July - Temple Israel

Volume 1, Issue 7 July/August 2012 ✡ Tammuz/Av/Elul 5772
Temple Israel, an
egalitarian Conservative
synagogue rooted in a rich
heritage of traditional
Jewish values, is committed
to enhancing the religious,
spiritual, educational and
cultural life of its members
and the larger Jewish
community through a
commitment to Torah, our
community, and continuity
and growth amid change.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
CHRONICLE
“Dor L’Dor — Generation to Generation”
Temple Israel's 90th Annual Dinner
& Meeting held on June 10, 2012
Over 170 people attended the 90th Annual Dinner & Meeting honoring outgoing president,
Frederick Levy and incoming president, Rosemary Chromey at the Woodlands Inn & Resort.
Rabbi Larry G. Kaplan served as Master of Ceremonies. Musical selections were offered by
Robert Fortinsky on the piano before dinner and by Elizabeth Abraham, accompanied by her
father, Cantor Ahron Abraham.
Staff:
Larry G. Kaplan, Rabbi
Ahron Abraham, Cantor
Gerri Kaplan, Principal
Debra Schonfeld, Administrator
Marie Blizzard, Chronicle Editor
Officers:
Rosemary Chromey, President
Ann D. Smith, LCSW,
Chairman of the Board
Tammie Harris
School Board Chair
Schedule of Services
Minyan:
Monday & Thursday Mornings,
7:15 AM
(Other days by arrangement with
Cantor Abraham)
Sunday Mornings, 8 AM
Sunday through Saturday
Afternoons, 5:15 PM
Rabbi Larry Kaplan; Ann Smith, Chairman of the Board; incoming
president, Rosemary Chromey; and outgoing president, Fred Levy.
Shabbat Services:
Saturday Morning, 9:30 AM
See Detailed Shabbat Schedule
Inside
Phone: (570) 824-8927
Fax: (570) 824-0904
Layout Design courtesy of
Bedwick & Jones Printing.
visit our website at: http://www.templewb.org
Front row: Ann Smith, Rosemary Chromey and
new Board member, Melissa Saidman.
Back row: New board member, Barbara Levy;
Rabbi Kaplan; new board members, Stanley
Pearlman and Sheri Robzen.
New board officers: front row, Ann Smith, Chair;
Rosemary Chromey & Deborah Troy. Back row:
Abbe Kruger, Rabbi Kaplan, Ina Lubin & Rob
Friedman.
e-mail us at: office@templewb.org

Rabbi Kaplan
Dear Friends,
At our ritual
committee
meeting ably led
by chairman Larry
Keiser we had an
interesting
discussion about
the first of two
issues that I want
to bring to your attention. Your input on
these matters is extremely important
because they will affect our
congregation in the future.
The first matter is the possibility of
accommodating interfaith burials at our
Temple Israel cemetery in Swoyersville.
The committee looked at some of the
Jewish legal issues (the Halachic
background) which present both ancient
and more recent interpretations.
Essentially, there is no Halachic
prohibition against non-Jewish burials in
a Jewish cemetery, and in a related
Conservative Movement Teshuvah
(rabbinic responsum) by Rabbi Ben
Tzion Bergman in 1991, it is clear that
the Jewish integrity of the cemetery is
not affected by the inclusion of non-
Jewish burial in the same space. About a
dozen of my rabbinic colleagues
responded to my question to them about
their cemetery practices in this regard,
and each of them presented some format
by which their congregations
accommodate the needs of interfaith
families by allowing burials in a section
of their congregational cemetery.
Our committee discussed various
possibilities, and focused on setting aside
a portion of our cemetery in
Swoyersville for interfaith burials with
the following suggested policy: 1) Burials
would be subject to the Temple Israel
rabbi’s approval, 2) They would be
performed according to Jewish tradition
only, 3) no non-Jewish symbols would
appear on the monuments. The specifics
of where this section will be, how it will
be delineated in the cemetery, and other
particulars will be part of a policy the
ritual committee will create. The
congregational board will need to
approve the suggestions of the ritual
committee. And that means that your
input is crucial. It’s one of the two
matters I’d like you to think about, and
Writes...
to contact with your thoughts either
committee chairman Larry Keiser, our
president Rosemary Chromey, our board
chair Ann Smith, or any of our other
officers. You can also let me know how
you feel, or what questions you have.
The second question is about the
additional days of Passover, Sukkot, and
Shavuot which Israel does not observe,
but which all Orthodox and most
Conservative congregations do observe
in America. The Torah commands that
we observe seven days of Passover and
seven days of Sukkot. The first and last
days of these holidays, plus one day of
Shavuot, are considered Sabbaths in
God’s eyes, and are treated as if they are
Shabbat. Due to the lack of a precise
calendar in the ancient world, the new
month (and its holidays) was declared
after witnesses to the tiniest first sliver of
the moon testified that they saw this sign
of the new month in the sky. Since the
previous Hebrew month might have had
either 29 or 30 days, this testimony was
crucial in determining the exact start of
the new month since whatever festivals
fell during that month would need to
begin on the right day.
And within the country of Israel there
was no problem getting word of this
announcement from Jerusalem to the
outlying communities in time for any
festivals to begin. But getting the word to
Jewish communities outside of Israel took
a long time- and in order to make certain
that they hadn’t missed the correct day to
begin a festival, those Jewish
communities outside of Israel simply
celebrated the festival for two initial days
and for two ending days, knowing that
the previous month either had 29 days or
30 days. So instead of celebrating
Passover on the 14th of Nisan and the
end of the holiday on the 22nd of Nisan,
they celebrated the beginning also on the
15th of Nisan and the conclusion of the
festival also on the 23rd of Nisan. The
seven day Biblically mandated festival
had become eight days, and the five
intermediate days (Chol HaMo’ed) had
been reduced to four. The same held for
Sukkot, and similarly, an extra day was
added to Shavu’ot.
The Reform Movement in America
has long since dispensed with the
additional days of the Festivals, known
as Yom Tov Sheni shel Galuyot- Second
Day of the Festival for the Diaspora. In
Israel they were never observed. Because
the tradition of the additional days
remained long after the calendar was
fixed (back in the 2nd Century!), the
only ones grappling with the possible
change are Conservative congregations
outside of Israel.
There wasn’t actually much
grappling being done because Jews
simply came to synagogue on the first
two and last two days of the festivals. It
has meant taking an additional five days
off from work (after all, these days are
also considered Sabbaths, although the
Talmud did note that they were not of
the same strict standards as the actual
first and last day of the holidays). It has
also meant that in smaller synagogues,
fewer and fewer people come to services
on these days. In fact, while the second
day of Passover, Sukkot, and Shavuot are
not of particular importance, and neither
are the last days of Passover and Sukkot,
the seventh day of Passover is an
important day. It’s the day we read the
crossing of the Red Sea in the Torah. And
while the second day of Shavuot is not
an important Torah reading, the first day
of Shavuot is- it’s the Ten
Commandments.
But since we have been adding
Yizkor services to the last day of Passover
and the second day of Shavuot- we’ve
gotten a much bigger turnout for the
Yizkor day which has an unimportant
Torah reading (remember- it doesn’t even
exist in Israel!), while most of us end up
missing the 7th day of Passover (and the
reading of the crossing of the Red Sea)
and the 1st day of Shavuot (and the
reading of the 10 commandments).
Because of Yizkor falling on the last day,
many of us miss those crucial readings
entirely, and they are the Biblical point
of those days to begin with!
This year, I decided to move Yizkor
to the 1st day of Shavuot. We had about
75 people in Temple who heard the Ten
Commandments and said Yizkor. The
next day, the second day of Shavuot, we
had about 18. We did Yizkor again (we
didn’t want anyone to miss it), but
clearly this all makes a difference.
Continued on page 3
Page 2

Cantor’s Notes
One of the famous stories about
our forefather Abraham describes
how the patriarch was visited by
three angelic messengers shortly
after his circumcision. In this story,
we are taught that God himself visits
Abraham to perform bikur cholim,
the visiting of a person who is ill,
and to help in the healing process
Cantor Ahron Abraham through this act. As we are to
emulate God in our own actions, we can clearly see the
importance of this mitzvah. Bikur cholim is incumbent upon
every Jew. The Talmud teaches that a visitor may help a
patient improve just by being present and offering their
attention and loving-kindness. Maimonides taught that
visiting the sick unites human compassion with the nurturing
Shechina (divine presence), thus inviting God into the world.
Most of you have performed this mitzvah and know how
beneficial it is to both the visitor and the person being
visited. Like all mitzvot, it is important to teach our children
the importance of bikur cholim. I’m happy to say that our
Hebrew School students have actively participated in this
mitzvah thanks to the work of Rabbi Zvi Perlman, who
weekly has youngsters from all grade levels calling
homebound individuals and wishing them a Shabbat
Shalom. We’ve also had our students visiting nursing homes
at holiday times to sing for residents.
For the past two years I’ve arranged musical
performances at the Medical Oncology Center in Kingston.
After reading articles about the positive response of patients
to musical performances and music therapy, Carol
Greenwald had the idea of bringing music into the Center
during treatment hours and approached me about arranging
some “musical visits”. As with most acts of bikur cholim, the
results were positive on both the giving and receiving end.
So positive, in fact, that Scott Coates, the choral director of
Wyoming Valley West Middle School, asked if he could
bring a group back before the end of the school year. He did
just that during the last week of school in June, to the delight
of both the patients and medical professionals. My thanks go
to Mr. Coates and Principal Debbie Troy for teaching their
students more than just academics. It was wonderful to see
both Jewish and non-Jewish students participating in bikur
cholim, a mitzvah that is certainly not exclusive to Judaism,
but likely originated with Judaism and found its way into
Christian and Islamic practice. The mitzvah fits in the
category of Gemilut Chasadim, acts of loving kindness
essential to Tikun Olam, the healing and repairing of our
world.
Cemetery Plantings
It’s that time of year when people begin planting flowers on the graves of their loved ones. Please note that
flowers and plants only are allowed to be planted in the cemetery, NO TREES OR SHRUBS. If you need assistance,
please contact our cemetery caretaker, Paul Lehman by calling his wife, Carla at 814-6834. Please note that no
garbage cans are available in the cemetery, so when you finish, please take your trash with you.
We Care
Want to attend services or Temple events, but have no transportation?
Just call the Temple office a few days in advance and we will try to
arrange a ride for you.
Rabbi Kaplan Continued from page 2
The Conservative Movement has no
Jewish Legal problem with following the
Israeli calendar for holidays (one Festival
day in the beginning, one day in the
end). A number of Conservative
synagogues have done away with the
additional days and only celebrate as
Israel does. It means that their Temple
offices are open on the Second Day of
Passover and Sukkot and Shavuot. They
are simply not celebrated as Festivals. It
means that Yizkor is held on the 7th day
of Passover, and on Shemini Atzeret at
the end of Sukkot (Simchat Torah is held
the same day), and on the first day of
Shavuot. Rosh Hashanah remains two
days as it is in Israel. No one has
suggested making Yom Kippur a two day
holiday!
Our current ritual committee has not
discussed this issue yet, but we hope to
hear your thoughts and concerns to
include in our deliberations. It is quite
possible that the time has come for
Temple Israel to accommodate its
interfaith couples in its burial practices
and to fall in line with Israel in our
celebration of our Festivals. It’s up to you
to make your concerns and ideas known
to me and to the board and ritual
committee.
If you’d like further information on
any of these ancient topics with
relevance for today, please don’t hesitate
to ask.
Wishing you an enjoyable summer!
Rabbi Kaplan
Page 3

SCHOOL NOTES
Happy
July/August
Birthdays to
Our Students
July 12 Ari Bartolai
July 14 Nora Seeherman
July 16 Marilyn Ogof
July 16 Sinclaire Ogof
July 21 Alexis Soifer
August 4 Ethan Kruger
August 5 Elijah Miller
August 7 Colton Winters
August 16 Halle Kranson
August 19 Hannah Ralston
August 20 Coby Kornfeld
August 24 Sophia Kruger
August 31 Bari Lefkowitz
Mazel Tov
to All of Our
2012 High School
and College Graduates.
Best wishes as you pursue your
personal and professional goals.
Sponsor a Kiddush
on Shabbat
Do you have an upcoming Simcha that you would like
to share with the congregation? Why not sponsor a Kiddush
in honor of that special occasion. Come celebrate the birth
of a child or grandchild, a special birthday, a marriage or a
milestone anniversary by sponsoring a Kiddush following
Shabbat services.
For information on sponsoring a weekly Kiddush, call the
Temple office, at 824-8927 or e-mail office@templewb.org.
Adult Bat Mitzvah &
Basic Hebrew Reading
Classes to be offered
at Temple Israel
Rabbi Kaplan will be offering Adult Bat Mitzvah classes
again this year. Our former students, who were called to the
Torah in May, 2010, became leaders in the congregation in
various capacities and we look forward to a new class to
follow in their capable footsteps! In anticipation of the Bat
Mitzvah class, Rabbi Kaplan will be offering a class in Basic
Hebrew Reading, which will teach the Hebrew alphabet and
vowels. Classes will be held on Monday evenings in the
School Building with dates TBA. The Basic Hebrew classes
will be open to everyone, both women and men. If
interested, please call the Temple office at 824-8927 or
e-mail rabbi@templewb.org.
Temple Israel Funds
The following is a listing of Temple Israel funds to which donors may contribute for memorials, simchas,
recoveries, etc. Minimum contribution is $5.00 unless otherwise noted.
DR. AND MRS. HAROLD BERSON FUND
THE MURIEL BRAVMAN MEMORIAL FUND
BUILDING FUND
BIBLE FUND ($10)
CHAI CONTRIBUTIONS ($18)
SALLY & RALPH CONNOR
HIDDUR MITZVAH FUND
JOSEPH N. COPLAN PRAYER BOOK FUND
CHARLOTTE & JOE CUTLER FUND
ETZ CHAIM BIBLE ($118)
FEED THE HOMELESS FUND
FRIEDMAN INTERFAITH ENDOWMENT
ROBERT FRIEDMAN
LITURGICAL MUSIC FUND
IRWIN H. GELB EDUCATIONAL FUND
HAPPY DAY FUND
ENID HERSHEY KIDDUSH CUP FUND
HIGH HOLIDAY PRAYER BOOK FUND ($7.50)
LAWRENCE HOLLANDER B'NAI MITZVAH
PRAYER BOOK FUND
MARION & JACOB ISAACS ENDOWMENT
DORIS & SIDNEY KEISER KERUV FUND
EMIL & NATALIE KELLNER
HEBREW SCHOOL FUND
ESTHER & NATHAN KLEIN
PASSOVER ENDOWMENT
RALPH & MURIEL KLEIN MEMORIAL FUND
HANNAH & WILLIAM S. KLINE
LIBRARY FUND
LANDAU PAVILION FUND
LEVY CHAPEL FUND
BEN LIBENSON MEMORIAL ART FUND
FRANK & HILDA LUBIN
FEED THE HOMELESS FUND
LYONS EDUCATION FUND
MINNIE MORRELL MUSIC FUND
MINYAN FUND
BARBARA NEWSBAUM MILLER
PRAYER BOOK FUND
SAM NELSON CARE PACKAGE FUND
DORIS & JEROME NEWMAN
EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT FUND
PASCALE/KAPLAN EDUCATIONAL FUND
PRAYER BOOK FUND
RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND
RABINOWITZ TALLIT FUND
JOAN F. & HERBERT L. RITTENBERG FAMILY
ENDOWMENT
SALLYANNE, HAROLD & FRANK SCOTT
ROSENN COMMUNITY SERVICE
ENDOWMENT
SAIDMAN-GREENWALD TORAH FUND
($18 MINIMUM)
SANCTUARY FUND ($25)
SHAFFER SHABBAT KIDDUSH FUND
SHAFFER SUKKAH ENDOWMENT
SILBERMAN MEZUZZAH FUND
SIMS ENDOWMENT
MARK SLOMOWITZ MEMORIAL
ENDOWMENT
HAROLD R. SMITH HEBREW SCHOOL FUND
MAX & TILLIE UNGAR FAMILY
MEMORIAL ENDOWMENT
USY/KADIMA FUND
MORRIS VILENSKY MEMORIAL FUND
Page 4

SHABBAT
SHABBAT
SCHEDULE
July
BALAK
Friday, July 6
Candlelighting time....................................8:21 p.m.
Saturday, July 7 .................................................9:30 a.m.
Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m.
✡ ✡ ✡ ✡
PINCHAS
Friday, July 13
Candlelighting time....................................8:18 p.m.
Saturday, July 14..............................................9:30 a.m.
Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m.
✡ ✡ ✡ ✡
MATOT/MASEI
Friday, July 20
Candlelighting time....................................8:13 p.m.
Saturday, July 21..............................................9:30 a.m.
Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m.
✡ ✡ ✡ ✡
DEVARIM
SHABBAT CHAZON
Friday, July 27
Candlelighting time....................................8:07 p.m.
EREV TISHA B’AV
Saturday, July 28 ...............................................9:30 a.m.
Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m.
✡ ✡ ✡ ✡
TISHA B’AV
Sunday, July 29
Festival service ...........................................9:30 a.m.
SHABBAT
SHABBAT
SCHEDULE
August
VA’ETCHANAN
SHABBAT NACHAMU
Friday, August 3
Candlelighting time....................................7:59 p.m.
Saturday, August 4 ............................................9:30 a.m.
Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m.
✡ ✡ ✡ ✡
EKEV
Friday, August 10
Candlelighting time....................................7:51 p.m.
Saturday, August 11 .........................................9:30 a.m.
Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m.
✡ ✡ ✡ ✡
RE’EH
Friday, August 17
Candlelighting time....................................7:41 p.m.
Saturday, August 18 .........................................9:30 a.m.
Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m.
✡ ✡ ✡ ✡
SHOFTIM
Friday, August 24
Candlelighting time....................................7:31 p.m.
Saturday, August 25 ..........................................9:30 a.m.
Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m.
Mazel Tov to:
• Zeke Berger, son of Dr. Matthew and Susan Berger, who
celebrated his Bar Mitzvah on June 11, 2012 with his
family on top of Masada in Israel
• Bill Clearfield on the marriage of his son,
Matthew to Xin Jin
• Allison & Bruce Danoff on the marriage of their son,
Jesse to Diana Smith
• Bill & Emily Isaacs on the Bat Mitzvah of their
granddaughter, Mollie Elizabeth Isaacs
• Stanley & Myra Smulyan on the Bat Mitzvah of their
granddaughter, Stephanie Smulyan
Condolences to:
• Nancy Freedman on the passing of her father, Saul Linzer
• Chad Kranson on the passing of his father, Martin Kranson
• Evan Kranson on the passing of his father, Martin Kranson
• The family of Phyllis Mitchneck on her passing
• Bedonna & Joe Mitchneck on the passing of their daughter,
Heidi Seeherman
• Jay Seeherman on the passing of his wife,
Heidi Seeherman
Page 5

✡ July Yahrzeits ✡
Week of July 1 – July 8: Isaac Baicker, Simon Coblentz, Hyman
Davidowitz, Honnie Duncan, Julius Farber, Louis Feldman, Betty Frier,
Esther Greenbaum, Rubin Greenberg, William Harrison,
Esther Kaufer, Minnie Klein, Gertrude Koff, Sam Kornfeld, Joel Levey,
Ida Meyer, Arnold Nachlis, Nancy Pascale, Lazarus Rothstein, Joseph
Schoenholtz, Elizabeth Scott, Rivkah Scwarzblatt, Louis Shaffer, Bertha
Siegel, Samuel J. Slomowitz, Mildred Sugarman, Leah Trompetter,
Calvin Ungar, James Weiss
Week of July 9 – July 15: Daniel Amdur, Eleanor Barr, Morris Cutler,
Joan Davis, Theodore Domowitz, Louis Feldman, Louise Kupperman,
Joseph Leventhal, Sarah Levy, Sylvia Mittleman, Jerome Newman, Rose
Newsbaum, Ronald Popky, Harry Poplin, Joseph Rabinowitz, Ruth
Rothman, Julius Savitz, Lena Siegel, Marc Sirota, Marjorie Smith,
Leah Ufberg
Week of July 16 – July 22: M.D. Brandwene, Arthur Burnat, Ruth
Cavanaugh, Elizabeth Dattner, Mildred Dattner, Esther Engel, Jean
Mittleman Epstein, Leonard Friedman, Albert Gelb, Manny Gordon,
Carol Swit Kaplan, Woodrow Kaufer, Joseph Kellner, Ella Kluger, Isaac
Krasno, Mildred Leventhal, Ned Levey, Bernard Morris, Frieda Morris,
Morris Perloff, Philip Plaksin, Tillie Plotkin, Lottie Rosenthal, Alfred
Rothschild, Joseph Savitz, Jack Schoenfeld, Albert Schwager, Juliette
Stein Brown, Alfred Stern, Louis Unterberger, William J. Weisberger
Week of July 23 – July 31: Myron Ball, Abraham Barras, Bernard
Bartikowsky, David Clearfield, Oscar Connor, Manny Cumsky, Joan
Betty Fishman, Fannie Goldstein, Lillian Grabar, George Green
Minnie Harris, Sam Hirshowitz, Harold Hyman, David Jacobs, Sarah
Kanoff, Ida Levitt, Hannah Mendelssohn, Mervyn Mersay, Beverly
Morrow, Bessie Naveen, Charles Nelson, Sidney Newman, Murray
Popky, Aaron Rand, Rose Rinzler, Bertha Saidman, Sara Saidman, Bette
Schecter, Charles Shapiro, Marion Smulyan, Albert Sussman, Louise
Tischler, Rebecca Tishman, Al Ufberg
Please note the following local members who are observing yahrzeits
during the month of July and try to attend minyan with them in order
that they may say Kaddish:
July 1 Irene Blum, Ed Duncan,
Ruth Levey, Judd Shoval
July 2 Dr. Irving Berger, Shirley
Schoenholtz
July 3 Harry Rothstein, Ruth
Chariton
July 4 Velma Smith, Steven
Nachlis, Anita Plotkin,
Marvin Slomowitz
July 5 Bill Davidowitz, Sandie
Lefkowitz, Gerri Kaplan,
Susan Shoval, Norman
Weiss
July 6 Sandra Feldman
July 7 Estelle Freedman, Gary
Kornfeld, Mark Kornfeld,
Cheri Davidowitz
July 8 Eileen Trompetter
July 9 Lewis Siegel, Marvin
Smith
July 10 Ruth Sten, Ethel Moskow
July 12 Linda Abrams, Sidney
Friedman, Atty. Joseph J.
Savitz, Atty. Murray
Ufberg
July 14 Susan Minkoff
July 15 Shirley Fortinsky, Bill
Rabinowitz
July 16 Roz Friedman, Cathy
Zachar
July 17 Molly Cohen, Margaret
Weisberger
July 18 Richard Burnat, Joan
Meyer, Atty. David
Schwager
July 19 Linda Abrams
Page 6
July 20 Alice Ellman, Janet Gelb,
Howard Kellner, Atty.
Allan Kluger, Bernice
Fierman, Daniel Fierman,
Allen Plotkin
July 22 Ina Lubin, Constance
Stern
July 23 Tammie Harris, Carol
Greenwald, Atty. Sheila
Saidman, Dr. Bruce
Saidman
July 24 Carol Greenwald, Atty.
Sheila Saidman, Dr.
Bruce Saidman
July 25 Max Bartikowsky
July 26 Barbara Levy, Sandie
Lefkowitz
July 27 Isobel Slomowitz, Atty.
Murray Ufberg
July 28 Geraldine Hyman
July 29 Dr. David Barras, Atty.
Harold Rosenn, Margery
Ufberg, Laurie Schwager,
Nina Izenberg, Ina Lubin
July 30 Dr. Irvin Jacobs
July 31 Phillip Connor, Francine
Grossman, Sharon
Cohen
✡ August Yahrzeits ✡
Week of August 1 – August 8: Joseph Blum, Irving Brown, Adele Coblentz, Max
Cohen, Jacob Feldman, Hyman Goichman, Julius Greenberg, Sol Gutterman, Oscar
Hacker, Beatrice Hearst, Leopold Hochberger, Nathan Iscovitz, Emil Kellner, Irving
Kirshner, Benjamin Klavonski, Jacob Klavonski, Irving Lang, Dora Levinson, Marge
Lewis, David Libenson, Barbara Miller, Max Moskowitz, Sara Newman, Minna
Rosenbaum, Louis Rubel, Ethel Sadock, Michael Salamon, Zelda Salamon, Elsie
Salsburg, Arthur Savitz, Harry Savitz, Rosalyn Smulowitz, Mary Waxman, Sol Weiss
Week of August 9 – August 15: Tillie Bell, Jack Bergsmann, Leonard Berman,
Howard Biederman, Arnold Bleyer, Betty Weisberger Bohm, Faye Boxer, Philip
Bravman, Earl Robert Congleton, Marjorie Leila Congleton, Hannah Cushman,
Theodore Diamond, Irving Domowitz, Ruth Falk, Lena Fierman, Harry Frank, Leon
Franklin, Sidney Friedman, Adele Gevirtz, Max Goldstein, Sadie Grossman, Joel
Hanovice, Samuel Hanovice, Ruth Kluger, Jean Levin, Jacob Levy, Henry Mermel,
Harry Mitchneck, Abe Naveen, Rose Plessett, Bertha Rappaport, Sarah Robin,
Michael Schoenholtz, Hilde Schwager, Rosalind Schweiger, William Speizman, Israel
Zager, Barbara Zwirn
Week of August 16 – August 22: Beth Abrams, Esther Beber, Marian Blum, Clara
Brown, Maxine Coblentz, A.H. Gallow, Arthur Gelfand, Murray Geller, Polina
Gurevich, Ethel Haber, Anna Idelchik, Harvey Miller, Ruth Morris, Harry Rifkin,
Bertha Rosenthal, Meyer Schwartz, Ruth Shaffer, Marjorie Slomowitz, Henry
Thalenfeld, Isaac Werner
Week of August 23 – August 31: Mollie Abrahamson, Marsha Alter, Stuart Beck,
Phyllis Berger, Anna Birnbaum, Bessie Bloom, Matilda Burnat, Bert Feldman, David
Feldman, Rebecca Feldman, Frank Fogel, Jack Friedman, Samuel Goldstein, Morris
Greenberg, Rose Greenberg, Jacob Groh, Philip Hershkowitz, Irving Hinerfeld,
Seymour Hirschhorn, Joseph Hollander, Geraldine Hyman, Sylvia Isaacs, Mollie
Kaplan, Howard Kayton, Sidney Keiser, Anna Krotick, Harry Kuffler, Mildred Lang,
Lewis Mermel, Sylvia Messinger, Harry Minkoff, Anne Null, Mitchell Plessett, Eva
Raub, Irving Robin, Ethel Schoenholtz, Seymour Schoenholtz, Dorothy Slaff Dattner,
Bruce Smulowitz, Norman Sondheim, Samuel H. Stuttman, Shirley Troy, Ethel
Wachtler, Rabbi David Wolfe-Blank, Pauline Yourdon
Please note the following local members who are observing yahrzeits during the
month of August and try to attend minyan with them in order that they may say
Kaddish:
August 1 Eleanor Cohen, Estelle
Fredman
August 2 Sally Berman, Ethel
Moskow, Maxine Libenson
August 4 Ellen Smith, Charlotte
Klavonski, Eleanor Cohen,
Sherri Robin, Lesley
Baltimore, Julie Norton
August 5 Atty. Larry Keiser, Anne
Rappaport, Howard Kellner,
Ruth Sten, Meral Libenson,
Anne Cohen, Janet Gelb
August 6 Sandra Adler, Charlotte
Klavonski, Estelle Freedman,
Lesley Baltimore, Julie
Norton, Janice Savitz
August 7 Atty. Joseph J. Savitz
August 8 Max Salsburg
August 9 Ernest Weisberger, Naomi
Meyer
August 10 Brian Newirth, Harvey
Rappaport, Marvin
Rappaport
August 11 Irving Moskow, Arthur
Shuman, Nancy Shuman,
Ruth Sten
August 13 Hannah Gallagher, Stuart
Abrams
August 14 Tammy Engel, Rose
Hanovice, Jeanne
Schoenholtz, Shirley
Schoenholtz
August 15 Albert Frank, Tammy Engel,
Rose Hanovice, Atty. David
Schwager, Esther Bratkowsky
August 16 Nancy Shuman, Richard
Rosenthal
August 17 Anne Cohen, Janet Gelb
August 18 Stuart Abrams, Elina
Levinson, Harriet Gray,
Freda Popky, Atty. Harold
Rosenn
August 19 Helene Rosenzweig, Dr.
Kenny Schwartz
August 20 Pat Miller, Sherri Robin
August 21 Jack Geller, Roman
Gurevich
August 22 Carol Jackier King
August 23 Mimi Sirkin, David Kayton,
Sally Berman, Lisa Lang,
Lois Spath
August 24 Richard Burnat, Frieda
Hirschhorn, Nancy
Messinger
August 25 Rabbi Larry G. Kaplan,
Laurie Schwager
August 26 Jean Gonchar, Sidney
Friedman, Sam Greenberg,
Naomi Meyer, Judith Klein
August 27 Sam Greenberg, Alfred
Groh, Alison Kovalchik, Atty.
Larry Keiser, Jeanne
Schoenholtz, Shirley
Schoenholtz
August 28 Ethel Moskow
August 30 Dr. Irving Berger, Leo
Minkoff
August 31 Jody Nogin, Debby Chernus,
Lois May, Atty. Alan
Hollander, Dr. Jeffrey Null

From Our President. . . Remarks from the Annual Dinner, June 10, 2012
Dear Friends:
It is a distinctive honor to be elected
the President of Temple Israel this
evening, an honor I never imagined to
be worthy of, yet an honor that I fully
embrace. In reflecting on a message for
tonight, my mind always returned to the
Rosemary Chromey
same thoughts. That is, the wondrous
leadership of the Presidents of Temple who have served
during the past 90 years. Each person brought a unique
talent to the job, each made personal sacrifices of time and
energy, each led by example, thru good times and
challenging times.
During Shavuot, the Torah portion emphasized the
amazing value of each and every Jew - power of the
individual. Each of our past presidents added value –
contributed that power of the individual in order to leave
Temple Israel a better place for having served. I’d like to
take a moment to recognize the Past Presidents, those of
blessed memory, those who are not able to be with us
tonight and those who are present and especially to Fred for
a job well done. Thank you for your service. You are my
inspiration!!!
So, you may wonder what contribution, what individual
power you can expect from me? It is no secret that my Jewish
journey began as an adult. On the 17th of Sivan 5751, I went
to the Mikvah. Today is the 20th of Sivan 5772. So my 21st
birthday as a Jew was just three days ago. I dare say that at
21, I’m the youngest President to hold this office.Choosing
Judaism brought me to this moment on a much different path
than all of my predecessors. I studied as an adult and
processed information from an adult point of view and made a
choice based on a lifetime of varied experiences. This journey
provides me with a unique perspective – that of creating a
Jewish future, without the benefit of a Jewish past. This is my
strength – the contribution, the power that I, as an individual
bring to this office.
Many people and life experiences have shaped me, but
I’d like to share with you the most powerful influences. First,
my parents, Eugene and Mary Ann Chromey, both strong
individuals, both leaders in their own right. My dad served
as Mayor of Duryea for 12 years as well as in other
professional and community leadership roles. My mom, I
am proud to say, was one of the first women in management
at Topps Chewing Gum, where she led a team for over 27
years. They both set powerful examples and high standards
for me. Thanks dad and mom, brothers Barry and Kevin for
your love and support and for being here with me tonight.
More recently, my greatest influences have been my husband
and daughter, both of whom are also strong individuals and
outstanding leaders. Richard has had more leadership
positions than you have the time and patience to endure, but
none has made me more proud, than his election to the
Chair of the Board at Wyoming Seminary last week. It‘s truly
special to be your partner through life’s journey. Leah, too,
has had her share of leadership experiences during her 17
years. She started taking the lead in Kinderlach and
continues as a rising senior at Wyoming Seminary who is
Editor in Chief of the School Newspaper and Co Captain of
the Mock Trial team. I’m very proud of the “power of the
individual” of my parents, my husband and my daughter.
As part of my preparation to assume the office of
President, I attended a workshop sponsored by United
Synagogue. It spanned 3 days and covered topics that
ranged from fundraising to board engagement and beyond.
The most important lesson I learned, I will share with you now.
We studied the Torah portion for Shabbat Ha
Hodesh/Rosh Hodesh Nisan 5772. It is a portion from
Leviticus that states….“A fire must always burn, it may not go
out” (Lev. 6:6). In the soul of every Jew there lies a hidden
point that is aflame with love of God, a fire that cannot be
put out. At the conference, we discussed the significance of
“ keep the fire burning” for conservative Judaism, but my
thoughts immediately turned to “ keep the fire burning” for
Temple Israel.
We are at a crossroads at Temple Israel and in the WB
Jewish Community at large. The next two years will be filled
with detailed discussions, and careful analyses of the
advantages and disadvantages of considering a move to a
common campus on Third Avenue. Not easy conversations,
but conversations in which we must engage.
So, just as the Ten Commandments could not be
revealed until every single individual was accounted for –
the need for each individual’s personal role and contribution
during this magnificent revelation, we cannot make life
changing decisions concerning the future of our Temple,
without each and every one of you contributing to the
conversation. The goal is to “keep the fire burning, - the fire
we know as Temple Israel must always burn, and it may not
go out. In the soul of every member of the Temple Israel
congregation there lies a hidden point that is aflame with
love of Temple Israel, a fire that cannot be put out.
These are the themes that I see on the horizon for the
next two years –
• The importance of each individual
• To keep the fire burning
We are blessed with a talented, enthusiastic team of
officers and board members. I am delighted that Ina, Abbe,
Debbie, Michael, Rob and Lester have agreed to serve as
officers, to bring the “power of the individual” to the team.
We welcome five strong new board members in Barbara,
Sheri, Stanley, Missy and Buddy. Strong leadership,
amazing clergy, Excellent Hebrew school faculty, talented lay
staff, an energetic reinvented Sisterhood, a core of daily
minyan makers and an involved congregation will truly
“keep the fire burning” at Temple Israel for the next 90 years.
Rosemary Chromey
President
Page 7

Temple Israel
236 S. River St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18702
Change Service Requested
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Permit No. 105
July 2012
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Book Club at the
home of Maxine
Libenson,
7:00 p.m.
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August 2012
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Board of Trustees
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