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News |
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Burn the Mortgage Campaign
You are cordially invited to help us "Burn
the Mortgage." Join fellow members who share your passion for Temple
Beth El as we work hand in hand to ensure the future of Conservative Judaism
and our synagogue for many years to come.
We welcome the opportunity to speak with
any interested congregant. A new pledge may be added to your previously paid
pledge and/or commitment to equal a larger gift, perhaps one that will
enable you to dedicate a plaque on our beautiful glass donor wall in the
temple lobby. Please contact Amy at
mahol@aol.com or Rance at
ranceb1@gmail.com to discuss your participation. |
Comedy Tonight!
Comedy will officially be back at Temple Beth El when, on Saturday night
February 25th, we welcome into our house a trio of comedians from the big
apple. So mark your calendars, call your friends and plan on having a night
filled with comedy, fun and camaraderie as we embark on our new tradition of
Comedy Tonight! at TBE.
Comedy has always been a part of Jewish life and two of our fellow
congregants thought that this would be a great way for all of us to enjoy a
night out and have some good laughs. Our co-chairs for this event are none
other than Scott Delin and Mark Stutz each of whom have hosted a comedy
night in the past and will now team up to bring you a night you will
remember. Add to this the power and commitment of the TBE Sisterhood to help
with the snacks and ambiance and we will have all of the ingredients for a
night to remember.
Ticket prices for general admission are $36 per person and there will be a
special preview ticket that enables you attend a private cocktail reception
and has preferred seating. Stay tuned for more information.
So remember to MARK YOUR CALENDARS for February 25th. |
610-435-3521
Temple Beth El Allentown, 1305 Springhouse Rd, 18104
Shop Amazon.com and Earn Money For
Temple Beth El!
Use Scrip and help Beth El even more
Need books, movies, electronics, or just about
anything else?
Shop and help raise money for the Temple with just one click! It's easy,
quick and completely private. Browse to the
Fundraising Page and start your shopping there. The Temple earns up to
8% of every purchase, at no cost to you! You must place your order through
the link for Temple Beth El to get the credit. Please help us raise funds
for our Temple. Your assistance is greatly appreciated!
Raise money for Temple Beth El while you shop!
Grocery Shopping at Giant
or Weis in the next week or so???
Why not support Temple Beth El while you grocery shop?
Temple Beth El will make $5 for every $100 Giant or Weis gift card that we
sell.
Gift cards are currently available in $25, $50 or $100 denominations.
Gift cards are also available for over 500 retailer’s nation wide. Just ask!
Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Amazon.com, ITunes and more also in stock now!
Gift cards are not just for gifts, they are for everyday use too!
To order your gift cards contact:
Support our Temple and buy gift cards
through us – there are no hidden fees or expiration dates! To place an order
contact:
Jill Steigerwald
610-336-7482
steiger1@msn.com |
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HEY, KADIMA!!!!
Save The Date: January 27-28, 2012 (Friday
after school until Saturday night)
Eastern Pennsylvania (EPA) Kadima Kallah!!!
A Regional Event Just for Kadima (grades 5-7)
Be the hosts to Kadimaniks from all over the region!
Have an amazing time at Beth El in Allentown!
- Sleepover at the synagogue on Friday
Night!
- Great food and snacks
- Phenomenal Programming during the day
Saturday
- Fantastic and Fun event Saturday
night
- Keep an eye on your mail and email
for details, applications and costs!
YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS!!!!
Contact Barbara Sharofsky (regional director) for more information!
267-763-8725
sharofsky@uscj.org |
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Mah Jongg News
In our 10th year…
Our Mah Jongg Club dates are all Monday evenings at the Temple.
We will begin to play promptly at 6:45 pm.
Please be there by 6:30 pm to register. We play for about 3 hours.
Please mark these club playing dates on your 2012 calendars:
January 23, 2012
March 12
May 14
$10 per player donation to Sisterhood
NEW FACES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO PLAY!
Don’t miss out on another year of sisterhood, laughter, and a great bunch of
fun!
Looking forward to playing Mah Jongg with YOU !!!
Call with questions and your RSVP to Ilene Rubel
Phone 610-776-1577 or email Ilene either at her office address or
irubel@aol.com |
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Youth News
Shalom everyone. Hope your Hanukkah was joyous.
In December USY held its International Convention in Philadelphia with
pre-convention in WestChester. Conservative Jewish teens from Israel,
Canada, England, Mexico, Argentina and all over the US gathered for the week
with non-stop programming and camaraderie. Molly & Ally Haas, Shira & Lexie
Botzum, and Sara Schubach attended. TBE is hosting a Regional KADIMA
Shabbaton on the 27th & 28th. Jewish youth in 5-7th grade from Eastern PA
will be gathering at our shul for 2 days of fun. They will sleep overnight
at the temple and it will be a great experience. If your child has not
signed up for KADIMA, do so today so they will not miss the great event. We
will need parent's help in the kitchen to serve meals-please volunteer.
KADIMA applications and volunteer sign-ups can be done through me. In
February the USYers will be going to Paoli for the Winter Kinnus. Watch the
Bulletin, snail mail, the list serve and the kids' facebook pages for more
info on all upcoming events. Keep your eyes peeled for
more details on these events and
email me anytime.
Sincerely,
Bill Miner
USY & KADIMA Advisor |
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Features |
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IT’S A SIMCHA MAZEL TOV
Jon Munves on his
“special” birthday.
Marlene & Arnan Finkelstein on the Bat Mitzvah of their
granddaughter, Zoe.
Jill & Ivan Schonfeld on the birth of their granddaughter, Ava Reese
Schonfeld, born to Lauren & Faron Schonfeld. |
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Chesed Committee
The Chesed Committee has reinvigorated the
synagogue's "sick & welfare" group.
The new name for the volunteer group is EZRA
and it will be maintained under the umbrella of the Chesed Committee.
The group's focus is matching congregants in need of some assistance with
others in our Temple family who are willing to lend a hand. For example,
some of these needs include preparing and delivering meals, visiting a
congregant who is stuck at home, helping to run errands with congregants and
bringing a congregant in need of a ride to services.
If you might be interested in receiving these types of assistance or you are
willing to be on the Ezra list of potential helpers please contact:
Stu Horowitz sphlcsw@yahoo.com or
Ruth Nathanson rnathans@rcn.com
Read more about the
Chesed Committee.
Sherri Bassner and Rich Morse, Co-Chairs
chesed@bethelallentown.org |
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Tree of Life
The mosaic Tree of Life has found a
beautiful new home in the hallway adjacent to the Social Hall. Leaves on
the Tree commemorate happy occasions in the lives of our congregants and
memorialize loved ones. The rates for leaves on the tree are $600 for
those leaves in the center on the trunk of the tree, and $500 for those
on the branches.
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Pew Seats
A limited number of pew seats are still
available. If you made a pledge of $10,000 or more ($5000 for single
members) to the capital campaign, you may become a pew seat holder by
committing to an additional $125 per seat per year over annual dues. Please
contact the synagogue office for more details. |
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Keruv
Keruv means “Bringing Closer.” Another word from
the same Hebrew root (krv) is kerovim, family.
The Temple Beth El Keruv Committee was formed in the fall of 2005 with Henry
Luftman as Chair in order to better address the needs of our interfaith
families. Click here for more detailed
information about this very important Temple effort.
The Keruv Committee warmly welcomes new
members, programming suggestions and feedback on its efforts. We invite you
to contact Henry or Pat Luftman (610-966-0167) or
luftman@ptd.net to become involved in
this program. |
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Please Let us Know!
We Need Your Help
The synagogue is
not always notified when congregants are admitted to the hospital.
HIPAA laws prevent hospitals from
releasing the names of patients.
If you know of a friend or relative
in the hospital, please E-mail or phone the Temple so that the Rabbi and
Cantor will know.
Another way of
notifying the Rabbi or Cantor is to give the hospital our code which is
017.
A member of the Temple staff phones the local hospitals every day to
check if any of our members are in.
Our Rabbi and
Cantor also make many visits to members who are in hospitals,
rehabilitation centers or nursing homes. Please notify the temple
office when you or someone you love is in one of these facilities (or is
ill and homebound.)
When admitted through Emergency Room,
please have your family member or friend notify the Temple Beth El office. If you have lost
a relative, please notify the Temple office so you will receive Yahrzeit
notification. |
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Religious School Director
Position Opening at Temple Beth El:
Temple Beth El's E. G. Scoblionko Religious
School is currently searching for an ideal candidate to fill the
position of Religious School Director. This part-time position will
become available starting on May 1st, 2012. Interested applicants are
requested to forward their resume and cover letter to Peter Fisher,
School Vice President and Search Committee Chair, c/o Michelle Rohrbach,
Synagogue Administrator. Please mark your envelope "Personal &
Confidential" and all applications will be handled in the strictest
confidence. |
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Save the date:
The weekend of April 27, 2012
Temple Beth El Scholar in Residence
Dr. Eitan Fishbane.
Come join us for a fun weekend, and discover what you may have always
wanted to know about Jewish mysticism. |
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Sisterhood
January 21, Sisterhood Shabbat
More info can be found on the
Sisterhood main page! |
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Men's Club
We are in the process of planning our calendar
for this year. We are looking for ideas for brunch topics and
events. If there is something you would like to see, just email me at
.
Visit the Men's
Club Page for more information. If you haven't already, make sure to
return the Membership form that you received in the mail. If you've
misplaced it, you can download it
here.
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Shira Chadasha
Come and feel the spirit of Shira Chadasha
(music Shabbat), on Friday, January 27, 7:30 p.m. Sing along with the
beautiful music (and the Rabbi's guitar) and give Shabbat a real
welcome. |
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Save these dates for Shabbat
Dinners: Jan. 27
March 2 – Shabbat Across America
March 30 – Cultural Weekend
April 27 – Scholar In Residence Weekend
June 29 - Outdoor Service following dinner
Dinners: 6:00 pm Services: 7:30 pm
At 7:10 pm, all families with young children are invited to join the
Rabbi and Cantor for Shabbat Songs, a story and cookies! |
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Warm Clothing And Blanket Drive
Temple Beth El’s Religious School and the
Chesed Committee (“loving-kindness”) of Temple Beth El are sponsoring
this important program in November and December 2011. In these tough
economic times, there are many families who struggle even to stay warm
in cold weather. The Sixth Street Shelter is in need of coats, jackets,
sweaters, fleece wear, gloves, scarves, blankets and quilts for children
and adults. Resident families of Sixth Street are in transition to a
more stable living situation, but need a helping hand. Please bring your
warm donations to our religious school lobby to support this worthy
cause. |
Celebrating a January Birthday?
Join us for Shabbat services on Saturday, January 28th, 2012 and be
honored by your fellow congregants.
R.S.V.P. to the office at (610) 435 – 3521 and let us know you will be
there! |
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Shabbat Youth Services
Hey kids! Shabbat is a special time for
getting together to pray, sing, and be with your friends at Beth El! Did
you know that our Temple has Shabbat services just for YOU?
Tell your parents that you want to
come and Celebrate
Shabbat with your friends! We’ll see you there!
More information can be found here. |
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Jewish Healing Service
We will hold a healing service on Thursday
January 5th, 1-2 PM, in the Temple Beth El Chapel. We will be creating a
safe space to bring our pain and our questions and our yearning. This
one-hour service will include music, silent meditation, traditional prayers
and Torah study. For more information, please contact Rabbi Re’em or Cantor
Wartell at (610-435-3521). |
Sponsor a Kiddush or Oneg Shabbat
Please support our Congregation by sponsoring a Saturday Kiddush
luncheon or Friday night Oneg Shabbat. This is a wonderful way to honor
a family or friend’s birthday, anniversary or other life cycle event,
commemorate the Yahrzeit of a loved one or even just to make our Shabbat
experience more enjoyable. The following dates are currently available
for your sponsorship: January 13, 14, 27, 28, February 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25
and March 17.
We always welcome contributions to the Kiddush Fund. Please contact
Melanie May, Life Cycle Event Coordinator for more information at (610)
435-3521 or
email Melanie. |
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SHOP TALK
JANUARY SECRET SALE
5%** 10%** 15%**
Off all items in the Gift Shop*
*(except Michael Aram and Kosher scrolls)
Shop till you drop
Pick a % off ticket from our sale jar
Apply that to your entire purchase*
Shop hours: Tues 4 - 6 pm, Fri and Sun 10am to noon
or by appointment
See you at the shop |
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Minyan
The daily minyan is one of the foundations of
our congregation. At morning minyan men and women gather to pray, to hear
Torah read and to recite Kaddish on the Yahrzeit of a beloved one or while
they are in mourning. Friendships grow out of the minyan.
We need 10 people each day to make the minyan.
If you can commit to coming one day a week, more or less often, you will be
performing an important mitzvah.
Minyan meets on weekdays and holidays at 7:45 a.m. and
on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. Come daven with the Rabbi. He’ll be
very happy to see you there. |
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Administration |
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Temple Office Hours
Monday - Thursday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Friday :
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The Temple office closes at 3:00 p.m. for
Shabbat now that Daylight Standard Time is in effect. |
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Provide-a-Ride We are organizing a "Provide-a-Ride" service to help congregants who
wish to attend services on Friday evenings but cannot drive at night.
Many of our older congregants who wish to observe a yahrzeit, or to just
enjoy sharing Shabbat services with their Beth El family, can no longer
drive at night. We are in the process of compiling a roster of
congregants who attend Friday evening services, even if only
occasionally, and would be willing to make it possible for a fellow
congregant to attend with them. Please call the Temple office at
610-435-3521 to register as a driver if you can provide this valuable
service.
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Endow a Tree at Beth El Memorial Park
Honor or memorialize our loved ones by
endowing a tree for $1000 at Beth El Memorial Park. A permanent marker
will be erected by the tree chosen.
Contact Ivan Schonfeld at 610-395-8770.
Other items also available to endow. |
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Sanctuary
Renderings Back by popular
demand…printed renderings of our sanctuary at 17th Street are available
again. The price is $136 each whether matte or gloss finish.
Contact Amy Holtz or the synagogue
office to purchase your keepsake picture. |
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Interfaith Policies
As an egalitarian conservative synagogue, Temple
Beth El warmly welcomes interfaith families.
Click here
for more information about our current policies. |
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