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Number 619 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771
Scholar-in-Residence Alan Morinis—story, page 5
Purim There’s a saying in our tradition: ge’ulat hashem
beheref ayin — “redemption comes in the blink of
an eye.” It’s a way of recognizing that things have
a way of turning quickly, and that we should
never count ourselves out. Another idiom that
expresses the idea (or at least relates to it) might
be, “It’s always darkest just before the dawn.”
I mention that saying because I think the
sentiment is at the heart of the Purim story. The
Book of Esther, a tremendous work of literature, a
farce-romp called by one noted rabbi “the very
first Purimshpiel,” describes a descent into
persecution, risk, and danger...and then, “in the
blink of an eye” (or a few blinks, at most), it all
turns around. “Groaning was turned to joy, and
mourning became a holiday” (Esther 9:22). Each
year, as winter loosens it’s grip and the light
returns (how nice that we get Purim after daylight
savings arrives this year!), we joyfully celebrate.
I also mention the saying because I feel like Purim
came early to the Jews of El Paso this year (yes,
I’m being a little bit facetious — it’s my Purim
column, after all!). It sure looked dark for the
Jewish children of the El Paso Independent
School District, being called in on Shabbat to
make up a school day. We called, we wrote, we
Facebooked, we tweeted. And then, “salvation
came in an instant.” Victory was ours! The EPISD
trustees, and the leader, Dr. Garcia, granted our
petition and request (Esther 5:7), not giving us
half the kingdom, but giving us back our Sabbath!
And we rejoiced.
Like most victories that come in the blink of an
eye, there’s more to the story than the eye can see.
The Jews were saved in Shushan due to the
highly-placed Queen Esther, and some very lucky
circumstances (brought about with great comedic
effect). We were “saved” from the decree of a
Sabbath in school because of the power of broad-
based advocacy and organizing. We owe a debt
of gratitude to our friends in Border Interfaith
who stood with us, helping the Trustees and the
Administration see that this wasn’t just an issue
for the Jews, but also for their neighbors. It was
the widely-held concern of many stakeholders,
both Jew and Gentile, that led EPISD to seek out
and find a solution that’s less obvious, but
ultimately fairer, more efficient, and better for the
district’s bottom line.
I, for one, will be thinking about “our little
Purim” when I raise a glass to toast Mordecai and
Esther, shake my grogger at Haman’s name, and
proclaim the ancient story on Saturday, March 19
at 6:15 pm, in the Krupp Chapel. As usual, our
Purim celebration will include l’chaim for the
grownups, a Hamañata for the kids to smash,
prizes for costumes, and a creative retelling of the
story (this year, it’s the “Thrillah Megillah,” with
music by Michael Jackson!). We’ll do it again,
minus the booze, on Sunday, March 20, at
9:30 am.
Good Purim!
Rabbi Bach
Page 2 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Worship Schedule March-April
March 4-5 Parashat Pekudei Friday, March 4
Candlelighting, 5:48 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm
Family Shabbat Service, 6:15 pm
Saturday, March 5 Torah Study, 9:30 am
Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am Havdalah, 7:19 pm
March 11-12
Parashat Vayikra Friday, March 11
Candlelighting, 5:53 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:15 pm
Saturday, March 12 Torah Study, 9:30 am
Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am Havdalah, 7:24 pm
March 18-19 Parashat Tzav
Friday, March 18 Candlelighting, 6:58 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:15 pm
Saturday, March 19 Torah Study, 9:30 am
Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am Havdalah, 8:28 pm
March 25-26 Parashat Shmini Friday, March 25
Candlelighting, 7:03 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:15 pm
Saturday, March 26 Torah Study, 9:30 am
Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am Havdalah, 8:33 pm
April 1-2
Parashat Tazria Friday, April 1
Candlelighting, 7:07 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:15 pm
Saturday, April 2 Torah Study, 9:30 am
Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am Havdalah, 8:38 pm
April 8-9
Parashat Metzora Friday, April 8
Candlelighting, 7:12 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm
Family Shabbat Service, 6:15 pm
Saturday, April 9 Torah Study, 9:30 am
Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am Havdalah, 8:43 pm
Page 3 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
March Birthdays
March Anniversaries March 3
Dan & Leba Hirsch
March 4
Lowell & Shirley Nussbaum
March 6
Rick & Randi Cabrera
March 9
Ben Loeb & Quyen Nguyen
March 14
John & Bita Mobbs
March 15
Mark & Tara Schrier
March 16
Larry Lesser & Laurie Davis
March 18
Gary & Lisa Nadler
March 19
Bryan & Joani Schonberg
March 20
Jerry & Haidi Appel
March 21
Bill & Marcia Dahlberg
March 24
Adam & Dana Frank*
March 25
Sid & Fay Kligman
Richard & Marilyn Rotwein
March 29
David & Tita Kaplan *Special 5 or 10 year Birthday or Anniversary
March 1
Ross Dahman
Lauryn Rosen
Kacy Spivack
March 2
Helaine Bach
Bruce Gordon
Sarah Heins*
Tess Mansfield
March 3
Jaiden Kimmelman*
Susan Krupp
March 4
Esther Bach
March 5
Ellyce Kimmelman
March 6
Ethan Blumenfeld*
Britt Chapman
Jeff Katz
Irene Zimmerman
March 7
Harrell Rice
Steve Riter
March 8
Randee Mansfield
Sam Pittle-Briseno
Scott Poehlmann
March 9
Judy Bargman
Nina Baskind
Julian Borschow
Ben Loeb*
Josh Shecter*
March 10
Rachelle Nedow
Gary Weiser*
March 11
Joyce Davidoff
Lydia Duran
Ethan Eylon
March 12
Lyla Bass
Burton Cohen
Chad Fruithandler*
Lenny Heller
Pat Marcus
Evee Marcus
Chip Ponsford*
Noel Rosenbaum
Gene Tucker*
March 13
Ethan Katz
March 14
Abe Goldberg
Rachel Horn*
Jim Levy
Jane Snow
March 15
Logan Berry
Simon Bir*
Ernest Eisenberg
March 16
Mark Heins
March 17
Michelle Blumenfeld
Monica Escobar
Bill Freundlich
Tony Mullen
Ben Taber
March 18
Jonathon Gopin
Jim Parker
March 19
Tom Dula
March 20
Dora Goldstein
Barry Mann
March 21
Brandon Gulbas
Teddy Krapin
March 22
William Bass
March 23
Jim McCarthy
Stan Nankin
March 24
Bert Blackburn
Marty Colton
Cathy Glen-Puschett
Michele Nadler
Jon Purvin*
March 26
Alan Ames
March 27
Mindy Marcus
March 28
Soheil Nazarian
Joyce Post
Tibor Schaechner
March 30
Holli Berry
Bonnie Colton
Tony Furman
Fifi Heller-Kaim*
David Mansfield
March 31
Janet Keeton
Louise Rice
Cody Taylor*
Page 4 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Mazel Tov! Congratulations…
Hamakom Y’nachem—May God Bring Comfort...
…to Erline Gordon and David Schecter and their families on the death of their father,
Irving Schecter.
...to Arthur Leeser on the death of his cousin, Fran Zimet.
…to Scott and Mylena Walker on the birth of their daughter, Ainsley Lynn
Walker; grandfather is Ross Walker, and great grandparents are Bobby and
Shirley Goldfarb.
…to Dr. Lauren Eisenberg, Chief Resident in Urology at Detroit Receiving Hos-
pital on winning the national Outstanding Resident of the Year award and being
recognized as one of the top four D.O. residents in all areas of medicine nation-
wide. Parents are Cliff and Martha Eisenberg and grandfather is Jack Eisenberg.
At Temple Mount Sinai’s Annual Congregational Meeting on Tuesday, April 12, 2011, the
following names will be placed in nomination by the nominating committee:
Two positions on the Executive Committee are two-year terms. They are, President, Shari
Schwartz, and President-Elect, Tommy Goldfarb. Nominated to one-year terms as Vice-
Presidents are Greta Duran, Lori Gaman, Jack Heydemann, and David Leffman. David
Novick is nominated to serve a one-year term as Board Secretary.
The following Temple members will be nominated to serve a two-year term as Board Trustees:
Bill Carvajal, Cindy Graff Cohen, Arthur Leeser, Josh Meyer, Debby Robalin, and Danielle
Scher. They will join Rick Amstater, Susie Goldman, Hal Marcus, Susan May, Mark Schrier,
and Jane Snow, currently in the midst of their two-year terms as Trustees.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Dahlberg, Chairman, Nominating Committee
Marian Daross, Joyce Davidoff, David Kern, Keith Myers, Phil Rothstein, and Shari
Schwartz, Members
Debby Robalin, Alternate
Nominating Committee Report
Page 5 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Scholar-in-Residence Alan Morinis
April 1-3, 2011
Temple Mount Sinai is fortunate to welcome a
distinguished author and scholar to El Paso April
1-3. Alan Morinis has done perhaps more than
any other person to introduce the traditional
Jewish path of Mussar (“soul-work”) to a wide and
diverse audience.
Alan is an anthropologist, filmmaker, writer, and
student of spiritual traditions. He is an active
interpreter of the teachings and practices of the
Mussar tradition and regularly gives lectures and
workshops. Born and raised in a culturally Jewish
but non-observant home, he studied anthropology
at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship. His
doctoral thesis was published by Oxford
University Press as Pilgrimage in the Hindu
Tradition.
Alan has written books and produced feature films,
television dramas and documentaries and has
taught at several universities. Although he took a
deep journey into Hindu and Buddhist thought
and practice, for the past decade the nearly-lost
Jewish spiritual discipline of Mussar has been his
passion, a journey recorded in the book Climbing
Jacob’s Ladder (Broadway 2002). His guide to
Mussar practice, entitled Everyday Holiness: The
Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar, was published in
May 2007, and a follow-up work designed for
journaling and practice, Every Day, Holy Day, was
published in August 2010. He lives in Vancouver,
BC, with his wife of over 30 years, Bev Spring.
Alan will speak at Temple Mount Sinai on Friday
evening, Saturday morning and afternoon, and
Sunday morning. A Saturday evening program
will be held as well (time and location TBD). The
topics of his talks are as follows:
• at our Kabbalat Shabbat Service (6:15 pm,
Friday, April 1), Alan will speak on "What is
Mussar, and Why Should I Care?"
• at a Shabbat Dinner (following the Kabbalat
Shabbat Service), his topic will be, "Climbing
Jacob's Ladder: My Path to Mussar."
• at Torah Study on Saturday morning at 9:30,
Alan will teach: “Torah through a Mussar Lens
on the Parashah.”
• at a Kiddush Luncheon following our Shabbat
Morning Service, the topic will be,
"Discovering your personal spiritual
curriculum: Paths of the Righteous: A Mussar
Text."
• on Sunday morning at 10 am, Alan’s topic will
be "Every Day, Holy Day: How to Practice
Mussar."
All of Alan’s talks
are free and open to
the public. There is a
nominal cost
associated with the
Friday night dinner -
$10/adults (over 13),
$6/children (ages 5-
12), free (ages 4 &
under) which
precedes the
“Climbing Jacob’s
Ladder” talk. Each
talk stands on its
own, but the whole
is most definitely
greater than the sum of its parts, so plan on
attending several sessions, or all of them!
Questions? Call Temple Mount Sinai (532-5959)
and speak with Rabbi Bach.
Page 6 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Improv Workshop
On Monday, February 21, a new Improv Workshop began at Temple.
Every Monday night from 7 to 9 pm, the group will meet in Zielonka
Hall.
The main goals of this group are to have fun, to build our skills of
listening, teamwork, imagination and spontaneity, to learn to be in the
moment, and to gain confidence with movement. Through improv
games, movement-based exercises, and scene work, they will build
toward creating—for themselves—longer improvised theatrical
experiences that will be powerful, funny, honest, and compelling. It is
not necessary to be a clever or funny person to join this group—it is
really about learning to trust others.
David Novick is leading the group. He brings a lot of experience from
attending many workshops, performing with ComedySportz in
Portland, Oregon, and leading team-building improv workshops here
in El Paso.
No experience is necessary to join! The group will be open to all
Temple members over Bar/Bat Mitzvah age. If you’re interested (or
just want to ask questions), please contact David at [email protected].
Lunch and Learn — Tuesday, March 8
Our Lunch and Learn session this month will be on Tuesday
March 8 at 11:45 am in Zielonka Hall. The topic will be “Getting
ready for Mr. Morinis: a little bit of Mussar.” For more
information about Mr. Morinis’ visit to El Paso, see page 5.
Page 7 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Growing in Body, Heart, and Spirit
Each week, we offer opportunities for growth in body, mind and heart. Not so much “classes” as “opportunities for practice,” our yoga, meditation, and text study are at the core of our adult learning and growth. There’s great benefit from attending regularly, but drop-ins are always welcome! • Meditation, Tuesdays at 6 pm. We continue to have a good turnout for our weekly
meditation “sits”. These sessions take place every Tuesday evening at 6 pm in
Krupp Chapel. Rabbi Bach is joined by co-facilitators Mary McIntyre and Nancy
Schwartz. All three have some experience meditating. They share a commitment to
a regular meditation practice, and recognize that a group environment provides sup-
port for that practice. Please consider joining us as we sit, focus and reflect. For
more information, call Mary at 915-490-7359.
• Yoga Practice, Wednesdays at 11:30 am. Take a much needed break in your day for
one hour of yoga on Wednesdays at 11:30 am. Inspired by the teachings of Anusara
yoga, Susan Jaffee will lead you through a life-affirming, heart-oriented practice.
This hour yoga session is suitable for yoga students of all levels. Please wear com-
fortable clothing and bring your own mat and yoga props (belt, block and yoga
blankets). There will be no Yoga on Wednesday, March 9.
• The Weekly Portion as a Vehicle for Spiritual Growth, Saturdays at 9:30 am. Every
Saturday at 9:30 am, a diverse and lively group of participants gathers to study the
weekly Torah portion through the lens of Hasidic spirituality. Rabbi Bach typically
brings a text from one of the classics of Hasidic Torah commentary, in Hebrew and
in translation, which serves as the starting point for our conversation. We conclude
in time for the 10:30 am Shabbat morning service. Bagels and coffee are provided,
and all are welcome.
Adult Hebrew, Wednesdays at 6 pm
Adult Hebrew — 6 pm, Wednesdays. The Adult Hebrew class continues to meet in the
Zork Library at Temple on Wednesday evenings from 6 pm to 7 pm. The students are
progressing nicely with their reading and understanding of Hebrew and the weekly
Torah portions. If you are interested in learning with us, please join us on Wednesday
evenings. If you have any questions, feel free to call Ed Solomon at 525-4616.
Page 8 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Save the Date for This Year's Fabulous Federation Campaign Kickoff!
The event will be held on Tuesday, March 8, at 7 pm at 150 Sunset (formerly Nash Gar-
dens). Our featured speaker will be Michael Brooks, Director, University of Michigan
Hillel. In the course of the evening we will honor Julian Borschow on his eighty-eighth
birthday, and for his 50-plus years of service to our Federation. Mazel Tov, Julian!
Watch your mail and the Voice for Details.
Federation Kickoff —
Honoring Julian Borschow
Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center will be hosting its 12th annual Celebrity
Waiter Spaghetti Dinner, catered by Capetto’s, on Thursday, April 7 at 6 pm in the
Parish Hall at St. Pius X Catholic Church. This fundraising dinner is crucial to help Las
Americas continue with its mission and it is usually tons of fun too.
More than 300 people are expected to spend the evening being served by a roster of
local celebrities. This year, tickets are $40 ($400 for a table of 10) and each ticket
includes a $5 raffle ticket for an iPad. More raffle tickets are also available for sale.
Rabbi Bach has tickets for sale, and will be happy to be your server that evening!
Las Americas depends entirely on private grants, donations and fundraising events to
sustain itself. With these funds, we offer legal services to the most vulnerable among
deserving immigrants, including abandoned children, battered women and refugees.
Every time we win an asylum case, every time we obtain a green card for a victim of
domestic violence or reunite a child with her parents, we owe it to our supporters in the
community.
Las Americas Spaghetti Dinner
Congregation Mount Sinai Cemetery
Just a reminder, our Cemetery hours are Sunday through Friday 8:00 am to
3:00 pm and closed on Saturday.
Page 9 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Southwest Jewish Arts Festival Temple Beth El of Las Cruces is looking for artists for a juried art show, the Southwest
Jewish Arts Festival, to be held on Sunday, June 12, 2011 from 3 to 7 pm at Temple Beth
El. The show is open to Jewish artists from New Mexico and the El Paso area. The
mediums are painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, fiber arts and jewelry. Entry
forms are located at the Temple website, www.tbelc.org . You can also call the Temple at
575-524-3380. Submissions are free and must be postmarked no later than Friday, April 16 ,
2011. Submissions can be mailed to: Temple Beth El, 3980 Sonoma Springs Ave, Las
Cruces, NM 88011.
If you have any questions, please contact Susan Fitzgerald at 575-647-1808 or
How Safe Do You Feel?
Personal safety is an important topic and affects everyone--young and old, men and women.
The Interfaith CarePartner Program through Jewish Family and Children’s Service is hosting
a PERSONAL SAFETY session at Temple, Tuesday, March 15 at 11 am.
Officer Curtis Whitener from the Community Services Division of the El Paso Police Depart-
ment will lead this informative discussion. Officer Whitener will instruct participants in
ways to increase safety awareness in our homes and in public spaces.
All are welcome! Please RSVP to Gloria Lopez and Susan Hernandez at 915.581.3256 exten-
sion 15.
A good-sized and enthusiastic group gathered at Temple in late January to look at a proposed
itinerary and learn about Temple’s upcoming trip to Israel. Since that meeting, we’ve actually
modified the itinerary in one important way, by extending the trip by one day while lowering
the overall price (it’s an airline thing; we’d be happy to explain if you really want to know ;-))!
If you’re interested in joining a friendly and diverse group of adults, a wonderful guide, and
Rabbi Larry and Alanna in Israel from January 1-14, 2012, please give Alanna a call
(328-6062).
January 2012 trip to Israel
Page 10 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Men of Reform Judaism
MRJ is looking forward to celebrating Purim on Saturday, March 19. It's a very enjoyable service and MRJ will provide refreshments during the service, (Scotch for the adults and juice for the kids!) There will be a costume contest and everyone is encouraged to par-ticipate.
MSTY/mini-MSTY On February 11, eight 8th graders escorted by
Stacy Berry, flew to Phoenix for a "Taste of NFTY”
event. There were at total of thirty-six 8th graders
from El Paso, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and the
Phoenix area in attendance. The kids participated
in a Social Action weekend where they hung out
with a group of children from the Boys and Girls
Club and went on a citrus-picking adventure.
They also took part in mixers to get to know each
other, participated in services, Torah study, and a
social. Our 8th graders can't wait to be part of
NFTY next year.
We are having a lock-in at Temple with MSTY and the Las Cruces temple youth group on Satur-
day, March 12 from 7:30 pm until Sunday, March 13 at 9 am. We need to have a couple of adult
chaperones, so if you would be willing to help, please contact Stacy Berry at 241-6627 or
Gesher The Gesher class met on Sunday, February 27 to learn about Purim. The chil-dren dressed up in costumes, read stories, sang songs and made crowns, groggers
and shalach manot (gift bags.) Pictures will be printed in the April bulletin. We will meet again on Sunday, March 27 to learn “What’s Jewish about transportation?”
Page 11 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Women of Reform Judaism Members of Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) at
Temple Mount Sinai enjoyed a lovely get-together at
the home of Sofi Kaplan on February 1 while also
enjoying a demonstration of flower-arranging tech-
niques by WRJ member and floral designer Fifi
Heller-Kaim. Thank you, Sofi, for opening your
home with such warmth on such a cold night!
Nearly 20 WRJ members met at Temple in Zielonka
Hall on Sunday, February 13 for our first annual
Members-Only Event: Bagels, Baubles, Books and
Bubbly. Participants were asked to bring gently
used books and costume jewelry to exchange for
new items. Some members even donated items for a raffle table – a couple of “bubbly”
wines, some beautiful “baubles” and a few in-demand books. Thank you to all of the
women who came and brought items for exchange! It was a warm, friendly and fun event
that we look forward to repeating again next year.
Get together with your sisters next at “Mochas & a Movie” on Tuesday, March 1 from
9:30am until noon at The Percolator (217 N Stanton). Come for coffee or a nosh and join
your WRJ sisters to watch "Making Trouble," a documentary about female Jewish comedi-
ans. Stay for lunch - their sandwiches are delicious! Car-pooling is recommended, as street
parking is limited and metered. To RSVP and/or request help with finding a car-pool,
email [email protected]. Further information on the movie can be found on the
movie’s website: http://www.makingtrouble.com/index.php
Don’t forget the Shabbat Dinner Fund-
raiser on March 4! Save some time on this
busy weekend and buy a tasty pre-
prepared Shabbat meal from WRJ. You
have the option to choose either a roast
chicken dinner or vegetarian meal. All
meals include salad, a side, challah and
dessert! Pick-up times are either between
10-noon or 2-4 pm; each meal costs $25
and will feed a family of four. For more
information or to request an order form,
contact Amissa Burton at 449-8877.
Page 12 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Religious School Cultural Celebration—March 6
Please join our Religious School students for the TMS
Cultural Celebration on Sunday, March 6, from 11:15 am
to noon in Schwartz Hall. During this event, our Pre-
Kinder through sixth grade students are given an oppor-
tunity to present a cultural aspect of Judaism. Being Jew-
ish is a part of our entire life, as expressed through music,
dance, art, reading, movies, and foods. Our students are
researching, preparing, practicing and creating displays
for us to learn from and appreciate during the Cultural
Celebration.
Join us as our Pre-Kinder and Kinder students lead us in
song. The first grade students will express their Jewish identity through Art. Second grade students
will dance to Jewish Folk songs. Have a taste of Jewish foods (recipes from parents and grandparents)
prepared by third grade students with the help of their parents. Our fourth grade students will draw
attention to some of our Jewish authors. Learn about
some Jewish artists from our fifth grade students. And
sixth grade students will highlight accomplishments of
Jews in America.
The all-school Tzedakah project during this event is
“Packages from Home.” In the past, we have adopted
the Helicopter Rescue Unit and the Elite Combat Unit,
units that consist of thirty-four soldiers who help protect
Israel. The packages we send contain a letter offering
thanks and encouragement to the soldiers, as well as
gifts. For example, the winter packages are filled with
socks, warm hats and gloves, long sleeve t-shirts or two
piece long underwear sets, candy and snacks, toiletries, batteries….etc.
We plan to raise a total of $1,200 (or more) to adopt the Duchifat (Special Forces) Unit (with forty sol-
diers), this year. At our last Religious School Fundraiser Lunch, during Mitzvah Day we raised $500
toward this goal. TMS students will donate their
Tzedakah money collected from February 13 through
March 6 towards this effort. During the Cultural Cele-
bration, we will have another Fundraiser Lunch to raise
the money needed to meet our goal.
Please join us on March 6 for the Cultural Celebration
and stay and enjoy lunch and socializing with TMS
friends in Schwartz Hall. To learn more about our
“Packages from Home” Tzedakah Project, please visit
www.apackagefromhome.org/adoptaunit.html.
Page 13 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Seventh and Eighth Grade Classes — Always Something!
This issue features our seventh and eighth grade
students’ Religious School studies and activities.
But first, we’d like to thank their parents for being
role models and encouraging them to continue
attending Religious School, post Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
In relationship to past years, this year’s eighth grade
attendance has improved considerably. Second, a
special “THANK YOU” goes to their teachers Tina
Wolfe, Rabbi Bach, Chris and Chip Ponsford,
Nancy Schwartz, Jeri Nitzburg, Toni Harris and
Anat Reiter.
Seventh and eighth grade students
together learn a variety of lessons and
activities. This year’s curriculum
includes CHAI Torah and G’Milut
Chasadim lessons, Sacred Choices,
“Who Am I” and Genealogy, a Parent
and Grandparent Day, helping to lead
Religious School T’filah in Rabbi’s
absence, Jewish Cooking, Jewish Arts &
Crafts, Mitzvah Projects, and Rosh
Hodesh – “It’s A Girl Thing” for girls. Beginning on February 20, the students will begin a
Holocaust curriculum that will end with a visit to the El Paso Holocaust Museum on May 1.
Parents and grandparents are invited to join them.
In 2011-2012, the curriculum will consist of CHAI Avodah and G’Milut Chasadim Lessons,
World Religions (including visits to various places of worship), and Israel. We will continue
the enrichment sessions (“Who Am I” and Genealogy, Jewish Cooking, and Jewish Arts &
Crafts), Mitzvah Projects, Rosh Hodesh – “It’s A
Girl Thing” for girls, Parent and Grandparent Day,
and assisting with some of the Religious School
T’filah.
The accompanying pictures include the Parent and
Grandparent Day where our seventh & eighth
grade students lead a Tu B’Shevat Seder, a Jewish
craft session where students created trees of life,
and their Jewish Cooking session where they
learned how to cook Israeli food and enjoyed
eating it afterwards.
Page 14 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
At our Shabbat Service on February 18, several girls in
the congregation spoke about therir experiences at vari-
ous Jewish summer camps. Here is one of those talks…
I spent fourteen days last summer at Shwayder
Camp near Idaho Springs, Colorado. Before I went
to camp I had envisioned a few log cabins out in
the middle of nowhere. When I arrived at the
camp site, I found that it was a few cabins out in
the middle of nowhere. But as I unpacked my
fourteen days worth of clothes and my bunk-mate-
to-be greeted me with a warm smile and intro-
duced herself, I realized that it was much, much
more.
As the first day turned into the second, and the
third, and the seventh, my time at Shwayder camp
was slowly drifting away. At that point, I had
gone to a low-ropes session, a horseback riding
session, an overnight campout, a Shabbat service
(which I have to say, was AMAZING!!!!!), an hour
long hike, a guitar class, and best of all, I had be-
friended fifteen completely different and amazing
individuals—my cabin-mates!
By the second week, I looked back at the seven
days behind me, and looked forward to the six
days ahead of me. I was beginning to feel like I
was in a whole separate world—away from tech-
nology and school—and I was. I was in mountains,
much like the ones here in El Paso, yet every detail
about every surrounding was completely different.
For one thing, Shwayder Camp was GORGEOUS!
It was green everywhere. It was the perfect tem-
perature. It was crowded with thirty kids my age.
It was exactly where I wanted to spend my next
week.
Shwayder Camp was just perfect. Nothing could
ruin my fourteen days there. Not a week-long al-
lergic reaction to my soap. Not a week without a
voice or a clearing in my nose. Not two-minute-
long, freezing cold showers. Not a toilet that gets
clogged. Not the screeching of Rebecca’s bunk
above mine. Not peeing in the woods. Not even a
three hour long hike straight up a mountain side—
literally! Even my biggest worry (the food) wasn’t
a problem. (Just so you know the food was amaz-
ing!) I began to see why people like my current
friend, Olivia Bohrer, have been going to Shway-
der camp for six years!
I now want to say that the services at Camp were
completely relatable to me and every single one of
them felt personal. At my first service on the first
night of camp, I noticed how similar it was to ser-
vices at Temple. I also noticed that it was com-
pletely different. Every song had a little camp
twist to it, from the V’ahavta to the Sh’ma. They
took traditional Jewish chants and added fun
dancing and swaying of the hands and claps and
stomps and togetherness and Shwayder Camp to
every single one of them. I realize that most of
these twists are the same at every other Jewish
camp, but it didn’t feel like that. It felt like one big
Shwayder family singing and having a great time
together. I’m not sure if it was the way that Strabbi
(student rabbi) led the service, or the way that
everyone seemed to know the words, or maybe the
fact that it was in a beautiful location, but the ser-
vices were phenomenal.
Now, where do I start with Shabbat? It was like
the wonderful interactive services to the nth
power. It wasn’t so much the dressing up or the
great dinner or even the challah . . . well maybe it
was the challah just a little . . . but Shabbat at
Shwayder was better than any Jewish experience
that I had ever had. It was amazing in every way.
Maybe I loved the endless song session. Maybe I
loved that everyone was having a great time.
(Continued on page 15)
A Word about Summer Camp
Page 15 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Assistive listening devices are available at the entrance to our chapel and
sanctuary. Please ask a greeter for assistance.
If you have inadvertently left Temple with one of these devices, please
return it as soon as possible. These headsets are programmed to be used only
in our Sanctuary and Chapel, and many of them have disappeared, meaning
that they are not available for congregants who use them at services. If you
find you have one of these (perhaps in that drawer with all the yarmulkes!),
please return it to the Temple office so that it may be put back into service.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Please remember to use your key tag each time you shop for groceries at Albert-
sons. All you need to do is have the card scanned when you check out. Temple
will earn 1% of your shopping total each time you scan the card, at no additional
cost to you. If you need additional key tags, they are available in the Temple of-
fice.
Maybe I loved that I was sitting at a table full of
my new best friends. Maybe I loved that it didn’t
matter if I knew absolutely none of the dances.
Maybe I loved that no one made a fool of them-
selves if they jumped up and down and sang at the
top of their lungs. Maybe I loved ALL OF IT. Some
people say that the journey is more important than
the destination. Well, considering that my journey
there was spent sitting next to a nine year old, who
wouldn’t stop talking while I was trying to sleep,
and looking out a window to see a cliff about a
foot away from the huge bus on a switchback
while going uphill—you get the point. For me, the
journey didn’t start until I stepped off the bus,
teary eyed, and walked to my open-armed dad
after fourteen days of camp. It was the start of the
long, endless journey to next summer. It is a jour-
ney that will end the second that I arrive at the
place “where the green of the trees meets the blue
of the skies,” Shwayder Camp, my second home.
Sincerely,
Lydia Duran
(Continued from page 14)
Albertson’s Cash-Back Fundraiser
Page 16 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Grief Digest is a publication purchased by the Jo Ann
Rothbardt Petersen Healing Resource Center. There are
many wonderful articles to read and explore. If you would
like more information, contact Susan Jaffee at 532-5959 or
Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.
Reprinted with permission from Grief Digest, Centering
Corporation, Omaha, Nebraska, 402.553.1200.
This is another in a continuing series of articles by Dr.
Wolfelt from his recent book, Understanding Your Grief.
CRYING AND SOBBING
If you’re crying and sobbing a lot, you may feel like
you’re out of control, which can trigger your feelings
of going crazy. Sobbing is like wailing, and it comes
from the inner core of your being. Sobbing is an ex-
pression of the deep, strong emotions within you.
These emotions need to get out, and sobbing allows
for their release.
In many Eastern cultures, sobbing and wailing
(sometimes called keening) are encouraged and un-
derstood as a normal part of grief and mourning. In
our culture, however, sobbing is often considered
frightening. It is perceived as being “out of con-
trol.” (That’s where your feelings of loss of control
come from!) But it is this very loss of control that
helps you express your strong feelings. Your feelings
are too strong to be under “control” inside you—and
their authentic expression can’t either.
If you’re crying or sobbing a lot, you’re not crazy.
Cry, wail and sob as long and as hard and as often as
you need to. Don’t try to be “strong” and “brave” for
yourself or others. Tears have a voice of their own.
You will be wise to allow yours to speak to you. Lis-
ten to your tears and heal.
BORROWED TEARS
Here’s another kind of crying that can make you feel
like you’re going crazy: borrowed tears. Borrowed
tears are tears that spring up when you are touched
by something you might see, hear or smell, and you
react with strong emotion. During a griefburst, you
might be brought to tears by a place or a smell that
directly reminds you of the person who died. Bor-
rowed tears, on the other hand, seem to come out of
nowhere and are triggered by something you don’t
associate with the person who died and wouldn’t
normally have been upset by.
Borrowed tears are called what they are called be-
cause you seem to be “borrowing” them from some-
one else’s store of pain and memory. They’re not
yours! You might find yourself crying at a sappy
commercial on TV or seeing a little bird out your win-
dow. These things never made you sad before. Why
are you crying now? You’re crying because your
heart and soul are hurting and your emotions are ten-
der. Think of it this way: If you press on your leg
gently with your hand, it doesn’t hurt. But if you
break your leg and then press on it, even the slightest
touch can hurt. Your heart is broken now, and any-
thing that touches your heart even slightly may hurt.
This is normal and will pass as your heart is healed.
LINKING OBJECTS
Linking objects are items that belonged to the person
who died that you now like to have around you. Ob-
jects such as clothing, books, knick-knacks, furniture,
artwork and other prized possessions can help you
feel physically close to the person you miss so much.
Once when I was counseling a widow, she shared
with me that she found it comforting to take one of
her husband’s shirts to bed with her. She said that as
she clutched his shirt close to her, she didn’t feel so
alone. But as she worked with her grief over time,
her need for the shirt dwindled.
(Continued on page 17)
From the Healing Resource Center
Page 17 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
If you like to hold, look at, sleep with, caress, or even
smell a special belonging of the person who died,
you’re not crazy. You’re simply trying to hold on to a
tangible, physical connection to the person. The per-
son’s body is no longer physically here, but these spe-
cial items are. Like the woman who slept with her
husband’s shirt, you’ll probably need your linking
objects less and less over time, as you integrate the
loss into your life. But you may always find these
items special and you may always want to keep them.
Don’t rush into giving away the belongings of the
person who died, either. Sometimes people hurry
into clearing out all the “stuff” because they think it
will help them heal. It doesn’t. Opening to the pres-
ence of the loss may include embracing the feelings
that are stirred up by the belongings of the person
who died. If you get rid of the belongings prema-
turely, in effect you rid yourself of a natural and nec-
essary medium of healing.
I’d also like to point out the difference between cher-
ishing some belongings and creating a “shrine.”
Mourners create a shrine when for years (sometimes
decades) after the death they keep everything just as
it was when the person died. Unlike keeping linking
objects, creating a shrine often prevents you from ac-
knowledging the painful new reality that someone
you love has died. It’s as if you expect the person to
return to you at any moment.
I do think it’s okay for mourners to leave the belong-
ings of the person who died just as they were for a
short time after the death, perhaps up to a year or so.
In the early weeks and months of grief you may sim-
ply lack the energy to contend with the person’s be-
longings and your feelings of shock and denial may
be so powerful that you simply can’t bring yourself to
confront the person’s clothing, furniture, keepsakes,
etc. Within reason, go at your own pace. I often say
that there are no rewards for speed and that once
you’ve disposed of something, you can’t get it back.
IDENTIFICATION SYMPTOMS
OF PHYSICAL ILLNESS
When you care deeply about someone and they die,
you sometimes develop new ways to identify and feel
close to that person. One way is by relating to the
physical symptoms of the person who died. For ex-
ample, if she died from a brain tumor, you may have
more frequent headaches. If he died from a heart at-
tack, you may have chest pains. Of course, checking
for organic problems is important, but you also
should be aware that you might be experiencing
identification symptoms of physical illness.
Grieving people have shared with me these exam-
ples:
“She had awful pains in her stomach and after she
died I began to have them, too. It kind of made me
feel close to her. After awhile the stomach pain went
away and I felt some sense of loss. As I have healed,
I’ve been able to let go of the stomach pain.”
“I loved him so much. After he died, I wanted to be
just like him. I guess one of the ways I did it was to
be dizzy just like he used to be all the time.”
Don’t be shocked if you have a few physical symp-
toms that are similar to those experienced by the per-
son who died. You’re not crazy. Your body is simply
responding to the loss. As you do the hard work of
mourning, however, these symptoms should go
away. If they don’t, find someone who will listen to
you and help you understand what is happening.
SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
Thoughts that come and go about questioning if you
want to go on living can be a normal part of your
grief and mourning. You might say or think, “It
would be so much easier to not be here.” Usually this
thought is not so much an active wish to kill yourself
as it is a wish to ease your pain.
To have these thoughts is normal and not crazy; how-
ever, to make plans and take action to end your life is
abnormal. Sometimes your body, mind and spirit can
hurt so much that you wonder if you will ever feel
alive again. Just remember that in doing the hard
work of mourning, you can and will find continued
meaning in life. Let yourself be helped as you have
hope for your healing.
If thoughts of suicide take on planning and structure,
make certain that you get help immediately. Some-
times tunnel vision can prevent you from seeing
choices. Please choose to go on living as you honor
the memory of the person who died.
(Continued on page 18)
Page 18 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
DRUGS, ALCOHOL AND GRIEF
Unfortunately, when someone loved dies, you may be
tempted to quickly quell your feelings of grief. This
desire to avoid and to mask the pain is understand-
able. But using drugs and alcohol to help you do so
only brings temporary relief from a hurt that must ul-
timately be embraced.
A well-meaning friend hands you a bottle of sleeping
pills and says, “Take one tonight. You need your
sleep.” Your doctor prescribes an antidepressant,
promising it will make you feel better. Or you find
yourself sipping on the whiskey bottle to get through
the day. Should you take these drugs?
First, never take prescription drugs unless they were
prescribed for you by a medical doctor. You don’t
know how you might react to a certain medication.
Don’t take a drug that your doctor has prescribed, ei-
ther, unless you understand and agree with the rea-
sons for taking it and the effects it will have on you.
Drugs that make you feel numb or unnaturally peace-
ful will only complicate your grief experience. After
all, they will eventually wear off and you will still
have to struggle with the pain. Psychological or physi-
cal dependence can also be a problem with these medi-
cations. If your doctor has prescribed a drug to help
you cope with your grief, you may want to get a sec-
ond opinion.
Alcohol is yet another danger for grieving people.
When you drink, you may indeed feel better—
temporarily. But alcohol taken to mask painful feel-
ings is only a crutch and may in fact cause an entirely
new set of problems.
This is not to say that grieving people should never
take medication. For example, you may become so
exhausted from lack of sleep that temporary use of a
sedative is warranted. And in rare cases, tranquilizers
or antidepressants are appropriate therapies for severe
emotional reactions to trauma.
It is important to note that people who were taking
antidepressants prior to the death of someone loved
should continue taking them afterwards as ordered by
a physician. Their grief will not be further compli-
cated by the use of these drugs.
In general, though, taking medications of any kind is a
bad way to cope with grief. Instead of relying on the
deceptive “comfort” of drugs, turn to fellow human
beings for support. Reconciliation of grief comes
through the expression of thoughts and feelings, not
through their drug-induced repression.
DREAMS
Sometimes dreaming a lot about the person who died
may contribute to your feelings of “going crazy.”
Mourners sometimes tell me that they can’t stop think-
ing about the death—even in their sleep!
Keep in mind that dreams are one of the ways the
work of mourning takes place. A dream may reflect a
searching for the person who has died, for example.
You may dream that you are with the person in a
crowded place and lose him and cannot find him.
Dreams also provide opportunities to feel close to the
person who died, to embrace the reality of the loss, to
renew memories or to develop a new self-identity.
Dreams also may help you search for meaning in life
and death or explore unfinished business. Finally,
dreams can show you hope for the future.
The content of your dreams often reflects changes in
your grief journey. You may have one kind of dream
early in your grief and another later on. So if dreams
are part of your trek through the wilderness, make use
of them to better understand where you have been,
where you are and where you are going. Also, find a
skilled listener who won’t interpret your dreams for
you, but who will listen to you!
On the other hand, you may experience nightmares,
particularly after a traumatic, violent death. These
dreams can be very frightening. If your dreams are
distressing, talk about them with someone who can
support and understand you.
MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES
When someone you love dies, you may have experi-
ences that are not always rationally explainable. That
doesn’t mean you’re crazy! If you share these experi-
ences with others, they may question your mental fit-
ness. But I like to say that if you have mystical experi-
ences, it’s simply that you’re mystically sensitive.
(Continued from page 17)
Page 19 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
The primary form of mystical experience that grieving
people have taught me about is communicating with
the person who dies. Some people find the experience
hard to believe and they try to explain it away in a ra-
tional manner: “I must have been dreaming” or “I was
probably half-asleep.” Others try to distance them-
selves from the experience because they are taught
that such things are impossible: “A rational mind just
doesn’t experience those kinds of things.” So, if you
want to be considered “rational” or “sane” (and who
doesn’t!), you would feel compelled to distance your-
self from this kind of “irrational” experience.
Mystical experiences vary greatly. In Alabama, for
example, a mother whose daughter had died woke up
one summer morning only to find it snowing in her
back yard (and her back yard only!) The snow lasted
for fifteen minutes and then stopped. The mother un-
derstood this as a communication telling her that her
daughter was all right and that she shouldn’t worry so
much. In another instance, a man whose wife had
died saw her lying on the couch in his living room.
“It’s like she came to me and wrapped me in her arms.
I felt warm and happy...I experienced her presence.”
I have listened to and learned from hundreds of peo-
ple who have seen, heard and felt the presence of
someone who has died. If you count yourself among
this number, you’re not going crazy. You can still be
very sane and exceedingly rational while at times ex-
periencing and embracing mystical encounters. Who
on this earth is to say what’s real and what isn’t? Cer-
tainly not I. Remain open to these experiences and be
thankful for the comfort they provide.
ANNIVERSARY AND HOLIDAY GRIEF OCCA-
SIONS
Naturally, anniversary and holiday occasions can
bring about pangs of grief. Birthdays, wedding dates,
holidays such as Easter, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and
Christmas, and other special occasions create a height-
ened sense of loss. At these times, you may likely ex-
perience griefbursts.
Your pangs of grief also may occur in circumstances
that bring up reminders of the painful absence of
someone in your life. For many families, certain days
have special meaning (for example, the beginning of
spring, the first snowfall, an annual Fourth of July
party, or any time when activities were shared as a
couple or a family), and the person who died is more
deeply missed at those times.
If you’re having a really tough time on special days,
you’re not crazy. Perhaps the most important thing to
remember is that your feelings are natural. And some-
times the anticipation of an anniversary or holiday
turns out to be worse than the day itself.
Interestingly, sometimes your internal clock will alert
you to an anniversary date you may not consciously
be aware of. If you notice you are feeling down or ex-
periencing pangs of grief, you may be having an anni-
versary response. Take a look at the calendar and
think about whether this particular day has meant
anything to you in years past.
Plan ahead when you know some naturally painful
times are coming. Unfortunately, some grieving peo-
ple will not mention anniversaries, holidays or special
occasions to anyone. So they suffer in silence and their
feelings of isolation increase. Don’t let this happen to
you. Recognize you will need support and map out
how to get it!
YOU’RE NOT CRAZY, YOU’RE GRIEVING
Never forget that your journey through the wilderness
of your grief may bring you through all kinds of
strange and unfamiliar terrain. Your experiences may
feel so alien that you feel more like you’re on the
moon! When you feel like you’re going crazy, remind
yourself to look for the trail marker that assures you
you’re not going crazy; you’re grieving. The two can
feel remarkably similar sometimes.
(Continued from page 18)
Page 20 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Amelia G. Krohn Basic Judaism
Collection
in honor of Matt Krohn's Special
Birthday by Douglas & Monique
Krohn, Lynn Krohn
in memory of Dorothy Kovan by
Lynn Krohn
Campership Fund
in appreciation of Temple Mt. Sinai
by Douglas Waters
in appreciation of Temple Mt. Sinai
by Barbara Given
in honor of Bob & Jane Rosen's new
granddaughter, Sophie by Bob &
Sara Shiloff
in honor of Jay Mendeloff's Special
Birthday by Ron Blumenfeld, Bob &
Sara Shiloff, Barbara Given, Milton
& Joan Cherno
in honor of Lory Oppenheimer's
Special Birthday by Ron Blumenfeld
in memory of Arline Yonack by
Mary Miller
in memory of Fran Zimet by Arthur
& Rhoberta Leeser
in memory of Irving Schecter by
Lyndon & Randee Mansfield, Loree
Furman, Keith & Becky Myers, Amy
Wilson, Meyer & Mindy Marcus,
Jay & Mary Heins, Thad & Kathryn
Steele, Ron Blumenfeld, Sharon
Stein & Family, Eddie & Rebecca
Kallman
in memory of Shirley Schecter by
Norma Levenson, Jay & Mary Heins
in memory of Sonia & William Katz
by Bruce Katz
Caring Community Fund
in honor of Jay Mendeloff's Special
Birthday by Keith & Becky Myers
in honor of Lola May's Birthday by
Anne Hollander
in honor of Sue Feldblum's Special
Birthday by Bill & Anne Spier
in memory of Irving Schecter by
Edward & Evelyn Schwartz
in memory of Jeri Klein by Keith &
Becky Myers
speedy recovery to Jan Wolfe &
Chet Frame by Bill & Anne Spier
Cemetery Fund
in honor of Jay Mendeloff's Special
Birthday by Bill & Marcia Dahlberg
in memory of Jeffrey Schweitzer by
Lee Schweitzer
in memory of Raymond Garmel by
Marion Garmel
in memory of Reba Swiff by Jay &
Marilyn Mendeloff
Ethel Oppenheimer Flower Fund
in memory of Barney Brickman by
Keith & Becky Myers
in memory of Evelynne Belford by
Lietzie Belford
in memory of Gene Hawkinson by
Lietzie Belford
in memory of Hannah Horwitz by
Julian Horwitz
in memory of Hilde Mason by Jim &
Carol Parker
in memory of Lena B. Rosenberg by
Steve Rosenberg
in memory of Lillian Lakehomer by
Arthur & Rhoberta Leeser
in memory of Mark Cohn & Lee
Aronstein by Bruce & Shelly Gopin
in memory of Raul Falcon & Hope
Garcia by Lily Falcon
in memory of Rose Weinberg by
Carol Molloy
Floyd Fierman Religious School
Fund
in memory of Edythe Fierman by
Merrill Krupp
in memory of Fran Zimet by
Barbara & Gershon Ettinger
speedy recovery to Paulette &
Mitchell Newberger by Dennis &
Anat Reiter
Friedman/Bloom/Rothstein
Outdoor Chapel
in honor of Jon & Arlene Sonnen's
Special Anniversary by Phil & Ann
Rothstein
in memory of Jerry Bloom by Idell
Rothstein
General Donations Fund
in appreciation of Sally Parke by
Susie Novick, Nita Goodman,
Rebecca Krasne
in appreciation of Temple Mt. Sinai
by Douglas Waters
in appreciation of Temple Mt. Sinai
by Azucena Monzon
in memory of Florence Adler Jacob
by Marty & Jody Klein
in memory of Irving Schecter by
Ruth Braun, Karen Natkin, Walter &
Theresa Chayes, Bill & Anne Spier
in memory of Jeri Klein by Adam &
Dana Frank, David & Jeanie Johns
in memory of Louis Levitt by
Wendy Axelrod
(Continued on page 21)
Tributes from January 11 to February 12
Page 21 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
in memory of Lucy Bleiberg by Al
Bleiberg
in memory of Maurice Schwartz by
Sister Blumenthal
in memory of Michele Levitt by
Jewel Reinhardt
Kahn Endowment
in memory of Dorothy Levy Katz by
Ruth Braun
Isadore Kahn Memorial Fund
in honor of Stuart Kahn's Special
Birthday by Valerie Barnett & Jack
Eisenberg, Buddy & Ellen Dorfman
Krasne Discretionary Fund
in honor of Bob & Jane Rosen on the
the birth of their granddaughter
Sophie Tyroler by Bob & Elaine
Krasne
in honor of Bob & Sara Shiloff's
Special Anniversary by Bill & Anne
Spier, Bob & Elaine Krasne
in honor of Jay Mendeloff's Special
Birthday by Bob & Elaine Krasne
in memory of Irving Schecter by
Bob & Elaine Krasne
in memory of Jeri Klein by Bob &
Elaine Krasne
in memory of Sander Starr by Bob &
Elaine Krasne
speedy recovery to Loree Furman
by Bob & Elaine Krasne, Bill & Anne
Spier
Landscape Special Projects Fund
in honor of Arlene & Mel
Levenson’s grandson, Ryan
Levenson's Bar Mitzvah by Jay &
Mary Heins
in honor of Jay Mendeloff's Special
Birthday by Norma Levenson
in honor of Sara & Bob Shiloff's
Special Anniversary by Valerie
Barnett & Jack Eisenberg
in memory of Irving Schecter by
Dick & Jean Scherotter
in memory of Terry Walker by Bob
& Shirley Goldfarb
speedy recovery to Bill Dahlberg by
Louis & Cindy Cohen
Lauterbach Youth & Campership
Fund
in honor of Bob & Jane Rosen's new
granddaughter, Sophie Tyroler by
Abe & Annette Goldberg
MAZON Donation
in honor of Paul Lazovick's Special
Birthday by Valerie Barnett & Jack
Eisenberg
Nathan Goldman Zadie Fund
in honor of Merton & Laura
Goldman's Special Anniversary by
Estelle Goldman
Plaque a Prayerbook
In memory of Abe Krantz by Bob &
Elaine Krasne
In memory of Edith Krantz by Bob
& Elaine Krasne
in honor of Jay Mendeloff's special
Birthday by Stuart & Shari Schwartz
in memory of Bettye M. Kohlhagen
by Bruce & Erline Gordon
in memory of Celia & David
Schecter by Bruce & Erline Gordon
in memory of Gloria Ekery by
Buddy Schwartz
in memory of Harold Novak by Bob
& Elaine Krasne
in memory of Irving & Soletta
Schwartz by Buddy Schwartz
in memory of Jean L. Schecter &
Irving Schecter by Bruce & Erline
Gordon
in memory of Jerry Bloom by Idell
Rothstein
in memory of Jill Kreitman by Bob
& Elaine Krasne
in memory of Klein, Lapowski &
Berg Families by Bruce & Erline
Gordon
in memory of Loved Ones by
Buddy Schwartz
in memory of Max Kreitman by Bob
& Elaine Krasne
in memory of Millard Krasne by
Bob & Elaine Krasne
in memory of Rabbi Cohn by Rabbi
Bach's Discretionary Fund
in memory of Rabbi Fierman by
Rabbi Bach's Discretionary Fund
in memory of Rabbi Phillips by
Rabbi Bach's Discretionary Fund
in memory of Rabbi Zielonka by
Rabbi Bach's Discretionary Fund
in memory of Selma Kreitman by
Bob & Elaine Krasne
in memory of Thama Lee Friedman
by Bob & Elaine Krasne
in memory of Willard Friedman by
Bob & Elaine Krasne
in memory of Sara Krasne by Bob &
Elaine Krasne
in memory of Irving Schecter by
Buddy Schwartz, Gershon &
Barbara Ettinger
Prayer Book Fund
in memory of Bluma Silverstein by
Stuart & Shari Schwartz
in memory of Irving Schecter by
Joyce Davidoff, Bert Davidoff,
Helen Baum
in memory of Jeri Klein by Mr.
Edward Wise
Page 22 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Rabbi Bach's Discretionary Fund
in appreciation of Rabbi Larry Bach
by John & Shirley Leonhardt
in honor of Jane Rosen's Birthday by
Alan & Mimi Pittle
in honor of Liz Goodman Levy's
Special Birthday by Evelyn
Goodman & Family
in memory of Bluma Silverstein by
Bob & Jane Snow
in memory of Col. Martin Muehsam
by Mitchell Muehsam
in memory of Estelle Harrison by
Judy Leonard
in memory of Irving Schecter by Judy
Leonard, John & Shirley Leonhardt,
John & Kristine Shecter, Arthur &
Rhoberta Leeser
in memory of Jean Craige Bach by
John & Kristine Shecter
in memory of Jeri Klein by Sue
Feldblum
in memory of Shirley Goldstein
Schecter by John & Kristine Shecter
in memory of Vivian J. Levinson by
Marty & Jody Klein
Roth Campership Donation
in memory of Herbert Roth by Bruce
& Ann Gronich
Ruth Kahn/Andrew Kahn Rose
Garden Donation
in honor of Stuart Kahn's Special
Birthday by Bill & Marcia Dahlberg,
Milton & Joan Cherno
in memory of Jeanne Post by Stuart
& Frances Kahn
in memory of Shirley Schecter by
Stuart & Frances Kahn
Special Oneg or Kiddush
in memory of Josefina Holguin by
Fifi Heller-Kaim & Boris Kaim
in memory of Mark Cohn & Lee
Aronstein by Bruce & Shelly Gopin
in memory of Melittia Axelrod &
Lena Levitt by Wendy Axelrod
in memory of Phyllis Fruithandler by
Ross & Linda Fruithandler
in memory of Raul Falcon & Hope
Garcia by Lily Falcon
in memory of Sandi Kern & Ruth
Kern by David Kern & Mollie Kern
Tree Of Life Donation
in honor of Jay Mendeloff's Special
Birthday by Judy & Phil Bargman,
Nancy Laster & Ross Dahman, Sue
Bendalin, Carolyn Feinberg, Dick &
Toni Harris, Joyce Jaffee, Jeanne
Moye, Paquita Litt, Mimi Lait, Jim &
Anne Spier, Bud & Charlotte
Ramenofsky, Paul & Ellen Gulbas,
Irene Oppenheimer, Rita Davis, Bob
& Jane Rosen, Abe & Annette
Goldberg, Steve, Audrey & Graham
Oppenheimer
in honor of Stuart Kahn's Special
Birthday by David & Rose Schecter,
Arthur & Gloria August, Manon &
Ellen Daugherty, Myer & Beth
Lipson, Bob & Jane Rosen, Marvin &
Harriet Roth, Phil & Ann Rothstein,
Jerry & Stanlee Rubin
Youth Fund
in honor of Paul Lazovick's Special
Birthday by Abe & Annette Goldberg
Tributes from January 11 to February 12, continued..
Leaves and Stones on the Temple’s Tree of Life
Do you know that you can honor or remember a loved one with a leaf or a stone on the Tree of
Life? This beautiful work of art is displayed on the wall in the foyer at Temple just outside the
Sanctuary.
For a minimum donation of $300 for a leaf or $3,000 for a stone, the brass will be engraved
according to your instructions and will remain on the Tree of Life forever. Your donation becomes
part of the Foundation Trust and benefits Temple Mount Sinai in perpetuity.
For more information, contact Sally Parke at the Temple office at 532-5959.
Page 23 March 2011/Adar I-II, 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Yahrzeits for March 2011 March 4-5, 2011 Helen Berg Julius Berg Morris Bir Sidney Blaugrund Sarah Blumenfeld Ginger Chapman Hinda Cohn Humberto Corral Milton D. Feinberg Jennie Friedman Charles M. Fruithandler Irene Galatzan Claire Gillen Roslyn A. Golden Giza Gray Helene Herman Stella Herman Hattie Belle Hoffman Solomon Juda Simon Kotosky Brannette M. Krupp Shirley Luger Sara Mandel David Medoff Desider Miller Raul Nieto Mollie Oliver Ethel A. Oppenheimer Maria Rodriguez Ruth C. Rosen Sarah F. Sattinger Adolph Schwartz Bernice Schwartz Lois Stampa Benjamin Weinberg Emanuel Zimmerman March 11-12, 2011 Martin Andorn Abe A. Barnett Miriam Bir Joseph B. Blaugrund Abraham Eisen Milton S. Feinberg Abraham Fertel Jack Finger Byran Funk Herbert M. Given Louis Greenberg
Max Kreitman Miriam Lewis Levy Sam Loew Gale Mendeloff Edwin Moye Julius M. Nasits Lawrence D. Oppenheimer Minnie Ramenofsky Norman N. Rosen Louis Rubin Simon Saks Jacob Schut John Herbert Shanblum Maurice Solomon Sadye Spiritus Felix R. Suhler Terry Walker Irene Waxman Noah Zaltz Harold Zimmerman March 18-19, 2011 Rene Alpern Lazarus S. Bach Joshua Batkin Naomi Bender Celia Blumenthal Esther Cohen Claire Fass Sam Fierman Bernard Given Saul Gordon Stanley E. Gordon Nina Grey Julia Horwitz Frank Klein Minna Krakauer Eli Paul Krupp Arthur Loew Fanny Lovinthal Sydney S. Mandel Abraham Melmed Ella Borschow Pearlman Howard Arthur Post Mathy Chayes Pottock Gladys Schecter Archie Shiloff Norman Stone Barney Taber
Trystan Yancy Rose Zimmerman March 25-26, 2011 Edwin Berliner Frank Bernat Mildred Blumenfeld Margola Cohen Fred Davidoff Geri Given Jean Swartz Golden Paul Herman Albert Heydemann Isadore J. Kahn Millard Krasne Galina Kreinovich Rhoda Labowitz Joseph Lazovick William Lieberman Gerry Mann LoisAnn H. Markowitz Ben Prensky Pearl Rosen Doris(Dottie) Rosenfield Leo A. Rowen Charlene M. Smith Willie Weiss April 1-2, 2011 Bobby Abramson Dorothy Blumkin Harry M. Brettler James H. Daross Sandford Feldblum Mary Lee Finger Charles Given John N. Groesbeeck Irving L. Herman Lydia Imber Richard Jacobs Morton Andrew Jaffe Lillian Lazovick Evelyn Leff Harold Mann Larry Gene Metcalf Lawrence Meyer Sadie Miller Alice T. Purvin Lawrence Reedman Kathryn Rosenbaum
Abe Scherotter Jack Schwartz Ben Shanblum Sidney Stern Marian Warsowe Anne Ovsay Weiss Dorothy Krupp Wolfson April 8-9, 2011 Francis Eisner Barjansky Max Borschow Dorothy Carter David Cohen Amelia Delgado Grace D. Fagelman Linda Falcon Sylvia Friedman Jimmy Given Buena Ventura Gonzalez Consuelo Hughes Evelyn Jaffee Abraham Karsch Erna Schiff Krakauer Jeanette Lait Irving Levine Jean Loew Tillie Kress Podus Ann H. Reinhardt Isidore Rosen Laura Rosenberg Greta Roth Florence B. Rothbardt Matilda A. Shanblum David Terk Henry Weiller
Staff
Rabbi ............................................................... Larry Bach Rabbi Emeritus ............................................... Ken Weiss Administrator ................................................ Sally Parke Administrative Assistant .................... Buddy Schwartz Religious School Director................................ Grace Bir Outreach Director ........................................Susan Jaffee Youth Advisor ............................................... Stacy Berry Rabbi’s Assistant ........................................... Elisa Gluck Building Manager .............................. Frank Hernandez House Keeping ......................................Ramona Pinales Accompanist ........................................... Linda McClain
Officers
David Kern ................................................................. President
Shari Schwartz ................................................. President-Elect
Marian Daross .................................................... Vice President
Greta Duran ........................................................ Vice President
Ellen Goodman .................................................. Vice President
David Leffman ................................................... Vice President
Jon Sonnen .......................................................... Vice President
Stephanie Calvo .......................................................... Secretary
Marcia Dahlberg ............................ Immediate Past President
Trustees
Rick Amstater, Joyce Davidoff,
Scott Feldt, Lori Gaman, Susie Goldman,
Jack Heydemann, Maria Klein, Hal Marcus,
Susan May, David Novick, Debby Robalin,
Phil Rothstein, Mark Schrier, Jane Snow
Temple Mount Sinai 4408 North Stanton Street El Paso, TX 79902 Phone: 915-532-5959 Fax: 915-533-0092 www.templemountsinai.com
Temple Mount Sinai is the
Reform Jewish congregation
serving El Paso, Texas.
We are a congregation of
supportive, caring and
diverse people with a rich
history.
Temple is a place for prayer,
ritual, spirituality, education,
wholeness and healing, social
action and celebration.
Join us as we explore,
through these elements of
sacred living, the richness of
Jewish faith and tradition.
Mailing Address
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. Postage
PAID
EL Paso TX
Permit No. 1386