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Your Weekly News and Updates
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April 15, 2017 - 19 Nisan 5777
Shabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach
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Remember the Resurrection
Dear Friends,
Looking at the title of this week's article you may be asking yourselves, "Has the rabbi lost his mind? During Passover is he going to write about Good Friday (the day that Jesus was crucified) or Easter (the day that he was supposedly resurrected)?"
Not at all. We all know that Jews do not believe in Jesus as the Messiah, nor do we believe in his resurrection. But many Jews do not know that the notion of the resurrection of the dead is a deeply held Jewish belief which was adopted by our Christian neighbors. Indeed, the prayer "Yigdal" declares "Maytim Yechaye El" - "God will resurrect the dead." This prayer was inspired by none other than Maimonides, considered to be the greatest of all Jewish philosophers. Furthermore, during the second blessing of the Amidah, we offer the following words: "Barukah Ata Hashem Mechaye Hameytim - Blessed are you, O Lord, who brings the dead to life." What is that if not resurrection?
The fact is that because Christians have focused on resurrection for many years, we Jews have put this concept on the back burner. The same can be said for our belief in an afterlife. Traditional Judaism most definitely believes in the "world to come," but it is uncommon for Jews to speak about it (including rabbis).
This week's Haftorah for the Intermediate Sabbath of Passover comes from the Book of Ezekiel and contains the prophet's famous vision of the dry bones. In his vision, Ezekiel beholds a valley containing human remains; specifically dry bones. These bones connected into human figures, then become covered with tendons, flesh and skin. God then reveals that the bones represent the People of Israel in exile and commands Ezekiel to convey another prophecy in order to revitalize these bodies - to resurrect them and bring them to the Land of Israel.
I imagine that for many generations this prophecy was enigmatic, to say the least. Who could imagine the resurrection of a moribund Jewish People given the tragic history of the Jews?
I dare say that this famous 37th Chapter of Ezekiel has come to life for all Jews who were alive during the Holocaust and who witnessed the birth of a modern democratic Jewish State of Israel. Who could have imagined that just a few years following the murder of one third of our people that we would witness a national resurrection of the Remnant of Israel? And while Israel is imperfect, like every nation on the face of the earth, to this day Israel stands out as a light unto the nations and leads the world in science, literature, commerce, technology and so much more! How fortunate we are to live to see Israel reborn. This is no less miraculous than Ezekiel's remarkable vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones.
David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel put it best:
"In Israel, in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles."
How right he was!
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Pesach.
Rabbi Arthur Lavinsky
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Daily Egalitarian
Community Minyan Schedule
Friday, April 14
Passover 2nd Intermediate Day
7:00am Minyan
5:45pm Kabbalat Shabbat
6:39pm Candle Lighting
Shabbat, April 15
Passover 3rd Intermediate Day
9:00am Shabbat Morning Service
6:15pm Mincha, Ma'ariv, and Havdalah
7:29pm Shabbat ends
Sunday, April 16
Passover 4th Intermediate Day
8:15am Minyan
5:45pm Mincha and Ma'ariv
6:40pm Candle Lighting
Monday, April 17
Passover Day 7
9:00am Morning Service
5:45pm Mincha and Ma'ariv
7:11pm First Day Yom Tov ends
Tuesday, April 18
Passover Day 8
9:00am Service and Yizkor
6:30pm Second Chance Yizkor
6:45pm Mincha and Ma'ariv
7:12pm Yom Tov ends
Wednesday - Thursday, April 19 - 20
7:15am Minyan
5:45pm Mincha and Ma'ariv
7:15am Minyan
5:45pm Kabbalat Shabbat
6:44pm Candle Lighting
Shabbat, April 22
9:00am Shabbat Morning Service
6:15pm Mincha, Ma'ariv, and Havdalah
7:34pm Shabbat ends
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Save the Date
4/11 - 4/18:
Preschool Closed
4/17 - 4/18: Office Closed
4/19: Mahj Meetup at 1:00pm
4/22: Women of the Wall Shabbat
Speaker
at 9:00am
4/23: Blanket Boosters at 9:00am
4/23: Adult Hebrew 101 at 12:30am
4/23: Yom Hashoah Community
Observance (offsite) at 3:00pm
4/26: Movie Matinee at 1:00pm
4/26: Book Club at 6:30pm
4/27: Lunch and Learn at 11:30am
4/29: Anniversary Shabbat at 9:00am
4/30: Cafe Tel Aviv and Talmud Torah
Open House at 10:45am
5/3: Community Mahj Day at 11:30am
5/7: Annual Congregational Meeting
at 9:30am
5/7: Beth El Women's League
Annual Meeting
at 10:30am
5/7: Adult Hebrew 101 at 12:30pm
5/10: Movie Matinee at 1:00pm
5/12: Talmud Torah Led Family
Kabbalat Shabbat and Dinner
at 5:45pm
5/13: Birthday Shabbat at 9:00am
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Wednesday, April 19
1:00pm - 3:30pm
Play mah jongg with all levels of players. Everyone is welcome. Bring your 2017 Mah Jongg League card and a set if you have one. Snacks are provided.
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Special Shabbat Speaker:
Lesley Sachs of Women of the Wall
Saturday, April 22
9:00am Service
Join us for a special Shabbat speaker, Lesley Sachs, the Executive Director of Women of the Wall. She will give an update on her group's efforts to attain the social and legal rights for women to conduct egalitarian prayer services at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Questions and answer session will be included as well.
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Sunday, April 23
9:00am - 12:00pm
Join our volunteer knitting and crocheting group. Beginners are welcome, yarn and crochet hooks are provided. The blankets we produce are donated to local organizations that help children in crisis.
For more information, please contact Sandy at 602.249.3778 or ssandy6807@gmail.com.
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Sunday, April 23
12:30pm - 2:00pm
Registration for this course is closed. A new session is planned for the Fall.
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Wednesday, April 26
1:00pm - 3:30pm
This month we will watch Fences (2016) starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. Fences is the story of Troy Maxson, a mid-century Pittsburgh sanitation worker who once dreamed of a baseball career, but was too old when the major leagues began admitting African American players. Run time 2 hours and 19 minutes. Snacks will be available.
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Wednesday, April 26
6:30pm - 8:00pm
Join the Book Club and its discussion leader, Ileen Bruns, as we analyze A Tale of Love and Darkness. This is the memoir of Amos Oz, a prominent Israeli writer, who tells the story of his youth and of Israel's birth and early years. These parallel stories are suffused by the light of love and shadowed by the pain of personal and national darkness. (Jewish Book Council) Pizza and Wine are available for $5.00 each.
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11:30am - 1:00pm
Study Pirkei Avot (ethics of the fathers) with Wendy Rozov and other adult learners while enjoying a delicious lunch and lively discussion for only $5 per person.
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10:45am - 12:15pm
Join us for a Talmud Torah Open House and Café Tel Aviv! Enjoy Israeli food, drink, dancing, music and more. A special Krav Maga self-defense demonstration will also be included. $10 donation per family. No charge for prospective families.
RSVP's due to Nanci at 602.944.3359 ext. 123 or nsiegelmanson@bethelphoenix.com by Monday, April 24.
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Next session starts April 19 and 20 - all sessions completed prior to Memorial Day
Line Dancing
at the Valley of the Sun JCC in north Scottsdale
Vocal Music
at Temple Chai in north Phoenix
Storytelling
at Congregation Beth Israel in Scottsdale
Readers Theatre
at Temple Beth Shalom in Sun City
For more information, please contact
Janet Arnold
at
480.599.7198 or janet.arnold@jfcsaz.org
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Yom HaShoah Community Commemoration
Sunday, April 23
Temple Chai
4645 E Marilyn Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85032
3:00pm
Join the entire community at Temple Chai to commemorate Yom HaShoah. Our own Cantor Jonathan Angress will be joining Cantor Ross Wolman and the Community Choir as we remember the Holocaust. Our Beth El Survivors will be taking part as well. Yom HaShoah candles will be handed out at the end of the event. Everyone is welcome. There is no charge to attend.
For more information, please contact Joan Sitver at joansitver@aol.com.
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Yahrzeit / Nakhala
April 15 - 22
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Shabbat - 19 Nisan Jack Castle Phyllis Clinton Sarah Dight Louis Hirsch Irving I. Krantz Edward Levin Lena Schlissel Dorothy Schneider
Sunday - 20 Nisan Harry Aaron Barr William Eugene Derby Saul Kaufman Paul A. Leibowitz Bessie Witten Monday - 21 Nisan Lillian Bender Deirdre Covel Sam Friedman Esther Fuchs Harry S. Gimbel Molly C. Halperin Frank Rosenberg Eugene Weiss Judith Wortman Gila Zilversmit Tuesday - 22 Nisan Sandra Mary Albala Isadore Blumenthal Hinda Borden Ida Borovay Dorothy Fasman Theodore Leonard Finkelstein Frieda Firetag Nathan Hersh Gloria Hirsch
Wednesday - 23 Nisan Sam Barry Sam Brustein Harry Cohen Sarah Cohen Lawrence Crantz Hime Gerstein Aziz Ghanooni Morris Haberman Edith Holmes Sadie Katzman Anna Kaufman Laura Konick Louis Miller Norman Riech Julia Roth Isadore Shafran Sam S. Smith
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Thursday - 24 Nisan Beatrice Cahn Lily Hyams Helen Lipman Arthur Neuer Friday - 25 Nisan Paul Bayless Joseph Braverman Ida Estes Michael Greenfield David Gross Sarah Lena Harris Irving Katzke Rose Kleiman Rose I. Parker Joel Rosenthal Arthur Silverman Harry Weiss Theodore White Rose Wise Joani Zoltan Shabbat - 26 Nisan Ben Bader Golda Brand Pete Davidson Ruth Sylvia Desman William Fihn Rose Gordon Sarah Grodsky Morris Liebling Dorothy Miller Myron Minkoff David Smith Benjamin Sonenschein
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Tzedakah: Ways to support your Beth El
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Beth El Gift Shop
See our stock of gift items, tallit, candle holders, and more.
As always, there are Shabbat candles, Neriot candles, memorial candles, and other Judaica items available.
Donate Judaica and Gift Items
We accept donations of Judaica and other gift items that are in good condition. Please drop off any donations in the office during business hours. Tax letters are available upon request for donations. Thank you very much!
Reasons to shop here...
Supports your Beth El
No sales tax!
Conveniently located in our lobby
Custom orders are offered for all Judaica items
Hours
Monday - Thursday: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Friday: 9:00am - 3:00pm
Sunday: 9:00am - 12:00pm
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Etz Haim - Tree of Life
Purchase a leaf or stone to commemorate a special simcha such as the birth of a child or grandchild, b'nai mitzvah, wedding, milestone birthday, or milestone anniversary.
Leaves: $180
Stones: $1,800
Please contact
Korina Springer at 602.944.3359 ext. 106 for more information.
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Tax Deductible Donations
Beth El Congregation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Your donations are essential to keeping us in operation each year. Thank you very much for all of your generous contributions.
Make a donation on our secure website here:
Or download and print our donation form here:
Please contact
Korina Springer
at 602.944.3359 ext. 106 for more information.
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Do you shop at Amazon? If so, if you simply go to smile.amazon.com, and sign in, you can designate Beth El Congregation to receive a small percentage of what you spend on your purchases. This is an easy way to help us earn some extra dollars!
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Grocery Card Programs
Do you have a Fry's VIP card?
Please link your card to Beth El Congregation. Every time you shop with your VIP card at Fry's, Beth El gets credit and it does not even cost you a cent more!
Annual Enrollment for the Fry's Community Rewards Program began again on August 1, 2016. Please re-enroll to continue supporting us here at Beth El.
Click Enroll, and then enter our organization number, 80402.
If you need assistance registering your existing VIP card, please contact
Alicia Moskowitz at 602.944.3359 ext. 113.
Do you shop at Bashas', AJ's, or Food City?
Order your grocery gift cards from Beth El! We have $10 cards in stock. When you purchase from us, we get credit! Please contact
Anne Schafer at 602.944.3359 ext. 109 to purchase.
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List
en live: Sunday at 12:00pm on 960 AM with William Wolf.
This week's guest: Farley Weiss
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