CHRONICLE CHRONICLE CHRONICLE - Temple Israel

TEMPLE ISRAELCHRONICLE“Dor L’Dor — Generation to Generation”Volume 7, Issue 7 July/August 2007 ✡ Tammuz/Av/Elul 5767Temple Israel, anegalitarian Conservativesynagogue rooted in a richheritage of traditionalJewish values, is committedto enhancing the religious,spiritual, educational andcultural life of its membersand the larger Jewishcommunity through acommitment to Torah, ourcommunity, and continuityand growth amid change.Staff:Larry G. Kaplan, RabbiAhron Abraham, CantorGerri Kaplan, PrincipalDebra Schonfeld, AdministratorMarie Blizzard, Chronicle EditorOfficers:Larry S. Keiser, Esq., PresidentRichard M. Goldberg, Esq.,Chairman of the BoardRosemary Chromey,School Board ChairTemple Israel Annual Dinner &Meeting held on June 13, 2007Over 200 people attended the 85th Annual Dinner &Meeting honoring Essy & Bill Davidowitz as Pillars of theCommunity at The Woodlands Inn & Resort. Harold R.Rosenn, Esq., served as Master of Ceremonies and David E.Schwager, Esq., presented the Amudie Tzibur award to Essy& Bill. During dinner, musical selections were offered byRabbi Kaplan, Cantor Abraham, Jonathan Abraham andNick Driscoll.Sisterhood President:Dr. Dana GoldsteinSchedule of ServicesMinyan:Monday & Thursday Mornings, 7:15AM(Other days by arrangement withCantor Abraham)Sunday Mornings, 8 AMSunday through SaturdayAfternoons, 5:15 PMShabbat Services:Saturday Morning, 9:30 AMSee Detailed Shabbat ScheduleInsideFirst row - left to right: Bill Davidowitz, Essy Davidowitz, RabbiLarry Kaplan. Second row - left to right: Cantor Ahron Abraham,Richard J. Goldberg, Esq., David E. Schwager, Esq., Larry S. Keiser,Esq. and Harold R. Rosenn, Esq.Essy & Bill Davidowitz with their AmudeiTzibur "Pillars of the Community" awardPhone: (570) 824-8927Fax: (570) 824-0904Layout Design courtesy ofBedwick & Jones Printing.visit our website at: http://www.templewb.orgBoard Chairman, Richard Goldberg, Esq. and PresidentLarry Keiser, Esq. welcomed new board members:Left to right, Dr. Erik Kruger, Edward Connor,Atty. Goldberg, Atty. Keiser and Dr. Richard Blum.Absent from photo: Larry Rifkin and Atty. David HarrisBoard officers are as follows, left to right:Steve Libenson, Lisa Klee, David Smith; second row:Fred Levy, Richard J. Goldberg, Esq., Larry S. Keiser,Esq. and Max Bartikowsky. Absent from photo: Dr.Michael Rittenberge-mail us at: office@templewb.org

Rabbi KaplanI'd like to makea suggestion as towhat you shouldconsider bringingwith you as youleave high school.And that suggestionis a sense ofspirituality. I knowthat spirituality can mean lots of things todifferent people. Up until a few years ago,I thought it meant that the person whoused the word wasn't very serious aboutreligion. Like the folks who tell me thatthey are spiritual, but don't believe inorganized religion. My usual answer is thatI don't believe in organized government,but if I don't pay my taxes I'll get thrown injail.But spending a few hours each weekat our local Veterans hospital up by themall, teaching a class in spirituality, hasgiven me a much more precise definitionof the word. I teach about 10 or soveterans each week who are part of a threeweek intensive drug and alcoholrehabilitation program that is run by thehospital, which in turn is run by theVeteran's Administration- in other words,the government. So how can I, a memberof the clergy, be hired by the governmentto teach a class in religion on federalproperty? Isn't that a violation of theseparation of church and state?Well, it's not exactly a class inreligion. It's spirituality. But thegovernment relies on statistical evidencethat demonstrates that patients in hospitalsrecuperate more quickly when they have asense that people are praying for them.And almost every drug and alcohol rehabprogram has a strong component tied tospirituality, and many specifically tied toGod and religion.Imagine yourself in the position of arecovering drug addict or alcoholic. Youhave abused a substance that resulted inyour losing friends, loved ones, possiblyyour job, your money, and your future. Youmay even have done things under theinfluence of drugs or alcohol that causedpain and damage or worse to others. Youmay have used up all the credibility youhad with people who cared about you,and you might be left entirely alone.Recovering from alcoholism or drugaddiction is tough enough when you aresurrounded by supportive family andfriends. But to do it alone is nearlyimpossible. That's where spirituality comesin. It's the belief that there is some spiritualPage 2Writes...Rabbi Kaplan's Baccalaureate Address to Dallas High School- June, 2007force out there that really, truly cares aboutyou, that will always be there for you, andthat you can rely on even when you can'trely on another human being. Spiritualitydoesn't require a specific religion, ornaming a specific god or deity. It meanshaving the faith that there is somethingoutside of nature and outside of humanitythat cares about you.And since we don't talk about specificreligion or a specific god in the class at theVA hospital, it's not considered a violationof church and state separation. And it'swhat I suggest you bring with you intoyour future.Some of you, many of you, maycurrently be very involved in a religioustradition, and I think that's great and Iencourage you to hold on to it as yougrow. I happen to like the fact that myreligion, Judaism, encourages doubt andquestions and challenges, and is, in fact,built on such things. But simply havingsome sense of god in your lives, somespirituality, can help you make the rightdecisions in your future.I'll show you why. Because without asense of God, we're left with our ownhuman morality. We have a crazy way ofjustifying almost everything we may wantto do. For example, you're in the musicstore, I used to say the record store but youdon't know what records are, do you?They're sort of very large CDs. Anyway,you're in the music store and you'relooking through the cd's and all of asudden the sprinklers start to go off. Themall loudspeaker says there's no fire, just amalfunction, and everyone needs to leavethe mall immediately. As a precautionthey've shut off the electricity, and only theemergency lighting is working. You see thestore security guard leave and the cashregisters are locked and the securitycamera is hanging by a wire.You also see a few kids pocketingsome cd's and as they leave the storethrough those theft detectors, they don'tmake a sound. So what do you do? Howmany of you would take a cd or two, orperhaps something else from that store, onyour way out? How many of you havefriends that would?There are plenty of ways to justify it.Maybe they treated you poorly there lastweek and didn't take back a scratched cdthey sold you. Or how about the insurancecompany that's going to pay for thedamage anyway?The truth is, if we know we'll get awaywith it, we find a way to justify doingsomething that's wrong. But how do weknow it's wrong? Because takingsomething that doesn't belong to us iswrong. And how do we know that? Well,one good place to look is in the TenCommandments. If you find the Divinewords Thou Shalt Not Steal to beauthoritative, then they work even whenyou won't get caught. Why? Because eventhough the security camera was danglingby a thread, God's security camera isalways on. God is there not only to protectus, but to watch over us, which means thathe is aware of everything we do, whetheror not we are caught.I'm not suggesting that it's magic, allI'm saying is that if we are aware that God,or some sense of spirituality, is watchingover us, we might hesitate before makingthe wrong decisions. Let me ask anotherquestion: Statistically speaking, do youhave a better chance of dying over the nextfour years in college or enlisting in thearmed forces?Well, statistics can play funny games,of course, but the numbers suggest thatbetween 1500 and 1700 college studentsdie each year as a result of alcohol andalcohol related accidents on and offcollege campuses.That means that everytwo years the same number of Americancollege age kids die from alcohol andalcohol related accidents at college ashave all the American soldiers put togetherwho have died in the war on terrorism.And of course, regardless of what youthink about the war, most of those soldierswho died, believed they did so for agreater good, for the cause of justice andfreedom. What greater good could therepossibly be in dying from alcoholpoisoning or being killed by a drunkdriver?If we only rely on ourselves to makedecisions, they will all be subjective. If weonly rely on other human beings to makedecisions, they will be subject to humanfallibility, to the human ability to twist andturn everything around to meet our wishesand desires. But if we can also incorporatea sense of spirituality in our decisions, wewill hopefully make choices based on ahigher good.So as you move forward with yourfutures, keep that spiritual video cameratucked away in your head, to help youmake the right decisions for a wonderfullife.Rabbi Kaplan

Cantor’s NotesGershon-Itskhok Sirota (1874 - 1943) was one of the leading cantors of Europe during the“Golden Age of Hazzanut.” He was referred to as the leben shtime (lion’s voice) due to hisincredible vocal power and range. Sirota was born in Odessa, and began his cantorial career there.In 1900 he became Chief Cantor of Vilna, and served as hazzan of the Shtatshul (State Synagogue).In Vilna Sirota began his collaboration with famed choirmaster Leo Lowe, which would continuethroughout his career. It was here that Sirota reached great prominence, performing frequentlybefore the Russian nobility.In 1907, Sirota assumed the position of cantor at the presigious Tlomaczke Street Synagogue inWarsaw. While cantor at the Tlomaczke Synagogue, he made many recordings of his music. SirotaCantor Ahron Abrahamwas perhaps the first cantor to make sound recordings, having made cylinders as early as 1902. Asthe technology improved, he was constantly rerecording songs, so that listeners can trace the improvement of his rich tenorvoice over the years.Sirota’s recordings enjoyed widespread distribution, and he became internationally famous. He toured extensively, withperformances in Moscow, St. Petersburg, London and throughout Europe. His concerts were attended by Jewish andChristian audiences alike, and according to some accounts, even by Caruso. He first performed in the United States in1912, and toured cross-country, appearing in most of the major synagogues as well as concert halls. He returned to theUnited States again in 1922 and on a number of other occasions, culminating in a 1938 tour. Although Sirota eventuallyleft the Tlomaczke Synagogue over disputes concerning his frequent performances, he continued to live in Warsaw. He wastrapped there when the Nazis invaded Poland, and spent his last years in the Warsaw Ghetto. Sirota died on the last day ofPassover while leading Yizkor services during the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep sadness on the passing of my collegue Cantor AsherBalaban. He had a wonderful voice, tremendous scholarship and an engaging personality which endeared him toso many. We will miss him.People in the NewsRabbi Jeremy Barras, son of Dr.David and Shelley Barras andgrandson of Sylvia Barras Moskowitz,and Rabbi Dr. Abraham D. Barras,obm, has accepted a position as chiefRabbi at Temple Beth El, Fort Myers,Florida. Rabbi Barras is a graduate ofWyoming Seminary, ConnecticutCollege and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He alsoearned a Masters Degree at Xavier University. Followinghis ordination in 2002, Rabbi Barras served as AssociateRabbi at Temple Beth El in Charlotte, North Carolina.Rabbi Barras is married to Jodi Gant Barras and they havea daughter, Ella Sophia. We extend our wishes for muchsuccess to Rabbi Barras and a hearty Mazel Tov to hisproud family.Atty. Joseph Kluger was elected Chairman of theBoard for Luzerne Bank. Joe, a principal in the law firm ofHourigan, Kluger & Quinn, became the third generation ofhis family to take stewardship of a local bank. Hisgrandfather, Samuel Kluger, was chief operating officer ofthe First National Bank of Wyoming, and his father, Atty.Allan Kluger, served on the Luzerne Bank board beforeretiring as chairman last year. Congratulations to Joe oncontinuing this esteemed family tradition.Terry Friedman Milman, daughter of Roz and LeonardFriedman was honored on June 16, 2007 by CongregationAgudas Achim, Austin, Texas with the Chesed Award,"presented to members who embody and reflect chesed,which means deep abiding goodness", and "for living aJewish life of tzedakah, ritual observance, and caring forothers." Terry received this award for her work as theAdvisor to CAA's United Synagogue Youth program for hersix years of leadership and dedication.We CareWant to attend servicesor Temple events, but haveno transportation? Just callthe Temple office a fewdays in advance and wewill try to arrange a ridefor you. Mazal Tov to:• Edie Seeherman on the birth of a granddaughter, JemmieLaine Seeherman• Bea Weber on the marriage of her grandson, Peter Jaslowto Laura WielandCondolences to:• The family of Melba Murzin on her passingPage 3

School NotesHAPPY JULY &AUGUST BIRTHDAYSTO OUR STUDENTSWilliam Fierman July 20Alexis Soifer July 21Ethen Kruger Aug 4Elijah Miller Aug 5Colton Winters Aug 7Hannah Ralston Aug19Coby Kornfeld Aug 20Eilon Estikangi Aug 20Sophia Kruger Aug 24Hannah Dressler Aug 27Bari Lefkowitz Aug 31Book ClubThe Book Club will meet on Sunday, August 5, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. ata place TBA. The selection is Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky.FROM THE PUBLISHERSuite Française is an extraordinary novel of life under Nazioccupation - recently discovered and published 64 years after theauthor’s death in Auschwitz. In the early 1940s, Irène Némirovsky was asuccessful writer living in Paris. But she was also Jewish, and in 1942she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz. Her two small daughters,aged 5 and 13, escaped, carrying with them, in a small suitcase, themanuscript - one of the great first-handnovelistic accounts of a way of lifeunravelling.Suite Française is both a piercingrecord of its time, and a humane,profoundly moving work of art.Riveting, impossible to put down, itmakes us witnesses to life as it was inwartime France, and leaves uswondering how we too might behave insuch a perilous situation. An immediate #1bestseller in France, Suite Française hascaptured readers’ imaginations not only for thetragic story of its author and the circumstances ofits rediscovery, but for its brilliantly subtle andcompelling portrait of France under Occupation.Sisterhood UpdateMessage from New Sisterhood President, Dr. Dana GoldsteinI am both honored and pleased to have been asked to serve as the new Sisterhood President for 2007/2008.Having moved to the area only 4 ? years ago, there are many members of the Temple Israel family that I have yet tomeet. So allow me to introduce myself. I was born in New York City, the second of two daughters to Barbara andBernard Flamenbaum, and raised in a traditional Jewish home on Long Island. My older sister Melanie and I bothattended and graduated from Brandeis University. Following my years at Brandeis, I earned an MA in Psychology fromCity College in New York; then moved to Cleveland to pursue my Ph.D. at Case Western Reserve University. Andrewand I met during my first semester at CWRU, while attending a Friday night Havurah sponsored by the campus Hillel.Having graduated from CWRU the previous year, Andrew, also a native New Yorker, was headed back east to NYC.Instead, he stayed. We were married on Long Island on New Year’s Day, 1994. Our daughter Lainy was born in 1998.After completing my Ph.D. in 2000, I taught at Cleveland State University, where I solidified my desire to pursue alicense in Clinical Psychology. Life, and Andrew’s position as a Neurophysiologist brought us back east toPennsylvania. Currently, we are living at Penn Lake, and Lainy attends Fairview Elementary School. I am continuingmy education as a Post Doctoral Student in Clinical Psychology, and working towards a license to practice inPennsylvania. Living 12 miles from Lainy’s school, and 20 miles from Wilkes Barre, it has not always been easy toparticipate in all that the Jewish Community has to offer. We have, however, made it a priority to teach our daughterabout Judaism and to raise her with a strong Jewish identity. For me, the distance from my home to Temple Israel hasproved to be a blessing. While Hebrew School is in session, I have spent many, many hours in the school building.Often I participate in the school activities, but more often, I observe. I have had the unique experience of getting toknow many of the children and pre-teens who attend the Hebrew School , as well as the opportunity to make lifelong friends. Along the way, Temple Israel began to feel like home. Truly, Temple Israel has become a second homefor all of us. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the community as Sisterhood President, and looking forward tomeeting and spending time with all of the members of our extended family.Page 4

✡ Shabbat Schedule ✡JulyPINCHASFriday, July 6Candlelighting time ...........................8:10 p.m.Saturday, July 7 ................................................9:30 a.m.Minchah .............................................5:15 p.m.MATOT/MASEI✡ ✡ ✡ ✡Friday, July 13Candlelighting time ............................8:07 p.m.Saturday, July 14 ..............................................9:30 a.m.Minchah .............................................5:15 p.m.✡ ✡ ✡ ✡DEVARIMSHABBAT CHAZONFriday, July 20Candlelighting time ............................8:02 p.m.Saturday, July 21 ..............................................9:30 a.m.Minchah .............................................5:15 p.m.✡ ✡ ✡ ✡VA’ETCHANANSHABBAT NACHAMUFriday, July 27Candlelighting time ............................7:57 p.m.Saturday, July 28 ..............................................9:30 a.m.Minchah .............................................5:15 p.m.AugustEKEVFriday, August 3Candlelighting time ............................7:49 p.m.Saturday, August 4 ...........................................9:30 a.m.Minchah .............................................5:15 p.m.RE’EHFriday, August 10Candlelighting time ............................7:41 p.m.Saturday, August 11 .........................................9:30 a.m.Minchah .............................................5:15 p.m.SHOFTIM✡ ✡ ✡ ✡Friday, August 17Candlelighting time ............................7:31 p.m.Saturday, August 18 .........................................9:30 a.m.Minchah .............................................5:15 p.m.✡ ✡ ✡ ✡KI TETZEFriday, August 24Candlelighting time ............................7:21 p.m.Saturday, August 25 .........................................9:30 a.m.Minchah .............................................5:15 p.m.From Our President. . .Larry S. Keiser, Esq.STATE OFTHE TEMPLE2006 — 2007Thanks toeveryone who helpedmake our AnnualDinner and Meeting ahuge success. Wehad approximately220 people inattendance at the Woodlands and our adjournal program book raised funds whichsignificantly exceeded our budgeted goal. Iam charged with the responsibility ofreporting to our membership on the state ofthe Temple over the year since our lastmeeting. Due to the diligence of TempleIsrael’s officers, the Board of Trustees, ourmany hard-working committees, the SchoolChair and School Board, as well as ourgifted clergy and energetic staff, I believethat this year has been an unqualifiedsuccess. I want to briefly comment on fourareas of the Temple’s mission.I. The first area is Service to ourCongregants:1) This year, we celebrated six (6)B’nai Mitzvot. Each of ouryoung men and women werewell prepared and demonstratedskill, as well as confidence,leading the services. Thesestudents reflected the qualityHebrew education they receivedin our “School of Excellence”under the guidance of ourPrincipal, Gerri Kaplan, and allof the Temple Israel Schoolfaculty. Our youngsters madetheir parents and family proudon their special day, and nowthey all represent a significantresource to the Temple for yearsto come. Each of them iscapable of chanting futureHaftorot and they willundoubtedly add to our evergrowing group of Torah readers.2) We welcomed eight (8) newmember families to thecongregation. During the pastyear, our membership rosterremained level at approximately405 member units.3) We celebrated many specialbirthdays, anniversaries andbaby namings with ourmembers. We were pleasedthat so may choose to celebratethese important milestones byaccepting honors andsponsoring the Kiddush. Istrongly urge all of you to followthat lead! Make Temple a partof your family celebrations.Having an honor and receivinga special blessing in front of thecongregation will give spiritualmeaning to the event that youwon’t be able to duplicate anyplace else.4) Temple has also taken steps tostrengthen our relationship withour national organization — theUnited Synagogue ofConservative Judaism. Throughthe good offices of our USCGRegional Director Lew Grafman,continued on page 7Page 5

✡ July Yahrzeits ✡Week of July 1 – July 8: Daniel Amdur, Milton Charnow, Morris Cutler,Hyman Davidowitz, Theodore Domowitz, Louis Feldman, RubinGreenberg, Ida Herschenfeld, Rae Kass, Minnie Klein, Gertrude Koff, SamKornfeld, Joseph Leventhal, Jacob Levey, Ida Meyer, Sylvia Mittleman,Jerome Newman, Harry Poplin, Ruth Rothman, Julius Savitz, Marc Sirota,Marjorie Smith, Ben Trachtenberg, Leah Trompetter, Calvin UngarWeek of July 9 – July 15: Eleanor Barr, Arthur Burnat, Ruth Cavanaugh,Harold Cimmet, Fannie Clachko, Isaac Dantzig, Elizabeth Dattner,Woodrow Kaufer, Louise Kupperman, Tilly Lach, Mildred Leventhal, SarahLevy, Bernard Morris, Philip Plaksin, Ronald Popky, Joseph Rabinowitz,Lottie Rosenthal, Alfred Rothschild, Albert Schwager, Sylvia Steinberg,William J. WeisbergerWeek of July 16 – July 22: Myron Ball, BernardBartikowsky, M.D. Brandwene, Juliette Brown, Mildred Dattner, EstherEngel, Jean M. Epstein, Albert Gelb, George Green, Sarah Kanoff, JosephKellner, Ella Kluger, Isaac Krasno, Ned Levey, Molly N. May, Frieda Morris,Beverly Morrow, Bessie Naveen, Sidney Newman, Morris Perloff, TilliePlotkin, Bertha Saidman, Sara Saidman, Jack Schoenfeld, Charles Shapiro,Alfred Stern, Albert Sussman, Louis UnterbergerWeek of July 23 – July 31: Clara Baldinger, Abraham Barras, DavidClearfield, Adele Coblentz, Oscar Connor, Manny Cumsky, Jacob Feldman,Sol Gutterman, Minnie Harris, Beatrice Hearst, Harold Hyman, DavidJacobs, Sulamit Karr, Irving Kirshner, Jacob Klavonski, Ida Levitt, HannahMendelssohn, Mervyn Mersay, Barbara Miller, Murray Popky, Aaron Rand,Rose Rinzler, Minna Rosenbaum, Louis Rubel, Zelda Salamon, BetteSchecter, Marion Smulyan, Rebecca Tishman, Joanne Venit, Mary WaxmanPlease note the following local members who are observing yahrzeitsduring the month of July and try to attend minyan with them in order thatthey may say Kaddish:July 1 William Davidowitz, July 18 Celia Krasno, ConstanceSandie LefkowitzSternJuly 2July 3July 4July 5July 6July 7July 8July 10July 11July 12July 13July 14July 15July 16Zelda Charnow, SandraFeldman, Edith Seeherman,Phyllis MitchneckEstelle Freedman, GaryKornfeldEileen TrompetterMarvin SmithRuth Sten, Ethel Moskow,Eva Shaiman, Eunice Luka,Pauline SirotaJoseph CutlerLinda Abrams, PaulyFriedman, Atty. JosephSavitz, HarveyTrachtenbergSusan MinkoffMarion Trachtenberg,Evelyn Zigun, BillRabinowitz, ShirleyFortinskyGerald Rothschild, EvaShaimanRosalyn Smulowitz, MollyCohen, MargaretWeisbergerRichard Burnat, JoanMeyer, Atty. DavidSchwagerLinda AbramsMorris Brown, AliceEllman, Janet Gelb, EmilKellner, Atty. Allan Kluger,Bernice Fierman, DanielFierman, Allen PlotkinJuly 19July 20July 21July 22July 23July 24July 25July 26July 27July 28July 29July 30July 31Tammie Harris, SheilaSaidman, Carol Grenwald,Dr. Bruce SaidmanCarol Greenwald, Dr.Bruce Saidman, SheilaSaidmanMax Bartikowsky, JaneKarnofsky, MargaretNovzenBarbara LevyIsobel Slomowitz, EvelynZigunGerri HymanDr. David Barras, Atty.Harold Rosenn, EstherLang, Laurie Schwager,Nina Izenberg, CeliaKrasnoDr. Irvin JacobsPhillip Connor, FrancineGrossman, Sharon CohenSimon Coblentz, EstelleFreedmanEthel Moskow, MaxineLibenson, FriedaHirschhornDon CooperCharlotte Klavonski,Eleanor Cohen, LizNewsbaum, Sherri Robin,June Golubock, JulieNorton, Lesley Baltimore✡ August Yahrzeits ✡Week of August 1 – August 8: Etta Baldinger, Tillie Bell, Jack Bergsmann, HowardBiederman, Arnold Bleyer, Joseph Blum, Betty W. Bohm, Jehuda Briskin, Earl R.Congleton, Theodore Diamond, Irving Domowitz, Ruth Falk, Julius Greenberg,Ethel Hirshburg, Leopold Hochberger, Nathan Iscovitz, Benjamin Klavonski, RuthKluger, Leonard Kurland, Irving Lang, Jean Levin, Dora Levinson, Marge Lewis,David Libenson, Henry Mermel, Max Moskowitz, Sara Newman, BerthaRappaport, Sarah Robin, Ethel Sadock, Elsie Salsburg, Harry Savitz, Sol WeissWeek of August 9 – August 15: Beth Abrams, Jacob Baldinger, Esther Beber,Leonard Berman, Marian Blum, Faye Boxer, Philip Bravman, Clara Brown,Margery L. Congleton, Hannah Cushman, Harry Frank, Sidney Friedman, AdeleGevirtz, Max Goldstein, Sadie Grossman, Samuel Hanovice, Esther Jacobs, JacobLevy, Harry Mitchneck, Ruth Morris, Abe Naveen, Rose Plessett, Harry Rifkin,Bertha Rosenthal, Michael Schoenholtz, Hilde Schwager, Ruth Shaffer, MargeSlomowitz, Henry Thalenfeld, Isaac Werner, Israel Zager, Barbara ZwirnWeek of August 16 – August 22: Anna Birnbaum, Bessie Bloom, Al Briskin,Matilda Burnat, Maxine Coblentz, Jack Friedman, A.H. Gallow, Murray Geller,Jennie Goldstein, Samuel Goldstein, Morris Greenberg, Polina Gurevich, EthelHaber, Irving Hinerfeld, Seymour Hirschhorn, Katye Kluger, Anna Krotick, LewisMermel, Sylvia Messinger, Geddie Morrell, Eva Raub, Irving Robin, Samuel H.Stuttman, Rabbi David Wolfe-BlankWeek of August 23 – August 31: Mollie Abrahamson, Marsha Alter, JosephBaldinger, Theodore Cooper, Goldye deBear, Morris Ehrenreich, Bert Feldman,David Feldman, Rebecca Feldman, William Fertig, Frank Fogel, Selma Foreman,Gerald Freedman, Rose Greenberg, Jacob Groh, Jennie Gutterman, Bertha Hacker,Joseph Hollander, Geraldine Hyman, Nathan Hyman, Sidney Keiser, Harry Kuffler,Mollie Libenson, Harry Minkoff, Anne Null, Mitchell Plessett, Miriam Rips, ShirleyRudolph, Joseph S. Savitz, Ethel Schoenholtz, Irving Schoenholtz, SeymourSchoenholtz, Bruce Smulowitz, Hyman Sotnick, Shirley Troy, Ethel Wachtler,Pauline Yourdon, Bessie ZigunPlease note the following local members who are observing yahrzeits duringthe month of August and try to attend minyan with them in order that theymay say Kaddish:Aug 1Aug 2Aug 3Aug 4Aug 5Aug 6Aug 7Aug 9Aug 10Aug 11Aug 12Aug 13Aug 14Atty. Larry Keiser, EdithSeeherman, AnneRappaport, Ruth Sten, JuneGolubock, Meral Libenson,Anne Cohen, Janet GelbSandra Adler, BarryIscovitz, CharlotteKlavonski, EstelleFreedman, Janice SavitzEva Shaiman, Atty. JosephSavitzGladys Cohen, MaxSalsburgErnest Weisberger, WilliamWeisberger, Dr. JennieCongleton, Naomi MeyerHarvey Rappaport, MarvinRappaportIrving Moskow, NancyShuman, Arthur Shuman,Ruth StenHannah Lipfert, Dr. JennieCongleton, Stuart AbramsJeanne Schoenholtz,Shirley SchoenholtzSarah Newmark, AlbertFrank, Debra Lefkowitz,Phyllis Mitchneck, Atty.David Schwager, EstherBratkowskyNancy Shuman, RichardRosenthalJanet Gelb, Anne CohenStuart Abrams, Larry Rifkin,Phyllis Mitchneck, JosephCutler, Harriet Gray, Atty.Harold RosennAug 15Aug 17Aug 19Aug 20Aug 21Aug 22Aug 23Aug 24Aug 26Aug 27Aug 28Aug 29Aug 30Helene RosenzweigSimon Coblentz, JackGeller, Estelle KarpMimi SirkinRichard Burnat, FriedaHirschhorn, ArnoldMessingerSaundra Fine, LaurieSchwager, Sarah NewmarkJean Gonchar, EvaShaiman, Sidney Friedman,Sam Greenberg, NaomiMeyer, Judith KleinSam Grenberg, BarbaraImbriglia, Alison Kovalchik,Alfred Groh, Atty. LarryKeiser, JeanneSchoenholtz, ShirleySchoenholtz, RosalynSmulowitzEthel MoskowMerryl Eng, Leo MinkoffJody Nogin, Lois May, Atty.Alan Hollander, Dr. JeffreyNullJeanne Schoenholtz,Shirley Schoenholtz,Michael Salamon, AlvinZigunMarion FrankJune Golubock, MeralLibenson, Jesse SavitzAugust 31 Don Cooper, EstelleFreedman, Dr. LouisFreedman, Dr. MiltonFreedman

From Our President. . . continued from page 5we have benefitted byparticipation in the President’sList serve, the Ritual List serveand similar Internet informationexchanges for our clergy andAdministrator. The Listservesallow us to connect with all 700Conservative Congregations, toshare their experiences andbenefit from their ideas andinnovations. Recently, on May30 th , USCJ presented a nicelyattended program which itcosponsored with us and TempleIsrael of Scranton discussing themovement’s position onordination of gay and lesbianclergy, as well as same sexcommitment ceremonies.II. Temple Israel also reaches out andprovides Service to the Community:1) This year, we hosted the InterfaithTea, which was well attended.2) We continued to be part of theVISION program and makespace available to feed andhouse the most needy membersof the Wilkes-Barre community.3) Our clergy have given their timeand talent to support numerouscommunity activities:Rabbi serves as Chaplain at theVA Hospital and at SCI Dallas; heis a Board member of Childrenand Youth and is most active inthe county’s foster family’sprogram. Rabbi is thecommunity clergyman of choicefor benedictions and invocationsat a wide range of events,including high schoolbaccalaureate programs,programs for the County BarAssociation and for many othercharitable organizations. Rabbiand Gerri received communitywide recognition for their workas foster parents when they werehonored by JFS. Cantor hasestablished a Community YouthChoir that has performed atseveral public functions, and hehas received special recognitionfrom the JCC for his hands-onwork with the Kinderlachprogram at the JCC. All of theaforementioned services to thecommunity, and the many moreactivities not listed here, haveraised the stature of Temple Israelas a true community resource.III. The third area of my report concernsour efforts to Enhance the level ofSpirituality to be derived from thesynagogue experience. You haveseen my monthly articles stressing theneed to heighten your personal levelof participation. I am not going torepeat the whole spiel here. Lookaround and note that many of ourmembers possess strong synagogueskills which they have utilized andexercised at other points in their lives.Please come back! We areestablishing a program to help yourearrange and adjust your schedulesto include synagogue attendance.Participate by taking honors, learn aHaftorah or a Torah reading; you willexperience a spiritual uplift, and sowill your friends and family! If youdon’t come to us, we will be comingto you. We are in the process offorming a committee to contactmembers and encourage ourmembers to be a part of a worshipand ritual renewal. You can be anexample to relatives and neighborsand, hopefully, they will follow yourlead. Rabbi has told us thatsynagogues don’t close for lack ofmoney; they atrophy from lack ofactive membership. Your synagogueleadership is committed to getting ourmembers to be vibrant, energetic,enthusiastic participants. Specialprograms, such as SisterhoodShabbat, Health Care Shabbat andLaw Day Shabbat have proven ourtheory. The 40 plus members thatparticipated in those programs haveall been repeat Torah readers or haveaccepted honors during otherservices. These members areinvolved and get personal enjoymentand satisfaction from their increasedparticipation. You, too, can catch thefever. Our clergy is working toslightly alter the dynamic of ourweekly services. In the comingweeks increased emphasis will be onlearning. Rabbi and Cantor will beteaching mini lessons so that you willcome to know more about why wedo things and the spiritual meaningbehind our prayers. The thrust will betoward entertaining you less andinvolving you more.IV. To conclude this report I need todiscuss the Condition of our Physicalplant and particularly the Sanctuary.Last year when faced with fallingplaster we made emergency repairsand began thinking about the need todeal with long overdue interiorrepairs. The House Committee, ablychaired by Joel Zitofsky and EllenSmith began to analyze the scope ofthe project. In the interim weundertook additional safety measuresby installing new carpet in thevestibule, the vestry and on the steps.We also did work to eliminate thewater leaks in the roof and otherdrainage areas. Without fear offurther damage we looked at the fourremaining problem areas whichwhen properly addressed will insurethe integrity of our historic andlandmark building for the nextgeneration.The Sanctuary must be re-plastered andrepainted and the dome cleaned. The subflooringand carpeting must be replaced.New seating is required as our present seatsare damaged, worn and beyond the point ofcost-effective repair. We must make thebimah more accessible for our elderly andinfirm. At this time we are gatheringinformation on the costs required to concludethe restoration process. In the coming weeks,and not later than the High Holidays, I hopeto present you with a comprehensive planoutlining the work to be done, theanticipated cost and how we propose to paythose bills. I trust that you will all join withus in seeing this project through to itsconclusion.As the first year of my Presidency hascome to a close, I want to say thank you toour Board members whose term of servicehas now concluded. We have beenprivileged to work with you. I extend a veryspecial word of thanks to Atty. RichardGoldberg who now concludes his three-yearterm as Chairman of the Board. Richard hasbeen a real help to me in countless matters.He has always found time to devote toservice for the Temple no matter how full hispersonal schedule has been. I have beenfortunate enough to make use of hisexperience and practical wisdom whenconfronted with tough decisions to be madeon the Temple’s behalf. Thanks Dick forbeing there when needed most! Lynn joinsme in wishing you all a most pleasantsummer. I hope to see you at services!Larry S. Keiserpresident@templewb.orgPage 7

Temple Israel236 S. River St.Wilkes-Barre PA 18702Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. PostagePAIDWilkes-Barre, PAPermit No. 105July 2007Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday1 2 3 4 5 6 7Baby naming for8 9 10 11 12 13 Maya & Jacob 1415 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 25 26 27 2829 30 31Coblentz Brown,9:30 a.m.August 2007Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday1 2 3 4Board of Trustees,5 6 7:30 p.m. 7 8 9 10 1112 13 14 15 16 17 1819 20 21 22 23 24 25UHI Picnic26 27 28 29 30 31