From Our President:
Dear Friends,
Once again, I am writing this and it is not even the 15th of December. However, it needs to be written in order for you to receive this in your January edition of the Shofar. Therefore, as we start the secular New Year, I would like to extend my best wishes for a very happy, healthy New Year to you and your family. We have either had or will have some outstanding events since my last letter to you. On Friday December 14, we held our annual Boards Shabbat. As usual it was well attended and always a nice evening, and it is especially important, because it is a time when we get to honor all of those individuals who commit their time and energy to making things work at Temple Beth El. Federation Shabbat was held at Adas Kodesh on December 7th, I was not able to attend, but understand it was a very nice evening. Sisterhood’s annual cookie exchange is scheduled for December 19th. In past years, many women attend and all funds raised are donated to a worthwhile cause. Last year, they raised over $1,000.
If you attended either of the two congregation meetings held recently you know that many congregants voiced their opinions as they pertained to the Rabbi’s contract. The Board is aware of the comments made by everyone who spoke and will give direction to the three individuals, Marla Norton, Mike Kelman and Mike Rudolph, who are charged to meet with the Rabbi and work out a new contract. They are hoping to have something in place by the end of January. Once there is an agreement, it will be brought to the Board for their approval, and then I will seek congregation approval either by calling a special congregation meeting or wait until our annual meeting in May.
At
our last Board meeting, I announced that our nominating committee is now in
place. Our chair is Mike Chajes, with Bob Gelman as our
other board representative; non board members are Joe Sontowski,
Andrea Finestrauss and Elizabeth Munson. It is Mike’s plan to meet in January and
hopefully have the slate completed before the end of January. As I announced at Boards’ Shabbat, if you
have an interest in serving on the
I
would like to continue profiling another member of the
Mike Kelman,
Member at Large-
This
is Mike’s 2nd year on the TBE board and I don’t know why I did not
profile him last year. Perhaps he never
gave me anything!! Anyway, Mike enjoys
serving in this capacity and feels this is a great way to give back to the
Jewish community. He has a chiropractic
office in
I remind you that if you have any ideas or suggestions please do not hesitate contacting me at , or by phone (302-234-6529), or you may contact any one of the other board members.
Again, best wishes for health, happiness and prosperity in 2008.
B’Shalom,
Jay Stellenberg
President, Board of Directors
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DISCOVERY GROUP
January 13
February 10
-----
FAMILY SERVICE
Dalet - January 11th
Gimmel A - January 25th
Gimmel B - February 8th
-----
GIMMEL PARENT MEETING
Tuesday, January 15th
5:00 p.m.
----------------------
BAD WEATHER
CLOSINGS
Of course, we are all hoping that the dreaded
winter word - SNOW - doesn’t appear, but we have already had our first
snowfall! We generally follow the
Webmasters Note: You can also check:
·
Our website at http://tbede.org/news or
·
WDEL’s website at http://www.wdel.com/snowlist.php
-------------------------
THANK
YOU!
Thank you for your generous outpouring of
donations of clothing, books, housewares, toys and
cash to our Needy Families. A special thank you to Ann Herman, Alice Hirsch, Helene Tanny, Ruth Wolfe, Amie Rutstein,
Sarah, Jason & Mark Glassner for their help in
sorting and organizing our donations.
Your donations will enable our families to have a wonderful holiday.
Sydell & Sy Glassner
-------------------------
RITUAL
COMMITTEE
The Ritual Committee is looking for interested
members. Items on the agenda for this year include the high
holiday family services, limited participation in the Torah service by
non-Jewish spouses, reaction to the changes in the high holiday services,
whether to continue Yizkor services held on days
other thanYom Kippur due to poor turnout, and Rabbi's
suggestions for reenergizing services. The first meeting will be scheduled in
late January or early February. If you have other items for discussion or are
interested in serving on the Committee, please contact Al Kagel.
-------------------------
MARK
YOUR CALENDARS
Sun.,
Jan. 6 - Sisterhood Meeting
Fri.,
Jan. 11 - Dalet Family Service
Sun.,
Jan. 13 - Men’s Club Breakfast
- Discovery Group
Tue.,
Jan. 15 - Gimmel Parent Meeting
Fri.,
Jan. 25 - Gimmel A Family Service
-------------------------
KITCHEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN JANUARY & FEBRUARY
It’s not too
late to start earning donor dollars for the Sisterhood donor dinner in the Spring. If you have
questions about what “donor” is please call the office.
Volunteers are
needed in January and February. If you
have never worked in the kitchen before, there are several opportunities to
work a Friday night Oneg with other experienced
people, and have fun too!
Please call or e-mail Renee Felder
if you are interested in working on any of the following dates.
January Dates:
Friday,
1/11/08 - 2 more workers for Dalet
Class Service
Saturday
1/12/08 - 1 worker
Friday
1/18/08 - 1 more worker
Saturday,
1/19/08 - 1 worker
Friday
1/25/08 - 3
more workers for Gimmel A Class Service
Saturday
1/26/08 - 1 worker
February Dates:
Friday
2/8/08 - 5 workers for Gimmel B Class Service
Saturday
2/9/08 - 1 worker
Friday
2/15/08 - 1 or 2 workers
Saturday
2/16/08 - 1 worker
Many thanks to everyone who has volunteered. Please contact Renee Felder or Jody Brown if
you have any questions.
Renee:
, (610)347-0518
Jody:
, (302)521-1411
-------------------------
ABOUT
BASKETFEST...
Notes on Basketfest: This is just an FYI for our new members and those who have
never attended. Basketfest is an adults
only fundraising event sponsored by TBE Sisterhood. This is our 9th year for
this very successful event and we continue to raise more money for TBE each
year through the generous donations of themed "baskets" from
congregants, our
-------------------------
JOIN THE TBE
CHAVERIM...
1st
Wednesday every month
Lunch & Cards
3rd
Wednesday every month
Chaverim Day Trip
For more information contact
Steve Osman at 239-9863 or
e-mail at
-------------------------
Reminder
Temple Beth El is recognized by the Internal Revenue
Service as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. As such the following rules as they pertain
to political activities should be adhered to:
Although a charity may engage in certain types of lobbying
activities, it may not engage in political activity. If a charity engages in
political activity, or if its lobbying activities exceed either (1) a
substantial part of its activities or (2) the limits under Section 501(h) of
the Internal Revenue Code, the IRS may revoke the tax-exempt status of the
organization.
The IRS may revoke an organization’s tax-exempt status if the organization
intervenes or participates "in any political campaign, on behalf of (or in
opposition to) any candidate for public office." [I.R.C. 501(c)(3),] Political activity is defined as intervention in a
political campaign, while legislative activity concerns communication in
regards to legislation (broadly defined). This restriction on political
activity involves three major areas of consideration: who a candidate is, what
"intervention" or "participation" is, and when political
activity by individuals will be attributed to a particular organization.
Therefore:
A. Who is a candidate?
A candidate is a person running for an elective public office, on the national
or local level. The fact that an election is nonpartisan does not make it any
less a political campaign. A person becomes a candidate once he or she declares
candidacy for the office.
B. What is "intervention" or
"participation"?
Intervention or participation occurs when an organization
expresses an opinion about any candidate in a political campaign.
Charities may, however, carry out "voter education" activities. The
voter education activity could indicate how candidates voted in the past. Voter
education could also mean a survey of candidates' opinions, as long as all the
candidates were included and the charity did not indicate a preference.
C. When will
political activity by individuals be attributed to the
The law of agency, which generally describes how one entity can be responsible
for the actions of others, governs whether political activity by individuals
will be attributed to the
One word of warning: although the organization may want to distance itself from
a staff member who is running for public office, laws in some states prohibit
organizations from disciplining or discharging an employee because of his or
her political activity. The organization must, nonetheless, make sure that none
of its assets (such as phones, office supplies, computers and Fax machines) are
used for political activities, and that the employee/candidate is not acting
under the organization's direction or with its support.
Any endorsement of a political party by the
It is important to remember that political participation as the
-------------------------
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
NEWS
From Our
Principal:
We had a fun and busy December. I hope everyone had a wonderful Chanukah
celebration. The students enjoyed a
special Chanukah game and service here at
Now we are looking forward to 2008 and the special services
and holidays to celebrate in the coming months.
The Dalet Seder Shel Shabbat and Class Service
will be January 11th and the Gimmel A service will be January 25th. Families from both sections of the Gimmel
class will also share a dinner at
Also in January, we will celebrate Tu B’Shvat – the New Year for Trees. This fun holiday gives us a chance to focus
on the earth’s needs and what we can do to help with Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). One idea is to donate money to the Jewish
National Fund. Brochures will go out in
the beginning of January, explaining the projects that the JNF is involved with
in
-------------------------
SCHOOL CLOSINGS
We generally
follow the
public schools’ decision.
If there is
no public school, there is no
religious school.
Additionally, if
there is early dismissal there will
be no religious school.
You can also
check the TBE web site or listen to
the announcements on
the radio -
WILM, WDEL,
WJBR.
-------------------------
News from Mrs. Romao’s Dalet & Hai Class:
On November 29th, Lisa Driban,
from Jewish Family Services, was a guest speaker for our Dalet and Hai Classes. We were learning about the role of Jewish
Community Organizations and Lisa was kind enough to speak with us about the
JFS' Mitzvah Basket program and the opportunities within the community for
fulfilling the mitzvah of Tikkun Olam.
Students chose two charities to help and brought in items to fill two Mitzvah
Baskets which were donated to a women's shelter. One basket was filled with
toiletry items for the women and the other basket was filled with toys and
games for the children of the women in the shelter. This was a wonderful
experience for the students and we thank Lisa for taking the time to visit us.
~~~Corey Romao
-------------------------
DECEMBER
16TH TALENT SHOW...
Thank you to every one who participated in, and came to
see, the Talent Show on December 16th! We have so many talented people here at
Temple Beth El. The show was wonderful and a lot of fun. Due to the generosity
of our congregation, the Hai Class has collected
$359.28 to be split between the M.S. Society and the American Diabetes
Foundation.
~~~Mrs. Romao
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
NEWS (Cont’d)
-------------------------
EARLY DISMISSAL
If it is necessary for a student to
be dismissed
early he/she is required
to bring a note
from his/her parent
You
must pick your child
up from the office only.
-------------------------
SNACK CARDS
$12.00
-------------------------
LIVE JEWISH
BRACELETS
AVAILABLE
IN THE
Only $4.00
(Both children
& adult sizes)
-------------------------
BROADWAY MUSICAL
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Tickets are now on sale for Sunday, May 4, 2008 to see the
new musical
"In The Heights".
The cost is $125 per person for
Temple Beth El members and $140 per
person for non-members.
This price includes: Orchestra seat
Bus tranportation
Tip for the driver
Snacks on the bus
Departure
will be from Temple Beth El at 8:00 am with return at 9:30 pm.
To reserve
your seat, contact Lynda Bell at 610-255-4122 or email her at
Reservations are on a "first call, first
get" basis and must be reserved through Lynda only.
Your
deposit of 50% of the cost is due by January 2, 2008 and the balance paid in
full by March 1, 2008.
Our
Broadway trips are always fun. Join in the fun by supporting Sisterhood!
-------------------------
BUSY DAYS FROM
SISTERHOOD
From
our Sisterhood President...
2008 is
upon us, and
winter has officially begun. By the time you are reading this, Sisterhood's
Mystery Auction/Cookie Exchange will have come & gone. Thanks to everyone who participated. A special
"thank-you" to hostess Marla Norton. Thank
you to Jacki Ettinger
(Sisterhood-Programming) for arranging the upcoming Jan. 6th General Meeting. Note: It is Sun. Morning during religious school.
Come join us. Please see details below.
An important reminder:
Sisterhood's
FUNDRAISING EFFORTS are focused on raising several thousand dollars to
support the operating expenses of the
------------------
SISTERHOOD'S NEXT
MEETING
Sunday, January 6th
9:30 AM
Please join us as David Berger, President of Progressive Fitness Coaching,
talks about strategies to attain those fitness goals we promised ourselves in our New Year's
Resolutions. David Berger himself went from "fat" to "fit"
earning a degree in Kinesiology from the
------------------
SISTERHOOD’S
TABLECLOTH
You may have noticed the Large Blue Tablecloth used at
special events which is embroidered with many temple family names. To add your name, please call the office.
------------------
BOARD
SHABBAT...THANK YOU
THANK YOU for your efforts to the following: Trayce Bahar, Sisterhood
Chaplain, for organizing the oneg (and Sisterhood's
portions of the service). Thanks to Renee Felder for her efforts on the oneg and to those who served the food (and cleaned up
afterwards!): Ruth Wolfe, Lisa Kletter, Deena Iaconi, Hope Carfagno, Jill Amer. The sweets were wonderful as
always--Thanks to bakers: Alice Hirsch, Barb Stapen,
Terry Prager, Ann Herman, Ann Osman,
Marla Friedman, Andrea Finestrauss, Dee Aaronson & Trayce Bahar.
------------------
CHINESE DINNER...Save the date
February 13th at
6 PM
The Crownery Chinese Resturant
Details to follow...
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MEN’S CLUB
MEETING
Sunday, January 13th
9:30 a.m.
WHAT IS YOUR SOCIAL IQ?: A “Look”
at Body Language
Learn how you can “read” body language and facial
expressions for
determining relationships, tension, and even deception. This will be
an interactive presentation.
Our
speaker is temple member Rae Cook, who has over 23 years of experience in
teaching about communication. Make your people-watching even more fun after you
attend this Men’s Club Breakfast.
------------------
From Our Men’s
Club President:
As is our
custom, we begin with thanks to those who made the December breakfast such a
pure delight, The gentlemen served up some very good
food. Norman Schutzman
delivered a wonderful presentation of his days as a Captain commanding the 7th
Brigade of the Israeli Army in the War for Independance.
Rae Cook
will speak at our January 13th
Breakfast, she told me the answer to the quiz above, and the answer
makes perfect sense based on a few very obvious clues, you see them don't
you? Well, I didn't! I'm really looking forward to Rae's talk.
The TBE
Christmas Movies continue this year, doors open just after noon on Christmas
Day, so enjoy a good sleep-in followed by an afternoon relaxing at the Movies
at TBE. There will be a film for the
younger kids, and another for the big kids, sacre bleu (a movie clue!) a good time is guaranteed for
all.
The Men's
Club hopes you had a good Hanukah, and a relaxing holiday season.