January 2018 Tevet/ Shevat 5778

JCC FOCUS Jewish Community Center

of Corpus Christi

President - Iris Lehrman

Vice President - Renee Solomon

2nd Vice President - Gary Blum

Secretary - Kari Oshman Rhodes

Treasurer - Matt Adler

Parliamentarian - Carla De Pena

Pres. Appointee - Lois Blum

Pres. Appointee - Linda Snider

Board Member - Jaron Sela

Board Member - Jackie Franklin

Board Member - Rikki Schmitchel

Board Member - Heather Loeb

Board Member - Nene Schmukler

Board Member - Brittany Sandbach

Board Member - Meredith Ryan

JCC Director - Norma Levens

JCC Rabbi - Rabbi Roseman

JCC Preschool Rep. - Manuela Sela

CBI Rabbi - Rabbi Emanuel

CBI Rep. - Nedra Lockhart

Sisterhood Rep. - Leslie Levy

CJA Rep. - TBA

Chabad Rabbi - Rabbi Schmukler

2017-2018 Board of Directors

Board Meeting TBA

Congregation Beth Israel Rabbi Ilan Emanuel

4402 Saratoga Blvd. (361) 857-8181

bethisraelcc.com

President: Jim Gold

Coastal Bend Havurah hkwilk48@gmail.com

(361) 991-1118

Representative: Helen Wilk

Jewish Organizations in Corpus Christi

Combined Jewish Appeal (361) 855-6239

President: TBA

Assistant: Norma Levens

Chabad Coastal Bend Rabbi Naftoli Schmukler

4855 S. Alameda St., Suite 108

(361) 500-2173

chabadcorpus.org

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Jewish Community Council of Corpus Christi

Welcome 2018-

As we greet yet another new year, we are faced with many uncertainties. In the realm of

economics, cultural, education and family, we see many changes.

However, in the midst of all changes, one thing is changeless- And that is the support of our

Jewish community members.

We “thank you” for all that we accomplished this year. Our calendar was filled with activities. We hope that if

you did not attend one of our functions, you will try and make it in the next 12 months. For, I already have

several events scheduled to look forward to this year.

I wish you all a very Happy, Healthy New Year!!!

Fondly-

Norma

Patrons Chris & Robert Adler

Susser Family Foundation

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Members Nedra Lockhart

Gail Gleimer Loeb

Kenneth Maltz

Marcia Marks

Susan & Bill Martin

Amanda & Howard Mintz

Louis Needleman (MD)

Deborah & Scot Oshman

Kari (Oshman) & Scott Rhodes

Phyllis & Rabbi Kenneth Roseman

Ruthie & Tzachi Samocha (PhD)

Rebecca & Maurice Schmidt

Rikki & Robert Schmitchel

Barb & Chip Schwamb

Manuela & Jaron Sela

Nina Shannon

Renee Solomon

Marlene & Jack Super

Elizabeth & Jerry Susser

Helen Wilk

Sue Williams Members Matt Adler

Randall Berry

Clara Braslau*

2018 Membership January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018

2017 Jewish Community Center Members

Sustainers Jaki & Richard Hausman

Beatrice & Richard* Hinojosa

Annette & Melvyn Klein

Laurie & Michael Mintz (MD)

Toby Shor

Angels Annette & Jim Cottingham (MD)

Ann & David Engel

James Gold

Ginger & Richard Harris

Vincent & Shirley Muscarello

Kymberley & Robert Oshman (MD)

Carol Rehtmeyer

Rona & L. A. Train

Members Jeanne & Mac Brenz

Carla De Pena

Elizabeth Falk

Carol & Don Feferman

Roz & Ron Ferrell, DDS

Leah Goltzman

Susan & Myron Grossman

Patricia & Robert Harris

Marian (Sussman (MD)) & Michael Hiatt

Barbara (Samuels) & Sam Horner

Karen & Harold Kane

Ruth Kane

Fifi & Corky Kieschnick

Carol & Sammy Kins

Chris & Carl Kuehn

Dianne & Jim Lee

Iris & Andy Lehrman

Norma Levens

Leslie & Carl Levy

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Rabbi Roseman’s Corner

IT’S WHAT YOU READ THAT COUNTS

Most of us have a rather nostalgic view of the Yiddish language. Perhaps we were raised in a family

with immigrant grandparents who had brought that vernacular with them from the shtetls of Eastern Europe. Maybe we were enthralled by vaudeville and early television stars who peppered their acts with Yiddish words.

Some of those words have crept into contemporary American speech, like “schmooz,” “bagel” and “blintz” and some I can’t use in a family newsletter. There is a Yiddish book depository in Amherst MA, and a number of colleges and universities even offer courses in the language. The lasting power of this revival is suspect, given

that the environment in which Yiddish emerged and flourished is gone – except for a limited number of Hasidic enclaves who think of English as the language of assimilation and who reserve Hebrew for prayer and

study. The language itself is a composite of three sources: Hebrew, Medieval High German and a little Polish. (Think of words that end in -nik, like “noodnik” or “maj-ik,” which means “impish, devilish little boy.”) Yiddish,

like its Mediterranean cousin, Ladino, grew up organically in a multicultural environment where one heard many tongues and even pro-nounced them differently in different regions. If Jews wanted to converse with their Gentile neighbors, they had to develop some fluency

in the local language, and it was only natural that they brought some of these words into their homes and families. (If you wonder about this process, just think about how often you integrate Spanish-derived words into your daily expression. Where would we be if we could not eat a taco or burrito wrapped in a tortilla!) Language, if it is to be alive, is constantly borrowing from everywhere: a window keeps the

Germanic “wind” out of your house, while the prefixes philo- and anti- come from Greek and Latin, and if you are tempted to “defenestrate” your teenager, you want to throw him or her out a French window (fenetre).

But a change began to happen in the early 1700s in Europe. That change was called “nationalism,” and it insisted that each nation had a right to its own, distinctive culture, territory, sovereignty – and language. The Jewish urge for our own land did not come into its own until the middle of the nineteenth century with Zionism, but a group of intellectuals in Central and Eastern Europe began a

movement to replace the bastardized language of Yiddish with a distinctively Jewish form. What did they choose? Hebrew. And not just all forms of Hebrew, but the Hebrew of the biblical period, which they imagined to be the pristine and original style of the language. By

the eighteenth century, the Hebrew that they found in the Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash and other classical medieval works had already been corrupted (so they said) by roughly two thousand words borrowed from other languages. Beginning in 1755 and continuing until the 1880s, this elite group of literati began to write in biblical Hebrew. (Spoken Hebrew

would follow later, but we’ll cover that next month.) The centers of their efforts were in Odessa, Berlin and Vilna. Their literary output was immense and varied. They wrote novels and short stories, poetry and plays, and they translated classic works into Hebrew, including

some of Shakespeare. But more than anything, they loved to publish newspapers where they could show off the fruits of their writing efforts. Most of these papers did not last more than a few years; some endured for a decade or so; and their circulation was limited both by the exclusivity of their readership and the embryonic form of the printing press which did not allow for the production of large

quantities. The movement that these authors initiated was called the “Haskalah,” sometimes translated as “The Jewish Enlightenment.”

Those involved were called “maskilim,” and both words come from a Hebrew root, “Seychel,” which you may recognize because it drifted into Yiddish as “good sense.” These men (and there were no women among them) wanted to preserve a distinctive and separate Jewish identity, at the same time that they could take advantage of developments in the surrounding culture. They had no interest in Jewish

disappearance or assimilation, but they yearned to be seen by their neighbors as participants in the general intellectual scene of their world. Often, they came from the more liberal side of the Jewish community, but staunch traditionalists were also found among them,

including Moses Mendelssohn, Samson Raphael Hirsch and the great Gaon of Vilna. And, of course, there were those who vigorously opposed this tendency, including the early Hasidic masters.

Most scholars date the Haskalah from 1755 – 1881. A few hundred or a few thousand Jews reading and writing in Hebrew could not derail Yiddish as the “lingua franca” of the Jewish street. It remained for fifty years of mass emigration from Eastern Europe, two world wars and the slaughter of those who stayed behind during the Sho’ah. Still, it makes us feel good to go to the health club for a

“shvitz,” to recover from a balagon” (disaster) at work and to greet a buddy with the salutation “Hi, boychick.” You may recall that I ended my November column with a quip about the Pilgrims and their quest for better Mile-age. Do you suppose this is why they landed on Plymouth Rock,and had to Dodge Indian arrows. These Intrepid settlers gathered their crops and, because they came from across the sea, they were International Harvesters.

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Thank you Leah Goltzman from your friends at the JCC!

Leah Goltzman was born in Chelm, in Eastern Poland, in the late 1930’s. At a very early age, Leah and her family went into hiding from the Nazis. She soon learned to be careful what she did and with whom she spoke, just as the adults around her. She lived her early years more like a “Little Adult,” rarely interacting with other children. After several years of hiding, Leah and her parents were trapped by the Russians, shipped to Siberia, and spent three years in Stalinist Russia. When World War II ended, Leah and her parents were finally liberated, but had to stay in Displaced Persons Camps in Austria and then South Germany for the next five years. In 1950, at age 14, Leah was able to come to the United States under special legislation for Survivors of the Holocaust. She traveled on the USS General Taylor on a 15 day voyage from Germany to New Orleans, Louisiana, arriving on Thanksgiving Day; and then, on to Houston, Texas by train. Leah attended junior high & high school in Houston and graduated from the University of Houston with Bachelor degrees in History and Political Science. During her senior year of college, Leah met Daniel Goltzman. Danny and Leah were married in August, 1961, and made Corpus Christi their home where they raised two children, a son and a daughter. Danny passed away before their 43rd wedding anniversary. Leah spent much of her time volunteering at the Jewish Community Council of Corpus Christi and Congregation Beth Israel since she came to Corpus Christi 46 years ago. Leah was frequently requested as a visiting speaker at local schools and other community venues to share her experiences.

Leah will be greatly missed here at the JCC by staff who loved visiting with her regularly.

In Honor of Catherine, Sam L., Sophie,

Sam E., & Eli Susser

E.V. Bonner, Jr.

A generous donation was made to the Susser Playground Fund.

In Honor of Pat & Sam J. Susser

E.V. Bonner, Jr.

A generous donation was made to the Susser Playground Fund.

In Memory of Ilene Taubman

Sam L. Susser

A generous donation was made to the Susser Playground Fund.

In Memory of Leah Goltzman

Lee Ann Leyba & Family

A generous donation was made

to the General Fund.

In Memory of Leah Goltzman

Sonya Garcia & Family

A generous donation was made

to the General Fund.

In Memory of Ilene Taubman

From your

friends at the JCC.

In Memory of Hank Josephs

From your

friends at the JCC.

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4949 Everhart Rd. Suite 105

(Everhart Rd. Near McArdle)

Corpus Christi, TX 78411 (361)853-0439

14254 S. Padre Island Dr. Loma Alta Center # 211

(On The Island)

Corpus Christi, TX 78418 (361)589-4090

General Dentist

“Creating Healthy Smiles in the Coastal Bend since 1993.”

“Wishing You A Healthy Smile in 2018!”

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Ilene Taubman

Ilene Taubman (née Bennett) died peacefully on December 20, 2017. She was born in 1924 in Pittsburg, Kansas, and resided most of her life in Oklahoma City.

For the last five years she lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, and was a resident of San Diego, California, prior to that. Ilene was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She lived a long and full life with no regrets. She will be greatly missed by her family. Alav ha-shalom. Ilene was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Milton S. Taubman and sister Janis Beren. She is survived by her son, Andy Taubman, daughter-in-law Tobi Taubman, grandsons, Micah and Jake Taubman, and sister-in-law, Patti Taubman. Charitable donations to Jewish causes are preferred to flowers.

Herman Josephs

Herman Josephs died peacefully at home with his wife and family at his bedside on December 31, 2017. The world is better for Hank Josephs having been here for his 92 years. He is survived by his adoring spouse, of 69 years, Ruth Korn Josephs, his 4 loving children and spouses; Dr. Jeffrey Josephs and Dr. Diane Ginsburg Josephs, Sunny and Mark Levy, Jamie Josephs, Roslyn Josephs Ferrell and Dr. Ron Ferrell; his grandchildren, Shira and Gad Sebag, Toby Levy (deceased), Amie and Zach Pfeiffer, William Hammons, Rebecca Ferrell and Joshua Ferrell; six beloved great-grandchildren, many caring nieces, nephews, cousins and lifelong friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph Josephs and Rose Katz Josephs and his cherished twin sister, Miriam Josephs Racusin.

He was a proud father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and was, to his final moment here, completely and hopelessly in love with his devoted wife, Ruthie. Hank was the owner of Josephs' Economy Store for 50 years where he made Leopard Street a kinder place. We always enjoyed starting our dinner conversations with our dad saying, "A woman walked into the store today..." He truly enjoyed his work and reached out to all who needed a helping hand. Hank attended Corpus Christi High School and the University of Texas at Austin until he was called into Army service during WWII. He fought bravely from Omaha Beach to The Battle of the Bulge and, at age, 19 was a concentration camp liberator of Dachau concentration camp. Hank was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery and was a Purple Heart recipient. After the war he returned to Corpus Christi to work at Josephs' Economy Store and in 1948 fell head over heels in love and married the girl of his dreams. While rearing their four children Hank participated as Scout Troopmaster of Boy Scout Troop 218, Young Judaea youth group leader, B'nai Israel Synagogue congregational president, B'nai Brith president, Jewish Community Center board member, and post-retirement enjoyed volunteering as a reading teacher for the Literary Council. He served as Civitan president and member and was the first General Chairman of Corpus Christi's Buccaneer Ball in 1954. Hank was deservingly recognized by the then National Council of Christians and Jews with their Humanitarian Award. In 2017 Hank was honored as a WWII Texas veteran and concentration camp liberator at The Bob Bullock History of Texas Museum in Austin and was honored again at a ceremony in Arlington, Virginia as a Jewish American Veteran/ Liberator. His story is chronicled in the book, Tattooed On My Soul - Texas Veterans Remember WWII. In November 2017 he received a medal of honor from The Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission at The State Capitol in Austin, Texas. The medals were awarded by concentration camp survivors. Hank Josephs was an attentive and loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, cousin, and loyal friend. Daddy, a consummate romantic and poet, loved nothing more than being with his family and traveling the world with his true love, Ruthie, while basking in the world's natural beauty. Hank created a life worth living and lived it well on his own terms. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Simon Wiesenthal Center or Hadassah Hospital at Hadassah.org.

Leah Goltzman

Leah Goltzman passed away suddenly on Friday, Dec 29, 2017 at the age of 79. Her achievements and contributions to the community will be

greatly missed. Leah educated and shared her life's experiences about surviving the Holocaust with children and adult groups across the region. Mostly, she is most missed and loved by her children: Naomi (Goltzman) Hamilton and Gary Goltzman, her grandchildren: Alisa "Shimona" Hamilton, Noah Hamilton, Jonah Hamilton, Sydney Goltzman and Ethan Goltzman and her step- granddaughters: Kathleen (Hamilton) Harper and Sarah (Hamilton) Robertson.

(Visa, MasterCard and Most Insurances Accepted)

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Thank you Dr. Gary Blum, DDS,MS for great memories!

JCC & CBI Chanukah Celebration

page 8

Continued on next page...

Three Layers of Human Identity The Human Tree

The Human Tree “The human being is a tree of the field (1),” the Torah states. In fact, the Jewish calendar reserves one day each year, the “New Year for Trees” on the 15th of Shevat, for us to contemplate our affinity with the botanical universe. Why is the human being compared, in the biblical imagination, to a tree?

Roots, Body & Fruit A tree’s primary components are: the roots, which anchor it to the ground and supply it with water and other nutrients; the trunk, branches and leaves that comprise its body; and the fruit, which is harvested and enjoyed by humans or animals and also contains the seeds through which the tree repro-duces itself. This is why the Torah compares us to trees, because a human being is also comprised of three components: roots, a body, and fruit. This compari-son holds true on three levels: psychologically, chronologically and spiritually. The roots of the tree, buried underground and mostly invisible, represent the subconscious layers of the human psyche, which are for the most part invisible. Just like the roots of a tree, the composition, breadth and depth of the hu-man subconscious are disguised and constitute the roots of all manifestations of the human self. The body of the tree – the conspicuous manifestation of its roots -- symbolizes the conscious personality of the human being, the way we describe our existence consciously to ourselves. It is the “person” you (think you) know. The fruit of the tree – harvested and consumed by others – represent the impact we have on the lives of people around us; it embodies our abil-ity to plant a seed in a fellow human being and see it sprout, grow and bear fruit.

Childhood, Adulthood & Leadership On a chronological level, the roots represent the childhood years, when our subconscious convictions and feelings are being molded, which is why investing time and energy in children is the most noble and critical endeavor. A scratch on the trunk does not amount to much; a defect in the roots can impact the entire tree in dramatic ways. The significance of childhood is often invisible like roots of a tree, but it is the foundation of everything that comes later. Nurture those roots and your tree will be beautiful. As we graduate childhood and become self-efficient humans, we are compared to the tall and projective trunk of the tree. At last we have emerged to become independent and self-standing adults. Then, as we grow older and become leaders in our communities, as we marry, bear children and create something larger than ourselves, we begin to produce “fruit” that continue to procreate and impact generations to come.

Conviction, Study & Giving On a spiritual level, the roots represent faith, our source of nurture and perseverance. The trunk is the visible “body” of our spiritual lives — our intellectual, emotional and practical achievements; our study of Torah, observance of mitzvos and daily ethical activities. Finally, the fruit represents our power of spiritual procreation — the ability to influence others, to plant our seeds in their souls. Faith, just like roots, constitutes the foundation of life (without roots, a tree cannot survive). Our belief in the essential spirituality and meaning of life is the foundation of our entire “tree.” From it stems the trunk of our understanding, from which branch out our feelings, motivations and deeds. Yet the true extent of faith is concealed from others and even from ourselves (2). “The human being is a tree of the field.” We operate on three levels. There is who we are (the roots); who we think we are (the trunk), and who others think we are (the fruit). In a tree, the three components are integrated into a single, wholesome entity. Our job, the Torah is intimating, is to integrate the components of our “tree,” so that our roots, bodies and fruits become one (3).

Are You a Bird, a Wall or a Tree? There is another reason we are compared to a tree. There is an intriguing Midrash based on a verse in Psalms (Chapter 144) where King David states: "Yamav Ketzeil Oyver” - A persons years are like a passing shadow (4). One of the great Talmudic sages, Rabbi Huna, in the Midrash (Midrash Rabbah Bereishis 96:2) explains this verse to mean that there are three types of shadows. One is the shadow of a bird, which flies by quickly and casts its shadow but for a fleeting moment. The second is the shadow cast by a wall, which has some permanence, as it is seen during the early hours of the morning and in late afternoon, but in the midday sun, there is no wall-shadow. Finally there is the shadow generated by the tree, which is consistent throughout the day. And Rabbi Huna continues: “Would that life was like the shadow cast by a wall or a tree, but it is like the shadow of a bird in flight,” -- "Yamav Ketzeil Oyver” - A persons years are like a passing shadow. What does this mean? How is it that our days are likened to the fleeting shadow of a bird, which doesn't remain stationary for a moment? After all, our days, though relatively few, still have some degree of continuity and permanence. People live seventy, eighty, even 100 years. If, indeed, our days are as an insubstantial shadow, are they not at least like the shadow of a tree, and not that of a bird?

Reflecting on Three Life-Styles The message here is simple yet profound. The three types of shadows represent three very different life-styles. There are people who generate the shadow of a bird, others who create the shadow of the wall while others who are compared to the tree and its shadow. Every human being leaves an impact. Each of us casts our own inimitable shadow on our world. “Life is a powerful play and you contribute your verse,” a poet once said. Each of us contributes our note to the ballad we call life. The question is, how profound and how real is our impact? Will my shadow be the one of a bird, a wall or a tree? Rabbi Huna says that there are those individuals whose life can be compared to the passing shadow of a flying bird. The bird flies and the shadow flies with it. This represents an individual whose impact is fleeting. He may live for many years and he may spend five decades building a business or a com-pany, but this may prove one day to go down the tubes without true and lasting value. This person may have been very very busy, but essentially he is like a flying bird. He was not involved in anything which really left an impression, which made an eternal dent. He cast a shadow by virtue of being alive, of walk-ing the street, of shopping in the store, of depositing money in his bank account, of selling a house, of tailoring his clothe and purchasing his car. But this shadow comes and goes. How many people have shared with me over this past year their regrets over their past life-style. “I worked 13 hours a day for 10 years, I neglected my most important relationships, and for what? Where did all this work go to? Was what it invested in?”

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By: Rabbi YY Jacobson Reference: theyeshiva.net

Continued from previous page.

Is Your Jar Full? A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "Yes." The Professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the Professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - your G-d, your soul, your family, your children, your health, your friends, your passions, your conscience - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first", he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to build a relationship with your soul, with your spouse. There will always be time to clean the house, and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." When he had finished, there was a profound silence. Then one of the students raised her hand and with a puzzled expression, inquired what the beer represented. The Professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of L’chayim’s."

The Wall There is a second category of people whose lives can be compared to the shadow of a wall. A shadow of a wall has some permanence, it is seen during the early hours of the morning and in late afternoon, but in the midday sun, the impact of the wall fades; there is no wall-shadow. These are people who leave an impact when there is no major heat, warmth and passion in their lives. When the game is waning and there is not much action going on they become sensible. In the morning and evening hours, when they are very young or quite old, when things are quiet and calm, they are ready to give of themselves to others and invest in eternity. As long a the sun in their life is burning hot, they are too cought up in themselves to reflect on how they are impacting others. “When you’re coming home dad?” our children ask us. And the answer: When the sun begins to set. When I get older, and finally make it, when I retire, then I will begin to spend time with my children, with my soul, with my G-d, with my spouse. The problem is that those who needed our shade and our comfort during those days, don’t needed as much now when my sun has began to set. I missed the opportunity… Finally, there is the life which can be likened to the shadow of a tree. Under the branches of a tree, you can always find shade and comfort. No matter if its morning, midday or evening, the tree always casts its healing shade and invites every passerby to bask in its tranquil and reinvigorating environment. This represents the type of person who never ceases to remember that he or she is an ambassador of G-d at this very moment to bring light, clarity and love to the people around him and her. No matter where he or she stands in life – if the sun is just rising, or its fully aglow, or it is on its way down – this person never fails to be a leader, to serve as an agent of love, hope and trust. This person does not get drunk on his own accomplishments, but remembers his duty to those around him, the loves ones, to community, the our nation, to our world. The Talmud relates the following story: An old man was planting a tree. A young person passed by and asked, What are you planting? A carob tree, the old man replied. Silly fool, said the youth. Don't you know that it takes 70 years for a carob tree to bear fruit? That's okay, said the old man. Just as others planted for me, I plant for future generations. Friends, are you and I “planting” something in our lives which our grandchildren will be able to look at and say, “thank you grandpa, thank you grandma?” That is why the Torah compared us to the tree in the field. Every human being leaves an impact. Life is a play and each of us contributes a verse; each of us casts our own inimitable shadow on our world. The question is, how profound and how real is our impact? Will my shadow be the one of a bird, a wall or a tree? There are people who never begin to live. There are people who are waiting till they can begin to live. And there are people who never stop living.

The Meaning of Life On the first day, G-d created the dog and said: “Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years.” The dog said: “That’s a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I’ll give you back the other ten?” So G-d agreed. On the second day, G-d created the monkey and said: “Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I’ll give you a twenty-year life span.” The monkey said: “Monkey tricks for twenty years? That’s a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?” And G-d agreed. On the third day, G-d created the cow and said:”You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer’s family For this, I will give you a life span of sixty Years.” The cow said: “That’s kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I’ll give back the other forty?” And G-d agreed again. On the fourth day, G-d created man and said: “Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I’ll give you twenty years.” But man said: “Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?” “Okay,” said G-d, “You asked for it.” So that is why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone. 1) Deuteronomy 20:19. 2) While the body of the tree also provides nurture (via its leaves) – representing the nurture that comes from Torah and Mitzvos -- the bulk of our spiritual sustenance derives from its roots, from our conviction that life has meaning and that there is somebody at the core of reality that cares. 3) Part of this idea is based on a letter by the Lubavitcher Rebbe dated Shevat 21, 5704 (February 15, 1944), published in Igros Kodesh vol. 1 pp. 247-250. 4) 4) Cf: "Our days are as a shadow upon the earth." (Divrei HaYamim 1 29:15).

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Happy Birthday To Our January Friends!

1st Roz Josephs Ferrell 17th Ginger Harris 2nd Marvin Bein 19th J. J. Hart 4th Phyllis Roseman 19th Louis Needleman 4th Ruth K. Josephs 20th Sam Hill 7th Gail G. Loeb 23rd Wesley Solovey 7th Iris Lehrman 28th Michael Mintz 12th Eddie Mange 28th Scot Oshman

Helen White Hair Removal & Body Design

Call For More Information & Monthly Specials!

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JCC Community Calendar

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17

18 19 20

21 22 23 24

25 26 27

28 29 30 31

CBI Services @ 9 a.m. Torah Study @ 11 a.m.

11 Shevat

26 Tevet

19 Tevet

CBI Services @9 a.m.

Torah Study @ 11 a.m.

20 Tevet 22 Tevet 23 Tevet 24 Tevet 25 Tevet

27 Tevet 28 Tevet 29 Tevet 1 Shevat 2 Shevat 3 Shevat

5 Shevat 6 Shevat 7 Shevat 8 Shevat 9 Shevat 10 Shevat

21 Tevet

CBI Shabbat Services @ 6:30 p.m.

CBI Services @ 9 a.m. Torah Study @ 11 a.m.

CBI Services @ 9 a.m. Torah Study @ 11 a.m.

CBI Shabbat Services @ 6:30 p.m.

12 Shevat 13 Shevat 14 Shevat

Shabbat ends

6:27 p.m.

Shabbat begins

5:36 p.m.

Shabbat begins

5:42 p.m.

Shabbat ends

6:38 p.m. 4 Shevat

Shabbat begins

5:48 p.m.

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CBI Shabbat Services @ 6:30 p.m.

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6:43 p.m.

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6:32 p.m.

January 2018 Tevet/ Shevat 5778

CBI Shabbat Services @ 6:30 p.m.

18 Tevet

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Winter Break JCC Office Closed

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Winter Break JCC Office Closed

14 Tevet 15 Tevet 16 Tevet 17 Tevet

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Are Health and Fitness Jewish Values? How your New Year's resolution fits into the Jewish tradition

Because our bodies are receptacles of our souls, and vessels of God’s light, we must keep them healthy and consider carefully what we put into them. Traditional Jewish thought suggests that we must keep our bodies well for the sake of spiritual pursuits and in order to fulfill mitzvot, commandments. Today however, a focus on fitness is often seen as vain or improperly secular.

Balancing Torah & Physical Activity It is interesting to see how far back in our tradition concerns with our physical selves and the balancing of Torah and physical activity can be found. Already in the Talmud (Shabbat 82a), Rav Huna urges his son Rabbah to study with Rav Hisda. Rabbah resists, saying that Rav Hisda focuses only on secular matters: anatomy and hygiene. Rav Huna admonishes his son, saying, “He speaks of health matters, and you call that secular!” Though some individuals in the Orthodoxworld may value exercise, to say that as a community we do so, either philosophically, or in an organized fashion, would be a stretch.

Maimonides’ Health Tips Indeed, one finds a reluctance to focus on exercise, in part because time is so limited and time spent on sport is time not spent on Torah study or hesed (good deeds) activity. Although many of us are familiar with Maimonides‘ long discussions in the Mishneh Torahabout the importance of exercise and healthy, measured eating, we rarely take the details of his many recommendations to heart. For example, Maimonides states that a person “should engage one’s body and exert oneself in a sweat-producing task each morning.” Despite Maimonides’ words, this centrality of exercise is simply not part of normative Orthodox Judaism. Many of us are also aware of the daily morning tefillah (prayer)that focuses on our health and posture: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who straightens the bent.” Is this just a metaphor, or would participation in exercise that straightens our bodies so they are not hunched, stooped, bent, or subject to skeletal pain, not help us be true to the profound words of our prayer?

Awaking Your Bones Martin Buber recorded a story of Rav Simhah Bunim, of Przysucha, who took very literally the words of our prayer that relate to physical awareness. According to the story, Rav Simhah arrived late for synagogue one Shabbat morning. When asked why he was so late, he quoted from Pesukei d’zimra, preliminary blessings and psalms (Psalms 35:10), which he had missed reciting because of his lateness: “All my bones shall say, who is like You, God?” How then, Rav Simhah asked, could he come to pray before his bones were all awake? Most likely, we view the words of Psalms that Rav Simhah quoted in a metaphorical sense. However, anyone who has done yoga, or any type of intensive physical activity, knows that awakening our bones need not be simply a metaphorical act. It can be profoundly physical as well as mental, and these realms connect to the spiritual. Nowhere am I more mindful of how much yoga has awakened my bones, lengthened my spine, and grounded my stance than when I stand and prepare to say the Amidah.

Rav Kook Connects The Physical & The Spiritual In the 20th century, Rav Kook went much further in connecting physical and spiritual health. He claimed that physical health is in itself a value in the process of repentance and that, in each human organism, there is a constant reciprocal relationship between body and spirit. Rav Kook promoted a Zionism that strove to restore health to the body of the Jewish people so that its spiritual life could flower to its fullest. He intended this restoration to occur not only on the metaphorical level in terms of the strength of the State of Israel but also with respect to the strength of every person: “Great is our physical demand. We need a healthy body. We dealt much with soulfulness; we forgot the holiness of the body. We neglected the physical health and strength; we forgot that we have holy flesh; no less than holy spirit…” He continues: “Our teshuva (repentance) will succeed only if it will be–with all its splendid spirituality–also a physical return, which produces healthy blood, healthy flesh, mighty solid bodies, a fiery spirit radiating over powerful muscles…” A proper emphasis on physical health is linked with how and what we eat. Jewish tradition has elaborate guidelines for how we are to approach food: what we are permitted to eat, when we may eat it, how it must be prepared, and what types of blessings we are to recite over each bite that enters our mouths. Given this religious framework, one might assume that Jews would have a healthy relationship with food.

“Traditional Foods” However, we fall victim to the same food fads and eating-related health problems that plague society at large. When the words “Jews and food” are mentioned together, the reverence our tradition has historically had for food is not the first thing that comes to mind. Instead, we recognize, often with humor, how linked our holidays and celebrations are with food customs and with eating. No significant date in the Jewish calendar is properly observed without either an overwhelming abundance or complete absence of food. Our celebrations are famous for fare ranging from bagels, lox, and rugelach to full-blown, all-you-can-eat smorgasbords. An examination of some of the disconnect that has developed between Jews and our ancient links with food, can help us regain a more positive and healthful attitude towards eating. While agriculture dictated the lives of our ancestors, contemporary Jews must often reference a list to learn which berakha (blessing) to say on a given piece of food. Many foods we consider “traditional” today result from the efforts of hungry people to ensure that no animal parts went to waste. Ironically, we now scour specialty food markets for exotic ingredients to prepare the “traditional” foods that were once simply the local fare of our dispersed Diaspora ancestors, valuing the wisdom we find in a recipe over our own fresh and local ingredients. There are modern secular food movements called “slow food” (a counter to “fast” food) and “local food” which urge people to know and appreciate how food is grown and harvested, and if possible, to participate in these activities themselves. Like fitness trends, Orthodox Jews are not at the forefront of these food movements. However, one can argue that the blessings that we recite over food in our tradition promote the same type of awareness and reverence these movements encourage.

Discovering The Origins of Our Food The formulation of the food blessings not only allows us to thank the Creator for something with which to fill our bellies, but also demands that we have knowledge about the origins of our food. To choose the correct blessing, we must know how a given food grows (on trees or closer to the ground, for example), what key ingredients a dish contains, and what type of processing a food has undergone before it arrives on our table. Our blessings also indicate in their wording a concern for the nutritional content of food. “Birkat hamazon“ literally means “blessing over sustenance.” The blessing ending with the words, “borei minei mezonot” gives thanks to “the One who creates sustenance.” We have a halachic (Jewish law) obligation to give thanks to God for all the food we choose to eat, even “junk food” that can be detrimental to our health. Nevertheless, the words of our food blessing, if recited with intention, are a constant reminder to put into our bodies, God’s vessels, food that is nourishing. And a blessing said on a food eaten when truly hungry, is, in most cases, said with a level of intention far greater than a blessing mouthed over food eaten past the point of hunger. In short, Judaism has provided us with thoughtful food blessing, and these, if said with kavanah(intention), are likely to lead to more healthy eating. The questions of how and what we eat and how we treat our bodies are both physical and spiritual, and they are definitely Jewish questions. Both our tefillot (prayers) and our berakhot (blessings) would be more meaningful and our eating would be more healthful if we took the time to explore and consider these issues seriously. At the same time we should recognize that our religious traditions do give us a framework for relating properly to our physical selves. page 13 By: Abbie Greenberg Reference: myjewishlearning.com

JCC The Place To Be! page 14

Happy Birthday!!!

4th Lorissa Castillo

23rd Ms. Barbara Leyba

24th Wesley Solovey (JCC Maintenance)

28th Ms. Dezarai Villarreal

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2nd Winter Break (JCC School Closed/Holiday Care Open) 5th Shabbat 9:00 AM/ Mitzvah “Taking Care of the Sick” Mrs. Marez 9th & 11th Challah Baking with students - L’Dor V’Dor with Mrs. Householder 12th Shabbat 9:00 AM/ Mitzvah “Taking Care of the Sick” Mrs. Marez 15th Teacher Work Day (JCC School Closed/Holiday Care Closed) 19th Shabbat 9:00 AM/ Mitzvah “Recycle” Ms. Lorissa 25th 9:00 AM PTO Meeting (after drop off in auditorium) 26th Shabbat 9:00 AM/ Mitzvah “Recycle” Ms. Lorissa 31st Tu B’Shevat Celebration

2018 Jr. Kinder Chanukah Program

For more information contact: Preschool/ Summer Programs Director - Manuela Sela Call (361) 855-6239 or Email: jewishcommunitypreschool@yahoo.com

page 15

For more information contact: Executive Director - Vanessa Nisbet Call: (361)814-9399 or Email: director@risecorpuschristi.org

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