null         
Kol Ha'Emek   
              December 2013 - January 2014 
               Kislev - Tevet - Shevat - 5774 
 

In This Issue
Volunteers make a difference at TES!

Quick Links
Education
ShulschoolShul School
December 8, 2013
January 12, 2014
January 26, 2014
Adult Education

Beginning Hebrew
January 13, 2014, 7:00 pm
(pre-registration recommended)

Rabbi's Tisch
Introduction to Hasidism
Part 1
January 25, 2014, 5:30 pm.
Anniversaries
AnnivDecember - January
Janet & Rubens Alves12/12/13
Jill A. Grace & Steven Hersch12/17/13
Ruth A. Rabinovitch & Thomas Treger12/18/13
Johan & Judith Visser12/18/13
Jeffrey & Barbara Beaupain12/22/13
Lawrence & Christa Diamant12/22/13
Marlyn & Larry McClaskey12/26/13
Linda & Ben Bellinson1/7/14
Virginia & Glenn Sagal1/8/14
Owen Grush & Ellen Wilfong-Grush1/19/14
Rabbi Jacqueline Brodsky & Ross Albertson1/26/14

Birthdays
BirthdaysDecember - January
Darlene Smith12/1/13
Frida Briggs12/3/13
Joyce Epstein12/4/13
Jacqueline Davis12/5/13
Bonnie Frol12/5/13
Holly Neimark12/5/13
Surry Tresser12/6/13
Adie Goldberg12/8/13
Mark Spector12/8/13
Deneice Zeve12/8/13
Robin Herskowitz-Heald12/9/13
Richard Whitall12/9/13
Thomas Treger12/10/13
Peter Schultz12/11/13
Olivia Plotnick12/12/13
Sarah Spector12/12/13
Eileen Polk12/13/13
Jacob Aaron Sacks12/13/13
Peter Adesman12/14/13
Lance Bisaccia12/14/13
Benjamin Bloom12/14/13
Fayegail Mandell Bisaccia12/19/13
Alexandra Frol12/20/13
Susan Aaronson12/22/13
Lev Silberstein12/22/13
Dr. Jonathan Gell12/23/13
Adam Lion12/23/13
Seymour Empol12/24/13
Philip Buller12/25/13
Marlyn McClaskey12/25/13
Russ Hannan12/27/13
Felicia Cohen12/28/13
Emma Empol12/28/13
Noah Falkner12/29/13
Vivian Keyes12/29/13
Rebecca Saladoff12/29/13
Alan Bender1/1/14
Marti Bender1/1/14
Olivia Haney1/1/14
Davida Schneider1/1/14
Aaron Bandler1/2/14
Lawrence Diamant1/3/14
Greta Zeve1/4/14
Amelia Zeve1/8/14
Sierra Gutman1/9/14
Sharon Gell1/10/14
Ruth Resch1/10/14
Susan Brook1/11/14
Cara Feldman1/12/14
Isabella Rimes1/13/14
Joan Steele1/13/14
Donald Haney III1/14/14
Gail Kessler1/14/14
Martin Meinig1/14/14
Kyle Maximillian Kohlmann1/15/14
Max Empol1/16/14
Susan Saladoff1/16/14
Owen Grush1/17/14
Sheila Canal1/18/14
Jack Dempsey1/19/14
Eugene Majeski1/19/14
Eileen Muller1/20/14
Michael Schames1/20/14
Bruce Barton1/22/14
Molly Bloom1/22/14
Deborah Bloch1/23/14
Heather Kahn1/23/14
Perry Prince1/24/14
Julia Sommer1/24/14
Sabrina Mizrachi1/26/14
Shari Wyne1/26/14
Adam Nelson1/27/14
Rayna Zohar1/27/14
Christine Karchmer1/28/14
Lola Sonnenschein1/28/14
Carol Wolf1/28/14
Avena Semanisin1/29/14
Avi Silberstein1/29/14
Sally Ann Telpner1/29/14
Zoe Heald1/30/14
Daniel Portrait1/30/14
Nancy Spector1/30/14
Julia Margulies1/31/14
Rebecca Margulies1/31/14

candleYahrzeit Candle
Lighting Prayer
For the love that death cannot sever, for the time we shared along life's path, for the gifts of heart and mind, we are grateful. Divine one, help us to understand that grief and love go hand in hand.

As we are made more aware of light by kindling this Yahrzeit candle, may we remember the light which (say the name)brought in the world.

Zich-ro-no(m) Zich-ro-nah(f) liv'ra-cha.
May his/her memory be for a blessing.
Board Hosts
hostsDecember 2013
12/13   Tom Treger &
            Owen Grush
12/21   Nancy Pagani
12/21   Joan Steele &
            David Wyte

January 2014
1/4       Nancy Pagani
1/10     Owen Grush
1/24     Don Steyskal
1/25     Sherry Friedman
1/31     Laura Bloom &
            Ben Bloom  
Winter Office Closure
closureOffice Closure
The TES office will be closed from December 25 through January 1.
  Message from Rabbi Boettiger
AllIneedAll I Need is a Miracle

Jews don't speak too much about miracles. Hanukah is a holiday about miracles, but Hanukah is a minor holiday, elevated to its special status partly because we live in North America and have to keep pace with the Jones' come Christmas time.

When I think of miracle - I think of those kids at Grateful Dead shows, with a sign that says, "I need a miracle" - meaning a miracle ticket, given to them for free. I also think of the most famous miracles in Judaism: the Burning Bush, the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. And, of course, the oil for the menorah lasting a miraculous eight days, when it was thought that it would last for only one.

But what was the real miracle in the Hanukah story? The Maccabees lit the one cruze of oil, instead of just giving up on the whole enterprise because they didn't have enough oil to rededicate the Temple. They lit it anyway. They had the courage to kindle light, and the world met them halfway. Similarly, the famous midrash of Nachshon tells of how the sea didn't split until the brave Nachshon waded into it ever deeper until the water was up to his neck. It was only then that the sea divided. The common trope in Jewish miracle stories is that the world meets us when we step forward with courage.

A great example of this and a parallel to the Hanukah story is when Elisha in 2 Kings (4:1-7) multiplies a poor widow's jar of oil. I don't think it's an accident that our miracles are connected to oil, which is connected to light. Elisha, who with Elijah, is one half of the miracle-working team in the Prophets, is approached by a woman who is bereft. Her husband has died, and creditors are coming to take her children as slaves. Elisha says to her, "What can I do for you?" The woman asks for help, Elisha asks her what is currently in her house, and she replies, nothing. He says, really, nothing at all? And she says, well, I have one jug of oil. Elisha says, Go, and borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels, as many as you can. Then go into your home, shut the door behind you, and pour oil from your jug into all of those vessels. All of them will fill. Her children keep bringing vessels and the oil keeps flowing, till they run out of vessels. She is able to sell the oil and pay her debts.

I love that he asks her what she already has. As if to say, examine what is in front of you. Like the Maccabees - have the courage to know that what you possess will be enough. Start pouring. Make room by borrowing vessels. And it's important to remember that oil is that which burns and creates light. That is what oil is code for: light. And light is code for G-d's Presence.

There is enough light to go round. In fact, there is an infinite amount of light. Rumi writes, "In Your light, I learn to love." In our morning blessings we say, "For with You is the source of life. In your light we see light."

We feel that G-d abandons us sometimes. The mystics would say, the world is only light, but included in this reality are those moments where the light is blocked and it falls on us to try to see traces of it coming in through the cracks. When we are able to, we call that a miracle.

Hanukah is the only time of year when we are encouraged to pray for miracles. Let us do so. Let us also, to the best of our capacity, be like the Maccabees, Nachshon, and the widow in the Elisha story - and have the courage to step forward and meet the miraculous.

L'shalom
,

Rabbi Boettiger
Upcoming Special Events
UpcomingSpecialEventsShabbat Shira
Friday, December 13th at 7:30 pm, Shabbat Shira presents "Dylan in December" celebrating the music of Bob Dylan. Join us for our monthly musical Shabbat Shira service with our musicians, Cantor Bella and Rabbi Boettiger. 

Shabbat Across the Valley
Friday, December 20th at 6:00pm  
Do you have fond memories of Shabbat dinners - good food, blessing the candles and the wine, singing, laughing and talking about the significant events of the week? That is the best of Shabbat, taking time to make time.  Taking time to connect with those who are dear to us.

Or perhaps you are new to Shabbat, but would be curious in learning and experiencing more?

The Religious Practices Committee is inviting new, current and former members of the Temple Emek Shalom community to share Erev Shabbat dinner, separately and together, on Friday, Dec. 20th at 6:00pm.  We are also inviting folks who are not members, but may be interested in connecting with the congregation.

Different TES households in Medford, Talent, Phoenix and Ashland are opening their homes to co-create a bountiful, warm, Shabbasdik meal and evening. If you are interested in being a host family, or you want to participate in Shabbat Across the Valley, please contact Sasha Borenstein, at [email protected], Phone: 541.326.7861

TES Grants Pass Gathering
Sunday, December 22 at 10am, Special Temple Emek Shalom Grants Pass Event. Join us at Felicia Cohen and David Smith's home for brunch and learning with Rabbi Boettiger, who will be teaching on "What is Jewish About The Winter Solstice?" Brunch will be served and there will be a chance to connect to other Jewish individuals and families in the Grants Pass region. We'll also discuss how TES can meet the needs of its membership living north of Medford. Please join us and invite others to join us. The gathering will be from 10:00am - 11:30am. David and Felicia's address is 932 Palomino Drive in Grants Pass (about 45 minutes from Ashland).

Molly Bloom Bat Mitzvah
The TES Community is invited to celebrate Molly Bloom's Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, January 4 at 10:00AM. Kiddush to follow.

As a part of Molly Bloom's Mitzvah project, she will be volunteering at the Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) Outreach Program under the guidance of Eliza Kauder, FOTAS volunteer. This event is held at the Ashland Hardware Store on the last Saturday of each month from 11am-2pm. The program introduces FOTAS and the Jackson County Animal Shelter to the public in a positive way. Shelter animals accompany volunteers to serve as ambassadors, to attract attention, and to interest the public in adoptions. Volunteers offer materials, such as FOTAS and Spay Neuter Your Pet (SNYP) brochures, foster family flyers, the Scoop newsletter, and special event flyers.

Rabbi's Tisch: Introduction to Hasidism
The first class will be on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at  5:30pm. There will be three "Rabbi's Tisch" evenings this year - centered around serving as an Introduction to Hasidism. Half of each session will be learning about Hasidism through the doing: Hasidic stories, niggunim (wordless melodies) and songs connected to the end of Shabbat. The other half will be a historical look at the Hasidic movement and its origins and focal points. As always, each gathering concludes with havdalah, the ritual separating Shabbat from the rest of the week.
A Time To Remember
rememberSylvia Samson12/1/13
Adina Kletter12/2/13Kislev 29, 5774
Irwin H. Helman12/3/13
Charles Taub12/5/13
Irving Jaffee12/6/13
Gordon Schloming12/6/13Tevet 3, 5774
Deborah Sclan12/6/13
Raymond Brenner12/7/13Tevet 4, 5774
Emmanuel Clapp12/7/13
Reginald Isaac Cohen12/8/13Tevet 5, 5774
Julius Block12/9/13
Richard Schatz12/10/13Tevet 7, 5774
Shirley Vogel12/10/13
Rachel Isser12/11/13Tevet 8, 5774
Bernie Plisskin12/11/13Tevet 8, 5774
Mim Waisler12/11/13
Susan Hamrell12/12/13Tevet 9, 5774
Lily Hindawi12/14/13Tevet 11, 5774
Marcel Jacobsen12/14/13
Russell Marc Cherness12/15/13Tevet 12, 5774
Honsie Cook12/15/13
Leah Vianne Whitall12/15/13
Abraham Fisher12/16/13Tevet 13, 5774
Herman Hopfinger12/16/13Tevet 13, 5774
Karen Tuttle-Herskowitz12/16/13
Herman Empol12/17/13Tevet 14, 5774
Abraham Siletsky12/17/13Tevet 14, 5774
Bob Day12/19/13Tevet 16, 5774
Maurice Grushan12/19/13Tevet 16, 5774
Pauline Schwartz12/19/13
Joseph Zucker12/19/13Tevet 16, 5774
Max Brown12/20/13Tevet 17, 5774
Jori Bernhardt Curd12/21/13
Morris Rosenberg12/21/13
Sidney Goldberg12/22/13Tevet 19, 5774
Elinor Himmalsterb12/22/13Tevet 19, 5774
Shirley Perper12/23/13Tevet 20, 5774
Max Raskoff12/23/13
Florence Schneider12/23/13Tevet 20, 5774
Marge Hohmann12/24/13
Faye Jaloff Puklus12/25/13Tevet 22, 5774
Esther Gronke12/26/13
Rose Kazmin12/26/13
Solomon Silbowitz12/26/13Tevet 23, 5774
George Appel12/27/13
Margaret Montagna12/27/13Tevet 24, 5774
David Weiss12/27/13
Ruth Cohen Ferrier12/28/13Tevet 25, 5774
Jason Hudlett~12/28/13Tevet 25, 5774
Catherine M. Jones12/28/13
Julius Byer12/29/13Tevet 26, 5774
Susie Coulson12/29/13
Alice Adesman12/30/13Tevet 27, 5774
Jack Goldberg12/30/13
Betty Ostrovsky Verbitt12/30/13
Joan Bournstein12/31/13
Meyer Frimkess12/31/13Tevet 28, 5774
Tannette Jaloff12/31/13Tevet 28, 5774
Geraldine Entinger1/1/14
Eliezer Ettinger1/1/14
Shirley Marks1/1/14
Murray Drescher1/2/14Shevat 1, 5774
Samuel Skolnick1/3/14Shevat 2, 5774
Sidney Goldberg1/4/14
Rita Manders1/4/14
Rita Manders1/4/14
Sandy Greenfeld1/5/14Shevat 4, 5774
Jack Berman1/6/14Shevat 5, 5774
Anna Glassman1/7/14Shevat 6, 5774
Zeph Telpner1/7/14
Ann Arbetter1/8/14
Milton Dichter1/8/14Shevat 7, 5774
Anne Hamrell1/9/14Shevat 8, 5774
Barbara Kartun1/9/14Shevat 8, 5774
Anne Devine1/10/14Shevat 9, 5774
Edith Gell1/10/14Shevat 9, 5774
Sylvia J. Helman1/10/14
Walter Kitto1/10/14Shevat 9, 5774
Jerry Berman1/11/14Shevat 10, 5774
Jack Hyman1/11/14Shevat 10, 5774
Alexander (Alick) Coleman1/12/14Shevat 11, 5774
Gertrude Frires1/12/14Shevat 11, 5774
Joel Jacobs1/12/14Shevat 11, 5774
Marilyn Werby Rabinovitch1/12/14
Dotty Levi1/13/14
William Berman1/14/14
Ada Eisenberg1/14/14Shevat 13, 5774
Teddy McFarland1/14/14Shevat 13, 5774
Harry Priesman1/14/14
Fanny Tepper1/14/14Shevat 13, 5774
Sam Wener1/15/14
Debbie Haboush1/19/14
Miriam Berkowitz1/20/14
David Drescher1/20/14Shevat 19, 5774
Rose Kahn1/20/14
Paul Perper1/20/14Shevat 19, 5774
Edward Slavin1/20/14
Marcilyn Bowels1/22/14
Sophie Jaffee1/22/14Shevat 21, 5774
Joseph Tepper1/23/14Shevat 22, 5774
Richard Brownstein1/24/14
Faira Basin1/25/14
Ken Katz1/25/14
Sylvia Leibman1/25/14Shevat 24, 5774
Reid Sechan1/25/14Shevat 24, 5774
Judith Dubinsky Bloom1/26/14Shevat 25, 5774
Benjamin Nerenberg1/26/14
Arthur Joseph Rabinovitch1/27/14Shevat 26, 5774
Kenny Smith1/28/14Shevat 27, 5774
Samuel Arbetter1/29/14
Richard Byer1/29/14Shevat 28, 5774
Lisbeth Goldberg1/29/14Shevat 28, 5774
Regina Blume Jacobsen1/29/14
Betty Robbins1/29/14Shevat 28, 5774
Lillian Weinstock1/29/14
Rose Frager1/30/14Shevat 29, 5774
Harold Muller1/30/14
Si Rosenthal1/30/14Shevat 29, 5774
Mendel Tamar1/30/14Shevat 29, 5774
Russel Thorner Werby1/30/14Shevat 29, 5774
Arthur Moss1/31/14Shevat 30, 5774

Tributes
tribute
Pomegranate Pre-School

Linda & Ben BellinsonTo Judy and Johan Visser, In memory of Abe Wright. May the memories of your father bring you comfort and peace. Sending love.
General Fund

Frieda & Bob Golding In honor of Robin and Tony Heald's Torah reading
Nancy & Dan KaylinIn memory of Margit Heimburger. For Margit, a great lady!
Judy Parnes & Larry ZelnerIn honor of JoAnn and Lee Weisel, and their decision to renew their vows to each other. It is a beautiful occasion, one that honors love, commitment and community. I am thrilled and wish for the Weisels and your community a future filled with positive events.
Nancy & Dan KaylinIn memory of Milton Crane, with love and sympathy
Marilyn & Ted Kovtunovich
Elise Manders & Grant MillerThank you Chazzan Bella and the Shabbat Shira musicians
Marilyn YorkIn appreciation for Rabbi Joshua officiating
Michael L. Smith
In memory of Sasha Borenstein's mother
Debra & Larry Wolfson
In memory of Beatrice Borenstein. So sorry for you loss. May her memory bring you joy.
Elise Manders & Grant Miller
In memory of Beatrice Borenstein. Sasha, we are so sorry for your loss.
Indigent Fund

Debi Holcombe


TES Contact List
contactStaff


Rabbi
Joshua Boettiger
[email protected]
Chazzan/Education
Bella Feldman
[email protected]
Office Coordinator
Kathy Balint
[email protected]
Bookkeeper
Wendy Lea Diamond
[email protected]
Website
Debra Wolfson
[email protected]
Pomegranate PreSchool
Robin Heald
[email protected]
Officers


President
Michael Schames
541-488-7476
Co-Vice President
Ben Bloom
541-944-5533
Co-Vice President
Nancy Pagani
541-488-0047
Recording Secretary
Emily Bernhardt
541-897-0343
Treasurer
Russ Hannan
541-601-6550
Immediate Past President
Sherry Friedman
541-535-3735




For complete listing of Board of Trustees and Committee chairs please click here.
December 2013 - January 2014 Calendarscalendars
To Print Calendar Click On Month |December 2013    December 2014


Kol Ha'Emek ~ The Voice of Temple Emek Shalom
 www.emekshalom.org

Temple Emek Shalom | 541-488-2909 | [email protected] | http://emekshalom.org
1800 E. Main Street, Ashland, OR 97520

Temple Office Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm, Closed Mondays



Copyright © 20XX. All Rights Reserved.