The Honey Jar - Congregation Ohev Shalom

צנצנת דבש News from Congregation Ohev ShalomVolume 5, No. 7 Page 1The Honey JarCommunity with a Purpose: Torah, T’fillah, Gemilut Chasadim (Torah, Prayer, and Acts of Lovingkindness)TzentzenetDvashMLK Day of ServiceVolume 5, No. 7March 2010Special Interest: New CemeteryDetails, p.10 B’nai Mitzvah bios,p.13 Matt Rosenbaumbio, p.14 Gift Gallery WineOrder Form, p.15This issue of The Honey Jar is sponsored bythe Tashman family in honor ofAdam’s Bar Mitzvahand by the Graham family in honor ofKaitlin and Alyssa’s B’not MitzvahInside this issue:Rabbi’s Message 4SHABBAT SERVICE SCHEDULE (Kabbalat Shabbat services at 6 p.m.Shabbat morning services at 9 am, unless otherwise noted.) March 5/6. Jr. Congregation, 10 a.m. March 13/14. March 19/20. Jr. Congregation, 10 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m. March 26/27.President 6Library 7Cantor 8PracticallyJewish9Mispallelim 12

Page 2The Honey JarThe Honey Jar is published 10X/Yrby Congregation Ohev Shalom2 Chester RoadWallingford, PA 19086610-874-1465 ▪ Fax: 610-874-1466www.ohev.net ▪ exec@ohev.netSubmissions accepted at:TheHoneyJar@hotmail.comAmy Larchuk, EditorJeremy Gerber, RabbiLouis Kaplan, Rabbi EmeritusSteven Friedrich,Cantor and Education DirectorHenry Dickson,Interim Executive DirectorDavid Pollack, PresidentAffiliated with the UnitedSynagogueof Conservative JudaismSave the date!Tuesday, March30, 6:00 PM2nd SederJoin thecongregation fora 2nd seder withRabbi Gerber.

Volume 5, No. 7 Page 3

Page 4The Honey JarRabbi’s Message“What Does This Mean TO YOU?”"What does this mean to you?"asks the wise child. "I do thisbecause of what the Lord did forme when God brought me outof the Land of Egypt, out of thehouse of bondage." Soundfamiliar? You might recognizethis interchange from the FourQuestions segment of thePassover Seder. That's right,folks. The holiday of Pesach isjust around the corner! So Ithought I would dedicate mycolumn this month to thinkingabout the Seder, but with a veryspecific agenda in mind. I wantyou to think about what theSeder means to you, and, inturn, what role the holiday ofPassover and its observancesplay in your life. I hope thatreading this column gives you atleast one or two ideas for newrituals you can bring to yourSeder table, rituals that mayenrich and enhance yourexperience of the holiday.To me, the dialoguebetween the wise child and his/her parent lays out the centralpoint of the Passover Seder. Firstof all, it is yet anotheropportunity to acknowledgethat God saved us from slavery,and that our entire religion, andour independence, existsbecause of what God did for theIsraelites. But it also addssomething very significant:"What does this mean TO YOU?"The child asks the parent howthe Seder holds personalmeaning for the parent: "Whydo you care about this?" Whats/he really means is: "Whyshould I care about this?" Andthe response is equally asimportant: God did this FOR ME.I was there! I was a part of theExodus, and by taking on thiscommunal memory, I am linkingmyself (and my family) to 3,000years of Jewish history. So whatabout you, fellow Ohev Shalomcongregants? How would youanswer that most central ofquestions: "What does this meanto you?"A professor of mine at JTSonce engaged us in a writingexercise relating to Passover.Sadly, it is not something I canbring to our Seder table,because I do not write onShabbat or holidays, but it'sdefinitely something I canencourage you to do inpreparation for the festival!Here's what she taught us: Firstoff, recall/revisit one vivid imageof a past seder you’ve beenpresent for -- maybe fromchildhood, maybe from your firstseder, maybe from last year --the first image that comes tomind. What is it? What was/isits significance for you? Thisquestion connects you to yourpersonal history as well as thehistory of the holiday. It remindsus that part of why we careabout Pesach is because weremember our grandfathermumbling through the Kiddush,or an older cousin chasing usaround the room with a spoonfull of bitter herbs, or somehorrible Passover food we hatedas a child, but which no Sederwould be complete without. Arethese memories any lesssignificant a reason to observePassover than recalling theancient slavery? Absolutely not!Our personal lives andmemories are intricatelyinterwoven with the laws,customs, songs, and traditions ofPesach as celebrated around theworld and throughout time. Solet those memories flow!The second part of thewriting exercise allows us toconnect the themes of theholiday with life around us rightnow. Here are a couple ofquestions for you to consider:▪ What are the bricks andmortar of your own forcedlabor, the part of your workthat sometimes turns it intoslavery?▪ Who are the taskmasters inyour life and how do they“lord it over you”/afflict you/cause you to suffer? Followup:What would be aneffective “crying out” – howcan you begin to stage arevolution in your life?▪ Tell one story of a strugglefor freedom that you’vewitnessed this year, a storyabout you or someone youknow, a very particular storyof a person struggling forfreedom, maybe even of aperson achieving freedom.What were thehardships? How did you/she/he strive to overcomethem? What does this storyteach you?

Volume 5, No. 7 Page 5Is there room forquestions like these at yourSeder table? Some peopleconsider it part and parcel ofthe holiday to plow throughthe incomprehensible Hebrewand then focus on the meal.But are you willing/able tostop for a few minutes anddiscuss some of thesequestions as a group? As afamily? The Seder is full ofstrange rituals and peculiarfoods, a few cups of wine andvarious things dipped in saltwater, and of course, theinfamous Four Questions, thedread of the youngest familymember in the room. The FourQuestions are actually meantas a prompt, as a teaser. Theyare trying to get us all to askMORE questions, to lookaround and try to make theSeder experience relevant toeach one of us. Why? Becausewe want the Seder to bemeaningful and significant toYOU. So that you too can say,"I do this because of what Goddid for ME when I was a slavein Egypt."Do you remember it?Can you picture the slaverythat we endured? The plagueswe witnessed, and howshocked we were when thesea split open, and we walkedsafely through to the otherside? Do you remember? Yes? Ithought I saw you there! :-)Chag Sameach!Alexander H. Brown Fund for Feeding the HungryThrough the generous donation of funds by Pearlie D. Brownand her children, Congregation Ohev Shalom established theAlexander H. Brown Fund for Feeding the Hungry. Theproceeds from this fund, and any additional contributions, areavailable to help members of our community.The fund is here to help you. If you need help, or, if youknow of someone who could use a little assistance, please get intouch with us.You are invited to contact Rabbi Gerber by email atrabbi@ohev.net, by telephone, or in person, to confidentiallyand discreetly discuss your own situation or your concerns forsomeone else in our community. We want to be there for you,but especially during these times of economic hardship. TheAlexander H. Brown a Fund for Feeding the Hungry is availablefor just that reason. How can we help?Sincerely,Rabbi Jeremy Gerber

Page 6Board Elections --Slate To Be DeterminedDear Fellow Congregants,In accordance with Article VIIIof Congregation Ohev Shalom,I have formed this year’sNominating Committee.Committee members are asfollows:Doris Elofer, ChairFrances Sheehan (ex officio)Matt Tashman (ex officio)Bonnie Breit (ex officio)Paula LehrbergerReisha FreedmanSteve FischerBy April 15, the committeewill recommend our 2010-2011 slate of officers so thatour Board of Directors mayvote to approve the slate byApril 30 th .Nominations from thecongregation at large must bein writing and received by theChairperson of theNominating Committee nolater than seven (7) days priorto the CongregationalMeeting. No nominations willbe entertained at the annualmeeting.Please feel free to contactme if you have any questions.Sincerely,Doris EloferSee the colorversion of TheHoney Jaron theOhev Shalomwebsite!The Honey JarPresident’s CompassChaverim,Sitting at the computer today inmid-February, glancing out thewindow at the thickest blanketof snow that I have ever seen,having crippled the entireregion for forty-eight hours, Icannot wait for the arrival ofMarch. Of course, I am aware ofits infamous Ides and that themonth may predictably arrivelike a lion, but weather-wise ithas got to be better than thesepast several weeks. In addition,I am very excited about anumber of events on ourupcoming synagogue agendain March.First and foremost, I amhopeful that we will have anew Executive Director in placeby the end of the month.Thanks to the meticulous effortsof the Search Committee, led byco-chairs Donna Cohen andAlan Schapire, an outstandingcandidate was presented to theBoard at its January meeting,and negotiations were initiatedthereafter. These haveproceeded smoothly, and Iexpect that an agreement willbe formally approved by theBoard of Directors at ourFebruary meeting, with astarting date of employmenttoward the end of March. Moredetails will follow in our weeklyannouncements, so please staytuned. In the meantime, we allowe an incredible debt ofgratitude to Henry Dickson,who has manned the post soadmirably, allowing thebusiness of the congregationand work of Rabbi and Cantorto continue with remarkableprecision and energy. Henryremains committed to seeingthat an organized transition ofwork and authority occurs, andasks the entire community forpatience and assistance duringthis complicated process.In addition, all of us arelooking forward to the fabulousJazz Jubilee Weekend, March19-20, honoring Rabbi LouisKaplan’s nearly fifty years ofservice to our congregationand community. Despite thefact that this represents ourmost significant fundraisingevent on the annual calendar,there will be plenty of ways forall members to celebrate free ofcharge. We will be joinedthroughout the weekend byGuest Scholar Rabbi NeilGillman PhD, who will speak atservices on Friday night andShabbat morning, eachfollowed by an oneg andluncheon respectively. Then onSaturday evening, will be theJubilee Gala, featuringHavdallah, cocktails, festive fare,and a live performance byDavid Oswald and the GullyLow Jazz Band, a favorite ofRabbi Kaplan himself. I cannotbegin to thank co-chairsMarianne and Allan Glanzmanand Ross and Doreen Dworkin,and Honorary co-chairs Cecilyand Dick Morris forspearheading this vast project,which will undoubtedly be anunforgettable tribute to ourbeloved Rabbi Emeritus. Pleasejoin us and share in the nachasand tremendous spirit of thedays.Finally, with Pesach uponus at the end of the month,Ohev will be hosting a Second

Volume 5, No. 7 Page 7Seder for the entire communityon March 30 led by Rabbi Gerberand geared for members of allages. This tradition wasresurrected last year with greatsuccess, and will hopefullyremain on our Ohev calendarwith every future Passover.Please contact the Seidman orPaikoff families for additionalinformation and opportunities tohelp with the planning andaccomplishment of this veryspecial event.And finally, I want to let youknow about a project which isoccurring behind the scenes, butone with great significance forthe congregation. Thanks to theefforts of a Communications TaskForce, led by VP Bonnie Breit, wehave made great strides this yearin developing strategies to betterconnect with our members aswell as the greater community.With the arrival of Rabbi Gerberand Cantor Friedrich, Ohev hascompletely changed its face, itsmood, its personality, filled with aLibrary News — Ba'Sifriyahrenewed energy and pride. Withsuch a transformation, it may betime to similarly reinvent our logoand consider a new missionstatement which better reflectsour Strategic Plan for the future,along with our new professionalstaff and spirit. We are nowbeginning this introspectiveprocess, of determining who weare and where we are headed,and developing a comprehensiveapproach to convey thatmessage to our congregants andthe rest of the world, especially inthis electronic age. Please let meknow if you would like to help inany way with this crucialinitiative. It is my hope thatbefore the end of my term,leadership will be able to presentit to the congregation, reflectingan exciting and flourishing futurefor Ohev for many years to come.Fondly, and with so manyopportunities to see each otherat the synagogue,David Pollack,PresidentRead a good Jewish book or seen a good movie of Jewish interestlately? Suggestions for new titles are always welcome. You can sendthem to awgraham@comcast.net. Here are this month’s new titles:Adult non-fiction:Lavie, Aliza, ed.Radosh, AllisChabon, MichaelAdult fiction:Brooks, GeraldineHeller, ZoëChildren’s books:Cohen, Deborah B.Jules, JacquelineLehman-Wilzig, TamiSussman, Joni KibortThe Jewish Woman’s Prayer BookA Safe Haven: Harry S Truman and the Founding ofIsraelManhood for Amateurs: the Pleasures and Regrets of aHusband, Father and SonPeople of the Book: a NovelThe BelieversNachshon Who Was Afraid to Swim: a Passover StoryBenjamin and the Silver GobletZvuvi’s IsraelMy First Yiddish Word BookAmy Graham, Library Committee ChairwomanWas Your Child Bornin Y2K?Parents of those childrenborn in the year 2000 willsoon receive notices fromRabbi Gerber indicatingwhen they will be eligible tobecome bnai mitzvah in theyear 2013. Parents will alsobe invited to attend ameeting with Rabbi, Cantorand our new ExecutiveDirector later in the spring(Wednesday, April 14, 5:30p.m.) to review theprocedures for parents andstudents in order to prepareproperly for “the big day.”Children currently enrolled inMispallelim will be assigneddates based on thebirthdates given on theschool registration formspreviously completed. Thereare several children bornprior to 2000 who will alsoreceive their dates, as theywere missed last year. If youhave a child who willbecome thirteen in the year2012 (or before) who hasnot yet received a date and isnot enrolled in Mispallelim,please be sure to notify theoffice immediately. Allparents will have anoppo9rtunity to request datechanges if necessary.Cantor StevenFriedrichEducation Directorschool@ohev.net610-874-1465

Page 8The Honey JarOhev Shalom inYour WillYou can add OhevShalom to your will. Yourgift to Ohev’s Foundationis a gift that will benefitour synagogue for manyyears to come. Each year,5% of the value of thefoundation is added tothe operating budget ofthe synagogue, and themoney is used for manyimportant purposes.Hence, it is a gift thatkeeps on giving. Thebigger our foundation,the more it supports ourcongregation.Please consider addingthe following verbiage toyour will: “I give andbequeath unto thefoundation of OhevShalom Synagogue, ID #23-1457981 the sum of$_________ to be used forits general charitablepurposes.” Thisstatement can be easilyadded to your will byyour attorney and willensure your perpetualsupport to oursynagogue.If you need additionalinformation on ourfoundation, pleasecontact Ohev’s office,610-874-1465.We Jews are aclever people.After all, ourancestorsmanaged topreserve ournation andour religion for over 34centuries (give or take acentury). Even moreremarkable was thepreservation of the HebrewLanguage. The Hebrew ofAbraham and Moses isessentially the same languagewe use for our prayers today.Hebrew has undergone morechange in the last 60 years(especially in Israel) than in theprevious 2000 years. How canthis be? How could a languagethat was not used in dailyspeech for over two millenniamanage to survive withoutfundamentally changing? Incomparison, look how muchEnglish has changed since thetime of Shakespeare, and hewrote less than 500 years ago.A major reason for thesurvival of Biblical Hebrew intomodern times is what in Yiddishis called trop; those funnylooking little symbols adorningthe Biblical texts. Also calledtaamim (accents, flavors) orneginot (notes) in Hebrew, thetrop were adapted to our HolyScriptures about 1100 yearsago. During the period of theCrusades, when Jews werebeing systematically murderedas infidels, there was a realisticfear that the Scriptures,previously preserved throughoral tradition, would be foreverTiny Noteslost. Over the course of acentury, a group of rabbis,“Masorites” (traditionalists),designed the trop to preservethe punctuation, the accentsand the music of the ancienttexts. This monumentalundertaking was consolidatedfinally by the Yeshivah ofTiberias, under the direction ofthe great grammarian Aaronben Asher, who had alsoestablished the correct vowelpoints for the vocalization ofthe Biblical texts. Aaron wrote atreatise explaining the intentionand meaning of his symbols ofnotation; these have beencalled, ever since, "the TiberianSystem." It was this creationthat helped keep the HebrewLanguage alive over the pastmillennium. By continuing toteach trop to our bnai mitzvah,we insure the consistency ofspoken Biblical Hebrew into thefuture.We are used to hearingthe chants for Torah andHaftarah every Shabbat andFestival. Though the music ofeach sounds different, the tropsymbols for both are the same.They are just sung differently.Each has its own flavor, its owncharacter; and even though themusic has changed somewhatthroughout the centuries andacross the world, the Hebrewremains unchanged.In addition to the chantsfor Torah and Haftarah, thetrop are also applied to theMegillot, the five scrolls that areread publicly each year onseparate occasions. We are

Volume 5, No. 7 Page 9most familiar with Megillat Estherthat we just chanted on Purim.Many have heard MegillatEichah, the Scroll ofLamentations recited on TishaB’Av. Each has its own distinctivemusic even though they retainthe same trop symbols. There isan additional chant used for theMegillot chanted on the ThreeFestivals. You will have theopportunity to hear this differentand most beautiful chant as it isapplied to Shir HaShirim, TheSong of Songs, recited duringPassover (specifically, at serviceson Saturday, April 3 ).All members ofCongregation Ohev Shalom arewelcome to chant our HolyScriptures. Several members ofour adult trop class have recentlyread from the Torah for the firsttime. You, too, are invited to joinus on alternate Wednesdayevenings (March 3 and 17 thismonth), as we begin our studiesof Haftarah trop and trop for theShalosh Regalim (3 Festivals).Please feel free to join with us, todo your part in preserving theHebrew Language.From my family to yours, wewish you all a ‘zeesen Pesach.’B’Shalom,Cantor Steven FriedrichNever learned toread Hebrew?Wanna start now?Rabbi Gerber will beteaching a Hebrewreading “crash course”over a period of six weeks.We are hoping to beginthe course soon, so ifyou’re interested, send anemail to rabbi@ohev.net,or call the office and let usknow. Once we have agroup of brave souls, we’llfind a day and time thatworks for everyone, andthen we’ll start gettingAleph-Bet-ter one week ata time!!B’ruchim ha’baim --welcome one and all.Practically Jewish(Each month we’ll take a moment to explore one aspect ofJewish practice and observance. If you’ve ever had aquestion about any Jewish ritual or custom, please let meknow, and maybe next month I’ll write about it in theHoney Jar! The question picked will win a $10 Scrip card ofyour choice, so submit your questions now!)BENCHING GOMEL?The Talmud tells us thatthere are four instanceswhen one "benchesGomel" (I'll explain this inin a minute). If you havetraveled through thedesert, or traveled across the sea, if you were sick,or if you were in jail. So what does it mean to"bench Gomel"? "Bench" kind of means to pray orto recite a blessing. Most of you are alreadyfamiliar with "the benching," which isn't weightlifting.It's singing Grace after Meals, the BirkatHa-mazon. We also talk about "benching lulav,"meaning to recite the blessing over the lulav andetrog during Sukkot.Gomel is a short blessing, recited after aperson receives an aliyah to the Torah, if/whenthat person has experienced somethingtraumatic. There are two parts: one 12-wordphrase recited by the "bencher," and a shortcongregational response. Generally, peopletoday don't consider inter-city (or international orintercontinental) travel to be as treacherous as itonce was, so most people don't bench Gomel forregular trips. Similarly, you don't bench Gomelwhen you've had a cold, or when you got aspeeding ticket. However, it can be a verypowerful ritual if you've been on a long trip, orone that (God forbid) involved difficulties oraccidents. And when people recover fromsignificant illness, benching Gomel can be a verymeaningful and therapeutic experience. Today,many people recite Gomel after surviving cancer,or surviving abuse, or recovering from anaddiction. And many women even recite it afterchildbirth. If you think benching Gomel might beboth relevant and significant for you, pleasecontact Rabbi Gerber, and we would be verypleased to offer you an aliyah and mark thisimportant occasion along with you.Rabbi Jeremy Gerber

Page 10The Honey JarOur Interfaith Families May Now “Rest in Peace”Chaverim,I am very pleased to announce thecompletion of our plans for the Interfaith BurialSection in Congregation Ohev Shalom’sBrookhaven Cemetery. Not only is oursynagogue one of the few in the greaterPhiladelphia area that owns its own cemetery, itis now one of the few Jewish cemeteries with aninterfaith section. All of our surveys, plot plans,etc. have been produced with the assistance ofCatania Engineering, and at this time, theInterfaith Burial Section is “open for business.”Special thanks to Irma Kohn who has beenconducting a careful inventory of the cemetery asa whole, and Sue Long for assisting her withmodernizing our records.In coordination with Stanton Myerson (ourCemetery Chairman) the Rules & Regulations forthe cemetery have been completely revised andupdated to include the information about thissection of the cemetery; copies are available inthe synagogue’s office. Stanton has alreadybegun the beautification project with thetrimming of existing trees and shrubs as well asthe planting of new trees along the drive andgarage. This is one of the steps in makingCongregation Ohev Shalom’s BrookhavenCemetery a beautiful and peaceful resting placefor our loved ones.Any congregant who has already reservedand met all financial obligations for a burial plotin one of the other sections of the cemetery mayrequest to “transfer” to the Interfaith Section sothat they may purchase additional plots for theirspouse or family member if they are not Jewish.There will be no additional charge for the paid“transfer.”Below, I have included some of the “FAQ”concerning the Interfaith Burial Section in OhevShalom’s Brookhaven Cemetery that wereprepared by Rabbi Robbins last year.1. May there be a funeral service for a non-Jewish spouse/family member within thesynagogue? The rabbi and ritual committeewill consider the details and nuances of sucha policy change in the upcoming years butthere is no precedent for this at Ohev Shalomand it is not currently permissible.2. If both spouses in an interfaith marriage die atthe same time, what are the rules about useof the sanctuary? Due to this extenuatingcircumstance and the fact that one of thespouses is Jewish, it would be permissible toutilize the sanctuary for such afuneral. Jewish rites would be performed bythe rabbi for the Jewish spouse, withuniversalistic rites to be performed by rabbi(or other leader, at rabbi’s discretion) for non-Jewish spouse.3. Ohev currently has at least one member onthe books who is not-Jewish (divorced fromthe Jewish spouse, Jewish children in theschool). What are the rules concerning likeindividuals who may ask to be buried at ourcemetery? The Jewish members of theimmediate family are entitled to reservecemetery plots in the interfaith section, whichwould provide a plot for the non-Jewishindividual mentioned above and forthemselves in the future.4. Where does the rabbi fit in to funerals thatinclude a non-Jewish person? The Rabbi ispermitted to perform a universalistic service.5. What rules will cover head stones, clergy, etcfor the non-Jewish spouse? No non-Jewishsymbols or markings will be permitted onheadstones or footstones in Ohev Shalomcemetery, or, for that matter, on any otherstructure in the cemetery. The content of anyservice done for a non-Jewish decedent at thecemetery must be cleared with the rabbi.6. Will the cost of the plot and perpetual care forthe non-Jewish spouse be the non-memberrate? The same rates will apply. The Boardreserves the right to raise fees for plots in theinterfaith burial area, as more land is requiredfor each grave.7. Should a family ask, will we allow a memberbe to be buried in the “all Jewish” portion ofthe cemetery and the non-Jewish spouse inthe mixed marriage section? No.8. Will we be opening up our cemetery to nonmembers,Jewish or non-Jewish? No, exceptfor non-members who reserved plots while

Volume 5, No. 7 Page 11members, and non-members being interred infamily plots.9. Will the funeral homes we use be able and/orwilling to handle the funeral arrangementsfor the non-Jewish spouse? Yes, they alreadydo funeral arrangements for non-Jews.10. If an interfaith couple must, God forbid, burytheir non-Jewish child, will they be able to useour cemetery, synagogue, etc? Yes, oncondition they reserve a plot within theinterfaith section that will be the later restingspot for the Jewish spouse.11. Does the same apply to burying the non-Jewish parent of the non-Jewish spouse in aninterfaith marriage? No, this burial will not bepermitted in the cemetery.12. Concerning subsequent Rabbis at OhevShalom, would there generally beConservative Movement support for thisinitiative? There is growing support in themovement for creating interfaith burialsections.If you have further questions, would like tomake a plot transfer, or would like to reserve aplot in any part of the cemetery, please contactHenry Dickson, Interim Executive Director orRabbi Jeremy Gerber at 610‐874‐1465, orStanton Myerson at 610‐291‐0747Thank you,Steven L. Levinstein(610) 361-3482stevenlevinstein@gmail.comBarry Estrin: “Do you know what or who is a partisan?”Congregant Barry Estrin, son of partisans, will compare hisparents’ experiences to those of the Bielski Brothers.The movie Defiance was based on the Bielski Brothers’ story.The Bielski Brothers, by Peter Duffy,is available in our Gift GallerySunday, March 14, 10 A.M.Ohev Shalom’s Wolf AuditoriumFor information or to RSVP,Call Roanne Estrin, 610-565-5231Refreshments will be served!

Page 12The Honey JarMispallelim Calendarfor MarchUnavailableInformationThank youOhev Shalom’s ChesedCommittee helps to providemeals to congregants in need.Thank you to the Whelpleyfamily for donating food fromJackie’s recent bat mitzvah toChesed. The Whelpleys’generosity will benefit sick orelderly congregants in thecoming months and is greatlyappreciated.Mispallelim: Just on TimePassover comes early this year,beginning the evening ofMarch 29. One of the quirks ofthe Jewish religious calendar isthat there is no such thing as a“standard” year. Our calendartakes into consideration boththe solar and lunar aspects ofthe year (plus severaladditional calendar restrictionsto compensate for religiousrestrictions). A Jewish ‘year’can therefore last anywherefrom a minimum of 353 daysto a maximum of 385 days.The normal length of a 12-month year for a Jewishcalendar is 354 days, abouteleven days shy of a full solaryear. As you might suspect,this might cause a fewproblems if no adjustments aremade.One of those problems isa major one. The Torah is veryexplicit in instructing us toobserve the festival of Passoverat the first full moon of thespring. If we were to follow a12-month yearly calendar (as isdone in Islam), then Passoverwould take place eleven daysearlier each year (as Ramadandoes in the Islamic calendar).This year, we begin ourPassover observance on theevening of March 29. If thecoming year of 5771 were astandard year, then Passoverwould next begin eleven daysearlier, or March 18. This isthree days before the SpringEquinox, and would thereforebe unacceptable according toTorah regulation.In order to prevent such athing from happening, athirteenth month (Adar II) isoccasionally added to ourcalendar. Such will be the casefor the coming year. So nextyear, instead of starting onMarch 18, Passover will beginafter the Spring Equinox onApril 19, in full accordancewith Torah regulations.Regardless of whenPassover actually takes place,our Mispallelim students will beprepared to take active roles atsederim both at home andhere at Ohev Shalom. A modelseder will take place for theentire school on Sunday,March 21. Mispallelim studentswill be studying the FourQuestions along with amultitude of other Haggadahsongs for Passover. It is myhope that they will also takepart in our community sederthat will take place on thesecond night, March 30. Pleasesee information for that sederelsewhere in this issue. Itwould be most excellent for allof us to celebrate Passovertogether as one very largefamily.Our calendar for March ison the left. Please be sure tonote Junior Congregation onMarch 6 and March 20, as wellas Tot Shabbat on March 20.Our Passover recess (springbreak) will begin followingclass on March 24, so there willbe no Mispallelim classes onMarch 28, 31 or April 4. Classesresume Wednesday, April 7.B’Shalom,Cantor Friedrich

Volume 5, No. 7 Page 13InformationUnavailableAdam TashmanAlyssa GrahamKaitlin GrahamBar MitzvahBat MitzvahBat MitzvahMarch 6, 2010March 13, 2010March 13, 2010Adam is a 7 th grade honorroll student at Strath HavenMiddle School. Adam enjoysplaying soccer, havingplayed travel soccer for thelast five years and on StrathHaven’s 7 th Grade team thisyear. Adam also enjoysskiing, basketball andbaseball.For his Bar Mitzvahproject, Adam coordinatedOhev’s school supply drivebenefitting the City TeamMinistries in Chester. Withthe help of his family, Adamintends to continue tocoordinate the school supplydrive next July. Look forfriendly reminders for moreschool supplies soon!Adam looks forward tosharing his Bar Mitzvah withhis parents, brother Ethan,sister Jessica and both sets ofgrandparents. He would liketo thank Rabbi Gerber andCantor Friedrich for all theirhelp getting him ready forthis special day.Alyssa Graham will become aBat Mitzvah on March 13.Alyssa is a 7 th grader at StrathHaven Middle School. Sheenjoys writing andparticularly enjoys herlanguage arts class. Agymnast since she was atoddler, Alyssa still enjoystumbling and is acheerleader for the middleschool football andbasketball teams. For thepast three years, she hasbeen a diver on theSwarthmore Swim Club’sdiving team.Last year, Alyssa wasthe Captain of a Relay for Lifeteam at Strath Haven HighSchool. Thanks in part to thecontributions of Ohevmembers, Alyssa raised over$1,500 for cancer research.Alyssa’s other mitzvahproject was reading tochildren in Chester sheltersthrough the ReadingPartners program.This summer, Alyssa islooking forward to returningto Camp Ramah.Kaitlin Graham will become aBat Mitzvah on March 13.She is an honor student atStrath Haven Middle School.She is looking forward todoing set building and stagecrew again for the middleschool’s musical. Kaitlin alsoenjoys cooking,woodworking, andmetalworking.For several years, Kaitlingrew her hair in order todonate it to Pantene’sBeautiful Lengths, whichprovides wigs to cancerpatients. After the recentearthquake in Haiti, Kaitlindecided to raise funds tosupport relief efforts there.Thanks largely to donationsfrom Ohev members, Kaitlinhas raised over $500 in just afew weeks. She thankseveryone who has helpedwith these efforts.

Page 14The Honey JarContinuing Education Opportunities:Cantor Friedrich’s Schedule of ClassesCantor Friedrich will be teaching everyWednesday evening 7-8:30 p.m. from Januaryto May on the following dates:Mar 3 – Trope ClassMar 10 – Glee ClubMar 17 – Trope Class*Mar 24 – Megillat Shir HaShirim (X-ratedversion)Mar 31 – no class, PassoverApr 7 – Trope ClassApr 14 – Glee ClubApr 21 – Trope ClassApr 28 – Glee ClubMay 5 – Trope Class*May 12 – Megillat Ruth (X-rated version)Trope Class and Glee Club will meet in Room 8 andare open to everyone.* Adults onlyCongregation Ohev ShalomIsrael Trip 2.0Summer 2011Join Rabbi Jeremy Gerber when Ohev Shalom returns to Israel, building on thesuccessful 2008 trip, when 50+ individuals experienced many of the wonders Israelhas to offer.This trip is in the earliest of planning stages. It will offer something foreveryone, those who have already been to Israel and those who have not. If youhave any interest in participating, please contact Rabbi Gerber at rabbi@ohev.net,or 610-874-1465, or Rich Kaplan at rzanek@msn.com, or 610-892-0122. Anyone witha desire to be part of the Planning Committee, please make contact as soon aspossible.Zayin Class (7th Grade) Sundays Moreh Matt (Mr. Matt Rosenbaum):Shalom! My name is Matt Rosenbaum. This is my first year here at Ohev Shalomand I am very excited about teaching the 7th grade. You see, this is myspecialty since, along with teaching all grades, this is my 12th straightyear working with b'nei mitzvah classes at various religious schools. Already Ihave developed a nice rapport with this wonderful and mature group. I am anative Philadelphian and most recently enjoyed working in the Education Departmentat the Anti-Defamation League. I worked on programs dealing withanti-bias and diversity training (ADL is known for its No Place for Hate® at ourlocal middle and high schools). I studied Psychology at Temple University buthave gravitated toward Jewish Communal Service having served as the AssistantDirector of American Jewish Congress and Regional Teen Coordinator for the JCCs in the earlypart of this new millennium. One interesting fact about me: I used to own a comedy club and rockclub on the University of Penn campus!

Volume 5, No. 7 Page 15THE GIFT GALLERY AT OHEV SHALOMThe Gift Gallery is well stocked and open for business. Come checkout our new selection of award-winning Passover wines from Israel,Australia, Chile and the USA. Affordably priced from $10-$18 perbottle.We’re ready for the Pesach holiday with a wide variety of sederplates, Lucite matzah boxes, haggadot, Elijah and Miriam cups,hostess gifts, and children’s books, games and music.Open:Wednesdays, 4-6; Sundays 9-12Daily during office hours, or by appointmentgiftshop@ohev.net ● 610-874-1465WINE (white) PRICE # BOTTLESBinyamina Chardonnay $18.Bartenura Moscato D’Asti $16.Rashi Pinot Grigio $15.Gamla Riesling $16.Barkan Classic SauvignonBlanc$12.Baron Herzog White Zinfandel $10WINE (red) PRICE # BOTTLESAlfasi Cabernet $12.Baron Herzog Cabernet $15.Barkan Pinot Noir $13.Barkan Merlot $12.Altoona Hills Shiraz $12.NAMEADDRESSCITY , STATE, ZIPPHONE/CELLPHONETOTAL AMOUNT DUE

Page 16The Honey JarYour Contributions for the Month of January 2010InformationUnavailable

Volume 5, No. 7 Page 17InformationUnavailableOffice Volunteers Needed!Any Ohev Shalom member with a few hours to spare each month, willing to take calls, etc.,in our synagogue office, please call Cathy Yeager, Volunteer Coordinator, for details.

Page 18The Honey Jar

Volume 5, No. 7 Page 19Rabbi Kaplan to Teach Dixieland Jazz Course“Dixieland Jazz: From Buddy Bolden to David Ostwald” will be offered in WallingfordSwarthmore Community Classes (SWCC) Spring 2010 term. Classes will meet from 10:30a.m. to noon on seven Wednesdays: March 17 and 24 (NOT March 31 - Passover), April7, 14, 21, 28 and May 5. All sessions will be held upstairs in Swarthmore’s Borough Hall.The course will first cover the origins of jazz and what characterizes Dixielandtraditional) jazz. Then students will learn about specific musicians and bands. In eachclass, the rabbi will make use of one or more DVDs, videos, audio cassettes and CDs fromhis collection.Most Ohev Shalom members will soon be getting the WSCC brochure in the maillisting spring courses. WSCC and Rabbi Kaplan hope that some Ohev Shalomites will beamong those adults enrolling in “Dixieland Jazz: From Buddy Bolden to David Ostwald.”The classes promise to be both informative and fun.PLEASE NOTE!Think of sponsoring an issue of The Honey Jarto commemorate your next simcha! Only $180 for a print remembrance that willforever be in the synagogue’s archives (not to mention the kvell-factor)!Thank you.See Us At Our NEW SHOWROOM!WERTHEIMERLIBERTY MONUMENTSAnyone can shop!Anyone can join!Check out theSWARTHMORE CO-OP!Open 8 to 8 Mon-Sat, and 8-7 Sunday610-543-9805758 Second Street PikeSouthampton, PA215-396-7470Fax: 215-396-7473Monday, Tuesday, Thursday9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.Friday, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.CLOSED Shabbat and Yom TovConvenient off-street parking341 Dartmouth AvenueSwarthmore, PA 19081swacoop@comcast.netswarthmore.coop

Page 20The Honey Jar

Volume 5, No. 7 Page 21From a small, intimate gourmet dinnerto a banquet for several hundred…from a cocktail party to a formal dinner…Boscov’s A La Carte makes entertaining easy.We’ll bring the party to you…or prepare it in your kitchen, if you prefer…perfectly tailored to your specificationsand very affordably priced.The best party you ever gaveis just a phone call away610-370-37186410 N. Broad StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19126(215) 927-5800Albert MendelFuneral DirectorBennett GoldsteinSupervisor

Page 22The Honey Jar

Volume 5, No. 7 Page 23

Page 24The Honey JarThank you from the American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA)Dear Ohev Shalom Congregants:I am writing to let you know that, as part of theestate of two Ohev Shalom congregants and thegenerosity of one of their children, a room in TheWilliam H. Bloomberg MDA Jerusalem Station willbe funded. These wonderful and generous pastcongregants and their living heir choose toremain anonymous. This lasting tribute to theirmemory will serve as a reminder of theirdedication to the people and State of Israel.Magen David Adom has emergency medicalstations throughout Israel. The Jerusalem Stationwas built in 1963 and renovated in 1970. As hasbeen the case with many of these stations, theJerusalem Station has become obsolete andinsufficient to serve a rapidly growing populationthat is under constant threat. American Friends ofMDA has taken on the responsibility of rebuildingor refurbishing many of these obsolete stationsthat are so vital to the well being of the Israelipeople.The Jerusalem Station will be “the jewel inthe crown” of MDA’s network of facilities, servingthe nation’s capital and its largest and mostvisited city. It is located in Romema, Jerusalem, atthe entrance of the city on the main road leadingfrom Tel Aviv and the west.The new station will have 67 paramedics, 60EMTs and ambulance drivers, 30 Dispatch CenterOperators, 82 ambulances and 600 volunteers. Itis currently under construction, with an expecteddedication date in late spring of 2011.We are very proud of this project anddelighted to tell you that there is an OhevShalom, Wallingford, connection to it. Thiswonderful family hopes that their gift will inspireother congregants to also make AFMDA a biggerpart of their charitable giving.With gratitude and best wishes,Sharon SchmidtGreater Philadelphia Area Director,(215) 947-7007Congregation Ohev Shalom2 Chester RoadWallingford, PA 19086Time Sensitive MaterialNon-Profit Org.U.S. Postage PaidWallingford, PAPermit No. 225