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Number 618February 2011/ Sh’vat-Adar 5771
Making Shabbat at TempleThis month’s Torah portions, beginning in Exodus
25 and taking us through the end of the book, are
occupied almost entirely with the building of the
wilderness mishkan ( “Tabernacle”), a portable
home for God which the newly-born people of
Israel carried with them on their desert journeys.
Instructions are given (in great detail!) for itsconstruction and that of the various items which
rested inside it. Rabbi Shalom Noach Berezovsky,
who taught Torah in Jerusalem as the Rebbe of the
Slonimer Chasidim until his death in 2000, is not
the first to ask, “Why does the Torah go on at such
great length about the dimensions of a building?”
Among the many answers he offers in his work
Netivot Shalom (“Pathways of Peace”) is this: while
these chapters of Exodus may seem like mere“blueprints” for a once-upon-a-time building, they
are in fact instructions for how to build a
community around the eternal structures of
Person, Home, and Community. Each of us in our
own selves, and all of us together, are called upon
to offer up our Terumah, our gift, to God. In a
“loving misreading” of the biblical text, the
Hasidic tradition takes the words in Exodus 25,
“from every person whose heart so moves him, take up My offering” and transforms them into “from every
person, take that which his heart most desires, and
make it My offering.” To build up oneself, one’s
family, one’s community, one must be willing to
put others first. Precisely that which I most desire
to keep for myself, I must give to the greater
whole.
Contributing to the “eternal structure” of the
Sabbath is one of the ways that we can give our
terumah. We contribute our most precious
possession — our time — in service of our
community by making ourselves a part of the
community on Fridays evenings or Saturday
mornings.
This month’s services include a few special guests,
and a few special themes:
• on February 4 and 5, Ron Bernstein will be
with us to share a message from the Jewish
National Fund. Ron is a member of
Kibbutz Yahel and is spending the year
representing the JNF in the Southwest;
•
on Friday, February 11, we will welcomeour new members with a blessing;
• on Friday February 18, we will celebrate
the importance of Jewish summer
camping;
• and on Friday, February 25, our guest
teacher will be El Paso Times columnist
Ramnath Subramanian, speaking about
education.
I hope to see you this month as we make the gift
of our time and our energy to build a structure —
a community at prayer — fitting of the name
mikdash, “Holy Place.”
B’shalom,
Rabbi Bach
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Page 2 February 2011/Sh’vat-Adar 5771Messages from the Mountain
Worship Schedule February-March
February 4-5
Parashat Terumah/Rosh Chodesh AdarFriday, February 4
Candlelighting, 5:25 pmOneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm
Family Shabbat Service, 6:15 pmSpecial Guest, JNF Shaliach Ron Bernstein
Saturday, February 5Torah Study, 9:30 am
Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 amSpecial Guest, JNF Shaliach Ron Bernstein
Havdalah, 6:55 pm
February 11-12Parashat Tetzaveh
Friday, February 11Candlelighting, 5:31 pmOneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:15 pmNew Member Shabbat
Saturday, February 12 Torah Study, 9:30 am
Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am Havdalah, 7:02 pm
February 18-19Parashat Ki Tisa
Friday, February 18Candlelighting, 5:37 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:15 pmCamp Shabbat
Saturday, February 19 Torah Study, 9:30 am
Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am Havdalah, 7:08 pm
February 25-26
Parashat VayakhelFriday, February 25
Candlelighting, 5:42 pmOneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:15 pmSpecial Guest, Ramnath Subramanian
Saturday, February 26 Torah Study, 9:30 am
Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am Havdalah, 7:13 pm
March 4-5Parashat PekudeiFriday, March 4
Candlelighting, 5:48 pmOneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm
Family Shabbat Service, 6:15 pm
Saturday, March 5 Torah Study, 9:30 am
Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am Havdalah, 7:19 pm
March 11-12Parashat VayikraFriday, March 11
Candlelighting, 5:53 pmOneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:15 pm
Saturday, March 12 Torah Study, 9:30 amShabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am
Havdalah, 7:24 pm
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Page 3February 2011/Sh’vat-Adar 5771 Messages from the Mountain
February Birthdays
February AnniversariesFebruary 1Tony & Robin Furman
February 2
Ralph & Rosa Garcia*
February 4Lou & Marie Robbins
February 5Dan & Michelle Blumenfeld
February 17 John & Kristine Shecter
February 18Mark & Jackie Heins
February 19
Jeff & Wendy Siegel
February 22Gershon & Barbara Ettinger
February 24Bill & Jessica Carvajal
February 24David & Susie Novick
February 25 Jim & Marian Daross
February 26
Scott Stein & Margaret Negrete
February 27 Bill Belford & Vicki Smith
*Special 5 or 10 year Birthday or An-niversary
February 1Miriam Kotkowski
February 2
Nirit Belkin*Mitch PuschettCarl Ryan
Jacob Zenner
February 3Marcus Appel*Mollie Kern*Marcus AppelStanley Marcus*David Metrikin
February 4
Joyce Jaffee Jay Mendeloff*Gary Nadler
February 5Amanda Marcus
February 6Nicki Meehan
February 7 Susie Novick
February 8Liz Goodman-Levy*Dori Fenenbock
February 9Dara LeffmanChloe Perkins-Rosenberg*Mimi Pittle
February 10 Jacob ColvardSkip Litt
February 11 Jim DarossLiz de VosGershon EttingerShirley NussbaumAlan Pittle*
February 12
Aaron BodorBob Snow
February 13Christopher Burton
Jerry Kallman*Samuel SchwartzKristine Shecter
February 14Mimi Gladstein*Laurie KnippBernie LauterbachValentina Restrepo
February 15 Jacqui BabencoZachary Gopin
February 16Valerie BarnettClarissa Colvard*Hannah Gopin*
Harry Nagler
February 17 Renaye FeldtBetty Schydlower*Rise Yarber
February 19 Jan FramePaul GulbasKaren Ivey
February 20
Judy Amstater*William Carvajal*Marian DarossFrank Kamoroff*Suzanne NaglerOlga Rosen
February 21 Lou AlpernHilda ReedmanSusan Schwartz*
Jacquelyn Spier
February 23Alicia Nadler
Jim Scherr
February 24Bill Carvajal*
February 25
Jerry AppelPaige ChapmanAnne (Billy) Spier
February 26 Cindy Graff-CohenMargaret Negrete
February 27 Jennifer EhrlichMelanie Shapiro
February 29
Chuck Kovan
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Mazel Tov! Congratulations…
B’ruchim Haba’im—Welcome New Members!
Hamakom Y’nachem—May God Bring Comfort......to Chris Ponsford on the death of her sister-in-law, Angel Woods Meyer.
...to Hy Silverstein on the death of his mother, Bluma Silverstein.
...to Jody Klein and Terren Klein on the death of her sister and his aunt, Jeri Klein.
...to Alan Kahn & Sandi Carpenter on the death of their aunt, Dorothy Levy Katz.
...to Eddie Knipp on the death of his mother, Jeanne Post.
...to Idell Rothstein on the death of her cousin, Jerry Bloom.
...to David Schecter on the death of his step-mother, Shirley Schecter
On Friday, February 11, we will be honoring new members of Temple and
their families at Shabbat services. This will be a wonderful opportunityfor our membership to meet those who have joined our congregation over
the past couple of years and to welcome them to our Temple.
Do you know someone who is new to town, new to Judaism, or interested in
getting involved with a synagogue? Please help them be in touch with Susan
Jaffee at 532-5959 or [email protected].
...to Brooke and David Tyroler, on the birth of their daughter, Sophie Willow Tyroler;
Grandparents are Bob & Jane Rosen.
...to Missy and Ed Just on the birth of their son, Travis James Just; Grandparents are Mikeand Sandi Kahn Carpenter.
Albertson’s Cash-Back FundraiserPlease remember to use your key tag each time you shop for groceries at Albert-
sons. All you need to do is have the card scanned when you check out. Temple
will earn 1% of your shopping total each time you scan the card, at no additional
cost to you. If you need additional key tags, they are available in the Temple of-
fice.
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Page 5February 2011/Sh’vat-Adar 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Jewish War Veterans
We had our first meeting of the year at Fuddruckers. Good companionship was enjoyed by all!Our next meeting will be February 20 at 10 am at Fuddruckers on the Westside. If you'd like toreceive a reminder call or more information on the Jewish War Veterans, contact Scott Feldt at526-8478, or email [email protected] . The Jewish War Veterans have college scholar-ships available to high school seniors. If you are interested, please go to JWV.org for an appli-cation, or call Scott Feldt for more information.
Congregation Mount Sinai Cemetery
Just a reminder, our Cemetery hours are Sunday through Friday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm and closed on
Saturday.
Leaves and Stones on the Temple’s Tree of Life
Do you know that you can honor or remember a loved one with a leaf or a stone on the Tree of Life?
This beautiful work of art is displayed on the wall in the foyer at Temple just outside the Sanctuary.
For a minimum donation of $300 for a leaf or $3,000 for a stone, the brass will be engraved according
to your instructions and will remain on the Tree of Life forever. Your donation becomes part of the
Foundation Trust and benefits Temple Mount Sinai in perpetuity.
For more information, contact Sally Parke at the Temple office at 532-5959.
Assistive listening devices are available at the entrance to our chapel and
sanctuary. Please ask a greeter for assistance.
If you have inadvertently left Temple with one of these devices, please
return it as soon as possible. These headsets are programmed to be used onlyin our Sanctuary and Chapel, and many of them have disappeared, meaning
that they are not available for congregants who use them at services. If you
find you have one of these (perhaps in that drawer with all the yarmulkes!),
please return it to the Temple office so that it may be put back into service.
Thank you for your cooperation.
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Page 6 February 2011/Sh’vat-Adar 5771Messages from the Mountain
Adult Hebrew, Wednesdays at 6 pm
Adult Hebrew — 6 pm, Wednesdays. The Adult Hebrew class meets
in the Zork Library at Temple on Wednesday evenings from 6 pm to
7 pm. There are usually 12 to 17 people in attendance, several of
whom are members of St. Francis on the Hill, the church that convenes
in our chapel on Sunday mornings.
We usually divide the class into three parts: vocabulary and trivia,
sight reading and grammar, and a section of the weekly Torah portion.
On occasion, we discuss and read from our prayer book liturgy and the
specific brachot (“blessings”) for an occasion or holiday.If you are interested in learning with us, please join us on Wednesday
evenings. If you have any questions, feel free to call Ed Solomon at
525-4616.
“What Crucified Jesus?” — Two opportunities to learn
Last month’s ADL workshop on anti-Semitism (see page 10), attended bymany of our teens and their parents, prompted a question which was
beyond the scope of the workshop. How do we, as Jews, respond to
religiously rooted anti-Semitism? What can we say when someone accuses
us of “killing God”?
Rabbi Bach will explore this question in three venues during February: on
February 8 at 11:45 during our “Lunch and Learn” session; on February 13
at 10:30 am (jointly sponsored by the Jewish Federation’s “CLAL”Initiative); and finally on February 20 at 6:30 pm in our teens’ “Dessert and
Discuss” program. If you’ve wondered about this question, or been
confronted by it, we hope you’ll join us.
If you’re interested in attending either the February 8 Lunch and Learn or
the February 13 session, please speak with Elisa in the Temple office.
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Growing in Body, Heart, and Spirit
Meditation, Tuesdays at 6 pm. We have had a good turnout for our weekly medita-
tion “sits” in January. These sessions take place every Tuesday evening at 6 pm.
Rabbi Bach is joined by co-facilitators Mary McIntyre and Nancy Schwartz. All
three have some experience meditating. They share a commitment to a regular
meditation practice, and recognize that a group environment provides support for
that practice.
Our weekly sits are held in the Krupp Chapel, and consist, for the most part
of...sitting. We open with a chant to center, and one of the facilitators offers some
focus and instruction for practice. There is also time at the end for questions and
sharing. But come prepared to sit in silence, opening heart and mind to what arises.
For more information, call Mary at 915-490-7359.
Yoga Practice, Wednesdays at 11:30 am. Take a much needed break in your day forone hour of yoga on Wednesdays at 11:30 am. Inspired by the teachings of Anusara
yoga, Susan Jaffee will lead you through a life-affirming, heart-oriented practice.
This hour yoga session is suitable for yoga students of all levels. Please wear com-
fortable clothing and bring your own mat and yoga props (belt, block and yoga
blankets).
The Weekly Portion as a Vehicle for Spiritual Growth, Saturdays at 9:30 am. Every
Saturday at 9:30 am, a diverse and lively group of participants gathers to study theweekly Torah portion through the lens of Hasidic spirituality. Rabbi Bach typically
brings a text from one of the classics of Hasidic Torah commentary, in Hebrew and
in translation, which serves as the starting point for our conversation. We conclude
in time for the 10:30 am Shabbat morning service. Bagels and coffee are provided,
and all are welcome.
Each week, we offer opportunities for growth in body, mind and heart. Notso much “classes” as “opportunities for practice,” our yoga, meditation,and text study are at the core of our adult learning and growth. There’sgreat benefit from attending regularly, but drop-ins are always welcome!
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Page 8 February 2011/Sh’vat-Adar 5771Messages from the Mountain
Gesher — Learning for Young Children
During January, the Gesher class met
twice: First, to learn about TuB’Shevat (The New Year of the Trees).
The Torah gives strict instruction with
regard to Bal Tascheet (the command-
ment of “do not destroy”) and trees.
When we go to war, we are instructed
not to destroy fruit trees, because they
provide food for people. We are also
told not to cut down trees, for a treecannot move or defend itself as a person can. Our class focused on celebrat-
ing the 5,771st birthday of the trees. We sang with Rabbi Bach, played
games, listened to stories and made party hats to honor this special occasion.
During our second January Gesher class, we learned “What’s Jewish about
Dinosaurs.” Although dinosaurs are not listed among the things created in
the Torah during the six days of creation, we can still look to God as the
creator of these incredible beings. There are some findings that dinosaurs
existed in Israel millions of years ago. In recent years, dinosaurs have ap-
peared on Israeli stamps and phone cards. We focused on the important
Jewish Values of Ma’aseh B’reishit (the miracle of creation) and Talmud To-
rah (the study and love of learning).
Our February classes will meet on
Sunday, February 6, to explore
“What’s Jewish about Teddy
Bears” and on Sunday, February27, to learn about Purim.
Please contact Marci Karch at marci-
[email protected] or 585-7833
with any questions.
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Page 9February 2011/Sh’vat-Adar 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Eight of our MSTY students attended the NFTY Social Action Weekend January 20-23. They all hada wonderful experience participating in several different community service projects in the Phoenix
area and celebrating Shabbat with their NFTY friends from the Southwest region.Some of our 8th grade students will get an opportunity to experience NFTY for the first time on Feb-ruary 11-13 when they go to Phoenix for a mini-NFTY event. The weekend will provide them anopportunity to make new friends and get excited about being a part of NFTY in the next few years.The national NFTY convention is being held February 17-20 in Dallas and a couple of our MSTYteens will have the fortunate experience to attend this amazing conference. We look forward tohearing all about the many things they learn and the activities they participate in while they arethere.We are currently planning a lock-in with the BETY group from Temple Beth El in Las Cruces, aswell as a few other events for both MSTY and mini-MSTY.
MSTY/mini-MSTY News
Camp Shabbat
On Friday, February 18, we will have our annual “Camp Shabbat” during our Kabblat Shab-bat service. Some of our youth will speak about their adventures and experiences as Jewishsummer campers. Plan on attending to learn how summer camp can play an integral part inthe development of your child’s Jewish identity.
Temple Mount Sinai, WRJ and MRJ understand the importance of the Jewish summer camp
experience and are pleased to offer partial scholarships for camp. Don't delay--apply today
for a campership to attend our URJ Camp Newman or another Jewish camp this summer.
To apply, the camper needs to submit:
• a letter to the Campership Committee stating why he/she wishes to go to camp.
• a letter from a parent stating that the child will be able to attend camp, which camp
and the preferred session.
The amount of the stipend will vary, depending upon available funds. This year there are
scholarships available to give as many students as possible an opportunity to attend Jewish
camps. Please apply by sending the necessary paperwork to the Temple Campership Com-
mittee, 4408 N. Stanton, El Paso, TX 79902. The deadline for applications is February 13,
2011.
Summer is Coming — Apply Now for a Campership
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Page 10 February 2011/Sh’vat-Adar 5771Messages from the Mountain
In Appreciation of Temple Religious School
Dear Grace and Students of Temple Mt. Sinai Religious School:
On behalf of the many patients who benefited from your kindness and generosity, I want to thank you so much
for the wonderful gift bags. Our Nurses and Social Workers delivered the bags to their patients for the holiday
season. I had the pleasure of bringing several bags to my patients, and the joy of watching them examine the
contents of each bag. Several commented on the colorful and inspirational drawings on the outside, and the
beautiful cards that were enclosed. Our patients were especially appreciative of all of the useful items that you
donated.
Hospice is about people reaching out to help those in need. In addition to trying to cope with the illness and
impending death of their loved one, many families are also struggling with financial problems. Some even lack
the funds to purchase basic necessities. Due to your kindness, compassion and generosity, our patient closet is
again stocked, and we will now be able to provide those items to them. Thank you all so very much.
Sincerely yours,
Becky S. Horowitz LCSW, ACHP-SW
ADL Confronting Anti-Semitism Workshop
The Anti-Defamation League presented a workshop in January about confronting anti-Semitism. There
were two sessions, one in the morning at Temple for the 6th-8th grade students and their parents, and one
in the afternoon at the JCC for the 9th-12th grade students and their parents.
Initially, the parents and students were separated into different groups. The facilitators from ADL then pre-
sented several different activities during which the parents communicated with each other about their own
experiences with anti-Semitism, while the students did the same. At the end of the session, the parents and
students came together and interacted as a family unit with the other families by responding to certain hy-
pothetical anti-Semitic situations.
The workshops were well attended and the ADL provided some interesting, thought-provoking informa-
tion.
Rabbi Bach will be presenting a follow-up clinic to this workshop. Please see page 6 for more information.
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Women of Reform JudaismOn January 4, we had a total of 20 women for the lunchtime book group at MonteVista -- 14 at lunch with
six additional MonteVista residents for the discussion. Alison Westermann facilitated a review of The La-
dies Auxiliary by Tova Mirvis, reading key passages and sharing a summary of this story about a youngwidow from New York moving into an Orthodox community in Memphis.
That same evening, 12 women attended the dessert book group meeting at Laura Tate Goldman's home,
where we enjoyed Laura's bountiful and beautiful spread of nuts, cheeses, breads, fruits, and cakes. The
discussion was facilitated by Cindy Graff Cohen as participants shared their views about the themes and
characters of the same novel.
Coming up in February and March:
• On Tuesday, February 1, join floral designer Fifi Heller-Kaim for an evening of flowers and
fun! Learn some techniques to help create beautiful floral arrangements in your own home. We
will meet at 7pm at the home of Sofi Kaplan (4505 Honey Willow). RSVP to Amissa Burton at 915-
449-8877.
• Sunday, February 13 is our WRJ Members' Only Event: Bagels, Baubles, Books, & Bubbly from 1-4
pm in Zielonka Hall. Bring your gently used books and baubles (costume jewelry) and join us for
an afternoon of trading out your old for some new - reading material and fun new accessories, that
is! If you aren't a member yet, don’t worry, just sign up at the door. We will have bagels and lox,
some tasty brunch bites and bubbly to go with your orange juice! Let's meet our sisters over com-
mon interests and have a fun afternoon of socializing and shopping!
• On March 4, you can look forward to our Shabbat Dinner fundraiser. Save some time on this busy
weekend and buy a tasty prepared Shabbat meal from WRJ. You have the option to choose either
a roast chicken dinner or vegetarian meal that will feed a family of four. All meals include salad, aside, challah and dessert! Each meal costs $25. See the order form below for more information;
return to Buddy Schwartz at Temple by Friday, February 25.
Order Form for WRJ Shabbat Dinner Fundraiser 2011
Name ________________________ Email Address _____________________________________ Contact Number __________________
I will pick up my meal on Friday, March 4, between: ___ 10:00 am-12:00 pm
___ 2:00-4:00 pm
I would like (if ordering more than 1, please write in the number of meals): ___ Chicken meal for 4 ___ Vegetarian meal for 4
____ My payment is included (please make checks payable to WRJ) ____ I will pay when I pick up my food on March 4.
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Temple Mount Sinai Trip to Israel—January 1-12, 2012
Have you been to Israel and always wanted to return? Have you yet to visit Israel andlong to make a first trip? Would you like to “experience” Jewish history in many of the
places where it was made? Would you like to meet the modern-day people of Israel?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, Temple Mount Sinai invites you to joinus on our trip to Israel, January 1 – January 12, 2012.
We have designed a trip itinerary that focuses on Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the wonderousArava and Negev, and Eilat. The trip also includes an optional day-trip to the exquisiteNabatean city of Petra in Jordan.
If this opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Israel excites you, please contact Alanna Bach
for more details at 328-6062 or [email protected]
Jewish Women’s Retreat—May 20-22, 2011
Join Temple Mount Sinai for a Jewish Women’s Retreat in the beautiful Sacra-mento Mountains, Friday, May 20 through Sunday, May 22. Take this opportu-nity to remove yourself from the pressures of everyday life in El Paso and focuson friendship, Judaism, and personal growth. The weekend programming will
be a mixture of prayer, adventure, and relationship building. We will stay in ho-tel-style accommodations at the Sacramento Methodist Assembly Retreat Center.Cantor Robbi Sherwin from Austin will be our spiritual leader for the retreat.Cantor Robbi will lead us in Shabbat blessings, prayer services, and inspirationaldiscussions.This retreat is sponsored in part by the TMS Women of Reform Judaism. Registration formsfor the retreat will be available soon. For more information please contact Alanna Bach [email protected] or 328-6062.
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Get Moving with the Federation!
The Healthy Schools/Healthy Choices Program of the Jewish Federation is happy to an-nounce a new activity for the Jewish community this spring … a series of four Commu-
nity Playdates!
Join us in February, March, April, and May to “Get Moving”. On the third or fourthSunday of these months we will meet at local parks to walk, jog, ride bikes, andplay. Healthy Schools/Healthy Choices will provide a snack and offer a short presenta-tion on safe and successful ways to “get moving” at each playdate.
All ages are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Mark your calendars for 2-4 pm on the following Sundays:
Sunday, February 20 – Ruby Coates Park (on Coates Drive, off Doniphan)Sunday, March 27 – Mission Hills Park (corner of Stanton and O’Keefe)Sunday, April 20 – Levee Bike/Walking Trail (meeting place TBA)Sunday, May 29 – Tom Mays Park (off Transmountain)
For more information or to volunteer, please contact Alanna Bach at 328-6062 [email protected].
El Paso Holocaust Museum Book ClubThe El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center will begin its 2011 Book Club with thebook "The Lioness of Judah: A Jewish Lion Tamer's Memoir of Resistance and Sur-vival" by El Paso Holocaust survivor Sara Hauptman. The discussion will be on Sunday,February 27 at 11 am at the museum, 715 N. Oregon. The book chronicles Hauptman's lifewith the Belgian underground and as a lion tamer in a circus. She is a survivor of bothAuschwitz and Dachau.
Randy Limbird, founder and publisher of El Paso Scene will be the moderator. Light re-freshments will be served. The book club discussions are free and open to the public. Do-nations are welcomed.
Copies of "The Lioness of Judah" can be purchased at the El Paso Holocaust MuseumStore.
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From the Healing Resource Center
Grief Digest is a publication purchased by the Jo AnnRothbardt Petersen Healing Resource Center. Thereare many wonderful articles to read and explore. If youwould like more information, contact Susan Jaffee at532-5959 or [email protected].
Searching, Yearning, Disorganization and Panic
Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.
Reprinted with permission from Grief Digest , Center-
ing Corporation, Omaha, Nebraska, 402.553.1200.
Perhaps the most isolating and frightening part of anygrief journey is the sense of disorganization, confu-
sion, searching and yearning that often comes with the
loss. These feelings frequently arise when you begin
to be confronted with the reality of the death. As onemourner told me, “I felt as if I were a lonely traveler
with no companion and worse yet, no destination. I
couldn’t find myself or anybody else.”
This dimension of grief may give rise to the “goingcrazy syndrome.” Mourners often say, “I think I’m
going crazy.” That’s because in grief, thoughts and
behaviors are different from what you normally ex-perience. If you feel disorganized and confused, know
that you are not going crazy, you are grieving.
You may express disorganization and confusion in
your inability to complete tasks. You may start to do
something but never finish. You may feel forgetful
and ineffective, especially early in the morning and
late at night, when fatigue and lethargy are most
prominent. Everyday pleasures may not seem to mat-
ter anymore.
You also may experience a restless searching for theperson who has died. Yearning and preoccupation
with memories can leave you feeling drained. You
might even experience a shift in perception; other peo-
ple may begin to look like the person in your life who
died. You might be at a shopping mall, look down a
hallway and think you see the person you loved so
much. Or you might see a familiar car whiz past and
find yourself following the car in hopes that the per-
son who died is inside. Sometimes you might think
you hear the garage door open and the person entering
the house as he or she had done so many times before.
If these experiences are happening to you, remem-
ber—you’re not crazy!
Visual hallucinations occur so frequently that they
can’t be considered abnormal. Instead of hallucina-
tion, I personally prefer the term “memory picture.”As part of your searching and yearning when you’re in
grief, you many not only experience a sense of the
dead person’s presence, but you also may have fleet-
ing glimpses of the person across the room.
You may also dream about the person who died.
Dreams can be an unconscious means of searching for
this person. Be careful not to over-interpret yourdreams. Simply remain open to learning from them. If
the dreams are pleasant, embrace them; if they aredisturbing, find someone who’ll understand to talk to
about them.
Other common experiences during this time include
difficulties with eating and sleeping. You may experi-ence a loss of appetite, or find yourself overeating.
Even when you do eat, you may be unable to taste the
food. Having trouble falling asleep and early morning
awakening are also common experiences associated
with this dimension of grief.
And finally, keep in mind that disorganization follow-
ing loss always comes before any kind of re-
organization. While it may seem strange, feelings of
confusion, disorganization, searching and yearning are
actually steppingstones on your path toward healing.
Self-care Guidelines
The thoughts, feelings and behaviors of this dimension
do not come all at once. They are often experienced in
a wave-like fashion. You may need to talk and cry forlong periods of time. At other times, you may just
need to be alone. Don’t try to interpret what you think
and feel. Just think and feel it. Sometimes when you
talk you may not think you make much sense. And
you may not. But talking it out can still be self-
clarifying, even if at an unconscious level.
When you feel disoriented, talk to someone who will
understand. To heal, grief must be shared outside of
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Page 15February 2011/Sh’vat-Adar 5771 Messages from the Mountain
yourself. I hope you have at least one person whom
you feel understands and will not judge you. That per-
son must be patient and attentive because you may tell
your story over and over again as you work to em-
brace your grief. He or she must be genuinely inter-
ested in understanding you. If you are trying to talk about your disorganization and confusion—and the
person with whom you are speaking doesn’t want to
listen, find someone who will better meet your needs.
During this time, discourage yourself from making
any critical decisions like selling the house and mov-
ing to another community. With the judgment-making
difficulties that naturally come with this part of the
grief journey, ill-timed decisions might result in more
losses. Go slow and be patient with yourself.
Anxiety, Panic, Fear
Feelings of anxiety, panic, and fear also may be a part
of your grief experience. You may ask yourself, “Am
I going to be OK? Will I survive this? Will my life
have any purpose without this person?” These ques-
tions are natural. Your sense of security has been
threatened, so you are naturally anxious. As your head
and heart miss the person who was a part of your life,
panic may set in. Feelings of anxiety and fear often
elicit thoughts about “going crazy.” If you begin to
think you are “abnormal”, your level of fear may also
increase.
A variety of thoughts and situations can increase your
anxiety, panic and fear. For example, you may be
afraid of what the future holds or that other people in
your life will die soon. You may be more aware of
your own mortality, which can be scary. You may feelvulnerable, even unable to survive, without the person
who died. You may feel panicky about your inability
to concentrate. Financial problems can compound
feelings of anxiety.
Your sleep might be affected by fear at this time.Fears of overwhelming, painful thoughts and feelings
that can come up in dreams may cause you difficulty
with sleeping. Or you may be afraid of being alone
again in bed when you are not used to sleeping byyourself. Again, these are natural, but usually tempo-
rary, ways that fear can be part of your grief.
While unpleasant, anxiety, panic and fear are often
normal components of the grief experience. The good
news is that expressing them can help make them feel
more tolerable. And knowing that they are temporary
may help you during this trying time.
Self-care Guidelines
If anxiety, panic and fear are a part of your grief jour-
ney, you will need to talk about them to someone who
will be understanding and supportive. Not talking
about these feelings makes them so much more pow-
erful and destructive. Under no circumstances should
you allow your fears and anxieties to go unexpressed.
If you don’t talk about them, you may find yourself
retreating from other people and from the world in
general. Many grieving people become prisoners in
their own homes. The repress their anxiety, panic and
fear, only to discover that these feelings are now re-
pressing them. Don’t let that happen to you.
Resources for Comfort and Support:
You may feel a deep need for comfort, support, heart-
ening, and solace.
Some of these resources may respond to what you are
needing. Some may not. Sometimes nothing fits. But
having these in your toolkit may aid as you walk in
this time.
Poetry Collections: Gendler, J. Ruth. Changing Light. Scranton, PA:
Harper Perennial, 1991 Oliver, Mary. Dream Work. NY: The Atlantic
Monthly Press, 1986 Sewell, Marilyn. editor, Cries of the Spirit. Boston:
Beacon Press, 1991 Wood, Nancy. Many Winters. NY: Doubleday, 1974Daily Brief Meditations-readings about grief: Hickman, Martha Whitmore. Healing After Loss. NY:Avon Books,1994.The arts: music, art work, crafting: Many find moving into sound, color, contact withmediums of clay, wood, paint, wool, herbs, journal-ing, or writing poetry, offers respite and another route
towards expression.Time in nature: For some, nature soothes, comforts. A daily walkoutside, moving, feeling the air stir, may give yousomething. Observing the skies, the changing seasonsmay infuse the day with beauty, touching heart andsoul.
From www.vickihollander.com
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Page 16 February 2011/Sh’vat-Adar 5771Messages from the Mountain
Tributes from December 12 to January 10
A & S Stolaroff Fund
in memory of Beulah Schnadig byWilliam Loventhal III & Rita
Loventhal
Alfred Blumenthal Video History
Fund
in appreciation of Sister Blumenthal
by Jason & Eva Rapp
Amelia G. Krohn Basic Judaism
Collection
Happy Hanukah by Douglas &
Monique Krohn
in honor of Matt Krohn's Special
Birthday by Eleanor Goodman
Campership Fund
in memory of Sander Starr by Larry
& Joyce Anenberg
speedy recovery to Bob Shiloff byLarry & Joyce Anenberg
Caring Community Fund
in honor of Becky & Keith Myers'
Special Anniversary by Bill & Anne
Spier
Cemetery Fund
in memory of Shirlee Z. Amstater by
Rick & Judy Amstater
Ethel Oppenheimer Flower Fund
in memory of Audrey Given by
Marty & Bonnie Colton
in memory of Dina Davidoff by
Joyce Davidoff
in memory of Dorothy Solomon &
David Dichter by Edward & HeleneSolomon
in memory of Effie Parker by Jim &
Carol Parker
in memory of Loved Ones by Jerry
& Haidi Appel
in memory of Maury Karp by Alan
& Cheryl Karp
in memory of Robert Louis
Rosenthal by Jorge Ibarra & Lee
Rosenthalin memory of Ruth & Luis Zork by
Paquita Litt
in memory of Sara Krasne & Harold
Novak by Bob & Elaine Krasne
Floyd Fierman Religious School
Fund
in memory of Edy Fierman by the
Vexler Family and Naomi Caspe
Friedman/Bloom/Rothstein
Outdoor Chapel
in honor of Jane & Bob Rosen's new
granddaughter, Sophie W. Tyroler
by Phil & Ann Rothstein
in memory of Bluma Silverstein by
Phil & Ann Rothstein
speedy recovery to Bill Dahlberg by
Phil & Ann Rothstein
General Donations Fund
in appreciation of Temple Mount
Sinai by Raquel Aldama, Douglas
Waters, Stuart & Nancy Shiloff
in honor of Frances Blumenthal by
Mrs. Susan Rollein honor of Irma Oppenheim by
Rick Oppenheim
in honor of Judy Lauterbach's
Special Birthday by Edward &
Evelyn Schwartz
in honor of Judy Leonard's new
great grandchild by Mildred Marcus
in honor of Margie Landau's Special
Birthday by Edward & Evelyn
Schwartzin honor of Miriam Goldfarb's
Special Birthday by Dick & Toni
Harris
in honor of the baby naming of
Mateo Briseno by Sara Mansfield
in memory of Bob Washer by
Donna Munch
in memory of Bruce Keidan by Sara
Mansfield
in memory of Dorothy Katz byMildred Marcus
in memory of Herbert Schwartz by
Sister Blumenthal
in memory of Jeri Klein by Mel &
Arlene Levenson
in memory of Ken Given by Robert
& Marilyn Corn
in memory of Laura Sommer by
Mrs. Jon Sonnen
in memory of Marla Stein by Scott
Stein & Margaret Negrete & Family
Isadore Kahn Memorial Fund
in honor of Stuart Kahn's Special
Birthday by Bill & Anne Spier, Ron
Blumenfeld
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Page 17February 2011/Sh’vat-Adar 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Krasne Discretionary Fund
in honor of Arlene & Jon Sonnen's
Special Anniversary by Marty &
Bonnie Colton
in honor of Jay Mendeloff’s SpecialBirthday by Marty & Bonnie Colton
in honor of Becky & Keith Myers'
Anniversary by Marty & Bonnie
Colton
in honor of Jane & Bob Rosen's new
granddaughter Sophie Willow
Tyroler by Bill & Anne Spier
speedy recovery to Bill Dahlberg by
Bill & Anne Spier, Bob & Elaine
Krasnespeedy recovery to Bill Dahlberg by
Bob & Elaine Krasne
speedy recovery to Billy Spier by
Marty & Bonnie Colton
speedy recovery to Bob Shiloff by
Bill & Anne Spier, Marty & Bonnie
Colton
Landscape Special Projects Fund
in appreciation of Dick & JeanScherotter by Larry & Joyce
Anenberg
in honor of Arlene Levenson's
Special Birthday by Marty & Bonnie
Colton
in honor of Becky & Keith Myers'
Special Anniversary by Louis &
Cindy Cohen
in honor of Jane & Bob Rosen's new
granddaughter, Sophie W. Tyrolerby Larry & Joyce Anenberg
speedy recovery to Bill Dahlberg by
Bernard & Selma Chasens, Dick &
Jean Scherotter
speedy recovery to Bill Spier by
Dick & Jean Scherotter
speedy recovery to Bob Shiloff by
Dick & Jean Scherotter
Lauterbach Youth & Campership
Fund
in honor of Judy Lauterbach's
Special Birthday by Louis & CindyCohen, Marty & Bonnie Colton
Men's Club Donations
in appreciation of MRJ by Jon &
Arlene Sonnen
Nathan Goldman Zadie Fund
in honor of Mateo Goldman's
Special Birthday by Estelle
Goldman
Prayer Book Fund
in appreciation of Temple Mount
Sinai by Andrew & Erin Schonfeld
in honor of Arlene & Jon Sonnen's
Special Anniversary by Bill & Anne
Spier
in honor of Miriam Goldfarb's
Special Birthday by Hilda Reedman,Etta Mae Scherr
in honor of Sara & Bob Shiloff's
Anniversary by Marty & Bonnie
Colton
in memory of David Stolaroff by
Sharon Cotter
in memory of Henry Gerofsky by
Fran Fleischer
in memory of Sander Starr by Ron
Blumenfeldin memory of Kenneth Given by
Barbara Given
speedy recovery to Mary Heins by
Bill & Miriam Goldfarb
in honor of Jon & Arlene Sonnen's
Special Anniversary by Stuart &
Shari Schwartz
in memory of Adolph & Regina
Eisner by David Eisner
in memory of Frances Eisner
Barjansky by David Eisner
in memory of Manuel H. Eisner by
David Eisnerin memory of Judy Blumenfeld by
Robin & Barry Kobren
Religious School Arts & Crafts
Fundraiser
in appreciation of Simon Bir by
Danielle Scher
Rabbi Bach's Discretionary Fund
in appreciation of Rabbi Larry Bach
by Marc & Pam Bernat, Shirley
Washer
in appreciation of Temple Mount
Sinai by Bill & Anne Spier
in honor of Mateo Luca Briseno by
John Briseno & Samantha Pittle-
Briseno, Alan & Mimi Pittle
in honor of Sue Feldblum's Birthday
by Marty & Bonnie Colton
in memory of Aaron Novick by
David & Susie Novick
in memory of Bea Weisz by Jewish
Community Foundation
in memory of Regina F. Eisner by
David Eisner
Ruth Kahn/Andrew Kahn Rose
Garden
in honor of Stuart Kahn’s SpecialBirthday by Buddy Schwartz, Marty
& Bonnie Colton, Larry & Joyce
Anenberg
(Continued on page 18)
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Page 18 February 2011/Sh’vat-Adar 5771Messages from the Mountain
Sandra Kern Fund
in memory of Sandra Kern by Robin& Barry Kobren
Special Oneg or Kiddush
in honor of Mateo Briseno's naming
by John Briseno & Samantha Pittle-
Briseno, Alan & Mimi Pittle
in memory of David Michael,
David, Adrianne Crohn by Gloria
Crohn
in memory of Henry Silverman by John & Rita Silverman
in memory of Maury Karp by Alan
& Cheryl Karp
in memory of Rose Bilsky by Estelle
Goldman
Youth Fund
in memory of Sander Starr by Marty& Bonnie Colton, Bill & Anne Spier
Tributes from December 12 to January 10
...Giving arouses the heart to love. By obligating ourselves to give ac-cording to rules and formula, we expose our hearts to repetitive acts of
giving that leave their trace on our inner lives. The very act of giving
itself ultimately makes us more charitable, merciful and loving. The
Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar , Everyday Holiness by Alan Morinis
“Love flows in the direction of giving.” Discourse on Lovingkind-
ness by Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler
“If you want to bond yourself to loving your friend, give to him forhis benefit.” Derech Eretz Zuta 2
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Page 19February 2011/Sh’vat-Adar 5771 Messages from the Mountain
Yahrzeits for February 2011February 4-5, 2011
Horst ArndtMelittia Axelrod
Anna Bailen
Bertha Berg
Janet Berkenfield
Gisela Bernat
Lucy Bleiberg
Barney Brickman
Sarah Brody
David Coleman
Roberto Duran
Raul Falcon
Raymond Garmel
Max Eli Goldberg
Leah Gordon
Aaron Heller
Hannah Horwitz
Florence Adler Jacob
Simon Kahn
Sandra Kern
Leon Krupp
Charles Lowenbert
Shannon McQueary
Harold Nussbaum
Michael (Mickey) Robalin
Mildred Rosenbloom
William Saltzman
Henry Scherr
Jeffrey Michael
Schweitzer
Mary Smith
Gertrude Spier
Anna Turetsky
Celmira Vaughn
Rose Weinberg
February 11-12, 2011
Lee Aronstein
Sidney Axelrod
Norman Belford
Irving Berry
Edward Broghammer
Paul David Bromberg
Ben Gitterman
Corinne GrosseFrancis Grosse
George Hawkinson
Lillian Lakehomer
Mina Lester
Rose Levine
Vivian Jacob Levinson
Lena Levitt
Dorothy Levy
Frank Mangan
Albert Mathias
Max Moye
Ruth Novick
Lillian Reigler
Esther Rosenberg
Albert Stark
February 18-19, 2011
J.M. Amstater
John Bonner
Barbara Borschow
Fannie Brettler
Reba Dictor
Albert Feinberg
Jane Feldberg
Beverley Furman
Morris Galatzan
Irving Gulbas
Richard Michael
Heymann
Ruth Kahn
Michael Knipp
Joe Krasne
Ray Bellman Krupp
Nathan Lapowski John Litt
Mary Bellman Long
Charlotte Mann
Jack Morgan
Lily Calisher Moye
Bert Papa
Max Potashkin
Hyman Ramenofsky
Lena Blaugrund
RosenbergElizabeth Rosenthal
Howard Sagor
Rebecca Sheffer
Simcha Shydlower
Kurt Spier
Irving Tucker
Sigmund Weiser
James Welshimer
Rudolph Wisburn
February 25-26, 2011
Dora Becker
Tena Feinberg Bernard
Marta Blumenthal
Aaron Cohen
Sadye Finer
Bette Finke
Rosemarie Friedman
Robert Lyle Furman
Leopold Garas
Deborah Given
Nathan Goldman
Evelyn Goodman
Leonard A. Goodman, Jr.
Rose Greenberg
Rose Kaufman
Ann Kimmel
Gussie Kligman
Hyman Kligman
Albert Mathias (Tito)
Krohn
Louis Marcus
Lee Mason
Herbert MickenbergAnna E. Rosenberg
Herman Lisle Schieman
Sharlene Ungar
George Weiss
Lee Wigodsky
Rose Wilenzik
March 4-5, 2011
Helen Berg Julius Berg
Sidney Blaugrund
Sarah Blumenfeld
Ginger Chapman
Hinda Cohn
Humberto Corral
Milton D. Feinberg
Jennie Friedman
Charles Fruithandler
Irene Galatzan
Claire Gillen
Roslyn Golden
Giza Gray
Helene Herman
Stella Herman
Hattie Belle Hoffman
Solomon Juda
Shirley Luger
Sara Mandel
David Medoff
Raul Nieto
Mollie Oliver
Ethel A. Oppenheimer
Maria Rodriguez
Adolph Schwartz
Bernice Schwartz
Lois Stampa
Benjamin Weinberg
Emanuel Zimmerman
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Staff
Rabbi ............................................................... Larry BachRabbi Emeritus ............................................... Ken WeissAdministrator ................................................ Sally ParkeAdministrative Assistant ................ .... Buddy SchwartzReligious School Director................................ Grace BirOutreach Director ........................................Susan JaffeeYouth Advisor ............................................... Stacy BerryRabbi’s Assistant ........................................... Elisa GluckBuilding Manager .............................. Frank HernandezHouse Keeping ......................................Ramona Pinales
Accompanist ........................................... Linda McClain
Officers
David Kern ................................................................. President
Shari Schwartz ................................................. President-Elect
Marian Daross .................................................... Vice President
Greta Duran ........................................................ Vice President
Ellen Goodman .................................................. Vice President
David Leffman ................................................... Vice President
Jon Sonnen .......................................................... Vice President
Stephanie Calvo ..........................................................Secretary
Marcia Dahlberg ............................ Immediate Past President
Trustees
Rick Amstater, Joyce Davidoff,
Scott Feldt, Lori Gaman, Susie Goldman,
Jack Heydemann, Maria Klein, Hal Marcus,
Susan May, David Novick, Debby Robalin,
Phil Rothstein, Mark Schrier, Jane Snow
Temple Mount Sinai4408 North Stanton StreetEl Paso, TX 79902Phone: 915-532-5959Fax: 915-533-0092www.templemountsinai.com
Temple Mount Sinai is the
Reform Jewish congregation
serving El Paso, Texas.
We are a congregation of
supportive, caring and
diverse people with a rich
history.
Temple is a place for prayer,
ritual, spirituality, education,
wholeness and healing, social
action and celebration.
Join us as we explore,
through these elements of
sacred living, the richness of
Jewish faith and tradition.
Mailing Address
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. Postage
PAID
EL Paso TX
Permit No. 1386