November - Temple Israel

TEMPLE ISRAEL 

CHRONICLE 

“Dor L’Dor — Generation to Generation” 

Volume 11, Issue 10 November 2012 ✡ Heshvan/Kislev 5773 

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. 

Staff: 

Larry G. Kaplan, Rabbi 

Ahron Abraham, Cantor 

Gerri Kaplan, Principal 

Debra Schonfeld, Administrator 

Hebrew 

School 

Students 

Celebrate 

Sukkot & 

Simchat 

Torah 

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 

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 

e-mail us at: office@templewb.org

Rabbi Kaplan 

Dear Friends, 

I’m writing this 

month to say thank 

you. I don’t think I 

tell you that 

enough, so I want 

to make sure it’s in 

writing. These past 

fourteen years have 

been the best of my 

life. I never imagined I would have the 

opportunities I have enjoyed here in the 

Wyoming Valley. While I’ve always been 

enamored of Judaism, stemming no 

doubt from my years at Camp Ramah as 

a camper and later as a staff member and 

counselor, my greatest desire has been to 

teach and serve based on the combined 

wisdom I have garnered from our Torah, 

our sages, our prophets, our teachers, our 

Israeli founders and leaders, our modern 

rabbis, and of course, our Temple Israel 

members and those of the previous 

congregations I’ve served. 

This position has given me the 

opportunity to do all kinds of things and 

meet all sorts of people I never would 

have experienced otherwise. The unique 

combination of a small town atmosphere 

(let’s face it, the general lack of traffic 

relative to any large city alone makes the 

case that we’re a small town) and a 

general community that has a history of 

respect for the Jews living here, along 

with Reform, Conservative, and 

Orthodox Jews and clergy that get along 

better with each other than most other 

Jewish communities, makes our neck of 

the woods a special place to live and raise 

children. And my family has thrived here. 

The chances of my getting involved in 

the foster care and adoption system 

anywhere else would have been extremely 

slim. I was asked to join the advisory board 

of Children and Youth Services because 

there weren’t many rabbis to ask and the 

agency wanted a diverse board. And as my 

family and I became more involved, our 

congregation supported us at every step. It’s 

not that my family is special- we’re not. It’s 

that this community was the perfect place to 

make that happen. The truth is that most 

rabbis, and most other clergy for that matter, 

should be examples of foster and adoptive 

families for their congregations. I can’t 

imagine anyone denying that, although I 

probably never would have learned of its 

Writes... 

importance anywhere else. So I thank you 

for my expanded family (commercial should 

be inserted here for anyone who wants to 

contribute to their college fund!). 

I thank you for supporting our Cantor, 

our administrator, our school principal 

and our office staff, even as our 

congregation has lost so many of its 

devoted members. Because by doing so I 

am afforded the opportunities I have 

enjoyed in the larger community knowing 

that the operation of the Temple continues 

even when I am not doing all of the tasks 

I performed in my first congregation, 

where I was the Rabbi, the Cantor, the 

administrator, the school principal, the 

secretary, the custodian and the caterer. 

I’ve been given the opportunity to spread 

the light of Torah, as it were, in so many 

exciting ways. I’ve been blessed to be 

teaching at Misericordia for many years, 

and I was invited back to Kings this year. 

I’ve been teaching Bible and world 

religions, and the experience has been 

wonderful. 

I’ve learned the inner workings of the 

state prison system at Dallas, and our 

Luzerne County facility. I’ve gotten the 

opportunity to serve on all kinds of 

boards- the Jewish Federation, Ecumenical 

Enterprises which runs the Meadows 

nursing home and their related facilities 

which Rabbi Barras helped to start, Family 

Service Association which many of our 

members have dedicated their time to 

serve, Children’s Service Center, Step by 

Step, the Interfaith Council where I agreed 

many years ago to take over as treasurer 

from our dear friend Marty Popky, Ruth’s 

Place- the local women’s shelter, and the 

Wilkes-Barre Free Clinic. 

If I hadn’t come to Wilkes-Barre, I 

doubt I would have been given the 

coveted position of chaplain of the B’nai 

B’rith Lodge and the Jewish War Veterans. 

I never would have learned as much as I 

have about our Veterans had I not become 

a chaplain at the local VA hospital. My 

experience there working not only with 

vets, but specifically with those in the drug 

and alcohol rehab program has opened 

my eyes to the sadness of addiction and 

has had great impact on the way I serve as 

a rabbi. The child psychologist Bruno 

Bettelheim wrote that in order to 

understand the healthy, one needs to 

know those who suffer from illness. 

Let’s face it; my becoming the local 

newspaper’s “person of the year” would not 

have happened anywhere else. And even 

though I didn’t get anything material out of 

it- not even a newspaper subscription!- that 

kind of honor was obviously pretty neat, 

even if hardly deserved. The other honors 

and awards Gerri and I have received have 

been overwhelming and humbling, and I 

hope they have lent a modicum of honor to 

Temple Israel which made all of it possible. 

And so when I presented the 

McGowan Cornerstone Award to our friend 

Joe Devizia in October where I served as 

emcee for the event which provides 

scholarships to needy local students at our 

amazing local colleges to honor the 

memory of Monsignor Andrew McGowan, I 

said that I felt like Forrest Gump getting to 

know luminaries like the Monsignor, and 

Joe Devizia, and the presidents of these fine 

institutions of higher learning, and Bishop 

Bambarra who was in attendance. I feel like 

Forrest Gump who by sheer coincidence 

meets Presidents Kennedy, Nixon, and 

Johnson. When Father Ryan, president of 

Kings College, began his remarks, he said I 

was Monsignor McGowan with a yarmulke. 

That was quite an honor. And all because I 

said that Pope PaulVI elevated then Fr. 

McGowan to Monsignor because he shared 

some of his best jokes with the Pope. 

There weren’t many Jews among the 

250 that attended the ceremony at King’s 

which raised tens of thousands of dollars 

for scholarships. But there were politicians 

and academics and priests and ministers 

and members of the business community 

present at this Catholic college during this 

ceremony that awarded its highest honor 

to a venerated deacon, and that was given 

in memory of one of the most well-known 

priests in the state, and it was the rabbi of 

Temple Israel that served as the master of 

ceremonies. And the feeling I had that 

night was the same as when I give a 

benediction or invocation or serve as 

emcee at the Chamber of Commerce or 

the induction of judges or the Association 

for the Blind or Leadership Wilkes-Barre, or 

any of a dozen or more dinners throughout 

the year. It was the feeling of appreciation 

for you, the Temple Israel family, who have 

given me these opportunities to represent 

you in the community. 

So because I don’t say it often 

enough, thank you! 

Page 2

Cantor’s Notes 

I took down the schach and 

Sukkah decorations this past week 

with a bit of sadness – the 

beautiful festival which concludes 

our High Holiday season was over. 

Well, not completely over. There is 

another day this month where 

Sukkot comes alive once again, 

and it’s observed by most 

Cantor Ahron Abraham Americans, although most people 

don’t realize it. 

The fact that Thanksgiving feels a lot like the festival of 

Sukkot is no coincidence. It is likely that the deeply religious 

Pilgrims, Puritans rooted in the Old Testament who 

considered themselves it’s spiritual heirs, consciously drew 

on a model well-known to them from the Bible. Seeing 

themselves as new Israelites in a new “promised land,” the 

Pilgrims found inspiration in Leviticus Ch.16 where God 

commands the Israelites to observe the Feast of Booths, and 

“to rejoice before the Lord your God” at the time of the fall 

harvest. Another interesting bit of evidence is put forth by 

historian Rabbi Gil Marks who points out that before 

reaching Plymouth Rock, the Pilgrims spent several years in 

Holland, where they came into contact with Sephardim who 

had immigrated to that country following the expulsion from 

Spain. Certainly the Pilgrims would have seen the booths 

built by these Spanish refugees and drawn on this reference 

in celebrating their bountiful harvest. 

There are other connections between the two holidays. 

In ancient times, Sukkot entailed a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. 

The ancient Israelite “pilgrims” lived for a week in temporary 

huts while giving thanks for a plentiful harvest. Likewise, the 

American pilgrims who came to America in search of 

religious freedom lived in makeshift huts, wigwams that the 

Wampanoag helped them build during their first winter in 

Massachusetts. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated with an 

outdoor feast (we eat outside in the Sukkah) and the Pilgrims 

welcomed the Wampanoag tribe to their celebration (we 

have an important tradition of welcoming guests to our 

Sukkah). Of course, the food for both holidays is seasonally 

inspired. 

I know most of you celebrate Thanksgiving, far more of 

you than celebrate Sukkot. Next year, when Yom Kippur 

ends, don’t hang up your tallis and yarmulke and ignore our 

beautiful Fall Festival. Instead, start celebrating God’s bounty 

during Sukkot and continue on through Thanksgiving. It’s a 

great way to celebrate your Jewish and American heritage. 

From the Women’s League 

Challah and Honey Bag Fundraiser Once Again a Sweet Success 

The third annual Challah & Honey Gift bag fundraiser once again reached its goals. It could not have happened 

without the strong participation of the congregation and sponsors. One hundred and seventy bags were delivered in 

time for Erev Rosh Hashanah, thanks to the many volunteer drivers who gave of their time and energy. Women’s 

League would like to give a special thank you to Debbie Schonfeld, who, in addition to all of her other 

responsibilities, helped to keep our income and spending on track . 

Save the Date! Thursday, November 15th: Eat, Meet & Greet! The opening meeting of Women’s League will 

feature a light dinner, and also provide an opportunity to learn how to make a healthy meal in minutes, as taught by 

our very own Jack Rosenzweig. You will be receiving a postcard shortly with all of the details. 

Letters regarding annual dues will be mailed in the near future. We appreciate everyone’s participation and 

enthusiasm in Women’s League. 

Kind Regards, 

Barbara, Bedonna, Hannah & Helene 

Mazel Tov to: 

• Julius & Anita Coplan on the birth of 

twin grandchildren, Lila Eve and Sam 

Harrison Rubinger 

• Stanley & Jeanne Fainberg on the 

engagement of their grandson, Daniel 

Hollander to Melissa Schirmer 

• Alan & Debbie Hollander on the 

engagement of their son, Daniel to 

Melissa Schirmer 

• Ruth Hollander on the birth of a 

great-granddaughter, Dani Maya 

Caplan 

• Ruth Hollander on the engagement of 

her grandson, Daniel Hollander to 

Melissa Schirmer 

• Marty & Joan Meyer on the birth of a 

granddaughter, Sadie Parker Meyer 

• Mimi Sirkin on the birth of a greatgranddaughter, 

Dani Maya Caplan 

Condolences to: 

• The family of Jay Karnofsky on his 

passing 

• Marla Ogof on the passing of her 

father, Jack Ogof 

Page 3

SCHOOL NOTES 

Happy 

November 

Birthday 

to Our 

Students 

November 2 Jelena Goldstein 

November 6 Maya Kornfeld 

November 7 Julie Green 

November 12 Elizabeth Abraham 

November 17 Maya Rosenthal 

November 22 Naomi Dressler 

November 29 Olivia Winters 

Attention Snowbirds 

If you are planning on heading south or 

❄ 

elsewhere for the winter, please call the Temple 

office with your winter address and the dates you 

will be there. We want to make sure you receive your 

Temple mailings, including your Chronicles. It is 

important that you notify the Temple office if your 

address is incorrect, if there are changes, or if you are 

going away for an extended period of time. 

Due to regulations by the U.S. Postal Service, any 

mail that cannot be delivered because of an incorrect 

address will be returned and a “return fee” will be 

charged to Temple Israel. We do not want to have to 

pay these fees for undeliverable mail. 

Thanks for your cooperation. 

❅ ❆ 

Book Club 

The next Book Club will be 

held on Sunday, November 11, 

2012 at 7:00 p.m. at 

the home of Kim & 

Richard Michelstein. 

The selection is The 

Barbarian Nurseries by 

Hector Tobar. 

Synopsis 

Scott and Maureen Torres-Thompson have always relied 

on others to run their Orange County home. But when bad 

investments crater their bank account, it all comes down to 

Araceli: their somewhat prickly Mexican maid. One night, an 

argument between the couple turns physical, and a 

misunderstanding leaves the children in Araceli’s care. Their 

parents unreachable, she takes them to central Los Angeles in 

the hopes of finding Scott’s estranged Mexican father---an 

earnest quest that soon becomes a colossal misadventure, 

with consequences that ripple through every strata of the 

sprawling city. Héctor Tobar's The Barbarian Nurseries is a 

masterful tale of contemporary Los Angeles, a novel as alive 

as the city itself. 

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. 

From Our President. . . Continued from page 7 

Temple Israel. 

The goal of the Task Force is to: 

•Propose improvements in work 

flow 

•Identify efficiencies through use 

of technology, outsourcing, etc 

With the untimely passing of 

Marie Blizzard, it is imperative that we 

take a look at what we do in the office 

and if the tasks can be done more cost 

effectively or efficiently. 

I’d like to also note, that our 

temporary employee, Candice, found a 

full time position and left on October 

5th. Once again, Hannah Gallagher 

has offered her services to assist 

Debbie. 

During this period of transition, 

please be patient. There may be times 

when the office is closed, for example 

during lunch or times when Debbie 

needs to be away. Please leave a 

message for non-urgent matters. If 

there is an urgent matter, you can 

always contact Rabbi or Cantor on 

their cell phones. 

My personal goals as President 

are— 

• To keep the congregation 

informed and involved. 

• To constantly look for ways to 

improve efficiencies and cut 

costs 

• To lead the congregation in an 

open and analytical discussion 

of the 3rd Avenue decision. 

As always, it is my honor and 

privilege to serve as President of this 

amazing congregation. Thank you for 

the opportunity! 

Shalom, 

Rosemary 

Page 4

SHABBAT 

SCHEDULE 

VAYERA 

Friday, November 2 

Candle lighting time...................................5:39 p.m. 

Saturday, November 3 ......................................9:30 a.m. 

Haftarah will be chanted by Attys. Joseph J. Savitz 

& Harold Rosenn 

Rev. Dr. Robert Zanicky, featured speaker 

Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m. 

✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ 

CHAYE SARAH 



Saturday, November 10 ...................................9:30 a.m. 

Haftarah will be chanted by Scott Becker 

Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m. 

✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ 

TOLDOT 



Saturday, November 17 ....................................9:30 a.m. 

Haftarah will be chanted by David Bravman 

Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m. 

✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ 

VAYETZE 



Saturday, November 24 ....................................9:30 a.m. 

Haftarah will be chanted by Mark Finkelstein 

Minchah .....................................................5:15 p.m 

✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ 

VAYISHLACH 



Saturday, December 1.......................................9:30 a.m. 

Bat Mitzvah of Naomi Dressler 

Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m. 

Interfaith 

Thanksgiving Service 

St. Stephens Episcopal Church, 

Wilkes-Barre will host the annual 

Interfaith Thanksgiving Service 

on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 

at 7:00 p.m. 

Everyone is 

invited to 

attend. 

Annual Pulpit 

Exchange 

Temple Israel and First Presbyterian Church, Wilkes- 

Barre will hold their annual pulpit exchange. Please join 

us in Temple on Saturday, November 3, 2012 as we 

welcome Rev. Dr. Robert Zanicky as the guest speaker. 

On Sunday, November 4, Rabbi Kaplan will participate 

in the service at First Presbyterian, 97 South Franklin 

Street, Wilkes-Barre. Everyone is welcome at both of 

these services. This annual event serves to enhance the 

affiliation between Temple Israel and First Presbyterian as 

members of the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Ministerium. 

Truly Scrumptious 

271 Wyoming Avenue, 

Kingston 

has recently been 

approved kosher dairy 

by Temple Israel! 

Page 5

NOVEMBER YAHRZEITS 

Week of November 1 – November 8: Harry Abramowitz, Harris Beber, Fay H. Berman, Hyman Isaac Block, 

Max Caplan, Fannie Chenetz, Benjamin J. Cohen, Samuel Cohen, Ben Fishman, Adele Fleischman, Irving Frank, 

Isadore Gonchar, Jonathan Gray, Dora Greenwald, Hana Henrietta Heisler, Sophie Hyman, Anna Jackier, Oscar 

Janowksy, Jack Judd, Abraham J. Kaufer, Esther Klein, Jennie Kranson, Barry Lefkowitz, Charlotte Lewis, Arnold 

Libenson, Harry Monsky, Maurice Park, Charles S. Popky, Nathan Popky, Ida Rabinowitz, Dora Rudolph, Inga Simon, 

Eugene Sims, Alan Strassman, William Winkler, Evelyn Zigun, Stephan Zneimer 

Week of November 9 – November 15: Ralph Brandwene, Paula Grace Dyller, Rose Gerstein, Al Goodman, 

Irving Green, Ben Heller, Gussie Heller, Bella Hershkovitz, Katie Hershkowitz, Ida Hymen, Marion Isaacs, Allen 

Kutner, Fannye Lehrman, Boris Levitsky, Elizabeth Mendelssohn, Milton Miller, Ceil Monsky, Minnie Morrell, Jacob S. 

Raub, Ida Rosenheim, Nathan Rosenthal, Barabara Weinberg, Jane Weisberger, 

Week of November 16 – November 22: Herman Blum, Lester Cohen, Evelyn S. Crames, Frederick Dunner, 

Sarah Fortinsky, Ruth Frank, Joseph George, Rebecca Goldstein, Helen Gutterman, Ceil Harrison, David W. Izenberg, 

Deborah Kline, Michael Lisnov, Steven Mandell, Max Meyer, Ethyle Naveen, Isadore Rosenheim, Bridget Rudin, 

Shirley Sadowitz, Anna Schonfeld, Frank Shepard, Ruth Harowitz Siegel, Samuel S. Simkovitz, David Sirkin, Pearl 

Thalenfeld, Isadore Vilensky, Jane Walter, Lea Davis Warren, Samuel Zatcoff 

Week of November 23 – November 30: Isaac Burnat, Norman Coplan, Harry Fendler, Isadore Finkelstein, 

Blanche Frank, Mary Gold, Selma Gordon, Ben Kurlancheek, Edna Meyer, Nathan Meyer, Samuel Rosenbaum, Mark 

Rubin, Bea Ruttenberg, Esther Savitz, Hannah Schiffman, Ethel Schnabel, Mae H. Smulyan, Albert Stein, Sylvia Valen, 

Miriam Weiss 

Please note the following local members who are observing yahrzeits during the month of November and try to 

attend minyan with them in order that they may say Kaddish: 

November 1 Sally Alinikoff, Louis Kranson 

November 2 Judy Bachman, Eleanor Cohen, Harriet 

Gray, Bruce Lefkowitz, Sandie Lefkowitz 

November 3 Sherry Goldwein, David Lieberman 

November 4 Shirley Fortinsky, Howard Gonchar, 

Leonard Gonchar, Sandra Herschenfeld, 

William Rabinowitz, Helene Rosenzweig 

November 5 Maxine Libenson 

November 6 Dr. David Barras, Dr. Gilbert Fleischman, 

Leon Greenwald, Harvey Klein 

November 7 Carol Jackier King, Rhondi Nachlis, 

Barbara Rappaport 

November 8 Lawrence Cohen, Sally Connor 

November 10 Atty. Barry Dyller, Judith Klein, Joan Meyer 

November 11 Ruth Hollander, Annabel Morris, Shirley 

Sullum 

November 12 Judy Bachman, William Isaacs 

November 13 Ida Miller, Pamela Ralston 

November 14 Aaron Bravman, Celia Connor 

November 15 Ruth Hollander, Shirley Sullum 

November 16 Molly Cohen, Donna Jancewicz, Lisa Klee, 

Rosalie Miller, Annabel Morris, Jack Sirkin, 

Mimi Sirkin, Brenda Vilensky 

November 17 Dr. Gary Frank, Ruth Levey, Dr. Arthur 

Meyer, Atty. Martin Meyer 

November 18 Sally Alinikoff 

November 19 Jesse Izenberg, Robert Prashker, Gladys 

Weisberger 

November 20 Sally Connor 

November 21 Jeanne Fainberg, Charles Fortinsky 

November 22 Colleen Kranson, Sally Sagenkahn, Debra 

Schonfeld 

November 23 Jesse Savitz 

November 24 Molly Cohen, Rabbi Larry Kaplan 

November 25 Nancy Judd 

November 27 Maxine Libenson, Dr. Emma Rubin 

November 28 Harold Frank, Lynn Gonchar, Ronne 

Kurlancheek 

November 29 Julius Coplan, Rosalyn Friedman 

November 30 Bruce Fendler 

Page 6

From Our President. . . 

The View 

from the Bima 

During the 

High Holidays, 

the view from the 

bima is awesome. 

Starting with the 

first day of Rosh 

Rosemary Chromey 

Hashanah, it was 

just amazing to watch the Temple fill; 

to participate in the service as so many 

congregants took aliyot, to listen to 

those who read from the Torah or 

chanted a Haftarah and to hear the 

sounds of the Shofar by our team of 

Shofar blowers. The most moving part 

of the High Holiday services for me 

was Kol Nidre when the Past 

Presidents joined us on the bima. To 

be part of Temple Israel’s legacy of 

leadership was very inspirational for me. 

Rabbi Kaplan and Cantor Abraham 

were amazing. I have a new 

appreciation for their stamina. These 

marathon services require much 

energy and concentration. They both 

make it seem much easier than it 

actually is. 

Yasher Koach and thank you to the 

Torah readers: Larry Keiser, Leah 

Goldberg, Elizabeth Abraham, 

Rebecca Schulman, Sarah Schulman, 

Lauren Greenwald, Olivia Winters, 

Erika Green, Julie Green, Ina Lubin, 

Elijah Miller, Moriah Bartolai, Kelsey 

Kayton, Sam Nogin, Nora Fierman, 

Judy Geller, Lily Drak, Andrew 

Greenwald, Sara Williams, Caroline 

Engel, Ben Engel, Lisa Klee, Sarah 

Klee, Ben Ralston & Jennifer Dressler; 

Haftarah chanters: Buddy 

Hammerman, Shelly Smulowitz, Bob 

Capin & Mark Robzen; and Shofar 

Blowers: Neil Edley, Mark Finkelstein, 

Sheldon Lubin and Rabbi Arthur Starr. 

And a very special thank you to 

Debbie Schonfeld and John Pugh, who 

also handle a multitude of details with 

ease and grace and make it look easier 

than it actually is! 

Our Beautiful Sukkah 

Cantor and Carole Abraham have 

transformed the space behind the 

Temple for many years into a lovely 

Sukkah, but this year, it seemed to be 

extra special. The weather cooperated, 

and we were lucky enough to have the 

Kiddush in the Sukkah on the first day 

of the festival. The Hebrew School, 

together with the B’nai B’rith children, 

enjoyed “Pizza in the Hut” on 

Thursday night. On Shabbat, Dick & I 

celebrated our 21st wedding 

anniversary with a special Kiddush in 

the Sukkah. Although rain threatened, 

John Pugh and Lee Levi were patient 

enough to wait until just the last 

minute for us to decide that we 

wanted to be in the Sukkah; and it was 

a grand Kiddush. Lee prepared a feast 

and cupcakes were provided by our 

friends, Cathy and Dave Reppert, 

owners of Truly Scrumptious, Wyoming 

Avenue, Kingston. Although we did not 

know them at the time, we were 

married on the same day, same year, 

same time, each had one perfect 

daughter, born one month apart who 

are best friends at Wyoming Seminary. 

(See more about Cathy’s bakery 

being approved Kosher by Cantor 

on page 5.) 

On behalf of the Congregation, I 

applaud Cantor and Carole making the 

Sukkah their labor of love each High 

Holiday season. 

The New Rituals 

As you know, the Ritual 

Committee made a recommendation, 

approved by the Board of Trustees, to 

trim the 2nd and 8th days of festivals. 

Our first experience with this decision 

was the second day of Sukkot and the 

last day, Shemini Atzeret. We had 

decided to move these “2nd days” to 

8am and shorten the service hoping to 

attract more working people. Well, 

8AM is too late for those who work 

and too early for those who don’t, so 

we did not have a minyan the 2nd day 

of Sukkot. Being as flexible as we are, 

we adjusted the time for Shemini 

Atzeret to 7 AM and did have a 

minyan. 

We did have services for all the 

intermediate days of the Sukkot 

festival, new for this year. We did not 

have a minyan every day, so we 

couldn’t read Torah. But we did, 

indeed, have a procession around the 

shul with Lulav and Etrog in our 

annual Rain Dance, which did work as 

many days of rain followed. The thrill 

of being part of a ritual that lasts for 8 

straight days is indescribable, 

exhilarating and exhausting! 

Return the 3rd Avenue 

Questionnaire 

Shortly after the High Holidays 

ended, each member family was sent a 

short questionnaire. This is the 

beginning of our decision making 

process concerning the 3rd Avenue 

campus. The questions are brief and 

should take just a few moments of 

your time – but that’s time well 

invested. Right now, we are focusing 

on HOW to make the decision. As this 

is such an important question, it is 

equally as important that all of you be 

involved. We are asking for individual 

responses – NOT family responses, so 

each adult member of the 

congregation is welcome to disagree 

with his or her spouse etc. Please, if 

you haven’t already returned the 

questionnaire to the office, do so 

TODAY!! When the Federation 

completes the “Design Phase” and 

offers us concrete facts, we need to be 

ready to begin the decision making 

process in a logical, analytical and 

open way. There are still many of you 

in the congregation who think that the 

decision has already been made. I can 

assure you – the DECISION TO MOVE 

TO THIRD AVENUE HAS NOT BEEN 

MADE AND WILL NOT BE MADE 

UNTIL THE TEMPLE ISRAEL 

CONGREGATION HAS SOLID FACTS 

AND FIGURES TO CONSIDER, 

FOLLOWED BY THOUGHTFUL 

DISCUSSION OF AS MANY 

MEMBERS THAT CHOSE TO BE 

INVOLVED. I personally believe in 

democracy, and insist that every 

person who has an opinion be heard 

before we make our decision. 

The Office Task Force 

On September 5th the Office Task 

Force of Temple Israel was 

commissioned. I asked Ina Lubin, 1st 

VP to lead the Task Force and she 

invited Sheri Robzen and Steve 

Libenson to join it. All three have 

extensive business experience that can 

benefit the way we do “business “at 

Continued on page 4 

Page 7

Temple Israel 

236 S. River St. 

Wilkes-Barre PA 18702 

Change Service Requested 

Hebrew School 

Non-Profit 

Organization 

U.S. Postage 

PAID 

Wilkes-Barre, PA 

Permit No. 105 

November 2012 

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 

Shabbat Service 

1 2 9:30 a.m. 3 

Hebrew School; 

Hebrew School Shabbat services – 

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

Board of Trustees 

9:30 a.m. 

meeting 7:30 p.m. 

Book Club 

7:00 p.m. 

Hebrew School Hebrew School Shabbat Service 

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 

9:30 a.m. 

Thanksgiving Day 

Shabbat Service 

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 

9:30 a.m. 

Hebrew School Hebrew School Friday Night Live 

25 26 27 28 29 30 

service & dinner 

at Temple B’nai 

B’rith 6:00 p.m. 

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 


SAM NELSON CARE PACKAGE FUND 

DORIS & JEROME NEWMAN 

EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT FUND 

PASCALE/KAPLAN EDUCATIONAL 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

November - Temple Israel

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