In recent Torah portions, the theme of being counted is emphasized, much like the current Census. At Lev Eisha, we do this and go deeper. In May, nine Lev Eisha members culminated an enriching journey to become B'not Mitzvah. They are now being counted among those who have taken this path before them. Even though I became a Bat Mitzvah at the age of thirteen, my experience was quite different. I wasn't allowed to read from the Torah and was limited in other ways as to how I could contribute to the service. Although I have the distinction of being the second Bat Mitzvah at my Conservative synagogue, I was not counted as a part of a minyan until almost 20 years later.
All of you are being counted when you attend Lev Eisha services. Consistently, we have about 125 congregants participating in our interactive Shabbat morning. Many of you have joined us as members and we have the largest membership ever...127. (Don't forget to pick up your membership premiums!) We continue to attract new people to each service by word-of-mouth, Jewish Journal ads, Facebook and other means. We now connect with over three hundred individuals on our e-mail contact list.
Our fundraiser, "Laugh With Lev" was memorable in countless ways. It was a great event that attracted people outside our community. There were about 300 attendees and some in the audience, not familiar with Lev, have since joined us at services.
We attract a number of congregants from Rabbi August's weekly Torah Study Class and Wagner Weekend, a woman's weekend celebrated in prayer, song, dance, study and spirituality.
Personally, I count on the hard work of the Lev Eisha Board members and others who have really stepped up to exceed expectations for Lev Eisha in its first year as a corporation (all totaled, we count 9 successful years of Lev Eisha services). I'm proud to recognize the following amazing women:
Vice President: Janis Cohen,
Secretary: Robin Winston,
Treasurer: Marla Osband,
Outreach: Doreen Klee,
Membership: Sandy Terranova,
Fundraising: Rhonda Kiff, *Sherrill Kushner,
Marketing: Lynda Malerstein,
Hospitality: Joan Spiegel,
Catering: Ruth Grossman,
Education: Sarah Barash,
Novice Member: Judy Fishman,
*Past Presidents: Olivia Goodkin and Elaine Craig Segel,
*Rabbi Toba August,
*Editor: Judy Cohen. (*non-board members)
As a congregation, we count on Rabbi August, Cantorial Soloist Cindy Paley (and alternate leader, Mollie Wine), Toby Schwartz, Joy Krauthammer, Robin Winston, Janis Cohen and Sarah Barash to lead us in our extraordinary monthly Shabbat Services. Thank you to the ladies who serve as Greeters and on our Catering Team.
In July, you will be asked to become a Member of Lev Eisha for July 2010 - June 2011. It is vital that Members renew their membership, and Non-Members make a commitment to join, to ensure that Lev Eisha is viable. Your presence, support and participation have counted and I certainly count myself lucky to be a part of such a remarkable group of women.
With Gratitude,
Susie Yuré
President
| WANTED: Lev Eisha member with some design ability and computer skills to help with flyers and handouts. Must be able to use Publisher or equivalent, and have an eye for layout of both text and pictures. E-mail info@leveisha.org if you can help. |
Our gratitude goes to our members and donors for their continuing support of Lev Eisha:
Tributes
- In honor of Sandy Terranova on the occasion of her Bat Mitzvah. With love
and admiration, Mady and Barry
- In honor of Sandy Terranova in honor of her becoming a Bat Mitzvah by Suzanne Schweitzer
- In honor of Doreen Klee on the occasion of her becoming a Bat Mitzvah by Suzanne Schweitzer
- In honor of Doreen Klee on the occasion of her Bat Mitzvah. With love and
admiration, Mady and Barry
- In honor of Erica Heim's wedding by Suzanne Schweitzer
- In honor of the B'not Mitzvah ladies and Rabbi August by Susie Yuré
- In honor of the Lev Board and Advisors by Susie Yuré
- Suzanne Schweitzer in honor of her Bat Mitzvah by Susie Yuré
- In memory of Jeffrey Silverman's father by Auntie M
- In memory of Bill Silverman, father of Jeffrey Silverman, father-in-law of Mollie Wine by Judy Cohen
To our anonymous donors who helped to underwrite our extra help for Kiddush, our Lev mailing address, insurance and various other 'necessities' this past year. Your help was greatly appreciated. Thank you.
In a special May issue of Time Magazine, I was intrigued reading about the 100 most influential people in the world. First of all, if it were up to you, what type of categories would you choose? What criteria would you select? In what ways is someone "influential"? How do you measure this? What role does the rabbi, cantor, and the board of directors play in influencing and leading our organization of Lev Eisha?
With these questions in mind, I found insights from an inspiring lecture by Rabbi Ed Feinstein of VBS Synagogue in Encino, who spoke about the nature of Jewish Leadership and explored the models we have from our tradition. Rabbi Feinstein noted that one of our "master" narratives is that we escaped from Pharaoh and the tyranny in Egypt. Moses, the leader at the time was not clearly perceived or accepted as a "leader" because of this master story. Here is the reasoning: Moses was a "hero" on his first day out when he smote the Egyptian taskmaster who was repeatedly striking an Israelite slave. Yet on the very next day, as he tried to break up a fight between two Israelites, the men resisted his efforts asking, "Who made YOU the ruler over us?" The issue is that anyone who wants to "lead" is erroneously seen as a "Pharaoh" and is to be resisted!
This is a brutal dialectic, because all people need good leaders or there will be chaos. The paradox is that we need strong leaders, and yet, throughout our history we resist and destroy our leaders...and the cycle continues!
The solution is recognizing that we need different categories of leaders who serve alternating roles and functions contingent on the need at that time. Like the checks and balances put into place in America, ancient Israelite leadership also had checks and balances reflected in a tripartite model. The first leader, the "King," was the CEO and managed the secular government. This king was not above the moral ethical code. For example, when King David had an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, (and then had her husband killed at war), he did not escape the consequences. The Prophet Nathan, representing the 2nd level of leadership, stood up to him, accusing him of heinous misdeeds and pronounced his punishment. This second leader, the Prophet speaks the truth to the powerful king, asserting that no one is above the moral law. The third level of leadership is the Priest who functions as the peacemaker and is the symbol of our ideals. The priest invites "compromise" to warring parties and conflicting realities.
At any given time, in our contemporary world, a true leader can take on any of these three roles, depending on the demands of the situation. Each on their own can become authoritative tyrants. But when the system works, synagogue organizations, corporations and governments can reach for higher ideas and function with justice and integrity serving the needs of their people.
Back to the 100 most influential list in Time magazine. The list is divided into four categories: global leaders, artists, thinkers and heroes. From the leader -- Brazil's president, Luis Inacia Lula da Silva, to the artist -- Lady Gaga; from the thinker -- Elizabeth Warren, chair of the FDIC, to the humanitarian hero -- President Bill Clinton, the magazine listed 100 individuals who act on all three levels of Jewish leadership described above! Learning from the Jewish model, I believe that the truth is knowing what role you need to play at what time!
As the rabbi, sometimes I help the board as the head of the group. Other times I am the prophet, searching out moral truth, and lastly I too need to be a "priestess" acting as a peacemaker -- looking for compromise and unity when we disagree.
Ask yourselves what role you play in your relationships, families, workplaces and other venues where you volunteer and make a difference. May we all know what kind of leaders we need to be!
Have a great summer -- one of health and wholeness -- and I look forward to seeing everyone again in September at our next service.
L'Shalom,
Rabbi August
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Mazal Tov (congratulations) to Doreen and Ken Klee and the law firm of Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff and Stern LLP for being honored at the Annual Awards Gala for Jewish Family Services.
Bikur Cholim (call and visit the sick), blessings to Marv Grossman, husband of Ruth Grossman, for a full recovery.
L'vaya (condolences) to Mollie Wine on the loss of her beloved father-in-law, Bill Silverman.
If you have a milestone to share please send it to: editor@leveisha.org. Our
newsletter gets printed about a week before each service. Please send the info ASAP.
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CONSIDERATION OF OTHERS
Please be considerate of people with allergies, and save your scent for a place where people can move around more readily. Your neighbors will thank you.
PASSOVER BOOKS
If you would like to obtain copies of our Lev Eisha women's Haggadah, Journey of the Heart, and/or our Pesach Cookbook, Passover Recipes from the Heart, please get in touch with Janis.
FACEBOOK
Are you on Facebook? You can help us grow. Become a fan of Lev Eisha of Los
Angeles and invite your friends to become fans as well. Our unique URL is
www.facebook.com/losangeles.jewish.spirituality. If you need help finding
the site or understanding how to invite your Facebook friends, e-mail
Lynda@leveisha.org for further instructions.
INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITES
Lev Eisha isn't a show that we put on for you--it's a service that we all put on for each other. The more you get involved and participate, the richer your experience will be. There are so many different things you can do to broaden your Lev Eisha experience: Go up for an aliyah. Accept an honor such as opening the ark or carrying the Torah. Lend a hand in setting up or cleaning up the kiddush. Greet people at the door and help them get into the feel of Lev Eisha. Want to do more? Assume a leadership role and become a board member. Lev Eisha has the nicest board you'll find. It's true! It's an organization where people look forward to attending board meetings! And there's nothing more satisfying than working during the month to make sure that our very special service continues.
FLYER AND ANNOUNCEMENT POLICY
Many women in the Lev Eisha community are involved with wonderful activities and causes. We simply cannot announce and promote them all. So, we must limit our announcements to activities specifically tied to Lev Eisha. If you have flyers, cards or materials pertaining to other events, please feel free to leave them on the table in our foyer and/or speak about them during Kiddush. Thanks for your understanding!
CATERING
Let's come together as a community to sponsor a Breakfast or a Kiddush. Think about celebrating your milestone with other Lev Eisha members also honoring a significant event. Contributions of $18, $25 or $36 can add up to hosting a specific month. Celebrate the good in your life such as a birthday, an anniversary, a special friend, memory of a loved one, a promotion or reaching your goal weight. What would you like to commemorate at Lev Eisha? Get a group together and sponsor a party! Please contact catering@leveisha.org to make arrangements.
MAP
Click Map for a larger image and directions
Many women have expressed an interest in carpooling to Lev Eisha services. If you need a ride, or can offer one (especially from distant neighborhoods), please contact us at info@leveisha.org or leave a message on our phone line, (310) 575-0985.
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