April 2014: From TBS President Bryan H. Pines

I have been collecting Passover Haggadot for many years. I am most intrigued by the thousands of versions available. The obligation to retell our children of the exodus from Egypt may have been an influence in why the manuscripts are highly illustrated. When studying the printed versions of the Haggadah through the ages, we develop an appreciation of how the celebration of Passover has been continuously evolving. Our sense of freedom is challenged and our solidarity within the community is contested.

March 2014: From TBS President Bryan H. Pines

We will be celebrating the holiday of Purim on the evening of March 15^th. It seems like we just celebrated Chanukah and Pesach will be quickly arriving soon. All are such joyous occasions celebrating triumphant historic events and freedom. The miracle of Purim is not as clearly seen as the other two holidays. G-d guided us with a watchful hand but is not mentioned in the Book of Esther. It is truly the story of concealment and hidden beauty. This is exemplified by the hamantash. It is a plain cookie pastry with its beauty hidden inside. Colorful, tangy, or sweet, it is always a wonderful surprise. My monthly column has not mentioned food in quite some time. The focus has been on the brain, so now with food being an important part of the upcoming holidays; we will go back to discussing gastronomy.

February 2014: From TBS President Bryan H. Pines

Many of you are aware that we have started a campaign to raise the funds to replace the roof on our Temple. The goal is clear, and the appeal to contribute has been established. In and of itself, that may be enough of a reason for your participation in this construction project. I would like to discuss another motivational reason to join the expanding list of contributors. The act of giving is inherently rewarding. Many studies have examined the act of charitable giving with a focus on the individual’s benefit. As a group, we can determine if our positive results to altruistic behavior are similar to the research that I would like to present in this column.