This Week At Beth Or

Your guide to upcoming programs,

activities and news

November 25, 2014

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In This Issue

Rabbi Mark Kram

Shabbat Service

Rabbi

Mark Kram

Click here to meet
Rabbi Mark Kram

D'Var Torah

November 29, 2014

Vayetzei

Genesis 30:14 - 31:16

(using the Triennial Year 2 calendar)

Haftarah

For Ashkenazim:
Hosea 12:13 - 14-10

For Sephardim Hosea 11:7 - 12:12

Beth Or Links

Other Links

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

What is Reconstructionism?

Ma Nishma: The latest news from JRF

Alper JCC

Rabbi Rami Shapiro: Our Founding Rabbi

Greater Miami Jewish Federation

Center For The Advancement of Jewish Education

Contact:

Kathy Fisler
bethortemple@aol.com

Temple Beth Or

305-235-1419

Office Hours:

Tuesday 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Wednesday: Noon - 3:00 pm.

Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

What's Happening This Week at Temple Beth Or

Tuesday, November 25

Wednesday, November 26

Chit Chat will not meet today!
Office hours today will be 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, November 27

Weight Watchers will not meet today!

Friday, November 28

Kabbalat Shabbat 8:00 p.m.



Saturday, November 29

Sunday, November 30

Monday, December 1

Adult Education: My Promised Land:     Book Discussion Part 2 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, December 2

Wednesday, December 3

Chit Chat resumes at 10:00 a.m.

Thursday, December 4
Weight Watchers 10:00 a.m.



Friday, December 5
Bonfire Shabbat 8:00 p.m.

Temple Beth Or
Events

Save the Date!

December 6
Bazaar Setup volunteers needed!

December 7

Holiday Bazaar

December 11

Executive Committee and Board Meetings

January 13, 2015

Positive Psychology 2 begins

January 17, 2015
Progressive Dinner

January 31-February 2, 2015
Jews in the Woods I Camping Trip

March 21, 2015
Lighthouse Cafe with Ruth Wyand

Temple Beth Or

Community Notices

Shabbat Shalom

Friday, November 29

Join us this Friday evening at 8:00 for Kabbalat Shabbat Service. Jeff Kaminsky will lead with a Thanksgiving theme.

Oneg Shabbat to follow the service, and there just might be some pumpkin pie and ice cream to enjoy!

Thank You, Thank You

to all who have generously contributed to Temple Beth Or...

Diane Pearl, in memory of Jean Van Dam, in
memory of Arlene Harris, and in memory of
Irwin Pearl

Beth Or Annual Holiday Bazaar

Our annual bazaar is just one month away, Sunday December 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We have wonderful new vendors and our favorites, Hudson Girl, Uniquely Stoned, The Chosen, Carlos Pereira, Tesserot Pottery, Ellen's Treasures, and Dixie's Jewels, traveling all the way from Maryland, just to name a few.

April and Rhoni are ready to make their lists and check them twice!!!

We are still in need of a candle vendor and children's accessories.

Please e mail or call us if you can help set up for the bazaar Saturday December 6, 1:00 p.m. Come on guys, we need your muscles!

On Sunday we need help with the raffle, trouble shooting and then the breakdown of everything.

Promising to be the best bazaar EVER!!!

We need a raffle chairperson and a few people to work that day.

Save all your gelt and plan to do your holiday shopping with us, proceeds benefit TBO.

Flyers are available for you to post in condo or apartment bulletin boards, to give out to groups, or to ask the businesses you patronize to post in their windows.

My Promised Land

by Ari Shavit

Part Two:

A Temple Beth Or Book Discussion, led by Rabbi Mark Kram, to meet on Monday, December 1.

Excerpt from the book's summary on Amazon.com:

"We meet Shavit's great-grandfather, a British Zionist who in 1897 visited the Holy Land on a Thomas Cook tour and understood that it was the way of the future for his people; the idealist young farmer who bought land from his Arab neighbor in the 1920s to grow the Jaffa oranges that would create Palestine's booming economy; the visionary youth group leader who, in the 1940s, transformed Masada from the neglected ruins of an extremist sect into a powerful symbol for Zionism; the Palestinian who as a young man in 1948 was driven with his family from his home during the expulsion from Lydda; the immigrant orphans of Europe's Holocaust, who took on menial work and focused on raising their children to become the leaders of the new state; the pragmatic engineer who was instrumental in developing Israel's nuclear program in the 1960s, in the only interview he ever gave; the zealous religious Zionists who started the settler movement in the 1970s; the dot-com entrepreneurs and young men and women behind Tel-Aviv's booming club scene; and today's architects of Israel's foreign policy with Iran, whose nuclear threat looms ominously over the tiny country.

As it examines the complexities and contradictions of the Israeli condition, My Promised Land asks difficult but important questions: Why did Israel come to be? How did it come to be? Can Israel survive? Culminating with an analysis of the issues and threats that Israel is currently facing, My Promised Land uses the defining events of the past to shed new light on the present. The result is a landmark portrait of a small, vibrant country living on the edge, whose identity and presence play a crucial role in today's global political landscape."

The book is available for purchase through Amazon and other sources and is also available at the Miami-Dade Public Library.

Holiday Collection for

Chapman's Babies

....Starting NOW!!!

In lieu of collecting toys or gifts for the holidays, we are going to collect needed items for Chapman's babies. Most needed are diapers, formula, bibs, bottles and the like.

The last day of the collection will be Friday Dec. 19th. A box will be placed in the Oneg Room for your convenience.

Red Tent Women's Reading Group

The next Red Tent meeting will be on December 14 at the Temple, hosted by Marcy Prince. Linda Faber will lead discussion of The Paris Architect, by Charles Belfoure.

It's Theatre Time!

Sunday, December 21, curtain time 2 p.m.

The Beth Or Programming Committee has arranged a special group rate through GableStage for the upcoming play, "Bad Jews". The New York Times called the play "the best comedy of the season; delectably savage and supremely funny".

The play tells of a beloved grandfather, who had died, and the treasured family heirloom, with religious significance, that is up for grabs. A Manhattan apartment sets the scene for a touching and hilarious show dealing with family, faith, and legacy.

In order to secure our special group rate of $40 per person (instead of $50), we must have ten or more people attending.

If you are interested, please provide a check payable to GableStage in the amount of $40 per attendee. You can give the checks to Kathy at the Temple office, or mail to Amy Lomaskin, 10860 SW 124 Street, Miami, FL 33176, to arrive by December 12th. Amy cannot accept checks after that date as they must be taken to the theater in order to secure the group rate and tickets.

Please join us for what is sure to be an enjoyable afternoon!

Positive Psychology 2 Starts in January

An 8-week open event facilitated by Dr. Nancy Kirsner. All are welcome!

Positive Psychology has ushered in an

era of well being and happiness by focusing on what works and is strong in you.

Research and reality teaches us that we are at our best when we live in our strengths and in relationships. Our Jewish fundamentals and Positive Psychology converge, creating a rich context of meaning, purpose and pleasure -- the main ingredients of Happiness and Wellbeing.

Class session dates: Tuesday evenings
January 13 and 20,
February 3, 10, 17, and 24,
March 3 and 10.

To register, please email nancykirsner@gmail.com.

For any questions, call Dr. Nancy Kirsner at 305-274-8283.

Cost to participate:
$10 per class if taken individually
$60 for the series of classes for Beth Or members if paid in advance or at the first session
$80 for the series for non-members if paid in advance or at the first session

Progressive Dinner

Hello everyone: it's that time of year again when we start thinking about Temple

Beth Or's Progressive Dinner.

The date for the 2015 Progressive Dinner is

January 17, 2015. We are looking for volunteers to host the entree portion of the

evening and Irene and I were wondering if you would be willing to serve as a host

house?

Our 2015 Progressive Dinner will be start off at the home of Ilien & Keith Hechtman and we will conclude at the home of April & Scott Miller. We are grateful for the generosity of both families for helping us to make the 2015

Progressive Dinner a very special evening.

Once the guests leave the Hechtmans they head to their assigned host house. Hosts are responsible to serve a salad, main dish with some side dishes, bread, and something to drink. Temple Beth Or provides each host house with two bottles of wine -- one red and one white.

You and your guests eat and talk for a couple of hours and leave and head to the Miller home by 10 p.m. for the dessert portion of the night.

It's a great way to rekindle old friendships and make new ones.

Irene and Annette do all the behind the scenes arrangement of assigning folks to the

houses and so forth.

It's great fun and we hope you'll consider hosting. Please let us know as soon as possible whether you'll be able to be a host. Feel free to respond by email or you can call either Irene or if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you.

Annette's cell number is 305-542-8573

Irene's cell number is 305-310-8219

Emails:
Annette Katz: annette075@aol.com
Irene Elliott: 1stroke@gmail.com

Jews in the Woods

Friday, January 31 - Sunday, February 2, 2014

At the exotic, bayside Flamingo Campground in Everglades National Park

Activities (will be decided based on weather and wind conditions):

Friday evening, 8:00 PM: Kabbalat Shabbat under the stars.

Saturday morning, 10:30 AM: Sweet and simple Sabbath service.

Saturday and Sunday during the day: Cruise on a mangrove adventure canoe trip, brave a swamp tromp, see the feathered wildlife on a bird walk, and make plaster castings of animal footprints.

Saturday evening, 6:00 PM: Potluck and Havdalah under the stars. We will also have a patriotic flag burning ceremony just before bed after the s'mores!

Housing: TENTS ONLY! You must make your own standard non-electric site reservation. Reservations ($16 per might) can either be made at
http://www.recreation.gov/campsiteFilterAction.do?sitefilter=STANDARD+NONELECTRIC&startIdx=0&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70976or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

Food: All food is bring your own. For Saturday evening we are having a potluck, so please have enough to share with others. Bring your own dishes and utensils. There is a convenience store and a modest food trailer in Flamingo so you can buy food, but the selection is very limited.

Fee: There is a $10 at the park entrance fee plus your $16 per night park service campsite fee - see Housing above.

Bring:
All food, tents, all cooking gear (pots, pans, stove, utensils), toiletries, towels, sleeping bags/pillows, sun protection, binoculars, cameras, folding tables and extra chairs, rain gear, jackets, bug repellent, bikes

Email Ellen Siegel, gladesgirl1@bellsouth.net with the number of campers and your contact information. You can also reach her at (305) 332-5544.

Green Stuff!

Beth Or's ORGANIC GARDEN

ontinues to grow!

Put the 'Or' in 'Organic"

H&G thanks Glenn Patron for illuminating our monument sign with solar-powered spotlights.

Beth Or's

Minipark is the mulched area between the gravel parking lot and our main building. Still under construction, it

provides safe passage walkways from parking lot to building on a mulch bed instead of rough terrain, tree roots and encroaching vegetation.

Watch for additional improvements as we add sitting area, etc.~ House & Grounds

Certified Florida Master Gardeners Wilfredo and Candy Candelaria will support

Beth Or's Organic Garden and Campus Edibles Program for 2014-15.

They will help train volunteers and provide education for Green Thumb congregants

who want to practice organic, sustainable vegetable, fruit and medicinal cultivation.

Watch for opportunities to cultivate your own plot at Beth Or or help our next communal crops of: bananas, papayas, other edibles, herbs and medicianals!

We're also submitting a grant proposal to improve the irrigation for many edibles on campus!

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

Check out this site: Derek Fellows Grows

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, '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."

Story: We are Shomrei Adamah, Guardians of the Earth or Keepers of the Garden of Eden. To start off we will be practical and do whatever works- but we aspire to the highest standards of earth ethics summarized by Organic/Veganic Gardening. We will carefully select the veggies and herbs to maximize output, balanced cultivatino, companion planting, insect control, etc. With today's high prices for quality veggies and herbs, a garden is economically desirable. Plus it is part of a healthy lifestyle, good education, and a social communal experience. All those with green (or any color) thumbs are welcome to cultivate with us.

Weight Watchers at Beth Or

Weight Watchers will not meet this week.

For more information, please contact Ilien Hechtman at ilienh@aol.com

Chit Chat

Chit Chat will not meet Wednesday, November 26,

the day before Thanksgiving.

If you want to be included on the Chit Chat email list, please contact Mike Leslie at hebrewnatl@aol.com.

TBO Members' Page

Wishlist for TBO Friends

Jeff Tucker is looking for:

A digital converter box for non-digital TV's
A good antenna -- rabbit ears or similar
Movie DVD's
Ladies' shoes size 8-1/2
Ladies' cosmetics
Men's slippers
Warm blanket
Full-sized sheets

Jeff is collecting these items for Noli and Keke. Please contact him at tuckbrc@bellsouth.net
to make arrangements for donations.

In and For Our Local Community

Mental Health Programs Open to the Public

...at Temple Beth Am, 7-9 p.m. as follows:

Wednesday, December 3: Honest Talk on Treatment Options: Discussions regarding psychiatry, psychology and the status of treatment in Miami-Dade County

Wednesday, December 10: Honest Talk: Innovative Approaches to Treatment: Groundbreaking new approaches to mental health

All events are free and open to the community.

For more information, visit www.tbam.org/mentalhealth

JCS Alliance's Team Blue Card

in the Miami Marathon

Sunday, January 25, 2015, Downtown Miami

100% of your support will benefit Holocaust Survivors living in Miami-Dade County served by Jewish Community Services.

Who can participate? Anyone over the age of 18 can run or walk. Walkers are expected to finish within 4 hours for the Half and 7.5 hours for the Full.

What is the minimum fundraising expctation? $250 for the Half and $500 for the Full, plus the individual self-registration fee at the race.

What are the Team Membership Benefits? Guaranteed race admission to the 2015 New York City Marathon*, discounted entry fee, complimentary racing gear, personal fundraising webpage.

*$3,000 minimum fundraising amount

For more information, call Marian Mendelsohn at 305-403-6539, or emailmmendelsohn@jcsfl.org