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D'Var Torah
Parashat
Korach
for June 23, 2012
Numbers
16:20 - 17:24
using the Triennial
Year II schedule
Haftarah:
I Samuel
11:14 - 12:22
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What's Happening
This Week At Beth Or
Monday, June 18
Tuesday, June 19
Wednesday, June 20
Chit Chat at Starbucks 10:00 am
Thursday, June 21
Weight Watchers 7:00 pm
Friday, June 22
Kabbalat Shabbat Services 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 23
Adult Torah Study 10:15 am
Sunday, June 24
Torah School/B'nai Mitzvah Students
End-of-Year Party 10:30 am
Monday, June 25
Tuesday, June 26
Wednesday, June 27
Chit Chat at Starbucks 10:00 am
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 Temple Beth Or Events
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Save The Date
Thursday, July 5
Event Organizational Meeting
Saturday-Sunday, July 28-29
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 Temple Beth Or
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Shabbat Shalom! 
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Friday evening, June 15,
at 8:00 p.m., will be led by
Rabbi Mark Kram, who topic
will be "Korah's Many Lessons."
Oneg Shabbat will follow the service.
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D'var Torah
WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY?
Congregations have this question constantly. Orthodox communities look to their rabbi, or sometimes, rabbis. Conservative Jews to the rabbi, when someone has a question about practice or observance. Reform Jews, also the rabbi, and individuals make those choices themselves without consultation. Reconstructionists - we act together. The rabbi informs the Jewish thinking, but members add their own sensibilities and life experiences. The democratic stance we take is invigorating.
Our Torah portion: Dathan and Abiram decide to take things into their own hands. Challenging Moses' authority and offering "strange fire" - an offering to God that was not approved or authorized.
There is one particular verse that stands out for me. In response to their actions, Moses at first tries to show that he is not the source for independent thinking or actions. Rather, in Numbers 16:28, Moses announced, "This shall demonstrate to you that God sent me to do all these deeds and I did not make up anything myself."
Moses is the servant, the leader led by God. What he hears is not from his head. He didn't make it up. Rather, it's real; it's true; the only way.
Prophecy is from the source. None of us are prophets, or as the tradition says, nor are we sons or daughters of prophets. The eternal messages we receive from our tradition, the moral and ethical legislation, include perhaps the only clear messages we receive from God. And to go a step further, when we listen, truly listen to our own inner messages - what is right and lasting and definite - then we also hear God speaking in our lives. When we make the world a better place; when we put ego aside and do good; when we stand up for justice; speak when necessary and hold our own counsel at other times, then we infuse our lives with purpose and possibility.
When people know that our actions come, not just simply from our own needs, but from a Source greater than ourselves, then, as Moses, we are living life bigger than ourselves. We are walking the path of Moses.
SHABBAT SHALOM!
Rabbi Mark Kram
Temple Beth Or
Miami, Florida
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Chit Chat at Starbucks...
...is at Starbucks this Wednesday,
and Rabbi Mark is scheduled to lead the discussion.
Chit Chat is a weekly discussion group that meets on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. that usually meets at Starbucks in the Suniland Shopping Center on US 1.
For today, our topic takes us a bit farther east than usual....just a bit!
To be included in the Chit Chat notification list, please send your email address to Mike Leslie at
hebrewnatl@aol.com
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Thank You!
...to those who generously donate to
Temple Beth Or
Greta Larrison-Malkin, on the Yahrzeit of her father,
Jack Pavny
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Beth Or's Program Calendar for 2012-2013
The initial version of the Temple Program Calendar for the coming year is available at :
Beth Or Event Calendar
Please bookmark this site so that it's easily available and will allow you keep up with what's going on at the Temple as well as be a part of the process of keeping it current and accurate.
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Our 'Past' and Present Students
are cordially invited to
The Torah School & Co.
End of Year Party
(This) Sunday, June 24th
10:30am - 12:00 noon
Food & Drink & Games...and..
Are you smarter than a Torah School Student: Parents vs. Students
Come and have fun with
Rabbi Mark, Jeff, Dan,
Rowena and Chelsea
 
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It's Membership Time...
...and we're innovating!
Membership renewal packets have been prepared and are heading to your mailbox OR your email inbox!
Digital transmittal option:
Those members who have expressed interest in receiving renewal packets via email and those we know can successfully receive docx. documents as attachments will see their packets arriving in their email inboxes either June 19 or June 20.
Traditional mail service:
About half of our members can expect to see a large white envelope from Temple Beth Or in their snail-mail box by this weekend.
The "No-Form" renewal:
While we want to make sure we have up-to-date information -- names, phone numbers, addresses, emails, and so on -- if your demographic information hasn't changed, you can simply let the office know that you want to renew your membership in the same category: Individual, family, Chai, etc. Please do this via email if possible so we have something in writing for our records. You'll be contacted if we need to clarify or confirm anything.
Automatic (if not automated) dues payments:
Members may pay dues, oneg shabbat fees, Torah School and B'nai Mitzvah tuition, and Bridge to the Future donations by giving the office a credit card number and authorizing us to divide up their total amount and charge the card in monthly or quarterly increments. All credit card information will be held in a passworded file!
Please, please, feel free to email or call the Temple with any questions.
305-235-1419 |
Childrens' World Montessori School
on Beth Or's campus needs a few good students, Toddler- 6thGrade. Small classes, certified teachers, excellent staff:child ratio.
Contact Head Teacher Mary Argumedo 305-506-8087
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SCHOOL SUPPLIES ARE NOW BEING COLLECTED
It's that time again . . .
Each year Beth Or collects school supplies for the residents of the Children's Home Society. There has always been a fantastic response to this drive and the supplies are greatly needed and appreciated by them.
AMONG THE SUPPLIES NEEDED ARE . . .
Paper
Pencils
Pens
Notebooks 
Duotangs
Paste
Glue Sticks
Bookbags
Backpacks
Rulers
Crayons
Scissors (not pointed)
School starts August 20 so the deadline for donating is August 9 to allow time for delivery, sorting and distribution to those in need. There will be a collection box in the Oneg Room.
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Garden and Grounds 
Beth Or's ORGANIC GARDEN continues to grow!
Though our Organic Garden lacks a green-thumb Team, we have:
a) a dozen new Collard plants working to survive the summer heat
b) 5 new Banana trees (Red Dwarf, Sweet Heart, Ice Cream, Goldfinger, Sweet Heart, Mona Lisa varieties) and
c) Working closely with nature we also raise some Wild Edibles
More News:
- The Beth Or Irrigation system will be upgraded thanks to a $2,800 grant.
- The Potting Shed has a fresh coat of 'Leprechaun Green' paint and was tidied up by Noli Matzulis.
- We support the Childrens' World Montessori School's organic gardening efforts under the direction of Lead Teacher, Mary Argumendo.
Do's and Don'ts:
- Don't step on a bed (your weight compresses the soil, reducing 'friability')
- If you don't know what to do-ASK
- Learn as much as you can about organic-veganic methods- Rodale's magazine is a good resource
Kavanah by Rabbi Mark "...to help build up our people, our institutions and our strength so that we continue to l'takein olam b'malchut Shaddai, to 'repair the world under the kingdom of heaven.' Let's get our hands deliciously "dirty" in this endeavor as we grow and sustain our beloved community."
Veganically Yours,
Jeff Tucker,
Garden Manager
Would you like to help in the gardens, particularly on Sunday mornings? Just email Marcy Prince at mprince@miamidade.gov.
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Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers meets
on Thursday, June 14, at 7:00 p.m.
You need not be a Beth Or member, and your friends are more than welcome to join!
For information on the Weight Watchers program at Beth Or,
email Ilien at IlienH@aol.com.
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Holiday Bazaar Heads-Up
The date for our next holiday bazaar is SUNDAY NOVEMBER 18. There are NO Dolphins games either here or away! Save-the-dates emails are going out to the vendors who've been with us in the past.
April Miller has graciously agreed to co-chair with Rhoni Tannebaum, and we'll be passing along more detailed information as we get closer to the event.
If you know anyone who like to participate as a vendor, please have them contact Rhoni Tannebaum at rtclowns@bellsouth.net. Remember our space is limited and fills up quickly.
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 Greater Miami Jewish Federation
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JCRC Offers Free Online Israel Educational Resources
The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation is offering a video-based mini-course featuring world-renowned experts on Israel and the Middle East.
The free course, comprising short films and recorded lectures by prestigious educators and speakers, is made available through a partnership between the JCRC and Jerusalem Online University (JOU), enabling Jewish individuals and organizations to benefit from JOU's Israel educational resources.
June 10-16:
Speak Up for Israel - The core techniques for making the case for Israel with others
http://www.stepupforisrael.com/speakup-free/
For more information , contact JCRC Director Carol Brick-Turin at CommunityRelations@JewishMiami.org
or 786-866-8485.
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Holocaust Memorial Launches "Zachor Society"
As another symbol of the local community's commitment to the preservation of the Holocaust Memorial of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, 15 individuals and/or private foundations have become charter members of the Memorial's "Zachor Society."
"Zachor" means to "remember," and the Society will help to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive through support of the Memorial - adding to the funding the Memorial already receives from the Annual Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign.
The launch of the Zachor Society took place recently at the home of Lidia and Jimmy Resnick. Jimmy's late father, Abe Resnick, was one of the founders of the Holocaust Memorial. The event, chaired by Charles Treister, featured remarks by Norman Braman, Founding Chairman of the Memorial, and Kenneth Treister, FAIA, Memorial sculptor. Andrew Koffsky, a recent March of the Living participant, shared his experiences visiting sites of the Holocaust.
Each year, more than 100,000 people visit the Memorial to participate in its programs and learn about the Holocaust. In addition to providing a serene venue for survivors to pay tribute to their loved ones, the Memorial emphasizes education by opening its doors to thousands of schoolchildren annually and by hosting seminars for teachers. Also offered are outreach programs for college students and their professors; a speakers bureau; and free community-wide programs in observance of Holocaust Education Week, Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass) and Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).
There is no charge to visit the Memorial or attend its programs. The Memorial is maintained through the generous support of members of the community.
Rabbi Solomon Schiff is the immediate past Chair of the Holocaust Memorial, and Andrew C. Hall is the Chair.
Those who are interested in learning more about the Holocaust Memorial and its programs may contact Sharon Horowitz, Director, at 305.538.1663 or
info@holocaustmmb.org. Individuals interested in the Zachor Society may contact Simon S. Kaminetsky, Director of Philanthropic Initiatives at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, at 786.866.8453. |
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