The Shofar
September 2007
Elul 5767-Tishrei 5768
Please see "Announcements" for the High Holidays Revised Schedule of Services
Religious School:Wed., Sept. 5: 1st Hebrew School Session
Sun., Sept. 9: "SCHOOL SCHMOOZ" at 9:30 am
Full year school calendar coming soon...
Events:
Fri., Sept. 7: Shabbat Dinner & Service at 6:30 pm -- please bring a dairy or
vegetarian dish to share
Sat., Sept. 8: New Year Social, Havdala & Selichot, 7:30-9:30pm at Barondes'--
An adult evening to welcome Rabbi Kirchner and prepare us for the upcoming Holidays.
See Holiday Schedule under "Announcements"
Sat., Sept. 22: Community Break-Fast following Yom Kippur concluding service at 6 pm.
Please bring a dairy or vegetarian dish to share.
Sisterhood will provide beverages & bagels.
Sun., Sept. 23: Men's Club Sukkah Building at 9 am -- bagels will be provided.
Messages:
From the Rabbi
On this Sabbath, even though I'm not Moses, I have a few "words"
(devarim) of my own to say, because I want to give you some brief idea of who I am and what kinds of things are of interest to me as I begin
serving as your rabbi. I am just going to touch on a number of issues which are important to me. One thing I promise is that I will try to
teach something worthwhile with each of these talks I give. I learned that from the lay president of my last student pulpit, when I was
still in rabbinical school. I asked him what kind of talks he would like to hear. His answer was, "Teach me something. Help me understand
why I should come to services every week." That is what I tried to do there, and it is what I will try to do here.
One thing I often do is play with the Hebrew original of a text, particularly something that strikes me as unusual in the
Torah portion of the week, and work through that peculiarity in my talk. I am endlessly fascinated with the nuances of Hebrew,
and I take my cue in this regard from the hundreds of Jews who have written commentaries on our sacred texts over the centuries.
No word is insignificant; nothing in the text is inadvertent. If there is an apparent anomaly, then we should be able to
figure out an explanation for it. The only limitation is the breadth of our collective imaginations. And we will imagine a lot
together here at Congregation Bayt Shalom - you and I.
I focus on Hebrew language first, because I care so passionately that many Jews in America are losing the ability to read our
texts in their original languages and to wrestle with the nuances the original languages present to us. If we allow our ability
to read and understand Hebrew to continue to erode, that will be a terrible loss indeed. I challenge you to engage in what I
call "the Great Conversation," the dialogue between Jews and Jewish text, and to add your own voices to the conversation.
Notice that I say that it's incumbent upon us to add our own voices to what has come before. I say that because it is not enough just
to study what has already been written and to stop there. In the Passover Haggadah, we read, "Ve-khol ha-marbeh le-saper bitziat
Mitzrayim, harei zeh meshubach." "Everyone who adds to the telling of the story; behold, that one deserves praise." Judaism is not
static; it is ever-changing and adapting. We have women rabbis now because 35 years ago someone decided that the dictum that women
could not become rabbis or cantors, or lead prayers, or chant Torah, wasn't a valid principle any longer. Now there are more women
studying to be rabbis (outside of Orthodoxy) than men, and that is a good thing. I learned in rabbinical school, "The past has a vote,
but not a veto." Just because our grandparents, or their grandparents, did a thing one way doesn't mean we have to march along with
them. So every time one of you comes up to me and says, "Rabbi, aren't we supposed to……," more than likely I am going to ask you
my favorite question, "Why?"
I love to ask questions. Nothing is so sacred to me that I am not prepared to question it, confront it, and consider alternatives.
You say kashrut; I may just say eco-kashrut back to you. You want to talk about God; oh, believe me, I will be happy as a knish to
talk about what I think God really is. And I won't be talking about that old guy with the white beard either. Judaism thrives when
we ask questions of it and demand answers, and we shouldn't shy away from the answers we may come up with.
I believe that Judaism has depth and meaning that go much deeper than what we typically learn in religious school or confront in our
normal prayer services. One of my great interests - in terms of scholarship and in terms of practice - is Kabbalah. Kabbalah,
among other things, teaches us that we have a purpose on this planet, which is to make life better than it is now, and to keep seeking
to perfect ourselves until we bring Mashiach, the Messiah. One of Judaism's greatest strengths is that it teaches us the holiness
of even the seemingly most mundane of acts. We live in a world of great holiness, although it may not seem that way at times; all
we have to do is open ourselves to that holiness. It's there, and we can do it.
There is so much more I haven't spoken of - Israel, other interests of mine such as Judaism and the environment or gender issues in
Judaism, but those topics will just have to wait. We have lots of time, and Judaism is important enough that we will want to take
the time to discuss all of them in much more detail. The Judaism I believe in is one that moves forward, adapts, deepens and grows.
It is a religion that teaches us how to be holier beings so that the world will become a holier place. Let's start learning,
and practicing, and doing that - together.
Rabbi Steven Kirschner
From the Rabbi
To Congregation Bayt Shalom,
Shalom VTodah
I am sending this note to say Todah. Thank you for letting me have the privilege of teaching your
children the basics of Judaism, for the honor of leading all of you in prayer, and for working together
in the process of transformation, making Bayt Shalom a sacred community.
I also take this opportunity to say Todah, thanks to the people that gave me support and friendship
in my 18 years in Greenville as your Rabbi. A special thank you to Dr. George and Maryann Klein,
the Balot family, Diana Cohen, Dr. Steve Steinberg, Dr. Peter and Diane Stein, Mr and Mrs Hyman
Brody, Al Stone, Dr. William and Mrs Cox, Dr. and Mrs Baily Bland, and Dr. Eric Carlson.
Thanks are also due to the religious school teachers who gave so much:
Dr. Phil Rothman, Miriam Wildeman, Maryann Klein, Val Hoffman and Todd Savitt.
I wish one and all a year of good deeds along with a year in which we learn to appreciate the treasures of Judaism.
Please keep in touch.
Rabbi Michael Cain
Michaely34@yahoo.com
From the President
Dear CBS Family and Friends,
I would like to take a moment to recognize the Bayt Shalom Board of Directors and say Todah Rabah
for all of your efforts. There are so many other congregants who give of their time, but to say that
the Board has "been busy at work" and leave it at that seems trite to me at the moment. While it is, indeed,
the Board members' intention and responsibility to represent the congregation as a whole, the amount of
dedication, direction and effort coming from these folks is difficult to express. I applaud and appreciate
each of these individuals for focusing so much of their lives on our congregation. Please take a moment
to thank our Trustees, Officers and committee chairs when you see them.
As we have officially disbanded our ad hoc Search Committee led by Phil Rothman, I would like to once again
recognize all the time and hard work this committee put forth. When one day in 100 years we find ourselves
in a similar position and a new committee is appointed, they can look back at the high standards set by Phil
and all the energy put forth by the entire committee. Thank you.
I would also like to thank Meredith Stone for guiding us with legal advice; Millie Plotkin for helping
Diana Cohen get hard copies of the Shofar in the mail; Karen Bardondes for organizing a major kitchen clean-up;
all four trustees for making themselves almost constantly available; Ken Bornstein for his professional advice;
Ann Schreier for making Sisterhood available to help with synagogue functions; each of the congregants and
community members who have been breathing new life into Bayt Shalom with their increased interest and attendance;
Maryanne Klein who is on the Board not only as Past President, but as our Ritual Committee chair; George Klein
for working with the developers of the property adjacent to CBS; and a special thank-you to Vice President Michael
Barondes who has unfailingly acted as my crutch, lent a supportive ear on numerous occasions, makes himself
available for CBS projects even when I think he can't possibly find another hour in his day, he is just a mensch.
I look forward to seeing each of you during the High Holy Days as we welcome Rabbi Steven Kirschner
to Bayt Shalom and begin a new chapter for our community.
From my family to yours, a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Samantha Pilot
The Shofar
Diana Cohen, Editor
Wed., Sept. 5: 1st Hebrew School Session
Sun., Sept. 9: "SCHOOL SCHMOOZ" at 9:30 am
Full year school calendar coming soon...
Events:
Fri., Sept. 7: Shabbat Dinner & Service at 6:30 pm -- please bring a dairy or
vegetarian dish to share
Sat., Sept. 8: New Year Social, Havdala & Selichot, 7:30-9:30pm at Barondes'--
An adult evening to welcome Rabbi Kirchner and prepare us for the upcoming Holidays.
See Holiday Schedule under "Announcements"
Sat., Sept. 22: Community Break-Fast following Yom Kippur concluding service at 6 pm.
Please bring a dairy or vegetarian dish to share.
Sisterhood will provide beverages & bagels.
Sun., Sept. 23: Men's Club Sukkah Building at 9 am -- bagels will be provided.
Messages:
From the Rabbi
On this Sabbath, even though I'm not Moses, I have a few "words"
(devarim) of my own to say, because I want to give you some brief idea of who I am and what kinds of things are of interest to me as I begin
serving as your rabbi. I am just going to touch on a number of issues which are important to me. One thing I promise is that I will try to
teach something worthwhile with each of these talks I give. I learned that from the lay president of my last student pulpit, when I was
still in rabbinical school. I asked him what kind of talks he would like to hear. His answer was, "Teach me something. Help me understand
why I should come to services every week." That is what I tried to do there, and it is what I will try to do here.
One thing I often do is play with the Hebrew original of a text, particularly something that strikes me as unusual in the
Torah portion of the week, and work through that peculiarity in my talk. I am endlessly fascinated with the nuances of Hebrew,
and I take my cue in this regard from the hundreds of Jews who have written commentaries on our sacred texts over the centuries.
No word is insignificant; nothing in the text is inadvertent. If there is an apparent anomaly, then we should be able to
figure out an explanation for it. The only limitation is the breadth of our collective imaginations. And we will imagine a lot
together here at Congregation Bayt Shalom - you and I.
I focus on Hebrew language first, because I care so passionately that many Jews in America are losing the ability to read our
texts in their original languages and to wrestle with the nuances the original languages present to us. If we allow our ability
to read and understand Hebrew to continue to erode, that will be a terrible loss indeed. I challenge you to engage in what I
call "the Great Conversation," the dialogue between Jews and Jewish text, and to add your own voices to the conversation.
Notice that I say that it's incumbent upon us to add our own voices to what has come before. I say that because it is not enough just
to study what has already been written and to stop there. In the Passover Haggadah, we read, "Ve-khol ha-marbeh le-saper bitziat
Mitzrayim, harei zeh meshubach." "Everyone who adds to the telling of the story; behold, that one deserves praise." Judaism is not
static; it is ever-changing and adapting. We have women rabbis now because 35 years ago someone decided that the dictum that women
could not become rabbis or cantors, or lead prayers, or chant Torah, wasn't a valid principle any longer. Now there are more women
studying to be rabbis (outside of Orthodoxy) than men, and that is a good thing. I learned in rabbinical school, "The past has a vote,
but not a veto." Just because our grandparents, or their grandparents, did a thing one way doesn't mean we have to march along with
them. So every time one of you comes up to me and says, "Rabbi, aren't we supposed to……," more than likely I am going to ask you
my favorite question, "Why?"
I love to ask questions. Nothing is so sacred to me that I am not prepared to question it, confront it, and consider alternatives.
You say kashrut; I may just say eco-kashrut back to you. You want to talk about God; oh, believe me, I will be happy as a knish to
talk about what I think God really is. And I won't be talking about that old guy with the white beard either. Judaism thrives when
we ask questions of it and demand answers, and we shouldn't shy away from the answers we may come up with.
I believe that Judaism has depth and meaning that go much deeper than what we typically learn in religious school or confront in our
normal prayer services. One of my great interests - in terms of scholarship and in terms of practice - is Kabbalah. Kabbalah,
among other things, teaches us that we have a purpose on this planet, which is to make life better than it is now, and to keep seeking
to perfect ourselves until we bring Mashiach, the Messiah. One of Judaism's greatest strengths is that it teaches us the holiness
of even the seemingly most mundane of acts. We live in a world of great holiness, although it may not seem that way at times; all
we have to do is open ourselves to that holiness. It's there, and we can do it.
There is so much more I haven't spoken of - Israel, other interests of mine such as Judaism and the environment or gender issues in
Judaism, but those topics will just have to wait. We have lots of time, and Judaism is important enough that we will want to take
the time to discuss all of them in much more detail. The Judaism I believe in is one that moves forward, adapts, deepens and grows.
It is a religion that teaches us how to be holier beings so that the world will become a holier place. Let's start learning,
and practicing, and doing that - together.
Rabbi Steven Kirschner
From the Rabbi
To Congregation Bayt Shalom,
Shalom VTodah
I am sending this note to say Todah. Thank you for letting me have the privilege of teaching your
children the basics of Judaism, for the honor of leading all of you in prayer, and for working together
in the process of transformation, making Bayt Shalom a sacred community.
I also take this opportunity to say Todah, thanks to the people that gave me support and friendship
in my 18 years in Greenville as your Rabbi. A special thank you to Dr. George and Maryann Klein,
the Balot family, Diana Cohen, Dr. Steve Steinberg, Dr. Peter and Diane Stein, Mr and Mrs Hyman
Brody, Al Stone, Dr. William and Mrs Cox, Dr. and Mrs Baily Bland, and Dr. Eric Carlson.
Thanks are also due to the religious school teachers who gave so much:
Dr. Phil Rothman, Miriam Wildeman, Maryann Klein, Val Hoffman and Todd Savitt.
I wish one and all a year of good deeds along with a year in which we learn to appreciate the treasures of Judaism.
Please keep in touch.
Rabbi Michael Cain
Michaely34@yahoo.com
From the President
Dear CBS Family and Friends,
I would like to take a moment to recognize the Bayt Shalom Board of Directors and say Todah Rabah
for all of your efforts. There are so many other congregants who give of their time, but to say that
the Board has "been busy at work" and leave it at that seems trite to me at the moment. While it is, indeed,
the Board members' intention and responsibility to represent the congregation as a whole, the amount of
dedication, direction and effort coming from these folks is difficult to express. I applaud and appreciate
each of these individuals for focusing so much of their lives on our congregation. Please take a moment
to thank our Trustees, Officers and committee chairs when you see them.
As we have officially disbanded our ad hoc Search Committee led by Phil Rothman, I would like to once again
recognize all the time and hard work this committee put forth. When one day in 100 years we find ourselves
in a similar position and a new committee is appointed, they can look back at the high standards set by Phil
and all the energy put forth by the entire committee. Thank you.
I would also like to thank Meredith Stone for guiding us with legal advice; Millie Plotkin for helping
Diana Cohen get hard copies of the Shofar in the mail; Karen Bardondes for organizing a major kitchen clean-up;
all four trustees for making themselves almost constantly available; Ken Bornstein for his professional advice;
Ann Schreier for making Sisterhood available to help with synagogue functions; each of the congregants and
community members who have been breathing new life into Bayt Shalom with their increased interest and attendance;
Maryanne Klein who is on the Board not only as Past President, but as our Ritual Committee chair; George Klein
for working with the developers of the property adjacent to CBS; and a special thank-you to Vice President Michael
Barondes who has unfailingly acted as my crutch, lent a supportive ear on numerous occasions, makes himself
available for CBS projects even when I think he can't possibly find another hour in his day, he is just a mensch.
I look forward to seeing each of you during the High Holy Days as we welcome Rabbi Steven Kirschner
to Bayt Shalom and begin a new chapter for our community.
From my family to yours, a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Samantha Pilot
The Shofar
Diana Cohen, Editor
Sat., Sept. 8: New Year Social, Havdala & Selichot, 7:30-9:30pm at Barondes'--
An adult evening to welcome Rabbi Kirchner and prepare us for the upcoming Holidays.
See Holiday Schedule under "Announcements"
Sat., Sept. 22: Community Break-Fast following Yom Kippur concluding service at 6 pm.
Please bring a dairy or vegetarian dish to share. Sisterhood will provide beverages & bagels.
Sun., Sept. 23: Men's Club Sukkah Building at 9 am -- bagels will be provided.
Messages:
From the Rabbi
On this Sabbath, even though I'm not Moses, I have a few "words"
(devarim) of my own to say, because I want to give you some brief idea of who I am and what kinds of things are of interest to me as I begin
serving as your rabbi. I am just going to touch on a number of issues which are important to me. One thing I promise is that I will try to
teach something worthwhile with each of these talks I give. I learned that from the lay president of my last student pulpit, when I was
still in rabbinical school. I asked him what kind of talks he would like to hear. His answer was, "Teach me something. Help me understand
why I should come to services every week." That is what I tried to do there, and it is what I will try to do here.
One thing I often do is play with the Hebrew original of a text, particularly something that strikes me as unusual in the
Torah portion of the week, and work through that peculiarity in my talk. I am endlessly fascinated with the nuances of Hebrew,
and I take my cue in this regard from the hundreds of Jews who have written commentaries on our sacred texts over the centuries.
No word is insignificant; nothing in the text is inadvertent. If there is an apparent anomaly, then we should be able to
figure out an explanation for it. The only limitation is the breadth of our collective imaginations. And we will imagine a lot
together here at Congregation Bayt Shalom - you and I.
I focus on Hebrew language first, because I care so passionately that many Jews in America are losing the ability to read our
texts in their original languages and to wrestle with the nuances the original languages present to us. If we allow our ability
to read and understand Hebrew to continue to erode, that will be a terrible loss indeed. I challenge you to engage in what I
call "the Great Conversation," the dialogue between Jews and Jewish text, and to add your own voices to the conversation.
Notice that I say that it's incumbent upon us to add our own voices to what has come before. I say that because it is not enough just
to study what has already been written and to stop there. In the Passover Haggadah, we read, "Ve-khol ha-marbeh le-saper bitziat
Mitzrayim, harei zeh meshubach." "Everyone who adds to the telling of the story; behold, that one deserves praise." Judaism is not
static; it is ever-changing and adapting. We have women rabbis now because 35 years ago someone decided that the dictum that women
could not become rabbis or cantors, or lead prayers, or chant Torah, wasn't a valid principle any longer. Now there are more women
studying to be rabbis (outside of Orthodoxy) than men, and that is a good thing. I learned in rabbinical school, "The past has a vote,
but not a veto." Just because our grandparents, or their grandparents, did a thing one way doesn't mean we have to march along with
them. So every time one of you comes up to me and says, "Rabbi, aren't we supposed to……," more than likely I am going to ask you
my favorite question, "Why?"
I love to ask questions. Nothing is so sacred to me that I am not prepared to question it, confront it, and consider alternatives.
You say kashrut; I may just say eco-kashrut back to you. You want to talk about God; oh, believe me, I will be happy as a knish to
talk about what I think God really is. And I won't be talking about that old guy with the white beard either. Judaism thrives when
we ask questions of it and demand answers, and we shouldn't shy away from the answers we may come up with.
I believe that Judaism has depth and meaning that go much deeper than what we typically learn in religious school or confront in our
normal prayer services. One of my great interests - in terms of scholarship and in terms of practice - is Kabbalah. Kabbalah,
among other things, teaches us that we have a purpose on this planet, which is to make life better than it is now, and to keep seeking
to perfect ourselves until we bring Mashiach, the Messiah. One of Judaism's greatest strengths is that it teaches us the holiness
of even the seemingly most mundane of acts. We live in a world of great holiness, although it may not seem that way at times; all
we have to do is open ourselves to that holiness. It's there, and we can do it.
There is so much more I haven't spoken of - Israel, other interests of mine such as Judaism and the environment or gender issues in
Judaism, but those topics will just have to wait. We have lots of time, and Judaism is important enough that we will want to take
the time to discuss all of them in much more detail. The Judaism I believe in is one that moves forward, adapts, deepens and grows.
It is a religion that teaches us how to be holier beings so that the world will become a holier place. Let's start learning,
and practicing, and doing that - together.
Rabbi Steven Kirschner
From the Rabbi
To Congregation Bayt Shalom,
Shalom VTodah
I am sending this note to say Todah. Thank you for letting me have the privilege of teaching your
children the basics of Judaism, for the honor of leading all of you in prayer, and for working together
in the process of transformation, making Bayt Shalom a sacred community.
I also take this opportunity to say Todah, thanks to the people that gave me support and friendship
in my 18 years in Greenville as your Rabbi. A special thank you to Dr. George and Maryann Klein,
the Balot family, Diana Cohen, Dr. Steve Steinberg, Dr. Peter and Diane Stein, Mr and Mrs Hyman
Brody, Al Stone, Dr. William and Mrs Cox, Dr. and Mrs Baily Bland, and Dr. Eric Carlson.
Thanks are also due to the religious school teachers who gave so much:
Dr. Phil Rothman, Miriam Wildeman, Maryann Klein, Val Hoffman and Todd Savitt.
I wish one and all a year of good deeds along with a year in which we learn to appreciate the treasures of Judaism.
Please keep in touch.
Rabbi Michael Cain
Michaely34@yahoo.com
From the President
Dear CBS Family and Friends,
I would like to take a moment to recognize the Bayt Shalom Board of Directors and say Todah Rabah
for all of your efforts. There are so many other congregants who give of their time, but to say that
the Board has "been busy at work" and leave it at that seems trite to me at the moment. While it is, indeed,
the Board members' intention and responsibility to represent the congregation as a whole, the amount of
dedication, direction and effort coming from these folks is difficult to express. I applaud and appreciate
each of these individuals for focusing so much of their lives on our congregation. Please take a moment
to thank our Trustees, Officers and committee chairs when you see them.
As we have officially disbanded our ad hoc Search Committee led by Phil Rothman, I would like to once again
recognize all the time and hard work this committee put forth. When one day in 100 years we find ourselves
in a similar position and a new committee is appointed, they can look back at the high standards set by Phil
and all the energy put forth by the entire committee. Thank you.
I would also like to thank Meredith Stone for guiding us with legal advice; Millie Plotkin for helping
Diana Cohen get hard copies of the Shofar in the mail; Karen Bardondes for organizing a major kitchen clean-up;
all four trustees for making themselves almost constantly available; Ken Bornstein for his professional advice;
Ann Schreier for making Sisterhood available to help with synagogue functions; each of the congregants and
community members who have been breathing new life into Bayt Shalom with their increased interest and attendance;
Maryanne Klein who is on the Board not only as Past President, but as our Ritual Committee chair; George Klein
for working with the developers of the property adjacent to CBS; and a special thank-you to Vice President Michael
Barondes who has unfailingly acted as my crutch, lent a supportive ear on numerous occasions, makes himself
available for CBS projects even when I think he can't possibly find another hour in his day, he is just a mensch.
I look forward to seeing each of you during the High Holy Days as we welcome Rabbi Steven Kirschner
to Bayt Shalom and begin a new chapter for our community.
From my family to yours, a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Samantha Pilot
The Shofar
Diana Cohen, Editor
One thing I often do is play with the Hebrew original of a text, particularly something that strikes me as unusual in the Torah portion of the week, and work through that peculiarity in my talk. I am endlessly fascinated with the nuances of Hebrew, and I take my cue in this regard from the hundreds of Jews who have written commentaries on our sacred texts over the centuries. No word is insignificant; nothing in the text is inadvertent. If there is an apparent anomaly, then we should be able to figure out an explanation for it. The only limitation is the breadth of our collective imaginations. And we will imagine a lot together here at Congregation Bayt Shalom - you and I.
I focus on Hebrew language first, because I care so passionately that many Jews in America are losing the ability to read our texts in their original languages and to wrestle with the nuances the original languages present to us. If we allow our ability to read and understand Hebrew to continue to erode, that will be a terrible loss indeed. I challenge you to engage in what I call "the Great Conversation," the dialogue between Jews and Jewish text, and to add your own voices to the conversation.
Notice that I say that it's incumbent upon us to add our own voices to what has come before. I say that because it is not enough just to study what has already been written and to stop there. In the Passover Haggadah, we read, "Ve-khol ha-marbeh le-saper bitziat Mitzrayim, harei zeh meshubach." "Everyone who adds to the telling of the story; behold, that one deserves praise." Judaism is not static; it is ever-changing and adapting. We have women rabbis now because 35 years ago someone decided that the dictum that women could not become rabbis or cantors, or lead prayers, or chant Torah, wasn't a valid principle any longer. Now there are more women studying to be rabbis (outside of Orthodoxy) than men, and that is a good thing. I learned in rabbinical school, "The past has a vote, but not a veto." Just because our grandparents, or their grandparents, did a thing one way doesn't mean we have to march along with them. So every time one of you comes up to me and says, "Rabbi, aren't we supposed to……," more than likely I am going to ask you my favorite question, "Why?"
I love to ask questions. Nothing is so sacred to me that I am not prepared to question it, confront it, and consider alternatives. You say kashrut; I may just say eco-kashrut back to you. You want to talk about God; oh, believe me, I will be happy as a knish to talk about what I think God really is. And I won't be talking about that old guy with the white beard either. Judaism thrives when we ask questions of it and demand answers, and we shouldn't shy away from the answers we may come up with.
I believe that Judaism has depth and meaning that go much deeper than what we typically learn in religious school or confront in our normal prayer services. One of my great interests - in terms of scholarship and in terms of practice - is Kabbalah. Kabbalah, among other things, teaches us that we have a purpose on this planet, which is to make life better than it is now, and to keep seeking to perfect ourselves until we bring Mashiach, the Messiah. One of Judaism's greatest strengths is that it teaches us the holiness of even the seemingly most mundane of acts. We live in a world of great holiness, although it may not seem that way at times; all we have to do is open ourselves to that holiness. It's there, and we can do it.
There is so much more I haven't spoken of - Israel, other interests of mine such as Judaism and the environment or gender issues in Judaism, but those topics will just have to wait. We have lots of time, and Judaism is important enough that we will want to take the time to discuss all of them in much more detail. The Judaism I believe in is one that moves forward, adapts, deepens and grows. It is a religion that teaches us how to be holier beings so that the world will become a holier place. Let's start learning, and practicing, and doing that - together.
Rabbi Steven Kirschner
From the Rabbi
To Congregation Bayt Shalom,
Shalom VTodah
I am sending this note to say Todah. Thank you for letting me have the privilege of teaching your
children the basics of Judaism, for the honor of leading all of you in prayer, and for working together
in the process of transformation, making Bayt Shalom a sacred community.
I also take this opportunity to say Todah, thanks to the people that gave me support and friendship
in my 18 years in Greenville as your Rabbi. A special thank you to Dr. George and Maryann Klein,
the Balot family, Diana Cohen, Dr. Steve Steinberg, Dr. Peter and Diane Stein, Mr and Mrs Hyman
Brody, Al Stone, Dr. William and Mrs Cox, Dr. and Mrs Baily Bland, and Dr. Eric Carlson.
Thanks are also due to the religious school teachers who gave so much:
Dr. Phil Rothman, Miriam Wildeman, Maryann Klein, Val Hoffman and Todd Savitt.
I wish one and all a year of good deeds along with a year in which we learn to appreciate the treasures of Judaism.
Please keep in touch.
Rabbi Michael Cain
Michaely34@yahoo.com
From the President
Dear CBS Family and Friends,
I would like to take a moment to recognize the Bayt Shalom Board of Directors and say Todah Rabah
for all of your efforts. There are so many other congregants who give of their time, but to say that
the Board has "been busy at work" and leave it at that seems trite to me at the moment. While it is, indeed,
the Board members' intention and responsibility to represent the congregation as a whole, the amount of
dedication, direction and effort coming from these folks is difficult to express. I applaud and appreciate
each of these individuals for focusing so much of their lives on our congregation. Please take a moment
to thank our Trustees, Officers and committee chairs when you see them.
As we have officially disbanded our ad hoc Search Committee led by Phil Rothman, I would like to once again
recognize all the time and hard work this committee put forth. When one day in 100 years we find ourselves
in a similar position and a new committee is appointed, they can look back at the high standards set by Phil
and all the energy put forth by the entire committee. Thank you.
I would also like to thank Meredith Stone for guiding us with legal advice; Millie Plotkin for helping
Diana Cohen get hard copies of the Shofar in the mail; Karen Bardondes for organizing a major kitchen clean-up;
all four trustees for making themselves almost constantly available; Ken Bornstein for his professional advice;
Ann Schreier for making Sisterhood available to help with synagogue functions; each of the congregants and
community members who have been breathing new life into Bayt Shalom with their increased interest and attendance;
Maryanne Klein who is on the Board not only as Past President, but as our Ritual Committee chair; George Klein
for working with the developers of the property adjacent to CBS; and a special thank-you to Vice President Michael
Barondes who has unfailingly acted as my crutch, lent a supportive ear on numerous occasions, makes himself
available for CBS projects even when I think he can't possibly find another hour in his day, he is just a mensch.
I look forward to seeing each of you during the High Holy Days as we welcome Rabbi Steven Kirschner
to Bayt Shalom and begin a new chapter for our community.
From my family to yours, a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Samantha Pilot
The Shofar
Diana Cohen, Editor
Shalom VTodah
I am sending this note to say Todah. Thank you for letting me have the privilege of teaching your children the basics of Judaism, for the honor of leading all of you in prayer, and for working together in the process of transformation, making Bayt Shalom a sacred community.
I also take this opportunity to say Todah, thanks to the people that gave me support and friendship in my 18 years in Greenville as your Rabbi. A special thank you to Dr. George and Maryann Klein, the Balot family, Diana Cohen, Dr. Steve Steinberg, Dr. Peter and Diane Stein, Mr and Mrs Hyman Brody, Al Stone, Dr. William and Mrs Cox, Dr. and Mrs Baily Bland, and Dr. Eric Carlson.
Thanks are also due to the religious school teachers who gave so much: Dr. Phil Rothman, Miriam Wildeman, Maryann Klein, Val Hoffman and Todd Savitt.
I wish one and all a year of good deeds along with a year in which we learn to appreciate the treasures of Judaism.
Please keep in touch.
Rabbi Michael Cain
Michaely34@yahoo.com
From the President
Dear CBS Family and Friends,
I would like to take a moment to recognize the Bayt Shalom Board of Directors and say Todah Rabah
for all of your efforts. There are so many other congregants who give of their time, but to say that
the Board has "been busy at work" and leave it at that seems trite to me at the moment. While it is, indeed,
the Board members' intention and responsibility to represent the congregation as a whole, the amount of
dedication, direction and effort coming from these folks is difficult to express. I applaud and appreciate
each of these individuals for focusing so much of their lives on our congregation. Please take a moment
to thank our Trustees, Officers and committee chairs when you see them.
As we have officially disbanded our ad hoc Search Committee led by Phil Rothman, I would like to once again
recognize all the time and hard work this committee put forth. When one day in 100 years we find ourselves
in a similar position and a new committee is appointed, they can look back at the high standards set by Phil
and all the energy put forth by the entire committee. Thank you.
I would also like to thank Meredith Stone for guiding us with legal advice; Millie Plotkin for helping
Diana Cohen get hard copies of the Shofar in the mail; Karen Bardondes for organizing a major kitchen clean-up;
all four trustees for making themselves almost constantly available; Ken Bornstein for his professional advice;
Ann Schreier for making Sisterhood available to help with synagogue functions; each of the congregants and
community members who have been breathing new life into Bayt Shalom with their increased interest and attendance;
Maryanne Klein who is on the Board not only as Past President, but as our Ritual Committee chair; George Klein
for working with the developers of the property adjacent to CBS; and a special thank-you to Vice President Michael
Barondes who has unfailingly acted as my crutch, lent a supportive ear on numerous occasions, makes himself
available for CBS projects even when I think he can't possibly find another hour in his day, he is just a mensch.
I look forward to seeing each of you during the High Holy Days as we welcome Rabbi Steven Kirschner
to Bayt Shalom and begin a new chapter for our community.
From my family to yours, a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Samantha Pilot
The Shofar
Diana Cohen, Editor
I would like to take a moment to recognize the Bayt Shalom Board of Directors and say Todah Rabah for all of your efforts. There are so many other congregants who give of their time, but to say that the Board has "been busy at work" and leave it at that seems trite to me at the moment. While it is, indeed, the Board members' intention and responsibility to represent the congregation as a whole, the amount of dedication, direction and effort coming from these folks is difficult to express. I applaud and appreciate each of these individuals for focusing so much of their lives on our congregation. Please take a moment to thank our Trustees, Officers and committee chairs when you see them.
As we have officially disbanded our ad hoc Search Committee led by Phil Rothman, I would like to once again recognize all the time and hard work this committee put forth. When one day in 100 years we find ourselves in a similar position and a new committee is appointed, they can look back at the high standards set by Phil and all the energy put forth by the entire committee. Thank you.
I would also like to thank Meredith Stone for guiding us with legal advice; Millie Plotkin for helping Diana Cohen get hard copies of the Shofar in the mail; Karen Bardondes for organizing a major kitchen clean-up; all four trustees for making themselves almost constantly available; Ken Bornstein for his professional advice; Ann Schreier for making Sisterhood available to help with synagogue functions; each of the congregants and community members who have been breathing new life into Bayt Shalom with their increased interest and attendance; Maryanne Klein who is on the Board not only as Past President, but as our Ritual Committee chair; George Klein for working with the developers of the property adjacent to CBS; and a special thank-you to Vice President Michael Barondes who has unfailingly acted as my crutch, lent a supportive ear on numerous occasions, makes himself available for CBS projects even when I think he can't possibly find another hour in his day, he is just a mensch.
I look forward to seeing each of you during the High Holy Days as we welcome Rabbi Steven Kirschner to Bayt Shalom and begin a new chapter for our community.
From my family to yours, a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Samantha Pilot