Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Mishpachah Matters
Issue 78.5 and 78.6
Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778
January and February 2018
Content listing can be found on page 2.
Mishpachah Matters The Newsletter of Bet Mishpachah, Founded in 1975
by Members of the Washington, DC, Gay Community
www.betmish.org
Congregational Shabbat Dinner
Please join us on Friday, January 26, 2018 for our first congregational Shabbat dinner of the new year as we honor the current and new board of directors at Installation Shabbat. The dinner will take place at 6:30 pm at the EDC JCC prior to services. If you would like to attend, please sign up using PayPal (the link is on our website—www.betmish.org) or by mailing a check made payable to Bet Mishpachah to Mindy Gasthalter, 1725 17th Street NW #208, Washington, DC 20009. The cost is $26/member and $33/non-member. If you have dietary restrictions or special requests, please email [email protected]. The deadline to RSVP is Friday, January 19, 2018.
Brunch and Theater Outing, February 4
Please join us on Sunday, February 4, 2018 at 12 pm in the library of the EDC JCC where we will have an amazing opportunity to listen to Adam Immerwahr, Artistic Director of Theater J, talk about “What to Look for When Watching a Play.” Following his talk, we will
(Continued on page 7)
Washington DC’s Egalitarian Synagogue Embracing a Diversity of Sexual and Gender Identities
Rabbi Green’s Winter and Spring Classes
Rabbi Laurie Green will be teaching four fascinating classes this winter and spring. There will be something of interest for everyone. Come to one, or come to all. The classes will be held on the second Saturday of January, February, March and April following the Kiddush after morning Shabbat services, starting at 12:45. The classes are free-standings events.
Trans Liturgy: Opportunities and Challenges in Breaking the Gender-Binary (January 13, 2018)
(Continued on page 5)
Thanks to You, Bet Mishpachah By David Schwarz, President A certain truth about Bet Mishpachah was brought home to me by a friend from our (big) sister congregation—Beit Simchat Torah. He said he liked visiting us once in a while, because Bet Mishpachah is like CBST used to be, where most things got done by the members…or they didn’t get done at all. The good news, then, is that we—that is, you—do get a lot done. To cite just a few of this year’s highlights: • Our beautiful High Holy Day celebration, led by
Rabbis Laurie Green and Ben Shalva, but also by a host of talented lay service leaders and darshanim, and with John Kaboff’s cello and the eight voices of Tach’shitim. Of course, for their work behind the scenes (but not too far behind) we also owe
(Continued on page 3)
WHAT: The Annual New Member Pre-Shabbat Service—”THANK YOU WINE & CHEESE SCHMOOZE”—Come Enjoy delicious cheese, crackers, crudités, and wine
WHEN: Friday, January 12, 2018 at 7:00pm
WHY: Bet Mishpachah has gifts for YOU to say THANK YOU!!!!
WHERE: Edlavitch JCC, 16th & Q Social Hall
RSVP: “YES” or “NO” by Sunday, January 7th, 2018 to Eileen Greenberg, Membership Director, at [email protected] OR [email protected]
The Board of Directors and the congregational family look forward to sharing time with you “SCHMOOZING” together!!!
Ending a Bitter Sweet Year with Dedication and Light Rabbi’s Drash at the Annual Meeting 2017/5778
Shavua tov and an early Happy Festival of Lights— Hag Urim Sameach.
As the days get colder, we transition from a season of Thanksgiving to a season of Dedication. In fact, Chanuka means dedication, and also education. So I want to begin with gratitude, then speak of an
(Continued on page 6)
First Women’s Outreach Potluck of 2018 Our pre-Shabbat, first Friday of the month women’s outreach events continue into the new year. The first Women’s Outreach Potluck will be held on Friday, January 5, 2018 at 6:30 pm. The topic will be Cross-Generational Dialogue (Part 3): Skillshare Show & Tell!
(Continued on page 2)
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 2
Contents: Page 4: 2017 Annual Congregational Meeting Page 5: New Siddur Dedicated Amid Very Successful Fundraising Campaign Page 8: Thank You to Our November and December Service Leaders Thanks to Our November and December Oneg Shabbat and Kiddush Sponsors Page 9: Mazal Tov January and February Anniversaries January and February Birthdays Page 10-11: Donations Page 12-13: January and February Calendars Page 13-17: Member Yartzeits Page 19: Directory
Do you want to join Bet Mishpachah?
Membership is an opportunity to develop friendships, learn, become involved in your heritage, and support
the only LGBT synagogue in the Washington, DC area. To join Bet Mishpachah as a member is easy, just visit www.betmish.org today. Questions, e-mail
MLK Shabbat On Saturday, January 13 at 10:00 am
Join Rabbi Green and Sarajane Garten for a special service honoring Dr. King and the legacy of all our s/heroes. Honor our social justice spirit with special music, liturgy, and Torah study. To be followed by a kiddush luncheon and then Rabbi Green’s class (Trans Liturgy: Opportunities and Challenges in Breaking the Gender-Binary)
Israeli Wine-tasting with GLOE for Tu bi-Sh’vat on Tuesday, January 30
Save the date to join our friends at GLOE in celebrating Tu bi-Sh’vat, the New Year for Trees, with an Israeli wine-tasting on Tuesday evening, January 30.
Organized with help from the Israeli Embassy, we will sample delicious Israeli wines in the white-to-red wine tradition of a Tu bi-Sh’vat seder. Meet new friends and schmooze with people you already know as we enjoy and learn about Israeli wines in celebration of the earliest hint of spring in the Jewish calendar.
Watch for more details about the location and how to sign up in advance in our weekly @CBM broadcast emails and on our website.
We hope to see you on January 30 and look forward to GLOE and Bet Mishpachah celebrating Tu bi-Sh’vat together.
Book Group Meets on an occasional basis. For details on the next meeting, please email [email protected]
In addition to a vegetarian potluck dish, bring your talents and skills for a Bet Mishpachah Women’s Skillshare! We are a vibrant community of resources and support for each other. Whether you’re a yoga teacher, kippah knitter, Kabbalah scholar, workshop leader, electrician, doctor, artist, etc., please join us to Show & Tell our strengths! (Tables will be provided for business cards, flyers, samples, etc.) RSVP to [email protected].
And don’t forget to put Friday, February 2 on your calendar for our Cross-Generational dialogue part 4. What would you like to have as a topic? Please email Paula at [email protected] with your ideas for topics for the pre-Shabbat outreaches or other events.
First Women’s Outreach Potluck of 2018 (Continued from page 1)
Creating Change Conference, January 24-28, 2018
Bet Mishpachah SA/SJ Committee wants members to know how to participate in the January 24-28, 2018 Creating Change Conference in Washington, DC, sponsored by the National LGBTQ Task Force.
We have been invited to provide community housing, volunteer, and/or register to participate.
Check out conference web site https://www.creatingchange.org/ or to volunteer, call 202-639-6325. Volunteers can exchange volunteer time for entrance to conference events.
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 3
enormous thanks to Larry Neff, Vinny Prell, Elke Martin and the rest of the High Holy Day committee—as well as to members like Mike Goldstein and Allan Armus who are always there for the congregation, for whatever needs to be done.
• Publication of the second hard-cover edition of our
beautiful and innovative siddur, reflecting years of compiling, expanding, editing, retranslating and reformatting by our tireless liturgy committee—Allan Armus, Alex Carter, Ruth Potts, Elke Martin, Rachel Wolkowitz, Larry Neff, and, of course, Rabbi Laurie, and chaired by Scott Reiter since 1993.
• This year’s stimulating and inspiring Shabbaton,
with guest speaker Maggie Anton, author of the “Rashi’s Daughters” trilogy—with thanks to Jeff Kahn and the education committee.
• Our festive, funny and inventive Purim Shpiel led
by Alex Carter and Rabbi Shalva. • The inspiring and moving drash that Ian Brown
gave for Trans Day of Remembrance. • The many times our congregation rallied to the
support of sick or bereaved members; this was a year of far too many illnesses and losses, but we were there for each other—thanks, in large part to the coordination of Bev Nissenbaum and Leti Gomez, and with the help of members like Eva and Elke, and Scott and David.
• Our essential Betmish website—thanks to the hard
work of Marc Bernstein and Jeff Burka—what would we do without it!?
• Our Inauguration Friday evening panel discussion,
service and oneg, co-sponsored with GLOE, for almost 100 attendees—with thanks to Larry for organizing and Alex Carter and Allan Armus for leading.
• The 4th annual joyous Pride Shabbat service for 350
attendees, co-sponsored with GLOE and Sixth and I at the Historic Sixth & I Street Synagogue, and co-led by Rabbi Green, with singing by our Tach’shitim and Rabbi Shalva.
• And, our Volunteer Shabbat, where we at least tried to recognize the contributions of all our member volunteers throughout the year—including our volunteers of the year, Mike Goldstein and Joanna
Thanks to You, Bet Mishpachah (Continued from page 1)
Scherer, and our Harvey Milk Chesed awardee, Barbara Becker.
So, Bet Mishpachah’s volunteer spirit is alive and well, but—as the years have led us to acknowledge—even that has its limits. Not that we’re getting older, or slowing down…but sometimes some of us don’t have quite the energy we used to. Of course, that’s why we try to recruit new, younger members. But, they don’t always have the time to give the synagogue either, what with building a career, and, sometimes, building a family as well. So, over the years, even we have begun to pay for help. We started, many year ago, by hiring a rabbi, first quarter-time, and now half-time, and then a shammes, so we wouldn’t have to do all the work setting up for services. More recently, we added administrative support—now Anne Buckwalter—to manage membership rosters, mailings and documents for our 200+ members. And, this year we engaged our very own Elke Martin to help with bookkeeping, to start taking some of the burden off the shoulders of our treasurer. We also now hire help with music—Rabbi Shalva to sing for some of our Friday evening services and on the High Holy Days, and a choir director for our Tach’shitim—and our High Holy services speak volumes about what a good value that has been.
The only trouble is that all of this takes money, and our dues cover only about two-thirds of our operating costs. So, an on-going challenge is to raise the rest of our funding, mainly through donations. In fact, many of you have donated very generously—in addition to giving Bet Mishpachah your time and energy. Thanks to your help with the siddur fundraising and your responses to the 2017 Year-End Appeal, we have the chance to end the current budget year in the black for the first time in several years. This will put us in a good position to meet the challenges that the congregation faces in 2018, including the need to find ourselves both a temporary home during the JCC’s renovation and a worthy successor to Rabbi Laurie. I hope that we can count on you for your continued support during 2018.
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 4
2017 Annual Congregational Meeting By David Schwarz, President
The 2017 Annual Congregational Meeting was held on December 10, with 39 members attending. After the approval of the 2016 Annual Meeting minutes, Nathaniel Deutsch presented the slate of new Board nominees on behalf of the nominating committee (Nathaniel, together with Eileen Greenberg and Barbara Goldberg). The nominees were:
Treasurer: Douglas Auerbach Religious Affairs: Alexandra Carter Membership Director: Georgia Korn Community Affairs: Isaac Belfer Secretary: Erica Gloger
No additional nominations were offered from the floor, and the slate was elected unanimously.
The president and the treasurer then presented their annual reports. After citing some of Bet Mishpachah’s highlights of 2017, and thanking the many volunteers who made that possible, the president discussed two of the congregation’s current challenges.
One is the ongoing financial gap between what we receive in annual dues and our operating expenses. Acknowledging the generosity of our many donors, the president urged those are able to help Bet Mishpachah meet the $15,000 goal of our Year-End Appeal, to eliminate this year’s budget deficit. He also proposed another way to help secure Bet Mishpachah’s financial future, by facilitating legacy donations—announcing that Noah Wofsy is pulling together a committee to explore ways of both guiding and recognizing those of our members who would consider including Bet Mishpachah in their estate planning.
The second challenge has been presented to us by the JCC’s renovation plans, which will involve closing their building for a year, starting the end of this coming
August. While the plans anticipate Bet Mishpachah’s return to the facility, there is a question of where we will meet in the interim. On our behalf, the JCC has been discussing options with the Foundry Methodist Church, at the corner of 16th and P, but what’s on offer and the cost are yet to be fully determined. The president will be convening a committee to consider this option together with other available neighborhood alternatives.
The treasurer then outlined the financial condition of the congregation, presenting a mixed picture of—on the one hand—substantial operating and other reserves and—on the other—a trend of significant and increasing annual budget deficits over the past several years. The message was that, while the congregation is not currently in financial difficulty, we are on an unsustainable budgetary path, with only two possible remedies: reducing our operating costs or increasing our income. The details were provided to the congregation in the treasurer’s emailed financial reports.
The remainder of the agenda was devoted to Rabbi Laurie Green’s announcement that considerations of both career and family have led her reluctantly to conclude that she needs to begin looking for another position. As she explained, she is not saying “good-bye” now, but that she likely will leave Bet Mishpachah for another congregation sometime within the next 18 months or so. The president responded by first expressing—on behalf of the Board—both gratitude for the rabbi’s many outstanding contributions to the life of Bet Mishpachah over the past four and a half years and regret that we are not financially able to accommodate her career and personal goals in the foreseeable future. He also thanked the rabbi for working together with the Board to provide for an 18-month transition period, to maximize the support, flexibility and planning time we can offer each other. These provisions are formalized in a new 18-month contract that starts January 1, 2018. The text of the rabbi’s and the president’s statements
was emailed to the congregation on December 10.
The meeting concluded with some discussion of Morris Umansky’s proposal that the Board look at alternatives to the current Yom Kippur Break-the-Fast arrangements, in the interest both of saving money, and, perhaps, improving the food quality. The president agreed that the Board would explore other options. Morris also generously offered a $5,000 match for Year-End donations.
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 5
As we celebrate our new siddur and its commitment to exploring the gender spectrum, both human and divine, we will delve into questions of gender and liturgy. We will study liturgy written by and for trans and gender-queer people, rituals for gender transitions, and ways that mainstream liturgy can be adapted to be more gender inclusive.
Hitbodedut as a Spiritual Practice: Developing a Personal Dialogue with God (February 10, 2018) Isaac (the Biblical character) practiced it. Rebbe Nachman made it famous. Come learn about this very easy (no knowledge or background required), very intimate Jewish meditation/prayer practice. We won’t just talk. We’ll also do.
Personalizing the Passover Journey (March 10, 2018) Jews are a communal people and our holidays are communal celebrations, but where do we find personal meaning? Passover is more than just food and songs. Bring new meaning to the mitzva: “In every generation, we must look upon ourselves as if from slavery we were freed.” Together we will explore texts from the Haggadah as a reflection of our own spiritual journey. Come find new meaning in this year’s Seder, and personal growth in your own journey.
Through the Eyes of the Other: Israeli and Palestinian Poetry (April 14, 2018) As we approach Israel’s 70th birthday we explore Israeli and Palestinian poetry and culture. In English translation, we’ll explore what each community has to say about themselves, the “other,” and “the situation” (as Israelis call it).
Classes are always free for members of Bet Mishpachah. There is a suggested donation of $10 for nonmembers. Please make you contribution before or after Shabbat.
Rabbi Green’s Winter and Spring Classes (Continued from page 1)
New Siddur Dedicated Amid Very Successful Fundraising Campaign Our Bet Mishpachah family joyously dedicated the beautiful new second hard-cover edition of our own unique siddur, Shavat va-Yinafash, at Shabbat services on December 1. The service was led by siddur editor and Liturgy Committee chair Scott Reiter, with Committee members participating in the service. Many of those who have written prayers, readings and meditations for the new siddur read their own works to the congregation during the service. A hearty Yashir Ko-ach and many thanks to Scott and the whole Committee for their outstanding work over many years, resulting in this renewed, expanded and truly inspiring 480 page siddur. You have made us all so proud of our congregation. Our new siddur would not have been possible without the extreme generosity of so many members and friends of our congregation, including the 67 people listed on the Benefactors page in the siddur and the many others who also donated to the cause. Toda raba, many thanks to you all. Three weeks earlier, 70 members and friends gathered in a beautiful private room at Maggiano’s in Friendship Heights for a gala dinner-dance to celebrate publication of our new siddur. Over a delicious five-course dinner, followed by a sumptuous dessert buffet with six wonderful desserts, new and old friends chatted and caught up before heading to the dance floor to dance the night away to our terrific DJ. We were so happy to be with each other to celebrate this joyous and momentous occasion in the life of our congregational family. Don’t forget that at any time you can order a bookplate for a copy of the new siddur that will be used at services—you can order bookplates on our website at www.betmish.org for $54 each. On the website you can also request a copy of the new siddur (without a bookplate) to take home for your personal Jewish library for a donation of $40. Thanks to our siddur fundraising and gala planning team: Mindy Gasthalter, Larry Neff, and John Kaboff. Thanks also to Will Zaret and to Rachel Wolkowitz for the beautiful bookplates and to Elke Martin for getting the copyright permissions and for sending copies to contributing liturgists. And thanks to our dedicated webmasters, Jeff Burka and Marc Bernstein, for setting up the pages on our website for benefactor and other donations, gala tickets, bookplates and personal copies. Mazal Tov to all and Chazak, Chazak, v’Nit-chazeik! May our congregation continue to grow from strength to strength!
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 6
Sometimes life brings us mixed blessings—for instance, “MeToo.” It is a miracle that Congress speedily passed a bi-partisan bill to require themselves to get sexual harassment training. It’s wonderful that sexual violence is finally getting the attention it deserves. But do we really want to listen to these stories day and night.
Last week, my alarm went off at 6:30 in the morning and I woke up to the voice of Steve Bannon defending Roy Moore. It makes many of us anxious to be inundated, especially those of us who are survivors of sexual harassment or assault—and many of us are.
As a synagogue, we’ve had mixed blessings. We’ve had so much to celebrate—a truly blessed year. One of our greatest strengths is how we show up for each other in times of need, and not just with food, but with a free place to stay for a week, and more. This year was sad. This year our congregants lost dozens and dozens of parents, siblings, partners, and in one case, a son-in-law who died in his 30s. And this year we lost Jack, and we miss him. Just as we joyously dedicated our new siddur, on World Aids Day, bringing light into the darkness, so too we mourn them all, and we embrace the goodness they have left behind.
What better time than Chanuka for us to all rededicate our synagogue and our mishpachah?
This week’s parshah begins “Va-yehi miketz shnatayim yamim”—After two years time. Chasidic Rebbes love to play with words in ungrammatical ways and so they focus on the phrase “miketz shnatayim.” They note that miketz also means “waking up” and shnatayim sounds a lot like shayna—sleep.
In our parshah, Joseph wakes up.
Our tradition teaches that the holy light of creation was visible for exactly 36 hours, before it was hidden away, to be used by the righteous. When Joseph is thrown into the darkness of the pit, and then prison, he finds this hidden light of creation, and it shows him not only the suffering that will come, but the solution to the suffering.1 The rabbis also taught that this light is present in the Chanuka candles.
This Chanuka, may we all wake up to the holy light that breaks through the darkness. May we all rededicate ourselves to our beloved community.
Overall, Bet Mishpachah is strong and secure and happy. This year, the lay leadership and I have plans to seize our light and grow it even brighter.
(Continued on page 7)
opportunity for us all to rededicate ourselves to our beloved mishpachah.
I am so grateful to you all for another year of sharing your lives and studying Torah with you. I am particularly grateful to all of you for dedicating your time, and your treasure, and your talents to building our congregation. I won’t try to name everyone; there are simply too many of you. I feel truly blessed to be part of our very special community.
2017 and 5777 have been mixed blessings. We have so much to be grateful for—as a synagogue, as a country, as Jews, as LGBTQ people, and in our own personal lives. We are grateful, and we’re also scared, and angry, and sad, and confused.
The explicit anti-Semitism, racism, Islamophobia, misogyny and transphobia are terrifying. This year, Nazis surrounded a synagogue not far from here, deadly violence broke out, and the President of the United States blamed the victims. Most of us have seen this before, and we thought it was over. Some of us have never seen it and had never imagined such horrors could still happen.
The news from Israel is no better. I do believe that Jerusalem is the eternal Capitol of the Jewish people. I also believe these words from a poem by Yehudah Amichai:
Jerusalem is built on the arched foundations of a held back scream…if the scream should be screamed, Jerusalem would explode into the heavens
It does seem like Jerusalem is ripe to explode. Yet I do think that the Jew-on-Jew violence is worse. I’m not sure which is more tragic? Rabbis being attacked for egalitarian prayer at the Wall, or a group including many LGBTQ Jews attacking newly out Jewish teens over Israel politics.
And yet, as a Liturgy Committee, we found the courage to include a Prayer for the State of Israel, and a creative Al Hanissim for Israeli Independence Day. In our mishpachah, we set an example of how to have an argument for the sake of heaven, and how to love Israel in all her complexities and imperfections.
I know there are acts of justice and compassion in the world. Just days ago, the Israeli Supreme Court came down with a precedent setting ruling. A Reform Jewish legal organization represented Orthodox women in their fight against harassment. It sends a clear message to the radicals that women’s rights to walk freely in the public sphere will be protected and that the rule of law applies everywhere. But it doesn’t always feel like justice and compassion are present. It also feels dark.
Rabbi’s Drash at the Annual Meeting 2017/5778 (Continued from page 1)
1 Thanks to my colleague, Rabbi Lavey Derby, for sharing this teaching.
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 7
This upcoming year we’ll be focusing on tefilla, particularly all Shabbat services. Rabbis and lay people alike, some changes have already begun and there’s more to come. We’ll be supporting growth and learning for both our most experienced service leaders and our newest service leaders.The new siddur is beautiful, but a book alone does not create ruach.
We are working on worship music; learning new music, and keeping beloved favorites. Tach’shitim will be bringing their beautiful voices for a special Shabbat, during Jewish Music Month. We’ve had new accompanists and new compositions. We have cultivated a group of new and returning singers, and the ever-talented Michael Resnick has been most helpful.
Yet we can’t do it alone. We need your help. If you love something about a service, please tell the service leaders. Not only because it’s nice to hear compliments, but because that way they know what you liked. If there’s something about a service that doesn’t work for you, tell the leaders or tell me or tell the Director of Religious Affairs, and keep it constructive and kind. Your feedback, your support, your participation, make us all stronger.
If we can see beyond the latkes and dreidels, Chanuka is an opportunity to enlighten the darkness, to purify ourselves, and to rededicate our place of worship. This is all made possible by a miraculous light, a light that never goes out. We add more and more candles, increasingly the lights illuminate our souls, so that we grow in righteousness and courage and hope. Indeed, excluding the shammas, throughout Chanuka we will light thirty-six candles. Thirty-six for the lamed-vavniks, the thirty-six righteous people who maintain the world.
They find the hidden light so we might all see clearly through the darkness, so we might find warmth in the cold.
When the world was plunged into darkness, and filled with fear and despair, all it took was one tiny spark of courage and hope. It has always been this way. Light, hope, courage…always begin with one tiny light.
In this new year, may we all bring each other light at our darkest hours. May a spirit of rededication infuse each and every one of us, and may we rededicate our mishpachah to being the best we can possibly be.
Hag Orim Sameach! May you have a joyous festival of lights!
Rabbi’s Drash at the Annual Meeting 2017/5778 (Continued from page 6)
then venture upstairs to watch the 2 pm performance of Everything is Illuminated.
The play is based on the best-selling novel by Jonathan Safran Foer and is a stunning and hilarious adaptation that tells the story of a young man who sets out to find the woman who might or might not have saved his grandfather. Accompanied by an old man haunted by memories of the war, an amorous dog named Sammy Davis, Jr., and a young Ukrainian translator who speaks in a sublimely butchered English, our character takes a quixotic journey into an unexpected past, where reality collides with fiction in a heart-stopping scene of extraordinary power. This is a highly anticipated East Coast premiere.
Theater J has graciously offered us the discounted rate of 15% (which should reduce the cost to approximately $51/ticket). To receive the discount, use the code BetMish when purchasing your ticket. If you are a new member of Bet Mishpachah, they are offering you a FREE, yes FREE, ticket for the performance and you should contact [email protected] to reserve your spot. Any questions can also be addressed to [email protected]. We hope you can join us for this fabulous day of learning and fun.
Brunch and Theater Outing, February 4 (Continued from page 1)
Vinny Prell, Erica Gloger, Rachel Wolkowitz and Andrea Jennetta enjoying themselves at the November 12, 2017 New Siddur Gala Dinner-Dance.
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 8
Thank You to Our November and December Service Leaders Friday, November 3: Paula Morris and Deb Hyman Friday, November 10: Rabbi Laurie Green and Rabbi Ben Shalva Saturday, November 11: Rabbi Laurie Green and Scott Reiter Friday, November 17: Rabbi Laurie Green and Michael Resnick Friday, November 24: Jeff Burka and Marc Berstein Saturday, November 25: Larry Neff Friday, December 1: Scott Reiter and Liturgy Committee Friday, December 8: Al Munzer and Rabbi Ben Shalva Saturday, December 9: Rabbi Laurie Green Friday, December 15: Rabbi Laurie Green and Vinny Prell Friday, December 22: Louis Blank Saturday, December 23: Alex Carter and Ruth Potts Friday, December 29: Larry Neff
Thank You to Our November and December Oneg Shabbat and Kiddush Sponsors
A sincere thank you to all the people who sponsored Onegs and Kiddushes over the past decade and to all the people who shopped in support of the Onegs and Kiddushes.
If you would like to serve on a hospitality committee to ensure the future of these welcoming weekly “schmoozing” gatherings, please contact the Director of Administration, JonRobert Johnson at [email protected].
Want to remember a loved one, celebrate a special event, or just because? You can do this by sponsoring an Oneg Shabbat or Kiddush luncheon. It’s simple and pain free. Contact [email protected] or save your date in the Oneg/Kiddush book available at Friday night services.
Can’t sponsor? Consider sending a donation of Chai ($18) or more to bring extended life to the Joel and Murray Woldman Oneg Shabbat and Kiddush Fund, established by a generous bequest from our beloved member Joel Woldman. Make donations at: http://www.betmish.org/index.php/donate or mail to Bet Mishpachah, Department 0520, Washington, DC 20073-0520.
November 3: Joel and Murray Woldman Oneg Shabbat and Kiddush Fund November 10: Michael Goldstein, in celebration of my birthday November 11: Joel and Murray Woldman Oneg Shabbat and Kiddush Fund November 17: Joel and Al, in honor of our 4th anniversary November 24:: Joel and Murray Woldman Oneg Shabbat and Kiddush Fund November 25: Joel Wind, in honor of Al’s birthday December 1: Liturgy Committee, in honor of the Bet Mishpachah’s first hard bound siddur December 8: Joel and Murray Woldman Oneg Shabbat and Kiddush Fund December 9: Joel and Murray Woldman Oneg Shabbat and Kiddush Fund December 15: Joel and Murray Woldman Oneg Shabbat and Kiddush Fund December 22: Joel and Murray Woldman Oneg Shabbat and Kiddush Fund December 23: Joel and Murray Woldman Oneg Shabbat and Kiddush Fund December 29: Allan Armus, in memory of Mark Goldfarb on his yartzeit.
What’s This? Scan it with a QR code
reader on your smartphone
and find out!
Web: www.betmish.org
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/BetMishpachah Twitter: twitter.com/betmish E-mail: [email protected]
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 9
Member Birthdays February 5 Barry Kropf 6 Erica Gloger 13 Arthur Leabman 13 Michael Singer 15 Fran Sneider 15 Morris Umansky 16 Alex Ford 17 Elke Martin 18 Barbara Lewis 22 Joseph Pomper 22 Rabbi Laurie Green
Member Anniversaries January 1 Miriam Eisenstein and Carol Stern 7 Mark Agrast and David Michael Hollis 14 Robert Mapou and Michael Zufall February 8 David Fox and Robert Margrave 14 Al Stern and Angelo Sierra 22 Sheila Hess and Suzanne Perry 26 Denise Leish and Suzanne Wandersman
Member Birthdays January 4 Barbara Becker 15 Eryca Kasse 20 Mark Dean-Goodman 25 John Kaboff 26 Steven Frank
Members and guests of the Bet Mishpachah congregation celebrating the publication of our new siddur at the November 12, 2017 gala.
Mazal Tov To Ian Brown, Davi LaBarre and Rabbi Green who appeared in the November 16, 2017 edition of Washington Jewish Week in an article entitled, Transgender Jews Move in From Periphery. To Scott Reiter and the entire Liturgy Committee on the fabulous full page article in the December 7, 2017 edition of the Washington Jewish Week highlighting our new siddur.
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 10
Donations
We appreciate the generosity of our members and friends, and recognize them for their support. Contributions may be made at any time during the year. To make a contribution, send a check payable to Bet Mishpachah, to Bet Mishpachah, Department 0520, Washington, D.C. 20073-0520. October - November 2017 Member Donations Operating Fund Barry Friedman, in memory of Norma Passy,
Morris Friedman and Ann Friedman
Diane Liff and Georgia Korn, in memory of Efrem Potts
Paula Morris and Deborah Hyman
David Fox, in memory of Efrem Potts
Devra Floyd, in memory of Efrem Potts
John Kaboff, in memory of Efrem Potts
Warren Snaider, in memory of Efrem Potts
Alvin Stern, in memory of Abe Liebling
Sarajane Garten and Catherine Tarabochia
Larry Neff Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund Davi LaBarre, in memory of Edward Greenberg
Marc Goldfarb Memorial Fund Devra Floyd
Ritual Objects Fund Al Munzer and Joel Wind, in honor of Stuart
Sotsky’s and Larry Neff’s birthdays Woldman Oneg and Kiddush Fund Mindy Gasthalter, in memory of Efrem Potts
Andi Kasarsky, in loving memory of my beloved husband, Barry McNutt, and in loving memory of my beloved sister, Fern Dobuler
Year End Donation to Operating Fund Diane Liff and Georgia Korn
Barry Friedman, in memory of my grandfather Harry Friedman; my grandfather
Reverend Samuel Mendelson; my aunt Norma Passy; and Efrem Potts
Nat Deutsch, in honor of the 71st anniversary of Leon and Sylvia Deutsch and in memory of Jack Schoen, father of Gena Schoen
Barry Kropf October - November 2017 Non-Member Donations Operating Fund Randall Bell
Rachel Barter
Steve and Judy Gorin _____________________________________________
Siddur Donations Mark Agrast
Douglas Auerbach and Nick Mower
Joel Berelson
Jeffrey Berns
Marc Bernstein and Jeffrey Burka
Louis Blank
Michael Chase
Robby Cohen
Belinda Cross and Batya Hyman
Nat Deutsch
Andres Doernberg
Myrna Fawcett
Bruce Frishman
Sarajane Garten and Catherine Tarabochia
Mindy Gasthalter
Erica Gloger
Jerald Goldberg
Rhonda Goodman
Robert Hollis and Donald Jewler
JonRobert Johnson
John Kaboff
Jeffrey Kahn and Anthony Alverno
Jocelyn Kaplan
(Continued on page 11)
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 11
Andi Kasarsky
Maxine Klane
Diane Liff and Georgia Korn
Paula Morris and Deborah Hyman
Al Munzer and Joel Wind
Jeffrey Nakrin
Larry Neff
Beverly Nissenbaum and Marlene Cohen
Joelle Novey
Joseph Pomper
Vinny Prell
Scott Reiter and David Voss
Rodney Ross
Rabbi Robert Saks
Sara Sarasohn
Roger Schechter and Craig Ziskin
David Schwarz
Susan Silber and June Peters
Michael Singer
Fran Sneider and Rabbi Beth Cohen
Stuart Sotsky
Elyse Wander and Judy Retchin
Noah Wofsy
Murray Woldman
Perry Wolkowitz Siddur Bookplate Donations David Bachman
Myrna Fawcett
David Fox and Robert Margrave
Barry Friedman
Mindy Gasthalter
Donna and Andrew Goldslager
Rhonda Goodman
Rabbi Laurie and Mira Green
Bruce Horowitz
Donations (Continued from page 10)
Jon Robert Johnson
John Kaboff
Davi LaBarre
Diane Liff and Georgia Korn
Michael Lustig
Joyce Neff
Larry Neff
Paula Neff
Marci and Mitchell Reiter
Scott Reiter and David Vos
Stuart Sotsky
Carl Spatz and Thomas Hasselbrock
Noah Wofsy
Perry Wolkowitz
Rachel Wolkowitz
Merna and Robert Zinnershine
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 12 J
an
ua
ry 2
01
8
SU
N
MO
N
TU
E
WE
D
TH
U
FR
I S
AT
1
2
3
4
5
6:3
0 p
m W
om
en
’s O
utr
each
Po
tluck
(se
e p
age
1 f
or
det
ails
) 8
:00
pm
Ere
v S
ha
bb
at
Ser
vic
e le
d b
y R
abb
i L
auri
e G
reen a
nd
E
ryca
Kass
e, E
DC
JC
C
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
7:0
0 p
m T
he
An
nual
New
Mem
ber
Pre
-Sh
abb
at
Ser
vic
e—”T
HA
NK
YO
U W
INE
&
CH
EE
SE
SC
HM
OO
ZE
” (s
ee
pag
e 1
fo
r d
etai
ls,
ple
ase
RS
VP
), 8
:00
pm
Ere
v M
izm
or
Sh
abb
at
Ser
vic
e le
d b
y L
arry
N
eff
and
Rab
bi
Ben
Shal
va,
E
DC
JC
C
Tora
h p
ort
ion V
a-e
ira
13
10
:00 a
m S
ha
bb
at
Mo
rnin
g
Ser
vic
e le
d b
y R
abb
i L
auri
e G
reen
and
Sar
ajan
e G
arte
n,
12
:45
pm
Rab
bi
Lau
rie
Gre
en
’s
Win
ter
Cla
ss (
Tra
ns
Lit
urg
y:
Op
po
rtunit
ies
and
Chal
lenges
in
Bre
akin
g t
he
Gend
er-B
inar
y )
, E
DC
JC
C
Tri
enn
ial
read
ing V
a-e
ira
(E
x 7
:8-8
:15
)
14
1
5
16
17
18
6:4
5 p
m B
oar
d
of
Dir
ecto
rs
Mee
tin
g
19
8:0
0 p
m E
rev
Sh
ab
ba
t
Ser
vic
e le
d b
y A
llan A
rmus,
E
DC
JC
C
Tora
h p
ort
ion B
o
20
21
22
23
24
2
5
26
6:3
0 p
m I
nst
alla
tio
n
Din
ner
(se
e p
age
1 f
or
det
ails
ab
out
RS
VP
and
paym
ent)
8
:00
pm
Ere
v S
ha
bb
at
Ser
vic
e le
d b
y A
llan A
rmu
s, E
DC
JC
C
Tora
h p
ort
ion B’s
ha
lach
27 1
0:0
0 a
m S
ha
bba
t M
orn
ing
Ser
vic
e le
d b
y R
abb
i L
auri
e G
reen
and
Lar
ry N
eff,
ED
C J
CC
T
rien
nia
l re
adin
g B’s
ha
lach
(E
x 1
4:1
5-1
6:1
0)
28
29
30
3
1
V
isit
htt
p:/
/bet
mis
h.o
rg/
ind
ex.p
hp
/new
s-an
d-u
pco
min
g-
even
ts/c
alend
ar f
or
the
mo
st u
p-
to-d
ate
info
rmat
ion a
nd
co
mm
un
ity e
vents
.
Wee
kly
To
rah r
ead
ings
can b
e fo
und
at
ww
w.h
ebca
l.co
m/
sed
rot.
B
et M
ishp
achah
fo
llo
ws
the
Tri
ennia
l re
adin
g c
ycl
e—
this
yea
r is
Yea
r 1
of
the
3-y
ear
cycl
e.
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 13
SU
N
MO
N
TU
E
WE
D
TH
U
FR
I S
AT
1
2 6
:30
pm
Wo
men
’s O
utr
each
Po
tluck
(se
e p
age
1 f
or
det
ails
) 8
:00
pm
Ere
v S
ha
bb
at
Ser
vic
e le
d b
y P
aula
Mo
rris
and
Deb
H
ym
an;
Eva
Fre
und
-dra
sh,
ED
C J
CC
T
ora
h p
ort
ion Y
itro
3
4 1
2:0
0 p
m
Bru
nch
and
T
hea
ter
(see
pag
e 1
fo
r d
etai
ls a
nd
p
aym
ent
info
)
5
6
7
8
9 8
:00
pm
Ere
v M
izm
or
Sh
abb
at
Ser
vic
e le
d b
y R
abb
i L
auri
e G
reen
and
Rab
bi
Ben
S
hal
va,
ED
C J
CC
T
ora
h p
ort
ion M
ish
pa
tim
10
10
:00 a
m S
ha
bb
at
Mo
rnin
g
Ser
vic
e le
d b
y R
abb
i L
auri
e G
reen
, 1
2:4
5 p
m R
abb
i L
auri
e
Gre
en’s
Win
ter
Cla
ss (
Hit
bo
ded
ut
as a
Sp
irit
ual
Pra
ctic
e:
Dev
elo
pin
g a
Per
sonal
Dia
log
ue
wit
h G
od
), E
DC
JC
C
Tri
enn
ial
read
ing M
ish
pa
tim
(E
x 2
2:4
-23
:19
)
11 A
rtic
les
and
conte
nt
due
for
Mar
ch a
nd
Ap
ril
new
slett
er
12
1
3
14
1
5 6
:45
pm
Bo
ard
of
Dir
ecto
rs
Mee
tin
g
16
8:0
0 p
m E
rev
Sh
ab
ba
t
Ser
vic
e—
Tex
t M
essa
ges:
T
ora
h f
or
To
day
led
by R
abb
i L
auri
e G
reen
and
Mic
hae
l R
esnic
k,
ED
C J
CC
T
ora
h p
ort
ion T’r
um
a
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
8:0
0 p
m E
rev
Sh
ab
ba
t
Cla
ssic
Bet
Mis
hp
achah
Ser
vic
e le
d b
y A
lex C
arte
r an
d
Ta
ch’s
hit
im,
ED
C J
CC
T
ora
h p
ort
ion T’t
zave
i
24
10
:00 a
m S
ha
bb
at
Mo
rnin
g
Ser
vic
e le
d b
y J
eff
Burk
a, M
arc
B
ernst
ein
—T
ora
h d
iscu
ssio
n,
ED
C J
CC
T
rien
nia
l re
adin
g T’t
zave
i (E
x 2
8:3
1-2
9:1
8)
25
26
27
2
8
V
isit
htt
p:/
/bet
mis
h.o
rg/
ind
ex.p
hp
/new
s-an
d-u
pco
min
g-
even
ts/c
alend
ar f
or
the
mo
st u
p-
to-d
ate
info
rmat
ion a
nd
co
mm
un
ity e
vents
.
Wee
kly
To
rah r
ead
ings
can b
e fo
und
at
ww
w.h
ebca
l.co
m/s
edro
t.
Bet
Mis
hp
achah f
oll
ow
s th
e T
rien
nia
l re
adin
g c
ycl
e—
this
yea
r is
Yea
r 1
of
the
3-y
ear
cycl
e.
Fe
bru
ary
20
18
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 14
Member Yartzeits January Announced Friday, January 5 (Yartzeits observed January 5-11, Tevet 19-25) Max Kaplan January 5 Grandfather of Jocelyn Kaplan
Robert Breeze January 5 Partner of Charlie Stewart
Margot Lax Tevet 19 (January 6) Aunt of Stuart Sotsky
Hannah Berman Tevet 20 (January 7) Mother of Larry Berman
Joe Lucero Tevet 20 (January 7) Friend of David Fox
Hannah Wandersman Tevet 20 (January 7) Mother of Suzanne Wandersman
Darlene Iva Wood January 7 Friend of Devra Floyd
Charles Fortinsky January 7 Father of James Fortinsky
Euclid Tarabochia January 7 Grandfather of Catherine Tarabochia
Paul Lev January 8 Uncle of Larry Neff
Fannie Frouman Tevet 22 (January 9) Grandmother of Allan Armus
Morris Cohen Tevet 22 (January 9) Grandfather of Marlene Cohen
Harold Garten January 9 Father of Sarajane Garten
Jerry Davis January 9 Friend of Larry Neff, member CBM
William Most January 9 Uncle of Morris Umansky
Morrie Green January 9 Uncle of Tom Sachs
Ida Magid Tevet 23 (January 10) Grandmother of Carl Spatz
Pauline Resnick Tevet 23 (January 10) Grandmother of Michael Resnick
Joe Vostrizansky January 11 Father of David Vos
Martin Bennett Tevet 25 (January 12) Father-in-law of Jeffrey Berns Announced Friday, January 12, and Saturday, January 13 (Yartzeits observed January 12-18, Tevet 26 – Sh’vat 3) Edith Fried January 12 Aunt of Eileen Greenberg
Miriam Kenner January 13 Friend of Alex Carter
Lillian M. Woldman Tevet 27 (January 14) Mother of Murray Woldman
Irv Kesser January 14 Uncle of Gail Tannenbaum
Marcia Peltzman Tevet 28 (January 15) Mother of Maxine Klane
Asaya Most January 15 Cousin of Morris Umansky
Morris Friedman Tevet 29 (January 16) Father of Barry Friedman
Maggie Harry January 16 Friend of Anne Buckwalter
Anna Greenberg January 17 Grandmother of Eileen Greenberg
Harry Greenberg January 17 Grandfather of Eileen Greenberg
Rose Kushner Sh’vat 2 (January 18) Grandmother of Eytan Apelberg
Alyssa Kasse Sh’vat 2 (January 18) Sister of Eryca Kasse
Sean Citron January 18 Son of Diane Citron
Louis Elman January 18 Grandfather of Diane Liff (Continued on page 15)
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 15
Announced Friday, January 19 ( Yartzeits observed January 19-25, Sh’vat 4-10) Fannie Bluma Becker Most January 19 Grandmother of Morris Umansky
Fanny Berman Sh’vat 5 (January 21) Grandmother of Lawrence Berman
Lisa Beth Greenstone January 21 Cousin of Louis Blank
Christopher Meyer January 22 Friend of Alex Carter
Hortense Lash January 22 “Like a mother” to Devra Floyd
Anke Eggers January 22 Wonderful friend of Eva Freund and Elke Martin
Constance Green January 22 Aunt of Tom Sachs
Stefina Vostrizansky January 22 Mother of David Vos
Philip Silber January 22 Brother of Susan Silber
Anne F. Kohn January 23 Mother of Margy Kohn
Louis Zinnershine January 23 Uncle of Scott Reiter
Cynthia Gasthalter January 24 Aunt of Mindy Gasthalter
Anne Ross Sh’vat 9 (January 25) Mother of Rodney Ross
Sarah Friedman January 25 Grandmother of Barry Friedman
Mabel Hatcher January 25 Mother of Theodore Xakellis Announced Friday, January 26, and Saturday, January 27 (Yartzeits observed January 26 – February 1, Sh’vat 11-17) Henry Leish January 26 Grandfather of Denise Leish
Amelia Wilkinson January 26 Mother/mother-in-law of Barbara Becker and Jutta Brettschneider
Geoffrey Ford January 27 Father of Alex Ford
Ruth Hochberg Sh’vat 12 (January 28) Grandmother of Marlene Cohen
R. Gilad Schamess January 29 Father of Noah Schamess
Albert M. Potts Sh’vat 14 (January 30) Uncle of Ruth Potts
Rose Bresnick Lev January 30 Aunt of Larry Neff
Robert Cole February 1 Friend of Joel Berelson
Eva and Leah Munzer Sh’vat 17 (February 2) Sisters of Al Munzer
February Announced Friday, February 2 (Yartzeits observed February 2-8, Sh’vat 18-24) Alois F. Baer February 2 Grandfather of Ellen Levy
Gene Nathan February 2 Mother of James Nathan
Robert Nathan February 2 Father of James Nathan
Lenard Mears, Jr. February 2 Member CBM
Davida Fortinsky February 3 Mother of James Fortinsky
Member Yartzeits (Continued from page 14)
(Continued on page 16)
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 16
February 4
February 4
February 5
Sh’vat 21 (February 6)
February 6
Sh’vat 22 (February 7)
February 7
February 7
February 8
Sh’vat 24 (February 9) Announced Friday, February 9, and Saturday, February 10 (Yartzeits observed February 9-15, Sh’vat 25-Adar 1) Jeanne Zinnanti February 9 Aunt of Alex Carter
Alex Woldman Sh’vat 25 (February 10) Grandfather of Murray Woldman
Maxwell Joseph Cohen February 10 Father of Keith Cohen
Morris Sachs February 11 Grandfather of Tom Sachs
Howard W. Bollinger February 11 Uncle of Charles Stewart
Milton Carb Sh’vat 27 (February 12) Father of Alan Carb
Leon Goldberg Sh’vat 27 (February 12) Father of Barbara Goldberg
Gene Robert Silber February 12 Father of Susan Silber
Stanley Lehman Sh’vat 28 (February 13) Uncle of Michael Hoffman
Freida Gottesman February 13 Grandmother of Andi Kasarsky
David London February 13 Grandfather of Scott Reiter
Peaches Walbaum February 13 Friend of Gail Tannenbaum
Gertrude Umansky February 13 Mother of Morris Umansky
Benjamin Grossman Sh’vat 30 (February 15) Grandfather of Susan Kirshner
Rose Rosenfeld February 15 Grandmother of Georgia Korn Announced Friday, February 16 (Yartzeits observed February 16-22, Adar 2-8) Jennie Weber February 17 Grandmother of Denise Leish
Edna Goldman February 17 Grandmother of Brian Parks
Irving Klein February 17 Father of Michael Klein
Minnie Kasse Adar 3 (February 18) Grandmother of Eryca Kasse
Becky Rachefsky Adar 3 (February 18) Grandmother of Eric Tobin
Rae Beckenstein February 18 Grandmother of Carol Wayman
Emilio Gómez February 19 Father of Letitia Gómez
Daniel Dishon February 20 Dear friend of Jutta Brettschneider
Cordell Preston Olive February 20 Cousin of Devra Floyd
Member Yartzeits (Continued from page 15)
(Continued on page 17)
Walter Hamilton Peter L. Gingrich Louise Zanar Sidney G. Eugene Kaplan Esther Chiprut Kahn Mary Cohen Tobin Jeffrey Sarrin Michael Burbank Judith Kaplan Eisenstein
Friend of Alex Carter Friend of Larry Neff Member CBM Father of Mark G. Father of Jocelyn Kaplan Aunt of Beverly Nissenbaum Grandmother of Eric Tobin Member CBM Partner of Joel Berelson Mother of Miriam Eisenstein
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 17
Rolf Frischmuth February 20 Cousin of Elke Martin
Richard Saffer February 20 Uncle of Alicia Saffer
Ray Umansky February 21 Cousin of Morris Umansky
Jack Fresco February 21 Uncle of Gail Tannenbaum
Irma Rothschild February 22 Mother of Cecilia Rothschild Announced Friday, February 23, and Saturday, February 24 (Yartzeits observed February 23 – March 1, Adar 9-15) Israel Stern Adar 9 (February 24) Father of Al Stern
Victoria Green February 24 Cousin of Tom Sachs
Alfonso Lorenzo Tarabochia February 24 Father of Catherine Tarabochia
Fayga Bluma Most Andreadis February 24 Cousin of Morris Umansky
Sylvia Jacobson February 24 Grandmother of Andrew Abrams
Martin Weinstein Adar 10 (February 25) Uncle of Stuart Sotsky
Elizabeth Hyman February 26 Mother of Batya Hyman
Daisy B. Levy February 26 Grandmother of Ellen Levy
Jerome S. Menaker Adar II 12 (February 27) Father of Howard Menaker
Henry Noretsky February 29 Father of Martin Noretsky
Lisa Londner March 1 Sister-in-law of Hank Londner
Mickey Casel March 1 Cousin of Larry Neff
Jonathan Greene March 1 Cousin of Tom Sachs
David Snaider Adar II 15 (March 2) Uncle of Warren Snaider
Member Yartzeits (Continued from page 16)
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 18
Bet Mishpachah Communications This newsletter is published bimonthly by Bet Mishpachah, P.O. Box 1410, Washington, DC 20013. Articles, columns and content should be submitted on or before the 10th of the month prior to publication and sent to [email protected]. The newsletter is sent to members, donors, and various organizations. For a free e-mail subscription, write to [email protected]. To advertise in our newsletter, contact [email protected]. The congregation also publishes ATCBM, the electronic bulletin board of Bet Mishpachah, which contains late-breaking congregational news, as well as other Jewish and/or LGBT news that cannot be printed in this newsletter. We maintain a website at www.betmish.org with synagogue information and links to other websites of interest. Information contained in any of our publications may be reprinted without permission, but acknowledgment of the source is required. Direct any questions about our editorial or advertising policies to [email protected]. Shabbat Services Bet Mishpachah holds Shabbat services every Friday at 8:00 pm and the second and fourth Saturdays of every month at 10:00 am at the Edlavitch District of Columbia Jewish Community Center (EDC JCC), 16 and Q Streets, NW. Sign Language interpretation is available by request to [email protected] with a minimum of two weeks notice. Any changes to this regular schedule will appear on our website (www.betmish.org), in the month’s printed calendar, and/or in our electronic bulletin board ATCBM. Enter the EDC JCC building on Friday nights through the Q Street door. You will be buzzed in by our shammas. Shabbat worship will be in the EDC JCC Kay Community Hall, on the right as you enter. A parking lot is available behind the EDC JCC and may be entered from Q Street. It has approximately 20 spaces, including one designated for disabled drivers. Parking: Additional free parking for Friday night services is available at the surface lot at the Scottish Rite Temple starting at 7:30 pm. The lot will be closed and locked and all cars must be removed by 10:30 pm. Parking is at your own risk. The Temple is at 16th and S Streets NW; entrance to the lot is from the alley that connects 15th and 16th in the block between R and S Streets.
Mishpachah Matters Staff Newsletter Coordinator — Amy Heffernan
Design/Layout — Amy Heffernan Proofreaders — Douglas Auerbach, Alex Carter,
Mindy Gasthalter, Elke Martin, and Martin Robinson Transliteration Consultant — Scott Reiter
Electronic Newsletter Subscription
Do you want to receive Mishpachah Matters electronically and in living color, while saving the synagogue money? Send an email to [email protected]. Include all the email addresses where you would like to receive the electronic newsletter and your mailing address, as you will no longer need the paper version. Address, Phone, Email Changes
Send your name and old and new information to [email protected]. ATCBM Subscription
If you wish to receive ATCBM, our electronic announcements about events at Bet Mishpachah and of interest to the Jewish LGBT community, please send an email to [email protected] with “ATCBM” in the subject line and the email address where you would like to receive mail. ATCBM Item Submission
Email your item in the body of an email (no attachments) for ATCBM Submissions to [email protected]. Bikur Cholim — We Care About You
Become a partner in the mitzva of Bikur Cholim—visiting the sick—by advising our Bikur Cholim Committee, rabbi, or president when you or a relative is hospitalized. We can stay informed ONLY if we receive the information. Please email us at [email protected]. Death Notices, Bereavement Services
If you are in need of bereavement services or to announce a death in your family, email [email protected]. Donations
To make a donation to our congregation, please send it to Bet Mishpachah, Department 0520,Washington, D.C. 20073-0520. Or you can donate via PayPal from the “Donations” page on our web site, www.betmish.org. To Schedule a Bet Mishpachah Event
Email the date, space needs, and number of expected attendees to [email protected]. To Sponsor an Oneg Shabbat or Kiddush
Send an email to [email protected], with the date you’d like to sponsor, and the occasion. Bet Mishpachah’s Affiliations
Bet Mishpachah is a member of: Network of Independent Jewish Communities and Havurot; Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington; World Congress of GLBT Jews: Keshet Ga’avah; Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington; and Celebration of the Spirit Coalition.
Mishpachah Matters Tevet - Sh’vat - Adar 5778/January and February 2018 Page 19
DIRECTORY
RABBIS Rabbi Laurie Green ........................................... ............................. [email protected] Rabbi Bob Saks, Emeritus ................................ 301/864-1240 ...... [email protected]
BOARD OF DIRECTORS and COMMITTEES President: David Schwarz ................................ ............................. [email protected]
Rabbinic Liaison Committee: Al Munzer ......... ............................. [email protected] Treasurer: Bob Hollis ....................................... ............................. [email protected]
Development Committee: Noah Wofsy Secretary: Douglas Auerbach .......................... ............................. [email protected]
Communication Committee: Mike Goldstein .. ............................. [email protected] Webmaster: Jeff Burka .................................. ............................. [email protected]
Director of Religious Affairs: Larry Neff ............ 202/701-7115 ...... [email protected] Choir (Tach’shitim) High Holy Days (HHD) Co-Chairs: Elke Martin, Vinny Prell, and Larry Neff ........... ............................. [email protected] Liturgy Committee: Scott Reiter ..................... ............................. [email protected] Religious Affairs Committee: Larry Neff ......... 202/701-7115 ...... [email protected]
Director of Membership: Eileen Greenberg ...... 703/504-6185 ...... [email protected] Director of Administration: JonRobert Johnson ............................. [email protected]
High Holy Days (HHD) Logistics Hospitality Committee: Andrea Jennetta Oneg/Kiddush Coordinator: ........................... ............................. [email protected] Sign Language Interpreter Coordinator: Devra Floyd .................. [email protected]
Director of Programming: Paula Morris ............ ............................. [email protected]
Book Readers’ Group: Art Leabman ............. ............................. [email protected] Education Committee: Jeff Kahn .................... ............................. [email protected]
Director of Community Affairs: Rachel Wolkowitz ........................... [email protected] Director of Congregational Affairs: Sue Silber .. ............................. [email protected]
Bereavement Support: Beverly Nissenbaum . 202/363-6246 ...... [email protected] Bikur Cholim (Visiting the Sick): Letitia Gómez ............................ [email protected] Cemetery Committee: Allan Armus ................ ............................. [email protected] Northern Virginia Chavura: Eva Freund ......... ............................. [email protected] Social Action/Social Justice: Bruce Horowtiz and Vinny Prell ....... [email protected]
STAFF
Congregational Administrator: Anne Buckwalter ............................. [email protected] Congregational Bookkeeper: Elke Martin
Bet Mishpachah PO Box 1410
Washington DC 20013 www.betmish.org
