Dear Temple Shalom Family,

The time for hamentaschen has arrived: come celebrate PURIM with our Temple family THIS SUNDAY!  While many Jewish holidays can be described as, “they tried to kill us, we survived; let’s eat,” at Purim, that’s a pretty accurate description.  While our celebration should be joyous and carefree, the holiday does raise two deeper questions.  

First, how often do we hide who we are to try to fit into other people’s expectations?  Fortunately, in the Biblical story, Queen Esther was willing to take off her “disguise,” and stand up proudly; her courage saved the rest of the community.  So, too, when we set a positive example by living our Jewish values proudly out in the wider world, we make life better, not only for our fellow Jews, but for our neighbors as well.

Second, what is the ultimate value of our survival?  Did we survive merely for the sake of endurance, or is there more work yet to be done?  As Jews, we see ourselves as partners with the Divine, responsible for the repair and care of our world.  We live in a world that is visibly broken and suffering, yet we know there is still hope for healing and joy.  Do we wait for others to bring about that brighter future, and complain when they take too long, or are we willing to participate in the hard work necessary to make tomorrow even better than yesterday?

Here at Temple Shalom, we are challenged to work for a goal we may not live to see: a world where all can live in safety and security, with peace and prosperity as norms, rather than aspirations.  We can, however, experience that grand goal on a smaller scale: a kind gesture, a supportive word, and a world made a tiny bit better each day through our actions.  Join us for our Purim celebration this Sunday.  Become a Mishloach Manot sponsor and brighten the lives of others with tasty treats.  Volunteer to deliver any leftover bags to deepen our connections as a congregational family.  Through our worship, learning, social action, and socializing, we find strength to keep going, inspiration to do better, and encouragement along the way.  We look forward to seeing you soon, here at the Temple.

WORSHIP

Erev Shabbat Service

FRIDAY, February 27 at 7:00 p.m.

Join us THIS FRIDAY night in the Sanctuary at 7:00 pm as we celebrate the Sabbath together, with a festive Oneg Shabbat to follow!  For those unable to attend, the service will be broadcast LIVE on our YouTube page.  If you are feeling ill, please stay home and watch online.

PURIM CELEBRATION!

SUNDAY, March 1 at 11:00 a.m.

Join us in the Sanctuary THIS SUNDAY, March 1 at 11:00 a.m. for our Purim Celebration!  Come in Costume for a fun short service service, including our Megillah reading and a costume contest parade!  Then, join us immediately following, for pizza, hamentaschen, ice cream sundaes, games and prizes in the Social Hall!  All are welcome, so invite your friends from the wider Wheeling community as well!  Call the Temple Office to RSVP so that we have plenty of food for everyone!

ONEG SHABBAT?

There are still a few spots left on our Oneg Shabbat Board in the Temple Foyer!  Pick any week available when you’d like to host: First Friday dinner, a Wine Down Kabbalat Shabbat, or any Friday evening; we’ll all be grateful for your help and support!

Rakefet Update!

Temple Shalom uses a special database called Rakefet to keep track of all of our membership data.  Thanks to a new upgrade, each member family is now able to log in online to their own account, enabling you to make payments, see announcements, check yahrzeits, and more!  

Use the link below to learn more!

https://vimeo.com/showcase/8613894

LEARNING

PURIM CELEBRATION on March 1 at 11:00 a.m.

Our Religious School students and their parents hope to be joined by congregants of all ages at our Purim Celebration THIS Sunday, March 1 at 11:00 a.m.!

STOCK MARKET CIRCLE CHALLENGE!

The Stock Market Circle Challenge is in our final week!   We’re over 600 certificates, but you can still enter more!  Certificates are still available at the Temple for you to sell to your friends and neighbors or donate yourself; there’s also an electronic version attached to the Temple Times though any entries at this point go in as “autocircle.”  

All players will get a weekly email of the standings.  You can also find the standings on our Temple website: go to wvtempleshalom.org to see how you’re doing!

Mazel Tov to Dr. Jondavid Pollock who was our top seller this year!  Thank you to EVERYONE who helped to sell certificates!

Top Sellers:

Jondavid Pollock – 100

Andy Schreiber – 85

Rabbi Lief – 84

Perri Pokorney Slosky* – 50

Roz Lando – 33

Richard Carter* – 25

Moe Rubenstein – 24

Fred Horne – 24

Jonathan Lief* – 23

Barbara and Carter Strauss – 22

Lisa Allen – 17

Harold and Roanne Burech – 16

Stanley and Linda Burech – 13

Samuel Posin* – 12

Bob Dobkin* – 11

Will Green* – 10

Nicoletta Villa Sella – 10

Stu Levy* – 8

Mike Sims – 7

Ally Kangisser – 6

Rebecca Robinson – 6

Shari McPhail* – 5

Andy Mendelson* – 5

Greg Chase – 5

Mort Slaven – 5

Dennis Burech – 3

Stanley Burech – 3

John Hruschak – 2

Karen Recht – 2

Barb Lewine – 2

Anonymous – 2

Debra Edelman – 1

Rita Gallin – 1

Josh Broverman – 1

Michael Lewine – 1

David Rose – 1

*Thank you to our Temple Board Members who pledged to take a lead role in sales again this year!

PURIM IS COMING!

TIME FOR MISHLOACH MANOT!

Our Purim Celebration is THIS WEEKEND on Sunday, March 1!   Once again this year, we will create a bag of goodies for every Temple member family to help fulfill the mitzvah of “Mishloach Manot,” “sending gifts of food to our friends.”  For only $180, you can join our list of sponsors, and we’ll add your name to the card in every bag.  We would also LOVE your help in delivering the bags to our fellow members!  This is a wonderful opportunity to support our congregation, to celebrate the holiday, and to spread joy to our whole Temple family.  Thank you for your help and support!

PLAN AHEAD!

Our First Friday Dinner on Friday, March 6 will feature YOUR favorite soups!  Pick out a favorite (non-dairy) recipe and bring a pot of whatever you love; we’ll all taste and share!  Temple will provide plenty of bowls and spoons and some tasty bread, plus beer, wine, lemonade, and sodas to drink.  Call the Temple Office to RSVP and let us know what you plan to bring!

MAZEL TOV!

Congratulations to the many Temple members featured in the “Progress” special edition of the newspaper!  Check out the wonderful articles on Dan Shats, Shari McPhail, Barry Allen, Joan Berlow Smith and Samuel Posin, and Rabbi Lief! 

OUR FUTURE

Erev Shabbat Service – FRIDAY, February 27 at 7:00 p.m.

TANAKH Study and Breakfast – SATURDAY, February 28 at 9:45 a.m.

PURIM CELEBRATION! – SUNDAY, March 1 at 11:00 a.m.

First Friday Celebration – Friday, March 6 at 6:00 p.m.

Lifelong Learning – Monday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m.

Temple Board Meeting – Wednesday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m.

Wine Down Kabbalat Shabbat – Friday, March 20 at 5:00 p.m.

PASSOVER BEGINS! – Wednesday, April 1

PASSOVER Morning Service – Thursday, April 2 at 10:30 a.m.

TEMPLE SEDER – Thursday, April 2 at 6:00 p.m.

CALL THE TEMPLE TO BECOME A

MISHLOACH MANOT SPONSOR

AND JOIN US ON SUNDAY

FOR THE PURIM CELEBRATION!