnoxYetta PineDavid Nathan ReaderJoseph SchonthalDECEMBER 21:Georgia Roth BrennerGeorge F. FranklinKarl GreenbergBarney NewmanLeah Richter

Morton S. GreenwoodSamuel KannIda KarnowskyLouis LouisJacob MilbergCharles OppenheimMollie HirschensohnDr. Hans MargoliusCarolyn MarshallWilliam B. MooreAnnabelle RosenDavid StuzinJacob Hanna TrotzkyAdolph WolfeDorothy EhrenreichLouis GoldsteinMary LeiderFay KantorJoy Summers LandyBenjamin OurismanEugene WolffShirley GreenfieldSophie LeifschutzEsther SpearJoseph A. BrawerEdward L. CowenAnne FeinbergHenry E. GreenPaula Pearl NestorHarry RobinsonMinnie Hoffman RossSidney J. RudolphArthur WarrenDECEMBER 28:Irene Kahn DavisEvelyn Koppelman EnfieldMae FinklesteinRosabel Hoffman FreedEdith S. GrushowJulius L. JacobsteinMarjorie SchillingerTobias SimonHenry SprintzSara Reva Elson

Bennett GlazierAnne MorshensonJay Allen SiegelRabbi Coleman A. ZwitmanBertha Gewertz BrickJerome GreenwaldHarry KaiserJulie LindMarjorie WienHenry E. WolffClaire H. GussowDesmond B. HaysAlbert I. JacobsElla KutnerBessie P. LovitzDavid PolakJack Julius RauchRose SchererKate TomarLeopold AckermanHerman BlumbergE. Max GoldsteinIda GoodmanEugene GreenfieldSari SaperoJacob SilvermanAnita TreisterLeon YubasLouis BellerGordon DavisSaul EdelmanJacob E. FinklesteinCharles GettlemanLeo HohauserJonathan Adam KaminerAlan KeysMary LeiderSamuel A. LivingstonBessie PaleesRobert RussellMichael-Ann Russell KaminerSol SchimmelRoberta Stone

*Names listed denote deceased whose plaque is in the Bertha Abess Sanctuary.


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.........................................................................................................................................................................................Supporters

We appreciate the thoughtfulness of those who support Temple Israel of Greater Miamiby remembering and honoring their friends and loved ones through their generous contributions.

SPONSORBIMAH FLOWERS

OR ANONEG SHABBAT:

Bimah flowers enhance our Shabbatexperience. Sponsoring the bimah flowers

is a lovely way to remember or honor a loved one. Celebrating an anniversary,

birthday or other simcha and need a gift?Why not sponsor an Oneg Shabbat to

commemorate the occasion?And the great thing is: one size fits all!As a sponsor of the bimah flowers or

Oneg Shabbat, your name will appear in the Shabbat bulletin and in Chai Lites.

For more information or to sponsor,please contact Temple office at

305-573-5900 or [email protected].

JOAN L. SCHAEFFERin memory of her mother, Anita Schaeffer

JAY NOVICKin memory of his parents, Vivian and

Samuel Novich

ESTA FRIEDMANin memory of her husband, Richard Friedman

MICHAEL PEARLMANin memory of his mother, Lillian Pearlman

JANE AND DOUG JACOBS ANDMICHELLE AND RICHARD

KRINZMANin honor of the installation of

Rabbi Tom Heyn

MEMORIAL FUNDAnne Lewis in memory of Harry LewisArthur Marcus in memory of Morris Philip MarcusAudrey and Leon Manne in memory of Samuel ManneBob Waterstone in memory of Bernard Waterstone and Melvin WaterstoneBronwyn Miller and Maury Udell in memory of Sharon MillerDale Stryker Gary in memory of Eleanor TochDebby Bussel and Steve Goldin in memory of Shepard BroadDebby Bussel and Steve Goldin in memory of Ruth BroadDiane Lindner in memory of Bella ColbElyne S. Homs in memory of Raymond HomsEsta Friedman in memory of David GoodmanEthel and Al Solomon in memory of Sara Slaughter and Miriam SolomonEthel and Al Solomon in memory of Emanuel GoldweberGerald and Celine Berman in memory of Abraham ElmalehGerald and Celine Berman in memory of Chantal BermanGeri Dreyfuss in memory of Elsie DreyfussGladys Cowen in memory of Myron CowenIris Amador in memory of Jim OrovitzJeffrey Lefcourt in memory of Miriam LefcourtJerry, Julie, Scott, Hilary and Gregg Moskowitz in memory of Ann MoskowitzJoan Schaeffer in memory of Rebecca DroshnicopLillian Scher in memory of Esther PowersLinda Weston in memory of Raie SpektorLois Model Rukeyser in memory of H. Denny SchweigerMargot Friedman in memory of Harry KannerMartin W. Schlosberg in memory of Sid and Doris CohenMaurice Blumenthal in memory of Edel JankowerMichael Epstein in memory of Rosalyn Kasser EpsteinMichelle and Richard Krinzman in memory of James OrovitzNancy Novell in memory of Howard NovellRichard Milstein and Eric Hankin in memory of Jim OrovitzRobin Reiter-Faragalli in memory of Saul ReiterRoger Epstein in memory of Isaac LubschutzS. Ronald Pallot in memory of Gertrude PallotSusan and Marvin Levinson in memory of Jim OrovitzThe Pasternack Family in memory of David PasternackVanessa T. Cohen in memory of James OrovitzYuki and Lawrence Denmark in memory of Irving DenmarkRADIO-INTERNET FUNDBrandy and Larry Primak in memory of Edna PrimakCarole and Arthur Green in memory of Jim OrovitzDavid Press and Doree Press in memory of Gussie Berman and Mollie PressFelicia Deutch and Family in memory of Edward DeutchJoan Schaeffer in honor of Elizabeth Schwartz receiving the Community Service Award fromthe National Gay and Lesbian Task Force


....................................................................................................................................................................................Joan Schaeffer in honor of the birth of Logan Scott StanffenbergJoan Schaeffer in memory of James OrovitzMortimer and Joy Fried in memory of Meyer FineNati Soto and Howard Goldstein in memory of James OrovitzPatty Taxman Craven in memory of Elliott Taxman and Harry NathensonShirley S. Spear in memory of Frank Shapiro and Bernard S. ShapiroShirley S. Spear in memory of Esther SpearDOROTHY SEROTTA SOCIAL JUSTICE FORUMEnvironmental Action CommitteeMark and Greta Walker Foundation Environmental Action CommitteeCANTOR JACOB G. BORNSTEIN AND DAVID SAMUEL BORNSTEINSCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR JEWISH CAMPING OR YOUTH STUDYIN ISRAELKerrin and Peter Bermont in memory of James OrovitzTHE LEARNING PROJECTMarilyn Udell donation THE JONI AND STANLEY TATE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERBarbara and Michael Weintraub donationJoni and Stanley Tate in honor of Danielle and Clinton Muelleron the birth of their son, LucasJoni and Stanley Tate in memory of Louis GrossmanJoni and Stanley Tate in memory of W. James OrovitzJoni and Stanley Tate in memory of Rozella O’ConnorKerrin and Peter Bermont in memory of William BermontMichelle and Richard Krinzman in memory of Louis GrossmanTHE CHARLES HELD, JR. MEMORIAL FUND TO FEED THE HUNGRYBernice and Paul Goldman in memory of Tillie HessingB. B. AND GRACE GOLDSTEIN MUSIC FUNDNancy and Neil Schaffel in memory of Lillian SchaffelFLOWER FUNDEsta Friedman in memory of her husband, Richard FriedmanJay Novick in memory of his parents, Vivian and Samuel NovichJoan Schaeffer in memory of her mother, Anita SchaefferMichael Pearlman in memory of Lillian PearlmanMichelle and Richard Krinzman in memory of Gertrude SamuelsTEMPLE ISRAELBeco and Eric Lichtman in honor of RuachDr. Michael Graubert in honor of RuachJames Weinkle in honor of RuachLois Rukeyser in honor of the installatin of Rabbi Tom HeynMartin Fine donationMichael Epstein in honor of RuachRichard Milstein in honor of Aliyah receivedSteve Leidner in honor of RuachENVIRONMENTAL ACTION COMMITTEERe-Lighting of Temple IsraelAnnette Eisenberg Ian Reiss Lynn Kislak and Ben Kuehne Pat and Marty Fine MARJORIE SCHILLINGER RELIGIOUS SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FUND Jack Schillinger in memory of Harvey Kahn and Marjorie SchillingerGODMOTHERS’ RELIGIOUS SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FUNDMorales Law Group in memory of Harriet Epstein

The Event Center is conveniently

located in Miami’s vibrant urban

center. Great space, great rates, and free

parking. For availability, rates and more

information please contactFederico d’Angelo-Facility Manager

(305) 573-5900 ext. 403 or [email protected]

Have Your NextAffair Here

Photo by Freddy Rozen


Irene Abel

Jayne and Leonard Abess

Thelma and Richard Altshuler

Ivy Ames

Eric Askowitz

Audrey Barker

Jacalyn and Elliot Barnett

Vanessa Bartram

Irene Bartram

Ene Benjamin

Anne Levy and Richard Bermont

Kerrin and Peter Bermont

Margrit and Roger Bernstein

Simon and Nancy Bloom, Jr.

Joan Bornstein and Ben Giller

Ellen and Melvin Brazer

Gary Brown and Antolin Carbonell

Jerald Burns

Anita Cava

Amy Charley

Ximena and Tony Cho

Lenny Cohen

Rita and Joel Cohen

James Cohen

Craig and Leslie Coller

Patty Craven and Arthur Taxman

Marilyn Cromer

Elly du Pre

Mindy Eisenberg

Michael Epstein

Pearl Finkelstein

Lisa Katz and Miguel Fra

Frank Futernick

Susan and David Galler

Sherrie Garfield

Emily Garnica

Dale Gary

Howard Germain

Myriam Gerstein

Vivian Giller

Robert Glazier and Alan Mason

Cindy and Jon Gold

Natividad Soto and Howard Goldstein

Isis and Andrew Gottlieb

Sue and Alan Graubert

Lolly Green

Elise Greenberg

Sandra Greenblatt

Lee Greene

Alan Grossman

Mario and Clara Guzman

Larry Halpern

Miriam Harmatz

Jordana Hart

Sy Hecker and Bob Yocum

Doris Galindo and Brian Hirsch

Carl Hochheiser

William Hyatt

Doug and Jane Jacobs

Ellen and Al Kahn

Joyce and Gerard Kaiser

Staci and John Kanter

Betsy Kaplan

Carol Keys

Lenny and Lois Klein

Harold Klein

Noemi Kohan

High Holy Days Kol Nidre Appeal

Michelle and Richard Krinzman

Lynn Kislak and Ben Kuehne

Lori Lazar

Daniella Levine and Rob Cava

YOM KIPPUR APPEAL We thank the following people for their Yom Kippur Contribution:

Alan Levy

Diane Lindner

Judy Loft and Joe Reid

Roberta Mandel

Lloyd Mandell

Berveley Markowitz

Simone Mayer and Mayda Perez

Leslie Mayeron

Lori and Robert Meyers

Beverly Morshenson

Jerome and Julie Moskowitz

Carla and Enrique Neufeld

Rebeca and Ronald Newman

Norma and Michael Orovitz

Diane Person

Oliver and Jennifer Pfeffer

Susan Preville

Ken and Dody Raskin

Leslie Rattet

Harris Reibel and Merri Mann

Robin Reiter-Faragalli

Alan Roberts

Robin and Neil Rollnick

Marvin Rosen

Judy and Allan Rosenbaum

Arthur Rosenberg

Silvia and Keith Rosenn

Melvin Rubin and Susan Scholz-Rubin

Candace and Lloyd Ruskin

LeAnn and Michael Sagmeister

Joan Schaeffer

Ellen and Kenny Schaeffer

Lil Scher

Vickie Schulman and Nancy Dreyfuss

Joseph Schwartz

Liz Schwartz Esq.

Steven Siegel

Patricia Solomon and Neil Signer

Sandi and Charlie Simon

Marte Slocum

Esther Small

Muriel Sommers

Shirley Spear

Suzanne Sponder

Rae and Barry Stein

Henry Stevens

Leonard and Amy Stolar

Debra Strochak

Joan Esser-Stuart and Paul Stuart

Melisa Rockhill and Michael Tarkoff

James and Janie Tate

Joni and Stanley Tate

Art Taxman

Mark Teitelbaum

Marla Towbin

Randi and Warren Trazenfeld

Vivian and Avi Tuchman

Gina and Isaac Tuchman

Mrs. and Harry Turk

Bronwyn Miller and Maury Udell

Evelyn and Evelyn Udell

Robert Waterstone

Lisa and Robert Waxman

Jacqueline and Avi Wechsler

Dick and Chick Weiner

James Weinkle

Mark and Phyllis Wickman

Marjorie Wilkoff

Hope Wine and Mary Prados

Paula Xanthopoulou

Julia Zaias and Yolanda Gay

Amy Zakarin


December 2012.........................................................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................................................

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

432

1

1110 9

8 7

181716

151413

65

12

19 20 21 22

23 24

9:30 AM: Shabbat Service11:00 AM: Joseph’s Table (Next)

7:30 AM: Habitatfor Humanity“Synagogue Sunday”9:30 AM: Religious School

6:30 PM:Conversion Class (Rabbi Heyn’s Study)

12:00 PM:Noontime Learning with Rabbi Chefitz (Board Room)

8:00 AM: RabbiHeyn’s MorningSpiritual Practice5:30 PM: Temple Israel Singers6:00 PM: Religious Affairs Committee Meeting7:00 PM: Rabbi Heyn’s weekly adult learning series, “The Practice of Spirituality”

5:45 PM: SababaShabbat Service6:30 PM: Sababa Dinner6:30 PM: Religious School Consecration Potluck Dinner7:30 PM: Religious School Consecration Shabbat Servicefollowed by Oneg

9:30 AM:ShabbatService11:00 AM: Joseph’sTable (Next)Chanukah - 1st night

9:30 AM: Religious School10:30 AM: Torah-TED Talk – The Secret ofCreativity (Board Room)12:00 Noon: Lunch and a Movie at O Cinema Chanukah - 2nd night

Chanukah -third night

9:00 AM: ECC– Hebrew withRabbi12:00 PM: Noontime Learning with Rabbi Heyn (Rabbi’s Study)6:30 PM: Programming Committee MeetingChanukah - 4th night

12:00 PM:NoontimeLearning withRabbi Chefitz7:00 PM: The New Sanhedrin (Next)Chanukah - 5th night

8:00 AM: RabbiHeyn’s MorningSpiritual Practice5:30 PM: Temple Israel Singers7:00 PM: Rabbi Heyn’s weekly adult learning series, “The Practice of Spirituality”Chanukah - 6th night

6:00 PM:Chanukah/Installation/Shabbat Dinner7:30 PM: Rabbi Heyn’s Installation/Shabbat Service with Rabbi Arthur Green followed byfestive OnegChanukah - 7th night

9:30 AM:ShabbatService with Rabbi Arthur Green11:00 AM: Joseph’s Table with Rabbi Arthur Green discussingRestoring the Aleph (Next)Chanukah - 8th night

9:30 AM:ReligiousSchool10:00 AM: Conversationwith Rabbi Arthur Green on “Spirituality for a New Era”

TOY DRIVE –LAST DAY TO DONATE6:30 PM: Conversion Class (Rabbi Heyn’s Study)

9:00 AM: ECC– Hebrew withRabbi12:00 PM: Noontime Learning with Rabbi Heyn (Rabbi’s Study)6:00 PM: Board of Trustees Meeting

12:00 PM:NoontimeLearning with Rabbi Chefitz7:00 PM: Environmental Action Committee

8:00 AM: RabbiHeyn’s MorningSpiritual Practice5:30 PM: Social Justice Committee Meeting5:30 PM: Temple Israel Singers7:00 PM: CentralChavurah Meeting

6:30 PM:IntegrativeService (Sanctuary)7:30 PM: Shabbat Service (Sanctuary) - featuring Lighthouse for the Blind musician, followed by Oneg

9:30 AM: ShabbatService11:00 AM: Joseph’s Table (Next)

ECC andTempleClosed

ECC Closed

ChristmasEve volunteer night at ChapmanPartnership

No ReligiousSchool

25 26 27ECC Closed 28 29ECC Closed 8:00 AM:Rabbi Heyn’s Morning Spiritual Practice5:30 PM: Temple Israel Singers 7:00 PM: Rabbi Heyn’s weekly adult learning series, “The Practice of Spirituality”

ECC Closed7:30 PM:Shabbat Service followed by Oneg

9:30 AM: ShabbatService11:00 AM: Joseph’s Table (Next)

30 31No ReligiousSchool

6:30 PM:ConversionClass (Rabbi Heyn’s Study)

9:00 AM: ECC –Hebrew withRabbi12:00 PM: Noontime Learning with Rabbi Heyn (Rabbi’s Study)

Continued on the top left


.........................................................................................................................................................................................Community Happenings.........................................................................................................................................................................................

THE UNIONFOR REFORM

JUDAISM(URJ) HAS

ESTABLISHED A

HURRICANE SANDY

RELIE FUND,WHICH IS

PROVIDING:

•Direct funding tocongregants who are

suffering short orlong-term loss of food,

shelter or clothing

•Direct funding togeneral and Jewish relief agencies in coordination

with the JewishFederations, NECHAMA – the Jewish Response to

Disaster and others

•Direct funding toReform congregations

damaged by the storm to help them resume

operations as quickly aspossible.

For more information and tomake a donation online got to

http://urj.org/socialaction/issues/relief/hurricanes/A

LUNCH AND FILM TO LEAD IN TO

5TH ANNUAL WINTER JEWISH MUSIC CONCERT

Be sure to purchase your tickets forthe Lunch and a Movie program on

Sunday, December 9 @ 12pmO Cinema 90 NW 29th St., Miami

The Winter Jewish Music Concert isco-sponsoring with O Cinema & Bocaditos.

The film will be the comedy, When Do We Eat. Cost of theprogram (lunch and film) is $25 per person.

Visit www.jewishconcert.org to learn more about this event.Or to purchase your tickets for the December 9 event directly,

go to www.o-cinema.org/event/when-do-we-eat.


annuities life

health dental

employee benefits

disability

long term care

A Smart Investment For A Secure FutureDouglas M. Jacobs 305.944.0606

sm


CHAI LITES IS PUBLISHED BYTEMPLE ISRAEL OF GREATER MIAMI137 NE 19th Street Miami, FL 33132Phone (305) 573-5900 Fax (305) 573-5904www.templeisrael.net

Member of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)Published Monthly except July byTemple Israel of Greater Miami (USPS538-000)POSTMASTER: Send returns to 137 NE 19th Street Miami, FL 33132

PeriodicalsPostagePAID

Miami, FL

DR. NATHAN KATZJANUARY 22, 2013

SEE PAGE 8 FOR MORE INFORMATION.


Jewish Spirituality Seriesproudly presents

chai lites december 2012

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