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D'Var Torah
Parashat
Shoftim
(for August 18, 2012)
Deuteronomy
18:6 - 19:13
using the Triennial
Year II schedule
Haftarah
Isaiah
51:12 -52:12 |
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What's Happening
This Week At Beth Or
Monday, August 20
Tuesday, August 21
Wednesday, August 22
Chit Chat at Starbucks 10:00 am
Ritual Committee Meeting 7:30 pm
Thursday, August 23
Friday, August 24
Be Our Guest Shabbat Dinner 6:00 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Services 8:00 pm
Saturday, August 25
Bibliodrama: Judah and Tamar 10:00 am
Lighthouse Cafe: Mindy Simmons 7:30 pm
Sunday, August 26
Torah School Opens 10:00 am
Monday, August 27
Tuesday, August 28
Workshop: "Getting the Most from the High
Holy Days" 7:30 pm
Wednesday, August 29
Chit Chat at Starbucks 10:00 am
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 Temple Beth Or Events
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Save The Date 
Sunday, September 9
Torah School Open House
September 19
Executive Committee Meeting
Board of Directors Meeting
November 9
New Member Shabbat
November 10
Spaghetti Dinner
March 16, 2013
Evening of music, good food and memories to honor of Dr. Michael Newman
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 Temple Beth Or |
Shabbat Shalom! 
Be Our Guest Shabbat Dinner
at 6:00 p.m. on Friday,
August 17, followed by
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
at 8:00 p.m., led by Rabbi Mark Kram,
whose topic will be "Justice, justice shall
you pursue..."
Dessert Oneg Shabbat will follow the service, sponsored by Marcy Prince, in honor of her birthday, Marcy and Butch's anniversary, and Nick and Amanda's anniversary. Mazel Tov!
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D'var Torah for August 25, 2012
Parashat Shoftim --- Deuteronomy 18:6-8 - 19:13
Any repetition in the Torah is significant. It is an emphasis. If there is ANY unclarity in what the Torah (God, our ancestors, Moses, our teachers/rabbis) wants to teach us, it becomes crystal clear at points such as this.
This week's parasha features the memorable and quotable words of Chapter 16:20 (I know, not in our triennial portion), "Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live and possess the land the Lord, your God, is giving you."
Following, comes a LONG list of things NOT to do. But in our portion, Deut. 18:9, we read a quote which distinguishes us: "When you have come to the land the Lord, your God, is giving you, you shall not learn to do like the abominations of those nations." (My emphasis.)
It seems that we are NOT supposed to even learn their habits or customs. Stay away from their ways. Remain Jewish! Don't DO like them, don't even learn their ways.
But Rashi suggests a deeper approach. He says that we may learn their practices in order to understand them and to teach (our children) how degenerate their actions are. And to teach your children, "Do not do such and such, because this is a heathen custom!" - [Sifrei ; San. 68a]
By the way, other monotheists - Christians, Muslims, and Hindus - are NOT considered to be heathens. (Take a look at the practices spoken against in the parasha.) Today, we need to distinguish for our children (and ourselves?!) what practices ARE in fact "heathen" or "discouraged" to us. As modern Jews, are there clearly demarcated lines of practice or custom which we should not borrow from those who live around us? Are there habits we should not (or should!) emulate?
Last week, we vacationed in Colorado. We worshipped on Shabbat with Congregation B'nai Vail (I'm not making this us up), on a mountaintop. By Wednesday, looking at all the beauty and feeling the cool air, I was ready for another service. Catholics have multiple opportunities for mass every day. Should we emulate them? should we do a check-in service - perhaps online - during the week.
Determining which customs we either adopt or stay away from is critical as we continue along our own pathway of our Jewish lives!
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Mark S. Kram, Temple Beth Or, Miami, FL
Shabbat Shalom!
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Beth Or's Bibliodrama! This is not the Sunday School play-acting you remember! Bibliodrama is a form of role-playing in which the roles played are taken from biblical texts. The roles may be characters, objects, images, or scenes from the Bible.
Enacted and enlivened in the present moment, this form of interpretive play is often called
the action version of Midrash. Join us at 10:00 a.m. on August 25 for Judah and Tamar. |
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Chit Chat at Starbucks...
will meet as usual this Wednesday!
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.
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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ASKING FOR EVERYONE'S COOKING SKILLS FOR AUGUST 24TH SHABBAT DINNER -- Potluck!
August 24, 2012
Join us for a Shabbat Dinner at 6 p.m. with services to follow at 8 p.m. We are seeking to attract new members and of course engage all of our existing members in increasingly fun-filled community wide activities.
We are asking for your help to bring food for the dinner -- vegetarian delights only. We need all sorts of items for main course, veggies, side dishes and dessert.
We also need volunteers to
- set up tables on Thursday, August 23 at 1:00 p.m.
- arrange the chairs in the Sanctuary after services on Friday to prepare for Saturday's Bibliodrama
- Saturday at noon: break down the dinner tables and get the Lighthouse Cafe arranged for the concert that evening
The Temple will take care of soda, wine and coffee. Please let Kathy know what food items you'll be
bringing to share in this joyous event. Call 305-235-1419 or email bethortemple@aol.com
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Thank You!
to those who have generously
contributed to Temple Beth Or...
Yvonne Wilensky
Rhoni Tannebaum, for the contribution cards to the
Sunshine Communications program
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Lighthouse Cafe 
The Delightful and talented Mindy Simmons will be playing at the Lighthouse Cafe next week (details below).
Mindy Simmons is a consummate performer. She brings a polished, professional show to festival stages, concert halls and other performances venues. Her quick wit and warm approach charms audiences and puts them in a relaxed frame of mind to sit back and be entertained.
Mindy is a personal friend of Ellen Bukstel and has played at the Shack in the Back many times. Ellen's been trying to get me to book Mindy for a while, so I know you're going to love her!
Saturday, August 25, 7:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Or,
11715 SW 87th Avenue in Miami.
Pre-paid reservations are necessary to guarantee your seat. Please call the Temple Beth Or office or email bethortemple@aol.com
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Beth Or Torah School Begins this Sunday,
August 26
Greetings and Salutations Earthlings
We will catch up on stuff and try to answer any Torah School questions .
Also, please save the date...
Beth Or is having a Torah School Open House on
Sunday, Sept 9th 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
Unfortunately Jeff and Chelsea will be out of town, so I would like to invite all the Torah School Families to help present the Beth Or Torah School, with Rabbi Mark, Dan and myself.
Come this Sunday with your ideas!
Can't wait to see you
xxxx
Rowena
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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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It's Membership Time...
Many thanks to those members who have responded with forms and checks! You'll get a confirmation of your renewal by email or phone.
However...numerous members have not yet made it official! With High Holidays approaching, please contact the office via phone, email, or U.S. Mail to make sure your membership status is where you want it to be!
Interested in Beth Or?
Give us a call or an email, and we'll put see that you get everything you need and have all your questions answered.
Please, please, feel free to email or call the Temple with any questions.
305-235-1419
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The Holiday Bazaar Approaches!
The Bazaar committee is sending out the contract for the November 18th event to prospective vendors. If you or anyone you know wishes to be a vendor, have them contact Rhoni Tannebaum at
Thank you
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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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Garden and Grounds 
House & Grounds accomplishes most tasks, of necessity, using paid labor. But when needs arise for volunteers we'd like to have your name on a list. In return we promise not to:
a) bug you
b) ask for the impossible.
Please advise Kathy (TBO office: 305-235-1419) of your willingness to provide a bit of help when mutually convenient, and thanks!
Jeff Tucker
More News:
- Beth Or Irrigation system has been Upgraded with computerized controls, a high-tech Rain Gauge thanks to a $2,800 grant. This is expected to save 40-60% water by calculating plants' true needs based on humidity, temperature, rainfall, season, etc.
- Our Huge Crop of Kosher Compost in in quiet production as micro-organisms and insects degrade, digest and convert discarded plant material to rich, living humus
- The Childrens' World Montessori School readies for another season of organic gardening under the direction of Lead Teacher, Mary Argumedo.
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 great educational and practical resource
Would you like to help in the gardens, particularly on Sunday mornings? Just email Marcy Prince at mprince@miamidade.gov.
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In and For Our Local Community
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Interest-free Loans Bridge the Gap for Miami-Dade County Students
At a time when so many families are struggling to pay for even the most basic necessities, finding dollars to send a child to college can be even more challenging. But thanks to the Jewish Educational Loan Fund (JELF), some Jewish Miami-Dade County students were able to find the "last dollars" they needed to participate in higher education.
For the 2012-2013 school year, a record number of applicants came to JELF seeking to fill the gap between the resources they assembled through grants, loans and scholarships and the real cost of their education. JELF responded to the rising need by loaning more than ever before in a single year - more than $89,000 to students in the Miami-Dade County area alone, a nearly 15% increase over loans the previous school year. In all, JELF has awarded more than $675,000 in interest-free loans to Jewish students throughout Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia for the coming school year.
Based in Atlanta, JELF makes need-based interest-free loans for post-secondary education, including college, graduate school and vocational courses of study. In South Florida, JELF is administered by Jewish Community Services of South Florida, a local partner agency of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.
Applicants for JELF loans must be residents of Miami-Dade County for at least a year and be eligible for financial aid through their school. Dollars provided through JELF are considered "last-dollar financing," bridging the final gap of all other funding sources.
While JELF currently administers over $3.6 million in outstanding loans, it has maintained its impressive 99 percent repayment rate. As students repay their loans, JELF uses those payments to make new loans, creating a circle of tzedakah. As one loan recipient recently expressed to JELF, "I just wanted to say thank you to JELF for another generous loan for my next school year. I will use the support to its fullest capacity in my path to my career and life!"
Applications for a JELF interest-free loan for the Spring 2013 semester will be available September 2-30, 2012. Applications for the 2013-2014 academic year will be available on JELF's website at www.jelf.org in March 2013. For additional information, contact JELF Executive Director Lara Dorfman at 770-396-3080 or visit www.jelf.org
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Greater Miami Jewish Federation
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Genealogy: Basics and Beyond
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Miami invites you to join us on Sunday September 23 , 2012 as we kick off our new year with speaker Jerry Naditch from the West Palm Beach JGS as he covers
" Geneaology: Basics and Beyond. "
His talk will cover new and old techniques to find your family!
Time: 10:00 am to 12:30 pm
Place: Greater Miami Jewish Federation Building
4200 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami
Contact: 305-576-4000
Please bring a photo ID. There is plenty of free parking in the lot which can only be entered from the street (N Federal Hwy) at the rear of building. The gate to the lot is closed and there is a security box on the left side. |
REAL EXPERIENCE FROM AN INTERNSHIP IN ISRAEL
Spending 5 to 10 months kick-starting their career with world-class innovators who won't send them out for coffee, our interns are a real part of the action.
Here at Masa Israel Journey, we don't just help find the best internships, we also offer funding to help get there.
Go to www.MasaIsrael.org/Intern to see how we can help find and fund the perfect internship.
For more information, contact masa@gmjf.org or call 305.576.4000.
START HERE. GO FURTHER. |
Social Action Network/Jewish Volunteer Center Day of Service
On Sunday, September 9, the Social Action Network (ages 22-39) of the Jewish Volunteer Center (JVC) of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation will participate in a meaningful volunteer opportunity at the Ronald McDonald House, a home for families whose children are patients at Holtz Children's Hospital.
Together, volunteers will prepare dinner and dessert for the guest families staying at the house. The program will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Ronald McDonald House, 1145 Northwest 14 Terrace, Miami.
This volunteer opportunity is part of the week of the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance to honor the legacy of the 9/11 victims and survivors, as well as those who have given their lives in service during times of need.
The JVC has partnered with The Network, Federation's under-40 division, to provide an opportunity for members of the community to take part in the Jewish values of chesed (loving kindness), tzedakah (social justice) and tikkun olam (repairing the world) through service.
Jeremy Ben David and Alexandra Lehson are the Chairs for this event. The JVC Chair is Mark Kravitz. The Network Chairs are Amanda Adler and Scott Wagner.
Limited space is available. There is no cost to participate.
For more information, contact JVC Director Lori Drutz at Volunteer@jewishmiami.org or call 786.866.8414.
The mission of the Jewish Volunteer Center (JVC) of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation is to partner with Jewish and communal organizations in Miami to create a culture of volunteerism by providing a central clearinghouse for volunteers in the Miami Jewish community. Guided by the Jewish values of chesed (loving kindness), tzedakah (social justice) and tikkun olam (repairing the world), the JVC works to strengthen the entire community through high-quality, hands-on volunteer projects and service learning initiatives.
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Leo Martin March of the Living
April 4 - 17, 2013
CAJE tells us that information sessions are available in the South Dade area for the upcoming March of the Living at the following locations:
Greater Miami Jewish Federation Building, 4200 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, Wednesday, August 15, 7:00 p.m.
Bet Shira Congregation, 7500 SW 120 St., Miami, Thursday, August 16, 7:00 p.m.
March of the Living Parlor Meeting, located at a private home in the Palmetto Bay area, 7:30 p.m.; call 305-576-4030, ext. 144 for RSVP and address.
Seating is limited; please reserve your spot today!
Send your RSVP's to: LMMOLMIAMI@CAJE-MIAMI.ORG. Please provide the session date and the number of persons attending.
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