Congregation B’nai Israel2710 Park AvenueBridgeport, CT 06604www.congregationbnaiisrael.org

Volume 153, Number 9 Nisan/Iyar 5772 April 2012

SATURDAY, MAY 12th

6:30 p.m.

SAVE THE DATE!

Rabbi Rachel’sACOUSTIC CAFÉ

Let’s Celebrate Rabbi Rachel Gurevitz withgood music, good food, and good friends

Congregation B’nai Israel

James Prosnit, D.D. .................................................................... RabbiRachel Gurevitz, Ph.D. .............................................................. RabbiArnold I. Sher, D.D. ................................................... Rabbi EmeritusSheri E. Blum, D.M. ................................................................ CantorRamon Gilbert, D.M. ................................................ Cantor EmeritusIra J. Wise, R.J.E. ............................................. Director of EducationRobert H. Gillette, R.J.E. ....................................... Educator EmeritusElaine Chetrit ...................................... Director of Family EducationAlexa Cohen .............................................. Early Childhood DirectorAbby Rohinsky ..................................................... Director of FacilityMatthew Rosen ............................................................. Youth Advisor

OfficersMark A. Kirsch ..................................................................... PresidentMindy Siegel ........................................................... 1st Vice PresidentShari Nerreau ................................................................ Vice PresidentSamuel Rosenberg ........................................................ Vice PresidentRichard Walden ............................................................ Vice PresidentMichael Blumenthal ............................................................. TreasurerStuart Horowitz ..................................................... Assistant TreasurerJulie Pressman ...................................................................... SecretaryKelly Reznikoff ................................................... Financial SecretaryAmy Rich .................................................... Immediate Past President

Affiliates

Jim Greenberg ................................................. Brotherhood PresidentMolly Blumenthal & Michael Kalmans ........... BIFTY Co-Presidents

2 What’s happening at temple? Get Happenings, our weekly email! Send your request to lynn@congregationbnaiisrael.org!

Sincere Sympathy We extend our sympathy to the bereaved families of:

Harriet Miller, wife of Samuel MillerJerome Sussman, father of Eden Diamond and brother of Harvey SussmanStanley Weinstein, father of Peter WeinsteinFrances Sydney, daughter of Lillian Mendelson and stepmother of Laura Sydney-Pulton

Sharing Our Joy

Congratulations to Rosalind Gordon on the occasion of her 90th birthday on March 4, her reading Torah at the 8:00 a.m. service on March 3, and her being recognized with an article in the Jewish Ledger.

In This Issue

From the Rabbi’s Desk …………………………… 3High Holy Days Appeal …………………………. 3Brotherhood News ……………………………… 4From Rabbi Gurevitz …………………………… 5Early Childhood Education ……………………… 6Family Education ………………………………… 6From the Education Center ………………………. 7Young Families Havurah …………………………. 8Adult Jewish Learning ………………………… 9Donations ……………………………………… 10Shabbat Services ………………………………… 11

American Red Cross Blood Drive—Thank You!

B’nai Israel congregants and staff made our recent (February 16) American Red Cross blood drive a great success. We collected more than 40 donations!

Many thanks in particular to the following members for their lifesaving donations:

Deena G. SpectorSusan G. MasonJeffrey SchwartzGeorge Markley

Many thanks to Judy Rankell, Lynn Lynch, and Abby Rohinsky and her staff, without whom this could not have happened.

With thanks,Judy Rudikoff

I met Rabbi Lynne Landsberg in 1976 in Jerusalem. We were first-year rabbinic students at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Funny and witty and very smart, she had one of those naturally engaging personalities that drew you near and made you

know from the very first meeting that she was going to make a difference in Jewish life. She was a rising star!

Today she is one of our movement’s proud stars and has definitely made a difference—even if it is not the one we may have first envisioned.

Twelve years ago on an icy street in Washington, DC, she sustained a traumatic brain injury in a devastating car accident. In a coma for six weeks, Rabbi Landsberg has made dramatic strides through prolonged and determined rehabilitation. An advocate and driving force for inclusion in religious life, she has become one of the nation’s leading spokespersons for people with disabilities.

Rabbi Landsberg writes: “Before my injury, I belonged to one minority that was cohesive, strong and articulate—the American Jewish community. Now I belong to a second minority that is often unseen and unheard—persons with disabilities. The ADA guaranteed accessibility to public places. But nothing

demands accessibility to the human heart. In addition to working on legislation, I want to help the Jewish community and others…understand that people with disabilities are people first, and disabled, second. I want to change the way the able-bodied perceive disability.”

Rabbi Landsberg’s incredible and courageous work to live her life fully is guided by her passion and respect for all people, and her belief that she must continue to make a difference. She remains one of the funniest, warmest, and most decent human beings you will ever meet. She says that while she lost a lot as a result of her accident, two things never left her: her sense of humor and her love of Judaism.

Today, Rabbi Landsberg is the Senior Advisor on Disability Issues for the Religious Action Center, the social action arm of the Reform movement, based in Washington, DC.

I’m delighted that Rabbi Landsberg is this year’s Joseph and Sylvia Spector Lecturer and will speak to clergy members of many faiths on Thursday, May 3. She will repeat her inspiring presentation for all of us at Shabbat services on May 4, which will be followed by dinner in the Social Hall, with an opportunity for questions, reflections, and discussion. Please join us!

Rabbi James Prosnit

3Foods of the Month: instant hot and cold cereals

From the Rabbi’s DeskWelcome Rabbi Lynne Landsberg!

“A Ramp Is Not Enough”

High Holy Days Appeal

Benefactors of CongregationRichard and Susan Preminger

General ContributionsJack and Ellen Kadden

Julie Strauss

4 Meet Rabbi Lynne F. Landsberg—see back cover for info.

Brotherhood News

Many thanks to all who helped make the Purim Carnival such a great success this year! Volunteers are the lifeblood of our temple community, and we are ever indebted to the time and energy you give to help others.

Of special note, Brotherhood had the honor and privilege of helping to celebrate Rosalind Gordon’s 90th birthday as she sponsored a wonderful breakfast on Shabbat morning, March 3. Ros is a regular at the morning service and the Brotherhood Breakfast. Mazel Tov, Ros!

The Brotherhood sponsored a great movie back in February, Jewish Soldiers in Blue & Gray, an informative and engaging documentary that focused on Jews and their contributions during the Civil War as they served both the North and South. We had a wonderful turnout of 75+ people and a lively discussion afterward.

Thanks to Jerry Demner, a congregant who brought the movie to our attention, and Richard Walden for his contributions during the post-viewing discussion.

Brotherhood recently made a significant financial contribution to the B’nai Israel Religious School Scholarship Fund. It is paramount that each and every child has the opportunity to attend our Religious School; all contributions to this fund have an immediate impact. Donations were also made to Operation Hope and Jewish Family Services, local agencies that provide critical services to those in need in our own backyard.

To all men in the B’nai Israel community: your membership is the single most important contribution you can make to ensure the continued success of our efforts. Each and every man in our community can make a difference.

If you wish to join Brotherhood, please send a $40.00 check made out to B’nai Israel Brotherhood to:

B’nai Israel Brotherhood2710 Park AvenueBridgeport, CT 06604

At Brotherhood we measure our success by the mitzvahs we make and the joy they bring. Drop me an email anytime for more information.

L’shalom,Jim Greenberg, Brotherhood Presidentjim@unionmachinery.com

Purim volunteers Anne Kirsch, Danielle Forma, and Debra Kortmansky

Ros Gordon and friend

As we sit down at our Seder tables this year we repeat, as we do every year, the words that remind us that it is important for us to remember the exodus from Egypt as if we, ourselves, experienced it. If we engage in the ritual of the Passover Seder as more than just another

family meal, we find a whole toolbox laid out in the manual we call the Haggadah, that can help us do this. There are tastes, there are words and stories, there are questions and (sometimes) answers (but it is the search that is more important than the answers themselves). There are songs and, if we choose, there is storytelling through acting, reminiscing, the young asking the old, and the old asking the young.

The Haggadah tells us that we have to find a way to make the experience of gaining freedom from slavery come alive for each and every generation. This is not only to ensure that we don’t forget our heritage and our story; it is also because some of the early generations of rabbis who crafted this

ritual understood that the way Jews related to this story in one generation or in one era would be different than the way it worked for Jews of another time.

The meaning and the purpose of Passover have changed over the centuries—it has fulfilled a different need for us at different times. Once it was an agricultural celebration. At other times it was a story of hope when we were oppressed and discriminated against. In the last few generations in the United States it became a

vehicle for Jews now living freely to speak about their obligations to help free others from their shackles, giving birth to Haggadot that focused on civil rights, women’s rights, the environment, and more.

What will Passover mean for the members of the next generation? What “job” will it do that adds significant meaning to their lives? It might have something to do with autonomy or the ability to feel like they can still make a difference in an era of powerful corporations and the undue influence of money. It might be the freedom to make different kinds of lifestyle choices. It might mean a psycho-spiritual kind of freedom that comes from within. We don’t know what the next generation will dream. But, while Passover has traditionally always been a time when the youngest ask the adults the questions so that they will understand where they come from and the inheritance that is theirs, it is essential that we adults ask our children questions too. If we want them to imagine that it is they themselves who are leaving the slavery of Egypt, we need to ask them what that means to them.

You can do this with children of any age, but I especially encourage those with teenagers or young adults at their Passover table this year to ask the question, as I will be doing this year at my Seder. I am confident that your Seder will be transformed into an interesting and important conversation, and I’d love to hear what you learn from our next generations.

Rabbi Rachel Gurevitz

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From Rabbi GurevitzIn Every Generation…

Spring into Action on April 29! See p. 11 for details.

Our first Cook-In was a grand success! Joanne Derwallis, our meals team leader, graciously hosted a group at her home to prepare three very large pots of soup—chicken, beef barley, and pasta fagioli. Our talented chefs of the day were Joanne, Bari Dworken, Audrey Bernstein, Sherry Portnoy, and Caren Schwartz. The delicious soups are now in containers (donated by Rachel Isaacs) and in our new, larger synagogue freezer (donated by Beverly and Neil Goodkind). We are enormously grateful for the

generous contributions of time, effort, and necessary items by our chefs and other members of our B’nai Israel family!

Before leaving Joanne’s home, everyone enthusiastically called for another Cook-In to be put on the calendar (date to be decided)—this time for “Kugel & Cookies.” And if you are preparing extra portions of your favorite recipe at home and would like to add them to our freezer for future delivery, please let Joanne know (203-256-8504, jderwall@optonline.net).

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments, or if you, or someone you care about, would be helped by a little TLC! Thanks!

Liz Nigrosh(203-268-9044 or 203-414-1843; lizziesmail@aol.com)

6 Meet Rabbi Lynne F. Landsberg—see back cover for info.

From the Early Childhood CenterWhat I did am going to do on my April vacation

Family Education at B’nai Israel!

TLC/Temple Loving Care at B’nai Israel

Planning a trip for April? Maybe a staycation? Either way, think about what you want to get from this experience. How about a family memory?

JournalingEven if your children cannot yet write down their thoughts, provide a time to share. Choose a special notebook for the week. Then each night, sit together and talk about your day. Ask open-ended questions like “How was your day special?” Then read aloud as you record their thoughts. By the end of the week, you’ll have a very special keepsake. Perhaps you would like to share when you return from break.

PhotographyKeep your camera or cell phone close by. Whether it’s a trip to the store or a walk on the beach, snap a few shots every day. Then you can plan a family slideshow at the end of the week. It will remind you all how much fun it is to be a family!

PostcardsGrab a short stack of postcards. From home or away, drop a line to your classroom at B’nai Israel, or to some family members. Let them know all the interesting things that are happening on your April break.

Have fun! We look forward to hearing all about it!Alexa CohenDirector, Early Childhood Center

Mishpacha Shabbat Friday, April 27 at 6:30 p.m. Join other B’nai Israel families for a wonderful, spirited Shabbat experience including dinner, Shabbat singing, and a story ideal for you and your preschool and elementary school–aged children. We provide the main dish. You bring a side dish or dessert. $5.00/adults, $2.00/children. RSVP to Elaine at 203-336-1858 or echetrit@congregationbnaiisrael.org by April 24. In celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, which falls during that same week, I will be bringing in falafel for all! We’ll still include chicken as our main dish. You may want to bring in a yummy side dish or dessert typically eaten

in Israel, i.e., eggplant dip, hummus, Israeli salad, couscous or Sum Sum sesame cookies, Israeli strudel, or malawah crepes. See you then!

Elaine ChetritDirector, Family Education Family Education in the Religious SchoolBet Israel Workshop Sunday, April 29, 9:30 a.m.–noon

Sherry Portnoy, Bari Dworken, Joanne Derwallis, Audrey Bernstein, and Caren Schwartz

A most disturbing thing happened at the beginning of March. I returned from a meeting on a Tuesday at 3:45—45 minutes before Kitot Daled–Vav (4th– 6th) were to meet. When I walked into the office, Theresa Silva, our administrative assistant, told me that a member of Rita Cole’s family had just called to say that Rita had died.

She was only 51 years old.

Rita taught Kitah Vav (6th grade) Hebrew for the past three years. I was looking for someone to replace a teacher who had recently decided to leave the community, and she walked in the door in early September that year. I can’t say there was anything I felt was remarkable about her after our first meeting. She did not appear particularly enthusiastic or bubbly. But she asked me a question I will never forget: “Would you have a problem if I made arrangements with my students and their parents to schedule a phone call every other Sunday, so I can listen to them read?”

Whoa. We have a lot of fantastic teachers, all of whom go the extra mile for our children. It is both a delight and an honor to work with them. No one had ever asked me that question. Of course I said there was no problem at all.

Rita’s students that year included several who had convinced themselves they would never be capable of reading Hebrew or becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Their confidence was completely gone, and they had given up on themselves. Rita and I developed a strategy to convince those children they were not incapable. And she implemented it with gusto. I am delighted to say that by the end of the year, nearly every student was able to pick up and read any Hebrew text (with

vowels). And if the vocabulary was part of the curriculum, they could tell you what it meant as well. And she continued that approach for the rest of her life. We will miss her.

So I want to invite you to honor her memory. I want to ask you to consider teaching. Give me a call (203-335-0745) or send me an e-mail (iwise@congregationbnaiisrael.org). Let’s talk about what teaching entails. You don’t have to be a Judaic scholar. We can help you with content. You don’t have to be a trained teacher. We can help you with pedagogy. And you don’t have to make a year-long commitment. We need substitutes as well as teachers.

You need to be someone who is passionate about children, who cares deeply about being Jewish, and who wants to light a Jewish fire in the hearts of our students. You need to be someone who is a good listener—because teaching is as much about listening to students and hearing what they want to know as it is about imparting the facts and ideas in the curriculum. You don’t need to be a person with all of the answers (I don’t know anyone who is), but you need to be someone who can lead the learners on a search for answers. You need to want to make a difference in their lives and in the future of the Jewish people.

You know you can do it. And in your heart of hearts, you know you want to do it. Call me.

L’shalom,Ira J. Wise, Director of Education

If you are moved to make a donation in Rita’s memory, I invite you to direct it to the Religious School Enrichment or Scholarship Funds.

7Foods of the Month: instant hot and cold cereals

From the Education Center

Remembering Mrs. Cole

Volunteer Training Begins at the Connecticut Hospice, Inc. in Norwalk

The Connecticut Hospice, Inc. is sponsoring its spring volunteer training this month. This volunteer course will inform and prepare prospective volunteers in all aspects of hospice care.

Representatives from the nursing, social work, pastoral care, arts, and bereavement departments of the Connecticut Hospice will make presentations describing their individual

roles in the interdisciplinary care of hospice patients in the home care setting.

Please contact Patricia A. Carradino, Director of Volunteer Services, at 203-315-7510 or 800-8-HOSPICE, ext. 510, or pnowak@hospice.com for more information. Thank you!

The Passover Seder is potentially a wonderful opportunity for children and adults to engage in thought-provoking discussion, to learn from each other, and to engage with a thrilling and important foundational narrative. It is also potentially a recipe for disaster with tired and hungry children and adults impatient to finish up and eat already, sometimes fighting a not-so-silent war with a Seder leader who would like to read every single word in the Haggadah. A few suggestions follow to help make your Seder everything it can and should be this year. If your Seder will not have young children present, feel free to substitute “person” where I have written “child.”

1. Fed children are happier children. Either feed them dinner before the Seder or dip not only parsley but a wide range of hors d’oeuvres.

2. View the Seder as the culmination, not the introduction, to a discussion of the Exodus. In the weeks leading up to Passover, take Egyptian books out of the library, visit the mummies at the Peabody Museum, watch “Prince of Egypt,” try out writing in hieroglyphics, and look for the first signs of spring.

3. At the Seder, experiment with different modalities. Act out scenes between Moses and Pharoah. Examine the pictures in the Haggadah. Don’t underestimate the value of silly Passover parody songs to break the ice. The Internet provides a treasure trove.

4. Help the Seder leader fight the urge to read everything. The Haggadah is a basic framework intended to inspire discussion and retelling of the Exodus. Come prepared with a list of questions to inspire conversation. Ask people to describe what it would feel like for them to be enslaved, what souvenir they would have brought with them from Egypt, how they feel about what happened to the Egyptians at the Red Sea. Don’t stop with the Four Questions. Encourage people to ask other questions.

5. Accept that you are limited and that your Seder will not be perfect, but if it is fun and illuminative, then you have been successful.

(Many of these suggestions come from Noam Zion in his wonderful book A Different Night.)

Zissen pesach! (Have a sweet Passover!)

Rabbi Nicole Wilson-Spiro

2nd Annual Strega Nona Maimouna Friday April 13 at 5:30 p.m.

Celebrate the end of Passover with a carb-feast! Enjoy gourmet pizzas and pastas, a star-studded production of Strega Nona, noodle painting, and making your own spaghetti.

$25 per family. RSVP and bring your money to the Main Office at B’nai Israel.

Check us out online: Youngfamilieshavurah.blogspot.com Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/youngfamilieshavurah

8 Spring into Action on April 29! See p. 11 for details.

From the Young Families Havurah

9Meet Rabbi Lynne F. Landsberg—see back cover for info.

Adult Jewish Learning at Congregation B’nai Israel

Parent Learning CircleSunday, April 1 at 10:30 a.m.

The Parent Learning Circle (PLC) provides community and friendship and is a wonderful way to accompany your Gan–Kitah Gimel (K–3) children on a journey into Jewish learning and living. We will follow the curriculum in parallel with

your children. PLC will help you feel better prepared to answer your children’s questions about Judaism, God, birth, death, and much more. You will also gain confidence in helping your children to celebrate Shabbat and the holidays. For the first 20 minutes of each meeting we will learn letters of the Hebrew alef-bet together, just like our children do on Sunday mornings. Join us for the whole session, or drop in at 10:50 to participate just in the Jewish living conversations. With Rabbi Gurevitz.

Passover. Yeah, There’s an App for That!Midrasha—Mondays, April 2 and 9 at 7:00 p.m.More and more we see the world through two lenses, analog and digital. Analog is the physical world we all know well. Digital is the virtual world we connect to with computers, smartphones, tablets, and handheld devices. We can use both lenses to grow Jewishly. Join Ira Wise for an exploration of digital Jewish world. We will see how the Passover Hagadah predicted the development of the digital world. This is the second in a three-part series (began March 26).

Adult RoundtableThursday, April 5 at 12:15 p.m.This group holds a discussion the first Thursday of each month about current events for anyone who wants to go deeper than the headlines and enjoys expressing an opinion and hearing those of others. Facilitated by Gloria Katz and Dorothy Blaustein. Bring a sandwich, your opinion, and an open mind.

Responses to Suffering Lifelong Learning—Fridays, April 20 and 27 and May 4, 11, and 18 at noonThrough the long and at times tragic history of the Jewish people, prophets, sages, and rabbis have sought to understand the nature of suffering. When burdens outweigh the blessings, how have we tried to explain, cope, and sustain ourselves and each other? Rabbi Prosnit looks at classic and contemporary Jewish texts and shows how comfort and understanding have come from the wisdom of the ages.

Rosh Hodesh GroupThursday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Join Rabbi Gurevitz for our series of Rosh Hodesh monthly women’s gatherings that weave the stories and personalities of the women of the Bible with insights from our own lives and experiences. Rabbi Suri Krieger will be a guest leader for several sessions

this year. Rabbi Krieger blends music, art, text study, and discussion that promise to be lively and enriching. Theme for 5772: Biblical Women Role Models—for better or for worse.

Understanding Judaism: A Guide for Enquiring MindsSunday, April 29 at 9:45 a.m.This series addresses questions and trends in Judaism and is appropriate for all levels of adult learner, Jewish and non-Jewish, whether you are an experienced student, someone looking for a way in to learn more about Judaism for the first time, or somewhere in-between. This month’s topic: When Values Collide: The Case of the Now Famous Yale Five.

10 What’s happening at temple? Get Happenings, our weekly email! Send your request to lynn@congregationbnaiisrael.org!

Discretionary Fund–Rabbi ProsnitSusan Bauchner in memory of Harriet Miller; in memory of her husband, Burton Bauchner.Jeff and Wendy Bender in memory of father, Fred Bender.Arnold and Bobby Kaplan in memory of Harriet Miller; in memory of their son-in-law, Burton Bauchner.Dorothy and Herman Kranes in memory of Freda Levine.Shelley and Harold Levy in memory of dear and loving friend and neighbor, Debra Madow. Florence Nabel in loving memory of her brothers, Lionel and Jacob Nabel.Jack and Karin Newman in memory of Sidney Newman, Jack Newman’s father.Barbara and Jeffrey Orell and family in memory of Joyce Gladstein, wife of Dr. Geoffrey Gladstein.Debbie and Ted Portnay in memory of Richard Judelsohn, father of Amy Gordon.Jane and Jerry Pressman in loving memory of Harriet Miller, wife of Sam Miller.Suzanne Saletan in memory of Harriet Miller.Suzanne Saletan and Hank Widrow in memory of Stanley Breitner and Barbara Goldstein.Carla and Rachel Schine in loving memory of their father, Joel David Schine. Deena, Mark, and Josh Spector in appreciation.Miriam G. Spero in loving memory of her husband, Robert E. Spero.

Discretionary Fund–Rabbi GurevitzMiriam and Bob Caston in fond memory of Henry Cease.Ilana R. Ofgang—a contribution. Florence Yasser in memory of RoseSunshine.

Music FundElena Rabine Halady in loving memory of dear aunt, Corinne Blume Levy. Sylvia Neigher in honor of Ros Gordon’s 90th birthday.

BIFTY/Greenwald Scholarship FundBernie and Irma Postyn in memory of Debra Madow, daughter of Sheila and Marshall Madow.

Enhancement FundLarry and Audrey Bernstein in memory of mother, Julia Mellen.

Jerry and Dale Demner in memory of Irving Jacob Demner.Marvin Gelfand in memory of Anna Gelfand.Robert and Paula Herzlinger in honor of the 100th birthday of Walter Sonneborn, father of Jon Sonneborn.John and Roseann Hunter in memory of Harriet Miller and in appreciation of the beautiful service.Adele E. Ingerman in memory of Sylvia Feinstein, Milton Feinstein, and Harold Ingerman.George and Chris Markley in memory of Martha Markley.Bernice and Paul Rosch in loving memory of dear father, Harry Miller.Joan Rosenbaum in memory of Harriet Milller, wife of Sam Miller.Janet and Jack Sender in memory of Harriet Miller.Norman Suslock in memory of Sara Rybeck.Judy and Bob Zeisler in memory of Debbie Madow.Larry and Adele Zuckerman in loving memory of their parents, Lottie and Philip Burack and Minnie and Max Zuckerman.

Slepian Floral FundBarbara Panisch in memory of Frances Tanzer.

Daniel Smith Cemetery FundSerena and Arnie Sher in loving memory of Joyce Gladstein, wife of Geoff Gladstein, and in loving memory of Harriet Miller, wife of Samuel Miller.

Religious School Enrichment FundAudrey, Ira, Ethan, and Harper Wise in memory of Harriet Miller.

Charles Fried Keshet FundDenise Fried in loving memory of Harriet Miller, wife of Sam Miller; in loving memory of Marilyn Breitner’s husband, Stan.

Gillette Judaic Enrichment FundBarbara and Jim Abraham in loving memory of cherished friend, Harriet Miller, wife of Sam Miller.

Rabbi Arnold I. Sher Social Action FundMyron I. and Carol K. Dworken in honor of Dr. Bari Dworken for her dedication to charitable services.

Michael and Joni Greenspan sending get-well wishes to Sarah Alper; in loving memory of Harriet Miller, wife of Sam Miller.Robert and Paula Herzlinger in memory of Harriet Miller.Susan and Murray Morrison in memory of Debra Madow, daughter of Marshall and Sheila Madow.Elsbeth Zabin in loving memory of her father, Edward L. Bernstein.

Etz Chaim Living Torah FundMollie Keller—thanks to Janet Jurow for leading a very special service on February 3; a very happy birthday to Karin Newman.

Alan Weinstein Scholarship FundJoni and Michael Greenspan in memory of Sidney Greenspan. Deborah Weinstein in loving memory of Harriet Miller.

Nursery School Scholarship FundGail and Peter Weinstein in memory of Harriet Miller and Kenny Liberman; congratulations to Diane and Jon Rubenstein on the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Jake.

Rabbi Martin Library FundBari Dworken in memory of Harriet Miller, wife of Sam Miller.

Prayer Book FundGeorge and Chris Markley in memory of Jerry Sussman.

Sylvia Prosnit Adult Education FundJudi, David, and Jordan Beier in honor of the engagement of Ethan Prosnit and Arielle Traub.Audrey and Larry Bernstein in honor of Rabbi Rachel Gurevitz with thanks.

MAZONMichael and Joni Greenspan in honor of the birth of Dylan Layla Roze Goby, new granddaughter of Ilene Goby and daughter of Dalia and Adam.

DonationsPlease note that only contributions of $10.00 or more will be acknowledged with a card and Bulletin listing.

11Foods of the Month: instant hot and cold cereals

SHABBAT AND PASSOVER SERVICE SCHEDULE

Friday, April 6Pesach begins at sundown and theFirst Seder is observed.There will be no evening service.

Saturday, April 7 – First Day of Pesach (no 8:00 a.m. service) 9:15 a.m. Brotherhood’s Annual Pesach

Matzo Brie Breakfast 9:15 a.m. Young Families Havurah 10:00 a.m. Shabbat Passover Festival

Service with the Junior ChoirTorah Portion – Exod. 12:37-42; 13:3-10Haftarah – Isaiah 43:1-15

Thursday, April 12 6:00 p.m. 7th Day of Passover Service

Friday, April 1310:00 a.m. Yizkor 6:00 p.m. Service

Torah Portion – Sh’mini I, Lev. 9:1-10:11Haftarah – 2 Samuel 6:1-23

Saturday, April 14 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:15 a.m. Young Families Havurah 9:30 a.m. Torah Study

Friday, April 20 6:00 p.m. Service

Torah Portion – Sh’mini II, Lev. 10:12-11:47Haftarah – 2 Samuel 7:1-17

Saturday, April 21 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:15 a.m. Young Families Havurah 9:30 a.m. Torah Study11:00 a.m. B’nai Mitzvah of Joshua

Darak, son of Harold and Leah Darak, and Ben Menkes, son of Michael and Linda Menkes

Friday, April 27 – The B’nai IsraelBand will play 6:00 p.m. Service

Torah Portion – Tazria-Mtzora, Lev. 12:1-15:33Haftarah – II Kings 7:3-20

Saturday, April 28 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:15 a.m. Young Families Havurah 9:30 a.m. Torah Study11:00 a.m. B’nai Mitzvah of Michael

Sailer, son of Allen and Ivy Sailer, and Jana Spiegel, daughter of Fred andFelice Spiegel

(Fridays at 6:00 p.m. where indicated, preceded by an Oneg Shabbat at 5:30 p.m.)

Interfaith Spring into Action!Sunday, April 29

Meet people of many faiths and many cultures, united in a commitment to care for the earth. Act together to help beautify our city! 1:00 p.m. opening gathering at Congregation Rodeph Sholom; community barbecue, Ceremony of Commitment to the Earth, and assignment of interfaith teams and team tasks 2:00–4:00 p.m. interfaith teams plant, clean up gardens, city parks and other green areas in Bridgeport4:00–4:30 p.m. travel back to Congregation Rodeph Sholom4:30–5:30 p.m. closing gathering, desserts and entertainment

This event is sponsored by Tent of Abraham, Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, Bridgeport Islamic Cultural Center, United Congregational Church of Bridgeport, Congregation Rodeph Sholom, Congregation B’nai Israel, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, and the Jewish High School of Connecticut.

Register by April 27 by contacting Congregation Rodeph Sholom at rabbivictor@rodephsholom.com. Please state your affiliation when registering. Please join us!

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Please Support Our Advertisers

Spring into Action on April 29! See p. 11 for details.

The following members of the medical community join together in their

support of the B’nai Israel Bulletin

Dr. Andrea Hagani Dr. Robert D. Chessin

Dr. David F. BindelglassDr. Robert E. Sherman

Dr. Alan M. NelsonDr. Glenn M. RichDr. Michael Sonick

Dr. Lawrence DinkesDr. Kenneth RabineDr. George P. Kelly

Dr. Howard B. Twersky

Dr. Martha Yepes SmallDr. Peter A. Small

Dr. Charles Gary GibsonDr. Edward Portnay

Dr. Michael ConnollyDr. Kenneth Kingsley

Dr. Andrew J. LeviDr. Mark J. Hotchkiss

Dr. Alan LandauDr. Robert Landis

The following members of the financial community join together in their support of the B’nai Israel Bulletin:

WESTPORT BRIDGEPORT DANBURY ORANGE203-222-1034 203-368-0211 203-791-8149 203-298-4066

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Mark A. KirschIrving J. Kern

Stewart I. EdelsteinLeonard C. Blum

Business Transactions, Commercial Litigation,Employment & Labor, Family & Matrimonial,Tax, Elder Law, Real Estate, Trusts & Estates,

Land Use & Zoning, Securities, Personal Injury

Celebrating Our 60th Year!

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Edward P. Burger, CPA Luise M. Burger, CPA

Marc A. Silverman, CPA

Call or email today for a free, no-obligation consultation!

Sheryl SantiagoCollege Assistance Plus of Fairfield County(203) 345-1953ssantiago@collegeassistanceplus.com

More college choices, Less college debt.

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13What’s happening at temple? Get Happenings, our weekly email! Send your request to lynn@congregationbnaiisrael.org!

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The following members of the legal community join together in their support of the B’nai Israel Bulletin:

Michael BeckerKen Beck

Stewart I. EdelsteinIrving J. Kern

Mark A. KirschRichard Krantz

George Markley

Daniel Schopick

Congregation B’nai Israel2710 Park AvenueBridgeport, CT 06604www.congregationbnaiisrael.org

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What’s happening at temple? Get Happenings, our weekly email! Send your request to lynn@congregationbnaiisrael.org!

Spector Family Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Lynne F. Landsberg A Focus on Ability and DisabilityAccess to a Spiritual LifeFriday, May 4 at 6:00 p.m.

“Before my injury, I belonged to one minority that was cohesive, strong, and articulate—the American Jewish community. Now I belong to a second minority that is often unseen and unheard—persons with disabilities. I am excited to be working to strengthen the role of the Jewish community in the fight for the rights

of people with disabilities and to help the Jewish community to be more physically and emotionally accessible to people with disabilities.”

Rabbi Lynne F. Landsberg is Senior Advisor on Disability Issues for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Rabbi Landsberg is co-founder and co-chair of the Jewish Disability Network, a coalition of national Jewish religious movements and organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of people with disabilities.

In the middle of a remarkable career as a congregational rabbi and then on the staff of the Union for Reform Judaism, Rabbi Landsberg suffered a severe brain injury. She was close to death, and with great courage and support from family, friends, and colleagues, she has returned to herself (mostly). Rabbi Landsberg has become an outspoken advocate for the disabled and a powerful voice for inclusion in our religious life.

Please join us for Kabbalat Shabbat at 6:00 p.m., followed by Shabbat dinner at 7:15. Reservations and a charge are required for dinner only. Rabbi Landsberg will speak after dinner. Contact Lynn at 203-336-1858 or llynch@congregationbnaiisrael.org.