When it comes to achievements, UHC proves that small is beautiful

By Debra Israel
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The past month of April, and now the month of May, present a microcosm of our congregation’s character.

In fact, instead of lamenting the small size of our congregation, after seeing all that we accomplish, we might instead start proclaiming that small is indeed beautiful.

From my professional view as an economist, we talk about the concept of “free-riding”, when people do not contribute their share of the work even while enjoying the community’s benefits because they know that someone else will chip in (particularly with volunteer time or monetary contributions).

This is easier to do in a large organization, because your individual participation may or may not seem to matter.

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Congregation will hear guest speaker, elect new board members at annual meeting

By Betsy Frank
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At 11:30 a.m. May 20, our congregation will hold its annual meeting. This is a time for us to get together and celebrate our accomplishments during the past year.

Most recently, we launched another young adult, Izaak, who became Bar Mitzvah.

I find it remarkable, and I hope that you do, too, that our small Jewish community educates our young people as well as many larger congregations.

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Agnes Schwartz shares Survivor’s story as community observes Yom HaShoah

By Ken Turetzky
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The ideal of forgiveness helps some victims of trauma overcome their suffering.

That concept is anathema to Agnes Schwartz, who survived the Holocaust in Budapest, Hungary, passing as the Catholic niece of a compassionate family housekeeper.

Agnes was guest speaker for “Remember the Past – Transform the Present”, the April 15 Yom HaShoah observance co-sponsored with CANDLES Holocaust Museum & Education Center at United Hebrew Congregation.

An audience of about 125 people attended the second annual event on a Sunday afternoon in the Temple sanctuary. Participants from area social action groups lit candles to to honor the 11 million Jewish and non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust.

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Daughters recall Estelle Corrigan’s love of folk dancing, music, education and service

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Estelle Blond had just returned to New York City from Israel when she and John Corrigan met at an Israeli folk dancing class in 1953.

“She was fond of pointing out that he had come there with another woman, and she must have come there with another man, because that’s how we did things back then. Women didn’t come to dances on their own at the time,” Estelle’s daughter Eve recalled.

John proposed within a couple of weeks, and Estelle accepted six months later. They were married for 60 years, before John died at 86 in 2015. On April 5, Estelle’s family lay her to rest beside John at Highland Lawn Cemetery in Terre Haute. Estelle died April 2 at age 90.

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