xt71c53f217d https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt71c53f217d/data/mets.xml Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Kentucky Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass 2009-09 Newspaper of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, previously named the Central Kentucky Jewish Association and Central Kentucky Jewish Federation. Published ten times annually. The Federation seeks to bring Jewish community members together through holiday parties, lectures, Yiddish courses, meals, and other celebrations of Jewish heritage and culture. They also host fundraisers and provide financial assistance for Jews in need, both locally and around the world. This collection is part of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records, 2016ms010. newsletters 2016ms010 English Central Kentucky Jewish Federation Inc Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records Jews -- Kentucky -- Lexington Jews -- History Shalom, September 2009 text image Shalom, September 2009 2009 2009-09 2025 true xt71c53f217d section xt71c53f217d SHAL

NEWSPAPER OF THE CENTRAL KENTUCKY JEWISH FEDERATION

SEPTEMBER 2009

Campers and staff reﬂect on
another successful summer at

Camp Shalom and Camp Gesher

‘1. ".r

Final two weeks of summer spent with friends and

having fun
9 9 Q

”I wish life could be like camp,” said a father of both campers and staff
members. ”The difference between day-to-day life and camp is that in this
case, for two weeks a year, kids learn to slow down, and not just think about
themselves and learn about community.” Camper Nathan Foster said, ”I enjoy
the friends I make with campers and having staff that really care about me."
And another parent, who has sent campers to us for many years, said, ”Even
though I am not Jewish, I am very happy with the new friendships made,

sec Camp, page 1.”

"2m

Benefactors Event to be held

on Sunday, October 25

On Sunday, October 25 at 6:00 p.m., the Benefactors Event
will take place at I’ortofino restaurant in Lexington.
Individuals who contribute $250 or couples who contrib-
ute $500 to the 2009 Central Kentucky Jewish Federation
annual campaign are invited to attend. The cost of the
dinner is $25 per person. The speaker will be Cavricl
Azulay, who directs the horseback riding therapy pro-
gram at the Ben Yakir Youth Aliyah Village in Israel. This
program and the music therapy program are funded in
part through contributions to the annual campaign.

Cavriel grew up in Sderot, the youngest of seven sisters
and one brother. After serving as a paratrooper and

combat medic in the Israeli Army, he
studied alternative medicine, special-
izing in nutrition, vitamins and min-
erals, and western healing plants. His
dream was to start a horseback thera-
py program in Sderot; then the direc-
tor of the Ben Yakir village asked him
to lead their horseback riding therapy
program.

“Many of the teenagers at Ben Yakir
have so many failures during their

see Campaign, page 3

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Team mcliol (blue) in tug 0' war during i’tlaccabiuh games.

a a ora ive
rights educational
project proposed

Jewish community input sought
0 § 0

The Central Kentucky Jewish Federation’s Community
Relations Committee, in collaboration with the Lexington
Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission, is
proposing an educational program to describe the unique
relationship between our Jewish community and the
African American community in Lexington during the
civil rights movement. The goal is to have a memorable
exhibit as well as community panel discussion during
Black History Month in 2011.

The project needs assistance from you. We are hoping

to find information from the Jewish community: oral
testimonials from participants or relatives of those who
participated, as well as any artifacts from Lexington Civil
Rights work during the years 1963 through 1967. Please
contact Gloria Rie at The Humanitarium, (859) 254-5055.

Participating partners include The Humanitarium: Center
for Culture 5: Diversity, Isaac Scott Hathaway Museum,
Lexington History Museum, and the University of
Kentucky African American Studies Department. t

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2 l September.~2009 Shalom

IN THIS ISSUE
Hadassah formally installs new president ................. 3 o i.
\ \ ( I '
President's Message ................................. 4 1rA\][ IHkOﬂthlany (GIFQCQIUIIULgﬁ ]
TAI Sisterhood plans for upcoming year .................. 4 ”On the first day of the seventh month, you shall celebrate a new year.”
Third Opinion -------------------------------------- 5 Rosh Hashanah celebrates beginnings. As each year passes, we remember the
From the Director .................................. 6 miracles of creation we have known and prepare to celebrate those miracles C
k . yet to come. Time continues to pass and with each moment we have the P
AS a Rabb‘ ----------------------------- 7 opportunit to bless and be blessed in each engagement with each other.
V p
JFS: At Your Service ................................. 8 Ir.
F Y | f t' We are God’s partners in bringing peace to our world, and we use this spirit of h
or our n orma '0” """""""""""""""" 10 blessing to create and recreate sacred relationships with each other and our t,
AGAPE Theatre Troupe announces Lexington premiere ..... 10 environment. May we find ourselves equal to this charge, and may each and
Opinion IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 11 every one of us enjoy a happy, healthy, and blessed year to come. C
II
Camp Shalom Photos ............................... 12 Shanah Tovah Happy New Year! f(
Camp Young Young Judaea: A valuable summer experience . 14 The Family ofTemple Adath israel 5‘
. tl
B’tayavon ........................................ 15 COR 0 si
Israel 21c: Israeli study: soda drinks cause liver damage ..... 19 RECTI N C 2009 CKJ F/UJC , IT
Lexington Chapter of Hadassah ....................... 20 The picture identified 0mmUn|ly CClmpCllgn SI
Lexington Havurah ................................. 20 as the Rosenbatim/ oiralKEntuc Upcoming Events: a
Shapere family in 0"“ o i C
Temple Adath Israel ................................ 21 th A t _ ‘6 Q S(
. e ugus issue a e° ' ' ' - _
Ohavay Zion Synagogue ............................. 22 ‘ t ll th [3” mew Equine DIVISIOH October 20 re
. was ac ua y e Benefactors Event — October 25 as
Around the Community ............................. 23 Yelowitz famil .
‘ y' Thank You Event — November 15 V
Community Calendar ............................... 24 Shalom regrets the 01
error. Kay 1h “an aim. W m Jami W. a
s ALOM ..
Published ten times per year by the 90“" 6 “('2 STEWART HOME SCHOOL A g .7.
Central Kentucky Jewish Federation, Inc. I'="='I VISITATION SCHEDULE: ‘ ‘ , ‘ _ I.“ r
1050 Chinoe Rd., Suite 302, Lexington, KY 40502 “9,. $0“ Tikkun Lexi a,“ I‘m-24
Phone (859) 268-0672 - Fax (859) 268—0775 "’7 Fed“a Oct. ist & Nov. 24th & Dec. 8th at 6:30 pm. "3 31
email: sha|om@jewishlexington.org T(
The Stewart Home, located in Frankfort, Kentucky, is a residential school for individuals m
SEPTEMBER 2009, VOLUME XVI, ISSUE 7 with disabilities. It is renowned throughout the country for the high quality of care given hz
Linda Ravvin, President to the students, and attracts people from all across the country. Tikkun Lexington brings Y
Judy Wortman, Executive Director celebration to the Stewart Home’s Jewish students by honoring Shabbat and Jewish ‘
Jana LaZur, Activities Director holidays. It is a very special evening for all who participate, volunteers and students alike. m
Paula Clancy, JFS Director hi
Tamara Ohayon, Communications Director Please call Jana at (859) 268-0672 In
or email jana@jewishlexington.org for more information K.
SHALOM COMMITTEES 12
Editorial Board . . . . . 0
Ruth Pom, Editommcm, If you are not receivmg JerSh Weekly email and would like to, please
Mary Heléne “whim; Eiitor/Administrator send your name and email address to Iexadmin@iewishlexington.org L)
arCIa 3C er
Jane Chaput “(e r a 1
Judy Levine e0“a( ”‘9‘ - . he
“my Bow, 3 a“... Central Kentucky JeWIsh Federation SF
Elissa Brown, Gail Cohen, Angie Ornstein, [sh Wa‘ er
and R059 “"8 Wurmse' CKJF President CKJF Board th
Linda Ravvin Bruce Broudy Jennifer Miller in
' CONTRIBUT'NG WRITERS _ Jane Chaput Angie Ornstein 5e
MarCia Blacker, Karin Kloosterman, Lisa Satin, . .
and Peter Schogol . . Susan Cobin Jeremy Popkin be
Executlve Commlttee Evelyn Dantzic Geller Ricki Rosenberg 5h
LOCAL DISTRIBUTION'SERVICES Michael Grossman, Vice President Larry Kant Kae Schennberg se
Lowell and Betty Nigoff Pat Shraberg, Secretary Mimi Kaufman David Shakib
. _ I David Levine D 'd W k t '
Production SerVIces by Direct Response, Inc. Rebert Grossman Treasurer aw e s em 1‘)
Odette Kaplan, Member-At—Large es
The editorial staff has the right to edit all articles submitted for publication w.
in Shalom. The appearance of any advertising in this publication does not ar
represent a kashruth endorsement on the part of CKJF or any other agency é [ 0 as
or organization. Shalom is partially supported by the advertisements S D b '
appearing in the paper. a 0m ea Tne 1V1:
Copyright © 2009, Central Kentucky Jewish Federation. All rights reserved. Deadhne for artldes for the OCtOber Shalom i5 september 10'
For reprint permission contact Ruth G. Poley, Editor—in-Chief, Shalom, at - - - -
rgp@msigmbb_com' Email articles to di-ifr@bardstown.com.

Hadassah formally
installs new president

By Marcia Blacker

On September 13 at 12:30 p.m., the Lexington Chapter of
Hadassah will officially install Lynn Fumess as its new
president. The luncheon will be held at Malone’s Banquet
Hall (above Sal’s). Lynn was elected in June and has been
hard at work since then; however, she is looking forward
to her official recognition.

Growing up in Cincinnati, Lynn was aware of her
mother’s strong commitment to Hadassah, and in fact,
follows in her mother’s footsteps. Her mother, Carolyn
Schulzinger, was president of the Cincinnati chapter in
the early ’605. Lynn has been a Life Member of Hadassah
since 1997, when her father gave Lynn and her sister life
memberships in memory of their mother.

Shortly after Lynn arrived in Lexington, she attended

a Hadassah meeting where she was recognized as
Carolyn’s daughter. Lynn recounts, “They made me feel
so welcome that I said yes when they asked me to be
recording secretary!” Since that time, Lynn has served

as fund raising vice president (twice) and as membership
VP, has initiated the sale of Macy '5 cards, and has worked
on the cookie sale to help raise awareness of breast can-
cer. She has been involved in almost every aspect of
Hadassah's endeavors.

Lynn and her husband, lim, have lived in Versailles for

"Ti\.'v",:.i‘\ v. o'w" - 'i ‘l,-§;]("- ”luv"?

jdﬁﬁggitseit. Versailles appealed to jim espeCia‘ y
‘ since e had‘ lived in the mu‘ntry' ’9 mm iﬁg’li?

Together they have four children. Geri is a Reform rabbi
married to a Reform rabbi; they live in New Jersey and
have a son, Jay, who is 3. Scott lives in Rochester, New
York, where he is employed as a radio advertising sales-
man. His wife, Susan, is a clinical psychologist, and they
have a son, Sam, who is 2 years old. Clint works for a
home and business security company; he lives in Wichita,
Kansas. Clint has two children, Isabella, 2 1/2, and Justin,
' 12. Jennifer is a coffee barista and bartender in Portland,
Oregon.

Lynn has a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA, and
a law degree from Southwestern law school. She keeps
her Kentucky and California law licenses current. In her
spare time, Lynn enjoys reading, knitting, cooking, and
entertaining. Her favorite pastime, however, is visiting
the grandchildren. Lynn and Jim enjoy attending perfor—
mances of the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour and have
season tickets to the Woodford Theatre. They are mem-
bers of the Lexington Havurah, and Lynn is familiar to
Shalom readers through her contributions to the Spotlight
series.

Lynn reports that Hadassah has some exciting and inter-
esting programs lined up. She is very much looking for-
ward to two years as the leader of the Lexington Chapter

" and hopes ”new people will become involved, and that
associate members will be more involved in fund-rais-
ing and programming. My goal is to keep the chapter
vibrant.” 13!

Invest in State of Israel Bonds

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Campaign (from page 1)

young lives. They are afraid to trust, afraid to try, and have lost their belief in others. Working with
horses gives these kids the chance to open up, to connect, to believe in themselves,” said Gavriel.
”It is a process that takes time, but when we see the results, it is incredible.”

The Ben Yakir Youth Aliyah Village near Hadera provides a normative, residential environment
where new immigrants and youth at risk, ages 12 to 18, receive the intervention they need to heal
and flourish.

On Tuesday evening, October 20, Gavriel will speak at the Equine Division Event. For information
or registration, call Judy Wortman at (859) 268-0672. Xi!

September.2009 Shalom | 3

President's Message

Linda Rawin

—
New beginnings: the start of a new tance to a family member or friend in wallets are a little lighter this year (I won’t even talk
day, dawn, bright colors reflected need? Does someone who is elderly about retirement plans and investments for those
in the rising sun, and endless p05- or less able to get around need help lucky enough to still have them). However, the won—
sibilities until day’s end. This is mul— shopping or getting to an appoint— derful work done by CKJF cannot flourish without Th
tiplied by the number of days until ment? Are you able to visit someone your contributions. We have many opportunities for bir
the annual cycle of a year passes. Who is lonely or in the hospital? you to donate to your community. Super Sunday has wl
We then welcome Rosh Hashanah, Volunteer your time to help our com— passed and by the time you read this Shalom we will already have had our of‘
the time that we celebrate and munity. CKJF cannot accomplish the Pacesetters event aimed toward larger donors. But you are never too late! me
acknowledge all of these new begin— wonderful programs and activities The Benefactors event is coming up in October for those donors at a level 90;
nings as a people united by tradi» it offers without your participation of $250 and up—we have a fantastic speaker from Ben Yakir (the Youth ter
tion, history, and belief. With the as volunteers. All of our committees Aliyah village in Israel that we assist not only with the horseback riding wi'
onset of Yom Kippur, we also take need your involvement to succeed. program, but now also with the music enrichment program). We also have the
the opportunity to reflect upon the Elsewhere in this issue of Shalom is at our Equine Division event, which takes place during the October Keeneland we
previous year. How did we conduct list of all the CKJF committees with Meet and will feature the same speaker. The CKIF Campaign continues not
ourselves? Were we constructive and short descriptions of what they do. throughout the year, whether via events to encourage giving or by personal mc
helpful to ourselves, our families, Please take a few minutes to review dialogue or letter. Please think about the programs that we accomplish
and our community? What do we them and decide where you would together. Think about Camp Shalom and Camp Gesher and the informal 1f )
regret, and whom have we hurt? like to focus your efforts. There education and leadership training that our youngsters are receiving. nal
are so many ways for you to help ave
This time of year presents us with make our community better and We encourage you to show your appreciation for receiving Shalom ten har
the chance to look at ourselves and stronger; all it takes is a little time. times a year by helping to defray the costs of producing and mailing thr
do a self-evaluation. In these more it. Consider sending an additional gift of at least $18 to underwrite the ret
difficult economic times, are we Of course, we also need funds to costs. Honor someone special in your life by giving a donation to CKIF fir-5
doing enough? There are many ways continue and expand the programs in that person’s name; show your appreciation for a special program or Le:
to help, many of them involving no and assistance that we offer to our service you have received from CKJF by helping to make sure that, with
additional monetary commitment. community and to others in need, your support, it continues and grows to better serve the community. I fe
Pay attention to those around you. in Israel and around the world. I Ho
Should you be giving more assis- know that everyone's purses and As we reflect during the period of the High Holidays and get ready to wel— poi
come a New Year, may we all offer encouragement, assistance, hope, and our dis
efforts to build a stronger and better community for ourselves and those unv
around us. .. m .- . ”v;
KENTUCKY FOLK --~ 5..
Wishing everyone a healthy and happy Rosh Hashanah 5770! II: ber
Art from theUK HalthCare Collection My
_- . . ., 1s r

TAI Sisterhood plans 313
for upcoming year A.

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ma
1 1 _ _ fur
. l l li ' l 1 . Opening meeting tgo‘be September 16 N0
, . . : g ‘ ‘ . . - _ thi:
V I’ 1. g a '% K '3 1
V ‘ (7 " I " . The TAI Sisterhood Board has been hard at work planning exciting programs spc
‘ 7 for the 2009-2010 year. The first meeting of the year will be Wednesday, fat;
September 16, at 7:00 pm. at the home of Ruth Poley (call Ruth at 245—5027 for
directions). The theme will be Coffee and Kibbitz, and the sole agenda will be My
to get together, renew acquaintanceships after the summer, and meet our new sha
members. All women of the Temple are encouraged to come to this enjoyable Cai
evening; you do not have to be a Sisterhood member to attend. 21:
Programs for later in the year include our paid-up-members dinner in at 1
November, our ever-popular Hanukkah luncheon in December, Sisterhood roo
Shabbat in February, and some surprises to be revealed as the year goes on.
Watch for information about our October event; it’s sure to appeal to mothers fa]
w

GENEVlE‘iE WELSBH, Worms Day at the Country Store, UK Healmsare £9133an

July 11 - September 20
The Art Museum

at tar: umvsasrrt er “mass?

of young girls and their daughters.

We’re getting set for a busy year and there's always room for YOU in our
Sisterhood. Call any Sisterhood Board officer (they’re listed on page 8 of your
Temple Directory) to get more information and get involved. X3

Rose Street and Euclid Avenue, Lexingtaa, KY UK

859.257.5716 / www.uky.edu/Art¥\ltuseum

4 | September 2009 Shalom

Third Opinion

Stanley Ned Rosenbaum, PhD

A heart of wisdom
s + +

The last time a male relative of mine reached his 70th
birthday was 1953 and I can only think of two others
who did it before then. So when I was told my chances

of being alive five years from now were ”zero" without
major heart surgery, I immediately thought of Psalm
90:10: ”The days of a person’s life are three score and
ten”——and the Yom Kippur liturgy in which we say, ”Who
will complete their [his] years and who will not complete
their years.” Moses, the author of Psalm 90, added that
we might expect 80 years ”given the strength.” He said
nothing about the positive role that could be played by
modern medicine; odd, considering he himself lived till 120.

If you add up the ages of my older brother, father, pater—
nal uncle, and both grandfathers and divide by five, their
average age at death was between 65 and 66. They all
had heart conditions. At 69-plus, I figured I was about
three years past my ”sell by” date. Oh well. We bought
retirement property in Kentucky in part because of the
first-rate medical facilities in
Lexington and Louisville.

proved inno—
cent,” so I sup-
pose that goes
double for doctors. Come to think of
it, I’m a Jewish doctor myself, just not
the kind that does anyone any good.

Well, that's not entirely true. Early
in my teaching career I spent a lot
of time counseling a conservative
Christian student who went on to
become head of angioplasty at Duke
Medical School before scaling back
to a career as a cardiologist at North
Carolina. He took a keen interest in
my situation, telling me at one point
that having surgery sooner rather
than waiting for something untoward
to happen represented ”the differ-
ence between making a free throw

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The Shalom Newspaper is published ten times per
year. It is mailed to over 1,200 local businesses
and households. Shalom is distributed free of
charge and is the most effective, cost efficient way
to reach Central Kentucky's Jewish community.

Month-To-Month Rates

4.9" x

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F” "99 12.75"

V to" 12.75"
x $120

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I fetched up at Jewish _ _ E $200 3W $195 $1 20 BW 3

Hospital in Louisville, disap- paternal. uncle, and both grandfathers and dIVIde by . $275 Color Com $195 Color 5

pointed that they don't Offer five, their average age at death was between 65 and l___a {y

discounts to real Jews, but 66. They all had heart conditions. At 69-plus, I figured ' I 8 P . "

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unwrllmg to take a complex I was about three years past my sell by date. / 099 4 9" 3 191“ .. ..

”valve job” to Jiffy Lube. 4.9" X 6375" ' x ' 3‘625 x 2

Scripture teaches us to ”num- $55 3%,} ‘35 W 1,-

ber our days that we may attain a heart of wisdom.” ”5 Co 4" $75 COIN l
and a turn-around jumper.” I’m a UK - ’

My heart now has a pig valve in it, and why not? The pig basketball fan; it was a convincing

is reputed to be the most intelligent of all farmyard crea—
tures. Before the operation I had a heart murmur: "lub-
dub—squish”—now my heart goes, ”lub-dub-oink.”

As I write this it still hurts when I laugh, but I can’t help
making jokes. Humor helps in so many places, from dys-
functional family situations to life-threatening illnesses.
Norman Cousins (editor of the Saturday Review) found
this out by literally laughing his way clear of ankylosing
spondylitis, a degenerative disease with a 99.8 percent
fatality rate. (He watched a lot of Marx Brothers films.)

My natural inclination to see humor everywhere was
sharpened considerably by reading and teaching Albert
Camus’ The Plague. For Camus, an Existentialist, life is
fundamentally absurd, that is, without rhyme or reason.
As such he maintains that our best response is to laugh
at life’s absurdities; the French verb rire (”to laugh”) is the
root of the name of his narrator, Dr. Bernard Rieux.

Camus offers no clue that Dr. Rieux is a crypto—Jew, but
I wonder. My wife maintains, ”Every one is Jewish until

Attention proud
grandparents,

parents, and
students

argument.

Moses lived to be 120 in part, I think,
because he wanted to make his 100th
high school reunion. However it is
with us, Scripture also teaches, ”This
is the day the Lord hath made, let

us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm
118124) I think I know now, bet—

ter than I did before, just what that
means. May we all be inscribed. it!

In memory of Ray Kaplan

Stanley Ned Rosenbaum, PhD (Brandeis),
is an adjunct professor of Hebrew at UK
and professor emeritus of Judaic Studies
at Dickinson College in Curlisle, Penn.
The title of this recurring column is
drawn from the old chestnut, ”Two Jews,
three opinions.”

* All other ads are billed at $12 per column inch.

"‘ Ad production is available at Si 5 per

Rates for contracted terms (per issue **

Size 5x 10x w/ Color
Full 190 180 + 75 “
l/2Vert. 115 110 +75

1/2 Horiz. 115 no +75

1/4 75 70 + 40

1/8 so 45 + 40

Bus. Card 30 25 + 40
Terms

The Central Kentucky Jewish Federation will not be

hour.

A contract must be
signed prior to
insertion of the first ad.
Prepaid contracts will
be discounted 10% off
the total.

Discounts do not apply
to charges for color
printing.

responsible for

errors, except to cancel charge for such portion of advertisements

as may be rendered valueless by error.

All material is subiect to approval by CKJF. CKJF reserves the right
to reject any material it deems objectionable for any reason.

Deadline

Deadline for camera-ready art is the 10th of the month

prior to the month of publication.

to. mini- lluinil< .ilmul .1il\'uli~iiii_j plume
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We want to publish any original writing produced by our community’s

elementary- and high-school-age children. If you’re proud of something
written by one of our kids, either fiction or non—fiction, please email it to
Dl-lFR@Bardstown.com.

September 2009 Shalom |

YESJOOETHER WE CAN

HELP OUR ELDERLY, OUR HUNGRY,
OUR DESPERATE AND OUR POOR.

They are our cousins and our grandparents, our neigh-

bors and our long lost relatives. They are our family.
And whether they are here at home, navigating the
most severe economic downturn in generations, in the
former Soviet Union or in lsrael, more and more are
turning to Jewish Federation-supported programs tor
food and urgent financial relief. ln tact, programs that
provide basic humanitarian services have now been
expanded to meet dramatically increased needs.

Make your commitment today.
Send your check to the CKJF ottice or visit
us online at wwwiewishlexingtonorg
and pay by credit card.

“ﬁat Kant
of" Q 0%
w %l o

0 . - o
hash Fede‘é)

Support the 2009 CKlF/UJC Community Campaign.

6 I September 2009 Shalom

From the Director

Judy B. Wortman

As we approach the High Holidays
this year, I—like so many oth-
ers—am reviewing the events of the
last year, putting them into perspec-
tive and looking to the future with

a renewed sense of direction. Had
anyone suggested to me a year ago
that I would be celebrating the holi-
days in Lexington, Kentucky, I prob-
ably would have laughed. A year ago
I felt relatively settled in suburban
Philadelphia, was just about recov—
ered from a fractured femur, and
was looking to expand my hours

as a fundraising consultant or to
look again for a full-time job in the
Jewish community. My husband and
I expected to stay in the area, and
he assumed he would be rabbi at his
congregation until retirement, when
he would open a practice in marriage
and family therapy. (He completed

a four—year program of study at the
Council for Relationships in May.)

By January, we found that, like many
other Americans, we had to change
our expectations. His contract was
not going to renewed at the syna-
gogue; in fact, the board decided

to save money by going without a
rabbi temporarily. I found that full-
time positions at my level in the
Philadelphia-area Jewish community
were non-existent. Because agen-
cies were trying to cut back, most
were not looking to hire develop-
ment consultants or to expand their
existing contracts. This meant that
David and I would have to consider
looking nationwide for positions.

We were facing what so many others
in this country have had to endure
in this uncertain economy. We would
now be in competition with num-
bers of unemployed people and with
professionals many years our junior.
At about this time I received a call
from Ricki Wasserman from United
Jewish Communities asking whether
I would be interested in investigat-
ing a position in Lexington. Ricki
knew that my twin sister, Linda
Angelo, was a psychologist who

had lived in Lexington for many
years and that I was familiar with
the area. By the end of February I
was here for an interview and in
April I was offered the position.

Now that I have been here for three
months, it is easy to forget the stress
of looming unemployment. I have
made wonderful connections here

and have been
embraced by so
many of you.
Our board and
staff, the rabbis
of the commu-
nity, the leaders of the congregations,
the Havurah, and Hadassah have

all reached out. I have been indeed
blessed to have been welcomed as

a member of this community.

As the holidays approach, I must
remind myself that just as David
and I had to weather our uncertain
future this year, there are many oth-
ers here and in other communities
who have been affected by unex-
pected circumstances—some by
unemployment, some who have had
to lose their homes, and some who
have experienced illness. We at the
Central Kentucky Jewish Federation
are in a position to reach out to these
people and to contribute our time
and our resources. We need your
help to do this. Please think care-
fully about your gift to the 2009
campaign and consider an increase.
If each of you would add even $18
(Chai) for life, our campaign could
make a difference to people in need.
If you can squeeze out extra time,
please call us and consider serving
on a committee or being a friendly
visitor for those who are ill or home-
bound. The rewards are infinite.

I send all of you best wishes for
a New Year of peace and fulfill-
ment, and I thank you for all you
have done to welcome me to this

very special community. X3!

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Ask a Rabbi

Rabbi H. D. Uriel Smith

: What has paradise got to do with inter-
preting the Hebrew Bible?

: The Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, sometimes
called the ”written Torah," has always been a
major foundation of Judaism. There have been
many ways of interpreting it, showing vari-
ous paths to follow in conducting our lives. In the Middle
Ages it became customary to identify four levels of inter-
pretation, identified by the anagram PaRDeS.

The word pardes is found in the Bible (for instance, Song
of Songs 4:13), deriving from a Persian word meaning an
enclosed garden or orchard. The ultimate Pardes became
identified with Gan Eden, the Garden of Eden. This was
translated into English as Paradise. So, by choosing this
anagram, the rabbis implied that if we interpret the Bible
correctly, its guidance will help us enter Paradise.

The four consonants of PaRDeS stand

As a result, the Christian count dis—
misses the first utterance: ”I am the
Eternal your God, who brought you
out of the Land of Egypt, the house of
bondage,” (Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy
5:6), since it does not command any-
thing. This overlooks that the cov-
enant is one of mutual responsibility
and love. God has shown his love by
freeing the Israelites from slavery; the
Israelites should show their love by
acting morally. The Sinai covenant is
one of tough love, for only so can the
Israelites survive in the sacred con-
text of a holy covenant.

Rashi (Rabbi Sh’lomo ben Isaac, 1040-
1105 CE) tries to give mainly the
p’shat in his commentaries. Because
of that, the tra-

respectively for: (a) p’shat, ”simple,
straightforward meaning”; (b) remez,
”hint,” that is, reading between the
lines, identifying what is implied by
the text; (c) d’rash, ”exegesis," explana-

God has shown his love by
freeing the Israelites from slav-
ery; the Israelites should show
their love by acting morally.

ditional study
of the Torah in
the healer (chil-
dren’s one-
room school)

tions of the text that give implications
for our life activities; and (d) sod, ”secret,” mystical expla-
nations of the text.

The p'shat is the fundamental method of understanding
the text. In general, the straightforward explanation is the
preferred means of understanding what is written. Only
if the simple meaning creates too many problems should
it be dismissed. Therefore the literal translation of the
text (fitting as much as possible the literal meaning of the
Hebrew words, while still using good English) is usually
more accurat