Bath Jewish History

November/December/January 2026/2027
Heshvan/Kislev/Tevet/Shevat 5787

Rabbi’s Message

Dear Beth Israel Members and Friends,

We are now well into the Hebrew month of Heshvan still basking in the glow of our Holiday season while adjusting to the colder days and dark nights. I am pleased to share copies of the sermons I delivered over the High Holidays.

 Belonging - Erev Rosh Hashanah 5787
An Argument for the Sake of Heaven - Rosh Hashanah 5787
Yom Kippur Morning Sermon - 5787

L'Shalom,
Rabbi Vinikoor

President’s Message

by Marilyn Weinberg

The fall holiday season is now over, and I am thankful for the lovely memories that all of these celebrations leave with us. I look back and I am amazed at all the absolutely wonderful and meaningful celebrations we enjoyed together.

Yet, as the holiday packed weeks recede, we welcome the holiday starved month of Heshvan in its place. Heshvan is the only month of the Jewish year completely devoid of holidays or fast days. Some have called it “Sad Heshvan” from its dearth of celebrations, but I prefer to call it “take a deep breath month” to take time to reflect on our pathway ahead.

Part of what we learn every year during the holiday season is how wonderful it is to be together. Our congregation is especially welcoming to all. Let’s hope for a year filled with joy and fulfillment as we celebrate and gather together during the year. We will continue to give thanks for our special Beth Israel Congregation, our Rabbi and our community. You are all so special.

Beth Israel Intergenerational Dinner

Thursday, November 5
5:30 pm
Minnie Brown Center

Join us for dinner! We are pleased to invite you to our first intergenerational dinner on Thursday, November 5 at 5:30 pm at the Minnie Brown Center. And if you can’t make it to this one consider coming to the others that are scheduled throughout the year.

These dinners are funded by a grant we received from the Jewish Community Fund of Maine to support intergenerational programming in our congregation. The purpose of these dinners is to build one Beth Israel community from the various cohorts of the congregation: singles, couples, families of young children, Hebrew School and teen families, empty nesters, and seniors. We will be encouraging everyone to mix and mingle as we break bread together!

Additional dates for dinners, all at 5:30 pm 

• December 17, 2026

• February 25, 2027 

• May 6, 2027 

Each dinner will be catered by local restaurants to make things easy for all attendees. We'll need volunteers to help with setting up and cleaning up. For any questions, reach out to Rabbi Vinikoor at rabbivinikoor@gmail.com.

Shabbat Song Circle

Do you play an instrument? Love to sing? This cohort will meet with rabbinic apprentice Alexina Haefner on six Shabbat afternoons throughout the year to explore the Friday night prayers and learn melodies for upcoming musical Shabbat services.

No experience necessary, just a willingness to immerse yourself in the spiritual practice of making music together.

Shabbat Song Circle will take place the following dates

• December 5, 2026

• February 27, 2027

• March 20, 2027

• April 24, 2027

• May 8, 2027

Please RSVP here!

Sam Tefft Bar Mitzvah

by Rachel Ban

Saturday, November 14
10:00 am

Sam’s connection to Beth Israel began before he could walk or talk. As an infant, he accompanied his older sisters to Hebrew School at the Minnie Brown Center, where his mother would sit on the basement couch nursing him while they attended class.

Now, as he prepares for his own Bar Mitzvah, he continues to learn alongside many of the people who have been part of his Jewish life for years.

Outside of Hebrew School, Sam keeps busy playing on three soccer teams: an elite travel team, the town travel team, and his junior high team. He also enjoys tennis, plays saxophone at school, and sometimes joins the chess club at the library.

A curious and dedicated student, he often spends his free time exploring topics beyond his schoolwork on Khan Academy. At home, you’ll frequently find him cooking or baking, experimenting with a new recipe. He has a close-knit group of friends, many of whom share his love of soccer.

Those who know Sam appreciate his kindness, thoughtfulness, and steady consideration for others. He makes people feel comfortable and included, and he is often thinking about how those around him are feeling.

For his mitzvah project, Sam has been volunteering at the Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program’s food pantry. He wanted to contribute to the Brunswick community, and he especially values the opportunity to interact with people.

Those connections help him understand how his neighbors are doing and see the difference that a local organization can make.

Sam sees preparing for his Bar Mitzvah as a continuation of his Hebrew School experience. He is also looking forward to sharing this part of his life with friends who may be less familiar with it, a chance to bring two of his worlds together.

Please join us on November 14 as Sam is called to the Torah and we celebrate this special milestone with him and his family.

Mikveh, Sauna & Sing with Beth Israel

by Tehilah Eisenstadt and Anita Lichman

November 22
8:30–10:00 am

Join us at our second adventure Mikveh (see below for our take on what "mikva" means). We will use a three-step process to partake in the ritual of Mikveh.

What is a Mikveh and why are we doing this?  A mikveh (plural: mikvaot) is a pool of water used for ritual immersion. We are using a contemporary approach to Mikveh that is inclusive and accessible to all. If you'd like to learn a little more, click here for a My Jewish Learning article. Mikveh, a ritual of flowing water that connects body, mind, and soul to the world around us. As we approach Chanukah, what do you want to recommit to, what should you leave behind that’s obscuring your light, and what’s ready to be rekindled?  

GATHER & SINGING
First, we will join as a group and start singing. Click here to see the lyrics and listen to a short list of songs for use. We will choose songs that are easy to pick up and sing or hum along to, you can also stay quiet and listen to the music or use a hand drum. We invite you to listen to the songs in the included link if you’d like familiarity before arrival. 

MIKVEH RITUAL
In pairs of two (wearing a bathing suit or not, a warm coat or towel, water shoes, a warm hat, or whatever will make you comfortable) we will walk to the water and be guided to choose one of two brief prayers (done as call and response) during the dip into the living water. After our dips we will retreat to a waterside sauna to warm up (optional).

RETURN TO COMMUNITY 
As the next pair arrives at the sauna, you will, once again, return to the group and join in the singing. Once everyone in the group has dipped and used the sauna (if they choose), we will gather as a community to close the ceremony. All in all, we expect to be together about 1-1.5 hours.

The Mikveh is for you if you enjoy and/or are curious about the Mikveh ritual as a way to reset or reflect, are up for an adventure, and/or seek a way to do Jewish activities in community. For more information and a link to the registration sheet please email info@bethisraelbath.org. Please note we only have room for 12 immersees at this time.

Community Hanukkah Celebration

by Marilyn Weinberg

Sunday December 6
3:00 pm
Minnie Brown Center

Get your menorah and candles ready and save the date as we gather together on the third night of Hanukkah (Yes – it is early this year).

We are still in the planning stages, but you can guess there will be crafts, games, singing, menorah lighting, dreidel spinning and some fried treats to share.

Stay tuned to your weekly emails as final details will be shared.

Leah Koenig Visits

by Marilyn Weinbeerg

Sunday, December 6
2:00 pm

We are so excited to have Leah Koenig, an award-winning author of eight cookbooks including the acclaimed The Jewish Cookbook coming to Bath Maine and Beth Israel. We will have samples and a demonstration from items from her newest cookbook The Dessert Table: 100 Joyful Jewish Sweets that was recently published.

Leah's writing and recipes can be found in The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Epicurious, and Food52, among other publications. She also writes a weekly newsletter, The Jewish Table, which shares recipes and stories from the world of Jewish food.

Leah will be coming on Sunday, December 6, and will be part of our community Hanukkah celebration. Her books will be available for purchase at that time. What a great Hanukkah gift to give to others or buy for yourself.

Weekly 1-Hour Silent Meditation Sessions

by Robert Gersh

No instructions and no fee – just nice folks and a bell to mark the start, midpoint, and end of the hour. Beginning November 6, 2026, these weekly silent meditation sessions will be held in the nearby Neighborhood UCC building located at 798 Washington Street (corner of Washington St. and Centre St.) from 8:30 to 9:30 AM every Friday, except for federal holidays. Come for all or part of the hour. Stay afterwards for friendly conversation. All forms of silent meditation are welcome. Zen? Vipassana? Meditative knitter? Self-guided meditation apps on your phone with earbuds? Yes, please!

Whatever form of silent meditation that resonates with you is fine: Focusing on your breath and relaxing with each exhale. Feeling all the sensations of the body. Focusing on your heart. Simply listening to the sounds outside of our heads, instead of the ones on the inside. Sitting in quiet contemplation, knitting, or anything that you find peaceful and relaxing. Sometimes we all need the noise of the world to be turned down a little. Bring that peaceful, loving energy and intention to this shared place.

All are welcome. Congregation member Robert Gersh will be co-hosting these weekly meditation sessions. If you are interested or just curious, please contact Robert at info@bethisraelbath.org for more information.

Spindel Lectureship Features Judy Blume Biographer Mark Oppenheimer

by Laura McCandlish

Mark Oppenheimer, author of the controversial new biography, Judy Blume: A Life, will be speaking at Bowdoin College for the annual Spindel Lectureship on December 1. Oppenheimer will regale Judy Blume fans with poignant details from the intrepid life of our favorite Jewish young adult author (The Pain and the Great One (1974) a picture book that perfectly embodied sibling rivalry in my family. And Blume's middle-grade classic Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (1970) made this Jewish-Christian kid feel a lot less alone coming of age in the South­—I loved sharing the 2023 film adaptation of Margaret (starring Rachel McAdams) with my sons.

Though Blume once closely cooperated with Oppenheimer and gave him access to her archives, their 10-year-friendship ended when she reviewed a draft of the book, perhaps because Oppenheimer included too many upsetting personal details. Blume and her agent have refused to talk about the book since its controversial publication in March. Oppenheimer's 480-page biography follows The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us (2024) by Rachelle Bergstein.

A chronicler of Jewish life for a quarter century, Mark Oppenheimer has a Ph.D. in religious studies from Yale and has authored several books, including a forthcoming historical look at Jews and antisemitism at Ivy League schools. Fun fact: Oppenheimer was on my husband Dan Stone's Birthright trip to Israel during the Second Intifada over January 1, 2001.

The lecture is open to the public. More information will be posted soon at Harry Spindel Memorial Lectureship | Bowdoin College.

New Teen Program

by Sarah Swanick

The first B-Mitzvah retreat was a success! Members of the class of students currently preparing for their b'nai mitzvot worked hard to celebrate Sukkot and Shabbat with dinner in the Sukkah, followed by the Friday night Shabbat service and Saturday morning Torah service. They did a great job helping with the Torah service, with tips from the Rabbi on how to lift the Torah for Hagbah and how to use a yad for reading from the scroll.

They outfitted the sukkah with the longest paper chain ever made and were able to fit some fun and games into a very late night at the Minnie Brown center. 

On November 6 we will be heading up to Waterville for the annual Jewish Youth Connection (JYC) Shabbaton. More info can be found at jewishlife.colby.edu/fall-shabbaton/ 

Upcoming JYC events will be in December, January and March. JYC events are a great way to meet and socialize with other Jewish teens in Maine. If students are able to attend at least 3 events, they are invited to join in the special Shabbaton trip to DC.

Social Action Committee

by Joanne Rosenthal

The Social Action Committee has been busy this fall, planning for activities through the winter and spring. Members and others participated in the Religious Action Center’s Every Voice, Every Vote campaign, writing hundreds of postcards encouraging people to register and vote early. Many Beth Israel members are engaged in canvassing, phone banking, rallies, and serving in the legislature. We are also represented on the Community Relations Council at the JCA, involved in legislative advocacy and intercultural activities.

Looking ahead, we will again be seeking volunteers to provide Christmas dinner to guests of the Tedford Housing shelter, so watch for the sign-up sheet in early December.

On January 18 the Interfaith Council (which Beth Israel is a member of) will hold the second annual Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast at the United Methodist Church in Brunswick.

On the environmental front, we are researching compostable materials to use at holiday and other celebrations.

Lastly, in this time of increasing antisemitism, we will be connecting with the Holocaust Human Rights Center in Augusta to plan an educational program for Beth Israel and the wider community next spring.

If you have any questions or wish to become involved, please contact socialaction@bethisraelbath.org.

Minnie Brown

by Marilyn Weinberg

It’s always nice to have some good news to share.  In the middle of the holidays, we got a call from the gentleman who had been handling the Minnie Brown estate.

He shared that he was ready to close all of her accounts and there was a little money left for us. In addition, he shared that he had boxes of letters, photos and other personal items from her home. 

Many of the documents have been transferred to the Patten Free Library and we will be working on a joint presentation later in the year.

$5,000 will go to the new SAFE building project for the synagogue which I know Minnie would have supported. And $3,000 will go to a depleted cemetery fund to purchase a few new plots as our cemetery lots fill up.

Thank you, Minnie. She passed on November 14, 1997. May her memory be for a blessing.

Community Sukkot Celebration

by Marilyn Weinberg

This year the first night of Sukkot fell on Shabbat which made for a double celebration. And It was a joy to gather once again in our own Sukkah in front of Minnie Brown Center.

Blessed with perfect weather and a fantastic turnout we all had an opportunity to sing holiday songs and bless the Sukkah with the lulav and etrog. And finally, we were able to share a delicious mediterranean meal in the Sukkah with our community.

This was all followed by beautiful Shabbat service ending the meaningful evening with sweet baklava.

Thanks to the Friedel family for coming out to erect the Sukkah for the third year in a row. And thanks to all of you who made and hung decorations and participated with music and special Sukkot blessings. It is such a wonderful holiday for all ages.

Simchat Torah

by Marilyn Weinberg

We had another amazing Simchat Torah celebration this year.  As part of the celebration, it is traditional to take our Torah scrolls from the ark and carry or dance around the synagogue seven times.

We were blessed to have music played by Rabbi Sruli Dresdner and his wife Lisa Mayer. Within a short time, Lisa had us all dancing with the Torahs and singing along.  I believe this year we definitely surpassed the seven-circle requirement. With a crowd of multiple generations, the room was filled with joy.

Once the dancing stopped Rabbi Vinikoor read from two Torahs. First was the concluding section of the fifth book of the Torah, D’varim (Deuteronomy), and immediately following, the opening section of Genesis, or B'reishit. We all had an opportunity to have an Aliyah. We closed our celebration with a lovely Havdalah service.

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welcome new members

• David and Elizabeth Levi and their children, Leone, Esther, Stella and Margalit

• Sophia Cook and Michael Ciccarone and their children, Mirele and Ezra

• Jonathan Feiger and Nancy Laben

• Joshua Burger-Caplan and Georgia Whitaker and their daughter, Alice

• Walter and Lianne Harris

• Brian Milakovsky and Anna Kharitonova and their daughter, Bronya

DONATIONS

Memorial Gifts

• Morton Panish in loving memory of his wife, Evelyn Panish

• Margaret McGaughey in loving memory of her husband, George Isaacson

• The Reissman Family in loving memory of Kathy-Ann Reissman

• The Shapiro White Family in loving memory of Marlyn Shapiro

• Betty Welt in loving memory of her parents, Ilse Fuchs and Henry Fuchs

• The Waxman Family in loving memory of Ralph Waxman

• Joe and Merna Guttentag in loving memory of his father, Samuel Guttentag

• Judith Wolfe in loving memory of her husband, Robert Lobis

• Jay and Lenore Friedland in loving memory of his father, Edward Friedland

• Marina and Steve Singer in loving memory of her mother, Henrietta Shapiro

• Judith Pachter and Jay Fleisher in loving memory of Stan Lane

• The Benedikt Shohan Family in loving memory of Ed and Ruth Benedikt

• Richard Smith in loving memory of his mother, Sara Smith

• Shelia Cohen in loving memory of her father, Harry Cohen

• Steve and Marina Singer in loving memory of his father, Isadore Singer

• Lisa Pincus Clark and Ashana Pincus in loving memory of their mother and grandmother, Sophie Gertrude Greenblatt

• Donna Rubin in loving memory of her parents, Morris and Mary Petlock

• Janet Marstine and Mark Polishook in loving memory of Dorothy Horowitz Ludwig

 In loving memory of William Horowitz

• Matt and Karen Filler

• Susan Kamin and Ben Crystal

• Jay and Lenore Friedland

• Marina and Steve Singer

• Marilyn and Fred Weinberg

• Barbara and Robert Lenox

• Margaret McGaughey

In loving memory of Dr. Donald “Donny” Giulianti
(Monies donated in Donny’s memory designated to Safe Building Fund)

• Norma Dreyfus

• Peggy Brown and John Martell

• Jay and Lenore Friedland

• Friends of Westport Island History

• Gaye Wagner

• Stacey and Cristina Giulianti

• Erich and Pauline Haller

• Mary Ellen Barnes

• Marilyn and Fred Weinberg

• Barbara and Barrett Silver

• Robert and Barbara Lenox

• Matt and Karen Filler

• Steve and Marina Singer

• Janet Marstine and Mark Polishook

 In Support of the Synagogue

• Jeff Cohen and Nancy Heiser

• Marilyn and Fred Weinberg

• Walter and Lianne Harris

• Shirley Cohn in honor of Merna and Joe Guttentag

• George and Mary Samiljan

• Nancy Laben and Jonathan Feiger

• Dennie and Steve Yianakopolos

• Ralph and Joanna Jacobs

• Peter Shiras and Diana Morris

• The Rosman Family

• Sally Pollard

• Linda Silberstein and Larry Loeb

• Judith Pachter and Jay Fleisher

• Sue and Steven Gerber

• Susan and David Kertzer

• Grateful High Holiday Guest

• Ansel Shiffer

• Sara and Andy Litt

• Julie Scher

• Roger Asch

• Judy O’Keefe

• JoAnne Burger and Michael Caplan

• Lance and Jann Goldenthal

• The Samuelson Family

• Emily Cohen

• Carol and Martin Eckstein

• Steve and Sue Apolinsky

• Steve and Marina Singer

• Steven Guttentag and Stacy Winick

• Barbara and Ted Mayden

• Lori and Irwin Brodsky

• Janet Marstine and Mark Polishook

• Harry Reissman

• Greg and Carolyn Friedel

• Lynn Frank

• Rebecca and Jonathan Dunham

• Lon and Illisa Povich

• Howard and Stephanie Pruzansky

• Tiffanie Lopatin in honor of “Norma and the Thursday Maj Ladies

• Susan Kahn and Dan Kirschner for welcoming them to community services

• Mara Giulianti

• Carla Dickstein

 Safe Building Fund

• Ellen Bard

• Rachel and Michael Connelly

• Stacey and Cristina Giulianti

• Henry Goldberg and Kim Hetherington

• Virginia Fish

• Mara Giulianti

• Shelia Kojm and Louis Stuhl

• Sheldon and Denise Tepler

• Louis and Kristen Propp and the Morris and Anna Propp Sons Fund

• Margaret McGaughey in loving memory of her husband, George Isaacson

Rabbi Discretionary Fund

• Allison Burson and Eric Sofen

REMEMBRANCES FOR November/December/January 2026/2027

May their memories be for a blessing.

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