Bath Jewish History

September/October 2024
Av /Elul 5784/Tishri 5785

Rabbi’s Message

Dear Beth Israel Members and Friends,

Like many of us I remember where I was when I first learned of the attacks of October 7. The truth is that in that moment I struggled to assimilate the information I heard. I was in shock as I tried to understand how such a violent attack could happen at all, and much less on the joyous holiday of Simchat Torah.

Since that day, my heart has been broken from the suffering, violence and loss of life. You, Beth Israel members have taken your heartache and reached out to others by gathering to mourn and grieve together. You listened to each other and cried. You have aimed to keep our diverse community connected during a very difficult period. Let’s keep doing this.

In addition, our community will gather again on the one-year anniversary of October 7 to remember the victims of the attacks and to garner hope for peace for our siblings in Israel and for all humanity.

Even though at times this year it has felt nearly impossible to celebrate, we have done so because while it is a necessity to grieve and mourn it is also incumbent upon us to cultivate joy. I was reminded of this over and over again this year at Jewish holiday celebrations and when our amazing tweens and teens became B’nai mitzvah. Being in community with you all, gives me hope.

So here we stand on the cusp of the new year. Our cycle of Jewish time calls to gather for a new year, to share the sweetness of apples and honey and the smiles of friends old and new, to take stock of our actions and reflect on how we can move our lives towards wholeness, to build a sukkah and dance again on Simchat Torah.

May the new year 5785 be a year of renewal. May it be a year of hope. May it be a year of increasing joy. May it be a sweet and healthy new year.

L’Shana Tova,
Rabbi Vinikoor

Presidents Message

by Marilyn Weinberg

It’s hard to believe that summer is already nearing its end, and our High Holiday time is drawing near. We always joke that the holidays are early or late, but this year they are really later than usual. Our children and grandchildren will have already settled into their new school year, and we even have time for Hebrew School to have had a few sessions in their spruced-up classrooms at the updated Minnie Brown Center. This year the month of October will be is filled with holidays every week.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur provide us with time for personal reflection and an opportunity to renew our commitment for positive change. As the days before Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur draw near, I always feel blessed that we are given an opportunity to “take stock” of where we are and decide on those things we want to change. This is an opportunity to look not at just ourselves, but also at our community and think about our focus, direction and commitment. I am especially thankful that Rabbi Lisa Vinikoor is here and is helping us navigate this journey.

No one person gives a synagogue life. The success of the Minnie Brown Center renovation was due to so many people pitching in to donate and to turn out when we needed to move and pack up items and unpack when needed. It was overwhelming to have so many of you take part. I felt so gratified to be part of this community. Although our membership is not large, there is the benefit in a small shul in that each person plays a very important role. There are so many opportunities to make a difference in our synagogue and make a real contribution to the life of our congregation.

We do face our challenges. But I feel hopeful that as we come together as a community, we can accomplish anything we want.

We welcome all of you who choose to be a part of the Beth Israel community in some way and wish you a most wonderful new year.

L'Shana Tova

Flowers and Music for the High Holidays

by Marilyn Weinberg

As in the past, we would like to beautify the synagogue with flowers for the holidays and add a musical component to our services. In order to make that happen we need your financial support. To help sponsor, contact Marilyn Weinberg at info@bethisraelbath.org. Please include the names of the people you would like to honor or remember.

To make your donation for flowers and music go to:
bethisraelbath.org/take-action

Or mail to:      
Treasurer
Beth Israel Congregation
PO Box 244
Bath, ME 04530

Noah Van Allen Bar Mitzvah

by Jen Van Allen

Saturday, September 7
10:00 am
Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport

Noah, who will turn 13 two days before his Bar Mitzvah, is an eighth grader at Harrison Middle School in Yarmouth. He’s on the school’s robotics, tennis and track teams. He is passionate about mountain biking, surfing, paddling, skiing, snowboarding, reading, and working in the shed with his dad, building everything from boats to skateboards to surfboards.

In preparation for his Bar Mitzvah, Noah embarked on a number of projects in the spirit of Tikkun Olam. This past winter, he joined the Town of Yarmouth’s shovel brigade, clearing snow from the homes of elderly neighbors. He and his dad volunteered at the Portland Gear Hub, building bikes for new Mainers. In the summer, he helped build Universally Access (UA) bridges and paths on Yarmouth’s West Side Trail, so that it can be used by people who are pushing strollers, and those who use wheelchairs, as well as those who walk, run, and ride bikes. This summer, he volunteered as a mentor for robotics and mountain bike camps, helping kids as in the first grade discover the activities that bring him so much joy.

Please join us as we celebrate Noah’s special day.

Minnie Brown Grand Reopening

by Marilyn Weinberg

Sunday, September 8
10:00–11:30 am

It’s hard to believe that we are ready to have our grand reopening of our Minnie Brown Center. It doesn’t look that different from the outside but wow, the inside is amazing.

Come to explore all the newly renovated spaces, help us affix mezuzahs to new doors, eat, laugh and celebrate the completion of our Centennial Plant the Seeds – the Next 100 Years campaign and say thank you to all of the donors.

Anna Jordan’s Book Talk

Shira & Esther’s Double Dream Debut

by Marilyn Weinberg

Anna Jordan will be returning to Beth Israel during our grand re opening of the Minnie Brown Center to present her wonderful new book Shira and Esther’s Double Dream Debut. The switcheroo fun of The Parent Trap meets the showbiz spirit of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in this timeless coming-of-age story about family, friendship, and following your dreams.

Her presentation will give you a story-behind-the-story look at her 2023 middle-grade novel. The book was named a Best of 2023 by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Bank Street Education and Tablet Magazine. Her books will be available to purchase. I am going to get some for my grandchildren.

Hebrew School Registration

by Marilyn Weinberg

Beth Israel Hebrew School will resume classes on September 19, 2024. Whether you are a new or returning student, it’s time to fill out the Hebrew School registration form.

Go to our website to get more information and access the enrollment forms. We charge only a $50 activity fee per child for Beth Israel members.

For more information:
bethisraelbath.org/hebrew-school

Adult Education

by Rabbi Vinikoor

We will be having two Adult Education programs for the month of Elul.

Atonement, Forgiveness, and Returning to Ourselves
Sunday, September 22
10:00 am
Synagogue
Taught by rabbinical student apprentice Carrie Watkins.

Being human is messy. Luckily, the Jewish tradition doesn’t ask us to be perfect. In fact, it assumes we won’t be, while not letting us off the hook when our messiness harms others.

In this session, we’ll take a look at Rambam’s Laws of Repentance and try on some of his ideas in the context of our own lives and experiences, exploring what they have to offer us in this season of forgiveness leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. All texts are in English and all are welcome.

Metaphors and Meaning for the High Holidays
Sunday, September 29
3:00 pm
Synagogue

Apples and honey, the shofar, open gates, the image of God as a parent and as a judge. Join Rabbi Vinikoor for an exploration of these images and more that permeate our High Holiday season. Through text and conversation, we will deepen our understanding of these symbols and consider the meaning they hold for us here and now. All texts are in English and all are welcome.

Selichot Hike with Beth El Augusta

by Marilyn Weinberg

Saturday, September 28
10:00 – 11:30 am
Selichot Hike with Beth El Augusta

Join Beth Israel Congregation and Temple Beth El for our annual Selichot observance. Through prayer, music and reflection, Selichot is a terrific opportunity to help you prepare for the High Holidays. And what a better way for you to prepare than to be outside with community in our beautiful Maine woods.

 Meet at the entrance toVaughn Woods in Hallowell at 10:00 am. All are welcome

Community Read

by Debbie Smyth

Sunday September 15
2:00 – 4:00
Minnie Brown Center

The selection for the next Community Read is My Father’s Paradise by Ariel Sabar. 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

Rosh Hashanah Community Luncheon

by Marilyn Weinberg

Saturday, October 3
12:30 pm (following services)
Minnie Brown Center

Rosh Hashanah is the time when we all come together as a community. Our High Holiday potluck community luncheons have been a great opportunity to renew acquaintances. This year we will be able to gather again at our Minnie Brown Center

We will begin our Rosh Hashanah luncheon immediately following morning services, at approximately 12:30 pm. It will be a great opportunity to catch up with each other and share some delicious food, for which our members are known.

We will supply some sandwich fixings if you can bring some salad, breads or dessert.

Jacob Lichman-Paul

by Anita Lichman

Saturday, October 19
10:00 am
Synagogue

Jacob has been a member at Beth Israel Congregation for as long as he can remember. He began with Tot Shabbat, moved on to Hebrew school classes, and then attended the B’Mitzvah group with the cohort of students studying for their big milestone. “Cooking Jewish foods, making paper chains to decorate the sukkah, & having an ice cream party for Shavuot” are great memories.

Jacob spends his time, outside of school and preparing for his B’Mitzvah, playing soccer, swimming, practicing the trumpet, building LEGOs, cooking, collecting coins, & reading. Over the last year as a Bar Mitzvah project Jacob has prepared and served dinner at the Midcoast Youth Center in Bath. Jacob loves to cook and wanted to be around kids his age for his project. “I learned how to join a community, not just serve it. I learned that everyone has something to offer.” Jacob has a laid-back nature, maturity beyond his years, and he may surprise you with his dry, smart comical wit! Jacob, along with his family, feels grateful to have found a Jewish home here in Maine.

Cooking Class - Margaret Boyle’s New Cookbook

by Marilyn Weinberg

Sunday, October 6
2:00 pm

We are excited to share that Margaret Boyle’s new cookbook has been published and she will be sharing some recipes and stories at Now You’re Cooking in Bath.

Join Margaret Boyle to share recipes and stories from her new book Sabor Judío: The Jewish Mexican Cookbook, weaving stories of food, diaspora, memory and adaptation.

This class is the perfect transition into fall. Learn to make Cream of Zucchini with Cilantro, Chipotle Chicken Noodle with Matzah Ball, and Lime Macaroons.

Community Sukkot Celebration

by Marilyn Weinberg

Sunday, October 20
11:00 am–12:30 pm

We have a date and time but are still working out the details of our Community Sukkot Celebration. You can bet that there will be food and some outdoor activities and of course a chance to hold the lulav and etrog in the sukkah. Stay tuned for updated information.

Simchat Torah Celebration

by Marilyn Weinberg

Thursday, October 24
5:00 pm

Simchat Torah is a celebration of the Torah, and it has become customary in many congregations to unroll the Torah and read from different sections. In the past we never attempted it in fear we would not get enough people to make it safe. But last year our community turned out and with the help of Joe Blumberg (our rabbinic intern) we had an amazing celebration.

Can we do it again? I hope so. Join together for our annual Simchat Torah celebration followed by a pizza and salad potluck dinner.

Meet Carrie Watkins - New Rabbinic Apprentice

Carrie Watkins is a fourth year Rabbinical Student at Hebrew College, organizer and teacher for Or HaLev: Jewish Spirituality and Meditation and is happy to be joining Beth Israel Congregation as the Rabbinic Apprentice with the Center for Small Town Jewish Life. 

A systems thinker with a Master’s in City Planning from MIT, Carrie is attentive to the ways Jewish communal practice can bring healing both to our own internal systems and to the communal, societal, and ecological systems of which we’re a part. 

Carrie has a certificate in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy and is in her second year of the Gates of Awareness: Jewish Meditation Teacher Training program. Carrie loves adventures of all shapes and sizes and is an enthusiastic surfer and climber.

Beth Israel Ride Sharing Program

by Jill Standish

I am writing on behalf of the Caring Committee to set up a list of people who might be willing on occasion to drive a person who cannot drive themselves to synagogue events. Please offer your name and number knowing that it is perfectly ok to say no if you are called. Send it to caring@bethisrael-bath.org. We would love to get this going soon. Thank you for caring.

Yahad

by Rachel Connelly

I love summer. I love being able to go outside without a coat and that it is still light at 8:00 pm. Maybe, I also love that it is short lived and thus, ever the more precious. Already now in mid-August, it is dark before 8:00 pm and the mornings are cooler with dew on the grass again. It is time to think about going back to our regular rhythms of daily life. And for me that school-year rhythm of life includes Beth Israel’s monthly program for young children (2–5 year olds plus siblings) and their families—Yahad.

Our Yahad program meets at 10:00 am on Sunday. It is an hour or so of playtime, story time, a craft project, and snack. The themes are often holiday based and the stakes are low. No need to pre-register. Come every month or come occasionally. We will begin this year’s cycle on September 29 with a Rosh Hashanah themed program in our new wonderful spaces in the fully renovated Minnie Brown Center.

Our tentative dates for the year are:
September 29, October 20, November 17, December 15, January 5, February 9, March 9, April 6, May 4

Looking forward to being Yahad (Hebrew for together). To have your name added to our Yahad list please email Rachel Connelly at connelly@bowdoin.edu.

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 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.

 Please consider responding here to become a Beth Israel Greeter.

Postcarding

by Peggy Brown

On July 30, sixteen members of the Beth Israel community gathered at the synagogue to participate in the non-partisan Every Voice, Every Vote campaign sponsored by the Religious Action Center of the URJ. It was a party at which we wrote postcards to voters in Georgia, Florida and Arizona providing information about voting in their area and ballot measures protecting reproductive rights. It was fun to get together and to do something to help ensure all voters have the information they need in November's election.

If you're interested in joining this campaign, it's easy to participate at home.

Click here to order postcards going to Florida voters urging "Yes on 4", a ballot measure to protect reproductive freedom.
Click here to order postcards going to states in which barriers to voting have been instituted targeting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. 

Act soon! Postcards take 2 weeks to arrive, and they must be in the mail by October 1.

Kulanu – All of Us

by Joanne Rosenthal

Now that the antisemitism resolution has been adopted by the congregation, we have a roadmap to guide us forward. Not only are we committed to publicly condemning acts of antisemitism and hate and reporting local incidents, we resolved to:

• Act in solidarity with, and partner with other targeted communities

• Advocate for effective hate crime legislation

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

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

• Educate ourselves and others about the history and founding principles of the State of Israel…

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

All members of the congregation are invited to a kickoff meeting of Kulanu where you will have the opportunity to choose which of the above action(s) to work on. At the end of the meeting, we will have several working groups with a specific focus to address in the new year.

In Pirkei Avot we are taught that we “are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are we free to abandon it.” It is in that spirit of repairing the world that we begin the Jewish year of 5785.

The tentative date for this meeting is October 16. Please check the weekly emails for more specific information, and contact Joanne Rosenthal with any questions at kulanu@bethisraelbath.org

REMEMBRANCES FOR september–october 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.