Calendar
September - October 2002
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Sun
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Mon
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Tue
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Wed
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Thu
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Fri
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Sat
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September 1
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Sep 2
Labor Day
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Sep 3
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Sep 4
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Sep 5
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Sep 6
Rosh Hashana eve + Seder
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Sep 7
Rosh Hashana + Tashlich
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Sep 8
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Sep 9
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Sep 10
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Sep 11
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Sep 12
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Sep 13
Shabbat Tshuvah eve
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Sep 14
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Sep 15
Kol Nidre
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Sep 16
Yom Kippur
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Sep 17
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Sep 18
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Sep 19
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Sep 20
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Sep 21
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Sep 22
Sukkot
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Sep 23
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Sep 24
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Sep 25
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Sep 26
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Sep 27
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Sep 28
Shabbat +
SimchatTorah
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Sep 29
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Sep 30
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October 1
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Oct 2
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Oct 3
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Oct 4
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Oct 5
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Oct 6
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Oct 7
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Oct 8
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Oct 9
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Oct 10
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Oct 11
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Oct 12
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Oct 13
Annual
Meeting
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Oct 14
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Oct 15
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Oct 16
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Oct 17
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Oct 18
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Oct 19
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We appreciate the hospitality extended to us
by the owners and staff of
The Ohana Keauhou Beach
Resort
78-6740
Alii Drive, six miles from downtown Kailua-Kona,
where all our High Holiday Services will be
conducted.
Rabbi
Mark Shapiro
This will be Rabbi Mark
Shapiro’s third year leading High Holiday Services for Congregation Kona
Beth Shalom and his second visit to Kona this year. He was our
scholar-in-residence last February, leading services, educational programs and
our Purim Carnival, to the delight of all.
Rabbi Shapiro was the Rabbi for Congregation B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim (BJBE) in Glenview,
Illinois, from 1962 until his
retirement in 1999. A graduate of the University
of Chicago, he was ordained by the Hebrew Union
College (Reform) in 1960
and received an honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1985.
Rabbi Shapiro is chairman
of the Czech Torah Network that helps congregations research their Czech
scrolls. Last year, he brought to us the names of all the Jews of Polno (the town where our Torah scroll comes from) who
perished in the Holocaust. When we said Kaddish for
them, it was likely the first time Kaddish had been
recited for them in over 50 years.
Friday,
September 6, at 6:30 pm, and
Saturday, September 7, at 10:00
am
keauhou beach hotel – kahalu‘u
ballroom
Rosh Hashana
marks the time when we Jews begin our annual process of renewal. We hear the
sound of the shofar announcing the birthday of the
world and use this special time to renew and revitalize our connections with
our families and friends. New Years Resolutions have a special meaning for us
as we seek inspiration for the coming years and also use the ten “Days of Awe”
from Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur to ask forgiveness
from people we may have offended. The greeting at this time is: L'shana tovah tikateivu
(May you be written into the Book of Life).
In the Sephardic
tradition, specific foods
are eaten in a certain order (seder) that represent
different spiritual aspects of Rosh Hashana. Renee & Jacques Sebag
will lead us in a Rosh Hashana Seder hosted by them and the WaKoBeS (Wahines of Kona Beth Shalom) after the Saturday morning
service is over.
Tashlich is the ceremony conducted at the water’s
edge when we throw bits of bread or lint into the ocean as a symbolic act of
casting sins away. After the Seder on Saturday morning service we will walk to
the ocean to perform this sweet and meaningful ceremony.
Friday,
September 13, at
6:00 pm
keauhou
beach hotel – Kalanikai Pavilion
Shabbat Tshuvah
(between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur) is the “Sabbath of the (Re-) Turning.” As is
every Sabbath, it is a day of rest, contemplation and rejuvenation. This
particular Shabbat can be the awesome time to return and reconnect to our
heritage and to the gifts we were given and have only to claim. Rabbi Shapiro will lead us. There will
be a potluck supper after Friday night services. (There will be no Saturday
morning service this weekend.)
Sunday,
September 15, at 6:00 pm
Monday,
September 16, at 10:00 am
keauhou
beach hotel - kahalu‘u ballroom
As
the sun sets on Sunday evening we chant the Kol Nidre, a prayer written in ancient Aramaic
containing a formula that asks God's forgiveness for any oaths or vows we have
made to God that we have failed to keep. Our greeting changes to L'shana tovah tikateivu ve teichateimu
or Gemar chatima
tovah (May you be sealed into the Book
of Life) because tradition tells us that we have until sundown on Yom Kippur
before the Book of Life is finally sealed for the coming year.
Yom Kippur is the most solemn day in the Jewish
calendar. We start fasting at sundown on Sunday evening and continue until
sundown Monday to enable us to remain focused and free of distraction. We own
up to our behaviors of the past year and we think about commitments we made,
not just to others, but also to ourselves and to our God. The Yom Kippur
service begins at 10:00 am. There will be a break at around 1:00 pm and Rabbi
Shapiro will remain to be available for discussions.
At
4:00 pm we reconvene for Yizkor (the
Memorial Service). When you send in your Membership Application / Contribution Form,
please include the names of family and friends you wish to have remembered so
that Rabbi Shapiro can recite their names at this time. Many people like to
observe the tradition of donating tzedaka (charity) in the name of their loved
ones.
Neilah is the concluding service for Yom Kippur.
We in Hawaii
have a profound responsibility at this time; our congregations are the last on the
planet to perform this service before the Book of Life is sealed for another
year. We get to put in the last word, so to speak. When the sun has set, we
will break the fast together with light snacks hosted by the WaKoBeS and Lorraine Highkin
in memory of her granddaughter, Talia Miller.
Sunday, September 22, at 2:00 pm Kuaiwi Farm, Captain Cook
Sukkot begins on Monday evening, September 21,
and continues for a full week. We will celebrate the holiday on Sunday, September 22 starting at 2 pm
at Kuaiwi Farm in Captain Cook, the home of Una Greenaway, Leon Rosner and Helen
Salzberg. Call 328-8888 for directions. We will
gather under the Sukkah with the traditional lulav and esrog. Bring
potluck to eat in the sukkah together.
Saturday, September 28, at
11:00 am
Waimea Town Hall
We
are planning Hawaii’s
first island- wide Simchat Torah Celebration in Waimea. Everyone from East Hawaii, North Hawaii and West Hawaii is invited. We’ll begin with a brief Sabbath
morning service. Then after a light potluck lunch we’ll start the Simchat Torah service. Everyone attending will receive an aliyah and we will be unrolling and re-rolling our
beautiful Torah Scrolls. We’ll have the opportunity to literally dance with the
Torahs accompanied by music from Kona’s Traveling
Jewish Wedding Band. Bring the children! They’ll receive aliyot
as well as the adults.
Other Events:
There
will be additional events for us while Rabbi Shapiro is here, including
discussion groups and educational events. To receive up-to-date news of these
and other events, be sure you’ve given us your e-mail address when you send in
your Membership / Contribution Form. Also,
visit our website at www.konabethshalom.org,
and keep your eye on the West Hawaii Today KBS
releases each Friday.
The Kona Beth
Shalom Annual Meeting
Sunday, October
13, starting at 2 pm
Old Airport
Park, Pavilion #3
There
is a double pavilion (#3) near the restrooms at the (northern) end of Old Airport
Park, just before the
end of the runway. The KBS Annual Meeting starts there at 2 pm. The Board of
Trustees meeting follows (at about 2:45 pm). Everyone is invited. Then comes the picnic and music.
We get together at
this time to consider how we want our Congregation to move along in the
coming year. We elect members to our Board of Trustees, and our Board will
then elect our Officers. If you have suggestions or if you are interested
in joining our Board, call Barry Blum (322-6004) and be sure to come to
the meeting.
Our present Board is
shown below, with the dates that their terms expire. The term of any Trustee
elected or re-elected now will expire in 5766, in September 2005. New
nominations will be accepted at this meeting. The maximum number of Board
members is eighteen (not including the immediate past president).
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1. Ruth Bernstone
5762 (September 2004)
2. Barry Blum 5762
(September 2004)
3. Morty Breier 5764 (September 2003)
4. Ruth Ader Cawn 5764 (September 2003)
5. Debera First
5764 (September 2004)
6. Joel Gimpel*
5763 (September 2002)
7. Lorraine
Highkin 5764 (September 2003)
8. Una Greenaway*
5763 (September 2002)
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Name of Trustee Term expires
9.
Barbara Lewis* 5763 (September
2002)
10. Erwin Myhre 5764 (September 2003)
11. Janice Rabkin 5764
(September 2004)
12. Bob Rhée 5762
(September 2004)
13. Alan Pollak
5764 (September 2003)
14. Renee Sebag
15. Helen Salzberg 5762
(September 2004)
16. Michael Zola*# 5763 (September 2002)
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This is also a time to have a picnic and
connect with friends. Bring drinks and a dish as potluck to share for the barbecue
(no pork or shellfish please). Kosher hot dogs, buns and all the trimmings
will be provided. Bring your musical instruments and be prepared to sing and
dance. Kona's Traveling Jewish Wedding Band will
be playing for the simcha
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The Kona
Beth Shalom Board of Trustees
These are the real movers and shakers in
Kona: Ruth Bernstone,
Barry Blum, Morty Breier,
Ruth Ader Cawn, Debera First, Joel Gimpel,
Lorraine Highkin, Una Greenaway, Barbara Lewis, Erwin Myhre,
Alan Pollak, Janice Rabkin,
Bob Rhée, Helen Salzberg,
Renee Sebag, Ed Sigler and Michael Zola have been KBS’s Board
members for this past year.
We thank the officers of our Board for
doing so much, including Barry Blum for
preparing agendas, chairing the Board meetings, and hosting most of the Board
meetings with the assistance of his wife, Gloria;
Joel Gimpel
for recording and publishing Board meeting minutes; Ruth Bernstone and Ruth Ader for minding our treasury so carefully;
and Morty Breier as
Vice-President for filling in where required. We extend to all of them our
warmest appreciation as we do to the spouses of all our trustees: Sherrill Cawn,
Michael Bernstone, Gloria Blum, Karen Breier, Jan Rae (Gimpel), Harry Highkin, Helen Myhre, Kelli Pollak, Les Rabkin, Harriet Rhée, Leon Rosner, Bob Salzberg, Jacques Sebag, Mildred Sigler and Susanne Zola. This congregation could not be what it is today if it
were not for everything that all these folks contributed.
the Year
in Review -- Do
you remember?
In September 2001, KBS conducted
its Annual Membership Meeting at the
Old Airport Park.
Helen Myhre
made the reservations and all who came brought potluck. Gloria Blum suggested that we give Certificates of Appreciation to the individuals who offered special
service to our congregation during the previous year. Joel Gimpel created the certificates and
they were given out at the meeting to
Karen Breier, Helen Myhre,
Jan Rae, Lois-ellin Datta,
Michael Bernstone, Becky & Les Rabkin, Carolyn Parrish, Una Greenaway, Joe Rosner, Leon Rosner, Jerry Klaz, Marshall Blann, Ruth Glatt, Gloria Blum, Sharona Lomberg, Rutika Gaber, Jacques, Renee, Kawika, Julie & Robert Sebag,
Mark Cohen, Jacqui Marlin, Holit bat-Edit, Gwen Ament and Lee
Robinson for their many valued contributions to KBS.
New members were elected to the
KBS Board for 5762. Afterwards, Kona's Traveling
Jewish Wedding Band performed for everyone’s enjoyment.
During the month of September we
had the pleasure of having Rabbi Mark
Shapiro lead High Holiday Services. Rabbi Shapiro and his wife, Hanna, were with us for several weeks.
Their granddaughter, Natalie, led
many of our prayers with her beautiful voice. The Rabbi’s brother Ben and sister-in-law Barbara joined us to sing at our
services as well, accompanied by Joel Gimpel. On Rosh Hashana we
celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of Ed Sigler who had just turned 90 years
strong. Ed gave a memorable speech
and afterwards he and Mildred hosted
an Oneg Shabbat. Kona’s Traveling Jewish Wedding Band provided the musical entertainment,
including a song written by Ed’s brother, Maurice,
“She Shall Have Music.”
In October, Erwin & Helen Myhre hosted the Board
Meeting at their home. Everyone was so pleased with Rabbi Shapiro’s leadership
that we voted unanimously to dissolve the Rabbi Search Committee. Furthermore,
we resolved to invite Rabbi Shapiro to come back during the year for a few
weeks, as well as to return for next year’s High Holidays. After the business
was concluded, we adjourned and celebrated Simchat Torah!
Scot Liepack suggested a way that
the congregation might help to restore and bring meaning and honor to literacy
in Hawaii and
the congregation responded with financial and material support. Lorraine Highkin,
chairperson
of the Tzedaka Committee, initiated a fund drive for the many
children who lost a parent or parents in the firm of Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade
Center attack. We raised a total of $939, which we mailed to
their relief fund.
Cantor Leo Fettman and his wife, Annette,
returned to visit Kona around Thanksgiving time. They both looked hale and
hearty and we all enjoyed seeing them again.
We
conducted our annual Chanukah
Celebration at the Keauhou Beach Resort on December 16. The food
was set up under the leadership of Una Greenaway and the WaKoBeS, and more
than 120 folks showed up. Renee Sebag, Janice Rabkin and
other helpers created beautiful decorations. Sharona Lomberg led the children and Les Rabkin
told the Chanukah story. Members of Kona’s Traveling
Jewish Wedding Band provided music for dancing and singing, and the AlteKaKoBes
helped with the cleanup.
Up in Kohala, Alan Axelrod
and Sara Neely conducted a community
Chanukah Festival on December 9.
Jeanne Blum, Barry’s
mom, celebrated her birthday (don’t ask) on New Year’s Day. Kona’s Traveling Jewish Wedding Band performed for the party at the
Regency Hualalai, where Jeanne now lives.
Una Greenaway was elected president of the WaKoBeS (Wahines
of Kona Beth Shalom) replacing Karen Breier, who started the group way back in 1996.
Priscilla
Kostinar of Portland, Oregon, attended our Friday eve Shabbat
Service on January 25, and led a
Seder for Tu B’Shvat. It
was an informative and rewarding evening for us thanks to Una Greenaway and Alan Pollak, who helped coordinate the
program.
Alan
Pollak volunteered to serve as the KBS Yahrzeit Coordinator and despite initial appearances,
this committee has become one of the liveliest in our entire organization.
Erwin
Myhre moved some of our consigned goods to the Vintage Eye Store in Kainaliu, where
there was better customer traffic, and we received approximately $255 from
those sales. Gloria Blum and Ruth Bernstone
took Gwen Ament
and Lee Robinson of Michael Zola’s office staff to lunch to thank them for their many services
to KBS.
Rabbi Mark Shapiro & Hanna arrived in Kona on February 10 to begin a mid-year
educational program for KBS. They stayed at the home of Gloria & Barry Blum. Ruth Bernstone,
who was off-island, allowed the Shapiros to drive her
Altima. We began with a Searcher’s Program at Lorraine & Harry Highkin’s
home. Rabbi Shapiro led Shabbat services at the Old Airport Park Pavilion on
Friday evening, and at Renee & Jacques Sebag’s home in Hilo on Saturday morning.
He also conducted a program at Ruth Ader & Sherrill Cawn’s
home, where we celebrated an Aufruf for Ruth Ader’s nephew and his bride-to-be, Michael Lefson & Anny
Lefebvre. Karen & Morty Breier hosted another
program the following week, and Rabbi Shapiro conducted our end-of-the-month
Sabbath Services at the Keauhou Beach Resort.
Finally, Rabbi Shapiro was the emcee for the combined KAHEA-KBS Purim Carnival at the Imin Center
in Holualoa. Sharona Lomberg and Ruth
Glatt did much of the organizing, and Kona’s Traveling Jewish Wedding Band provided
the music. Jerry & Judy Rothstein
won prizes for the best (adult) costumes. Alan
Pollak and Ruth
Ader lent helping hands. Select members of KBS
provided slivovitz.
The KBS website, originally
designed by Bernie Bernstone
and Amber Aguirre, later revised and
redesigned by Morty Breier with
input and assistance from Amber Aguirre,
Joel Gimpel and Barry Blum, went online (www.konabethshalom.org).
The website contains information regarding our congregation’s history, the
story of our torah, Torah commentaries prepared by our members, news of coming
events, and a virtual Jewish library to facilitate sharing Jewish books owned
by members. We invite those of you with Jewish literature to share to send a
list of titles, authors, and types of books to Morty Breier (morty@aloha.net) for inclusion in our
virtual library.
Joel Gimpel and Jan Rae celebrated
Jan’s 60th birthday anniversary at their home on March 2 with a spectacular
party featuring all sorts of wonderful folks contributing their entertainment
talents.
This year, Safeway had matzo
that was kosher for Passover. The KBS Community Passover Seder was conducted on Wednesday eve, March 27, in the Kalanikai Pavilion of the Keauhou
Beach Hotel. Ruth Ader
and Jan Rae met with the Keauhou Beach Hotel staff to prepare for the Annual Seder.
The WaKoBeS
granted “scholarships” for the Seder dinners for KBS members’ children and
grandchildren under the age of 13. More than 90 guests attended.
At the next Board meeting we
discussed each part of the Seder, from the size of the portions, to the serving
of the fish before the chicken before the vegetarian plates. We agreed that the
chrein was definitely excellent. The Board expressed
its thanks to Ruth Ader,
Jan Rae, Lorraine Highkin, Una
Greenaway and others, who helped with the Seder
preparations; to Barry Blum and Michael Zola, who led the service; to Joel Gimpel,
Robert & Julie Sebag who, along with Renee Sebag
and Barry & Gloria Blum,
provided musical entertainment; to all the “children” who asked the four
questions in Hebrew, Yiddish, English, French and, for the first time, Hawaiian
(!); and to Morty Breier, who
again regaled us with his story regarding the Knighting of Moshe Solomon.
KBS agreed to sponsor Holit bat-Edit’s grant application videotape her work, “Biblical
Heroines” (now available on CD-ROM). Lois-ellin Datta is writing the
grant application for Holit. Also in March, Alan Pollak
was elected to the Board of Trustees
April’s Board Meeting was held
at the home of Ed & Mildred Sigler.
Alan Pollak led us at the start by noting that
this was the 11th day of counting the Omer, reminding us that we
count the Omer in remembrance of our forefathers counting the days until they
would enter the Promised Land. After explaining why we light Shabbat and Havdalah candles (to provide a path of smoke for spirits to
come to earth, celebrate Shabbat with us, and return to heaven), he led us in a
Yizkor service in remembrance of the Holocaust
victims, departed loved ones, and those for whom nobody remained to say Kaddish, as this was also the time when we commemorated Yom HaShoah.
Those present made a donation to the Museum
of Tolerance in Los Angeles and lit six Yahrzeit
candles in remembrance of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust.
Janice Rabkin reported on the recent trip to Israel that she and her husband, Les, took, noting their long
association with the land, they having lived, attended school, and borne their
children there. She said that it is a very stressful time and that the people
feel besieged.
On March 30, Eric Rabin, son of Arnie and Teunisse Rabin, was severely injured
in a tractor accident. He was taken to Queens
Medical Center
in Honolulu for
surgery and returned home a month later. Miraculously, Eric regained his
ability to walk and is still getting better. The Congregation expressed best
wishes for his speedy recovery and in June, the Board raised money from a
charity drive and with KBS’ additional contribution we had the pleasure of
donating $1,000 to the Rabins for medical expenses.
The Rabins were fortunate (and generous) enough to be
able to decline this gift and so we have placed that money into a special Tzedaka Fund to be used when and if it may be needed again.
Jacqui Marlin made
special wooden blocks to support our flag of Israel. Todah
rabah!
Lorraine
& Harry Highkin hosted a blintzes party at their home on Sunday, May 18,
in celebration of Shavuot.
We celebrated the Bat Mitzvah of Diana Roen on Saturday,
June 29. Diana came all the way to Hawaii
for this event, along with her parents, Leslie
& Richard and her grandparents. She read Torah beautifully! Several
local families attended the simcha and have
started to prepare for their own B’nai Mitzvot.
Barry
Blum picked up the new
book cart from Costco, and Alan Pollak assembled it and brought it to services. Morty Breier
printed Mishabeirach prayers and, with Erwin Myhre’s and Alan Pollak’s help, pasted them into our Siddurim.
Morty also shared his
design for a Spirit-Center that KBS
might share with another two organizations when we become ready to have our own
facility.
Sue Alden-Rudin, the Program Director for Jewish Community Services in Honolulu, contacted us to tell us that
her organization was interested in getting involved in neighbor island projects
(see notice later in this Newsletter).
Barry Blum presented
the idea of creating a Virtual Cemetery
on our web site where we would be able to honor those who once were members of
our community but have passed on.
Moshe Rapaport (rapaport@hawaii.edu,
tel: 328-8551) made known his willingness to educate
Bar and Bat Mitzvah students.
In August Rabbi Gideon Sorokin returned to Kona
and at our Saturday service he read Torah and sang two songs for us. Una Greenaway
was elected to the Board of Trustees (it’s about time!).
Mahalo and Todah
Rabah
Our Sabbath services are
remarkable events. Sabbath is a gift from HaShem to
us, and we do appreciate that gift. The good people of Kona Beth Shalom make
Sabbath observance a true work of art each month. Consider this. There are not
a whole lot of people on the planet who can read Torah. There are even fewer in
Hawaii. And
yet there has not been a KBS Shabbat in recent memory when we ever failed to
have someone present who read Torah! This is truly remarkable. We deeply
appreciate Barbara Lewis, Rutika Gaber, Sharona Lomberg, Jacques Sebag,
Moshe Rapaport and Rabbi Gideon Sorokin who have read Torah
for us this past year. Joel Gimpel, Lorraine Highkin, Janice Rabkin, Alan Pollak and Morty Breier have
educated and inspired us with their interpretations of each Torah portion. Lorraine Highkin,
Helen Myhre, Ruth Bernstone,
Karen Breier, Una Greenaway and
Jerry Klaz have baked or brought nourishing
loaves of Challah to every one of our gatherings. Morty Breier
prepares each week’s display ad in West Hawaii Today, and Barry Blum prepares each month’s newspaper releases. Erwin Myhre
lovingly brings our cherished Torah scroll to every Saturday morning service,
and Joel Gimpel’s violin accompaniment to
our Sabbath prayers enriches every service. Karen Breier unfalteringly calls out the
page numbers for the transliterations of the prayers. And everyone else who
says “Amen” completes the mitzvah! Thanks to all. Thanks to HaShem.
To Morty Breier,
for his magnificent contributions as KBS resident artist, for his designs of
our bookmark, our contribution cards, the proposed Spirit Center, the KBS
website, and for the artistry of his humor.
To Jan Rae, for sending the cards of
appreciation as well as condolence to those in need.
To Sharona Lomberg, for her inspiring leadership of
KAHEA (Kona Association for Hebrew
Education and the Arts) for the education of our community’s children, for
the women’s Torah classes, for reading Torah at services, and for so much more.
To Carol Feldman, Debbie Rizzi, Debra First, Ruth Glatt
and Ruth Ader
for their hard work in support of KAHEA.
To Alan Pollak, for getting us together for minyan when
visitors or kama‘ainas need to recite Kaddish,
and for his work with KAHEA this past year.
To Leon Rosner, Una Greenaway,
Morty Breier and Victor Greenspan for the work they have
been doing to complete and protect the beautiful Aron HaKodesh built for us by Joe Rosner.
To the
owners and staff of the Ohana Keauhou Beach
Resort for all their support and assistance this past year.
To Erwin & Helen Myhre who organized
our KBS 2000 Grand Garage Sale, and
with the help of Lorraine Highkin, Karen & Morty
Breier, Ruth Ader, Jan Rae
& Joel Gimpel, Una Greenaway & Helen Salzberg,
Alan Pollak and Debera First, raised a considerable sum of money for KBS.
To Michael Zola and his staff for their professional counsel &
advice in matters legal.
WaKoBeS Report
The WaKoBeS (the Wahines of Kona Beth Shalom) had a productive year. This was
my first year as president. The sisters worked together well to create
memorable holidays. Thank you!
There were three meetings held in the year. Helen Myhre hosted the
November 2001 meeting at her home where we planned for the December Chanukah
party. The Chanukah celebration went very smoothly as we learned a lot from the
prior year. Sharona Lomberg and Kahea
were responsible for the enjoyable program. Renee Sebag made decorations with the
kids. Renee Sebag
and Jan Rae were the captains.
All the WaKoBeS
pitched in to make a wonderful evening. And there were enough latkes
for all!
In February we met at Jan Rae’s home. Planning was completed for Passover and Rabbi
Shapiro’s visit.
We met at Karen Breier's home in August to plan for
the High Holidays.
Editor Karen Breier and others have been working hard on the New Millennium Edition of the Shaloha Cookbook. It’s been proof-read by Joel Gimpel and is on its way to the
printers as you read this. A big todah rabah to Fern
Kane, who generously funded the cookbook in honor of her Bat Mitzvah.
If you’re interested in doing interesting
and valuable work with your other sisters in this Jewish community, join us!
Call me at 328-8888.
Una Greenaway
Mazel Tov and
Yasher Koach
Y Diana Roen, who was just Bat Mitzvah last month and
to her parents, Leslie & Richard.
Y Marilyn Klein Anderson, enjoying her beautiful new granddaughter Hannah Ariel, born July 9.
Y Becky Rabkin for her acceptance to University of
California Hastings Law School, and Sasha Rabkin for his acceptance to Graduate Studies,
University of Washington School of Education. Nisia Tovah to Les
Rabkin who will be leaving Kona for the
University of Prishtina, Kosovo, to teach psychology
as visiting faculty member (sponsored by the Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee).
Y Kona’s
Traveling Jewish Wedding Band (Morty Breier, Joel Gimpel, Gloria &
Barry Blum, Matt Binder, Roz Cohen, Judy & Orrin
Olsen, Jim Bill and Ahti Mohala), who are producing their first CD (featuring
the inimitable “Rumania, Rumania”).
Y Karen & Morty Breier, grandparents again.
Y Paul Aguirre, on his recent Bar Mitzvah.
Y Twilight Greenaway, starting Warren
Wilson College
in Ashville, North Carolina.
Y Julie Sebag was
accepted into the Concert Orchestra of the Hawaii Youth Symphony Association,
in Honolulu.
Get well soon Y Mishebeirach
Y Barbara Lewis
Y Barbara’s
dad, Seymour Lewis (the first leader
of Congregation Kona Beth Shalom)
Y Eric & Teunisse
Rabin
Y Jan Rae
Y Ellen Kimiatek, Joel Gimpel’s
sister
Y Leona Salzano, Jan Rae’s mother
Y Rani Merens, Jan
Rae’s sister
In Memorium
Pauline Gitelson, beloved mother of Barry Gitelson, passed away in Lewes,
Delaware on March 12, 2002. Born
in Hackensack, NJ, Pauline lived in Kona for seven years
during the 1980’s and as an entrepreneur helped to create “Barry’s Nut Farm.”
She later returned to the mainland but always dreamed of returning to Kona.
Ray Rosenthal, beloved friend, father, physician and
healer, was gravely injured in a traffic accident riding his bicycle on Alii Drive
on April 6, 2002, and he died several days later. Ray practiced traditional
medicine in Hawaii
as an internist and an emergency room physician, and also had a keen interest
in Ayurvedic medicine. He was a leader in the field
of complementary medicine. Memorial services were conducted and his many
friends came together to pay their last respects.
Ed Sigler, beloved father, grandfather, husband and
friend, passed away on August 9, 2002. It was only just before his Bar Mitzvah
last Rosh Hashana at age 90, that we learned Ed’s
true (chronological) age. Born in New York, he
was raised in Birmingham, Alabama, where he worked as a band leader. He
began his career as an artist when he moved back to New York City at the age of 21. He married Mildred after serving in the US Army in
the Pacific in a MASH unit. He was president of Congregation Sons of Israel of
Spring Valley (NY) for 17 years, and when he moved to Hawaii he became a valued member of our own
Board of Trustees.
May their memories always be a blessing
for their friends, their families, and for all of us.
Jewish
Community Services of Hawaii has asked KBS to assess our community's need for help in these
areas: medical emergencies/trips to Honolulu, emergency housing, mental health
and counseling, transportation to and from shopping or services, food,
financial aid, Jewish education, stipends for Jewish community functions (i.e.,
seder, Chanukah party), and waivers for membership
dues. We'd like you, the members and friends of KBS, to help us recall the
needs of our Jewish friends this past year and to let us know what assistance
you think might be helpful in the future. Jewish Community Services is a group
of Jewish organizations that provide assistance to programs and individuals in Honolulu (Hadassah, ORT,
etc). Sue Alden-Rudin
is their representative (tel: 808 258-7121; e-mail: sea@hawaii.rr.com) and is
gathering information so they can broaden their net to include the Neighbor Islands. She's planning a visit to the
Jewish communities on the Big
Island this coming year.
You may send your responses to her or to Janice
Rabkin (rabkinj@yahoo.com).
Mildred
Sigler is looking for a
live-in companion to share her beautiful home in Kailua-Kona, someone who
drives and helps with housekeeping. No nursing duties are required. This would begin
in October or November 2002. If you are that person or know someone who might
be interested, call Ruth Ader at 325-0008, Ruth Glatt at
325-9979 or Alan Pollak
at 322-1773.
A Pur Verter from the Congregation’s
President
This has been the most trying year for Israel in over
a half century. Every day we read about terrible events going on over there.
Here in Hawaii, we may be at the opposite side of the globe, but almost all of
us have friends in Israel, and we hear from them as well as reading in the
newspapers and magazines and seeing on television all sorts of dispute. None of
us here are untouched by those events. But we also have not been discussing
these events that much. We have not conducted rallies for or against various
opinions, various approaches to resolve the problems. I believe that our
relative silence is not an abdication of responsibility, but a reflection of
confusion. And not acting may be the right way to respond for now.
I can say that all of us want there to be
peace in the Middle East. By peace, we all
agree that this means an end to bombings, to murders, to destruction of homes,
to the killing of children. We don’t all agree on how to get to that place. We
wonder why good people cannot appreciate that the killing has to stop. We do
notice that there are plenty of people to blame. If you’re from the right, it’s
mostly Arafat and the Palestinians who are keeping the violence aflame. If
you’re from the left, it’s Sharon
and his policies that repress the Palestinians that keep the hatreds vigorous.
Wherever you come from, you see that two peoples, intimately related, who claim
to follow the same God, and who claim Abraham as their patriarch, are engaged
in the most vicious blood feud. Even as I support Israel with all my heart and soul I
find it painful to support one side against the other when I see that doing so
seems only to cause more hostility.
The first ray of hope that I heard in
perhaps a year or more, was when Eliyahu Maclean came to our Friday evening service and spoke.
This young man who walked to services because he is shomer shabbos, attired with tzitzis, payess and kipah, who could
speak not only Hebrew and Arabic and English, but Pidgin too (!), spoke about
listening, about coming from the place of witnessing, of not having the
answers, and I believe that that is where the answers will come. Eliyahu and his friends include Jews, Moslems, Druze,
Christians, and others. They live in Israel
and in the Occupied
Territories. They are
listening and speaking with one another. Maybe we will hear something from
them. B’ezrat HaShem.
Barry Blum
A
PUR VERTER FUN DER ANDERER DENANDE, the Congregation’s Vice President
Would you believe another year has passed
and we’re still here to tell the stories? What an outfit we are, we Jews in
paradise. If you can’t make it here you can’t make it anywhere. We hardly need
to pray, prayer is all around us, and this island is full of praises to HaShem. I read a
Sufi poet recently, Hafiz, who said there are a hundred ways to fall to your
knees and kiss the earth. It’s true; we have so much to be grateful for.
Here on the Kona coast, it’s easy enough
to forgive and be forgiven, to let go and let God, to beat our personal swords into
plowshares, or better yet, surfboards. It doesn’t, however, seem to be that
easy for our Israeli brothers and sisters and our Palestinian cousins. We mourn
for a Middle East that could have been, the tikkun olam that our rabbis say underlies Godliness, the peace
and prosperity, the rain and fertile fields that are promised by HaShem to the
righteous, even now, if only we’d listen.
Isn’t it sad? Especially so from our aloha spirited
standpoint. I think we’ve learned to accept, accommodate and include all the
peoples that share this land, our Hawaii Island, our America. At least that’s the way I
feel. We bring our unique talents and values, each person, each ethnic group,
each spiritual path, to a common market of ideas and practices. Even within the
Jewish community, our KBS. Those that can use what we offer take freely, those
that can’t go on their way. We like it that way. It has allowed us to flourish.
We are not afraid to compare our wares with anyone else’s.
I’m deeply sorry that all this terrible
bloodshed and destruction is happening in a theater of operation where we Jews
are the principal and most powerful actors. There may be a thousand ways of
explaining the path that led to this scene of carnage, but Israel is now
mired up to its waist in deplorable cycles of violence and revenge. The high
ground, it seems, is no longer anywhere in sight. If only our
aloha, our shaloha, our shalom, would descend upon that part of the world like the Shekhinah of Shabbos. If only.
Let us hope.
Morty Breier
We look forward to 5763 being a good year
for all of us.
On behalf of all the members of
Congregation Kona Beth Shalom,
we wish you a Happy and
Healthy New Year --- L'Shana Tovah
Tikateivu!!!
That's
the news, folks. This is the story of your Congregation, Kona Beth
Shalom.
If
you like what you read here, then join us for the
coming year.
If
you have new ideas, share them with us.
Send
in your Membership Application /
Contribution Form now.
We are not
complete without you!
