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E-Bulletin
June 2021 | Sivan - Tammuz 5781
Beit Ha'am Re-Opening


Beginning today, June 1, 2021, the building will be open for staff and members of our community.

Main Office hours will be 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

President’s Reflections
by Shelley Schweitzer

One of my favorite short stories is Rabbi Lawrence Kushner’s “The Hidden Signature.” Rabbi Kushner recalls the first video game he ever had. Those of a certain age can probably hear the bip, bip, bip of the Pong paddle as you read. As Atari became the rage, game choices expanded, and “Adventure” joined the video game library.

This “dungeons and dragons” type of game, Kushner recalls, had a black castle filled with objects. There was one white dot; however, that was too small to be noticeable as a typical game object. Kushner says it looked more like a glitch in your monitor than an actual game object.

If you clicked on it, this magical spec took you back to the starting screen and gave access to a hidden room otherwise inaccessible to the player. In that hidden room was a rainbow and the name of the person who invented the game. Kushner goes on to ask, “If the signature of the Creator is not just in some hidden room, but in every created thing, why can’t we see it?”

I would say that the creator (both capital “C” and lower-case “c”) is visible, if we take the time to look. I love this story for many reasons, including how it helps us honor those on whose shoulders we stand. A recent visit to the storage area of Beit Ha’am revealed a treasure trove of items that bear the names of our congregation’s “creators.”

In boxes of papers are Temple bulletins, congregational board minutes, and a host of other things including the leather-bound notebook containing the minutes of the first four years of our Temple Sisterhood. Dated Sept. 10, 1924, the volume opens with these words: “The first regular monthly meeting of the McKinley Avenue Temple Sisterhood was held in the Temple with the President in the chair.” Activities in that meeting included a $300 gift to help pay the Temple’s mortgage, card-party planning where 10 members volunteered to act as hosts, luncheon planning and a review of committees and those who chair each.

As I read the beautiful penmanship of secretary Helen B. Kaven, I thought about how each member of our community contributes to our growth and success. As I complete my term as president, I am grateful for each one of you who is a part of our Temple family.

Indeed, Temple Israel brings its rich history to Canton’s Jewish community as a driving force for social and spiritual connection. We are a family that creates a Reform Jewish home that nourishes the soul, inspires the mind, and engages the hands. The hand of our Creator and the work of those who created our Temple family and Jewish community through the years are evident in the 100-year-old treasures that I recently found and in the current daily life of our Temple. Thank you all for being a part of it and thank you for once again allowing me to serve as your president.
Plans for the Summer
by Julie Zorn

Chadash is closed for the summer, but we are back at the cobbler’s stone dreaming up another wonderful year. Our hope and goal is to create engaging and age appropriate Jewish experiences for our students and to continue to create our holy community.

No doubt, the 2020/2021 school year forced us to think outside of the box as we satisfied these goals, and though it was a successful year, we cannot wait for the day when we can come together and share special opportunities in person.

Summer plans include creating a special mindfulness and mental health through a Jewish lens curriculum that will help build resiliency for our students. We will provide them with skills to grow from a post pandemic era and during a time when antisemitism has been on the rise throughout the country.

The kickoff for this new curriculum will be at our annual Sukkot celebration. This year, the Sukkot program will be entitled “Sukkat Shalom” or “A Shelter of Peace” as we think of the ancient booths of our ancestors as protection from outside forces and the world around us.

The 2021/2022 school year will be a time of celebration, as well. We will have both consecration and confirmation this year, and Chanukah will be a time when we focus on the miracle of light with a special candle making workshop from the Sunshine Candle Company from Zoar, Ohio. 

At Tu Bishevat time, we will focus on the healing properties of nature and how Bal Tashchit is a commandment that requires us to examine why we shall not destroy our surroundings.

There is plenty of wonderful opportunities ahead for us, and as we spend our time working hard to create a meaningful year ahead, we wish all of our Chadash friends and families the most wonderful summer. L’hitraot! (See you soon!)

Save the Date
Sept. 12, 2021 – 1st day of Chadash
Oct. 24, 2021 – Consecration
March 4, 2022 – Chadash Shabbat
May 1, 2022 – Confirmation/Last Day of Chadash

 
Temple Israel's 136th Annual Meeting
Friday, July 16, 2021, 5:45 p.m.


Honor the leaders of our congregation and share a summer shabbat at Temple Israel’s 136th Annual Meeting, Friday, July 16 at 5:45 p.m. followed by shabbat worship.

Since we were unable to be together for our annual meeting last year, we will thank the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 boards as we install the trustees and officers serving this year. We will also recognize the Temple’s newest lifetime trustees, Mark Atelson and Ron Gelb, who were elected last year.

In accordance with our building re-opening protocols, we ask that you make a reservation if you plan to attend in person. The meeting as well as the service will be streamed on Youtube.

Please click on the link to complete the sign-up form
Yahrzeits
June 4th

Marvin Edward Axelrod
Maxine Bloom
Simon Cooper
Mary R. Fetters
Dr. Jerome Fladen
Dr. Robert A. Harris
Eleanor Hasko
Charles Kades
Diane Ruth Kirschner
Edith Kline
Paul Klotz
Joe Leavitt
Nathan Lipson
Melvin M. Mathes
Morris Olden
Sally Ortman
Dino Pellegrene
Gertrude Reines
Minnie Shifman
Minnie Sigelbaum
Abe Sokol
Marion Speckter
Joseph Spiegel
Donald Stein
Leonard Steinberg
Aaron M. Sternberg
Boyd Strawn
Elaine Tenenbaum
Philip M. Twersky
PFC Bernard Wilkof

June 11th

Bettie Alper
Ellen Gordon Beshada
Judith Elsa Blau
Franklin Allan Caplan
Reisha Cohn
Sidney Erlanger
Ellen Ferne
Helen Finkelstein
Milton Fleisher
Ault Henkin
Barbara Singer Hennes
Richard Henning
Esther Hervey
Isaac Hirschheimer
Elaine Jay
Barry Kane
Rabbi Charles B. Latz
David J. Lavin
Ernest A. Leb
Forest McVicker
David Medoff
Lena Mestel
Dora Newman
Harry Newpoff
James Queen
Naomi Rapport
Suzanne Roth
Carlos Rozenbom
Arthur L. Rubenstein
Tillie Speyer
Bessie Cooper Sroga
Elsie Wilkof

June 18th

Zachary Charles Anna
Annie Cohen
Lester Cohen
Bessie Pollack Cohodas
Jack Fisher
Miriam Goldberg
Yetta Goldstein
Dorothy Gordon
Harry Greenberger
Dr. Cyril V. Gross
Lena S. Halle
Miriam Grossman Hunter
Eva Kasse
Faye Katz
Jennie Krupp
Mary Jane Lottman
Hilda Love
William Love
Sandra Miller
Jacob N. Nobil
Jerome Nusbaum
Dr. James L. Reinglass
Lottie Resnick
Eva Rich
Robert B. Rodgers
Harry Roth
Evelyne Rudolph
Lenore Sachs
Thelma Strawn
Helene Cohodas Woolf

June 25th

Jacob Abramson
Ruby W. Altman
Martin Bertman
Samuel Black
Henry Carmen
Frances Cohn
Abe Dreyer
Daniel H. Einstein
Ruth Einstein
Gertie Fleischer
Martha Gaffrey
Rudolph Glaser
Michael Gold
Minette Goldsmith
Martin M. Holtzman
Ida Sylvia Jacobson
Joseph Kline
Genevieve Lottman
Raye Meltzer
Molly Meyers
Lillian Munk
Damian Joseph Pullen
Meyer Putterman
Rebecca Stearn
Sonia Vaisler
Ben Willen


With Our Temple Family
Welcome new Temple members:

Welcome to Mark & Paula Weinstein, who joined the Temple on April 26, 2021. Paula(Mark) is the sister of Temple member, Phyllis Komerofsky and they are Aunt & Uncle to Rabbi Komerofsky.
Contributions
Temple Israel Endowments

Lockshin-Goldenfeld Religious School Endowment
Recovery of
  • Rob Schweitzer, by Shirley Lockshin

Robert & Shelley Schweitzer Temple Youth Group Endowment
In Honor of
  • Rob & Shelley Schweitzer, birth of granddaughter, Rebecca, by Marshall & Gail Bleckman
  • Estelle Blau, birth of great-granddaughter, Rebecca, by Marshall & Gail Bleckman
Recovery of
  • Rob Schweitzer, by Steve & Denise Nielsen

Sirak Family Endowment
In Memory of
  • Barbara Herst, by Linda & Gary Sirak

Denise G. Luntz Jewish Futures Award
In Memory of
  • Denise Guyot Luntz, by Drew & JuDeane Luntz & Family

Rabbis John H. Spitzer & Jon Adland Social Justice Endowment
In Memory of
  • Marilyn Adland, by Rabbi Jon & Sandy Adland
In Honor of
  • Cathy Atleson, Birthday, by Debbie & Vito Sinopoli

Trees for Israel
In Honor of
  • David Glazer, birth of grandson, Sinai David, by Hannah Jolly
  • Andy & Sue Szabo, birth of granddaughter, Betty Rose, by Hannah Jolly
In Memory of
  • Sandy Gardner, by Hannah Jolly

Bilha Ron Religious School Endowment
In Honor of
  • Mia Olenick, Confirmation, by Rabbi Jon & Sandy Adland; Laura, Adam, Alexandra, & Jamie Goldman; Rick, Bobbi, Molly, Madison, & Alvin Altman


Temple Israel Restricted Funds

Mazon Fund - A Jewish Response to Hunger
In Memory of
  • Eugene Dougherty, Marshall & Gail Bleckman
  • Audrey Clyburn, by Adele & Ron Gelb
  • Richard Kelch, by Laura, Adam, Alexandra, & Jamie Goldman
  • Barbara Herst, by Sue Shafer
  • Lois Leb, by Sue Shafer
Recovery of
  • Rob Schweitzer, by Betty Smith; Sue Shafer; Chelle & Larry Cohen
  • Lou Schaner, by Sue Shafer; Paul & Marilyn Feldman
  • Susan Narens, by Paul & Marilyn Feldman
  • Michele Narens, by Paul & Marilyn Feldman
In Honor of
  • Rob & Shelley Schweitzer, birth of granddaughter, Rebecca, by Paul & Marilyn Feldman; Chelle & Larry Cohen
  • Ellen & Bill Shankle, birth of grandson, Theodore, by Linda & Howard Smuckler
  • Linda & Howard Smuckler, birth of grandson, Daylen, by Paul & Marilyn Feldman

Kiddush Fund
In Memory of
  • Betsy Sachs, by Sarah Robbins

Rabbi's Discretionary Fund
In Appreciation of
  • Rabbi Komerofsky, by Paul & Janice Hervey; Sharon Dougherty