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

the
B E T H
A B R A H A M
March
2012
June 2013
Adar
/ Nisan 5772
Sivan/Tammuz
5773
:
Pu
iR
T E M P L E
Volume
Volume31,
32,Number
Number 710
M
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.
Periodicals Postage Paid at Oakland, CA.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Omer, c/o Temple Beth
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© 2013. 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.
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 7
June 14
June 21
June 28
8:11 p.m.
8:15 p.m.
8:17 p.m.
8:17 p.m.
June 1
June 8
June 15
June 22
June 29
Shelach
Korach
Chukat
Balak
Pinchas
Torah Portions (Saturday)
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 (x 213)
Cantor (x 218)
Gabai
Executive Director (x 214)
Office Coordinator (x 210)
Bet Sefer Director (x 217)
Gan Avraham Director (x 219)
Bookkeeper (x 215)
Custodian (x 211)
Kindergym/Toddler Program
Volunteers (x 229)
Mark Bloom
Richard Kaplan
Jay Goldman
Rayna Arnold
Virginia Tiger
Susan Simon
Barbara Kanter
Kevin Blattel
Joe Lewis
Dawn Margolin 547-7726
Herman & Agnes Pencovic
OFFICERS
Wrs
NfE
e
fic
O
i
President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Mark Fickes 652-8545
Eric Friedman 984-2575
Lynn Langfeld 769-6970
Flo Raskin 653-7947
Laura Wildmann 601-9571
JB Leibovitch 653-7133
Susan Shub 852-2500
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 Susan Shub
Endowment Fund Herman Pencovic
Finance Susan Shub
Gan Avraham Parents Laura Kaplan &
Rachel Teichman
Gan Avraham School Committee Rebecca Posamentier
House Stephen Shub
Israel Affairs J.B. Leibovitch
Membership Mark Fickes
Men’s Club Jeff Ilfeld
Omer Lori Rosenthal
Personnel Laura Wildmann
Public Relations Lisa Fernandez
Ritual Eric Friedman
Schools Rachel Teichman
Social Action Marc Bruner
Torah Fund Anne Levine
Web Site Liz Willner
Women of TBA Jeanne Korn
Youth Phil Hankin
what’s happening
June 7, 6:15 p.m.
Please Join Us
for a Presentation and Q & A about:
Rock’n Roll Shabbat
The Next “Big Thing”:
with Chicken Dinner
Come join us as we celebrate the beginning of summer with a Rock & Roll
Shabbat followed by dinner. Join Rabbi
Bloom and the band in what the East
Bay Express once called the “rockingest
Church service in the East Bay.”
The Teen Scene
June 2, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Baum Center
The Teen Scene program, a place for teens with special needs to come and hang out with typical teens
and do fun activities together.
Events begin with a light supper from Oakland Kosher.
This is the final session for Spring.
Please contact Devorah Romano with any questions
or to sign up: [email protected] or (510) 396-4285.
June 15
Congresswoman Barbara Lee
to Speak at Temple Beth Abraham
Congresswoman Barbara Lee has graciously agreed
to address our community on Saturday, June 15
following Shabbat services and before our Kiddush
lunch. Her topic will mostly be about why public
service is important to her, and, time permitting,
she will also be addressing questions from the community. TBA has hosted mayors and city council
members over the last
100 years, but this is the
first time we will be hosting a U.S. Congressional
Representative, and this
will be her first experience
speaking in a synagogue.
We look forward to welcoming her warmly to our
congregation.
Changes Coming to the TBA Campus
June 4, 7:30 p.m. in the Baum Building
Come join Rabbi Bloom and members of the Next Big
Thing Committee to hear the latest updates on TBA’s
upcoming capital improvement project.
The evening will feature a brief presentation, questions
and answers, and opportunity to give ideas and feedback
on the exciting campus changes that will be coming
soon.
Major components of our compus plan include:
• demolition of the dilapidated building on
MacArthur Blvd between the sanctuary and the
Baum Building;
• construction of a large Jerusalem stone courtyard in
its place;
• an atrium-like extension of the social hall that will
open directly onto the courtyard; “living” wall with
plants and water feature to beautifully contain and
secure the courtyard;
• an exit from the sanctuary onto a beautiful terrace
above the social hall extension;
• a thorough kitchen remodel; and
• new pathways that will unify our campus as never
before.
It is truly an inspiring project that will affect the way
we all use and experience our temple. All of this cannot be done without the continued involvement of the
community, so please join us for what will be an exciting
evening!
Calling all TBA Professionals!
And I don’t just mean doctors, lawyers, and business
people (though you’re welcomed too)!
Our first year of Sha’a b’Matana was an overwhelming
success, so I’m excited to organize a second series of speakers beginning in the fall. I’m looking for any member of
the TBA community who is willing to donate one hour
of their professional expert advice. This is a great way to
give back to our community, let people know what you
do professionally, and shmooze with a dynamic group of
people. If you’re interested in presenting, or have additional questions, please contact me at toshaschore@gmail.
com. I’ll be choosing a selection of topics that highlight
the variety of talents and interests of our community.
1
from the rabbi
Memories of Jewish Summer Camp
When I think summer I mostly think of Jewish camp. I have attended or worked at Jewish or
Jewish-“ish” overnight camps, including: El Rancho Navarro in Mendocino County, CLTC at
B’nai B’rith Beber Camp in Wisconsin, ILTC at B’nai B’rith Perlman Camp in Pennsylvania, Camp
Tawonga in the Yosemite Area, Camp Swig in Saratoga, Camp Livingston in Indiana, Camp Eisner
in Massachusetts, Camp Ramah in Massachusetts, BBYO’s CLTC at American Jewish University,
and Camp Ramah in Ojai. That’s 10 Jewish camps, and there might be more.
I often say that, when it comes to Jewish identity, every week spent at Jewish camp is worth about
one year at a religious school of any kind. I am not sure whether this is true because of the beauty
and calm of reciting prayers in the woods, the “fun” Jewish programming utilizing the great outdoors, or the fact that things like deep conversations with peers, first kisses, and the beginnings of
personal independence that might happen anyway become associated with being Jewish. Whatever
the cause, it happens, and the vast majority of kids who attend Jewish summer camp leave with a
new excitement about being Jewish.
Given the magic created at Jewish overnight camp, you might ask, why can’t we make religious
school more like camp? Because it doesn’t quite work that way. We incorporate some of the elements for sure—song leading, creative programming, and creative tefilah, but it’s not an experience
that can be recreated in a couple of hours a week afterschool or on Sunday mornings. You have to
live Judaism, 24/7. So much that you barely even notice it’s there.
So, what is the moral of the story? Help send your Jewish children, grandchildren, nieces, and
nephews to Jewish camp. Talk to kids about it, offer to help pay for it, even bribe them if necessary.
Because at the end of the day, not only will the memories last a lifetime, they will associate these
memories with being Jewish, something that they will become a part and parcel of who they are.
L’shalom (or should I say l’shalom chaverim),
Rabbi Mark Bloom
JFCS/East Bay
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2
5/9/13 9:59 AM
Please Join Us
for Morning Minyan on
Mondays & Thursdays
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.
meet tba’s new president
Summer
By Mark Fickes
I suppose I am not the only person to look forward to summer. As a kid, summer meant I got to
freeze outside while playing with my friends in the cold, foggy San Francisco climate. As a teenager, I would escape the heat of the Ojai valley to fly home and spend time with my family and
friends. In college, I worked in the summers, but there was always time to hang out, enjoy the
weather and appreciate the relative calm and quiet that would overtake the U.C. campus for a few
weeks.
I had no idea what to do with my life after college. So, I moved east to go to graduate school.
After graduate school, sadly, I still had no idea what to do with my life, so I moved back to
the Bay Area for law school. I managed to avoid serious work in the real world until I was 29.
Eighteen years later, I still have not shaken the nostalgia I feel about summers as a student in the
Bay Area. Even though I don’t get lengthy breaks anymore, summer still has an enjoyable pace.
The BART trains and freeways are a little less crowded, and I come home on Friday at a more leisurely speed before welcoming Shabbat. Best of all, I get to experience the joy of summer vicariously through my children.
Life at TBA also slows down a bit as the Bet Sefer and Gan go on break. Still, there is plenty to
do and enjoy this summer at TBA. We still have warm and welcoming kiddush lunches every
Saturday. They even last a bit longer as the kids play outside and enjoy the sunshine. Shabbat
Mishpacha will show our youngest members the joy of Shabbat throughout the summer. Rabbi
Bloom will lead Torah study at Woodminster Café and our social action programming will continue all summer as City Team helps feed the hungry (contact Caren Shapiro for details).
Because the Omer also takes a summer holiday, I wanted to let you know about some other
events to look forward to:
June 2 – Israel in the Gardens
June 7 – Rock and Roll Shabbat
June 28 – Shabbat Unplugged
July 5 – Come celebrate the 4th a day later with a TBA Shabbat BBQ.
July 15 – Tisha b’Av
July 21 – San Francisco AIDS Walk (contact me for details)
Be on the lookout for the Week-at-a-Glance e-mails to remind you of these and other events. I
wish everyone a restful summer and I look forward to seeing you at these events.
Thank you to
everyone at TBA for
making this place our home for
the last four years. We truly know
what a special place this is.
It is not one that is easy to leave,
but it is one that will be easy
to come back to.
L’hitraot,
Rachel, Jesse, Nina & Eli
Teichman
SAVE THE DATE
Sunday, September 29!
CALLING ALL KINDERGYM FAMILIES EVER!!!
Please join us for a 30th year celebration of Kindergym
with Dawn on Sunday morning 9/29/13 here at Temple
Beth Abraham. There will be activities for all ages,
including Dawn’s eldest students (now 32 years old!)
and their parents.
Please feel free to share this invitation with all others
you know were in our classes over the years!
We look forward to your family joining us that morning
and there will be more details as we get closer to the date.
Dawn Margolin, (510) 547-7726
www.tbaoakland.org/kindergym
3
editor’s message
Stepping into Summer
By Lori Rosenthal
Each year when the calendar turns to June, I enter my summer state of mind! As a native New
Englander, it is still in my blood that this is the time of year when the temperature soars, the light
clothes come out, and life slows down for a few months. Never mind that in Northern California
that doesn’t ever happen. We are more prone to have fog than fair weather and I always keep a
fleece jacket handy for those cold evenings that creep in no matter how high the daytime temperature was. But to me, summer means a slower, simpler time with perhaps some new adventure
tossed in. It is a perfect time to check out some of the offerings in the beautiful Bay Area. It is
in that spirit that I bring you some ideas on how to sprinkle your summer with a Jewish theme,
mostly because that is what I am planning to do with mine. (Make sure to also read Mark Fickes’
column for TBA specific summer activities.)
Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM)
CJM is a great museum just a short BART ride away. There are two exhibits running at the museum this summer that sound pretty compelling.
Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg (May 23–September 8). Through over seventy
photographs by renowned poet, Allen Ginsberg (1926–1997), Beat Memories tenderly captures the
young writers and rebels that would define the Beat Generation.
Beyond Belief: 100 Years of the Spiritual in Modern Art: Highlights from SFMOMA’s collection (June 28 - October 27). Explores the spiritual dimensions of modern art, especially as seen
through the lens of Jewish theological concepts. The exhibition features 48 internationally-known
artists whose work — painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installation art — are all drawn
from SFMOMA’s outstanding collection.
Urban Adamah Volunteer Work Party (June 23, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.)
Urban Adamah is an educational farm and community center in Berkeley, that integrates the practices of Jewish tradition, sustainable agriculture, mindfulness and social action to build loving, just
and sustainable communities (www.urbanadamah.org). Once a month during the growing season,
they hold volunteer parties on Sunday afternoons. Work parties are open to all individuals ages
12 and older (must be accompanied by an adult). Projects include weeding, planting, harvesting,
moving soil, mulching, watering, chicken and goat care, and are followed by a potluck meal. They
start at 2:00 p.m. Please register in advance. Get more info at http://urbanadamah.org/the-farm/
volunteer/.
continued on page 10
Cover artist: Louis Teitelbaum (bio on page 14).
No Issue in July or August: Happy Summer!
the
Omer
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
Lori Rosenthal
Lisa Fernandez
Jessica Sterling
Jon Golding
Susan Simon
Louis Teitelbaum
Help From People like you!
4
Copy Editors Jessica Dell’Era, Nadine Joseph, Richard Kauffman, Jan Silverman, Debbie
Spangler
Proofreaders June Brott, Jessica Dell’Era, Charles Feltman, Jeanne Korn, Anne Levine,
Stephen Shub, Susan Simon, Debbie Spangler, Rachel Dornhelm
Distribution Hennie Hecht, Herman and Agnes Pencovic
Mailing Address 336 Euclid Ave. Oakland, CA 94610
E-Mail [email protected]
meet our next omer editor
Introducing Our New Omer Editor
By Rachel Dornhelm
When I first visited TBA, two things immediately drew me
to the community. One was the sense that people took an
active role in shaping the synagogue. The second was that it
is truly a multi-generational place.
As incoming Omer editor, I look forward to highlighting these aspects of our community. People who are very
involved in TBA will be able to share what they are working on and what the synagogue has to look forward to.
Meanwhile others looking for a way to start helping might
find that opportunity flipping through the Omer.
I also hope the Omer is a place for stories of people at all
stages of life reflecting on what the synagogue and Judaism
means to them and in doing so deepening all of our understandings of lifecycles.
A little about me. I’ve been a public radio freelancer most of
my working life, so I work as a journalist in my daily life. I
Saying Goodbye to Lori Rosenthal
By Lisa Fernandez
The Omer is saying goodbye to its wonderful editor after
eight years of service on the TBA newsletter, six as its chief.
If you don’t know already, that wonderful editor is Lori
Rosenthal, who is deservedly taking a break after taking
helm of the Omer in 2007, and serving as a copy editor for
two years prior to that.
Fear not, Omer readers - your temple updates are in good
hands. The Editor position will be taken over by Rachel
Dornhelm, a KQED radio reporter with two young daughters who recently graduated the Gan.
Most TBA members simply open their Omer every month,
peruse the articles, bar mitzvah profiles and synagogue tidbits with no idea that Lori has been behind it all. She has
seamlessly recruited writers, artists and photographers, and
organized everything into categories during her free time
(ha!) to ensure the articles and art all read well and flow
properly.
Lori’s vision of the Omer has been to include everyone
at TBA, especially the non shul-goers, who want to be
involved or connected to TBA in some way, but who don’t
also grew up in this area.
Some TBA members
I know from my days
going to high school in
Oakland. Others in my
parents’ generation I
have known since I was
a baby.
You’ll be hearing from
me in every issue for
the next while, so I’ll
keep this brief. Lori
Rosenthal has been an
incredible leader of the
Omer for many years and I’m lucky and grateful to have her
example and guidance to lean on. I look forward to contributing to the strong TBA community and helping keep
everyone aware of our fellow congregants’ activities and life
stories… what came before us as well as what we dream
ahead.
glean their information from Shabbat services. Her mantra has been that the Omer should be a “touch point” for
TBA members, and that no matter how a person wants
to connect to our thriving synagogue, they should have a
“touch point” to do so. That explains why the topics and
themes have been so diverse, from favorite recipes to the
Holocaust.
Lori’s vision - along with a healthy team of volunteer writers
and designers - is why the Omer won a Silver Award as part
of the 2011 Solomon Schechter Award for Bulletins.
Rabbi Bloom will surely miss Lori’s gentle prodding each
month to write his columns. Her typical style was to simply
write “Got Omer article?” in the email subject line, prompting him to start pumping out some prose.
“She was really easy to work with,” Rabbi Bloom said. “And
I loved reading her columns and her take on the theme of
each issue.”
We wish Lori the best in her Omer retirement, though
she’ll be busy running the marketing department at Gordon
Commercial Real Estate Services in Berkeley. And cochairing the Women of TBA (WTBA) along with Jeanne
Korn. And we hope to see one of her occasional articles in
the Omer soon.
5
men’s club
Camp Stories: Jews, Sports and the South
By Barry Barnes
When we told our friends last year that our 10 year old son
Abe was headed off to a twelve night Jewish sports summer
camp in North Carolina, the typical response was something like: “Jews? Sports? The South? Isn’t that some sort of
triple non-sequiter?” Our response today is “Far from it”
While I grew up going to nearby boy scout or basketball
camps, my wife Samantha and her siblings went to Camp
Arazim and they all have treasured memories of their time
spent there and the lifelong friends they made. We decided
that we wanted to give our boys the opportunity to experience sleepaway camp as well.
We first heard of URJ Six Points Sports Academy from our
longtime TBA friends and havura-mates, the Sirull-Shusters
and Good-Goldbergs. Both Zevan Shuster and Aidan
Goldberg had previously attended this camp and gave it
high marks for “great sports facilities, good food, awesome
coaches/ counselors, lots of fun and air conditioned dorm
rooms (not camping)”.
Up until last year, our then ten-year old son Abe had thoroughly enjoyed 4 summers of Camp Kee Tov day camp in
Berkeley. He loved the independence, the ruach, the counselors, and meeting new “camp friends”. The summer following
third grade, his Kee Tov group had a two-night camping trip
to Tilden Park, and this is when we began thinking about
sleepaway camp for him. We couldn’t help but think that
twelve nights across the country is a lot more intense than
two nights in Tilden Park but he seemed to be ready.
Our first introduction of the concept to Abe was by showing him the camp promotional video from the website and
then observing as he watched it over and over again- carefully analyzing the baseball clips, trying to see what was
being served in the cafeteria, and smiling as the campers
said things into the camera like “If you’re Jewish and you
love sports you need to come here!”
Finally, Abe announced to us that he wanted to go to Six
Points. After canvassing our friends who might be interested
we soon began coordinating with family friends (Steven
Douglas and Melissa Heller) from Temple Sinai whose son
Sandler was an acquaintance of Abe’s and they shared a passion for baseball. Before we knew it, Steven and I were
delivering the boys to Greensboro on a sweltering southern
summer morning (a humid 93 degrees). After checking in,
6
meeting the camp
staff, touring the
beautiful complex, and helping
the boys set up
their room, it was
time for goodbyes. We walked
the boys into the
gymnasium where
the counselors were engaging them in basketball shooting
games. Saying goodbye for 12 nights was actually harder
than I expected but luckily Abe was determined not to cry
and as we hugged goodbye with wet eyes he said simply, “
you better write me Dad!”
Thanks to modern technology we wrote email updates to
Abe which were printed and delivered to him every day. We
actually received one note back from him. It said: “Dear
Mom and Dad, on Tuesday I went 2 for 2 with a double and
a triple. On Wednesday we had a home run derby. I can’t wait
to see you. Love, Abe.”
The phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” has never
been more appropriate than when it comes to the pictures that the camp posted each night. Whether sweating
through baseball drills in the sun, cooling off in the pool,
sharing Shabbat songs and prayers with new friends or
performing in a ‘color war/maccabai’ skit with their fellow
campers of all ages, Abe was smiling..all day, every day.
When we picked him up, Abe seemed to have matured at
least a couple of years thanks to 12 days with kids older than
him. He had clearly built self-confidence and enjoyed telling us about camp- not just the baseball games but Shabbat,
havdallah, and playing cards in the dorms as well. We’re
thrilled that he’s going back this summer and we have hope
that this will be an annual trek he’ll make for many years.
This is not an advertisement for Six Points, our friends have
experienced many great Jewish summer camps, whether it’s
Ramah, Newman, Tawonga or many others. Next summer
URJ Six Points will expand to include a science/technology camp in Boston and an overnight JCC Maccabi Sports
Camp is being established in the Bay Area. Put simply,
there’s a camp for every child’s interests and family’s budget.
So if your kids haven’t yet experienced a Jewish summer
camp, check it out. And as they say in North Carolina…
“Shalom Y’all.”
wtba, our sisterhood
volunteer lunch
Women on the Move Sunday, June 9
WTBA hikes happen the second Sunday of every month. We meet at 9:45 and
depart promptly at 10:00. Hikes end by 11:30.
We will meet at the Skyline Gate on Skyline just south of Snake and hike in
Redwood Regional Park. For details, contact Deena Aerenson at (510) 225-5107
or [email protected].
Next Meeting: JUNE 10
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 typically
meets monthly on the Monday closest to Rosh
Chodesh, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at rotating
members’ homes. This month we are meeting
on June 10 at 9:30 a.m. The meetings are facilitated by members of the group. As a community of women, we explore the emotional and
intellectual themes that live in Torah and connect to our lives. There is no cost to participate
and it’s fine to come intermittently.
This year we are studying the book, Lifecycles:
Jewish Women on Life Passages and Personal
Milestones (Volume 1) edited by Rabbi Debra
Orenstein. In her book, Rabbi Orenstein poses
the question “How the Jewish community might
be enhanced if it fully incorporated women’s
experiences and talents?”
The topic for this month is on parenting and
ways our tradition supports us in raising our
children and in creating healthy parent – child
relationships. Each meeting opens with a short
discussion about the significance of the current
month.
Questions? Contact Debbie Spangler at
[email protected] or (510) 531-1105 to get
on the distribution list for the upcoming meeting
locations.
There will be no Rosh Chodesh meetings this
Summer. See you in the Fall!
Volunteers line up at Liba’s Falafel Truck, parked in the TBA lot, after the Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 19.
7
annual gan/bet sefer auction
Thank You to TBA Auction Volunteers
A big thank you to all those who organized and
attended this year’s annual Schools Auction. The
biggest shout-out should go to Auction Co-Chairs
Lauren Kaplan and Jenny Michaelson who spearheaded and shepherded the massive event. Plus,
they looked awfully cute in their Cinco de Mayo
garb, as well. The event raised about $40,000 and
drew nearly 200 guests. The food was great - thank
you to Jing Piser and her merry band of chefs –
who whipped up guacamole and enchiladas, and to
the bartenders who concocted yummy margaritas
and more.
And thank you to the countless others who decorated, solicited, cleaned and categorized. All the
money will be spent for good purposes, to help our
Gan and Bet Sefer students.
8
community service
Sukkot in April, Thanks to Everyone Who
Made It Possible
Rachel Goldstone and Gabriella Gordon,
Volunteer Coordinators
It seemed like a normal pair of Sundays in April, but on
those long, hot days of April 14 and 21, a dedicated team of
TBA volunteers joined forces with Temple Sinai and Kehilla
volunteers to renovate the home of a low-income family, in
the 20th year of Rebuilding Together Oakland. Our project
was one of many occurring throughout Oakland.
The first Sunday was an epic battle with blackberry and ivy
bushes, which had literally taken over the backyard, side
yard, porch, shed, and had started to invade the kitchen. It
was no surprise that we filled a 20 cubic yard container with
the garden remains. The vines had to be stripped away so
that the exterior of the home could be prepped and painted,
which we completed on the following Sunday. Our team
was well nourished by the generous donations of Michael
Rose’s Semifreddies delicacies, Steven Grossman’s Cliffbars,
and Treya Weinreb’s gourmet lunch. Our intrepid house
captain, John Solomon, and co-captain, Alex Madonik, did
a tremendous job with the arduous project, in addition to
all the work before and afterwards.
Susan Simon, Anita Bloch, Jessica Dell’Era, Adam Klein,
Richard Kaufman., Maria Tostado, Aaron Sunshine, Talia
Young, Stacy Margolin and Howard Zangwill, Daniel
Klein, Joe and Eli DeVries, Rick Heeger, Amy, Steve and
Scott Tessler. Thank you to those who volunteered but were
unable to help because of the cancellation of the project’s
last day.
In order to be a sponsor of an RTO project, the sponsoring group must make a significant contribution to the cost
of the project in addition to donating the people power to
do the work. We are grateful for the generous sponsorship
by the Board of Trustees and the Mollie Hertz Interfaith
Outreach Fund which allowed us to do this important work
of Tikkun Olam, fixing the world, one home at a time!
Thank you to everyone who made this project possible.
We want to personally thank every one of the members
of our strong TBA team, without whom this massive
undertaking could not have been accomplished. Your hard
work and dedication is inspiring! Thank you to Karen
Schoonmaker, Lynn and Garrett Langfeld, Barbara Berman,
9
cooking corner
It’s Burger Time!
By Faith Kramer
While we don’t always have the warmest summer temperatures here in the Bay area, I still think of this time of year as barbeque season, even if it means the fog is rolling in by the time my burger is medium rare.
One of my favorite grilling recipes is this one for Turkish Beef Patties. The dish doesn’t require much more work than making regular hamburgers but delivers a lot more flavor. The patties are reminiscent of the Adana kebabs that are popular in
Turkey and Israel. Making them as patties instead of wrapping the meat around a skewer helps keep them moist and juicy.
The recipe here calls for all beef, but they also taste great made with half beef and half lamb. Serve them over rice with a
cucumber salad and a drizzle of tahini or try them in a pita or hamburger bun. They can also be made on an indoor electric
grill or under the broiler.
I like them a bit on the spicy side, so cut back on the ground cayenne pepper if you want a tamer version. Turkish red pepper
paste is available in Middle Eastern and other specialty markets. Several brands are available packed under kosher supervision.
Be sure to get the type marked “mild.” See the recipe for a substitution.
Turkish Beef Patties
Serves 8
1 small onion, finely minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. minced fresh mint
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. mild Turkish red pepper paste OR 2 tsp. tomato
paste mixed with additional 1 tsp. paprika
2 lb. ground beef
Combine onion, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, mint,
paprika and pepper paste. Mix well. Add beef and knead
with your hands until the spice mixture is well distributed
throughout the meat. Let stand for one hour. Shape into
8 or so patties. Grill over a hot fire, turning occasionally,
until cooked through but still pink inside, or to desired
doneness.
Cucumber Salad
Serves 8
2 large cucumbers, peeled
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. sugar, optional
1/4 cup total finely chopped fresh mint, cilantro, dill and
or flat-leaf parsley
Thinly slice the cucumbers. Mix vinegar with onion, salt
and pepper in a large bowl. Add cucumber slices and toss.
Taste and add sugar if needed. Right before serving add
fresh herbs and toss again.
Faith Kramer blogs her food at www.clickblogappetit.com. Her cooking column appears twice a month in the j. weekly. You can
contact her directly at [email protected].
continued from page 4
Oakland A’s Jewish Heritage Night
(July 30)
Join the A’s for the third annual Jewish
Heritage Night in the Plaza Infield
seating area. All participants that
purchase a special ticket for this event
from the link below will receive an
exclusive A’s Jewish Heritage Yarmulke
and a traditional food item in the Bar & Grille. I believe
this year’s give away is an A’s yarmulke. Special group tickets will be sold and I’m sure you will get information from
TBA on this as we get closer to the summer.
TBA Feeds the Hungry: CityTeam in Oakland
(5 - 7 p.m. each 4th Sunday)
CityTeam Oakland is located in the heart of downtown.
The doors of the mission are open to the city’s poor, hopeless and homeless. Together, the staff and volunteers in
10
Oakland are working towards an empowered, changed and
new Oakland. TBA volunteers help feed the hungry at
CityTeam monthly. Upcoming dates include June 23, July
28, and August 25). Contact Caren Shapiro at cjshapiro@
hotmail.com to sign up for one of the eight spots each
month.
Join us For Morning Minyan and/or Shabbat Services at
TBA
Use your summer flexibility to join the Minyaneers on
Monday and Thursday mornings in the Chapel at TBA.
Morning Minyan begins at 8 a.m. followed by Breakfast.
And as always, TBA Shabbat Services take place every
Friday night (at 6:15) in the Chapel and Saturday morning
in the sanctuary no matter what the time of year. Don’t be
a stranger!
I am now signing off as your TBA Omer Editor. I hope
you have a great summer!
tba family retreat at camp newman
11
gan avraham
Gan Update
By Barbara Kanter
Where did the school year
go? It seems like just yesterday that I returned
to Gan Avraham as the
director. I have renewed
friendships and met many
new friends in my almost
year back. And now the school
year is coming to an end and we
look to the summer and the future. For some children and their families, moving on means GASP and
then moving into Kitah Bet or Kitah Gimmel, and
for others it is that next step into the bigger world
and kindergarten. Wherever the children are heading, we know that they have blossomed, learned and
will continue to gain many important skills that will
help them on their journey.
Pizza time in Kitah Bet!
The end of the year provides the perfect opportunity
to thank everyone who helped make this year so
wonderful. I want to thank all of the Gan teachers,
Alice, Emma, Karen, Jill, Laura, Marta, Miri and
Ruth, who welcomed me and are most important in
our quality preschool program. I thank the children
and their families who also warmly welcomed me
and provided lots of support and help throughout
the year. We have a wonderful community of volunteers who do so much for and with the Gan. I also
want to thank the administrative and custodial staffs
and lay leadership of Temple Beth Abraham. Their
help has been invaluable.
I especially want to thank Rabbi Bloom for his regular participation in the Gan. He helps with holiday
preparations and celebrations, and he joins one class
every Friday to lead their Shabbat circle (with his
guitar) in songs and blessings. Rabbi Bloom knows
every child by name and never walks through the
yard without stopping to chat with the children.
He is an integral part of our school. I know (from
years of experience) that this is a very special and
important relationship between Rabbi Bloom and
the Gan.
We also anticipate a busy summer full of fun at
GASP (Gan Avraham Summer Program). We are
trying a different model in response to parent
requests. This summer we will offer five 2-week
sessions of GASP. Plans and preparations are
beginning.
Have a wonderful summer!
12
Summery Lemonade Stand at the Gan.
Please Join Us
Shabbat Mishpacha
for preschool-aged children
and their families.
Kitah Gimmel classroom.
June 1 and 15, 10:15 a.m.
bet sefer
How To Be Jewish Over the Summer
By Susan Simon
Yes, the title is somewhat tongue and cheek – of course we
are Jewish all year round. But it sometimes seems to us
that participation drops off a bit during the warmer months
when children are off from school and life seems to move a
bit more slowly. Children are always getting unspoken messages from adults. They can tell when something is really
important to their parents and when parents are ambivalent.
To avoid subtly teaching your child that Jewish practice,
ritual and learning are only for religious school, try to incorporate these things into the life of your family all year long.
It’s painless and you might find it enriches your family time
together. Here is a list of suggestions:
• If your child attends Bet Sefer and has just completed
Mechina, Alef or Bet, post the Torah chart that you
will get with your child’s report card on your refrigerator or other prominent place. Your child can fill in
a square on the chart each time s/he does something
“Jewish.” These acts can be as simple as the bedtime
Shema, putting some coins in a tzedakah box, reading
a Jewish book, saying Motzi before a meal, visiting the
Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, visiting someone who is sick – you get the idea. It isn’t
that these are things that might be out of the ordinary
in your home, but filling in the Torah chart creates a
Jewish mindfulness that teaches your child that these
things are important to you.
• If your child attends Bet Sefer and has just completed
Gimmel, Dalet or Hay, post your child’s vocabulary
words on the refrigerator or other prominent place.
Spend a little time each week going over the words.
We have been using this method for several years here
and have found that many students return after the
summer with more recall of decoding as well as the
meaning of the words. Will this turn them into modern Hebrew speakers? No, but we have found it really
helps.
• Come to services with your child/ren. Yes, the weather might be really nice and there are so many competing things to do. But attending services with your
child, even if your child goes to childcare, sends an
important message to your child that this is important
to you. We often have lovely summer events and your
presence enriches our community. Watch Rayna’s
weekly emails for more details.
• Invite another family over for Shabbat dinner and see
if you can make dinners like this a regular occurrence.
Setting time apart for Shabbat, however that works in
your family, creates special memories for your child,
full of wonderful smells, lots of laughter and singing
and great company.
• Sign your child up for Hebrew decoding enrichment –
the cost is $50 per lesson for as many ½ hour lessons
as you would like for your child with me, one on one
– I can work on problem areas or just give your child
a boost for next year.
I am around much of the summer if you need more suggestions or some help. Don’t know the Friday night table
blessings? Trying to find some Jewish books to read with
your child? Looking for more home rituals that you can
do comfortably? Feeling like you can’t read Hebrew so you
can’t help your child? Email me ([email protected])
and I will help.
Don’t be strangers around here!
June Sha’a b’Matana Workshop: Helping children play well together
The talk will include a focus on sibling relations.
build strong parent/child connections.
June 3 from 7-8 p.m. in the Baum Center
This workshop will be run by Tosha Schore (TBA board
member and former Gan parent), a parenting consultant
who supports parents in building close, connected relationships with their children. To learn more about Tosha and
how she can support you in navigating those sticky parenting challenges, you can check out her website at www.
yourpartnerinparenting.com. More information on Tosha,
as well as lots of free parenting resources, can be found at
www.handinhandparenting.org.
Free childcare is available for this hour-long workshop.
Parents must email the childcare request by 5/30 to Tosha
([email protected]).
RSVP’s for the workshop are not required, but appreciated.
Have you ever felt frustrated with your child refusing to
get off the swing to offer a waiting child a turn? Or heard
screaming and run into the other room to find your children in a tug-of-war over a toy? How about feeling like one
child is always the “perpetrator”?
In this short workshop, Tosha will offer tools to use in these
and other familiar situations. Through anecdotal sharing of
her experience with her own children and with the many
families she’s worked with, you will leave with a real sense
of how to implement these tools, and why using them helps
Sha’a b’Matana (An Hour’s Gift) is a new series of monthly
speakers, members of our TBA community, who have volunteered to share their professional expertise with you in
an intimate, informal setting. We hope you’ll come out, get
some expert advice, and enjoy a relaxed evening with other
TBA members. Please feel free to contact Tosha Schore
directly with any questions at [email protected].
13
midrasha
Midrasha in Berkeley – Already Planning for
the Fall
By Diane Bernbaum
This year has been an exciting year for Midrasha and our
retreat program. After twenty plus years of having the
Jewish Federation (and its educational arms, the Center
for Jewish Living and Learning and the Agency for Jewish
Education) run retreats for the Midrasha system, this year
the Midrasha in Berkeley campus has taken on the administration of the retreats on behalf of all four Midrasha
campuses.
All together 230 teens from the four Midrasha campuses
attended one or more of our weekend retreats and nearly
half of these teens attended two or three retreats. Teens
spent time together learning, praying, singing, dancing,
growing, and playing. They had the chance to step out
of their busy lives for a brief period of time to catch our
breath. Ask most teens in the Midrasha system what their
favorite part of Midrasha is and they will answer without
blinking: The retreats.
We have had the perfect person as Midrasha’s first Director
of Experiential Education, Jenni Mangel. She ably led the
transition, forging Midrasha’s relationship with the camps,
the buses, the staff, the teens and the parents from all the
Midrasha campuses. A few months ago Jenni let us know
that although she had greatly enjoyed this work and found
it an honor and a pleasure to be part of this organization
and community, unfortunately, it had proven to be too difficult on her family for her to be gone so many nights and
weekends so she made the difficult decision to not return to
this role next year. That is the bad news.
The good news is that we have hired a fantastic individual
to take on the leadership of the Midrasha retreat program.
Isaak Brown is one of our own – he has been a teacher on
both the Oakland and Tri Valley / Tri Cities (Pleasanton)
campuses and has also staffed our retreat program in the
past. Isaak’s introduction of himself follows:
Hi folks! My name is is Isaak Brown and I’ve been
lucky enough to be in the Midrasha community for
the past two years on Oakland and TV/TC campuses.
I am a second-generation Berkeleyite, now living in
North Oakland with my two bikes and dozens of
succulents. I have been involved in education for the
past seven years with a focus on social justice, servicelearning, and spiritual practice. This year I graduate
with a MA in Religious Leadership and Social Change
from the Graduate Theological Union. When not in
front of a white board and a group of teens, you can
find me biking on and off trails, eating vegan donuts,
and volunteering in violence prevention work across
the Bay. I feel honored and excited to begin working
with the Midrasha community more closely as Director
of Experiential Education. My favorite things about
Midrasha retreats are getting to sing songs and practice
being our best to each other all weekend long.
For those with teens in 8-12th grade, please pull out your
calendars right now and make sure that you have the
following dates written down: Wednesday, August 28orientation for new students and parents, Friday, August
30 – last day to register for Midrasha without a late fee,
Sunday, September 8 – First day of Midrasha classes,
Midrasha retreats -November 8-10, January 31February 2, April 25-27.
Hebrew Reading and Decoding Refresher
This summer I will be teaching a limited Hebrew reading/decoding refresher along with a warm up for a
few High Holy Day melodies. The goal is to give you
some practice reading Hebrew and learn or re-learn a
few melodies so that our services are more meaningful to you. This is not a beginner alef-bet class (but if
you need that, please email me and I'll see what I can
do). Some basic experience with Hebrew decoding is
required to make this class meaning ful.
This time I will be teaching on Wednesday evenings - 6
sessions - $15 per one hour session or $75 for the entire
series. All materials will be provided to you. The class
starts on Wednesday evening, July 24 and continues for
6 consecutive weeks - 7:30 p.m. in the TBA Chapel.
Please email me if you are interested in joining this
class.
Susan Simon, [email protected]
14
Have
a Great
Summer!
donations
Charity is equal in importance to all the other commandments combined.
Centennial Project Fund
Cynthia Berrol
Stephen & Susan Shub
Centennial Match Fund
Mark Fickes & William Gentry
Jay Goldman & Mona Goldfine
Philip & Dina Hankin
Davis Courtyard Match Fund
Sally & Victor Aelion, in memory of
David Galant
Jonathan Bornstein & Amy Wittenberg
Rabbi Arthur Gould & Carol Robinson
Warren & Outi Gould, in honor of
Walter Teitelbaum’s Bar Mitzvah
Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, in
memory of Gittel Rothblatt
Charles Schwab
Stephen & Susan Shub, in memory of
Harold Rosenberg
Stephen & Amy Tessler
Madeline Weinstein, in memory of
Seidel Rothenberg
Keith & Marlene Dines
Alan Gellman & Arlene Zuckerberg
Morey & Eleanor Greenstein, in memory
of Sidney Greenstein
Libby Hertz, in memory of
Robert Hyman
Martin & Evelyn Hertz
Melvin & Margaret Kaplan, in memory
of Stephen Kaplan
Fred & Beth Karren, in memory of
Joe Karren
Bruce Levitch & Lily Pham, in memory
of Ruth Joyce Levitch, Harry Levitch, and
Viet Pham
Joel Piser & Jing Weng Hsieh
Paul & Florence Raskin
Nissan & Carol Saidian, in memory of
David Galant
Sidney & Ethel Shaffer, speedy recovery
to Adele Keinon & Hennie Hecht
Kiddush Fund
David Avidor & Tosha Schore
Ronn Berrol & Joan Korin
Jonathan Bornstein & Amy Wittenberg
Eric & Heike Friedman
Fifi Goodfellow, in memory of Fanny &
Charles Naggar
Fifi Goodfellow, in memory of Margaret
Naggar
Richard & Audrey Kauffman
Robert Klein & Doreen Alper, in honor
of Rinat Fried
Herman & Agnes Pencovic, wishing a
speedy recovery to Adele Mendelsohn
Keinon
Daryl & Bryna Ross
David & Jessica Sarber
General Fund
Minyan Fund
Jeanette Jeger Kitchen Fund
Norman & Jo Budman, in memory
of David Galant
Jack Coulter, in memory of Arthur
& Gertrude Yarman
Jack Coulter, in memory of Irving
& Dorothy Dronsick
Fifi Goodfellow, in memory of
Rene Nathan
Misia Nudler, to Ray Steinberg, condolence on loss of brother
HH Days Appeal-Endowment Fund
Dr. Jed Galant, in memory of
David Galant
Enna Ruderman, in memory of
David Galant
Kevin & Melissa Akioka, Olya Katsman,
in memory of David Galant
Jason Green-Lowe
Richard Biller, in memory of
David Galant
David Avidor & Tosha Schore
Ulli Rotzscher, in memory of
David Galant
Sidney & Ethel Shaffer, in memory of
David Galant
Camper/scholarship Fund
Elinor DeKoven
Rabbi Discretionary Fund
Richard & Naomi Applebaum, mazel
tov to Dawn & Sandy on Avi & Yael’s
engagement
Jessica Dell’Era
James Govert & Rachel Nosowsky
David Lenik, in memory of Samuel Abe
Lenik
Bruce Levitch & Lily Pham
Jeffrey Lipsett & Lisa Tabak
Lauren Manasse & Matthew Smith, in
memory of Jessica Manasse
David & Stephanie Mendelsohn
Peter Miller & Bess Gurman, in honor of
her Aliyah
Eugene & Marjorie Myers, in memory of
Pearl Myers
Misia Nudler, in honor of the second
generation
Jeffrey & Judith Quittman, in memory of
Nancy Quittman
Bryan Schwartz & Alicia CernitzSchwartz
Andy & Marcia Wasserman
Cantor Discretionary Fund
Leon & Judy Bloomfield, in memory of
Harry Ben David
Celia & Morris Davis Hunger Fund
Philip M. & Anna Morrison
Hertz - Israel Scholarship Fund
Ulli Rotzscher, in memory of
David Galant
Martin & Lisa Kharrazi, in memory of
Morris Dimitrovsky
Yom Ha Shoa Fund
Hertz Interfaith Fund
Martin & Lisa Kharrazi, in memory of
Morris Dimitrovsky
Misia Nudler, in honor of Naomi &
Richard Applebaum’s new granddaughter
Misia Nudler, speedy recovery to Adele
Mendelsohn
Gerald & Ruby Hertz, in memory of
Jeannette Strassman Morow
Wasserman Fund
Andrew Gooden & Ruth Kleinman, in
memory of David Galant
15
B’nai Mitzvah
life cycles
Ethan Grossman, June 29
I was born in 2000 in Berkeley, CA. I have lived in my house in Oakland for my
whole entire life. I will be in 8th grade after this summer and I attend HeadRoyce School. I love music and I try to go to as many shows as I can. My favorite subject in school is History. I love history because I find it interesting to not
only be learning about our country, but about others too. I am a huge sports
fan. I am a “die hard” SF Giants fan. I love talking about sports, because one of
my dreams is to be a sports commentator. My favorite movie is Monty Python
and the Holy Grail, because I love dry humor and that is about as dry as it gets.
My hebrew name is Chayim-Lev which was my grandmother’s hebrew name. It
means Heart of Life, which is very true to me, because I cherish my life everyday
and I am so lucky to have my family.
The TBA community has been with me since I have been born. TBA has played
a huge role in my developement, and I would be nothing without it. My parshat
is Pinchas. I will be discussing my haftarah, which is about Jeremiah’s struggles of
becoming a profit. I cannot wait to see you there.
Isaac Charlesworth, August 31
I am a 7th grade student at Montera Middle School. I like my school. My favorite subject is algebra but my favorite class is P.E. I also like to play video games.
My favorite place to be is either on a baseball diamond or at my house. I’m a
huge Giant’s fan and I’ve been playing Little League for 6 years.
My Torah portion is Nitzavim-Vayeilech verses 28-30. I like being Jewish because
I like all the fun holidays. I can’t wait to have my Bar Mitzvah and I hope to see
all of you there.
Correction:
Unfortunately the photos
of Maayan and Hannah
Rubin were swapped in
last month’s Omer. The
corrected version is
available online. We
apologize for this error.
Maayan Rubin
Hannah Rubin
Welcome New Members
Tonda Case (Daffner) & Samuel Daffner. Their children
Zoe & Chaya Daffner
Sagie Kleinlerer & Sophie Cohen-Kleinlerer
Elizabeth Offen-Brown & Jason Klein
Isaac & Breetel Graves
16
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!
life cycles
June, July and August Birthdays
June 1
12
21
Max Davis
Zachary Piser
Caren Sencer
Samuel Zapruder
Matthew Gochman
Toya Hertz
David Salk
Jessica Siegel
Susan E. Bloch
Lisa Fernandez
Ellis Noemi Jacob
2
13
Jane Kramer
Benjamin Krefetz
Ella Pashmar
Isaac Sosebee
Leila Bernstein
Melissa Diamant
Sarah Rothman
Jake Wike
Jeannie Haydon
Laura Jones
Amy Moscov
Judith Quittman
3
14
22
23
Emily Miller
Daniel Gray Pascal
Hannah Rubin
Daphne Albert
Alexander Kauffman
Randall Kessler
Daniel Bornstein
David Hoffman
Zachary Silver
David Stein
4
15
24
Steven Aronson
Emily Golub
June Marinoff
Milana Schwartz
Louis Teitelbaum
Barry Barnes
Alison Heyman
Eddan Katz
Tammy Lee
Rachel Teichman
Theodor Ferguson
Donald Jurow
Josiah Larkin
Ron Lerner
Alan Silver
5
16
25
June Brott
David Lenik
6
Michael Aronson
Adhi Bornstein
Audrey Kauffman
Mara LaForte
Adi Schacker
Alexander Van Deventer
Alicia von Kugelgen
17
7
Ernestina Carrillo
Sophie Govert
Gabriel Mizrahi
Mikhail Mizrahi
Larry Reback
Jennifer Slavin
Helen von Kugelgen
8
18
Micah Arons
Emma Rosenthal
Zachary Schwartz
Emily Asher
10
Beatrice Aronson
Rabbi Arthur Gould
Gerald Hertz
Ella Sadikman
Susan Shub
11
Walter Chang
Alice Hale
Rayna Levine
Cameron Smith
Zakai Avidor
Ruth Kline
Emma Stone
19
Rowan Smith
James Wakeman
20
Rebecca Amy Darling
Randy Morris
David Reback
Talia Shalev
Ronald Weller
Shira Benau
Herbert Bloom
Lynn Gerber
Jacob Hill
Sarah Liron
Alexandra Wike
26
Sam Bookin
Talya Bornstein
Rose Haag
Richard Mills
Chanel Patterson
Lindsay Spangler
Linda Stevens
30
Rami Albert
Larry Bercovich
Felix Broach
Aaron Paul
Richard Rubin
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
8
Matthew Disco
Adam Lerner
Leah Felice Wildmann
Alon Wolf
Lorri Zimmer
9
Alexis Morgan
Kelsi Perttula
10
28
Johnny Glick-Scroggins
Stacy Month
Meryl Segal
Michael Stevens
29
Yitzhack Heber
Ruby Hertz
Max Schleuning
Michele Silver
Denise Davis
Mona Goldfine
Carol Robinson
Michael Zielenziger
Li Fife
Ethan Grossman
Zachary Hankin
Chris Morgan
Zepora Zangwill
11
12
Booker Holton
Elijah Miller
Maya Schacker
continued on page 18
Is your birthday information wrong or missing from this list? Please contact the TBA office to make corrections.
17
life cycles
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
Drew Kaplan
Jessica Liroff
David Ragones
Shayna Silberzweig
15
Kenneth Benau
Elaine Gerstler
Jacob Kaizer-Salk
Rebecca Wasserman
16
Nathaniel Bernstein
Haydn Garfinkle
Kevin Schwartz
Aliza Zangwill
17
Robert Halem
Richard Heeger
Michael Hyman
Daniel LaForte
Peter Mezey
Gary Sherne
18
Jessica Dell’Era
Raphael Novak
Hartsock
Molli Rothman
19
Levi Chabon
Reuven Glick
Julie Lerner
20
Joel Goldsmith
Rachel Goldstone
Jeffrey Quittman
Ezra TrostGoldhammer
18
21
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
Asher Rose
26
Isaac Charlesworth
Fiona James
Ariel McLean
Larry Wayne
27
Joseph Blumberg
Julie Gochman
Alex Mezey
Cindy Sloan
Jacob White
Julia White
28
Micah Trilling
Mor Tzadik
29
Eva Katz
Daniel Mc Lean
Mark Mogill
Lilah Yarden
Sadikman
Alexander Schleuning
Lori Schnall
30
Lee Nathan
31
Talya Brott
Tonda Case (Daffner)
Jill Lindenbaum
Ari Perttula
August 1
Zoe Cohen
Eliana Goldstein
Jonas Hagan
Brett Hodess
Robyn Hodess
Eric Horodas
Lila Hudson
12
Jacob Young
Elliott Joseph Zatkin
13
Dean Goldfein
14
3
Mae Goldman
Garrett Langfeld
Irene Shoikhet
5
Yael Berrol
Judy Langberg
Talia Young
Stacy Frauwirth
Annaliese Kauffman
Gregory Korn
Evelyn GlickScroggins
Dara Goldfein
Allan Green
Jacqueline Shea
Dinkin
Sophie Souroujon
6
Miriam Benjamin
Barbara Gross
Florence Raskin
Barry Rotman
Shirley Silver
7
Brent Kauffman
Gabriel Levin
8
Norman Frankel
Alan Gellman
Luca LaForte
9
David Benjamin
Samuel Cohen
Adina Goldstein
Aaron Stein
10
Michelle Gould
Joshua Hill
11
James Johnson
Evan Kharrazi
Naomi Liron
Jody London
15
16
Omni Aflalo
Barbara Berman
Jon Feldhammer
Danielle Rehr-Davis
17
Richard Charlesworth
James Govert
Avi Paulson
18
Rebecca Farmer
Noah Jacobs
Rachel Kuperman
Sarah Weintraub
19
Janet King
20
Joel Biatch
Anita Bloch
Elan Halperin
Benjamin Rego
22
Patricia Eliahu
Linda Horodas
Daniel Jaffe
Darren Kottle
Joel Piser
David Rapson
Scott Tessler
23
Joshua Hyman
Sydney Hyman
Lori Jaffe
Willa Miller
24
Armin Brott
Judy Chun
Jason Edelstein
William Gentry
Sydney Palmer
Daryl Ross
25
Jennifer Beck
Samuel Bernstein
Eve Gordon-Ramek
Doree Jurow Klein
26
Hannah
Acevedo-Schiesel
Jackson
Feinstein-Kernar
Jeremy Kharrazi
Emma Sterling
27
Jennifer Baum
Jesse Goldhammer
Elaine Teune
28
Melissa Bercovich
Blythe Hyman
Roxanne Moss
Roxanne Moss
Bryan Schwartz
29
Rose Hoffman
Ezra Maidenberg
Douglas Moss
30
Marcia Benjamin
Benjamin Brinner
Sabra Rachel Jaffe
Jan Leuin
James Leventhal
31
Shara Coltoff
Rebecca Sparks
life cycles
June, July and August Yahrzeits
May God comfort you among all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem
Sivan 23-29
June 1-7
Celia Bloch
Ariyeh Heber
Sylvia Strub Goldman
Rose Polse
Max Goldman
Irving Reback
Renee Zuckerman
Aron Gordon
Steven Ross
David Heskin
Joseph Pencovic
Judith Wallerstein
Kenneth Katz
Sam Nathan
Mark Siegel
Howard Silberman
Sivan 30 Tammuz 6
June 8-14
Ida Brasch
Thomas Scharff
Dodi Aron
Horst-Arnold Aron
Miriam Heirshsberg
Ethel Liss
Nathan Turchin
Sandy Aerenson
Ethel Gold Heskin
Charles Leve
Ida Carasick Barber
Alan Goldberg
Marie Marcus
Sidney Steckel
Mark Weinstein
Laura White
Oscar Ehrenberg
Tammuz 7-13
June 15-21
Bert Simon
Belle Bercovich
Alvin Strom
Ruth Korn
Moritz Wolff
Yitzchak Gottlieb
Sara Wolff
Vera Jennings
Victoria Naggar
Peter Ottinger
Gisela Spiegel
Francine Weil
David Berman
Peter Lisker
Sam King
Tammuz 14-22
June 22-31
Av 13-19
July 20-26
Melba Dattner Klein
Violet Burge
Samuel Applebaum
Raymond Epstein
Alan J. Fixler
Amy Galas
Ina Nathan
Robert Wolk
Hilda Brauer
Robert Fierstein
Frieda Nemon
Larry Pencovic
Lesley Langberg Kaye
Morris Polse
David Rohold
Edward H. Stern
Tammuz 21-27
July 1-5
Rebecca Berrol
Jean Green
Anna Lea Greenstein
Sam Moss
Abraham Goldstein
David Tsifrin
Ira Glasser
Kenneth Tessler
Av 20-24
July 27-31
Alex Galas
Tammuz 28-Av 5 Johnnie Holton
July 6-12
Leah Levine
Irene Feinberg
Lawrence W. Stone
Clara Ottinger
Flora Pencovic
Narvel Case, Jr.
Rayanna Laytner
Louis Rosenberg
John Berman
Edith Moss
Anna Polse
Morris Rothblatt
Thomas Saunders
Phillip Kauffman
Av 6-12
July 13-19
Naomi Drapkin
Shirley Horodas
Shelley Rotman
Gertrude Bleiberg
Michael Fass
Irving Mayer Burt
Marshall Denenberg
Dorothy Levien
Daniel Goldfein
Av 25-26
August 1-2
Edith Polon
Emanuel Starr
Louis Vaughn Eduardo
Tate
Judi Teichman
Av 27-Elul 3
August 3-9
Eileen Grossman
Arthur Roth
Donald Paulson
Arthur Michael Ross
Bessie Gerber
Jacqueline Helfend
Max Kushman
Sylvia C. Davis
Fannie Kessler
Harry Levitch
Renee Berman
Clarice Cohen
Zachary Alexander
Kalamas
Matilda Kramer
Charles Levine
Jonathan Lisker
Bill Hale
Eva Klein David
Bertha Sutz
Joseph Dienstag
Elul 4-10
August 10-16
Robert Sr. Edesess
Cecil Meltz
Jacob Miron
Sol Quittman
Ernest Rosenthal
Sam Silver
Haim Rom
David Davis
Keneth Goodwin
Albert Jacobs
Barry Stephen Kramer
Abraham Schaefer
Philip L Davis
Larry Frankel
Kenneth Brasch
Arthur Casson
Tsilya Kobuzyatskaya
Girsha Uretski
Frances Hochman
Jerry Kopp
Elul 11-17
August 17-23
Carol Bonar
Joy Kauffman
Yehudit Eliahu
Rachel Gordon
Gowher Saidan
Milton Berman
Herman Budman
John Odenheimer
Joel Oseroff
Francis Turchin
Marcia Jacobs
George Kaplan
Sarah Meltz
Mary Chipkin Schussheim
Mildred Lenik
Elul 18-24
August 24-30
Paula Gordon
Harry Hertz
Sam Kahane
Lionel Barnett Kurtz
Eve Levis
Harold Rubel
Hans-Georg Venus
Bezalel Bornstein
Judel Gold
Mollie Hertz
Boris Katz
Gary Wulser
Gladys Hyman
Esther Sharnak
Joanna Stern
Leo Young
Mayer Goldberg
Moshe Marcus
Michael G. Melvin
Mundl Litvak Okh
Nella Schlesinger
Albert Bercovich
Ernest Cohn
Nathan Davidson
Elul 25
August 31
Isaac Naggar
Samuel Zatkin
MEMORIAL PLAQUE Anyone wishing to purchase a memorial plaque, please contact Pinky at the synagogue office at extension 229.
19
20
2
9
23
30
15
Tamuz
22
Tamuz
3
26
Sivan
4
10
17
24
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
16 '' 7:07p
Tamuz
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
9
Tamuz
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
9:30a Rosh Chodesh Celebration
(contact Amy Tessler for location)
2
Tamuz
11
25
18
tzom tamuz
(dawn to dusk)
17
Tamuz
10
Tamuz
3
'' 7:53p
Tamuz
7-8p Professional Presentaiton-Helping Children Play Well Together
7:30p Congregation Meeting
with Tosha Schore
presenting the Next Big Thing Project
(Social Hall)
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
25
Sivan
5
12
19
26
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
18
Tamuz
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
11
Tamuz
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
4
Tamuz
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
27
Sivan
20
27
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
19
Tamuz
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
12
Tamuz
6
13
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
5
Tamuz
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
28
Sivan
7
14
21
28
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
20 '' 8:17p
Tamuz
7p East Bay Minyan (Baum YC)
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
13 '' 8:16p
Tamuz
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
Gan Graduation for Kitah Gimmel
Gan Avraham-Last Day of Schoolcloses as 1:00pm
6
'' 8:14p
Tamuz
6:15p-7:45p Rock n Roll Shabbat
(RSVP for Shabbat Chicken Dinner)
6:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
29 '' 8:11p
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.
1
Korach
8
15
22
29
9:17p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bar Mitzvah of Ethan Grossman
Kindergym 30th Anniversary celebration
Pinchas
21
Tamuz
9:17p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
Balak
14
Tamuz
9:14p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Speaker:
Congresswoman Barbara Lee
Chukkat
7
Tamuz
9:11p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
Rosh Chodesh
30
Sivan
kItah GImmel CampInG tRIp
9:07p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bat Mitzvah of Sarah Rothman
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
23 Sh’lach L’kha
Sivan
June 2013
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
5p CityTeam in Oakland—
feeding the hungry
16
8
Tamuz
9:45-11:30a
Women on the Move hike
Rosh Chodesh
1
Tamuz
kItah GImmel CampInG tRIp
10a Nitzhia Shaked — back by
popular demand! (Chapel)
6p Friendship Circle-Teen Scene
IsRael In the GaRdens san FRanCIsCo
24
Sivan
Sivan 5773 / Tamuz 5773
21
21
28
14
Av
21
Av
8
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
ErEv Tish’a B’av
15
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
rosh chodEsh
22
Av
15
Av
29
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
'' 7:07p
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
22
8:30p Tish’a B’Av Service (Chapel)
8
Av
1
Av
1
23
Av
16
Av
9
Av
2
Av
9
2
16
JEwish hEriTagE NighT
wiTh ThE oaklaNd a’s
30
23
(Gan & Office Closed)
Tish’a B’av
24
Tamuz
3
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
10
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
17
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
31
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
24
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
24
Av
17
Av
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
10
Av
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
3
Av
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
25
Tamuz
18
Av
11
Av
4
Av
4
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
25
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
18
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
11
(Gan & Office Closed)
9-10a Minyan (Chapel)
u.s. iNdEpENdaNcE day
26
Tamuz
5
12
'' 8:11p
19
6:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
'' 8:14p
'' 8:06p
26
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
19
Av
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat,
12
Av
5
Av
6:15p-7:15p
Special Shabbat Unplugged followed
by Hot Dog BBQ Dinner
27 '' 8:17p
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.
6
13
shaBBaT chazoN
Devarim
shaBBaT Nachamu
20
Va-etchannan
Eikev
27
9:05p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
20
Av
9:10p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
13
Av
9:14p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
6
Av
9:16p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
28 Matot/Mas’ei
Tamuz
July 2013
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
5p CityTeam in Oakland—
feeding the hungry
14
7
7
Av
29
Tamuz
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
23
Tamuz
Tamuz 5773 / Av 5773
Temple Beth Abraham
327 MacArthur Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94610
Periodicals
Postage
PAID
Oakland, CA
Permit No. 020299
Be a part of Temple Beth Abraham’s Team at the
2013 AIDS Walk San Francisco
July 21, 2013
Opening ceremony in Golden Gate Park at 9:45 a.m. Walk starts at 10:30 a.m.
To join the team, to donate, or with any questions contact TBA’s team leader
Mark Fickes, [email protected].
what’s inside
TBA Directory.......................................i
Community Service..............................9
What’s Happening................................1
Cooking Corner..................................10
From the Rabbi.....................................2
TBA Family Retreat.............................11
Meet TBA’s New President....................3
Gan Avraham News...........................12
Editor’s Message...................................4
Bet Sefer News...................................13
Men’s Club...........................................6
Midrasha............................................14
Women of TBA.....................................7
Donations...........................................15
Volunteer Lunch...................................7
Life Cycles..........................................16
Annual TBA/Gan Bet Sefer Auction.......8
Calendar.............................................20