5763 Annual Newsletter

 

Celebrate the High Holidays With Us!

September 2002

 

All services at the Ohana Keauhou Beach Resort unless otherwise indicated

 

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

Call Dr. Barry Blum at 322-6004 or Joel Gimpel at 325-4991 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. No one will be turned away for inability to contribute.

Calendar

September - October 2002

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
September 1	Sep 2   Labor Day	Sep 3	Sep 4	Sep 5	Sep 6 Rosh Hashana eve + Seder	Sep 7 Rosh Hashana + Tashlich
Sep 8	Sep 9	Sep 10	Sep 11	Sep 12	Sep 13 Shabbat Tshuvah eve	Sep 14
Sep 15   Kol Nidre	Sep 16   Yom Kippur	Sep 17	Sep 18	Sep 19	Sep 20	Sep 21
Sep 22   Sukkot	Sep 23	Sep 24	Sep 25	Sep 26	Sep 27	Sep 28 Shabbat + SimchatTorah
Sep 29	Sep 30	October 1	Oct 2	Oct 3	Oct 4	Oct 5
Oct 6	Oct 7	Oct 8	Oct 9	Oct 10	Oct 11	Oct 12
Oct 13 Annual Meeting	Oct 14	Oct 15	Oct 16	Oct 17	Oct 18	Oct 19

 

 

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).
Name of Trustee      Term expires     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)	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)
* Term is ending now. Trustee is standing for reelection         # Immediate past president   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

 

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 60^th 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 11^th 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.