Celebrating Summer - Temple Beth Abraham

Transcription

the
Volume 31, Number 10
June 2012
B E T H
A B R A H A M
Sivan / Tamuz 5772
Celebrating Summer
T E M P L E
directory
Temple Beth Abraham
Services Schedule
is proud to support the Conservative Movement by
affiliating with The United Synagogue of Conservative
Judaism.
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by Congregation Beth Abraham, 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610.
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© 2010. Temple Beth Abraham.
The Omer is published by Temple Beth Abraham, a non-profit, located at
336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610; telephone 510-832-0936. It is
published monthly except for the months of July and August for a total of
ten issues per annum. It is sent as a requester publication and there is no
paid distribution.
To view The Omer in color, visit www.tbaoakland.org.
General INFORMATION
All phone numbers use (510) prefix unless otherwise noted.
Mailing Address 336 Euclid Ave.
Oakland, CA 94610
Hours M-Th: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Fr: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Office Phone 832-0936
Office Fax 832-4930
E-Mail [email protected]
Gan Avraham 763-7528
Bet Sefer 663-1683
STAFF
Rabbi (ext. 213)
Cantor (ext. 218)
Gabai
Executive Director (ext. 214)
Office Coordinator (ext. 210)
Bet Sefer Director (ext. 217)
Gan Avraham Director (ext. 219)
Bookkeeper (ext. 215)
Custodian (ext. 211)
Kindergym/Toddler Program
Volunteers (ext. 229)
Mark Bloom
Richard Kaplan
David Galant & Jay Goldman
Rayna Arnold
Virginia Tiger
Susan Simon
Ruth Morris
Christine Tripod
Joe Lewis
Dawn Margolin 547-7726
Herman & Agnes Pencovic
OFFICERS
President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
i
Bryan Schwartz 847-8079
Mark Fickes 652-8545
Steve Glaser 531-6384
Steve Grossman 834-3937
Laura Wildmann 601-9571
Flo Raskin 653-7947
Dan Finkelstein 428-2849
Location
Monday & Thursday
Morning Minyan
Chapel 8:00 a.m.
Friday Evening (Kabbalat Shabbat) Chapel 6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Morning
Sanctuary 9:30 a.m.
Candle Lighting (Friday)
June 1
June 8
June 15
June 22
June 29
8:08 p.m.
8:12 p.m.
8:15 p.m.
8:17 p.m.
8:17 p.m.
Torah Portions (Saturday)
June 2
June 9
June 16
June 23
June 30
Naso
B’Ha-alot’kha
Sh’lach L’kha
Korach
Chukkat
Committees & organizations
If you would like to contact the committee chairs,
please contact the synagogue office for phone numbers
and e-mail addresses.
Adult Education Steve Glaser & Aaron Paul
Chesed Warren Gould
Development Steve Grossman & Flo Raskin
Dues Evaluation Dan Finkelstein
Endowment Fund Herman Pencovic
Finance Dan Finkelstein
Gan Avraham Parents Lauren Kaplan &
Mala Johnson
Gan Avraham School Committee Jenny Michaelson
House Murray Davis
Israel Affairs David Marinoff
Membership Mark Fickes
Men’s Club Phil Hankin
Omer Lori Rosenthal
Personnel Steve Glaser
Public Relations Lisa Fernandez
Ritual Eric Friedman
Schools Laura Wildmann
Social Action Jessica Dell’Era
Torah Fund Anne Levine
Web Site Jason Swartz
Women of TBA Jeanne Korn
Youth Steve Fankuchen
what’s happening
Friday, June 1
6:15 p.m.
Kabbalat
Shabbat Services
Marking the Confirmation
of TBA’s 10th Graders
and the Graduation of the
Bet Sefer Zayin Class.
Shabbat
Mishpacha
Saturday, June 2,
10:15 a.m.
Kitah Gimmel classroom
(across from the Chapel).
Dan Engel will
play the guitar.
This monthly service is geared
towards children ages 2-6. We
begin with songs, followed by an age
appropriate service and a story time inspired
by Jewish holidays/themes. We have a light
Kiddush following the service. After the Kiddush
families play in the yard or children join childcare
while parents attend the main service. Many of
our TOTS join the Jr. Congregation in
Ein Keloheinu, which is a lot of fun to see!
Older siblings and grandparents are warmly welcomed!
Please contact Angela Engel angengel@gmail.
com if you are interested in playing music, telling
a story or bringing snack.
Upcoming dates:
June 30, July 21 (Rabbi Bloom is the
Musical Special Guest), August 11
Special
Event:
Book
Talk
Sponsored by the Interfaith Lake Merritt Clergy Group
Come hear an engaging presentation on
Sunday, June 3 by Marty Brounstein, author
of Two Among the Righteous Few:
A Story of Courage in the Holocaust. It’s a true
story of interfaith compassion, courage, and
doing the right thing.
The story is about a Christian couple in the
Netherlands who, despite great risks, help
save the lives of at least two dozen Jews from
certain death during World War II. There is
a personal connection to the author as well,
which Marty will explain in his talk.
There will be a reception afterwards for this
special interfaith event, where books will be
available for sale and signing by our guest
author.
Sunday, June 3, 5:00 p.m.
Piedmont Community Church
400 Highland Ave., Piedmont
(510) 547-5700
“Jews & Baseball”
June 17 & 19
See Men’s Club ad,
page 6, for details.
See additional WTBA and other
Adult Education activities on page 5.
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from the rabbi
Shavuot, Talking to God, & Livingston Taylor
Shavuot celebrates the receiving of Torah from God by the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. It’s the
seminal moment of connection and communication between the Jewish people and God. In that
spirit, I want to present the words of one of my favorite singers, Livingston Taylor, on the subject.
But first I have to tell you the story. Livingston is the less famous brother of singer/songwriter
James Taylor. I see him every time he comes to play at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley. He
gives a wonderful show. He also happens to be a Professor of Music at the Berklee College of Music
in Boston. He teaches a class on stage performance and wrote a book on the subject. Surprisingly,
he covers the subject of prayer in his book. Here are the words which I found inspiring enough to
share with you, first in a sermon on Parashat Beshalach, and now again in this Omer article. The
book is called Stage Performance, and the words can be found on pages 98-99.
“When nervousness and fear threaten to drown me as I take my place before some important career
event, I love having a conversation with God. But what I enjoy saying is thanks. I thank God for
putting me in a position where I can be nervous. If I’m nervous, it’s because it’s important to me. I
asked for it. I asked to be in this place. I’m ready for whatever happens.
God (like your audience) responds much better to gratitude than to complaints. And it’s much
easier to get good results from God when you don’t get too specific (try not to request the color of
the new convertible). Also, try to maintain an ongoing conversation with God. It’s much harder to
get a hold of somebody when you’re in a panic if you don’t have their phone number memorized.
So a regular (read, daily) conversation with a power of your choosing is a bit like money in the
bank. Put in those gratitude deposits, then when the heat gets on, you know just where to go for a
withdrawal.
Try to remember that God is driving the bus. Make the occasional direction suggestion if you
must, but don’t forget to enjoy the view.”
TBA participants in the April 29 Walk Against Genocide
2
president’s message
The Summertime Jews
By Bryan Schwartz
For me, summer is about baseball, barbecuing, the outdoors, and travel. Being Jewish and a
Temple Beth Abraham member will make each of these even better in 2012 – and I hope you will
share in the fun.
Jewish Baseball Week
Starting Sunday, June 17, Fathers’ Day, TBA Men’s Club presents Jewish Baseball Week. What better way to celebrate the day, and honor us dads, than to join us for a private screening of a muchacclaimed recent baseball documentary – Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story. The director, Peter Miller, previously worked with the documentarian Ken Burns, and the film features indepth portrayals of Sandy Koufax and Hank Greenberg, but also treats more recent Jewish baseball
stars like Shawn Green and Kevin Youkilis, and has appearances from such proud Jewish celebrities
as Dustin Hoffman and Larry King, talking about what baseball has meant to us as a community
since the early days of America’s pastime. Whether you have seen the movie before, or will be seeing it for the first time, I hope you will be there for the festivities, which start at 6:15 p.m., before
the film screening at the fabulous Clif Bar Theater in Emeryville, and continue after the great film
with an opportunity to hear from top baseball agent, Matt Sosnick, and other local Jewish baseball
personalities.
On Tuesday, June 19, come out to support our hometown heroes for Jewish Heritage Night with
the Oakland A’s.
I cannot wait for these great, community fun-raisers! You can sign up today at:
http://tbajewishbaseballweek.eventbrite.com/
Gan Annual Picnic and Barbecue
On Sunday, June 10, 11 a.m. at Lake Temescal, we are having an event that needs no introduction, the Gan picnic and barbecue, which is a great way to get to know the Gan families and
future TBA leaders (and their parents) from every class. This year in particular, I hope you will
join us for a strong show of support for the Gan and its incoming Director, Barbara Kanter, and
to thank Ruth Morris who has served the last year as Director. All while the kids are having a blast
and you’re wolfing down burgers and dogs…
Get Outdoors
We who live in the most beautiful place in the world (with the high cost of living to prove it)
should never take for granted our Divine surroundings. As a youth I first connected with the
Almighty in nature, feeling the presence beside a northern California redwood tree – so incomprehensibly huge and majestic, beyond human creativity, but just a speck in Creation. I never stopped
feeling my Jewishness come alive in nature. Whether it means joining a Women on the Move hike
with the Women of TBA, enjoying Shabbat unplugged outdoors on a Friday evening, or having
Havdalah with a group of close TBA friends in your own backyard, I hope you will cherish the gift
of a Bay Area summer outdoors, in a Jewish way, these next few months.
Travel Jewish
I have visited more than 100 Jewish communities in 30 countries on five continents. These opportunities have made me realize what is intrinsically valuable about our faith that it has survived and
thrived in every populated patch of the globe for two hundred generations. When you travel this
summer, stop into a local Jewish community – our biggest holiday of the year starts every Friday
night! Not only will it make you appreciate our extended Jewish family and open your mind to
new ways of Jewish practice, but, after your trip, I am sure you will feel as I do - that nothing feels
as good as coming home to TBA.
3
editor’s message
Giving Thanks…From a Female
Perspective
By Lori Rosenthal
In 1922, a12-year old girl named Judith
Kaplan, daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan,
was called to the Torah at her father’s synagogue – becoming the first bat mitzvah in the
United States. The event was quite a departure
from existing Jewish practice, and eventually,
with much debate and many different viewpoints voiced, paved the way for the widespread acceptance of the Bat Mitzvah as we
know it today. 46 years later, at the age of 12,
I too became a Bat Mitzvah, in a Friday night
ceremony at my synagogue. I was not called
to the Torah, as our synagogue did not yet
let women read from the Torah. I had never
heard of Judith Kaplan and did not know that
her chutzpah and supportive father’s actions
were partly to thank for my big evening. But
I did understand that I was valued enough
in my Jewish community to be standing on
the bimah addressing the entire congregation.
And that was a great message for this child,
me, to hear.
And now a seemingly unrelated item…
I was at the gym recently, pedaling away on
the exercise bike and reading the May 7 issue
of Sports Illustrated. The cover stories focused
on Title IX, that landmark legislation that
ensured that “No person in the United States
shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or
be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal
financial assistance.” Title IX was put in place
in 1972 to expand educational opportunities
for women. It mainly had the effect of revolutionizing the world of women’s athletics. I
the
Omer
was a 16-year-old high school student-athlete
at the time Title IX was passed – and thrilled
that the groundbreaking piece of legislature
made it possible for me to continue competing throughout my college career. I credit my
swim team experiences for reinforcing the critical lessons of perseverance, time management,
goal setting, and all those other good actions
that lead to success. Looking back, I think
the real benefit of Title IX was the message it
gave me as a young adult - that in our society,
opportunities were open to me, and that I
would be judged on ability, talent, and character, not just looks, poise, and choice of a mate.
Now let’s connect these two items.
On April 30, at Temple Beth Abraham, Ellen
Kaufman and I chaired, and the Women of
TBA hosted the 5th annual East Bay Women’s
Torah Study evening, also known as Kolot
Nashim. This event continually attracts a roster
of rock-star quality female rabbis and academics as well as about 100 eager participants. It
offers a wide range of study topics that ensures
there is something for everyone. The display
of Jewish knowledge on the TBA campus that
evening was truly inspiring, and the resumes
of the workshop leaders were quite impressive.
As I think back to who was “in the room” that
night, I realize that most of the seminar leaders
were of an age where they had opportunities to
both become a Bat Mitzvah and engage in post
Title IX sports. More than half the participants
however, were of an age where they had likely
not had those opportunities.
So what is the connection here? Well, basically,
it is that without Judith Kaplan’s Bat Mitzvah
in 1922, that cracked open a door to women’s
increased participation in communal Jewish
continued on page 6
No issues published in July or August.
We cheerfully accept member submissions. Deadline for articles and letters is the seventh of the month preceding publication.
Editor in Chief
Managing Editor
Layout & Design
Calendars
B’nai Mitzvah Editor
Cover
Help From
4
Lori Rosenthal
Lisa Fernandez
Jessica Sterling
Jon Golding
Susan Simon
Ruth Teitelbaum
People like you!
Copy Editors Jessica Dell’Era, Charles Feltman, Nadine Joseph, Richard
Kauffman, Jan Silverman, Debbie Spangler, James Wakeman
Proofreaders June Brott, Jessica Dell’Era, Jeanne Korn, Anne Levine,
Stephen Shub, Susan Simon, Debbie Spangler
Distribution Fifi Goodfellow, Hennie Hecht, Herman and Agnes Pencovic,
Gertrude Veiss
Mailing Address 336 Euclid Ave. Oakland, CA 94610
E-Mail [email protected]
wtba, our sisterhood
Join us for WTBA’s
Pirkei
Imahot
Girls’
Night
Out
Monday, June 18,
9:30 a.m.
Thursday, June 7
7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Subversive Sequels
in The Bible
The Baum Youth Center, 341 MacArthur
How Biblical Stories Mine and Undermine Each Other
Join our community of women as we uncover the
emotional and intellectual themes that live in Torah
and connect to our lives. Our Rosh Chodesh Torah
study meets monthly, on the Monday closest to
Rosh Chodesh. Meetings are hosted and facilitated
by group members.
Sponsored jointly by Oakland Ruach Hadassah and
the Women of TBA, the group is open to all women.
Questions? Contact Debbie Spangler at debspang@
yahoo.com or (510) 531-1105 for the location of
our next meeting.
TBA People of the Book Club Meeting
Monday, June 4, 7:30 p.m.
“The Dovekeepers”
By Alice Hoffman.
Vickie Zatkin’s house, 40 Beechwood Dr. Oakland
Please RSVP to Deena Aerenson
([email protected] or (510) 225-5107)
Girls’ Night Out is a casual, monthly event to gather TBA
women together for some relaxed and unstructured social
time. Drop in on the first Thursday of each month to chat,
laugh, debate, have a glass of wine and some light goodies, and get to know each other better. No need to bring a
thing! Meet old friends, and make new friends.
There’s a different mix, vibe and conversation
every month. Come check it out!
Contact Jeanne Korn with questions: [email protected].
THIS EVENT IS FREE, sponsored by WTBA
Women on the Move
Sunday, June 10
WTBA hikes happen the second Sunday of
thevery
n
o
month. We meet at 9:45 and depart promptly at
m
10:00. Hikes end by 11:30. his
r t on
We will meet at the SkylineoGate
f
Skyline just south of Snake
D and
hike in RedwoodELLE
Regional Park.
C Deena
For details, contact
AN
AerensonCat (510) 225-5107
or [email protected].
Women – Looking For A Good Time?
Look no further than WTBA (Women of TBA).
Get involved with WTBA, and help us plan the kind of women’s
events YOU have dreamed of. Our monthly Board meetings begin
with a potluck, and we always enjoy friendly banter, creative
engagement, and fabulous food and wine. Come for the food, but
you’ll stay for the feeling of connection and friendship that is the
heart and soul of our community.
Contact WTBA President Jeanne Korn
at [email protected] for details.
5
men’s club
The Temple Beth Abraham Men’s Club
Presents Jewish Baseball Week!
Enjoy Father’s Day Evening
with the East Bay Screening
of the Documentary Feature:
“Jews and Baseball –
An American Love Story”
Sunday, June 17
6:15 p.m. Doors open, (snacks, drinks,
schmoozing, trivia contest)
7:00 p.m. Movie screening
8:30 p.m. Q&A with Special Guests
from the local Jewish
Baseball Community
Special appearance
by baseball agent Matt Sosnick.
Tickets: $10 apiece,
all ages welcome.
Join us on
Tuesday, June 19
Jewish Heritage Night
with the A’s vs Dodgers
7:05 p.m.
Plaza Infield Seat
for only $30 per person.
Includes Special Jewish Heritage
Food Items, Giveaways, Great Seats!
Jewish Baseball Double Play Ticket Pack
Available from TBA Men’s Club:
6/17 Movie Night + 6/19 A’s Game for just $35 (what a bargain!)
More info at: http://tbajewishbaseballweek.eventbrite.com/
Lori’s column, continued from page 4
prayer, and without Title IX, that dramatically increased
opportunities for women in education, sports and other
pursuits, events like Kolot Nashim could not have been
created. And what a shame that would be.
I never before connected the dots to realize how much I
personally benefitted from these two revolutionary events,
6
the Bat Mitzvah of Judith Kaplan and the introduction of
Title IX, separated in time by half a century. I can’t help
but thank those bold people, who took action long ago, and
so greatly enhanced my Jewish and secular life.
I leave you with this simple question… what actions are
you taking to open doors in your life and the lives of those
yet to come?
drash for parashat naso
Thoughts about Parashat Naso
By David Lenik
As we are in the second year of the triennial cycle of
Torah reading, during Shabbat services on June 2 we read
Parashat Naso from B’midbar (Numbers) chapters 5 - 7.
It covers laws dealing with a woman suspected of adultery,
the Nazarene laws of abstinence and the priestly benediction. As it happens, however, my interest is the opening of
Parashat Naso, which deals with the census of the Levites
and the duties of the various Levite clans. We read in
Chapter 4 that each time the Israelites move from place to
place in the Wilderness, all the Levites from the ages of 30
to 50 were responsible for dismantling, carrying and reassembling the mishkan – the portable sanctuary that housed
the sacrificial altar, the ark of the Ten Commandments, and
the presence of God. One family, we are told, was responsible for the cloths, coverings and screens; another carried
the planks, posts and pegs; while the third carried the most
sacred objects – the ark, the altar and the menorah.
The Levites are not depicted as great leaders or guides, but
rather, they are physical laborers and security guards; they
break down and set up the camp, they pack and unpack,
and they load and unload oxcarts. Our Torah portion
speaks repeatedly of the “avodah,” labor, and “massa,” porterage, of the Levite clans.
I’ve borrowed this summary from a wonderful d’var Torah
written by Rabbi Chai Levy of Temple Kol Shofar that was
published in the J. in 2009. In that article she draws an
analogy between “the labor and porterage of the Levites in
the wilderness” and “the daily grind of adulthood.” Just like
us in our journey through adulthood, she says, the Levites
spent their years in the wilderness working and shlepping.
On one level, the labor and porterage of the Levites in the
wilderness is the like daily grind of adulthood: We go to
work, sit in traffic, drop off the kids, pick up the groceries,
pay the bills and do our chores.
But amidst the drudgery, she points out, “They carry the
mishkan – God’s dwelling place.” The connection between
the two, she suggests, is that
“Torah is saying that in the middle of our struggles in the
wilderness is a holy place, a place where the Divine resides,
and we carry that Divine Presence through our work in the
world.”
The purpose of the Levite’s labor in other words is “to create holiness in the desert and to bring the Presence of God
with us wherever we” journey. Finally, Rabbi Levy ascribes
to this Torah portion an invitation for us to evaluate the
daily labor and porterage that we do. “What is the Divine
dimension in the work we do?” she asks. “Are we just toiling away” or “does our work ultimately help to carry and
create a place of sacredness?” “Is our work holy work?”
I really love Rabbi Levy’s approach to this Torah portion
and the lessons she draws from it. It drew a response from
me that I thought I could share with you. Rabbi Levy sees
Parashat Naso reminding us to find or acknowledge what is
holy in the work we do. I see it also suggesting – actually,
not just suggesting but coming right out and saying that
carrying the Divine Presence as we journey in the wilderness
is itself hard work, day labor. Judaism as a lifestyle dedicated to acknowledging God and God’s work in the world
has done its best to instill habits of devotion – especially
through prayer and ritual – in order to make the effort less
burdensome. (Prayers and ritual are ways that eliminate the
need to reinvent the wheel.) But let’s face it; each and every
day occupied by adult responsibilities and deadlines it takes
a conscious effort (i.e. work) to live a life informed by mitzvot let alone to be aware of the presence of God.
Being a Jew might be an accident of birth but making
Judaism a way of life, making a Jewish home, supporting
and participating in Jewish community life, teaching and
imbuing our children with Jewish values – all these are
ways in which the mishkan can and does continue to be
transported to this day; and all require effort. Transporting
the mishkan does not happen by some miracle; it’s performed by human hands. And the task is borne not by
one person – no Atlas carrying the burden on his shoulders
alone – but by the efforts of many – by all of us – through a
division of labor, piece by piece, each family with an assignment and a contribution.
In Parashat Naso, I think what the Torah presents for our
consideration is images of community effort and the Levites
as symbolic bearers of the duty to carry the mishkan in our
lives, and the work involved in doing so.
It would be a mistake however, to think of it as drudgery,
because it overlooks the rewards that follow and are inherent in the work. The poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote in one
of his beautiful letters, people think “that play and pleasure”
are “more blissful than work; but there is nothing happier
than work.” Yes, carrying the mishkan in the Wilderness is
an everyday effort, symbolic of adulthood responsibilities
and realities. But imagine how poor our lives would be
without and how enriched they are by it.
7
schools auction
TBA Schools Auction THANKS!!!
This year’s Schools Auction was a rousing
success, raising an unprecedented $50,000+
and counting.
Todah Rabah, Kol Ha Kavod and a big, big
round of applause to our auction co-chairs Eric
Leve and Rachel Teichman, who put in countless hours and fielded thousands of calls and
emails to put the event together.
Special thanks to all of the live auction item
donors, including: Eric Leve, Casey Baum
& Joni Bessler, Sara & Marv Engel, Olga &
Gabriel Goldberger, Diane Abt, Rebecca
& Will Sparks, Nadine Samuels, Linda &
Eric Horodas, Rabbi Mark Bloom, Lauren
Kaplan and Armin Brott.
Thank you to all of the TBA staff especially
Rabbi Bloom, Rayna Arnold, Virginia Tiger
and Joe Lewis. Big thanks go to Ruth Morris,
Susan Simon and the Gan Avraham & Bet Sefer teachers,
The Women of TBA, The Men’s Club, and to the BBYO,
BBG & Bet Sefer teens.
Doreen Alper Sharon Alva Eric Batzdorff Carol Behr
Marcia Benjamin Carolyn Bernstein
Karen Bloom Renuka Bornstein Amanda Brown-Stevens
Molly Butler Alicia Cernitz-Schwartz Judy Chun Zoe Cohen Debra Coltoff Coline David Danny DeBare Esther Rogers Rachel Dornhelm Angela Engel Greg Estow Jen Ferguson Lisa Fernandez
8
Billy Gentry Lindsay Goldberg Gabriella Gordon
Miriam Green Steven Grossman Alice Hale Phil Hankin Rick Heeger Loryn Hudson Jeff Ilfeld Mala Johnson Lauren Kaplan Ellen Kaufman
Abby Klein Jeanne Korn Julie Kotovsky Marni Kottle Lynn Langfeld JB Leibovitch
Eric Leve Anne Levine Shira Levine Thanks also to Damon Casatico, a professional auctioneer, from Charity Benefit Auctions, who was marvelous at
extracting dollars from our wallets. This event would not have been possible without the efforts
of the following people:
Jill Lindenbaum Eve Maidenberg Stacy Margolin Roberta Masliyah Jenny Michaelson Amy Moscov Doug Moss Donaldo Osorio Aaron Paul
Eva Paul
Jing Piser Joel Piser Rebecca Posamentier Flo Raskin Victoria Reichenberg Lori Rosenthal Bryna Ross
Karen Schoonmaker Anat Shankar Sandra Simon Jennifer Sawle
Bruce Sawle Adi Schacker Lori Schnall Tosha Schore Marieka Schotland Bryan Schwartz Rebecca Skiles Rebecca Sparks Jessica Sterling Jeanne Swartz Jesse Teichman Nina & Eli Teichman
Rachel Teichman
Amy Tessler Steve Tessler Alicia von Kugelgen Debbie Weinstein Treya Weintraub Laura Wildmann Liz Willner Amy Wittenberg
schools auction
9
cooking corner
Russian Cuisine on Shabbat
Shabbat Dinner Project
By Faith Kramer
All this year I’ll be highlighting our
It’s no secret I love to cook, but most of all I enjoy cooking with others. That’s why Friday night traditions. Part of this
it’s always so special when TBA members Molli Rothman, Rebecca Skiles, Mala
is asking for YOUR stories, recipes,
Johnson, Jessica Sterling, Jeanne Swartz and I get together to sample and try out new memories and rituals and maybe
Jewish recipes. Lately we have been focusing on recipes from various Jewish cuisines even an invite over to your place
to broaden our Friday night Shabbat dinner repertoire. Our most recent get together to see how you welcome Shabbat.
featured Russian food, which for some brought back memories of our mothers’,
Please email me at fjkramer@msn.
mother-in-laws’ and or grandmothers’ cooking.
com or call 510-339-3850 if you’d
One of the recipes we shared was a delicious sweet and sour beef borscht from a rec- like to participate in the Shabbat
ipe by the late Pola Silver, of blessed memory, which is featured on page 29 of TBA’s Dinner Project. I look forward to
Everyday to Holidays cookbook (see below for more info). We also had a version of sharing with you.
Pola’s Varenikies, small-filled dumplings similar to pierogis which can be found on
page 8 of the TBA cookbook. Both recipes have also been featured in the Omer and
you can find them at http://tbaoakland.org/phocadownload/omer_102010.pdf on page 20.
Among the other recipes we tried was an easy herring appetizer adapted from Arthur Schwartz’s Jewish Home Cooking:
Yiddish Recipes Revisited (Ten Speed Press). Skiles made it and served it with homemade black Russian bread. Johnson made
a tasty mushroom-potato soup adapted from one she found at Allrecipes.com. Recipes for both the chopped herring and
soup are below.
Our other dishes included a mushroom salad, kasha varneshkas (toasted buckwheat groats and bowtie noodles, see the TBA
cookbook, page 105, for a similar recipe), a tomato-cucumber salad and a variation on blueberry blintzes for dessert.
If you don’t already own a copy of Everyday to Holidays: Favorite Recipes from Temple Beth Abraham, the TBA cookbook,
the book is available for $15 from Women of TBA president Jeanne Korn ([email protected] or (510) 339-3795).
Arthur Schwartz’s Chopped Herring Salad
Makes about 2 ½ cups
Note: Do not substitute herring packed in cream sauce
2 cups well-drained jarred herring pieces in wine sauce, including onions
4 hard cooked eggs, peeled
Combine ingredients in a food processor and chop until it resembles a fine paste.
Chill and serve with bread or crackers.
Russian Mushroom and Potato Soup from AllRecipes.com
Serves 6
This could be made meat, dairy or parve depending on your ingredient choice.
5 Tbs. parve margarine OR butter, divided
2 leeks, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
6 cups chicken OR vegetable broth
2 tsp. dried dill weed
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and diced
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup half and half OR non-dairy creamer
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Fresh dill, for garnish (optional)
Melt 3 tablespoons of margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat. Mix in leeks and carrots, and cook 5 minutes.
Stir in broth. Add dried dill, salt, pepper, bay leaf and potatoes, cover, and cook 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender but firm. Discard bay leaf. In a small skillet or fry pan over medium heat, melt the rest of the margarine and sauté
the mushrooms until lightly browned. Mix into the soup. Combine non-dairy creamer or half and half in a small bowl
with flour. Mix until smooth. Slowly stir into soup to thicken, cooking gently and stirring occasionally until soup has
thickened as desired. Garnish each bowl of soup with fresh dill to serve.
Faith Kramer blogs her food at www.clickblogappetit.blogspot.com. Her food columns appear twice a month in the j. weekly.
10
kolot nashim
The East Bay Women’s Torah Study Evening on
April 30 was a huge success!
Thanks to Event Co-Chairs Lori Rosenthal and Ellen Kaufman,
and to WTBA Board members and helpers including Bonnie
Burt, Judith Klinger, Jeanne Korn, Lynn Langfeld, Mary
Odenheimer, Deb Perrin-Coltoff, Amy Tessler, Flo Raskin, Kay
Warren. And to TBA Staff Members Rayna Arnold, Virginia
Tiger, and Joe Lewis, and to Bet Sefer Director Susan Simon for
their help.
Special thanks go to these Rabbis, Cantors, and Jewish Educators
who donated their time to make the event possible:
Sandra Razieli
Sara Heitler Bamberger
Barbara Barza
Naomi Seidman
Rachel Biale
Nitzhia Shaked
Rabbi Carol Caine
Sarai Shapiro
Cantor Linda Hirschhorn
Rabbi Judy Shanks
Rabbi Margie Jacobs
Allie Wollner
Nell Mahgel-Friedman
11
shabbat
Shabbat Shalom, or, Can We Be Excused
From the Table NOW???
By Susan Simon
Some of us are lucky enough to sit down for a Shabbat meal
together with family or friends every week. We schmooze,
we say a few brachot before the meal, we enjoy a wonderful
meal, we schmooze some more. And then what? We get
up from the table and start clearing the dishes and putting
away the food and go about our business – or, at least, that’s
what I assume many of us do.
I started this discussion by talking about how lucky we are
– we enjoy our meal in our warm (or cool, depending upon
the season) homes where we are dry, relatively safe, and
where the ingredients for our meal are readily available and
we can afford to buy them. If that doesn’t take the cake in
terms of luck, I don’t know what does. Yes, we work very
hard to provide for ourselves and our families with these
basics and many luxuries. But good fortune (or maybe
Divine fortune) has certainly shined down upon us. Have
we noticed?
In Genesis 1:31 we are told to enjoy God’s creation and
appreciate that it is “very good.” And if we are fortunate,
we get to do that every Shabbat with people that we love.
Should we do something in return? Rabbi Abraham Joshua
Heschel wrote that “In receiving a pleasure, we must return
a prayer; in attaining a success, we radiate compassion. We
have the right to consume because we have the power to
celebrate.” (from Who is Man?)
Everything in life feels better, tastes better, is sweeter and
more satisfying when
we take that mindful
moment of appreciation.
When I was a child it
was mandatory that
after eating and before
leaving the table, I told
my mom, “Delicious
din, mom.” Was this
my own way of giving
thanks, showing appreciation, saying my own
Birkat Hamazon?
In the Talmud we learn
that no one is allowed
to enjoy something
from this world without reciting a bracha
(Talmud Berahot
35A). I don’t think
we’d get much argument there – it is polite
and good for the soul
to say thank you for a
gift, and enjoying a good Shabbat meal with others is certainly a gift. But getting people to sit down at the table to
chant the whole Birkat HaMazon can be hard because of its
length, language and complexity. In the long version we are
thanking God not only for food, but also for restoration of
the land of Israel and the coming of the messianic age – it’s
really a mini-service.
Saying thank you, if done mindfully, makes you feel good,
knowing you have done the right thing. Saying thank you
in a group can expand the feeling. Singing together brings
us closer together. All of these elements are encompassed in
chanting Birkat HaMazon together.
What can you do at your Shabbat tables to express this
gratitude and mindfulness? What is your obstacle to chanting the Birkat together? Is it the length? Start out with
a shorter version. Is it the melodies? Contact me and
I’ll send you sound files. Is it the Hebrew? I can get you
transliterated versions, or do it in English. The important
thing is acknowledging that we are so fortunate to have
experienced the gift of a wonderful Shabbat meal together,
to appreciate the food, the people, the safety and love that
accompanied the meal.
Are you The Omer's next
cover artist?
We are currently searching for a TBA member
who wants to contribute monthly to The Omer
in an artistic way. We will need someone for
the September issue, due in early August.
Contact Lori Rosenthal at [email protected].
12
gan avraham bet sefer
Welcoming the New Gan Director
Thank you to Ruth Morris
for her tenure as Director
of Gan Avraham. We look
forward to welcoming her
back as a teacher at the
Gan this summer when
Barbara Kanter takes over
as Gan Director.
By Ruth Morris
When there is change, there is always some uncertainty connected to it, so of course, when there was a search for the
new Gan Avraham director, there was concern on my part
about my replacement when I move back into the classroom. I was very pleased to hear that the search committee
had chosen Barbara Kanter as the new Gan Director.
Life has a way of coming full circle! Barbara was my youngest daughter’s Kitah Alef teacher. I taught in the Kitah Alef
classroom with Barbara for many years after that. I learned a
lot working with Barbara. She is very knowledgeable about
child development and has understanding and compassion
for the challenges parents of young children face. She is
familiar with the Gan and Temple Beth Abraham. Barbara
has been the director of Beth El’s preschool for many years.
I know that we will benefit from her calm demeanor, organizational skills and her commitment to providing a nurturing, stimulating Jewish preschool experience to all the
children and families who are part of Gan.
Barbara will become the Director of Gan Avraham in July.
If you knew Barbara from her time here at the Gan, please
welcome her back. If you haven’t met her, stop in to introduce yourself to her.
Shalom, and l’hitraot,
Ruth
Shabbat Mishpacha
Saturday, June 2, 10:15 a.m.
Kitah Gimmel classroom
(across from the Chapel).
Dan Engel will play the guitar.
Upcoming dates:
June 30
July 21 (Rabbi Bloom is The Special Guest)
August 11
Kol Tuv!
Mazel Tov to All of the Bet Sefer Families!
Submitted by Susan Simon
Six years ago we started participating in the Good Cents for
Oakland project. Each year’s Mechina Class learned about
hungry people in our own community. They collected
pennies and other coins from their family and friends to
help feed beneficiaries of the Alameda County Food Bank.
We recently finished this year’s penny drive and received
our annual acknowledgement.
We also found out that over the course of the past six years,
we have raised a total of $4,701.50. What a fabulous
accomplishment, all made possible by the generosity of
our Bet Sefer Families. Thank you and yasher koach!
Our Bet Sefer year has come to an end. As we close
up shop for the summer, I’d like to acknowledge the
many wonderful people who are the backbone of our
school. First, Rabbi Bloom for bringing the sounds
of music and ruach into every session. Second, to
Bella Gordon and Lisa Fernandez for helping me
keep the school committee going. Third, to the
many parents who drove on field trips and schlepped
to evening classes. Fourth, to our amazing custodial
staff who transform our facility into a religious school
every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. And last, but
not least, to all of the parents who make the commitment to a Jewish education for their children and
manage to schlep their children here each week – in
the face of tremendous competition from dozens of
other compelling options – thank you for making our
program such a success.
Kol tuv! Susan
13
bet sefer
How We Feel About Israel
By Susan Simon
In 7th grade, the last module the students tackle is about
Israel. One of our last activities is an exercise where the
students and parents think about Israel and how they identify with this small strip of land that evokes so many varied
emotions in all of us. Here are some excerpts from their
last exercise.
One student wrote that when hearing the word “Israel” the
first thing she thinks about is her grandparents’ kibbutz.
Another thought of falafel and tradition. Many students
thought about Judaism as the connection. One student
wrote that it is a homeland and she can’t imagine growing
up without it.
In response to a question about what they wish about Israel,
one student wrote that she wished it could be closer to
America. Many others wished that it could be peaceful and
safe. Several said that they wished Israel could be left alone,
could be a safe haven.
Another question asked how students felt when they heard
others criticize Israel. One student wrote that she pities the
person and would want to educate them. Another wrote
that he changes the subject when he hears these things.
One student says that he gets offended and disagrees.
Another just gets annoyed and keeps quiet. Quite a number of students wrote that they get defensive.
When asked about their pride in Israel and where that
comes from, many students said that Israel’s ability to continue to exist in the face of all of the hatred and struggles
brought them pride. Some mentioned the ability to create
a thriving country in the middle of the desert. Some mentioned the scientific research and military successes. One
student wrote that she takes pride in how Israel is like a
miracle to almost every Jew.
The most wonderful part of this exercise was the passion
that the students put
into their responses, the
thought and consideration, and the connections with Israel that
the students expressed.
Clearly Israel is an important part of their Jewish
personas, a fact that is
heartwarming to experience. Am Yisrael Chai!
Have
Fun This
Summer!
14
our jewish day schools CCJDS Celebrates 4th of July – in JUNE!
By Amy Wittenberg
Over the past
few years a new
tradition has
developed at the
Contra Costa
Jewish Day
School – celebrating the 4th
of July – in June,
complete with a
parade, yankee
doodle marching music and of
course, all-American (kosher)
apple pie!
“Since we are
not in school
on Independence Day, we wanted to create a way to have
our students share their excitement and civic pride! This
day focuses on America. Students wear red, white and blue,
everyone marches in a parade based on American themes.
One year each class represented a period of America’s past,
another year they chose a major state, and one time students dressed as American heroes,” said Head of School,
7th grade U.S. History Teacher and the creator of Fourth
midrasha
of July in June.
“We are very
good at celebrating Jewish holidays and Israel’s
Independence
Day in April, we
wanted to also
give our students
a special American
experience. This
is a great way to
capture the spirit
of our country,
and the spirit of
summer too!”
It’s not too late to
consider CCJDS
for this fall – we
are still accepting applications!
CCJDS is located
in Lafayette, only
18 minutes from
TBA! Visit our
website www.ccjds.org or call Amy Wittenberg, Admissions
Director (925) 284-8288 for further information.
Summertime for Tehiyah Day School
Students and Faculty
By Donna Sidel, Tehiyah Director of Communications
As we get close to the end of our school year, we see the littlest among us who entered our Bridge-Kindergarten last
August looking bigger, more confident, and so much more
mature as they get ready to move up to Kindergarten. We
see our fifth-graders eagerly awaiting next school year, when
they will be part of our exciting middle school program.
And, of course, we watch sadly as our eighth-graders walk
through our halls for the last times as our students.
The poise, maturity, and readiness to move on to the bigger
challenges of high school are unmistakable in our eighthgraders, as are the mixed feelings in their glances as they
continued on page 16
Remember to check the TBA website and
email updates for information about latebreaking TBA events and activities.
www.tbaoakland.org
Mazel Tov to TBA’s graduations
of Oakland Midrasha
Evan Kharazzi
Julian Ring
Danielle Raskin
15
our jewish day schools
continued from page15
realize that moving on also means moving out. Having
studied, played, and traveled extensively together for nine
years, and having just completed a two-week trip together
to Israel, they are truly a family. Despite their mixed feelings about leaving this “home,” they are hard at work honing creative presentations in song, dance, poetry, or prose
about their feelings for Tehiyah that they will showcase at
their graduation.
Everyone at Tehiyah eagerly awaits the last day of school in
June, when our students symbolically (and physically) move
up a grade by repositioning themselves in our courtyard to
stand in their new location with their new teachers at our
daily morning assembly, Modeh Ani. It is a tradition much
loved and much looked forward to by our students, parents,
and faculty. It is also quite a sight as many of our students
run, proud and cheering, to their new positions.
Summer doesn’t mean that the work of running a Jewish
Day School ends, or that learning takes a 3-month break.
Over the summer, many of Tehiyah’s teachers take part
in professional development programs – learning new
approaches, honing skills, and gaining new perspectives on
how to best reach a variety of learners. Over the past couple of years, teachers have traveled to Harvard University’s
Graduate School of Leadership, to Atlanta for a writing
workshop, to Boston to study our middle school Hebrew
program (NETA), and to many local courses. At the end of
the summer, faculty returns a week before our students for
four days of intensive workshops on 21st century teaching,
including writing programs, math training, educating for
learning differences, and other topics.
Summer is the time that our campus gets a makeover as
well. During the summer months, Tehiyah does much of
our work to increase energy efficiency and security on our
campus. With grants from PG&E and the Department of
Homeland Security, we added upgraded lighting technology, and emergency systems. Summer is also our time to
upgrade equipment throughout the school, including in our
science lab and installing Smart Boards in our classrooms.
We’d love to have you join us at the Tehiyah graduation
on June 14 at 6:45 p.m. To learn more about this event,
Tehiyah’s strong academic and Judaics program, or how
a Tehiyah education can help shape your child’s identity,
please contact Jim Gaines at (510) 233-3013, ext. 239 or
[email protected].
Keflanu: Shabbat Fun and Games for 3rd - 6th Graders
We would like to invite 3rd – 6th graders to join their friends in the Baum Youth Center
following Shabbat services on the 1st and 3rd Shabbat of the month,
This months dates: June 2 and 16
After the service join together for lunch in the social hall. About 20 minutes after motzi, the Rabbi will
announce the chaperone is ready for check-in at the Baum Youth Center!
Have fun with Shabbat appropriate games and activities…
• basketball • board games • jump rope • foosball • ping pong • or even just shmooze
Parents: we ask that an adult accompany the child/children to the Baum Youth Center –
the chaperone will sign your child in and an adult pick-up at the Baum Youth Center –
for the safety of the youth, we ask that they not leave the site on their own.
volunteer bulletin board
Give a new parent an hour to shower
A perfect mitzvah for those with daytime flexibility. Volunteers needed to provide short daytime sits free of charge to our new moms and
dads allowing them to shower, get a haircut or
just take a walk.
Interested sitters should contact us at
[email protected].
16
Welcome a New Member
Do you have time to help deliver TBA’s
new members baskets?
If so, please contact Rebecca Skiles
at [email protected]
or (510) 836-7407.
la’atid
Pool Party Ends Year of Programs
for La’atid
It has been a fabulous year of La’atid and we want to
thank all the families and 4th-7th graders for their
participation and support! Look for our dates and
plans for upcoming events in your September Omer.
Have a wonderful summer everyone.
Your trusty advisors,
Dina and Phil Hankin
17
B’nai Mitzvah
life cycles
Daniel Gray Pascal, June 9
I attend Contra Costa Jewish Day School and have learned so much about Judaism in
my time, there—historically and religiously. My experience at CCJDS makes me feel
very comfortable in my Jewish skin. My favorite classes at CCJDS are science, language
arts, and Jewish Studies. Outside of school, I am on a sailing, basketball, and swim
team. My Bar Mitzvah means a lot to me because I feel that I am becoming a part of
the Jewish community, not only religiously but, also, spiritually. My Torah Portion,
Beha’alotecha, deals with faith, and I deal with faith almost everyday—whether it is
hoping that someone will come through for me or having faith in myself while I am
sailing in the turbulent waters in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. After my Bar
Mitzvah I want to, and am excited to, lead different aspects of Shabbat services so I can
stay in touch with the Jewish community.
Aviva Davis, June 23
As a hard-working seventh grader, it’s difficult to fit all my after school activities into my
schedule. I have both violin lessons and Hebrew studies on Wednesday so I have to budget my time wisely. Choir on Tuesdays, Hebrew school on Thursdays, and homework,
how do I do it? I must admit, sometimes I have to drop an activity in order to finish my
work. Even then, I am up into the late hours of the night. Although homework work is
tough, I know it will pay off when I am accepted into Stanford University.
My Torah portion, Korach, emphasizes two important concepts in life, honor, and
responsibility. Korach and his followers did not honor God, so they were swallowed by
the earth into Shaol. God calls Moshe to collect the staffs of the leaders of each tribe of
the Jewish people. Aharon’s staff grows almond blossoms, signifying that he is the priest
of the tabernacle, weighing him with the responsibility of leadership. Becoming a Bat
Mitzvah is important to me because this gives me my own burden of leadership, just like
Aharon.
Talya Bornstein, June 30
As a 6th grader at the Contra Costa Jewish Day School I enjoy my Judaics class and
especially love learning about Israel. I’ve been fortunate to visit Israel; I’ve toured the
country, met my relatives who live there and have gone to a summer camp right on the
Mediterranean Sea coast.
In my free time I like to do things like drama and I’ve enjoyed being in our school
play each year. I play on a soccer team and enjoy frequent ski trips to Tahoe with my
family. This summer I am going to Camp Solomon Schechter (for the 3rd year) in
Tumwater, WA – it’s one of my very favorite places!
This is has been my first year at the Bet Sefer, learning the prayers has helped me prepare for my Bat Mitzvah and I’ve made some really great new friends! I want to thank
my teachers both at CCJDS and the Bet Sefer for helping me to prepare for my Bat
Mitzvah, Rabbi Bloom for working with me on my drash and Tina Eisenman for meeting me weekly to learn my Haftarah, Torah portion and review the prayers.
Many things happen in the Torah portion, Chukat, but the part I chose to talk about is
when Moses hits the rock with his staff and is punished by G-d and not allowed to go in to
Israel. My drash will focus on Moses as a leader and I will talk about our leaders today.
I love cats and have two of my own. As a mitzvah project I am going to donate a portion
of my Bat Mitzvah money to an organization called Israel’s Cat Lovers Society. They help
Israel’s sick, hurt, homeless and abused cats. The organization is run by volunteers who feed
about 1,500 cats per day,
I am very excited to become a Bat Mitzvah! I look forward to welcoming all our friends and
relatives who are coming from far and near! Please join me and my family to celebrate my
Bat Mitzvah.
18
life cycles
June Birthdays
1
10
17
25
Max Davis
Aviel Halem
Zachary Piser
Caren Sencer
Samuel Zapruder
Beatrice Aronson
Rabbi Arthur Gould
Gerald Hertz
Ella Sadikman
Susan Shub
Sophie Govert
Larry Reback
Jennifer Slavin
Helen von Kugelgen
2
11
Leila Bernstein
Melissa Diamant
Sarah Rothman
Jake Wike
Walter Chang
Alice Hale
Rayna Levine
Cameron Smith
Zakai Avidor
Ruth Kline
Emma Stone
Shira Benau
Herbert Bloom
Lynn Gerber
Jacob Hill
Sarah Liron
Alexandra Wike
3
12
Emily Miller
Daniel Gray Pascal
Hannah Rubin
Matthew Gochman
Toya Hertz
David Salk
Jessica Siegel
4
13
Steven Aronson
Emily Golub
June Marinoff
Milana Schwartz
Louis Teitelbaum
Jeannie Haydon
Laura Jones
Amy Moscov
Judith Quittman
5
14
June Brott
David Lenik
Daphne Albert
Alexander Kauffman
Randall Kessler
6
Michael Aronson
Adhi Bornstein
Audrey Kauffman
7
Micah Arons
Emma Rosenthal
Zachary Schwartz
8
Emily Stumpf
15
Barry Barnes
Eddan Katz
Tammy Lee
Rachel Teichman
16
Adi Schacker
Alexander Van Deventer
Alicia von Kugelgen
Is your birthday information wrong or missing from this
list? Please contact the TBA office to make corrections.
Welcome New Members
Daniel Marcus & Elizabeth Satz
18
19
James Wakeman
20
Rebecca Amy Darling
Randy Morris
David Reback
Talia Shalev
Ronald Weller
21
Susan E. Bloch
Lisa Fernandez
Ellis Noemi Jacob
22
Jane Kramer
Benjamin Krefetz
Ella Pashmar
Isaac Sosebee
23
Daniel Bornstein
David Hoffman
Zachary Silver
David Stein
26
Sam Bookin
Talya Bornstein
Rose Haag
Richard Mills
Chanel Patterson
Lindsay Spangler
Linda Stevens
28
Denise Davis
Mona Goldfine
Carol Robinson
Michael Zielenziger
29
Li Fife
Ethan Grossman
Zachary Hankin
Chris Morgan
Zepora Zangwill
30
Rami Albert
Larry Bercovich
Felix Broach
Aaron Paul
Richard Rubin
24
Theodor Ferguson
Donald Jurow
Josiah Larkin
Ron Lerner
Alan Silver
A note to new members:
We would like to introduce you to the TBA community in an upcoming newsletter. Please send a
short introduction of you and your family, with a
digital photo, to [email protected]. Thanks!
19
life cycles
July and August Birthdays
July 1
Marc Barach
Barry Feiner
2
Asher Sam Jaffe
3
Sam Simon
4
Maya Novak
Hugo Wildmann
5
Ezra Chabon
Eitan Goldfein
7
Samuel Berger
Danielle Gerber
8
Shayna Silberzweig
15
Ariel McLean
Larry Wayne
27
Kenneth Benau
Elaine Gerstler
Jacob Kaizer-Salk
Sophia Kalamas
Rebecca Wasserman
Joseph Blumberg
Julie Gochman
Alex Mezey
Cindy Sloan
Linh Becker
Haydn Garfinkle
Kevin Schwartz
Aliza Zangwill
Camille Birnbaum
Elyash Birnbaum
Micah Trilling
Mor Tzadik
Robert Halem
Richard Heeger
Michael Hyman
Peter Mezey
Gary Sherne
Eva Katz
Daniel Mc Lean
Mark Mogill
Lilah Yarden Sadikman
Alexander Schleuning
Lori Schnall
16
17
18
28
29
Matthew Disco
Adam Lerner
Leah Felice Wildmann
Alon Wolf
Lorri Zimmer
Jessica Dell’Era
Molli Rothman
Leonard Wolf
Clara Katsman
Lee Nathan
Alexis Morgan
Kelsi Perttula
Levi Chabon
Reuven Glick
Julie Lerner
Talya Brott
Jill Lindenbaum
Ari Perttula
9
10
Johnny Glick-Scroggins
Stacy Month
Michael Stevens
11
Ytzhack Heber
Ruby Hertz
Max Schleuning
Michele Silver
12
Max Gerber
Booker Holton
Elijah Miller
Maya Schacker
13
Brandon Bercovich
Jennifer Berke
Matan Bostick
Tamar Breines
Bonnie Burt
Adam Davis
Maya Joseph-Goteiner
14
Glenn Friedman
Nicole Friedman
Drew Kaplan
David Ragones
20
19
20
Joel Goldsmith
Rachel Goldstone
Jeffrey Quittman
Ezra Trost-Goldhammer
21
Bernard Hazens
Eitan Schotland
22
Eric Friedman
23
Ronald Gerber
Lindsay Goldberg-Kunis
Harry O’Neill
24
Aviva Ruth Davis
Joshua Feltman
Yael Sherne
25
Harriet Bloom
Dan Finkelstein
Mayer Goldberg
Brian Lander
Asher Rose
26
Isaac Charlesworth
Fiona James
8
Norman Frankel
Alan Gellman
9
Zoe Batzdorff
David Benjamin
Samuel Cohen
Adina Goldstein
Aaron Stein
10
Michelle Gould
Joshua Hill
12
Jennifer Beck
Samuel Bernstein
Eve Gordon-Ramek
Doree Jurow Klein
31
Dean Goldfein
3
Annaliese Kauffman
Gregory Korn
5
Evelyn Glick-Scroggins
Dara Goldfein
Allan Green
Jacqueline Shea Dinkin
Sophie Souroujon
6
13
14
Mae Goldman
Garrett Langfeld
Irene Shoikhet
15
Yael Berrol
Judy Langberg
Talia Young
16
Omni Aflalo
Jon Feldhammer
Danielle Rehr-Davis
25
26
Hannah Acevedo-Schiesel
Jackson Feinstein-Kernar
Jeremy Kharrazi
Emma Sterling
27
Jennifer Baum
Hanna Ben-Zvi
Jesse Goldhammer
Elaine Teune
28
17
Melissa Bercovich
Blythe Hyman
Roxanne Moss
Bryan Schwartz
18
Rose Hoffman
Ezra Maidenberg
Douglas Moss
Richard Charlesworth
James Govert
Avi Paulson
Noah Jacobs
Rachel Kuperman
Sarah Weintraub
19
Janet King
Miriam Benjamin
Barbara Gross
Benjamin Katsman
Florence Raskin
Barry Rotman
Shirley Silver
Joel Biatch
Anita Bloch
Elan Halperin
Benjamin Rego
Brent Kauffman
Gabriel Levin
Patricia Eliahu
Linda Horodas
7
24
11
James Johnson
Evan Kharrazi
Naomi Liron
Jody London
30
Zoe Cohen
Eliana Goldstein
Jonas Hagan
Brett Hodess
Robyn Hodess
Eric Horodas
Lila Hudson
23
Joshua Hyman
Sydney Hyman
Lori Jaffe
Willa Miller
Armin Brott
Judy Chun
William Gentry
Daryl Ross
Jacob Young
Elliott Joseph Zatkin
august 1
Daniel Jaffe
Darren Kottle
Eli Persin
Joel Piser
David Rapson
Scott Tessler
20
22
29
30
Marcia Benjamin
Benjamin Brinner
Sabra Rachel Jaffe
Jan Leuin
James Leventhal
31
Brad Becker
Shara Coltoff
Rebecca Sparks
life cycles
June, July and August Yahrzeits
May God comfort you among all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem
Sivan 11
June 1
Edythe Cohen
Max Eckstein
Irene Lasar
Phillip Weinstein
Sivan 12-18
June 2-8
Abraham Blumberg
Zelda Jacobs
Diana Bereskin
Jack Gerber
Hyman Gurman
Sy Harris
Nathan Brody
Fanny Naggar
Sanford Ziegler
Coleman Bloomfield
Haja Blymenkrantz
Albert Gould
Sivan 19-25
June 9-15
Lee Aerenson
Raymond Mogill
Ann Frankel
Rose Londa Heyman
Ariyeh Heber
Sylvia Strub Goldman
Rose Polse
Max Goldman
Irving Reback
Renee Zuckerman
Sivan
26-Tammuz 2
June 16-22
Aron Gordon
Steven Ross
David Heskin
Joseph Pencovic
Kenneth Katz
Sam Nathan
Mark Siegel
Howard Silberman
Ida Brasch
Isidore Lander
Dodi Aron
Horst-Arnold Aron
Miriam Heirshsberg
Ethel Liss
Nathan Turchin
Ethel Gold Heskin
Tammuz 3-9
June 23-29
Ida Carasick Barber
Marie Marcus
Sidney Steckel
Laura White
Oscar Ehrenberg
Bert Simon
Belle Bercovich
Alvin Strom
Tammuz 10-16
June 30-July 6
Moritz Wolff
Yitzchak Gottlieb
Sara Wolff
Vera Jennigs
Victoria Naggar
Melba Dattner Klein
Violet Burge
Tammuz 17-23
July 7-13
Samuel Applebaum
Al Bunin
Raymond Epstein
Rebecca Berrol
Jean Green
Anna Lea Greenstein
Sam Moss
Tammuz 24-Av 1
July 14-20
Abraham Goldstein
Frances Lander
Ira Glasser
Robert Abraham
Moses
Kenneth Tessler
Irene Feinberg
Lawrence W. Stone
Flora Pencovic
Av 2-8
July 21-27
Louis Rosenberg
Edith Moss
Anna Polse
Morris Rothblatt
Thomas Saunders
Doreen Wolf
Naomi Drapkin
Shirley Horodas
Shelley Rotman
Francine Weil
David Berman
Av 9-15
July 28-August 3
Peter Lisker
Julius Michael Fagin
George Isaacs
Sam King
Darlene Scott
Amy Galas
Lea Gold
Ina Nathan
Av 16-22
August 4-10
Robert Fierstein
Frieda Nemon
Larry Pencovic
Alan J. Fixler
Morris Polse
David Rohold
Alex Galas
Johnnie Holton
Leah Levine
Gertrude Bleiberg
Michael Fass
Irving Mayer Burt
Marshall Denenberg
Dorothy Levien
Hannah Ethel Roth
Av 23-29
August 11-17
Daniel Goldfein
Sadye Baer
Edith Polon
Emanuel Starr
Judi Teichman
Eileen Grossman
Arthur Roth
Donald Paulson
Arthur Michael Ross
Bessie Gerber
Jacqueline Helfend
Max Kushman
Av 30-Elul 6
August 18-24
Sylvia Davis
Fannie Kessler
Harry Levitch
Renee Berman
Zachary Alexander
Kalamas
Matilda Kramer
Charles Levine
Jonathan Lisker
Bill Hale
Eva Klein David
Bertha Sutz
Joseph Dienstag
Robert Sr. Edesess
Cecil Meltz
Jacob Miron
Sol Quittman
Ernest Rosenthal
Sam Silver
Haim Rom
elul 7-13
August 25-31
David Davis
Keneth Goodwin
Albert Jacobs
Barry Stephen
Kramer
Abraham Schaefer
Phillip Davis
Larry Frankel
Kenneth Brasch
Arthur Casson
Saul Handlers
Tsilya Kobuzyatskaya
Girsha Uretski
Frances Hochman
Jerry Kopp
Carol Bonar
Joy Kauffman
Yehudit Eliahu
Rachel Gordon
Gowher Saidan
Milton Berman
Herman Budman
Joel Oseroff
Francis Turchin
Hilda Brauer
Recent Deaths in Our Community
Saadia David, father of Dvora (Kirk) McLean
Joseph M. Kramer, father of Jane Kramer
Viet Pham, father of Lily Pham (Bruce Levitch)
Gayle Raskin, sister of Paul (Flo) Raskin
Morris Dmitrovsky, father of Lisa (Martin) Kharrazi
Samuel Lenik, father of David Lenik
Seth Coltoff, Father of David Coltoff
James Craft, the Step Father of Mark Fickes
Jessie Ludwig, longtime member of our
community
Ann Diamond, mother of our former rabbi,
Rabbi Mark Diamond
21
donations
Charity is equal in importance to all the other commandments combined.
Centennial Project Fund
Cynthia Berrol
Randall & Jan Kessler, In memory of
Alice Kessler
Reba Schechtman
Stephen & Susan Shub
Michael & Deborah Sosebee, In memory
of Pola Silver
Neil & Madeline Weinstein, In memory
of Pearl Weinstein
Centennial Match Fund
Mark Fickes & William Gentry
Jay Goldman & Mona Goldfine
Philip & Dina Hankin
Sandy & Dawn Margolin
Paul & Florence Raskin
Mark & Lori Spiegel, In memory of Pola
Silver
Piser/Davis Challenge Fund
Leon & Judy Bloomfield
Murray & Virginia Davis
Dean Goldfein & Tamira Elul
JB Leibovitch & Judy Chun
David Paulson & Debra Weinstein
Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, In honor of
Schacker Bat Mitzvah
Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, In memory
of Pola Silver
Jesse & Rachel Teichman
Steven & Victoria Zatkin
Jeanette Jeger Kitchen Fund
Norman & Jo Budman, In memory of
Pola Silver
Jack Coulter, In memory of Cora Coulter,
Dorothy & Irving Dronsick, Arthur and
Gertrude Yarman
Dr. Booker Holton & Elaine Gerstler, In
memory of Jocelyn Holton
Anna Mandel, In honor of Jack Jeger’s
90th birthday
Misia Nudler, In memory of Aron Nudler
General Fund
Dr. Walter Chang & Miriam Gould
Denise Davis, In memory of Grace Gill
Murray & Virginia Davis
Dan Finkelstein & Joanna Berg
Leonard & Helen Fixler, In memory of
Esther Rosen
Robert Gammon & Lisa Fernandez
Steven Glaser & Deena Aerenson, In
22
recognition of Nissan Saidian’s service in
the Golan Division of the IDF during the
6 Day War
Fifi Goodfellow, In memory of Herb
Goodfellow
Fifi Goodfellow, In memory of Pola Silver
Allan & Gabriella Gordon
Murray & Janet Gordon, In memory of
Pola Silver
Rabbi Arthur Gould & Carol Robinson
Stephen & Arlene Greenberg, In memory
of Ben Weiss
Steven Grossman & Jill Rosenthal, In
memory of Abraham Grossman
Ward Hagar & Caroline Hastings
Bernard & Alison Hazens
Dr. Booker Holton & Elaine Gerstler
Alfred & Anne Hyman, In memory of
Rose Gelfand
Keith Hyman & Roberta Powell
Jeff & Johanna Ilfeld
Jonathan & Joy Jacobs
Abraham Javaheri, Brit Milah of Mason
Javaheri
Irwin Keinon & Adele MendelsohnKeinon, Best Wishes to Elinor DeKoven
Irwin Keinon & Adele MendelsohnKeinon, For a lovely Yom Hashoa
luncheon
Martin & Lisa Kharrazi
David Lenik
Marshall & Debra Levin, Brit Milah
Benjamin Kaplan
Sandy & Dawn Margolin
David & June Marinoff
David & Stephanie Mendelsohn
Misia Nudler
Dick & Mary Odenheimer
Kelsi & Drew Perttula
Shoshanna Raiber-Kornfeld
Paul & Florence Raskin
John Rego & Deborah Kahane Rego
David & Lori Rosenthal, In honor of Ken
Cohen’s latest class
Steven Rosenthal & Ailsa Steckel
Lawrence & Sharyn Rossi, In memory of
David Klein
Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, In memory
of Gittel Rothblatt
Ori & Susan Sasson
Daniel B. & Marieka Schotland
Bryan Schwartz & Alicia Cernitz-Schwartz
Gary Sherne & Sandra Frucht
Cindy Sloan
Annie J. Schwartz Strom, In memory of
Ida Jaffe
Jesse & Rachel Teichman
Bruce & Alicia von Kugelgen
Neil & Madeline Weinstein
Britt S. Wolven, Edwin Wolmark’s Brit
Milah
Steven & Victoria Zatkin, In memory of
Donald Bleiberg
Kiddush Fund
Aaron Nudler and Shlomo Fixler
Dr. Booker Holton & Elaine Gerstler, in
memory of Florence and Morris Gerstler
Minyan Fund
Allan Green, In memory of Walter Green
Joan & Hershel Solomon, In memory of
Samuel Neuman
Yom Ha Shoa Fund
Sally & Victor Aelion, In memory of Pola
Silver
Bob Altbaier & Cathy Kobel, In memory
of Pola Silver
Sam & Ellen Bercovich, In memory of
Pola Silver
Steven Berl & Anita Bloch
Michael & Kathryn Burge, In memory of
Pola Silver
Jack Coulter, In memory of Pola Silver
Dan Finkelstein & Joanna Berg, In
memory of Pola Silver
Pola Silver
Rita Frankel, In memory of Pola Silver
Martin & Evelyn Hertz
Jack Jeger, In memory of Pola Silver
Lawrence & Arlene Kaufman, In memory
of Pola Silver
Irwin Keinon & Adele MendelsohnKeinon, In memory of Pola Silver
Randall & Jan Kessler, In memory of
Pola Silver
Svetlana Leykin, In memory of Pola Silver
Mark Liss & Bonnie Burt, In memory of
Pola Silver
Anna Mandel, In memory of Pola Silver
Richard & Edie Mills, In memory of Pola
Silver
donations
continued from page 22
Misia Nudler, Get well Hennie Hecht
Barbara Oseroff, In memory of Pola
Silver
Herman & Agnes Pencovic, In memory of
Pola Silver
John Rego & Deborah Kahane Rego, In
memory of Pola Silver
John Rego & Deborah Kahane Rego, In
memory of Sidney S Kahane
Sidney & Ethel Shaffer, In memory of
Mary Simon
Shirley Silver, In memory of Pola Silver
Ruth Siver, In memory of Pola Silver
Wendy & Marvin Siver, In memory of
Pola Silver
Camper/Scholarship Fund
Elinor DeKoven, In memory of Pola Silver
and Esther Rosen
Rabbi Discretionary Fund
Endowment Fund
Murray & Virginia Davis, In memory of
Leslie Davis
Bruce Levitch & Lily Pham
Eugene & Marjorie Myers, In memory of
Pearl Myers
Misia Nudler, Special birthday to Jack
Coulter, in memory of Pola Silver, in
memory of Shirley Langfeld, in memory
of Shirlee Pearl
Jeffrey & Judith Quittman, In memory of
Nancy Quittman
Shirley Bolton, In memory of Raymond
Bolton
Larry Miller & Mary Kelly, In memory of
Pola Silver
Celia & Morris Davis Hunger Fund
Irwin Keinon & Adele MendelsohnKeinon, In memory of Esther Rosen
Harold Rubel Fund
Ronald & Gloria Gruber, In memory of
Edith Gruber
Hertz Fund
Gerald & Ruby Hertz, In memory of
Herman Hertz
Hertz Interfaith Fund
Gerald & Ruby Hertz, In memory of
Esther Morofsky
Wasserman Fund
Dr. Booker Holton & Elaine Gerstler, In
memory of Florence and Morris Gerstler
H E Goldstein Fund
Joseph & Judith Epstein, In memory of
Joseph Epstein
It is a Jewish tradition to give contributions to commemorate life cycle events and other occasions. Are you celebrating
a birthday, engagement, anniversary, baby naming, Bat/Bar Mitzvah or recovery from illness? Or perhaps remembering
a yahrzeit? These are just a few ideas of appropriate times to commemorate with a donation to Temple Beth Abraham.
These tax-deductible donations are greatly appreciated and are a vital financial supplement to support the wonderful
variety of programs and activities that we offer.
Thanks again for your support! We could not do it without you!
TEMPLE BETH ABRAHAM FUND CONTRIBUTION FORM
This contribution of $ ___________
is (check one) ___in Memory of
___ in Honor of:
(name) ________________________________________________________________
Contribution _______________________________ Acknowledge________________________________
From: _____________________________________ To: ________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________ Address: ___________________________________
Please credit the fund checked below:
mGeneral Fund–Use where most needed
mCelia and Morris Davis Hunger Fund
mCentennial Building Fund
mDanielle and Deren Rehr-Davis Teen Fund
mLeonard Quittman Endowment Fund
mHarold Rubel Memorial Music Fund
mRabbi Mark S. Bloom Discretionary Fund
mHerb and Ellen Goldstein Memorial Jewish Education Fund
mLeo and Helen Wasserman Fund–Funds guest speakers at TBA
mHerman Hertz Israel Scholarship Fund
mKiddush Fund
mJack and Mary Berger Fund
mMinyan Fund
mJeanette Jeger Kitchen Fund
mPrayer Book Fund
mMollie Hertz Interfaith and Outreach Fund
mWomen of TBA (WTBA)
mRose Bud Silver Library Fund
mTBA Men’s Club
mSam Silver Playground Fund
mCantor Kaplan’s Discretionary Fund
mYom Hashoah Fund
mCampership/Scholarship Fund
mOther: __________________________________
Thank you for your generosity. Please make checks payable to
Temple Beth Abraham and mail to: 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
23
24
3
10
17
4
Tammuz
18
25
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
5
Tammuz
9:30a Rosh Chodesh–
Wisdom of out Mothers
28
Sivan
4
11
21
Sivan
14
Sivan
5
19
12
26
7:30p Monthly Board Meeting
6
Tammuz
Jewish Heritage Night
at the A’s Game
G.A.S.P. Session #1 Begins!
29
Sivan
22
Sivan
9:30-11am New Job Search
/Career Coaching
15
Sivan
6
13
20
27
7:30p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
7
Tammuz
(Woodminster Cafe)
Rosh Chodesh
30
Sivan
(Woodminster Cafe)
23
Sivan
(Woodminster Cafe)
16
Sivan
21
28
8
Tammuz
Rosh Chodesh
1
Tammuz
7
14
24
Sivan
7:30p Girl’s Night Out
17
Sivan
1
8
15
22
29
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
9
'' 8:17p
Tammuz
2
'' 8:17p
Tammuz
12p Gan Graduation
GAN Closes at 1p
6:15p East Bay Minyan
25
'' 8:15p
Sivan
18 '' 8:12p
Sivan
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Kindergym
6:15p-7:15p
Confirmation Kabbalat Shabbat
B.S. Zayin Graduation &
Confirmation services
11 '' 8:08p
Sivan
Always check the Congregational E-mail or the Weekly Shabbat Bulletin for more up-to-date information. Please note any corrections care of Rayna Arnold at the TBA office.
Naso
2
9
23
30
9:17p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bat Mitzvah of Talya Bornstein
Chukkat
10
Tammuz
Bat Mitzvah of Aviva Davis
Korach
3
Tammuz
12:15p-1:15p Keflanu –
Shabbat Fun & Games
16
26 Sh’lach L’kha
Sivan
Bar Mitzvah of Daniel Pascal
19 B’Ha• alot’kha
Sivan
Siddur Launch
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
12:15p-1:15p Keflanu –
Shabbat Fun & Games
12
Sivan
June 2012
Calendars in The Omer are produced 30-60 days in advance using the best data available from the TBA Administration Staff. This calendar is also available at our website www.tbaoakland.org
24
10a-12p Ken Cohen class
6:15p Men’s Club “Jews & Baseball”
27
Sivan
11a Gan End of Year Picnic
(Lake Temescal)
20
Sivan
5-7p Interfaith Lake Merritt Clergy
presents Book Talk-Special Event
(Piedmont Community Church)
6-7:30p Teen Scene (Baum YC)
13
Sivan
Sivan / Tammuz 5772
25
8
18
Tammuz
29
10
Av
30
23
12
Av
5
Av
27
Tammuz
20
Tammuz
13
Tammuz
31
24
17
10
3
4
11
18
(Woodminster Cafe)
25
6
Av
(Woodminster Cafe)
28
Tammuz
(Woodminster Cafe)
21
Tammuz
(Office closed)
(Woodminster Cafe)
IndependanCe day U.s.a.
14
Tammuz
7
Av
19
26
29
Tammuz
5
12
22
Tammuz
15
Tammuz
6
13
Rosh Chodesh
'' 8:10p
20
'' 8:04p
27
8
Av
6:15p East Bay Minyan
1
Av
23 '' 8:14p
Tammuz
with BBQ Dinner
16 '' 8:16p
Tammuz
Always check the Congregational E-mail or the Weekly Shabbat Bulletin for more up-to-date information. Please note any corrections care of Rayna Arnold at the TBA office.
11
Av
4
Av
9
2
16
26
Tammuz
19
Tammuz
12
Tammuz
7
14
21
Mattot/Mas’ei
D’Varim
28
9
Av
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
2
Av
Pinchas
24
Tammuz
17
Balak
Tammuz
July 2012
Calendars in The Omer are produced 30-60 days in advance using the best data available from the TBA Administration Staff. This calendar is also available at our website www.tbaoakland.org
22
3
Av
tIsha B’av
15
25
Tammuz
Fast oF the 17th oF tammUz
1
11
Tammuz
Tammuz / Av 5772
Temple Beth Abraham
327 MacArthur Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94610
Periodicals
Postage
PAID
Oakland, CA
Permit No. 020299
Are you The Omer's
next cover artist?
We are currently searching for
a TBA member who wants to
contribute monthly to The Omer
in an artistic way. We will need
someone for the September
issue, due in early August.
Contact Lori Rosenthal
at [email protected].
This Summer- Please Join Us
for Morning Minyan Mondays
and Thursdays in the Chapel
Join the regulars at our Minyan service, each Monday
and Thursday starting at 8:00 a.m. The service lasts
about an hour, and is really a great way to start the
day. As an added bonus, breakfast is served immediately afterwards. To use the old expression – try it,
you’ll like it. If not as a regular, just stop in once or
twice and see what it’s all about.
what’s inside
TBA Directory..........................i
Drash for Parashat Naso...........7
Jewish Day Schools...............15
What’s Happening...................1
Schools Auction.......................8
Midrasha...............................15
From the Rabbi........................2
Cooking Corner.....................10
La’atid...................................17
President’s Message.................3
Kolot Nashim........................11
Life Cycles.............................18
Editor’s Message......................4
Shabbat ..................................12
Donations..............................22
Women of TBA........................5
Gan Avraham News..............13
Calendar................................24
Men’s Club..............................6
Bet Sefer News......................13

Celebrating Summer - Temple Beth Abraham

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