This month's messages from our leadership:

• Rabbi Moskowitz
• Cantor Finnley
• Sharon Amster Brown, R.J.E.
• Stephen Bascove
• Board President Mark Levinstein
• Jan Stein, Foundation President

Nominations to Temple Israel's
Board of Directors 2008 - 2009

Nominated for One (1) Year Terms:
Suzanne Brodsly
Valerie Condon
Doug Weinstein

Nominated for Three (3) Year Terms:
Rochelle Anderson
Nancy Epstein
Holli Levitsky
Amy Lipeles
Joanne Ratner Slavitt
Gary Roberts
Alan Rosen

Incumbents:
Judy Blumenthal
Cindy Arana
Harriette Ellis
C.J. Harmatz
Roberta Friedman
Jonathan Kass
Judi Lentzner
Mark Levinstein
Alan Lilien
Brian Sweet
Janice Wood

Past President:
Alan Kreida

Much Appreciation to Outgoing Board Members:
Melissa Fox
Kendra Cogert
Katheryn McDermott

Our B'nai Mitzvah

Daniele Mikayla Friedland is a seventh grader at Westerly School in Long Beach. She will become Bat Mitzvah on May 10, 2008. She is thrilled to share this celebration with all her family and friends. Daniele is very passionate about raising awareness for the plight of the Darfurian people. Her mitzvah project is a Fashion Show and fund raiser at Buffalo Exchange. She would like to invite celebration attendees to bring a can or box of a non-perishable food item, which can be placed in the slow cookers that will be put out on the bima on May 10th, and which will then be donated to the people of Darfur, and to the local homeless population in Long Beach.

Alex David Feibleman will read from the Torah on Saturday morning, May 31 at Temple Israel, sharing the B’nai Mitzvah tradition and honor with his twin sister, Celine. Alex is both a scholar and musician, and attends Stanford Middle School. As a seventh grader, Alex plays alto saxophone in both the school Jazz Band and Advanced Band. He also was first chair in the District’s Honor Band and plays with the well known Jazz Angels. Alex also skis and plays soccer and tennis. In his rare free time, Alex heads to the movies with friends and, of course, plays on the computer. Alex’s family includes his twin sister, Celine, older sister, Carolyn, and parents, Kim and Cary, all of whom are very proud of his accomplishments and look forward to the upcoming day of ceremony and celebration.

Celine Allyse Feibleman will share the bima with her twin brother, Alex, on Saturday morning, May 31 at Temple Israel, as together they read from the Torah on their B’nai Mitzvah. Celine is a 7th grader at Stanford Middle School where she assists in a peer school safety program and sings in the school choir. Most of Celine’s free time is spent at Long Beach Ballet Arts where she takes numerous classes weekly and performs twice yearly in the Academy’s productions. Celine is also very athletic; she has skied since she was three years old and seeks adventure in every sport she attempts to master. Family members, Alex, her twin, Carolyn, her older sister, and parents, Kim and Cary, are delighted that Celine has chosen to participate in the B’nai Mitzvah tradition.

My name is Jake Weitz and I will become a Bar Mitzvah on May 17. I am in the 7th grade GATE program at Oak Middle School. I play water polo on my club team, which won the 2007 USA junior water polo olympics. In my spare time I like to play video games, listen to music, skateboard, hang out with my friends, and play with my dogs. I love my family who always encourage me to try my best. I would like to thank my mother and my grandmother for sharing this special experience with me.

The "New Temple Israel" Makes
Holiday Plans With an Old Friend
by Kendra Cogert

For many years before the Carpenter Center was even conceived, Temple Israel held our High Holy Day services at the historic First Congregational Church on 3rd and Cedar Streets in downtown Long Beach. A building rich with character and spiritual warmth - not to mention a magnificent pipe organ - this was our home away from home for 16 years. When it required a structural retrofit after the earthquake, we were compelled to locate another venue for our services. The Carpenter Center was new, somewhat luxurious, and very accommodating. It served us well for many years.

Following our most recent High Holy Days, our recap discussions included conversations about the parking difficulties and the excessive seating capacity of the Carpenter Center. Could we possibly find another location that will serve our needs for the High Holy Days? In order to justify the Carpenter Center fees of over $20,000 plus parking, we need to be certain that it is, in fact, the best location for us. Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur will both fall on school days in 2008, meaning that campus parking will not be available and we will incur the additional costs of contracting with an off-site parking lot and shuttle buses. The professional and lay leadership began a search of local theaters, banquet facilities and churches, considering criteria that included seating capacity, sight lines, comfort, parking, availability, and cost. We quickly narrowed our list and we are excited to announce that we will be returning to the First Congregational Church for our High Holy Day services this coming fall.

You will all be happy to know that this results in a considerable savings to us. Although we will make a donation to the church that is respectable and commensurate with our appreciation of their generosity, they have offered their entire campus to us at no charge. This includes the sanctuary with choir loft and pipe organ, new social hall and courtyard, classrooms for our youth activities, and even a preschool area for babysitting. We will still incur expenses for parking, as the church does not have its own lot, but bear in mind this is an expense we would have had at the Carpenter Center as well. Steve Bascove has already been working with our valet service developing a plan to facilitate parking. Those of you who attended services at the church in the past will also be happy to know that they have a new air conditioning system and seat cushions.

The Board is mindful of its duty to manage the finances of our synagogue and to live within our means. By examining large budget items and finding ways to gracefully reduce costs, we are able to realign our spending in ways that add value for the congregation. We are confident that we can make this a smooth transition as we re-acquaint ourselves with an old friend for the High Holy Days.

Oh, What A Night!
Annual Purim Masquerade Party

If you missed our 1st Annual Purim Masquerade Party, you missed the TIME OF YOUR LIFE. Our Feuer Auditorium was turned into a Mardi Gras party scene by Isabella and her staff along with lots of balloons blown up by Natalie Swit. About 100 of us enjoyed food by Open Sesame and were served cocktails all night long by our bartenders and barmaids Alan Kreida, Nancy Epstein and Marian Martin. Jello shots were the hit of the evening with over 100 being sold.
Much to my surprise, most everyone came in costume. Our judge, Cheryl Avirom, had a challenge to select the winners of our contest. The winners were Tom Besley for best male (or was it best female?); Jackie Besley for best female; Susan Phillips for best characterization; Rob and Andrea Freidenthal for best couple. Our 50/50 raised $122.

As for the Purim Shpiel, “Fractured Broadway,” what a hoot it was. Exceptional talent exists among our temple congregants. I can’t wait for next year’s performance. Thank you Barry Cogert for your direction of an incredible cast. Many thanks to the Avchen Family for sponsoring the shpiel this year.
Onto dessert, delicious bundt cakes were made by Natalie Swit, Nicole Gracie, Nancy Epstein, and Melissa Fox. We also had hamentashen, fruit and nuts to munch on as we kibitzed, drank, danced and partied, til the end of the night.
The Purim Ball could not have happened without the talents of Sharon Amster Brown, my co-chair and party planner; Charmaine Weiner, organizer extradonaire, who also spread the word to all to attend; Stephen Bascove, for helping me with all the details and helping me pull it off; to all who attended; and to the entire staff for all you do each and every day for Temple Israel.
The planning is already in the works for next year’s Purim Ball so start thinking about your costume, get your dancing shoes on, and be sure to attend.

“Decades of Dedication”
By Cindy Arana

240 people attended this year’s Decades Gala to honor Reva and Sy Alban and Sylvia and Ron Hartman. It was a magical evening. During our cocktail reception we were entertained by “Ms. Gician,” Joyce Basch, our strolling magician. Our Master of Ceremonies, Debbie Baumel, kept the evening’s program moving along and many danced to the music by The Elm Street Band.

Co-Chair Bob Kaplan did an outstanding job organizing the event and was great to work with. It was impossible to make Decades happen without the work and efforts of many. Special thanks go to Judi Lentzner, Binnie Berro, and Kathy Kreida who helped on many aspects of the gala that made it so special. The auction ran smoothly due to the efforts of Michelle Gordon, Natalie Swit, and Amy Lipeles. Thank you Kendra and Barry Cogert and Rochelle and Jim Anderson who helped run the registration table and greet our guests. Our tribute book happened due to the efforts of Art and Audrey Zahler.

Special recognition really goes to our Temple Israel staff who worked so hard in every aspect to make our events happen. Thank you Sharon and Charmaine for co-chairing the Torah Center Baskets for the auction and doing such a splendid job. Thank you to Michael and Patsy who kept the finances organized. Thank you, thank you Sandi, who worked on the gala from beginning to end, from address lists, reservations, tribute book, silent auction, and making sure we did not forget anything. Steve Bascove, who oversaw every detail, was a major support to us all.

Thank you to all of you who attended, participated, and donated to our gala event and made it such a success. We are starting to plan next year’s 85th birthday bash for Temple Israel; if you would like to be involved please contact me.

Family Camp - 2008
by Rochelle Anderson

It was a clear, sunny day with a blue sky and a green and blue ocean that welcomed us on the way to family camp. We arrived at camp about 3 pm, giving us enough time to get settled in our rooms and decorate our nametags before making challah for the night’s Shabbat dinner. Little did I know that I’d be giving up a shoe before I could have my dinner! Following dinner and services, we hiked up to the campfire ring for a short and sweet (pre-made s’mores – yum!) campfire session.

Saturday turned out to be quite hot. We had the Menorah hike, the ‘big’ hike, and an adult discussion for those hiking with their minds. We had a lovely service at the outdoor chapel, and then it was time for a barbeque lunch on the lawn. After lunch, some of us enjoyed the outdoors, complete with water balloons, and some got a little cooler inside the dining hall making crafts. We had tzedakah boxes to decorate, photographs to etch, sand art to create, and tee shirts to paint. We also decorated squares of muslin to be made into blankets for kids in need. The afternoon went by too quickly, and before we knew it, it was time for havdallah and our world-famous talent show! This talent show had quite a variety of acts, from the stand up comedy of Allison Martin, to the hula dancing of Ryann Leff, to the Camp Hess players’ version of life at camp sung to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight. Oh, and let’s not forget we got a new act from Spoony.
After the talent show, the teens went to do their own thing (watch movies, lounge around, take a midnight hike to the Menorah), and there were a variety of games available to play in the dining hall. I enjoyed playing Taboo with a variety of people, but I learned never to play against Jamie Gracie and Aubriana Osorio – they’re wicked good. I did, however, find a great new partner in EllenBeizer. We even started playing again on Sunday morning.

Sunday came too soon, but we had a new twist to the day, which provided great fun. Matt Stein created a Capture the Flag game that got everyone running around camp. I was in the dining hall, and we had numerous players skulking around, using the view out the windows as a tool. Ask Steve Bascove about his involvement in the game – he’s got some sneaky moves! And have someone tell you about how our sweet-natured Rabbi got competitive – I heard he had quite a tackle! After two games – did the green team win both times? It was time for closing circle, lunch, and time to leave. Camp goes by way too quickly. If you are interested in joining us next year, save the date – camp will be March 13-15, 2009.

Men's Club Honors Those
Who Perished In The Holcaust

The Temple Israel Men's Club donated their time and resources to purchase, box and mail 500 Yom HaShoah Yahrzeit Candles. to our congregation. We ask that you join us on May 1, 2008 by lighting the candle, placing it in a prominent place and reciting the enclosed meditation. As part of the worldwide Jewish community, it is our collective obligation to honor and remember the Six Million who perished in the Holcaust. Our congregation will also participate in the community Yom HaShoah event to be held at the AJCC on Sunday, May 4 at 4:00p.m. This is always a very profound and moving event. We hope you can join us for this service of rededication.

Temple Israel Women’s Book Club

The next meeting of the Temple Israel Women's Book Club will take place on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. The book to be discussed is Jephte's Daughter, by Naomi Ragen. This is the story of the daughter of a wealthy American businessman who is forced into an arranged marriage with a Torah scholar in Jerusalem. Although her husband's outward behavior is pious, this proves to be a mask for his abusiveness.
Inge Johnson will be the facilitator.
Please remember to return the list of "possibilities" that was distributed in March with your six choices marked.
For questions or further information, please call Joan Leb, (562) 435-9390.

May 14, 2008
"Jephte’s Daughter" by Naomi Ragen.
Batsheva, the daughter of a wealthy American businessman, is forced into an arranged marriage with a Torah scholar in Jerusalem. As she tries to adjust to her new life, she is faced with the reality that her husband’s piety masks his cruelty.

July 9, 2008
"In the Image" by Dara Horn.
Leora withdraws into herself after her best friend is killed by a hit-and-run driver, but after shemeets her friend’s grandfather she becomes engaged in his life in Vienna and Amsterdam. The novel, another of the UJR’s Significant Jewish Books, is “about people seeking love, commitment,and fulfillment within a religious and cultural context.