D'Var Torah by Stevan Pardo April 27, 2011

"RENEWAL OF FAITH"

A few days after Yom Kippur on September 22, 2010 at around 6:00 p.m. I was sitting in my office working away at my computer when I received a call on my cellular.  I looked at the number and it was our esteemed President, Peter Russin.  Hi Peter, what's up?   Steve, its Adrienne.  I could tell from his voice that this was not good news.  "Adrienne had a seizure!"  And then he told me to stay calm as fire rescue is on the way and she has medical assistance at her side.   I had so many questions.   He told me to get in my car and drive over to Ransom where Adrienne was gathered with 100 other people for what Adrienne does so well, fundraising.

The next 72 hours would reveal a grapefruit size brain tumor, emergency brain surgery in New York by the leading tumor specialist at Columbia Presbyterian, and the realization that life as I knew it would never be the same again.  This experience would begin a renewal of my faith in God.

I grew up in a reform Jewish family upbringing, my parents put the first shovel in the ground that created the Sanctuary which explains in part my devotion to the Sanctuary Renovation that is a "labor of love" as if it were constructing my own house.   This has been my house of worship for me and my family for over 50 years.  It is where my father, Joe Pardo, felt most at home singing the highest and loudest of all congregants, his voice resonating for me on every high holiday as he chanted that all too familiar notes with such passion.   And yet in 72 hours my personal family household which had seemed so structurally stable and fundamentally sound appeared to be crumbling around me as I watched, Adrienne, bandages around her head hooked up to beeping apparatus' and nurses and doctors shuttling in and out of ICU.  How surreal to watch before your eyes the love of your life flirt with death at this stage in our still young lives.  If there was ever a time to make a long distance call to God, this was certainly a good time as any.   In those 8 1/2 hours while Adrienne was in surgery, I prayed for Adrienne and for our family.  I felt a great sense of comfort and connection to the Almighty as never before.

Before Adrienne went into surgery, we shared a moment together that was incredibly special and life changing.  It's that moment when you realize who and what really matters in life, how important friends and family are, how incredibly blessed we are to have a temple clergy and community with so much love for us, how amazingly strong our 3 kids, Daniel, Carly and Josh, have been adapting to their life being thrown completely upside down literally on its head.  The Temple Community has kept them grounded as Carly and Daniel prepare to be confirmed and Josh a bar mitzvah.

There are so many blessings that Adrienne and I have come to realize from this experience  We are actually up to over 100.   Yes, the cup is not only half full , the cup has overflowed.   Adrienne and I have a new perspective on life (it is very personal and priceless).   There is an even a deeper sense of love for this community that has reached out to us to lend a hand in any way possible.

Rabbi Glickstein, Davis, and Pomerantz have been there every step of the way to provide guidance, support and understanding.   There are no words to explain what that has meant to Adrienne and myself.  Yoga with Rabbi, artwork with Miss Grace, it is the little things that bring such greater meaning today, and Temple Beth Sholom is the place for a renewal and nurturing of Adrienne's mind and soul.   How truly special to have our place of worship, our place for recuperation.  Adrienne and I have heard from so many people taking me in confidence and telling me about their life changing experience as if to console me, comfort me and explain how everything will be all right.

I will never forget that call from Peter seven months ago to this day.  He may not remember but he said to me "everything is going to be alright."  At the time, I didn't know it but Peter was comforting me at a moment of great fear and anxiety.  And, thank God, it turned out to be true.  No matter what the future holds for Adrienne and I, that is in the hands of the Almighty.  For now, we are so thankful for being part of this Temple Community and we are blessed to be able to share our lives, the simchas, and the sorrow, the milestones, and the everyday moments to make a fully, richer experience.   Thank you to all of you for being so supportive to me and my family in our moment of crisis and in the renewal of our faith in God.

D’var Torah - Mark Weithorn, March 30, 2011

There are some people in history who have changed the world.  Abraham, Moses, Ghengis Khan, Abraham Lincoln, Karl Marx, or FDR to name a few.  Some of them set forth deliberately to make change.  They rolled up their sleeves and went to work.  Others, like Moses were reluctant.  He argued with God stating that he was not worthy. 

There were people like Gandhi who saw injustice and couldn’t sit idly by.  He had to take action.

Some people changed the world by accident.  Jonas Salk left his specimens too close to the heat only to invent the polio vaccine.

Sometimes it wasn’t a person, but an event that changed the course of history.  One example was “the shot heard around the world”.  This of course was the shot that started the American Revolution.

Or the recent earthquake in Japan.  We have no idea what ramifications this will have.

There are moments, I call them changing moments, sometimes unexplained or unplanned, that change the course of human events.  What causes a changing moment?  Was the right person in the right place at the right time?  What if they had turned left instead of right?  Would change have occurred?  Perhaps theologians can explain if it’s fate, happenstance or divine intervention that cause these events, but regardless the impact on the world is huge.

I’d like to put forth some current names that have changed our world.

Mark Zuckerberg

Jack Doresy, Evan Williams, Biz Stone

Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim

Julian Assange

And Mohammed Bouazizi

We all know that Mark Zuckerberg invented Facebook.

Jack Doresy, Evan Williams, and Biz Stone invented Twitter

Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim invented YouTube.

And Julian Assange created Wikileaks.

I’m not sure if the inventors of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube knew that they would change the way people all around the world would communicate.  Perhaps they were only in it for the money.  But regardless of their original intent they did change the world.

I’m not sure what Julian Assange’s motives were for creating Wikileaks, but he lifted a veil of secrecy that has definitely exposed the improper activities of many world leaders.

And then there was Mohammed Bouazizi. 

On the morning of Dec. 17 in Sidi Bouzid, a forgotten town of 40,000 in the flatlands of Tunisia, 26-yr.-old Mohammed Bouazizi was selling fruit from a cart as he did every day to support his family. He didn't have a license. But very few of the vendors did.


A municipal official, a woman, came by and confiscated his scale. It was worth $100 and Bouazizi knew he'd have to pay a bribe to get it back. This had happened to him before. But this time, he got mad. He complained and the woman slapped him. One slap in the face, and that's how the revolution began.
He ran, screaming, to the government office in the center of town. He wanted his scale back. That's all. But they wouldn't let him in. He went to a gas station, filled up a canister and went back to the government building. His friend Jamil, another fruit vendor, went with him. Jamil says Bouazizi stood in the middle of traffic, poured gas over himself and cried out, "How do you expect me to make a living?"
Then he lit a match. He barely survived.


Bouazizi's mother says her son wasn't political in any way. He just wanted to continue making his $10 a day and send his sisters away to college. But that slap was one indignity too many. It was illegal to demonstrate in Tunisia, but hundreds came from all over town to protest. Nothing like that had ever happened before in Sidi Bouzid.  Then the demonstrations started to spread.


Mohammed later died of his wounds.  But his action had sparked the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and many other Arabic countries.  This single angry fruit vendor had changed history.  And the common thread of this revolution was Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.  It turns out that all the young people in these Arabic countries have Facebook accounts.  And anyone with a cell phone can instantly post a video of a demonstration on YouTube.  The Iron Curtain of secrecy is gone.  The world has changed.  And Mark Zuckerberg, a Jew, is a hero in the Arabic world.


Yes, Mohammed’s actions were extreme, I’m not suggesting that anyone light themselves on fire, but sometimes it is little actions that can change the lives of people.  Like discovering that a homeless person has an amazing voice and giving him a new lease on life.  Or by serving on a board like this and funding a program that will affect the lives of those in need. 


The challenge is identifying one of these changing moments when they occur.  That is the hard part.  We are all busy with life, work, or kids.  And then unknowingly a changing moment presents itself.  It could be a phone call from a friend asking you to donate your time or money.  It could be a neighbor indirectly asking for help.   A child whose parents are going through a divorce.  Or seeing an employee or coworker going through a tough patch.  These situations present themselves all the time.  We just need to take notice.


Our first inclination is to say no.  To look the other way.  To not get involved.  That is the easy way.  And then a day or a week later we reflect on that changing moment and wonder if we should have acted differently.  By that time the chance to make a difference could be gone. 


But that is not why we are all sitting here tonight.  Most people join boards and committees to make a difference.  To help those in need.  By getting involved we must realize that we are responsible for making decisions that affect the lives of others.  It is an awesome responsibility.


One such changing moment occurred to me seven years ago while I still owned my printing company.  A friend recommended that I give a young man a job.  Let’s call him Joe.  At first glance you wouldn’t hire Joe.  He wore old clothes, was overweight and drove a car held together by duct tape.  But he was polite and personable.  I realized that this was a changing moment.  I hired him.  Gave him fliers and told him to walk around and knock on business doors.  He did and started bringing in business.  He was happy to do this; he felt needed.  Over time he started dressing nicer, he exercised, dropped 75 pounds; he was proud of himself.  A life was changed.  Today Joe works for a commodity firm, and has a child.  All because he was given a chance.


Since these changing moments are hard to identify it is important to create a frame of mind that allows you to identify the person or the situation that is looking you squarely in the face and know that you must set aside your troubles and concerns and assist.  It is hard not to look the other way.
This is what Leigh Anne Touhy did when she saw a young, barely clothed man walking in the freezing rain.  She and her family took him in, educated him and gave Michael Oher the chance to be all that he was capable of.

D'var Torah - Bobbi Ossip - Feb. 23, 2011

                                                                           D’VAR TORAH

                                                   TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM BOARD MEETING

                                                                     FEBRUARY 23, 2011

   When we hear B’shert, we naturally think of Fate---meant to be.  That was my reaction when I opened the Chumash to this week’s Parasha Vayakhel and realized that, aside from the first three verses which deal with the observance of Shabbat, the entire parasha is devoted to the building of the Tabernacle, the Ark, and all the contents therein.  Could there be a more appropriate parasha on a night when we will be hearing about the final plans for our new Sanctuary and social hall?!

     We read once again about the well-publicized building campaign which was over-subscribed when all the people responded with everything from gold bracelets and earrings and nose-rings to wool and linen and goat hair to oils and spices and jewels—all materials to be used to complete the project.  The parasha also repeats many of the details which appeared in the last two and a half parashot we have read.  However, this time the details have been refined to the nth degree so there could be no mistake as to how they should be carried out. 

     Moses carries out G-d’s wish to appoint Bezalel and Oholiab as the Head Craftsmen whom He fills with G-dly spirit, with wisdom, insight, and knowledge, and the skills to perform all the necessary crafts.  And He filled them with wise hearts.  Moses was also commanded to allow every man whose heart inspired him and everyone whose spirit motivated him to do the labor to complete the work.

    We are fortunate to have our own Bezalels and Oholiabs in Henry Stolzman, Laurie Gross, and Susan Jordan Yoshimine plus their staffs as our Head Craftsmen.  We have our congregants who have answered the call for contributions to the campaign—although we certainly are not yet over-subscribed.  And we have those who have the inspiration or desire to work on the project as members of the Building/Design Committee.  In a few minutes, all of us will have the opportunity to participate in the process by giving our input when we see the presentation of the plans.   As a member of the Building/Design Committee, I can assure you that what you are going to see is the result of MANY discussions and revisions and attention to the most minute details ranging not only from the colors for the carpet and window glass but also the adjustment in the height of the reading tables and  the light for the Ner Tamid.  Nothing has escaped the closest scrutiny.

      The parasha also reiterates the revised details of the vestments to be worn by the priests. We have not yet appointed the Fashion Committee.  Is that in our future plans?

     The work of our Board mirrors the process of building the Tabernacle.   We have our clergy and lay leaders who possess insight and wisdom and knowledge.  We have our members who are inspired and motivated to carry out our mission of “affecting Jewish lives in a positive way” and “creating a community among our members.”   We are constantly revising our plans so we can provide the best programs and services and support for our members.  But just as the Tabernacle in ancient days could not have been built by Bezalel and Oholiab without the help of the people—and the people could not have built the Tabernacle without Bezalel and Oholiab, so, too,  must we work together as a Board with our clergy and leaders to accomplish our goals.

     I feel privileged to be a part of this Board and the Building/Design Committee.  Who would have thought that I, growing up in a small-town Conservative congregation, would ever have the opportunities afforded me as part of Temple Beth Sholom?!  I truly value the experiences I have had here---experiences which have inspired me to work to preserve what I have had for those who will come after me.   I hope all of us will continue to be so inspired.  I look forward to being able to sit together with my congregants in the new Sanctuary and to continue to work with all of you as we build our Tabernacle—our community—for now and for the future.

                                                                  Ken Y’Heer Ratzon

What if TBS Didn't Exist - Sandy Horwitz - Jan 26, 2011

WHAT IF TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM NEVER EXISTED OR CEASED TO

EXIST

Beshert--- Fate or Destiny

SANDY HORWITZ

Grew up on MB

Temple Ner Tamid ,

a conservative temple

 I was Bar Mitzvah there

Rabbi Eugene Leibowitz married me and Janet 28 years ago

Colonial Book Shoppe- open early 70’s

On 41^st- temple and store shared alley

I was 15 years old

First connection to TBS, much different than all of you

We were not members

Call Ramona Horwitz- my mother

Never imagined being a member

Ramona interacted with the temple as follows:

Rabbi Kronish parked in back of store

Ramona marched into his office and made him move it

Jack Shapiro, catering for temple, would leave his van, blocked bookstore delivery trucks

The temple knew my mother

My early connection to TBS

University of Georgia -1976

The torah says

YOU SHALL NOT ABUSE A STRANGER AND YOU SHALL NOT OPPRESS HIM, FOR YOU WERE STRANGERS IN EGYPT

Never knew I was Jewish till I got to U of G

Many folks pointed out I was Jewish

However I wasn’t made to feel like a stranger

Somehow they were following the torah

Aaron – dorm mate on my floor

Took me to his home one weekend

3000 people- father was mayor

For his family I was first Jew that they ever met, maybe first Jew in town

Didn’t make me feel like a stranger

So warm and welcoming

Southern cooking, fresh pies

Its was really neat

Not long after that weekend

I CAN FEEL THE FEELING RIGHT NOW

Walk in the dorm, early evening – first door on left, Aaron’s bed room

Door is open , group of kids in room

Hi Hitler, Hi Hitler, Hi Hitler

All raising their hands

I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT

AARON DID THIS TO ME

FELT SO HURT

Not that I ever would deny it, but at that moment I realized

There is no getting around it,

 I am different,

 I am proud,

 I am a Jew.

Exactly 24 years ago I moved to 5514 Pinetree Drive

w/ Janet

Michelle- 3 years old

Zach – 6 months

BESHERT- FATE

And we joined TBS

“Torah wants us to remember what it feels like to be a stranger “

We NEVER felt like a stranger at TBS

Like we grew up at TBS

We found our home

Michelle and Zach- Bat and Bar Mitzvah at TBS

Without TBS, would not have made these friends,

 be part of this community, be so fulfilled

10 years ago April 2011, diagnosed with cancer,

major surgery

7 months of chemo

Get a call from Jeff Bercow.

Saw each other,

Polite to each other

Not friends

How are you feeling…

I could not believe it – I was so touched.

WHAT IF TBS DIDN’T EXIST

BTW- no big deal if you don’t send a get well card

A big deal if you do.

THE BOARD

Israelites wandered around the desert

Being free is not having your head in the sand

Being free comes with the responsibility of finding your own pass

Moses refused the job of being Pharoah

George Washington refused the job of being king

TBS is not run by one person,

Not a dictatorship

Run by a board –us in this room

We have a board to make decisions of the community.

I was honored to ask to be on the board and serve.

Under :

Dribin

Citrin

Hirschl

Kipnis

Hertzberg

Shelley Groff

Ron Albert

NOW Peter

And I have met so many wonderful people over the years

Everybody sitting in this room

Those past folks,

Jimmy Knopke

David Miller

Phyllis Miller

WHAT IF TBS DIDN’T EXIST

I have missed a lot of meetings and can pin point why

5 years into accounting I needed a time management course……

So from missing that course is why I miss meetings

BUT my commitment is to be here ( tax season )

IN THE TORAH IT SAYS

…BE TO ME MEN OF HOLINESS or A HOLY MAN

That is what this board is made up of, Holy people.

Not because we are experts on the torah, Rabbis,

But  because we are caring people.

How we act.

Kid who became a Rabbi

Smart Rabbi, intellect, wisdom, orator, amazing,

Water brought to him, he said thank you,

That’s what made the kid to be a Rabbi

In all my years, no matter how contentious an issue might be, never a cross word, never raising of the voice …..

That’s holy

DECISIONS

Easy

Difficult

Fail to make

Head in the sand

What is important is we make HOLY decisions

Separating our personal preferences

Applying our personal wisdom

What is best for the

Temple

Congregation

Community

---not ourselves.

We operate this way, we are HOLY people.

TBS CONTINUES TO EXIST FOR MANY REASONS.

ONE MAJOR REASON IS BECAUSE OF THE HOLINESS OF THIS BOARD

AND HOW WE CONTINUE TO CONDUCT OURSELVES.

D’VAR TORAH - Vanessa Ressler - November 29, 2010

This week's portion from which I am about to stray is Mikeitz, which talks about Pharoh's dreams, Joseph's interpretations, and Joseph's encounters with and tricks played on his estranged brothers during the years of the famine.

Instead, I'd like to talk about Chanukah, one of the few Jewish holidays not mentioned in the Torah.

Let's set the scene.  It's 168 B.C.E., and the Jews are living a Hellenistic lifestyle and for the most part enjoying it.  They are assimilated in their culture

- their dress, their language... and are allowed their religious freedom.  It seems to me that they were not unlike us actually.

Then evil Antiochus comes into the picture, and by 167 B.C.E. he is imposing great restrictions on the Jews, making them sacrifice pigs on their altars and other injustices.

The story of what happens next we all know - the Macabees, Judah at the helm, led a revolt against the oppression and succeeded.  It was a 3- year, bloody campaign, that culminated in the rededication of the Temple.

They decided that since they had not been able to celebrate Sukkot earlier that autumn, they would do so at that time, which was winter, this time of year.

Chanukah means rededication.

Then at some other point in history it seems that someone decided that the story of Hanukah was too worldly - it was after all, a story about men who felt that they had a right to determine their own destiny and fought for their beliefs and their freedom.

But God had to have something to do with it.  Right?  So in the midst of this

8 night celebration, it seems the story of the oil lamp was added in.

Somehow one night's allotment of oil lasted 8 - a miracle.  Surely God must have had a hand in that?

Chanukah - the festival of lights.  Finding light where there should have been only darkness.

Chanukah - rededication.

Chanukah - the Jewish version of Christmas?

No...  Though the irony of this being a story of people refusing to assimilate, and this being probably one of the most assimilated holidays is not lost on me.  Especially as I grew up my entire life until the age of 30 celebrating Christmas with my non-Jewish family and now having to explain, every year, the differences between Hanukah and Christmas.  I am not even going to get into that here.  My family, as warm, loving and totally accepting as they truly are, still doesn't  get what Hanukah is about, or that it is not supposed to be about giving gifts.  As a parent, I am already falling into the trap of finding Hanukah gifts for my little ones, because I want to get into the spirit of this gift-giving season.

This Hanukah though I am thinking about rededication.  Finding light in the darkness.  I am not talking tonight about finding ways to solve the world's injustices, though I wish I could.  But what this notion means to me.  Rededication.  I wish to rededicate my life to myself, my children, my husband.  Like the Jews in Hellenistic times I have become a slave to what I think is expected of me.  In addition to being a full-time parent to 2 infants, I work part-time, volunteer a lot, and feel that with 2.5 years of intense sleep deprivation, my own oil lamp is burning out.

But somehow it never extinguishes.  I realize that this is because it is constantly being fed from the outside.  My children's smiles, hugs, watching them master a new skill - my toddler repeating back to me words of encouragement like "It's ok mom, you happy!  you doing great!", my husband holding my hand, my community, all of you, making me feel that my contributions are worth something...  That is my personal miracle.

So this Hanukah it is my wish that all of you take some time to think about this notion of rededication and finding light in the darkness.

Thank you for being part of my miracle.

D’var Torah: Etan Mark - September 2010

Hello, my name is Etan Mark.  I moved to Miami 5 years ago from New York.  Many of you may not know that I grew up Orthodox and attended a yeshiva.  As a child and teenager, I never got anything out of Judaism personally or spiritually.  Not too surprisingly, I went through an atheism phase, which made the Passover seders at my mom's house interesting. Finally, after meeting my wife Brielle and becoming involved in the Temple Beth Sholom community, I began seeing and appreciating things about Judaism that I never thought about before -- especially relating to my family and thinking about the kind of person and father I want to be. To that end, I think it is appropriate to discuss second chances which is not only consistent with this time of year, but is prevalent in this week's Torah portion.

This week's Torah portion is Beresheis. This portion discusses the creation of the world and the story of Adam and Eve. As you might imagine, there's a few commentaries out there discussing these stories.  What I find to be an interesting theme in the parsha this week is the concept of second chances.  After God created the world, he said "and it was very good."Isn't this superfluous? Is there anything else we can expect? One explanation is that God says it is very good to distinguish it from previous attempts at creating a world, which were not successful attempts. I wonder if there is a lesson that God himself engaged in this process of trial and error, and it is something that we should learn from. In the story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit, God tells Adam that if he eats the fruit, he will die, but we know that didn't happen. God gives Adam and Eve another chance, and does not kill them.

Rosh HaShana provides us that annual opportunity to try to self-improve and for another chance. Already though, many of us have probably forgotten what our commitment to that improvement was a few weeks ago. Maybe this week's Torah portion is a reminder that we are constantly given opportunities to try to be the parent or husband or friend or lawyer we want to be. Maybe it doesn't have to be a once a year introspection, but maybe it's the birth of a child, or the illness of a family member or the purchase of an iPad.  A few months ago, Jonathan Safran Foer came to TBS to discuss his new book, Eating Animals, which is about his journey to vegetarianism. He says in his book that when his wife had a child, for him it was an opportunity to start being the person that he always wanted to be, and the kind of role model he wants to be. It was liberating for him to be given a completely fresh start and to shed what he thought was the hypocrisy that he exhibited every day by sensing that he should be a vegetarian but not implementing it. When his child was born, he seized an opportunity.  For many of us that fresh start is Yom Kippur, but maybe we need to keep our eyes open always look for the opportunity for that fresh start, the opportunity to self-improve, and know that it is never too late to be the person you want to be.

D’var Torah by Cyndy Albert-June 23, 2010

Over the course of our Board meetings, we hear often of our obligations and responsibilities as Board members.  We hear how important our work is and I know that it is important.  What we do here affects every aspect of our Temple’s life and ultimately, the lives of our members.  But I would like to take this opportunity to speak tonight about what happens when we do our jobs correctly, when, as a Board, we function in the best spirit of cooperation.  And I would like to use our children (mine and Ron’s) as examples.

This summer, our daughter Erin, is a camp counselor at Camp Coleman.  She could not conceive of being anywhere else.  She has spent every summer since she was 8 years old at Coleman, with the one exception being the year she went with her Confirmation class and NFTY to Israel.  Once again, TBS has the largest number of children at Coleman of any congregation.  This is what happens when we do our job correctly.

Our son, Jason, left yesterday for the NFTY trip to Israel.  22 children from Temple Beth Sholom joined 140 kids from around the nation for this group trip.  An additional 300 kids will be in Israel from the US and Canada this summer on NFTY trips.  Again, we have the largest group of students participating of any congregation or youth group.  This is what happens when we do our job correctly.

Our Clergy, Staff and Lay leadership, understand the need to foster a love of Jewish camping and of Israel. Studies show that children who participate in Jewish Camping and in Jewish youth trips to Israel are much more likely to remain or become affiliated Jews.  TBS makes a financial commitment every year to provide scholarships for those members who cannot pay for these programs.  We do not leave any child behind.  This is what happens when we, as a Board, and as a Temple, do our jobs correctly.