Newsletters

“The Trial of Sarah” Sunday. Sep 23, 1 - 4 pm At the Kona Outdoor Circle, including wine & cheese reception

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Rosh Hashana evening Friday, Sep 29, 6:30 pm In the Kahalu’u Ballroom III. Kiddush with apples and honey follows

Rosh Hashana morning Saturday, Sep 30, 10 am In the Kahalu’u Ballroom III. Kiddush follows

Annual Picnic / Meet the Rabbi Saturday eve, Sep 30, 5 pm

Starting with Tashlich, then Havdalah

At the picnic area of Keauhou Bay (the foot of King Kamehameha III Road)

Pot luck barbecue (no pork or shellfish). Everyone invited

Varieties of Jewish Experience:

“Searchers,” a technique of prayer, study and discussion.

Rabbi Mark Shapiro Wednesday, Oct 4, 7:30 pm

At the home of Ruth Ader & Sherrill Cawn (call 325-0008 for directions)

Shabbat Tshuvah evening Friday, Oct 6, 6 pm At the Kalanikai Pavilion. Pot luck supper follows (no pork or shellfish)

Shabbat Tshuvah morning Saturday, Oct 7,10 am In the Secret Garden Area. Kiddush follows

Kol Nidre Sunday eve, Oct 8, 6:30 pm In the Kahalu’u Ballroom III

Yom Kippur Monday, Oct 9, 10 am In the Kahalu’u Ballroom III

Yizkor 4 pm Neilah 6 pm Bagels and break-the-fast pupus follows after Neilah, hosted by Lorraine Highkin (to honor the memory of her granddaughter, Talia Miller) and the WaKoBeS.

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Sukkot (October 13-21) To Be Announced

Art, Antique & Craft Fair Saturday, Oct 2, 9 am - 4 pm

Keauhou Shopping Center, Old Penthouse Store

KBS Annual Meeting Sunday, Oct 22, 2 pm Simchat Torah Celebration 4 pm

Aston Keauhou Beach Hotel, Kahalu’u Ballroom III, Pot luck follows

Your MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION / CONTRIBUTION FORM is included with this notice.

Please call Barry Blum at 322-6004 or Morty Breier at 325-0944 for more information.

Admission to all the High Holiday Services is free of charge for members of Congregation Kona Beth Shalom. There are no tickets. Non-members who wish to attend are asked to make a contribution to help defray the costs of bringing the Rabbi to Kona, but no one will be turned away for inability to contribute.

September 2000

Rabbi Mark Shapiro

Rabbi Mark Shapiro comes to us from the Chicago area where he was the Rabbi for Congregation B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim (BJBE) in Glenview, Illinois, starting in 1962. A graduate of the University of Chicago, he was ordained by the Hebrew Union College (Reform) in 1960 and later received an honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1985. Assigned as mentor to student rabbis, he served as Alumnus in Residence at the Hebrew Union College campus in Cincinnati, and led a retreat for graduating HUC seniors on “Ethics in the Rabbinate.”

Rabbi Shapiro especially loves teaching and discussing Tanach. During his last ten years at BJBE, and with the help of several lay people, he developed a program called “Searchers” that combines sharing, prayer and discussion. He will present this to us at a “Varieties of Jewish Experience” discussion on Wednesday evening, October 4 (see next page).

Very involved with the Reform camping movement since his teens, having been inspired at Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute at Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, Rabbi Shapiro became chair of their rabbinic advisory committee. He met his wife Hanna at that camp when he was the song-leader and she was the waterfront director. They have three sons and one granddaughter but live at home now with just their two cats.

The Rabbi and his wife have also been very active in the Soviet Jewry movement, visiting refuseniks in Moscow and Leningrad in 1982, and have stayed in touch with many of them in Israel and the U.S.

A die-hard White Sox fan, Rabbi Shapiro is still willing to make the sacrifice to be in Hawaii this year even if the White Sox make it to the World Series.

Friday Evening, September 29, at 6:30 pm and

Saturday Morning, September 30, at 10 am

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. We can use this special time to renew and revitalize our connections with our families and friends. We use the ten “Day of Awe” from Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur to ask forgiveness from people we may have offended. We ask God to forgive any sins we may have committed against God. The greeting at this time is: L'shana tovah tikateivu (May you be written into the Book of Life).

Saturday Evening, September 30, at 5 pm

Picnic! We honor Rabbi Shapiro at this informal get-together at the picnic area at Keauhou Bay at the foot of King Kamehameha III Road. We will start with the observance of Tashlich when we cast into the ocean whatever lint and crumbs we find in our pockets to symbolically shed the accumulations of imperfect deeds and wrong acts of the previous year. Rabbi Shapiro will then lead us in Havdalah as we mark the transition at the close of Shabbat. Bring drinks and a dish as pot luck to share for the barbecue supper (no pork or shellfish please). Kosher hot dogs, buns and all the trimmings will be provided. Bring your musical instruments too, and be prepared to sing and dance. Kona's Traveling Jewish Wedding Band will be playing for the simcha.

Wednesday Evening, October 4, at 7:30 pm

“Varieties of Jewish Experience:” We are all invited to hear Rabbi Shapiro describe the small group discussion technique he developed called “Searchers.” This is a method that enables people to bond through prayer and sharing, and then discuss a short text from the Bible and apply it to their lives. He'll lead a model session, talking about the process as we go through it. The lesson will be on Genesis 32:4-32 and it will be called, "Israel, You Didn't Walk So Funny When You Were Jacob!" Ruth Ader Cawn will host this event at her home in Kona Highlands. Dessert and coffee will be served. Call her at 325-0008 for directions.

Friday Evening, October 6, at 6 pm and

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 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 on both Friday evening and Saturday morning. There will be a pot luck supper after Services on Friday night.

Sunday Evening, October 8, at 6 pm

Monday, October 9, at 10 am

As the sun sets 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 before the Book of Life is finally sealed for the coming year. Yom Kippur is the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar. We started fasting at sundown on Sunday evening and continue until sundown Monday to enable ourselves 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 to ourselves and to our God. The Yom Kippur service begins at 10 am. There will be a break at around 1 pm and Rabbi Shapiro will remain to be available for discussions. At 4 pm we reconvene for Yizkor (the memorial service). When you send in your Membership Application / Contribution Form, tell us the names of any family or 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. After Neilah (the concluding service), when the sun has gone down, we will break the fast together with light snacks hosted by Lorraine Highkin and the WaKoBeS (Wahines of Kona Beth Shalom) in memory of Lorraine’s granddaughter, Talia Miller.

Coming Events

“Biblical Heroines,” a Multi-Media Show by Holit Bat-Edit, September 4 – 30, at the Fountain Gallery in the Wailoa Center, Hilo. This will include video, storytelling, art interpretation, maps and archeological finds, relating to women’s influential place in forming old and new Middle Eastern religious beliefs. There will be pupus and Middle Eastern appetizers at the opening on Saturday, September 9, starting at 2 pm. Call 933-0416 or 965-0956 for more details.

“The Trial of Sarah,” Gloria Blum’s musical Radio Play, will be performed on Sunday, September 23, at the Kona Outdoor Circle between 1 and 4 pm. Congregation Kona Beth Shalom recently received a grant from the Bender Foundation to be used to orchestrate composer Mikel Estrin’s music. Jonathan Marmelzat’s new arrangements will be heard for the first time at this presentation. Light pupus along with wine and cheese will be served. See the enclosed flyer for more information.

Sukkot starts on Friday evening, October 13, and continues through October 21 (Shemini Atzeret). We haven’t yet decided how, where or when we will celebrate this Festival of Booths. Stay posted.

The Kona Beth Shalom Art, Antique, Craft & Collectible Fair will be held at the Keauhou Shopping Center in the former Penthouse Store on Saturday, October 21 from 9 am to 4 pm. Contact Erwin Myhre (325-5140) or Carolyn Parrish Blann (324-0070) if you wish to offer any items for sale such as books, collectibles, jewelry, china, glass, art, etc. The donations don't have to be valuable, just in good condition. Erwin and Carolyn have allocated prime space for us so let’s make this special fund raising event a great success! See the enclosed flyer for more information.

Annual Meeting - Simchat Torah Celebration

Sunday, October 22nd at 2 pm

Congregation Kona Beth Shalom will conduct its Annual Meeting starting at 2 pm in the Kahalu’u Ballroom III of the Aston Keauhou Beach Hotel All KBS members and friends are invited to attend and share ideas and plans for the coming year. We will elect our Board of Trustees for three year terms of office and vote on several amendments to our Bylaws (see the enclosed Notice). If anyone wishes to join our Board, please notify Barry Blum. The Annual Meeting is followed immediately by a brief Board of Trustees Meeting when we will elect officers for the coming year.

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At 4 pm we reassemble to celebrate Simchat Torah. Every week we read another portion of the Torah and it is at this time that we reach the end and start over at the beginning. We mark the event by unrolling our ancient scroll and re-rolling it as we retell the story of this precious gift. Everyone is called for an aliyah and we conclude with joyous dancing, live music and a pot luck.

Shabbat Services will continue to be celebrated on the last full weekend of each month at the Aston Keauhou Beach Resort, Friday evenings and Saturday mornings.

Joel Gimpel will be musical director for A Funny Thing Happened To Me On The Way To The Forum, by Stephen Sondheim, Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. This delightful musical comedy will be presented by the Kona Association for the Performing Arts (KAPA) on week-ends from October 13 – 29, 2000.

Bat Mitzvah for Fern Kane, Saturday, February 24, 2001, at the Aston Keauhou Beach Resort with buffet luncheon to follow, including a performance by Kona’s Traveling Jewish Wedding Band.

News of the Year in Review

One year ago, Ruth Ader Cawn, Ruth Bernstone, Barry Blum, Morty Breier, Joel Gimpel, Lorraine Highkin, Barbara Lewis, Erwin Myhre, Bob Rhée, Bob Salzberg, Ed Sigler and Michael Zola began their 5760 terms as your Board of Trustees. They have continued to meet each month to plan, organize and develop programs of interest for Congregation Kona Beth Shalom. We extend to them our warmest appreciation as we do to their spouses: Sherrill Cawn, Michael Bernstone, Gloria Blum, Karen Breier, Jan Rae Gimpel, Harry Highkin, Helen Myhre, Harriet Rhée, Helen Salzberg, Helen Sigler and Susanne Zola. This Congregation would not be what it is today if it were not for everything that all these folks have contributed.

Last year Rabbi Shohama Wiener and her husband Alan led our High Holiday Services at the Salvation Army Chapel. During the week they presented a discussion of Jewish Renewal as part of our Varieties of Jewish Experience Series at the home of Joel Gimpel & Jan Rae and we all learned something about Jewish meditation and healing. The Wieners stayed at the home of Larry & Fern Kane. We held our first annual combination Tashlich/Havdalah/Meet-the-Rabbi Picnic at Kahalu’u Beach Park that week.

Later in the week the Congregation was invited to the Wedding of Mr. & Mrs. Sam Lewitan performed by Rabbi Wiener preceded by the bride’s mikveh and conversion ceremony at the Royal Kona Resort.

KBS supported KAHEA’s participation in the 1999 national “Make A Difference Day” program. Sharona Lomberg and KAHEA were later specially honored for their charitable works with a luncheon by Richard Anspach, publisher of West Hawaii Today,

In October the Board voted to become a co-sponsor for an interfaith vigil led by Robert Joshin Althouse, the spiritual leader of the Zen Center at the community garden in Waimea.

Together, KBS and KAHEA conducted the Chanukah Celebration at the Kona Outdoor Circle. Sharona Lomberg led KAHEA’s children through a delightful retelling of the Chanukah story. The WaKoBeS provided fabulous food and set the tables. Barry Blum and Joel Gimpel along with Kona’s Traveling Jewish Wedding Band provided the music.

On the evening preceding Thanksgiving, an interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration was conducted at St. Michael’s Church. The program included representatives from many of Kona’s religious communities. Morty Breier, representing The New Thought Fellowship as its president, was one of the main organizers of this event. Barry & Gloria Blum represented Kona’s Jewish community. There was talk, song, and laughter.

The Shaloha Cookbook composed by Karen Breier was the source of four recipes that appeared in Genny Wright-Hailey’s column in West Hawaii Today (resulting in more sales), and our Cookbook was also mentioned in a Pennsylvania newspaper. There are just a few copies left for sale.

The owners of the Aston Keauhou Beach Resort invited KBS to use their facilities for services. David Dolgen had attended our Community Seder in 1999 and we met Marshall Polk during a Shabbat service early this year. We held our first Shabbat observance at their hotel on January 28, and have been enjoying their hospitality ever since. Many years ago when our Congregation used to meet at this very same place, it is said that during Neilah the whales were seen breeching off-shore.

We thought that Rosemary Sevilla was leaving us last year, but to our general delight, Rosemary remained on the Big Island, sometimes in Waimea, sometimes in Kona. In January we voted her back onto the Board of Trustees.

Rebecca Weisser did move away, but fortunately, not that far away. We created a new position for her so that when she’s in Kona and attends our meetings, she a “bim-kom” Board member. We get to hear her opinion, but she doesn’t have to vote. We should all be so lucky!

Helen Salzberg assumed the unfinished term of her husband Bob, whose resignation because of illness was accepted with regret. Bob has always been one of KBS’s stalwarts, always vigorous, always willing to participate.

We broke the record with our 5760 Community Passover Seder when one hundred forty-one persons attended at the Kalanikai Pavilion of the Aston Keauhou Beach Resort. Rebecca Weisser again trained the cooks about the mysteries of the perfect matzoh-ball. Ruth Ader and Jan Rae Gimpel made the arrangements with the hotel. Mahalo to Craig Hawkins, the hotel’s food and beverage director, for stepping into Joan Mayo’s shoes (Joan was our initial contact when we returned to the hotel and was a considerate and gracious host to us) at the last minute and doing such a fine job. Michael Zola and Barry Blum conducted the service with their usual aplomb. Renee Sebag added so much with the songs she sang. Julie Sebag, Joel Gimpel and Barry Blum provided wonderful musical contributions.

There was further exploration about the interest in establishing a Jewish cemetery on the Big Island. A questionnaire was mailed out but there has been no firm conclusion yet. We strongly suggest that nobody die until arrangements are made.

In May, KAHEA sponsored a Festival of Tolerance at the Aloha Theatre that featured a program of movies and quilt-making in remembrance of those who died during the Holocaust. The featured films were The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, and Europa, Europa.

As she has for so many years, Barbara Lewis represented us at Memorial Day Services. All attending were saddened at the absence of Rev. Leon Sterling who had recently passed away. Rev. Sterling was a good friend to many of us and his presence in Kona will be missed.

Arthur Arian, one of our members who lives in Hilo, became Bar Mitzvah. Congregation Kona Beth Shalom and our precious Torah traveled to the Naniloa Hotel in Hilo to celebrate this event. Barry Blum led the service, which was highlighted by an opening Hula, and following the service, a performance by Kona’s Traveling Jewish Wedding Band.

Rabbi Hanan Sills led Friday evening and Saturday morning services in June and it was a treat to see him here again. Some of us who attended a party at the Holuakoa Café that week-end got to experience another side of this many faceted man when he sang popular tunes with great gusto.

David Kaplan spoke to us about the Jewish National Fund’s activities regarding Water Use, Land Reclamation and Conservation in Israel, after Friday night services in June. We thank his sister, Holit Bat-Edit, who made his visit possible.

This past month, Eileen Weiner received rave reviews after starring in her own one-woman-show, “Timing is Everything,” at the 7^th Annual Original Play Festival. Congratulations to this exceptionally talented woman!

After a year of negotiations, Congregation Kona Beth Shalom reached a settlement with the other parties in the matter of a trust fund designated for a building for Kona Beth Shalom’s use. We are grateful to Michael Zola, Joel Gimpel and Morty Breier who served as advisors to our attorney, Ken Ross. We are now receiving regular payments to restore at least a portion of the fund.

We are in the process of creating the KBS Virtual Jewish Library (VJL) suggested by Bob Feldman. Several months ago Jerry & Joanie Shapiro made a generous donation to "the Kona Beth Shalom Library" in honor of the up-coming wedding of their daughter, Ilana. Until KBS has a structure where we can locate a physical library, a “virtual” library could serve us well. Morty Breier is working with Bob Feldman on this project. If you have Jewish books that you would be willing to lend to other members of our community, you are invited to become part of this VJL. Please e-mail a list of these books to Bob Feldman (Bobfeldm@aol.com). Include title, author, and a brief description (one sentence is enough, a paragraph is also OK). Bob will compile these submissions into a master list that will indicate, alongside each entry, the book owner and owner's e-mail address. This master list will be displayed at a KBS web-site. Someone wanting access to a particular book would e-mail the owner. The owner might choose to lend out certain books for a period of time, or just allow someone to peruse the book in the owner’s home. Our VJLibrarian would keep track of these exchanges. We are, after all, a people of the book. Now we can affirm this proud distinction.

Fern & Larry Kane for making their home available to Rabbi and Mrs. Shapiro.

Erwin Myhre for taking care of our precious Torah scroll and bringing it back and forth to our Services and for handling all our big mailings so expertly. Along with Carolyn Blann, Erwin is also organizing the KBS Antique, Craft & Collectible Fair to take place on October 21 (see below for more details).

Captains Keith and Mona McRevy of the Salvation Army for their gracious hospitality to our Congregation last year.

Barbara Lewis for the beautiful Torah readings she provides at our Shabbat Services.

Ruth Bernstone and Ruth Ader Cawn, our co-Treasurers, who have attended to our Congregation’s financial matters with such competence.

Karen Breier for conducting the WaKoBeS’ activities so effectively and for consistently taking care of our "paper goods" needs after Services each month.

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
					Sep 1	Sep 2
Sep 3 KBS Board Meeting	Sep 4 Labor Day	Sep 5	Sep 6	Sep 7	Sep 8	Sep 9
Sep 10	Sep 11	Sep 12	Sep 13	Sep 14	Sep 15	Sep 16
Sep 17	Sep 18	Sep 19	Sep 20	Sep 21	Sep 22	Sep 23
Sep 24 “The Trial of Sarah”	Sep 25	Sep 26	Sep 27	Sep 28	Sep 29 Rosh Hashana eve	Sep 30 Rosh Hashana, Picnic in eve
October 2000
Oct 1 KBS Board Meeting	Oct 2	Oct 3	Oct 4 “Searchers” Rabbi Shapiro	Oct 5	Oct 6 Shabbat Tshuvah eve	Oct 7 Shabbat Tshuvah
Oct 8 Kol Nidre	Oct 9 Yom Kippur	Oct 10	Oct 11	Oct 12	Oct 13	Oct 14
Oct 15 Sukkot (TBA)	Oct 16	Oct 17	Oct 18	Oct 19	Oct 20	Oct 21 Art, Antique & Craft Fair
Oct 22 Annual Meeting Simchat Torah	Oct 23	Oct 24	Oct 25	Oct 26	Oct 27 Shabbat eve	Oct 28 Shabbat
Oct 29	Oct 30