News

The annual Congregational meeting on June 11th, 2008 will include, in addition to other end-of-year business matters, a vote on a recommendation from the Board of Directors regarding the addition of a multi-purpose auditorium and storage room to our present facility.

On May 7th, 2008, the Board of Directors of Temple Beth El approved a motion to recommend to the Congregation that a plan to construct a multi-purpose auditorium and adjacent storage space be approved at a cost not to exceed $850,000.00.

The proposed project plan will be presented in addition to the election of the Board of Directors and Officers, committee reports and from our Rabbi, Cantor, Sisterhood, Men’s Club, Endowment Foundation and Memorial Park Association.

Please mark your calendars with the date and time of this very important and informative meeting.

Jill's Jottings can now be found on the Sisterhood main page!

Sunday, June 15 - "TBE at the Pigs" - Iron Pigs Baseball game at the new Coca Cola Park for the whole family. With pre-game picnic.

Summer 2008 - Softball game against KI's Brotherhood.  Details to follow.

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.

Yasher Koach to those who have contributed so much to our school!

Class Parents: Heidi Coolidge, Melissa Frank, Hali Goldman, Suzy Harris, Jeff Koch, Beth Kushnick, Lynn Rothman, Carol Schlags, Lorey Shaff, Miriam Zager, and Kathy Zimmerman.

Faculty: Sheryl Block, Eric Feld, Nellie Gershtein, Kathy Gohr, Todd Hacker,
Amy Holtz, Elaine Langer, Jodi Lovenwirth, Henry Luftman, Sandy Ojavlo,
Rabbi Re’em, Jill Schonfeld, Ethan Simon, Shari Spark, Diane Stein, Cantor Wartell, and Alicia Zahn.

Holiday Programs:

Junior Choir: Ally Bernfeld, Aaron Fretti, Maia Gould, Zev Gould, Sarah Holtz, Ethan Kushnick, Natalie Luftman, Hadar Re’em, Sophie Riback, and Lisa Stein.

Madrichim (Aides): Annelise Davis, Noah Diamondstein, Zach Gayner, Nathan Luftman, Francine Katzman, Catherine Rau, Yochai Re’em, Jenna Schlags, Melissa Schlags, Matthew Stein, Anna Vishnevetsky, and Ari Wartell.

Midrasha Chorale: Annelise Davis, Noah Diamondstein, Mark Fisher, Abbey Harris, Melissa Schlags, and Matthew Stein.

Midrasha Student Council: Noah Diamondstein, Jason Fine, Mark Fisher,
Dan Fogelman, Melissa Schlags, Matthew Stein, and Zach Zager.

School Board: Vice President: Henry Luftman
Committee: Sheryl Block, Marc Diamondstein, Sandi Fine, Peter Fisher, Amy Holtz, Jamie Langer, Paul Lemberg, Rabbi Re’em, Lorey Shaff, Jill Schonfeld, Jill Steigerwald, Cantor Wartell and Alicia Zahn.

Shabbat Service Leaders:
Tot Shabbat: Miriam Botzum
Junior Shabbat: Gloria Lowy
Adat Shalom: Todd Hacker

Sheryl Block - Administrator

The Hadassah Study Group will continue to meet through the autumn and winter. Our sessions occur every other Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. at Temple Beth El. We have just begun Lost Tribes: Jewish Fiction from the Edge, edited by Paul Zakrzewski.

Please call Lolly Siegel, 610-439-1851, for future dates and stories

Our own Cantor Kevin Wartell returns to host a weekly radio program entitled “KOL HAEMEK,” The Voice of the Valley, every Friday morning on WMUH FM Allentown, 91.7 on your radio dial or on the web at www.muhlenberg.edu/wmuh.

Features

The Holocaust Resource Center (HRC) of the Lehigh Valley is dedicated to Holocaust remembrance through education, preservation of primary sources and outreach to present and future generations in the fight against hatred and bigotry. As an outreach and education organization, the HRC is available to assist all segments of the community, both in the Jewish Community and the community at large. A collection of over 1,000 books, visual and audio media, curricula, artifacts and art dealing with the subject of the Holocaust and the times and circumstances around it, as well as books and curricula dealing with anti-Semitism, hate crimes, genocide and overcoming oppression are available to the public. Most materials may be checked out free of charge. The HRC provides research assistance and a speaker’s bureau on all of the above subjects. The HRC also helps to assist with workshops dealing with the Holocaust and tolerance training through the public schools and coordinates teacher training workshops.

The HRC materials are house primarily at Temple Beth El Allentown. Materials are available Monday-Friday during Temple office hours. To arrange for assistance with the collection, research, workshops or speakers, contact Shari Spark, HRC coordinator, for an appointment.

The HRC is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. In keeping with our mission of “Memory, Education, Tolerance”, we are eager to assist the community in any way we can, and welcome your calls and visits.

We can be reached at:
Temple Beth El
1305 Springhouse Road
Allentown, PA 18104
(610) 435-3521

Daniel Combs
Annelise Davis
Noah Diamondstein
Nathaniel Gallant
Ezra Goldstein
Lindsey Kirshner
Marnie Lang
Samuel Lemelman
Aliza Levin
Rachel Morrison
Sarah Rothman
Melissa Schlags
Hannah Ticho
Sarah Zimskind

The entire congregation is invited to Confirmation-Shavuot Morning Services June 9, 2008 at 9:00 a.m.

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.

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.

Don't forget that buying Scrip is a no-cost way to help Temple Beth El.  Make us a part of your regular shopping routine.  Contact Lori Weiner at 610-398-8669.

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.

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.)

If you have lost a relative, please notify the Temple office so you will receive Yahrzeit notification.

Friday, June 13, 2008 - 7:30 p.m.

Celebrate June, July, and August Birthdays immediately following services

Come and feel the spirit of Shira Chadasha (music Shabbat), on Friday, June 27th at 7:30 p.m. Sing along with the beautiful music (and the Rabbi's guitar) and give Shabbat a real welcome.

Sunday, June 8, 2008 - 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
JCC Campsite (in the event of rain, Temple Beth El)

Relays-Crafts-Omer Calendar Prizes-Ice Cream Making
Bring a DAIRY picnic lunch – Program is Free!
RSVP by June 1 to Temple Beth El office– See inserted flyer for additional information

For information contact Shari Spark, 610-435-3521 or shari@bethelallentown.org

Join us on Sunday June 8, 2008  - Erev Shavuot at Temple Beth El

8:00- 9:00 p.m. Tikkun Leil Shavuot - Topic: Revelation at Sinai through the eyes of Jewish Philosophers

9:00 p.m. Ma’ariv Service

As an egalitarian conservative synagogue, Temple Beth El warmly welcomes interfaith families.  Click here for more information about our current policies.

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 at 7:45 a.m. and on Sundays and holidays at 9:00 a.m. Come daven with the Rabbi. He’ll be very happy to see you there.

Thursday June 5th, 7-8pm, at 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 (610-435-3521) or Rabbi Klein (610-435-3775). This program is co-sponsored by Temple Beth El and Congregation Am Haskalah.

Have a good summer and we look forward to hearing from you.

*You may bring cash or checks (payable to “The Caring Place”) to the Temple Office. (Please let the secretaries know that this is for the Kitah Gimel Consecration Mitzvah Project.)

*Art supplies should be placed in the large box outside the sanctuary.

Art supplies and money donations are being accepted until June 16.

Our goal is to raise $100 for The Caring Place to buy additional art supplies when they use up what we donate.

All art supplies are welcome EXCEPT clay or Model Magic.

Todah!

An exciting new committee has formed at Temple Beth El -- the Social Action Committee. This committee is open to any congregant who wants to participate in Tikkun Olam, repair of the world. Many little changes add up to big changes. Please help us make a difference. This committee is off and running with some exciting projects for this upcoming year.  Click here for more information about the Social Action Committee and how to get involved.

See pictures of the Mother's Day Bruch and of our Hebrew School Classes.

Gail & Alan Wolson on the birth of their granddaughter, Stella Madeline Wolson, born to Stephanie & Josh Wolson.

Beverly & Leonard Bloch on the adoption of their new grandson, Ryan James, to Mary Kay & Dr. Craig Bloch.

Rita & Mike Bloom on the marriage of their daughter, Michele, to Brian Spatola.
Joseph Jacobs on his 50th birthday.

Rabbi Moshe Re’em on his 50th birthday.

Marilyn & Elwood Kolb on their 20th wedding anniversary.

Karen Kuhn on the birth of her granddaughter, Emmy Ryan Kuhn, born to Jill & Jordan Kuhn.

Elana Richman, daughter of Sharon & Howard Richman, on her graduation from New York University

Diane & Marvin Sandler on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson, Drew.

Flossie Zales on her “special” birthday

Carole & Michael Langsam on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson, Samuel Gerson.

Stanley Cylinder on his “special” birthday

Administration

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.

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.

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.

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.