1 st Torah - Parashat Terumah (Offering) Exodus 25:1 - 27:19
2nd Torah - Shabbat Rosh Chodesh - Numbers 28:9-15
3rd Torah - Parashat Shekalim - Exodus 30:11-16
HafTorah Kings II - 11:17 -12:17, Isaiah 66:1; Isaiah 66:23-24, Isaiah 66:23
Dear friends,
I invite you to attend a very special service this Shabbat. In addition to its being my Bar Mitzvah anniversary, for only the third time since my Bar Mitzvah, it is also Shabbat Shekalim and Rosh Chodesh. The previous two took place in the years 5734 (1974) and 5754 (1994). And in my old age, I don't remember either one of those events so I will be celebrating this special day as if it has occurred for the first time!
In any case, it is extremely rare for the sun and moon to align in such a way that we celebrate the new month of Adar, Shabbat Shekalim and the reading of the Torah portion of Terumah (the construction of the Mishkan, the portable Tabernacle) on the same day! And we celebrate by reading from not one, nor two, but three Torahs, the first for the portion of the week (Terumah), the second for Rosh Chodesh (celebrating the new month of Adar when we are "commanded to increase our joy", and the third for Shabbat Shekalim (Exodus 30:11-16). And following the Torah readings, we chant a special Haftorah for the occasion from the Book of Kings. In this reading, King Jehoash of Judah establishes a tax for the upkeep of the Temple in Jerusalem similar to the tax (half shekel) that was established in the wilderness for the upkeep of the portable Mishkan when each adult male was asked to contribute half of a Biblical shekel for the upkeep of the Tent of Meeting. Shabbat Shekalim takes place on the Shabbat before the 1st of the Hebrew calendar month of Adar, or on the 1st of Adar itself if it falls on Shabbat which as we now know is extremely rare. Shabbat Shekalim is the first of four special Sabbaths preceding Pesach and assists us in our preparations for the celebrations of both Purim and Passover.
So please help me and my wife Chris who is celebrating her birthday as I celebrate my Bar Mitzvah anniversary by attending services this evening at 7:30 pm and joining with us to enjoy the Kiddush luncheon that will follow tomorrow's (Saturday) morning service which begins at 9:30 am.
Finally, our joy at celebrating the start of the month of Adar and Shabbat Shekalim is tempered by the loss of our dear member and friend, Rob Norman. As you can see from the obituary below, he was an incredibly accomplished and generous man loved by generations of students, scholars, patients, and friends. Some of us had the honor of attending his memorial service at the Norman Library which he established and funded in Tampa near the campus of the University of South Florida. We heard testimonials from students, colleagues, friends, rabbis, and congregants. Rob gave me several of his many books including his history of the Jewish community of Tampa and the history of the Star of David. I will bring them to shul this Shabbat. After moving to Pasco County, Rob was a regular at our Shabbat services and even as a patient at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, he regularly Zoomed into our services. We have truly lost a true mensch and all too soon. Together with Rabbi Lazer Rivkin of Young Israel of Tampa we are planning a lecture series in his memory and will invite the entire community to come to our shul to participate. Stay tuned for more information as this develops. May Rob's memory always be for a blessing to his family and to us all!
Shabbat Shalom! Chodesh Tov!
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader
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ZOOM LINK FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY:
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Shabbat Services 02/28 @ 7:30 pm & 03/01 @ 9:30 am
Time: This is a recurring meeting Friday and Saturday
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
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Dr. Robert Norman's obituary
Dr. Robert A. Norman, known affectionately as “Rob” or “Zayde” to his family, “Doc Rob” to his friends, Dear and “Doc” to the many patients whose lives he touched, passed away on February 14, 2025, due to complications of pneumonia following a very successful stem cell transplant. He passed, surrounded by love, with his wife, Carol, and two of his children, Fionna and Daniel, by his side.
Robert was born in 1955 in Grand Rapids Michigan to Lawrence and Estelle (Gutowitz). He was a lover of nature ever since he was a young child. The baby of four boys his brother Howard told a story of Robert when he was six years old while Howard was walking him to school. Robert saw a turtle and took off his sweater and waved it to stop traffic in order to pick up a turtle from the road. Where he proceeded to school carrying the turtle to let the principal know that he was going to take it to a pond and let it go. The principal said that he was going to give him a demerit. Robert had to save the turtle’s life so he took the demerit. A story that all of his friends and members of the Sierra Club in Tampa would not be surprised to hear.
Robert followed in the footsteps of his uncle, Dr. Erwin Gutowitz, his mentor in medicine. He pursued a degree as a Doctor of Osteopathy, initially in family medicine before later specializing in dermatology. He had been practicing dermatology in Tampa since 1994 and also provided dermatological care to nursing home and assisted living patients at their bedside. Until the massive shutdowns due to COVID-19 in 2020, he and his provider staff were serving more than 550 nursing homes statewide in Florida. His passion for the geriatric population fueled his dedication to helping them and inspired him to write Geriatric Dermatology, a book still used in many medical schools today. His love of teaching brought hundreds of students to his office to shadow and learn from him.
Robert’s passion for medicine was matched by his love for writing, having authored hundreds of articles and 76 published books. It was not uncommon to find him spending hours writing when he wasn’t caring for patients or enjoying the outdoors—hiking, kayaking, and taking photographs. His love of photography became widely known when he started creating an annual calendar for his patients. He also ordered canvas prints of his favorite photos to gift to patients and often donated them to nursing homes, providing residents with beautiful landscapes to enjoy.
For many years, Robert participated in medical missions with the Hillsborough County Osteopathic Society in Treasure Beach, Jamaica. During his tenure as president of the society, he established the Ken Webster Scholarship Award.
Robert was a proud and devoted supporter of his Jewish heritage. He worked with Young Israel in Tampa to establish the Norman Jewish Library, a space where the Jewish community and others can enjoy reading, teaching, guest speakers, events, and celebrations of holidays and life milestones. He was a longtime supporter of the Jewish Community Center (JCC) and the Jewish National Fund (JNF), traveling to Israel with the JNF and supporting the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, which provides American students with the opportunity to study abroad and experience life in Israel. At the time of his passing, Robert was working on a documentary based on his book about the Star of David.
Robert’s zest for life extended beyond medicine, nature, writing, and photography—he also had a deep love for music. He played the harmonica, wrote lyrics, and collaborated with his friend Winston to create four CDs. He first picked up the harmonica while attending medical school in Chicago, where he enjoyed listening to blues musicians.
Robert’s sudden passing leaves an immense void in the lives and hearts of those who knew him. He was more than a husband, father, stepfather, brother, uncle, cousin, mentor, and friend—he was a force of nature. He lived more in one lifetime than many do in several.
He is survived by his wife, Carol; his stepchildren, Andrea (Daniel) and Phillip; his children, Daniel, Benjamin (Tiana), and Fionna; his step-grandchildren, Adrianna and Brandon; and his grandchildren, Titus, Petra, and Atlas. He is also survived by his brothers, Howard and Steven, as well as his nieces, Michelle and Emma, and many other nieces, nephews, cousins, and his brother-in-law. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Estelle, and his brother, Michael.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or to Young Israel Tampa for the maintenance of the Norman Jewish Library.