• Transformational Education
• New Member’s Event
• President’s Address
• A Conference to Expand Our Horizons
• Horizons 2000 Opening Remarks
• UAHC Biennial
• The Membership Committee Needs You
• Note From a New Member
• Something For Everyone With WRJ
• Men’s Club Fall Events
• Bubbe's Chicken Soup Financial Advice
• Jewish Federation of Philadelphia Appoints Gay Chief Exec
• Gays, Jews, and Boy Scouts
• Future Events List

Do you ever feel lost at services because you can’t follow the Hebrew? Hebrew is the language of Judaism, the language of our liturgy, and the language of modern-day Israel. You can learn it! Again this November, we are offering the Five-Week Crash Course in Hebrew, Levels I and II.

In conjunction with Read Hebrew America, sponsored by the National Jewish Outreach Program, you can learn the aleph-bet in Level I, If you can read basic Hebrew, why not try some simple songs and prayers in Level II? Classes will begin Wednesday, November 8 for Level I, and Tuesday, November 14 for Level II. Classes are free. Call the B.A. office to sign up now!

For those of you who have an interest in leading services, we will be providing an intensive course to train lay service leaders. The class will be given in three to four sessions:

• Understanding the Friday night service
• Planning a service
• Leading the service
• The D’var Torah (optional)

We strongly recommend these classes for those who want to lead services, and for lay leaders who have already led services and want to brush up on their skills, learn some new things, and lend their own experience to the group. Watch the web site for further information!

Beth Ahavah's annual New Member's Event will be Sunday, November 5, from 3:30 - 6:30 at B.A. This event is by invitation only! If you are a new member and have not received your invitation yet, please call or email the Membership Committee: 215-923-2003, Box 2, or bethahavah@aol.com. If you want to join B.A. now, it's not too late to attend the event. Get in touch now! We look forward to seeing you there.

While driving back from Rehoboth Beach today it actually hit me: Summer 2000 is almost over! Following that, I realized High Holidays are less than one month away.

I am sure that many of you can relate to my surprise at how quickly summer has passed us by. (Passed us by with a lot of rain I might add as well.) Yet here we are again facing a new year and a new holiday season. As mentioned previously, we are delighted to welcome back to our pulpit Rabbi Linda Holtzman to lead services this holiday season. This year, thanks to the generosity of some members of the congregation, funds were donated to buy new High Holiday prayer books. Services will be at the DoubleTree Hotel this year, but there are some changes so please check the room assignments. We still need a lot of help, so please, I ask all of you to volunteer to help if you can. You can make your availability known by leaving a message on the B.A. voice mail or by sending an email.

The summer has been a busy time at B.A.. Currently the Rabbi Search Committee is actively seeking a rabbi to replace Liz Rolle. I will continue to inform everyone of the results of their efforts. Hopefully we can soon welcome a new rabbi to our community.

Our summer at Beth Ahavah began with a successful Men’s Club trip to Rehoboth Beach. All who went had a blast. As the summer continued, 23 B.A. members attended the International Conference of the World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Jews in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. It was an incredible weekend. The hotel hosted a gathering of close to 400 glbt Jews from all over the world. The conference was filled with workshops, entertainment, and parties. For me, it was the informal socialization and sharing with other glbt Jews from around the world that was the most valuable of experiences. I would recommend attendance at one of these conferences if you have never been before. It is a powerful experience. On a side note, I want to congratulate the World Congress for a job well done.

Unfortunately, this year’s members’ pool party was cancelled due to bad weather. Yet the calendar continues to grow for fall. So please watch for upcoming events.

Now as the weather begins to cool, and vacations and pool parties come to a close, I invite everyone to spend some time at B.A.. Attend a Friday night service, participate in a Women’s Chavurah or Men’s Club program -- come by and see what B.A. has to offer beyond the High Holy Days. For those of us who are involved, it is a rewarding experience.

Wishing all of you a healthy and happy New Year,

L’Shalom

David B. Wohlsifer

This was different than any other circumstance you could imagine. Picture a hotel filled with gay and lesbian Jews. They came from all over America, and the world, hundreds strong, to Horizons 2000, the 16th World Conference of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Jews. Some came from as far as Mexico, Germany and France. The conference, held at the Woodcliff Lake Hilton in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, was presented by the World Congress of Gay Lesbian, and Bisexual Jewish Organizations and organized by New Jersey’s Lesbian and Gay Chavurah. It was a fantastic weekend filled with education, religion, great food, great people, and lots of fun. The World Congress is the group that links together many gay/lesbian Jewish organizations such as Beth Ahavah with others around the world.

Beth Ahavah was one of the strongest groups at the conference, and apparently it always has been. Around 10% of conference attendees were B.A. members, or had B.A. connections. When our President got up to say a few words about B.A., he got a rousing cheer unequalled by any other group. I’m sure that our enthusiasm for our synagogue was an inspiration for many other groups.

A short presentation reviewed the history of the World Congress. The World Congress is celebrating its 20^th year. It started with the union of the few glbt synagogues in existence twenty years ago. Beth Ahavah was one of the founding members. Now there are over 80 affiliates to World Congress around the world.

Every meal featured food that was abundant and delicious. Friday night services were fantastic as over 300 of us davened together in the hotel’s solarium as the sun went down. A sumptuous meal followed services, and then a presentation by author Leslea Newman who recited the full version of her short story, A Letter To Harvey Milk. This touching recital earned her a standing ovation, and put lumps in many throats. After Ms. Newman’s presentation came the hottest Israeli Folk Dancing that you could ever imagine, as we all began to let our hair down.

On Shabbat morning there were three separate services for different movements: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. The Orthodox movement initially failed to get a minyan of conference participants. However, other (non-gay) Orthodox Jews at the hotel were invited to the minyan, and joined to complete it. When asked if they knew that this group was organized by a gay/lesbian group, they said that they understood and were happy to help make a minyan.

Saturday night’s activity was a hilarious comedy show. The conference ended on Sunday afternoon with sad farewells for this international group of glbt Jews who had now become friends.

Opening remarks by Rabbi Al Landsberg, July 27, 2000, delivered by Bonnie Kantor

Our G-d who graduates from kindergarten only after we do, we do not want to be presumptuous. We appreciate all that you have done but the simple fact is that we need a NEW world.

We need a world in which closets are for hanging our clothing, not our identity.

We need a world in which it is understood that no rainbow can be complete unless it includes lavender.

We need a world in which the only abomination in Leviticus 18:22 is the person who is quoting it.

We need a world in which ancient prejudices are not enshrined as moral principles.

We need a world where love is more important than gender.

We need a world where selfhood is not dependent upon genitalia and where a G-d can take pride in ALL varieties of creation without having her tires slashed.

G-d we are showing you our blueprints for the construction of a better world.

If you want to help in its building -- wonderful!

If, however, you are occupied elsewhere, we shall have to start without you.

Prejudice is a mental illness and we are no longer willing to allow the inmates to run the asylum.

We are gathered here from many countries where we are thousands of miles apart.

Yet when we reach out in brotherhood and sisterhood our hands most certainly do gently touch -- And we do indeed feel each other's warmth.

And it is a glorious feeling for us to know that we are not alone.

The next UAHC Biennial (after the one this year in Malvern) will be held in the heart of Boston at the Copley Center, December 5-9, 2001. We found the last Biennial to be an incredibly valuable and rewarding experience. Unfortunately it was in Orlando, which meant it was really expensive to get there, to stay there, and to eat there. However, you can drive to Boston, and probably find a less expensive place to stay if you don't mind the Boston winter. So why am I writing about this 1-1/2 years early? It's never too early to start saving to go. Put those pennies away now!

This means you! I don’t want to hear, "It’s not my job!" This is the new millenium honey, and the era of downsizing. Therefore, everything is everyone’s job. The Membership Committee is no exception. Every member of Beth Ahavah is now appointed official ambassador of the Membership Committee to help build the roles of our membership. Talk us up to your friends. Invite them to join you at services and explain to them how important it is that this synagogue be there for the people who need it. Whether you spend a lot of time at B.A. or just come every once in a while, the Membership Committee needs your help. Bring a friend to a social event and let them experience what B.A. has to offer; or share your Shofar with a non-member. It’s up to you to help spread the word about B.A. to your friends, your co-workers and your family members. Be part of the future of B.A. as we continue to take our place within the greater Jewish community. Be the reason someone finds out about B.A.

The following note is from a new member who came to B.A. shortly after coming out:

I am so grateful B.A. exists. My experience so far has been very positive and has helped me spiritually, emotionally and socially during a period of my life when I could not foresee many positive things happening.

I really look forward to Friday night services as a haven in my week, which is and will probably continue to be quite unstable for some time.

See you soon.

Get out your calendars and mark down these dates. These are events that you will not want to miss. In fact, everybody will be talking about them. You don’t want to be left out in the cold, do you?

As the Women’s Chavurah begins its second year of affiliation with Women of Reform Judaism, things are really poppin’! If you haven’t been to an event in a while, now is a good time to return. We are chock full of new faces and fresh ideas and are eager to welcome you.

Become a member! That way you won’t miss out on the Paid Up Members Event scheduled for November 11, 2000. We’re keeping this year’s event a surprise, but we will tell you that last year’s event was a fabulous Drag Fashion Show and Tea Party featuring some of B.A.’s own fashion divas.

December 9 will be our Better than Chocolate event - and we don’t mean the movie! Let you imagination run wild! This will be a wine and "cheesecake" evening including an exploration of lesbian erotica.

January 12, 2001 will be the Sisterhood Shabbat. This lay-led event promises to be a spiritual and special service in which all women are welcome to participate. It’s not too early to contact the Women's Chavurah if you are interested in either a Hebrew or English part.

Please stay tuned and watch this space for further information on upcoming events from your Women’s Chavurah/WRJ. Feel free to call us at B.A.’s voice mail, (215) 923-2003, Box 3. Leave a message and we will get back to you promptly. Please join us!

The Men's Club has several fun events planned in the coming months. If you have any suggestions for future Men's Club events, please contact the synagogue.

On Sunday, October 29, we will meeting for brunch at Sisters. The total cost including tax, gratuity and one beverage, either coffee, tea, soda, or juice is $12.00. Please call 215-923-2003, box 3 to reserve your spot. The brunch will begin at 12:00 noon. Anyone who does not arrive by 12:15 will not be guaranteed a seat.

On Saturday, November 11, our President, the honorable David Wohlsifer, will host a movie and pizza night. If you have any suggestions for a movie (keep it clean), please contact David. We anticipate that the event will cost around $5.00 per person.

We are also hoping to plan another brunch for early December. Details will follow in the next issue of The Shofar.

By Bubbe

Hello kinder. It's me again, Bubbe, with more "feel good-tax saving" financial advice. Some of you told Bubbe that you didn't understand her Yiddish words in the last Shofar article. The Yiddish words should have been in italics, but weren't! If you don't understand some of Bubbe's Yiddish words in this article, call someone on the B.A. Board of Directors and they probably won't know either, kuny lummels that they are. Just don't call Bubbe, she is far too busy for that!

Your Bubbe had lunch with Chad last week. Remember Chad, Bubbe's young, handsome, and buff estate planning attorney. Chad chose the restaurant - a sushi place, and Bubbe loved it! Imagine a handsome young Jewish boy like Chad not married at age 33. Bubbe will have to work on that.

Bubbe needed to talk with Chad about a gift Bubbe wants to make to her shul (synagogue). Bubbe believes it's important to support the shul. After all, without the shul where would Bubbe get all her gossip? Is your Beth Ahavah a good place to pick up dish? I just bet it is!

Your Bubbe has a few bucks saved in her pishka, but Bubbe wanted Chad's advice before she did anything. Bubbe was going to give her shul $5,000 cash, but Chad had a better idea that would save Bubbe taxes. That's what Bubbe loves about Chad, he knows all the angles.

Bubbe bought a tech stock a few years ago, and that stock has gone through the roof. Bubbe paid $1,000 for the stock and today it's worth $5,000, exactly the amount of the gift Bubbe wants to make to her shul (how convenient). Chad said I should give the stock instead of cash. I told Chad that Bubbe loves her tech stock and knows the stock will go higher. I don't want to get rid of it, yet. Wait until you hear what Chad told me to do - you'll plotz.

1. Chad said Bubbe should transfer the tech stock to the shul. Bubbe will get a charitable tax deduction for the value of the stock (e.g. $5,000).
2. Bubbe won't have to pay capital gain taxes on the stock because Bubbe gave the stock to her shul, a tax-exempt entity which does not pay any income tax. So Bubbe saves even more taxes. ($4,000 capital gain x 20% capital gain tax rate = $800 saved.) The shul can sell the stock and the shul pays no tax on the capital gain.
3. Remember, kinder, Bubbe loves her tech stock and doesn't want to give it away. So what did Chad tell your Bubbe to do? He told me to take the $5,000 cash I was going to give to the shul and buy the same stock again to replace the stock Bubbe gave to the shul. And what is Bubbe's cost basis for the stock she buys to replace the stock she gave to the shul? You guessed it. Bubbe's cost basis is what she pays for the new stock, or $5,000. So Bubbe owns her tech stock again with a cost basis of $5,000, saving Bubbe even more taxes when she finally sells the stock.

Oy vey, kinder, such a deal. You should do the same for your Beth Ahavah. Beth Ahavah loves to take gifts of stock. Remember, always consult your tax or financial advisor first.

After we finished talking business, your Bubbe and Chad had a lovely lunch of sushi. We gossiped a little, and Chad told me that he's busy decorating his new condo. I need to find a nice Jewish girl and make a shittach for my handsome Jewish lawyer. And guess what - Chad invited the young Asian waiter over for dinner, and the waiter accepted. Is that Chad a mensch or what? If I don't talk to you before the holidays, a Shana Tovah - a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

The following article is excerpted from Forward, August 11, 2000. The original article was written by Melissa Radler.

On October 2, Harold Goldman, who is serving as the President of the Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Greater Philadelphia, is set to become the President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Mr. Goldman may be the first top professional in the 100-plus year history of federated giving who has a same-sex partner.

Rabbi Steven Greenberg, an openly gay Orthodox rabbi said that the lack of controversy over Mr. Goldman’s sexual orientation is the result of growing acceptance among Americans of different lifestyles. Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, of New York’s Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, said that Mr. Goldman’s appointment "indicates that the Jewish world is opening up in ways that are very exciting and it’s about time that the Jewish community took advantage of all its members and did not discriminate based on sexual orientation."

For gay activists in Philadelphia, there is still work to be done at the Federation. One issue is that the federation does not provide domestic partner benefits. According to the Federation’s communications director, Susan Bodner, withholding domestic partner benefits from same-sex couples is not Federation policy, "it’s just never come up." If it were come to come up, Bodner said "it would be addressed in a serious manner by the board."

Another issue that could come up for revamping is the Jewish Exponent’s policy of forbidding the publication of same-sex marriage announcements. Gary Erlbaum, the chairman of the Jewish Publishing Group, said "The present policy of the Exponent is really based on our feeling of community-building within the mainstream. We want to bring everybody in but there are some certain strong feelings that the time was not right to print these. I think Harold will have many issues to deal with prior to this issue."

Press Release from the UAHC’s Religious Action Council

Washington, June 28, 2000 - Reacting to today's United States Supreme Court decision in the case of Dale v. The Boy Scouts of America, in which the Court ruled that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) will be allowed to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, Mark J. Pelavin, Associate Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism said, "The BSA does its members and its famous 'Be Prepared' motto a disservice by discriminating; excluding individuals solely on the basis of sexual orientation sets an example that does nothing to prepare Scouts for our diverse world."

Today the noble American ideal of civil rights for all suffered a great blow. Despite the best aspirations of the majority of Americans, the United States Supreme Court has today permitted a leading public organization to continue judging people on the basis of such extraneous factors as race, religion, national origin, disability, and, especially, sexual orientation. The Supreme Court has decided that the Boy Scouts of America may maintain its discriminatory policy against homosexuals who wish to participate in scouting activities. The Court's reasoning that the BSA is not a public association fails the common sense test: when an association reaches a size and influence that government turns to as a partner for public schools, that entity can no longer reasonably claim to be a totally private association.

The BSA, however, wants to claim the benefits of being both public and private, without accepting any concomitant responsibilities. This case involved James Dale, an assistant scoutmaster removed from the Boy Scouts nine years ago when organizational leaders discovered that he is gay. Mr. Dale sued for reinstatement. The New Jersey State Supreme Court unanimously held that the Boy Scouts of America constituted a "place of public accommodation," and that it was therefore not permitted to discriminate against Dale. That ruling conflicted with an unrelated March 1998 decision in the Boy Scout's favor by the California Supreme Court, which held that the organization was not a business and was, therefore, free to exclude gays.

The Court's decision that the BSA is exempt is all the more disappointing when we consider that the Boy Scouts' mission is to promote model citizenship and integrity. The Boy Scouts of America could be a powerful symbol of all that America is and what it aspires to be. Membership in the scouting program numbers almost 1.5 million individuals. The Boy Scouts tell the public that any boy is welcome to join. The BSA clearly falls short of that standard in practice. The BSA does its members and its famous "Be Prepared" motto a disservice by discriminating: excluding individuals solely on the basis of sexual orientation, sets an example that does nothing to prepare Scouts for our diverse world. As the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously recognized, the exclusionary anti-gay membership policy that the Boy Scouts now so vigorously defend falls outside the scope of any association or expressive freedom protected by the First Amendment. The danger posed by today's decision is that every effort to halt discrimination may be checkmated by an assertion of associational autonomy.

We in the Reform Jewish Movement are not blind to the attributes of Scouting. Indeed, many of our congregations sponsor or are affiliated with local Boy Scout Troops. Still, the BSA's discriminatory policies are in conflict with our most fundamental values. The Jewish principle of upholding human rights and the dignity of human beings has its source in the idea that all human beings are created b'tselem elohim-In the image of G-d. If the divine is found in the souls of all G-d’s children - gay, lesbian, and straight-then surely any discrimination on this basis is repugnant to this central tenet shared by so many faiths. Our sympathy and support today are extended to those who continue the struggle to fight prejudice based on superficialities.

The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism is the Washington office of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC), whose 900 congregations across North America encompass 1.5 million Reform Jews, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), whose membership includes over 1700 Reform rabbis.

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