December Highlights January Feb
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m IS a “Honoring Tradition, Celebrating Diversity, and Building a Jewish Future” UD form J form rE on for for on I Un E h t HIGHLIGHTS r of of r Supper and Cinema BE Saturday, December 1 at 6:30 pm in the Beit Midrash, plus an early peek at the Gift Shop’s m E Chanukah Bazaar decorations and gifts. a m a IS Chanukah Bazaar Sunday, December 2 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm in the Social Hall. Chanukah goodies, special family program, plus a latke lunch and gourmet coffee bar. th El El th E Chanukah Celebrations on B I December 8 to 15. Holiday recipes and website resources are available on pages 6, 16 and 17. Also included are descriptions of services and other events such as members’ open houses. gat E Chavurah Kick-off Party Sunday, December 9 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm in the Beit Midrash. Sign up for one of these small Congr groups that foster community in a more intimate setting. See page 17. DECEMBER Chanukah Latkefest Friday, December 14 in the Social Hall. Cost is $10 in advance, $15 at the door. The evening begins with music by Isaac Zones at 5:30 pm. See page 16. January 4 and 5 – Scholar-in-Residence Professor Melila Hellner-Eshed of Hebrew University of Jerusalem will conduct several Torah study sessions at Beth El during Shabbat. Pages 2 and 16 have the details. Monday, January 7 – Oral and Written History program for Beth Elders (55 and Better!) with four sessions and a professional consultant. Refer to page 14. Sunday, January 26 – Tu B’shevat, the new year of the trees, with a party for 4th and 5th graders and a multigenerational celebration from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. A special Seder will be held that evening at 6:00 pm to honor Judaism’s important connection to the environment. Make your Seder reservations ($18) by January JANUARY 18 at the front office. See page 16. Saturday, February 2 – Rendezvous at the Beth El “Corral” for our annual Gala. More details about this Western-themed event with an auction on page 15. The “Chai Noon” proceeds benefit YAFE programs. FEB. 2012 & January 2013 IN THIS ISSUE From the Rabbi p.2 Jacob’s Aliyah p.9 Events p.16-17 Member Spotlight p.3 New Members p.10-11 Tzedakah p.18 President’s Message p.4 Music Corner p.12 Staff Profile p.19 Youth & Family Education p.5 B’Nei Mitzvah p.13 Torah Study Schedule p.20 Chanukah p.6, 16-17 Books in the Library p.13 Midrasha p.21 Member Profile p.7-8 Beth Elders p.14 Calendars p.22-23 Noah’s Aliyah p.8 Nursery School p.15 Gift Shop p.24 ISSUE 134 • December CongrEGATIon BEth El FROM thE raBBI 1301 Oxford Street Berkeley, CA 94709-1424 FROM GENESIS TO Phone: 510-848-3988 Fax: 510-848-2707 EXODUS: Youth and family Education office Direct Line: 510-848-2122 READING OURSELVES nursery School office Direct Line: 510-848-9428 INTO THE STORY Camp Kee tov office With Professor Melila Hellner-Eshed, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Direct Line: 510-848-2372 January 4 and 5 – Shabbat Shemot midrasha office I AM DELIGHTED to ANNOUNCE that distinguished teacher and author Melila Hellner- Direct Line 510-843-4667 Eshed will be our first Allan and Tybil Smith Kahn Scholar-in-Residence on Shabbat Shemot, January 4 and 5. A professor of Jewish Mysticism and Zohar in the Department ClERGY & STAFF of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hellner-Eshed is a leader in the renaissance of study of Jewish texts by Israeli adults, regardless of background or religious raBBI YoEl h. Kahn Rabbi of the Congregation commitment. ext. 215 - [email protected] At the beginning of the Book of Exodus, the Jewish people become enslaved in the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt). Over the course of two sessions, Prof. Hellner-Eshed will lead us on a raBBI rEUBEn ZEllman journey from the Bible’s terrain to the depths of the Midrash (later rabbinic commentaries) Assistant Rabbi & Music Director ext. 228 - [email protected] to the mysteries of the Zohar and the Jewish mystical tradition, exploring the question of how the childen of Israel entered into the state of enslavement. This inquiry into how prior norm franKEl generations of Jews have read (and read into) this story will, in turn, be an opening to Executive Director an exploration of our own understanding of the process of enslavement and, we hope, ext. 212 - [email protected] liberation. DEBra Sagan maSSEY Our Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat will begin on Friday evening, January 4, with Shabbat Director of Education evening services at 6:15 pm followed by a catered Shabbat dinner. Prof. Hellner-Eshed’s ext. 213 - [email protected] first program, focusing on biblical and midrashic sources, will begin at 8:00 pm. On magUY WEIZmann-McGuirE Saturday morning, following an Early Morning Minyan with a Torah reading, Prof. Hellner- Early Childhood Education Director Eshed will be our Torah study teacher, beginning at 10:30 am. A bagel breakfast will be ext. 219 - [email protected] available all morning. ZaCh lanDres-SChnUr Our program will conclude on Saturday afternoon at a wine-and-cheese reception at the Camp Kee Tov Director home of Jim Gilbert and Susan Orbuch, beginning at 5:30 pm. Prof. Hellner-Eshed will ext. 217 - [email protected] speak about her work in the Sulha, an Israeli-Palestinian mediation and reconciliation project. The program will conclude with Havdallah. tamEKa YoUng-DIaby Bookkeeper Please note: Advance reservations are needed for the Shabbat dinner only; the programs ext. 210 - [email protected] and reception are open to the community without cost. Please visit www.bethelberkeley.org for more information, to sign up for dinner or to make a contribution. Rebecca DEPalma Melila Hellner-Eshed received her doctorate at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she YAFE Administrative Coordinator & Youth Group Advisor now serves as Professor of Jewish Mysticism and Zohar. She is a senior research fellow at ext. 214 - [email protected] the Shalom Hartman Institute and, in the United States, serves as a faculty member of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. In Israel, she founded and currently directs and teaches a JUlIEt garDnEr weekly program for rabbinic students from all denominations studying in Israel; she also Clergy Assistant teaches and works with Jewish communities in ext. 235 - [email protected] The Allan and Tybil Smith Kahn North America, Europe and the former Soviet margEE BUrCh Scholar-in-Residence Fund was Union. Her book, A River Flows from Eden: The Administrative Coordinator, Main Office established after the death of Rabbi Language of Mystical Experience in the Zohar, ext. 211 - [email protected] Yoel Kahn’s mother, Tybil Smith Kahn was published by Stanford University Press in in May 2012. The Allan and Tybil EmIlY SChnItZEr 2009. Camp Kee Tov Admin. Coordinator Smith Kahn Scholar-in-Residence I hope you will join me for the inauguration of ext. 223 - [email protected] Fund was established by their a wonderful new Beth El tradition at this joyful children to honor the memory of DIanE BErnBaUm Shabbat of learning. Midrasha Director their parents, life-long supporters of 510-843-4667 - [email protected] learning and the Jewish community, to perpetuate the values most oDEttE BlaChman precious to them. We are honored Rabbi Yoel Kahn Gift Shop ext. 240 - [email protected] to welcome Prof. Hellner-Eshed as the first Kahn Family Scholar-in- raBBI fErEnC raJ Residence at Beth El. Rabbi Emeritus [email protected] 2 The Builder: December 2012 & January 2013 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT BERGTRAUNS BRING DESIGN TO REALITY AT BETH EL by Elisabeth Wechsler What’S THE LINK BETWEEN Congregation BETH EL Committee is to make Beth El a home for everyone “as long as DESIGN, local Boy Scouts and a 16th century synagogue in people don’t feel its okay to put tape on the walls…” Alex joked. Italy? The answer is Alex and Michelle Bergtraun, who were Alex is also involved in a project with UC Berkeley and Berkeley married at the Casale Monferrato Synagogue in northern Italy Design Advocates to revitalize Telegraph Avenue. Michelle works and who have volunteered their expertise to Beth El’s ongoing full time with Alex running Studio Bergtraun, AIA, Architects. design projects. These have also included participation from the Berkeley Design Advocates is a group of volunteer planners, local Boy Scouts. (See sidebar article on this page.) architects and designers who promote planning and design in Alex joined an architecture studio, Berkeley Design Advocates, Berkeley. Alex is just one of the many volunteer architects, and is in Emeryville in 1988. He served as the local architect on the Steering Committee of the group. working with the large architectural firm M.R.Y. from Los Angeles throughout Beth El’s construction, and “immediately formed the House Committee.” The committee is in charge of ongoing maintenance and design work necessary to fulfill the architectural plan not completed when Beth El’s building was constructed in 2005. As funds come in, Beth El projects such as landscaping, shelving, lighting, signage and artwork are completed. “Anything left out of the original construction project for lack of funds” is a candidate for completion, he said. The vision of the House BoY SCoUtS DonatE harD WorK to BEth El Alex and Michelle Bergtraun, long-time members of Congregation Beth El, recently have been recruiting Boy Scouts through their older son, Asher, 18, to build the garden and several other projects at the synagogue.