HAPPY

AND

HEALTHY

2016

Temple Beth El Service Schedule

KIDDUSH HOSTED BY THE

TEMPLE BETH EL SISTERHOOD Schedule of Daily Services Monday Mornings 8:00 A.M. Thursday Mornings 8:00 A.M. Friday Shabbat Evening 5:30 P.M. Saturday Shabbat Morning 9:30 A.M. Sunday Mornings 8:45 A.M. Dear Friends, Please join us any morning, from the schedule above, that you are available, to help be part of a minyan. It is a mitzvah for you and for our service. Temple Beth El Office Hours: Monday thru Thursday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Candle Lighting 5774 January 1st 4:18 P.M. January 8th 4:25 P.M. January 15th 4:33 P.M. January 22nd 4:42 P.M. January 29th 4:51 P.M. Please notify Temple of any ADDRESS CHANGES you may have for the winter months, we need these address changes if we are to continue sending the bulletin. Thank You.

The Temple Times 2710 Genesee Street, Utica, New York 13502

TBE 315/724-4751 TE 315/724-4177

Tevet / Shevat 5776 Vol.7.5 January 2016

Page 2 Temple Beth El Organization Cantor Kalman A. Socolof Dr. Stanley Gerstein, Rabbi Emeritus Officers Ms. Marsha Silverman, President Mr. Michael Silverman, Treasurer Presidents Mrs. Aliza Gerstein, Sisterhood Co-Pres. Mrs. Mundy Shapiro, Sisterhood Co-Pres. Mr. Charles Manning, Men’s Club Mr. Stanley Shapiro, Minyanaires Staff Mrs. Mundy B. Shapiro, Executive Director Mrs. Julie Cain, Secretary Mr. Denny Pexton, Cemetery Caretaker

The Temple Times

Page 6

Message from Cantor Socolof Living in Central New York has many advantages and benefits. We have many opportunities to enjoy the various aspects of nature. We have a varied topography and, if we don’t blink, we get to see the turning of the seasons. The people, like the weather, are generally moderate, with seasonal extremes. One thing that living in Central New York does not provide us is a climate evocative of Israel’s. In most cases, that is of little account. They have their climate, we have ours, zei gesunt. When we start talking about and seeking to celebrate holidays that are feasible in the Israeli climate, but not in ours, it can prove puzzling. Perhaps none are more prominent in this aspect than Tu b’Shevat. Tu B’Shevat is variously known as the new year for the trees or Jewish Arbor Day. This year, it coincides with January 25th. A resident of Central New York might well wonder if this is some kind of joke. After all, who would set a holiday celebrating plants and agriculture in the middle of the winter? Winter in Israel is a very different season than what we experience. It is the rainy season. As I write this, the high temperatures in Jerusalem for the next few days should be around 60, and for them that is winter weather. Our rabbis observed that by Tu B’Shevat, most of the annual rain had fallen, so that any fruit produced after that was from a new year. It might help to understand that Tu B’Shevat was not originally a celebration of horticulture as we know it. Rather, it was set as a practical matter to deal with a problem that arose with trying to observe a Torah command. The Torah tells us that we may not use any fruit that grows on a tree in its first three years. This fruit is called orlah and the prohibition can be found in Leviticus 19. We are further commanded that the fruit of

The Temple Times

the fourth year is holy; we are to bring it with us to the Temple and eat it there. As of the fifth year, we may do with the fruit as we please. The question this brings up is: when is a tree’s birthday? Is it when it is planted? Or perhaps when it sprouts? What about when it is planted in the ground? There are arguments to be made for each of these occasions. To clarify and standardize the application of these mitzvoth, Tu B’Shevat was set as the official new year for the trees, effectively their birthday. As of that date, any tree planted in the previous year was now one year old. It is interesting to note that a similar system is used to determine the age of thoroughbred race horses, but their date is January 1st. In any event, it is customary to eat from the fruit of Israel, especially a fruit you have not eaten for a few months, so that you might recite Shehechiyanu. The seven foods mentioned in the Torah in this context are wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates (it actually mentions honey, but the honey came from dates, not bees). If you opt, instead, for carob or a Jaffa orange you are still doing a mitzvah. Tu B’Shevat offers us a chance to recognize and celebrate the importance of all forms of life on our planet. While we tend to focus on animal life, the Torah reminds us that the members of the plant kingdom deserve their due as well. Like all life, it is remanded to our care. We should endeavor to treat it with care and respect. Cantor Kal Socolof

The Temple Times

Temple Beth El President’s Message Our community lost a remarkable woman in 2015. I was honored to have Helen Sperling as my friend. We spent many hours together and I feel blessed I had that time with her. Another friend sent me the following that I would like to share with you: On Friday nights, a husband chants the words to Ayshes Chayil--A woman of valor who can find. She is more precious than jewels. It ends with, “Her children rise up and make her happy:” her husband praises her, "Many women have excelled, but a woman who fears the Lord--she shall be praised. Give her credit for the fruit of her labors and let her achievements praise her at the gates” (NCSY Bencher). Helen Sperling was a true Ayshes Chayil because she was a woman of valor and indeed she was more precious to the community than jewels. In fact, she was often described as a jewel. As we all know Helen Sperling has shared her story of Nazi Germany with thousands of people, mostly young people. She told the story of how she left the Ghetto to call her very best friend, Barbara, on her birthday. She used the phone at the bakery to call Barbara, who in turn said, "Don't ever call me again you dirty Jew.” We know this devastated Helen. Years later, her daughter Fran, who was in 5th grade, came home in tears because someone had called her a “dirty Jew.” This was the beginning of Helen's life-long journey to make sure as many people as possible knew about the Holocaust. She was astonished that hatred and anti-semitism had followed her to the United States. In fact hatred, anti-semitism, and bullying exists still today in epidemic proportions. Helen, along with her husband Leon, began the Leon and Helen Sperling Holocaust Memorial Lecture series, so that yearly, the community would gather together in a standing-room only space "to never forget", "to never be a bystander" and to teach the lessons of the Holocaust. The prayer ends by telling us that her children rise up and make her happy. Not only did Helen get "nachos" joy from her own children and grandchildren, but she had a special place in her heart for the thousands of

Page 7

school students whose lives she touched. For every time she spoke, she would end her talk by having each student come up and give her a hug and, she in turn, would give them a hug. As of late, she also gave them each a bracelet that said "Thou shall never be a bystander." The prayer continues by saying her husband praises her. Leon and Helen loved each other unconditionally and were each other's best friends. Without the love and support of Leon, Fran and Paul, Helen could not have reached out and touched as many people as she did. The prayer continues with, "Many women have excelled," and indeed Helen Sperling excelled. This was best exemplified by the numerous awards she had received, as well as, the many leadership roles she served in the community. But a woman who fears the Lord, tells us about the strong belief and sense of pride Helen had in being Jewish. She was actively involved in the Jewish community and during the time she spent in the Holocaust, was proud of her heritage and stood up against the forces of evil telling them they will never own her. The verse continues with, “She shall be praised. “ Helen Sperling saw the good in everyone and never allowed hatred to rule her. Maybe she strongly disliked Nazi Germany, but she was stronger than Nazi Germany because she lived to be 95. She had a good life. Lastly, it says, “Give her credit for the fruit of her labors and let her achievements praise her at the gates. “ The only way in which we can honor Helen and Leon, their lives, and give her credit for her life-long quest to educate people about the Holocaust is "to never forget.” Don't be a bystander and watch what is going on. Stand up against the forces of evil. Helen's achievements will be praised at the gates and throughout the community, if we "never forget.” Her memory will be a blessing for all and she will have achieved her ultimate goal of us never being a bystander. If you always remember the lessons of the Holocaust that Helen taught us, then Helen will live forever in our hearts and minds.

Marsha Silverman

Page 8

Temple Beth El Executive Director’s Message As we start the New Year 2016 we will go back a bit and say Todah Rabah to the many ladies who worked on the Chanukah dinner. The latkes were delicious, as always the Latka Ladies did a great job. The potato peelers enjoyed visiting while they peeled, the “shoppers” had everything ready to go for the caterers and the ladies that set the tables along with the students that made the lovely decorations made the room look warm and festive.

None of this could have been done without the tremendous help of Sead, and the caterer and the staff of the Moveable Feast. A lovely evening was enjoyed by all. As is so often the case life is a mixed blessing – after our lovely, fun dinner our wonderful Helen Sperling came to the end of her days; leaving memories for all of us. I would like to share some of my thoughts with you.

Helen Sperling

It is with sadness that I write about our friend of many years, Helen Sperling, but it is also with great appreciation that we had the opportunity to know Helen, and to benefit from her caring and desire to share her past with all of us.

The Temple Times

I met Helen over 50 years ago at a pre-school meeting, in those days it was nursery school, at the old JCC on Genesee Street. Our sons were the same age and Stan and I had the privilege of knowing Helen and Leon for all those many years. Helen was a little lady but only in stature; she was a woman of great strength and amazing intellect, she was determined, she could be stubborn when she thought she was right but she was kind and caring and always ready to help. Helen could not have lived to 95 had she not been a determined fighter. She survived the horrors of the Holocaust, losing her parents, spending three years in a hospital recovering from beatings in the concentration camp. Helen came to the U.S., she met and married Leon and they ended up in Utica, NY, to our great luck. They were parents to Franny and Paul and our community was the beneficiary of a woman of greatness. So many of our children had the opportunity to learn Helen’s story, our community and so many far reaching communities had the great good fortune to learn history from a survivor of one of history’s great atrocities. Learning from Helen was learning with love, with her message “Thou Shall Not Be A Bystander”, being her lesson in few words. Let us never forget Helen and her message, and let us always appreciate what a very special friend we had. Peace and happiness. Mundy

The Temple Times

Temple Beth El Donations

THE VICTOR H. FLAX FUND In Memory Of: Merwin Greene Given By: Norm and Ann Siegel In Memory Of: David Lowitz’s mother Given By: Marsha Silverman; Bob and Adele Sossen; David and Sharon Goldenson In Memory Of: Judy Vogel’s daughter Michele Given By: Marsha Silverman In Honor Of: Marian Freeman’s great grandson Given By: Norm and Ann Siegel For the Recovery Of: Ernie Berkowitz Given By: Murray and Diane Kirshtein THE CEMETERY CARE FUND In Memory Of: The Yahrzeit of Arthur Wasserman Given By: Audrey Lewis In Memory Of: The Yahrzeit of Barbara Galinn Schneider Given By: Irving Schneider In Memory Of: Neville Barnett Given By: Ruth Dresher Cohen In Memory Of: Judy Vogel’s daughter Michele Given By: Mr. and Mrs. Charles Manning In Memory Of: Helen Sperling Given By: Murray and Diane Kirshtein; Harold L. Klein

Page 9

Reminder from

TEMPLE BETH EL

SISTERHOOD

Sisterhood will sponsor a

THRIFT SHOP in March 2016.

Items may be brought to the

Temple after the first of the year.

More information will follow.

HADASSAH JNF

CERTIFICATES

$12.00

PLEASE

Call Marsha 737-7665

Temple Beth El Religious School Celebrating Chanukah at Sitrin

The ENTIRE Jewish Community

is invited to join us

as we continue our Winter / Spring

Lunch and Learn Series

on Jewish Ethics

Saturday, February 6th

12:00 PM

Cantor Socolof will be the speaker

Please RSVP to either

Mundy at Temple Beth El 724-4751 or

Rita at Temple Emanu-El 724-4177

and

will pay Temple Beth El

for you to buy your groceries!!

Fill out the coupon below

with your check payable to Temple Beth El

and mail it to 2710 Genesee St., Utica, NY 13502

We will send you a gift card for the same amount!

You have not spent an extra penny and in return Temple

Beth El received a percentage from PriceChopper

and Hannford.

Name ________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

PriceChopper $25. $50. $100

Hannaford $25. $50. $100

Thank You!!!

Please join us as we

Celebrate the Life

of

Helen Sperling

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

JCC 2310 Oneida Street, Utica

More details to follow

Page 20 The Temple Times

Temple Beth El December Simcha Grams

February 2016

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS Date FEBRUARY ANNIVERSARIES Date

Lisa Zeidner 03 Gary and Lisa Philipson 7/1987

Marsey Rosenblum 07 Edward and Melissa Kowalsky 20/2007

Tara Jonas 08

Roz Lemel 08

Adam Oster 08

Charles Manning 13

Victor Pearlman 16

Susie Zeidner 16

Elsie Feiner 17

Jerome Socolof 18

Shona Rosenblum 19

Norman Neslin 21

Elaine Brown 22

Abbe Nathan Gross 23

Judy Nathan Schomer 23

Joshua Foote 24

Bob Stern 29

Enclosed is $1.50 per name that I have indicated. I have enclosed a check made out to the Sisterhood of Temple Beth El for $__________ for ______ (#) of Simcha Grams

Mail to: Rae Rosenfeld

3008 Oneida Street Sauquoit, NY 13456

Due by the 15th of the month

I have printed my name and date as I wish it to appear on the Simcha Gram.

Name:

Telephone Number:

Please call the Temple Office 724-4751, if you wish to add any names to the list

The Temple Times Page 21

Temple Beth El January Yahrzeit Record

The following Yahrzeit will be observed during the week of January 9 to 15, 2016 28 Tevet to 5 Shevat 5776

These names will be read from the pulpit on Friday January 8, 2016

Leonard Bartnick* Bernard Kowalsky* Milton Richards* Louis J. Toffler*

David Berger* Nathan Kowalsky* Sophie Rubin Samuel Tumposky*

Henry Berger* Philip A. Lewis* Edward I. Shapiro* Hinda Tumposky*

Max Brooks* Edith Lorig* Jacob Sitrin* Yetta Wolfe*

Shaina Damsky* Adelaide G. Lumberg* Samuel J. Smith* Anna L. Wolfe*

Sara Gennis* Milton S. Manning* Edward Smith* Morris Woloshin*

Pincus Grossman Joseph S. Mintzer* Charles Sumberg* Morris Baker*

Emma Jacobson* Ruth Movsh* Elka Targer* Herman Philipson*

Barnet Kirshtein* George Nusbaum* Rachel Toffler* Sarah Wolf*

The following Yahrzeit will be observed during the week of January 16 to 22 2016 6 to 12 Shevat 5776

These names will be read from the pulpit on Friday January 15, 2016 Anne Alderman* Harry Greene* Fanny Lindey* Ben Slater

Max Benjamin* Irving Greenfield* Samuel Meyers* Rose Taylor*

Beretha Blumberg* David Gross Milton M. Osber* Meyer Taylor*

David L. Cohen* Harvey Harris Ethel G. Philipson* Anna E. Tumposky*

Ida Cramer* Harry Kamino* Max J. Philipson* Rebecca Weinstein*

Dorothy Dumain* Herbert B. Kopel* Frances Katzman Revitch* Hyman Wertheim

Charles Finer Anna Schneider Kossof* Lena Rosenthal* Louis Wineburgh*

Regina C. Friedlander* Mary J. Levenson* Anna Schwartz* Eliyucum Wineburgh*

Jewel Friedlander* Sarah Levine* Saria Singer* Samuel J. Wolfe*

Rachel Goldenson*

The following Yahrzeit will be observed during the week of January 23 to 29, 2016 13 to 19 Shevat 5776

These names will be read from the pulpit on Friday January 22, 2016

Elizabeth Bartnick Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kirschstein Louis G. Payne Helen Simons

Carol Brown Robert Kowalsky Israel Perlman Hymen P. Snyder

Frances Winnick Cohen Florence Kurtzman Max Philipson Gertrude Frankel Stahl

Harvey N. Fink Rae LaVine Dr. Judith A. Resnik Solomon Stayman

Dora M. Freedman Abraham Levine Harry Shapiro Lillian Sugarman

Bessie N. Freeman Aaron David Levy Mollie Sherman Sarah Tapper Gossis

Hiram Goldenson Bessie G. Manning Solomon Simon Edward I. Weiss

Anna I. Goldman Daniel Meyers Samuel L. Simon Samuel L. Wolfe

Dr. Edmund Goldstone Abraham H. Wyner

(Continued on Page 22)

Page 22 The Temple Times

Temple Beth El January/February Yahrzeit Record (Continued from Page 21)

The following Yahrzeit will be observed during the week of January 30 to February 5, 2016: 20 to 26 Shevat 5776

These names will be read from the pulpit on Friday January 29, 2016 Bea Abrams* Sari Emas* Rita H. Osber* Dr. Gerald Segal*

Harold Alpert Joseph Y. Freeman* Morris Pollack* Ida R. Seld*

Dr. Harold B. Arlen* Michael Gilbert* Victor Pressler* Ann Perlman Seldin*

Julia Simon Aronson* Joseph Glick* Florence Sarah Rabinowitz Mose P. Silverstein*

Dorothy Berkowitz Ida Goldstein* Nathan Rebeck Benjamin Simon*

Abraham Block* Maxine R. Kall* Bertha Birdye Rizika* Jacob Moses Smith*

Hyman Brooks* Milton P. Kayle* Ruth S. Rosenblum* Minnie I. Smith*

Benjamin Brown* Emma W. Kowalsky* Belle Rossky* Max Stone*

Sarah Cohen* Ruth Ben Kroll* Nathan Samuels* Theodore Stone*

Tema Cramer* Saul Shepard Lasher* Abraham Schecter Sora Blume Wineburgh*

Jack Daniels* Charles Manning* Ryfka Schecter James L. Wolfe*

William Edelstein* Carrie Nedell* Lena Schmuckler*

The following Yahrzeit will be observed during the week of February 6 to 12, 2016: 27 Shevat to 3 Adar 1 5776

These names will be read from the pulpit on Friday February 5, 2016

Richard Edward Arlen* Rabbi Joseph Gerstein* Anita Krohn* Bertha Rabinowitz*

Herman Berger* Gabriel Harris* Minnie Krohn* Col. Ilan Ramon*

Cantor Martin Bodanoff* Idelle Herman* Julius Manning* Vilmos Reisner*

Morris Bonnett* Jennie Horowitz* Annette G. Mansky* Rubie H. Root*

Fannie Burger* Anna Hymes* Hyman Mittleman* Jennie E. Rosen*

Morey Cummins Nathan Jacobson* Dorothy Nathan* Edward Silverman*

Ann Fosberg Demell* Dr. Sol E. Kantor* Sydney Oberman* Harry Weiss*

Anna Fink* Reuben Kaplan* Simon D. Parker*

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Temple Beth El 2710 Genesee Street Utica, NY 13502-6194

Temple Beth El

A Conservative Congregation Established for the Worship of God, the Study of Torah and the Practice of Righteous Deeds

2710 Genesee Street, Utica, NY 13502 315/724-4751 Fax 315/724-6883

E-Mail: tbeutica@gmail.com Website: tbeutica.org

Cantor Kalman Socolof E-Mail: uticacantor@verizon.net