Jewish Community of Amherst

Kolot — JCA Voices  |  Jan. 2020  |  Tevet – Shvat 5780

Devarim: Words from our Rabbi

Programs and Events Calendar
Our Community
Ritual Life Calendar and Notes
Youth and Family Education
Spotlight on Committees
Donations
JCA Administration

Highlights this Month

Meet Our New Board of Directors, see page 14
Renewal Service, January 4
Contemporary Israeli Film Series, January 5
Shabbat Ne'imah, January 17
Devarim: Words from Our Rabbi

Dear friends,
Rabbi Weiner wants
I'm writing this just following the wonderful Shabbaton to make sure the
weekend in mid- December that took place as part of the community knows he
JCA's 50th anniversary celebration. is available and eager
to visit at home, or
This particular Shabbat weekend had many highlights for
in the hospital, with
me. Personally, I can't tell you how moving it was, in the people who are unwell
midst of leading Shabbat Ne'imah on Friday night, to see or otherwise in need of
my little family come walking down the aisle of the Main some spiritual support.
Sanctuary at the precise moment we began singing “Licha The important step is
Dodi.” Our daughter, Batya, was born on Erev Shabbat, to make sure he knows
about two months ago, and, since then, the sleepless you are in need!
nights notwithstanding, she has truly been our “Shabbat Queen.” I want to use the Please don’t hesitate
opportunity of this sentimental reminiscence to once again thank the JCA, on behalf to contact him directly
of my family, for the support you have given us, and the warm and joyful welcome at rabbiweiner@
you have extended to our newest member. jcamherst.org, or
through the JCA office,
As for the professional highlight, it was the Shabbat morning service, which I co-led if you would like a visit.
with the Ne'imah musicians, along with profound enhancement provided by Sara
Schley and Felicia Mednick, the co-leaders of our monthly “Renewal Service”, and
meaningful contributions from other lay people in the form of davenning leadership
(Marty Pepper Aisenberg) and Torah reading (Joseph Boucher). In a weekend meant
to highlight the “rich and diverse ritual and spiritual texture” of our community, I
found great satisfaction through participating in such a rich and diverse Jewish ritual
experience, and felt gratitude for all of the relationships I have forged and tended
over the past ten years of shepherding the spiritual life of the JCA.
But I think the most significant and impactful part of the Shabbaton was the
conversation with Rabbi Deborah Waxman that took place after lunch on Shabbat
afternoon. I had been looking forward to Rabbi Waxman's visit as an opportunity
to welcome an old friend from my rabbinical school days, and to show off the
community I feel so fortunate to serve. (And, indeed, she was duly impressed!)
Beyond that, I was wondering what it would be like for the JCA to be in direct
conversation with the head of the Reconstructionist movement, knowing the
tenuous, and even ambivalent, nature of our affiliation. I came away feeling that
the conversation went a long way toward strengthening that relationship, or at
least providing us with both a bridge toward greater participation in the national
movement, and incentive to cross it. Rabbi Waxman's presentation was intelligent,
passionate, and insightful, the philosophy of Judaism she expounded rang in
consonance with our own aspirations, and the justifications for seeking to be
involved with something “larger than ourselves” were, to me, quite compelling.
I hope, in the days to come, to keep this conversation going.
b'shalom, Rabbi Benjamin Weiner

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 2

Programs and Events Calendar

Mark your calendars for community activities, programs, study opportunities,

and more. Please see the Ritual Life Calendar for information on Shabbat and
other services.

January 2, Thursday
Yiddish leyner's group
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
We welcome anyone who enjoys reading Yiddish to join us.
JCA Klezmer Workshop
7:15 pm – 8:45 pm
An ongoing workshop for instrumentalists interested in learning how to play
Klezmer music. Instructor Brian Bender (Wholesale Klezmer Band, Yiddishkeit
Klezmer Ensemble, Little Shop of Horas) teaches Klezmer repertoire and style
in a fun, relaxed setting. All instruments welcome. The workshop periodically
performs as an ensemble for JCA events. Fee is $15/class.

January 5, Sunday
intergenerational lunch
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
People of all faiths are invited to join Jewish Community of Amherst teens for
a monthly intergenerational lunch. A program for teens and senior citizens
to come together and form meaningful relationships. We enjoy lunch and
activities, schmooze, share stories, and have a good time!
Contemporary Israeli Film Series:
GETT: THE TRIAL OF VIVIANE AmSALEM
2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
This critically acclaimed drama, considered one of the most significant Israeli
films of modern times, is about a woman, Viviane Amsalem, seeking to finalize
her divorce from her intransigent husband, and who is effectively put on trial
by her country's archaic marriage laws. Discussion led by JCA member and
collaborative attorney, Lisa Kent, will follow the viewing. Co-sponsored by Adult
Education and World Jewish Concerns committees.

January 8, Wednesday
Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Weiner
12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

January 12, Sunday

adult b'nai mitzvah class
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 3

Programs and Events Calendar (continued)

January 15, Wednesday

Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Weiner
12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

January 16, Thursday

JCA Klezmer Workshop
7:15 pm – 8:45 pm

January 22, Wednesday

Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Weiner
12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

January 29, Wednesday

Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Weiner
12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

January 30, Thursday

JCA Klezmer Workshop
7:15 pm – 8:45 pm

Upcoming Events
Adult Reading Group
The book for the third meeting of the JCA ARG will be Marriage of Opposites by
Alice Hoffman. It got excellent reviews on Amazon and the following particular
review: ”A luminous, Marquez-esque tale” (O, The Oprah Magazine) is a forbidden
love story set on a tropical island about the extraordinary woman who gave birth
to painter Camille Pissarro—the Father of Impressionism. We will learn about his
father, a man of Portuguese Jewish descent, his mother, from a French Jewish
family, and his maternal grandmother, a pillar of a small refugee community of Jews
who escaped the Inquisition.” All are welcome at our next meeting, even if you’ve
never come before, and if there are questions, please call Ken Talan 413-896-3372.

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 4

Our Community

New Members Seeking Your News

We welcome the following people who joined the JCA community in 2019: We would like to hear
from you! Please send
Marjory Ackerman & Jeanne Ryan Amherst us your good news or
Dawn Beckman Leverett anything significant
Annique Boomsma & Jeffrey Gold Pelham you would like to
Emily and Robert Boutilier Amherst share. We welcome
Faye & Mike Brady Hadley your announcement
Tony & Anne Burton Amherst up to 120 words and
Dvora Eisenstein and Lorelei Bond Leverett an accompanying jpeg
Mimi Farb Amherst photo up to 1MB in size.
Rhonda Frankel-Fein & Richard Fein Amherst Please send by the 12th
of the month before the
Susan Hogan Northampton
publication of the next
Jamie Rowen & Christopher Klimmek Amherst newsletter to:
Margie & Shelly Krems Sunderland [email protected].
Michael Lesy Amherst
Brianna and Marc Maier Amherst
Caryn Markson & Edward Emery Northampton
Renee Moss & Eric Bachrach Amherst
Alison Ozer Amherst
Allen Ross Hadley
Murray and Peggy Schwartz Amherst
Barry and Catherine Solomon Belchertown
Jennifer and David Wells Amherst
Chaia Wolf & Peter Wood Amherst

Condolences
We offer our sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of
those who have recently died.
Florence Cohen, mother of Jeff Cohen and his brothers Dennis and Michael,
mother-in-law of Lori Holder-Webb, grandmother of Austin, Ilana, and Daniel
Cohen, and great-grandmother of Naomi Peth-Cohen.
Joining the Jewish
Esther Jacobson, mother of Debra and Charles Jacobson, mother-in-law of Gerald Community of Amherst
Friedman and Tanjam Jacobson, and grandmother of Rosa and Natasha Friedman,
and Adam Jacobson. If you would like to know
more about becoming a
Barbara Humm, mother of Amy Kalman, mother-in-law of Jeff Kalman, and grammy member of the JCA, or
to Sam and Leah. We offer our condolences, also, to Barbara's brother, Bob Tatum. you are ready to receive
membership application
materials, please
contact Ann Wetherbee,
Administrative Director, at
413-256-0160 or
[email protected].
Shalom, and welcome!

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 5

Ritual Life Calendar and Notes

Kiddush & Oneg

Sponsors
Shabbat Vayiggash, Genesis 44:18-47:27 If you would like to
help with or sponsor a
January 3, Friday
kiddush, please contact
Family Friday Ann Wetherbee, our
5:30 pm Administrative Director, at
A monthly community Shabbat celebration appropriate for all ages [email protected]

January 4, Saturday
Shabbat Yoga
8:45 am in the social hall
Renewal Service
10:00 am in the small sanctuary
Service Leaders: Felicia Mednick and Sara Schley
shabbat morning services
10:00 am
Service Leader: Marty Pepper Aisenberg
D'var Torah: To be announced

Shabbat Vayḥi, Genesis 47:28-50:26

January 10, Friday
Kabbalat shabbat services
6:15 pm
Service Leaders: Rabbi Weiner & Danielle Kadinoff
January 11, Saturday
shabbat Morning Services
10:00 am
Service Leader: Rabbi Weiner
D’var Torah: Rabbi Weiner

Shabbat Shemot Exodus 1:1-6:1

January 17, Friday
Shabbat ne'imah
6:15 pm
Service Leaders: Rabbi Weiner, Ḥazzan Diana Brewer, & the JCA Shabbat Check the JCA website
Ne'imah Band at: https://jcamherst.
org/calendar/month/ for
updated information on
services.

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 6

Ritual Life Calendar and Notes (continued)

January 18, Saturday

Shabbat Yoga
8:45 am in the social hall
shabbat Morning Services
10:00 am
Service Leader: Rabbi Weiner
D'var Torah: Rabbi Weiner

Shabbat Va'era, Exodus 6:2-9:35

Candle Lighting
January 24, Friday January 3 ~ 4:11 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Services January 10 ~ 4:18 pm
6:15 pm January 17 ~ 4:26 pm
Service Leader: Rabbi Weiner
January 24 ~ 4:35 pm
January 25, Saturday January 31 ~ 4:44 pm
shabbat morning services Times shown are 18
10:00 am minutes before sunset for
Service Leader: Marty Pepper Aisenberg Amherst, MA
D'var Torah: To be announced
Rosh Ḥodesh Shvat
January 27, Monday
Shabbat Bo Exodus 10:1-13:16
Shaḥarit Minyan
January 31, Friday Tuesdays at 7:30 am in the
Kabbalat Shabbat Services small sanctuary
6:15 pm
Service Leader: Rabbi Weiner Jewish Meditation
February 1, Saturday Wednesdays at 7:30 am in
shabbat Morning Services the small sanctuary
10:00 am
Service Leader: Rabbi Weiner
D'var Torah: Rabbi Weiner

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 7

Ritual Life Calendar and Notes (continued)

Torah Reading Coordination

If you are interested in reading Torah and would like to schedule a time to read,
please contact: Marty Pepper Aisenberg, [email protected],
978-249-8470, for reading in February; Randi Stein, [email protected],
413-549-0526, for reading in March. For other times, please contact Aaron Bousel,
[email protected], 413-253-3544.
If you would like to learn to read Torah or would like help choosing or preparing a
reading, please contact Batya Perman, 413-549-4853, or Jane Myers, 401-451-6020.

Thank You
The Ritual Life Committee would like to thank those who have given their time and
expertise in service to the ritual life of the community:
• Torah/Haftarah readers: Joseph Boucher, Aaron Bousel, Richard Fein,
Danielle Kadinoff, Linda McConnell, Rabbi Weiner
• Service leaders: Ḥazzan Diana Brewer, Danielle Kadinoff, Felicia Mednick and
Sara Schley, Marty Pepper Aisenberg, Felicia Sloin
• D'var Torah: Rabbi Deborah Waxman
• Musicians: JCA Shabbat Ne'imah Band

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 8

Director of Communal Life and Learning

Dear JCA community,

This month I would like to share an article with you,
written by the leader in Hebrew supplementary education
innovation, Nachama Skolnik Moskowitz. She is the architect
of the Onward Hebrew! philosophy we adhere to in our
school. And I wanted you to hear more about the why, in
her own words.
b'shalom, Keren Rhodes

How Hard Can it Be?

by Nachama Skolnik Moskowitz
A long-standing assumption at the heart of synagogue Hebrew education is that if
our children learned to read English, it should not be that hard for them to learn
to read Hebrew fluently. Yet, even with four years or more of “Hebrew school,”
young learners struggle with prayers and blessings. The culprit is often identified as
lessened days/hours of learning time or competing family priorities. But, consistent
and well-replicated reading research offers us another possibility – countless studies
conclude that reading fluency is “… a by-product of having instant access to most or
all of the words on the page.”
Instant access.
Stop and consider your own experience with English as you read the words in
this article – you are not decoding letter-vowel-letter-vowel-letter, but rather are
instantly and accurately reading each word with understanding. You could do so
even if you saw words out of context. For the most part, your fluent reading of tens
of thousands of English words was not developed through the use of flashcards,
drills or re-reading (“hmm, not quite right … practice reading that again three more
times”); none of these skill-based activities create fluent readers.
What does? When beginning English readers decode (i.e., sound out) the word p-o-
n-y they already know how it is pronounced and have a clear understanding of its
meaning. Early English readers can self-correct, if necessary (“oh, that’s not ‘poony,’
it’s ‘pony!”) and then understand the sentence in which it is embedded. More so,
native language reading research reports that readers turn new-to-them words on a
page into instantly accessible sight words via a self-taught and subconscious process
that depends on three factors:
• knowledge of the sounds produced by every letter
• phonemic awareness, which means that the student can break apart
the sounds in a word (i.e., recognize “pony” as having four sounds
/p/ /o/ /n/ /y/) and
• familiarity with the word’s pronunciation and meaning.
By second grade, a typically developing student who meets the three factors
above in her native language needs only 1-4 times of decoding a word to store it in
memory as a sight word that can be instantly and accurately identified, even if out
of context.

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 9

Director of Communal Life and Learning (continued)

What does this mean for synagogue education? Unfortunately, it suggests that we set the majority of our Hebrew
learners up for failure when “fluent and accurate reading of prayers” is a stated goal. New-to-Hebrew students usually
have little idea of the pronunciation (never mind the meaning) of the complex Hebrew words in most Jewish prayers
and thus cannot self-correct when decoding. The reading research noted above suggests that unknown words cannot
become a fluently-read sight word because the learner does not have the foundation to achieve instant recognition. Not
surprisingly, a person who only can decode Hebrew – especially at the halting pace of many new learners – cannot read
prayers at synagogue-speed.
Yet, we know of young Jews who competently daven. How? These children have stored Hebrew prayers and blessings in
memory through multiple exposures to authentic worship. They recite prayers and, if paying attention to the siddur, can
match the sounds in their heads to the print on the page. They pray sound-to-print, much like very young children who
learned to orally recite entire picture books and then later use known letters to unlock the print on the page. The bonus
comes when Hebrew teachers scaffold sound-to-print learning, giving children the foundation to more easily tackle
decoding with stronger skills and confidence to self-correct. More so, the originally unfamiliar Hebrew has the possibility
of snapping into memory for future access.
Based on what researchers tell us about the factors that enable fluent reading, it is time for synagogue educators to
reconsider their learning goals and teaching techniques – we cannot expect our learners to achieve Hebrew reading
fluency as they have with English. While the native language reading research does not speak directly to our settings, it
suggests that
• We should not be afraid of offering avenues for our children to store Hebrew prayers and blessings in memory via
consistent use in frequent, authentic contexts (prayer services, home rituals, song sessions).
• We should shift our focus from years of drilling Hebrew decoding to laying a strong foundation in the sounds of
Hebrew language in low-stress but powerful learning approaches like Hebrew Through Movement, Jewish Life
Vocabulary, and age-appropriate t’fillah.
• We should have the patience to wait to introduce Hebrew decoding at an older age, for once children build their
exposure to words used in prayers and blessings, the learning is quicker, more efficient and sticks.
• We should help teachers gain the skills to scaffold sound-to-print decoding.
Bottom line, we must more strongly and intentionally honor the sound-to-print progression of learning to read in one’s
native language, while paying attention to our unique circumstances.
It is true that our pre-bar/bat mitzvah Hebrew learners will never have at their disposal the benefits they had prior
to learning to read English – a rich environment in which they heard, responded to and spoke the language before
introduced to print. For a whole host of reasons, it would be unusual for our learners to reach the level of fluent
Hebrew reading that they have achieved with English – i.e., instant and accurate recognition of a word out of context. To
suggest that our students can become fluent Hebrew readers sets them, their teachers, parents and the system up for
frustration, even failure.
But in the time we have, can we help learners become competent and confident with synagogue Hebrew? Absolutely! By
attending to research, rather than our kishkes, we can shift Hebrew learning in our part-time/synagogue settings to more
closely honor what the experts tell us. When we do that, it doesn’t have to be hard!

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 10

Youth and Family Education

School Calendar
January 1, Wednesday
JCA School winter break: no classes

January 2, Thursday
challah & Jam with felicia sloin and sam coates-finke of
backyard bakery
10:00 am – 11:30 am
Explore Jewish holidays, language, culture and values through music, movement
and drumming. Meet other families, braid some challah, make some music and
have some fun! Come weekly or drop-in. There is a $25 annual registration fee
for this program. Please register online at www.jfswm.org/jewish-family-jam.

January 3, Friday
Family Friday
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Generations will come together for a Shabbat celebration of music, singing,
puppets, storytelling, blessings, and more. Enjoy a musical family jam with
Felicia Sloin for young children and an intergenerational Torah discussion with
the rabbi for older children and adults. Programs are followed by a delicious
community meal. Parent/Guardian attendance is required.

January 5, Sunday
JCA School
10:00 am - 12:30 pm
Learner’s Minyan this morning.
Better Together
(B’nai Mitzvah Class/Intergenerational Lunch)
10:00 am - 1:00 pm

January 8, Wednesday
JCA School: Electives
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

For updates and

complete school
calendar listings go to:
https://jcamherst.org/
calendar/category/
youthcalendar/

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 11

Youth and Family Education (continued)

January 11, Saturday

Musical Mishpucha with Felicia Sloin
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Families start out in our traditional morning service, stay for the taking out of
the Torah...AND THEN follow Felicia Sloin into another room to enjoy a musical
kid-focused Shabbat morning celebration. We will return to the sanctuary
to join the rest of the community for kiddush and a light luncheon. This is a
monthly service recurring on the 2nd Saturday each month. This family service
is appropriate for kids of ALL ages. Adults must remain with their children
throughout.

January 12, Sunday

JCA School
10:00 am – 12:30 pm

January 15, Wednesday

JCA School: Electives
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

January 16, Thursday

challah & Jam with felicia sloin and sam coates-finke of
backyard bakery
10:00 am – 11:30 am
jca bakery with Sam coates-finke
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

January 17, Friday

jvcorps
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
shabbat ne'imah
6:15 pm

January 19, Sunday

JCA School
10:00 am – 12:30 pm

January 22, Wednesday

JCA School: Electives
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 12

Youth and Family Education (continued)

January 24, Friday

chai event (grades 9 – 12)
6:00 pm – 11:00 pm – Offsite
For more info, including address, visit the Chai Facebook Page or email
[email protected].

January 26, Sunday

JCA School
10:00 am – 12:30 pm

January 29, Wednesday

JCA School: Electives
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 13

Spotlight on Committees

Our New Board of Directors

We are pleased to give members of the new board the opportunity to introduce themselves to you, and tell you why
they have chosen to serve JCA in this way. On behalf of the community, we thank them and send good wishes as they
begin their new year together.
Eric Weiss (President)
I am the father of three sons who have each become bar mitzvah, one in August 2015 at the JCA.
Currently, I am the Manager of Regional and Municipal Programs for the Pioneer Valley Planning
Commission. Previously, I worked as leader and consultant to non-profits, and I was the first
Sustainability Director for the Hampshire Council of Governments. I am also the former Chairman of
the Belchertown School Committee. I enjoy running, being outside, swimming and skiing. It is an honor
to serve as president in our 50th year. Mazel tov to us all!

Boris wolfson (First Vice President)

My wife, Amanda Walling, our son Ben, and I joined the JCA shortly after moving to Amherst in 2008,
and in June 2019 Ben was called to the Torah here. I joined the Board in 2018, and have been on the
Executive Committee since 2019. I also serve on the Adult Education Committee (since 2011), and the
Nominating Committee (since 2015). In my other life, I study cultural history and performance, teach
Russian culture and language at Amherst College, and serve on the board of directors at Greenwood
Music Camp.

ZIVA HARMATZ (Second Vice President)

I have lived in Amherst since 1983 and began attending the JCA ten years ago at the end of a long
journey seeking a spiritual home. I ultimately converted to Judaism in 2012, and completed an Adult
Bat Mitzvah in 2014 where my connections to the community of the JCA deepened and my sense of
belonging blossomed. While my most significant participation in the JCA has been spiritual in nature,
I have also previously served on the JCA’s Finance Committee, the Fair Share Dues Committee that
revised the original policy, and as Chair of the Nominating Committee. In my professional life, I have
always worked on behalf of others; first in the private sector and later as a public official serving
people with intellectual disabilities and autism. I believe my professional experience and my deep
commitment to the JCA as my spiritual home will be assets to the JCA community and the board of directors.

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 14

Spotlight on Committees (continued)

RACHEL VIGDERMAN (Third Vice President)

I am thrilled to be serving as a vice president on the JCA board. For the past year, I was the board
Clerk, and I became immersed in the executive committee work, and went beyond my duties as clerk.
I joined the security work group; worked on a new contract for Keren Rhodes; took the lead in starting
a JCA endowment; and co-organized a JCA school alumni reunion event. All of these duties are in
addition to my serving as chair of the JCA Youth and Family Education Committee. I have 30 years of
Jewish leadership and programming experience in New York City and locally. I was a Hadassah National
Young Leader. I have been on the Lander-Grinspoon Academy (LGA) and Jewish Federation boards.
I created Jewish programming for tots through adults including: Al Galgalim, a Jewish mommy and
me group; pre-school events at LGA: a Torah Yoga program which was featured in the Daily Hampshire Gazette; a Video
Club which won a Hadassah Best Programming Award; as well as others. I was selected to participate in the Federation’s
leadership training program-- ILEAD, and I was the program director for the Jewish Endowment Foundation’s financial
literacy program, Heart of Money.
JEFF ROTH-HOWE (Treasurer)
My wife Debbie and I have been members of the JCA since 1982. I have been living in the Valley since
1974, twenty-five years in Amherst and now in Leverett since 2006. We found the JCA’s openness to
having families with one Jewish partner and one non-Jewish partner as part of the congregation to be
very supportive as we started a family of our own. I am retired from my career in human services where
I worked extensively with both state and private agencies, including serving as Executive Director of
Children's Aid and Family Service of Hampshire County for fifteen years. I volunteer now at the Amherst
Survival Center, serve on the Leverett Personnel Committee, on the Hampshire Council of Social
Agencies, and sing bass in the Leverett Community Chorus. The best part of my week is being with my
two young granddaughters who also live in Leverett. I hope my experience working with and serving on other boards in
the area, and my management background will be useful in assisting the work of the JCA board moving forward.
Mara Hahn (Clerk)
I grew up in Columbia MD. My parents were always very active in the Jewish community and have
served as role models for me. I went to a Labor Zionist summer camp and spent a gap year in Israel
before it was a common thing to do.I have always been engaged with the Jewish community. My family
joined the JCA thirteen years ago, when our son was eigthteen months old. We were looking for a
Jewish community that was warm and comfortable. I joined the Youth & Family Education Committee
several years ago and have served as chairperson for the past five years. I served on the board of the
JCA as a member-at-large from 2015-2018. I look forward to serving as the clerk.

MARTY PEPPER AISENBERG (Member at Large)

Born and raised in Worcester, I grew up in a big Reform congregation with an excellent K-12
educational program; my three years in the junior choir (grades 7 - 9) cemented my lifelong love of
Jewish sacred music. I’ve been a member of Reform and Conservative congregations for extended
periods and spent time in Modern Orthodox and Chabad settings. But my wife Susan and I didn’t find
our true Jewish home until we joined the JCA several years ago. I’m on the Ritual Life and Not Bread
Alone committees; two of Susan’s paintings hang permanently in the Social Hall. Professionally, I was
a trial lawyer for fifteen years; worked for nonprofits for another fifteen; and for past fifteen I’ve been
a partner in a firm that refers expert witnesses to attorneys. I have two daughters, ages 40 and 21; the
younger had her bat mitzvah here when she was 18. I am endlessly grateful to the JCA, a truly extraordinary community
that has nurtured the blossoming and deepening of my spiritual life. As I enter my second year on the board, I look
forward to being of greater service to the community.

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 15

Spotlight on Committees (continued)

BARBARA SCHAFFER BACON (Member at Large)

Hailing from Springfield, I have been in the Valley since coming to UMASS in 1973. I was raised in
a reform congregation (Sinai Temple) and was very active in the temple youth group and regional
association [NEFTY]. This didn’t stop me from marrying Roger Bacon, a nice Catholic boy from Amherst
forty one years ago. We raised two children in Belchertown where I served on the School Committee for
fourteen years. We are now blessed with a granddaughter who had a naming and blessing at the JCA
this past year. I work with Americans for the Arts, a national organization that promotes artists and the
arts as integral and essential to healthy, vibrant and equitable communities across the nation. I'm also
a member of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, our state arts agency. It is exciting to renew my board
service as we celebrate our 50th anniversary. The vitality of the JCA in every aspect of spiritual, educational, social action
and community life is what fires my enthusiasm.

Barbara berlin (Member at Large)

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and left New York in 1956 the day after Normand and
I were married, moving to Berkeley, California, Montreal, Canada and finally in 1965 with our two
sons to the small town of Amherst. We quickly realized that for our sons, to know their identity, it
was important to have a Jewish Community here and so we became active in establishing the JCA.
I became director, teacher, principal of Jewish Studies and Hebrew. After a sabbatical year spent in
Israel where I studied in an ulpan, I developed a Hebrew language class which I taught in the Amherst
Public Schools. I have been very active in the JCA over the years serving several times on the Board of
Directors. I am proud of what has been accomplished and where we have arrived. I hope to bring to
the board a history and perspective that I believe will be helpful as the board addresses new challenges and continues to
build on what has come before.
Frieda Howards (Member at Large)
My husband, Irv Howards, and I came to Amherst with our three children in 1965. We found no JCA,
no bagels, no malls, no buses, no stop lights, no Hwy.91 - just a pretty little town. I grew up in an
Orthodox home, went to Heder (reluctantly) four times a week. While attending a Catholic University
I worked for a Reform Rabbi editing Hebrew textbooks. My parents and grandparents spoke Yiddish
some of which I absorbed by osmosis. We came from Illinois where Irv started a Hillel and we helped
to build a synagogue where our older son was the first Bar Mitzvah. We have been members of the
JCA since the beginning and the Amherst Jewish Community before the name change. Irv served as
president and many years on the board. I was a teacher, a Hampshire County Commissioner, managed
some Elderhostels, an ACTV Board member and learned videotaping. We were married 66 years when I lost my best
friend to Parkinsons in 2013. I feel lucky to have had the JCA in my life and I want to help it grow and prosper.
Lisa Kent (Member at Large)
I’m a lawyer with a thriving family law practice in Greenfield. I moved to Amherst in 2001 from central
New Jersey, enrolled in an Adult Ed class with then Rabbi Sheila Weinberg, and have been close to
the JCA ever since. I have two grown children, both musician/artists, one in Brooklyn, one local. I’m
married to David Glassberg, live in Amherst, and look forward to being part of the Adult B’nai Mitzvah
this spring!

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 16

Spotlight on Committees (continued)

JONATHAN LEWIS (Member at Large)

My wife Melanie and I are Brooklyn born and bred, and our graduate school and professional lives
have taken us to Maryland, Iowa, Kansas and Delaware before we located to the Pioneer Valley to be
closer to our kids. We have a son and daughter-in-law in North Amherst and a daughter in Arlington,
and we are glad to be able to see them more often. We are both retired psychologists who worked
together in our private practice, and in addition I served as a senior psychologist at the Center for
Counseling at the University of Delaware for thirty three years. I served as president of the Delaware
Psychological Association twice, and I was active with the American Psychological Association as well
as the American Board of Professional Psychology. We are both very grateful that we found the JCA
and we have felt it to be a congruent and welcome place for us. I serve on the Adult Education Committee and I am
looking forward to contributing even more to the JCA.
Leslie Lorber (Member at Large)
My husband and I moved to Amherst two years ago and I have been a member at the JCA since
that time. After serving on the Membership Committee for a year, I am now the co-chair of that
committee. I have recently joined the Chesed Committee as well. Being an active participant at the JCA
is important to me. I completed the Western Mass Master Gardener training this year and volunteer at
several garden sites in the valley. My twenty-four year-old son is now attending Columbia University for
an MFA in Fiction Writing and my twenty-two year-old daughter is completing her MS in Occupational
Therapy at Ithaca College this year. I completed a training offered by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality
this past summer with teachers Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg and Rabbi Nancy Flam, and I now lead a
meditation sit each Wednesday morning at the JCA. I am honored to be able to serve on the JCA Board of Directors.
Ken Schoen (Member at Large)
I was an active member of CBI for many years and established a Men’s Club and also ran the senior
monthly luncheon and lecture. My major current contribution to Judaism is via my involvement with
the Jewish Historical Society of Western Mass (www.jhswm.org) and being a Judaica book dealer
(www.schoenbooks.com), supplying Jewish books to libraries. Since joining the JCA, my late wife
Hanna Jane and I have been active participants in a wide range of activities. I enjoy working with
people to sustain a strong Jewish community by building closer relationships among the membership
through Kiddush and get-togethers. I value doing this not just among age-related groups (i.e., seniors
or young families) but as a diverse community of shared interests who use ritual, art and music etc. to
build on our foundations, grounded in our religious traditions.

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 17

Spotlight on Committees (continued)

Chesed Committee Committee

A Compassionate Community Meetings
The Chesed Committee assists JCA members in times of joy, sorrow, and need, January 2, Thursday
coordinating volunteers to help with meals, rides, errands, visits, shiva minyans, etc.
Board Meeting
We also welcome babies to the community. 7:00 pm
Please let us know if you, someone in your family, or someone in the community is
ill, hospitalized, or in need of assistance. We can’t help if we don’t know. January 6, Monday
Contact the Chesed Committee by email at [email protected] or by calling the Chesed Committee
office at (413) 256-0160. 7:00 pm
Thank You, Volunteers!
January 8, Wednesday
The Chesed Committee thanks all who have recently provided compassionate
Ritual Life Committee
support to others in the community. 7:00 pm
And thanks, again, to everyone who has made a meal, provided a ride, lent a
sympathetic ear, visited a person in need of companionship, or performed other January 10, Friday
acts of chesed (loving kindness). Adult Education
Committee
12:15 pm
Not Bread Alone
Monthly Volunteers Needed January 16, Thursday
Sundays January 12 and February 9 Executive Committee
7:00 pm
JCA members help to prepare a meal at Not Bread Alone the second Sunday of
every month. We need four volunteers for the cooking crew (9:30 am-12:00 pm)
and three for the cleanup crew (12:00 pm-2:00 pm). Do a mitzvah and have fun.
SIGN-UP HERE: (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054cafa72aabfe3-notbread).
Please contact Hollie Kalkstein [email protected] with any other questions.

JCA Hall Gallery

Exploring Light, Dark and Color: Recent Pastel Landscapes
Artist: Richard Cohen
Exhibit Dates: Through January 30, 2020
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Fri. 10:00 am – 3:00 pm or
by appointment
Cohen's landscape paintings are inspired by his love of the outdoors. Being in
nature nourishes and energizes him, and in his paintings he tries to capture the
beauty, awe and serenity of those experiences. He wants to enable the viewer, even
when inside, to be surrounded by natural beauty, and experience the play of light
on hills, trees and water, and the drama of the sky.

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 18

Donations to the JCA

Annual Appeal Jay & Catherine Alpert

In memory of Joseph & Shulamit Schmerling Jesse Ferris & Kathryn Lachman
(Ruby & Rinat Schmerling) Harriet Nestel & Marcia Gagliardi
In honor of the birth of Naomi Peth-Cohen Carol Kaminsky
to Ilana Cohen & Mike Peth Dyan Wiley
(Jeffrey Cohen & Lori Holder-Webb) In honor of Rabbi Weiner and the Shabbat
In honor of Solomon Goldstein-Rose and Ne’imah Band (Kip & Judi Fonsh)
Sophia Normark on the joyous occasion Marjory Ackerman & Jeanne Ryan
of their marriage
(Andra Rose) Boris Wolfson & Amanda Walling
In honor of the JCA founders Yaffa & Haim Gunner
(Barbara Schaffer Bacon) Jenny Kallick & Bob Bezucha
In memory of my parents, Fran & Dan Barbara & Ted Slovin
who demonstrated the responsibility Rachel & Robert Vigderman
and rewards of active synagogue Elissa & Bernard Rubinstein
membership!! (Roger Bacon & Ronnie Williams & Suzanne Arnopolin
Barbara Schaffer Bacon) Richard Cohen & Eliza Gouverneur
James & Amy Sweeting In memory of Carl Fastow
Bob Solosko & Jean Krogh (Mara & Harry Hahn)
In memory of Charles Dombroff Evelyn Goldenberg
(Daniel & Jill Berlin) James & Barbara Pistrang
Rhoda & Ronald Juels In appreciation for all that JCA provides for
Lewis & Caden Mainzer us all (Susan Zarchin)
Libby Arny Ken Schoen
Myra & David Ross Michael & Barbara Burkart
Harry Levit Howard & Ruth Smith
Steven & Janis Wolkenbreit Randi Stein
Jeanne & Janet Potash Burt Franzman & Joan Epstein
Scott Nielsen & Elinor Levine Aaron Berman & Amy Mittelman
Rachel & Icek Aizen Morton & Helen Sternheim
Bryan & Leslie Lorber Felicia Mednick
Caryn Markson & Edward Emery Joan & Monroe Rabin
Linda Sinapi Welcome Batya! Rabbi Weiner, Cantor Elise
In honor of Rabbi Weiner and his newly and Efraim’s new blessing and addition to
expanded family their family. A blessing to our JCA family.
(Eric Sawyer & Cheryl Zoll) (Nathan & Pearl-Anne Margalit)
Joel Harris & Tobi Sznajderman In honor of Nina and Don Tetenbaum in
In honor of Rabbi Weiner honor of the marriage of their son, Josh
(Jeanne Friedman & Carol-Ann Smalley) to Jennie Rose Halperin
In memory of Evelyn Richman and Joe (Nolan & Amy Anaya)
Friedman, my parents Norman & Eva Brown
(Jeanne Friedman & Carol-Ann Smalley) Elaine Walsh
In honor of Rabbi Weiner Rona Conrad
(Richard Fein & Rhonda Frankel-Fein) Ruth Love Barer
In memory of Kaia Savolainen Judith Souweine
(Richard Fein & Rhonda Frankel-Fein)

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 19

Donations to the JCA (continued)

General Fund In honor of Jody Wax’s well-deserved

Amy Rothenberg retirement as a school nurse
Jessica & Eric Wilkinson (Yaffa & Haim Gunner)
Roger Magnus Evelyn Goldenberg
In memory of Janice & Arthur Goldman In honor of and with appreciation of Ruth
(Josh & Marina Goldman) Love on her birthday
(Susan Zarchin)
In honor of Ann Weatherbee et al for help
with sponsored Kiddush Eva & Eugene Goldwater
(Hannah Blau) Howard & Ruth Smith
In honor of Janis Levy – my teacher Burton Franzman & Joan Epstein
(Joni Beck Brewer)
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
In memory of Susan Myers In honor of Ted Slovin’s birthday
(Kip & Judi Fonsh) (Susan Zarchin)
In honor of Jeanne Potash (Janet Potash) In memory of Karen Levine’s mother,
In memory of Victor Reuben Swenson Rebecca (Susan Zarchin)
(Sarah Belchetz-Swenson) Anonymous
Ted & Elizabeth Trobaugh Joya Misra & David Mednicoff
Joanna & Clay Ballantine Welcoming Batya Hanna with great joy!
In memory of Florence Cohen (Jacqueline Katz)
(Reed & Arnie Alper) In honor of Batya Hanna
Vivian & Paul Olum (Kitty & Ken Talan)
In memory of Dora Zwilling In celebration of the Weiner/Barber family's
(Andrew Effrat) new member. Mazel Tov!
(Allen & Judith Davis)
Project Rehovot
Stephen & Joan Levine Ina Heafitz
In honor of Rabbi Ben Weiner In honor of Rabbi Weiner and his family
(Linda Sinapi) (Morton & Roslyn Heafitz)
In honor of Rabbi Weiner (Guy Wood) Tzedakah
In honor of Haim & Yaffa Gunner In memory of my mother, Helen Rabin
(Lewis & Caden Mainzer) (Monroe & Joan Rabin)
Stephen Marglin In memory of Florence Cohen, mother of
In memory of Richard Goldstein Jeff Cohen (Judith Souweine)
(Leah Goldstein Mosimann &
Pearl Mosimann)
Barbara & Ted Slovin
In memory of Ruth & Martin Sorkin
(Elissa & Bernie Rubinstein)

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 20

 Kolot — JCA Voices
January 2020
Editor/Graphic Designer
Aaron Bousel
742 Main Street, Amherst, MA 01002 413-253-3544
413-256-0160 | fax 413-256-1588 fax: 413-253-3846
[email protected] | https://jcamherst.org [email protected]
Co-Editor
Rabbi Benjamin Weiner ([email protected]) Janis Levy
Rabbi David Dunn Bauer (2003 – 2010) Art Director
Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg (1989 – 2002) Moira Clingman
Rabbi Emeritus Yechiael Lander
Proofreader
Director of Youth and Family Education: Sarah Thomson
Keren Rhodes ([email protected])
Board of Directors
An archive of previous editions
President: Eric Weiss ([email protected]) may be found at:
First Vice President: Boris Wolfson ([email protected]) https://jcamherst.org/our-
Second Vice President: Ziva Harmatz ([email protected]) community/newsletter-kolot-jca-
voices/
Third Vice President: Rachel Vigderman ([email protected])
Treasurer: Jeff Roth-Howe ([email protected])
Deadline for the February issue
Clerk: Mara Hahn ([email protected])
is January 12th.
Members at Large: Marty Pepper Aisenberg, Barbara Schaffer
Bacon, Barbara Berlin, Frieda Howards, Lisa Kent,
Jonathan Lewis, Leslie Lorber, Ken Schoen
Just click on any email address to send a message. For further information
and a full description of committees with contacts, please refer to your JCA
Guidebook.

Administrative Director: Ann Wetherbee ([email protected])

Financial Assistant: Diane Miller ([email protected])
Education Coordinator: Shirah Neumann ([email protected])
Administrative Assistant: Erica Torrellas ([email protected])
Facility & Maintenance: Santo Alers Have you checked out the
JCA Judaica Store lately?
Office Hours The Judaica Store features books
Monday: Office Closed by JCA members
Tuesday – Thursday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and others, siddurim,
chumashim, tallitot, mezzuzot
Friday: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
and many lovely gift items.
You can shop whenever
Affiliated with Reconstructing Judaism the office is open.

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2020 | page 21