T E M P L E B E T H A B R A H A M

the
Volum
March
T E M P L E
B E T H
A B R A H A M
V o lum e 3 5 , Num be r 1 0 • J u n e 2 0 1 6 • I yya r/ S i v a n 5 7 7 6
Adar /
DIRECTORY
SERVICES SCHEDULE
Services, Location, Time
Monday & Thursday
Morning Minyan, Chapel, 8:00 a.m.
On Holidays, start time is 9:00 a.m.
Friday Evening (Kabbalat Shabbat)
Chapel, 6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Morning
Sanctuary, 9:30 a.m.
Candle Lighting (Friday)
June 3
8:27
June 10
8:31
June 17
8:33
June 24
8:35
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
Torah Portions (Saturday)
June 4
Bechukotai
June 11
Bamidbar
June 18
Nasso
June 25
Beha’alotcha
TEMPLE BETH ABRAHAM
is proud to support the Conservative
Movement by affiliating with The United
Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
Advertising Policy: Anyone may sponsor an issue
of The Omer and receive a dedication for their
business or loved one. Contact us for details. We
do not accept outside or paid advertising.
The Omer is published on paper that is 30%
post-consumer fibers.
The Omer (USPS 020299) is published monthly
except July and August by Congregation Beth
Abraham, 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610.
Periodicals Postage Paid at Oakland, CA.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The
Omer, c/o Temple Beth Abraham, 336 Euclid
Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610-3232.
© 2016. 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.
i
GENERAL INFORMATION:
All phone numbers use (510) prefix unless otherwise noted.
Mailing Address
336 Euclid Ave. Oakland, CA 94610
Hours
M-Th: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Fr: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Office Phone
832-0936
Office Fax
832-4930
E-Mail
[email protected]
STAFF
Rabbi (x 213)
Mark Bloom
Richard Kaplan,
Cantor
[email protected]
Gabbai
Marshall Langfeld
Executive Director (x 214) Rayna Arnold
Office Manager (x 210)
Virginia Tiger
Bet Sefer Director
Susan Simon 663-1683
Jill Rosenthal & Marta Molina
Gan Avraham Director
763-7528
Bookkeeper (x 215)
Suzie Sherman
Facilities Manager (x 211) Joe Lewis
Kindergym/
Dawn Margolin 547-7726
Toddler Program
Volunteers (x 229)
Herman & Agnes Pencovic
OFFICERS OF THE BOARD
President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Laura Wildmann 601-9571
Alice Hale 336-3044
JB Leibovitch 653-7133
NEW
Etta Heber 530-8320
Officers
Ulli Rotzscher 559-0632
David Goodwin 655-0529
Daniel Jaffe 479-7441
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
Chesed
Development
Dues Evaluation
Endowment Fund
Finance
Gan Avraham Parents
Gan Avraham School
Committee
House
Israel Affairs
Membership
Men’s Club
Omer
Personnel
Public Relations
Ritual
Schools
Social Action
Torah Fund
Women of TBA
Youth
Aaron Paul
Warren Gould
Leon Bloomfield & Flo Raskin
Daniel Jaffe
Charles Bernstein
Susan Shub
Toni Mason & Lauren Smith
Gary Bernstein
Stephen Shub
JB Leibovitch
Ulli Rotzscher
Jereme Albin
Lisa Fernandez/Rachel Dornhelm
Laura Wildmann
Lisa Fernandez
Eric Friedman
Alice Hale
Marc Bruner
Anne Levine
Jessica Sterling
Amanda Cohen
WHAT’S HAPPENING
We're doing it again!
Sponsored by WTBA &
Oakland Ruach Hadassah
ROSH
CHODESH
Monday,
June 6
On behalf of The Women of TBA (WTBA) and
Oakland Ruach Hadassah, we would like to invite
all East Bay Women to join our Rosh Chodesh
group.
The group meets monthly on the Monday close to
Rosh Chodesh, from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. at rotating
members’ homes. The meetings are facilitated by
members of the group.
Our new book is The Grammar of God by Aviya
Kushner. The meeting will open with a short discussion about the significance of the new month.
The TBA Men's Club hopes to see you for the
Oakland A’s annual Jewish Heritage Night!
We play the Baltimore Orioles.
Oakland A’s Jewish Heritage Night
Tuesday, August 9, 7:05 p.m.
Tickets are $30 and include the pre-game TBA tailgate with
snacks and drinks, a free Jewish Heritage Night blanket,
free food items in the park, and FREE PARKING.
Tickets: To RSVP and reserve your tickets, either send an
e-mail to [email protected], or call 510-685-1349. Once
your ticket reservation is confirmed, please send a check
made out to “TBA Men's Club” for $30/apiece to: 336 Euclid
Ave., Oakland, 94610. We will be distributing tickets ahead
of the game this year, either by leaving for pick-up at the
TBA office, or sending by US mail, so pre-payment will be
necessary Let me know if you'd like to be seated next to
someone else--we can take care of this as long as we know
ahead of time.
We look forward to seeing you at the game and Go A’s!
Questions? Amy Tessler at [email protected]
or (510) 482-1218 to get on the distribution list
for the upcoming meeting locations. FREE.
MAH JONGG
Join us on the second Shabbat
of the month as we gather
in the Chapel after Kiddush.
June 11
SAVE THE DATE
I hope you will join us on
Friday, July 1
Shabbat Unplugged
in the Murray Davis Courtyard
complete with a BBQ Hot Dog Dinner.
Please Join Us for Morning Minyan
on Mondays & Thursdays this Summer!
Join the regulars at our Minyan service, each Monday and
Thursday usually 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.
1
FROM THE RABBI
Kabbalat Shabbat in Outside Courtyard
by Rabbi Bloom
“Sounds of the city sifting through trees settles like dust on the shoulders of the old friends…”
–Simon and Garfunkel
One of my favorite aspects of summer is when we hold Friday Night Kabbalat Shabbat
Services outdoors in the courtyard. In previous years, this has meant in the courtyard between
the Gan/School Building and the Chapel.
I love the informal atmosphere. I love the chairs scattered here and there, along with the
people sitting on the planter box. I love the smell of the barbecue in the background, as these
services are often accompanied by a hot dog dinner. I love the auditory mix of the sounds of
the city from our semi-urban environment, the swaying of the trees, the strum of the guitar,
and the voices, some in tune and some not, coming from the eclectic mix of congregants. As
beautiful as our sanctuary and chapel are, I always leave these more informal outdoor Shabbat
services feeling inspired.
Starting this summer, these outdoor services will take place in the Murray Davis Courtyard.
I don’t know what kind of sound mix the new environment will produce with the wall, the
Baum Center, the main building, the new landscaping, and the closer proximity to the freeway.
But I am certainly looking forward to finding out.
So, to paraphrase the Haggadah, “this year in the Murray Davis Courtyard!”
Learn Torah with Rabbi Bloom
& other TBAers
ENJOY
YOUR
SUMMER!
Look for your next Omer
in September.
2
Each Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.
at the Woodminster Cafe.
No knowledge of Hebrew is
required.
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Blessings of Summertime
by Laura Wildmann
In Judaism, we mark time with the daily services, shacharit at sunrise and ma’ariv in the evening, with the beginning of holidays at sunset and the ending of holidays with three stars, and
with several holidays timed with harvests. But for me and I’m sure for many of you, summer
blesses us with time, with long summer days, a break from school and homework, a slower
pace at work, and fewer volunteer obligations. With the summertime blessing of time, our
kids, like many kids from Temple Beth Abraham, spend a month away at Camp Ramah and
our family spends time together on a summer vacation. When I was looking unsuccessfully for
a Jewish blessing for the summer, I did learn that the shehecheyanu should be said before eating fruit for the first time of the year. So this summer, I will make sure to say a shehecheyanu
over my first delicious summer peach and feel grateful for all the blessings of time that summer brings.
As I assume my new role as Temple Beth Abraham president this summer, I look forward
to celebrating the joy of summertime in the synagogue’s new social hall and courtyard.
Hopefully I will have the opportunity to spend time with many of you, time with friends and
time getting to know members of our community that I have not yet met, in this beautiful
new space. And of course, I hope to see many of you at the dedication of the Murray Davis
Courtyard and celebration dinner on June 5.
Since my husband, Hugo, and our children, Marshall and Leah, joined the Temple Beth
Abraham community 13 years ago, our involvement in Temple Beth Abraham has blessed us
in innumerable ways – with a wonderful Jewish community, friendships, Jewish learning, and
travel. Our children have graduated from both Gan Avraham and Bet Sefer Avraham (Leah
just last month). We have travelled with the Beth Abraham community to retreats at Camp
Newman and to Israel on the synagogue trip. We have spent many evenings and Shabbats
praying, learning, and, of course, eating at TBA. With everything that Temple Beth Abraham
has given to me and my family, I look forward to serving as president, working with this
year’s synagogue board, and working with all of you to continue our strong Jewish community
and Jewish spiritual, learning and social action opportunities.
Shavuot
In preparation of Shavuot,
join the TBA community and
Cantor Jennie Chabon
for an inspirational and moving
Shabbas morning filled with
prayer and song.
Saturday morning services,
June 11, in the synagogue.
Services begin at 9:30 a.m.
SHAVUOT SERVICES SCHEDULE
Saturday, June 11:
6:15 p.m. — Shavuot Sticker Service
followed by Ice Cream Treat (Sanctuary)
8:00 p.m. — Study Group (Sanctuary)
Sunday, June 12:
9:00 am – Shavuot Service (Chapel)
Monday, June 13:
9:00 am – Shavuot Service (chapel)
3
EDITORS COLUMN
Send Your Kids to Camp, Kids Have Fun, Marriage Refuels
by Lisa Fernandez
I went to Jewish camps my entire youth.
My parents would send me all summer, two months at a stretch, to Camp Ramah in Utterson,
Ontario. And I couldn’t get enough of it. I loved my friends. I loved the ru’ach. I loved being
away from home. And I think I grew up a “committed Jew,” in large part because of what I
learned at Jewish camp.
My husband, who spent his summers at home in Pleasant Hill playing with neighborhood
kids, just didn’t understand why I’d want to send Milah and Noah off for two weeks to Camp
Tawonga.
I sent them as early as 8. And he’d bemoan the fact that the house was quiet. He missed them.
He was mad at me for taking his children away from him.
Fortunately, our kids love camp as much as I did, and still do. They learn Jewish songs, play fun
games, gain independence and form better, deeper relationships with nature – something that’s
very important to my husband. He sees them when they come home, happier, more mature.
And for his part, he’s changed his mind. We both love the fact that our kids can’t wait to go to
camp and are growing up and can backpack for miles in Yosemite.
But he now also relishes the two weeks without them.
Last year, we went to Big Sur for our 15-year anniversary. We caught up on TV shows and
binge-watched them in peace and quiet. We took day hikes on Mt. Tam during the weekend.
He’s since apologized and asked, “Can we send them to camp for a little longer?”
Welcome New Members
Paul & Midori Antebi
Gil & Jacqueline Palchik. Children Ariella & newborn Eyal
Jośe Mendoza
THE OMER
We cheerfully accept member submissions. Deadline for articles and letters is the seventh of the month
preceding publication.
Editor in Chief Rachel Dornhelm
Managing Editor Lisa Fernandez
Layout & Design Jessica Sterling
Calendars Jon Golding
Cover collage of camp
B’nai Mitzvah Editor Susan Simon
Help From People like you!
4
Copy Editors
Jessica Dell’Era, Nadine Joseph, Richard Kauffman, Lori
Rosenthal, Jan Silverman, Debbie Spangler
June Brott, Jessica Dell’Era, Charles Feltman, Elizabeth
Proofreaders James, Jeanne Korn, Anne Levine, Susan Simon, Debbie
Spangler
Distribution Hennie Hecht
Mailing Address 336 Euclid Ave. Oakland, CA 94610
E-Mail [email protected]
SIX WORD MEMOIRS
Six-Word Memoirs: Summer Camp
Singing Shabbat songs Camp Swig Saratoga
-Treya Weintraub
Anyone attend Leonard/Leonore, Kent, Connecticut?
Ultimate summer camp: Taglit Birthright Israel!
-Ann Rapson, still 61! Ha Ha
Summer in Israel, cute Israeli boys!
Summer in Israel, working with archeologists
Hot summer nights on the kibbutz
Falafel for dinner, meals under $5
Best summer ever, need to return
-Lori-Jill Seltzer, teenager in Israel, many years ago!
Compiled by Jessica Teisch
Jewish summer camps create Jewish love.
Shabbat at camp, friendship, spirit renewed.
Swimming is Jewish with Jewish towel.
Some say, teach your son swimming.
Karen Bloom, 46
Canadian Camp Ramah, kissing Joseph Lerner
Rabbi Bloom makes TBA like camp
-Lisa Fernandez, 46
Camp By The Sea-JCC day camp at Jersey Shore
-Linda Stevens, 60s
Outdoor Shabbat is a summer blessing.
-Jonathan Carey, 51
Between cheesecake and honey; no holidays.
Tel Aviv: Hot sand, kasata, chasake.
-Sharon Alva, 50
The Six-Word Memoirs on Jewish Life is a partnership
between Reboot (www.rebooters.net) and Larry Smith.
In November 2006, writer and editor Larry Smith issued
a challenge to fans of his online publication, SMITH
Magazine. Inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s legendary
shortest of short stories (“For sale: Baby shoes, never
worn”), Smith asked readers to describe their lives in six
words. Since then, the Six-Word Memoir® made its debut
in 2006, nearly one million short life stories have been
shared on the storytelling community SMITH Magazine
website.
5
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION
Conversations Across Generations:
Holocaust Survivors and Teens Meet in
Oakland
by Judy David Bloomfield
My mother, a Holocaust survivor originally from
Romania/Hungary, was an active member of Café Europa
in Los Angeles for many years. Discovering that JFCS
East Bay runs a thriving Café Europa program as well
inspired me to get involved with the agency. My mom
was deeply committed to Holocaust education, as am I.
In addition to getting to know our East Bay Café Europa
participants, I am fortunate to be part of an active Second
Generation group at Temple Beth Abraham (TBA) in
Oakland for adults whose parents were Holocaust survivors. The group formed back in 2007. We are interested,
among many things, in connecting teens in our community
with Holocaust survivors. We know first-hand that there
is nothing more powerful than hearing stories about the
Holocaust directly from people who lived through that horrible time and managed to rebuild their lives afterwards.
In partnership with Rita Clancy, Director of Adult
Services at JFCS East Bay, and Susan Simon, TBA’s
Director of Education, our Second Generation group
recently made arrangements to bring several of Café
Europa’s survivors to TBA’s Bet Sefer Religious School
to meet with the seventh grade students. The teens had
been practicing their interviewing skills in the weeks
prior to this gathering, and after introductions they dispersed in small groups into the corners of TBA’s social
hall and library and the conversations began.
“What were your experiences with anti-Semitism in the
United States?” asked Jonah intently, wearing a purple
hoodie from Northwestern University. He was sitting
around a table with four of his classmates and was interviewing Renee, who had just finished her story about
fleeing with her family to the South of France.
“I didn’t really notice any,” Renee began, “because I
was so focused on being married and raising my family.”
The students blinked at her, somewhat perplexed. Renee
added, “When I got to America, I never looked back.”
Jonah jotted that down.
Across the room, Laszlo explained to his group how he
was saved by Raoul Wallenberg in Budapest during the
occupation. Meanwhile, Dora extended her arm to show
her cluster of students her tattoo from Auschwitz. She
told them some of the powerful stories recounted in detail
in her book, Tell the Children: Letters to Miriam.
Upstairs in the Temple’s library, Marika from Budapest
re-lived the most harrowing minutes of her life. She
described crouching in a tiny cupboard while clinging
to Margaret Slachta, the leader of the Grey Nuns Sisters
of Social Service who saved over 1,000 Jews during the
Hungarian Holocaust. (Yad Vashem recognized Slachta as
Righteous Among the Nations in 1985.)
“Our parents had already been taken,” Marika explained.
“We heard the boots walking closer, we did not dare
breathe,” she paused to wipe a tear from her cheek. “I can
still feel Slachta trembling—but we were being liberated,”
she said shrugging, as though she still didn’t believe it.
“I just can’t help but think: it could have been me,” confessed twelve-year-old Talia soberly.
“It could have been any of us!” another student exclaimed.
After sharing her vivid memories of Kristallnacht and her
escape from Germany to England in 1939, Liesel’s parting words to her group of students were this: “The secret
word in life is kindness. Caring, whether you are a Jew
or Christian or whatever, that is the way to live: to care
about oneself and others.”
A few days after the event, I received an email from
Marika in which she thanked me for “the opportunity to
spend such meaningful time with these intelligent, openminded young people.” She admitted, “I hardly ever talk
I would like to thank the Rabbi and the Second Generation
group for honoring us, the Holocaust Survivors, at TBA.
It was very emotional for us.
We are very lucky to be here with you friends.
Love Misia Nudler.
6
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION
Members of Cafe Europa talking with TBA seventh graders.
about my experience in the Holocaust so I knew it would
be a painful and upsetting experience for me. Honestly, I
wasn’t looking forward to it.” I had sensed her discomfort when she arrived that day, and was relieved to hear
how she felt afterwards: “Now I am grateful that it happened,” she wrote. “I had to do it for all who perished
in the Shoah. These young people heard what happened
to those Jews… who didn’t have the opportunity to
live in this wonderful place called the United States of
America.”
On this Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2016, I reflect
on the courage of survivors to tell their incredible life
stories, and the courage of young teenagers to listen and
ask questions. As long as we can continue to have these
conversations, we will. We must. Their stories will not be
forgotten.
Judy David Bloomfield is Board President of Jewish
Family & Community Services East Bay.
For more information about Holocaust Survivor Services
in the East Bay, visit www.jfcs-eastbay.org
How wonderful it is that nobody need
wait a single moment before starting to
improve the world.
Anne Frank
7
COOKING CORNIER
Get Cultured – Yogurt
by Faith Kramer
My earliest memory of yogurt is my Grandma Anna stirring up the fruit on the bottom of her Dannon strawberry
yogurt, which she ate mixed with cottage cheese for
lunch. Every day.
It was such a part of my life I assumed everyone ate
yogurt. When I grew up and realized what the world was
missing out on, I was amazed. Back then I only ate it out
of the cardboard container (coffee flavor was my favorite), but once I began to cook, it didn’t take long for me
to discover the incredible versatility of this cultured dairy
product.
Since then flavor combinations have increased, individual
container sizes have decreased by a few ounces, thick,
strained, Greek-style yogurt has become the star of supermarkets’ refrigerator sections, and non-dairy, vegan and
parve yogurts made with soy, almond and other plantbased liquids have become available.
Plain yogurt can be found as a garnish, made into sauces,
dips and beverages, baked into cakes, used as a thickener
and protein booster for soups and vegetarian stews, and
so much more in Jewish culinary traditions from India
to Central Asia to the Middle East to Eastern Europe for
centuries if not millennia.
Check ingredients and choose a yogurt that is free from
stabilizers and or gelatins and that contains active, live
bacteria (cultures). Flavored yogurts often add a lot of
sugar, so watch out for that if it is a concern. I usually
just buy plain and stir in a little jam or fruit.
Below is a recipe to make your own homemade yogurt.
You’ll need a few tablespoons of plain yogurt to start,
but you can use your homemade yogurt to start the next
batch.
To make Greek-style yogurt, follow the directions for
yogurt cheese and strain as directed in the recipe. To
make yogurt cheese, strain for 2-3 days until very thick.
I like to mix in spices or chopped herbs and drizzle with
olive oil before serving, but yogurt cheese (also known as
labaneh) is truly a blank canvas for culinary creativity.
There are also recipes for using yogurt as a sauce, a dessert, and in a baked cottage cheese and yogurt entree. If
you have any yogurt stories or recipes to share, please
email me at [email protected] and I’ll include them in
any updates on the topic.
It has only been in the last 100 years or so that it was
popularized in Western Europe and the United States by
a Sephardic Jewish doctor from Salonika who settled first
in Barcelona, then France and later the U.S, creating the
Dannon brand. He was the first industrial manufacturer
of yogurt and started out not to create a food empire but
to bring yogurt’s probiotic benefits to his adopted homelands.
Theories abound about how the tangy fermented milk
product was first discovered. Some say milk stored in
leather hide bags accidentally fermented by wild bacteria
while nomads traveled by horse or camel and the result
was so refreshing and delicious that it was replicated.
Scientifically what happened was bacterial fermentation
of lactose (milk sugar). That produced lactic acid, which
gives yogurt its tang and texture.
Yogurt can be found made out of cow, sheep, goat, camel,
water buffalo and even horse milk. It is called mast in
Persian, laban in Arabic, dahi in India and has other
names around the world. The word yogurt is thought
to be derived from the Turkish word for yogurt, yogun,
which may have been from a word meaning clotted or
thickened. The Ottoman Empire brought yogurt to its
conquered Balkan and Eastern European territories.
8
HOMEMADE YOGURT
Makes 1 Quart
Use however you’d use commercial yogurt.
This is based on a recipe from ReadyMade
magazine. Be sure the yogurt you use as a
starter has live, active cultures and is
made without stabilizers or gelatins.
1 quart whole or 2 percent milk
2 Tbs. plain yogurt (whole, low-fat or
non-fat), not Greek-style or vegan
Cook milk over medium-low heat stirring
occasionally until it reaches 180 degrees
on an instant read thermometer. Remove
pan from heat. Let cool until milk is 115
degrees. Add yogurt and mix well. Pour
into a quart jar with lid. Wrap in towels.
Place in a warm spot away from drafts in
an insulated cooler bag or ice chest for
12 hours or overnight, until it has reached
the desired thickness. Store finished
yogurt in the refrigerator.
YOGURT CHEESE
Makes about 2½ cups
Use yogurt cheese as a spread either plain
or seasoned. Be sure your yogurt has live,
active cultures and is made without stabilizers or gelatins. Timing is approximate
and will vary, so be sure to check on your
yogurt periodically to make sure you get
the consistency you want.
Try goat (my favorite) or sheep milk
yogurt for extra tang. Save the drained
whey (milky water) to enrich baking, soups
or smoothies.
32 ounces of whole, low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt (not Greek-style or
vegan)
Place the yogurt in a colander lined with
a double thickness of dampened cheese
cloth over a deep bowl. For strained,
Greek-style yogurt, allow to drain in
the refrigerator 12 hours or overnight
or until reduced to about half of the
original volume. Remove whey as needed
to make sure the drained liquid does not
touch the bottom of the colander. Serve
as as you would Greek yogurt or flavor
with minced garlic, spices and or chopped
herbs to make into a spread. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container. For the
thicker cheese, tie the drained yogurt in
its cheesecloth to the handle of a wooden
spoon and suspend over a bowl for another
1-2 days until as thick as cream cheese or
fresh goat cheese. Serve plain, seasoned
or shaped into logs or balls and rolled in
cracked black pepper or minced herbs. Wrap
in plastic. Store in the refrigerator.
COOKING CORNER
YOGURT AND HONEY
Serves 4
Use dairy or vegan, parve yogurt for this
simple dessert. To keep it vegan, skip
the honey and drizzle with maple or date
syrup.
3 cups dairy or vegan vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped mint
Place about 3/4 of a cup of yogurt in each
serving dish. Drizzle each serving with
the honey, sprinkle with ¼ of the dates
and chopped nuts and scatter ¼ of the mint
over top.
CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH
WITH YOGURT MINT SAUCE
Serves 4
This makes a mild dish. For a spicier one,
double the garlic, black pepper and cumin
and add a dash of ground cayenne red pepper.
1 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs. minced fresh mint leaves
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
1-15 oz. can cooked chickpeas, rinsed
well and drained (about 1 ¾ cups)
12 oz. fresh spinach leaves
1 cup vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
Combine yogurt, mint and lemon juice in a
bowl. Stir well and set aside for an hour.
(Use non-dairy yogurt to make this dish
vegan.)
Heat oil in large fry pan over medium high
heat. Sauté onion until softened, add garlic, sauté until just brown. Add salt,
pepper, cinnamon and cumin and sauté for
a minute. Add chickpeas, stirring well.
Place spinach leaves on top of chickpea
mixture, packing down if necessary. Add
vegetable broth. Cover. Cook until spinach
is cooked, stirring occasionally so spinach and chickpeas are thoroughly mixed.
Taste and correct seasonings. Serve on
brown rice topped with yogurt sauce.
Continued on page 10
9
COMMUNITY
How I Learned my Torah Portion
by Joni Tanis
Harry asked me to do a Torah portion for his Bar
Mitzvah. Of course I pictured that I would, I wanted to,
and yet there was also a part of me that wasn’t sure if I
could even do it. After all, it had been over 40 years since
I read from the Torah on my own Bat Mitzvah. Following
along during services, when other people chant, I recognize the letters and am able to form the words when
prayers are said. Some prayers of course I just know from
growing up Jewish and going to Temple. Reading proficiently on the other hand, seemed to be a thing of the
past.
In late February, when I started to practice and learn my
portion I was scared. My ego got in the way and I had to
fight the voices that said I couldn’t do this. I had to work
on my mind set muscle. I needed to learn eleven lines,
and my trope was the most varied of any of the others in
this parsha. Could I pull this off? Luckily I had a great
teacher, Susan Simon. She had me tackle the work by
breaking it down to reading and pronouncing a few words
at a time until I could read the whole line fairly well.
Only then did we move onto the next. It was all very systematic. Sometimes we started with the last word in the
line and worked backwards to the first. There were times
that I worked very hard to remember. There were days
when I had to repeat a certain word fifty to one hundred
times. It was slow going in the beginning. I kept looking to the end and wondered if I would ever get there.
Harry helped by recording each Hebrew line separately.
He did this in a very clear and slow voice. That way, I
could listen to each line and then repeat it. Sometimes I
Cooking, continued from page 9
THE QUICHE PRETENDER
Serves 3-4 as brunch, lunch or light
dinner
Serves 8 as appetizer
This crustless country pie has the tastiness of a quiche but is quicker and probably by somewhat healthier. It is adapted
from a favorite recipe of mine by Carol
Cutler in her now out-of-print cookbook,
Six Minute Soufflé.
1 pound cottage cheese
6 tablespoons yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 whole green onion, trimmed and minced
(whites and greens)
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
10
played little games by correlating the sound of the word
with other associated words that helped to trigger my
memory. I was making a little progress. Susan recorded
each line with the melody and trope. I could sing along
with Susan’s recording at home, and stop to repeat each
word and line when I needed to. I would listen to Harry’s
lines and repeat them, and then listen to Susan chanting
and repeat that. I pretty much worked every day for a
little while for over two months. Slowly but surely I was
able to tackle five lines fairly well. I was almost halfway
there. I was actually moving forward. It felt like a minor
victory. Correcting, repeating, practicing, singing, making little breakthroughs. Then I was able to move a little
more quickly and confidently. In May, when I was able
to sing the whole portion with just some minor tweaking
needed, Susan recognized my diligence. She smiled at
me when I was done singing, and said that I was a model
student. That felt really good to hear. It took me only 40
years.
3 eggs, beaten
Paprika (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Drain and discard excess liquid off from
the cottage cheese. In a large bowl, mix
together the cheese, yogurt, coriander,
nutmeg, minced green onion and sugar.
Mix until fairly smooth. Taste and then
add salt and pepper. Add in half of the
cheese and the eggs. Mix well. Pour into
a greased 9-10" pie plate or baking pan.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Sprinkle
paprika on top if using. Bake until the
top is browned and puffy and the egg mixture has set. Cut into wedges and serve
immediately.
Faith Kramer writes a food column for the j weekly and
blogs her food at www,clickblogappetit. Contact her at
[email protected].
OPINION
Adjusting My Animosity Toward
Pervasive Southern Religiosity
by Shira Levine
I recently traveled from where I live, Oakland, to my
hometown of Atlanta. When the plane landed at the airport, I went to the women’s room. On my way out, the
bathroom attendant gave me a brilliant smile and said,
“Have a blessed day and a happy Easter.”
After a few seconds of cognitive dissonance (where was I
again?), I warmed up all over. The South is so open about
religion, Jesus is even in the bathroom. I was home.
Religion is so front-and-center in the South. There are
churches everywhere. In my hometown, it is illegal to
sell alcohol on Sunday. Everyone wishes you a “Merry
Christmas” at checkout; there is no debate.
Growing up Jewish, I naturally struggled with where I fit
into the culture. The idea that religion — and a religion
that wasn’t mine — peppered everyday conversation
made me feel left out and invisible. The Christian youth
group met in my public high school on weekday afternoons. To boot, I was tiny, brainy and Semitic-looking.
I didn’t worship like anyone else I knew, and I sure as
heck didn’t look like them either.
Like many Jews, I went through every manner of reactive phase to overt Christianity: feeling proselytized to,
talking back (“I don’t celebrate Christmas. I celebrate
Chanukah”) — and spending hours in the gospel tent at
the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Though I was always engaged in the struggle of how to
piece it all together, it wasn’t until my adult life (and participation as a fellow in the Wexner Heritage Program)
that I realized the dominant culture may dominate the
culture, but it doesn’t own the conversation about religion
or anyone’s relationship with God.
I started talking out loud and in public about my relationship with my religion, my religious institutions, my holy
books, my cuisine and, yes, my God. What a liberation!
Through publicly owning my own sentiments about my
religion, I get to join the discourse. Moreover, I gained
a deeply satisfying appreciation for my childhood culture that was dominated by a real, visceral, physical and
present-tense relationship with God, albeit the Christian
version of the deity.
As Jews, we may not talk about “having a blessed day,”
or “calling up God on the phone” or “being so blessed.”
But we certainly have our share of those feelings every
day: when we see our children, when we eat delicious
food, when we puzzle through life’s quandaries.
I now know that when I visit the South, wishes for Godfilled days are a way of sharing the bliss of trust in the
order of things and of gratitude for their existence. They
are part of what visitors say about how nice people are in
the South.
And if a woman who works in a bathroom at an airport
can spread that sentiment, then so can I.
The folks in Georgia are nice partially because they’re
in conversation with the Divine every day. It’s like keeping kosher or doing yoga: a daily, conscious practice
that aims to remind you of everything for which you are
grateful.
When I receive these warm wishes, it now gives me a
chance to reflect, in my very Jewish way, upon my blessings. I am so blessed! And I bet you are, too.
Shira Levine, of Oakland, is president of Fanchismo, an
online community strategy consultancy. She chairs the
S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation’s innovation
committee, serves on Urban Adamah’s board and is a
past board member of American Jewish World Service.
This article first appeared in the J. Weekly.
SPONSOR A KIDDUSH
Do you have a simcha to celebrate or a person to remember?
Share this occasion with your Temple Beth Abraham family.
Call or send an email and Rayna,
who can help arrange this for you.
Rayna Arnold, Executive Director
[email protected]
(510) 832-0936
11
GAN AVRAHAM
L’hitraot To Our Dear Friend, Mentor and
Master Teacher
by Jill Rosenthal and Marta Molina
As educators at the Gan, we are used to seeing children
develop and move on. For instance, at this time of year,
we hold a “graduation” ceremony for our Kitah Gimmel
students and observe, in awe, how much they have all
grown socially, emotionally and cognitively. However, it
is not often that we have to bid farewell to a teacher.
Ruth Morris has been part of the Gan Avraham faculty for
over 25 years. Yes, that’s right, 25 years! A few months
ago, Ruth informed us that she was ready to move on to
the next exciting phase in her life, that of grandmother
and part-time caretaker to her grandchild.
It goes without saying that we are happy for her but
admittedly, saddened that she will be leaving Gan
Avraham.
It is not often that one comes across an educator so deeply devoted to their craft, as Ruth has been. She is one of a
few teachers at the Gan who has taught every age group.
This type of experience allowed her to become an authority in early childhood development. Ruth also possesses
a depth of Judaic knowledge that has been invaluable to
our faculty and families over the years. She has been a
valued mentor to many, a source of support to numerous families over these 25 years and beloved educator to
countless children.
To say we are grateful for her support, guidance and
expertise doesn’t seem to adequately convey her value to
us. She has not only taught at the Gan, but has also been
a director, and now a confidante and source of support to
us, as we continue on our journey as co-directors. And,
may we also add that her sense of humor is ALWAYS
appreciated and will most definitely be missed!
We have fond memories of Ruth playing the role of
Haman in our Purim play; her willingness to play a villain even though we all know she has a heart of gold!
Ruth has been known to cook scrumptious dishes for our
staff meetings and potlucks. We all admire her adeptness
at being direct and speaking her mind.
Here are some thoughts from our colleagues about Ruth:
“Should Ruth ever tire of being a full time grandma, she
could easily get a job as a professional storyteller!”
“She is able to capture the children’s full attention, not an
easy task in the Gimmel room.”
“I always loved listening to the next installment of a
Katon’Ton adventure (one that only she could so skillfully
adapt in a developmentally appropriate way), as well as
her taking on the persona of a very, very, old and wise
12
Ruth Morris
woman, all the while, weaving in Jewish values.”
“I will miss Ruth’s playfulness, and humor.”
“I have had the true honor of working with Ruth this
past year. She welcomed me into the Gan community with
open arms, genuine respect and kindness. This was my
first year at the Gan and I believe it was Ruth’s 25th year.
As I am a new teacher and she is a seasoned vet, I appreciate her for treating me as her equal, while mentoring
me and exposing me to Jewish culture and traditions.
She’s been open to new ideas, trying things differently
and also sharing with me so much that she’s learned over
the years. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to coteach with this year. I wish I had the chance to work with
her longer, however I am so excited for this new journey
that life is going to take her on. Love you Ruth. You’re the
bomb!”
We know this is not goodbye, as Ruth has assured us that
she will remain an integral part of this community, as a
former colleague and member of the congregation.
Mazel tov, Ruth.
BET SEFER
Bet Sefer Students Can Sharpen Hebrew
Skills During Summer
by Susan Simon
Yom Ha’atzmaut at Bet Sefer –
Happy Birthday Israel
By the time you are reading this, Bet Sefer will have
concluded for the year. It’s been a great year, but I have
to admit I need a rest, as do my teachers and the students.
Yet, while the students and their parents won’t be hanging around TBA so much during the summer, that doesn’t
mean the Jewish learning should stop.
For quite a few years now we have had a Summer
Literacy Program for the students. The younger ones are
encouraged to keep track of the Jewish acts that they do
throughout the summer. They have a cute chart to fill in
and if they fill in all 30 squares, plus draw pictures about
five Jewish books they or their parents have read to them
over the summer, then they enjoy a cupcake decorating/
eating party when they return to school. The idea is to
keep “doing” Jewish in their daily lives.
For the older students, they have a little homework to keep
their Hebrew reading and comprehension skills sharp over
the summer. And if they do really well on their start of the
year quiz, they, too, get to enjoy the cupcake party. Both of
these programs are voluntary – no one has to participate if
they don’t want to. Of course, it’s really important to me
that they participate. But is that enough?
In my fantasy world, I’d have every one of us learning a
little Torah each week as a normal part of our lives. But
it seems that for many, summertime results in less learning rather than more. Much as I’d like to, I know I can’t
force learning on everyone. But I thought I’d give some
tidbits and questions about the summer Torah portions
that some of you might find interesting. Maybe you can
parcel them out, week by week.
Starting on June 11 we have parashat B’midbar, meaning in the wilderness where the Israelites are instructed
to take a census of all of the males over 20 years of age
who can take up arms. They count the Levites separately
who are designated to guard the tabernacle. Who is
guarding the tabernacle today and from what? We don’t
have a tabernacle and we don’t have an active group of
Levites protecting any of the holy objects of Judaism
from danger. But what exactly might that danger be?
Anti-semitism? Fundamentalists? Or is it assimilation
that is our greatest current threat? Maybe the selection
of the Levites (who were NOT warriors) to protect the
tabernacle were chosen because they could promote a
vibrant Jewish life for the entire community. Their job
included teaching holy rituals and ministering to the
needs of people. Maybe we could use them today.
Continued on page 14
13
BET SEFER
Bet Sefer, continued from page 13
June 18: parashat Nasso covers many different topics.
Moses reminds the Israelites to remove ritually unclean
people from the camp, we learn of the test for a woman
accused of adultery, we learn about Nazirite vows, we
learn the blessing Aaron is to use when he blesses the
people of Israel, and we learn of the gifts that each tribe
brought for the consecration of the tabernacle. Let’s focus
on the Nazirite vow–a vow to separate a man from his
community so as to dedicate himself to God. He has to
abstain from drinking any kind of wine, any vinegar of
wine, anything in which grapes have been steeped and he
can’t even eat grapes, fresh or dried. How can we understand this today? Probably what really mattered was the
idea of self-control, behaving differently from the people
among who you live who routinely satisfied their desires
and lusts. Our passions can help us to achieve wondrous
things but they can also get us into trouble. Learning to
harness these desires can allow us to accomplish our very
best.
June 25: parashat Beha’a lot’cha gives us a detailed
explanation of Passover, makes us cranky with more
kvetching by the Israelites about the food and conditions,
and horrifies us as Miriam and Aaron speak ill of Moses’
wife. Moses is having a tough time of it and finally
acknowledges that he can’t handle all of these responsibilities himself. He sees the signs that he is in danger of
burning out. How many of us see the signs, in ourselves,
in our children, in other loved ones and friends? One of
the miracles of this parasha is that Moses paid attention
to the signs and acted to fix the situation. What about
you, what about your children?
July 2: parashat Sh’lach tells us about the 12 spies that
were sent into Canaan to scout out the land who reported
that the land was bountiful but unconquerable, telling of
giant inhabitants. The Israelites are punished for believing the scouts and being too fearful to try to conquer the
land. What were they afraid of? Was it reality or just
perception? How often are our actions controlled by
what we perceive reality to be rather than what objectively exists? When we look in the mirror, what do we
see about ourselves? Were the Israelites really so weak
and insignificant or did they just see themselves that way
because of their centuries-long suffering as slaves? What
would it take for these ex-slaves to change their perception, highlighting their strengths rather than focusing on
their weaknesses? What would it take for us to do the
same?
July 9: parashat Korach speaks about Korach’s rebellion
against the ruling of Moses and Aaron. Moses tells the
people that if these rebels die an unnatural death, this will
be a sign that Moses is God’s chosen leader. When the
14
rebels die, the Israelites blame Moses and God sends a
plague killing over 14,000 of them. Such a timely Torah
portion because it is all about the skill of being a leader.
Would this rebellion have occurred had Moses been a
better leader? After all, he has failed in getting his people
into the promised land (remember last week’s portion)
and now they are destined to wander the desert for 40
years. Can the people be blamed for questioning authority? Is Moses supposed to be the leader for as long as
he lives? What happened to democracy where we might
think everyone is equally holy? Was this really only
about Korach’s ego? Looking at our own political season,
how many of the battles between our politicians have to
do with ego, with failed expectations, with frustration,
with haves and have-nots? The Torah could not be more
relevant than right here!
July 16: parashat Chukkat, where we learn about the ritual of the red heifer, where Miriam dies leaving the people
without water, where Moses strikes the rock twice out of
anger or frustration, perhaps demonstrating a lack of faith
in God, and where Aaron dies. This is a portion about
anger management and how a failure to have self-control
can have disastrous results. Moses is told to speak to the
rock to get water from it but Moses disobeys and hits the
rock. His punishment is dying without entering the promised land. We feel for Moses, we want him to experience
the joy and satisfaction of a monumental job well done.
We hurt for his pain and feel it unjust. Maybe one of the
lessons to be learned here is that sometimes the punishment far exceeds the crime because sometimes the consequences far exceed what we could have imagined them to
be. We drive too fast in our cars, forgetting that our speed
could end our life or the life of another. We gossip about
an acquaintance and that tidbit of gossip damages the
person’s reputation who now can’t get a job. Moses just
deviated a little bit from God’s instruction, but maybe
demonstrating a lack of faith in God had consequences
far more devastating than Moses had thought about. Or
maybe he was understandably tired and cranky!
July 23: parashat Balak, where we have that great story
of the talking donkey and the cursing and the blessing.
Balak wants to curse the Jewish people because they aren’t
assimilating and he fears they are becoming too numerous
to defeat in battle. They hold themselves apart from the
Moabites and this is threatening to him. (Another portion
that seems like it could have been written today!) We Jews
still hold ourselves apart in some respects. And while we
have assimilated significantly in the United States, there
are still some differences that help to bind us together and
apart from the rest of society. We Jews are commanded to
repair the world. While most cultures and religions make
Continued on page 16
BET SEFER
Our Bet Sefer Students
15
BET SEFER
Bet Sefer, continued from page 14
tremendous acts to bring about justice in the world, we
Jews believe that this is our job – to bring righteousness
and justice into the world. We sure are glad that others
strive for the same ideas of justice.
July 30: parashat Pinchas, wherein we learn about our
famous zealot who killed an Israelite man and a Moabite
woman who were engaged in a bit of hanky panky right
in front of the community. While we might not consider
this so unusual now, back in Biblical times, this was a
definite breach of conduct. Pinchas sees himself as the
chief enforcer of all that is proper and he runs the two
people through with a spear. Hmm…. Let’s see, they
broke the law and are immediately killed. What happened
to due process, an accusation, a trial, a sentence? We
all know people who are fanatics about things, sports,
music, politics, and these folks go out of their way to
let everyone know about it. We admire the passion and
depend upon many such people to make things happen in
the world. But this? This is okay? And here’s the kicker
– God rewards Pinchas for this act that to us seems like
criminal barbarism. And what about the commandment
not to murder!!! Is this any different from someone who
assassinates a person whose ideas they abhor? Are there
limits to fanaticism or should there be? What about the
idea of ends justifying the means?
August 6: parashat Matot-Masei where about 40 years
have passed with the Israelites still wandering in the
wilderness. The Israelites are near the promised land and
we have a chance to look back on the journey. Reminds
me of the children pleading in the back of the car, “Are
we there yet?” Yes, Israelites, you are there. Now what?
Now you will conquer the land, but then what? The
Torah actually gives us a few clues. There will be cities
of refuge for people accused of accidental killings, and
there will be cities for the Levites who were not given a
share of the new land. We learn that there should be green
space in and around the cities. Imagine yourself at that
time. What are the must-haves that you would fight for as
you are entering the promised land?
August 13: parashat D’varim wherein Moses looks back
on his leadership of the Israelites and recounts some of
his difficulties in the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Moses concludes this part by naming Joshua as
his successor. Moses is clearly angry with God as God is
angry with Moses. This begs the question, is it permissible for Moses, a religious person, to be angry with God?
And what about any of us, whether we consider ourselves
religious or not? Is Moses just frustrated that things in
16
his life didn’t work out as he wanted? Is Moses just role
modeling for the people that it is perfectly acceptable
for them to be angry with God? At just this point, the
Israelites were commanded not just to obey God, not just
to honor God and follow God’s ways, but to LOVE God
with all their hearts. A loving relationship often includes
anger, frustration, hurt. Denying those emotions doesn’t
enhance the relationship. Life isn’t fair and being angry
with someone doesn’t have to permanently fracture the
relationship. We can be disappointed when we seek God
and don’t get the answer that we want, but we can still
turn to God for guidance and hope and comfort.
August 20: parashat Va’etchanan continues Moses’
speech to the people reminding them to follow the laws
and commandments so they can enter the promised land.
He emphasizes the very special relationship between the
people and God and repeats the 10 commandments and
the Shema. The people are admonished to not add on or
diminish from what has been commanded of them. We all
understand that we aren’t to do away with any of these
laws, but what is the harm in making new laws? How
can a people govern themselves and pursue justice when
their hands are tied by not being able to enact new laws?
What would become of the United States if the laws
created by the Founding Fathers could never have been
augmented? We would be stuck perpetually with slavery,
inequality? Is this a good analogy? Have any of these
laws been augmented or diminished?
August 27th – parashat Eikev, our last summer parasha.
The people learn of the great blessings that will come
their way from following God’s commandments. They
are reminded to give thanks for their blessings and that
all that God wants is for the people to remain faithful
to God’s laws, to worship God, to behave appropriately
toward orphans, widows and strangers. And that if they
do these things they will be blessed with abundance. Dr.
Arnold Eisen pointed out that a paved road exists whether
the road is traveled or not. But a path through the wilderness exists only if people walk it regularly. Abandon the
path even for a short time and it becomes overgrown.
“The repeated trampling of feet clears wilderness paths.
Each person’s journey is made easier by the passage of
those who have gone before.” What has your journey
been like this summer? Are you easing the paths of those
coming after you? If so, a big yasher koach!
I hope that your summer has included meaningful Jewish
learning and journeys. Looking forward to continued
learning with you in the Fall.
SCHOLARSHIP FOR HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES
VOLUNTEER BOARD
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD FOR
HIGH SCHOOL JEWISH STUDENT-ATHLETES
The Northern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame is accepting
nominations of outstanding Jewish studentathletes for a small college scholarship (approx. $1,500) to be awarded
at a gala dinner on October 29, 2016. Any secondary school male or
female Jewish student in the class of 2017 (current juniors in 2016) in
Northern California may be nominated.
Criteria for eligibility: One who identifies him/herself as a Jew, or who acknowledges their Jewish heritage, or
who wants to reconnect with their Jewish ancestral identity.
Please send a 150-word application stating why this person is worthy of recognition (students may nominate themselves). Please include:
•A letter of application from the student-athlete (150 words).
•A letter from a person who is familiar with the student-athlete (150 words).
•A list of athletic participation signed by a coach or counselor.
•A transcript of grades up to the date of application (must include a verification stamp).
•A list of community service and extra-curricular activities.
•Additional letters of recommendation from coaches, administrators, teachers, clergy (no more than 3).
Date to submit the application is July 8, 2016.
Send to Gary Wiener, JSHOFNC, 4200 Indigo Oak Court, San Jose, CA 95121.
If you have questions, please call Gary Wiener at (408) 374-1600 or Barbara Oseroff (TBA member), scholarship
committee, at (510) 653-5155.
Volunteer Board
WELCOME A NEW MEMBER: Do you have
time to help deliver TBA’s new member
baskets? If so, please contact Virginia at
virginia@ tbaoakland.org
GIVE A NEW PARENT AN HOUR TO SHOWER
This is a perfect mitzvah for those with
daytime flexibility. Volunteers are 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
womenoftba@ tbaoakland.org.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
There is always an opportunity to volunteer at Temple Beth Abraham. Please
consider helping a cause or event you
feel a connection to.
FEED THE HUNGRY:
TBA volunteers at CityTeam to feed
the hungry on the fourth Sunday of
each month from 5:00-7:00 p.m.
If you wish to volunteer contact
Caren Shapiro at [email protected]
17
DONATIONS
Charity is equal in importance to all the other commandments combined.
Davis Courtyard/Next Big
Thing Building Project
Sally & Victor Aelion, in memory of
Rachel Aelion
Renat Engel
Sandy & Dawn Margolin
Larry Miller & Mary Kelly
Barbara Oseroff
Betty Ann Polse
Jeffrey & Judith Quittman
Ulli Rotzscher
Stephen & Susan Shub
Jessica Siegel
Bruce & Alicia von Kugelgen
Arnold & Marjorie Blustein
Andy Campbell & Rachel Dornhelm
Alden & Sabrina Cohen
Jessica Dell’Era
Renat Engel
Mark Fickes & William Gentry
Norman Frankel & Janice Lasar Frankel
Noah & Carrie Garber
Noah Goldstein & Jenny Michaelson
Morey & Eleanor Greenstein
Fred & Beth Karren, in memory of Joe
Karren
Leonard Katz
Anthony Kay & Amy Kittiver-Kay
Seymour Kessler
Judith Klinger
Michael & Katherine Maidenberg
Michael & Renee Marx
Larry & Deborah Reback, in memory
of Albert Levine
John Rego & Deborah Kahane Rego,
in memory of Sidney Szepsel Kahane
David Salk & Leah Kaizer
Tsutomu Satomi & Hildie Spritzer,
in memory of Susanne Spritzer
Ethel Shaffer, wishing Alan Silver a
speedy recovery
Ethel Shaffer, condolences to Betty Ann
Polse on the loss of her son, Maury
Ethel Shaffer, condolences to Hildie
Spritzer on the loss of her mother
Paul Silberstein & Karen Glasser
Elizabeth Simms
Marvin & Wendy Siver
Matthew & Lauren Smith, in memory
of Jessica Manasse
18
Stephen & Amy Tessler
Bet Sefer Discretionary
Education Fund
Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, in honor
of Barbara’s Birthday
Minyan Fund
Sandy & Dawn Margolin
Ulli Rotzscher
Gan Avraham Discretionary
Education Fund
Yom HaShoah Fund
Risa Galant, in honor of the memory of
my mother Jean Galant on her birthday
& her commitment to Jewish education
Ytzhack & Etta Heber, in memory of
William & Blanche Groskopf
TBA General Fund
Lena and Cheryl Ann Cahn
Azary & Clara Blumenkrantz
Denise Davis, in memory of Grace Gill
Steven Grossman & Jill Rosenthal, in
memory of Abe Grossman and Arnie
Rosenthal
Randy & Jan Kessler and Gary Kessler,
in memory of Alice G. Kessler
George & Janet King, in memory of
Adrienne Owen
Adele Mendelsohn-Keinon & Irwin
Keinon, in memory of Millie Shain,
a dear friend
Douglas & Anne Myers
Steven Rosenthal & Ailsa Steckel, in
memory of Maisie Steckel
Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, in
memory of Gittel Rothblatt
Curtis & Adi Schacker, in honor of
the birth of Antonia Raquel Engel
Annie J. Schwartz Strom, in memory
of Ida Jaffe
Madeline Weinstein, in memory of
Seidel Rothenberg
Kiddush Fund
Dan & Angela Engel, in honor of our
daughter’s naming, Antonia Raquel
Engel
Helen Fixler, in memory of Aron Nudler
and Shlomo Fixler
Alison Heyman, in memory of my
mother, Eleanor Heyman
Booker Holton & Elaine Gerstler, in
memory of Florence and Morris Gerstler
Lawrence & Sharyn Rossi, in memory
of David Klein
Sylvia Miller, in memory of Michael
Nicholas Miller
Misia Nudler, in memory of Aaron
Nudler
Rabbi Discretionary Fund
Ellen Bercovich, condolences to the
Polse Family in their time of sorrow
Isaac Kaplan & Sandy Schwarcz, in
memory of Therese Schwarcz
Michael & Katherine Maidenberg, in
memory of Irma Maidenberg
Mary Peitz Kelly, Thank you Rabbi
Bloom
Jeffrey & Judith Quittman, in memory
of Nancy Quittman
Tsutomu Satomi & Hildie Spritzer,
in memory of Susanne Spritzer
Michael Stewart & Jennifer Antelman
Cantor Discretionary Fund
Booker Holton & Elaine Gerstler, in
memory of Jocelyn Holton
Endowment Fund
Angelina Levy
Larry Miller & Mary Kelly, in memory
of Eunice Kelly
Herman Hertz Israel
Scholarship Fund
Gerald & Ruby Hertz
Martin & Lisa Kharrazi, in memory
of Elsa Maho
Martin & Lisa Kharrazi, in memory
of Morris Dmitrovsky
Mollie Hertz Interfaith
Outreach Fund
Jeri & Marvin Schechtman, in memory
of Isadore Schechtman
Pola Silver Teen Holocaust
Education Trip Fund
Dana Ostomel & Mark Vogel, in
honor of Adele & Ron Ostomel’s
40th wedding anniversary
LIFE CYCLES - B’NAI MITZVAH
Natalie Mendelsohn, June 4, 2016
My name is Natalie Mendelsohn. I’m in 7th grade at Julia Morgan School for
Girls. I love traveling, sports, and attending my sleepaway Camp Ramah during the summer. I am currently playing on competitive soccer and basketball
teams. When I’m not playing sports I enjoy reading, writing, and hanging out
with friends! My family has been going to Temple Beth Abraham since 2002.
I’m so grateful for the community I have at TBA!
My Parsha is Bechukotai. It details the types of gifts you could give to the
Temple. In my drash I will talk about tzedakah and equality. For my Bat
Mitzvah Project I wanted to do something that is meaningful to me, so I decided to collect books for less fortunate children. I’d like to thank my tutor Outi
Gould. Also, I’d like to thank my amazing parents for always being there for
me and helping me get to this day. I hope you can join me as I become a Bat
Mitzvah!
Harry O’Neill, June 18, 2016
My name is Harry O’Neill and I am currently in 8th grade at Park Day School.
I am looking forward to going to Maybeck High School in Berkeley next
semester. I will have graduated 8th grade two days before my Bar Mitzvah,
which will be on June 18. I like that my date has the number 18 in it, as it represents chai or life. I also like that it is the birthdate of my cousin Simon. He
will be turning 23, and will be with me on this day. In my group of peers, I am
the last one in my Hebrew School class of 22 kids to become Bar Mitzvah. It
is kind of fun to be the last.
Currently my favorite subjects are Science, Art and Language Arts. My favorite TV shows are Firefly, Sherlock, and MythBusters. Some of my hobbies
include, Magic the Gathering, reading books, being outdoors, and wood &
metal work.
My Torah portion is Naso, and comes from the book of Numbers, Chapter 7.
In it, the 12 princes of the 12 tribes, bring the exact same gift 12 days in a row
to the newly consecrated tabernacle, one after the other. In my Drash I will
explain and express the deeper symbolism and significance of this story. I have
been going to Temple Beth Abraham and to Hebrew school since I was five
years old. It feels as if I have been working toward this special day for a long
time and I hope that many of you will be there to share in the excitement of
my special day which will be on June 18.
Leah Wildmann, September 3, 2016
My name is Leah Wildmann, and at my bat mitzvah I will be in 8th grade at
Willard Middle School in Berkeley. My favorite subjects in school are history
and math. Playing softball is my favorite thing to do outside of school. I also
like to ski and play tennis. I am a fan of the Giants and the Warriors. In the
summer I go to Camp Ramah Outdoor Adventure in Colorado where I like to
do archery, mountain biking, and many other activities.
My Torah portion is Re’eh from the book of Deuteronomy, which is a long list
of laws about many things. In my drash, I will be talking about slavery and
how society changes over time. I hope to see you at my Bat Mitzvah!
19
LIFE CYCLES-BIRTHDAYS
JUNE 1
Max Davis
Zachary Piser
Caren Sencer
2
11
Walter Chang
Alice Hale
Rayna Levine
Cameron Smith
Leila Bernstein
Oren Cockrum
Melissa Diamant
Avery Reischer-Craft
Sarah Rothman
Ellen Rubin
12
3
Laura Jones
Amy Moscov
Judith Quittman
Emily Miller
Daniel Gray Pascal
Hannah Rubin
4
Steven Aronson
Sarah Cohen
Emily Golub
June Marinoff
Loren Perelman
Milana Schwartz
Toya Hertz
Celine Piser
David Salk
Jessica Siegel
13
14
Rami Albert
Alexander Kauffman
Randall Kessler
15
Barry Barnes
Robert Eisenman
Karen Hertz
Alison Heyman
Tammy Lee
Ronald Weller
21
Susan E. Bloch
Lisa Fernandez
22
Sheldon Kahn
Jane Kramer
Ella Pashman
23
Bette Birnbaum
Elisabeth Duffy
Rabbi Chaya Gusfield
Emma Rosenthal
Zachary Schwartz
17
Ernestina Carrillo
Sophie Govert
Sarah Liron
Larry Reback
Helen von Kugelgen
8
18
9
19
Emily Asher
Cherryne Kravitz
Bailee Shapiro
Jason Morton
10
Beatrice Aronson
Rabbi Arthur Gould
Gerald Hertz
Joshua Kayman
Ella Sadikman
Susan Shub
20
Zakai Avidor
Lily Colby
Emma Stone
JULY 1
Marc Barach
Fran Blatter
Barry Feiner
2
Asher Sam Jaffe
Jorja Polston
Adhi Bornstein
Daniel Bornstein
David Hoffman
Zachary Silver
David Stein
3
24
Maya Novak
Hugo Wildmann
Mayana Cockrum
Donald Jurow
Josiah Larkin
Alan Silver
25
Shira Benau
Herbert Bloom
5
Eric Eisenman
June Brott
Lynn Gerber
Jacob Hill
6
16
Michael Aronson
Katherine Maidenberg Sarah Liron
Audrey Kauffman
Adi Schacker
26
Jose Alfredo Mendoza Alicia von Kugelgen
Sam Bookin
7
Aaron Paul
Richard Rubin
Talya Bornstein
Richard Mills
Lindsay Spangler
Linda Stevens
28
David Birnbaum
Denise Davis
Mona Goldfine
Carol Robinson
Michael Zielenziger
29
Andrea Dreyfuss
Rowan Smith
Li Fife
20
Ethan Grossman
Rebecca Amy Darling Zachary Hankin
Rebecca Lesser
Zepora Zangwill
Randy Morris
30
David Reback
Daphne Albert
Talia Shalev
Larry Bercovich
Daniel Weiner
Felix Broach
Micah Cockrum
Natalie Mendelsohn
Sam Simon
4
5
Ezra Chabon
Eitan Goldfein
7
Samuel Berger
Rae Marianne Bloch
Ari Brown
8
12
Elinor DeKoven
Booker Holton
Elijah Miller
Maya Schacker
Benjamin Siegel
13
Brandon Bercovich
Jennifer Berke
Asher Bernstein
Jordan Bernstein
Matan Bostick
Tamar Breines
Bonnie Burt
Adam Davis
Maya Joseph-Goteiner
14
Glenn Friedman
Nicole Friedman
Jessica Liroff
Shayna Silberzweig
15
Kenneth Benau
Elaine Gerstler
Howard Hertz
Jacob Kaizer-Salk
Rebecca Wasserman
Matthew Disco
Ariella Palchik
16
Leah Felice Wildmann
Nathaniel Bernstein
Alon Wolf
Haydn Garfinkle
Lorri Zimmer
Aliza Zangwill
9
Alexis Morgan
Chris Morgan
Kelsi Perttula
10
Johnny GlickScroggins
Stacy Month
Meryl Segal
Michael Stevens
11
Jennifer Antelman
Jonathan Carey
Ytzhack Heber
Ruby Hertz
Max Schleuning
Michele Silver
17
Richard Heeger
Michael Hyman
Peter Mezey
Sid Polston
Erica Reischer
Gary Sherne
Harper Paige Smith
18
Jessica Dell’Era
Raphael Novak
Hartsock
Molli Rothman
19
Levi Chabon
Reuven Glick
Louis Goodman
LIFE CYCLES - BIRTHDAYS
20
Katherine Calahan
Klein
Rachel Goldstone
Joseph Millman
Jeffrey Quittman
21
Eitan Schotland
22
Eric Friedman
23
Ronald Gerber
Lindsay GoldbergKunis
Harry O’Neill
24
Aviva Ruth Davis
Joshua Feltman
Sarilee Janger
Yael Sherne
25
Harriet Bloom
Dan Finkelstein
Mayer Goldberg
Asher Rose
26
Isaac Charlesworth
Fiona James
Ariel McLean
Larry Wayne
27
Joseph Blumberg
Alex Mezey
Cindy Sloan
Jacob White
Julia White
28
Peter Rukin
Micah Trilling
29
Eva Katz
Daniel Mc Lean
Lilah Yarden
Sadikman
Alexander
Schleuning
Lori Schnall
30
Lee Nathan
Cassius Perelman
Jaime Rapaport
Barry
31
Tonda Case
Jill Lindenbaum
Ari Perttula
AUGUST 1
Eliana Goldstein
Jonas Hagan
Brett Hodess
Robyn Hodess
Eric Horodas
2
Philip Dangler
3
Stacy Frauwirth
Annaliese
Kauffman
Gregory Korn
5
Evelyn GlickScroggins
Dara Goldfein
Allan Green
Jacqueline Shea
Dinkin
Sophie Souroujon
6
Miriam Benjamin
Ricardo Craft
Barbara Gross
Vivienne Perelman
Florence Raskin
Barry Rotman
Shirley Silver
Mazel Tov
7
Brent Kauffman
Gabriel Levin
8
Norman Frankel
Alan Gellman
Simone Weiss
9
David Benjamin
Amanda Bloch
Sam ChattertonKirchmerer
Samuel Cohen
Adina Goldstein
Aaron Stein
10
Neal Bloch
Andrew Gordon
Michelle Gould
Joshua Hill
Jill Levine
Joshua Polston
11
Anika Bergman
Shawn Bloch
Boris Fedorov
James Johnson
Evan Kharrazi
Naomi Liron
Jody London
12
Myra Kaplan
Darren Lipski
Jacob Young
Elliott Joseph
Zatkin
13
Asher Berlin
Dean Goldfein
14
Mae Goldman
Garrett Langfeld
Irene Shoikhet
15
Yael Berrol
Judy Langberg
Ava Morton
Talia Young
16
Omni Aflalo
Barbara Berman
Andrew Bloch
Jon Feldhammer
Danielle RehrDavis
17
Richard
Charlesworth
James Govert
Avi Paulson
18
Rebecca Farmer
Rachel Kuperman
Sarah Weintraub
19
Janet King
Daniel Levinsohn
20
Joel Biatch
Anita Bloch
Elan Halperin
Benjamin Rego
Sean Shapiro
22
Patricia Eliahu
Sarah Greenberg
Linda Horodas
Daniel Jaffe
Elissa Klein
Darren Kottle
Joel Piser
David Rapson
Scott Tessler
23
Alice Dangler
Joshua Hyman
Sydney Hyman
Lori Jaffe
Jodi Lerner
Willa Miller
24
Judy Chun
Jason Edelstein
William Gentry
Sydney Palmer
Daryl Ross
25
Jennifer Beck
Samuel Bernstein
Doree Jurow Klein
26
Jeremy Kharrazi
Emma Sterling
28
Melissa Bercovich
Blythe Hyman
Roxanne Moss
Bryan Schwartz
29
Rose Hoffman
Ezra Maidenberg
Douglas Moss
30
Marcia Benjamin
Sabra Rachel Jaffe
Jan Leuin
31
Lanna Antebi
Shara Coltoff
Federica Meklin
David Rukin
Rebecca Sparks
Is your birthday
information wrong
or missing from this
list? Please contact
the TBA office to
make corrections.
Mazel Tov Matthew and Dikla Dolev on the birth of a daughter, Noa
Mazel Tov Drew and Jessica Kessler on the birth of a daughter,
Ember Kadima
21
LIFE CYCLES - YARTZHEITS
May God comfort you among all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem
IYAR 24-26
June 1-3
Don Eberhart
Lawrence Freedenberg
Julie Gusfield
Malvin Weiss
Irwin Goldberg
Sylvia Good Margolin
Jeanette Strassman Morow
David Wolffs
Inaclaire Carter
Dora Davidson
Leonard Glasser
Esther Morris
Charles Naggar
Rose Sherman
IYAR 27-SIVAN 4
June 4-10
Samuel Bercovich
Martin Rockmaker
Rozelina Van Gelder
Charles Cohen
Shirley Dorfman
Leslie Joseph Belikoff
Morris Elchanan Belikoff
Avram Brisky
Sophie Couzin
Rakel Kantola
Veikko Kantola
Melvin Rifkin
Benjamin Silberman
Alexander Wallis
Huguett Dayan
Jack Lehman
Endre Balint
Sidney Greenstein
Rene Nathan
David Riskin
Sylvia Stein
Robert Berger
Alex Harris
George Morris
Molly Bauer Silverman
George Afterman
Andrew Gooden
Lena Kestenblatt
22
Shira Weisbach
SIVAN 5-11
June 11-17
Max Davidson
Anne Gould
Ida Miron
Aaron and Laura Blau
Henry Brentwood Henzel
Roland Breslov
Samuel Burnstein
Stanley Klimen
Ruth Siver
Elynore “Skip” Harris
Anne Kaplan
Meyer Kapler
Aaron Kobel
J. Dorothy Stanfield
Robert Bornstein
Allen M. Brodke
Sarah Hertz
Morris Morrison
Rolf Schlesinger
Minna Bakar
Lena Cohen
Irving (Sunny Boy) Clar
Esther De Vorin
Morris Epstein
Ruth Garfinkle
Reuben Kronick
Jack Spritzer
Edythe Cohen
Max Eckstein
Abraham Goldenhar
Irene Lasar
Martha Lerch
Connie Reischer
Abraham Silver
Phillip Weinstein
SIVAN 12-18
June 18-24
Mannie Moshe Barsel
Abraham Blumberg
Zelda Jacobs
Minnie Goldstein
Lippi Streiffer
Joseph White
Diana Bereskin
Kathe Biglovsky
Vivian Glick
Harry Reingold
Anna Riskin
David Rosenzweig
Ray Baim
Robert Davis
Jack Gerber
Hyman Gurman
Sy Harris
Sidney Shaffer
Morris Unterberger
David Yaron
Nathan Brody
Fanny Naggar
Leo Selinger
Coleman Bloomfield
Haja Blymenkrantz
Albert Gould
SIVAN 19-25
June 25-July 1
Lee Aerenson
Ida Nathan Barnett
Lenya Kobuzyatskaya
Raymond Mogill
Jennie Epstein
Ann Frankel
Harry Hankin
Morris Weiss
Lena Bernstein
Sidney Biglovsky
Ed Calahan
Celia Slavsky
Max Frey
Louis Gottesman
Celia Bloch
Florence Glick
Ariyeh Heber
Maurice Aaron Ziegler
Elias Aelion
Sylvia Strub Goldman
Rose Polse
Leon Siegel
Helen Singerman
Harry Sussman
Jack Wolfe
Irving Reback
Renee Zuckerman
SIVAN 26-TAMMUZ 2
July 2-8
Goldie Breslov
Charles Horwitz
Lizzie Gevertz
Aron Gordon
Abraham Lorenz
Steven Ross
David Heskin
Anna Mutnick
Joseph Pencovic
David Ross
Judith Wallerstein
Hilda Braverman
Kenneth Katz
Sam Nathan
Mae Peters
Mark Siegel
Howard Silberman
Rose Tessler
Ida Brasch
Hilda Grutman
Lena Isaacson
Thomas Scharff
Dodi Aron
Horst-Arnold Aron
Miriam Heirshsberg
Ethel Liss
Milton Maidenberg
Alice Stockman
Nathan Turchin
Sandy Aerenson
Ethel Gold Heskin
TAMMUZ 3-9
July 9-15
Charles Leve
Frank Lowenthal
Ida Carasick Barber
Leah Fertel
Alan Goldberg
Marie Marcus
Sidney Steckel
Laura White
LIFE CYCLES - YARTZHEITS
Joel Cyprus
Leah Pactor Hershel
Edward Markovits
Israel Rosenberg
Mina Gutmann
Sam Ruvkun
Rebecca Braaf
Bert Simon
Rose Ziegler
Belle Bercovich
Wilfred Carsel
Marta Hankin
Alvin Strom
TAMMUZ 10-16
July 16-22
Harry Adams
Leo Adolph
Hannah Rubenstein
Barsel
Hyman Davis
Isaac Goldman
Ruth Korn
Dorothy Ruvkun Steiner
Moritz Wolff
Yitzchak Gottlieb
Helen Patricia See
Annie Adams
Joseph Berger
Zelick Levit
John Noah Miller
Blanche Olden
Sara Wolff
Oscar Birnbaum
Vera Jennings
Sadie Klein
Jacob Leon
Victoria Naggar
Anna Berman
Melba Dattner Klein
Clara Toba Klein
Violet Burge
Shirley Wolf
TAMMUZ 17-23
July 23-29
Rebecca Garfinkle
Rabbi Morris Goldberg
Isaac Gordon
Essie Landy
Michele Blau Lockey
Sadie Unterberger
Charles Slavsky
Samuel Applebaum
Mollie Goldstein
Clara Ottinger
Allegra Saporta
Alexander “Big Al”
Bunin
Raymond Epstein
Joseph Rabinowitz
Hattie Wachsman
Helen Dubner
Bernice Glueck
Esther Millman
Abraham Kravetz
Celia Reingold
Rebecca Berrol
Jean Green
Anna Lea Greenstein
Rose Jacobs
Sam Moss
TAMMUZ 24-AV 1
July 30-August 5
Joseph Kaplan
Irving Bromberg
Josephine Lutz
David Tsifrin
Ira Glasser
Elmer Glick
Elaine Ruben
Howard Ruben
Israel Shepard
Samuel Gold
Kenneth Tessler
Henry Alton Schmulowitz
Lawrence W. Stone
Flora Pencovic
Morris Weiner
AV 2-8
August 6-12
Louis Aldeff
Minnie Dane Askey
Narvel Case, Jr.
Morris Kantor
Lena Klor
Rayanna Laytner
Louis Rosenberg
Barnett Schwartz
John A. Berman
Edith Moss
Anna Polse
Morris Rothblatt
Thomas Saunders
Sam J. Rouben
AV 9-15
August 13-19
Aaron Arenbart
Phillip Kauffman
Miriam Nash
Benjamin Rosenstein
Doreen Wolf
Shirley Horodas
Clara Leon
Shelley Rotman
Zelda Lutz
Peter Ottinger
Gisela Spiegel
Joseph F. Thierman
Francine Weil
David Berman
Morrey Kenneth
Grossman
Toibe Tania Lerman
David Levy
Herman S. Engleberg
Simon Jacobovich
Ida Jonas
Peter Lisker
Sonia Lazarow Belikoff
Jacob Schulman
Philip Steiner
Roy Sutz
AV 16-22
August 20-26
Herman Bernstein
Sam King
Sam Goodman
Ken Cohn
Harry Douglas
Alan J. Fixler
Amy Galas
Freda Horwitz
Ina Nathan
Robert Wolk
Sam Kasdan
Richard Saiewitz
Hilda Brauer
Robert Fierstein
Peter Finnegan
Leo Leyser
Frieda Nemon
Larry Pencovic
Jerome Eisenman
Carl Freeman
Lev Gelfond
Lesley Langberg Kaye
Morris Polse
Edward H. Stern
Abe Bachman
David Coopersmith
Alex Galas
Lena Goldman
Johnnie Holton
Leah Levine
Gertrude Bleiberg
Michael Fass
Katherine Sieff
Irving Mayer Burt
Marshall Denenberg
Dorothy Levien
Hannah Ethel Roth
AV 23-27
August 27-31
David Herman Klein
June Matthews
Harry Tuman
David Bercovich
Daniel Goldfein
Harry Rubin
Rose Lerch
Ruben Lerch
Minnie Leson
John B. Landowitz
Edith Polon
Louis Vaughn Eduardo
Tate
Richard Felten
Eileen Grossman
Arthur Roth
23
24
5
20
Sivan
20
27
22
Sivan
15
Sivan
8
Sivan
28
t o
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
23
3
10
17
24
r
a B B I
B
Bechukotai
4
Bamidbar
11
Nasso
18
25
9:17p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
19 Beha’alotcha
Sivan
9:16p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bar Mitzvah of Harry O’Neill
12
Sivan
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
1:00p Mah Jongg (Chapel)
6:15p Shavuot Sticker Service
followed by Ice Cream Treat
9:13p Havdalah (42 min)
erev shavuot
5
Sivan
9:09p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bat Mitzvah of Natalie Mendelsohn
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
27
Iyyar
l o o m
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat-Special Raza
Shabbat with Cantor Kaplan
18 '' 8:35p
Sivan
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
12p Gan Graduation
11 '' 8:33p
Sivan
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
4
'' 8:31p
Sivan
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
26 '' 8:27p
Iyyar
w I t h
30
u r o p e
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
24
Sivan
e
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
a s t e r n
29
e
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
23
Sivan
r I p
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
22
17
Sivan
7:30p Jewish Women’s
Meditation Group
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
16
Sivan
9
2
16
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
15
10
Sivan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
3
Sivan
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
9
Sivan
tBa t
21
14
8
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
7p 2nd BBM meeting w/Rabbi Bloom
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Beginning Alef Bet
with Susan Simon
2
Sivan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
25
Iyyar
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.
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
21
Sivan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
14
Sivan
7
(TBA is the local Precinct)
rosh ChoDesh
eleCtIon Day
1
Sivan
1
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Beginning Alef Bet
with Susan Simon
24
Iyyar
June 2016
r I p t o e a s t e r n e u r o p e w I t h r a B B I B l o o m
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
26
19
tBa t
Father’s Day
13
Sivan
9:14p Havdalah (42 min)
shavuot II
13
9a Shavuot 2nd Day Services
(Gan and Office Closed)
7
Sivan
shavuot I
12
6
9a Rosh Chodesh
(Contact Amy Tessler for details)
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
29
Iyyar
9a Shavuot 1st Day Services
6
Sivan
11a Gan Avraham
End of Year School Picnic
4p TBA Dedication of
The Murray Davis Courtyard
5:30p Dinner Dedication Celebration
yom yerushalayIm
28
Iyyar
Iyyar 5776 / Sivan 5776
25
17
24
11
Tamuz
18
Tamuz
25
Tamuz
18
25
20
Tamuz
13
Tamuz
6
Tamuz
29
Sivan
26
19
12
5
6
13
27
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
21
Tamuz
28
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
22
Tamuz
7p Men’s Club Poker NightAll Are Welcome (Baum YC)
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
21
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
20
15
Tamuz
7
14
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
8
Tamuz
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
Rosh chodesh
1
Tamuz
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
14
Tamuz
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
7
Tamuz
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
Rosh chodesh
30
Sivan
8
15
22
29
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
23 '' 8:19p
Tamuz
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
16 '' 8:25p
Tamuz
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
9 '' 8:30p
Tamuz
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
2
'' 8:33p
Tamuz
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.
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
19
Tamuz
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
12
Tamuz
4
11
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
5
Tamuz
(Gan and Office CLosed)
9a Minyan (Chapel)
Independance day
28
Sivan
1
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
25 '' 8:34p
Sivan
2
Korach
9
16
23
30
9:00p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
Pinchas
24
Tamuz
9:06p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
Balak
17
Tamuz
9:11p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Kiddush in honor of
Jack Jeager’s birthday!
Chukat
10
Tamuz
9:14p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
3
Tamuz
9:16p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
26 Sh’lach L’kha
Sivan
July 2016
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
31
10
4
Tamuz
Tzom Tammuz
3
27
Sivan
Sivan 5776 / Tamuz 5776
Temple Beth Abraham
327 MacArthur Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94610
WHAT’S INSIDE
TBA Directory..........................i
What’s Happening............... 1
From the Rabbi..................... 2
From the President............... 3
Editors Column..................... 4
Six Word Memoirs................. 5
Generation to Generation.. 6
Cooking Corner.................... 8
Community......................... 10
Opinion................................ 11
Gan Avraham..................... 12
Bet Sefer.............................. 13
Scholarship for Athletes..... 17
Volunteer Board................. 17
Donations............................ 18
Life Cycles........................... 19
Calendar............................. 24
PERIODICALS
POSTAGE
PAID
Oakland, CA
Permit No. 020299
Have a
Great
Summer!