June 17, 2006 –Sivan 21, 5766

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Temple Beth El, Stamford, Connecticut

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Happy Fathers Day!

Introducing

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Contents of the Shabbat O Gram:

(Click to scroll down)

Just the Facts (service schedule)

The Rabid Rabbi

Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunities

Ask the Rabbi

Spiritual Journey on the Web

Required Reading and Action Items (links to key articles on Israel and Jewish life)

Announcements (goings on in and around TBE)

Joke for the Week

Quote for the Week

“All journeys have secret destinations

of which the traveler is unaware.”

Martin Buber

Thanks to Sharon Goldstein for sending this photo

of our 7^th graders at their Aliyah service last week.

See their inspiring statements on Jewish identity below.

I invite others who took photos to submit them for our website

And Mazal Tov also to our Beth El BCDS graduates:

Danielle Bachar

Benjamin Burstein

Jacob Cohen

Laura Eber

Katie Maimon

Ilana Polak

Lindsey Simon

Alyssa Wiener

And Mazal tov also the the first graduating class of the

Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy, this coming Monday

JUST THE FACTS

Friday Evening

Candle lighting: 8:10 pm on Friday, 16 June 2006,- Havdalah is at 9:14 pm on Saturday evening. For candle lighting times, other Jewish calendar information, and to download a Jewish calendar to your PDA, click on http://www.hebcal.com/. To see the festivals of other faiths as well, go to http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/

Kabbalat Shabbat: 6:30 PM – OUTDOORS (and it’s lookin’ good!) WEATHER PERMITTING, OTHERWISE IN THE SANCTUARY!

Tot Shabbat: 6:45 – in the lobby. Tot Shabbat will be hosted this week by Stacye and Stuart Nekritz in honor of their children, Jason and Hannah and new experiences. Jason participated in the North Stamford Little League and Hannah was a ballerina in the Classical Kids dance recital at West Hill High School. Jason is finishing third grade at Northeast school and attends religious school at Temple Beth El. Hannah attends Kinderplace and will be graduating to kindergarten next year.

For those who can’t get enough of Tot Shabbat, Nurit conducts Tot Shabbat Morning at 10:30 am every Saturday morning. All are welcome to attend.

Shabbat Morning: 9:30 AM – Mazal tov to Alexander Cooperstone who will become Bar Mitzvah this Shabbat morning.

Children’s services: 10:30

Torah Portion: Beha’alotcha Numbers 8:1 - 12:16

1: 9:15-18
2: 9:19-23
3: 10:1-7
4: 10:8-10
5: 10:11-20
6: 10:21-28
7: 10:29-34
maf: 10:32-34

Haftarah Zechariah 2:14 - 4:7

See a weekly commentary from the UJC Rabbinic Cabinet, at www.ujc.org/mekorchaim. Read the Masorti commentary at http://www.masorti.org/mason/torah/index.asp. University of Judaism, JTS commentary is at: http://learn.jtsa.edu/topics/parashah/. USCJ Torah Sparks can be found at http://uscj.org/item20_467.html. UAHC Shabbat Table Talk discussions are at http://uahc.org/torah/exodus.shtml. Other divrei Torah via the Torahnet home page: http://uahcweb.org/torahnet/. Test your Parasha I.Q.: http://www.ou.org/jewishiq/parsha/default.htm. CLAL’s Torah commentary archive: http://click.topica.com/maaaiRtaaRvQhbV2AtLb/. World Zionist Organization Education page, including Nehama Liebowitz archives of parsha commentaries: http://www.moreshet.net/web/index.asp?f=1 For a more Kabbalistic/Zionist/Orthodox perspective from Rav Kook, first Chief Rabbi of Israel, go to http://www.geocities.com/m_yericho/ravkook/index.html. For some probing questions and meditations on key verses of the portion, with a liberal kabbalistic bent, go to http://www.jewishealing.com/learning.html or, for Kabbalistic commentaries from the Zohar itself, go to http://www.kabbalah.com/k/index.php/p=zohar/weekly/intro. To see the weekly commentary from Hillel, geared to college students and others, go to http://www.hillel.org/hillel/NewHille.nsf/FCB8259CA861AE57852567D30043BA26/DF7D129F15B3DF0885256AB80058E9C3?OpenDocument. For a Jewish Renewal and feminist approach go to http://rabbishefagold.hypermart.net/Torah1.html . For a comprehensive Orthodox viewpoint from the Israeli rabbi, Yaakov Fogelman, go to the Torah Outreach Program at http://israelvisit.co.il/top/previous.shtml. Guided meditations for each portion by Judith Abrams at http://www.maqom.com/kavannah.pdf

For online Parsha quizzes from Pardes in Israel, go to http://www.pardes.org.il/online_learning/parsha_quizzes/ Torah for Kids: http://www.torah4kids.net/ Weekly Lesson of Popular Israeli Rabbi Mordechai Elon: http://www.elon.org/archives/archives.htm - and his parsha sheets: http://www.mibereshit.org/special/download_eng_pdf.htm From Bar Ilan University: http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/; http://www.torahproductions.com/weekly_article.jsp

THE ENTIRE HEBREW BIBLE (AS WELL AS OTHER JEWISH SOURCES) CAN BE FOUND WITH SIDE-BY-SIDE TRANSLATION AT

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/

Morning Minyan: Weekdays at 7:30, Sundays at 9:30 AM

TO ENSURE A “GUARANTEED MINYAN” FOR THE DAY OF YOUR YAHRZEIT – GO TO THE ROSNER MINYAN MAKER AT WWW.TBE.ORG AND ALSO CONTACT ME AT RABBI@TBE.ORG.

A Guaranteed Minyan Request has been made for THURSDAY, JUNE 22

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We’ve had several people coming lately who are saying kaddish following recent deaths in the family. We want to make sure we have a minyan each day. Your presence any morning is greatly appreciated!

What Does it Mean to Be a Jew?

Last week, our 7^th Grade class, for its graduation (Aliyah) service, prepared a booklet of essays responding to the question, “What does being Jewish mean to you?” Their responses are below and these brief essays run the gamut of reasons. In addition to the essays, the students created a wall of testimony as their class gift, which can be found near their classroom, in the hallway just behind the social hall. This beautiful collection of panels, artwork inspired and coordinated by Karen Tobias, our art teacher, as well as their classroom teacher Mara Hammerman, is a sight to behold. Every congregant should make a point of visiting it over the coming weeks. As you look at the panels, think of these amazing essays.

Julie Alswanger

I love being Jewish and going to the Temple for services on Saturday mornings. I love seeing so many Jews there. I never really knew how many people belonged to our Temple. I love finally being able to read Hebrew. When I was reading from the Torah at my Bat Mitzvah service, I felt like God was with me. Also, during my Bat Mitzvah I could feel my Nana’s presence there. Unfortunately, she died before my Bat Mitzvah.

I have been going to Hebrew School since kindergarten. I would like to thank all my teachers who taught me during that time.

I also express my Judaism through my art work. For example, in the seventh grade Hebrew School hallway there are paintings, painted on the wall by all my classmates. For my piece, I drew stained glass with a designed Jewish star in the middle of it. First I drew the design on scrap paper. Then, with pencil I drew the outline on the wall. After, I outlined everything in black paint. Finally, I put colored paint on it. These paintings are our graduation project. I think they all look beautiful.

Jonathan Arons

Being Jewish is not just having matzoh ball soup or eating challah on Shabbat. Being Jewish to me means history, the history of our ancestors. I will always remember my years of Hebrew School. I remember making new friends, doing art projects, and going on the shabbatons.

AJ Bass

I am very happy to be Jewish for many reasons. First, I had my Bar Mitzvah during my last year of Hebrew School. My Bar Mitzvah was very special to me because now I’m a man. I had to study lots of prayers and practice my speech. When I stepped up to the bimah on the day of my Bar Mitzvah I was nervous. But as I continued it was easier. I felt like I accomplished something. It’s good to be a man.

I’m also happy to be Jewish because of the history. First, it’s really interesting to learn about Israel and the surrounding areas. Second, it’s interesting to learn about how Israel has gone through so many wars. Third, sometimes it’s very serious because you learn about the people who die and the people who survive.

Mitchell Berkoff

This year the seventh grade painted a mural on the wall in the Hebrew School. The mural symbolizes what makes Jewish life so amazing. I painted some aspects of Jewish life. The brick that I painted has a lit candle. It symbolizes the eternal light, which will burn forever, just like the Jewish people have survived throughout history. I also painted a tallit. Tallit is a prayer shawl that is worn during Jewish services. The tallit is likely to be given to a boy or girl at their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. The tallit is a symbol that you have entered Jewish adulthood and are ready to take on the responsibilities that go along with it. The next object I painted was a Torah. The Torah is the whole body of Jewish laws and teachings. It teaches us what we should and should not do. The Torah also tells the story of the first Jewish people and how they survived indescribable tragedies. I also chose to paint the state of Israel. I do intend to visit when I get older. I did learn a lot about Israel in school, from books, and movies. I don’t think there is a more meaningful place to feel and learn about the Jewish experience than Israel. There is a current law that states all Jews are allowed to come to Israel and become a citizen. This law is called “The Law of Return”. This law exemplifies the connection the Jews have all around the world. The last and most important object I painted was a kippah. A kippah is worn by Jewish men and sometimes women. The kippah reminds us that God is always watching over us and we must respect God in return. The kippah acts as a reminder that we are Jewish and should be proud.

We don’t know why we are born to the parents we have or the places we live, but I am glad things worked out the way they did because I am proud to tell people I am Jewish.

Randi Braun

If you look in the hallway near the seventh grade classroom you’ll see paintings that the seventh graders made. Mine is a peace sign with Israel in front of it and Shabbat candles on the sides. What it symbolizes is that Israel just wants peace.

Being Jewish to me means that our heritage is one of the strongest in the world, because it has lasted for such a long time. If we care enough, we can continue to make it last.

Annie Cohen

To me our religion is all about learning and experiencing life. We have been through so much. Every journey we take in life results in some kind of ending; however, what we learn on the journey is more important than the destination. Everything I have learned from Hebrew School, all the memories and all the experiences, led up to my Bat Mitzvah.

For many kids, Hebrew School isn’t that high on their list of priorities. I actually like coming to Hebrew School. I love being with my friends and learning about our heritage. We have had so many good times in Hebrew School over the years.

Eric Cooper

I’m proud to be a Jew because of the history. It helps me to understand my heritage. Learning about Jewish history made me feel proud because we survived so many things, from escaping Pharoah in Egypt to the Holocaust.

I also have more friends now, because I met a lot of kids in Hebrew School. Being Jewish to me is also about food, especially matzah.

Jeff Cooper

Hebrew School is over, and I’m sorry to be done with it. I met a lot of kids in Hebrew School. Fifth grade with Mrs. Elkies was fun, and that was the year that I bonded most with my class. Every year there was something new and interesting. I had lots of fun going to everybody’s Bar Mitzvah. I will never forget going to Hebrew School. I will remember it forever.

Jenna Frank

What being Jewish means to me….

Being Jewish is a huge part of my life, and it opens up my world to new ideas and thoughts. The Jewish memories that are most important to me involve just being happy and sharing great times with my friends and family. Even though I am moving on, I left, along with my friends, a small painting of my thoughts about Judaism. What it really represents for me is a piece of me that I am leaving within my temple as the years go by. My friends are extremely important to me here at Temple Beth El and I hope to continue these friendships in the years to come.

Michelle Greenman

Being Jewish to me means appreciating our ancestors and our history. I painted a picture of Jerusalem. Israel is the land of the Jewish people. It is a land of hope and promise. The Jewish people have been through so much but still are not giving up. Somehow, they join together and make a community that never gives up. Our Hebrew School class represents the Jewish people by never giving up on our tasks, such as painting the wall. We have done everything in our ability to make the wall look beautiful. Each person in our class, as each person in Jerusalem, made a big contribution. The entire Jewish people never give up hope. Even after the Holocaust, there was hope for good things to come in the future. No matter where we are or what situation we are in, there is always some way to find hope.

Eric Hazen

My favorite thing about being Jewish is that I get a Bar Mitzvah. I can’t wait to become a Jewish man and to finally get the party that I’ve been waiting for. I also love learning a new language and believing in one God and the Jewish heritage.

I will miss my Hebrew School and especially the friends that go to different schools. Hebrew School was a time to see kids that I don’t usually see.

Jessie Hirtenstein

Being Jewish can mean many different things depending on who you ask. To me, being Jewish means to be all that you can be. Do a mitzvah to help other people, whether they are friends or enemies. A mitzvah that I have done recently was donating a set of Holocaust books to the seventh grade classroom. In addition to that, I recently became a Bat Mitzvah, which is a great deed to perform.

As a class project, we all drew pictures on the wall outside of our classroom. My drawing spelled out the word “mitzvot”. The “m” is two candles, standing for the deed of lighting candles on Shabbat. The “i” is a dollar and a coin, representing the mitzvah of giving tzedakah. The two “t’s” show people reaching out to each other. The “z” is made up of latkes, which represent Chanukah, the miracle of the light. The “v” is Israel drawn forward and backward. Finally, the “o” is a peace sign. Each picture represents a different mitzvah or good deed.

This is what being Jewish means to me. It means doing mitzvoth, and helping others as much as you possibly can.

Jonathan Karp

Being Jewish!

My life has had major changes as I have discovered my Jewish heritage. Until a year or two ago I didn’t understand or was inactive. But now as was shown in my picture I see the connection that I now make when I am both in the sanctuary and in prayer. Being Jewish has made a large impact on my daily life. Because of its unique beliefs, it gives me a different personality. In a school that is primarily Christian, I am one of the only people who has such a different background and culture.

Hebrew School has always been fun, especially in the last two years as I’ve made more and more friends. There are so many funny memories, from finding nicknames to playing and joking on the shabbaton. I plan on continuing making these memories by coming to Kulanu and going to more Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.

Samantha Karp

To me, being Jewish is very important. It is what sets me apart from the crowd, the Jewish people being a minority in the area in which we live. It’s about celebrating Judaism in your home, as well as in the temple. It’s also about making sacrifices and compromises. Last, it is about going through hard times together, even if we are miles apart.

These are all very important, but I think going through hard times together is one of the most important things about being a Jew. Through the years, the Jewish people have gone through hard times, including being taken over many times by other nations, the Holocaust, and so many different wars. Even now, we are still fighting. Even though it may be hard to imagine, we have made it through these hard times, and the Jewish people will do it again.

You may ask, how does this involve the class of 2006? Well, we have made it through eight years of Hebrew School together. At times it may have been hard to imagine graduating. But here we are. On a much smaller scale, we have gone through lots of experiences together. All of us have started preparing for our Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. I know that when I first started, I thought that learning all of the material would be difficult. But we have all done it. Congratulations, Class of 2006! We are graduating!

Billie Katz

Being Jewish means…

Being Jewish means celebrating Shabbat. Throughout our Hebrew School education, we have concentrated on different components of Shabbat. Whether we learn about lighting the candles or eating the challah, we explore different things which are important to the Jewish religion. My painting shows different parts of Shabbat. The background is a Jewish star, which represents all the parts of Judaism. On top of the star is a set of Shabbat candlesticks, a Kiddush cup filled with grape juice, and a challah. These all represent Shabbat and my Hebrew School experience throughout the years. These symbols also represent Judaism and parts of my life. Many Friday nights my family and I light the Shabbat candles and say the prayers. However, since I have become a Bat Mitzvah, I am seeing it in a new light.

David Katz

To me Judaism means a lot. In my picture I drew modern and ancient Israel. It shows that many aspects of Israel are new and yet many are old at the same time. The rabbis come up with new creative ideas every day. That is what keeps our religion new and interesting, and yet we can still follow the old traditions. Another aspect of the new and the old in Judaism is the Torah. It is an ancient text, yet each time it is studied by a different person it becomes new. Judaism is a religion of the new and the old, where the past affects the future. In Judaism, every action we do today reflects on the future.

One of my best Hebrew School memories was when our class went to the Hammerman sukkah. We got good food, we ran around with the dogs, and it was a good experience.

Zachary Krowitz

What makes me Jewish is the way I was raised by my parents. I celebrate the Jewish holidays and go to temple on Shabbat. I can read Hebrew and will have my Bar Mitzvah in November. Being Jewish means I am proud to believe in one God and that I will respect my parents and others.

I drew a world with Jewish symbols inside it because there are Jews all around the world. This is important because it shows that there are many Jews with different backgrounds, but we all share the same beliefs, religion, and caring feelings.

Rebecca Lavietes

To me being a Jew is not just a belief. It’s about survival. As a people, the Jews have survived whatever was thrown at us. From being slaves in Egypt to having six million of our people killed in the Holocaust, we keep going strong. That makes me feel proud to be Jewish.

Abby Leibowitz

To me, being Jewish means being part of a heritage; being able to share stories, experiences, and hardships with others. It is amazing to me how the Jewish religion can bring millions of different people, all with different views, lifestyles, and languages, to one place and make them all feel like they’re old friends. Being Jewish means knowing wherever I am, whoever I am with, I am always part of one people. I can go to a synagogue anywhere and fit right in.

Jake Levensohn

Over the past four years, I have learned many things in Hebrew School. One important thing that I learned is what it means to be a Jew. It’s not something a teacher can teach you in a single class, but something you have to discover for yourself over time. To me, being Jewish means to always act proud of what you are, and to celebrate all the wonderful Jewish holidays with pride, because you are celebrating the renewed freedom of the Jewish people. Being Jewish is about freedom. That’s why I love playing the drums. On the wall outside my seventh grade classroom, there is a picture of me playing the drums. Playing the drums is one of the things I enjoy doing the most. Who knows, maybe if being Jewish didn’t make me appreciate the freedom to express yourself, I wouldn’t enjoy the drums so much!

One of my favorite Hebrew School memories was in third grade, when Mrs. Shushan’s helper Ilan gave us a reward every time we answered a question correctly. Unfortunately, Ilan died in a car accident later that year. Also, all of the shabbatons have been awesome. I remember going outside at 11:00 PM to play manhunt, and then waking up at 6:00 AM to play football. It’s been an honor to participate all of these years in the Temple Beth El Hebrew School.

Sarah Liffmann

There are many things that are great about being Jewish. You get to celebrate unique and fun holidays, learn about an interesting past, and I even get to have a Bat Mitzvah. Although i find all of these things such a great part about being Jewish, there is one thing that really has been great for me, and that was my seventh grade year at Hebrew school.

This year at Hebrew school was a lot different then the other years.

In the past years i have made some friends at Hebrew school but i wasn't very close with them. This year i have become really close friends with so many new people that i haven't talked to in the past. With all of these new friends, it is so much fun to go to each others’ Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. Since I live in New Canaan, i only go to school with one kid in our Hebrew School grade so I thought I wouldn’t really be seeing anyone out of Hebrew school and Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, but i was wrong. This year i have had multiple sleep overs with my friends from Hebrew school when in the past we would just talk during class, and the teachers did not like that very much. This year i had a fun teacher, and a very fun class and it is a year in Hebrew school i will never forget.

Andrew Madwed

Being Jewish to me means having a Bar Mitzvah. It also means making at least one trip to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. I was there, and I think it’s important for every Jew to have that experience.

Ross Neugeboren

When you are in TBE, take a walk down to the seventh grade hallway. When you look at the wall, you’ll see the wonderful paintings done by our class. Mine is of an outdoor scene with a stone ark. At my camp, that was the sanctuary. I do tech stuff, and at my camp, I always set up the sound system. I remember meeting and loving the camp rabbi. I once set up lights for a camp play. When we had services in the playhouse, the Torah was positioned under the lights. I turned the lights on, and the Torah glowed.

I was once told that I do things for people when I have no obligation to do so. That is what I think Judaism is all about. Jews do good deeds when they have no obligation. So each time I help someone when I don’t need to, it makes me happy.

My best memory of TBE was on the seventh grade shabbaton. By far, that was the best shabbaton I’ve ever been on. We had just started using a new facility, and unfortunately it rained heavily during the entire time. But that didn’t stop us. I used to be a boy scout, and I was prepared to help people, as I like to do. I had a huge mag-lite, and a smaller one. In the dark and the rain, I guided everyone back to the bunks after the evening activity. Of course, after that I was soaked. Even though I could have gotten color war points for my good deed, I didn’t need them as a reward. I liked using my flashlights like a traffic director!

Rebecca Poser

My favorite thing about being Jewish is knowing about the past and about my heritage as a Jew. The Jewish people are one family that has gone through many things in many different places. A Jew knows about suffering, but also knows happiness. We have gone through good times and bad times. Every Jewish family has traditions that they follow, and those traditions come from our heritage. Being Jewish means family. Thankfully, I have a family that cares for me, loves me, and teaches me what it means to be Jewish.

Jeff Rich

To me, being Jewish is having faith, hope, and believing in miracles. My picture of a menorah shows this, because it’s a symbol of hope and miracles. In the Chanukah story, the oil lasted for eight days when there was only supposed to be enough for one day. Judaism is a religion of faith, hope, and miracles. There are lots of great things to believe in. You just have to believe. Judaism is also about joy. In the Chanukah story, the Jews were joyful when the menorah stayed lit for eight days, and we are joyful when we celebrate Chanukah today.

Rebecca Savransky

To me, being Jewish means beautiful music. Music is a language through which everyone can communicate. I believe that it is a sound which can bring an entire community of people together, despite their differences.

My picture is of a violin, surrounded by musical notes. This represents when I had the opportunity to play Kol Nidre on Yom Kippur this year at my temple. I was overjoyed. When I was up on the bima next to the cantor, I felt as if I was reaching out. It was one of the most rewarding experiences that I have ever had.

For me, this picture represents my life. Music is an important part of my experiences. I can’t explain my love of music in words, but no matter what happens, I believe that it will never be lost.

Peri Shapiro

To me, being Jewish means I love and care for everyone. The first word in the second paragraph of the Shema is v’ahavta, which means love. When I designed my picture for the wall, I included everything Jewish that I love: Passover, Hannukah, Israel, and Hebrew. And of course I included my camp. Camp Tevya is a Jewish camp in Brookline, New Hampshire that has taught me so much about Judaism and Jewish customs. There I have learned Israeli dancing, and about the holiday of Tisha B’Av. Keeping kosher there is easy. Every summer we have Israeli Day, when we do activities that might be done in Israel and learn about Israel. Campers get to have conversations with people from Israel, and at the end of the day we get to eat Israeli foods like falafel and humus. In the end, Camp Tevya is a good experience for anyone who wants to learn about Judaism and love Judaism.

Morgan Temple

At the end of this year I will have been going here for eight years. But I will never forget it. I have made so many friends, learned about our history, and learned to read, write, and speak some Hebrew. But most of all, I have gotten a sense of what being Jewish means to me. I used to think that there were only a few Jewish people in the world. I would be one out of two Jewish kids in my class. I thought that we were not one of the main religions. When I came to Hebrew School, I saw so many kids just like me. When I went to services, I saw even more people. It made me feel like the Jewish people were important in the world.

Judaism gives me a way to express myself through prayer. If someone is sick, I can pray for them. If the Red Sox are in the World Series, I can pray for them. I can also express myself through art. For our end of the year project, we each painted a block on the wall. I painted the world, with all the Jewish people holding hands and working together, to make the world a better place.

Douglas Weisman

Being Jewish to me is to learn about our history, because it’s amazing what our ancestors went through. I think learning Jewish history has been a great part of Hebrew School. Being Jewish also means to me that I’m part of a very special religion and one of the first monotheistic religions of the world. It makes me feel proud. I’ve learned how our people survived being slaves in Egypt, the Holocaust, and wars between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries. That is what being Jewish means to me.

Chad Weissman

On the wall, I painted a picture of me at my Bar Mitzvah. My Bar Mitzvah means a lot to me. It means a lot to me that I am a man. I was also proud of myself because I worked very hard to prepare, and I felt like I did a great job. This has been a great year. Seventh grade was my favorite year at Hebrew School because Mrs. Hammerman made learning fun.

Samantha Wise

Being Jewish means healing the world. It means caring about what goes on around you, and helping those in need. It means b