KOL T.O.L. The “Voice of the Tree of Life”

April 2019 / Adar II - Nisan 5779

Shabbat Worship Services

Fri., April 5 7:30pm Shabbat Evening Service Parshat Tazri’a Leviticus 12:1-13:59

Fri., April 12 6:30pm Shabbat Evening Service - Friday Night Live Sat., April 13 10:30am Shabbat Morning Service

Parshat Metzora Leviticus 14:1- 15:33

Fri., April 19 5:30pm Shabbat Evening Service- Early Minyan Parshat Yom Rishon shel Pesach Exodus 12:37-42, 13:3-10

Fri., April 26 7:30pm Shabbat Evening Service Parshat Acharei Mot I Leviticus 16:1-17:16

From the President/Rabbi 2-3

Education Director/TOL in Action 4-5

Community Events 6-12 TOL Celebrates 13

Yahrzeits/Oneg 14 This Month’s Calendar 15

Contributions 16

Pg. 2 KOL T.O.L. From the Board President

Inside this Issue

Fellow Congregants: Please thank The Rabbi Search Committee members for their hard work, dedication, and transparency during the Rabbi Search. Please welcome Rabbi Meyer when she visits the weekend of May 5th. We anticipate her moving to Columbia Mid-June. Rabbi Meyer is very excited to find this wonderful congregation as her new home. Also, please give lots of love to Rabbi Mollo and Rabbi Carolan. They continue to work hard though this transition. Please attend the TOL Coffeehouse Concert on April 6th. The Legendary Kenny George Band and

Finnegan Bell will perform in the Reyner Family Social Hall @7:30pm. Food Concessions will be available from Groucho's Concession Stand.

Please lookout for the Volunteer sign up email for our 10th Annual Big Nosh food festival (May 5th). Susan Brill, Dr. Brill, and Rick Cohn are hard at work finding sponsors. We anticipate a huge turnout this year. All of your help would be greatly appreciated. More information is to follow. The TOL will host a 2nd Night Passover Seder catered by The Friendly Caterer. The TOL office can provide reservation information. Thank you to all of the Committees currently working on various projects. You are making Tree of Life a more beautiful and sustainable congregation. And thank you to Charlotte Gibson for her continued excellent work in the TOL office. Her work is impressive and appreciated. Very kindly, Bruce Miller

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Dear Friends, The month of March (the end of Adar I and most of Adar II) began beautifully with our Justice Shabbat. During our service, our MORE Justice Team Leaders, Alex Ogden and Amanda Hamilton, spoke about the strides we are making regarding issues of affordable housing, mental illness, and the truly unfortunate disciplinary standards in our local school districts. Two of our Confirmation students, Molly Westfall and Hayden Cohen, also spoke about their pursuit of justice through the lobbying of SC senators and representatives on Capitol Hill regarding the issues of reproductive rights and gun violence prevention. Their words were an inspiration to us all and their actions are a great service to the Jewish

community, the Central Midlands, and South Carolina. On March 20th, I had the privilege of standing alongside several colleagues in support of the legalization of medical cannabis in South Carolina through the Compassionate Care Act. Having witnessed first-hand what medical cannabis can do to treat chronic pain and countless other conditions, I proudly stood with like-minded individuals at the SC State House to lobby for this important issue that can vastly improve the quality of life for many who are needlessly suffering. Follow the link below to see the press conference in its entirety https://www.wltx.com/video/news/local/faith-leaders-call-for-legalization-of-medical-marijuana-in-south-carolina/101-7959012a-60c9-431c-94ef-9fe9b59d82e7

Wishing us all Chodesh Tov (A Good April),

Rabbi Eric Mollo

Also on March 20th, we celebrated the holiday of Purim through the annual retelling of the Purim story, selections from the Megillah, and a fun-filled Purim Spiel. This year’s spiel was entitled: The Lion King of Shushan. Special thanks to our wonderful cast: Molly Westfall, Anselle Blackmon, Zoe Kaplan, Kate Weiss, Sam Weiss, Jacob Cohen, our stage manager, Isabelle Mollo, and our costume/set designer extraordinaire, Joan Tucker. Follow the link below to see The Lion King of Shushan Purim Spiel on the TOL YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX1UsmCV9Qc&t=5s

Pg. 4 KOL T.O.L. From the Education Director

The kids organized another wildly successful Purim shpiel and carnival. With just a little adult organization and peripheral guidance, our older students created a fun atmosphere for all of our progressive Jewish community. In the past few years, they have taken on increasing responsibility in staging and running these events and I am incredibly proud of them. It’s hard to believe that we have only a few more sessions left of religious school for the year. The children will be busy studying Passover through the particular lens of their curriculum focus before

before we wrap up our year on April 28th. I hope to see you at our family seder on April 20th and celebrate the beginning of summer with us at The Big Nosh on May 5th.

H

We are working on two big events! The first is our annual Women’s Seder on Tuesday, April 23rd. Invitations have gone out, and we want all the ladies Bat Mitzvah class and older to join us. Cost is only $10 for WRJ members and daughters and $15 for non-members. Please see page 8 of this newsletter for information on how to register for this event. The second will occur on May 21, when the Palmetto Health Mobile Mammogram Unit will spend a day in the TOL parking lot, so that as many ladies as possible can conveniently get their mammogram. We will be spending the time between the February event and May 21 signing up ladies – we are especially encouraging those who know they should have a regular mammogram, but have been hesitant or just too busy. No doctor’s order is needed! Proof of insurance is required.

We will also start preparations for our annual Sisterhood Shabbat in May, and our annual

YES Fund event in June.

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Brotherhood

WRJ/Sisterhood

Green Team

The Brotherhood will be making latkes for the Big Nosh on May 5. Keep an eye out for an email for scheduling volunteers for this wonderful event! -Eric Feuerstein, TOL Brotherhood President

Tree of Life has completed the GreenFaith Energy Shield. GreenFaith is a national, interfaith organization that encourages congregations and their members to be greener. We were the first South Carolina congregation of any faith to complete the shield. To earn the Shield, TOL passed resolutions supporting energy conservation and they installed efficient lighting and programmable thermostats. Special thanks go to Erica Pfister, Paul Westfall, and Gregg Helman for their technical work, Carolyn Hudson for writing and administrative work, and Ira and Kay Radin and the TOL Brotherhood for financial support. Thanks also to Rabbis Mollo and Glatstein for their support. A percentage of the membership also had to complete a Home Energy Pledge which included calculating their annual carbon footprint and working towards a more energy efficient home. Thanks to the households who participated in the Home Energy Pledge: Adams, Dawson, Gibson, Hudson, Maris, and Willens. In addition, a special energy themed Shabbat service was held on November 30. Mr. John Hartz, a local climate change activist, spoke to the Congregation about Climate Change. Additional activities were held for kids and teens. Tree of Life completed the GreenFaith Water Shield in 2017.

Caring Committee The Caring Committee is here to provide meals and

other support to our members when they need help. If you are in need of assistance or would like to join our “army of volunteers”, please contact either Annette Goldstein or the Rabbis. One volunteer need not do all!

You can sign up to prepare all or part of a meal or to deliver. You can pick up food rather than cook! Your donations to support this endeavor are graciously welcomed.

To Register and Schedule you can call 296-8888 or 1 800 221-9724 or go online at www.palmettohealth.org

Pg. 6 KOL T.O.L. Community Events

This concert is very important to us, both because it is a fundraiser (we are still paying for our excellent sound system!), and because these are SC bands who are worthy of our support. As Jordan Lawrence of the Free Times said, '"Unlike so many “serious” songwriters backed by interchangeable hired guns, the Aiken crew [Kenny George Band] sounds like a living, evolving ensemble, sweeping listeners along with the music as much as the words." The opening act is a wonderful acoustic and vocal duo, Finnegan Bell.

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May 5, 2019 11am-3pm

Tree of Life Jewish Food & Cultural Festival

The Selden K Smith Foundation for Holocaust Education is participating in Midlands Gives on May 7th

Your contribution can make a difference!

The Selden K. Smith Foundation for Holocaust Education provides grant funding statewide for projects related to teaching the Holocaust. This work is vital in today’s society, especially with antisemitic acts on the rise. Projects that SKS supports include teacher training, classroom resources, field trips, speakers, and travelling exhibits. If you’re thinking of giving this year, please think of us and help the Foundation promote tolerance and justice throughout the state.

To donate please visit: https://www.midlandsgives.org/holocausteducationfoundation Pre-scheduled donations begin on April 23. Regular Donations are open for 18 hours on Tuesday, May 7. Midlands Gives is an online community fundraising event for non-profits. For more information visit midlandsgives.org

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Save the Date

The Tuesdays With Friends Senior Program

Is Participating In

Midlands Gives May 7, 2019 Midlands Gives is an online community fundraising event for non-profits Your contribution can make a difference in the lives of our senior community!

For more information visit midlandsgives.org Tuesdays With Friends is a free monthly senior lunch and social. We serve a diverse group of seniors. Our mission

is to provide a welcoming environment where seniors can socialize, enjoy a meal, be entertained and participate in

Jewish holidays & traditions. Our motto is “Food, Fun & Friendship”

To donate online visit: https://www.midlandsgives.org/TuesdaysWithFriends

Pre-scheduled donations begin on April 23, 2019 Contributions can also be made at the Beth Shalom office

Thank You For Your Support!

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April 2 April 3 April 5 April 6 April 8 April 10 Carole Rothstein Daniel Sobel

Kate Avosso Peter Blue Willa Zug Molly Westfall Lucy Westfall Sophie Westfall

Anne Reyner David Nudelman Heather Weiss

April 15 April 16 April 17 April 18 April 19 April 22 Travis Wheeler Ericka Johnson Vladimir Shtessel Stacy Tippens

Avni Gupta-Kagan

Alan Horn Marisa Kornblut Rabbi Eric Mollo

Maggie Valentine

Kathryn McLain Rubin Lois Green

April 23 April 24 April 25 April 27 April 28 April 29 Gerald Euster Andrew Levy

Amit Gupta-Kagan Gail Biensotck

Terry Gomberg

Karen Portnoy Louis Tedeschi Adam Schor

April 30

Gabrielle Baker David Henry Richman Shu-Mei Richman

April Birthdays

April Anniversaries

April 4 Amy & Robert Scully

April 9 Steven & Sally Langer

April 10 Rick & Robin Chapman Gregg & Caryn Helman

April 27

Jonathan & Bonnie Leader

April 5 April 19 Oscar Brill* Sonia Davis* Sadie Dickman Woodrow Emanuel Sara Fingerhut Alfred Garawitz Leon Garber Sylvia Gerber Joseph Gergel* Barbara Jane Helman* Bernard Hupert

Max Kalb Henry G. Levkoff* Lana Mayskaya Esther Politis Sophie Revelise Ben Steingold Boyd Haven Sulser Saul Wasserman Lewis Winter* Sarah Young Rose Zellman

April 12

John Joseph Alion* Michael S. Blick* Samuel Burnstein* Laura Burnstein* Charles F. Donen* Morris Drucker Jay J. Duni* Melvin Gergel* Blanche Glaser* William P. Green Benjamin Hack* Louise Foglia Hill Edith Hunter Krauss*

Leon W. Love* Harold Markel* Shirley McLeod* Helen Mendel* Elliott Posner* Barbara Rosenberg Rose Silk Herbert Sobel Beatrice Stiglitz Helen Strauss* Rakhil Veytskin Florette Weitzman

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Yahrzeits

April 5 Ann Gaton April 26 Stanley & Terry Gomberg

Alan & Marcia Geers David & Debra Tedeschi

JP & Jean Ginsberg Bruce & Sherri Greenberg

Jonathan & Bonnie Leader Harry & Bonnie Goldberg

Steven Grosby & Naomi Farber Josh & Avni Gupta-Kagan

April 12 Richard & Laura Kagan Steve Goldring Annette Goldstein Marc Green Eugene & Lois Green

April Oneg Shabbat

Daniel "Dan" Davis Dorothy Haegele Alfred Harvey Helen Kohn Hennig* William C. McLain, Jr. Miriam G. Kohn*

Edward Krantz Ralph Lerner* Gabriel Levy Verna Mooney Francis Oliver Musarra Bertie Simmons* Lewis Weinberg*

April 26 Ida Abrams* Joseph Alon Bissie Alon Gilbert Alpert Etea Cohen Lazarus Cohen Mordie M. Donen* Joseph Ertzan Regina Ertzan Mihai Ertzan Michelle Ertzan Fredric Fields Jacob Fleischman Richard Hafter* Harriet Hoffman

Yafa Iskhakov August Kohn, Jr.* Sidney Krauss* David Levin Martha Levy George Julius Mann* Edwiga Marcus Joseph Marton Estelle Morino Alvin H. Reyner* Joseph Schwartz Malvina Schwartz Manfred Schwartz Anne Wadness Segal Daniel Sella

Bernice Ertzan Sella Marcel Sella Trisa Sella Richard Mark Siegler Arthur Silber* Isaac Simmons* Elsie Turner Anna Morganti Villa Vincenzo Villa Theresa S. Vineburg* Frederick Watts Margaret Watts Joseph Weinberg* Harry Zalin* Silvia Zuckerman

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April 2019 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

7:00pm Caregivers

Support Group

3

4 12:00pm Lunch

& Learn

5

7:30pm Shabbat

Evening Service

6

7:30pm TOL Coffeehouse: Kenny George

Band & Finnegan Bell

7

9:00am Religious School

8 9

10

7:00pm Board Meeting

11

12

6:30pm Friday Night

Live

13

10:30am Shabbat Morning

Service

14

15 16

17

7:00pm Adult B’nai Mitzvah

Class

18 19

5:30pm

Early Minyan

20

6:30pm TOL Passover Seder

& Havdalah

21

22

23

6:00pm Women’s Seder

24

25 26

7:30pm Shabbat

Evening Service

27

28

9:00am Religious School

6:00pm Yom HaShoah

Community Service

29 30

March 1 March 15 Alan Jolles in loving memory of Howard Jolles Steve & Roberta Friedland in loving memory of Arthur Friedland Morton & Ellen Winter in loving memory of Wolfe Winter Barbara Becker & Laura Becker in loving memory of David Becker Bruce Miller & Family in loving memory of Charles Goldberg

March 8 Ira & Kay Radin in loving memory of Benjamin Radin Feliks & Sarra Rabinovich in loving memory of Maria Volfson Morton & Ellen Winter and Walter & Iris Leigh Winter in loving memory of Philip Winter Debroah & Allan Brett in loving memory of Leon Brett in loving memory of Shirley Levine Jeff & Peggy Miller & Family in loving memory of Paul Snyder Joan Tucker in loving memory of Beatrice Kapilian Joanne Hafter in loving memory of Julius Jastrow Fr ed & Doris Davidson in loving memory of Edward Davidson Stan & Terry Gomberg in loving memory of Gary Gomberg

Janice Park Rivers in loving memory of Grier Park Morton & Ellen Winter in loving memory of Rebecca Winter Scott & Randi Numbers in loving memory of Richard Numbers

March 22 Joan Tucker in loving memory of Irving Schwartz Jan & Joanne Barkan in loving memory of Andrea Gerstle Sara Schechter-Schoeman in loving memory of Matthew Schechter Bernard Fleischman in loving memory of Marian Fleischman Carolyn & Alan Conway in loving memory of Sidney Conway in loving memory of Myron Wander in loving memory of Arline Wander Joanne Hafter in loving memory of Sylvia Jastrow Stan & Terry Gomberg in loving memory of Elaine Gomberg Lois & Jerry Gibson in loving memory of Michael Sigel Annette Goldstein & Family in loving memory of James Masur

March 29 Rick & Laura Kagan in loving memory of Rhoda Kagan Terry Garber in loving memory of Gorman Garber Fred & Doris Davidson in loving memory of Ann Klein

Bimah Flowers

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TOL Fund Directory Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to your favorite TOL fund.

Donations make wonderful gifts! General Funds ($10 minimum donation)

Building Fund ($10 minimum donation)

Choir Fund

Caring Committee

Foyer Leaf Fund ($72)

High Holy Day/Passover Fund

(to help cover holiday operating expenses)

Library Fund

Memorial Board & Plaque Fund ($500)

Prayer Book Fund Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund

Rabbi Emeritus’ Discretionary Fund

Religious School Fund

◦ Religious School Neil Cartiff Memorial Fund ◦ Youth Activities Fund

WRJ/Sisterhood Funds ($10 minimum)

Reyner Convention Fund

Courtesy Fund

Evelyn & Dan Daniel Leadership Development Fund Endowment Funds ($25 minimum)

Jeanette Birch Endowment Fund

Diane Brown Sobel Endowment Fund

Marian D. Fleischman Endowment Fund

Ralph & Sarah Levine Endowment Fund

Sylvia & Sam Savitz Music Enrichment Fund

Jonathan Train Youth Group Endowment Fund

General Endowment Fund

If you’re looking for a reason to donate, here are a couple of projects we’re working on:

A new Torah cover (Goal: $500)

Replacing lighting with LEDs (Goal: $4,000)

Repainting the lobby (Goal: $1,000)

General Fund Michele Perrick in memory of Charles S. Goldberg Marc & Elizabeth Ann Posner in memory of Evelyn Factor Ericka & Vernon Johnson The Stark Families in honor of Michael & Patty Tucker Ina & Jack Gottlieb in memory of Charles S. Goldberg Laura &Richard Kagan in honor of Abby Magaro’s marriage in memory of John Ogden Beth & Ron Maris in memory of John Ogden

General Endowment Fund Amy & Rob Scully

in memory of Alex Richman in memory of Charles S. Goldberg

Steve & Roberta Friedland in honor of the birth of Beth& Ron Maris’ grandson in memory of Charles Goldberg in memory of Alex Richman

Building Fund Ira & Kay Radin

Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund Laura Litwer

Religious School Fund Paul & Elisa Westfall in memory of John Ogden in memory of Arthur Berg

To make a donation in honor or in memory of a loved one, please notate the fund to which you wish to contribute in the memo portion of your check.

You may drop it at the Temple Office or mail it to: Tree of Life Congregation

6719 North Trenholm Road Columbia, South Carolina 29206

To pay by credit card, go to temple’s website www.tolsc.com/giving If you do not find the fund to which you wish to donate, you may donate your money under membership dues and fill in the special notes at check out, note where and to whom the donation should be accredited.

Tree of Life Congregation 6719 North Trenholm Road Columbia, South Carolina 29206

Tree of Life Congregation Office: 803.787.2182 Fax: 803.787.0309

Website: www.tolsc.org Email: info@tolsc.org Office Hours

Tuesday—Thursday 9:00am-5:00pm Friday 9:00am-4:00pm

Rabbi Eric Mollo, Senior Rabbi rabbiericmollo@tolsc.org

Rabbi Carolan Glatstein, Education Director rabbicarolan@tolsc.org

Sanford T. Marcus, D.D., Rabbi Emeritus sanfordmarcus@gmail.com

OFFICERS COMMITTEE CHAIRS BOARD MEMBERS President Bruce Miller Endowment Robert Feinstein Jackie Dickman-Babcock First Vice President Jessica Elfenbein Finance Rick Cohn Eric Feuerstein Second Vice President Alex Ogden House & Grounds Gregg Helman/Paul Westfall Steve Friedland Secretary Mindy Tucker Membership Annette Goldstein Treasurer Ernie Magaro Religious School Board Elisa Westfall Josh Gupta-Kagan Immediate Past President Alan Brill Ritual Laura Kagan Gregg Helman Scott Kaplan AFFILIATES TEMPLE EMPLOYEES LIFETIME BOARD MEMBERS Donna Magaro Brotherhood President Eric Feuerstein Charlotte Gibson Bernard Fleischman, Jr. David Polen WRJ/Sisterhood President Terry Garber Sharon Witherell Stephen Savitz Mark Rapport CoFTY President Molly Westfall/Hayden Cohen Amy Scully Jeff Silver Public Relations Heather Weiss Deb Tedeschi Paul Westfall