Bath Jewish History

March/April 2026
Adar / Nisan / Iyyar 5786

Rabbi’s Message

Dear Beth Israel Members and Friends,

We live in a time of extreme polarization and division. We are told that we must choose who we stand with, and who we stand against, and that there exists an us vs. them. While grounding ourselves in our values and knowing who our allies are is important, polarization, like we are experiencing today, dangerously dehumanizes the other. A strictly binary approach to the world is a kind of enslavement to ideas that lessen our humanity and weaken the fabric of our community.

We are just a few short weeks from Passover where at our seder table we’ll tell the story of our ancestor’s journey from slavery to freedom. But it’s not enough to partake in this ancient rite alone, let’s harness this ritual opportunity to move our hearts and minds from enslavement to the belief that we are right, to the freedom of seeing the vulnerability, humanity and beauty of ourselves and of others, so that we can heal our community and move towards freedom.

Israeli poet, Yehuda Amichai captures this sentiment in his poem, From the Place Where We are Right. I’ve shared this poem with you before at Rosh Hashanah a few years ago, but it’s just as relevant today, in 2026 at the turning of spring. 

From the place where we are right
Flowers will never grow
In the spring.

The place where we are right
Is hard and trampled
Like a yard.

 But doubts and loves
Dig up the world
Like a mole, a plow.

And a whisper will be heard in the place
Where the ruined
House once stood.

May this Passover holiday soften our hearts, bring us together with healing and hope and strengthen us to work together for a better future for all of us.

President’s Message

by Marilyn Weinberg

I read that The United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers. If anything, Beth Israel is almost totally fueled by our wonderful volunteers. And it has been so for over 100 years. I often go back to our founders and the lovely women of the Bath Hebrew Ladies Society, whose hard work and dedication kept our synagogue alive. Their minutes are a joy to read.

Bath Maine, February 6, 1927

A meeting of the Bath Hebrew Ladies Society was held at the home of Mrs. B Gediman with 12 members present…Mrs. Gediman reported on the remodeling being done on the synagogue and reported that the new kitchen was properly arranged. The special fund raffle prize of two tumblers was won by Mrs. Miller.

Bath Maine, February 13, 1927

A frankfort social was held at the synagogue with good attendance. The food was paid for by each member donating 25 cents and everything was sold at regular prices. Marinated herring, rye bread, frankforts and tea were served. Entertainment was furnished by Sidney Jacobs of Boston with harmonica playing and fancy dancing. $7.04 was cleared.  

Our present Beth Israel volunteers continue to keep us going. Our board members, our wonderful active committee members, our Hebrew School families and so many of you who bring food and sponsor our onegs. I thank you for making Beth Israel a warm and inclusive Jewish community for all.

Diners’ Club

by Anne Rankin

Please join us for our next meeting of the Diners' Club on Thursday, March 5 at 4:30 pm for dinner or drinks and snacks. We'll be meeting in the cozy pub at One Sixty Five in Brunswick. On this day, sunset is at 5:34 pm, so for those who prefer not to drive at night, perhaps they could join for a quick drink. Look forward to connecting with those who can join us!

Please RSVP to Anne Rankin at dinnerclub@bethisraelbath.org

Community Passover Seder

by Marilyn Weinberg

We have had such wonderful experiences at our Community Passover Seders. We return to our Minnie Brown Center this year to celebrate together.We will provide all the items you need for the seder including matzoh, charoset, eggs, horseradish, and parsley. As usual, our seder meal will be potluck.

Please follow these two steps to make your reservation and payment:

Sign up HERE to make reservations.
Reservations required by March 18.
We are a bit more limited in space so sign up early.
Once you sign up, we will be in touch with you to determine what you can bring to the potluck if you have any questions.

Sign up HERE to pay online.

Please select “Other” and enter your payment.
Under “Additional Information” type “Passover Seder”
$10 per person/$25 per family for members
$20 per person/$40 per family for non-members

Upcoming Shabbat Services

by Marilyn Weinberg

March 13 – Join together for a Shabbat potluck meal - 5:30 pm at the synagogue

March 14 – Shabbat Morning Service led by Irwin Brodsky - 10:00 am at the synagogue

March 27 – Kabbalat Shabbat Service led by Rabbi Vinikoor - 7:00 pm at the synagogue

March 28 – Family Shabbat Morning Service led by Rabbi Vinikoor and our Hebrew School students followed by a community catered lunch - 10:00 am at the synagogue

April 3 – Kabbalat Shabbat Service led by Rabbi Vinikoor and our Rabbi intern Alexina Haefner - 7:00 pm at the synagogue

April 4 – Shabbat Morning Service led by Rabbi Vinikoor and Rabbi intern Alexina Haefner - 10:00 am at the synagogue

April 24 – Kabbalat Shabbat Service led by Rabbi Vinikoor - 7:00 pm at the synagogue

April 25 – Family Shabbat Morning Service led by Rabbi Vinikoor and our Hebrew School students followed by a community catered lunch - 10:00 am at the synagogue

Souper Shabbat

by Marilyn Weinberg

March 13
5:30 pm
Synagogue

We thought it would be nice to gather together for a Shabbat meal without putting pressure on any one family to host.

We will light candles, bless our wine and food for an early Friday evening meal of warm soup, salads and bread followed by dessert and a little singing and schmoozing.

It’s been a while since we have had our Souper Shabbat gathering. And although it is March, winter is still here. Let’s warm ourselves with community, a delicious meal and a joyful Shabbat.

No Kings 3: Stand out for Justice!

by Joanne Rosenthal

On March 28 there will be thousands of No Kings events across the country. Projected to be the largest constellation of protests in US history, this nonviolent movement is gaining power to build “a civilization rooted in empathy and kindness” (JB Pritzker).

 The Beth Israel Social Action Committee (SAC) is excited to announce that they are in the process of having a Beth Israel banner made to carry at No Kings and other events. We invite every congregant to mobilize around this banner that represents our Jewish values of repairing the world, justice and welcoming the stranger.

More details will follow as to when and where we will meet on March 28. Until then, you are invited to attend the social action committee meeting. We meet in person on the third Monday of the month at 3:00 pm at the Minnie Brown Center.

For more information or to inquire about the committee please email: socialaction@bethisraelbath.org.

Refugee Shabbat Fundraiser

Michelle Lisi

March 28
Doors Open at 6:30 pm
Show 7:00–8:30 pm
Minnie Brown Center

Celebrate Refugee Shabbat with a stand up comedy fundraiser guaranteed to spark joy.

Join Beth Israel Congregation to support the Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition with a hilarious line up of local comics.

Grab your tickets and bring some cash for our live auction. Learn about volunteer opportunities to stand up for our neighbors.

Israel-Palestine Speaker Series

by Rabbi Vinikoor

March 30 at 6:00 pm
April 26, May 17, May 31 at 1:00 pm
Minnie Brown Center

We are teaming up with Beth Israel (Waterville), Temple Beth El (Augusta) and Adas Yoshuron
(Rockland) for a four-part speaker series on Israel-Palestine.

We’ll meet in person at the Minnie Brown Center to engage with the speaker on Zoom together,
then we’ll gather for snacks and discussion.

Our first speaker will be Michael Koplow Chief Policy Officer at the Israel Policy Forum. The Forum’s goal is to build support for a secure, Jewish, democratic Israel and constructive U.S. policies that help to advance a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on two states. They do that by elevating the public discourse and advancing pragmatic U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, U.S.-Israel relations, and regional diplomacy among policymakers and community leaders.

Ayelet Tsabari

by Connor Dedrick

Wednesday, April 15
7:00 pm
Kresge Auditorium, Visual Arts Center, Bowdoin College

Ayelet Tsabari was born in Israel to a large family of Yemeni Jews. She is the author of The Art of Leaving, winner of the Canadian Jewish Literary Award for memoir, finalist for the Writer’s Trust Hilary Weston Prize, and an Apple Books and Kirkus Review Best Book of 2019.

Her first book, The Best Place on Earth, won the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish literature and the Edward Lewis Wallant Award. Her most recent book, Songs for the Broken Hearted, has won the National Jewish Book Award for Fiction and the Association of Jewish Libraries’ Fiction Award. Both of these books were part of our Beth Israel community read.

Tsabari has taught creative writing at the University of Guelph, the University of King’s College, Tel Aviv University, and Bar Ilan University.

We are so pleased that Ayelet Tsabari will be coming to Maine and speaking at Bowdoin College. This event is free and open to the public.

REMEMBRANCES FOR MONTH–MONTH YEAR

May their memories be for a blessing.

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES

Listing the birthdays and anniversaries of those in our immediate family creates a wonderful opportunity for our community/shul family to have an excuse to celebrate with each other.