Yahrzeits December 2018

December 7, 2018

Virginia Fenstermaker  Harry Lefko                      Nathan Weiss

Hetty Faye                      Bernard Mangel              Sydell Pava

*Celia Horowitz              *Charles Zuckerman      *Robert Neiman
*Ida Coga                       *Morris Gordon               *Julius Pearlstein
*Ellen Samuels              *Paul Dubin                     *Golda Dinsfriend

*Joseph Nathan             *Marian Allen                  *Karen Wolfe
*Jerome Bierman           *Rose Swilkey                *Fanny Krumholz

*Sam Shaffer                  *Samuel Sherman          *Rebecca Shonman

*Ethel Turell                   *Molly Loden                  *Seymour Schwartzman

                                                                   

December 14, 2018

Mary Winowitz               David Levy                     *Keilah Netz

*Rose Kaiserman          *Jane Litman                  *Harry Wolfe

*Jake Ostroff                 *Louis Urbach                 *Calvin Pava

*Robin Allen                  *Julius Epstein               *Ellie Haas

*Thelma LaMargo         *Sadie Riesman              *Albert Lichstein

*Marcus Schwartz        *Mollie Weinstein            *Bela Frankl

*Lena Perlman              *Lena Shainkin               *Sadie Watnick

*May Wilkotz                 *Sam Payne                    *David Gorlin

*Mollie Kirshner

December 21, 2018

Rose Pitler                     Donald Murray                 Arthur Penn

Irene Goldenfeld           *Sarah Goldstein              *Boris Gorelick

*Harold Duxler               *Irving Sanders               *Abraham Teitlebaum 

*Murray Loden              *Samuel Horowitz            *Isadore Markowitz

*Emalie Ellison             *Mildred Wolfe                  *Benjamin Mandel

*Ann Scheingart           *Philip Seidman               *Sonia Moshin

*MIchael Markheim       *Leah Litwin

December 28, 2018

Emery Haas                    Samuel Bunshaft             Ida Troshinsky

Louis Fisch                     *Anna Fox                        *Morton Applebaum

*Joseph Seligman          *William Foy                    *Anita Shonman

*Sadie Rothman             *Isadore Kuberneck        *Aleck Scherlis

*Kalman Milgram           *Isadore Saltz                    *Samuel Sklar

*Freda Minz                    *Eva Siskind                     *Max Senensieb

*Sophie Gole                 *Eleanor Kaplan                *Rose Wahrhaftig

*Leonard Kostin

*Denotes Memorial Plaque

President's Message December 2018

Shalom everyone and Happy Chanukah,

                As always it’s been a very busy month in the synagogue. I made some notes a couple of weeks ago about what to put in this message so when I begin writing everything may be disjointed. Just bear with me because I have a lot to tell you about.

We had a visitor in the synagogue one Saturday morning who was on a quest to chant a Haftarah in each of the fifty states. When I talked with him by phone a month or so ago and heard his goal I felt we were a good match along his road to completion. So chant he did and those of us in attendance enjoyed being #12 and learning a little about him.

The “Variety Show” that we co-sponsored with Panorama Presbyterian Church was a rousing success. We had comedians, musicians, singers, trapeze acts (oops, scratch the trapeze—we couldn’t get the riggings up in time if you can believe that). All in all I believe everyone enjoyed the various performers. If you didn’t come, you missed a wonderful show. We are already in the planning stage for a follow on variety show scheduled for the spring.

The world premier of “The Chanukkah/Hanukkah/Hanukah/spell it however you wish Story” was absolutely fantastic. With a cast of thousands (would you believe fifteen or so) the audience was in stitches. Written by our very own British playwright, Roger Cowan, the cast of non-actors pulled it off. The crowd was 50% greater than planned which was exciting and there was even a standing ovation. Wow!! We have heard that some who attended the world premiere are coming back for the second performance the first Sunday in December and they’re actually paying to get in again.

We have signed an agreement to have a cell tower located on our property. This should help to improve our financial situation for years to come. Also, as I have reported previously, installation of solar panels is almost complete and we are looking forward to seeing a decrease in our electric power bill. These additions to our facility plus the increasing number of fund-raisers that we are planning are certainly improving our financial stability. We must continue to work hard to increase our membership and to support all the events that are being added to our calendar every month. Please do your part—Valley Beth Israel is a great place to be and you are such an important part of it.

The 24^th Annual Interfaith Service, this year hosted by St. Genevieve Catholic Church, was such a warm service as we joined with Panorama Presbyterian Church and St. Genevieve to celebrate the Thanksgiving season. The clergy of each organization had so much to say and their camaraderie was priceless. We all prayed as one.

Become a VBI-VIP (see the flyer in this newsletter) and come to Rabbi Mark’s performance in the Landmark Opera Company production of La Boheme (again, see the flyer in this newsletter). Have a wonderful Chanukah and a Happy New Year. See you next month.

                                                                Ron