Men`s Club Shabbat - Temple Beth Abraham

the
Volume
March
T E M P L E
V o lume 3 5 , Num be r 8
B E T H
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A p ri l 2 0 1 6
A B R A H A M
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A d a r I I /N i sa 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)
April 1
7:33
April 8
7:39
April 15
7:45
April 22
7:52
April 29
7:58
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
Torah Portions (Saturday)
April 2
Shabbat Parah
April 9
Tazria
April 16
Metzora
April 23
Pesach I
April 30
Pesach VIII
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]
Gan Avraham
763-7528
Bet Sefer
663-1683
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
Gan Avraham Director
Jill Rosenthal & Marta Molina
Bookkeeper (x 215)
Kevin Blattel
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
Mark Fickes 652-8545
Eric Friedman 984-2575
Alice Hale 336-3044
Laura Wildmann 601-9571
Etta Heber 530-8320
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
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
Susan Shub
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
Molli Rothman & Jessica Sterling
open
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Men’s Club Shabbat
Saturday, April 2, 9:30 AM
Friday, April 8
6:15 – 7:15 p.m.
Please Join Us for
TBA’s Youth Services
SHABBAT MISHPACHA
for preschool-aged children and their families.
Kitah Gimmel classroom.
April 1, 10:15 a.m.
T’FILLAT Y’LADIM
for children in Kindergarten,
1st & 2nd grade and their families.
In the Chapel.
April 1, 10:15 a.m.
JUNIOR CONGREGATION
for children in 3rd - 6th grade.
In the Chapel.
April 16, 10:15 a.m.
ADULT EDUCATION
THIS MONTH:
April 3, at 10:00 a.m. in the Chapel
Our own Bette Birnbaum will be teaching us about
customs and rituals around Bikhor Cholim, visiting
the sick. Bette is a terrific teacher and there is much
to learn about this important mitzvah.
April 17, 10:00 a.m. in the Chapel
Nitzhia Shaked will return for a one day visit with
us with more Pesach learning. She’ll be teaching us
about Pesach from biblical times to the Haggadah.
So timely right before the first Seder the following
weekend.
April 10, 10:00 a.m. in the Chapel
Rabbi Art Gould is teaching a class on Rodef Shalom.
Wednesdays, starting April 13, 7:30 p.m. in the
Baum Center
Basic beginning Hebrew class (pre-reg is required)
taught by Susan Simon.
A special musical
Kabbalat Shabbat:
Preparing for Passover
– Songs of Freedom
Please join us as we prepare our
hearts and homes to celebrate
our freedom, and the freedom
of the Jewish people.
Featuring music and
sermon-in-song by TBA’s
Judy Bloomfield, Denise Davis,
Jeanne Korn and Jill Rosenthal.
See PAGE 8 for events for Women of
TBA and Men’s Club
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FROM THE RABBI
A Civil War Passover
By Rabbi Mark Bloom
The theme for this Omer’s issue led me to pull one of my favorite books off my shelf; Phillip
Goodman’s Passover Anthology. In it, I found an intriguing Passover experience written up by
Joseph A. Joel, a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War stationed in the mountains of
West Virginia. They had received matzahh from the military chain. But how would they find the
rest of the materials? Here is an excerpt:
“We decided to send parties to forage in the country… We obtained two kegs of cider,
a lamb, several chickens and some eggs. Horseradish or parsley we could not obtain,
but in lieu we found a weed, whose bitterness, I apprehend, exceed anything our forefathers ‘enjoyed.’ The necessaries for the choroutzes (sic) we could not obtain, so we
got a brick which, rather hard to digest, reminded us, by looking at it, for what purpose
it was intended.
At dark we had all prepared, and were ready to commence the service. There being no
Chasan present, I was selected to read the services, which I commenced by asking the
blessing of the Almighty on the food before us, and to preserve our lives from danger.
The ceremonies were passing off very nicely, until we arrived at the part where the
bitter herb was to be taken… I said the blessing; each ate his portion, when horrors!
What a scene ensued in our little congregation it is impossible for my pen to describe.
The herb was very bitter and very fiery like cayenne pepper, and excited our thirst
to such a degree that we forgot the law authorizing us to drink only four cups, and
the consequence was we drank up all the cider. Those that drank more freely became
excited, and one thought he was Mosses, another Aaron, and one had the audacity
to call himself a pharaoh. The consequence was a skirmish, with nobody hurt—only
Moses, Aaron and Pharaoh had to be carried to the camp.
There, in the wild woods of West Virginia, away from home and friends, we consecrated and offered up to the ever-loving God of Israel our prayers and sacrifice.
Since then a number of my comrades have fallen in battle in defending the flag they
volunteered to protect with their lives. I have myself received a number of wounds all
but mortal, but there is no occasion in my life that gives me more pleasure and satisfaction than when I remember the celebration of Passover of 1862.”
Learn Torah with Rabbi Bloom
& other TBAers
Each Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.
at the Woodminster Cafe.
No knowledge of Hebrew is required.
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
The Passover Table
By Mark P. Fickes
The Passover seder (literally “order”) is perhaps the most widely kept family ritual of the
Jewish calendar. The source for the commandment of telling the Exodus story is in the Torah.
In the third of the fourteen books that compile the Mishne Torah, Maimonides codifies the
laws of the Sabbath and festivals. One of the sub-sections in this book is entitled “Laws of
Chametz and Matza” (the laws of leaven and unleavened bread). The seventh chapter in this
section deals primarily with the laws of the Passover seder service and instructs us how best
to officiate such a service.
Maimonides tells us it is a commandment to talk of the miracles and wonders faced by
the Israelites in Egypt on the night of the fifteenth of Nisan. In Exodus 13:3, we read:
“Remember this day, on which you left Egypt.” The Torah continues in Exodus 13:8: “And
you shall tell your son on that day, saying: ‘It is because of this…’” implying the commandment is to be fulfilled when matzah and maror are placed before you. The commandment
applies even though one does not have a son. Even great Sages are obligated to tell about
the Exodus from Egypt. Whoever elaborates concerning the events which occurred and took
place is worthy of praise, according to Maimonides.
What else characterizes this night of Jewish ritual? Maimonides quotes the descriptive legal
text introducing us to the other two biblical commandments of the evening – the matza and
maror. Both of these rituals were designed to enable the literal tasting and through this the
experiencing of the story. The bitter herbs allow us to relate and re-experience in some way
the bitterness of the years of slavery, and the unleavened bread, the very same bread that the
Israelites ate when they left in haste for fear of Egyptian pursuit, is at one and the same time
the bread of slavery and redemption.
The law is concluded with the instruction to those without children, even those who are wise,
and presumably have studied the story to great depth and perhaps many times before, even
they have to tell the story once again, this year the same as last. If this was an academic exercise, then there would be little reason for such a person to tell the story again every year. On
the other hand, there are many reasons to repeat the story when the goal is to connect spiritually with the past.
Chag Sameach!
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.
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EDITORS COLUMN
COVER ARTIST
Invite a Stranger to Your Seder, It’s a Mitzvah That May Lead to
Marriage
By Lisa Fernandez
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a repurposed article as first seen in the 2015 Omer.
I’m encouraging you all to invite someone you don’t know over for a seder. I learned the tradition from my mother, who has a long history of inviting strangers, many of them very strange,
to our Passover table. But one time, the guest turned out to spark a lasting romance.
Passover is a time for matzah, marror, and in my family, matchmaking.
One particular year, I was dating someone my mother despised. And so, during this particular
Passover, she made an especially urgent plea to the Hillel at the University of Rochester. I need
a nice, Jewish, medical student ASAP to be one of our Pesach guests, she told them. Hillel
complied: On the first night of seder, in walks Joel Shapiro, medical student extraordinaire.
We were not a match.
But Joel did have an eye on someone in my family.
Next day, he called for my older cousin, Marcie. Apparently, he fell in love over my mom’s
dry brisket and matzah ball soup while we were all sitting around the seder table. Apparently,
so did she. The two married, and they’ve been blissfully wed for more than 20 years.
You just never know what might happen if you invite a stranger into your house for Passover.
Love might be waiting for you in between bites of your Hillel sandwich.
So, please consider inviting someone to your table this year.
About the Cover Artist, Leah Sarber
By Jessica Sarber
In this image of a Seder table, Leah Sarber shows the timeless curiosity of children. The wide-eyed children demonstrate
the special holiday that Passover is: the unique table setting, the teaching of our heritage to children and the responsibility that comes with freedom. The four questions, which encourage children to ask over and over again, are an ageless
reminder to parents that teaching, patience and our children’s joy, no matter their age,
lasts a lifetime.
My sweet daughter Leah, the artist, was born during Passover and in a few weeks she
will be 15. Like the children in the drawing, Leah is as curious and engaged in the events
around her as she always has been; the picture fits her personality. Leah is an active freshman at Skyline High School, sings and acts with the Peter Pan Foundation, volunteers as
a Teen Wild Guide at the Oakland Zoo, and participates with Midrasha and BBYO. In her
spare time, she loves to draw.
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 Leah Sarber
B’nai Mitzvah Editor Susan Simon
Help From People like you!
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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: Passover
Compiled by Jessica Teisch
Scoobydooby wawa whispered torturously by sister!
-Joel A. Biatch
Having fun with cousins observing Seder.
Adults hearing cousin falling while hiding!!!
One aunt’s matzah balls soft, fluffy.
One aunt’s matzah balls, atom bombs.
Kids negotiating for afikomen prize.
-Vicki Weller
Second Seder Bibliodrama Enactment Much Fun!
-Eric Friedman
Wine, Women and Men, Family, Song, Memories.
-Elinor DeKoven, 80
Drinking Elijah’s cup at age 9. (In my defense, it was
purple.) -Bess Gurman
We pray, we eat, we pray.
-Edie Mills
Great Tradition! Great Family! Great Food!
-Herb Bloom
Oy voy—can we eat now?
4 cups 4 questions 80 pages?!
Did Elijah drink more this year?
-Ben Stiegler
Is it time to eat yet?
-Norm & Jan Frankel
Maxwell House haggadot and charoset—yum.
-Rebecca Sparks, 47
Matzah ball soup, too much carrot.
-David White
Saba’s Hagadah says “Eat egg now!”
(It never fails to cause a ruckus. We’d always argue that
it seemed so out of place to do it at that moment, but he’d
insist. Then one year, he pointed into his Hagadah and
said “it says so right here!” We look, and lo and behold,
it’s there, in his handwriting, in pencil, no less).
-Patricia Eliahu
Beanie Babies symbolize plagues at Seder.
Grandparents fragrant with old country, Manischewitz.
Missing the old, rejoicing in new!
-Ann Rapson, still 61
The hottest horseradish Mom can find!
Dad piles it on the matzah!
-Lori-Jill Seltzer
Candles lit, kiddush cups, no challah
Seder plate, symbols of exodus story
Bitter herbs remind us of slavery
Salt water reminds us of tears
Matzah reminds us of our haste
Greens and eggs remind of spring
Charoset reminds us of the mortar
Shankbone reminds us of lamb’s blood
Angel of Death passed over us
Passover - week without bread and pasta
No carbs? No problem on Passover!
-Karen Bloom, age 46:
My mother used Seder for matchmaking.
First night’s great, remaining week hard.
Why not kitniyot? I say yes!
Rice not kosher, rainbow marshmallows OK.
We are slaves to many things.
-Lisa Fernandez, 46
In coming issues please send us your six word memoirs
to Jessica Teisch at [email protected] with the word
“six word memoir” in the subject line. Please include
your name and your age, because part of the beauty is
seeing how we feel about Judaism at different ages.
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.
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MISHLOACH MANOT
Thank you to all Mishloach Manot Volunteers and Donors!
Thank you to all who made our 2016
Purim Basket Fundraiser such a success
— you made over $43,000 for the TBA
schools with a portion going to Mazon,
A Jewish Response to Hunger!
Thanks to all members who donated to
Mishloach Manot and to those volunteers who worked to make it happen!!!
It does take a village.
Hamentashen Bakers
Adi Schacker, Amy Tessler, Anne
Levine, Bob Klein, Deborah Reback,
Debra Weinstein, Doree Jurow Klein,
Doreen Alper, Jeanne Korn, Jing & Joel
Piser, Joy Jacobs, Karen Schoonmaker,
Maria Tostado, Rayna Arnold, Stacy
Margolin, Tina Eisenman, Wendy Siver
Driving Route Preparation
Amy Tessler, Amy Kaminer, Jeanne &
Sara Korn, Julie Rubenstein, Doreen
Alper
Basket Schlepping to Cars
Sara Korn, Scott Tessler, and Steven
Kluger
Basket Assemblers
Adi Schacker, Amy, Steve & Scott
Tessler, Angela & Naomi Levy, Anne
Levine, Carolyn Shaw, Barbara Berman,
Debby Barach, Deborah Reback, Doug
Moss, Ellen Beilock, Jeanne & Sara
Korn, Jing & Joel Piser, Joe Lewis, Joy
Jacobs, Juliette Hagar, Karen Bloom,
Karen Schoonmaker, Kathy Saunders,
Lisa Fernandez, Lori Rosenthal,
Roxanne & Ellis Diamant, Noah and
Milah Gammon, Nora & Ava Morton,
Phyllis Press, Rayna Arnold, Rey
Steinberg, Rose Hoffman, Rick, Willa
& Kayden Heeger, Sarah Liron, Sherry
Marcus, Steven & Arleen Kluger,
Steven Grossman, Ulli Rotzscher
Route Drivers & Helpers
Adi Schacker, Alison Heyman, Allan
Gordon, Amy, Steve, Scott & Jenna
Tessler, Amy Moscov, Angela &
Naomi Levy, Arlene Zuckerberg,
Caren Shapiro, Carolyn Shaw, Danna
Gillette-Pascal, David Rosenthal,
Debbie Spangler, Debra Coltoff, Doreen
6
Alper, Dvora McLean, Eden Bruner,
Eric Eisenman, Esther Rogers, Flo
Raskin, Jana Good, Jeanne & Sara
Korn, JB Leibovitch, Jennie Chabon,
Jennifer Beck, Jerry Levine, Jessica
Sarber, Jessica Teisch, Jill Levine, Joan
Korin, Jody London, Jonathan, Lillian
& Rebecca Klein, Joy Jacobs, Judy &
Mark Langberg, Jueli Garfinkle, Rabbi
& Karen Bloom, Lara Gilman, Larry
Reback, Laura & Hugo Wildmann, Leah
Goldberg, Liat Porat, Lisa Fernandez,
Lisa Tabak, Lori-Jill Seltzer, Lori
Rosenthal, Marcia & Andy Wasserman,
Marcia Benjamin, Melissa, Roxanne
& Ellis Diamant, Moira Belikoff, Nora
Morton, Patricia & Avi Eliahu, Ron
Berrol, Rebecca Sparks, Rose Hoffman,
Sharon Alva, Sharon Shoshani, Sheldon
Schreiberg, Ward Hagar
College and Out of Area
Congregant Coordinator
Debby Barach
College and Out of Area
Congregant Basket Mailing
Amy Kaminer, Debby & Marc Barach,
Kathy Saunders, Willa & Rick Heeger,
Sherry Marcus
College Basket and Out of Area
Congregant Donors
Debby & Marc Barach
Route Coordination
Amy Tessler and Jeanne Korn
Volunteer Coordinator
Amy Tessler
Data Entry & Database
Management
Rick Heeger and Steven Grossman
Administrative Heavy Lifting &
Support
Virginia Tiger
Mailing Prep
Hennie Hecht, Agnes Pencovic
All Kinds of Heavy Lifting &
Support
Joe Lewis
Food Sourcing
Steve Grossman
Food Donors
Clif Bars & Luna Bars, Clif Bar &
Company/Steve Grossman; Crackers,
Ozery Bakery; Divine Chocolate;
Fig Bars, Natures Bakery, Ghiradelli
Chocolate; Hamentashen (Dairy) Kathy Sanders & Gary Zimmerman;
Hershey Kisses, Hennie Hecht, Kosher
Katering; Lance Toasty Crackers ,
Snyder’s-Lance; Method Hand Soap,
Method Company; Numi Tea (Variety of
Organic Teas); Caramel Popcorn, Edie
& Dick Mills, in memory of Jeanette
Jeger; Plum Mashups (Squeezable
Fruit), Plum Organics; Pop Chips
(Variety of Popped Potato Chips);
Pretzels, Liat Bostick, Coldwell
Banker Piedmont/Oakland; Red
Vines, American Licorice Co/Amy &
Steve Tessler; Semifreddi’s Bakery
Free Bread Coupon, Michael Rose;
Seventh Generation (variety of household soaps); Shopping Bags, Whole
Foods Market, Oakland; Starbucks Via
Coffee; Sunflower Kernals, Sunopta;
Tangerines, Ailsa Steckel, Arlene
Zuckerberg, Debbie Spangler, Diane
Abt, & Gabriella Gordon; Teatulia Tea;
Torani Syrups; Trader Joe’s Lakeshore
(Discount on Caramel Popcorn &
Pretzels); Traditional Medicinal (Sample
Teas); Tuna, Wild Planet
And of course, the incredible
co-chairs:
Amy Tessler, Debby Barach, Jeanne
Korn, Jing Piser, Rick Heeger, Steve
Grossman and Virginia Tiger
We thank you for making it look so easy
and for your heartfelt dedication and
hard work. You did such a great job!
TODAH RABBAH!
MISHLOACH MANOT
7
WOMEN OF TBA, OUR SISTERHOOD
MEN’S CLUB
G i r l s N i g h t O ut !
Sponsored by WTBA &
Oakland Ruach Hadassah
Beyond The Matzah Ball:
ROSH
CHODESH
Monday,
April 11
International Passover Foods And Customs
Women of TBA and Oakland Ruach Hadassah
present Faith Kramer, j weekly columnist, talking about the Passover recipes and food ways
of Jewish communities around the world. Come
learn and taste.
Thursday, April 7, 7:30 - 9 p.m.
Baum Center
341 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland
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.
Girls Night Out is a casual, monthly event to
gather TBA women together for relaxed and
unstructured social time. FREE.
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.
RSVP: Not required but if you want to taste,
best to let us know you’re coming so we have
enough food!
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.
Jo: [email protected] or
Lara: [email protected].
Questions? Amy Tessler at [email protected]
or (510) 482-1218 to get on the distribution list for
the upcoming meeting locations. FREE.
Searching for the Ideal Seder
again a too long and too meandering experience that barely
resembled the Seder I remembered and loved.
Passover has always been my favorite holiday. Delicious
smells, all my favorite scrumptious Jewish foods, sitting at the adult table, and always everyone in the family
together and, usually, in a joyous mood. My grandfather
always led the Seder with the same Hebrew Haggadah
year after year, making it easy for the rest of the family
by prompting us for our participation, and shushing the
inevitable side discussions and laughter.
We had the year that half the family couldn’t be in
Northern California, something that would never have happened in my Grandpa’s day, so we had our two Seders at
Passover, then a third in San Diego in July. It felt like celebrating July 4th at Thanksgiving–I don’t recommend it.
By Jeff Ilfeld
Things have changed since he died twenty years ago: still a
joyous holiday, but our Seder has been like a boat without
a rudder. The Seder was always Grandpa’s way, and with
him gone, we’ve never quite settled on how to proceed.
We first traded leading the Seder each year, but some were
more comfortable than others. We then had the revolt
against our traditional Hebrew Haggadah, with leaders
bringing in their own preferred Haggadah, but never finding one that satisfied everyone. There was the year that we
tried different Haggadot for everyone, but trying to keep
everyone together turned into the longest Seder ever and
a huge flop. One year we each brought our own favorite
passages and stories to put together as a Seder service,
8
After 20 years of searching for our ideal family seder,
we’ve now come full circle. Back to the traditional
Hebrew Haggadah that is now being used and familiar to
our third generation. The Haggadah is nothing special—
that’s part of its problem—but it’s known, comfortable,
and has a history with my family, 45 years’ worth of food
stains and all. We’ve found our way.
Another annual event that has become a tradition
involves the Men’s Club and our TBA family: Oakland
A’s Jewish Heritage Night. Mark your calendars now
(but no need to RSVP yet) for Tuesday August 9th; tickets are discounted at $28. A group of 200 of us will go to
the A’s and get free parking, free give-away A’s blanket,
free dinner, and a great time with our community.
Hope to see you there!
COMMUNITY EVENT
Building Jerusalem From Legos
By Susan Simon
It was a whirlwind of activity at our Build Jerusalem out
of Legos event on a rainy Sunday. Dozens of children
and adults dove right into the bins of more than 70,000
Legos to work together and build a model of the Old City
of Jerusalem. While it looked pretty chaotic at times,
there was a method to the madness and in less than two
hours our mastermind, architect Stephen W. Schwartz,
gave us a tour of Jerusalem using our own creation. The
children and adults had a great time. Thanks to the parents who donated at the auction as well as to our three
anonymous angels who funded this event!
9
CELEBRATING PURIM
10
CELEBRATING PURIM
11
COOKING CORNER
Matzah Round Up
By Faith Kramer
This month’s Jewish ingredient focus is on matzah
(and matzah meal), which is no surprise since Passover
begins the evening of April 22, and Pesach is the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, or matzah.
Since I have so many recipes to share, I’m skipping
some of my usual background and history except to
note that commercial, machine-made matzah production
began in France in 1838. Mechanical production eventually changed matzah’s shape from round to square (less
waste) and made the flatbreads more affordable and
easier to ship.
Below are recipes for everything from Matzah Balls (to
serve in soup) to Matzah Crunch (with nuts).
Have a favorite matzah recipe you’d like to share? Email
me at [email protected] and I’ll include it in a future
update.
AUNT BETTY’S
FLUFFY MATZAH BALLS
Makes about 20-22 matzah balls
My husband’s Aunt Betty (z”l) was renowned
for light and fluffy matzah balls.
Fortunately I asked her for the recipe so
we can still enjoy them.
4 large eggs
1 cup matzah meal
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup plain seltzer
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Separate eggs. Whisk egg whites for 1 minute until foamy. Beat yolks in a large
bowl until combined. Add oil, seltzer,
salt and pepper to yolks. Mix well. Slowly
stir in matzah meal with a fork until
well combined. Fold in a third of the egg
whites. When incorporated, fold in another
third and then the remaining third. Cover
with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-3
hours or overnight. (Batter will thicken
as it chills).
Before shaping, bring a very large soup
or stock pot of lightly salted water to
a boil. Chill a plate and lightly coat
with oil. Wet hands and gently shape
into 1” rough balls being careful not to
over handle or compress the dough, placing finished balls on plate. When they are
all formed, gently add balls to simmering water. Once the water has returned to
a simmer and the matzah balls are floating on top, cover and cook at a simmer
for about 50 minutes. (After 30 minutes of
simmering time, check and quickly turn the
12
balls while they cook). Remove with slotted spoon and drain. Store as directed in
article or reheat in chicken soup.
CUSTARD MATZAH BREI
4-5 Servings
This recipe is adapted from one given
to me for pain perdu when I was in New
Orleans. Pain perdu, or “lost bread,”
became my family’s favorite French toast
recipe and now this version is their
favorite for matzah brei. Since I make
this different every time I prepare it,
I encourage you to create your own variations. If you can’t find kosher for
Passover vanilla extract, be sure to use
the grated orange rind.
10 whole matzah sheets
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (or more or less to
taste)
2 cups of whole, low fat or fat-free
milk
1 tsp. of alcohol-free vanilla extract,
optional
2 tsp. grated orange rind, optional
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
Dash of grated nutmeg
2 Tbs. butter (or more as needed for the
frying pan)
Cinnamon Sugar (optional)
Soak whole matzahs in a large bowl filled
with warm water until just softened. (For
a crisper matzah brei, just rinse and
drain, do not soak.) Drain well and break
into small pieces in a large bowl.
In another bowl, combine eggs, milk,
vanilla, orange rind, salt, cinnamon and
nutmeg and beat to mix well. Pour over
soaked and drained matzah. Let sit for a
few minutes to allow matzah to absorb some
of the custard mixture. Stir the mixture
occasionally.
Heat butter in a very large frying pan
over medium heat. Add matzah mixture and
fry. (If too much for one pan, cook in
batches and keep warm in a 250-degree
oven. Be sure the matzah brei has room
to fry not steam in the pan. If you will
be holding the matzah brei for any time,
slightly undercook it so it won’t dry
out.)
Let the matzah brei mixture set in the
hot pan for a minute or two then use
your spatula to break it into chunks and
turn. Keep turning and breaking up the
brei every one to two minutes for a few
more times until the custard mixture is
absorbed but the matzah is still moist.
(You could also add it to the pan in
three-inch diameter dollops to create
individual pancakes.)
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired.
Serve by itself or with maple syrup, jam
or other toppings.
OVEN-FRIED EGGPLANT CUTLETS
Serves 4-6
2 lbs. eggplant
1/4 tsp. plus 1/2 tsp. salt
Oil for baking sheets
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground dried oregano
2 cups matzah meal
4 eggs beaten
Slice eggplants into 1/4” rounds. Place
in colander. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt.
Toss. Let drain for 1 hour, tossing occasionally. Pat slices dry.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 3-4
baking sheets with oil. Mix remaining salt
with pepper, oregano and matzah meal.
Place in bowl. Place eggs in a second
bowl. Dip slice of eggplant into egg so
it is covered on both sides, shaking off
excess. Next dip in matzah meal, coating
both sides. Place on greased baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining rounds, placing on
baking sheets in single layers.
Put in oven. After 15 minutes, turn over
eggplant. Bake additional 15 minutes or
until slightly golden on the outside and
the inside has a creamy texture when you
bite into it and is cooked through. Do not
overcook. Let cool on rack. Store airtight
with slices separated by waxed paper in
refrigerator. Use in Saucy Eggplant Bake
or other recipe.
COOKING CORNER
SAUCY EGGPLANT BAKE
Serves 4-6
Oil for baking dish
4-5 cups marinara sauce or other seasoned pasta sauce
1 recipe Oven-Fried Eggplant Cutlets
4-5 oz. cheese such as mozzarella or
cheddar, finely shredded
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease large
baking dish. Spoon third of the sauce on
bottom. Layer half the eggplant over it.
Spread another third of sauce over eggplant and sprinkle on half of the cheese.
Top with remaining eggplant, sauce and
cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until
cheese is melted and eggplant and sauce
are heated through.
ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
Makes 16 fritters
These fritters are adapted from ones I
made in a cooking class at a restaurant in
the shadow of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
3 cups shredded zucchini
½ tsp. salt
½ cup finely chopped onion
4 eggs, beaten
½ cup matzah meal
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. dried mint flakes or 2 Tbs.
fresh, minced mint
Vegetable oil
Toss zucchini with salt. Place in colander, let sit 15 minutes, rinse and squeeze
out moisture. Mix zucchini, onion, eggs,
matzah meal, pepper and mint. Let batter rest 5 minutes. Put 2 Tbs. of vegetable oil in large fry pan over medium high
heat. Drop 2 Tbs. of batter in the heated
oil. Flatten. Repeat. Fry 2-3 minutes on
each side until golden brown. Drain on
paper towel-covered plate. Repeat, adding
oil as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature as an appetizer or side dish.
CAULIFLOWER MATZAH BAKE
Serves 6-8
4 cups of vegetable stock, divided
4 sheets of matzah, broken into eighths
1 large head of cauliflower
3 Tbs. oil, divided plus extra for baking pan
2 cups chopped onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
½ cup chopped fresh, green poblano chili
pepper (see note)
¼ tsp. salt
Continued on page 14
13
COOKING CORNER
Cooking Corner, continued from page 13
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. paprika, optional
2 Tbs. minced flat leaf parsley
Heat 2 cups of stock. Pour over matzahs
in a bowl. Mix occasionally until matzah
has absorbed all the liquid. Trim and core
the cauliflower. Cut the rest into bitesized pieces (about 5-6 cups). Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8” x 12” baking pan. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large fry pan
over medium-high heat. Sauté onions until
beginning to soften, add garlic. Sauté
until golden. Add peppers. Sauté until
beginning to soften. Add salt, pepper
and cauliflower. Mix well. Sauté stirring
occasionally until cauliflower begins to
brown. Add 1 cup of stock, cover pan and
lower heat to simmer. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower
is almost cooked. Remove from heat. Mix
with matzah and remaining stock. Taste and
correct seasonings. Put into baking pan.
Drizzle with 1 Tbs. oil, sprinkle with
paprika. Bake 50 minutes until browned and
somewhat firm. Garnish with parsley.
Note: Poblano peppers are sometimes
labeled pasilla chilies. (A true pasilla
is a dried chili). Bell pepper is a milder
substitute.
MINA OR PASSOVER LASAGNA
4-6 Servings
Mina is a Sephardic layered casserole made
using sheets of matzah instead of pasta.
Here it gets the lasagna treatment adapted
from a recipe submitted by Deborah Sosebee
to the Women of Temple Beth Abraham’s 2007
cookbook, Everyday to Holidays.
2 Tbs. oil plus extra to oil to grease
pan
2 cups chopped onion
1 lb. fresh spinach leaves, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 lb. cottage cheese (small curd,
drained) or ricotta cheese (drained)
½ tsp. salt, plus extra to taste
½ tsp. ground black pepper, plus extra
to taste
2-26 oz. jars marinara sauce, divided
6-9 whole sheets of matzah (depending on
size of pan)
½ to 1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese,
divided
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
14
Grease a large baking or lasagna pan and
preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large
sauté or fry pan, over medium high heat,
heat oil and sauté onion until softened.
Add spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is cooked and any
liquid has evaporated. Season to taste
with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine egg, cottage
cheese and ½ tsp. each of salt and pepper.
Mix until smooth.
Layer 2-3 matzah sheets to cover bottom of
greased baking pan, breaking pieces to fit
as needed. Spread with 1/3 of the marina sauce. Top with ½ the egg and cottage
cheese, one half of the spinach and onions
and ½ the mozzarella. Cover with 2-3 matzah sheets, another 1/3 of the sauce and
the remaining egg and cheese, spinach and
onions and mozzarella. Cover with another layer of matzah and remaining sauce.
Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese. Cover
with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover. Bake
another 15-20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
BAKED MATZAH DESSERT
Serves 4-6
Try this topped with ice cream or whipped
cream.
1 Tbs. margarine or butter plus extra
for pan
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup apple juice
2 1/2 sheets of matzah or 2 cups of matzah farfel
Thoroughly grease the bottom and sides
of a 9” pie pan. In a large bowl, mix
together egg, juice, zest, cinnamon, salt,
sugar, and apple juice. Break matzah into
1/2” pieces (2 cups) and stir in. Let sit
for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour filling
with liquid in pan. Cut 1 Tbs. margarine
into small pieces and dot top. Place pan
on baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes
until gooey (it should be thickened and
sticky, much like a pecan pie filling).
Serve warm or at room temperature.
COOKING CORNER
MATZAH CRUNCH
Adapted from Marcy Goldman,the
Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking
Makes 6-8 servings
Everyone loves this very popular dessert.
You might also know it under one of its
alternative names such as Caramel Matzah
Crunch or Toffee and Chocolate Matzah
Crunch or the even Matzah Crack, but you
might not have realized how easy this
is to make. Matzah Crunch variations are
all over the internet but originated with
Marcy Goldman, who first developed the
recipe in 1994.
This version reflects one made by my mother-in-law, who makes hers with a topping
of chopped walnuts or pecans. To make it
more like Goldman’s, leave out the nuts.
Be sure to read through the directions
thoroughly before you begin. You are boiling sugar and making candy, so while the
directions are fairly easy they are exact.
Always be careful when handling hot sugar.
Other notes:
Make sure your matzah has no added salt.
Some brands are marked salt free, others aren’t labeled, so check the package’s
ingredient list.
When I use two pans and 6 matzahs I need
closer to 1 cup of chocolate chips, so
have some extra on hand just in case.
Some folks have commented that they sometimes have trouble getting the chocolate
to melt before spreading. If that happens
to you, place the pan(s) in the still warm
(but turned off) oven until
the chocolate has melted
enough to spread.
Be sure to make room in your
freezer before you begin,
since you will need to chill
the baking sheet(s) filled
with crunch to help the
chocolate set.
4-6 sheets unsalted matzah
1 cup unsalted butter or
margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or coarsely
chopped chocolate)
1-2 cups chopped walnuts
or pecans, optional
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Depending on the size of
rimmed baking sheets, you’ll
need one large or two smaller pans. Line the bottom and
sides (leave an overhang) of
the pan(s) with foil. Then top with parchment paper cut to totally cover the foil
inside the bottom of the pan(s) to make it
easier to remove cooked confection.
Place matzahs in a single layer on top of
parchment, breaking some into pieces as
needed to completely cover the bottom of
the baking sheet(s).
Combine the butter or margarine and the
brown sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the
mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over the
prepared matzahs, covering completely.
Place baking sheet(s) in oven then turn
heat down to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. Check every 3 minutes to make sure
topping is not burning. (If the toffee
layer seems to be in danger, remove pan(s)
from oven. Reduce heat to 325 degrees.
Replace pan(s) and continue to bake for
total of 15 minutes.)
After 15 minutes, remove from the oven
and sprinkle immediately with the chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes and
then spread the melted chocolate evenly
over the matzah. While still warm, sprinkle with nuts and cut (a pizza cutter
works well) or break into squares. Place
in freezer, still on cookie sheets, until
chocolate has set.
Faith Kramer writes a food column for the j weekly and
blogs her food at www.clickblogappetit.com Contact her
at [email protected]
15
GAN AVRAHAM
Plenty of Dads Take Care of Babies:
Exploring Gender Identities at the Gan
By Jill Rosenthal and Marta Molina
“When someone with the authority of a teacher describes
the world and you’re not in it, there is a moment of psychic disequilibrium, as if you looked into a mirror and
saw nothing.” Adrienne Rich
The faculty of Gan Avraham heard this quote as part of
the keynote address on February 12 at our annual Jewish
Early Childhood Educator’s Conference, sponsored by
Jewish Federation of the East Bay. We joined over 125
fellow educators to explore the topic of gender identity
and expression.
The keynote speaker was Joel Baum, executive director
of Gender Spectrum, a San Francisco-based non-profit
organization that “provides consultation, training and
events designed to help families, educators, professionals, and organizations understand and address the concepts of gender identity and expression.” His captivating
and informative presentation was entitled: The Gender
Inclusive School: Dimensions of Gender.
One of our primary jobs as early childhood educators is
to create a balanced environment for our students. We
intentionally set up the classroom so that a variety of
materials are available to everyone, to meet the myriad
needs and interests of the children. One child may
express curiosity in the dramatic play area while another
friend decides to build a structure with blocks. The inten-
tion behind having multiple areas of engagement is to
allow our children to freely identify with whatever interests them in the moment. Being mindful of the way we
present gender in the classroom, both through the objects
we provide and the way we communicate with the children, should also be part of that intention.
A huge takeaway from the conference was the importance
of using language in the classroom that challenges the
gender binary: that the world is divided into male and
female, boy and girl. Furthermore, it stressed that educators need to recognize the fact that there are dimensions
of gender and many ways of expressing one’s identity.
For example, when we hear things like, “Only girls can
dress as princesses!” or, “I’m the mommy, so I get to take
care of the baby,” we respond by pointing out the many
ways these comments reinforce narrow understandings of
gender roles, identities and the ways they are expressed.
You may hear a teacher say: “Really? I know plenty of
dads who take care of babies!”
There is a saying in the Jewish religion, and one that has
recently been brought up in Kitah Alef—B’tzelim Elohim
— we are all created in God’s image. This certainly rings
true when exploring issues around gender and identity.
We were so grateful to have been a part of this conference that taught us so many ways of creating a gender
inclusive school and that validated our interests in maintaining a school environment that is both welcoming and
safe for all.
Purim Play with Rabbi Bloom.
16
BET SEFER
State of the School Address:
What’s Going On in Bet Sefer
By Susan Simon
With two-thirds of the school year completed, it is probably time for a State of the School type of address. Plus,
some of you might be wondering what we do with the
students each week. I hear lovely compliments following
bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies from our regular Shabbat
attendees about what a great job we are doing. But how
do the students really get there?
It all starts in Mechina where our Kindergarten-age children learn through song, art projects, stories and fabulous
discussions. As I write this, the children are currently
working on their annual social action project where they
learn about hunger in our community and raise money
for the Food Bank. They are prepping for Purim and will
be consumed by making matzah covers and pillows to
recline upon for their Pesach seders. They have learned
Torah stories and a little Hebrew and are generally happy
campers!
Our first graders are a tiny group this year. They are getting an introduction to Hebrew letters and really focusing
on the First Family (Abraham, Sarah and their clan) and
the start of the Jewish people. This is also the first year
they are learning to understand the Hebrew language by
practicing Hebrew Through Movement with Adi Schacker.
If you ever have a moment before pick up, watching them
following her instructions is adorable.
The second graders team up with the first graders for a
special program that we rent from Jewish Learning Works
called Dira L’Haskir. This is based on a famous Israeli
children’s book about an apartment for rent in a building
inhabited by a diverse group of animals. As they look
for a new tenant, many biases are uncovered in the applicants. The children get to act out the story with puppets
and an apartment building we put together. They learn a
little Hebrew and get to explore the ideas of racial biases
through this very entertaining and repetitive story. The
second graders’ comprehension of Hebrew has also grown
dramatically. And their decoding skills are just beginning
to come together as they are learning the vowels.
Our third graders come on both Tuesdays and Thursdays
which can be a rough transition for some students. Plus,
our class is huge! Hebrew decoding skills are now at the
forefront of their learning. They are also demonstrating
deep thinking as they read Torah stories and delve into
the lessons that they can learn from them, sometimes
using a technique that some of our teachers have been
trained in called Philosophical Inquiry. The depth of
their thinking was demonstrated during their recent Share
A Shabbat. Plus they are now nearly experts at Hebrew
Through Movement.
In fourth grade, we work with our students, one on
one, regularly, to make sure that they really know how
to decode Hebrew words. This is especially important
because this is the last year we have time to really “perfect” decoding skills. The fourth graders master the
V’ahavta as well as the prayers of the Friday night table
service. They study the Jewish calendar as well as selections from the prophets.
Our structure entirely changes in fifth and sixth grades.
While the students still come twice a week, they learn
Jewish studies on Tuesdays and T’fillah and vocabulary
on Thursdays. The fifth graders master the Friday night
service and the sixth graders master the Saturday morning
Torah and Musaf services. In Judaic Studies, our fifth
graders just finished their unit on Kashrut which culminated in a very delicious dinner that the students cooked
for themselves and their families. They have also spent
time learning about Israel and the Holocaust and the year
isn’t finished yet!
In sixth grade the students studied about what our sages
had to say about friendship, what makes a good friend,
what to look out for, and how to be a good friend. All of
this was done in the context of being exposed to Jewish
sacred texts such as the Mishna, the Gemara, and the
Shulkhan Aruch. This semester they are learning about
lifecycle ceremonies. They started with death and burial,
have visited the mikva at Beth Jacob, and will end the
school year learning about Brit Milah with Joel Piser.
Our seventh graders finished their modules on Drash
Delivery (Public Speaking) and Holocaust (thank you
Misia Nudler for speaking with them recently!) and are
now engaged in their Israel module. They had a fabulous
trip to LA with Rabbi Bloom and some parent chaperones where they visited the Museum of Tolerance, Beit
T’shuvah, the Orthodox LA area, and Disneyland.
And now I’m knee deep in planning for next year. We
never have enough time to accomplish our goals, we
never have enough resources, there is always more I
wish we were doing. Yet when we see the students
on the bima leading so proudly, when we see them at
La’atid events or BBYO, or confirmation classes, we
have to know that as a community, we are having a
major impact on their Jewish souls. And really, that’s
what it’s all about.
17
LA’ATID
LA’ATID
Youth Fill Mishloach Manot Baskets at La’atid
By Amanda Cohen
On Sunday, March 6, 16 students participated in a special Purim and social action-themed La’atid event.
Students learned about a local organization, Shalom Bayit, which helps families who are victims of domestic
violence. The students made mishloach manot baskets for 30 Shalom Bayit clients. After learning about the
organization, students made cards and stuffed gallon-sized bags full of treats. They then worked in the TBA
kitchen to make hamantashen for the basket (and made some to eat and some to take home to share with family members).
It was a great event and everyone is looking forward to the Chocolate Seder, which will take place on Sunday,
April 17. More info to come, but please save the date!
Contact Amanda Cohen for more information at [email protected].
18
CELEBRATE PASSOVER
SELLING OF THE CHAMETZ
DEADLINE: TUESDAY, APRIL 19TH
A reminder about selling your Chametz, as it is not only an important Passover custom, but an important
charitable effort that we undertake here at TBA.
It is that time of the year where we “sell” our Chametz. This means that all the chametz that remains left in
your homes after you clean it, even if put away in the garage, becomes the property of a non-Jewish agent
to which Rabbi Bloom will sell. You then make a donation of equivalent value (many people give $18,
though some give significantly more), and that money will be donated to the Jewish community of Peru.
Please print the form below and mail along with a check to Temple Beth Abraham.
*********************************************************************************************************
I hereby authorize Rabbi Mark Bloom to act as my agent to sell any chametz that may be in my possession
wherever it may be—at home, place of business, car or elsewhere, in accordance with Jewish law:
Name______________________________________________ Signature________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________________________________________
I enclose $____________________ for the Ma’ot Chittim Sale of Chametz.
Please make checks payable to Temple Beth Abraham note “Chametz Sale” in the memo.
Temple Beth Abraham, 336 Euclid Ave, Oakland, CA 94610
19
B’nai Mitzvah
LIFE CYCLES
Sasha Rebecca Arielle Carey, April 16, 2016
My name is Sasha and I am a 7th grader at Raskob Day School. In
my free time, when I am not studying for my bat mitzvah, I like
to play sports including basketball, softball, tennis, golf, and football. I also like to work on the musical at my old school (Oakland
Hebrew Day School) as a student stage manager.
My parsha is Metzorah, which is about skin disease appearing on
people’s bodies and mold appearing on their doors and houses. In
my drash, I will talk about how the mold that appeared might have
been caused by lashon hara, or gossip. I will also talk about how
we can all be better people by avoiding gossip.
I hope you can join me when I read Torah for the first time! I
would like to thank my teachers at OHDS and TBA for helping me
learn Hebrew. Also, thank you Jessica Dell’Era for tutoring me.
I really appreciate my parents for helping me with my drash and
being the best parents ever.
New Members
Sam Chatterton-Kirchmere and Elisabeth Duffy
We are relative newcomers to the Bay Area, arriving almost 3 years ago when Sam began his pediatric residency at
Children’s Hospital of Oakland. This July, he’ll finish residency and be an official pediatrician! Elisabeth (Liz) is a
marine biologist and has been primarily doing marine conservation work. Our son, Caleb, is 2.5 years old, and we are
excited that he’ll be joining Gan Avraham this fall. We were drawn to TBA because of the warm and welcoming people
and the sense that it was a group that joyously embraced Jewish traditions and community action.
Jesse Miller and Celine Piser
Jesse and Celine are Bay Area natives and Cal alums. Jesse is a software product manager and classical pianist. Celine
teaches Comparative Literature and loves to cook. Their daughter Milana will be starting at Gan Avraham in the fall.
Welcome New Members
Jesse Miller & Celine Piser. Daughter Milana (entering
Gan in Sept.)
Sam Chatterton-Kirchmerer & Elisabeth Duffy. Son
Caleb (entering Gan in Sept.)
Morgan & Nicole Lopez. Sons Jackson (Gan in Sept.) &
baby Max
20
Boris Lipkin & Pardis Farhadian
Timothy Barry & Jaime Rapaport Barry. Daughter
Dahlia
LIFE CYCLES
APRIL BIRTHDAYS
1
Kevin Horodas
2
Stella Goodwin
Danielle Raskin
3
Nick Adams
Dan Kaiser
Eva Sasson
4
Aaron Sloan Freid
Jerry Lorber
5
9
Annette Bourget
Neila Geagan-Jessel
Steven Grossman
Jonathan Jacobs
Rachel Swetnam
10
Michelle Cossette
Fernando Garcia
Jeffery Michael Hamilton
Steven Jacobs
Fred Knauer
Jenny Michaelson
Yulia Rozen
Cheri Feiner
Jonathan Klein
Maya Young
11
6
12
Deena Aerenson
Marianna Eyzerovich
David Lorber
Kevin Schwartz
Ian von Kugelgen
7
Roberta Masliyah
Avrah Ross
David Schleuning
Stephen Steiner
Ronit Varga
Sara Zimmerman
8
Mary Kelly
Shira Kharrazi
David Goodwin
Naomi Levy
Gary Bernstein
Renuka Bornstein
Fifi Goodfellow
Robert Klein
Aviva Maidenberg
Richard Shapiro
13
Benjamin Barnes
Beverly Turchin
14
Sophia Blachman-Biatch
Isabel Goldman
Rosalind Heeger
Judith Stein
15
Willa Heeger
24
16
Bayne Albin
Yaeir Heber
Gideon Ur
David White
18
25
Benjamin Jacobs
Ellen Kaufman
Sharon Djemal
Mathew Frierman
Ruth Kleinman
Maayan Rubin
19
Talia Gordon
Gabriella Serena Klein
Ray Plumhoff
Liat Porat
Rey Steinberg
20
Jonathan Gordon
Lindasue Kay
Caden Reischer-Craft
Joseph Young
21
Desten Broach
Shoshana Bette Edelstein
Noah Stein
22
Audrey Hyman
Lila Miller
David Oseroff
Heike Friedman
Liam Gordon
Shoshana Yael Kay
26
Yehudit Chang
Laurence James
Joseph Karwat
Benjamin Marinoff
27
Talia Mc Lean
Welch Warren
Marc Zak
28
Aaron Bayen
Maya Rath
30
Steven Harris
Bayla Jaffe
Sarah Levine
Shira Levine
Simone Rotman
Elana Sasson
23
Lisa White
Is your birthday information wrong or missing from this list? Please contact the TBA office to make corrections.
Mazel Tov
Mazel tov to Sandy & Jill Egan on the birth of a daughter,
Neve Vergano
Mazel tov to Alden Cohen & Sabrina Berdux on the birth of
a daughter, Aliya Love
Mazel tov to Dan & Angela Engel on the birth of a daughter,
Raquel Antonia
21
LIFE CYCLES
May God comfort you among all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem
ADAR II 22-29
NISAN 1-7
Midred Arenbart Adler
Pauline Belzer
Sue Kantor
Ethel Rose Kapler
Faye Zaslov
Maria Belina
Morris K. Cohen
Esther Sadie Gold
Albert Hyman
Freda Katz
Sima Kobuzyatskaya
Morris Lerman
Horace Joseph Marx
Bernice Ring
David Weinstein
Miriam Goldberg
Esther Morofsky
Saul Pearce
Peter Hecht
Jennie Rosenzweig
Herman Zatkin
Joeseph Kantor
Leo Wood
Sam Frankel
Jack Helfend
Barbara May Benjamin
Boris Carasick
William Goldfine
Eileen Kessler
Michael Lasar
Mary Leavitt
Samuel Neuman
Arleen Shub Robinowitz
Tillie Rubin
Maurice Veiss
Sidney Getzovitz
Jack Kubalik
Gayle Raskin
Dan Ben-Zeev
Anne Goor
Werner Gross
Samuel Lampart
Regina Mendel
Irving Lutz
Samuel Moses
Adolph Moore
Bettie Bercovich
H. Andre Blau
Gilsom Djemal
Herman Hertz
Nathan Blumstein
Vernon Alpert Bonar
Samuel De Vorin
Richard Fickes
Allen Lee Lipsett
Pola Silver
Hilda Brodke
Pearl Brodke
Sarah Gordon
Blanche Groskopf
Israel Kurtz
Shirlee Perl
Samuel Peters
April 1-8
April 9-15
NISAN 8-14
April 16-22
Jennie Bercovich
Nelson Blachman
Anna Hoffman
Irving Barach
Lily Benisty-Kent
James Abe Dickson
Viet Pham
Samuel Shneiderman
Grace Gill
Rose Gottesman
Elliott A. Nankin
Eleanor Heyman
Jocelyn Holton
Samuel Jarmulowsky
Alice Kessler
Annie Levit
Leo Lorber
Rebecca Rubin
Mary Weiss
Lonnie Balint Blutstein
Nelly Collins
Joseph Epstein
Fritz Gottschalk
Philip Oseroff
Ben Weiss
Stanley Behr
Donald Bleiberg
David Cook
Jack David Leon
Vera Popper
Beatrice Simon
Joseph M. Kramer
Alfred L. Miller
Arlene Morris
NISAN 15-21
April 23-29
Henrik Balint
Rose Gelfand
Herbert L. Groginsky
Irene Langberg
Elsa Maho
Avrim A. Raskin
Richard Frankel
Solomon Saidian
Joseph David Weiss
Jacob Zilverberg
Bessie Altman
Sidney Arenbart
Michael Nicolas Miller
Samuel Schechtman
Therese Schwarcz
Edda Birnbaum
Murray Goldstein
Richard Gray
Stephen Lazar
Jacob Weinstein
Charles Friedman
Abraham Hoffman
Eve Reingold
Birdie Weisbrod
Nathan Weissman
Renee Davis
Sidney Szepsel Kahane
Albert Levine
Albert Louis Bloch
Pavel Blymenkrantz
Raymond Bolton
Gussie Leson
Howard Maccabee
Sophelina Reingold
Annie Silver
Augusta Wolffs
NISAN 22
April 30
Claire Braaf
Judith Diamant
David Klein
Shelly Jane Raskin Lipton
Aaron Nudler
Recent Deaths in Our Community
Susanne Spritzer, Mother of Hildie (Tsutomu Satomi)
Marjorie Rosenberg, Mother of Susan Cossette
Arnold Shuster, Father of Jon (Beth Sirull)
Maury Polse, Son of Betty Ann
Neil Boorstyn, Step-Father of Jason (Jeanne) Swartz
James Hallem, Step-Father of Jennifer Beck (David
Joseph)
22
DONATIONS
Charity is equal in importance to all the other commandments combined.
Davis Courtyard/Next Big
Thing Fund
Stephen & Amy Tessler
Micah & Ortal Trilling
Harvey & Fran Blatter
Renat Engel
Jeff Gutkin & Helene Blatter
Ruth Kleinman
David Levin
Sandy & Dawn Margolin
Barbara Oseroff
Ray Plumhoff & Jennifer Berg
Ulli Rotzscher
Sheldon Schreiberg & Sherry Marcus
Jessica Siegel
Bruce & Alicia von Kugelgen
B’nai Brith Girls Chapter-Oakland
BBG
Ellen Beilock & Sheldon Schaffer
Steven Berl & Anita Bloch
Etoile Stella Campbell, in memory of
Miriam Sharp, Dlebert Campbell and
Lily Kent
Alden F. Cohen & Sabrina Berdux
Jessica Dell’Era
Renat Engel
Helen Fixler
Noah & Carrie Garber
Bob & Lori Jaffe
Judith Klinger
Marshall & Lynn Langfeld
JB Leibovitch & Judy Chun, in memory
of Raymond Chun, on the occasion of
the second yahrzeit
Lori-Jill Seltzer
Susan Simon
Mark & Lori Spiegel, in memory of
Hilde Spritzer’s mother
Jeannette Jeger Kitchen Fund
Norman & Jo Budman, in loving
memory of Ruth Roth
Harold & Jean Pearl, in memory of
Max Pearl
TBA General Fund
Richard & Naomi Applebaum, in
memory of Shirley Margolin
David & Shany Barukh, in memory of
Father
Harvey & Fran Blatter, in memory of
Frieda Blatter
Lewis & Karen Bowen, in honor of
Caroline Hastings
Katherine Cohen, in honor of my
daughter, Sarah Cohen
Bruce Goldberg & Jana Good, in memory of Phyllis Goldberg
Myra Kaplan, in memory of Sigmund
Kaplan
Mark & Maribel Mogill, in memory of
Minette Mogill
Misia Nudler, a good recovery for
Elizabeth Simms
Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, in
memory of Phil Rothblatt
Cheryl Zatkin-Steres, in honor of
Vicki Zatkin’s retirement
Cheryl Zatkin-Steres, in memory of my
father, Joe Zatkin
Kiddush Fund
Annie J. Schwartz Strom, in memory of
Samuel Jaffe
Minyan Fund
Daniel & Anne Bookin, in memory of
Sheba Bookin
David Weiner & Ellen Kaufman, in
memory of Milton Weiner
Yom HaShoa Fund
Helen Fixler, in memory of
Leonard Fixler
Camper/Scholarship Fund
Jessica Sacher, in memory of
Etty Bernstein
Rabbi Discretionary Fund
Joshua & Heidi Bersin, in memory of
Richard Bersin
Herbert & Harriet Bloom, in memory
of Matilda Bloom Holzman
Eve Gordon-Ramek, in memory of
Henry Ramek
Neil Goteiner & Nadine Joseph, in
honor of Max Lopez’s bris
Neil Goteiner & Nadine Joseph, in
honor of Stuart Zangwill’s Birthday
Ariella Jessel & Emily Geagan
Wasserman Fund
Jack Coulter, in memory of
Norman Kleinman
Pola Silver Teen Holocaust
Fund
Linda Ostomel, in memory of
Cara Ostomel Bohon’s father, John
Todd Ostomel, in honor of our
wedding guests
It is a Jewish tradition to give contributions to commemorate life cycle events and other occasions. Are you celebrating a birthday, engagement, anniversary, baby naming, Bat/Bar Mitzvah or recovery from illness? Or perhaps remembering a yahrzeit? These are just a few ideas of appropriate times to commemorate with a donation to
Temple Beth Abraham. These tax-deductible donations are greatly appreciated and are a vital financial supplement
to support the wonderful variety of programs and activities that we offer.
Thanks again for your support! We could not do it without you! Thank you for your generosity.
Please make checks payable to Temple Beth Abraham and mail to: 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
or donate online at http://tbaoakland.org/giving/donate
23
24
3
10
2
Nisan
17
Pesach ii
24
11
4
18
Pesach iii
25
Gan closed this week
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
17
Nisan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10
Nisan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
9a Rosh Chodesh
(Contact Amy Tessler for details)
3
Nisan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
25
Adar II
19
12
5
Pesach iv
No Bet Sefer
18
Nisan
26
4p-6p Bet Sefer
7:30p TBA Board Meeting
12p Gan Kitah Gimmel Seder
11
Nisan
4p-6p Bet Sefer
4
Nisan
4p-6p Bet Sefer
26
Adar II
6
28
Adar II
7
13
20
Pesach v
27
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
No Kindergym this week
6p Confirmation Class w/Rabbi Bloom
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Beginning Alef Bet
19
Nisan
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
No Kindergym this week
12p Gan Kitah Bet Seder
6p Confirmation Class w/Rabbi Bloom
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Beginning Alef Bet
12
Nisan
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
No Confirmation Class this week
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Beginning Alef Bet
5
Nisan
14
21
No Kindergym
No Bet Sefer
Pesach vi
28
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
20 '' 7:57p
Nisan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
No Kindergym
12p Gan Kitah Alef Seder
No Bet Sefer
13
Nisan
4p-6p Bet Sefer
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
6
Nisan
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
6p Confirmation Class w/Rabbi Bloom
4p-6p Bet Sefer
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Jewish Women’s Meditation Group
7:30p Introduction to Judaism
7:30p WTBA Girls Night Out
27
Adar II
1
8
15
22
29
Gan & Office Closed
No Shabbat Kindergym
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Pesach vii
21 '' 7:58p
Nisan
Gan Closed
Office Closes at 1p
No Shabbat Kindergym
No Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Ta’aniT BechoroT/erev Pesach
14 '' 7:52p
Nisan
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Shabbat Kindergym
7 '' 7:45p
Nisan
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Shabbat Kindergym
29 '' 7:39p
Adar II
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Shabbat Kindergym
22 '' 7:33p
Adar II
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.
2
Tazria
9
16
23
30
8:41p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
Pesach viii
22 Pesach VIII
Nisan
8:09p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
Pesach i
Pesach I
15
Nisan
shaBBaT haGadol
Metzora
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bat Mitzvah of Sasha Carey
10:30 Junior Congregation
1p Mah Jongg in Chapel
8:03p Havdalah (42 min)
8
Nisan
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
Bar Mitzvah of Seth Elkins
1:00p Mah Jongg (Chapel)
6:56p Havdalah (42 min)
rosh chodesh
shaBBaT hachodesh
1
Nisan
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
10:15a T’fillat Y’ladim
6:49p Havdalah (42 min)
shaBBaT Parah
men’s cluB shaBBaT
Shmini
23
Adar II
April 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
8:36p Havdalah (42 min)
5p CityTeam-Volunteer to Feed the Hungry
16
Nisan
10a Adult Education w/Nitzhia Shaked
1:30p La’atid Chocolate Seder
9
Nisan
10:30a Sunday KindergymA Toddler Experience
easT Bay Tikkun olam
chessed day
9:30a How to Talk About Israel-Let’s
have a conversation (Temple Isaiah)
10a Adult Ed. Bette Birnbaum”Why and How to Visit the Sick”
10:30a Sunday KindergymA Toddler Experience
24
Adar II
Adar II 5776 / Nisan 5776
25
1
8
15
Pesach sheni
22
21
Iyyar
2
rOsh chOdesh
9
16
23
memOriaL daY
30
4p-6p Bet Sefer
17
10
3
24
23
Iyyar
31
7:30p TBA Board Meeting
16
Iyyar
4p-6p Bet Sefer - Last Day
9
Iyyar
2
Iyyar
4p-6p Bet Sefer
25
Nisan
4
11
5
12
YOm haaTZma’uT
4
Iyyar
4p-6p Bet Sefer
7:30p WTBA Girls Night Out
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
YOm hashOah
27
Nisan
6
5
Iyyar
'' 8:11p
13
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Shabbat Kindergym
6:15p-7:15p
Bet Sefer Hay
Share A Shabbat Service
28 '' 8:05p
Nisan
18
25
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Beginning Alef Bet
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
17
Iyyar
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Beginning Alef Bet
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
10
Iyyar
19
Lag B’Omer
26
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
18
Iyyar
7p Men’s Club Poker NightAll Are Welcome
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
11
Iyyar
20
'' 8:22p
27
7
Kedoshim
14
Emor
21
20
Iyyar
Behar
28
9:00p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bat Mitzvah of Laura Berke-Jones
13
Iyyar
8:54p Havdalah (42 min)
1:00p Mah Jongg (Chapel)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
6
Iyyar
8:48p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
10:15a T’fillat Y’ladim
BeT sefer KiTah VaV shaBBaT
29 Achrei Mot
Nisan
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Shabbat Kindergym
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
6:15p-7:15p
Bat Mitzvah of Helen von Kugelgen
Kabbalat Shabbat Rock’n Roll
Service (Rock’n Roll Shabbat Dinner
9:05p Havdalah (42 min)
with reservations)
19
Iyyar
6:15p-7:15p
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Shabbat Kindergym
12 '' 8:17p
Iyyar
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
Shabbat Kindergym
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
6p Last Confirmation Class w/Rabbi
6:15p-7:15p
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
4p-6p Bet Sefer
Kabbalat Shabbat with Confirmation
7:30p Beginning Alef Bet
7:30p Jewish Women’s Meditation Group and Graduation for our 7th Graders
YOm haZiKarOn
3
Iyyar
9a Weekly Text Study (Woodminster)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
6p Confirmation Class w/Rabbi Bloom
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Beginning Alef Bet
26
Nisan
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.
Gan & Office Closed
9-10a Minyan
with the Bar Mitzvah of Jordan Alva
followed by Breakfast
22
Iyyar
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
15
Iyyar
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
8
Iyyar
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
9a Rosh Chodesh
(Contact Amy Tessler for details)
1
Iyyar
Gan resumes after Pesach Break
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
24
Nisan
May 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
29
5p CityTeamVolunteer to Feed the Hungry
14
Iyyar
1:30p La’atid End of the Year Party
9:30a TBa annuaL meeTing
7
Iyyar
10:30a Sunday KindergymA Toddler Experience
rOsh chOdesh / mOTher’s daY
30
Nisan
7:30p Bet Sefer
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class-Chapel
Adult Education--Bagel Making
Work Shop
23
Nisan
Nisan 5776 / Iyyar 5776
Temple Beth Abraham
327 MacArthur Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94610
PERIODICALS
POSTAGE
PAID
Oakland, CA
Permit No. 020299
Save the Date:
Sunday, May 15, 9:30 a.m.
TBA Annual Meeting
Save the Date:
Friday, May 27
Rock n Roll Shabbat
WHAT’S INSIDE
TBA Directory..........................i
What’s Happening............... 1
From the Rabbi..................... 2
From the President............... 3
Editors Column..................... 4
Cover Artist........................... 4
Six Word Memoirs................. 5
Mishloach Manot................. 6
Women of TBA...................... 8
Men’s Club............................ 8
Community Event................ 9
Purim Pics............................ 10
Cooking Corner.................. 12
Gan Avraham News.......... 16
Bet Sefer.............................. 17
La’atid................................. 18
Celebrate Passover........... 19
Life Cycles........................... 20
Donations............................ 22
Calendar............................. 24