November 2020 : simplebooklet.com

Jason Timmons GIve Miami Day November 19 Give Miami Day is BACK November 19 2020 We need your support now more than ever Bet Shira continues to be a source of comfort and faith to our members and the community near and far Please support us and help us exceed our goal Every donation between 25 and 10 000 made to Bet Shira on November 19th will receive a bonus gift from The Miami Foundation This includes any new pledge or payment on an existing pledge Last year you helped raise more than 10 500 in a single day supporting Bet Shira s mission and programming as the only Conservative Jewish Congregation in South Dade Thank you for your support Caring Kehillah of Bet Shira Congregation presents Calming Body Soul Through Music led by Dr Sammi Siegel November 23 2020 at 8 PM 4 Zoom D 665 661 3996 and Password 500 Facebook ive at www facebook com betshira

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rabbi ben herman 6 Rabbi Ben herman Rabbi betshira org The Election From a Jewish Perspective Many of us myself included love politics As a rabbi I have always been blessed to serve a mixed congregation full of Republicans Democrats Libertarians and Independents It is a blessing to be in a community with those we disagree with as we both challenge and bolster one another s perspectives Often politics is eschewed by rabbis because by its very nature it polarizes us We often lose sight of the humanity of others believing that everyone s entitled to MY opinion or failing to believe that someone with diametrically opposed views is just as caring and compassionate a person as we are Personally I have experienced this on multiple fronts in rabbinical school where I was more conservative than the majority of my peers and in a previous synagogue where some felt I was a bleeding heart liberal I take it in good stride believing that if I am displeasing people on multiple sides I m doing my job Some are worried about the implications of this election regardless of the outcome There is fear of a civil war or of the results not being accepted no matter what they are undermining our country s democratic foundation As I hear these comments I think what happened to Mahloket L Shem Shamayim arguing for the sake of heaven What happened to the days when people vehemently disagreed and as lawyers on opposing sides still sometimes do shook hands and broke bread together Has one s political party really become his her tribe or religion a club for those who agree to be in and for those of opposing views being out As one who strives to be an independent thinker and not succumb to peer pressure I ask these questions frequently As we prepare to vote or reflect on our previously casted vote I want to share a poem and a prayer May they give us personal insight and a feeling of being at peace regardless of the outcome of this coming election The poem is by Israeli poet laureate Yehuda Amichai and is titled The Place Where We Are Right The Place Where We Are Right by Yehuda Amichai From the place where we are right flowers will never grow in the Spring The prayer is A Prayer for Voting by Rabbi David Seidenberg Behold I am intending through my vote through my prayer to seek peace for this country as it is written Jer 29 7

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May it be Your will YHVH that votes be counted faithfully and may You count my vote as if I had fulfilled this verse with all my power May You give a listening heart to whomever we elect and may it be good in Your eyes to raise for us a good government to bring healing justice and peace to all living in this land and to all the world and upon Jerusalem a government that will honor the image of God in all humanity and in Creation for rulership is Yours Just as I have participated in the election so may I merit to do good works and to repair the world through all my efforts and through the act of fill in your pledge which I pledge to do today on behalf of all living creatures in remembrance of the covenant of Noah s waters to protect and to not destroy the earth and her plenitude Give to all the peoples of this country the strength and will to pursue righteousness and to seek peace as unified force to uproot racism and violence and to make healing good life and peace flourish here and throughout the world and fulfill for us the verse Ps 90 17 May the pleasure of Adonai our God be upon us and establish the work of our hands for us and make the work of our hands endure I pray that regardless of whether your candidate s win that each of us acknowledge the common humanity of the other and build bridges so that we can together constructively make a difference in our community and in our country Rabbi Ben Herman Join Rabbi Herman for a weekly class Parshat Hashavua Every Tuesday at 1 00 p m Zoom ID 665 661 3996 Meeting Password 7500 Phone 646 876 9923 using the passcode 665 661 3996 rabbi ben herman Seek the peace of the city where I cause you to roam and pray for her to YHVH Hashem Adonai God for in her peace you all will have peace 7

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Harriet rudoff Sisterhood President Sisterhood Bet shira sisterhood Gmail com From Our Family to Yours La Shana Tovah During these challenging times it has been more difficult than ever to meet and connect face to face with family and friends Of course if we look at the positive aspects of technology we have Zoom and other social media to assist us as well as a multitude of other technology opening every day that assist us in taking care of day to day activity Your Sisterhood has been working behind the scenes trying to stay connected and introduce a number of these new technologies Our committees made up of volunteers like you continue to give of themselves to benefit us all Just to mention a couple of examples Nancy Crair sent out college outreach boxes to new and continuing college students the children and grandchildren of our members She is tirelessly working sending out Shiragrams along with Lorraine Rosengarten They have turned a fundraiser around 100 Nancy is now working on the Chanukah Raffle This will be one of our only true fundraisers this year I expect that all of us will support this as members of Sisterhood And speaking of volunteers alone we can only do so little but together we can do so much more We are working diligently to get our Sisterhood Gift Shop on line We are looking for volunteers to help make this as effective and efficient as possible Our goal is to photograph and catalog all items so that they can then be put on the Bet Shira Website You don t need a special skill to accomplish this task just a willingness to volunteer an hour or two and help your community Please contact either myself or Diane Pinchuk for more information Our Flower sale on Rosh Hashana was the best it has been in years and for that we give a big thank you to Iane Deutsch and Hirni s Flowers Look for this sale again at Passover It is a wonderful way to remember friends and family For a nominal fee delivery outside the Bet Shira zone is possible We have been asked this year if we can do a plant for those allergic to flowers and we will definitely be looking into this Evening Book Club has been going strong Last month was a lively and timely discussion about racism living a privilege life and living with secrets We look forward to next month on November 11 2020 at 7 30pm lead by Jill Rubin We had a Pink Shabbat on October 24th via Zoom with a representative of Sharsheret It is always wonderful to support such an important Jewish organization and hear about a serious and relevant topic at the same time 8 Expect Ellen Gall to be contacting you for your donation to Torah Fund the organization that supports our Rabbis We have been advised by the national office that

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they are closed at the present time and that due to Covid 19 the pins are unavailable First and foremost as volunteers we make up a team and you all have unique talents skills and knowledge to get our Sisterhood mission accomplished Additionally working together promotes friendship and community and we have fun while doing it We are looking very forward to receive those phone calls from you to volunteer and give only an hour or two a week of your time Harriet D Rudoff President Let s Get Cookin Get your Sisterhood Cookbook 54 cookbook Supplement 18 Supplement only Order through Venmo Go to Venmo com and enter Bet shira sisterhood gmail com full email must be entered answer yes to sending money to renee Then specify what you are paying for dues flowers cookbook etc Questions Contact Joan Kobrin at Dkobrin455 aol com Sisterhood For those of you who have not yet renewed your dues or even joined Sisterhood it is never too late We now have improved our technology to make things easier for you You can Venmo any payment related to the Gift Shop Shiragrams or Sisterhood membership We are also building our mentorship program of our younger members who we know will one day assume leadership positions not only in our Sisterhood and Synagogue but also in our community and who are our greatest asset

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Jewish Learning 10 Ren e B Rittner Director of jewish learning rrittner betshira org Rabbi Chanina ben Chachinai would say One who spends the night awake or who goes on a journey alone or who turns one s mind to useless thoughts sins against one s own soul Pirkei Avot 3 4 Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas used to say Morning sleep midday wine children s talk and attendance at the meeting places of the ignorant will take a person out of this world Pirkei Avot 3 10 The Rabbis remind us that the little things we do in life can have a larger impact for our future Our actions our words our thoughts no matter how small matter Wherever we are we need to not only exist but be actively present in the moment When we cross the street we look both ways When we volunteer to do something we need to put our all into the project we are taking on We need to remember to take time in our days to take care of self needs When we are learning we need to mitigate distractions When we are teaching we need to pay attention to our students and if needed provide opportunities to get the wiggles out and the mind refreshed Life is made out of small moments in time and those small moments have impact At the JLC we are trying to be mindful that every minute we have our students is important and counts Every lesson we teach has a purpose and a connection The games we play such as online charades online Pictionary Kahoot Jeopardy etc not only serves as change of pace but also to teach about Judaism and to create a community When we pause to have our students dance to Jewish music stretch or run across the field we do so to give each student the best opportunity to have the mind reset and learn again On October 18th the JLC entered our hybrid learning phase Not to say returning to the building is a small moment in the time of COVID guidelines it takes a lot of coordination and people power but in the grand scheme of things it is a small moment in time A small moment that can have a big impact It gives our students the opportunity to be in our sanctuary to reconnect not only with friends and teachers but also the safe space of the synagogue home Even those that are calling in virtually again have the chance to be in our Sanctuary and see the familiar space that is physical Bet Shira A synagogue is not now and should never be constructed walls but rather the people that make up the community but it is nice to know that we do not have to wander in the desert anymore On Sundays the majority of our students have returned to in person at the congregation while a few of our students are learning online with opportunities to connect directly to their classmates learning in the room The typical day includes Havdalah morning minyan 5th 7th Hebrew and Judaic learning On Wednesdays our older

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The JLC would like to congratulate our new youth group board members for our younger youth groups As you read the names note another instance of small things making a big difference Children notice the things parents and grandparents do the spirit of menschlikeit passes l dor v dor President Ellie Simon Vice President Ari Rubinstein Secretary Robert Papier Programming Mia Levin JLC dates Sundays 11 8 11 15 11 22 Wednesday 11 4 11 11 11 18 Youth Group 11 8 See you in Shul Renee B Rittner Jewish Learning students continue to learn online only This year we are studying Pirkei Avot with our students exploring focusing on what specific texts tell us about character relationships and taking action in fact the pieces of Pirkei Avot that this column began with is part of a JLC lesson It is the hope of the JLC that students in our program are learning to grapple with hard Jewish ideas that they can continue to think about throughout their lives receiving a basic entry to decode and become familiar with our prayers and to find a meaningful connection to their Jewish souls We hope that the small pieces we give them now are simply the first footsteps to finding lifelong Jewish identity 11

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Thank you to our 5781 High Holy Days Donors Thank you to all those who donated during our High Holy Day 5781 virtual services The list below is continued in our Todah Rabah on pages 18 and 19 Victor Abrams Keith Agress Robert Stephanie Kair Bull Eric Cohen Felix Cohen Les Cutler Abraham Fainboim Randee Flaim Andrew Vicky Garfield Peter Stacy Heller Rachel Herman Phineas Ilene Hyams Andrew Alison Jacobs Joseph Kaplan Steven Rory Kaufman Gary Kirshner Ronen Beatrice Koubi Lisa Kovalsky Amanda Larkin Laura Laufer Susan Lowe Shirley Martinez Michael Myra Matters Gary Jill Miller Augie Moss Mandy Pavuk Elsa V Robinson Michael Zaida Ross Shane Susan Samole Allen Seftel Robin Schaffer Loree Schwartz Daniel Schwimmer Bobbye Shearer Jan Niki Spitzer Esther Sterental Evie Stern Robert Wesler Nadine Wenzel Mark Wilkow Herbert Zelen Thank you to Ana Fidanque Linda Truppman Lenny Simon Rabbi Herman and Cantor Levy for their dedication hard work and countless hours spent on ensuringthatthecommunityreceivedmeaningfulvirtual High Holy Day services 13

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Todah Rabah CARING KEHILLAH In Honor of the speedy recovery for Esther Simpser Robert Linda Spiegelman In Memory of Roberta Brazeal Belinda Scudder In Memory of Harriet Frillarte Belinda Scudder In Memory of F Robert Brooks Joseph Cynthia Baum In Memory of Roberta Meyer Joseph Jacqueline Koptowsky In Memory of Peter Pallot Morrie Leigh Siegel In Memory of our aunt Ruth Rosenthal Saul Stevie Silverman In Memory of Peter Byron Garvett Steven Gaylen Neiditch In Memory of Martin Weiner Morrie Leigh Siegel In Memory of our aunt Ruth Rosenthal Saul Stephanie Silverman In Memory of Peter Pallot Mitchell Sherry Horwich ENDOWMENT FUND In Memory of Neal Farr Bill DeChantal Williams EARLY CHILDHOOD FUND In Memory of Ruth Adrianne Gerrand Stuart Deborah Koenigsberg In Memory of Fay Rogovin Feinstein Marilyn Wolfson In Memory of Jane Wolfson Marilyn Wolfson JEWISH LEARNING CENTER FUND In Memory of Peter Pallot David Carol Stiefel MUSIC FUND In Memory of Albert Gordon Barry Ronna Siegel In Honor of Elayne Tendrich for the birth of her great grandson Ryan Robert Linda Spiegelman 18 PROGRAMMING FUND In Honor of Logan Timmins to Vicki and Neal Roth Stanley Shelley Rosenberg In Memory of Ada Boyer Paul Velma Papier RABBI DISCRETIONARY FUND In Honor of High Holy Day Services Robert Linda Spiegelman In Memory of Jerry and Roberta Shevin Adam R Shevin In Appreciation of Rabbi Herman officiating our daughter s Baby Naming Jarett Galit Warner In Appreciation of Rabbi Herman for a meaningful High Holiday virtual experience Ira Susan Shapiro In Honor of Rabbi Herman Thank you for a beautiful service Audrey Stone In honor of Rabbi Herman s birthday Bill Carol Berk In honor of Rabbi Herman Irv Nancy Reinhard In Honor of our 50th Wedding Anniversary Joseph Jacqueline Koptowsky In honor of my grandson Gideon Goldberg Linda Glass In honor of Rabbi Herman Paul Suzanne Fisher In Memory of Ruben Halprin David Shelley Sokol In Memory of Herman Beek Douglas Melissa Beek In Memory of our loved ones Stanley Shelley Rosenberg In Memory of Moises Simpser Esther Simpser In Memory of Sarah Golod Jeremy Courtney Larkin In Memory of Betty Gruenfeld Joseph Lilian Sheingold In Memory of Neal Farr Charles Lisa Treister In Memory of Max Durlacher Michael Susana Novak In Memory of Sarah Gershen Paul Renee Gershen In Memory of George Charat Paul Renee Gershen In Memory of Rose Segal Sharon Beck In Memory of Robert Myerson Steven Judge Laurel Isicoff On Behalf of Amy and Albert Coven and family Albert Coven In Honor of Virual High Holy Day Services Lisbeth Goldberg In Honor of Harry Shearer Anne Shearer TIKKUN OLAM FUND In Memory of Neal Farr Jeff Faye Roth In Memory of Neal Farr Kandy Kramer Rebecca Spencer Kramer In Memory of Penn Chabrow Sr Penn Sheila Chabrow WHERE NEEDED MOST In Honor of Logan Timmons Bar Mitzvah Bill Carol Berk In Honor of our parents Robert JoAnn Gottlieb In Honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Logan Timmons The Barbosa family In Memory of Dorothy Blum Barry Lori Blum In Memory of Neal Farr David Carol Stiefel In Memory of Vella Betty Newton Bill Carol Berk In Memory of Szaja Moczan David Susan Hochstadt In Memory of Ellen Mandler Harris Mandler In Memory of Laurel Isicoff s brother Joey Jeremy Fran Farkas In Memory of Neal Farr Ronald Lorraine Rosengarten In Memory of Ellen Mandler Mitchell Beth Mandler In Memory of Peter Pallot Regina Frances In Memory of Emily Velelli Regina Frances For the Yahrzeit of Leon Silverman Saul Stevie Silverman In Memory of Neal Farr Steve Shelly Brodie

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For the Yahrzeit of Ann Freundlich Saul Stevie Silverman In Memory of Peter Pallot Wayne Pam Driscoll A General Donation Arthur Renee Ritz A General Donation Gary Laurie Moss A General Donation Lillian Siegel In Memory of Neal Farr Elena Kemper In Memory of Peter Pallot Nathan Beverly Rose In Memory of Neal Farr Wendy Bandklayder In Appreciation of Bet Shira Sharon B Rich A General Donation Teresa Fabelo A General Donation Robert Maria Wild In Memory of Neal Farr Ronald Lorraine Rosengarten In Honor of the High Holy Days Bruce Laurie Herman For the speedy recovery of Joe Sheingold and Geri Gurvich Robert Mary Krantzler A General Donation Morrie Leigh Siegel YAHRZEIT FUND In Memory of Neal Farr Robert Linda Spiegelman In Memory of Morris Spiegelman Robert Linda Spiegelman In Memory of Donald Palay Sheila Wagner In Memory of Dorothy Wagner Sheila Wagner Majklf In Memory of Sol Wagner Sheila Wagner In Memory of Albert Pincas Sheila Wagner In Memory of Richard Wagner Sheila Wagner In Memory of Helen Silberg Robert Rochelle Wesler In Memory of George Charat Bernard Cindy Akerman In Memory of Peggy Ann Engel The Engel Family In Memory of Richard Sukel Laurie Sukel In Memory of Sherry Sukel Laurie Sukel In Memory of Gertrude Liss Robin Forman A General Donation Lloyd Rae Wruble as of October 1 2020 In Memoriam Martha Kushner z l mother of Susan Steven Weissberg Neal Farr husband of Eileen Farr Micki Michele Levin Brill wife of Ed Brill and mother of Joey Marty sister of Sharon Elliott Asbel Marc Levin aunt of Marlin Asbel Jeffrey Heller z l brother of Peter Stacy Heller Warren Goff z l brother of Nadine Sidney Pertnoy MAZAL TOV Mazal Tov to Audrey Stone on the engagement of her son David Stone to Sarah van den Berg Mazal Tov to Seth and Shani Davis son and daughter in law of Terri Davis on the birth of a baby girl Leni shir Davis BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Wednesday Nov 18 7 30 p m on zoom Date subject to change Support Our Synagogue with Amazon Smile Bet Shira Congregation is part of the Amazon Smile Charity Program an Amazon website that allows Amazon customers to choose a charity and designate to it 0 5 of every purchase So when you do your shoppingthrough Amazon whether its books paper goods toys or anything you desire do it through Amazon Smile and choose to support Bet Shira Just start each shopping session at http smile amazon com ch 59 2500437 Once there you will automatically be supporting Bet Shira Congregation with your purchases We ve Gone Virtual DAILY WORSHIP Sundays 9 30 A M Weekdays 8 30 A M Zoom ID 665 661 3996 Meeting Password 7500 Phone 646 876 9923 using the passcode 665 661 3996 SHABBAT WORSHIP Friday Nights 6 30 p m Saturday Mornings 9 30 a m Friday November 6 5 18 p m Havdalah November 7 6 19 p m Friday November 13 5 14 p m Havdalah November 14 6 16 p m Friday November 20 5 12 p m Havdalah November 21 6 14 p m Friday November 27 5 11 p m Havdalah November 28 6 13 p m Join us on our website www betshira org live streaming Facebook Live https www facebook com betshira live First Friday of the Month Jammies and Jeans at 6 00 P M 19

November 2020

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