A Publication of Mosaic Law Congregation

June/July 2012 | 11 Sivan 5772 - 12 Av 5772
The
A Publication of Mosaic Law Congregation
Introducing Friday Night
Under the Stars...with Guitar.
On Friday nights, June 15th, July 27th and
August 24th at 7:30pm we will be hosting
the first of three monthly Friday Night Under the Stars, an
intimate and creative monthly service filled with spirited
singing in a warm and welcoming community. It has been
created as an experiment with the hope of reaching out to
members of our congregation and community who are
looking for a meaningful prayer experience that is an alternative to the traditional 5:45pm Friday evening service.
Our goal is that when you walk into the Friedman Courtyard on Friday evening, June 15th, you will find the courtyard filled with people of all ages and backgrounds
dressed in white, singing and praying with all their souls.
The service will be led by me and Deborah Gonzalez, and
all of the prayers will be accompanied by Garen Horst on
acoustical guitar. A special edited Siddur (prayer book)
will contain meaningful English, Hebrew and transliterated Hebrew into English for those whose Hebrew reading
skills are challenged. There will also be sheet music
included in the Siddur to enable people to more easily
learn the melodies of the prayers. The music for this
service will include a combination of composers from
Israel Goldfarb and Shlomo Carlebach to Debbie
Friedman, Craig Taubman and Jeff Klepper. Our hope is
that when you open our Siddur you will find new translations of ancient prayers that speak to your soul and connect you to God. We want to create an atmosphere where
people who have not been to synagogue for a while and
are yearning and willing to re-connect, can pray with us
and feel enveloped by a sense of oneness and community.
Of course, we welcome people who are ‘regulars’ on
Services & Festivals
2
Reflections from the
President
3
Chai Five Update
4
Shabbat to join us for this very different prayer experience. Incorporated into the service will be a teaching
moment with the hope that we will all receive wisdom and
inspiration to illuminate our lives. The service will also
include a prayer for healing, written by the late Debbie
Friedman.
We are asking everyone who attends Friday Night Under
the Stars to wear white, either all white or at least a white
shirt or top. White is in honor of the simple holiness of
Shabbat. Rabbi Isaac Luria, a sixteenth century Kabbalist,
was very particular in insisting that we wear only (or
mostly) white Shabbat clothes. In the Talmud there is a
passage describing the beauty of wearing white on Shabbat:
“…Rabbi Hanina robed himself in white and stood at
sunset of Sabbath eve [and] exclaimed, ‘Come and let us
go forth to welcome the queen Sabbath.’ R. Jannai donned
his white robes, on Sabbath eve and exclaimed, ‘Come, O
bride, Come, O bride!’…” Talmud Bavli Shabbat 119a.
Let me share with everyone in our congregation that this
decision to add musical accompaniment for this Friday
evening service was made after much thought and deliberation. We began a process of examining the idea of musical accompaniment three years ago when we invited Rabbis Elie Spitz and Sheldon Lewis to present two very different rabbinical opinions on this subject, which they each
had presented to the Law Committee of the Rabbinical
Assembly. More than 100 members of our congregation
were present and had the opportunity to ask questions and
also share their own personal views on this sensitive topic.
Everyone was given a written survey to complete, allowing for feedback on this issue. Several months after the
forum, the Ritual Team and the Board of Trustees, after
reviewing the surveys and after much discussion, voted
unanimously to support my decision to allow musical
accompaniment on Friday evenings. As you can see from
(Continued on page 2)
Women’s Network
5
Birthdays & Anniversaries
12-13
Men’s Club
6
Donations
14-15
KOH Library
10
Community Notes
11
Kiddush Sponsors,
Mazel Tov! and
Condolences
15
Page488-1122
1
2300 Sierra Boulevard | Sacramento, CA 95825 | (916)
| Fax: (916) 488-1165 | www.mosaiclaw.org
The Scroll
June
July
Services & Festivals
Shabbat Candlelighting
Times
Services & Festivals
Shabbat Candlelighting
Times
June 1 - 8:07pm
June 8 - 8:11pm
June 15 - 8:14pm
June 22 - 8:16pm
June 29 - 8:17pm
July 6 - 8:16pm
July 13 - 8:13pm
July 20 - 8:09pm
July 27 - 8:04pm
Shabbat
Shabbat Morning Service –
9:00am
June 2 - Parshat: Naso
Havdalah - 9:10pm
Shabbat
Shabbat Morning Service –
9:00am
July 7 - Parshat: Balak
Havdalah - 9:19pm
June 9 - Parshat: Beha’alotekha
Havdalah - 9:15pm
July 14 - Parshat: Pinehas
Shabbat Mevarekhim HaHodesh
Havdalah - 9:16pm
June 16 - Parshat: Shelah Lekha |
Shabbat Mevarekhim HaHodesh
Havdalah - 9:18pm
July 21 - Parshat: Mattot &
Masey
Havdalah - 9:12pm
June 23 - Parshat: Korach
Havdalah - 9:19pm
July 28 - Parshat: Devareim
Havdalah - 9:06pm
June 30 - Parshat: Hukkat
Havdalah - 9:20pm
Minyan Schedule
Minyan Schedule
Mornings
Sunday – 9:00am
Monday, Thursday &
Rosh Chodesh – 7:15am
Federal Holidays – 8:30am
Afternoons
Monday – Thursday – 5:45pm
Friday Kabbalat Shabbat –
5:45pm
Mornings
Sunday – 9:00am
Monday, Thursday &
Rosh Chodesh – 7:15am
Federal Holidays – 8:30am
Afternoons
Monday – Thursday – 5:45pm
Friday Kabbalat Shabbat –
5:45pm
Rabbi (Continued from page 1)
the time that has elapsed, I have been very
pensive about the implementation of this
change in our synagogue culture. I now
know what Rabbi Yossie Goldman must
have felt years ago when the subject of
allowing women’s participation in our services was such a controversial one. While I
know that this decision to include acoustical
guitar may not be one which makes everyone
happy, I want everyone to understand that
our membership is a very diverse one, and
the goal is to find ways to reach out and connect those who support our synagogue but
don’t participate as often or as regularly on
Shabbat. And possibly this service may
attract potential new members who are not
currently affiliated with any congregation.
Our traditional 5:45pm service will still be
held on June 15th as well as every Friday.
And to allay any fears of instrumental music
being incorporated into the Shabbat or Holiday morning service, we will continue to
conduct traditional services on these days
without the addition of musical accompaniment.
At the most recent meeting of our Ritual
Team I told everyone present that I feel a
heavy burden, being the rabbi of the only
Conservative synagogue in our community
and what that represents. While it is almost
impossible to be able to please everyone in
our congregation, I sincerely hope that this
innovation called Friday Night Under the
Stars will be one more way in which we can
outreach to those in our congregation who
are looking for something new, something
different and something that will move them
to re-connect with our Mosaic Law family
and with their Jewish souls.
B’shalom
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Reflections from the President
Caren Zorman
The following article is a reprint of
the remarks that were given on
Shabbat, May 12th.
Developing a Shared Mission and Vision for your
Kehilla
Building an Effective Board
Ensuring Sound Financial Management
Sharing Fundraising Successes
Reinvigorating your Youth Program
The Bulletin Beauty Pageant
Developing Membership Strategies for the 21st
Century
Strengthening Conflict Management Skills
The Art of Asking
Torah Study
Creating Lay-Staff Partnership
Successful Effort in your Kehillot
Exploring Core Values of Conservative Judaism
Waging a Campaign of Change
Some of you who have seen me in
the shul office this week asked me
where I was on vacation last Shabbat. I’m sorry to say that
I wasn’t on vacation (though I was kid-free) – I was at the
SULAM Leadership Conference for Presidents put on by
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Sulam, in
Hebrew, translates to “ladder” and it is the intention of
USCJ to have synagogues’ emerging leaders, current leaders and presidents participate in targeted conferences to
enhance their skill set. It is my understanding that I am the
first president from Mosaic Law to attend the Presidents
conference.
Journeying to beautiful Palatine, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), I was ensconced at the Holiday Inn Express with 21
other current or soon-to-be presidents from Conservative
shuls across the US and Canada. There were five USCJ
staff members who were going to be with us for the next 3
½ days, facilitating discussions, answering questions and
directing us in a variety of different activities.
We had a variety of subjects we were going to tackle over
the course of the weekend – subjects that are applicable to
any business but in this instance, we were discussing our
synagogue. Age ranges of the group were from the 30s to
the 60s but we all came with a similar purpose – to learn
what we could improve on and, more importantly, learn
from other presidents what worked and what didn’t regarding a mutual challenge. For example, many shuls
struggle with getting enough attendees at a daily minyan.
Sound familiar? An incoming president of a shul in Madison, Wisconsin, was asking some of us what we do to get
folks to attend. One person suggested small teams of people be designated to be there for a given week; another
person suggested that you feed people to encourage them;
someone else suggested that it’s the board’s responsibility.
This president was inclined to try the small team approach
until I chimed in and said that we’ve tried all of those ideas and they don’t work well. What may work, I said, is to
have the devoted minyannaires call their friends to come
to minyan – the board can’t mandate a congregant to attend minyan any more than the board mandate that we
have at least 100 students in religious school.
Allow me to give you an overview of the courses (and
requisite power points) that we listened to and debated:
If I remove the words “Kehillot”, “Conservative Judaism”,
and “Torah Study” from these session titles, this conference would have been applicable to any non-profit institution. Obviously, it wasn’t. We had the privilege of davening 3x a day and while that may seem like a lot – and it
was to many – it put a different aura on the conference –
one that instilled in it an element of Judaism that would
not have been there had we not had that mutual experience
of praying together.
Every synagogue has its own issues, story and history.
Mosaic Law is not unique in that regard but we are different from many of the represented congregations in one
distinct aspect: While other synagogues are in competition
with other Conservative shuls in their city, Mosaic Law is
not. We are in competition with other reform congregations and Chabad. So, how do we compete with them?
Chabad has a phenomenal outreach effort – they are constantly checking to make sure that individuals who daven
there have somewhere to go for Shabbat dinner or lunch
and they are made to feel welcome. Mosaic Law has the
ability to serve a Kiddush lunch to our congregation and
everyone is encouraged to stay, eat and schmooze. But
what about Friday night? Do people have somewhere to
go? We’ve had lovely Shabbat dinners here, but it’s here.
There is a different vibe when you’re in someone’s home
for dinner than when you’re sitting in the Social Hall. So
instead of ensuring a place to eat at Kiddush, I plan on
initiating a program in a few months to have congregants
invite other congregants to their home.
Undoubtedly, neither the board nor I will make anyone
Creating a Leadership Learning Agenda
(Continued on page 4)
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President
(Continued from page 3)
invite people to their home if they don’t want to, but the
board will be driving this by example. If we are more welcoming by our actions, it is presumed that there are others
in our community who will want to visit our shul on Shabbat. By visiting on Shabbat and making them feel welcome, we are encouraging a vision of COMMUNITY, not
just a congregation of individuals.
One of our heated discussions was on membership – and
developing strategies for the 21st century to fit the cultural
disparities between “traditionalists” and “millenials”. Traditionalists are those individuals born between 1920-1945;
Millenials are those born in the late 1980s and 1990s. Traditionalists adhere to rules, make long-term commitments,
and believe that giving back and religion is important.
Millenials are skeptical and cynical, make changes in their
job or commitment as necessary, and believe that giving to
“me” and spirituality is important. The challenge before us
is how to make the millenials believe in the concept of a
synagogue as an important element in their life. The current synagogue dues structure is tailored to traditionalists
and baby boomers – annual dues structure coupled with a
coordinated fundraising campaign that will encourage congregants to donate money year after year. But Millenials
don’t see the need for the synagogue; spirituality can be
obtained anywhere really and it doesn’t have to be in an
“antiquated” structure.
of us. A subtle difference in their perceptions of our shul
needs to be addressed when planning events. Blatant differences with our dues culture – they don’t really see the
need to pay dues – needs to be addressed. I shudder to
think what will happen if we fail to capture them as participatory congregants.
I mentioned that we had prayers three times a day and, just
in case you didn’t hear me, we were meeting at the Holiday Inn Express. Some of the attendees had congregations
of 800+ families and, obviously, large shuls; others had
less than 200 families and were consolidating or merging
with other conservative congregations. All talked about
how beautiful their sanctuaries are. But after davening in a
windowless conference room that was either too hot or too
cold, we collectively realized that it’s not the sanctuary
that determines the level of connection to G-d, it’s the
people in the room. Talking, comparing, debating and
learning what other conservative shuls do well or sharing
what Mosaic Law does well (and there are many things
that we do do well), was an invaluable experience that has
recharged my presidential batteries and provided me with
an insight into doing a variety of tasks differently as I enter my 2nd year as President.
Look for changes coming from the 2012-2013 Board of
Trustees – changes that I hope will, by definition, informally change our name from Mosaic Law Congregation to
Mosaic Law Community.
B’Shalom
Every synagogue, Mosaic Law included, needs to retool
how they market the shul to Millenials and change the way
we perceive the way programs and events should be run.
Why? Because these folks don’t think and act like the rest
What does this mean? We continue to reach out to congregants, such as you, who are invested in the future of Mosaic Law. We are also considering continuing our Rabbinic Intern program for monthly enhancements and sabbatical coverage. Finally, we will continue to rely on lay leadership for ritual coverage.
As of the second Wednesday in May, Mosaic Law’s
pledge balance for Chai 5 was just over $45,600, with a
targeted goal of $108,000. Therefore, the Board of Trustees determined that our fundraising efforts should continue in our quest for a second clergy, rather than attempt to
hire someone at a less-than part-time level. We have withdrawn our applications to the Rabbinical Assembly and
Cantor's Assembly, but will re-apply as soon as we meet
our minimum goal, hopefully in plenty of time for next
year's hiring season!
By now you should know how adding a second clergy will
enhance the "product" that is Mosaic Law, with innovative
programming for all ages, consistent ritual coverage and
b'nai mitzvah training, new energy in our school, and assistance for Rabbi Taff's burgeoning schedule. It's not too
late to make a pledge, ideally at the "Chai 5" ($90/month)
level; or, consider splitting your pledge with another family if that amount is too burdensome. The sooner our goal
is met, the sooner we can start looking for the ideal candidate to join our kehilla. Contact Deborah Gonzalez or
Carol Loew for more information.
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From The MLC Women’s Network
Carol Loew
“Let us be grateful to people that make
us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
Marcel Proust
My heart is still full of the joy that we experienced at our
Torah Fund Brunch on Sunday, the sixth of May. From
start to finish, it was a beautiful event chaired by Ricki
Lobel and (her soon to be daughter-in-law), Genalyn
Santos. Talk about not missing a beat, it was perfection
from start to finish. The room looked beautiful, the food,
catered by Yair, delicious and the program warm and
inspiring. The Solomon family shared memories of Shirley
Dubnick and reminded us of her many contributions to our
community. And then, we moved to the sanctuary for a
presentation by Marcy Friedman that thrilled and inspired
us. For those that had no idea of the many magnificent
artifacts that Mosaic Law Congregation is blessed to have
on our campus and for those that have forgotten, she created a new and inspiring respect for our surroundings. Her
depth of knowledge and unending contributions to the
construction of our exquisite building is a gift for which
we can be eternally grateful. I was delighted to hear that
Marcy will be presenting her program at a Shabbat service
in the future. From the Chairs of the Torah Fund and the
officers of the Women’s Network, we extend our gratitude
to Marcy.
I am delighted to announce that Jody Wickham and I
attended the regional meeting of Women’s League of
Conservative Judaism last month, and we were one of only
five synagogues in the region to receive a beautiful certificate for our increase in membership. Todah Rabba to
Debbie Sanders, our membership Vice President, for her
outstanding job of keeping our women connected to our
auxiliary organization.
While most of the synagogue quiets during the summer
months, we are very, very busy. It is Directory time again,
and we will be doing our marvelous High Holy Day honey
project that we introduced last year. The Honey project is
a wonderful way to send wishes for a sweet year and
supports our many worthwhile endeavors at the same time.
I guess what I am trying to very gently say is that if your
schedule also gets to take a summer holiday, please think
about volunteering to help us with the huge task of a yearly directory, assisting in our gift shop, preparing the outreach for our college students and the many, many needs
of a group that spends the year enabling our synagogue to
provide much needed services. Remember the POWER of
Women!!!! We welcome all to join our efforts.
Jody and her nominating committee are busy putting
together the slate for next year. This is the time to step up
and let us know where you would like to plug in to our
network. We have many small jobs, committee spots etc.
You will make new friends, catch up with long time
friends and most of all, laugh and play together. A winwin for our Mosaic Law Ladies. If you have some ideas to
share or hours to give, contact Jody at
[email protected] and sign on.
Remember that our beautiful gift shop is available to you
six days a week. We work very hard to be sure that we fill
your gift needs in our shop. If you want to make it even
better, come and volunteer. The more the merrier.
On a personal note, thank you to everyone that helped me
make wonderful things happen during the year. To Jody
Wickham and Debbie Sanders, you have served the Women’s Network with wisdom, support and, most of all, your
warmth and friendship. A grateful thank you to our board
members, Goldie Block, Robin Fine, Karen Soskin,
Melanie Segal, Pia Spector and Lorraine Katz. To the
Shiva Minyan ladies, Arlene Pearl, Janie Gumpert and
Judy Persin, you are beyond amazing with the skill and
gentility that you extend to our bereaved families. Thank
you, Linda Reitzenstein, Randi Gold and Deborah Gonzalez for the beautiful Sisterhood Shabbat that you present
each year.
Last, but hardly least, is Rabbi Taff and the amazing office
staff, Mary Blumenstein, Barbara Blue and Lisa Wade,
that support me in each and every project that we take on
and keep me from throwing myself in front of a truck!
There is not enough appreciation that can be extended to
Martha Negrete, behind the scenes she makes magic
happen. The shop is vacuumed, the tables look gorgeous,
the campus immaculate, nothing is too much for her to
stop and do for us. Always with that winning smile and
willingness to make things happen. She is truly our unsung
hero.
Since I have the bad habit of writing like I talk, special
thanks to Laura Wendel who makes sense out of all of it
and then my articles are readable.
My two years as head cheerleader of the Women’s
Network have been remarkable. While everyone reminds
me of what a big job it is, I “kvell” within my heart because it is one of the gifts of life. Where can one receive so
many hugs from the children and adults as they pass me
by? I chuckle when I hear my name yelled from the
(Continued on page 6)
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The Scroll
From the Men’s Club - Alex Zamansky
Hello Mosaic Law!
The Men’s Club continues to move forward with social
activities and programming to help strengthen our congregation! Upcoming events include our annual softball game
with B’Nai Israel (TBD in August) as well as a few events
planned with the Women’s Network this fall. This new
joint event will not only help raise much needed funds for
MLC programs, but to also bring together both ancillary
groups on a greater social level; more details to follow.
As the fiscal year ends, I want to give special thanks to
Chuck Brabek for his commitment and support over the
past several years serving on the Men’s Club Board, most
recently as our Treasurer. Chuck’s contributions included
time spent helping with annual membership drives, Yom
Ha’Shoah, ordering Bar/Bat Mitzvah gifts, and coordinating both the Softball game and Latke Cup. His presence
(and humor) will definitely be missed on our board.
Finally, as we head into a new fiscal year, we are looking
to fill Chuck’s seat with a new board member. If you are
interested, please let me know via email at [email protected], and I will bring your nomination to the
Executive Board.
Have a great Summer!
B’Shalom
Women’s Network
(Continued from page 5)
Shalom School playground and see a happy face smiling and waving. I am able to give support to those grieving or having a life crisis, make new and wonderful friends each day, walk about “saying chai” on Shabbat morning, and have the
opportunity to make our synagogue stronger through participation and the magical sense of belonging to my community.
Thank you to my congregation for giving me the volunteer opportunity to perform acts of Tikkun Olam. Harry joins me
in wishing you a wonderful summer.
See you in Shul
Rabbi Taff and Rabbi Joseph Robinson
at Joseph's Ordination Ceremony in
Los Angeles on May 21st.
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May Events at the KOH Library
and Cultural Center
Library Hours
Sunday - 10am to 1pm
Monday - 10am to 1pm
Tuesday - Closed
Wednesday - Closed during the Summer
Thursday - 10am - 1pm
Friday - 10am -1pm
We will be closed when there is no religious school and for
all Jewish and secular holidays.
Address:
2300 Sierra Blvd.
Sacramento, CA
95825
Visit our blog at www.kohlibrary.blogspot.com. Come
take a look to see photos, new book and DVD arrivals,
and more information about our programs. Comments
are always welcome.
Phone:
(916) 485-4143
KOH Film Club
Sunday, June 10th at 2pm - Mah Jongg: The Tiles That
Bind will be shown 2-2:30pm. Mah Jongg play will begin
at 2:30pm - bring your own Mah Jongg set, card table (we
have chairs) and play with your own group or make new
friends. This documentary film is a light-hearted, yet deeply moving, portrait of the Asian and Jewish American
women who play this centuries old game. It explores the
shared experiences of the players and their families and
chronicles the very social aspect of the game. There is a
$5 suggested donation.
KOH Fiction Book Club
Tuesday, June 12th at 7pm - Our book in June will be
Sweet Like Sugar by Wayne Hoffman. In Yiddish, there is
a word for it: bashert - the person you are fated to meet.
Twenty something Benji Steiner views the concept with
scepticism. But the elderly rabbi who stumbles into Benji's
office one day has no such doubts. Jacob Zuckerman's late
wife, Sophie, was his bashert. And now that she's gone,
Rabbi Zuckerman grapples with overwhelming grief and
loneliness. Touched by the rabbi's plight, Benji becomes
his helper - driving him home after work, sitting in his living room listening to stories. Their friendship baffles everyone, especially Benji's sharp-tongued, modestly observant mother. But Benji is rediscovering something he
didn't know he'd lost. Yet the test of friendship, and of
both men's faith, lies in the difficult truths they come to
share. With each revelation, Benji learns what it means not
just to be Jewish, but to be fully human - imperfect, striving, and searching for the pieces of ourselves that come
only through another's acceptance.
Tuesday, July 17th at 7pm. Our July book will be decided at the June meeting. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact Jolie Baron. Call the library during
library hours (916) 485-4143
For more information about any of the following events,
unless otherwise specified, contact Taliah Berger at 916541-3720 or [email protected].
Sunday, July 15th at 2pm - A Matter of Size in Hebrew
with English subtitles. Four overweight friends from the
Israeli city of Ramle are fed up of dieting and the dieting
club they belong to. When Herzl (155 kilos), the main protagonist, loses his job as a cook and starts working as a
dishwasher in a Japanese restaurant in Ramle he discovers
the world of Sumo where large people such as himself are
honored and appreciated. Through Kitano (60 kilos), the
restaurant owner, a former Sumo coach in Japan (who is
supposedly hiding from the Yakuza in Israel), he falls in
love with a sport involving "two fatsos in diapers and girly
hairdos". Herzl wants Kitano to be their coach but Kitano
is reluctant - they first have to earn their spurs. "A Matter
of Size" is a comedy about a 'coming out' of a different
kind - overweight people learning to accept themselves.
There is a $5 suggested donation.
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Community Notes
(See also the KOH Library and Cultural Center)
June
Sunday, June 3rd at 2pm - Autism: The Jewish
Connection with Dr. Karl Zeff, Clinical Director of
Mercy Behavioral Health, in the KOH Library. A historical journey starting with Talmudic references to childhood
mental illness to the early founders of modern psychiatry
and psychoanalysis. No class fee. Donations to help support KOH programming are greatly appreciated. For more
info, contact Taliah Berger at [email protected].
Thursday, June 7th at 12pm - Leisure League Luncheon - Come and enjoy a wonderful kosher lunch, the beautiful music of Dr. Ben Glovinsky and the entertaining Sunrise Tappers, followed by an ice cream social. Price is $5
per person if RSVP and payment is received no later than
Thursday, May 31st ($10 per person for any RSVP or payment on or after June 1st). Contact Frank Gumpert for
more info at (916) 483-2596 or [email protected].
Sunday, June 10th from 6-9pm - Evening in Eden, the
Annual Auction Gala and 30th Anniversary at
Kenesset Israel Torah Center, 1159 Morse Ave. Special
guests Rabbi Stuart and Nancy Rosen, for their exclusive
return to Sacramento, will be joining us. Enjoy fine culinary, beer and wine tastings and the cool sounds of the
Midtown Jazz Trio, while enjoying our beautiful campus
on a spring evening. Local celebrity auctioneer David
Sobon will be on hand to keep things entertaining, as
always. For more information, go to kitcsacramento.org or
call Laura Weisberg at 916-296-7164.
Monday, June 11th at 1:30pm - Discussion Group with
Rabbi Melamed in the KOH Library. Open to everyone
- no class fee. For more information, contact Fred
Hayward at [email protected].
Wednesday, June 13th at 12pm - Freilache Menschen
at Temple Or Rishon, 7755 Hazel Ave - Photographer Jill
Macdonnell will discuss her poignant photos of local
homeless people. She will be joined by the coordinator of
Francis House, an organization which provides resources
and services for those living on the edge.Cost: none, lunch
will be provided
Jewish Genealogical Society of Sacramento - Monday,
June 18th at 7pm - City Directories with Glenda Lloyd
Longtime genealogist Glenda Lloyd will speak about the
value of city directories, published local listings that date
from the early 1800s. City directories offer genealogists a
great resource in finding relatives years before the telephone book, and a way to locate them between censuses.
Glenda Gardner Lloyd is a fourth-generation Californian
who grew up on a cattle ranch in northeastern California
and attended a one-room school. After a lengthy career as
an elementary school teacher, Glenda helped found Root
Cellar, the Sacramento Genealogical Society, and served
as its first president. She taught genealogy classes through
the San Juan Adult Education for the past 25 years. All are
welcome to attend these meetings at the Albert Einstein
Residence Center, 1935 Wright Street, Sacramento. For
more information about the Jewish Genealogical Society
of Sacramento, visit www.jgss.org, e -mail
[email protected].
From Grief to Relief - Group Grief Counseling Tuesday evenings at 7pm beginning on June 26th and
running for six weeks. Cost is $10 per session or $75 for
the series. For more info or to register, contact Shirley
Allen, MFT, at (916) 452-5787 or email at
[email protected].
July
Wednesday, July 11th at 12p, - Freilache Menschen at
Temple Or Rishon, 7755 Hazel Ave. Our speaker will be
Bob Crimmins, certified harbalist, author and lecturer. He
was the host and producer of the radio/television program
Health in America for 25 years. We will begin charging
$5 for lunch at this time.
Jewish Genealogical Society of Sacramento - Monday,
July 16th at 7pm - Tamara Noe on Names. Ms. Noe will
help us improve our genealogy search results by having a
better understanding of names and how to search for them.
Her presentation will cover spelling variations, handwriting interpretations, name origins, abbreviations, nicknames and Americanization of foreign surnames. Tamara
will also offer tips on outsmarting name indexes. Ms. Noe
has been a volunteer at the Sacramento Regional Family
History Center for 10 years and is currently a supervisor,
instructor and staff trainer. She's also the current editor of
the Roseville Genealogical Society's newsletter. Tamara
has been teaching beginning, intermediate and research
genealogy classes as well as PowerPoint classes for the
past five years. All are welcome to attend these meetings
at the Albert Einstein Residence Center, 1935 Wright
Street, Sacramento. For more information about the Jewish Genealogical Society of Sacramento, visit
www.jgss.org, e-mail [email protected].
Page 11
The Scroll
June
Anniversaries
June Birthdays
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Donald Heller
Alice Cartwright
Ayala Luria
Leah Winter
Aron Olson
Dillon Gold
Noah Karsh
Sue Sperber
Simone Naftulin
Susie Herberholz
Mason Dewing
Daniel Roth
Joshua DePeel
Keila Debia
Bernie Goldberg
Hana Clay
Shara Schuman
Danny Zeff
Ilana Weisberg
Lydia Inghram
Eva Blank
Maya Fishbein
Jonathan Gutmann
Zachary Ott
Zoey Ott
Joseph Samuel
Dianna Oglethorpe
Shir Toledano
Irving Herman
Stanley Greenberg
Debra Malenovsky
Ro’e Kuperstein
Aaron Fishbein
Rachel Adelman
Yuval Luria
William
Ben-Reuven
Kylie Miller
Karl Zeff
Nathan Weisberg
Talia Spector
Eli Vaknin
Abigail Edber
Jesse Simons
Daniel Sokoler
Joshua Frost
Susan Weinstein
Sean Arenson
Stacey Stauber
Larry Lieb
Rita Frumberg
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Leslie Kuperatein
Bert Poland
Judith Lewis
Nathan Goore
Ruth Winnick
Howard Futerman
Ella Sharg
Zachary Baron
Avi Shapiro
Rita Swedlow
Irwin Herman
Robert Mehler
Michael Opper
J. Daniel Khazzoom
Wendy HoffmanBlank
14 Linda Prusak
14 Marcia Goldmark
14 Meredith Howe
14 Michelle Ortego
14 Isaac Simons
15 Joyce Weinberg
16 Steven Merksamer
16 Larry Mozes
16 Larry Brownston
16 Valerie DePeel
16 Naomi Holland
17 Andrew Baron
17 Darci Naftulin
17 Daniel Ott
18 Harriet Ruderman
18 Hester Joelson
18 Karen Gray
18 Aviva Spector
18 Sophie Rubin
19 Bernice Schumer
19 Maddy Marks
19 Stephen Kutler
19 Danny Weiss
19 Omer Shenhar
20 Lester Adelman
20 Yael Rosenberg
20 Shira Gilbert
20 Scott Dosick
20 Samantha Greenspan
20 Joshua Kravitz
21 Sylvia Greenstein
21 Nancy Bernheimer
21 Viva Ettin
21 Rachel Holland
21 Zachary Witter
22 Nina Goldberg
23 Lloyd Rich
23 Jamie Lerner
23 Alexandra Barth
25 Stanley Berrin
26 Elayne Metzger
26 Jonah Howe
27 Patricia Scharlach
27 Richard Weisberg
27 Gail Rubin
27 Shawna Anapolsky
28 Beverly Zimmerman
28 Leo Liberman
28 Abbie Lewis
28 Michael Greenspan
28 Jeffrey Schmelter
29 Bernice Bromberg
29 Devorah Samuels
29 Keith Schwarz
29 Evelyn Bigelyaizen
29 Rebeka Shapiro
30 Robert Brown
30 Eric Ratinoff
30 Bari Gregory
30 Rachel Sussman
30 Noya Shabtai
30 Logan Rosenberg
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Page 12
Miles & Clara Miller
Moti & Corey Darf
Eric & Patrice Ratinoff
Jerry & Leslie Kuperstein
David & Lindy Asch
Robert & Susan Mogul
Chuck & Susanne Brabec
Ashley Keating & Jennifer
Melamed-Keating
John & Debra Lewis
Eliot & Debbie Reiner
Phillip &Shelly Crane
Micah & Becky Rosenheim
Larry & Evie Lieb
Abraham & Miriam Siegel
Bert & Alice Polan
Roger & Richelle Cochran
Andy & Ruth Baron
Art & Julie Terner
Leslie & Enid Malkin
Malcolm & Melanir Segal
David & Linda Poisner
Eugene & Eleanor Elzufon
Steven & Karen Polansky
Oded & Orit Morgenshtern
Charlie & Goldie Block
Robert & Loretta Lentzner
Yoav & Orna Harel
Peter & Sylvia Greenstein
Stephen Waks & Menrnaz
Halimi-Waks
Harry & Susan Sperber
Frank & Janie Gumpert
Robert & Rosalie Mazur
Allen & Judy Prohofsky
Joseph & Harriette Schwartz
Marvin & Linda Kamras
Daniel Weitzman & Jill Stecher
Steven & Cheryl Block
Eva & Ron Teilmann
Ed & Rita Abbott
Lew & Toni Rosenberg
Larry & Jan Highman
Karl & Sheri Zeff
Jeffrey & Randy Goldstein
Freddy & Stephanie Cohan
Mark & Dee Tannenbaum
Robert & Tamra Ruxin
The Scroll
July Birthdays
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Lindy Asch
Claudia Breglia
Benjamin Gordon
Juliana Weinstein
Baby Girl Cohan
Gisela Spigel
Carl Stein
Leor Thomas
Sorelle Berger
Enid Malkin
Ellen King
Devyn Swift
Phil Fine
Aaron Ichel
Harvey Canter
Jennifer LubeckKlein
Robert Spector
Rachel Rosenberg
Benjamin Rubin
Victor Strasser
Eyal Elrom
Leslie Malkin
Norman Weiner
Restituta Nazarian
Julie Schweitzer
Aaron Zeff
Joe Cohan
William Clay
Phyllis Needleman
Naomi Villanueva
Bruce Anapolsky
Miriam Siegel
Linda Reitzenstein
Deborah Frost
Yair Luria
Joshua Heller
Nathan Samuel
Zoey Wittlake
Jonathan Salman
Daniel Dalman
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Esti Shapiro
Loretta Lentzner
Linda Yassinger
Debbie Metzger
Carole Sussman
Steven Gregory
Deanne Meyer
Samantha Rosenberg
Abi Erle
Marcy Friedman
Robin Berrin
Nelson Cohn
Bebe Pollack
Martin Strasser
Sheila Varshawsky
Alex Verpukhovsky
Jeffery Morris
Scott DePeel
Rebecca YaghoubiWilliam Bombard
Tali Shenhar
Sheryl Long
David O’Riva
Ruthie Edelstein
Sandy Shaffer
Isaac Barshahar
Irene Green
Marc Sussman
Annette Davis
Alexis Brown
Jeremy Futerman
Diane Dulberg
Cynthia Goldberg
Lisa Breslau
Marjorie Swartz
Rick Cohan
Sophia Samuel
Devan Varshawsky
Ava Miller
Michelle Masoner
22 Dana Long
22 Morgan Haberman
22 Samantha Epworth
23 Diane Mozes
24 Edward Kobrin
24 Susanne Brabec
24 Stacy Spector
24 Noa Elliot
24 Philippe Karsh
25 Anjanette Grossman
25 Aaron Tomiyama
25 Eli Wolf
26 Hellan Dowden
26 Pat Thaler
26 Phillip Reiser
26 Adam Davis
26 Rachel Miller
26 Judah Ortego
26 Josiah Ortego
27 Gus Ballis
28 Boris Rozenberg
28 Linda Merksamer
28 Eliot Reiner
28 Fred Gardon
28 Hannah Poisner
28 Ally Wickham
29 Marilyn Bargman
29 Lauren Weil
29 Laura Saunders
29 Julia Saunders
30 Stephen Opper
31 Estelle Opper
31 Eva Revesz
31 Janet Solomon
31 Amanda Wolf
31 Yehonatan
Morgenshtern
Page 13
July
Anniversaries
1 Philip & Roxanne Stanger
1 Hanoch & Meladee McCarty
2 Alan & Nancy Brodovsky
2 Lester & Anna Adelman
4 Mitch & Teri Ostwald
5 Bill Blank & Wendy HoffmanBlank
5 Arkady & Sofia Komsky
6 Steven & Melinda Gregory
6 Fred & Meredith Howe
8 Steven & Linda Merksamer
11 Charles & Barbara Spooner
11 Kenneth & Annette Davis
11 Jennifer & Todd Barth
12 Phil & Jackie Kubel
13 Matthew & Mary Friedman
15 Michael & Betsy Singer
15 David & Bobbette Morvai
22 Bradley & Hellan Dowden
24 Donald & Lesley Heller
24 Murray & Gail Haberman
25 Sy & Beverly Karfiol
25 Dan & Melinda Ott
26 Craig & Ezilda Samoville
27 Richard Gould & Michelle
Masoner
28 Eric & Leyne Milstein
The Scroll
Generous Gifts From Thoughtful People
Donations Made Between May 1 and May 29
Ernest & Sylvia Fahn Israel Scholarship Fund
In memory of his loving father, Max Haberman
Murray Haberman
General Synagogue Fund
In memory of Gary Ravel
Dorothy & George
Separovic
In memory of Joe Knowles
In memory of Judy Mandel
Janet Otterman
In memory of Joseph
Knowles
Linda Dankman
In memory of Gary Ravel
Shirley Cohodes
In memory of Gary Steven
Ravel
David Congdon
In memory of Gary Ravel
Shirley & Tim Ing
In memory of Gary Ravel
Kirk Dowdell
In memory of Gary Steven
Ravel
Marjorie Reid
In memory of Robin Cohen
Francine Levy
In memory of Gershon
Salomon
Beverly & Art
Zimmerman
In memory of Gary Ravel
Bank of Sacramento
Israel & Sarah Kamil
Scholar-in-Residence Fund
In memory of Joseph
Knowles
Sheryl Pinto
Mark Cohn Leadership
Fund
Speedy Recovery to Craig
Deutsch, with love & prayers for your good health
Shirley Cohodes &
family
Men’s Club
In memory of Bella
Grandberg
Dee Miller
Mishebayrach Fund
In memory of Batga bat Bela
Gay Tanner
Murray Bachman
Minyan Fund
In memory of Gershon Salomon, beloved husband, father, grandfather & greatgrandfather
Leslie, Jerry & Ro’e
Kuperstein
In memory of Avram ben
Asher v’Lily, their brother-in
-law
Goldie & Charlie
Block
Other
In memory of Joe Knowles
In memory of Gershon
Salomon
Betsy & Mike
Singer
Past President’s Youth
Fund
In memory of Sam Siskin
In honor of Hy Kashenberg Thanks for the KOH Library
In honor of Michael & Milly
Hayward - Thanks for the
KOH Library
In honor of Jolie Baron Thanks for the KOH Library
Karen & Steve
Polansky
In memory of Gershon Salomon, beloved husband &
father
Janet & Mort
Ehrlich
In memory of Sam Siskin
Susan & Larry Long
Rande & Henry
Zaretsky
In memory of Gerhson Salomon, dear husband, father &
grandfather
Irit & Jeff Winston
Mazel Tov! Lesley Stein on
her graduation
Linda & Sid
Yassinger
Rabbi’s Mitzvah Fund
In memory of Gershon
Salomon, beloved friend,
husband, father &
grandfather
Mitzi & Norman
Davis
In memory of Joseph
Knowles and in appreciation
for Rabbi Taff conducting
the funeral service
Della & John
Knowles
In memory of Georgia
Keitges and in appreciation
for Rabbi Taff conducting
the funeral service
Sheri Lausin
In memory of Joseph
Knowles - a truly lovely human being
Karen Neuwald
In appreciation of her Aliyah
Joyce Berger
In memory of Rabbi David
Shur, our grandfather
In memory of Gershon Salomon - in loving memory
Page 14
In memory of Joseph
Knowles, our dear friend
Davina & Barbara
Dubnick
In memory of Gershon
Salomon
Louise & Michael
Caplan
In appreciation of the funeral
service for Gary Ravel
Ravel Rasmussen
Properties
In appreciation of Rabbi Taff
for the fun service he led.
Milly & Michael
Hayward
In memory of Mel Sampson
Mehrnaz Halimi
In appreciation of Rabbi
Taff’s service at the unveiling of Betty Stecher
Leonard Stecher
Women’s Network
In memory of Gershon
Salomon
Denise & Paul
Gottlieb
Yahrzeit
In memory of Edwin Mozes
Larry Mozes
In memory of Marilyn
Stecher
Leonard Stecher
In memory of Jechiel
Feingold, her father
Sheila Lipshutz
In memory of Ronald
Gutmann
Sidney & Sheryl
Gumann
In memory of Lina Kraus
Karen Neuwald
(Continued on page 15)
The Scroll
Kiddush Sponsors, Hosts and Co-Sponsors for
May 1 to May 26
Donations
(Continued from page 14)
In memory of his granddaughter, Zoe
Al Berkowitz
In memory of Fanny KohnFahn, her mother
Betty Salomon
Anonymous
Alon & Einat Vechter in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Ron
Sharon Cohen in honor of her birthday
Davina Dubnick in honor of the Hebrew birthday of her sister, Barbara Dubnick
Ruth & David O’Riva in honor of Ruth’s birthday
Irit & Jeff Winston in honor of the marriage of Joshua Winston and Irit Simhi
Margaret Cohan in honor of her birthday
Jim & Judy Lawson in honor of Jim’s birthday
In memory of Katerina
Sharg
Ella Sharg
Mazel Tov!...
Rabbi Bill Blank and Wendy Hoffman
Blank on their new grandson, Louis Joel
Birnbaum (Lev Yosef ben Yehoshua
haLevi v’Yokheved), born April 23.
Condolences for May 1 to
May 26
Laura Borodinsky and Julian Herszage on the loss
of Laura's dear mother, Rajel Borodinsky, of blessed
memory. Funeral Services were held in Buenos Aires.
Barbara & Davina Dubnick on the loss of their dear
cousin, Bill Bennett, of blessed memory.
Shelly Crane on the loss of her dear cousin, Fran
Charms of blessed memory
The Ravel Family on the loss of Gary Ravel of
blessed memory
David and Patty Scharlach on the loss of David’s
dear father, Arthur Scharlach of blessed memory
Charlie & Goldie Block on the loss of Charlie’s dear
brother-in-law, Al Raphael of blessed memory
John Bach & Beryl Michaels on the loss of John’s
dear step-mother, Muriel Bach Diamond of blessed
memory
Page 15
Published monthly by:
Mosaic Law Congregation
2300 Sierra Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95825
A member congregation of United
Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Scroll Deadline
Deadline for the August issue is the
15th of July. Please send your article to:
[email protected] and
[email protected].
Submissions received after the deadline
will be held until the next scroll is
published.
The Scroll
Mosaic Law Congregation
Rabbi
Education & Youth Director
President
Reuven Taff……………………....ext 13
email: [email protected]
Orit Morgenshtern………………..ext 17
email: [email protected]
Caren Zorman
email: [email protected]
Cantor Emeritus
Education & Youth Assistant;
Weekly/Monthly Scroll
Men’s Club President
George Wald
email: [email protected]
Rabbi’s Secretary
Mary Blumenstein………………..ext 19
email: [email protected]
Barbara Blue……………………..ext 18
email: [email protected]
Accountant
Lisa Wade………………………..ext 16
email: [email protected]
Alex Zamansky
email: [email protected]
Sisterhood President
Carol Loew
email: [email protected]
The Scroll Editor
Laura Wendel, Editor
email: [email protected]
Office Hours:
Mon-Thu: 9am - 5pm
Telephone: (916) 488-1122
Fri: 9am - 4pm Sun: 9am - 1pm (during the Religious School year only)
Fax: (916) 488-1165
Page 16
General Mailbox: Ext. 10