From Our President:

 

Dear Friends,

 

Last month, I asked the question, has winter arrived?  I think we all can now answer with an emphatic yes!   Please drive carefully, and remember to be careful when entering or exiting our parking lot. 

If you did not attend the Chinese dinner co-sponsored by Men’s Club and Sisterhood on February 13^th, at the Crownery, you missed a great meal and a very nice evening. 

On March 2^nd Sisterhood will hold Basketfest.  If you have never attended, you are missing a wonderful event.  It is always a great success and is a significant fundraiser for Sisterhood.  A lot of hard work goes into this event and everyone who works on Basketfest deserves a very large round of applause.

As indicated in last month’s letter, the nominating committee was hard at work and made its recommendations for the 2008/09 slate for the Board.  The slate will be voted on at the May congregation meeting, which will be held as usual during Men’s Club Breakfast on May 11^th.  The proposed slate is as follows:

Staci Bagel, President; Marla Norton, First Vice President; Mike Kletter, Second Vice President; Arlene Johnson, Third Vice President; Bill Spinn, Fourth Vice President; Mike Chajes, Secretary, Jeff Herst, Financial Secretary; Ann Herman, Treasurer;

Jay Stellenberg, Immediate Past President; Michael Rudolph, Past President, Alice Hirsch, Past President; Members at large are- Ed Weinstein, Elizabeth Munson, Lisa Grier, Jill DiScullo, Scott Zapor, and Alan Glasman.  Also on the Board are Men’s Club and Sisterhood Presidents, Tom Felder and Sandy Novick, respectively.  As indicated, this slate of officers will be presented at the next congregation meeting on May 11^th.  I hope you will plan to attend and support Men’s Club.

 

Please note the following dates:

            March 7^th, Celebration Shabbat

March 9^th, Men’s Club Breakfast &

 Congregation Meeting

March 16^th, Purim Carnival

March 20^th, Megillah Reading

April 4^th, Israeli Ambassador, Anat

 giving sermon at Services

April 5^th, Shabbat service and Kiddush

 with TBE Philly at TBE Newark

            April 6^th, Congregation Meeting-

            Discussion Only

             9:30 a.m. - 3 day to 2 day R.S.

April 12^th, Men’s Club Comedy Night

April 27^th, Congregation

 Meeting 7:00 p.m.-  3 day  to 2 day

 R. S.-Vote will  be taken.

May 11^th, Congregation Meeting at

 Men’s Club Breakfast, vote on

 2008/09 Board and presentation

 of preliminary budget.

 

There are many more important events happening at Beth El, so please remember to see your Shofar and the Web site for specifics.

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.

 

Have a good month,

 

Jay Stellenberg

President, Board of Directors

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CONGREGATION MEETING

 Sunday, March 9^th, 7:00 p.m.

 

Agenda:

1.  Temko Project

2.  Rabbi Kaplan’s contract

 

 

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DISCOVERY GROUP

11:30 a.m.

March 9

April 6

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TOT SHABBAT

7:00 p.m.

Grades K, 1, & 2 will be singing on

March 7

April 25

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FAMILY SERVICE

Aleph  - April 11

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30 MINUTE HAGGADAH’S

 

   Last year we ordered a new 30 minute Haggadah and made them available for purchase.  They were so popular that we have   had many orders for this year.  If you are interested, we have ordered extra.  They are in the Temple office Available for sale. Price is $6.00 each for   regular print and $8.00 each for large print.

 

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YISKOR SERVICES

 

   Sunday, April 27^th       9:30 a.m.

 

  Tuesday, June 10^th      8:00 a.m.

 

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          GIFT SHOP  JUDAICA

 

Please join us at the Purium Carnival this March 16. We will have great food and children’s activities. Be on the look out for many new artist items and lovely Jewish pieces that will be available.   Hope to see you there.

 

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LAST CHANCE FOR KITCHEN VOLUNTEERS TO EARN DONOR

 

            Hospitality has had a busy year.  Many thanks to everyone who has volunteered to work at our Onegs and Kiddushes.

            There are only a couple more dates available to earn donor before the April 6^th deadline.  Please check out the dates below, and be sure to mark your calendars for the Sisterhood donor dinner on Wednesday, May 14^th.  All are welcome, even if you don’t have enough donor dollars to pay for your dinner.  It is always a great evening!

            You can also get a head start on donor for next year by signing up for dates after the April 6^th deadline. 

 

Kitchen volunteers are needed for the following dates:

March

Friday, March 21^st - 1 worker

April

Friday, April 4^th – 1 or 2 workers

Saturday, April 5^th – 1 worker

Friday, April 11^th – 2 workers

Saturday, April 12^th – 1 worker

 

Please call me or send me an e-mail to sign up or to get more information.

Thanks.  I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

 

Renee Felder 

(610)347-0518

 

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Kol Haemet

Prepared by Barry Seidel

 

The New Anti-Semitism

By Denis MacShane
Tuesday, September 4, 2007

 

            Hatred of Jews has reached new heights in Europe and many points south and east of the old continent. Last year I chaired a blue-ribbon committee of British parliamentarians, including former ministers and a party leader, that examined the problem of anti-Semitism in Britain. None of us are Jewish or active in the unending debates on the Israeli-Palestinian question.

            Our report showed a pattern of fear among a small number of British citizens -- there are around 300,000 Jews in Britain, of whom about a third are observant -- that is not acceptable in a modern democracy. Synagogues attacked. Jewish schoolboys jostled on public transportation. Rabbis punched and knifed. British Jews feeling compelled to raise millions to provide private security for their weddings and community events. On campuses, militant anti-Jewish students fueled by Islamist or far-left hate seeking to prevent Jewish students from expressing their opinions.

            More worrisome was what we described as anti-Jewish discourse, a mood and tone whenever Jews are discussed, whether in the media, at universities, among the liberal media elite or at dinner parties of modish London. To express any support for Israel or any feeling for the right of a Jewish state to exist produces denunciation, even contempt.

            Our report sent a shock wave through the British government. Tony Blair called us in and told his staff to fan out throughout government departments and produce answers to the problems we outlined. To Britain's credit, the Blair administration produced a formal government response setting out tough new guidelines for the police to investigate anti-Semitic attacks and for universities to stop anti-Jewish ideology from taking root on campuses. Britain's Foreign Office has been told to protest to Arab states that allow anti-Jewish broadcasts.

            We made clear that criticism of actions of Israeli politicians was not off-limits. On the contrary, we noted that some of the strongest criticisms of Israeli policy come from Israeli campuses, journalists and political activists, and from the Jewish intellectual elite of many countries. American universities have provided a base for Noam Chomsky and the late Edward Said, among others, to launch campaigns of criticism against Israel, and the bulk of the West's university intelligentsia remains hostile to the Jewish state.

            Tony Blair's successor as British prime minister, Gordon Brown, recently said in London that he stood with Israel "in bad times as well as good times," and one of the remarkable turnarounds of the new Labor leadership that governs Britain is a strong support for Israel and its commitment to combating anti-Semitism. The problem is worse in other European countries. The Polish politician, Maciej Marian Giertych, recently published a pamphlet under the auspices of the European Parliament that attacked Jews. No action has been taken against him. France and Germany have seen anti-Jewish attacks. Some references to Jews in the Lithuanian press do not bear translating.

            Europe is reawakening its old demons, but today there is a difference. The old anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism have morphed into something more dangerous. Anti-Semitism today is officially sanctioned state ideology and is being turned into a mobilizing and organizing force to recruit thousands in a new crusade -- the word is chosen deliberately -- to eradicate Jewishness from the region whence it came and to weaken and undermine all the humanist values of rule of law, tolerance and respect for core rights such as free expression that Jews have fought for over time.

            The president of Iran is the most odious example of this new state-sanctioned anti-Semitism. But from the Egyptian Writers Union to the notorious anti-Jewish articles in the charters of Hamas and Hezbollah, hatred of Jews is an integral element of a new ideology rising to prominence in many regions of the world.

            Democracies always take their time, often too much time, to recognize and face a totalitarian threat when it is posed in ideological terms. In prewar Europe, conservatives were soft on right-wing ideologies because they were seen as being anti-communist and anti-labor. In postwar Europe, socialists were soft on the Soviet Union because the communists appeared to challenge capitalism and imperialism. Today there is still denial about the universal ideology of the new anti-Semitism. It has power and reach, and it enters into the soft underbelly of the Western mind-set that does not like Jews or what Israel does to defend its right to exist.

            A counterattack is being organized. My own House of Commons has led the way with its report. The 47-nation Council of Europe, on which I sit as a British representative, has launched a lengthy inquiry into combating anti-Semitism in Europe. The European Union has produced a directive outlawing Internet hate speech originating within its jurisdiction.

            We are at the beginning of a long intellectual and ideological struggle. It is not about Jews or Israel. It is about everything democrats have long fought for: the truth without fear, no matter one's religion or political beliefs. The new anti-Semitism threatens all of humanity. The Jew-haters must not pass.

The writer is a Labor member of the British House of Commons and has served as Britain's Europe minister.

 

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JEWISH FEDERATION OF DE

4TH “BAGEL & BRIEFINGS”

Monday, April 7th, 2008 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Bernard & Ruth Siegel J.C.C.

With David Baker

 

David Baker is the Senior Foreign Press Coordinator of the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and will talk about Israel’s international PR predicament and current events in Israel.  The program is FREE and open to the entire community. For details, contact: Karen Venezky at 302-427-2100 x 19 or

 

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B’NAI MITZVOT SPRING 2008

 

May 3 -  Rutstein

May 10 - Miller

May 31 - Densten -Luncheon

June 7 - Wortmann

June 14 - Gallagher

June 21 - DeFroda

June 28 – Carfagno

 

The Bar Mitzvah season is upon us and Sisterhood would love to have you join us in making these onegs & kiddushes extra special for our fellow congregants.  Please consider signing up to work any of the above dates.

 

Thank You,

Sue Herst 302/994-9350

 

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SPECIAL SERVICES

 

    Fri., March 7 - Tot Shabbat - with K-2nd

                          - Celebration Shabbat

   Sat., March 8 - Hai Class Service

   Sun., March 9 - Discovery Group

   Sun., March 16 - Purim Assembly

   Thurs., March 20 - Megillah Reading

                                  NO R.S.

     Sun.,  April 6 - Discovery Group

 

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RITUAL COMMITTEE MEETING

 

Monday, April 7th

 

 

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From BBYO...

 

            In February, Central Region East BBYO hosted the largest regional convention in decades, with over 300 Jewish teenagers attending.  What kind of convention could draw this many people, you ask?  It was none other than the annual CRE Tournies Convention.  Held this year in Wilmington, DE, Tournies is a weekend where all of the chapters in Central Region East compete against each other in various artistic and athletic competitions, and three chapters are crowned the winner by Sunday afternoon (one large chapter, one medium chapter, and one small chapter, for each of the three divisions).  By and large, Tournies is the most popular convention of the year for CRE BBYOers.

            At Tournies, members gain a sense of brotherhood/sisterhood as they compete alongside fellow chapter members in different sporting events, such as basketball, volleyball, water polo, and more, and at the same time gain a sense of responsibility and chapter loyalty when representing their chapter in individual competitions, such as singing, foosball, storytelling, instrumental, stand-up comedy, and many others.  Alongside all of this, new friendships are always to be made in BBYO, and Tournies Convention is one of the best places to do it, considering the high attendance rate.

            Even amongst all of the competitions and events, Tournies still finds time for the heart of BBYO, its Judaism.  With two Shabbat services on Friday night and Saturday morning, and a Saturday evening Havdallah service, parents should have no worries that BBYO is forgetting its roots and traditions for the weekend.  The Tournies Havdallah is always a crowd favorite, combining traditional Jewish prayers with a chill acoustic guitar vibe, as well as other great contemporary songs.  In addition, it’s always open to the general Jewish community, so even parents and alumni can come join in on the festivities.

            Tournies 2007 last year was my first convention out of town, and going into it I was incredibly nervous about whom I’d be housing with, if I’d do well in AZA Singing, if I’d have a good time, if I’d get any sleep, etc.  As all attendees eventually find, my fears were alleviated rather quickly.  I had an awesome house with great people, I got a medal in AZA Singing as a freshman, I had an amazing time, and while I got little sleep, the late hours of the night were spent in good company.  Even teenagers trying out BBYO for the very first time and are just barely getting their feet wet will have an awesome time at CRE’s Tournies Convention.  Since Tournies is also the first convention of the year that 8th graders are allowed to attend, it’s a guarantee you’re not the only one there for the first time.  The Central Region East atmosphere is one of friendliness, and no one feels out of place for long.  Why not give it a chance?

            The next regional convention is the Brotherhood/Sisterhood and Beau/Sweetheart Dance Convention, held this year in Scranton, PA.  It focuses on fraternity/sisterhood throughout different separates and coed programs, and culminates in a formal dance.  All current and potential BBYOers from the area are invited!

                                    -Brandon Weber

 

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RELIGIOUS SCHOOL NEWS

 

From Our Principal:

 

            I hope everyone is keeping warm and cozy during our long winter months.  We can be cheered, though, knowing that spring must be around the corner because we are busy preparing for Purim.  This is one fun holiday and the whole family should get involved!  We will have our annual Purim Assembly and Carnival on Sunday, March 16th.  All parents and siblings are invited and I know you will enjoy the show with “Officer Offbeat,” and your own very entertaining children.  Be sure to bring your cameras!  After the assembly, more fun awaits at the Temple Beth El Purim Carnival.  We will have games, crafts, shopping, and delicious lunch options.  Tickets for games and crafts can be purchased in advance at a discount, so watch for the Carnival flyer and be sure to get your order in on time.

            Later that week we will have our TBE Megillah Reading at 7:00pm on Thursday, March 20th.  There will be no Religious School that afternoon, but we expect everyone to attend the Purim Service in the evening.  Fun and Celebration is the order for the night – come dressed up and get a prize (all ages)!  This is a service like no other.  Full credit will be given for all Religious School students.  I’m still gathering ideas for my own costume, so stop in and help me out!

            Later this Spring, we will be celebrating our Passover Model Seders and Israel’s 60th Birthday!  I will need help with all events, so please let me know if you are available on any of these dates:

 

• April 6th (K – 2nd grade Model Seders)
• April 17th (Aleph – Hai Model Seders)
• May 4th (Israel’s Independence Day Celebration)

 

Report Cards for Aleph – Hai students were handed out the first week of February.  We need parents to sign the envelope and return to the Temple as soon as possible.  Please indicate if you want a conference with one or both of your child’s teachers.  Prizes will be awarded to the first class that turns in all their report card envelopes!

 

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From Mrs. Romao's Hai Class

            January 27th was Family Day in our class. Students made presentations using creative posters and skits to explain the Jewish immigration to America and immigrant life in the newly populated Lower East Side of Manhattan. Families shared their personal stories of relatives coming to America as well as the traditions that have been passed on to them. It was a memorable day, filled with learning and the joy of community.

            In addition, a big "thank you" to Rabbi Kaplan, who came to our class to talk about Reconstructionism, the path that led him to become a rabbi and the process entailed in becoming a rabbi.

From Mrs. Romao's Dalet Class

            A special thanks to Ann Osman for coming to speak to us about the Yiddish language. She shared her family's background and taught us many fun words and expressions. We also sang fun Yiddish songs with Ms. Osman and Ms. Shertok.

            During our study of Yiddish, the students learned about personal prayers, called "Techines", that Jewish women would write in Yiddish. These were specifically meant to pray for the welfare of their children and husbands. Students wrote their own personal prayers that can be viewed in the hall across from our classroom. Please stop by and read their beautiful messages of love and caring.

 

 

From Mrs. Bagels Gimmel Class:

The Gimmel classes have been busy in

history class.  Both classes had their class service in February, and they were both amazing!  If you missed them, Gimmel A did a skit called “Good Morning Israel” where they were reporters covering different places in Israel, and also people, trivia, and pop culture.  Gimmel B presented two different skits on the parshah of the week, Tervmah.  They illustrated the building of the portable tabernacle, and a lesson about being in balance in our lives.

            Here are some thoughts by the students:

 

Morgan:

My favorite part of learning about Israel is learning about all of the cool facts.  One cool fact is that there is an ice rink in the middle of the desert! Another thing we learned was that Machtesh Ramon was the largest of Negev’s craters, is 6 miles across and 25 miles long.

 

Shayna:

My favorite part of studying Israel was learning about Jerusalum.  I learned that the Kotel is called the Wailing Wall because many Jews cry when they pray there.  I also learned that The Old City was built more than 2,000 years ago in 70 C.E.

 

Jake:

If I visited Israel I would most likely visit the Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv.  Although I would be in Israel, I would like to have a taste of home.  It is similar to a mall in America.  It’s filled with video arcades, stores, restaurants, and much more.  Outside is a sparkling rainbow fountain.

 

Lexi:

One fact that interested me is that there is an ice rink in Beersheua.  I would love to visit Eilat because I love snorkeling and the ocean.  Mount Heron is 1/3 of Israel’s water.  I would love to visit the Dead Sea.  I will never bang my head on a rock there.  I would also visit Tel Aviv for all of its tourist spots.  I also learned about Hayyim Nahman Bialik who greatly influenced the development of modern day Israel.

 

Haley:

My favorite thing  to learn was when we learned about the Negev and the south of Israel.  I liked it because I was interested in the Negev canals and how it takes up 1 / 2  of Israel.

 

Jake:

I would love to visit Israel because of what I read so far, especially from what I have heard about the Dead Sea and Sodom.  It is so cool that people can float in the Dead Sea.  We also don’t have to worry about sharks.  It is cool that Sodom has salt formations that almost look like people.  It is also hard to believe that the formations are made of sodium an explosive metal, and chlorine, a poisonous gas.  Cool!

 

Eric:

My favorite thing to learn about is the Dead Sea.  I loved doing the report on the Dead Sea for the class service. I learned that the Hebrew name for it is Yam Hamelach, that means “Sea of Salt”.  I would love to go there because every time I am in a pool or ocean I can never float but there the only thing you do is float.

I also liked learning about Eilat.  I like learning about the under water observatory, that would be awesome to go there and see all of the animals.  I love tropical places so Eilat would be perfect for me.  Another thing is I love to go snorkeling.  The animals at Eilat are really cool so I would love to go there.

 

Alanna:

I like learning about Israel.  One place I want to visit is Eilat.  It would be cool to scuba dive or swim with dolphins.  I would also like to learn about new underwater animals.

 

Jared:

My favorite place is Haifa because the name is awesome.  I also like the arcades that Israel has in its towns.  Also I would like to go to one of the many water parks that you can play at.  It would also be cool to float on the Dead Sea.

 

Sarah:

This year we have been learning about Israel and if I were ever able to take a trip there I would definitely like to visit Eilat.  Eilat is a busy port as well as a year round vacation resort.  Visitors come to Eilat to snorkel, go sailing, scuba dive, and swim with dolphins.  You can also bird watch to see eagles, storks, buzzards, cranes, and many other varieties of birds.  Eilat is a good place to relax and have fun in the sun.

 

Kacy:

My favorite part about Israel is the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is my favorite because you can’t sink,  you can only float.

 

 

Rebecca:

I learned about Eilat.  It is really cool because it has lots of multi-colored fish and you ride camels on the seashore.  Eilat is at the southern tip of Israel.  We learned all of this in our Israel book and also from our wonderful teacher, Mrs. Bagel.

 

Hannah:

Israel is really fun to learn about, especially with Mrs. Bagel!  I liked to learn about Eilat, and I think that I will go to Israel soon.  When I go, I would like to go to Eliezer Ben Yehuda Street, go scuba diving, and go down the monster slide!  I also liked all of the activities we did, like designing our own pair of extra cool sandals, and also when we made a travel poster to hang outside our class.  Now I am really excited to go on my first trip to Israel!

 

Jared:

If I were to go to Israel I would want to visit Beersheva.  I am a Hockey fan, and would want to visit the ice rink.  The ice rink is in the middle of the desert!  If I were to go to Israel I would want to learn more about Ben-Gurion.

 

Jake:

I love Israel.  I want to go there so much!  The Negev desert sounds so cool.  I want to drive through there because I’ve never been in a desert.  The Dead Sea sounds nice because of the salt formations.  Israel sounds great and I want to go there so badly.

 

Mara:

I would like to go to Tisch Gardens Biblical Zoo! It sounds so cool to go and see animals whose species lived in biblical times with Moses and may be Abraham.  It would be great to see the griffon vultures, white onyxes and leopards in the New City of Jerusalem.

 

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RELIGIOUS SCHOOL SNACK CARDS $12.00