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February 2015 e-Newsletter
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President's Column
By Andrew Gavens
Recently we witnessed horrific events occurring to Jews in France, Israel, and South America. Reports of anti-Semitic acts throughout the world are increasing. When will the world put an end to these unconscionable events? At the same time we are remembering the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
It is imperative that we all speak out to ensure that the media properly reports Jewish issues. I was extremely disappointed with the media after the terrorist attack in France. The local news station I watch seemed to go out of their way to leave out the fact that one of the attacks occurred in a kosher supermarket. This was an important piece of information that changes the event from a horrendous terrorist attack to an anti-Semitic attack. Proper reporting of anti-Semitic acts, Israel, as well as positive Jewish stories is important. It educates our friends and neighbors so that they understand the issues. Additionally, having these stories in the public view is critical. Those in influential positions need to know that the public will not stand for these anti-Semitic acts. The media and our politicians need to hear from each of us that these acts are unacceptable. So politely write to our local media sources and politicians informing them of the importance of fighting anti-Semitism.
We just finished reading from the Torah about the ten plagues that were necessary to convince the Egyptians to let our ancestors go following a difficult period of slavery. At the time, Egypt was basically the entire world. How many plagues will we need to endure today so that a Jew can walk safely anywhere in the world with a yarmulke on their head?
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Rabbi's Column
By Rabbi Lichtenfeld
On the night of Feb. 3, we will mark the celebration of Tu Bishvat (the 15th of Shevat), known as Rosh Hashanah la-ilan, "the new year for trees." One of the most quoted concepts in respect to Tu Bishvat is the prohibition of bal tashchit, "You shall not destroy." In the Torah it refers to fruit trees in a time of war, but in the later tradition it is expanded to include any sort of wanton destruction. The Sefer HaChinukh, which counts and analyzes the 613 mitzvot of the Torah, says the following in regard to this mitzvah (quoted by Eilon Schwartz in the anthology Trees, Earth and Torah):
The root reason for the mitzvah is [evident], for it is in order to train our spirits to love what is good and beneficial and to cling to it; and, as a result, good fortune will cling to us, and we will move well away from every evil thing and from every matter of destructiveness. This is the way of the kindly men of piety and the conscientiously observant... They will not destroy even a mustard seed in the world, and they are distressed at every ruination and spoilage that they see; and if they are able to do any rescuing, they will save anything from destruction, with all their power.
In the literature of teshuvot (Jewish legal responsa), Schwartz demonstrates the existence of minimalist and maximalist traditions about what bal tashchit in fact forbids. Some rabbis are very liberal in allowing human desire to trump destruction of nature. Others, however, try to limit destruction to cases of real need. Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, for example, who died this past year, allows a large family to cut down a fruit tree only because they truly need the space. He says it would be forbidden if they were doing so only for luxury or beautification.
Whether one is a maximalist or minimalist in this regard, however, the extent of a cavalier attitude towards waste among so many in our world makes the warning of the Sefer Hachinukh all the more urgent. May Tu Bishvat inspire us to create a culture in which we are sensitive to even the destruction of a mustard seed in our world.
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New Member Shabbat is February 28
By Randy Fox
Inviting new members to participate in our congregation's services, programs, and committees strengthens us. Members, new and old, are the lifeblood of Congregation Agudat Achim.
On February 28 we will be honoring all of our new members by  having these new friends participate in the Shabbat service right alongside our old friends. This celebratory service will honor each of Agudat Achim's newest members. We will enjoy a participatory service, followed by a kiddush luncheon. Please feel free to invite anyone you know who may be interested in seeing our community in action.
Let's give a special welcome to our most recent member, Gary Reich. Gary is a physics professor at Union College. He and his wife Margaret (Peg) are often at Shabbat services. Gary decided to join CAA soon after attending the November Open House Coffee Klatch.
New member Shabbat Services & Kiddush on February 28 is coming up fast. Put it on your calendar now, before you forget!
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A New Way to Recognize Volunteers is Coming!
By Hillary Fink
On Thursday evening, June 4, our first annual Shomrei Kehillah Awards celebration will take place at a dinner program catered by As You Like It. This event has been developed to recognize outstanding volunteers and local businesses, as well as to raise funds for our synagogue.
In past years, many events have taken place at Congregation Agudat Achim to recognize volunteers. There have been catered brunches where synagogue volunteers have been honored. For the past nine years, Women's Network has been presenting the Woman of Valor award to a deserving volunteer at their annual Donor Program. In addition, Men's Club has given their coveted Shofar Award during ceremonies they have planned. Realizing that three volunteer recognition events are A LOT for one small synagogue in Schenectady, a committee was formed to develop one BIG event to honor three congregants and one local business at the same time. Thus, the Shomrei Kehillah Awards program was born!
Shomrei Kehillah translates to Guardians of the Community. People and businesses who have made outstanding contributions to both our synagogue community and the community-at-large will be honored. We are excited to announce the honorees for 2015:
Woman of Valor (presented by Women's Network): Risč Routenberg
Shofar Award (presented by Men's Club): Bob Feinberg
Volunteer of the Year: Susan Farber
Community Supporter: Albany Broadcasting Company
Invitations to this very special event will be mailed in mid-April. Please contact Hillary Fink if you have any questions.
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Congregation Agudat Achim Purim Dinner
By Melissa Gavens
Purim is coming, so get your costumes, groggers, and party hats ready! This festival celebrates our survival of Haman's plot to annihilate the Jews in ancient Persia, as recorded in the Book of Esther. Please join us on Wednesday, March 4 at 5:30 p.m. for the Megillah reading, Purim dinner, costume contests, an adult shpiel, raffles, prizes, and more.
Let the costume party begin! There will be many contests for  best (and funniest) dressed for kids of all ages, including adults who are kids at heart, with amazing prizes for all. Activities for children also include face painting and games. Adults, don't forget to have a little nosh and an adult drink from our snack table. The best part of the night is the adult Purim skit, where adults who have "noshed" too much show off their acting skills. It's always hilarious fun! Please come celebrate with us, as this event is open to the public.
Dinner is $13.00 for adults and $6.00 for children. You will be able to register and pay online through Constant Contact, at the Congregation's Facebook page, or by contacting the main office for more details at 393-9211.
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It's Mishloach Manot Time!
By Hillary Fink
Purim is right around the corner, which means that our annual  Mishloach Manot fundraiser is now here! All congregants should have received the information about this project in the mail during the last week. (Please contact Barbara in the office if you did not receive it.) Mishloach Manot benefits four arms of CAA: Men's Club, Religious School, Ways and Means (overall budget), and Women's Network. We have raised thousands of dollars over the past three years, and with your support, we can break our record this year! The order forms have all of the details about how to participate.
Two mitzvot are associated with Purim. One is sending a food package to friends and the other is matanot la evyanom: each person is required to give charity to at least two people. By supporting this project, you can fulfill both mitzvot.
Two other mitzvot which you can perform involve helping with the baking of 5000 hamentashen (we promise that it's fun!) and with the delivering of the packages. This fundraiser has grown so tremendously, we really need your help to ensure its success. Please consider helping us for any amount of time on the following dates:
Baking (ages 16 and older please):
Sunday, February 8 9:00 - 1:00
Monday, February 9 - Friday, February 13 9:00 - 3:00
Assembling the Packages (teenagers and older please):
Saturday, February 28 6:00 - ?
Sunday, March 1 9:30 - ?
Delivering Packages (highly recommended family mitzvah!)
Any time between Sunday, March 1 and Wednesday, March 4
(Packages should be picked up on Saturday night (February 28) or Sunday morning (March 1)
In advance, thank you for your support of this annual fundraiser. If you have any questions, please contact either Hillary Fink (458-2756 or hbean5891@aol.com ) or Sharon Wohl (377-8950 or wohl.sharon@gmail.com).
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Rosh Hodesh Shevat Program a Success
By Mishka Luft
The Rosh Hodesh group hosted a unique meeting on Wednesday,  January 21. Five women with different backgrounds and from different congregational movements told the large gathering about their journeys to become Jews.
Christie Hart, Susan Weil, Bonnie Kohn, Angela Benedetto and Kim Cohen were extremely generous in sharing the process, influences and experiences in their conversions. We are most grateful for their participation. In addition, many thanks to Mery Gross who was a most gracious host.
Toda Rabba to all.
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Happy 106th Birthday, Johanna Takaroff!
By Jessica Many and Barbara Miller
On Saturday, January 24, our Kehillah helped celebrate Johanna Takaroff's 106th birthday. During the service, Rabbi Ted did some comparisons of the year that Johanna was born (1909) and today.
- The President was Teddy Roosevelt (until March 4). He came under criticism in 1904 for inviting Booker T. Washington to dinner. Today there is a black president.
- The United States flag had 46 stars. Today it has 50 stars.
- Eggs cost 14¢ per dozen. Today they are $2 or $3 per dozen.
- There was corruption in Tammany Hall. (Rabbi Ted left it at that!)
- Troops left Cuba, 11 years after helping win Cuban independence in the Spanish-American War. Today we are restoring relations with Cuba.
Johanna was born in New York City in 1909. She always loved to read and graduated from Hunter High School and then Hunter College. After college she obtained a teaching position in the New York City school system. In 1938 she married a musician, Theodore Takaroff. Soon afterwards he was drafted and served in the army during World War II. They had a daughter, Susan, in 1949.
The family moved to Schenectady in 1957 where Theodore was offered a position teaching music in the Schenectady Schools. A short time later, Johanna obtained a teaching position within the Draper School System where she continued to work until she retired at the age of 67. After retirement, Johanna took a class in quilting and this became her main hobby during her retirement years.
The Takaroff Family joined Agudat Achim in 1957. Many years ago, Johanna ran the gift shop with her friend, Selma Kaplan. She has been a long time member of Sisterhood which became Women's Network in the 1980s. She was also a dues paying member of the Men's Club. She remembers fondly working in the synagogue kitchen where she was given the task of precisely weighing the hamburgers that she prepared for the Carrot Festival.
While Johanna became a widow 24 years ago, she is surrounded with love from her daughter Susan (Sonya), two grandchildren, Michael and Melissa and three great grandchildren.
Thank you to the Lunch Bunch crew and representatives from Catering for making this birthday celebration something special.
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As You Like It Kosher Catering
is currently taking bookings for your special event!
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More Catering Photos here
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Please contact Ellen Daviero at asyoulikeit@nycap.rr.com
or call the synagogue office at 393-9211 to lock in your date!
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It's not too early to think about Passover!
As You Like It Catering will be selling pareve pastries including Almond Horns and a limited selection of savory items such as soup, matzoh balls and kugel for Passover
Stay tuned for the flyer and ordering information.
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February Yahrzeits
February 1-6
Sophie Shapiro, Albert Mendelson, Abraham Davidovits, Wilhelmina Davidovits, Jerome Freedman, Abram Brown, Leo Shwedel, Melvyn Behn, Joseph Hertzman, Samoil Moise
February 7-13
Rivka bat Zalmen Filanovskiy, Hendel Jaroszewski, Alvin Edward Kossoff, Louis Ratner, Kathryn Bidwell, Michael Krajcer, William Dreisenstock, Ethel Goldstein, Hertha Happ, Rose Kerman, Edward Segall, Anna Rosenthal, Sam Anikstein
February 14 - 20
Hyman Brooks, Max Haber, Richard D. Siegal, Lenore Greenberg, Harry Lipstein, Sadie Hausler, Hermine Reichner, Ann Weiner, Chay Khirge, Wolf Pasler, Charles Rubin, Robert Gelwarg, Jack Swerdlow, Harvey Mayer, Harvey Stein, Richard Palatsky
February 21 - 28
Arthur Friedson, Bernard Mollen, Betty Weissman, Bersutskay Getl Benumovna, Dora Cohen, Irene Goldberg, Dr. Albert Freedman, Robert Levine, Gladys Golub, Pauline Goldstein, Goldie Green, Sarah Sobolsky, Meir Ben Amoz, Rose Simon, Ben Edelheit, Helen Freedman
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We gratefully acknowledge the donations that were made during the month of December.
December Donations
ADULT EDUCATION FUND
In memory of Carol Kline's brother, Marvin Shwedel
Karen & Allan Pearlman
In memory of Gladys Karlin
Shelley & Gene Altman
In memory of Max Fox
Randy & Robert Fox
ALAN WESTHEIMER EDUCATION IN ISRAEL FUND
In honor of Murray Jaros' 80th birthday
Rose & Paul Westheimer
In memory of Carol Kline's brother, Marvin Shwedel
Phyllis & Sidney Friedson
In memory of our beloved mother, Selma Kahn
Rose & Paul Westheimer
In memory of our beloved son, Alan Westheimer
Rose & Paul Westheimer
In memory of our dear cousin Naomi Friedman
Rose & Paul Westheimer
BIBLICAL GARDEN
In memory of Bernard Yablon
Hillary Fink
In memory of Tillie Hausler
Jan Altschuller
CEMETERY FUND
In memory of Michael & Gussie Mendelson
Marlene & Rich Mendelson
In memory of my father, Leonid Tokarsky
Alexander & Lilia Simkhovich
CEMETERY RENOVATION PROJECT
In memory of Muriel Axelrod
Eric & Gilah Moses
GENERAL FUND
In honor of Murray Jaros' 80th birthday
Barbara & Alan Miller
Hillary Fink
Joanne Seltzer
Julia Eddy & Dan Mayer
Helen & Harlan Harrison
Tammy & Joel Weingarten
Debbie & Art Friedson
In honor of Simon Woods' Bar Mitzvah
Este & Sam Sylvetsky
In honor of the naming of Zion Woods
Este & Sam Sylvetsky
In honor of Cliff & Marilyn Elson's Wedding Anniversary
Joe Shiang & Susan Sharfstein
In memory of Aaron J. Wollman
Debbie & Art Friedson
In memory of Bert Levin
Shelley & Gene Altman
In memory of Carol Kline's brother, Marvin Shwedel
Debbie & Art Friedson
In memory of Chaim Feiner
Celia Epstein
In memory of Harry Golub
Muriel & Wilbur Shapiro
In memory of Jacob Takiff
Edith Takiff
In memory of Joan Sylvetsky
Este & Sam Sylvetsky
In memory of Marga Kassimir
Laurey & Steven Goldberg
In memory of Minnie & Samuel Cohen
Norman & Jerome Cohen
In memory of Muriel Axelrod
Sara & Andrew Gavens
Debbie & Art Friedson
Este & Sam Sylvetsky
In memory of my father, Morris Cohen
Rheba Rubins
In memory of my mother, Gertrude Gallup
Sally Goldstein
In memory of Philmore Schiff
Murray Weissman
In memory of Tillie Hausler
Your friends who provided the Shiva dinner
HEALTH/ACCESSIBILITY FUND
In honor of Sylvia & Herb Winer
Larry & Sara Winer
Wishing health and ease to Cliff & Marilyn Elson
The Schmidt Family
HOSPITALITY FUND
Good Health wishes to Barry Kline
Karen & Allan Pearlman
In honor of and with affection for Celia Diamond
The Schmidt Family
With "lehitraot" to Yaffa Lown
The Schmidt Family
In memory of Virginia Hyndman
The Schmidt Family
JUDAICA FUND
In honor of Murray Jaros
Ruth Fraster
LAURA SCHEINZEIT CEMETERY BEAUTIFICATION FUND
In memory of Miriam Hallenstein
Betty & Alex Hallenstein
PRAGER MUSIC FUND
In memory of Sam Anderman
The Schmidt Family
PRAYER BOOK FUND
In memory of Bernard Stein
Martin, Susanna & Jessica Stein
RABBI'S DISCRETIONARY FUND
In memory of Elaine Lipstein
Norman Lipstein
In memory of Jason Tepper
Alice Buff Tepper
In memory of Muriel Axelrod
Phyllis & Arnold Ritterband
In memory of my parents, Sam & Ida Levy
Linda Birnby
REYUT
In memory of my parents Sam & Ida Levy
Linda Birnby
In memory of Sylvia Goodcoff
The Goodcoff Family
SADIE SCHNEIDER ROSH CHODESH LEARNING FUND
In honor of SueAnn Grosberg's special birthday
Ellen & Robert Zirin
In honor of the marriage of Michael Luft Weissberg &
Elizabeth Braley
Mishka Luft & Robert Weissberg
In memory of Lillian Anderman
The Schmidt Family
SARA & IRVING HANDELMAN MEMORIAL FUND
In honor of Murray Jaros' special birthday
Monika & Bob Woll
YOUTH ACTIVITIES FUND
In honor of Simon Woods
Lois & Dick Mendelson
Complete and speedy recovery to Cliff Elson
Ruth Fraster
Speedy recovery to Sandy Bell
Bobbie & Mark Moses
In memory of Tillie Hausler
Bobbie & Mark Moses
YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP FUND
In honor of Simon Woods becoming a Bar Mitzvah
Sara & Andrew Gavens
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