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THE VOICE TEMPLE BETH ABRAHAM, 1301 WASHINGTON STREET, CANTON, MA 02021 PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY HESHVAN-TEVET 5771 / NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2010 ISSUE NO. 2 Minyans are Sunday-Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Minyan calendars are enclosed. If you can’t go on your scheduled night, please find someone to cover for you. The synagogue would like to be informed about all important events and occasions, including births, weddings, etc., as well as illnesses and deaths. Please notify the office at (781) 828-5250. Alan Goldberg, Melissa Brindley-Oksman Honored at TBA Here are introductions from Marci Bernotas, TBA President, to Alan Goldberg, Hatan Torah recipient, and Melissa Brindley- Oksman, Kallat B’reishit. Occasionally someone comes into your life who just makes you want to be a better person. Alan Goldberg is one of those people. He is the first to volunteer when we need help, no matter what the task. When the temple needs funding for a project, his is one of the first checks that come in. If I need advice on how to handle a sticky situation at the temple, he has a way of dispensing sound advice that takes the measure of both sides of an argument. And we can never thank him enough for his years of service to the TBA Board of Directors. While all of these qualities alone would make him an excel- lent candidate for the Hatan Torah award, none of them are why he was chosen this year. The real reason is that he does all of the above without ever asking for recognition. There is something re- fresh- ing about some- one who doesn’t need his name on a plaque, who wants to help only because he can and because it’s the right thing to do. He is the embodiment of Tikkun Olam, someone who makes the world a better place, and I am so honored to be able to call him my friend. It is with great pleasure and appreciation that I present Alan Goldberg with this year’s Hatan Torah award for his outstanding commitment to Temple Beth Abraham. I love watching Melissa Brindley-Oksman pray. Her whole face lights up. When she sits in her seat during Shabbat services, there is an aura about her as she davens. The really neat thing about this aura is that is wasn’t always there. When Melissa started coming to services here, she was quiet, reserved and unsure about her ability to pray. That feeling is certainly understandable for some- one who did not grow up Jewish. But over the past year, we have had the privilege to watch her grow and become more comfortable with the religion she has chosen. Now, when we ask Melissa to have an aliyah, there is no hesitation. From my seat on the bima, I get to watch her daven with a passion that, honestly, I envy. Melissa never misses an opportunity to learn about her chosen religion, whether at services, adult education or during holidays. In addition, she has gone outside the temple to continue her Jewish education, including volunteering to be a guide at the Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh in Newton. Melissa is the embodiment of this award. It is with great pleasure and appreciation that I present her with this year’s Kallat B’reishit award for spiritual growth. (Speeches on page 5.)

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Page 1: TBA Nov-Dec 2010 Bulletin

THE VOICETEMPLE BETH ABRAHAM, 1301 WASHINGTON STREET, CANTON, MA 02021

PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY HESHVAN-TEVET 5771 / NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2010 ISSUE NO. 2

Minyans are Sunday-Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Minyan calendars are enclosed.If you can’t go on your scheduled night, please find someone to cover foryou.

The synagogue would like to be informed about all important events andoccasions, including births, weddings, etc., as well as illnesses and deaths.Please notify the office at (781) 828-5250.

Alan Goldberg, Melissa Brindley-Oksman Honored at TBA

Here are introductions fromMarci Bernotas, TBA President,to Alan Goldberg, Hatan Torahrecipient, and Melissa Brindley-Oksman, Kallat B’reishit.

Occasionally someone comesinto your life who just makes youwant to be a better person. AlanGoldberg is one of those people.He is the first to volunteer whenwe need help, no matter what thetask. When the temple needsfunding for a project, his is one ofthe first checks that come in. If Ineed advice on how to handle asticky situation at the temple, hehas a way of dispensing soundadvice that takes the measure ofboth sides of an argument. Andwe can never thank him enoughfor his years of service to the TBABoard of Directors.

While all of these qualitiesalone would make him an excel-lent candidate for the Hatan Torahaward, none of them are why hewas chosen this year. The real

reason is that he does all of theabove without ever asking forrecognition. There is something

re-fresh-ingaboutsome-onewhodoesn’tneedhisnameon a

plaque, who wants to help onlybecause he can and because it’sthe right thing to do. He is theembodiment of Tikkun Olam,someone who makes the world abetter place, and I am so honoredto be able to call him my friend.

It is with great pleasure andappreciation that I present AlanGoldberg with this year’s HatanTorah award for his outstandingcommitment to Temple BethAbraham.

I love watching MelissaBrindley-Oksman pray. Her wholeface lights up. When she sits in herseat during Shabbat services, thereis an aura about her as she davens.The really neat thing about this aurais that is wasn’t always there.

When Melissa started comingto services here, she was quiet,reserved and unsure about herability to pray. That feeling iscertainly understandable for some-one who did not grow up Jewish.But over the past year, we have hadthe privilege to watch her grow andbecome more comfortable with thereligion she has chosen. Now, whenwe ask Melissa to have an aliyah,there is no hesitation. From my seaton the bima, I get to watch herdaven with a passion that, honestly,I envy. Melissa never misses anopportunity to learn about herchosen religion, whether at services,adult education or during holidays.In addition, she has gone outsidethe temple to continue her Jewisheducation, including volunteering tobe a guide at the Mayyim HayyimLiving Waters Community Mikvehin Newton.

Melissa is the embodiment ofthis award. It is with great pleasureand appreciation that I present herwith this year’s Kallat B’reishitaward for spiritual growth.

(Speeches on page 5.)

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Rabbi David’s Message

Blessed are You, who hasfreed me from obligation forthis child.

After officiating at hundreds ofb’nei mitzvah, I have finallyreached that important milestoneof serving, not as rabbi but fatherto the bat mitzvah.Initially I anticipatedthe stress of it all. Infact, I had decided tochronicle the stressfulweeks leading up tothe simcha on myweekly rebcast. But Ididn’t really feel muchstress. Everything justfell into place. I’m suremy familiarity with theservice and the synagogue servicehelped a bit also. As I write this toyou, the day has not yet come, sodisaster can still strike - but I’mnot too worried.

Being on this side of thebimah has also allowed me to seethe process, a bit, through Dalia’seyes. I wondered often – whatdoes this all mean to her? Is it justa party? Will she remember theservice, her d’var Torah, herparsha? What will she take fromthis moment in her life?

As much as I’d like to thinkthat twelve and thirteen year oldswill remember their b’nei mitzvahas spiritual highlights of their youngreligious lives – I’m not that naïve.Dalia, like most others probably,worried about what she wouldwear, the DJ, the food, and herfriends – oh yeah – and that stuffshe was chanting from that thing.

Becoming a Bat Mitzvah maynot go down in her memory bookas a spiritual highlight, but it will inmine.

For Dalia, this is a lifecycleevent that connects her with herfamily and friends. She is sur-rounded by love. For me, this isthe moment when my daughterstands before God, for the firsttime, without me.

For Dalia, this is acelebration of all that sheis able to accomplish. Forme, this is a celebration ofall that I have had a handin creating.

There is a minhag(custom) that when a sonor daughter becomes aBar or Bat Mitzvah, theparents recite the blessing“Baruch She’pitarani

Me’onsho Shel Zeh,” Blessed areYou, who has freed me fromobligation for this child (Rema on

Orach Chaim 225:2). The Rema, whopenned this teaching, is thinking offreedom from the legal obligationof mitzvot. As of becoming a Baror Bat Mitzvah, each child musttake responsibility for their ownrelationship with God andmitzvot.

Although I may be off thehook for her mitzvot or lack thereof – I’m still hooked. Dalia mayhave become a “Jewish adult”, butmy emotional and spiritual obliga-tions to her remain as important tome as ever. In fact, I doubt that Iwill ever be freed from thoseblessed obligations. I may not beDalia’s “Rabbi”, but as a parent Iam her “rabbi.”

And so, after the Bat Mitzvahhas faded into our collectivememories, I will continue to teachher, guide her and try to inspireher – and she will undoubtedly dothe same for me.

Hello, fellow TBA members.This is my first report as AdultEducation Chairperson. I amthrilled to have the opportunity toserve in this position and lookforward to working with you todevelop Jewish Learning pro-grams that are fun and informative.

Currently, I am focusing myattention on developing a “JewishLearning Interests Survey” todetermine preferred program topicsas well as format/logisticalpreferences. For any of you whomay have special talents or subjectexpertise and desire to lead aJewish Learning program sessionor series, this information will besolicited as well. Stay tuned for thissurvey. Your feedback is vital todevelop a rewarding JewishLearning program for this upcomingyear and beyond. You will also bedoing your part to support thecompletion of two of the 18 TBAStrategic Planning Initiatives.

Please mark your calendars, aswe have an upcoming AdultEducation “Lunch and Learn”series entitled, “Living Jewishly in aNon-Jewish World.” Rabbi Davidwill be facilitating this lunch serieson Wednesday, 12 noon,December 1, 8, 15, and 22. Forthose who are unable to attend,you can watch the session livethrough our TBA website from thecomfort of your home or office.

I also want to take thisopportunity to promote our SundayMorning Adult Learning Group,which is exploring the evolution ofIsrael from ancient times throughthe lens of James Michener’s novel,The Source. Feel free to come andjoin us for any or all sessions

(continued on page 4)

Adult Education

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President’s Message

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MILESTONES:Harriet and Jerry Lavine on the marriage of their daughter, Debra Joy, to Paul Michael FlanaganMargie and Rich Zides on the marriage of their daughter, Pam, to John GentileCheryl and Ralph Hiltz on the engagement of their daughter, Michelle, to Pat McCloudLinda and Peter Silverstein on the birth of their grandson, Sidney Louis Silverstein

CONDOLENCES:Anita Shatz on the loss of her husband, Jordan ShatzGeorge Chism on the loss of his mother, Sylvia ChismElyse Cohen on the loss of her mother, Lorraine WolrichJudy Sokolove on the loss of her mother, Rosalyn WolfeDavid Wolicki on the loss of his mother, Arlene Wolicki

Good andWelfare

I am a Jewish woman. I am aconservative Jew. Reconcilingthese two facts is something that Istruggle with every day. I wear akippah and tallit, I carry the Torah,I accept aliyot. Andbecause I do all ofthese things, I believethat other womenshould have the right todo so as well. Myassumption was that allintelligent, knowledge-able people wouldagree with my feelingthat Jewish womenshould have the same rights andobligations as Jewish men.

What I’ve discovered recentlyis that my firmly held beliefs havethe tendency to be dismissive ofothers beliefs. I had a discussionwith a couple of TBA membersright after Kol Nidre when theRabbi spoke so eloquently aboutthe Women of the Wall and theirstruggle for the right to wear tallitand hold the Torah in the women’ssection of the Kotel. “How couldanyone in this day and age notagree with a woman’s right toperform the same obligations thata man has”, I argued. “We shouldbe able to express our love ofJudaism without the fear of gettingarrested.” My friends counteredwith, “What about the rights of theOrthodox women who trulybelieve that a woman should neverwear tallit and should never holdthe Torah? Don’t their beliefscount as well?” I realized that bybelieving that my argument wasthe only logical one, I was beingdismissive of someone else’sdeeply felt beliefs.

So how do we reconcile our

differences? I believe that it is byrespecting a person’s right to prayin the manner that they chooseand by not imposing those beliefson others who might want to pray

in a different manner.If a woman feels

that it is not proper towear a talit, then sheshouldn’t wear one,but allow others theability to pray in amanner that makesthem comfortable.Too many wars havebeen fought because

of the belief that only one way isthe right way. If we are going tohave any meaningful discussionsabout tolerance between differentreligions, we first have to startwith meaningful discussions abouttolerance within our own. Marci Bernotas

This picture is a beautifulexample of the blankets ourmembers have been making forthe hospitalized Veterans. DenaKaufman and Judy Malin collab-orated on the making of this one.If you cannot make an entireafghan, simply knit squares, andJudy will join them into a work ofart. The squares should be madeas follows: Using a size 8 needle,cast on 34 stitches. Work for 64rows counting from the right side.Please use worsted weight yarn.

If you happen to have anyskeins of yarn that you no longerwant, please leave them in thetemple office, and I will pick themup. Squares and afghans can alsobe dropped off there.

Afghans for Vets

My next delivery to the WestRoxbury VA will be in December(and with your help, another onein June). Happy knitting, andthank you all for your help.

Harriet Lavine

Page 4: TBA Nov-Dec 2010 Bulletin

Congregational Education

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From the Library

Book Group

Now that summer is a distantmemory and the chill of winter isupon us, we begin to start thinkingabout Thanksgiving andChanukah. This often leads peopleto think about the gifts they needto get for others. All too oftenwhen we think of gifts, we assumethat they are the kind that mustcome wrapped in a bow.However, there are so many othergifts we can give others andourselves.

One of the biggest “gifts” wecan give is the gift of our time. Weare all busy everyday but how wechoose to spend our time is in ourcontrol. Giving a few hours todeliver food to those in need orhelp serve food at a shelter is timewell spent. As Jews, we believe inTikkun Olam (repairing the world)and these are just some smallexamples of how we can help andteach our children to do so aswell. Remember we are all role

models to someone.The other gift of time we need

to remember to give is to our-selves. Finding that special thing

thathelpsre-chargeyourspirit iskey.Maybeyouenjoycomingto

services on Shabbat morning ortaking a walk. Again, we all livebusy lives, but giving others andourselves the gift of our time willultimately enrich our many lives,including our own.

Hoping you pass on your giftof time.

Melissa RudmanCongregational Educator

The book for November 15this My Father’s Paradise by ArielSabar hosted by Janis Monat.We will discuss The Postmistressfor our December book group,hosted by Sherri Lewis. This year our book group ismeeting on Monday evenings atthe Temple. The starting time is7:30 in order for us to participatein minyan. Our discussion willfollow minyan. Light refreshmentsare served, provided by thehostess of the evening. (Hosts arewelcome too!) Please let me know if you areinterested in becoming part of our

Our library shelves are gettingfilled. Thanks to Temple members,we have been able to catalogabout 400 books. We have a longway to go and still need your help. We will meet on Wednesdaymornings at 9:30 and work untilabout 11:00 a.m. If you can sparethe time, we would love to haveyou. Please contact me [email protected].

We hope to be having ourdedication ceremony soon. Pleasewatch for details.

While our library is undergoingrenovation, new books can befound in the back of the Chapeland can be signed out.

Harriet Lavine Wendy Lustbader

Library Co-Chairs

(continued from page 2)that begin at 10 am. Remainingdates this fall include November 7,21, December 5, 19. Friends andfamily members are more thanwelcome, and there is no charge.

For questions or programmingideas, please contact me at774-226-0755 [email protected].

Michael Bloom,ChairAdult Education

Adult Education

group. We love to have newmembers.

Harriet Lavine

Please donatevegetarianvegetable soupforFamily Table.Bring your cansto the temple.

Page 5: TBA Nov-Dec 2010 Bulletin

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Alan Goldberg, Melissa Brindley-Oksman Honored

Alan Goldberg

There is redemption in thisworld. It was 45 years ago that Iwas almost expelled from theChelsea Hebrew School, and hereI am today.

To be perfectly honest, I wasboth shocked and humbled when Ilearned that I had received thishonor. I feel very undeserving.There are so many people withinthis temple community who give somuch more of themselves than I.People who work in the back-ground to make sure that thetemple’s physical plant is intact,people who work tirelessly toimprove the education of ouryouth, people who are involved infundraising efforts, and people whodo the needed work day in andday out to make sure we remain aviable and vibrant community.

Temple Beth Abraham hasbeen a Jewish oasis in the middleof Canton, Massachusetts forgenerations. As Warren Foremanso eloquently said in his HighHoliday Appeal speech, ‘This isOUR house. We owe it to the pastand to future to keep it strong.” Itis the obligation of every congre-gant to have some type of involve-ment in it. While times may havechanged and the temple may nolonger be the center of Jewishsocial activity as it was a genera-tion ago, it is still a place of per-sonal refuge, a place to learn, aplace to interact with people of asimilar background and heritageand of course, a place to pray andcommunicate with God.

My involvement with TBAcame quite by accident. I admitthat I was a congregant who wassatisfied sitting on the sidelines

while others did all of the work. Iwas watching a football game on aSunday afternoon ,when Ireceived a phone call asking if I’dbe interested in sitting on theBoard of Directors, taking boardminutes as Recording Secretary.Maybe it was in the heat of themoment, or the alcohol, but Iagreed. Now many years later, Iam still doing the same job (itappears to be a lifetime position).But, it’s a job that I truly enjoy.

This shul, which is made up ofapproximately 215 to 220member units, survives becausewe are a united community. RabbiPaskin and his wonderful staff maysteer the ship, but it is the TBAcommunity that sets the ship’scourse and keeps it afloat.

On a personal level, I getgreat satisfaction from seeingFrank Weiner chant parsha Jonahon Yom Kippur for the 53rd

straight year, Harvey and JudyMalin dance with each otherduring Friday night Shabbatservices, and knowing that we areproviding our children with aJewish education, so that this‘oasis’ will continue to flourish formany generations yet to come.

Melissa Brindley-Oksman

When I was told that I wasbeing given this honor, I wasn’tsure what shocked me more – thefact that people were telling me Iwas an obvious choice for it, orthat I was going to have to give aspeech. I am not a natural publicspeaker. I am a true introvert,perfectly suited for the stereo-typical engineer role I play daily.During services I sit almost as farback as possible. I am quiet and

shy and not the type of person togo out of my comfort zone. How-

ever,thisyear Idid.

MyjourneytoJudaismwas alongone. Iwasraised

very loosely Episcopalian.Holidays were purely secular, andthe only mention of anythingreligious was the yearly ritual ofwatching Charlton Heston in TheTen Commandments.

My first job when I was 15was at a Jewish retirement home. Iquickly made friends with a tableof women, who soon adopted meas their honorary granddaughter.They taught me how to play MahJong, explained the Seder plate onPassover, and answered anyquestions I had about anythingJewish. On Friday nights I foundmyself lingering past my shift,listening to the prayers comingfrom the makeshift sanctuary. Imemorized the words said overthe challah and the wine, and wassurprised that I remembered themso many years later.

When I got to college, I wastoo busy to focus on anything thatdidn’t involve concrete or steel,and my interest in religion quicklytook a backburner. My awarenesswas reinvigorated when I movedto New York City after gradua-tion. I was surrounded by manyreligions, buildings of different

(continued on page 6)

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(continued from page 5)faiths in close proximity along thesame street. I lived in a neighbor-hood heavily filled with membersof the Eastern Orthodox church,Eastern European delis and storespacked between sushi restaurantsand Chinese / Mexican foodcombo takeout places. When my grandfather died in2003, I went looking forsomething to explain his sudden,unexpected death. I tried to findcomfort in my birth religion, but itfelt foreign to me, and moreimportantly didn’t ease myworries, fears or grief. I feltdisconnected and quickly began tosearch elsewhere.

The birth of my child suddenlymade my search all that moreimportant. My daughter was bornwith a birth defect, one thatrequired her to have surgery withinhours of her birth and asubsequent monthlong hospitalstay. We sat huddled togetherbeside her incubator, staring ather, hoping that this would be theday we’d get to hold her, orchange her diaper or put a bow onher head or a shirt on her. Thetime she was in Children’sHospital seems like a blur now,but at the time it was anexperience that made me questionthe existence of God. How couldan innocent baby endure the painand suffering she had to in that firstmonth of her life?

Within months of that event, Ifound myself walking through thedoors of a synagogue on a coldJanuary night. I didn’t understanda word anyone was saying, Ididn’t understand why peoplewere bowing or covering their

eyes, but there was no mistakingthe feeling of complete comfort Ifelt. That first Shabbat service Iknew that I had finally found whatI was looking for all those years. Ifelt as though I had found a home.It didn’t matter that the languagewas foreign or that the format wascompletely different from anythingI had ever seen. A few weekslater, I had found a rabbi tosponsor my conversion, and Iquickly signed up for anIntroduction to Judaism class.

The Intro class was held inBoston, and I had no idea what toexpect. The class was amazing –a little bit of history, a little bit ofHebrew, a little bit of ritual.During one of the last few classes,the Rabbi removed the SeferTorah from the Ark and had usgather around it. He explained thehistory of the scroll, thecomponents of it, and then beganto read from it. I made my way uptowards the front and examinedthe parchment, a fine dusting ofhair still coating the backside. Thisparticular scroll had been donatedto the temple after beingearmarked to be displayed in amuseum of extinct people duringWorld War II. As I stood lookingat the scroll, hearing the Rabbirecite the words beautifullypenned across the pages, I wasovercome by emotion. I realizedthat I was taking part in somethingthat was thousands of years old,that the same passages had beenchanted and heard by millionsbefore me. I felt connected tosomething much larger – a people,a culture, a history. It was my firsttaste of feeling Jewish.

What followed was an intense

process of living “Jewishly”:Shabbat, holidays, reading,reading, reading. And finally inApril of 2009, the beginning of thejourney was complete.

I first came to TBA aboutthree months after my conversion.A series of medical emergencies inmy family led to needing a newspiritual home. I came with twofriends one Friday evening andwas immediately greeted by RabbiDavid with a hug and a warmsmile that was as if he had knownme for years. I was instantly put atease. The quick service wasdifferent from what I was used to,but I also felt more at home thananywhere else I had been to. Istarted to thirst for more, and aftermuch internal debate, I startedgoing regularly to Saturdaymorning services.

The change in my spiritualitywas almost immediate. Like thatfirst time I had witnessed thecloseness of the Torah, I wasexcited and energized. I realizedthat this was where I needed tobe, not only as a religion but as acommunity. People were instantlyfriendly, offering introductions andguidance. I became so connectedto the experience that I make it apoint not to miss a service unlessabsolutely necessary.

This year I have grown inunimaginable ways. After lastyear’s High Holidays, I receivedmy first tallis. After Shavuot, Istarted getting up in the morning topray, and after lots of studying andquestioning, I began to lay tefillin. Istarted studying Hebrew andeventually enrolled in a Master’sProgram at Hebrew College in

(continued on page 7)

Alan Goldberg, Melissa Brindley-Oksman Honored

Page 7: TBA Nov-Dec 2010 Bulletin

On the fourth Sunday ofevery month will be an event.Mark your calendar.o November 28th, 6:30-9:30p.m. evening poker game andbarbeque. Bring your sunglassesand Scotch; we’ll get the sirloin.o December 26th, brunch withthe bunch! 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.Speaker to be announced, allwelcome!o January 23rd, billiards atStoneforge Grill in Walpole, 4:30p.m.o February 27th, breakfast 10a.m.-12 noon. Family snowballfight and best snow castle com-petition (snow permitting!)following the breakfast. Guestspeaker to be announced.o March 27th Sunday basket-ball , Brotherhood vs. Kids, timeto be announcedo April 24th Matzah Brie IronChef’s breakfast. Get yourBubby’s (or Zaidy’s) recipes andshow off your stuff, 9:00-11:00a.m. Speaker to be announced.Prizes. Pre-registration requiredto enter competion.o May 22, Borderland StatePark cookout and music jam,talent contest, Karaokeplay aninstrument-, comedy. Moonwalk,horseshoes, sack races, andmore, 1:00-5:00 p.m.Other events being plannedinclude: Sports game NBA,Brockton Rox, Camping trip/Shabbaton, Movie night, BlueHills hike, Bowling night at Kings(Legacy Place), and applepicking. Call Rick Gomolka forquestions at (781) 408-1245, orBobby Sokolove (781) 828-3117.

7

BrotherhoodMembership

Now is the time for my greatbig thank you to the followingvolunteers who made our 6th

Annual Membership BBQ awonderful event. First, in general,a big thank you to all our greatvolunteers without whom thisBBQ would not have taken place. Special thank you’s go to ourhead Chef and my co-chair, RuthyGomolka, her daughter, Faith, ourCongregational Educator, MelissaRudman, who is our overallPlanner, Reservation Taker,Shopper, Kitchen overseer andany other title I can think of, asshe will do anything andeverything we need her to doalong with her daughter, Ellie.Thank you to Phyllis and KeithMoore for their donation of ourcenterpieces. Thanks to ourBrotherhood volunteers, AlanGoldberg, Rick Gomolka, his son,William, my brother-in-law, Joel,and, of course, my husband, Neil.We would also like to acknow-ledge our thanks to Judy Stein-berg and John Adams for alwaysbeing there to help us.

As usual, this event broughtout many members not seen for awhile. It was a wonderful supperand, as always, a great retentionevent.

Welcome to our newestmembers: John, Amy, Jason andDavid Chapin; Linda Diskin;Kenneth, Elissa, Gillian and AlexaGordon; Jon, Shawna, Zoe andJacob Lemelman; Andrew, Sari,Jacob and Spencer Reich;Stephen and Ellen and RubySingmon; Howard and MollieSonion; and Michael and ArleneZeichner. We also welcome backNoah, Melissa and Max Hersh-

man along with Alexander, Kathy,Haley and Sydney Kats.

Please put our nextmembership event Friday,November 19, to be held inconjunction with ShabbatUnplugged, on your calendar. aflyer will follow shortly.

Phyllis LernerMembership Co-Chair

Next bulletin is January-February. Deadline isDecember 1.

Email articles and photosto [email protected].

(continued from page 6)Jewish studies. And most import-ant, I studied and trained to be amikveh guide at Mayyim Hayyim,a volunteer position that I love somuch that I wish that it could bemy fulltime job.

Tishrei is a month of beginnings– we are all given the chance tostart fresh. Simchat Torah is abeginning, too. We finish the lastwords of Deuteronomy andimmediately begin again – ourlearning never ends, we merely justreroll the scroll.

This honor doesn’t represent agoal that I have attained, but a goalI am striving for. That we are allstriving for – a new beginning, achance to always learn and grow,not only spiritually, but also aspeople. And what better place todo it, than right here, together, inthis wonderful community we haveall created?

Oksman conc.

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Noted law professor AlanDershowitz will be the keynotespeaker at the Second Annual“Righteous Among Nations Award”event on Tuesday, November 16,7 p.m. The event is sponsored bythe Israel Arbeiter Gallery ofUnder-standing at the South AreaSolo-mon Schechter Day School,Norwood.

Receiving the posthumousaward will be World War II Swed-ish businessman / diplomat RaoulWallenberg who saved thousandsfrom death by the Nazis, and isthought to have died in a Sovietprison in the late 1940s. Present-ing the award will be Marika Bar-nett who survived by hiding in aconvent and whose parents sur-vived due to Wallenberg’s efforts.

Accepting on Wal-lenberg’s behalf will beDr. Janos Beer, Profes-sor Emeritus at MIT,who aided Wallenbergin distributing passportsand helped smugglethousands of Jews tosafe houses.

Advance reser-vations required.Tickets begin at$10. No charge forsurvivors. Forsponsorships anddetails about thepre-event recep-tion, call (781) 769-9400, or [email protected] or visitwww.sassds.org.

Alan Dershowitz Keynote Speaker Nov. 16 at South Area Solomon Schechter School, Norwood

Read Hebrew America

If you’ve always wanted to learn to readHebrew or brush up on your skills, now’s

your chance.Classes on Sundays,

November 14, 21 and 28,December 12 and 19,

8:00 p.m., TBA

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Temple Beth Abraham Staff

Spiritual Leader..............Rabbi David PaskinCongregational Educator......Melissa RudmanPresident..............................Marci BernotasOffice Manager......................Judy SteinbergThe Voice Editor......................Sherry Alpert

Temple Beth Abraham1301 Washington StreetCanton, MA 02021(781) [email protected]