1. Art and Diseño

Adath Israel Tradition
Serving the Adath Israel Chavurah since 1904
Newtown, Monroe, Bethel, Brookfield, Southbury, Trumbull, Oxford, Danbury
(The Little Synagogue that Could: First building: 1919, First rabbi: 1923)
Ritual: Conservative Social: Progressive Oneg Shabbats: Priceless
February 2015
12 Shevat - 9 Adar
5775
Tu B’Shevat
The 15th of Shevat
(February 4)
The New Year of the Trees
Tu B'Shevat is considered the new year when
figuring the age of trees for tithing. The Torah states that fruit from trees may not be
eaten during the first three years; the fourth
year's fruit is for G-d, and after that, the
fruit can be eaten. Each tree is considered
to have aged one year as of Tu B'Shevat, no
matter when in the year it was planted.
This holiday usually falls in January or February and while it may be cold and wintry
here, in Israel trees are just beginning to
blossom.
Tu B’Shevat is typically celebrated by planting saplings and enjoying a meal where produce of trees, such as fruit and nuts are
eaten. It is a holiday that links us with the
land and celebrates the environment.
Sunday School Tu B’Shevat Seder
February 1
In This Issue
Tu B’Shevat
President’s Message
Shalom & Blessings of Peace
Capital Campaign
Adath Israel Cemetery
Ask the Rabbi
1
Ritual
6-7
3
Just For the Record
Rabbi’s Pastoral Conferences
The Nezvesky School
Sisterhood
4-5
Upcoming Events & Activities
2
1
8
9
10
Community News & Events
In Memoriam
Contact Information
Donations
Hosting an Oneg / Kiddush
Calendar
11
12
13
14
SHALOM & BLESSINGS OF PEACE
I trust this finds you all well, hopefully warm and comfortable. Allow me to share a few spiritual thoughts with you:
The actual purpose of our existence and this life is not making a living but making a life; a well-rounded life filled
with love and attention to one's family and community. We are all many things. We are parents, husbands, wives,
children, employees, business owners, employers, and civically minded spiritual active people. All these things comprise the life we live. We walk the dance of life keeping it all in balance.
In Judaism we strive to become God like. "Be holy for I am holy sayeth the Almighty." "Don't put a stumbling block in
front of the blind and don't curse the deaf." In other words don't deceive and knowingly cause people harm even if
you can get away with it. It is the opposite of Godliness. The Talmud relates that the first question that the celestial
court asks us upon our arrival is, were we honest in our business dealings. We don't inherit a God-like character;
each person must cultivate it within themselves. Just like we must earn a living, we must earn a life.
Nothing which is morally wrong can ever be politically right. Our part is to improve the present moment. We must
simply do what is right and leave the results to God.
May we all live the good and honest life filled with meaning and joy.
Please be always abundantly blessed,
Rabbi Shaul Praver
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Over the past few months you have heard about our capital campaign to save the shul. It has been very successful receiving, to date, over $333,000 in pledges. However, this campaign and our efforts with the bank to
refinance our debt will only get us half way there. By this I mean that, in order to balance our revenues with
our expenses, we need to do more.
The remaining savings will come in the form of expense cuts. Specifically, there is a clause in our Rabbi’s contract which provides for part-time conversion due to financial need. We clearly have the financial need.
Therefore, as of June 1st, we will convert Rabbi Praver to part-time employment. Rabbi Praver has agreed in
principle to this change and the board is working hard to develop a new job description. This job description
must respect Rabbi Praver’s need to seek alternate income sources but provide the congregation with the essential services only Rabbi Praver can provide. In addition, we need to focus our resources so that there is
adequate lay leadership and teaching coverage so as not to impact our ritual or educational programs. Specifically, our b’nai mitzvah program will continue to provide excellent tutelage and wonderful end results. The
Hebrew School will maintain its high standards of education and training. Special classes (i.e. conversational
Hebrew) and adult education programs will continue as usual. Our wonderful Shabbat services and Holiday
programs will continue. In short, we will work with Rabbi Praver to develop a job description that continues
to meet our needs and incorporates lay leaders to fill certain roles.
While the next few months will be challenging, there is a transition committee which has been meeting for the
past 2 months to achieve the above tasks and ensure a smooth transition for everyone involved. Please feel
free to contact me or any of the members of the Board of Directors to discuss this further.
Wishing you and your families all of the best,
David H. Elfenbein
2
capital campaign
Purpose: To pay down the mortgage to make the monthly
expenses more manageable for the synagogue and the
ultimate survival of Adath Israel
Pledges/Donations to date: $333,000
Goal: To have all members participate at a level that is
comfortable for them.
Our campaign is coming to an end and any last pledges
should be made immediately. We are closing in on our goal
to cut our mortgage expense in half, if not more, based on
the principal reduction amount and the bank loan terms.
Please contact Lauren DiMartino at
[email protected] to request a meeting or
make a pledge.
CEMETERY PLOTS NOW AVAILABLE
FOR FAMILIES OF CAI MEMBERS
After researching a variety of different options, we have been in talks with B’nai Israel in
Bridgeport regarding their cemetery at 472 Moose Hill Road in Monroe, CT, and a final agreement has been signed. They have designated for our synagogue, 100 grave sites in a nice
area of the cemetery. The graves may be purchased from B’nai Israel on a “first come first
served basis”.
The costs are discounted for us as non-members as follows:
$1200.00 per reserved grave.
$600.00 perpetual care per reserved grave.
$600.00 monument or marker deposit, per reserved grave. This deposit is returned upon the
installation of an acceptable gravestone, monument, or other marker.
$100.00 administrative fee.
The full contract with all of the details is available at Adath Israel, and a copy may be obtained
from Susan Rubin, upon request. Email [email protected] or call 203-426-5188 and
leave a message for Susan.
Many thanks to Laura Goldstein, our esteemed CAI member, for her advice and guidance. Her
legal expertise served us well. Thank you Laura!!!
Amy Greenfield
3
ASK THE RABBI
Q. One of my favorite sermons you ever gave was called the Fisherman's prayer-- could you share
that one with us again in this month’s newsletter?
A. It would be my pleasure to share that one with you. As rabbis, clergymen artists and writers, we try
to make each and every sermon our very best sermon. But reality is that some sermons are better
than others and some people appreciate some styles of sermonizing more than others. What one person regards as "meandering," another can find delightfully "investigative." It's not always easy to satisfy all the people all the time but as a rabbi of already a quarter of a century serving on American pulpits, I have not stopped trying. Yes, it is a pleasure to share with you at this time one of my more popular sermons.
The Fisherman's Prayer
Kol Nidrei Sermon/5774
Copyright 2012
My friend Rob invited me to go fishing with him several times on the Long Island sound off the coast of Bridgeport. I always enjoyed fishing with Rob, although we seldom caught any fish. After coming up empty handed one too many times,
Rob said, “I will take you out off the coast of Cape Cod and there we'll catch tons of fish." I gladly accepted his invitation. And so, there we were several weeks later on his boat off the coast of Cape Cod with our sons, Jeffrey and Noah
ready to help us reel ‘em in.
Unfortunately however, we weren't having any better luck off the coast of Cape Cod then we had off the coast of Bridgeport. After an entire day out on the sea without as much as a single fish nibbling on our lines, Rob and Jeffrey were visibly disappointed. Truth be told, Noah and I were disappointed as well. But what could we do, nothing was biting. Hoping
to insert at least a small measure of levity, I suggested that “All the schools of fish must be on summer break." But the
tides were receding, the sun was getting low and it was time to call it a day and head back to shore.
I thought to myself, “All this fuss to catch a fish. We had excellent fishing rods, the perfect lures, a really nice 45 foot
boat, a magnificent captain and we were sitting right over one of the prime fishing spots on the planet. And yet oddly
enough, we hadn't even one fish to show for all of that.” Trying to cheer the crew up, I offered a small dose of self depreciative humor, "how can it be that such valiant fishermen as us are returning to our women folk without even one fish
to roast over the fire... we'll likely be thrown out of our caves!”
But actually—nobody was finding my antics the least bit funny. It was utterly humiliating on so many levels. All I wanted
to do was show Noah some fun and excitement. I wanted to animate his precious childhood with some memorable fish
tales. But what could we do—the fish magic wasn’t in the air. In plain old fish language, we got "skunked!"
With a palpable look of desperation on his face, Rob turned towards me and asked, "Rabbi isn't there a fish prayer you
can say?" I glibly responded, "Oh sure we've got prayers for everything." But gazing back at Rob, I was astonished to see
his brow deeply creased in distress. He urged me, "how about that prayer Rabbi?" It was then I realized Rob wasn’t kidding. It wasn’t a joke for him; he really wanted to catch fish.
Truth be told, I never saw a fisherman's prayer in the entire Siddur, Talmud, Tenach or Midrash. In fact I don't think a
Jew ever wrote one during all the 3,500 years of our history.
Given my creative nature coupled with the fact that Rob was taking Noah and me out on his boat and the great concern
he had for the success of our mission, I resolved to put forth my very best effort at creating an authentic fisherman's
prayer. At first the thought of it felt uncomfortable. It kind of reminded me of how I initially felt when I was asked to
perform a funeral for a family dog. In that case I thought they were kidding. But as I started conducting the dog’s funeral I increasingly realized that the family was serious about the solemnity of the event. After a while I found that I was
able to appreciate the emotional attachments the family members had for their dog and I was able to connect with them
emotionally too. When they shared their memories of their dog, exhibiting signs of distress on their faces, I realized
Continued on next page
4
they weren’t kidding. I thought, "Maybe this Fisherman's prayer will be like the dog funeral, eventually I will connect
with it emotionally and it will come out alright." And so with that association firmly in mind, I was ready to start the fisherman’s prayer in earnest:
"Dear God, you created all things, the sun and the moon and the stars above. You established the land for us to dwell
upon; you created magnificent seas teaming with your creatures including many species of fish. Within each created
being you planted a spark of your eternal spirit. And through that spirit imbedded in all your creations do you direct and
move them in accordance with your will. You are all knowing, all powerful and omnipresent.
Dear God, you hear the prayers of mankind and the songs of every bird in the sky. All of creation offers you their praise
in utter humility. I beseech you living God, hear my supplication, and take notice of a fisherman’s humble prayer. As
you direct all things, you have the power to direct the fish of this sea to our lines we’ve set forth. And when you answer
this prayer and bring forth the fish that swim in these waters, we will witness your power and know the truth of your
existence. Your kindness and responsiveness will uplift our hearts and help us believe in you. And so, dear God, Master
of creation, may my prayer find favor before you. And may this boat be filled with fish before we reach the shore.”
And that was it. My prayer was finished, it was serious and it was real. We cast out our rods one more time. With perfect faith, we waited for the magic of the prayer to take effect. But sadly nothing changed. Everything was as it was before. Out went our lines and in they came with lures pathetically bobbing along the surface of the water. We were finished. It was time to move on.
Rob kicked the boat into high gear and off we speed to shore. Rob’s son Jeffrey looked truly bummed out. We were just
off shore a little ways and it was time to anchor. As Rob reached for it, Jeffrey cast out his line angrily yelling "Daaaarn
it!" The second his lure hit the water his pole snapped down into a bow shape. Rob yelled, "Jeffrey it’s hitting! Give it
one stiff tug and reel her in!" Suddenly all around the boat there was a tremendous commotion in the water. Huge silver stripers were visible by the hundreds along the surface for no apparent reason. We figured they were in the midst of
a feeding frenzy and couldn’t distinguish between their prey and our lures. "Get those lines in the water guys.” Our faithful captain ordered. We threw out our lines and immediately upon impact, “Boom!” the rod pulled down into a bow
shape and we could feel the tug of a large fish. "That's it! They're hitting,” Rob exclaimed in utter joy. "In all my years
I've never seen anything like this! Rob continued, “You’ve got to realize, this is a once in a life time experience." One
huge striper after the next got hooked on our lines. We couldn’t bring them in fast enough. In fifteen minutes the boat
was filled with hefty stripers. My prayer came to life. We were connected to Gods spirit in those moments in a way I
will never forget. It wasn't fish tugging on our lines; it was God drawing forth our spirit.
From this experience several core articles of faith were strengthened: God hears our prayers. God’s spirit is contained
in the core of every living creature. We must Awaken God’s spirit from the core of our being where it resides. We must
say our prayers with passion like it really matters. Even when we’ve run out of luck, we must not lose hope, for that is
when God is testing us. If God didn’t test us we would never evolve spiritually. Someday God will answer us. We’ve all
suffered and lost, but there is a time of restoration and redemption. Continue to ride the waves of faith. Cast out your
prayers to God with the simple faith of the fisherman. Eventually, you will feel the tug on the other end of the line.
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5
From The Ritual Committee
PURIM
Calling all
In just one month, we will be celebrating the holiday of
PURIM. In the sanctuary, this takes place on the eve of
the holiday, on March 4th. We read the traditional Megillat Esther, known informally as the “Megillah Reading”.
This Book of Esther tells the story of the Jews of Persia
and how they were rescued by their brave Queen Esther.
It is a raucous evening in the Sanctuary. Every time the
name of the wicked Haman is read, we all shake noisemakers to blot out his name. Children and adults alike
are encouraged to come in costumes and there will be a
parade to show off the costumes. It is a fun evening.
Please join us.
Megillah Readers
The Megillah Reading begins at 6:30 pm and will not run
late as we know that it is a school night. Before the reading we will be enjoying a community potluck dinner,
starting at 5:30 pm. Following the Megillah Reading, we
will feast on hamentashen. These traditional three sided
jelly filled cookies will be baked by our 4th and 5th grade
Hebrew School students.
So please come on March 4th for our Potluck Dinner at
5:30 and the Megillah Reading at 6:30.
6
If you would like to take part in the age
old tradition of reading from the scroll
of Megillat Esther, (The Book of
Esther), please email Bonnie Goldstein at [email protected]
All you need are rudimentary Hebrew
reading skills. The rest will be provided: Text, recordings, and tutorials
with Rabbi Praver if requested. You
have a whole month to practice before
the Megillah Reading on Wednesday
evening March 4th. You can learn just
one line this year if you are a beginner.
All levels welcome!!
Ritual…
(continued)
D’var Torah given on 1/21/15 in memory of my mother, Margery Kohrman, on the
occasion of the first anniversary of her death:
In Parshat Bo, Moses and God continue their efforts to twist Pharoah’s arm. The goal being that he let the Israelites
leave town with all of their families and all of their flocks. Moses and God finally succeed, of course, after the 10 th
and harshest plague of all, the killing of the firstborn. As God is describing the plague and instructing the Israelites
to mark their homes with blood in order that they be ‘passed over’, God says: “And this day shall be for you, a memorial”. And then again, as the Israelites are skedaddling out of Egypt, Moses exhorts the people “Remember this
day in which you came out from Egypt”. So there is a big focus on memory. It’s God’s biggest accomplishment
yet. And God wants his people to remember it and to never forget it.
And so, every week as we bless the Shabbat wine we chant: ”zecher l’tziat m’itzraim”, blessing the Shabbat as a remembrance of the exodus from Egypt. In that phrase in the blessing, we are reminded of God’s strength and of our
people’s essential history. We are encouraged to remember what is most important: to remember where we came
from, who we were, and how we got to be who we are.
The experience of watching my mom disappear slowly, over ten years, while Alzheimer’s Disease robbed her of her
memories, really brings this home to me. With out one’s memories we truly cease to exist. First we lose our connection to others and then we lose our connection to ourselves. Without a sense of the past and no relationships to
tether us, nothing can have any meaning anymore. This is true for an individual with dementia and I believe that it is
also true for a people as a whole.
Here at Adath Israel we take pride in our farming community past. We often speak fondly about our founding families. We have to remember, though, not only were they simple farmers, but they were also people willing to sacrifice
a lot -– money, time, labor, land, to grow our congregation and build our original building. We didn’t just fall out of
Egypt and our beautiful building here didn’t just fall into our laps. In the act of remembering where we come from,
we are entrusted with a heavy responsibility-- to carry the memories forward to the next generation, to pass the
meaning and the connections on to the future.
That’s what we’ve been doing these past few months: We’ve been visiting members of our congregation, asking for
money, yes; but also hearing the stories and the memories that define us as a unique community. As families have
told their stories and remembered their own personal connections to the Adath Israel community, their generosity
has flowed naturally. With those memories, we’ve been succeeding in our capital campaign. And with those memories we’ve been given further responsibility to succeed. Failure is not an option. Mom taught me that lesson too.
Katherine Kohrman
ADULT EDUCATION
The new adult B’nai Mitzvah preparation class will be starting on Tuesday, February 3 at
6:30pm. It’s not too late to join! Did you miss out on having a Bar or Bat Mitzvah when you
were thirteen? Join this new adult group. Learn to read Hebrew, gain fluency in the prayers,
and begin to chant Torah and Haftorah. And just as importantly, make new friends and feel
part of a community. Get to know a small group of other congregants and practice together
towards the end goal of standing on the Bimah together for the second Adath Israel group
B’nai Mitzvah. Contact Katherine Kohrman at [email protected] with any questions.
7
JUST FOR THE RECORD
Lesser Known Jewish
Recording Artists
~ Contributed by Charles Berger
Since 1964, Abbe has
been married to attorney Perry Leff and
they have two sons Andrew and Steven.
She lives in Los Angeles.
Xavier Cugat began his musical career
as a classical violinist in the 1920’s. He
and his orchestra eventually became
famous for his Latin-American hits
starting in the mid-1930’s with “The
Lady in Red” to the late 1940’s “Cuanta
Le Gusta”. Of course, he was neither
Jewish nor a lesser-known recording
artist, but the female vocalist who sang
with his orchestra for may years is. She
is Abbe Lane.
Ms. Lane’s movie
career in the United
States has been minimal, although she did
appear in foreign
films, especially in
Italy. She was last seen in the U.S. in “Twilight Zone The Movie” in 1981 as the “Sr. Stewardess”. Her TV
appearances in the 1950’s were frequent, such as those
with Red Skelton, Dean Martin, Ed Sullivan and Jack
Benny. She was at the time considered to have a lovely
figure and for an appearance on the Jackie Gleason
Show, she was told to wear something else when her costume was deemed to be “too revealing”.
Abbe was born in Brooklyn, NY as Abigail Francine Lassman on December 14,
1932. She made her professional debut on the radio at
the age of four by singing a song. At seven, she performed as a singer and dancer in some movie shorts at
the Vita-Phone Corporation in Brooklyn. She and her
mother were determined to make this her career and
she did although her father wanted her to be a teacher.
At 15, she appeared on Broadway in a singing and
dancing role in “Barefoot Boy With Cheek”, although
she had to lie about her age. At the time, girls needed
to be at least 16 to work in musicals.
Of course, she recorded many times with Cugat’s orchestra and made some of her own with her name above his
on the label. She speaks and sings in several languages
and the featured 1961 recording of “Never On Sunday” is
done in French (the label shows “Fench”). The other side
“Quando Vien La Sera” is sung in Italian.
Cugat saw her do a calypso number in a stage show one
night and asked her to audition to be a vocalist with his
band. She was hired the next day. They were married
in 1952 but their relationship was a stormy one. In her
semi-autobiographical book “But Where is Love”, published in 1993, she tells the story of Julie Lauren
(Abbe) and Paco Castell (Cugat) in which Paco tries to
hurt her career, shows possessiveness, and threatens
physical violence. Abbe actually left Cugat but he
tracked her down. She eventually divorced him in
1964.
We could compliment her on her wonderful career in
several languages, especially in French, Italian or Spanish. But calling her a “mensch” or “womensch” should
suffice.
Rabbi’s Pastoral Conferences
After every regularly scheduled service at the Synagogue, Rabbi Praver is available to conference with members and prospective members. No appointment is needed. Fridays 8:45 -9:30pm and Saturdays 11:45am-12:30pm
Also after every regularly scheduled class that Rabbi teaches at the Synagogue on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from
6:15pm-6:30pm, Rabbi is available to conference with members and prospective members. Rabbi will give you the time you
need-- just please arrive in that window on any of these days and times so Rabbi is not waiting for naught. Thank you.
If there is any change to this schedule, Rabbi will update members via the announcement thread--be sure to read Rabbi's
updates. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10am - 1pm, Rabbi Praver is available for scheduled conferences. Rabbi Praver is the most accessible Rabbi in the state. Call him directly to make an appointment. 203.209.4662
8
THE NEZVESKY SCHOOL
Happy (Secular) New Year,
With the school year rounding the halfway point
we have sent out our midterm report cards and
your children's teachers will be calling you to
discuss their progress. They will also be inviting
you to come in and observe your children's
classes. This is a great opportunity to see what
your children are doing and how to bring their
Jewish education into your home. We look forward to seeing you there.
On Sunday, February 1, we will hold a Tu
B'Shevat Seder for all the children. We will
split the classes so that they will get a chance
to participate in the ceremony and to do a craft
project related to the holiday. We look forward
to seeing you there.
I'd like to welcome Adam Schwartz to our
teaching staff. Adam and Kate Schwartz joined
the synagogue this fall and with children in 1st
and 3rd grade have been coming to Sunday
School every week. Adam is now our 2nd Grade
teacher and he'll be reaching out to you.
Ima Abba v’Ani
(Pre-School Playgroup)
For children ages 2 to 5 (children not yet enrolled in Kindergarten) and their parent or caregiver. Children learn about the Jewish holidays
in an age-appropriate way, make crafts, sing and
dance, and have a GREAT time. This program
meets once a month from 9:30 to 10:30 on Sunday mornings during the school year. And it is
FREE to attend. Scheduled Playgroup dates are:
February 1, 2015
March 1, 2015
May 3, 2015
We ask that a parent or caregiver remain with
the child during the class and that you bring a
small snack and drink. It is strongly encouraged
that the snack be nut-free (i.e. no peanut butter
products).
Call or email the office to reserve your spot!
Our student volunteers are growing with Megan
and Jonathan Nahmias who started in December, joining Gillian Chanko, Julia Bogdanoff, Adrianna
Tingley, Michael Arena and others who have been volunteering throughout the year. Michael in particular has agreed to come every week so that we have a consistent presence for the 1st graders under Jodi Markowsky's supervision, but I'd also like to thank all of the volunteers for their help.
David Smith
[email protected]
203-364-1788
SISTERHOOD
Sisterhood met at Roberto's Restaurant on January 15th
to discuss options for our upcoming fall fundraiser, and
also the Progressive Dinner which is under way.
Details on both to follow.
9
UPCOMING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
Calling All Golfers!
MAH JONG MADNESS
Would you like to get
involved and help plan a
golf outing fundraiser for
the synagogue?
Mondays 7:00 PM
at Adath Israel
For both experienced
and beginner players
Please contact
Lauren DiMartino at
[email protected]
March 28, 2015
COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS
Jewish Historical Society to Support UJF Super Sunday Feb. 1, 2015
The Jewish Historical Society of Fairfield County is participating in the UJF Super Sunday Mitzvah Project
on Sunday, February 1, 2015. The JHS Judaica Library at the JCC is collecting children's books for ages
pre-school to teens. All used books in gently used condition will be distributed to community non-profit
agencies that deal with children. There will be a drop-off basket in front of the library during the week.
Thank you for participating in our Mitzvah project for the community.
Come and visit us in our wonderful library.
Contact us at [email protected] with any questions.
10
COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS
Please join us
for an open house session to learn
about Eden Village Camp
Located 50 miles north of NYC on 248
gorgeous acres, Eden Village is non-profit
overnight camp that brings an innovative
focus on farming, food, and wilderness to
the best of traditional camp. Our 3rd - 11th
grade campers and apprentices enjoy organic farming, outstanding organic Kosher
food, animal care, wilderness adventure,
natural science, a pool and lake, music,
arts, sports, service projects, exceptional
staff in a 3:1 staff:camper ratio… all in a
vibrant, kind Jewish community!
THE JEWISH
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
of FAIRFIELD COUNTY
Book Talk
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015
10:00AM
An Officer And A Spy by Robert Harris
Presenter: Peter Lilienthal
A fictional account of the Dreyfus Affair of 1895,
portraying this historical conspiracy with all its
intrigue and infamy
Location: Stamford JCC, 1035 Newfield Avenue,
Stamford, CT
Speaker Program
Sunday, Feb. 22
1:30PM
The Cottoncrest Curse: From the Civil War to
Civil Rights through the Eyes of a Southern Jew
Author: Michael H. Rubin
Temple Beth El, 350 Roxbury Road, Stamford, CT
For more information visit: http://jhsfc-ct.org/
All Programs Free and Open to the Public.
11
IN MEMORIAM
Yahrzeits – February 2015
CONTACT INFORMATION
Rabbi: Shaul Praver
[email protected]
3 Feb
3 Feb
14 Shevat
14 Shevat
Julie Cohen, Mother of Michelle Avenia
Margery Korhman, Mother of Katherine Kohrman
4 Feb
12 Feb
14 Feb
15 Feb
17 Feb
21 Feb
15 Shevat
23 Shevat
25 Shevat
26 Shevat
28 Shevat
2 Adar
Stephen Portnoy, Father of Susan Wilson
Paul Tenenbaum, Father of Steven Tenenbaum
Anne Goldstein, Mother of Robert Goldstein
Leon Birnbaum, Father of Mel Birnbaum
Donald Hoffman, Father of Cara Tingley
Estelle Weinrib, Mother of Amy Greenfield
22 Feb
25 Feb
25 Feb
26 Feb
3 Adar
6 Adar II
6 Adar
7 Adar
Morton C. Hillman, Father of Bill Hillman
Beth Greller, Sister of Susan Littlefield
Hariette Wishko, Mother of David Wishko
Beatrice Getman, Grandmother of Jodi Bialik
… and let us not forget
1 Feb
6 Feb
12 Shevat
17 Shevat
Ella Rachel Davidson
Abraham Moskowitz
10 Feb
10 Feb
21 Shevat
21 Shevat
Isadore Kaufman
Monroe M. Frankel
12 Feb
20 Feb
21 Feb
24 Feb
27 Feb
28 Feb
23 Shevat
1 Adar
2 Adar
5 Adar
8 Adar
9 Adar II
Dina Stoller Smolen
Isaac Stoller
Paul Mapen
Aaron Leon Bernstein
Ann Torow
Maurice Nezvesky
Education Director: Dalia Coleman
[email protected]
Administrative Assistant: Susan Rubin
[email protected]
2014 – 2015 Officers of the Board
President: David Elfenbein
[email protected]
Vice - President: Amy Greenfield
[email protected]
Treasurer: Lauren DiMartino
[email protected]
Secretary: Mark Silverman
[email protected]
Member at Large: Jim Arena
Member at Large: Steven Bamberg
2014 – 2015 Committee Chairpersons
Birthday Books: Rachel Lattin
Education Chairperson: David Smith
[email protected]
School Parent Coordinator: Cara Tingley
[email protected]
Federation Rep: (position available)
Fundraising: (position available)
[email protected]
Honorarium: Susan Rubin
[email protected]
BRONZE
MEMORIAL NAMEPLATE
House: Mark Silverman
[email protected]
If you wish to install a memorial nameplate in the sanctuary,
please contact Susan Rubin at 203-426-5188 or
by email
[email protected]
Membership: Jodi Markowsky
[email protected]
Men’s Club: Tod Bogdanoff
[email protected]
Newsletter: Susan Rubin
[email protected]
Programs: (position available)
[email protected]
Newsletter contributions are always welcome…
Have an opinion? Like to write?
Have family or student news you would like to share?
Contact: [email protected]
Please note that current and past copies of the newsletter can be
found on the synagogue website, www.congadathisrael.org
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Publicity: Karen Klein
[email protected]
Ritual: Katherine Kohrman
[email protected]
Safety: David Wiener
[email protected]
Sisterhood: Bonnie Goldstein
[email protected]
“LEAVE YOUR LEGACY ON THE TREE OF LIFE”
A great way to honor past and present
family members and friends
HOST
AN ONEG
OR KIDDUSH
Large Leaf—$1800. each
Small Leaf—$180. each
Order forms available at the synagogue or by emailing
[email protected]
DONATIONS
We gratefully acknowledge the following contributions to temple funds:
General Fund
Susan Wilson in memory of her father, Stephen Portnoy
Jewish Communities of Western CT, Inc
Mortgage Relief Fund
Kate Bamberg
Aaron & Cheryl Gilman
Jeffrey & Judith Ingerman
Lynn & Stan Friedman
Martin & Beth Margulies
Joe & Julie Ketchum
The Jewish Federation of Danbury
Meyer Glaser
Rita frost
Hosting a Friday Oneg or Saturday Kiddush is performing a Mitzvah for our
community. After services is a time
when we have a chance to slow down
and catch up on the weekly events
with our fellow congregants.
It’s not only a Mitzvah, but a way for
you to celebrate an event in your family and share the good news with our
congregation. Many people host to
commemorate birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, awards, graduations, victories and other happy occasions. You may also host in memory of
a loved one. Of course, you don’t
need a reason to host and you may
also buddy up and host with a friend.
If you wish to participate in this Mitzvah or for more information, please
e-mail the office at
[email protected]
THANK YOU -
For sponsoring our January onegs
Friday January 9 - upper school families
Friday January 16 - Bob & Florence Rubinstein in honor of their
anniversary
ADVERTISING YOUR BUSINESS
IN THE NEWSLETTER
Business card size:
$10 monthly / $90 yearly
1/4 page: $15 mo. / $135 yr.
1/2 page: $25 mo. / $225 yr.
Full page: $45 mo. / $405 yr.
Friday Oneg Dates Available
February 13, 20, 27
March 6
April 10, 17
May 8, 22, 29
June 5, 12, 19
August 7, 21
Saturday Kiddushes Available
February 14
March 14
April 11
May 30
June 13
Celebrate a special day with us!
Honor an achievement, birthday or
anniversary. Do a mitzvah. Sponsor an
Oneg or Kiddush this year.
Email: [email protected]
Reserve your date now!
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