• High Holy Days - Closer Than You Think
• Give It Up for the (g/l/b/t) Jews!
• President’s Message
• 25th Anniversary Extravaganza Wrap-Up
• Report On The Rainbow Tours
• 25 Years of Friday Nights
• Saturday Night Fervor
• Learning and Growing
• B.A. Team Participates in AIDS Walk 2000
• Bubbe's "Chicken Soup" Financial Advice
• Sun, Sand and Pecs – A Men’s Club Beach Experience
• Showing Pride, Saying Goodbye
• Making Kol Nidre Appealing
• Annual Meeting and Board Elections
• Members’ Pool Party
• Throwing the Book at The Wages of Sin
• Let B.A. Fit You To A "T"
• UAHC Regional Biennial Coming Soon to Malvern
• Center City Kehillah Events

Although the Days of Awe seem far from these hot, sultry days of fun in the sun, folks on the High Holy Day Working Group have been at work since last winter, responding to your feedback concerning services. Here are some of the things you can look forward to:

Erev Rosh Hashanah, Rosh Hashanah (first day), Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur services will be held at the Doubletree Hotel on Broad & Locust, but we have a new location. We will be using the Ormandy Ballroom area on the first floor, with an outside entrance next to the Wilma Theater. This area will include a room for child care and a hospitality suite. Our new location will be clearly marked. Security arrangements will be coordinated with the hotel. We are looking into arranging for some of our ushers to have cell phones. We will also be working to ensure that all our services at the Doubletree will be interpreted in American Sign Language. (Second day Rosh Hashana services will be held at B.A.)

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur morning services will begin at 10:30 a.m., giving all of us some truly blessed extra sleep so we can bring in the New Year with brighter eyes. We are planning for Rosh Hashanah services to end at 1:00 both days, with an oneg and Tashlich to follow on the second day.. We are also looking into having a cellist to provide a solemn musical note to the Kol Nidre service.

With the departure of Rabbi Rolle, the Board of Directors considered many alternatives for service leaders. The decision was made to invite back Rabbi Linda Holtzman this year, and she has graciously agreed to fill in for High Holy Days for us while we continue our search for a new rabbi. The board was delighted that Rabbi Holtzman is willing to help us through our time of transition.

Rather than continue to juggle prayer books and unwieldy booklets, a subcommittee of the Ritual Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that we adopt On Wings of Awe: A Machzor for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The Committee assessed several prayer books and found this one, published by B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation, was a meaningful blend of traditional and liberal elements. The language is inclusive, meaningful and poetic. Naturally, we might want to include a few of our own additional readings to personalize our service, but we will require a much smaller supplement.

The Torah service last year introduced larger lay participation in the chanting of the Torah and Haftarah. This year, we will continue to allow people this honor, but will alternate shorter Hebrew passages with full English translations to make the service more meaningful to everyone.

A cassette of High Holy Day music, using melodies that we generally use at our services, will be available this summer for a nominal charge. Those interested in participating more fully but who are not familiar with the service can become accustomed to the sounds they can expect to hear. With more people able to sing, we can make a more joyful noise. All Hebrew prayers will be transliterated so people who cannot read Hebrew can sing along with those who are experts. We will also provide sound amplification for all services at the hotel. This will improve the sound quality so it will spread more evenly throughout the room.

A catered break-fast will be offered for a fee. However, there also will be a small communal breaking of the fast directly following Yom Kippur services, with challah, cake and juice.

Philadelphia Gay Pride Day ended up being an opportunity for us to show our pride with the largest contingent in the synagogue’s history marching in the parade. And we came out in force despite the incredible heat and the apparently universal bad hair day!

On Sunday, June 11, the festivities started with a bagel brunch at the William Way Community Center. Twenty-one congregants and friends gathered to eat, schmooze and fortify themselves for the march that would follow.

Immediately afterwards, we walked to 13^th and Locust Streets where we assumed our position in the parade. We then embarked down 13^th Street and eventually wound up at South Street and Delaware Avenue. As we marched, our group grew in size as we invited friends standing along the parade route to join us. Despite our being at the rear of the parade, onlookers were consistently supportive, especially as our unofficial leader and gentle shepherdess kept up our spirits and the public’s interest by encouraging them to "Give it up for the Jews!" Cheers inevitably followed.

The festival at South Street and Delaware Avenue was filled with out proud folks from around the region. The mood was upbeat and highly energetic, despite the sauna-like conditions. Phyllis Diller took the stage in the early evening to cheers and appreciative laughter from the assembled crowd.

The pre-parade brunch, now in its second year, looks to be a successful new tradition for Beth Ahavah. We’ll look forward to seeing you there next year!

Like the song says "We have only just begun." In writing this message to all of you, I have now been President of Congregation Beth Ahavah for only little more than one week. First, let me say that it has been a GREAT week. I am feeling very excited and motivated as I begin my work. I am particularly grateful to past president Rie Brosco, who, I am sure is no surprise to anyone, has already taken a great deal of time with me during this transition period.

Now back to my opening line, "We have only just begun." I want to place the emphasis on the word "we" in that phrase. Organizations are built on the relationships between the people who are involved in them, as well as the relationship of the individual to the organization. When of I think of my role as President of Beth Ahavah, I’d like to think of it in terms of "we." That "we" refers to you and me. Whether you are at B.A. every week, or only on High Holy Days, or if you have never set foot in our doors, I believe that each person who reads this article and receives this newsletter has a relationship with the congregation. As your President, I would like to help that relationship. That means being available to listen to your ideas and wishes, to hear your concerns, to update you on the synagogue’s business and, most of all, to connect us as g/l/b/t Jews and our friends as a community. Therefore I ask that all of you join me and the new board of directors as we move forward together as a community into the future.

Before we move to the future, I should give just a little update about what is going on now. For Gay Pride Weekend we had a great brunch at the William Way Community Center, and then marched down to the festival. I was very proud to be part of the Beth Ahavah group. We had about 30 people marching with us in that horrible heat, but we were out, loud and proud as we chanted, "Oy vey, we’re gay. Oy vey es mere, we’re queer." Thank you everyone for coming out, thank you for working the table at the festival, and be there next year!!!

We joined together on June 16, with both joy and sorrow. As a community, we congratulated a congregant on the completion of his conversion process. A few weeks prior, he had met with three rabbis, answered the appropriate questions and went into the mikva. He spoke to the congregation that evening (prior to being pelted with candy) and shared with us his journey to Judaism. His words were both moving and inspiring (he made many of us cry) and on behalf of the congregation, we all wish him mazel tov.

Sadly, however, that same evening, we said goodbye to Rabbi Rolle. This was the last service she would lead for us as our rabbi. Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell and Rie Brosco both spoke of the Rabbi’s time with us and the contributions she made to Beth Ahavah. Rabbi Rolle, at the close of the service that evening, took a few minutes and as a parting gift, blessed our community using the blessing that Moses taught Aaron in the Torah. As a congregation, we are grateful to her for her service and wish her and her family health and success as they move to their new home in Connecticut.

Now we look to the future. At the first meeting of the new board of directors, having considered several options we decided to invite Rabbi Linda Holtzman to return to lead us in High Holy Day services this year. I am delighted that she has accepted our invitation and will be on our bima this year.

I wish all of you a good summer. Again, if anyone has any concerns or would like to share something, please contact me. My number is on the back of the Shofar. I want to thank you for allowing me to be your President. It truly is an honor and a role that I am excited to fill.

L’Shalom,

David B. Wohlsifer

For the third year, B.A. will have a team in the October 15 Philadelphia AIDS Walk. Although we had a small team in 1999, our sponsors contributed $4,757!

Please join us as we walk or volunteer at this year’s AIDS Walk to raise money for 44 Philadelphia-area beneficiaries that serve people infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. It’s important to note that 82% of donated monies goes directly to these organizations to assist with direct care, prevention and education.

For the first time, registration for the 2000 Walk will be primarily online. However, because the AIDS Fund will not be providing team lists to the captains in advance, it is very important to contact B.A.’s team captain, so a team list can be properly maintained. If you do not have Internet access, call the synagogue to to register (not the AIDS Fund). We will have a new team number, so it’s important to notify the synagougeto obtain the correct team number (not yet assigned as of this writing).

To register online, visit http://www.aidsfundphilly.org. Choose the option of registering for the Walk,and then fill out the form. Again, you must have the correct team number, which should also be available on the AIDS Fund web site). After you submit the registration form, you will be able to download a sponsor form.

If you would like to be part of the Walk, but don’t feel you can get through the 12K (7.5 mile) route (which starts at the Philadelphia Art Museum, goes along Kelly and West River Drives, and ends back at the Art Museum), your help as a volunteer is greatly needed. Approximately 1,100 volunteers will staff a variety of positions/shifts throughout the day, from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Your participation as a volunteer "counts" the same as a completed walk in terms of your sponsor sheet.

On the day of the Walk, those who are walking, running, bicycling or roller skating should arrive at 9:00 to turn in money, warm up and be present for speeches and reading of names. The Walk itself officially begins at 11:00, with entertainment and water along the route, and food and more entertainment at the end of the route. You can also submit money at the AIDS Fund office during the last few days before the Walk or you can give it to the team captain. Those who turn in $250 or more get an AIDS Walk 2000 T-shirt – let’s try to have every Congregation Beth Ahavah team member raise at least this amount!

It is all too easy to become complacent about both this disease and the annual Walk. Therefore, here are some HIV/AIDS facts and statistics (as of December 1998):

• Worldwide, approximately 30.6 million people are infected with HIV. 1.1 million of them are under the age of 15.
• AIDS now kills more people worldwide than any other infection, including malaria and tuberculosis.
• Eleven people become infected with HIV every minute.
• HIV infection is increasing in women at six times the rate of men.
• By the year 2000, the number of AIDS orphans in the U.S. will exceed 125,000.
• One in 300 Americans is infected with HIV.
• Nationally, an estimated 650,000-900,000 people are living with HIV.
• In the United States, 688,200 AIDS cases have resulted in 410,800 deaths.
• Every hour, two Americans between the ages of 13and 21 are infected with HIV. That’s 25% of all new infections.
• In the United States, AIDS is the third leading cause of death for women between the ages of 25and 44. That’s the fifth leading cause of death for all persons between 25-44.
• Women account for 16% of all AIDS cases in the U.S.
• American women with AIDS die 33% faster than American men with AIDS.
• In the U.S., seven people are diagnosed with HIV every hour, and only half of the HIV-positive population is in care.
• In the Greater Philadelphia Region, an estimated 30,000 people are living with HIV.
• An AIDS vaccine will not help the estimated 30,000 people in the Philadelphia area living with AIDS.
• New Jersey has the fifth highest number of AIDS cases in the United States.
• Drug therapy for HIV continues for life. New drug treatments are helping people with AIDS to live longer, but they cost an average of $15,000 per year.
• Every $100 raised pays for 12 hours of teen outreach, one single drug cocktail prescription or four hours of hotline counseling to educate people about risk reduction.

Listen to your Bubbe! Your Bubbe may not have a fancy college degree, but she knows the right things to do with her money. I just walked in from meeting my estate planning attorney, Chad. Such a cute boychik that Chad - and not married at 33 - oy, he gave me palpitations! Let me tell you what I learned from Chad. Read on, this is important!

A properly planned estate means your assets will go to the people and organizations you want them to go to. If you don't plan your estate, all your money could end up with your stupid relatives like your cousin Marvin who loves Dr. Laura (his Viagra shouldn't work). Worse yet, that chazzar Uncle Sam could end up with more money in taxes than your heirs get! Your Bubbe is going to educate you about the different types of assets you own and how you can distribute those assets in a tax-wise way. So turn down the Barbra Streisand CD and read on. Don't be stubborn with your Bubbe!

When the disco music stops, and eventually it does for all of us, what happens to your assets? If you have no will, the state has laws that say which of your relatives get your stuff. If you have a will, assets in your name alone will be distributed through your will. This includes bank accounts, certificates of deposit, stocks and mutual funds, and tangible personal property (like your Spruce Street Video collection). Kinder, trust your Bubbe you need a will. (I remember my cousin Heshie, that shlamazal, died without a will. Such a mess! Heshie's boyfriend and wife fought for years over the estate. They finally moved in together. It was cheaper than paying the lawyers.)

Oy, that Chad taught me so much. He likes to cook and he told me how I should fix my hair to look younger. Let your Bubbe continue. Not all of your money will be distributed through your will. Some assets have a separate beneficiary designation which overrides the terms in your will. For example, your retirement accounts [IRA, Keogh, 401(k), and 403(b)] and life insurance will be distributed to whom you put in the beneficiary designation. Also, things you own jointly with another may or may not pass directly to the survivor, like your house. So remember, your will won't mean a thing for some of your most valuable possessions. Kinder, run and check your beneficiary clauses and deeds. Go! Your Bubbe will have a glass of tea while you check.

Your Bubbe wants to teach you the one basic tax rule about estate planning: SIZE MATTERS! Your Bubbe didn't need Chad to teach her this. If your estate is under $675,000, chances are your estate will not owe federal estate taxes. The $675,000 amount will gradually increase over the next few years to $1,000,000. If your estate is over the exemption amount, call your Bubbe immediately and she'll be right over with a nice brisket (only kidding!). If your estate is over $675,000 federal estate taxes can hit with a vengeance. Rates start at 37% and go up to 55%. But as Chad taught your Bubbe, with some basic tax planning and charitable giving, the taxes can be dramatically reduced.

One more little tax tidbit: remember those retirement accounts Bubbe told you about. The beneficiaries of those accounts will pay income taxes when they make withdrawals. You didn't pay taxes going in, so your heirs pay income taxes coming out. Chad taught your Bubbe a loophole though, and Bubbe loves to beat the system.

It's important to your Bubbe that you leave something to Beth Ahavah and other worthwhile charities. Don't be a schnorer. Does it matter which of your assets you leave to your heirs and which you leave to charity? Oy vey, does it! Name Beth Ahavah as the beneficiary of your retirement accounts. Why? Beth Ahavah won't pay income taxes on that money. If you leave those accounts to your heirs, they pay income taxes on the money. Name your heirs in your will, because there are no income taxes on the assets passing under your will. Leave a little in your will for Beth Ahavah, too (no one knows what the afterlife holds, and with the things you did during your life a little extra insurance couldn't hurt). If you use your Bubbe's system to distribute your assets, everyone wins except the U.S. Treasury.

What's that, kinder? You say your IRA has grown so large that you only want to leave Beth Ahavah a part of it? IRA accounts can be split into separate IRA accounts with different beneficiaries. So split your IRA and name Beth Ahavah as the beneficiary of one of the new IRA accounts. Was that so hard?

Your Bubbe has to go now. Bubbe and Chad have one last word of advice. We all know how important protection is. Estate planning is no different. Always get advice from competent tax, legal, and financial professionals when planning your estate. Your Bubbe knows best. Go in good health. You should live to 120!

To receive suggested language about how to include Congregation Beth Ahavah in your will and estate plan, call 215-923-2003, box #7.

The Men’s Club took its third annual weekend trip to Rehoboth Beach from June 2-4. Members and friends started arriving at the Whitson Inn Friday evening and began convening for happy hour at the Blue Moon and dinner at local restaurants.

By 9:00 p.m., many in the crew had finished dinner, donned evening wear (spaghetti straps and bare shoulders are the traditional Rehoboth evening garb) and after appropriate hair and skin grooming, ventured out to dance. Others opted for a more low-key stroll down the boardwalk for some custard and a moonlit look at the ocean.

Saturday morning, as people awoke and had breakfast, groups of us made our way down to Poodle Beach, the place to see and be seen for gay men in Rehoboth. At one point, twelve B.A.ers were gathered on towels enjoying the sun, the waves, and, of course, the view (and not just of the ocean).

As the day went on, some folks left to take advantage of the shopping Rehoboth offers. We regrouped Saturday evening for dinner, and then proceeded to Dave Gold and Jim Yiaski’s condo for pre-party drinks. From there, many continued out for the evening at the Renegade to dance, sing Karaoke and generally cut loose.

The weekend ended Sunday morning as many of us went out for bagels and packed to go home. A fabulous time was had by all!

Friday, June 16 was a special Shabbat at B.A. for both happy and sad reasons. Sad, because it was the final service led by Rabbi Rolle before her departure to Stamford, CT. Happy because it was our Gay Pride Shabbat, and because it also celebrated the completion of a congregant’s conversion to Judaism.

The confluence of events brought a crowd of approximately 50 people to Friday night services. The service’s special gay/lesbian content, as led by Rabbi Rolle, gave the congregation an additional charge, especially for those who had participated in the Pride Day festivities the Sunday before.

Adding to the positive energy was one congregant’s peech and the statement of vows he took upon his conversion to Judaism. He told us of his journey to Judaism, learning about his Jewish grandfather, and seeking his spiritual roots. His story was both upbeat and poignant, and moved many in the congregation.

Finally, came Rabbi Rolle’s final sermon to the congregation as our rabbi. She spoke movingly of what she had learned in her time here, and proudly about the growth she had seen in B.A. as a congregation. Our president presented her with a beautiful tambourine as a gift of music and good wishes to take with her to Connecticut.

Truly, a special night at B.A. Congratulations to a very special member on his conversion, and thank you for taking your voyage with B.A. And congratulations and a fond farewell to Rabbi Rolle. Best wishes to you and your family in your new home in Connecticut.

One Tuesday night several members of Beth Ahavah met at the synagogue to discuss a sensitive issue: the Kol Nidre appeal. The appeal raises anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000 each year for the synagogue. Some of us felt the process disrupts the holiday. Others felt so moved by speeches given by members throughout the years that they gave more than they had originally planned. And there were others who felt they needed to leave during the appeal. We each had a different feeling at the beginning of the meeting.

Each one of us shared why we felt we had to come to this meeting. We learned more from each other and how the synagogue runs and needs money to keep its budget up to snuff. Many do not realize that most synagogues raise 50 to 75 percent of their budget with membership dues alone. We, on the other hand, rely on membership dues for less than 30 percent of our budget. The balance is raised through the Kol Nidre appeal, parties and other fund raising events. This places a great burden on not only the president and board of the congregation, but oneach and every one of us.

I personally came to the meeting feeling of the importance of the appeal and how it has raised so much money throughout the years. I spoke during an appeal and it was a moving moment in my life. I also served our congregation as Co-president and Treasurer and feel that not having an appeal would drastically affect the financial picture of the synagogue. I also feel that the High Holy Days are one of the times we are really connected to our religion. I understand that discussing financial things on such a night can be somewhat disruptive to ones spirituality. The fact still remains; if we don't ask for money we won't raise enough to meet the budget. If we don’t raise enough money, several things would have to happen in order for our synagogue to, pardon my expression, "stay in business."

The outcome of our meeting was this. We know there are other ways to raise money. We as a congregation need to find a way to get membership dues to cover more of our budget. But at this time we have no choice but to continue with the Kol Nidre appeal. We are facing a budget deficit this year, and any loss of budgeted revenues will affect us all. So my request to you is this: if you find the appeal negative, please understand it is one of few ways we can raise a substantial amount to support the day-to-day expenses of our synagogue. For those of you who understand the need for the appeal, I personally ask that you give what you can. It means so much to us all.

On Thursday, May 25, the congregation held its annual meeting. New members were elected to the board of directors and a budget was approved for fiscal year 2001.

Rabbi Rolle spoke about where the congregation has gone over the past 1 1/2 years since she became the rabbi. She outlined her involvement in congregation committees and decision-making. The rabbi was given a standing ovation by many at the end of her talk.

The treasurer submitted the budget for approval. There was lengthy and passionate discussion and debate. There were objections to the $18,000 deficit in the proposed budget, which will necessitate the congregation drawing on reserves. There were motions that would have substantially increased dues. Some congregants believe that Beth Ahavah dues are too low, compared with other synagogues and UAHC guidelines for sources of synagogue income. The motions were defeated. It is anticipated that dues will be reviewed by the appropriate committees during the coming year. The budget was ultimately approved, shortly after 11:00 p.m.

Two members are inviting members of the congregation to a pool party and cook-out at their home in South Jersey on Sunday, August 13 from 1-6:00 p.m.. This event kicks off the B.A. fall social season and is a perennial favorite. Members only!

Immediately after the pool party, the Men's Club will hold its first meeting. This meeting is the place to see and be seen. Watch for a flyer in the mail.

On June 7th, the Adult Education Committee hosted a scintillating presentation by author and former B.A. member Peter Lewis Allen. He was in town to discuss and read excerpts from his important new work, The Wages of Sin: Sex and Disease, Past and Present, which was published by the University of Chicago Press this year. Allen, who now lives in New York City, holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Chicago and an MBA in Health Care Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Allen opened the intimate conversation with about 15 B.A. members by describing how he came to write this book. The book focuses on the relationship between sex, disease, medicine, and religious attitudes about morality from the medieval period to the present. As a student living in Scotland, Allen became involved with a lover who was intensely religious and with whom he explored the implications of being a gay Jew in a Christian society and the ways in which this impacted ethics and morality. After Allen's lover grew ill and eventually succumbed to AIDS, Allen tapped into the deep emotions provoked by this difficult period to explore how religious biases have led Western society to sexualize various afflictions--from lovesickness, leprosy, and the plague to syphilis and AIDS--and how the Christian West's ingrained ambivalence about sexuality has impacted policies and the treatment of individuals who have manifested these illnesses. Allen's book is much more than a fascinating narrative account: his analysis also provides us with an important cautionary lesson. As he noted, if we don't explore the interaction between public policy and religion; if we refuse to appreciate the consequences of historical events; and if we fail to think about our own views of and obligations concerning these issues, we will be doomed to an endless cycle of sexualizing diseases and treating those who manifest them with intolerance and bigotry.

Allen's presentation was followed by an animated discussion in which B.A. members explored their own thoughts about reconciling conflicts between traditional religion and homosexuality. Conversation ranged from the extent to which some of us feel compelled to compartmentalize our identities when we enter worlds that favor Conservative and Orthodox practices, to how kabalistic Judaism may provide us with a model of a Jewish world that values homosocial or even homosexual ties. The conversation was so lively that the event convener had to finally stop us so we could let Allen prepare for his interview on WHYY's Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane the next day.

Yes, we have B.A. T-shirts. They have a small blue logo on a gray background, and are available with crew or V neck styles. Sizes are medium, large, extra large, XXLarge. We can special order other sizes or extras (if we run out). Shirts are $15.00 each and $10.00 for children’s' sizes. They are 90% cotton, 10% poly. Profits go to B.A. To buy a T-shirt, call 215-923-2003, box 2, or stop by at B.A. before services.

Once every six years, the Biennial Convention of the Pennsylvania Region of the UAHC returns to the Philadelphia area. Because it is nearby so infrequently, I encourage you to make a special effort to attend. (the last one was an hour east of Pittsburgh). The Biennial will be held November 16-19 at the Desmond Hotel in Malvern. The hotel will be familiar to many of you from the Northeast Regional Conference of the World Congress and the WRJ Regional Convention.

Thursday the 16th will be devoted to a pre-convention Kalah on the synagogue as a healing center. Friday through Sunday at noon there will be numerous workshops including Torah Trope training, marketing your congregation, workshops and sermons from Scholar-in-Residence Lawrence Kosher, Shabbat services, Torah study, a dinner-dance, great networking opportunities and more.

Why should you attend? Two reasons: (1) a chance to learn, be moved, get some good energy and meet great people; (2) the ability to build a significant gay and lesbian presence - the chance to teach the other congregations about our community, and about how to be welcoming communities themselves, whether they are in big cities like Pittsburgh, suburbs like Cherry Hill or small towns in southern Ohio. For additional information on the conference and how to register, see the B.A. web site or call the office. Limited scholarship money may be available for B.A. members. (See, another reason to get involved!)