THE BARK
Looking Back And Forward
A Note From The President
By Tom Douglass
Friends,
The approach of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah marks the end of another calendar year. This year has been one of our busiest as a congregation and we still have a little more to go.
The High Holidays were definitely an uplifting experience this year. Rabbi Jack and Cantorial Soloist Debbye led wonderful services and the camaraderie that was felt was truly amazing. There were many familiar faces at the services, as well several new ones. CEC is truly a growing family and every adult, every child, every member is an integral part of this. Our welcoming spirit and culture of involvement has helped us once again add to our membership. We have eight new member families, and what strikes me most is their immediate involvement and concern for the improvement of our Congregation.
CEC’s social events continue, with the Sisterhood and the Book Club and the Men’s Club events. Let’s not forget to support the premier Men’s Club event, the yearly Pot Latke coming up on Dec. 11. Thank you to Aaron Markowitz, Debra Ruben and Evie Adler for continuing to help bring fun activities to the Congregation.
We have a lot of exciting events coming up at CEC to finish out the year — our November and December rabbi visits, more Fundamental of Judaism classes led by Rabbi Jack, Hanukkah on the Square and the annual Pot Latke. Let’s keep our momentum up and close out 2009 strong by supporting all of the various programs and events, as well as our monthly services.
It is with a great deal of respect and friendship that I thank Carolyne Wendel for all of her service to your congregation’s board. She has volunteered at nearly every turn and given unimaginable hours of her time over the years in her position as secretary. As she steps down from her position, I look forward to her continued involvement in various aspects of the congregation and I am already thankful for that future involvement. With that said, it is a pleasure to announce Aileen Wiede as the new secretary of your Board of Directors. We are all looking forward to Aileen’s contributions and involvement in our day-to-day operations of the synagogue.
This time of year also marks the nomination of our Tikkun Olam recipient. The Tikkun Olam award is given yearly in Little Rock to various members of the Jewish community who show selfless volunteerism. This year’s recipient is Wynnie Hoodis. Wynnie has been a tireless advocate of our young Congregation focused on the education of our children and the building of strong traditions within the Jewish community of Northwest Arkansas. Congratulations Wynnie!!
As many of you know, this past summer marked our five-year anniversary as a Congregation. We continue to grow our traditions and Congregation at a wonderful pace. It makes it clear that we should tie our five-year celebration together with our New Member Shabbat in February. Please watch for information on our celebration. Hopefully, all of you have received the service schedule, which includes the New Member Shabbat all of our rabbi services and our lay-led services through June 2010.
In closing, I can’t wait to see the great turn out we will have for our traditional lighting of the menorah on the square followed by the always fun Pot Latke. I look forward to seeing the kids playing in the square and staring wide-eyed at the menorah and star. It is always a joy to have all of our friends there and exciting to see the faces and families of our new members and friends.
L’shalom,
Tom
From the Rabbi's Desk
By Rabbi Jack Zanerhaft
Abraham, Sanchez, Judah Lead The Way
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about biblical Abraham, the NY Jets quarterback, and, because Chanukah is astonishingly not far off, Judah the Macabee, too. They have each led me to understand, among other things, two important lessons about leadership.
First, being in a position of power and a representative of a any defined population, requires the recognition that people are generally motivated by self interest and behave accordingly. In a world of limited resources and unlimited wants, true leadership demands a strong demonstration that sacrifice of individual desires is often necessary to achieve the greater good.
Although ultimately he didn’t have to, Abraham was willing to literally sacrifice his only child Isaac, because he unwaveringly believed it would be for the betterment of humankind, to continue a covenantal relationship with the unified deity of Genesis. Mark Sanchez, the quarterback of his football team, similarly has to absorb the notion that subduing his personal glory for the benefit of his fellow players will result in a leader that acts as a catalyst for improvement of the entire team. Judah, and the rest of the mighty Macabees, risked liberty and life by taking on improbable odds with a military campaign against a much larger and better equipped oppressor. Their expression of leadership, with all the implications of sacrifice, led to a miraculous, holiday-worthy victory of recapturing The Great Temple and making the ancient Kingdom of Israel sovereign again. As spouses, parents, co-workers, active synagogue members, or in any capacity, we would do well to comprehend this invaluable Torah-inspired vision of the relationship between sacrifice and leadership.
Notice also that throughout history every significant change – for good or bad – can be in large measure associated with a singular person, such as Abraham, or King David, George Washington, Marx, Freud, Ghandi, M.L. King, Kennedy and so on. How motivating! Each of us has within her or him, the possibility to effectuate meaningful change. As a person, and as a Jew, it is a vital revelation and realization about potential leadership, that every soul can make a lasting difference. When the Torah speaks of a "Kingdom of priests" or a "chosen people", our tradition is trying to teach us that truly any person can, and more so, should lead. By our examples of faith and action, by deeds of compassion, justice, and charity and as beautifully choreographed by the tenants of Judaism, we can all, as individuals, be leaders in our families, in the workplace, for Etz Chaim, and our surrounding community. As fall is followed by winter, let’s utilize the season’s longer, darker nights to reflect on these traits of leadership and implement them in our very own lives.
V’Av-ra-ham ho-laych lif-ney A-do-nai
And Abraham walked and led the way with the Almighty.
FUNDAMENTAL OF JUDAISM CONTINUES: No, FOJ does not stand for "Friends of Jack," although it certainly could! Our second year of classes began with a tremendously interesting and spiritual analysis of the creation of the world sections of Genesis. We meet for one hour Shabbat (Saturday) morning at 9 a.m. during the weekends that Debbye and I are in NWA. Each class is a "standalone" study of the week’s Torah portion. Together we examine the origins of many facets of Judaism, and all that the traditions of Torah has to offer. Check our Web site or e-mail for specific dates. We would love to see you there.
Let’s Remember
During services, we remember loved ones who left us at this time of year. By reciting the Mourner’s Kaddish in their memory, their lives continue to inspire us.
November Yahrtzeits
Milo Chozen
Irwin Levine
Jerome Seiler
Shawn Seiler
Elliot Simons
Mark Yekelchik
December Yahrtzeits
Leonid Buzik
Jeff Fox
William Gerber
Victoria Hoodis
Milton Kessler
Barbara Foster Kneeshaw
Jean Rosen
Soly Srour
Joseph Wendel
Rose Kapuchansky Wendel
Etz Chaim Donations
Please consider Etz Chaim in your charitable giving. Donations are tax deductible and can be made to thank or honor a friend or relative, remember loved ones and friends, celebrate a special occasion. Support Etz Chaim’s mission and commitment to growing a thriving Jewish Community in NWA or to leave a legacy. Donations can be made to following funds:
• Building Fund
• General Fund
• Simcha Fund
• Torah/Siddur Fund
• Memorial
• Memorial Wall Fund
• Religious School Fund
• Arts Alive
• Rabbi Discretionary Fund
• Mark Yekelchik Scholarship Fund
Prayer books can be donated to thank or honor a loved one, commemorate a Yahrtzeit, celebrate a birthday or anniversary and the list goes on. A bookplate will be inscribed with your message and placed inside the cover of a book. You can donate the Mishkan T’Filah Prayer Book or the Kol Hanoar Children’s Siddurim. Each book can be donated for $36.
Also include:
• which prayer book you are donating
• donated by:
• inscription for book plate
• please send acknowledgement to:
Please send your donations to: Congregation Etz Chaim, PO Box 477, Bentonville, AR 72712
Recent Giving
Religious School Fund
• A donation was made to the Religious School Fund by the Bratspies Family.
• A donation was made to the Religious School Fund in Memory of Mark Yekelchik by the Solomon-Flynn Family.
• A donation was made to the Religious School Fund in Memory of their dear friend, Mark Yekelchik by the Douglass Family
General Fund
• A donation was made to the General Fund in Memory of Mark Yekelchik by the Solomon-Flynn Family.
Mark Yekelchik Scholarship Fund
• A donation was made to the Mark Yekelchik Scholarship Fund by the Bratspies Family.
• A donation was made to the Mark Yekelchik Scholarship Fund in Memory of Mark Yekelchik by the Solomon-Flynn Family.
• Two donations were made to the Mark Yekelchik Scholarship Fund in Memory of Mark Yekelchik by Carol Novick.
Memorial Fund
• A donation was made to the Memorial Fund in Memory of Seth Benjamin by Audrey and Jack Benjamin.
Prayer Book Fund
• A prayer book donation was made in honor of Susie and Michael Sterling’s 25th Anniversary by the Rosen Family.
• A prayer book donation was made in honor of the marriage of Ben and Ken Srour by the Rosen Family.
High Holiday Appeal
Donations were made to the High Holiday Appeal fund by the following:
• Marilyn and Bernie Birns
• The Douglass Family
• Rusty Gold
• Martin and Betty Goldstein
• The Hoodis Family
• The Solomon-Flynn Family
Yizkor Book Donations
Donations were made by the following:
• Lou and Evie Adler
• Mimi and Paul Aronson
• Audrey and Jack Benjamin
• Marilyn and Bernie Birns
• Velvina and Yefim Buzik
• The Douglass Family
• David Gold
• Martin and Betty Goldstein
• The Hoodis Family
• The Solomon-Flynn Family
• Rachel Marler
• Gerry and Leigh Mercado
•Rollie and Martin Rosen
• The Rosen Family
• Don and Eileen Roufa
Religious School News
Dear Parents,
Two months of Religious School has gone by and things have been fantastic. It is so wonderful to see all these children come to school on Sunday and watch the excitement on their faces. We had a slow start due to the High Holidays, but we are moving forward at full force now. We have a two-week break for Thanksgiving and we are going to be busy between now and Hanukkah.
Molly Glazer, our ISJL Fellow will be visiting us the weekend of Nov. 13. We will be having an Ice Cream Havdallah pajama party on Nov. 14. Thank you to Betsy Rosen for organizing.
On Sunday, Nov. 15, we will have a special visit from a Religious School in Joplin, Mo. They have approximately 10 students and will join us for a day of learning, fun and we will all form new friendships. There will also be about 10 parents visiting us, and they will be staying after RS for lunch. Please watch for an e-mail with important information about this. It will be a crazy, but wonderful day and help will be needed.
Before we know it, Hanukkah will arrive. We will have our annual Hanukkah store open during RS for everybody to visit. I will also be ordering dreidels and gelt for
anybody who needs it. An e-mail will go out shortly with all the details. If there is a specific item that you are looking for, please let me know and I’ll see what I can do.
Thank you for having your child to RS by 9:55. This little change makes a huge difference in the morning and I truly appreciate all of your help. All of the parents on duty have been absolutely wonderful and it definitely makes the day run more smoothly. Please remember that our RS day doesn’t end until 11:50 and we use every second that we have for teaching.
A special thank you to Melissa Perlman who has been coming to RS periodically to help out. Melissa does whatever work that is needed, as well as helps with the B’nai Mitzvah students.
Lastly, but definitely not least, thank you to the teachers who come in each week and motivate and teach their students. You are the heart of the RS and I appreciate everything that you all do.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you should have any questions, have a great idea or any suggestions.
Sincerely, Robyn Douglass
New Members
Welcome to the following new members:
• Bob and Rickey Costrell
• Bryna, Howard, Julian and Lilah Sherr
• Steve, Rachel, Ethan and Ellie Chriss
• Philip and Nikki Springer
• Randy and Hayley Ornstein
• Jason, Lina and Eva Hart
• John and Danielle Weeks
• Sharon and George Wibben
Simchas
Congregation Etz Chaim is thrilled to celebrate all of your simchas with you and your family. We want to make sure that your day is special and that we don’t have any calendar conflicts that you may not be aware of. Please contact our President, Tom Douglass, to schedule all of your celebrations, events, etc.
Hanukkah Store
The Religious School Hanukkah store will be opening soon. Come shop for family and friends and help support the Religious School. To save you some time and hassle, we will also be taking orders again for dreidels and gelt. Watch your inbox for important information regarding this.
Commitment Forms
Just a reminder. We are asking each member to fill out and return the Membership Information Form and the Commitment Dues Form. If you have not returned your membership information by now, please do so ASAP. It is very important for the running of the Temple in these economic times, that we know how much to expect in Dues Income and when to expect it. It is only with the support of the community that we are able to sustain our Synagogue. We understand that every member may not be able to pay their fair share dues at this time. If you need to arrange different payment options (quarterly, monthly, etc.) other than the ones on the membership forms, please contact our Treasurer, Ed Gelman at 271-8248. No one will be denied membership based solely on financial reasons. All financial information is kept confidential. Please remember that Associate Membership is for people who reside more than 100 miles away or are current members of another Synagogue.
Roster Information
We will begin working on a new roster in the next month or so. Please look at your roster from June to make sure that all of your contact information is still the same. If you have any changes, please forward them to Tom Douglass at robyntom91@cox.net by Dec. 1.
Women’s Book Group
Please join us on Monday, Dec. 14 as the women of Etz Chaim discuss Far From Zion, In Search of a Global Jewish Community by Charles London. The author visited our congregation almost two years ago and he includes an entire chapter on the Jews of Bentonville! We will be meeting in the Coffee Shoppe at the Borders in the Promenade at 7 p.m. Hope you will come and share your thoughts on this meaningful book with us. Be sure to R.S.V.P. to Evie Adler at evieadler@yahoo.com or 855-2233 by December 13. Thank you.
Upcoming Events
Nov. 11 — Men’s Club at 7 p.m., Fred’s Hickory Inn.
Nov. 20 — Lay led Service at 7 p.m.
Dec. 11 — Annual Singing on the Square followed by a Pot Latke sponsored by the Men’s Club. Time TBD.
Dec. 12 — FOJ Class at 9am followed by 10am Shabbat Service.
Dec. 14 — Women’s Book Group, 7 p.m., Borders.
Correction
A name was inadvertently left off of the thank you list for the Israeli Scouts. Thank you very much to the wonderful Flynn family for hosting a scout.