Louise Sommers, who devoted her life to family, friends and community, passes away at age 95

By Nancy Sommers
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Louise Levite Sommers died peacefully on November 30, surrounded by her loving family and devoted caregivers. She is remembered by her family and friends for her beauty and grace, her ever-present smile and her generous acts of loving kindness.

Born Liesl-Lotte Levite on April 24, 1925, in Straubing, Germany, to Irma and Max Levite, Louise could trace her family roots in Bavaria back to the 16th century.

When Louise was seven, her mother died tragically as the result of a carbon monoxide leak. At age 11, she and her younger sister Elsa escaped Nazi Germany, living first in London, then arriving in Terre Haute, where their one relative, her Uncle Salo Levite, lived.

About arriving in America, Louise remarked, “You can’t imagine how I felt when I first saw the Statue of Liberty. I think it waved to me, “Welcome, Stranger.”

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Prayer books evolve to meet the times, and anyone can Hebrew with a little transliteration!

By Betsy Frank
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After each High Holy Days season, I hear several comments regarding the amount of Hebrew in the service.

Some say, “There was too much Hebrew and I didn’t get much out of the service.” Others observe, “More Hebrew and a more traditional service is what I want.”

Obviously, no one service will please all.

So, how did we get to this state of affairs? We are an eclectic congregation with some members who were raised in Orthodox Jewish families, some Conservative, and some, like me, in classical Reform congregations. Each of these traditions brings its own unique characteristics.

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We are better than vengeance, better than a death penalty system skewed to racial injustice

By Terry Fear
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Thirteen minutes is the amount of time it takes me to drive to Starbucks. For Orlando Hall, sitting on death row, 13 minutes sealed his execution.

Had those 13 minutes passed and the clock struck midnight, Orlando Hall’s stay of execution would have extended for 90 days. But a last-minute Supreme Court decision (6-3) vacated the stay.

At 11:47 p.m. EST Thursday, Nov. 19, Orlando Hall was pronounced dead at the U.S. Federal Penitentiary in Terre Haute. His official cause of death was “legal homicide”. He was 49 years old.

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Women of Reform Judaism Central District awards Deborah Honor to Wilma Turetzky

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Women of Reform Judaism Central District recognized UHC Sisterhood member Wilma Turetzky with a Deborah Honor during its Nov. 6-8 Virtual Gathering.

In all, WRJCD named 18 women from 17 congregations in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky, based on nominations by their local Sisterhood organizations.

“The Deborah Honor gives each Sisterhood in Central District the opportunity to recognize a woman who exemplifies many of the qualities of our prophet and judge Deborah, such as solving problems, strategizing with military precision and providing wise counsel,” wrote Awards Committee Chair Lisa Kalson and Vice President Marketing/Communications Pamela Feldman-Hill.

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