Bath Jewish History

September/October 2020
Elul 5780 / Tishri / Heshvan 5781

Rabbi’s Message

Dear Beth Israel Members and Friends, 

Before our daughter was born my wife and I would go on five to eight day backpacking trips, carrying all of our food, water and way too many books on our backs. Once the blessing of our daughter became a reality, we had to take a break from these adventures. Yet we missed the thrill of backpacking; the adventure and even the sometimes tedium of walking towards our destination. And we wanted to share this love of the outdoors with her. 

So we started small; first, two summers ago, we took her on brief nature walks mostly while she napped. Then, last summer these walks blossomed into longer hikes in the woods. And finally, this summer, we all slept in a tent outside. While we have a long way to go before we carry all of our food and water on our backs again, we are grateful to have moved on to another stage. And we certainly carried on the tradition of crowding our tent with many many books. 

I share this story as a reminder that change is possible. Our nation and
our world are desperately in need of change in so many areas. We long
for change to come quickly- to end the devastation of hunger and the
disease of racism. We long for all people to have good healthcare, an excellent education, and to live with dignity. And we know that we have a long way to go to get there. 

In the months ahead, may we work together stage by stage to bring about change. First by voting—whether absentee ballot or in person. Our congregation is participating in a nationwide effort with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism to reach 100% voting in our congregations. Please join us and help get your friends to vote as well. Yet the work doesn’t end with voting. Once we’ve voted, regardless of who is in office, we must hold our elected officials accountable to creating a more just world. Whether in small or large steps, let’s engage in this work together in the year to come. 

Wishing you and your family a sweet 5781,

Rabbi Vinikoor 

Rabbi Vinikoor’s High Holiday Blessing for 5781

President’s Message

by Peggy Brown

I think we can agree that the year 5780 has been challenging. We’ve seen a pandemic, economic crisis, political unrest and great white sharks in Maine’s coastal waters. Many of us are separated from children, grandchildren, siblings, friends and colleagues. We’re worried about sending our children to school and also worried about keeping them home. Those of us who learned from superstitious grandmothers are spitting three times between our fingers to ward off the evil eye when someone says, “What’s next?” 

In spite of all we’ve been facing throughout this time, I have felt comforted and reassured by the Beth Israel community, which has done its best to remain connected and accessible even while staying safely apart. Our leaders, committees and committed volunteers are working to provide programming, services, communication, education and fellowship. Members are showing up for services and study opportunities. Even our Dinner Club has continued in a virtual format. Construction of the new library in the Minnie Brown building is nearing completion. Under the rabbi’s leadership, there is a group planning services and events for the High Holy Days, which we will undertake together with our Bowdoin student friends. There will be family and kid friendly experiences. We are “staying calm and carrying on.” 

It’s important to say that your dues and donations are an essential part of keeping the heart of Beth Israel beating. We depend on your generous support in order to continue serving the needs of our congregation. As we head into 5781, we pray for peace and work for justice. Writing this just now, I turned to my husband, John, and said, “If you were writing a president’s message, what would you focus on?” He said, “compassion, love, vote.” I agree, with one addition: “send money.”

Wishing you all a peaceful, healthy and safe new year. 

Challah Baking Together

by Marilyn Weinberg

Monday, September 14
10:00 am on Zoom

Many of you are wonderful Challah bakers and some feel overwhelmed by just thinking about it. I am going to run a virtual Challah baking class using some simple techniques that I think all of you can do. We will make the bread together. 

Sign up by September 10.

I will let you know the Zoom link and what supplies you will need so you can bake along with me. 

For any questions contact Marilyn Weinberg.

High Holiday Family Kit

by Anita Lichman

This High Holiday things look different than usual, so Beth Israel is adapting and finding new ways to engage families. A High Holiday kit for families with children ages 3–11 years old will be available. The kit will include a full menu of options that fall into two categories: "to do" and "to watch, read, or listen to." Families will receive the menu with links to step-by-step directions to make things such as paper mache shofars, New Year cards, honey bowls, or apple tea! There are also opportunities to watch a video about forgiveness that includes discussion questions to facilitate a family conversation or to listen to a High Holiday music playlist to liven up your home. 

The kit will include materials such as newspaper, tissue paper, a horn, apple shapes on construction paper to cut out, recipes, and High Holiday prayers for families to say together—amongst other goodies. Families will need their own glue, apples, markers or crayons, pans, scissors. Many of the activities in the kit connect to the larger schedule of high holiday activities planned by Beth Israel, so if children make shofars they can bring those shofars to a temple shofar blowing or if families attend a Taschlich hike they can bring the activity sheet and do a modified version of the rituals that include children.

You must register for the kits by by 5:00 pm on August 30. Watch for pick up information by early September.

Hiking Together

by Marilyn Weinberg

Saturday, September 26
Multiple Locations  

The Sabbath between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is supposed to be a time to focus on how we want to be in the coming year; How do we connect with our most loved ones and with our larger communities? It is a very spiritual time and one that might not connect to participating in another virtual service. 

Bath and all of its nearby communities is surrounded by beautiful beaches, wooded paths and rocky outcroppings that inspire us to think about our connection to each other and to the larger world. Walking outside in our beautiful surroundings is such a natural way to celebrate this period of peace and reflection. 

There isn’t really a safe way to do this as a group, so we encourage you to find your own peaceful place to walk or hike to. There will be a link on our website with some special readings and blessings you can follow as you take a little time for your own thoughts. Consider taking some photos of your own “special place” and send them to us to share. 

Tashlich

by Marilyn Weinberg

Sunday, September 20
4:00 pm 
Bath Waterfront or place of your choice 

Tashlich comes from the Hebrew word meaning "to cast," referring to the intent to cast away our sins via this meaningful and ancient Jewish custom common to both Ashkenazi and Sephardic communities. 

On Sunday afternoon Rabbi Vinikoor will be at the Bath Waterfront to lead a brief Tashlich ceremony. All are welcome, as we spread out over the river’s edge and say the Tashlich prayers. Bring along bread or any organic substance to throw into the river. 

According to the Rabbis you can perform Tashlich anytime between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We will be posting a “do it yourself” Tashlich ceremony that you will be able to do on your own with your family or small group of friends near any river, lake or the ocean. If your family is participating in the high holiday family kit there is a special family Tashlich activity to do with toddlers through school aged children that involves movement as well as an opportunity to reflect together.

Take some photos of your own Tashlich ceremonies and send them to us to share. 

Sukkot Celebration

by Marilyn Weinberg

Sunday, October 4
11:00 am

 Sukkot is one of the most joyful festivals on the Jewish calendar. “Sukkot,” a Hebrew word meaning "booths" or "huts," refers to the Jewish festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest. 

Because we are trying to meet in smaller groups this year we are proposing many Sukkah locations in several communities. You will each have an opportunity to say the blessings and shake the (sanitized) etrog and lulav. 

Plan to bring a chair or blanket and a little nosh for your family to enjoy. 

Look out for more details about different locations and options to sign up to attend.

Simchat Torah

by Marilyn Weinberg

Sunday, October 11
4:00 pm
Bath Library Park  

At the end of the fall High Holiday cycle comes the joyous holiday of Simchat Torah where we take all of the Torah scrolls out of the ark and dance with them, round and round! 

This year we will take the Torahs outside to the gazebo in the Bath library park. As we listen to music and say the blessings we will dance (at a socially safe distance) and enjoy our lovely traditions.  

Feel free to bring a blanket and chairs and pack a snack or meal to enjoy. 

Hebrew School

by Rabbi Vinikoor

Last spring was a very different spring then we had planned for at Beth Israel’s Hebrew School. Due to Covid-19 our Hebrew School went online in the middle of March. We held our Passover seder, all of our classes and our 6th grade graduation online. Despite this sudden change, our students and teachers did a fabulous job. 

Because we want to do everything, we can to help stop the spread of Covid-19 we’ll continue Hebrew school virtually online for the year to come. The teachers and I love being with our amazing students in person, and we are sad to not see them at the Minnie Brown Center. Yet by deciding to meet online we are practicing one of Judaism’s most important values, pikuach nefesh, saving a life. 

The teachers and I are planning our year together so that despite the challenges we can continue to teach our students how to read Hebrew, sing prayers, discover Jewish culture and tradition, help our community, make meaningful connections with each other and have some fun too. 

We can’t wait to see our students on Zoom on September 17!

B’Ahava (with love)
Rabbi Vinikoor

Every Voice, Every Vote

by Judy Wolfe

Beth Israel has kicked off our team's effort to help get out the vote in November! Every Voice, Every Vote is the Reform Jewish Movement’s 2020 civic engagement campaign, a nonpartisan effort to strengthen our democracy by encouraging all U.S. citizens to participate in the upcoming U.S. election and to break down obstacles that shut people out from the election process. 

We at Beth Israel have an energetic group of volunteers to make sure we have 100% voter participation from our membership. We will be contacting all of you in the congregation in the next few weeks to encourage your participation in the voting process and to make sure you have all the information and support you need to vote. You can also look for our pledge form in the weekly email blast to pledge to vote. 

In addition to making sure our membership votes, we are also partnering with Temple Beth El in Augusta and other organizations in the area to be able to work together to combat voter suppression at the state level and to encourage student participation in the election process.  

We look forward to talking with you in the next few weeks. Join our goal of 100% participation in the voting process from our Beth Israel members.

Sara Blumenthal

by Rabbi Vinikoor

We are thrilled to introduce you to this year's Rabbinic student Fellow through the Center for Small Town Jewish Life, Sara Blumenthal. She is a fourth-year rabbinical student at Hebrew College, where she is also pursuing a Masters in Jewish Education. Prior to studying in Israel last year, Sara served as the Rabbinic Intern of The Boston Synagogue for two years and completed a unit of CPE at Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, MA. Sara is originally from the Chicago area and earned a BA in Psychology and Hebrew and Jewish Cultural Studies from the University of Michigan. Sara is looking forward to working with the Beth Israel community this year.

Sara will help lead services, offer Divrei Torah and teach. She will also help us construct a story-telling project in honor of the 100-year anniversary of our congregation. Stay tuned for more details and Sara's first virtual visit on the Shabbat of October 23-25.

Social Action Committee Survey

by Joanne Rosenthal

As the pandemic has changed the ways we connect, communicate, observe and take action, it's an opportune time to ask for input about the direction of the Beth Israel Congregation Social Action Committee. Please click on the link below and complete the two question survey. The committee welcomes all members of the congregation to join our efforts towards Tikkun Olam. Meetings will take place via Zoom for the foreseeable future. Please email Joanne Rosenthal with any questions. 

Social Action Committee Survey

Security Committee

by Peggy Brown

Beth Israel Congregation has been awarded $3,500 under the Nonprofit Security Grant Program from FEMA. We applied for this money to defray the cost of hiring Bath Police Department off-duty officers for security details at our services and larger events. At the moment, since we are not meeting in person, there is little need for this money. While we are grateful to not need the extra security, we are disappointed that we are not able to use the funds. The grant award covers a three-year period, and we hope we will be back in our buildings long before the time runs out. When that happens, we will put this money to good use.

Shevit Achim

by Marilyn Weinberg

On Sunday, July 12, we held our first socially distanced in person gathering at the Bath Waterfront Park. Rabbi Vinikoor welcomed us and started us off with some thoughtful ideas and things to chat about. Of course that was not a problem as we eagerly checked in with each other and caught up on all that was happening. It went so well we are planning another in person gathering soon. 

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program 

by Debbie Smyth

Your help is needed at the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program (MCHPP) in Brunswick. As part of Beth Israel's mission to undertake social action, Beth Israel volunteers have, for many years, served as MCHPP's Sunday crew, picking up donations at Hannaford and transporting them to the food bank in Brunswick. Unfortunately, due to the COVID situation, MCHPP had suspended Sunday pickups. However, help is still needed at MCHPP Monday through Saturday. Listed below are the types of assistance currently needed. If you are interested in a one-time or continuing mitzvah, this could be your chance. To get involved or to ask questions, please contact:  

Heather Arvidson
Volunteer and Client Services Manager
Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program
www.mchpp.org
(207) 725-2716 x305 

Soup Kitchen volunteers (usually teams of 2–4) work to prepare meals that we'll serve to go to guests. Guests do not come inside; they serve themselves from a table outside. Volunteers help to restock the table and occasionally explain the process to guests.

Afternoon/evening Food Prep (teams of 1–3) help to prep for upcoming Soup Kitchen meals or prep food for long term storage.

Tuesdays anytime between 1:15 and 6:00
Some Thursdays 1:15–3:30

Food Bank volunteers (teams of 2–4) sort the produce received from grocery stores and help make boxes of dry goods and produce that are distributed through a drive- thru pantry or home bound client program. 

Monday through Friday 8:30–11:30
some afternoons when needed 
Saturday 9:00–12:00

Food Pantry volunteers (2–3 people) help guests at the drive-thru pantry. Through a window they collect basic client information and then put a box of food directly into guests' cars. This position has more potential contact with guests, but very limited, and requires lifting.

Tuesday 10:30–2:15 and 3:45–6:15Wednesday and Friday 10:30–2:15
Saturday 11:30–3:15

Shabbat Under the Stars

Marilyn Weinberg

On Friday, August 21, 22 people, all masked up, gathered in a safe, socially distanced way, outside at the home of Norma Dreyfus and Stan Lane. It was so lovely to hear the Rabbi’s voice in person and hear others respond as we read familiar prayers and blessings. Singing together is still not safe, but we listened to taped music and somehow the songs filled the need of hearing familiar sounds that help create a peaceful Shabbat. Let’s hope the weather stays mild and we will be able to meet again in person in the beautiful Maine outdoors.

REMEMBRANCES FOR september–october 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.