Tree-Mend-Us Beginnings - Baltimore Hebrew Congregation

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6 Praying with Lior Join Family Concerns for the award-winning movie Praying with Lior, Sunday, May 1, 9:30 a m. All Congregants, including children in junior high and high school, are welcome to a free continental breakfast prior to watching this engrossing, wrenching and tender documentary film. RSVP to Carol J. Caplan, 410-764-1587, ext. 270, or carolcjca@comcast.net. Praying with Lior introduces Lior Liebling, also called “the little rebbe.” Lior has Down Syndrome, and has spent his entire life praying with utter abandon. Is he a “spiritual genius” or simply the vessel that contains everyone’s unfulfilled wishes and expectations? Lior lost his mother at age six, and her words and spirit hover over the film. While everyone agrees Lior is closer to God, he’s also a burden, a best friend, an inspiration, and an embarrassment, depending on which family member is speaking. As Lior approaches Bar Mitzvah, the Jewish coming-of-age ceremony, different characters provide a window into life spent “praying with Lior.” The movie poses difficult questions such as what is “disability” and who really talks to God? Told with intimacy and humor, this “is a family story, a triumph story, a grief story, a divinely-inspired story.” Yom HaShoah Commemoration Join us as BHC co-sponsors, with The Baltimore Jewish Council and Th e as s o c i aT e d : Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, a free, community-wide program in observance of Yom HaShoah on Sunday, May 1, 7 p m at BHC. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Peter Black, Senior Historian, at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, addressing, “Nuremberg 65 Years Later: The Trial of Nazi Leaders and the Quest for Justice.” Red Cross Blood Drive Mark your calendars for the next American Red Cross Blood Drive on Tuesday, May 3, 2-7:30 p m, at BHC. Watch for details. Mother’s Day Memorial Service Join us for a Mother’s Day Memorial Service on Sunday, May 8, 10 a m at BHC’s Berrymans Lane Cemetery, 318 Berrymans Lane. The memorial service is open to all. Mark you calendars for a Father’s Day Memorial Service on Sunday, June 19. Yom HaAtzma’ut Quick Fact Many Jewish Americans celebrate Israel’s independence on Yom HaAtzma’ut. It commemorates when David Ben-Gurion, who was Israel’s first prime minister, publicly read the Israel’s Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948. According to the Jewish calendar, this was the fifth day of Iyar, the eighth month of the civil year, in the year 5708. Celebrations will take place in many Jewish organizations throughout the United States on Tuesday, May 10. Join Meal Makers! Sponsored by Family Concerns. Find out more at www.bhcmeals.org Baltimore Hebrew Congregation Bulletin • Number 8 • 26 Adar II – 26 Nisan 5771 • April 2011 Annual Meeting • Save the Date! Friday, May 6 Reception, 5 p m • Annual Meeting 5:30 p m Worship and Installation, 6:15 p m Carol J. Caplan Service and Commitment Award Honorees Join us as we celebrate with award co-recipients Sally Palmbaum and Mose Ottenheimer, 2nd, on Friday, May 6, 5 p m, at BHC’s Annual Meeting. On any given day, weekday or weekend, you’ll find Sally Palmbaum at BHC. As Assistant to BHC’s Executive Director, Jo Ann Windman, Sally works hard for our Congregation. As Jo Ann states, “Sally handles her workload with amazing ease. One of the reasons I accepted this position was knowing Sally would be by my side, for which I am most grateful.” But Sally isn’t just a paid employee. She is a dedicated volunteer and a life-long member of BHC. Sixty-five years to be exact. As she states, “I was born into it.” Although Sally was confirmed at BHC, there was a time in Sally’s life when she moved away from religion. It was her nephew’s commitment to becoming a rabbi, that motivated Sally to really become involved again twelve years ago. That decision changed her. Suffering throughout her life from an eating disorder and depression, Sally found acceptance at BHC. “I really found my true self here. BHC accepted me for who I am. They liked me even when I was fat. They didn’t care.” Sally laughed as she made that statement, as if it didn’t have any meaning to her. But it did. That acceptance helped her to change her life and to overcome tremendous personal obstacles to become the woman she is today. Sally is an incredible person with integrity and an unbelievable dedication. She’s served as a member of the Board of Electors, Day School Board, Sisterhood Board, and co-chaired Yom Mitzvah as well as the Worship Committee. As an adult she studied hard, attending Torah Talk, Sisterhood Study Classes, took a Hebrew refresher course, a Trope class and became an Adult Bat Mitzvah in 2000. Besides her involvement with BHC, there are three passions that Sally is committed to: family, feeding the hungry and animals. Sally lights up when she talks about her great-nephew, the rabbi’s son, Noah, the “Passover Baby” featured on page 5. Sally is equally committed to contributing to the Maryland SPCA, helping Our Daily Bread and coordinating the knitting of baby blankets for Sinai Hospital. In addtion, Sally was a dedicated volunteer for 15 years at Center Stage for the Baltimore Sun Radio Auction. When she’s not busy volunteering or with the day to day work life at BHC, you’ll find Sally working out daily, gardening, listening to classical music and reading voraciously. Sally, who also helps proof this Bulletin, after reading this article made the comment, “This makes me sound like such a goodie-two shoes. I don’t feel that way. It’s just who I am. It’s what I do.” No doubt Sally. We’re privileged to work with you and honor you with the Carol J. Caplan Service and Commitment Award on May 6.
Religious School 1st graders decorate a cake for Tu B’Shevat, the birthday of the trees! HG Hoffberger Gallery Jon Detwiler “Recent Work” painting and mixed media “Yellow Demon with Three Plants” by Jon Detwiler Jon Detwiler lives and paints nearby in the Smith-Greenspring neighborhood. He has a BFA in painting from MICA and an MFA from the Mount Royal School of Painting. He teaches Art at McDonogh School and occasionally designs scenery for local theater productions. Opening Reception Sunday, April 3, 2-4 p m For more information, log onto www.bhcong.org/hoffberger. RS Religious School Ruach Choices from the Heart In February, as I co-led an empathy training experience for our 5th and 7th Grade students on how it feels to be different, I was charged with the task of connecting the students to the Jewish belief about people with disabilities. It was a quote from Albus Dumbledore, a character from Harry Potter, that helped me convey this to the students and connect them to one of our greatest leaders: “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Moses is one of the best examples of this quote that I can find. It is well-documented that Moses had a stutter or speech impediment. Even with his difference he chose to go and stand up to Pharaoh. It is because of this choice that we look up to him. He did not let his abilities or lack thereof get in his way of something in which he believed. How many times in our lives have we been told that we aren’t good enough or can’t do something because we just don’t have the ability? This quote and Moses’ story proves that if you want something badly enough, your ability does not matter. The choices we make in life are our own and no matter how great or weak our abilities are we should encourage our children to make choices from their heart and work hard for what they believe in. This Passover, share with someone at your seder a choice you made in your life that shows who you truly are. L’Shalom (For Peace), Brad Cohen Religious School Director Mark Your Calendar 7th Grade Genezia Ceremony Sunday, April 3, 9:45 a m Shabbat Worship with Junior Congregation Friday, April 8, 7 p m With this informal and fun service, families begin together in the main service, then students meet to have their own worship experience. Shabbat Shelanu —with Religious School 3rd Grade Siddur Ceremony Saturday, April 9, 10 a m 5th Grade Etz Chaim Wedding and Reception Sunday, April 10, 10:30 a m Shabbat Worship honoring our High School Graduates Friday, April 15, 6:15 p m Religious School Closed Sunday, April 17-Monday, April 25 Baltimore Hebrew Congregation Bulletin • Number 8 • 26 Adar II – 26 Nisan 5771 • April 2011 7
Page 1 and 2: Number 8 April 2011 26 Adar II - 26
Page 3 and 4: An Unforgettable Night of Hilarious
Page 5: To Our Beloved BHC Family, So many
Page 9 and 10: SH Sisterhood in Session Shabbat Ho
Page 11 and 12: Leo Hamburger Samuel Herman Hoffber
Page 13 and 14: Baltimore Hebrew Congregation Bulle
Page 15 and 16: Events April 2011 Friday, April 1

Tree-Mend-Us Beginnings - Baltimore Hebrew Congregation

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