It’s Jewish leap year! As we head into the month of Adar, we realize there are two months of Adar – I and II, giving us 13 months this year. We welcome the leap year, which mostly averts collisions of holidays like Thanksgiving and Chanukkah, and prevents Passover from being celebrated in the winter. Adar is considered the happiest, most joyous month of the Jewish calendar, mostly because Purim falls in Adar. This year it occurs in Adar II. “When Adar begins, we increase in joy.” (Babylonian Talmud, Taanit 29a).
We welcome you to share the joy with us on Saturday, February 1, for an enriching morning. We will start with breakfast at 8:30 a.m., sponsored by Nancy Federman, Irma Garber, Olivia Goodkin, and Debra Vilinsky. You won’t want to miss Rabbi August’s teaching on what has been called one of the greatest books of all time, Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. This book contains ideas and wisdom which can change your life. In his introduction, Rabbi Harold Kushner explains that Frankl found sources for meaning in the concentration camp and this is how he was able to survive. Although he had “nothing,” he had one important thing: his inner beliefs and feelings, which dictated his response to crisis and despair.
Join Rabbi August for a stimulating and interactive discussion of this seminal work, in which we will be discussing the ultimate purpose of our lives. Even if you have not yet read the book you will be able to join our conversation. If you haven’t renewed your Lev Eisha membership yet, do so now and get a free copy of Viktor Frankl’s book, if you join at the $118 level or above.
Services will start at 9:30 a.m., led by Rabbi August and Cantorial Soloist Cindy Paley. The Torah portion this week is Parashah Terumah from the book of Exodus. Thank you to our kiddush sponsors Suzanne Buckholtz in honor of Levi Nathan’s birthday and Barbara Axelband in honor of her birthday. Lev Eisha honors Joan Spiegel for her delicious chocolate cakes which we enjoy every month. A special thank you to Rabbi’s Friday Torah class and many others who helped with this month’s kiddush.
Map and directions are at the bottom.
2014 Calendar of Events
Mar. 1 9:30 Lev Eisha Service
Mar.16 Purim
Mar.23 Laugh With Lev Fundraiser
Brown Sugar Salmon
Submitted by Barbara Brown
A simple soy sauce and brown sugar marinade, with a bit of lemon and wine, are a delicious salty-sweet complement to the rich salmon.
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted margarine
1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 lb. salmon filet
In a small bowl, combine all marinade ingredients. Place salmon in glass baking dish and cover with marinade. Cover and chill for up to 6 hours in refrigerator. Uncover and bake in 400 degree oven until fish is opaque but still bright pink inside, about 20 minutes.
Serves 2.
In This Issue
Laugh With Lev 2014
Annie Korzen
Our members and donors
Scarves and hats
Being Strangers in Other Lands by Rabbi August
LAUGH WITH LEV 2014
Date: Sunday, March 23
3:00 p.m.
Location: Bergomot Station
5454 Michigan Ave. Santa Monica
Enjoy a spectacular afternoon of entertainment, including a silent auction, raffles, refreshments, and a one woman show by Annie Korzen. See her bio below. Evites to this great event are on their way.
Our silent auction needs your contacts and contributions. Again this year our auction will include only gift cards and gift certificates. You would be amazed at how many restaurants will give you a gift certificate if you just ask. Don’t forget to ask at your hair salon, gym, or market. We will distribute a “Support Your Local Business” book at the fundraiser, with the names of all the businesses who have contributed to our event. And if you have any gift cards that you wish to donate, please pass them along for our auction!
Donation forms and letters will be available on the Lev Eisha table at services this Shabbat, and we will have them up on the website soon.
Annie Korzen – writer, performer, author
ANNIE KORZEN was the recurring Doris Klompus on Seinfeld. She is the author of Bargain Junkie: Living the Good Life on the Cheap, and has done humorous essays for NPR’s Morning Edition, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and many more. She played John Turturro’s mother in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Jason Alexander’s sister in Neil Simon’s Prisoner of 2nd Avenue.
SUPPORT LEV EISHA – SPONSOR OUR FUNDRAISER!
We have several sponsorship opportunities; you know you want to…
Individual ticket prices for our fundraiser are $40 for Lev Eisha members;
$50 for non-members. The following sponsorship levels are available:
CHUCKLE – $118: Includes 2 tickets, reserved seating, plus 4 raffle tickets
GUFFAW – $180: Includes 4 tickets, reserved seating, plus 8 raffle tickets
BELLY LAUGH – $360: Includes 8 tickets, premiere seating plus 12 raffle tickets
HA HA HA HA – $500: Includes 10 tickets, premiere seating plus 15 raffle tickets. Your name/business will be highlighted in our program as an underwriter of the event.
February is the month for love. Love Lev Eisha and bring a friend!
We welcome the following members who have joined or renewed this month:
Miriam Brauner
Janice Friedland
Doreen Klee
Beverly Rimer
Sydell Singer
Thank you to all those who have renewed your membership in Lev Eisha. Please bring your nametag to services, and leave it with us, so that we can add this year’s jewel.
Dedicate a Prayerbook!
Share a simcha or remember a loved one. It’s only $18 to dedicate a prayerbook, or 8 for $100. Contact ruth@leveishaorg.ipage.com for information.
Prayerbooks dedicated this month:
Eve Axelrad dedicated a prayerbook in honor of Alan Klein, “wonderful friend, mensch, and hubby of Rabbi Toba.”
Pearl Councelbaum donated a prayerbook in honor of Arlyene Gruesner’s birthday.
WANTED: NEW OR GENTLY USED SCARVES AND HATS!
We are collecting new or gently used scarves and hats for Chemocessories, an organization which donates these items to cancer patients currently undergoing chemotherapy. Please wash accessories in fragrance free soap or dry clean, and bring to Lev Eisha services on February 1 or March 1. You may also bring them to our fundraiser on March 23.
For more information on this organization, visit chemocessories.org
Being Strangers in Other Lands
By Rabbi August
Too often during a day, I catch myself reacting to the people around me. Am I feeling superior to others because of the way I am dressed, or the color of my skin, or thinking I am smarter? This automatic critiquing of others is examined in an intriguing Time Magazine article (Feb. 3, 2014) called, “The Superiority Complex”, and raises the question of why some minority groups succeed in America and why some fail.
The author, an Indian American, recounts the emails he receives about pride in being Indian: 38% of doctors in the U.S. are Indians; 36% of NASA employees and 34% of Microsoft employers are, you guessed it – Indian. What explains this phenomenon?
I too receive these types of emails. Did you know that 23% of Nobel Prize winners have been of Jewish ancestry since the Nobel was first awarded in 1901 and Jews make up less than 0.2% of the global population? In 2013, six out of twelve laureates were Jewish.
Within Jewish groups, there is a pride in the excellent accomplishments of the Jewish people, which is followed by comments about the “superiority” of Jews being smarter and endowed genetically with a Yiddishe Kop – more astute and having savvy brains than other minority groups.
So what is this superiority complex about and does it serve anyone? The truth is there are layered and complex reasons why one groups excels and another languishes behind. There are no easy, stereotypical answers. For instance, in regards to Jews excelling in science, an Israeli newspaper has this insight:
The 20th century began with massive migrations of Jews to the United States and to Palestine. In each of these new lands, Jews turned to science in great numbers because it promised a way to transcend the old world orders that had for so long excluded most Jews from power, wealth and society. Science, based as it is on values of universality, impartiality and meritocracy, appealed powerfully to Jews seeking to succeed in their new homes. It is not so much what Jews were (smart, bookish) that explains their success in science, as what we wanted to be (equal, accepted, esteemed), and in what sorts of places we wanted to live (liberal and meritocratic societies).
Time Magazine noted that the success of immigrant groups in America also depended on their occupations and how well suited they were to urban economies. Networking and many other factors also account for how immigrants negotiate America; additionally, having family support also accounts for greater success.
Lastly, did you know that the Jewish Bible teaches us never to oppress and wrong the stranger at least 36 times? We are commanded to love them and help care for their basic social needs. Why? Because we were strangers in the land of Egypt! Our collective religious and cultural experiences train us to be tolerant, accepting and kind to others. May we open our hearts and minds to others who are different, knowing we are all different in our own ways. May we find the Divine within ourselves and others, and we say AMEN.
Milestones
Happy Birthday to Levi Buckholtz, Barbara Axelband and everyone who has a February birthday!
Condolences to the family of Bob Reisbaum, who pased away on January 26. He and his wife Cecile Benson Reisbaum, were familiar faces at Lev Eisha for many years.
If you have a milestone to share, please send it to Rose Ziff at editor@leveishaorg.ipage.com.
Birthdays, weddings, graduations, Bat or Bar Mitzvot, births, special awards/honors, and exotic vacations are some of the simchas that are fun to share with our community.
This is also the place to ask our community to join you in prayers of healing for those who are ill or in memory of those who have passed away. Our newsletter is usually published the Monday before each service.
Lev Eisha services are held at
Vista Del Mar
3200 Motor Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Comments about the e-letter may be sent to Rose at editor@leveishaorg.ipage.com
Lev Eisha
10736 Jefferson Blvd. #706
Culver City, CA 90230
message only: 310.575.0985
info@leveishaorg.ipage.com