President's Monthly Meanderings
by Larry Hepner, President

Israel
September 2004

As many of you know, my son, Logan has been in Israel for the summer. He returned home with many wonderful stories about the land of our ancestors.

Israel has always held a special fascination for me. It is a land that happens to be in a tough neighborhood. The last 4 years have been particularly rough.

Since 1993 and the Oslo Accords, a Palestinian "Authority" has been created to bring a State into being in Judea and Sumaria along with the Gaza Strip. Unfortunately, we now know that that agreement has turned out to be one segment of the strategy to eliminate Israel as a state by the Palestinian "Authority".

Since September of 2000, almost a full year before our September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a terror war has been waged on Israel. The most astonishing thing is that the majority of the world finds this all to be Israel's fault.

The most recent example of the lunacy regarding Israel is the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the auspices of the United Nations as it rendered a ruling on the legality of the separation fence being constructed to protect Israel from homicide bomber attacks from the Palestinian “Authority”. Surprise, surprise, 14 of the 15 jurists found the construction to be illegal. Note that separation fences in places like Pakistan and India, or between the Turks and Cypriots on Cypress are not being ruled on by the ICJ.

Israel is the only country that is a member of the United Nations that is not qualified to have a jurist sit on the ICJ nor is it qualified to chair the Security Council. That is because, Israel has not been assigned to a regional membership by the U.N. and from these regions the post holders are elected or selected. When it comes to the family of nations that is the U.N., Israel is an orphan.

This discrimination against the State of Israel is just another manifestation of Anti-Semitism. Monitor the news from the region. "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" is one of the best sellers in the Arab world. Read about the tough neighborhood that Israel resides in. Know that the Arab world believes that the September 11th attack on the United States was a Mossad (Israeli Intelligence) plot.

As a side note, in the last year the number of homicide bombings has decreased in Israel. I wonder why that is? Even though there are still daily attempts (down to 4 /day vs. 22 /day a year ago according to the Jerusalem Post), the security fence may be helping. However, perhaps it is not so lucrative to be the family of a homicide bomber these days. Without Saddam Hussein in power in Iraq, the $25,000 sent to the family of a homicide bomber is gone. Maybe that is a good thing for Israel.

Be informed and fax (yes fax – not e-mail or snail mail) your opinions to your congressmen and senators. We American Jews must take a stand for Israel since the rest of the world won't.

Israeli Connection
Summer 2004

From May 30th to June 4th the Israeli Scout Caravan visited our area. Thanks go to the Rabbi and the Temple Beth Elohim Auxiliary Groups who helped support their visit.

On Thursday, the Caravan visited the Henry H. Wells Middle School for a day of instruction and interaction with the student body. For many, this may have been the first time to actually meet an Israeli citizen. From the accounts that I have heard, the day was a success.

In the evening the Israeli Scouts performed for the family and friends of Temple Beth Elohim. This ensemble of five boys and five girls was truly talented. They shared information about where they lived, their interests, and a lot of their enthusiasm.

The multimedia show included scenes of their hometowns in Israel and sequences where they performed in unison on video with the live performance on stage from various venues in Israel. What a truly delightful evening of entertainment.

There is one moment in the performance that I will never forget. The young men from the Scout Caravan came out into the audience to serenade some of the ladies. One of the ladies selected was our own Gertrude Kahn. With the young man kneeling and singing to Gertrude holding her hand in his, it was a magic moment. When asked at the end of the performance about her experience, Gertrude said, "I won't wash this hand for a week!"

The real honor and pleasure was hosting two of the young men in our home. Idan and Ilon came with us after they packed up the set. They brought out their photo albums that allowed us to share a little of their lives. They had pictures of their home, their family, their school and the things that made them unique. Logan and one of his Scout friends stayed up a bit and chatted with them.

These two young men were polite, courteous and a pleasure to have in our home. One really got to put a face on Israel. The downside was that they were not with us long enough to get to know them better.

If you have teenagers, I highly recommend that you participate in next year's program by hosting a couple of the Israeli Caravan Scouts in you home. It may make for a long evening and an early morning, but having the chance to share an evening with these young men and women will be a memory to cherish. Your children will make new international friends. They will have someone to call when the go to Israel. For an experience for your children that is priceless, host an Israeli Scout next year.

Don't forget that the Israeli Scout Caravan performance is free. I look forward to having more members of Temple Beth Elohim enjoy the performance next year.

The Year in Review
June 2004

Our 50th year comes to a close fiscally as of June 30th. A review is in order to report to you how we have fared.

It was all in all a memorable year, this 50th. We have a beautiful piece of land and held our first service there at to kick off our Golden Anniversary. The land, appropriately, has been a major focus of our activity. We have begun the preliminary work on the land to meet governmental approvals and guidelines in a timely manner. We have hired a construction manager to advise and negotiate contracts on our behalf. The manager is a local firm and comes with high recommendations.

The Temple has increased in membership by almost 7%. This positive trend is indicative of our commitment to reaching out to our geographically diverse Jewish population. The Membership Committee has been revamped to oversee not only recruitment, but retention issues as well.

Our religious school is very vibrant and healthy. Mr. David Furash has come in to take the role as Principal for the school with the Rabbi as the Superintendent. Mr. Furash's professional dedication to Jewish Education is an asset to our Temple, and he has the overwhelming support of our Board of Education.

Men's Club and Sisterhood have continued to grow and innovate with new ideas, functions and programs. An additional auxiliary organization, the Couple's Club, was authorized by the Board of Directors to form and add to the richness of our Temple life and provide service to the community.

We have a wonderful and dedicated staff, led by Rabbi Acrish, that supports all aspects of our Temple life from our religious school, to worship support, to managing the membership accounting, to the day to day operation of our synagogue.

As always there is room for improvement. I believe that one of the areas for improvement is communication. The amount of information that is important to our Temple family is sometimes intimidating. It is an area that I will concentrate on improving and will ask our staff and Board of Directors to keep that a high priority as the new fiscal year begins. (One of the immediate ways we all can communicate is by gathering at the Annual Meeting on June 16th.)

Another area is to develop a positive mental attitude for our Temple, its projects and family members. We live in a tough world. There needs to be a place where we can come and be ourselves, hold our Jewish identity intact, feel warm and welcome, and above all, one where we all share in an extraordinary dream. We have been dreaming of a new home for our Temple. Keep that image as a positive one in your mind. Sure we will have bumps in the road to realizing that goal, but we must all believe in and commit to our success.

For the next year I am asking all members of our Temple Family to make participation in our Temple life a priority. If each one of us makes the commitment to move our Temple life one notch higher on our priority list, we can truly accomplish some wonderful things for the coming year.

Education
May 2004

The cornerstone of our Temple is the education component. Our religious school is a bright showcase of some of our best people. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Faculty and Administration for their dedication and professionalism.

One of the impressive things about our Temple is the retention of our younger members as teacher aides and beginning Hebrew instructors. I think this is a marvelous opportunity for our youngsters. After Bar or Bat Mitzvah, confirmation is the next educational step. For our students, what comes after that?

The opportunity to become a Teacher's Aide or an instructor for beginning Hebrew is the ideal vehicle to set our youngsters on the path to life long commitment to Jewish learning. Whether these young people know it or not, they are learning the process of passing their Judaism on to a new generation. The teaching skills they learn will help them in other facets of their lives when they move on to their own lives away from home.

Our teaching staff is what makes a school tick. Though I am not the Principal or the Administrator, I have observed a dedication to preparation. Having been a teacher myself at one time, I know the value of preparation for instructional time. Currently the curriculum is changing, and that places extra work on the teachers. Knowing the staff, I know they are throwing themselves into the task with a great deal of dedication and fascination.

As for the Administration, we have what I consider top professionals handling our school. The Principal, David Furash, holds national accreditation as a Hebrew educator and administrator. Nan Coulter is the School Administrator and is the one who manages the day to day work that makes the school function. The Superintendent is Rabbi Acrish, the guiding spirit of our dedication to our children. Their dedication to excellence leads the way.

One of our goals as a Board of Directors is to make religious school accessible and affordable for all of our young people. Another of our goals is to have updated classrooms in our new building that make additional educational opportunities available.

Finally, I would like to see us expand the opportunities for adult education. We tell our children when they become B'nai Mitzvah that this is only the beginning of their Jewish Education. I believe that we lead by example. What kind of additional study do we undertake to challenge our Jewish selves? What topics do we discuss that involve Jewish thought or ethics? What adult educational programs do we support in our Temple? Our Community?

I challenge us all to set the example. It is not what we say to our children, that their B'nai Mitzvah is just the beginning of the life long study of Torah and Judaism, but rather what we do to show them the way.

Programming
April 2004

One of the joys of belonging to Temple Beth Elohim is participating in the extra curricular events. Many of these gatherings are part of the education program and are planned by the Rabbi, David Furash, the Judaic Studies teachers and the staff. Examples are the Adult B'nai Mitzvah Class, Hebrew in 5 Easy Lessons (more likely 18 or 36 lessons - chai/double chai), Shabbatons, kallot, school field trips and more.

However, in order to truly make our Temple fulfill a portion of its mission statement, to make it a house of gathering, we must take the initiative on our own as members. This House of Gathering concept can be social, cultural, or informative. Here are some of the examples that members have undertaken to fulfill that component of our Mission Statement.

• The Purim Ball on March 6 was a blast. Three congregants, who planned and chaired it, initiated the costume ball. The Spiel was developed by our music director and was brought to fruition with lots of participation by a great cast of our members - new and old, young and seasoned. (Better not get in trouble for overworking the old bit!) All involved rehearsed many times together at the Temple.
• A Mah Jongg club that meets at the Temple weekly, and those Cracks and Bams are flying all over the place.
• The Great Debate Society holds monthly meetings during which participants discuss topics of interest regarding our Jewish heritage, identity and ideals.
• A Couples Club is being formed, and that group will utilize the Temple for social and community service functions.

I cite these activities because of the fact that the members of our Temple initiated them. They are putting into practice the mission of making the Temple a House of Gathering.

This is what I call programming for the Temple. We all have some things that we have in common. Perhaps it is a hobby like photography, calligraphy or fly-fishing. Maybe it is a community service group that would like to sponsor events like blood drives or other activities.

Our Temple is a place where we, as individual members, can take the initiative to start a group, or a program to attract members to come and truly make Temple a House of Gathering. Take the initiative. Gather some of your fellow congregants that have a liking for similar things and start a gathering here at the Temple. You'll be glad you did.

Remembrance
March 2004

Last month I represented Temple Beth Elohim at a memorial night at the Brewster American Legion. It was dedicated to the memory of four Army Chaplains who served on a troop ship crossing the Atlantic. Here is the story of their heroics on that crossing.

Early on the morning of February 3, 1943, the U.S. troop transport Dorchester was wallowing through icy seas off Greenland. Most of the 900 troops on board were asleep in their bunks. Suddenly a torpedo smashed into the Dorchester's flank. Frantically pounding up the ladders the troops milled in confusion on the decks.

In those dark moments of panic, the coolest men aboard were the four U.S. Army Chaplains – First Lieutenants Clark V. Poling (Protestant), Alexander D. Goode (Jewish), John P. Washington (Catholic) and George L. Fox (Protestant). The four chaplains led the men to boxes of life jackets, passed them out to the soldiers with boat drill precision. When the boxes were empty, the four chaplains quietly slipped off their own precious life preservers, put them on four young G.I.s and told them to jump.

The Dortchester went down 25 minutes later in a rumble of steam. Some 600 men were lost, but the heroic chaplains had helped save over 200. The last anyone saw of them they were standing on a slanting deck, their arms linked, in prayer, to the one God they all served.

What was most striking in this ceremony was the remembrance of the lives and accomplishments of these fine men. It is truly in the Jewish tradition to have so honored these men who decided to serve their country and Adonai by recalling the fond memories of life.

Here it is 60 years later and there is an engraved plague with the likeness of each chaplain prominently displayed in the American Legion Post. Indeed, a member of the Knights of Columbus donated a first issue stamp with accompanying envelope from 1948 that commemorated the heroism of the Four Chaplains to the American Legion Post. Incidentally, the cost of the first class stamp in 1948 was 3 cents.

It struck me as most appropriate in our Shabbat service that, at the conclusion of Kaddish, we remember those who gave their lives in time of war. We are at war and the men and women of our armed forces should be prayed for and the fallen remembered.

We should do this faithfully as we also pray for Shalom.

Resolutions
February 2004

You know that at the beginning of the secular New Year it is an American tradition to make those New Year's resolutions. At Rosh Hashanah we pause to reflect on how to improve our lives and our commitment to being a better person in preparation for Yom Kippur. I'll bet a lot of us also make some resolutions at the secular New Year like most Americans.

What kind of resolutions did you make? Lose weight? That's me. Save some money? Clean out the basement (attic, garage)? Exercise more? Get more organized? The list could go on and on. Did you make any?

But you are saying, "Hey. This is February. What's the point?" You're right, it is February and my question is this. Have you given up on your resolutions or are you sticking to them? That calls for a look inward.

You made a commitment to yourself. And if you did, and gave up too soon, it is not a great feeling, is it? Well, there is always next year.

But commitment is important. Particularly when it comes to Temple Beth Elohim. What is it that the Board of Directors, Religious School Principal, teachers, volunteers and staff of the Temple are committed to?

I can only speculate, but the Board of Directors is committed to guiding the policy and the finances of the Temple to perpetuate and enhance the life of the Temple. The staff of the temple is committed to conducting the functions of the Temple in a professional manner that increases its efficiency and capabilities. The Rabbi is committed to the spiritual needs of the congregation and the education of our youth. The Principal is committed to bringing quality education to our children. The teachers are committed to delivering a quality learning experience meeting the curriculum. All of our wonderful volunteers are committed to making a contribution of their time and talents to the Temple to make it a living, breathing organization.

This commitment to our Temple family is not like a resolution at New Years. We can't say, "Well, there's always next year." All of us can't just wait until next year. The Temple is a living growing organization that needs constant care and attention. That is what our commitment is all about, nurturing this family called Temple Beth Elohim.

Be it resolved that day by day, we will move forward toward our goals, each one of us striving toward our personal goals, our spiritual goals and our goals for Temple Beth Elohim.

Help Wanted
January 2004

The Temple is blessed to have a wonderful group of volunteers. When something needs to be done, the people come from all over to lend a hand. Volunteering in an organized fashion is what makes our Temple strong. What do I mean by organized? It means joining a committee!

Committees represent the backbone of the functioning of the Temple. The By-Laws and Standing Rules of the Board of Directors provide for standing committees. The Board and the President of the Temple may form other Committees to attend to certain requirements as needed.

Committees also provide one with an experience in how our Temple operates. That experience provides us with people to serve on the Board of Directors in the future. Most of what happens at the Temple is directed by volunteers, people just like you and me. Great satisfaction is had in participating in the life of our Temple, but the new friends made are a blessing in itself.

Having said all that I am asking you to contact me to serve on a committee. There are several that are in need.

Membership Committee - This committee works to gain new members for the Temple but also works to retain members by recommending strategies and programs for various member segments. This is an active committee and we would like to have representation from every town where members live.

Youth Group - The youth of our congregation are our future, and we are dedicated to that end. Recently we had a very active youth group, both junior and senior levels. Now we are in need of a Chairperson for the various levels and also members to share the duties of scheduling, chaperoning, transportation coordination and program planning. If you have a child in religious school grades 6-8, please consider serving on the Junior Youth Group Committee. If you have a child in grades 9-12, please consider serving on the Senior Youth Group Committee. (Side note: By serving on the Youth Group Committee and participating in the events, I met and made life friends of many families with children of the same age level. It's really worth it.)

Human Resources - This is an important committee to assist the Board with coordinating our employee procedures and policies. If you have experience in management you qualify. A Human Resources Policy & Procedures Manual is being finalized and the board needs a group of volunteers to monitor processes and make appropriate recommendations.

Office Help Volunteers - With the number of projects that have expanded since we have undertaken a campaign to build a new building and celebrate our 50th anniversary, there are many office support jobs that a volunteer corps could help with that would ease the work load for the office staff. A regular group that could be called on would help smooth the way for more productivity.

There are several more committees that need volunteers. Volunteering will help make our Temple grow, so please help.

"Count me in," you say? That's great! Here's what you need to do. Call me via the Temple or e-mail me so I can put you in touch with the committee members. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Our Family
December 2003

For the past several months, I have had a chance to learn more about our Temple family in my interaction with various committees and individual members. We are a fascinating bunch! And in the final analysis, we really are like any big family.

Here's the interesting part. We come from all ages, backgrounds, occupations, and geographical locations. That makes for some fascinating interactions. As in all families, groups tend to clump together by interests or geography. If you have kids in school in the same town, then you will tend to interact more at the Temple with those you see most regularly. If you are active in one of the groups in the Temple, like the Sisterhood, Men's Club or as a teacher in the Religious School, then those are people you tend to gravitate to.

There is also the aspect of families that tends to be a little bumpy when perhaps personalities clash or there are differences of opinions. In the Gates of Prayer, I often reflect on the responsive reading passage that says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." In our extended family, that is a challenge sometimes.

What do the two things have in common with each other, the tendency to gather in our Temple family by interest groups and to sometimes have differences? The answer is that we are people. That is what we have in common. That is also what makes us fascinating. I have taken to looking at our family members from the perspective of what is unique about them as individuals.

Some are outgoing and some are reserved. Some are opinionated and some are more neutral. Some are handy with tools and some are handy with words and numbers. Some are talkative and some are listeners. “Where is he going with this?” you are asking yourself.

It really is pretty simple. First, I ask you to reach out beyond your immediate circle and make a new acquaintance in our Temple family. Second, when having a difference with one of the family, take a step back and look for that part of the person that is interesting and unique. Get that different perspective.

What will all this do for our Temple family? It will bring us closer together as we work toward our future home. We will have many challenges before us. By reaching out to other members, we will be able to enable others to join in more of the activities of our Temple family. It will strengthen that sense of family that makes Temple Beth Elohim such an attractive place for Jews looking for a spiritual home.

Goals
November 2003

At one time or another everyone sets goals for themselves. Maybe it is losing 10 lbs, or setting a date to go see a show in the city. Other times one may be setting time and money aside for a trip to Israel or cruise to the Caribbean. In other cases, it may be saving for a down payment on a new home. The goals fall into two general categories, short- and long-term goals.

For the Temple, we all are pretty clear on the long-term goals. Last year, the Board of Directors accepted a Long Range Plan that outlines the strategic direction of our synagogue. But what about the short-term goals?

I suppose that depends on what part of the temple you are looking at. The religious school is looking at implementing new curriculum and the schedule set forth for the year. The Sisterhood and Men's Club are focusing on their social and fund raising calendars for the year. The Board of Directors is concerned with managing the activities of the Temple on a Fiscal Year basis. The administrative staff just wants to get through all the work that supports the High Holy Days.

This leads me to think about my personal goals in the short term as a Temple member. One of these is to attend Friday Worship Services on every Friday I can. Another goal is to participate in the social and educational events at the Temple. In essence, some of my goals are set around participating in Temple life.

Perhaps you don't necessarily think of your day-to-day, week-to-week activities and planning as goals. I am asking you to do so.

It would be interesting for us all to consider a couple of short term goal issues:

1. What are my personal short-term goals that relate to our Temple Family?
2. What should be some of the short-term goals for the Temple for this year?

The first one is personal, but I would be interested to hear from you as to what you think about the second question. Feel free to let me know by calling or writing to TBEbiz@aol.com.

Stake Your Claim
October 2003

Over the past month a couple of things occurred that gave me pause for thought. Doesn't take much these days to cause my train of thought to pause or even resemble a train wreck.

On a Tuesday night recently, the Temple was filled with activity such as I have never seen. There was a choir rehearsal, a building committee meeting, new teacher instruction by our returning school principal, a senior youth group committee meeting, and a meeting of the 50th anniversary celebration committee. It was exciting to behold. The Temple was alive, fulfilling a part of our Mission Statement calling for the Temple to be a Bet Knesset, a House of Gathering. I thought, "This is the vision I have for the Temple Family." As a House of Gathering, and the Temple being constantly active with our members' involvement, our Temple Family doing may wonderful things together.

The other occurrence was a sermon by the Rabbi at the end of August about our concept of Temple Family. We have cultivated that feeling and spirit of a family unit, perhaps, as we are open and warm to all members. But what makes a family a living, functional, vibrant unit? It comes to participation.

What does joining in the doings of the Temple mean to you as a member of the Beth Elohim family? First and foremost are the interesting people you will come to know and make friends with. Secondly, it allows you to lend your expertise in some small way to help move the Temple forward into the future and give you great satisfaction in your ability to help.

Actually participating in Temple life at any level allows you to stake your claim as a member of the Temple Family that the Rabbi was talking about. We need you to join us at all levels and areas of specialties. The life-blood of the Temple is its committees and programs. Serving on a committee or as a chairperson is one way of staking your claim. Joining in the programs of the Temple, whether adult education, Sisterhood or Men's club or setting up your own reason for gathering will also allow you to stake your claim. Whether it is once a week or once a month, come to the Bet Knesset, the House of Gathering, to stake your claim in the family of Temple Beth Elohim.

Shalom,
Larry A. Hepner
P.S. I am willing to bet that in the future you will probably get a call from me to help out with the Temple family. It is my prayer that you will be receptive and supportive.

Our Temple Turns 50!!!
September 2003

The Temple, our Temple Beth Elohim is 50 years old this year. Fifty years is quite a milestone by anyone's measure. Everyone is invited to join the celebrations. Already there are many exciting activities being planned. Follow the Menorah, weekly announcements, website, e-mail, phone trees and regular mail for the times and places of upcoming events. You have received an invitation for a 50th year kick off on September 13. We will hold our first service on the land that is the future home of Temple Beth Elohim. I can't think of a better way to get the ball rolling.

Exciting things are being planned - a visual history of Temple Beth Elohim including a wonderful montage of old pictures and news clippings and a video with interviews of current members are in production. There is a 50th Anniversary Gala planned for February, a concert, and many surprises thought up to enliven the celebration. Suggestions are welcome - let's make our 50th a year to remember.

We are able to celebrate on our new piece of property due to a lot of hard work by a lot of people. However, I want to extend a hearty thanks to two people whose efforts were pivotal in accomplishing the goal. After many years (seemed like 40 in the Wilderness) we found a piece of land. Bruce Edleson was the Temple President and Joe Greenfield was the Building Committee Chair who were able to get us to the closing on the purchase of the new land. I know Bruce and Joe will say that a lot of people brought the dream to reality, and they are right. There were many over the years serving in many capacities that helped out, even those we remember for their hard work that moved away and left the Temple family. I want to thank Bruce and Joe and all who worked with them to make the first stage of our dream come true.

The project now is to have a marvelous and memorable Golden Jubilee Celebration as we prepare to launch ourselves into our next half century and achieve the goal of building a new Temple on our beautiful land. We need to renew ourselves with a spirit of adventure for there are many challenges ahead. I pray that every member of our Temple Family will find a way to add new life, inspiration, and participation in starting our road to 100 years of Temple Beth Elohim.