they place their lives in harm’s way to ensure that the
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NOVEMBER 2016
Every year, Veterans Day represents a way to honor our veterans who boldly put their lives on the line to protect the values of our nation. These men and women are our parents, grandparents, siblings, children and more. Their service weaves us together into a broader patriotic community that is much like a giant family. We are proud of who they are, and we are indebted to them for their boundless dedication to serve. They place their lives in harm’s way to ensure that the liberties we enjoy are not threatened by foreign powers. Their military service is something we should never take for granted. On Friday night, November 11, we will honor the veterans of our nation with a sacred service. At this Sabbath worship service, veterans of various wars will share their stories. Additionally, we will honor them at the oneg with a special photo gallery of our men and women in uniform. If you have a story you wish to share or a photo that we can display, please contact the office immediately. We hope to honor every one of our members who served in the military – past, present and future. May the dedication and valiance demonstrated by the men and women who serve us in this capacity inspire us to uphold the virtues of our nation as we work collectively to be a beacon of liberty and harmony for all the world to see.
Lieutenant Robert Smith
Cadet Randy Smith Ralph S. Marks
Cadet Robert Smith
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November Calendar
2 1:00 PM Senior Chai Watercolor Wednesdays
4 6:00 PM 6:15 PM 7:15 PM
Tot Shabbat Family Dinner Family Shabbat Services & Game Night
6 9:00 AM Religious School Family Breakfast
7 10:00 AM Senior Chai Yoga Class
8 11:30 AM 7:00 PM
Knitzvah Group Board Meeting
9 10:30 AM 1:00 PM
Interest Group with Judge Phil Warner Senior Chai Watercolor Wednesdays
11 7:15 PM Veterans Got Shabbat
12 10:30 AM 8:00 PM
Bar Mitzvah of Eli Mogil Film Screening at JCC Book Fair: A Tale of Love and Darkness
13 9:30 AM 12:30 PM
Religious School Bark Mitzvah
14 10:00 AM Senior Chai Yoga Class
16 1:00 PM Senior Chai Watercolor Wednesdays
18 7:15 PM Shabbat Services
19 9:00 AM 10:30 AM
6:30 PM
8-12th Graders: Texas Renaissance Fair Bar Mitzvah of Ronen Wenderfer 6-8th Graders: Movie - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
20 9:00 AM Mitzvah Day
22 11:30 AM Knitzvah Group
25 7:15 PM Shabbat Services
27 No Religious School
28 10:00 AM Senior Chai Yoga Class
30 1:00 PM Senior Chai Watercolor Wednesdays
Family Shabbat Friday, November 4
Tot Shabbat: 6:00PM Dinner: 6:15PM Family Services: 7:15PM Menu: Thanksgiving Feast: Fried turkey, Thanksgiving sides, salad, chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. Dinner is $5 per person over 4 years old. Join us after services for an oneg and family game night!
For Our Tots: Tot Shabbat Services on November 4 at 6:00PM. Join us for Shabbat fun.
Temple Office Closed for Thanksgiving The temple office will be closed for Thanksgiving beginning Wednesday, November 23 and will reopen Monday, November 28.
Knitzvah Group
We chat, we eat, we knit and crochet, all for good causes! Join us the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 11:30AM to 1:00PM. Newcomers are always welcome. Basic instruction is provided.
Interest Group The Interest Group will meet at 10:30AM on Wednesday, November 9, the day after elections to discuss the results. As he has for several years, retired judge Phil Warner will moderate the discussion. Come early for bagels and coffee and bring a friend.
Veterans Shabbat
Friday, November 11 at 7:15PM
Honor our veterans. Hear their stories. Value their sacrifices. Consider the values worth fighting for.
Your Hands Can Make a Difference
Mitzvah Day 2016
November 20 from 9:00AM-12:30PM
More details in brochure.
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Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund In honor of Alex Aitken’s Bar Mitzvah From Goldman/Aitken Family Summer Camp Scholarship Fund From Richard and Ruth Hirschfeld General Operating Fund From Ted and Maria Johnson Sponsored an Oneg From Ted and Maria Johnson In honor of Bryce Goldstein’s Concsecration From The Goldstein Family 60th Anniversary Year Sponsors Gold Level Sponsor From Rabbi Steve and Beckye Gross Pearl Level Sponsor From Julie Barry (Jews of Ireland Got Shabbat) From Marcia and Bill Chaffin (Tea) From Justin Deutsch (Tailgate Party) From JoAnn and Mike Innerarity (Tea) From Michelle and Mitch Leben (Cars & Coffee)
From Anna and Gary Mason (Margarita Madness)
From Melinda Neumann (Bark Mitzvah) From Jennifer and Michael Siegel (Deli Shabbat) From Randy and Robert Smith (60s Party) Supporter Level Sponsor From Donna Siegel From Pat and Buddy Susman Supporter Level Sponsor From Donna Siegel
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Brag and Boast
Mazel Tov to Eli Mogil, son of Todd and Leslie who will become a Bar Mitzvah on November 12. Mazel Tov to Ronen Wenderfer, son of Scott Wenderfer and Megan Hersh who will become a Bar Mitzvah on November 19.
Temple Life
The Temple Life Committee wants to help members of HCRJ during challenging times. Please let the HCRJ office know if you need the following services:
*meals at times of illness or loss
*transportation to religious services
*grocery shopping for those who are confined
to their homes
*phone calls just to check in with you
*house-sitting during a funeral
We want to know about births, deaths, marriages, anniversaries and other milestones in your life so that we can acknowledge these occasions and lend a helping hand when needed. Let us know, too, if you have knowledge of a congregant who has been hospitalized.
November Oneg Sponsorships:
November 4: Available to sponsor. Please contact temple office.
November 11: Sponsored by the Mogil Family in honor of Eli’s Bar Mitzvah.
November 18: Sponsored by Barbara Brownstein in memory of her husband, Rabbi Marc Brownstein, and by the
Wenderfer/Hersh Family in honor of Ronen’s Bar Mitzvah.
November 25: Sponsored by Jean and Mort Fefer in honor of their 60th wedding anniversary and by Sylvia Brauer and the
Schwartz Family in memory of Hyman and Helen Schwartz.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES A wonderful mitzvah opportunity awaits you!
Celebrate a life cycle event or honor a loved one by sponsoring a Friday Night Oneg (Sabbath reception), a Family Sabbath Dinner or a Religious School Breakfast. These events represent just some of the ways our community gathers in fellowship, and your sponsorship enables us to frame these occasions with additional beauty and joy. If you wish to sponsor a meal or a Sabbath reception, please let us know by filling out the form below and mailing it to the temple or by contacting the office at 713-782-4162 or [email protected].
Sabbath Oneg —$100.00 Religious School Breakfast—$100.00
Family Shabbat Dinner —$150.00 Contribution to Arrangements Fund—$______ In honor/memory of: ___________________________________
Date of event:______________ Your name: ___________________________________
Our heartfelt condolences… On the death of Maureen Cremins, mother of Robert and his wife, Melanie, and grandmother of Kieran and David, who passed away on September 22. May the memory of our beloved ones always remain a blessing to those who were graced by their presence.
Eli Mogil’s Mitzvah Project
For his Bar Mitzvah project, Eli Mogil is organizing a donation drive for Star of Hope Mission. Star of Hope Mission provides services and supplies for the homeless and helps people regardless of their age, sex, race, religion or citizenship. Eli is collecting personal hygiene products for the homeless so that he can provide care packages to donate to Star of Hope Mission. Please consider donating these much needed items listed below (new and unused) so that others may live a happier and healthier life. Items can be dropped off in the HCRJ lobby by November 13.
Shampoo/Conditioner, Deodorant, Soap, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, Hair brushes, Cotton balls, Tissue boxes, Feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, diapers and pull-ups, cottons swabs (q-tips), wet wipes, insect repellent, sunscreen, towels and washcloths.
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Social Action Project: Meals on Wheels Saturday, December 3, 9-11AM Join us in December as we volunteer for Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston. We will be assembling weekly bags of breakfast groceries for
Meals on Wheels seniors. Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston Meals on Wheels program provides a home-delivered meal to homebound seniors over 60 and their spouses. To sign up for this project, please contact Justin at 713-782-4162 or [email protected].
HCRJ’s 60th Anniversary year celebration continues with the Bark Mitzvah (November 13) and Margarita Madness (December
10). Details for these events are below. More information regarding all of the year’s activities and sponsorship opportunities is available at hcrj.org/60th.
Pictured above are the volunteers who participated in our August Meals on Wheels project.
Feeding the Homeless
HCRJ’s Mitzvah Day is coming up on Sunday, November 20. One of our most popular projects is assembling meal bags with sandwiches for residents of Turning Point Center, an organization which offers food, shelter and other rehabilitative services to meet the physical and emotional needs of a neglected segment of society: underprivileged individuals aged 50 and older who are unable to provide safe and adequate living conditions for themselves. We are in need of the following items: Zip Lock Sandwich Bags, White or Wheat Sandwich Bread, Napkins, Candy, Individually Packaged Chips, Fruit Snacks, Cookies or Granola
Bars, Bottled Water, Cereal, Bars, Gift Cards to HEB or Kroger, Plastic Table Cloths, Plastic Gloves and Plastic Grocery Bags. Would you like to contribute to this project? Please contact Justin Deutsch at [email protected].
60th Anniversary Sponsors
Diamond: Katherine and Larry Buck, Herman Family Fund, Johnita and Robert Lebow, Shelby Family Gold: Donna Lax-Edison and Andrew Edison, Rabbi Steve and Beckye Gross, Miriam and Allan Graber,
Sheila and Norman Loewenstern, Ede and Bruce Weiner, Emily and Adam Weinstein
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Through a variety of social, educational and recreational activities, the Senior Chai program is dedicated to enriching the lives of those 60 and above. This program is generously underwritten in memory of Mozelle & David Barg and Esther & Robert Shelby. All programs are open to the community. Please check the HCRJ website for a full list of programs.
Yoga Class Mondays through November 28 (no class November 21) 10:00AM to 11:15AM $10 per class for the session or $15 per class for walk-ins
Taught by Suzy Shapiro, a certified yoga instructor, this class will focus on strength and stamina, balance and flexibility, and a new sense of well-being. First session free. RSVP to Melissa Wolfson at [email protected] or 713-782-4162.
Watercolor Class Wednesdays, November 2—December 14, 1:00PM to 3:00PM (no class November 23) Artist Noelle Shawa will begin a 6-week watercolor series on September 7. Noelle, who has taught numerous classes for the Senior Chai program including pastels and drawing, will continue her work with this fun medium. This class is suitable for those who have never painted before and for those who have some experience. Those who took her previous watercolor class are welcome and encouraged to attend this one as well. No cost to attend. RSVP required to Melissa Wolfson at 713-782-4162 or [email protected].
Two Events for Parents of 5th-7th graders on December 4
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Information Meeting: Calling all Parents of 5-7th graders at 10:00AM
We ask all parents considering dates for Bar/Bat Mitzvah with children in grades 5, 6, and 7 to attend this important meeting. If you already have attended this meeting in the past and already have a date on the HCRJ calendar, no additional information will be presented. This is the first opportunity that 5th grade parents will have to submit their preferences for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah date. To reserve a date on the calendar, 3 dates must be submitted along with the $500 fee. Topics for this meeting include:
· Judaism's response to adolescence · The Bar/Bat Mitzvah process at HCRJ
· Mitzvah projects · How to begin to prepare for this special event in the life of your family
After Rabbi Gross and Hilary share their information about the Bar/Bat Mitzvah process, you will have an opportunity to meet with many of the best vendors in the city at our vendor fair.
If you are unable to attend the meeting but would still like more information about Bar/Bat Mitzvah, please e-mail Hilary Kamin at
Planning a Party? Bar/Bat Mitzvah? Join us for HCRJ’s 5th Annual Vendor Fair at 10:30AM
HCRJ will be hosting dozens of our preferred vendors who will be available for you to meet with. Experience everything you need to make your Bar or Bat Mitzvah or any event a success! Meet vendors in every category allowing you to get connected face-to-face. This free event allows you to see and experience everything your events can be. Come see a multitude of vendors on-site to help you plan for the big day! Explore a wide variety of goods and services – including all the newest ideas – all for you! Invitations, Hotels, Photographers, Videographers, Green Screens, Caterers, Décor and so much more! Come meet with the best vendors out there! For more information contact [email protected]
Join HCRJ at the 44th Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Fair at the JCC for the screening of the film, A Tale of Love and Darkness, on Saturday, November 12 at 8PM. In this film, Natalie Portman makes her directorial debut in her extraordinary adaptation of Amos Oz’s bestselling memoir. Multilayered, touching and beautifully rendered, the film takes the viewer into a fleeting moment in Israeli history through a deeply personal lens.
The film depicts the story of Amos Oz’s youth, set against the backdrop of the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the early years of the State of Israel. As a community partner for this screening, HCRJ has 10 complimentary tickets available. A discounted group ticket rate is available if we need more than 10 tickets. We plan to meet for dinner at 6PM at Old Hickory Inn before heading to the JCC for the film. To reserve your tickets, please contact Justin at [email protected].
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HCRJ is pleased to participate in Count Me In again this year. Each year, Count Me In donates thousands of gifts to hundreds of children and adults in need during the Chanukah season. The goal of the organization is to help Jewish families celebrate Chanukah by providing them with donations of gifts and other services.
If you are a family in need, know a family in need, would like to be a donor of gifts or provide financial support, please contact Hilary Kamin at [email protected]. HCRJ will be passing out bags that can be filled with gifts starting November 4. All bags must be returned by November 23. Our 7th grade students along with High School youth group members of HOUSTY will then be volunteering at the Merfish Teen Center on December 11 to sort gifts. For more information on volunteering, please contact Michelle Renfrow at [email protected].
On December 4, HCRJ will host a new program for Jewish grandparents whose adult children are in an interfaith relationship. The first event will include a light lunch followed by a discussion. The purpose will be to provide support and guidance to Jewish grandparents who are interested in exploring ways to connect their grandchildren to Jewish tradition and practice. The event is modeled after a similar program developed by the Big Tent Judaism Initiative - a new non- denominational nationwide initiative that cultivates new "outside of the box" Jewish programming across the country. Housed at HCRJ but open to the Jewish community at large, this event for Jewish grandparents is an outgrowth of the Interfaith Couples programming begun at HCRJ in the Spring of 2016 and made possible by the support of the Houston Jewish Community Foundation. Becky and Joe Williams, members of the Houston Jewish community, will lead the discussion at the October gathering and Rabbi Laura Sheinkopf will facilitate. Please RSVP to [email protected]. This program is partially underwritten by funding from the Houston Jewish Community Foundation.
2nd—5th Grade Retreat November 4-6
Join us at Greene Family Camp for a fun filled weekend making new friends and meeting new ones. Go to Greene.org for all the details and to register for this awesome experience.
Fall Fest: 6th—8th Grade November 11—13
For our friends in 6-8th grade we have another fun weekend at Greene Family Camp planned for you! Meet up with friends from all over Texas and Oklahoma for a unique Shabbat experience, social time and overall fun for everyone. Go to www.greene.org for details and to register.
March on Austin November 12-13.
This event gives our students in 8-12th grades who are interested in social justice and advocacy a taste of Texas politics. We will meet up with other youth from all over Texas and Oklahoma at our nations capitol and learn about politics and meet some members of our political parties. Go to www.greene.org for more details and to register.
Texas Renaissance Fair November 19, 9:00AM to 4:00PM
All 8-12th graders are invited to join Michelle Renfow and other youth from all over Houston at the Texas Renaissance Fair! We will leave from HCRJ at 9am and head to Plantersville to sample the Renaissance cuisine, joust with our friends and do some shopping. We are partnering with other local youth groups for an awesome day at the Fair. Costumes are optional but Michelle has hers ready. RSVP to Michelle at [email protected]. Cost is $30 per person.
Movie Theater Takeover November 19, 6:30-10:00PM
All our 6-8th graders are invited to join the ERJCC HC68 program as they have a Fantastic Movie theater takeover as we see the latest Harry Potter Movie, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" To attend this fantastic event with all your Houston friends, register online at http://www.erjcchouston.org/children-and-camping/houston-connect-68/
Programs for our Youth
Grandparents Circle December 4, 12:00PM
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NOVEMBER ANNIVERSARIES NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS
NOVEMBER YARZEITS
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR KIDS!
11/1 Mitchell Jacobs
11/2 Paul Herman
11/3 Jack Markman
11/4 Caren Sweetland
11/5 Mike Eagle
11/5 Melvyn Douglass
11/5 Robert Sweetland
11/7 Ronald Schramm
11/8 Gail Gross
11/8 Anna Mason
11/11 Andrew Weathers
11/11 Anat Shaw
11/13 Terri Bernstein
11/13 Stuart Goldman
11/14 Robert Abramczyk
11/14 Edward Rosenthal
11/15 Ricky Mikelman
11/15 Debbie Barrash
11/15 Wendy O'Hanna
11/16 Kay Zeidman
11/18 Julie Jerden
11/18 Dina Glasser
11/18 Sylvia Brauer
11/19 Paula Abramson
11/19 Dana Hammerman
11/21 Jason Frankel
11/21 Raymond Brochstein
11/21 Jason Frankel
11/22 Mikal Innerarity
11/23 Jennifer Berko
11/24 Daphna Zuniga
11/25 Cary Kottler
11/26 Mike Malloy
11/26 Jeanette McBee
11/26 Jay Marks
11/26 Paul Feinberg
11/27 David Wizig
11/28 Cydney Baron
11/29 Hade Cashion
11/2 Alexander Vazquez
11/2 Jonathan Schramm
11/2 Seth Abramczyk
11/2 Evelyn Getschow
11/4 Zachary Bell
11/4 Chase Householder
11/6 Rachel Hecht
11/6 Mackenzie Cashion
11/8 Charles Lam
11/11 Noah Pintar
11/20 Jackson Fisher
11/22 Ari Marazzo
11/23 Madeline Feinberg
11/23 Jaron Shelby
11/24 Collin Lore
11/25 Franz O'Hanna
11/1 Todd & Leslie Mogil
11/1 Bill Mattox & Elisabeth Lindheim
11/3 Steven & Melissa Wolfson
11/8 Harrison Cohen & Shayna Saylor
11/13 Fred & Stephanie Pevow
11/14 Jason Herbst & Yolanda Movsessian
11/15 Raymond & Susan Brochstein
11/19 Bradley & Laura Frank
11/19 Matt & Laurie Tenny
11/20 Peter & Yvette Pintar
11/20 Samuel & Jennifer Touchet
11/21 Bill & Marcia Chaffin
11/22 Morton & Jean Fefer
11/22 Mitchell & Lharissa Jacobs
11/30 Joel & Sheryl Androphy
11/30 Andy Wigderson & Tova Kronick
11/1 Frank Hauver
11/2 Paulette Markman
11/2 Terry Susman
11/4 Merritt Fruhman
11/4 Ida Lait
11/5 Faiga Mikelman
11/5 Harriet Levine
11/5 Miriam Schwartz
11/5 Sam Abramson
11/7 Bob Markoski
11/8 Victor Gaudette
11/9 Anna Bonchick
11/9 Marc Brownstein
11/9 Bertie Helfgott
11/11 Barbara Karam
11/12 Ricky Fox
11/12 Morris Sacks
11/13 Morris Zeidman
11/13 Eric Rose
11/14 Sam Asarch
11/14 George Sullivant
11/15 Leon Johnson
11/17 Mannie Podorzer
11/18 Pearl Levy
11/18 Amber Bernard
11/19 Isadore Calderon
11/20 JW Levin
11/21 Eunice Johnson
11/21 Gertie Weintraub
11/24 Isaac Kaplan
11/27 Morris Levie
11/28 Herbert Novitt
11/28 Samuel Popper
11/28 Rose Smith
11/29 Arthur Wigderson
11/29 Irving Graubart
11/29 Bernard Schmulen
11/29 Darryl Lewis
11/30 Don Bernard
11/30 Jeanne Tonn
11/30 Craig Johnson
11/30 Don Bernard
Mazel Tov to our 2016 Consecration students. Pictured to the left are (Bottom Row: Riley Paul, Samantha Perkins, Ned Silverman, Bryce Goldstein, Eliana Bain, Rabbi Gross. Top Row: Hilary Kamin, Owen Mogil, Samuel Wise, Jacob Goldin, Benjamin Bain, Helen Lieberman
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OCTOBER 5, 2012
[email protected] (private email)
November 4, 2016
Julie Barry, President Kristin Helfand,
Bruce Shelby, Vice President
Debby Jones, Secretary
Sandy Kantor, Treasurer
Madeleine Appel, Past President
Darlene Medford, Membership Chair
Director of Education
Steven M. Gross, Senior Rabbi
Bruce Shelby, President
Michael P. LeBurkien, Rabbi Emeritus
[email protected] (private email)
Adam Weinstein, Vice President
Melissa Wolfson, Executive Director
Evelyn Lazear, Secretary
Hilary Kamin, Director of Education
Dan Fleckman, Treasurer
Justin Deutsch, Program Coordinator
Julie Barry, Past President
Michelle Renfrow, Director of Youth Engagement
Darlene Medford, Membership Chair
November Menu
Thanksgiving Feast: Fried turkey, Thanksgiving sides, salad, chicken nuggets
and macaroni and cheese.