Letter from the Editor, Candy Schoner,
Communications and Connections Managereditorltr2
When I was growing up, the youngest child of four siblings, raised by reform Jewish parents, I was told that Jews did not celebrate Halloween as it was a pagan holiday. However, my oldest sister, who despite being Bat Mitzvah made us outrageous Halloween costumes and would walk with me around the neighborhood collecting pillowcase bags of candy. Even though she and my eldest brother attended Hebrew School, my middle sister and I did not because my parents no longer wanted to chauffeur us. So, I happily skipped Shul and enjoyed playing outdoors or watching TV when it was too cold or rainy outside. It was not until I learned about the local chapter of B'nai B'rith that I started to reclaim my Jewish identity and observed Purim for the first time. I must confess, I enjoyed Halloween until I was considered "too old to dress-up and demand candy from strangers."

Now, when I am asked why Jews don't celebrate Halloween, I am excited to share about the joy of Purim and the celebration of the Festival of Lots.

Thus, this issue includes Purim and Passover customs along with family-fun games and recipes to help with your celebrations. Plus, since spring is a time for renewal, the staff offer a head start on ways to incorporate the next three middot in your daily life. You will also find the first installment of a new feature called "A Minute With Molly." Enjoy!

Message from Rabbi Dan Alexanderrabbidan
Rabbah Emunatecha--Your trustworthiness is exceedingly great
By Rabbi Daniel Alexander
 
My father's father died when my father was 12.
When he became a father
He told me that his world had become less trustworthy then.
Yet my father married,
Became an engineer,
Sired three children,
Supported his family,
Loved my mother,
My sister,
My brother,
And me,
And our spouses,
And our children,
Through times of joy
And times of sorrow.
And he made the world
Trustworthy for us.
Rabbah Emunatecha--Your trustworthiness is exceedingly great.

You may also want to read Rabbi Dan's sermon: Abraham and the Middah of Trust.

Jewish Learning by Rabbi Tom Gutherzrabbitom
Bread and Torah  is inspired by the passage in Pirke Avot (3:17)  that reads: 
      Without bread [literally "flour"], there is no Torah;  
      Without Torah there is no bread.
 
The passage affirms the importance of both spiritual and physical sustenance in Jewish life. In this spirit, we are happy to welcome Rabbi Linda Motzkin and Rabbi Jonathan Rubinstein to our community on the weekend of March 26 and 27. 

They will present an Evening of Bread and Torah on Saturday, March 26 from 6:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at CBI, open to the entire community. On Sunday, March 27, they will make a special presentation for the Religious School.

Rabbi Motzkin is the soferet (torah scribe)  and Rabbi Rubinstein is the baker, and the two of them together offer  creative, hands-on learning experiences that combine traditional Jewish scribal arts and bread making with Jewish spiritual teachings and practices. 

You can check out what they do at   http://breadandtorah.org/our-programs/
Tikkun Middot Perspective in The Workplace
by Executive Director, Kathryn Mawyer kathryn

I recently asked Molly Foltyn (CBI's Office Administrator) and Candy Schoner (Communications & Connections Manager) to share with me some reflections on the next three middot emphasized in this quarterly newsletter (see page 4) and how they come into play in their work at CBI. I was not surprised by what they shared, and thought others might appreciate reading their reflections (and mine) on tikkun middot in CBI as a workplace.
 
Candy wrote:  "As Communications and Connections Manager, I find sh'tika and shmirat halashon (silence and thoughtful speech) to be a daily practice. Whether I am speaking with a member of the synagogue, writing an email, or editing the weekly announcements, I am acutely aware of choosing my words carefully.  As always, the goal is to convey all information clearly, accurately, and as completely as possible. This can be challenging, particularly when information comes in pieces, thus presenting an opportunity for me to practice savlanut (patience). Equally important is to avoid offending anyone. This is probably most relevant when I post content on the CBI Facebook page with the intention of informing and sometimes entertaining others. It is easy for words to be taken out of context, especially when one cannot hear the intonation of the speaker or see their facial expressions and body language. Trust can be broken when a Facebook post is interpreted in a way that I did not intend or does not represent CBI well. However, one of the things I love most about the CBI community is that people here are generally warm and welcoming (and practice forbearance) - which I hope, in turn, is also conveyed through the written communications I produce or distribute."
 
Molly said, "I think the middah that seems most relevant to my everyday work is sh'tika (silence). As I am frequently the first person members encounter when they reach out to CBI - whether they need help, or feel frustrated about something, or want to offer advice about how we can be a more effective office--I think it is really important to learn how to be silent and how to listen, so that I can respond as thoughtfully as possible. When someone is offering criticism (even if it's of the constructive variety), it's easy to react defensively. But if I can really listen, without constructing an argument in my head, I'm better equipped to respond in a way that helps to solve the problem, rather than exacerbate it. Taking the time to think carefully about how I want to communicate with others and how I can work to foster respectful, productive relationships is an extremely valuable skill that I hope to strengthen both personally and professionally."
 
For me, all three of the middot emphasized in this quarterly edition of the newsletter - shtika/shmirat halashon, bitachon (trust), and kavod have been, and continue to be, important in my effort to create long-term relationships here and elsewhere.  Thoughtful listening and careful speech can make the difference between creating a trusting, respectful working relationships among staff or creating distrust and dissension. Like Molly, I do find that listening in the moment is hard for me as I often find I am working on my response instead of really hearing the other person.  Thankfully, our work group (and CBI members) also practice patience and forbearance (savlanut) with one another! 
 
Member relationships especially hinge on bitachon and kavod. In fact, the majority of what I do at CBI involves others trusting me to handle things well, with respect for the confidential nature of information shared with me.

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A Minute with Mollymolly
As I'm sure many of you have noticed, Congregation Beth Israel has a new (and very high-tech) phone system. When you call CBI, an automated menu can now connect you directly
Molly Foltyn
Office Administrator 
with the staff member or department you are trying to reach. This way, the chances of being put on hold while your call is transferred are greatly reduced. And for those of you who urgently need to speak with a live person, you can always press 0 to reach the main office.
 
To skip the menu, you can also dial the extension directly:
 
                Rabbi Dan Alexander (ext. 100)
                Molly Foltyn (ext. 200)                
                Kathryn Mawyer (ext. 210)     
                Candy Schoner (ext. 220)             
                Rabbi Tom Gutherz (ext. 401)
                Shelby Apple (ext. 402)
                Jill Clark (ext, 501)
                Clara Coward (ext. 502)
 
While we are confident that the automated phone system will improve communications at CBI, any suggestions you may have about how to best tailor it to suit the congregation's needs are welcome. It's still a work in progress--and as always, your feedback, ideas, or advice are greatly appreciated.

Three Middot to Build Your Compassion -middot
Kavod, Shtika/ Shmirat HaLashon and Bitachon  
Is compassion something we only have so much of? Or can we be trained to love more people more of the time? Can we learn to treat others with dignity regardless of their situation? And learn how to suspend judgement by thinking before we speak? 

Over the next three months, CBI introduces the following middot as part of the Tikkun Middot study initiative:

During the month of March, the middah will be Kavod. Kavod means recognition, dignity and honor. Many of us seek honor from others. We recognize ourselves for who we are based on how others see us. While it is perfectly healthy to need recognition and attention, we should be able to have a realistic self-confidence in who we are that does not rely on whether or not we are honored by others. In fact, kavod actually grows from our awareness of our own inner kedusha/holiness. That is the starting point. Someone who can recognize the holiness of the other is one who has a connection to her own holy soul. The more we refine our own souls and know our own value, the easier it becomes for us to value the other.

The Middah of the Month for April is Shtika. While shtika literally means silence, it implies much more in the middot literature. Mindful silence heightens our spiritual sensitivity. 

In his book Everyday Holiness, Dr. Alan Morinis contends that "the soul needs silence as the body needs sleep. Sleep to refresh; silence to cleanse. Sleep to dream; silence to awaken to the deeply real. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." (Proverbs 18:21)

Speech is one of the defining features of humanity. Speech is a source of creation and connection between people. We communicate with God through speaking our prayers. Speech can also be destructive. So seriously did the sages of the Talmud consider harmful speech that they equate slander with murder. 

Last but not least, during the month of May, the focus will be on Bitachon (Trust).  Bitachon may be one of the most difficult middot to acquire. The Hebrew root for bitachon means to be at ease, to trust and to be confident. In modern Hebrew the word bitachon also means security and thus the Misrad HaBitachon is the Defense Ministry and Bituach Leumi is the National Insurance system. In classic Jewish literature the ultimate source of this sense of security is God.

Bitachon as a middah does not require that we have absolute trust in an omnipotent God. As with all middot, there is a continuum and we each get to locate our own souls on the continuum. Some people move through life with an unshakeable belief in God's goodness and protection. Others are much more anxious and worry fills their days. Neither extreme is necessarily good. Wherever you are on this continuum, working on bitachon means moving towards balancing trust in a loving God or a benign universe with taking initiative. 

For more information about Tikkun Middot or the Middah-of-the-Month, click here or contact our Tikkun Middot Project Coordinator, Raya Rzeszut at  [email protected].

Jewish Values in the Classroom by Jill Abbey-Clarkjewishvalues
CBI began 2016 thinking deeply about Tikkun Olam, the idea in Judaism that we are obligated to work towards creating a more just and righteous society. Although this seems like a big task for two to five year olds, the Preschool teachers created special programs focusing on Tikkun Middot to expose the children to ways in which they can help make the world a better place. 
 
In January, inspired by the middah of chesed (lovingkindness), the preschool teachers, students and parents gathered on MLK day to bring food to those in need though Meals on Wheels, while others gathered to make "gratitude" cards for the local police force and cook meals for the soup kitchen.
 
In keeping with the middah of chesed, the four-year-olds created 'happy" cards as well as baked challah for people in our community. Because, as Caleb puts it, "We wanted to share Shabbat with everyone because it makes you feel great." The kids then handed out their cards and challah on the downtown mall to unsuspecting pedestrians with a smile and said, "Have a great day!" The kids all agreed that making people smile was the best part of the week.
 
Contemporary Jewish scholar and teacher Avivah Zornberg has said chesed is "not just lovingkindness as it's usually translated, but is also courage and imagination." There is no question the four-year-olds would agree with Avivah Zornberg's interpretation.
 
The Kindergarten class also took on the practice of chesed by performing acts of kindness at home. Their kindness quilt filled with individual stories can be seen in the second floor 3rd Street stairwell.  
 
During the Purim holiday, I encourage you to practice chesed with your family. One of my favorite memories is delivering shelach manot with my preschool-aged children dressed as princesses to unsuspecting members of the larger Jewish community. The reactions of the unsuspecting recipients reminded me of the power of lovingkindness. Indeed, Judaism teaches us to lift up each day and make it special. With acts of chesed, we do just that.

Spring Family Programming familyprogramming
The Hebrew word for community is Kehillah. CBI continually strives to provide programming that brings people together and creates a sense of community for members.
 
This spring, CBI is planning a family activity for each grade of Religious School. The goal is to create a fun, informal way for families to get to know each other better. Some of these events may be a Shabbat potluck dinner, Havdalah at someone's home, an ice cream social, a picnic in the park, meeting for a hike or to do a mitzvah project (clean up a park, make food for a soup kitchen, etc.).
 
CBI will also continue to offer programming aimed at families of all ages.   If you have other ideas for family-friendly programs and would like to get involved in the planning, or have any questions, contact Family Programming Coordinator, Raya Rzeszut at  [email protected]  or ( 205) 873-0973 . 

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Purim in a Nutshellpurimnutshell
Purim (Hebrew: Purim, from the word pur, related to Akkadian puru) is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman. The story is recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther (Megillat Esther).  Purim begins at sundown on Wednesday, March 23.

The Mitzvot of Purim
Purim is one of the most joyous holidays of the year!  The mitzvot come from the Book of Esther. Tradition identifies the mitzvot of Purim as:
 
To Hear the Story of the Megillah 
Sunday, March 20
Purim Spiel, 10:00 a.m., Main Sanctuary
Tot Puppet Show, 10:00 a.m., Small Sanctuary 
Wednesday, March 23
Reading of the Book of Esther (Megillat Esther), 6:15 p.m., O'Mansky Hall
  
To Celebrate with Feasting 
Sunday, March 20
Megillah Market, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Jefferson Street Lobby
Purim Carnival, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., O'Mansky Hall
Saturday, March 26 
Queen Esther's Masquerade and Auction, 6:45 p.m., Brody Jewish Center at UVA
A fun evening to benefit CBI Youth Programming. Line up your babysitter now. Masks encouraged. Tickets are $45 per person. To purchase tickets or donate an item to the auction, contact Jill Abbey-Clark at  [email protected] or (434) 295-6382, ext. 501.

To Send Gifts to One Another - Mishloach Manot  
Purim Baskets are a way for the entire CBI community to celebrate Purim and insure that every member has hamentaschen for their Purim feast. Please  come help pack  Purim baskets on Sunday, March 13th from 10:00 a.m. to Noon. Purim baskets will be delivered to members homes on Sunday, March 20th.
 
-please contact Emily Leblang at  [email protected].

To Send Contributions to the Poor - Matanot L'evyonim 
The Tzedakah Fund is collecting monetary donations for local community organizations through the online basket ordering system.
Purim Foodspurimfoods
by Tina Wasserman,  Reform Judaism Magazine 


It's the celebration of good triumphing over evil, intelligence and courage trumping greed and oppression. And it's based on a story that took place some 2500 years ago: When the evil Haman's plan to annihilate the Persian Jews was foiled, he was hung on the gallows he himself had constructed. Is this an early example of "Hoisted on one's own petard"?

 
Many wonderful foods are associated with Purim. Filled foods such as Hamentaschen are typical, as they represent the intrigue associated with Queen Esther and Uncle Mordechai's uncovering of Haman's wicked plot. Sweet foods convey our wishes for a sweet future. Sephardic Jews eat cookies that are fried or baked in the shape of Haman's ear, which was purported to be twisted and triangular in shape. Ashkenazic Jews enjoy fruit or nut-filled triangular-shaped cookies or pastries--a shape said to represent Haman's hat, Haman's pocket, or, alternatively, the three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
 
Poppy seeds are another popular ingredient in Purim confections. Aside from their general widespread use in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the seeds are said to be the only food Esther consumed during her three-day fast prior to revealing Haman's plot to the king. Some say poppy seeds also symbolize the promise God made to Abraham to have offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands of the seashore (Gen. 22:17)--the antithesis of annihilation. Mohn, or poppy seed filling (a mixture of ground poppy seeds, milk, sugar or honey, and often raisins and or nuts) was also a popular addition to triangle cookies in medieval Central Europe, and the finished confections were known as Mohntashen, or poppy seed pockets. It is said that because these cookies sounded like the name "Haman."

Hamentaschen (or Haman's pockets) thereby became adopted in the 11th century as the first unofficial Purim treat. Prune filling became traditional in the 18th century. As the story goes, in 1731 a plum preserve merchant named David Brandeis living in the Czech town of Jungbunzlau was imprisoned for allegedly poisoning plum preserves. Finally, he was acquitted. To celebrate his freedom, the Jews of Jungbunzlau filled their Hamantaschen with povidl, plum preserves (prunes are dried plums), and thereafter referred to the holiday as Povidl. When Rhineland Jews moved east to Poland, Russia, and Hungary, they brought this Hamantaschen tradition along with them.
 
Today, it's easier than ever to make Hamantaschen. Prepared mohn filling as well as prune (lekvar) and other fruit fillings can be found in many supermarkets. Those who prefer ready-made Hamantaschen cookies can buy them year round in bakeries across North America, another example of a traditional Jewish food going mainstream.
 
Whether you fashion your favorite dough into Haman's hat, pocket, or ears, may your Purim be festive and fun.

Recipes recipes
Liora's Hamentaschen  from The Safta and Saba Cookbook 

Ingredients:
 
For the dough:
2.5 cups flour
½ cup sugar
1½ sticks butter (or margarine)
2 eggs
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla or rum extract
1 tsp lemon zest
 
For the Filling:
2 12oz cans of pastry and cake filling (either poppy seed, apricot, cherry, strawberry)
 
May instead use jam, or mixtures of peanut butter and jam.      




  1. Partially melt the butter (margarine) by heating in microwave oven for 30 sec.
  2. Pour all the dough ingredients into a mixing bowl. 
  3. Start stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon. Once hard, continue kneading until it forms a hard dough.  If necessary, add flour.  You may continue kneading on a floured board.  When done, divide the dough into two pieces.  Wrap each piece with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
  4. Roll out one of the refrigerated pieces into a thin layer (as thin as you can). Make sure you work on a well floured board and if necessary flip the dough as it is being flattened to flour both sides.
  5.  Start cutting out approximately 4-5" disks using a wine cup or cookie cutter.
  6. Put approximately ½ teaspoon of the filling in each such "disk".
  7. Fold up ends and pinch together to form the triangle shape of a Hamantaschen.
  8. Place completed cookies on a well greased baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper)
  9. Bake at 400° oven until slightly brown (about 10 min).
  10. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
  11. You may re-knead remnant dough, and roll it out to fully use it.
  12. Store Hamantaschen in a sealed box. Will last well 1-2 weeks.
Working Moms Hamentaschen 
This is a great recipe to use when you're short on time but don't want to deprive your family of that famous Jewish fruit-filled cookie around Purim time. 
Ingredients
 
1 (18.25 once) package of moist yellow cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs - Large
2 tsp water
1 cup fruit preserves (any flavor)
 



                                      
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. Grease cookie sheets.
  3. In large bowl, mix together cake mix and flour. Stir in eggs and water to form dough.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3" inch round circles and place 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.
  4. Place a teaspoon of filling into the center of each cookie and pinch the sides to form three corners. Moisten if necessary.
  5. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven, or until slightly browned.
  6. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely. 
Purim Parade Gamegames
Games provide an easy and fun way to introduce the Jewish holidays to young children. In their book,  Jewish Holiday Games for Little Hands , author Ruth Esrig Brinn and illustrator Sally Spring offer a plethora of games for the Jewish holidays from Shabbat to Shavout.  The following is one they call Purim Parade. Let the games begin:

You will need:
Masking tape
Paper plates or cardboard circles
Markers or crayons
Music

How to play:
1. Outline the shape of a hamantaschen on the floor with tape.
2. Decorate the paper plates to look like Mordechai, King Ahashuerus, and Queen Esther. Draw Haman on only one plate. Tape the plates around the hamantaschen outline.
3. Players begin by standing around the circle. When the music stops, the player standing on Haman is out. Continue until only one player is left - the winner!

Click here for other Purim games and recipes.

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A Love Letter to Matzah matzah
Passover is nearly upon us. And for many Jewish households that means saying goodbye to leavened bread.  

In the place of leavened bread comes what many Jews call the "bread of affliction," or matzah. Passover commemorates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. And as the biblical narrative goes, they had to leave in such a hurry that they couldn't wait for their bread to rise.

So the matzah at Passover is symbolic. But the plain, dry crackers tend to get a bad rap for their taste (or lack thereof). But to Dan Pashman, host of a food podcast and blog called  The Sporkful, the simple matzah cracker is a culinary marvel.

"In a typical cracker you kind of have one or two options," he says. "Either a cracker that will be crunchy but it will also be very oily and salty." Or, he says, "The other option is your table water cracker, which is plain in flavor, but very flimsy and lacks structural integrity; it doesn't have very much crunch."

Matzah is the best of both worlds - plain in flavor, wonderfully crunchy. "It's like a blank canvas," Pashman says. And you can load it up with any number of toppings.

And there's one more thing that puts matzah crackers a crunch above the rest: lots and lots of holes. "There's a lot of science behind those holes," Pashman says.

When you bake crackers, the water in the dough turns into steam, expands and creates bubbles that pull the layers of the dough apart. "Those holes act like staples to hold the dough together," Pashman says. So the more holes a cracker has, the denser it will turn out.

The holes are also where science intersects with religion. "The rabbinical inspectors, who make sure the matzah is kosher when it comes off the assembly line, they break it along those holes ... and then against the grain, to make sure it cooked through so they can make sure it's not longer leavening."
 
[Reprinted from NPR.com]


Save Your Matzah and the Date
Post-Passover Pizza Lunch and Matzah House Making, O'Mansky Hall
Sunday, May 1, 12:15 p.m
. 
CBI is planning a special book-themed program and social for children ages 9 through 11 to participate in an afternoon of fun activities, book reading, and matzah house building sponsored by PJ Our Way Library.

Click here to learn more about PJ Our Way. For more information, contact Raya Rzeszut at [email protected].
 
Passover Seder Plate and Checklist sederplate
Passover  or Pesach is an important, biblicly-derived Jewish festival in which Jewish families celebrate Passover  as a commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in Egypt and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of Moses. One of the highlights of Passover,
marking the spring season is the seder--an evening ritual meal recalling the exodus of the Israelites filled with talking, singing, prayer, storytelling and special foods including beitzah (roasted egg), karpas (parsley, celery, potato), Z'roa (roasted bone), charoset (chopped apples and nuts), maror (bitter herb) and chazeret (second bitter herb). 

Ashkenazim (Jews of European ancestry) make charoset from chopped apples, nuts, and cinnamon. Sephardim (Jews descended from Spain and Portugal) use dates, figs, and nuts. Some Israelis add bananas. All use red wine to give it a brick-like color. 
Seder Checklist
  • Holiday candles 
  • Wine or grape juice
  • Seder plate
  • Cup of wine for Elijah
  • Miriam's Cup
  • Three matzot, covered
  • Pillow(s) for reclining
  • Salt water for dipping
  • Cup, basin, towel
  • Haggadah for each person
  • Wine cup for each person 
Optional: Matzah for Hope, Afikomen bag, flowers, Individual seder plates, empty plate for homeless, an orange as a symbol of inclusivity, a dish of olives as a symbol of peace.

[Portions of the above are excerpted from  A Family Haggadah II  by Shoshana Silberman, available for purchase from the CBI Judaica Shop]
Shopping for Your Seder
From Haggadot (a written vehicle to enliven your seder), to seder plates, to fun stuff for the kids such as crafts, games, and puzzles, you'll find everything you need for your Passover seder in the CBI Judaica Shop. The shop also carries Shabbat, Havdalah, Yahrzeit candles, matzah covers, mezuzah cases, parchments, gift items, and greeting cards on year round. 

The Shop is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and supports the programs and operations of the synagogue.
Passover Happeningspassoverhap
Mazal Tovmazal
Mazal Tov to Jonathan and Rebecca Lerdau and to Aaron and Andrea Lefkowitz who will become B'nei Mitzvah on March 12 and March 19, respectively.  
Jonathan Gordon Lerdau and Rebecca Louise Lerdau will be called to the Torah as B'Nei Mitzvah on March 12, 2016.  They are seventh graders at Buford Middle School. They both love reading books, traveling, and bonding with their electronic devices. Jonathan enjoys ancient history, the comics, soccer, and watching sports.  Rebecca loves to argue politics and make things with food, fabric, and paper products.  Jonathan plays violin, and Rebecca plays bass and piano. They rarely play duets except when they torment their parents with a rousing rendition of the theme from Chariots of Fire.  Jonathan worked at the After-School program at Burnley Moran (his elementary school) for his mitzvah project.  Rebecca worked for Whole Woman's Health, a feminist abortion provider committed to providing holistic care for women. Please join our family as the twins become B'nei Mitzvah.


Aaron Lefkowitz loves to watch and play all kinds of sports - and especially soccer. He is a student at Buford Middle School, where
he plays the trumpet in the school band and enjoys studying mathematics. He was born in Lawrence, Kansas, and is therefore a big fan of the Kansas University men's basketball program (Go Jayhawks!) - as well as of the home-town Cavaliers. For his Mitzvah Project, Aaron chose to return to his elementary school (Greenbrier) every Thursday to spend a half hour reading to the younger children in the after-school program - just as he had benefitted many years ago from a reading program in which older kids and a beloved teacher helped introduce him to the world of reading. Aaron enjoys spending time with his friends and travelling the world, having been to several countries in Europe during a summer Semester-at-Sea voyage a couple years ago.

Andrea Lefkowitz really likes sports. She plays on soccer and basketball teams. (Her basketball team will play in their league championship game just two weeks before her Bat Mitzvah.) She loves soccer so much that she elected to help coach a Hot Shots soccer team for very young kids for her Mitzvah Project. (And she LOVES having to get up at 6:00 a.m. every Saturday morning for these games.) Andrea was born in Lawrence, Kansas. She is a big fan of Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars. She plays the bass in the Buford Middle School Orchestra and sorta enjoyed summer sleep-away camps at Camp Eisner. Nobody makes better use of a snow-day than Andrea, who sleds at the school yard with her friends, or skis at one of the nearby mountains, or curls up with her ipad and a good Instagram. Andrea loves to swim and to travel, and she looks forward to exploring the American West this summer. 


Book Review: The Mapmaker's Daughterbookreview
By Shelby Apple, Religious School Assistant and Camp CBI Director

Every year longtime CBI member and trustee, Scott Goodman holds a Secret Kabbalat Shabbat evening service for his 6th grade Religious School class. The service complements his lessons about the secret Jews of Spain in the 1400's; and made me want to learn more about  life for Jews in Spain and Portugal before and during the Inquisition.
 
The Mapmaker's Daughter is an historical fiction novel alternating between the 1430's and 1492. It tells the story of Amalia, a girl born into a Converso family (Jews now living as Christians). Her father is the highly esteemed mapmaker to Spanish and Portuguese royalty. While Amelia's father and two sisters embrace Christianity, Amalia and her mother cannot. Amalia's mother struggles to pass down Jewish rituals to her daughter in secret during her childhood. 
 
The book details Amalia's struggles as a Conversa in her early years. In her heart, she is a Jew and over time, decides to choose that faith and face the harsh realities that come with it. This realization is heavily influenced by meeting a proud Jewish family living in Spain who welcome her into their own family where she finally feels like she belongs. 
 
The Mapmaker's Daughter centers on religion and spirituality, as Amalia's faith is one of the most important things to her, to the point where she gives up great happiness and love to stay true to her heritage.
 
I enjoyed the time period, the historical details, and walking through communities while reading this book. The author uses beautiful language in her storytelling. She expresses rich, lovely descriptions and visualizations. It's definitely worth a read!

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Gratitudeacknowledgem
We gratefully acknowledge the following donations received between November 1, 2015 and January 30, 2016.
2nd Century Fund
Anonymous
Caring Committee
Anonymous
 James Ceasar and Blaire French
Carol Chandross
Elon and Leah Cohen - In memory of Gerry Rozan
Glenda Forrest - In memory of Irving Forrest
Sonia and Yacov Haims
David Heilbronner and Lyn Valentine
Diane Hillman
Arnie and Mor Katz
Bradley and Sonnia Kesser
Joel and Joanne Stein
Harri Wasch
Cemetery Fund
John Goldstein
Chutzpah Choir
Irwin and Gloria Cohen - In honor of George Cohen by his parents
General Fund
Henry and Mildred Abraham - In memory of Otto Abraham; In memory of Charlotte Levenson
Anonymous
Hank and Diane Bisgaier
Deborah Cohn and Charlotte Patterson
Angela L. Daniel
Peter and Pamela Dewitz - In memory of Elaine Stone, Fran Feigert's sister
Daniel Doernberg and Rachel Unkefer - In memory of Bayla Solow
Madelyn Lefkowitz
Mildred Ostrowsky - In honor of Marni Diamond
Rhona Quagliana
Stephen and Heena Reiter
Kent and Judith Schlussel - In memory of Liora Laufer; Gerry Rozan; Bernice Gartner; Irving
    Forrest; Sylvia Oberman; Ruth Bravo; and Marcia Goldsmith
Marcia Silvermetz
Kevin and Rachel Skadron
Doris Stamper - In memory of Liora Laufer
Joel P. Weber - In appreciation of Rabbi Dan Alexander
High Holidays
Gary Fox and Wendy Robbins-Fox 
In Honor of Rabbi Tom's 10 Year Anniversary
 James Ceaser and Blaire French
Matthew and Eliza Holland
 Bradley and Sonnia Kesser
David and Emily Leblang
Gigi Michaels
Benjamin Purow and Marjory Ruderman
Maialily Schult Memorial Fund
Anonymous
Anthony (Tony) Field and Emily Cone-Miller
Marty and Melissa Cohen
Rebecca Hudnail
Bradley and Sonnia Kesser
Benjamin Kozower and Nicole Fedoravicius
Jen Langer and Dan Seideman
Rachel Rosen and Brian Mason
Michah Schwartzman and Leslie Kendrick
Sandhya Shukla and Thomas Klubock
Brian Ullman and Catherine Gray
Jeff and Brook Vergales 
Preschool Fund
Barnes and Noble
Joel and Ziva Schwartzman
Jonathan and Barbara Clark
Mark and Ann Vergales
Janet Bolton
Bradley and Sonnia Kesser
Jay and Anita Cohen
Donnis and Constance Long
Katherine Litman Cohen
Kent and Ann Brown
Toby and Al Federoravicius  
Neil and Diana Raphael
David and Elaine Gould
Lewis and Betty Mason
Kay and Barron Kesser
Bob and Jill Clark
Prayerbooks/Ritual Objects Fund
Diane Hillman
Jim Ostroff and WendyShapiro
Harri Wasch - In memory of parents Sylvia and Izzy Oberman 
Rabbi's Discretionary Fund
Rosilyn Bolski - In gratitude for Latifa's generosity
Steven Cohn and Jenny Buzan - In memory of Stanley I. Cohn
Madelyn Lefkowitz - from all at Westminster
Jack Levenson
David Maoz - Thank you! 
Rabbi Educator's Discretionary Fund
St. Anne's Belfield School - In honor of Rabbi Tom  
Annette Hollo - In appreciation of Rabbi Tom's officiating at Robert Hollo's unveiling
Tzedakah Fund
Ellen Bender - In honor of Jonah Newman Bar Mitzvah; In honor of Marietta Feigert Bat    
    Mitzvah
Robert and Lillian Epstein
Fran and Frank Feigert - In honor of Rusty Rothstein's 85th Birthday
Sonia and Yacov Haimes - For PACEM guests; In memory of Ruth Bravo
Charles Johnston and Carol Silverman-Johnston - In memory of Albie Tabackman; 
    In memory of Otto Abraham
Benjamin Kozower and Nicole Fedoravicius
Louis R. Morris - In memory of his parents, Harold and Edythe Morris
Sandy Schustek and Sari Bennett
Michael and Prue Thorner - In memory of Ilse Thorner and Lilly Ross
Film Festival Sponsorship
George and Patricia Bloom
Fred and Beth Epstein
Glenda Forrest
Lynne Goldman 
Sonia and Yacov Haimes
Diane Hillman
Edward and Susan Kees
Elayne Kornblatt Phillips
Sherry Kraft and Bill Lucy
Aharon and Amy Laufer
Paul and Susan Mintz
Jeffrey and Judy Morton
Michael and Christie Shaps
David and Debra Stone
Jim Ostroff and Wendy Shapiro
Ellen Teplitzky
Alan Zimmerman and Nancy Whitman 

Sustainers

Members who have given $500 or more to the Sustainers Program for the 2015-16 fiscal year. If your name has been omitted from this list, please forgive the error and notify Kathryn Mawyer at [email protected] in the CBI office.

Sustainers ($500 - $900)
Henry and Mildred Abraham
Daniel and Dela Alexander 
Ronald and Janet Baellow
George Beller
Gerry Berg and Vikki Bravo 
Louis and Karen Bloomfield
Richard Bonnie and Kathleen Ford Bonnie
Lisa Brooks and Jim Bain
Richard and Ruth Busofsky 
Carol Chandross
George Cohen and Lauren Schlecker Cohen
Linda and Christopher Duska
Geoffrey Cyril and Joan Venikos Hazzan
David Izakowitz and Alison Booth 
Michael and Michelle Jaffee
Bradley and Sonnia Kesser
Benjamin Kozower and Nicole  
Federovicius
Sherry Kraft and Bill Lucy
Harriet Kuhr 
Robert Langbaum
David and Emily Leblang 
Ivan and Marsha Login
Jeffrey and Judy Morton
Mark and Melanie Moss
Harriet Noble
Jim Ostroff and Wendy Shapiro
Eric Patashnik and Deborah Gordon
John Pepper and Liz Wittner
Lawrence Phillips
Ruth Picker
John and Jacquie Pickering
John and Diane Rothberg
Geri Schirmer
Richard Schragger and Risa Goluboff
Sandy Schustek and Sari Bennett
Doris Stamper
Dennis G. Stevens
Mark and Paula Stoler
Peter and Nancy Waldman
Michael and Susan Weiner
Alan Zimmerman and Nancy Whitman
Lawrence Zippin
Burt and Grace Zisk
Builders ($1000 - $2499)
 Kenneth Abraham and Susan Stein
Emanuel C. Ackerman
Suzanne Bombard
Charlotte Crystal and David Mattern
Rob and Joan Dreicer
Robert and Lillian Epstein 
Sarah Kasen
Herbert Hanft - In memory of Ruth S. Hanft
David and Holly Heilberg
Michael and Michelle Jaffee 
Richard and Susan McCrone
Andrew and Krista Mondschein
Alice Raucher-Morra and Dirk Morra
Andrew Obus
Benjamin Purow and Marjorie Ruderman
Charles Rotgin, Jr
Dennis and Bonnie Stevens 
Nathaniel and Rachel Tricker
Ava Waldman

Leader ($5000 +)
Elliott Weiss and Jan Dorman
 
Comments
CBI welcome's your comments and suggestions for topics in any of Congregation Beth Israel communication materials. If you have items to submit or questions, please contact Candy Schoner, Communications and Connections Manager at [email protected] or call (434) 295-6382, ext. 220.
Congregation Beth Israel
301 East Jefferson Street, P.O. Box 320
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: 434-295-6382   Fax: 434-296-6491
www.cbicville.org

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