Beth Israel Congregation’s
June 2015/5775
BULLETIN
General Service Schedule
Rabbi’s Message
Friday—7:30pm; Saturday—10:00am
Birthright and the Young
American Jew
At the beginning of June, my daughter Hadas will be participating
in a Birthright Israel Experience, along with other young Jewish
adults from the ages of 22-26. The Birthright Experience has
given approximately 300,000 young American Jews the
opportunity to travel to Israel for ten days. Today, Birthright is
basically funded by Sheldon Adelson, the wealthy American Jew
who made his fortune from casinos in Macao and Las Vegas. Mr.
Adelson’s wife inspired him to support Israeli philanthropic
causes as she is an Israeli herself.
Birthright attempts to accomplish a significant amount of
education about Israel in ten days. It takes its participants to the
Golan Heights to share the military challenges to Israel from
Syria and Lebanon as well as to demonstrate the natural beauty of
northern Israel. It exposes its participants to the political history
of Jerusalem as well as the spiritual significance of the City of
David. It shares the experience of the Bedouin of Israel in the
desert. Of course, it throws in climbing Massada and swimming
in the Dead Sea. Attempting to explain the history of modern
Israel, the religious traditions of Judaism, and the current political
situation of the country in ten days is a challenging goal. Some of
the participants in the Birthright Experience have had a very
limited Jewish education and a significant number come from
interfaith families. On the other hand, some of the young adults
have traveled to Israel previously either with an organized youth
group or with their own families. The background of the
participants reflects the reality of the diverse American Jewish
population today.
There has been some concern expressed that the current
generation of young American Jews does not have the same deepseated emotional bonds to Israel as the previous one. Of course,
older American Jews remember the struggle to create Israel, the
incredible victory of the Six Day War in 1967, and Israel’s battle
against terrorism. Some have asserted that young American Jews
have been influenced by the hostile anti-Israel propaganda that is
disseminated by leftist university groups and the
misrepresentation of Israel in the media. Sadly, some of the most
virulent anti-Israel leadership comes from radical Jews.
However, one might respond that there has always been a
significant group of Jews who have identified with the Radical
Left and have denigrated the organized Jewish community and its
institutions.
Of course, attachment to Israel is linked to overall general
commitment to Judaism. Usually, traditional religious Jews have
a greater devotion to Israel than secular ones. In fact, many
modern Orthodox Jews have their children spend a “gap year”
after high school in Israel.
--Continued on page 2
June Events
June 5-6—Sadie Hall Bat Mitzvah
June 7—BIRS End of year Pool Party
June 12-13—Will Pincus Bar Mitzvah
June 14 @10:30am—Heschel Book Club
Shabbat Candle Lighting Times
June 05 – 8:05pm
June 12 – 8:08pm
June 19 – 8:11pm
June 26 – 8:12pm
Everyone is invited to the BIC
Pool Party!!!!
Sunday, June 7th from 12:00pm until
Come one, Come all!
Pool Party at the home
of Michael & Sara Stivelman
(1809 West Clear Lake Drive, Salisbury, MD located
in Coulbourne Woods)
RSVP by June 4th to: 410-219-3836 or
[email protected]
Bring a dessert or your favorite side dish. Burgers,
hot dogs and drinks will be provided.
Help us celebrate the end of the Beth Israel Religious
School year and the beginning of summer! All are
invited to celebrate with us!
Rabbi’s Message, Continued …
Children who come from homes where Israel is part of their general
exposure to Jewish life will obviously develop emotional ties to the
country.
Like every other program, the Birthright Experience has been criticized.
Some claim that the trip should be more “Tel Aviv” and less “Jerusalem –
in other words, that young American Jews will relate to Israel better if it
is portrayed as a great place to party. On the other hand, others have
criticized the Birthright trip for not exposing its participants to the
genuine complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Of course, the
sponsors of the trip assert that they have created a balanced ten day
experience.
Additionally, various Jewish organizations – with a
particular religious or activist agenda - cooperate with Birthright Israel to
create their personalized “spin” on the trip. Finally, some American Jews
have met partners for marriage and some have decided to make Aliyah to
Israel because they have been so moved by the experience.
I trust that my daughter Hadas will have a very special time in Israel. All
of us who have children or grandchildren of college age should encourage
them to travel on the Birthright program. The bottom line is that the
majority of American Jews who travel to Israel are touched in a profound
way by the reality of the Jewish State. The founders of Birthright assert
that this transformative experience should be within the grasp of every
American Jewish young adult. I heartily agree.
--Rabbi Bienstock
From the President:
Tikkun olam, loosely translated -to repair the world or to make
the world a better place. This is a simple phrase that is used in
the Jewish world all the time. We have a duty to repair an
imperfect world. This may mean to help the homeless or to
pick up trash. This year I had several opportunities to do my
part. BIC’s Teenage group fed the homeless earlier in the year.
This was a wonderful experience to help prepare, serve and talk
to people that are less fortunate than many of our children. My
sons were able to see that they are not very different than the
people that they served. I came away feeling better about my
community and our congregation.
If you did not know I am a forester by trade. My job, simply
put, is to supervise people that buy trees and people that convert
trees into wood chips that go into making paper. Last week, I
was fortunate to plant trees in Baltimore City. This was part of
a larger project to plant 40,000 trees across America within a
one hour period. The group I was planting with was in charge
of planting trees along city streets in front of row houses. When
I went to Baltimore we were supposed to meet at a park in
historic Pigtown. I was looking for a place that I could relate to
as a park and especially one that needed trees. What I found
was a concrete area the size of a tennis court. In this area were
only several pieces of playground equipment. Again, where
were the trees? I was quickly informed that the City dwellers
could sign up to have a tree planted in front of their row home.
They needed to agree to take some care of it at first but, for
them this was a beatification project for their homes and
neighborhood. Even one tree can improve carbon sequestration,
water infiltration, and increase tree canopy to lower the heat
buildup in the city. So there I was, a person more comfortable
in the woods than in the concrete city, volunteering in the
middle of Baltimore. We dug holes and planted Oaks, Maples,
and Cherry trees in front of inner city homes. Did I fix the
world? Probably not, but I did my little part that day to make it
a better place. My question for you today is how can you make
the world better? Can you help someone learn to read? Can
you help make meals for those less fortunate? There are
endless little things that each of us can do to improve other’s
lives. Together we can strive to make this world a better place.
Todd Berman
Congratulations to all Beth Israel
2015 Graduates!
Spencer Tilghman, son of Susan and Mark Tilghman,
graduated from James M Bennett High School and will
attend Columbia University in the fall.
Jason Tarpley, son of Robbie Tarpley Raffish and Clay
Tarpley graduated from Mardela High School and will be
attending Towson University in the fall.
Rachel Silbert, daughter of Shari Silber and
granddaughter of Arlen Miller, graduated from WiHi and
will be attending the School of Special Education at
UMES this fall.
Sam Wieder, son of Arlene & Cory Wieder, graduated
from Parkside High School and will be attending Coastal
Carolina University in the fall.
Zach Davis, son of Ella & Alon Davis, graduated from
Parkside High School while completing one year of
classes at Johnson and Wales.
Jake Sonenshine, son of Randi & Marty Sonenshine &
grandson of Arlene Miller graduated from high school.
Jake Erskine, grandson of Ann & Roy Hancock, graduated
from James M Bennett High School and will be attending
the University of Maryland.
Lindsay Schwalb, daughter of Laurie & Steve Schwalb,
received her Master’s Degree in Integrated Marketing
Communications.
Lewis Pincus and Mina Pincus cordially invite
you to join them as they celebrate the Bar
Mitzvah of their son, William Pincus, on June 13th
at Beth Israel Congregation. Everyone is invited
to join this joyous occasion.
Member-to-Member
BIC Birthdays:
Prayers for healing – refuah shelemah - to both Bernie
Rubin and Mel Snyder.
Jason Tarpley—June 7
Mack Caplan—June 8
Arnold Cooper—June 11
Ann Hansen—June 12
Alon Davis—June 14
Rabbi Bienstock—June 17
Harvey Needleman—June 19
Hilliary Needleman—June 24
Les Kushner—June 25
Tom Paciga—June 27
Beth Israel extends condolences to Mark Tyler on the
passing of his father.
Mazel Tov
to Shayna Davis for being inducted into the
.
honor society of Bennett Middle School and best wishes
to Aaron Davis as he embarks on a trip to Italy and
Spain this summer.
Congratulations to Planet Maze in Ocean City as it
celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Planet Maze
was nominated for best family fun business 2015 in
Worcester County by Coastal Style Magazine. Please go
online to www.coastalstylemag.com and vote before
June 30th. Planet Maze looks forward to another
successful and fun summer!
BIC Anniversaries:
Andy & Karen Karten—June 29
Thank you to the following people who have agreed to
become board members for the upcoming year:
Todd Berman, Shari Silbert, Andy Karten, Jaimi Hall,
Susan Paciga, Sara Stivelman, Ella Davis, Arlene Miller,
Joe Beatus and Mike Folkoff.
Please note that Richard & Elin Werksman have
moved back to Chincoteague, Virginia full-time.
Their new address is:
Happy Birthday to Rabbi Bienstock!!!
Richard & Elin Werksman
PO Box 162
Chincoteague, VA 23336
Yahrzeits: June
YAHRZEIT NAME
WALTER WEINBERG
BESSIE BERMAN
FANNIE KRIGER
ALEXANDER BURTON
FAY GUERRIERI
HARRY RUBENFELD
PEARL WOORMAN
JOSEPH SHUSTER
MORRIS ROSENBERG
PRISCILLA COLBY
ABNER M. GNATT
ROBERT STARR
EVA COHEN
ISAAC RABINOWITZ
THOMAS TEATES
ANNA LANSMAN
HERMAN LEWIS
HERB KAPLAN
LITMAN LITOW
GOLDIE M SILBERT
MAURICE STEIN
DR. BERNARD GREENBERG
ALAN LEE LANSMAN
FRANK HOFFMAN
ELIZABETH MACHSON
SARANE D MEYER
JOSEPH SCHWADRON
MARTIN ROSSMAN
PHILLIP HEILIG
MARTIN HYMAN
EDITH H DAVIS
THEODORE BERMAN
EUNICE GIVARZ
HELEN HYMAN 7/11/07
Donations for May
Jun 5-6, 2015
Jun 5-6, 2015
Jun 5-6, 2015
Jun 5-6, 2015
Jun 5-6, 2015
Jun 5-6, 2015
Jun 5-6, 2015
Jun 5-6, 2015
Jun 5-6, 2015
Jun 12-13, 2015
Jun 12-13, 2015
Jun 12-13, 2015
Jun 12-13, 2015
Jun 12-13, 2015
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Jun 12-13, 2015
Jun 12-13, 2015
Jun 19-20, 2015
Jun 19-20, 2015
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Jun 19-20, 2015
Jun 26-27, 2015
Jun 26-27, 2015
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Jun 26-27, 2015
Jun 26-27, 2015
Jun 26-27, 2015
Jun 26-27, 2015
Jun 26-27, 2015
Jun 26-27, 2015
Sunday, June 14 @10:30am
Heschel Book Club
We will be looking at the work of the acclaimed
contemporary Biblical literary scholar, Aviva
Zornberg, professor of English literature and Midrash
at Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Prof. Zornberg is a
modern Orthodox Jewish feminist whose writing has
achieved international recognition.
Yahrzeits
Joe Beatus
Jeffrey Glenn
Yahrzeit of Leah Beatus
Yahrzeit of Judy Glenn
Murray Lustig
Yahrzeits of Susan Lustig &
Arthur Goldstein
General Fund
Dr. James Hatley
Beautification Fund
Ken & Janis Gold
Yahrzeit of Adelaide Weinberg
Mona Janis
Yahrzeit of Pearl Woorman
Avraham & Terri Sibony
Yahrzeit of Celia Krasner
In Memory of Albert Berger
Rabbi Richard & Barbara White
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Robbie Tarpley Raffish & Family
BIC’s Gift Shop is GOING OUT OF
BUSINESS and we are offering our
members the chance to help us
liquidate our inventory by offering
50% off the retail price on all stock.
Please contact Susan Lewis Paciga or
Jackie Middleton to arrange a time to
stop by and look at all of our lovely
items. Bargains galore! We have
jewelry, mezuzahs, seder plates and
trays, plus many more items. Stop by
and take a look!
Beth Israel Staff
Would you like to honor a loved one?
Rabbi: Arnold Bienstock
Office Manager: Jackie Middleton
Board of Governors
President: Todd Berman
Vice President: Shari Silbert
Secretary: Andy Karten
Treasurer: Shari Silbert
Youth: Sara Stivelman
USY: Susan Tilghman
Religious: Jaimi Hall
Membership: Susan Paciga
Program Director: Arlene Miller
House: Joe Beatus, Mike Folkoff
Contact Us
600 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21801
Phone 410-742-2564 Fax 410-742-2697
www.bethisraelsalisbury.org
General Information: [email protected]
Office Hours: Tues. - Friday 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.
Shabbat Services: Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m.
Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
The mission of this Congregation shall be to establish and
maintain a Synagogue and such educational,
religious, social and recreational activities as will help
further the cause and objectives of
the Synagogue and Conservative Judaism.
Established 1926
There are many ways to acknowledge your
loved ones at Beth Israel.
Consider a leaf on our Tree of Life,
displayed in the lobby. This is a wonderful
way to commemorate a special event or to
honor or remember a special person. The
cost of a leaf is $500.
You may also wish to consider purchasing a
Yahrzeit Memorial Plaque for your loved
one. The cost is $360 and will be displayed
in our Sanctuary.
Or maybe you'd like to purchase a chair for
the social hall in the honor/memory of a
loved one. The cost for a chair is $50.
Please contact Jackie at the Synagogue
Office and she'll be happy to assist you with
your tribute.
Gift Shop Going Out of Business
Sale
Contact Susan Lewis Paciga to see our selection of jewelry
and gifts.
Do you love ONEG?
Beth Israel Cards
Appropriate for every occasion and affordable,
BIC Cards can be purchased in the Office.
Who doesn’t? So come celebrate a simcha,
remember a yahrzeit or just make it a
great end to a long week by hosting one!
It’s easy and quick. Call Jackie in the BIC
office for details. 410-742-2564.