Bath Jewish History

May/June 2022
Nisan / Iyyar / Sivan / Tammuz 5782

Rabbi’s Message

As we slowly leave behind winter’s frigid days and enter the warmth of spring, I’m reflecting on our community’s resiliency through the challenges of the past few years. In her recently published Haggadah entitled Night of Beginnings, poet and scholar Marcia Falk reflects on perseverance through the image of the grapevine: 

“The vine is tenacious, growing toward light without knowing what darkness may lie beyond. As it makes its way, it grows stronger, intertwining with other vines. In time, it will fruit; and the fruit will ripen and be sweet. And so with us: as we set out on our individual paths, often unaware of our ultimate destinations, we find strength in the intersection of our lives with the lives and destinies of others. Community arises, sustaining and nourishing, as we seek to find our way.” 

As your rabbi, I am blessed every week to witness the ways in which our community sustains and nourishes. From supporting a grieving family after a death to celebrating holidays, and then to preparing meals for members who are ill, and to learning Torah, when we engage, we grow stronger. 

Speaking of growing stronger, these past few years our Hebrew school youth, their parents and teachers have built community under extraordinary circumstances. While this fall our school met outside in the library park gazebo, for most of the past two years we’ve taught and learned entirely on Zoom. Learning and living Jewishly on Zoom has been hard for all of us, including parents, children and their teachers. Yet, despite the disappointment, sadness and at times boredom, we persisted. Finally, in late March of this year, we reconvened as a Hebrew school community at the synagogue and Minnie Brown Center. We shook our groggers at Purim and enacted a Purim shpiel. We dipped parsley in salt water, sang the Four Questions and ran through the sea, re-enacting the Israelites’ journey to freedom at our school seder. We truly tasted how sweet it is to be intertwined and growing together.

As we embark on the newness of this season, may we each be like the grapevine—pushing through the cold and dark to reach the light. I look forward to gathering with you in a variety of ways this Spring and Summer and to the sweetness that will flow from being together.

L’Shalom
Rabbi Vinikoor

President’s Message

by Peggy Brown

Dear Beth Israel Congregation

Happy Pesach! 

This year John and I celebrated Passover at Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah - near Moab - our location as we continue our extended tour of the southwest in our little camper. I was able to find matzoh at a grocery store in Yucca Valley, California as we passed through there in late March, but that was the only Seder component I had. The friends we were camping with had never been to a Seder (which seemed tragic to me!) so I did my best to improvise the retelling of the Exodus story with a beautiful and fitting desert scene all around us. The next morning, we had fried matzo for breakfast. I missed the lovely seder at home with friends and family, but I did my best. I was at least fulfilling the mitzvah to eat matzo and to tell the story. 

I guess the key points in this are that 

1. Remembering to tell the story is essential even when you can’t have a proper seder 

2. Improvising is also key when the usual way is not available. 

Beth Israel Congregation has been improvising for its entire century of existence - each generation fulfilling the commandments as best they can under the circumstances. It is my joy and honor to be a part of this lovely Jewish community. 

Once again, I have people to thank who have been working for the good of the shul while I’ve been exploring canyons and red rock:

• Lou Ensel, for leading the Board meetings in March and April.

• Marilyn Weinberg and the Chai committee, for organizing a memorable seder (and many other events) under impossible conditions.

• Marty Fox, for his constant shepherding of the Minnie Brown renovation project - an enormous job.

• Karen Filler, for keeping our financial health under her capable care.

• Rabbi Vinikoor for her leadership of our spiritual life and continuing education.

• Our Yachad and Hebrew School teachers who bring the joy of Jewish life and learning to our children.

And thanks to all of you who continue to support Beth Israel with your participation, good works and contributions.  

Chag S’meach!
Peggy

Shabbat Under the Stars and More

by Marilyn Weinberg

By popular request we will be resuming our Shabbat Under the Stars program this spring and summer. We will alternate services inside and outside. Please note the times of upcoming services might change so check the website for updated information

May 6 
This will be Joey Glick’s last visit. Come to give him your regards. 
4:45 pm - Musical Shabbat songs and stories for young kids and their families
5:30 pm - potluck soup, bread, salad meal (eaten outside) 
7:00 pm - service inside the Synagogue 

May 20
6:30 pm - service outside at Library Park 

June 3
5:30 pm - Hebrew School Service & Graduation inside the Synagogue. 
Potluck meal to follow sponsored by Hebrew School families.

 June 17
6:30 pm - service outside at Library Park 

July 8
outside service (time and location TBD) 

July 22
7:00 pm - service inside the Synagogue 

 August 5
6:30 pm – lay led service outside at Dreyfus-Lane home

August 19
7:00 pm - service inside the Synagogue 

Join Beth Israel in Repairing the World

by Rebecca Dunham

Beth Israel will be partnering with Habitat for Humanity 7 Rivers to help make the world a better place. Join us on Sunday, May 22, as we tackle yardwork for previous Habitat clients who are unable to manage these tasks on their own. We will be raking, removing brush, and doing some light gardening. All ages and skill levels are welcome! More details will be shared in the Beth Israel weekly email as we get closer to the date. To sign up or find out more, email Rebecca Dunham at ciaobec@hotmail.com.

Hebrew School Shabbat 

by Marilyn Weinberg

Friday, June 3
5:30 pm - service
6:30 pm - potluck dinner
Synagogue

Cast a vote for Jewish education and a vibrant Beth Israel community by attending our last of the season student-led Shabbat service on June 3. 

You’ll be impressed by what this joyful group of dedicated learners has accomplished, and your participation will reinforce the feelings of community and connection that are possible when studying and celebrating Judaism. Let's fill the sanctuary!

Note that this will be an earlier service, starting at 5:30 pm. Hope you can make it. 

Annual Meeting

Thursday, June 16
7:00 pm
on Zoom (link to follow) 

Whether it is a yearly tradition or your first time, we hope you will participate in our upcoming 2022 Annual Meeting. We will gather virtually to reflect on our successes, current challenges, and goals. We will review the budget, vote on new board members and more. Mark your calendar now and watch for more details and a Zoom link as June 16 approaches.

Spencer D'Alauro Bar Mitzvah

by Michelle Lisi D’Alauro

An avid gamer and life-long drummer, Spencer D'Alauro has been working hard to prepare for his Bar Mitzvah by teaching at Beth Israel Hebrew School and studying Torah trope and commentary with Rabbi Vinikoor and Rabbi Lefkowitz.  

At Brunswick Junior High School, Spencer is an honors student and a percussionist for General Band, Honors Band, Jazz Band, Honors Jazz Band, and Wind Ensemble. Though he's traveled to Colonial Williamsburg, Puerto Rico, Manhattan, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and even the Grand Canyon, Spencer's favorite place to be is at home, gaming with friends and snuggling his kitten, Strypes.

Due to Covid related considerations and limited synagogue space, we ask that you attend on Zoom unless invited directly by the Lisi-D'Alauro family to attend in person. 

Community Read Turns to Fiction for June

by Debbie Smyth

Listening to our audience, the Community Read will turn from March's non-fiction selection, Inheritance, by Dani Shapiro, to fiction. June's selection is Fleishman Is in Trouble, a smart, funny story of love, sex, and much more by New York journalist Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Her debut novel recalls Franzen or Roth – but is much more than just another wannabe Great American Novel. 

Whether you love it or hate it, this book will spark a robust discussion. The author's writing style is quite narrative in nature, and she's funny. Because of that, it might appear from the early parts of the novel that it is simply a sort of "slice of life" thing highlighting Fleishman's newly hedonistic life that he gets to enjoy while simultaneously painting his wife as the villain. That is merely, however, the setup for a more complex work that deals with marriage, roles, sex, gender and wealth in society, together with the pressures of each. The apparent simplicity of the early parts of the novel creates an environment that makes the continuation of the story considerably stronger. So read to the end and tell us what you think at the discussion on June 20 at 7:00 pm.  

Stay tuned. As time approaches, we will let you know if we'll meet in person, on zoom, or both. For more information, feel free to contact Debbie Smyth at deborah.smyth@gmail.com

Addressing Antisemitism: Learning Together

by Joanne Rosenthal

The escalation of violent antisemitic crimes in the United States is alarming and terrifying. These incidents have generated discourse in the public arena, but misinformation about antisemitism is pervasive. I was heartened at a recent Brunswick Area Interfaith Council meeting when two Christian clergy members offered reflections about their liturgical study of antisemitism in the church. 

Among Jews, there is a diversity of opinions about what constitutes antisemitism, particularly when it comes to the boundary between criticism of Israel and antisemitism. The Social Action Organizing Committee would like to offer the opportunity to study this issue together utilizing A Very Brief Guide to Antisemitism by T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights: https://truah.org/antisemitism. Please contact Joanne Rosenthal at joannesusanrosenthal@gmail.comto sign up or for more information.

A Year of Yachad

by Rachel Connelly

Yachad, which means together in Hebrew, is the name of Beth Israel’s monthly program for preschool children and their families. This year we have been mostly meeting outside and we enjoyed glorious fall days in September, October, and even November. December worked well outside too with the kids spinning like dreidels and dancing to silly Hanukkah songs in the Gazebo in Library Park across from Minnie Brown. 

January weather was not so kind to us, but Nathaniel and his dad joined me in the sleet, which I very much appreciated. Nathaniel didn’t seem to mind the weather and enjoyed the beautiful picture books I had found about trees and we talked about our Jewish value of concern for the environment. But January weighted heavily on my mind come February, so we decided to NOT be Yachad and we missed each other and waited for March.  

The weather was iffy on the first Sunday in March, so we took a deep breath and came inside. It was wonderful to let the very littlest ones crawl around on the floor instead of in the mud and the older ones so enjoyed building with blocks and the fellowship of others as we made groggers and told the full Purim story so they could use them.  

By April we were back outside in the park, playing red light green light with the exodus story and dashing through the parachute as the red sea. We made seder plates and, of course, read a story, a beautifully illustrated one about the Four Questions. 

We have but one Yachad session left for the school year. Let’s hope for a sunny Sunday morning, May 1, so we can be Yachad outside once more (but if not, the large social room upstairs in Minnie Brown awaits.) Looking forward to seeing you and the little ones then.

A Purim Celebration

by Marilyn Weinberg

What a wonderful time we all had during our creative Megilla reading and Purim celebration. Everybody got to dress up even if it was just a funny hat and a mustache. All of our Beth Israel members and friends were stars! Haman’s name didn’t have a chance to be heard with all of our noisemakers and loud voices filling up our sanctuary.

A Passover Seder by the River

by Marilyn Weinberg 

What joy to be able to gather as a community for an outside Passover Seder on the banks of the Kennebec at Maine Maritime Museum. The wind was strong (not quite enough to part the sea, but close). But it did not get in the way of the delight of being together. We had fun as we acted out Rabbi Vinikoor’s energetic seder story read by Deb Smyth and Rachel Connelly. We all joined in with the blessings followed by a delicious meal furnished by our most wonderful members.

Welcome New Members

• Richard and Susan Baseman

• Michael and Meredith Vilarello

Donations

Memorial Gifts

• Karen and Matt Filler in loving memory of her father, Gerald Feldman

• Matt and Karen Filler in loving memory of his parents, Morris and Gladys Filler

• Helene and Elliot Lerner in loving memory of their friend, Linda Beaumont and aunt, Shirley Kaplan

• Micki Gersh in loving memory of her husband, Fred Gersh

• Micki Gersh in loving memory of her father-in-law, Benjamin Gersh

• Micki Gersh in loving memory of her sister, Ellen Leavy

• Robert Gersh and Susan Horowitz in loving memory of his father, Fred Gersh

• Erich and Pauline Haller in loving memory of his grandparents, Josef and Marie Haller

• Paul Linet in loving memory of his wife, Susan Linet with thanks to Rabbi Vinikoor

• Ellen Hagler in loving memory of her mother, Sarah Goldman

• Elliot and Helene Lerner in loving memory of his mother, Esther Lerner

• Barrett and Barbara Silver in loving memory of his mother, Rose Hurwitz Silver

• Peggy Brown and John Martell in loving memory of Margaret Brann

• Johanna and Timothy McDonough in loving memory of Janice Povich

• David and Susan Kertzer in loving memory of Rabbi Simeon Maslin

• Phyllis and Joe Lisi in loving memory of her mother, Rose Millstein

• Gila Cohen-Shaw in loving memory of her stepmother, Rebecca Patt Cohen

• Stan Lane and Norma Dreyfus in loving memory of his father, Jesse Lane

Hebrew School

• The family of Noah Van Allen in honor of Alina Shumsky

Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund

• Carrie McCarter

• Alyse Vilarello

Centennial Campaign

• Virginia Fish

REMEMBRANCES FOR may–june 2022

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.