February / March 2016 - Congregation Beth Ami

Transcription

February/March 2016
5776
Congregation Beth Ami
Office, Library, and Gift Shop Hours
4676 Mayette Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95405
Mon.–Thurs. 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Telephone707/360-3000
Fax707/360-3003
Mission Statement
Email [email protected]
Website BethAmiSR.org
Congregation Beth Ami enriches our lives, transforms
our hearts, helps heal the world and sustains our Jewish heritage. We are deeply rooted in Jewish tradition
and welcome all to our community through celebration,
learning, education, and prayer.
Fri. 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Please “like” us at
facebook.com/CongregationBethAmi
Personnel
Rabbi Mordecai Miller
707-889-6905
[email protected]
Leah Frost, Executive Director
707-360-3011
[email protected]
Elizabeth Jarlsberg,
Office Manager
707-360-3000
[email protected]
Diane Lennox, Bookkeeper
[email protected]
Jenny Levine-Smith
Nursery School Director
707-360-3030
[email protected]
Mandi Emery-Flynn, NS Assistant
707-360-3030
[email protected]
Rick Concoff, JCC Teen Program
707-823-3916
[email protected]
Ben and Tara Winkler,
Shofar Newsletter
641-451-7076
[email protected]
Anya Concoff Por,
Director of Youth Education
707-360-3000
[email protected]
Gabor Por, Librarian
707-360-3006
[email protected]
Bonnie Boren, Gift Shop
707-360-3022
[email protected]
Andrea Nett,
Friedman Center Director
707-360-3021
[email protected]
Edythe Smith, Invitations
707-538-3698
Officers and Board of
Directors, 2015–16
Laura Alexander, President
[email protected], 837-8695
Arnold Drake, Past President
Myrna Morse,
VP of Administration
[email protected] , 539-5457
Russ Gurevitch, VP of Facilities
[email protected]
Barbara Tomin,
VP of Youth & Education
Mel Decker,
VP of Ways and Means,
Barbara McGee, Treasurer
Betty Boyd, Secretary
[email protected],
537-2211
Members at Large
Richard Kahn
Alan Krubiner
Lyla Nathan
Jeff Sheff,
Adult Education
Leanne Schy,
Torah/Haftarah Readings
Members Ex Officio
Leah Frost, 481-3390
Jenny Levine-Smith, 360-3030
Anya Concoff Por, 707-360-3000
Rabbi Miller, (314) 308-3672
Andrea Nett, 707-360-3021
Deadline for Apr./May 2016
Shofar is Mar. 15
Jewish Community Contacts
Hillel of Sonoma County
Ilana Stoelting, (707) 795-5464
www.sonomahillel.org
JCC, Sonoma County
Beth Goodman, 528-4222, www.jccsoco.org
Jewish Community Federation
Barbara Levinson, 568-6207, www.sfjcf.org
Jewish Community Free Clinic
Donna Waldman, 585-7780,
www.jewishfreeclinic.org
Jewish Community Relations
Council
Suzan Berns, 415/957-1551, www.jcrc.org
Jewish Family & Children’s Services
Diana Klein, 571-8131,
www.jfcs.org/sonoma-county
February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 2 • bethamisr.org
Rabbi’s
remarks
Transitions
“The sun rises and the sun sets…”
(Ecclesiates 1:5)
“R. Berechyah said in the name of R. Abba
bar Kahana, ‘Really! Don’t we know that the
sun rises and the sun sets?!
“But the sense of this verse is: Before the sun
of a certain righteous person sets, the sun of
another righteous person rises...Before the sun
of Sarah set, the sun of Rebecca dawned. And
so it is in every generation: The sun rises and
the sun sets.’” (Ecclesiastes Rabba 1:10)
The classic midrashic commentary, Etz Yoseph, explains that this is all an expression of
Divine Providence; that despite the constant
changes that go on in the world, this is one
way in which God sees to our well-being.
Our synagogue has recently experienced a
major transition. Last Fall, Carolyn Metz announced her retirement from the position of
Executive Director as of the end of December,
2015. I still remember my personal sense of
dismay when I received her letter informing
me of her intentions. In many ways Carolyn
has served as a mentor to me as I assumed the
position of rabbi to Congregation Beth Ami a
little over three years ago. We had many conversations about the need for our congregation
to take an active role in in our community and
in the lives of our members, and just how that
might be accomplished.
Carolyn was the point person in the monumental challenge of re-envisioning the role of
our Beth Ami Community Nursery School and,
with her close friend Barbara Tomin, helped
bring this complicated project to a successful
conclusion.
It was Carolyn who read about the program Guess who’s coming to Shabbat Dinner!
and decided that we could reinvigorate our
synagogue membership’s Shabbat experience
through this.
Again it was Carolyn and BT who worked
together to come up with the idea of our Beth
Ami Sustainers and find a way for our synagogue to finance the newly created position
Director of Youth Activities as well as other
important projects.
We all know that it’s one thing to have a
great idea; it’s a whole other matter implementing that idea and making it a successful
reality. The secret of Carolyn’s success is that,
over the course of decades, and in the various
roles she has played in serving our Santa Rosa
and Sonoma County Jewish community, she
has developed deep and lasting friendships.
She has been able to share her enthusiasm
and her ideas with those friends. In this way
they have all worked as a wonderful team in
making dreams a reality. This has gone well
beyond the responsibilities of a synagogue
executive director and we have all been the
beneficiaries.
I look forward to working with Carolyn in
her role as a regular member of Beth Ami, and
pray that she will gain much naches from the
additional time she will have to enjoy her family and friends. I know that we will continue to
be blessed by her presence and the active role
she plays in our Sonoma County Jewish Community.
Our Search Committee, under the able chairmanship of Myrna Morse, had an awesome
task in finding Carolyn’s successor. To say that
Myrna put together a hard-working and multitalented committee would be an understatement.
Over the course of just a few months they
achieved what many might have thought was
an impossible task!
As a result of their combined efforts, we are
delighted to announce the appointment of
Leah Frost as our new E.D. Leah’s background
includes a relationship with our Beth Ami
during the course of her childhood. She has
had extensive experience in the various tasks
of administration, from scheduling to writing
Rabbi’s
Events &
Announcements
remarks
continued…
handbooks. She has had first-hand opportunity to work with customers, clients and service providers and, as of late, she serves the
congregation in Davis as the assistant to their
executive director.
We have all been charmed by Leah’s talent,
warmth and sincerity and her clear abilities as
a people person. She expresses a deep love of
Judaism and K’lal Yisrael, as well as a compassionate concern for her fellow human beings.
As leaders of the congregation, our president,
Laura Alexander (who played an active role on
our search committee), along with our Board
and our Committee Chairs are all delighted to
welcome Leah and her mother to our community and our synagogue family.
I look forward with confidence and great
anticipation to working with Leah in continuing the important work that Carolyn and others
have accomplished, in leading Congregation
Beth Ami into the future.
“The sun rises and the sun sets…”
May this transition indeed be an expression
of God’s Divine Providence!
Our
Hanukkah
Party
Welcome to New Members:
Bernard & Maria Soltes
Our Condolences to the Families of:
Evey Abramowitz
Helen Francis Gillston Matzner (David
Matzner’s stepmother)
New Members Dinner
On Friday evening, April 1, Beth Ami will host
a dinner for new members at the Social Hall.
All members are encouraged to attend. Dinner for new members is free of charge, as our
guests.
The evening event starts at 6 p.m. and includes a brief service, Shabbat candle-lighting,
dinner and schmoozing.
Look for more details, such as price and
menu, in coming weeks in the Beth Ami Cyberschul.
Reservations are required for new and existing members. Please RSVP to the Beth Ami
office, 707-360-3000.
For further information, call or text Mark
Rosen at 860-202-8953.
Announcing the Purimspiel for
2016!
If I had a Hamantash...The Folk Megillah
The Beth Ami Purimspiel...we’ve pretended
to be British, Country, Motown, Jersey/Italian,
all kinds of Broadway, and surfers. And now
we’re going to pretend that we’re folkies from
the Folk Music Revival, centered in the coffeehouses of Greenwich Village, New York.
Are some of you thinking, “Pretending? Who’s
pretending?” Maybe somebody will do a study
on which was more Jewish: Broadway or the
Greenwich Village coffeehouse scene.
Sponsor The Spiel! We’ll Write You A Singing Commercial!
The Spiel opens, and closes, on the weekend
Events & Announcements
continued…
of March 19 and 20. It is a wonderful community event at Beth Ami, and yes, you too
can contribute to its success. You can invest in
sponsoring your favorite character, or one of
the beloved songs. You can even step forward
as one of the major spiel sponsors. Yes, for
you true patrons of business and the arts, there
is the exciting opportunity to purchase a singing commercial, which will be performed at all
Spiel shows. It will surely increase the success
of your business beyond your wildest dreams.
All donations go to supporting Congregation
Beth Ami, the home of the Spiel.
Watch for a mailer with spiel sponsorship
information. It will also give you an easy way
to fulfil the Purim mitzvah of Shalach-mones,
sending gifts to one another.
You can get tickets in advance or at the
door:
Saturday, March 19, 7:30 p.m. $30/person
for spiel and party. Join us following the
performance to party with the spielers; continue the fun with music by the Megillah Band,
dancing, wine, refreshments, Beth Ami-made
hamentashen, and more.
Sunday, March 20, 2 p.m. $10/Adults, Children 12 & under free. Following the performance you shouldn’t leave hungry: have some
Beth Ami-made hamentashen.
If you wish to be part of the spiel sponsorship,
contact the CBA office or the Purim Players
business office, at [email protected].
Spiel Fever!! Catch it!!
Hebrew Studies Class
A Hebrew class to build skills in reading Biblical Hebrew with full understanding continues on Tuesdays, 2–4 p.m. We are currently
meeting David in 1st Samuel. Sessions include
reading the text aloud, translating it into English, and engaging the grammar and vocabulary of the Hebrew in lessons and discussion,
as well as exploring the theology and history
of the text as questions come up. We periodically invite newcomers, and next Tuesday we
will be starting a new segment.
Instructor—Eric Thompson, Instructor Religion Studies, Department of Philosophy, Humanities and Religion, Instructor of Ancient
Hebrew
Location—2230 Professional Dr., Suite D,
Santa Rosa (across from In and Out Burger,
one block north of Steel Lane and one block
east of the 101)
For more information, call Karen at
707-545-4569
Purim Celebration and Services
March 23 and 24
Join us as we celebrate Purim, one of the
most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish
calendar.
Come in costume. Swing your gragger and
boo Haman as we read the Megillah. Have
some hamantaschen to eat.
Come Wednesday, March 23, at 6 p.m. for
the first reading of the Megillah and an evening of fun.
Come Thursday, March 24, at 7 a.m. for
the second reading of the Megillah.
Israeli Folk Dance
Dance circle dances to songs from Israel, and
other places too—with varied speeds, moods
and styles. We will start with 30 minutes of
beginning instruction if there is interest. Check
the Israeli dance blog on the Beth Ami website for up-to-date info and
helpful videos of dances.
7–9:30 p.m.
February 3 & 17
March TBD
Friedman Center,
$3 donation to Beth Ami
Is
W
da
ua
si
da
M
on
in
President’s Page
Laura Alexander, President
As we close 2015 and move into 2016, I’m
pleased to see so many blessings bestowed
on Beth Ami. Thankfully, with the help of the
Sustainer’s Circle and an improved economy,
we’re finally starting to pay down our capital
campaign loan and eventually start a building
fund to address years of deferred maintenance,
to strengthen our Nursery School and Religious
School and expand the hours and scope of
the role of our new executive director, Leah
Frost. Beth Ami is undergoing many facility
improvements and much needed repairs. We’re
just starting to scratch the surface of the work
needed at Beth Ami but we’re making progress. We’re working on fixing water damage in
the Library, sealing leaks on the roof and the
Friedman Center is undergoing major renova-
tions to attract more frequent and lucrative
event rentals. I’m especially excited to welcome Leah and am looking forward to working with her. I am confident that she will bring
a fresh perspective and energy not only to her
job but also to our community. I know you’ll
find her warmth and friendliness as disarming
as I do. I hope you had a chance to meet her
at the mid-year membership meeting on January 31st but if not, please take a moment to
introduce yourself to Leah and welcome her to
our Beth Ami family as only Beth Ami does!
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Executive Director’s Message
Leah Frost
I would like to introduce myself, or rather, reintroduce myself to the Beth Ami community.
My name is Leah Frost and I have humbly accepted the honor of becoming Beth Ami’s new
Executive Director.
I was born in Battle Creek, Michigan. My
parents divorced when I was three, and after
much soul searching, my mother, who was
unsatisfied with her ancestral religion as a
Seventh Day Adventist, decided to lead our
family down the path of Judaism. We started
out attending the Reform synagogue in Battle
Creek where I learned Hebrew, Torah stories,
and the holidays along with the other Sunday
school kids. The transition was not a difficult
one for me.
Growing up in a home with a single parent
that instilled values of loving kindness, discipline, and respect for others and their right to
be; all the while living a Torah oriented life,
helped shape who I am as a Torah observant
Jew and the things I stand for. Doing what’s
right and standing up for myself and others
has always been my modus operandi.
As we learned more of the differences in
Judaism, we moved back to my mother’s
hometown of Dayton, Ohio to start the process
of an Orthodox conversion. My brother Aaron
and I attended Hebrew Day schools in Dayton,
Cincinnati, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where
we shined and excelled. One year we both
won first place in the fair at Cincinnati Hebrew
Day school. My brother created a carving of
an oversized pair of tefillin out of wood, and I
re-created the Bible scene of Esau hunting and
coming to Jacob for porridge in a diorama. My
brother z”l was of course the true artist in the
family.
My family and I have lived in several Jewish communities across the U.S. thus realizing
the term, Wandering Jew. As pioneers to the
phrase, Jews of color, our experiences have
not always been pleasant. At one point, my
mother’s frustrations became so great that she
moved us as far away from a Jewish community as one could get, aka Ukiah, California,
while still being a part of civilization, somewhat!
However, realizing that being completely cut
off from the Jewish community wasn’t working either, we sought out like-minded Jews in
Mendocino County and then ventured down to
Santa Rosa and Beth Ami.
In Beth Ami, we found a home of warmth,
understanding, openness, tradition and most
important, acceptance. People didn’t question
whether we were truly Jewish, demand to see
conversion papers before my brother could
help make up a minyan, or ask what church
we were visiting from as had been done elsewhere. Beth Ami congregants were genuinely
happy that we made the trek from Ukiah to
come and simply…be!
From an early age, I have loved being involved in various Jewish activities in each
place that I have lived. At the age of 12, I
was a camp counselor for Camp Gan Israel in
Marin. While attending Hebrew Academy of
San Francisco for my freshman year of high
school, I volunteered for different projects and
sang in the choir. During my years at Sonoma
State while obtaining my Bachelors degree,
I worked as an Assistant Teacher at Gan Israel Preschool. I have even stepped in as the
substitute chef and cooked lunches for the
students at Aleph Academy in Reno, Nevada
when we lived there.
My career path has also led me on various
journeys from being an Alarm Dispatcher and
Operator while completing my Associates in
Psychology at Mendocino College, working in
the alarm industry as a technical supervisor,
serving the Marin and Sonoma County communities as a Funeral Director, and being the
Office Manager at Congregation Bet Haverim
in Davis; which in a lot of ways has prepared
Executive Director
continued…
me to come full circle back to Beth Ami.
I decided to apply for the position of Executive Director at Beth Ami because I felt a sense
of familiarity and comfort, and while some
experiences and people will be new to me; I
feel this path is bringing me home after a long
journey.
I look forward to meeting and building many
lasting relationships with everyone and serving
the Beth Ami community and the community
at large, in order to assist with bringing Tikkun
Olam and healing to the world.
May the new Gregorian year bring us peace,
acceptance, wisdom, love and understanding.
Nursery School Notes
Jenny Levine-Smith
Nursery School Director
I can’t believe it’s that time of year again, but
registration for the fall of 2016–17 is beginning
in February. We start on the 1st with priority
registration for current families, and then open
it up community-wide on February 16. If you
or someone you know might be interested in
getting to know our school, feel free to e-mail
me at [email protected] to get in
touch.
We welcome everyone to come to our Nursery School Open House on Thursday, February
4 from 5:30–7 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to see the work that our children do,
to talk with teachers, myself, and parents, and
walk through the classrooms.
It has been so refreshing to have the rain
back this year. Our two’s class took a minifield trip to the patio to jump in puddles, while
one of our four’s classes took a walk to the
creek to see how the rain had impacted it. This
morning, one of our four-year-olds used the
ride-on excavator and a large bucket to make
“muddy soup,” while another four-year-old
scooped water from the inside of one of our
tires to clean the balance bike’s wheels which
had some wet sand attached to them. Our
three’s class burst out of their room this week
to look at the redwood tree, which seemed to
be smoking as the frozen dew evaporated in
the late morning sun.
As the weather starts to warm again, we are
looking forward to our annual Purim Carnival
on March 22. This is an event run mostly by
our parents during the school day. Our children are so excited to have a day dedicated
to dress up (although of course many of them
dress up every day) and games. The carnival
includes face painting, exploring rainbow rice,
bean bag toss, groggers, and, of course, hamantaschen.
Religious School Report
Anya Concoff Por—Director of Youth Education
At Religious School, our fun in learning is providing a warm light on these cold, winter afternoons. We enjoy our bustling Fridays starring
the 4–12 year olds, and on Tuesdays the upper
grades love working with Miriam, the PostB’nai Mitzvah class is rockin’ their new curriculum focused on Jewish music and cuisine,
with an infusion of historical context, kashrut
and primary text study, and our intrepid teens
gather for their monthly class, engaging in
text, culture and ethics, peppered with lots of
snacks.
The 4th–6th graders have finished a unit on
their place in Jewish Time and Space, focusing on history, culture and genealogy, and
continue their work on prayers for Shabbat. At
this midyear point, we are switching gears and
deepening our skill building efforts, beginning
with learning Torah trope. Our Pre-K-Kindergarten class starts a unit on Jewish music and
movement with the talented Shoshanna Weiss
and the 1st–3rd graders are head over heels in
love with our Miriam Lane, who is giving them
all a hearty start on Hebrew reading through
movement and doing, rather than sitting and
receiving. Experiential learning, at its best!
The First Friday potluck dinners, coordinated
by Esther Baruch and Debi Neistat continue to
be a great community building opportunity for
our families, rounding out the full-service Erev
Shabbat experience that we strive to deliver.
Not having to rush home after pick-up and
make a meal is much appreciated by our families. The meal is a huge undertaking for our
two volunteers and we need more help! Please
sign up for a role and be sure to RSVP and
communicate what you can contribute.
Toolkit Sundays, our monthly Skill Building
Workshops, are wrapping up our three-part
Trope for Haftarah series with Patty Bernstein. The next three workshops, February 7,
March 6 and April 3, will be focused on chanting Torah, led by Anya. (Trope is my favorite
subject!) These intensives are open to adults
in our community, so please join us if you’d
like to learn to chant or brush up rusty skills.
No charge for members but a small donation
is gratefully received. 10 a.m.–1 p.m., bring a
dairy or pareve sack lunch.
Our next Rockin’ Shabbat is on February
19th and features Mia Miriam Cohen, a gifted
singer and Rabbinic intern at B’nai Israel. She
will bring a fusion of chanting and Carlebach
to our Rockin’ service. Youth program at 5:30
during the usual religious school Kabbalat
Shabbat. Dinner at 6. Shabbat program at 7:30.
Dinner is $8 for adults, $4 for children and
under 5 are free. RSVP for dinner at 360-3000
by 2/15.
Donation request: Our hungry students have
devoured our snack budget! I am gratefully
receiving donations of fresh, whole oranges,
string cheese and unopened boxes of whole
grain crackers. Please let me know if you’d
like to sponsor a snack. $10 feeds all our kids
for the whole school day! Thanks so much.
Come chat with me! My door is always open
and you can find me on campus on Tuesdays, Thursday and Fridays (plus holidays and
events). I love to connect with our members
and families and am happy to answer questions about programs, current or future desires!
Israel From The Left Coast
Bob Raful
Two recent news stories compare and contrast
the ongoing issue of equality in Israeli society.
Read on:
An Israeli bus driver garnered praise after
refusing demands by passengers on Tuesday
to remove an Arab.
Ruti Tehrani, 54, was driving the 129 bus
from Tel Aviv to Petah Tikva on Tuesday when
passengers began complaining about an elderly Arab man who started talking to himself
in Arabic shortly after they passed Dizengoff
Center. The passengers suspected he was a terrorist and demanded she remove the man from
the bus.
“I’m aware of the current security situation,”
she told Channel 2, “but there’s a limit to everything.”
Tehrani recounted that she approached the
man, asked him if he needed assistance, and
discerned immediately that he was feeling ill
and didn’t pose a threat to anybody. She said
she informed the other passengers that she
had no intention of removing the man from
the bus and would continue on the route. If
they wanted to get off the bus, they were welcome to.
Shelley Dvir, one of the passengers on the
route, said that half the passengers got off the
bus at that point. She recalled that she asked
Tehrani for her name, saying she intended
to write a letter of commendation to the bus
company for “the humanity with which she
behaved and that she didn’t succumb to pressure.”
Dvir’s post was quickly shared hundreds of
times and earned thousands of likes.
“Here in the company everyone’s equal—
Jews and Arabs. My upbringing was to respect
everyone and not discriminate against anyone,” Tehrani, a three-year employee with Dan
Public Transportation, said. She stood by her
decision, saying “I am proud of what I did.”
The Dan company said in a statement it considered Tehrani’s behavior “a model and an example…it’s a great pride for us as a company
and for all the drivers and public in general.”
The incident came in stark contrast to one
several days earlier when a group of Jewish
Israeli travelers forced Greek national carrier
Aegean Airways to remove two Arab co-nationalists from a flight from Athens to Tel Aviv
for fear that the pair could be terrorists.
During the incident Sunday, the Israelis stood
up and prevented the flight from taking off,
the airline said.
“An initially small group of passengers very
vocally and persistently asked for two other
Israeli passengers to be checked for security
issues,” Aegean said in a statement.
ALEF isn't enough
BET isn't tough
Study Hebrew from the source with a
native Israeli.
All levels.The easy way.
Prayers, Chanting Torah Tropes
contact Ahuva Simon-Sa'ar at
(707)545-2454 or [email protected]
2016 Scholars-In-Residence
Weekend
Stand
with us
A well attended Scholar-in-Residence weekend
started Saturday, January 16. Ms. Johanna Wilder, the Northern California Associate Director
of StandWithUs, gave the drash and talk after
lunch on the growing anti-Semitic environment
on California college campuses and its impact
on Jewish students. The anti-Semitic environment permitted by university administrations is
chilling.
Following Havdalah that evening, Dr. Michael Harris spoke on “1948: The War Still
Being Fought Today”. Dr. Mike showed how
70 years later, Israel is still confronted by the
same ideologies of hate. Esther Baruch of our
Israel Committee organized the light dinner for
the attendees.
On Sunday, Max Samarov, Senior Researcher
with StandWithUs, shared his investigation
into the activities of Israel boycotters. He has
uncovered startling facts. Check the website
http://IsraelUpdate.INFO orhttp://bethamisr.
org/2015/12/2151/ for more details and updates.
(left to right): Israel Committee Chair Eli Cohen, Betty Boyd,
speaker and author of the recently published book, How to
Win a Debate with an Israel-Hater, Dr. Michael Harris, and
volunteer Ben Winkler.
StandWithUs Volunteers Stan Roodman and Arlene Rosenbaum, Speaker Johanna Wilder, Northern California Associate
Director of StandWithUs, Speaker Max Samarov, Senior Researcher with StandWithUs, Israel Committee Chair Eli Cohen
and Betty Boyd.
Buy Your Purim
Shalach Manot Groceries
While Supporting Beth Ami!
Thank you to supporters of eScrip who
earned almost $1800 for Beth Ami from
January - November, 2015. This generous
donation was achieved by our supporters
just doing their everyday shopping
As you know Safeway is no longer participating in the
eScrip program
as of August
1, 2015. This
change has severely impacted
CBA’s contribution. So, what
can we do?
Shop at other
eScrip merchants: Oliver’s Markets in Santa
Rosa or Cotati, Fircrest Market in Sebastopol, Glen Ellen Village Market, Sonoma
Market, Mollie Stones Markets, Petaluma
Market,
Scotty’s Market, Molsberry Market. They
all require a separate store Community
Card linked up with the Beth Ami name
and ID#136921119. Just ask at the store
about how to get a card.
Shop online at: https://shopping.escrip.
com or by joining eScripdining at: http://
escrip.rewardsnetwork.com and eating out.
Recruit more supporters: anyone can
participate in eScrip and contribute; you
do not have to be a CBA member & you
do not have to live in Sonoma County.
Invite your friends & relative to join us!
Any questions, contact Nancy Sherman at
(707)538-9388 or nancysherman06@gmail.
com.
The Kitchen Corner
Jeffrey & Janet Stein-Larson (Co-Chairs)
Besides our usual events, this is the time of
year we are busy preparing and baking the
hamantashen for Purim, Purim Spiels, etc. We
plan to be preparing and baking hamantashen
February and into March. All of the volunteer
bakers will be thinking about all the different
fillings and doughs we might be using. The
smells of baking will be wonderful and we’ll
be filling up the freezer with hamantashen for
everyone to enjoy...
Then when Purim is over, the Passover
preparations begin. The Passover plans
are a major upheaval in their own right.
Not only is the kitchen unavailable for
it’s usual operations. It’s turned upside
down (just like at home) to be cleaned of all
chamatz, and the pots, pans, utensils of Pass-
over brought in exchanged with the regular
pots, pans, utensils, etc.
After Purim is over, if you have any foodstuffs you care about that are stored in the
CBA refrigerator or freezer, make plans for
removing them. And make alternate plans for
kitchen use since you can expect the kitchen,
storage room and apartment to be unavailable
for most people from the evening of Sunday
April 17th through Passover as the cleaning and seder preparations begin. Any
food left in the refrigerator and freezer
after the morning of Sunday, April 17th
will be donated.
For your volunteering, donations and
support; we thank you. It is you who make the
CBA Kitchen available for all to enjoy.
Beth Ami Gift Shop
WHAT’S NEW IN
THE GIFT SHOP?
Candlesticks & mezuzahs
crafted in Israel from stone &
3D engraved glass, as well as
sterling pendants
PASSOVER IS ON ITS WAY!
Our Beth Ami Judaica gift shop has seder & matzo plates,
afikomen bags, Elijah & Miriam cups and more…
All books including cookbooks are 50% off
M–W 10–4:30 • Th 10–6 • F 10–2
Located in Beth Ami Gift Office • Call Bonnie Boren for special orders—528-1628
GREEN Committee
GREENING the Shul Progress Report
At the Tu B’Shevat celebration, there was
a GREEN Committee Meyer Lemon tree on
display, donated by Russ and Terry Gurevitch.
It will be planted outdoors, when the soil is
dryer. The kitchen uses a lot of lemons and,
along with the herb garden that will be planted
after frost danger is over, this will help reduce
costs for our meals at Beth Ami.
Have you noticed? There are motion sensors
in the bathrooms, which go on when the door
is opened, and go off ten minutes later. Thank
you, Richard Kahn, for putting these in, as well
as the new LED lights in the courtyard. All
of this saves money for the shul and energy,
while reducing carbon emissions.
Please help the Religious School and the
planet. Use the CRV barrels—the square black
ones with the signs—in Courtyard. Please,
please, only put bottles and cans that are
marked CA Cash Refund in these barrels. Especially don’t put any food or paper in them,
there is a trash barrel in the courtyard. Phil
Weil sorts them frequently (and recently had to
deal with a lot of lasagna mixed in) and takes
them in for the refund. This goes to the Youth
Education Fund for the Religious School. You
can bring in CRV recycling from home to help.
(We’ll get larger barrels if needed.)
Survey Results are in. We received 61 responses, mostly favorable, from the survey
sent out in November. The most support was
for solar panels and a vegetable garden.
Social Action Scoop
Lyla Nathan
I want to thank everyone in the congregation
who gave so generously to the warm winter
clothing drive. We collected many bins of gently worn items that were distributed at Elisha’s
Pantry during December. This was a joint effort
with Shomrei Torah.
Redwood Empire Food Bank
Also in December, Jared McGee completed his
Bar Mitzvah project at the food bank where we
packed lots of packaged breads. Congrats to
Jared and all who attended—Jared, his mom
Barb and sister, the Alexander guys, Dave
Ballo and Lyla. Always fun to go to the food
bank with our teenagers.
We go to the Redwood Empire Food Bank
on the first Wednesday of the month. The next
dates are : Wed. Feb. 3, and Wed. March 2,
from 10–12. Please consider joining us. Remember, you can also volunteer at the state of
the art kitchen.
Jewish Family & Children’s Services
Thanks again for everyone’s continual support
by providing healthy food to the Jewish Family & Children’s Services (JFCS). Our efforts are
truly appreciated. Remember they are always
in need of low sodium soups, canned tuna and
chicken, boxed milk and especially non-glutton items. The bins are waiting to be refilled.
Speaking of the JFCS: At their Annual Fammy
Gala Fundraiser our SAC, along with other
groups, will be honored for their work providing food to the pantries of JFCS. We will be
featured in a video to be shown at the Gala.
This important fundraiser for JFCS will be held
at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco on Saturday, February 27th. This is a great honor.
Congratulations to Judi Hyman, Ellen Mundell,
Roz Edelson, Cheryle Miller, Lenore Holloway,
Susan Miller, Karen Herskovic, Tish Levy, Bob-
bie Rosental, Carol Levine and Lyla Nathan for
their time and dedication. It would be wonderful if Beth Ami members could help us fill
a table. For more information please contact
Diana Klein at JFCS, 707-303-1500.
Dream Center of SAY
Our neighbors at the Dream Center of SAY
(Social Advocates for Youth) opened their
doors at the newly renovated site of the old
Warrack Hosptial on Dec. 28th. The offices of
SAY as well as housing for the young adults
are located there. As with any new facility,
they have a wish list. Also the young adults
who will be living there could use some items
to set up their rooms, such as Welcome Baskets that could include laundry basket, basic
dishware and kitchenware for one person,
new pillow and blanket (twin ex.long)
If you have anything you would like to
donate, please contact Stepanie Picard Bowen
at [email protected]. There is also a
Goodwill donation bin at the Dream Center.
We at the SAC are thrilled that the Dream
Center is open to help youth who need housing and direction to start their adult life as they
age out of foster care. Youth who are at the
Dream Center are required to work and go
to school We are proud of SAY and the positive role they play in our community. Sonoma
County is very lucky. There will be a Grand
Opening Ribbon Cutting on March 12th (check
local media or online closer to the date for
more details).
We have some ideas about having little giveaway bags for the homeless that will include a
nutritious snack, info about community services and maybe socks. More to follow. So stay
tuned. There are many homeless people in
Santa Rosa and many times we want to give a
little something besides money.
Services at Beth Ami
Please join us for services. For additional information or to verify the times, call the office at (707) 360-3000.
February Shabbat
and other Services
Feb. 5 (Fri.)—6 p.m. dinner* followed
by 7:30 p.m. Shabbat evening service
Feb. 6 (Sat.)—9:30 a.m. Shabbat
morning service followed by dairy
potluck
Feb. 12 (Fri.)—7:30 p.m. Shabbat
evening service
morning service
Feb. 19 (Fri.)—Rockin’ Shabbat with
Mia Miriam Cohen. 5:30 p.m. Kid’s
Shabbat with Mia. 6 p.m. dinner.*
7 p.m. A musical Shabbat evening
service.
potluck
March Shabbat and other Services
Mar. 4 (Fri.)—6 p.m. dinner* followed
by 7:30 p.m. Shabbat evening service
Mar. 5 (Sat.)—9:30 a.m. Shabbat
potluck
Mar. 11 (Fri.)—7:30 p.m. Shabbat
evening service
potluck
Mar. 18 (Fri.) –7:30 p.m. Shabbat
evening service
morning service
morning service
*Reservations necessary by the preceding Wednesday. Call the office at (707)
360-3000 to make your reservation.
Daily Daven
Sundays & National Holidays—
8:30 a.m. Morning Minyan in the Chapel, followed by a light breakfast on
the 1st and 3rd Sunday
Mon.–Fri.—7 a.m. Daily Daven in the
Chapel except for Yom Tov (holidays)
Sun.–Thurs.—6:30–6:50 p.m. Daily
Daven in the Chapel except for Yom
Tov (holidays)
Mar. 23 (Wed.)—6 p.m. Purim service
with reading of the Megillah—come in
costume!
Feb. 26 (Fri.)—7:30 p.m. Shabbat
evening service
Mar. 24 (Thurs.)—7 a.m. Purim
morning service with reading of the
Megillah
potluck
Mar. 25 (Fri.)—7:30 p.m. Shabbat
evening service
Shabbat Dinner RSVP
Shabbat Dinner:
Name
❑ Friday, February 5
Phone
❑ Friday, March 4
I want to volunteer for (indicate which event)
# of Beth Ami Member Adults
@$14 =
Total amount enclosed
# of Non-member Adults
@$18 =
❑ Check
# of Youth (ages 6–17)
@$10 =
Credit Card #
# of Families
@$46 =
Expiration Date
Please return payment and forms to:
❑ Visa/MC
/
Billing Zipcode
Congregation Beth Ami
4676 Mayette Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 95405
Generous Contributions
to our
Congregation
The next time you are looking for a meaningful way to celebrate a joyous
occasion, remember a loved one, or comfort a mourner, please consider a
donation to Congregation Beth Ami. When you make a gift, a card is send to
the honoree or the family and your donation is proudly acknowledged in the
Shofar. The minimum donation for each occasion is $7.50. Congregation Beth
Ami truly appreciates your support.
Children’s Education
Fund
In honor of Carolyn Metz‚ for your
kindness and awesome legacy
—David & Margorie Ballo
Thank you to Myrna Morse for
the terrific job heading up the ED
Search Committee
—Mark & Carol Rosen
Mazal Tov to the Social Action
Committee for their continued good
work at Redwood Empire Food
Bank—David & Margorie Ballo
Thank you to Barbara Tomin for the
terrific job she did as chair of the ED
Retirement Celebration committee
—Mark & Carol Rosen
Mazal Tov to Jared McGee upon
his Bar Mitzvah—David & Margorie
Ballo; Dr. Russ & Terry Gurevitch
General Fund
A thoughtful donation
—E.W. Webster Associates
In memory of Dean Fleming
—Andy & Nancy Fleming
Speedy recovery to Elaine Golemb
—Edith Newman
A generous donation
—Bruce Maxwell
In memory of Evey Abramowitz
—Edward & Nancy Sherman
In honor of Russ Gurevitch’s birthday—Carolyn Metz
In memory of Gertrude Cohen
—Eli Cohen & Elizabeth Boyd;
Evelyn Gurevitch
In memory of my mother, Eleanor
Marshall—Carolyn Metz
In memory of David Kerben
—Claire Miller
In memory of Blair’s father, Leo
Schweitzer—Dan & Blair Pleasant
Better health to Irwin Margolese
Thanks to all those that organized
Open Sukkah of Peace
Mazal Tov and Happy Anniversary
to Stuart & Ethel Schy
Welcome to Jerry Newman
Welcome to Gayle & Abe Farkas
Welcome (back) to Pat & Bill
Thomas—David & Margorie Ballo
Welcome to Glenn & Nancy
Tisman—David & Margorie Ballo
In memory of Isadore Wiesentthal
—Natalie Friedman
In memory of my mother,
May Tannenbaum—Pat Thomas
In appreciation for our Religious
School students who did and
outstanding job serving at Carolyn
Metz’s retirement party!
—Phil Weil & Bonnie Boren
In memory of Evey Abramowitz, a
wonderful woman and true friend—
Phil Weil & Bonnie Boren
Thank you for the services and wonderful programming you provide for
us and the whole congregation all
year long. Happy New Year!
—Richard & Chanah Robinson
In honor of Carolyn Metz
—Ross Jones & Jane Paul
In memory of John Metz
—Florence Metz
In memory of Charles Feingold
—Stanley Feingold & Roslyn Edelson
A generous donation—Ivan Barta
In memory of Ethel’s father, Jacob
Goldman—Stuart & Ethel Schy
In memory of my mother, Anna
Barta—Ivan Barta; Jewish
Community Federation
In honor of the Bar Mitzvah of
Joseph Elizalde—Stuart & Ethel Schy
Speedy recovery to Marc
Bernstein—Judi Hyman
In honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Jared
McGee—Stuart & Ethel Schy
—Judi Hyman
—Stuart & Ethel Schy
In honor of Mel Decker’s BIG birthday!—Judi Hyman
—Barbara Tomin
In memory of Maurice & Frances
Street and Stephane Ray—Jules Street
Happy 89 plus 1 birthday to Marion
Hochstadter—Edith Newman
—Juli Scherer
In honor of our long friendship and
the hard work of Carolyn Metz
—The Brosbes
Congratulations to Jared McGee on
his Bar Mitzvah—Juli Scherer
Condolences to Marilyn and Rad
Sommer on the loss of Rad’s brother,
Frank—Melvin Decker & Judith Stern
In memory of my mother, Elaine
Robinson—Myrna Morse
General Fund—
Shabbat Lunch
A generous donation
—Patty & Marc Bernstein
Generous Contributions
to our
Congregation
Continued…
Thank you to Mark Rosen and Irwin
Margolese for serving as Mashgiach, serving ice cream, and baking
delicious challah for Joseph’s Bar
Mitzvah—Todd & Fara Elizalde
Malk Fund
In memory of Don’s father, Harry
Glickman
—Donald & Gloria Glickman
his kindness in visiting my father
—Joe Graff & Barbara Corinblit
In memory of Mary & Noah
Minuskin—Joseph & Signe Minuskin
Harris Fund
In memory of my mother, Miriam
Malk—Phyllis Shapiro
In memory of Samson Hochfiled
—Malvina Tsipan
In memory of my husband,
Verne Paule—Raynore Paule
In memory of Ron Malk
—Phyllis Shapiro
In honor of Rabbi Miller
—Marian Katz
Israel
Programming Fund
Nursery School Fund
In memory of my husband,
Fred Marvan—Regina Marvan
Condolences to the Silverman
family upon the passing of Robert
Silverman—David & Margorie Ballo
In appreciation for the personal
time, support, and care Rabbi
Mordecai spent with Joseph and our
family in preparation for Joseph’s
Bar Mitzvah—Todd & Fara Elizalde
In memory of Chana bat Behia
—Robert & Susy Raful
In memory of Susy Raful’s sister,
Mary—Robert & Susy Raful
In appreciation of Bob Raful’s time
and support coordinating the honors
for Joseph’s Bar Mitzvah
—Todd & Fara Elizalde
Jill Tager
Nursery School
Scholarship Fund
In memory of Sid Milstein
—Edward & Nancy Sherman
Library Fund
In memory of my brother,
Mordechai ben Hershel
—Evelyn Gurevitch
In memory of Eugene Streitfeld
—Ricki Streitfeld
Rabbi’s
Discretionary Fund
In memory of Ruth Schwartz
Susnow—Andy & Nancy Fleming
In memory of Hal Boren
—Barbara Boren
Thank you to Rabbi Miller for the
kindness he showed our family on
the passing of my mother, Evey
Abramowitz
—Deana Abramowitz & Joel Reif
In memory of Benjamin Strudler
—Gerald Lakins & Susan Miller
In honor of multiple calls to the
Bimah—Ivan Barta
In memory of Janet’s father, Max
Stein—Jeffrey & Janet Stein-Larson
In appreciation of Rabbi Miller‚ for
In memory of our beloved aunt,
Evey Abramowitz
—Barbara Shulman
Religious School Fund
—Bernice Fox & Ed Harman
Sincere thanks to Pnina Loeb, Patty
Bernstein, Anya Por, and the religious school teachers for preparing
Joseph for his Bar Mitzvah
—Todd & Fara Elizalde
USY Fund
Kudos to the USY students who
served at Carolyn Metz’s retirement
dinner. They did an outstanding
job!—Arnold & Karen Herskovic
February Yahrzeits
Secular dates correspond to Hebrew date of death.
Observance of yahrzeit begins at sundown the previous day.
All yahrzeits observed at Beth Ami.
Announced on Feb. 5 & 6
Feb. 9 Mort Sherman,
Father of Nancy Sherman
Feb. 12 Sam Dzik,
Father of Judith Dzik
Feb. 12 Nathan Hartzman,
Grandfather of
Cheryle Miller
Feb. 12 Charles Yelin,
Grandfather of
Francie Rogovin
Feb. 13 Mae Bernstein,
Grandmother of
Marc Bernstein
Feb. 13 Sylvia Shelan,
Mother of Ronald Shelan
Feb. 13 Aaron Spiegelman,
Uncle of Ronit Glickman
Feb. 14 Lillian Garson,
Mother of Andrea Nett
Feb. 15 Anna Branagan,
Mother of Branagan
Feb. 16 Sadie Selowitz,
Aunt of Susan Miller
Feb. 17 Lydia Ross,
Sister of Henry Cohn
Feb. 18 Mollie Brisgel,
Mother of Sue Bell
Feb. 19 Sylvia Feingold,
Mother of Stanley Feingold
and Grandmother of
Vivian Klein
Feb. 19 Andor Taubner,
Father of Susy Raful
Feb. 20 Fred Kaplan,
Father of Sherri Kahn
Feb. 21 Michael Brust,
Father of Barbara McGee
Feb. 21 Phillip Feingold,
Brother of Stanley
Feingold & Father of
Vivian Klein
Feb. 24 Sidney Sternfield-Squires,
Husband of
Edee Sternfield-Squires
Feb. 25 Simon Jimmy Saar,
Brother of
Ahuva Simon-Saar
Feb. 26 Polly Boyd,
Mother of Betty Boyd
Feb. 27 Bernard Bernstein,
Father of Marc Bernstein
Feb. 27 Rabbi Meyer Miller, Father
of Rabbi Mordecai Miller
Feb. 29 Leo Gurevitch, Husband
of Evelyn Gurevitch &
Father of Eleanor Cohen
& Russ Gurevitch
Feb. 29 Jacob Stromer,
Father of Marilyn Sommer
Mar. 2 G.K. Branangan,
Father of Branagan
Mar. 2 Hazel Schloner,
Mother of Carol Swanson
& Fred Schloner
February Birthdays
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
10
11
11
11
14
18
19
20
21
21
23
23
24
25
27
27
Debbie Shapiro
Ellen Mundell
Arnold Drake
Eli Cohen
Julie Simkovitz
Rayme Shapiro
Ed Harman
Tara Winkler
Edith Friedman
Semyon Pekker
David Ballo
Andy Fleming
Betty Kale
Daryl Schloss
Sid Burwell
Alfred Batzdorff
Yona Miller
Elizabeth Boyd
Audrey Darby
Bernice Fox
Barbara McGee
Arnold Herskovic
Allan Brody
Dorothy Gerstein
Michael Newman
February Anniversaries
2
4
14
19
20
23
Alan & Janice Shotkin
Harry & Edie Friedman
Davis & Diane Brown
Jeff & Janice Sternfeld
Patty & Marc Bernstein
Irvin & Vivian Klein
January Yahrzeits
Secular dates correspond to Hebrew date of death.
Observance of yahrzeit begins at sundown the previous day.
All yahrzeits observed at Beth Ami.
Announced on Mar. 4 & 5
Mar. 5 Pearl Lotsoff,
Mother of Cheryle Miller
Mar. 6 Nichama Rivkina,
Mother of Adolph Rivkin
Mar. 7 Maurice Fried,
Father of Caryn Fried
Mar. 8 Michael Abrams,
Brother of Patty Bernstein
Mar. 8 Sabine Pelta,
Mother of Esther Pilch
Mar. 9 Ester Gutman-Markman
Aunt of Ahuva Simon-Saar
Mar. 11 Irwin Inman,
Father of Lee Feinstein
Mar. 13 Shulamith Miller, Mother of
Mar. 13 Edward Susnow,
Father of Nancy Fleming
Mar. 15 Josephine Goldstein,
Mother of Elaine Golemb
Mar. 16 Stan Diamond, Husband of
Marilyn Diamond &
Father of Lauren Newman
Mar. 18 Arthur Margolese, Father
of Michelle Zygielbaum &
Brother of Irwin Margolese
Mar. 19 Barbara Garam,
Mother of Rose Batzdorff
Mar. 21 Morris Bernstein,
Grandfather of
Marc Bernstein
Mar. 21 Frieda Goldman,
Mother of Ethel Schy
Mar. 23 Tillie Streitfeld,
Mother-in-Law of
Ricki Streitfeld
Mar. 25 Boruch Zelichenok,
Father of Rimma Rivkin
Mar. 28 Joseph Meyer,
Father of Jane Meyer
Mar. 29 Mannie Goldstein,
Father of Elaine Golemb
Mar. 31 Mary Hahn,
Mother of Edith Newman
Simcha Board Tree of Life
Honor thy mother
...also thy aunt, uncle,
cousin, child, best
friend, teacher with an
engraved leaf on our
Simcha Board,
commemorating any
joyous occasion,
bestowal of an honor, or
cause for thanksgiving.
Leaf—$360
Small Stone—$1000
Large Stone—$2500
We also provide the
opportunity for you to
memorialize loved ones.
Yahrzeit Board
Plaque—$450
March Birthdays
1
1
3
3
5
6
15
17
17
19
20
23
23
25
26
28
29
31
Ben Goldman
Karen Herskovic
Melissa Bloom
Sherri Kahn
Rose Batzdorff
Nancy Sherman
Raynore Paule
William Cordell
Dr. Alan Shotkin
Lee Feinstein
Jacqueline Sutter
Kim Cordell
Olga Pekker
Glenn Tisman
Diane Brown
Adolph Rivkin
Warren Davis
Judith Dzikf
March Anniversaries
3
12
19
21
24
27
28
Ivan & Kimiko Barta
Al & Sue Batzdorff
George & Paula Schlesinger
John & Barbara Whitaker
Ed & Nancy Sherman
Jeff & Karen Sommers
Glenn & Nancy Tisman
Please Support
Our Advertisers
Contact Congregation
Beth Ami Office
[email protected]
for details about
advertising in the Shofar.
Thank you!
Address service requested
February Shabbatot
February 6
Parshah: Mishpatim, Ex 23:20–24:18
(Page 474)
Candle Lighting: 5:20
Havdalah: 6:20
February 13
Parshah: Terumah, Ex 26:31–27:19 (Page 495)
Havdalah: 6:27
February 20
Parshah: Tezaveh , Ex 29:19–30:10 (Page 513)
Havdalah: 6:34
February 27
Parshah: Ki Tissa, Ex. 33:12–34:35 (Page 538)
Havdalah: 6:41
March Shabbatot
March 5
Parshah: Vayak-hel, Ex. 36:20–38:20
(Page 558)
Havdalah: 6:480
March 12
Parshah: Pekude, Ex. 39:22–40:38 (Page 567)
Havdalah: 6:57
March 19
Parshah: Vayikra, Lev. 4:27 -3:16 (Page 599)
Havdalah: 8:02
March 26
Parshah, Tsav, Lev. 8:1–36 (Page 621)
Havdalah: 8:09

February / March 2016 - Congregation Beth Ami

Transcription

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