Bath Jewish History

March/April 2020
Adar / Nisan / Iyyar 5780

Rabbi’s Message

Dear Beth Israel members and friends,

Pirke Avot, the 2nd century Jewish text, teaches, “Get yourself a teacher and acquire for yourself a friend.” This aphorism points out that in Jewish tradition we don’t study Torah alone. And not only do we not study alone, but it is through the act of study and conversation that we build meaningful relationships. This idea rings true for me as I reflect on my experience of teaching here at Beth Israel.

Our Saturday morning Torah study group gathers to read and grapple with our weekly Torah portion. This diverse group of seekers show deep respect for Torah combined with a critical eye. Sometimes the conversation is philosophical or spiritual, other times it’s personal; it’s always interesting and enlightening.

Since November, we’ve held an adult prayer book Hebrew class. Some of the learners in this class have studied Hebrew in the past and others are brand new to learning Hebrew. All of them amaze me with their insightful questions, drive and dedication to learning.

And of course our young people, full of energy and openness; teaching them is a highlight of my week.

This is all to say that I’m looking forward to more teaching and learning this spring. If you haven’t been part of our adult learning here at Beth Israel, I invite you to join us. We learn in English and the classes are open to you regardless of background. Here’s what to look forward to in the coming months:

• Torah study continues, twice a month on Saturday mornings. Check the Beth Israel calendar for exact dates.

• In preparation for Passover, I’ll offer a pre-Passover class on the origins of the seder.

• Finally, I’ll be offering a multi-session class on the Talmudic stories found in Ruth Calderon’s book, A Bride for One Night.

I invite you to join in the conversation.

L’Shalom,
Rabbi Vinikoor

President’s Message

by Peggy Brown

Even though the weather is dreary today, the February light has been different from the last few months of darkness. And Tu B’shevat - a day to celebrate trees - was this week, meaning spring is coming and we will be seeing green again. In Israel and elsewhere, Tu B’Shevat is a holiday for planting trees and an appropriate time to exercise our activism in support of a clean and healthy environment.

What does Judaism say about our role in protecting the environment? I went looking for some sources. From ReformJudaism.org I found this:

The Talmud tells the story of the sage Choni, who was walking along a road when he saw a man planting a carob tree. Choni asked, "How long will it take for this tree to bear fruit?" "Seventy years," the man replied. Choni then asked, "Are you so healthy that you expect to live that length of time and eat its fruit?" The man answered, "I found a fruitful world because my ancestors planted it for me. Likewise, I am planting for my children." In fact, tradition values this concept so much that the rabbis teach that if a man is planting a tree and the messiah appears, he should finish planting the tree before going to greet him (Avot d'Rebbe Natan 31b).

In the spirit of protecting a “fruitful world,” some members of our congregation got together to take some action on an issue that’s been worrying us: the proliferation of non-recyclable, single- use plastic. For years, many of us have been opting for convenience without thinking too much about its impact on the environment. As we make changes in our lives to correct this neglect, we decided to do what we could to help our synagogue and Hebrew School reflect the same concern. We signed Beth Israel up with a curbside composting service, which picks up our compostable materials once a week. Then we changed over to using reusable dishes and cutlery whenever possible. When we must use disposable items, they will be compostable only. It was not a huge thing, but by taking these small steps I felt more hopeful.

These words from our new siddur, Mishkan T’filah, seem to express this:We pray that we may live, Not by our fears but by our hopes, not by our words but by our deeds.

With thanks and appreciation to Jerryanne LaPerrière, Thyle Sharter, Susan Horowitz, Gila Cohen Shaw, Rabbi Lisa Vinikoor, President Marilyn Weinberg, and the Beth Israel Board for help in implementing this change.

Adult Learning Session
Unpacking the Passover Seder

by Rabbi Vinikoor

Sunday, April 5
11:00 am
Synagogue

Looking to deepen your Passover seder experience? Join us for conversation and learning about the history and content of the Passover seder as well as innovative approaches to seders today. Please bring a nosh to share.

Temple Beth El Augusta is Coming to Bath

by Marilyn Weinberg

Members of Beth Israel and Temple Beth El in Augusta will join together on March 7 for a Shabbat Morning Service and Torah study followed by a Lunch and Learn session with Rabbi Vinikoor and Rabbi Asch about our upcoming spring holidays.

You can come to either service or just the luncheon or both. If you want to attend the luncheon please RSVP to office@bethisraelbath.org by March 3.

Dinner Club

by Peggy Brown

For our March Dinner Club meet up, we will be at The Great Impasta on Maine Street in Brunswick. If you've never joined us before, come on out! We'd love to have you. I will be away for this one, so RSVP to Marilyn please. It will be another great evening of food and conversation!

Purim Celebration

by Marilyn Weinberg

Please join us on for our community Purim celebration.

Come and shake your gragger and stamp your feet. This will be a Megilla reading not to be forgotten. Fun for all age. Don’t forget to come dressed in costume!

Souper Shabbat

by Camille Kauffunger

Thank you to everyone that has supported another successful season of Souper Shabbat gatherings with your attendance and homemade treats. The food has been delicious and sometimes even amusing (See Susan Horowitz’s zebra cake below that “contains 0% real zebra”). More importantly, Rabbi Vinikoor’s sermons and your multi-generational good company have nourished our community during these cold winter months, including all those we carry in our hearts or name out loud during our prayers together.

Don’t miss the last in this Souper Shabbat series of early services and soup meals. Join us on March 20, 2020 at 5:30 pm. For those that wish to help or contribute food, a sign up sheet will be shared soon. We promise a hearty evening that will warm your spirit and “stick to your bones.”

Community Passover Seder

by Marilyn Weinberg

Thursday, April 9
5:00 pm
Minnie Brown Center

You are invited to join family and friends for a potluck Community Passover Seder.

Reservations required by April 1. Please email info@bethisraelbath.org

To cover expenses:
$10.00 per person/$15.00 per family for members
$15.00 per person/$25.00 per family for non-members

Yom HaShoah Service (Holocaust Remembrance Day)

by Marilyn Weinberg

Tuesday, April 21
7:00 pm
Bowdoin College Multicultural Center
30 College St, Brunswick

Yom HaShoah commemorates the lives and heroism of Jewish people who died in the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945. On Tuesday, April 21, we will gather together with our Bowdoin College friends for a special service led by Rabbi Vinikoor. Join us for this service, candle lighting and special prayers. No RSVP required.

Maine Jewish Film Festival to Expand Offerings in Brunswick

by Marilyn Weinberg

The Maine Jewish Film Festival is pleased to announce an expanded schedule of film presentations in Brunswick for 2020. Film presentations will take place at the Eveningstar Cinema and on the Bowdoin campus. MJFF films offer fresh perspectives on familiar icons and illuminate the lives of hidden heroes. In addition to being enjoyable movie-going experiences, they have the potential to promote learning and stimulate meaningful discussions. Tickets are $10/$8 for seniors and students and can be purchased through 
https://mjff.org/purchase-tickets/

SATURDAY, March 28 at the Eveningstar Cinema 11:00 am
Fiddler: Miracle of Miracles
The origin story of the quintessential Jewish musical that has become a global phenomenon, performed somewhere in the world every day of the year. Features fascinating interviews and irresistible clips from world-wide productions.
https://mjff.org/film/fiddler-miracle-of-miracles/

SUNDAY, March 29 at the Eveningstar Cinema 11:00 am
The Tobacconist
On the eve of WWII, 17 year old Franz travels to Vienna to apprentice at a tobacco shop and meets Sigmund Freud, a regular customer. As war approaches and the city descends into turmoil, the characters are swept up into the larger events that shake the world. Starring Bruno Ganz (Wings of Desire) as Freud. 
https://mjff.org/film/the-tobacconist/

SUNDAY, March 29 at the Eveningstar Cinema 4:00 pm
#Female Pleasure
Five determined women break the silence imposed by their patriarchal communities - the global perspective of different cultures - Japan, India, the Somali Muslim diaspora, the Hasidic community, and the Catholic clergy - is illuminating and revelatory. 
https://mjff.org/film/female-pleasure/

MONDAY, March 30 at Bowdoin College
(Smith Auditorium in Sills Hall)
7:00 pm
Picture of His Life (Free showing sponsored by Bowdoin)
A daring Israeli underwater photographer spends 40 years taking stunning close-ups of aquatic wildlife, but one challenge eludes him: swimming beside a polar bear while filming the encounter. Stunning Arctic and underwater photography make a thrilling yet lyrical journey of redemption and discovery. A discussion with staff members of the Bowdoin Arctic Museum in follows.
https://mjff.org/film/picture-of-his-life/

SUNDAY, April 5 at the Eveningstar Cinema 11:00 am
Spy Behind Home Plate
Award-winning filmmaker Aviva Kempner (Rosenfeld) tells the improbable story of Moe Berg, the Major League Baseball player turned WWII spy. Features rare historical footage and interviews with an all-star roster of commentators from the worlds of history, sports, and spy-craft. https://mjff.org/film/the-spy-behind-home-plate/

SUNDAY, April 5 at the Eveningstar Cinema 4:00 pm
The Keeper
The incredible true story of Bert Trautmann, a German soldier and POW who, against a backdrop of British post-war protest and prejudice, becomes a soccer icon. Simultaneously a love story, a sports film, and an exploration of conflicting values. 
https://mjff.org/film/the-keeper/

Hebrew School

by Rabbi Vinikoor

Greetings from the Hebrew School! We are blessed this year with a wonderful team of dedicated teachers who care for our students. They teach them Jewish culture, traditions and Hebrew each week with joy and good humor. And we are blessed with a fantastic group of students who are eager to learn, ask good questions, care for each other and our community and sing and pray beautifully.

January and February have been quite snowy, especially on Thursdays. But despite this, we had a terrific Tu Bishvat seder, celebrating the fruit of trees. March kicks off our spring holidays, when we’ll celebrate Purim together and prepare for Passover by learning about the seder, the Passover story and preparing to recite the four questions! Looking forward to more learning together!

Social Action

by Joanne Rosenthal

Pondering the magnitude of what it will take to repair the world can feel overwhelming. The often quoted words from Rabbi Tarfon in Pirke Avot, "It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work, but neither are you at liberty to desist from it” brings me back to the here and now where I can take stock of the important work being done by members of the Congregation.

With regard to immigrant justice, I was very proud when members of our congregation stepped up to take the lead in supporting a family of asylum seekers resettling in Bath. Since August, Rachel and Katherine Bouttenot have done an outstanding job of helping the family of four navigate every task of moving into a new country, and did so with extreme skill and loving- kindness. Continued support and mentorship of this family is needed, so if you are interested in learning more, please email the Mid Coast New Mainers Group at midcoastnewmainersgroup@gmail.com.

Other members of the congregation are taking important steps towards the "greening" of the synagogue, providing mentorship and pro bono legal services to asylum seekers, feeding the hungry through the Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program and addressing anti-semitism. While our numbers may be small, I take comfort in being part of the largest and most diverse Jewish Movement in North America. We share a proud legacy as fighters for freedom, pluralism, and justice.

Acting together with our congregations, other Reform institutions, and with partners of all faiths, we can work to make a difference by leveraging our collective power."...(to) create a world overflowing with justice, compassion, and peace.

Union for Reform Judaism at https://urj.org/what-we-do/social-justice

100 Years Ago – Base Isroall Incorporation

by Marilyn Weinberg

100 Years ago this month Beth Israel Congregation was duly recognized by the State of Maine.
From the Beth Israel archives:

“State of Maine, Certificate of Organization of a corporation under the chapter Sixty Two of the Revised Statutes, and Amendments thereto. The undersigned, officers of a corporation duly organized at Red Men’s Hall in the city of Bath, State of Maine, on the fifteenth day of March A.D. 1920, hereby certify the following: The name of said corporation is Base Isroall.

The number of officers is seven and their names are as follows: President: S. Greenblatt
Vice-President: Harry Brown
Secretary or Clerk: M. S. Povich

Treasurer: Joseph Solovich
Director or Trustee: B. Gediman, M. Cohen, Simeon Shambon

Attorney General's Office, April 3 A.D. 1920.
I hereby certify that I have examined the forgoing certificate, and the same is properly drawn and signed, and is conformable to the constitution and laws of the State.
Fred F. Lawrence, Deputy Attorney General

Received April 7, 1920 at 2 h. 30 m. P.M. and recorded from the original.”

REMEMBRANCES FOR march–april 2020

May their memories be for a blessing.

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES

Listing the birthdays and anniversaries of those in our immediate family creates a wonderful opportunity for our community/shul family to have an excuse to celebrate with each other.