Bath Jewish History

July/August 2024
Sivan /Tammuz/Av 5784

Rabbi’s Message

During the summer months, the stories in our cycle of Torah center on the Israelites journey through the wilderness to the promised land. We know the midbar, or wilderness, as a place where the Israelites received the Torah at Mount Sinai and where they began to organize their community, and we also read there of rebellions, discontent and quite a bit of complaining.

For a taste of this, take a look at Numbers, chapter 11 verses 4–6. Here the Israelites complain to Moses about the food saying:

“If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish that we used

to eat for free in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. Now our gullets are shriveled. There is nothing at all! Nothing but this manna to look to!”

I love this story because it is so relatable. We all kvetch and complain-about food, the weather, our work, even our beloved congregation. Now certainly, complaining and voicing our discontent, can be helpful. Indeed, our dissatisfaction can spur us to act and make change.

And yet, often we complain because we are not sure what else to do with our uncertainty, our fear, our stress, our exhaustion. Sometimes complaining is the best we can muster. I wonder if that is just what the Israelites faced when they complained to Moses about the manna. They were weary, worried, lacking hope and struggling with their faith in God and in the future and all of this stress made it impossible for them to realize the incredible miracle of the manna.

Despite the Israelites struggle with gratitude in many sections of Torah we read in the summer months, being thankful is a very Jewish act.

The word for Jew in Hebrew is yehudi, from the name Judah, one of Jacob’s twelve sons. Both the name Judah and the word yehudi share the Hebrew root yud, hey, dalet - meaning to acknowledge or thank.

While we can’t change the Israelites story. We do have the ability to change our own stories and pivot from kvetching towards thanksgiving.

In moments of uncertainty and fear, we can pause and ask, What is working well? What are the resources we do have? How might we move forward with hope?

The acknowledgement of the good that exists, of the glass being half full so to speak, is one of the most Jewish things we can do to bolster ourselves and those around us.

May it be so for us too.

L’Shalom,
Rabbi Vinikoor

Ren's Bar Mitzvah Project

by Camille Kauffunger

Saturday, July 13

10:00 am

Ren Howard Kauffunger

Class President and rising junior at Morse High School, Ren is a compassionate, fun-loving, creative, and highly engaged straight-A student, artist, friend, and son/brother. He is passionate about his job teaching and supporting climbers of all ages at the YMCA rock wall, and his gentle leadership and encouraging spirit extend to the classroom, varsity cross-country and tennis teammates, peers, and family members. Ren also loves traveling, mountain biking, listening and learning about music, printmaking, and collecting art, and he has recently been teaching himself to sew and play piano. 

Ren will be the first in his immediate and close extended family to be called to the Torah. For his Bar Mitzvah project, Ren has been all-in with efforts associated with climate change and the environment, organizing Arrowsic community marsh clean-up and debris art projects, participating in a “Green Teen” internship at the Maine Maritime Museum, local beach, town, and trail clean-ups, co-leading a climate-focused Shabbat hike with Rabbinical Student Joe Blumberg, and speaking to the RSU 1 school board in support of a district climate action policy proposal. He aims to organize his second Arrowsic marsh-debris community art project this fall and will share details with the congregation. His last one landed him in the news and the Rabbi’s Erev Yom Kippur Sermon! 

Ren reached out to an artist in Indiana to print on his Bar Mitzvah tallis. We’re crossing our fingers it’s ready for Ren to tie his own tzitzit and wear it on July 13.

Jacob Kaplan Bar Mitzvah

by Allan Kaplan

Saturday, July 27
10:00 am

Jacob Kaplan is a 14-year-old Freeport High school rising freshman and is thrilled to finally be celebrating his Bar Mitzvah with his family, friends and Jewish community. Jacob considers himself a Renaissance man dabbling in a variety of pursuits. He is passionate about his favorite sport, soccer, but when he is not on that pitch, you might see him tossing the baseball or shooting some hoops.

He also enjoys a complicated math problem to solve and loves performing live theater where he recently played the Tin Woodman in his middle school production of Wizard of Oz. He is a patrol leader for his scout troop where he volunteers often in the community.

For his mitzvah project he is helping Wolfe's Neck Farm trail maintenance which he chose because of his love for the outdoors. At home, he loves to play with older sister Eydie and younger brother Jonah but could spend all day with his golden doodle Baxter and his bearded dragon, Dumbledore. Please join us as we celebrate his big day on July 27, 2024.

Arielle Jorgensen Bat Mitzvah

by Janet Rae Jorgensen

Saturday, August 3
10:00 am

Arielle will turn 13 in July and is a rising 7th grader at Maine Coast Waldorf School, where she loves music, handwork, and playing football. She can be found at her piano or with viola in hand during her downtime, or getting in some runs on her skis when the snow falls.

Arielle is your baker if you need a cake or special dessert, as she has some skills in the kitchen. She is especially thrilled for summer’s arrival to spend as much time in the water as possible.

Arielle lived the first part of her life in California and will be welcoming many guests from the West Coast to witness this mitzvah in August. Arielle is working to reduce roadside trash around the New Gloucester area as her mitzvah project. Please join us as we celebrate Arielle becoming a Bat Mitzvah on August 3

Ian Friedel Bar Mitzvah

Dear Beth Israel Congregation,

It has been a lot of fun in Hebrew School and then this past year as a part of the group B Mitzvah class. I have enjoyed getting to know many of you. Norma Dreyfus, Shoshi, Joe and Rabbi Vinikoor were wonderful tutors. I am excited to see where my journey takes me in the future. Thank you for this community. -Ian Friedel

Our family had an incredible two-week period in which Elise graduated from Hebrew School and Ian had his Bar Mitzvah. This time provided great reflection for our family of the deep friendships that we have started with many members of Beth Israel. We look forward to building on those friendships and creating many more over the coming years. -Greg and Carolyn Friedel

Shabbatot for July and August

by Rabbi Vinikoor

July 12, 7:00 pm Shabbat services in the Synagogue, followed by Oneg

July 13, 10:00 am Shabbat morning Services and Bar Mitzvah of Ren Kauffunger

July 26, 6:00 pm Shabbat services in Freeport, followed by potluck dinner

July 27, 10:00 am Shabbat morning services and Bar Mitzvah of Jacob Kaplan

August 2, 5:30 pm Shabbat services at the Bath Waterfront Park, followed by potluck dinner

August 3, 10:00 am Shabbat morning services and Bat Mitzvah of Arielle Jorgensen

August 16, 7:00 pm Kabbalat Shabbat services in the Synagogue, followed by Oneg

August 17 10:00 am Shabbat morning Nature Walk in Lily Pond Preserve, Join Rabbi Vinikoor to pray, sing, do a bit of study, in the in the beautiful Lily Pond Preserve. Bring water, bug spray and a snack for you and your family. All ages welcome.

Imperfect Allies: Children of Opposite Sides

by Joanne Rosenthal

Saturday, July 27 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Unitarian Universalist Church
1 Middle Street, Brunswick, ME 04011
Doors open at 6:30 pm. Event starts promptly at 7:00 pm. No late seating.

The Art of Listening on Israel and Gaza

Imperfect Allies is a project with Judith Sloan, Jewish-American actor, writer, educator, and radio producer and Najla Said, Palestinian-American actor, writer, and activist. This project was conceived several years prior to the current heart- and soul-breaking violence in Palestine/Israel. Our goal is to bring people together by using tools of art, diplomacy, and listening in order to understand each other better, build strategies, and work together. As artists, communicators and healers, Sloan and Said will present a 25-minute performance, followed by a short break. Those audience members who wish may then stay and participate in group dialogue circles, focusing on listening as much as speaking.

Registration is required:
email info@earsay.org or scan the QR CODE to fill out the registration form.

Suggested Donation $10 more if you can, less if you can’t to cover costs of event. Additional proceeds to benefit humanitarian aid to children of Gaza to the Middle East Children’s Alliance.

This is a project of EarSay. Co-Sponsors for this Brunswick event are Unitarian Universalist Church, Beth Israel Congregation of Bath and community members.

Dine Around

by Elaine Koufman

Elaine Koufman, the current chairperson, is moving to South Portland in July. She will not be planning any get-togethers until settled, probably October. Dine Around is a great way to meet nice people.

If there is someone who wants to take over, email her at dinnerclub@bethisraelbath.org.

Minnie Brown Move-In Dates

by Peggy Brown

The construction crews are almost done with their share of the work at the Minnie Brown Center. We will need volunteers to help move furniture back into classrooms and the rabbi’s office. All the items we’ve been storing off site will be hauled back to the MBC lobby on July 22. We’ll need a big crew to show up on July 28, August 1 and August 4 to move that furniture from the front lobby to the rooms where it belongs. Follow this link to let us know when you are available to help out.

MBC Moving In Days
July 28, 9:30 - 12:00
July 28, 12:30 - 3:00
August 1, 9:30 - 3:00
August 4, 9:30 - 12:00
August 4, 12:30 - 3:00 

Love, Peace, and Justice Together

by Rabbi Vinikoor

Tired of all the energy that goes into hate these days?
Sick of polarization and division?
There is another way. Let’s put our energy into
Love, Peace, and Justice Together.

Beth Israel Congregation is joining with the Brunswick Area Interfaith Council (BAIC) in a community-wide project to remind us of values we share across our many differences. As political rancor amps up this year, let’s place our energy and resources into amplifying the values that hold us together and offer hope.

Yard signs (including a sturdy H bracket) are only $10 each
Bumper magnets (3” x 5”) are only $5

Keep an eye out in the weekly email newsletter for how to order your signs/magnets.
Orders are due by August 1, 2024, and signs/magnets go up on Labor Day Weekend!

Call for Fundraising Events

by Michelle Lisi-D’Alauro

Do you throw a great party? Love organizing a silent auction? Nostalgic for telethons and dance-offs? Then we need you for fundraising events! Work with Michelle Lisi-D’Alauro to plan an activity supporting Beth Israel’s annual development goals. Please sign up using this link or email Michelle for more information.

Postcarding and Ice Cream Party

by Peggy Brown

Tuesday, July 30
3:30–5:30
Synagogue

We need all hands on deck to help work against voter suppression and towards greater voter participation. Join us in our postcarding campaign in partnership with the Center for Common Ground’s Reclaim Our Vote Campaign to make sure all voices are heard in the next election. Why “postcarding”? This is an effective way to reach voters in states where barriers to voting have been put in place and to increase voter engagement. The postcards we send contain critical information on important issues, when to vote and what to bring to the polls.

Click this link to let us know if you can join us.

Can’t make the party but want to work on postcards from home? Click here to order your postcard kits.

New Board Member – Mark Polishook

 Mark Polishook and his wife Janet Marstine, returned to Maine, after living in Brunswick in the 90’s. Mark and Janet resided for the previous decade with their two children, Jeanie and Jacob, in Leicester in the UK.

During their decade in the UK, Mark served for two years as the president of the Neve Shalom Synagogue. He also volunteered for several years with the Leicester City of Sanctuary which was affiliated with the larger UK City of Sanctuary organization.

Prior to retirement Mark worked as a professional pianist and composer and teacher of music. Many of Mark’s projects in music have been heard or seen in the United States and Europe. Among them is an opera based on “Seed of Sarah”, Judith Magyar Isaacson’s Holocaust memoir which she wrote in Maine.

Not long after Seed of Sarah was performed at the Portland Museum of Art, Mark collaborated with an Emmy-award winning filmmaker to transform the opera into a film which has since been seen across the United States and in many countries in Europe.

Mark was a music professor at several universities including almost a decade at Central Washington University. He was artist-in-residence in the Aarhus University computer science department in Demark where he resided for a year with his family and where Jeanie and Jacob learned to speak Danish fluently. And he was a Senior Fulbright Lecturer at the Cracow Academy of Music in Poland where he and his family resided for almost half a year.

Mark is now retired. He still plays the piano, he has a few students, one in Washington State and another in the UK, both of whom he teaches through Zoom. Mark and Janet still love to travel wherever and whenever they can. Mark would like to serve on the board at Beth Israel Congregation because it’s an active, vibrant organization that he would like to help and assist as needed.

Community Read

by Debbie Smith

Discussion date and time: TBD

The selection for the next Community Read will be My Father’s Paradise by Ariel Sabar. We will follow up soon in the weekly blast with the exact date and time for the discussion. In the meantime, enjoy!

This blended memoir, biography, and autobiography takes us to an enclave of Kurdish Jews forgotten for nearly three thousand years, so isolated that they still spoke Aramaic, the language of Jesus. Mostly illiterate, they were self-made mystics, gifted storytellers, and humble peddlers who dwelt in harmony with their Muslim and Christian neighbors in the mountains of what is now northern Iraq. To these descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel, Yona Sabar was born.

Yona's son Ariel grew up in Los Angeles, where Yona had become an esteemed professor, dedicating his career to preserving his people’s traditions. Ariel wanted nothing to do with his father’s strange immigrant heritage—until he had a son of his own.

Ariel Sabar brings to life the ancient town of Zakho, discovering his family’s place in the sweeping saga of Middle Eastern history. This powerful book is an improbable story of tolerance and hope set in what today is the very center of the world’s attention.

There’s much to learn, discuss, and love about this book. We hope you will read, enjoy, and discuss it with us.

 If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Smyth at communityread@bethisraelbath.org

Going Out with a Bang

by Rachel Connelly

 The Beth Israel Fundraising Committee is wrapping up the fundraising for the Centennial Campaign with a large final push with the goal of getting us closer to our original one million dollar goal. As I write this article, the campaign has raised about $750,000 in pledges, with $667,000 in hand.

While these numbers represent a tremendous accomplishment for our small congregation (thanks to all of you who donated), the needs articulated in the original campaign brochure are still there, even more so! Our large construction project, updating the Minnie Brown Center to be a fully accessible building, functional for religious school and adult meetings, and safe for all has proven to be a more expensive project than its original estimate by more than $200,000. As such, we are asking all congregants to consider making another contribution to the campaign or to extend their annual pledge amounts for additional years. Please help us reach our original goal for the campaign by the time we formally close the campaign and at the same time reopen the Minnie Brown Center in August!

We have honored the legacy of our synagogue ancestors and are building our own legacy for our synagogue descendants. Please give generously.

Caring Committee

by Debbie Smyth

 Coming Soon - Beth Israel Ride Sharing Program

The Caring Committee understands that there are synagogue members who have been unable to attend services and other events at the synagogue due to the lack of transportation or the inability to drive at night.

To facilitate transportation, we are planning a program to help match members who need rides to the synagogue with those who are able to offer rides.

To that end, we will be asking members willing to drive intermittently (not on a regular basis) to provide us their names, addresses, phone numbers and emails. We want to emphasize that this would not be a commitment to drive to every event at the synagogue but rather on a case-by-case basis. The list of drivers would be provided to those needing a ride.

To volunteer to be on the driver list, or if you need transportation to the synagogue, watch for more information in the weekly blast. With questions, contact caring@bethisraelbath.org

 Jill Standish, Barbara Inkellis, Laura McCandlish, and Debbie Smyth
Members, Caring Committee

Bath Pride Celebration

by Susan Horowitz

The second annual Bath Pride celebration was a huge success! Dire weather forecasts (that turned out to be wildly inaccurate) did not keep hundreds of people from attending and enjoying food and music and the company of wonderful people. Rabbi Vinikoor read a story with the help of drag performer Dyna Thirst while Susan Horowitz and Jovi Hillman staffed the Beth Israel table and were available for chitchat, advice on where to find a good bagel and to reiterate that no, the synagogue is not for sale, and the Minnie Brown Center is undergoing renovations! We also gave out plenty of rainbow goodies! It was a beautiful evening!

On the Wings of the Phoenix: Feng Shan Ho

by Debbie Smyth

 Beth Israel and The Patten Free Library co-sponsored a talk by Manli Ho on the evening of June 18.

Manli Ho has spent the past two decades researching and documenting the rescue activities of her father, Feng Shan Ho. She told a stirring tale of how single-handedly, he saved thousands of European Jews who would otherwise have perished at the hands of the Nazis.

Feng Shan Ho was a Chinese diplomat in Vienna in the late 1930’s when the Nazi’s, under Hitler, began systematic persecution and murder of Jews. Ho risked his life and career by devising an ingenious strategy to issue entry visas to Shanghai, a place that did not at that time require visas to enter. These visas provided the “proof of emigration” required by Nazi authorities to allow safe passage out of Nazi-occupied territories and release from detention in concentration camps.

Through her father’s example, Ms. Ho hoped to raise awareness that the “isms” -racism, sexism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, the targeting of “the other,” has become normalized in our own current culture. Ms. Ho shared her own recent experience of being the victim of targeting, intolerance, and harassment, making the point that these “isms” are all still with us in our everyday lives.

Manli Ho’s presentation of her father’s heroic actions and her own experience, on the eve of Juneteenth and during Pride month, served as a reminder that each and every one of us has an important role in fighting injustice by speaking up and taking action against intolerance, hatred, oppression, and bullying whether against Jews or any other targeted group or individual.

Hebrew School Graduation

by Marilyn Weinberg

 On Saturday, May 11, our wonderful Hebrew School students impressed us with their knowledge, their singing and their clear joy of being together. Congratulations to our Hebrew School graduates, Ben Hansen, Sadie Hathaway, Arielle Breeze Jorgensen, Elise Friedel, Sylvia Helman, Judah Helman, Stella Kauffunger.  Each one showed such poise and sincerity in their individual speeches.

Resolution Regarding Antisemitism and Hate

by Joanne Rosenthal

Resolution Regarding Antisemitism and Hate

Beth Israel Congregation

Bath, Maine

For purposes of this document, we are using the definition of antisemitism put forth by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, (IHRA). Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.

Beth Israel Congregation of Bath, Maine hereby affirms the following:

Whereas, Beth Israel Congregation is a vibrant, inclusive and diverse Reform synagogue, we strive to realize the ideals of Torah, Tikkun Olam, Gemilut Hasadim and Tzedakah, and ensure a safe and diverse haven for all expressions of Judaism.

Whereas, as residents of Maine, we recognize that the unprecedented local rise in antisemitism, including graffiti, vandalism and hate speech targeting Jews, is part of the larger national trend of the increase of hate movements.

Therefore, be it resolved that we will:

1.  Publicly condemn expressions and acts of antisemitism and other forms of hate directed at any marginalized Maine community.

2.  Report local instances of antisemitism to law enforcement and the Anti-Defamation League’s incident reporting form on their website.

3.  Act in solidarity with, and partner with other targeted communities.

4.  Advocate for effective hate crime legislation.

5.  Respond to the need for education about the history and dangers of antisemitism and how to combat it.

6.  Provide a safe and inclusive space for local college students to find support and connection to the Beth Israel community.

7.  Educate ourselves and others about the history and founding principles of the State of Israel as a safe homeland for Jews fleeing the Holocaust and other atrocities.

8.  Remain committed to providing secure and welcoming spaces for worship, study and other gatherings for all.

Beth Israel Greeters

by Peggy Brown

We have a wonderful group of people who serve as Greeters for Beth Israel services and events. These volunteers meet two very important needs:

First, they provide a friendly, welcoming presence at the door of the synagogue or Minnie Brown. When someone meets you at the door with a smile and says Hello and Welcome to you, your sense of being in the right place with the right people is boosted. When that is missing, you may wonder - Does anyone know me here? Will anyone care that I’ve come? Do I belong? Beth Israel wants those who enter our doors to feel that they belong.

At the same time, our Greeters provide eyes and ears for potential issues or problems. Is someone needing help getting help up the stairs? Do they need to know about our balcony, where the restrooms can be found, where to hang a coat? Is someone acting troubled or out of place? Does the Greeter sense a potential threat?

All of our Greeters receive training in the synagogue security protocols, how to engage those who come through our doors, and how to communicate with first responders. Could you be a Greeter? We hope you think that you can. It’s so important! We need a healthy number of congregation members to be available to volunteer for this important job so that the responsibility is shared among us. Most of our Greeters serve once or twice a month to become a Beth Israel Greeter.

Hearty thanks to Beth Israel members who have served as Greeters over this past year: Sheila Cohen, Norma Dreyfus, John Dunn, Marty Fox, Robert Gersh, Shira Gersh, Camille Kauffunger, Michelle Lisi, Phyllis Lisi, Steven Paul, Mark Polishook, Bill Racine, Thyle Shartar, Marina Singer, Steve Singer, Debbie Smyth, Marilyn and Fred Weinberg, Phyllis Wolfe.

Shabbat Under the Stars

by Marilyn Weinberg

Bath Waterfront Park - May 24, 2024

How special it is to be able to celebrate Shabbat outside on the shores of the Kennebec. We have a few more outside services scheduled in July and August. Come Join us.

REMEMBRANCES FOR july–august 2024

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.