VolumeVROXPH1XPEHU‡-DQXDU\‡ 29, Number 7 • March 2010T •HYHW6KHYDW /Nissan 5770 directory Temple Beth Abraham Services Schedule is proud to support the Conservative Movement by Services/ Time Location affiliating with The United of Conservative Monday & Thursday . Morning Minyan Chapel 8:00 a.m. Friday Evening (Kabbalat ) Chapel 6:15 p.m. 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 Shabbat Morning Sanctuary 9:30 a.m. not accept outside or paid advertising. The Omer is published on paper that is 30% post-consumer fibers. Candle Lighting (Friday) The Omer (USPS 020299) is published monthly except July and August March 5 5:48 p.m. by Congregation Beth Abraham, 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610. March 12 5:55 p.m. Periodicals Postage Paid at Oakland, CA. March 19 7:01 p.m. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Omer, c/o Temple Beth March 26 7:08 p.m. Abraham, 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610-3232. © 2010. Temple Beth Abraham. The Omer is published by Temple Beth Abraham, a non-profit, located at Torah Portions (Saturday) 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610; telephone 510-832-0936. It is March 6 Ki Tissa published monthly except for the months of July and August for a total of March 13 Vayakhel-Pekudei ten issues per annum. It is sent as a requester publication and there is no March 20 Vayikra paid distribution. March 27 Tzav To view The Omer in color, visit www.tbaoakland.org.

General INFORMATION Committees & organizations All phone numbers use (510) prefix unless otherwise noted. If you would like to contact the committee chairs, please contact the synagogue office for phone numbers Mailing Address 336 Euclid Ave. and e-mail addresses. Oakland, CA 94610 Hours M-Th: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Adult Education Women of TBA Fr: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Bet Sefer Parents Miriam Green Office Phone 832-0936 Bet Sefer Subcommittee Barbara Gross Office Fax 832-4930 Chesed Warren Gould E-Mail [email protected] Gan Avraham 763-7528 Development Laura Wildmann Bet Sefer 663-1683 Dues Evaluation Marshall Langfeld STAFF Endowment Fund Herman Pencovic Finance Marshall Langfeld Rabbi (ext. 213) Mark Bloom Cantor (ext. 218) Richard Kaplan Gan Avraham Parents Jo Ilfeld and Mala Johnson Gabai David Galant Gan Avraham Jenny Michaelson Executive Director (ext. 214) Art Rosenberg Schools Committee Office Coordinator (ext. 210) Aliza Schechter House Stephen Shub Bet Sefer Director Susan Simon Israel Affairs David Marinoff Gan Avraham Director Wendy Siver Membership Stacy Margolin and Bookkeeper (ext. 215) Christine Tripod Jill Rosenthal Custodians (ext. 211) Joe Lewis, Dennis Moore Men’s Club Eric Friedman Kindergym/Toddler Program Dawn Margolin 547-7726 Ritual Sally Ann Berk Volunteers (ext. 229) Herman & Agnes Pencovic Schools Stacy Margolin OFFICERS School Building Steering Sandy Margolin President Stephen Shub 339-3614 Social Action Bryan Schwartz Vice President Mark Fickes 652-8545 Torah Fund Anne Levine Vice President Jerry Levine 336-0565 Tree of Life Open Vice President Stacy Margolin 482-3153 Vice President Bryan Schwartz 350-7681 Web Site Jason Swartz Secretary Laura Wildmann 601-9571 Women of TBA Judith Klinger Treasurer Marshall Langfeld 769-6970 Youth Steve Fankuchen

i what’s happening

LEARN SHABBAT MUSIC WITH CANTOR KAPLAN

Raza D’Shabbat has been canceled for the next few months, In its place, you will have the chance to learn with Cantor Kaplan. GET READY FOR A 3 Part Musical Learning Opportunity ...

Musaf and Hallel Melodies, Saturday, March 20, 9:30-10:30 Join us on Come learn the beautiful Shabbat and Hallel melodies we use here Sunday, March 14 at Temple Beth Abraham with Cantor Kaplan. You will then get to 2-4 p.m. apply what you've learned that morning to our Musaf service. in the TBA Library to learn

More Shabbat Melodies and an A Capella Group "Performance," Friday, April 16, 7:30-8:30 Songs for Continue the learning of our Shabbat melodies on Friday night. On this evening, you will also have the opportunity to join Cantor Kaplan in learning a group A Capella piece for Saturday morning to the Seder be debuted in front of the congregation the next day. Susan Simon

Musaf and Melodies, Saturday, June 26 will be teaching One more opportunity to learn some of the Shabbat morning traditional favorites. tunes we use here at Temple Beth Abraham. No need to bring anything -music and lyrics All sessions will be held in the Library and all voices are will be provided. welcomed. All are welcome!

Save the DateApril 20 A 7:30 p.m.

Yom Ha’atzmaut at TBA

Featuring panelists from the liberal and conservative sides of the spectrum discussing the state of human rights in Israel

1 from the rabbi Marriage Metaphors On the Shabbat of Chol Hamoed Pesach (the Shabbat that occurs in the middle of Passover), we read from the book in the Bible called . For those who have never read the book, be prepared for something both unique and surprising. Song of Songs is essentially a love poem, describing the meeting of two lovers, in beautiful and sexy detail. It was so steamy that some of the rabbinic sages thought it should not appear in the Bible. The lovers are not named, but the rabbis thought it was a description of either King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba or a metaphor of the love between God and the people Israel. We will never quite understand the depth of God’s love for us, but the feelings of two young lovers are about as close as we can get. In many Sephardic traditions, they read a Ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) on the Shabbat dur- ing Pesach. Again, the message is the same. It’s about the idealized mutual love between God and the Jewish people. Unfortunately, as I often say to many young couples I am working with on a wedding ceremony, real love is both more powerful and more difficult than idealized love. These couples spend all that time planning the wedding and precious little time planning their married life together. The same thing goes for married couples. We spend a lot of time working through our lives and, often, not enough time working on our marriages. As a result, we have far too many couples divorcing. In my first few years here, we had precious few divorces in our synagogue community. Sadly, that has changed, and our synagogue community is as affected as anyone and everyone else. So, this year, I thought we should do something about it. We will be having a guest speaker, Therapist and Marriage Expert Dr. Josh Gressel, speak to our congregation about “Torah and Relationships” during Saturday morning services on April 17. He will then lead a free seminar the next day, Sunday, April 18, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., for those interested in exploring these issues with their spouses in-depth. I hope that many of us will take advantage of these opportunities to learn, listen, and, most impor- tantly, deepen our love for our loved ones.

L’shalom, Rabbi Mark Bloom

Thank You to the TBA Community for Helping to Make Our January 30 Gala a Terrific Evening! We built this city-themed evening on contributions from across our community... Chefs: Jing Piser & Mary Odenheimer Decorations Chair & Committee: Billy Gentry, Julie Gochman, Gabriella Gordon & Caroline Frierman Sommelier: Joel Piser Bartenders: Jason Klein & Larry Reback Live music: Finished Basement, accompanied by Jill Rosenthal, Jeanne Korn and special appearance by Cantor Kaplan Donation of the evening’s wine: Piser, Hodess and Gildea families Expert assistance: Aliza, Joe & Dennis Set-up and kitchen help: Esther Rogers, Samantha Spielman, Amy Tessler, Steve Glaser, Robyn Hodess, Stacy Margolin, Debbie Weinstein, Lynn Langfeld, Lisa Sadikman & Jeanne Korn The many of you who attended and helped make it an extraordinary evening...Thank you! —Gala Co-Chairs Deborah Reback and Doree Jurow Klein

2 president’s message From to Passover! Purim – a time for celebration. Esther, Shushan, hamantashen, the TBA Purim carnival, and oh – did I say – the hamantashen. This year Purim starts the secular month of March, which then ends with my favorite Jewish holiday, Passover. Please indulge me as I relive some of my fondest memories. Growing up in New York I have special memories of a lot of Jewish events. Food was involved in most, no surprise there. Purim at Temple Israel in White Plains, NY was much like at TBA, only bigger. We had the carnival, the play with all the characters with whom we’ve become familiar, and yes – I did mention hamantashen. Hamantashen seemed different back then, only coming in two flavors, prune and poppy seed, and the fillings poured out of the dough. I heard of another with some kind of nut mixture, but never actually saw them. Today those original flavors are almost impossible to find but instead we have a variety of fruit fillings and something like two thousand are made here in our very own TBA kitchen each year for Purim. Passover was the holiday that had the most significance in my family. We celebrated the first Seder night every year at a cousin’s house on the Jersey Shore. It seemed like a long ride to get there, but the reward was fantastic – especially that first year. The family rule was no one younger than eight could attend. Upon reaching that magical age, all of a sudden you made it to the big mishpacha! Yes, we got gifts for Chanukah, and the were very important, but in my young boy’s eyes they paled in comparison to the festive Pesach celebration. Pesach was a time for joy, being with family and happiness. I never wanted “next year in Jerusalem.” I wanted to be in Elberon, New Jersey. As I grew older I would try to get there earlier so I could go to the Boardwalk. While Atlantic City was more famous (and slummier), every beach town had a great boardwalk. A few hours wandering the beach and you really built up an appetite for the feast. Of the many things I have missed since leaving the east coast 36 years ago that is the one event I miss the most. Enter California in 1974. My first year here I ran into one of my closest friends from my early childhood. Jeffrey and I go back to kindergarten (I have the class photo to prove it), and we had not seen each other since 8th grade. We immediately bonded, and just a few years later, a new tradition was born, as he and his wife Sue hosted their first . 2010 marks our 30th year celebrating together, both from Egypt and New York. My family now considers this their tradition and I hope my daughters remember it years from now as fondly as I remember those days in New Jersey. This is the beauty of Pesach. Whether you start a new tradition every year, or every 10, 20, 30, or more, it is a time to celebrate, and remember. Temple Beth Abraham can also be a starting point for new traditions. Purim and Passover are per- fect examples. Our Rock ‘n Roll Purim service is not for the faint of heart, and the noise level can be deafening. For those into tradition, a full megillah reading takes place immediately afterward, and then the carnival takes place the next morning. Hamantashen for all! We also have a Seder matching service. If you’re looking for one, we’ll find you a host family. As I’ve grown more involved with the synagogue over the years, more of the important days in the Jewish year have gained significance. I look forward to observing and celebrating all of the holy days and celebrations with you – our TBA family. Thanks for letting me remember. See you in Shul, Steve

See our website for TBA’s Passover Kashrut Overview

3 editor’s message Freedom To Join In By Lori Rosenthal A few nights ago, I was having a phone conversation with my college-age daughter Emma about a hard decision she has to make. There are many possible outcomes, with no obvious “right” one. She just has to make a choice. As it turned out, she called me in the hopes that I would advise her NOT to do one or more of the available options. She wanted me to make her decision easier. Ouch. Freedom is not always easy. During Passover, we tell the story of our Exodus from Egypt. Of how God rescued us “with a mighty arm and an outstretched hand.” It is the ultimate freedom story – where our ancestors, and by extension each one of us, escaped from slavery in Egypt. Much like our ancestors when they were slaves, I often think of freedom in terms of an escape from some sort of obligation or bondage. But in today’s column I want to talk about freedom in another sense – the freedom to be a part of (or even to create) meaningful synagogue life. While there are a core of individuals and families at Temple Beth Abraham who pour their hearts and souls and energies into the synagogue, there are also many who stand on the sidelines watch- ing the action. When asked what keeps them from getting involved in our shul, they say that there is nothing of interest to them going on. Freedom is the ability to bring about the world we want to live in, including the activities and focus that we want our synagogue to have. There is already lots going on at TBA. Shabbat is the central programming of our synagogue. That certainly isn’t going to change. Nor are our morning minyans on Monday and Thursday or our holiday observances. Gan and Bet Sefer are the institutions we use to education our children. Then we have the fund- raisers like the recently held Gala and Mishloach Manot campaign, and the upcoming Schools Auction (save the date: May 2), all of which support our schools and our synagogue. Social Action activities abound. In March, members of TBA will once again visit St. Vincent de Paul to help feed the hungry. In April, we have two exciting social action programs coming. The evening of April 20, we will host an exciting Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) event, featuring panelists from the liberal and conservative sides of the spectrum discussing the state of human rights in Israel. We also hope to hold TBA’s annual “ in April” event, helping build a home for a needy East Bay resident. This is in addition to our annual Food and Coat/Blanket Drives, Save the Bay involvement, blood drive, and ongoing literacy work at local public schools. Beyond that, we have the freedom to create new activities. And create them we do. Women of TBA events are as varied as tea parties (oh how that term has gone astray), Torah study, singing events (you all just missed a really nice afternoon of belting out show tunes and pop standards), theater events (stay tuned for announcements about upcoming Woodminster dates), and monthly hikes. continued on page 10 t h e Omer April OMEr Theme: “Doors” to the synagogue We cheerfully accept member submissions. Deadline for articles and letters is the first of the month preceding publication. Editor in Chief Lori Rosenthal Copy Editors Jessica Dell’Era, Charles Feltman, Lisa Fernandez, Nadine Managing Editor & Shira Weisbach Joseph, Richard Kauffman, Jan Silverman, Debbie Spangler, Traffic Coordinator James Wakeman Layout & Design Jessica Sterling Proofreaders June Brott, Jessica Dell’Era, Lisa Fernandez, Keith Hyman, Calendars Jon Golding Richard Kauffman, Outi Gould, Jeanne Korn, Stephen Shub, B’nai Mitzvah Editor Susan Simon Susan Simon, Debbie Spangler, Shira Weisbach Cover David Avidor Distribution Herman Pencovic, Pola Silver, Gertrude Veiss Help From People like you! Mailing Address 336 Euclid Ave. Oakland, CA 94610 E-Mail [email protected] 4 wtba, our sisterhood WTBA Sings

Women of TBA and Oakland Ruach Hadassah present Pirkei Imahot – Ethics of Our Mothers A work in progress Monday March 15 at 9:30 a.m. At the home of Debbie Spangler Nissan: The Women of Exodus Shifra, Puah, Yocheved, Miriam and Batya Join us as we deepen our knowledge of the contributions of these women to the seminal story of Judaism – the Exodus – in preparation for our own telling at Passover WTBA’s February 7 event where we gathered Our Monday morning Rosh Chodesh study sessions around the piano to sing old tunes ranging from are open to all women and are hosted a facilitated show tunes to pop to songbook classics. by our members. See the WTBA website for location and future meetings. You will find us at www.tbaoakland.org – under Groups and Committees. Readings for the session are available People of the Book Club in advance; contact Karen Bloom to receive a copy. March Meeting Email: [email protected]. Phone: (510) 482-4441. Please RSVP to Debbie Spangler, Rosh Monday, March 15, 7:30 p.m. Chodesh Coordinator, at [email protected] or Vicki Zatkin’s house (510) 531-1105 to help us in our planning. We will be reading Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay Please RSVP to Deena Aerenson by email at Women on the Move [email protected] or by phone at (510) 225-5107. Sunday, March 14, 9:45 a.m. RSVP during the first week of March please. We will meet at the Skyline Gate on Skyline just south of NOTE: If we do not have an adequate response, Snake and hike in Redwood Regional Park. we will postpone the book group meeting. Please RSVP! We meet at 9:45 and depart promptly at 10:00. Hikes end by 11:30. For details, contact Deena Aerenson at [email protected] or Save the Date (510) 225-5107. Third Annual East Bay Women’s WTBA announces a new hike coordinator for “Women Torah Study on the Move,” our monthly hikes. Many thanks to Deena Aerenson for taking this on. Come join us for April 22 7 p.m. fun, conversation and exercise! Congregation Beth Chayim in Danville 5 men’s club tba men’s club goes bowling

Ski Trip By Ben Stiegler Men from TBA (Jon Shuster, Barry Rotman, Len Nathan, Dan Levin, and Ben Stiegler) and Netivot Shalom enjoyed a wonderful joint ski retreat together earlier this month. Fellowship, athletic challenge, contemplative conversation, and bad jokes filled our time at SugarBowl. Monday’s free lesson even got me doing ski jumps! About a dozen other TBAers (including Rabbi Bloom, Jonah, and the Hankins) informally joined us skiing and lunching. Next year – a family trip! Watch for it!

6 the pesach issue A Pesach Quiz By Susan Simon W­hen trying to decide what to write for this month’s Omer, my mind immediately went to wondering how much all of us know about the holiday, the customs, and the vocabulary. So I’ve created a little multiple choice quiz to test your knowledge or to simply amuse you. This isn’t a quiz for the faint of heart – no “gimme” questions here! Enjoy!

1) Who are the five Rabbis we read about in the ? a Rav Bene-Berak, Rav Isaiah, Rav Joshua, Rav Shimon and Rav Joseph b Rav Hillel, Rav Shimon, Rav Joseph, Rav Yehuda and Rav Akiva c Rav Eliezer, Rav Joshua, Rav Elazar, 7) The that we celebrate immediately Rav Akiva and Rav Tarfon before Pesach starts is called: 2) The Ha Lachma prayer that we recite during the a Shalosh Regalim seder talks about what? b T’fillat Tal a Eating bread in the land of milk and honey c Shabbat HaGadol b Eating the bread of affliction and feeding the hungry 8) We chant a special Megillah on Shabbat Chol c Eating the matza that will sustain us in the desert HaMo’ed Pesach – the intermediate Shabbat of our 3) Lechem Mishneh is what we call this? eight day holiday, called Shir HaShirim. a Bread of learning during the Pesach seder This refers to: b The double portion of bread referring to the manna a The lechem oni – the bread for the poor collected before Shabbat b The Pesach Shayni – the 2nd Pesach for those who c The bread of the Hillel sandwich were unable to offer the Pesach sacrifice at the proper 4) The difference between Rachatzah and Urchatz, time both of which involve washing hands, is what? c The courtship between Israel and God which began a In the former we say a blessing for hand washing, and with the Exodus and continued to Mt. Sinai and the in the latter we do not receiving of the Torah b In the former we use soap for washing, and in the lat- 9) The day after Pesach is called this: ter we do not a Isru Chag c In the former, we dry our hands on a towel, and in b Koso Shel Eliyahu the latter we do not c Bi’ur Chamaytz 5) Ta’anit B’chorim refers to what custom? 10) We refer to d’tzach, adash and b’achav during a Blessing the children before the seder starts the seder – this refers to what? b Burning the remainder of the before the a The building of the cities of Pithom and Raamses seder starts b The bitter herbs that we eat to remind us of the c The in memory of the firstborn embittered lives of our ancestors Egyptians who were slain c Rabbi Judah’s reference to the 10 plagues by their 6) Nirtzah refers to what? Hebrew initials. a The final section of the seder where we ask God to accept our prayers b The beginning section of the seder where we ask God to accept our prayers c The section of the seder after the telling of the story

You can find the answers on page 18. How did you do? Did you Google all the terms? (P.S. I think I would have flunked!!!)

7 the pesach issue Our Pesach Celebration the Egyptian monarch, who was out for blood given that By Irene Weinberg Moses was his sister. They chased each other around the campground for several minutes (we lucked out with a very At our seder we sit around a large table. Everyone has a spacious campsite next to a dry gulley and patch of scraggly Hebrew Haggadah, and English Haggadah (which I wrote). trees). Finally, the dry gulley (Red Sea) miraculously dried We begin the service by reading from the Hebrew book… up (!) allowing the Israelites through into the trees where until after the four questions. Then we switch to the they could hide. As Pharoah and his troops entered the gul- English Haggadah, and go around the table so that every- ley, water came coursing down upon them from on high- one can join to read…even those who don’t read Hebrew. It -with a little help from Dad and our three-gallon water is also good for the children, because they can understand jug. Pharoah didn’t mind the bath and wanted to continue the answers to their four questions. We sing Dayainu in chasing down his sister, which wasn’t in the script, so it took Hebrew, and enjoy our meal. The afikomen has been hid- some time to get back to the Haggadot. We’ll see if they den. (Our three year old grandson was worried because he remember it all this year. Might be better if they don’t. It was the youngest looking; his cousins told him not to worry won’t be the same in our back yard in Oakland. – everyone gets something!) After the meal we resume in Hebrew, and enjoy the sing- Inviting Strangers to Your Seder, Who ing. We have a pattern song (which I wrote) which usually Knows? You May Just Fall in Love comes before Had Gad Yah. We tap our hands on the table, By Lisa Fernandez to make a drum sound. The narrator sings each line (with My mother always made sure to invite strays, stragglers and gestures) and the community responds with a repeat of the strangers to our Passover meal. These guests would join our line. large and raucous family of 20 cousins or more. It’s fun; we laugh a lot, and the kids can easily learn to be It was a running theme in our family that each year, weeks the leader for the song. before Passover, we’d always kid my mom, wondering At our seder, everyone can participate; the kids enjoy the “Who’s Coming to Dinner?’’ evening while they learn, and the food is good. It’s a great One year, she invited a bizarre Russian tuba player. Another time. year, we had a nice family who had moved to town. And Our Pesach Celebration let’s not forget the famous year when my mother called By Ethel and Sid Shaffer up Hillel looking to invite a “young bachelor, preferably in med school’’ and lo and behold, as if beating Eliahu ha Several years ago we had a couple over with two small chil- Navi to the punch, in walked flesh-and-blood, Joel Shapiro, dren. It appeared that they had never been to a Seder. Our a young medical student at the University of Rochester. The daughter had a non-Jewish friend at the Seder who brought young bachelor was meant for me: Mom did not like the his guitar over and during the story of the Exodus he guy I was dating at the time. But Joel only had eyes for my strummed the guitar while Mary told the story using hand older cousin, Marcie. They were married shortly after the puppets. The children, 4 and 6, were mesmerized much to seder, and I’ll be attending their daughter’s bat mitzvah on our pleasure. Memorial Day. Our Death Valley Seder So, when I moved to the East Bay, so far away from the By Richard Kauffman East Coast, I wanted to keep the Jewish tradition my moth- er instilled in me alive. I have to admit, seders away from Our most memorable seder was without a doubt last year’s, my own family are hard. But inviting others who may also when Passover happened to fall during spring break. We be alone really does help. Somehow, it makes preparations were camping in Death Valley and took Haggadot and all for the meal more exciting. And it feels good to do a mitz- the seder plate items with us. It was a perfect setting, really, vah. One year, I invited my best friend’s entire extended there in the desert, eating matzoh and bitter herbs at our family. Another year, it was an elderly widow. Then, a fam- picnic table, much like the Israelites might have done (with- ily whose children were off in college. And a recent convert out the picnic table). to Judaism whose family didn’t celebrate Passover. This year, We were not short on plagues. We added a few like hot, I’m hoping to have Seder with another Gan family, and desert wind and scorpions. It seemed only fitting to make it extend an invitation to someone at TBA who might not complete by reenacting the crossing of the Red Sea. When have relatives around. we got to that part of the service, our son Alex (7) donned Sure, inviting someone new to your seder always involves the blue picnic blanket and, using it as a cape, transformed the chance that your stranger might be a bit strange. But himself into a dastardly Pharoah. Our daughter Annaliese hey, there’s also always the chance that over chopped apples (10) was Moses doing her best to escape the onslaught of 8 the pesach issue and nuts and a Hillel sandwich, you just may end up learn- kids. Four of those are always at the seder table, with their ing a few notes on the tuba from a Russian emigre, or better children and grandchildren. Now the group is three genera- yet, falling in love with your beshert. tions strong. Doreen is particularly pleased by the fact that young kids at her table are using Pesach items from their Doreen Alper’s Annual Super Seder great-great-grandparents. Family heirlooms she uses include By Lori Rosenthal a matzah cover from her grandfather and candlesticks from For Doreen Alper, Pesach is all about family. That is what her grandmother. Talk at the table used to be about high compels her to organize the 30- to 50-person family seders chairs and toddlers. These days it is moving towards B’nai that she is famous for. But that is just part of the story. In Mitzvah planning. Doreen’s family, her seder participants fly in from all over Doreen does all the cooking. Over a month in advance, she the country to break matzah with fellow members of their will start by making 100 matzah balls. And then the chick- gene pool. en soup. With these items tucked away in the freezer, she Doreen was raised in Cleveland––one of those communi- begins to prepare the rest of the menu. Gefilte fish is a sta- ties where feel their roots quite strongly. She grew up ple. Doreen used to buy the ground fish and make the balls having seders with her parents and grandparents. When her herself. But one year the fish she bought was bad, so she grandparents passed away, Doreen’s mom continued the converted to using jarred gefilte fish and then doctoring it family tradition with about a dozen family members at the up herself. Of course she grates her own horseradish as well. table. As time went by, Doreen’s family grew up and her is the main dish, and all the trimmings are always kids moved away. She hated watching that happen. there. In Doreen’s words, “I’m not the best cook; they come to be with the family.” She is always so touched by it. She had a feeling, “If somebody doesn’t hold the family together, it will dissipate.” While still living in Cleveland, As of right now, it is still a little early to know how many Doreen took action and started the extended family seder. will be at this year’s seder. Doreen thinks she’ll have the When she issued the invitation that first year, the response usual 30 to 50 people for the two seders. The family that was overwhelming. At her Cleveland seders, Doreen often remains for the second night Seder will gather at Jonathan hosted 50 people over two nights. At this point, the rela- Bornstein and Amy Wittenberg’s home. They are Doreen’s tives were scattered, but not so far. Her mom’s family was in son and daughter-in-law as well as TBA members. Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York, and Detroit. Her dad’s Pesach is about so many things––liberation, freedom, unity, family was in St. Louis and Cincinnati. tradition. May the Alper clan’s tradition continue for many Ten years ago Doreen and her partner Bob Klein moved more generations. to the Bay Area. It didn’t even cross her mind that the cross-country relocation would end her family seder tradi- Passover Deliverance tion. And so, she kept it up. Months in advance, Doreen By Madeline Weinstein starts out with teaser emails that say things like: “77 days Every year at Passover, we participate in the telling of our to Pesach. Who is coming?” She reserves a block of rooms Master Story; the Jews as slaves in Egypt, our release from at the Holiday Inn Express. And then she waits. Year after bondage and subsequent wandering, and ultimately our year, slowly but surely, the family responds. Literally, they deliverance into the promised land. Until last year, it was fly in from St Louis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Baltimore, just a story being retold from our family Haggadah. But Detroit, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Portland to one year ago this story was made manifest in our lives by a participate. bizarre and frightening set of circumstances. This is not a family looking for a vacation in sunny My husband, Neil, had been suffering from escalating pain California. No, they come just for the seder. For a weekend from a gym injury followed by a pinched nerve. Multiple seder, they’ll come on Friday and leave on Tuesday. But they medications in increasing dosages were prescribed, and will be there. When the numbers get too big for what she after two months of this regime, his body hit a tipping can handle in her condo, Doreen uses the club house at her point. On Presidents’ Day weekend he exhibited what complex. She knows it is not the location that is important, appeared to be a series of mini-strokes. For a couple of suc- but the fact that the family is together. cessive nights he was taken to the emergency room of Alta They even have their own family Haggadah. One of the Bates, where he was monitored and then sent home. But cousins wrote it a few years back and surprised her with it. by the third episode, he was admitted to the hospital. Over It is a Conservative Haggadah, filled with pictures, includ- the next five days, every conceivable test was done, from ing a photo on the cover of Doreen’s grandparents on her MRI’s to a spinal tap. Occupational therapists determined mom’s side and their three daughters (one of whom was he had balance issues that would necessitate our modifying Doreen’s mother). From these three daughters came six continued on page 10 9 the pesach issue continued from page 9 Lori’s Column, continued from page 4 our home to address his declining physical capacities. A The Men’s Club has a whole gig going on with frequent speech and language pathologist gave us a binder of exer- poker games (open to both men and women), and attend- cises for him to do daily to help with word retrieval. As his ing sporting events together. They even had a recent night anxiety increased in the hospital he was given potent drugs, out bowling. which then caused three days of hallucinations. In the end, TBA goes to the Movies has brought us events ranging from nothing physiological was found to explain his symptoms. Blazing Saddles to Israeli TV shows, right here in our social So, a neuropsychologist was called in for his consultation. hall. My daughter and I sat in as he took Neil through a series And opportunities to learn Jewishly abound. Take a look of tests, analyzed the prior events of the week, and then at the calendar to see classes or Torah study discussions that announced his belief that Neil had Lewy Body Dementia, Rabbi Bloom leads, evening study at Rabbi Art Gould’s a progressive debilitating condition with few treatment home, Torah and Haftarah trope classes with Outi Gould, options. Within three minutes of receiving this devastating and classes and one-day workshops taught by Susan Simon. news, a Jewish hospital chaplain materialized, ready to give Neil a mishaberach and to offer comfort to me. Neil was Still not finding something that makes you want to join in? subsequently discharged, weighted down both from this Well, freedom is the ability to jump in and help create it. If diagnosis and from stacks of instructions and lists of agen- you are not sure where to start, TBA president Steve Shub cies to call for home health care aides, which he was told he would love to hear your ideas. would surely need as he predictably lost both mental and During this Passover season, I invite you to exercise your physical levels of functioning. hard earned freedom by choosing some way in which to Once we got home, I, along with our children , began an deepen your relationship with the TBA community. We’ll exhaustive Internet search of not only what we could expect, all be better off for it. but also who was the best person to see for a second opin- ion. We found a doctor at UCSF but we were told it was a six-month wait to see her. Through a serendipitous set of circumstances, and a host of generous people, I received a phone call a week and a half before Passover that the doctor Shabbat Mishpacha: could see us four months ahead of schedule…on the eve of Services for Young Children and Their Families Passover. After a brief hesitation of weighing the benefit of Saturday, March 6 and consultation against being at the Seder, I determined that suspending with tradition was probably called for in this Saturday, March 20 at 10:15 a.m. instance. Nevertheless, the day of the appointment we got a If you have kids aged 0-7 Shabbat Mishpacha is the call that the doctor was sick and could not see us. Luckily, Shabbat service for your family. Our fun, fast, and she had told the people doing her scheduling to squeeze us friendly service lasts about 30 minutes, is parent led, in a week later. That evening we went to our Seder, and I and is held in the Gan classrooms. We sing songs, heard the language of the familiar Ten Plagues with differ- recite Hebrew prayers, participate in a “Torah Parade” ent insight. Our appointment the following week occurred and hear a Jewish story. After the short service we on the final day of Passover. After physical and psychologi- all enjoy a tasty oneg Shabbat together. Shabbat Mishpacha is a terrific, age appropriate way to intro- cal testing, and reading the notes from his hospitalization, duce your children to attending services on Shabbat. Neil’s sentence was lifted. He was told the diagnosis had It’s also a great opportunity to meet other families in been circumstantial and inaccurate, and that all the symp- the community toms he had had were due to his sensitivity and reaction to in a more inti- too many drugs scaffolding onto one another. Period, end mate setting. of story. We look forward That following Shabbat we were at shul and Rabbi Bloom to seeing you called Neil to say the prayer for someone who has been there! confronted with something dangerous but is miracu- For additional lously saved from harm. It was a perfect metaphor for the information Israelites, who were saved when the waters parted for them. please contact Upon reaching freedom, “Miriam sang with the women, Jenny Abrami at dancing with their timbrels,” and Neil and I were there with (510) 749-9838. them, singing our own song of gratitude and salvation.

10 gan avraham Frogs Here, Frogs There, Frogs are Leaping Everywhere… By Wendy Siver Soon children at the Gan will be busy preparing for Pesach. They will hear the story of the Exodus. Not only will children hear the story but they will have the opportunity to participate in art proj- ects, seeing, touching and tasting many of the ritual objects for Pesach. Everyone, even the young- est two-year-old, goes home with something to add to their own family’s Seder table. And of course we will smell and taste everything from salt water to charoset. Some children may make their own matzah, and everyone will help clean the school so that there is no chametz to be found! As your family gathers together to celebrate Pesach, try to incorporate your children in the preparation. You can have a cha- metz hunt at home. The night before Pesach, the house is searched for chametz with the following items: a candle, a feather and a wooden spoon. Before the hunt, pieces of hametz are “hidden” for the children to gather. Children can walk through the house with an adult holding the candle for light, as the children sweep the pieces of chametz into the wooden spoon with the feather. You can then burn the chametz you have found. As you clean your home, remember that even the youngest children love to wash and scrub. Water is soothing and cleaning is something most children don’t have a chance to do on a regular basis; give your child a tub filled with warm water and some of their toys to clean. It will give them great satisfaction to “help” in getting the house ready for the holiday. When you are driving in the car with your children, begin playing a CD filled with Pesach songs – I promise if you begin early enough, by the time the holiday arrives your child will be able to join in with the adults as they sing !

Helping Out at the Gan Auction Helps used wrappers and googly eyes onto construction paper dur- People Like Me ing a recycling project called “From Trash to Treasures.” His eyes light up when he recognizes the Havdallah nigun, or By Lisa Fernandez knows what Tu B’ means. He’s recently been telling By now, you’ve probably received a flier, an e-mail, saw me that “God is everywhere.’’ an Omer ad or heard conversations around TBA that the I never sent my daughter, Milah, now 7, to the Gan, largely Schools Auction benefitting the Gan and Bet Sefer is because I thought I couldn’t afford the preschool tuition, coming up on May 2. which is more expensive than a regular preschool. But a You’ve most likely also been asked to donate something: regular preschool just wasn’t cutting it with Noah. And my Money, a product or your time. husband and I decided to check into seeing if there was If you haven’t helped out yet, consider this: You’d be doing a any creative way we could afford to send Noah to the Gan. favor for people like me. And thanks to the generosity of everyone involved at TBA, our family received a break on our tuition. We appreciate it When the auction started ten years ago, there was enough greatly. While we are both employed as journalists, simply money to buy some bean bag chairs and toys. As it’s grown, living in the Bay Area often stretches our limited resources. on average, the auction now raises between $35,000 and $40,000 each year. The money gets funneled to the syna- The Gan scholarship, in turn, has made me more involved gogue’s general fund, where a portion is then turned over to in TBA. I want to give back to a community who has been fund Gan and Bet Sefer scholarships. so kind to me. Since I can’t afford to pay back with dollars, I can give of my time and energy, whether it’s learning to read My family has received some of that scholarship money over Torah or setting up for a pizza Sukkot dinner. Volunteering the past two years. We receive help in order to send our son, for the auction is yet another way to help out. And so, if you Noah, to the Gan. And he’s the happiest he’s ever been in have seen an announcement inviting you to attend the auc- his life. He’s the kind of 4-year-old who says no to every- tion or donate to it, please consider participating. Noah will thing. Time to eat. No! Time to get dressed. No! The one be graduating this June from the Gan, and I want to person- thing (besides ice cream, perhaps) that Noah says yes to is ally thank those of you who have given in past years. When the Gan. Time for school. Yea! this year’s auction comes around, please think about families He absolutely loves his friends, playing Star Wars on the who will be attending the Gan this fall and need help like yard and even has been enjoying art, most recently gluing ours did. I’m sure they will thank you, too. 11 bet sefer How Can We Possibly Keep Everyone Happy Tzedakah Projects A Big Success THIS Year? By Susan Simon Yes, it is that time of year again – time to plan our seders and try to figure out how to keep everyone engaged as we retell the story of our ancestors. It’s a daunting task – we don’t want to miss out on our own spiritual growth by cut- ting out too much from the Haggadah, and yet we want to create wonderful memories for our children. There is the “is it time to eat?” crowd to keep engaged as well as the “let’s read every single word slowly” crowd to appease. The juggling is enormous. Here are a few suggestions that might keep some of your participants happy during your Pesach Seder: Serve nibbles to munch on during the service – making everyone wait for the official, ritual nibbles, will drive them crazy and make them try to rush through everything. For children who need to be engaged, give each child a large envelope, large enough to hold the . Have each child decorate the envelope while the adults are going through the parts of the seder, before the hiding. You can even download Pesach coloring pictures to put on the front of each envelope and glue them on ahead of time. Try this site for some examples – http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/ pesach/pescolor.htm Have a Charoset tasting – ask each of your guests to search for a special, new recipe for Charoset and bring the new concoction to share. Prepare a Question Box ahead of time, and after finishing each section of the seder, allow a child to randomly select a quiz question from the box and quiz the adults (be sure you have the answers written down somewhere!!!). Prepare questions for discussion – for instance, what item would you like to see added to the seder plate and why? For older children, ask who might be the modern Israelites and compare their situation to the story of the ancient Israelites. Or for all ages, ask what they would say Dayeinu to. Instead of the full retelling of the story, consider having a few adults take on the role of some of the central characters. See if you can get the children to interview these characters and draw out the story of the Exodus that way, instead of the traditional way. Instead of the official story, consider having your partici- pants of all ages act out the story. I have a very silly play that included songs that I used with my children for many years. Part of us groaned every year that we were doing this AGAIN, but another part of us loved the familiarity and chance to be goofy. The Mechina Class and Tu B'Shevat fruit drive. Thanks to Ariel Trost for helping Susan Simon shop for all the fruit! 12 la’atid Roller Skating La’atid had a fun time skating and eating pizza, during their February youth group event.

A Youth Group For 4th-7th Graders! La’atidChocolate Seder Sunday, March 28 Earth Day: Movie “Oceans” and a Mitzvah Sunday, April 25 Boomers/Final Event Sunday, May 16 We look forward to another great time out with TBA’s La’atid group!! To RSVP or if you have any questions contact your trusty advisors, Dina and Phil Hankin at [email protected].

13 check out our local jewish day schools Pesach at OHDS Please join us for the March Parent Education event: By Melanie Marcus Nurturing the Love of Reading in Your Child - Free Two Hour Workshop for parents and educators with acclaimed On Pesach, children around the globe eagerly await their author Diane Frankenstein, opportunity to stand on a chair and chant Mah Nishtanah. Monday, March 22, 2010 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. At Oakland Hebrew Day School, students have been learn- Oakland Hebrew Day School, 5500 Redwood Rd, Oakland ing Mah Nishtanah in Hebrew, Yiddish and now Ladino! We thought to share the Yiddish version with you – give it This interactive session will provide parents and educators a try! with tools to make reading more engaging and pleasurable. You will receive helpful tips on behavior modeling and strat- Tate, lkh Vil bay dir fregen di fear kashes. egies for creating an environment where there is enjoyment Farvos is di dozike nakht fun peysakh andersh and satisfaction in reading. Diane Frankenstein has authored Fun ale nekht fun a gants yor? several children’s books and her new book, Reading Together, 1) Ale nekht fun a gants yor has received the Mom’s Choice Award and a starred review Esn mir from The Library Journal. www.dianefrankenstein.com. Say khomets say matse – This event is co-sponsored with PJ Library and the Jewish Ober di doziker nakht fun pesach, Community Federation of the Greater East Bay. For more Essen mir nor matse. details about this event, or OHDS in general, please contact 2) Ale nekht fun a gants yor Melanie Marcus at (510) 531-8600, ext. 26 or mmarcus@ Esn mir ohds.org. Aleh greensn – Tehiyah Brings Pesach to Life with Fun Ober di doziker nakht fun pesach, Essen mir and Learning Nor bitere greensn By Donna Sidel, Tehiyah Director of Communications Every Pesach, Tehiyah Day School designs seders for each 3) Ale nekht fun a gants yor grade that are full of fun activities and highly participatory. Tunken mir ayn afilu nit eyn mol – Students learn the story of Pesach in a hands-on meaningful Ober halaylo di doziker nakh fun pesach, way that brings the story to life. Tunken mir ayn tsvey mol Sometimes we reenact the exodus story in an all-school day 4) Ale nekht fun a gants yor of living history. One of our teachers, dressed and bearded Esn mir say zitsndik say ongelent – as Moses, leads the faculty, staff, and students (the Israelites) Ober di doziker nakht fun pesach to safety as he parts the “Red Sea.” With the Jewish people Zitsn mir nor ongelent. safely out of Egypt, the students begin their total immersion From our community to yours, we wish you a meaningful in the story. Tents are erected around campus, and the stu- and kosher Pesach. dents and teachers are divided into the twelve tribes, each with a responsibility to complete, things like cutting leather for sandals and pouches, weaving cloth to make clothes and tents, making drums, and foraging for quail eggs in the gar- den. Other times we bring Pesach to life with a visit by the Living Legacy Matzah Factory Workshop, a portable matzah factory created and run by Chabad of the Greater South Bay. Students learn how to separate wheat seeds from the chaff, how to use a mill to grind the seeds into flour, how to combine flour and water to make the dough, and how to roll out the matzot. The Matzah Factory gives every stu- dent the chance to make their own kosher matzah as the Israelites did in the desert, and to taste, perhaps for the first time, matzah cooked over an open fire. And speaking of food, what would a seder be without a delicious meal. At Tehiyah, the children are responsible for TBA members Talia Paulson and Roxy Moss just published their providing and cooking much of the food served at our sed- very own autobiographies at OHDS – all in Hebrew! ers. For the week beforehand, the kitchens and classrooms

14 check out our local jewish day schools are filled with the aromas of chicken soup, chopped apples, • Sing songs – loudly! Sing silly songs – let the children and roasting lamb shanks. Taking pride in their portion of make up and perform songs. For example: a song that the meal renews the students’ involvement and ownership tells the Pesach story, but is set to the tune of Three in each year’s seder, and, as their understanding of the story Blind Mice. grows, so do their cooking skills. • Invite your guests to come dressed as the people/con- By the time we get to the actual seder, Tehiyah students cepts in the Pesach story; Pharoah, Moses, Yocheved, understand the story and its importance in a very tangible G-d, the burning bush, slaves… . as they arrive give way. They are no longer simply attendees at a recitation of them a “boarding pass” and start the seder by telling ancient history; they are vital members in the long chain of everyone that they are about to travel back in time. Jews who have connected to this story and holiday. Move to another room, away from the table, and tell If you are interested in more information about Tehiyah, the story of the Exodus through a skit. Use lots of please contact our admissions director, Amy Utstein, at props that the kids will be happy to help you collect (510) 233-3013, ext. 239, or at [email protected]. Amy from their toy box before the Seder. The youngest can assist you with questions regarding grades K-8 and set children participate by being slaves and building struc- up a personal tour of our campus. tures with blocks and legos. • Instead of sitting at the dining table, you can start off CCJDS Families Share their Seder the Seder by reclining on large pillows on the floor. Success Stories • Children can be helpful and feel included by being a By Amy Wittenberg, Admissions Director part of the search for and the cleaning of the house We wish you a joyous Passover and a memorable Seder! of chametz – give them a feather to search for small At CCJDS we devote classroom time to learning about crumbs! You can be Mensches and donate your cha- Passover, from the biblical roots to understanding the ritu- metz to a food collection project. als associated with the holiday. Last spring, when our 2nd • Have children help set and decorate the Seder table; grade class returned from the Passover break, they were so creating fun centerpieces builds excitement for the excited to share with their classmates the most exciting parts Seder eve. of their family’s Pesach seder. We asked their parents to help • Let the children read parts from the adult Haggadah us compile a list of some of their favorite ideas. We hope – what a great opportunity to show-off their Hebrew you’ll find these ideas amusing, and possibly will incorpo- skills! rate some into your own Seder! • Prepare a goody bag for each of the children, with sur- • Put a picture of Pharaoh on a piece of cardboard prises to pull out at different parts of the Seder. and give each child stickers representing the plagues. During the Seder, kids can place their stickers all over • Sing onomatopoeia style, with the chil- his body – it’s fun, and looks really gross! dren making up a sound for each character. • Make a clock using the 14 parts of the Seder – the • Using cut-up vegetable and olives, have children help children can help to write the words and decorate. you create baby Moses baskets that they can eat dur- During the Seder, they are in charge of letting the ing the seder. Celery makes great reeds to go around adults know when to move on to the next part. the perimeter of the basket. • Choose child-friendly discussion topics to talk about CCJDS is a community Jewish Day School located in at different points throughout the Seder. Lafayette right off the freeway (Alcalanes exit), just 15-17 minutes from TBA. • Make flash cards of famous Jews from history. Each person at the Seder can share his/her character’s CCJDS is currently accepting Kindergarten-8th grade unique story of Jewish freedom. applications. We offer small class sizes, strong academics, Hebrew and Judaic studies, and a welcoming and vibrant • The Battle of the Hard-Boiled Eggs: Boil enough eggs community. Please come visit to see how wonderful a for each Seder guest. The first two participants hold school can be! Call Amy Wittenberg, Admissions Director their eggs, pointy-side forward, towards each other to schedule a tour (925) 284-8288. Applications and and “bump” eggs. Usually one egg will crack the further information is available on the school’s website at other, and the winner goes on to battle his/her neigh- www.ccjds.org. bors’ eggs until the last uncracked egg is determined the “winner”.

15 midrasha From Midrasha in Berkeley be heard. Several classes were enthralled by Holocaust sur- By Diane Bernbaum vivor Dora Sorell as she spun her heart wrenching story. Some classes got to see the Topsy Turvey bus from the I don’t know how many of you know this, but I have a son Teva Learning Center. These students made solar ovens (a Midrasha graduate, no less) who is a professional juggler. and learned about worm composting, all through a Jewish He trained for this by attending a rigorous three-year course lens. Zephira Derblich-Milea from Shalom Bayit comes in at the National Circus School of Canada in Montreal, each year to present the “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” curriculum the only full time circus school in North America. I used about building healthy relationships to 9th graders and to think that David and I were in really different profes- their parents. This year we asked her to come back a second sions. But some Sundays, I’m not so sure. It seems that time to address recent attacks witnessed by by-standers, in no Sunday is “normal.” There is always a special speaker, light of the Biblical verse to “not stand idly by.” Another a special program, internet that goes down, parents on the guest speaker who will be at Midrasha a second time this phone, students who need me to sign off on their commu- year is our Catholic educator, Marcy Fox. The American nity service forms, teachers who can’t find a working DVD Jewish Committee has a wonderful program that sends player, egos to be soothed, teachers who forgot to photo- rabbis into Catholic schools. In exchange, we get Marcy copy something essential, ingredients that didn’t get bought as a guest teacher. This fall she spoke to the “Comparative for the cooking class, a parent, teacher or student that needs Religion” class and this month she came back to speak to to share something about their week or their life and just the Kesher Bet classes, studying “The American Jewish needs to talk, classrooms that need more chairs, a substitute Experience,” about the relationship of Catholics and Jews in that doesn’t know where his/her room is, a last minute call America. She also talked to the 8th and 9th grade’s “Jews from a sick teacher. And sometimes all those things are and Muslims” class about how Catholics relate to those two happening at once. I feel just like my son David with his religions. The 8th grade had a lesson on homelessness that five balls hurtling in the air. featured a board member from YEAH, the homeless shelter So besides regular classes at Midrasha in the past few weeks, for teens on University Avenue, and one of YEAH’s former what are some of the extra things that have been going on clients and also a speaker from Alameda County’s EveryOne which take a little more juggling? Within the last month Home program. Sundays at Midrasha are truly never a dull here are a few of the extras that kept me hopping. We had moment. And I shouldn’t forget to tell you that one of our our annual presentation by Rikki Sudikoff of Jewish Family 9th grade classes held a fundraiser for American Jewish and Children’s Service for 8th grade parents and students World Service’s Haiti campaign and raised $748. on “Parent/ Teen Communication.” Participants came away There’s probably been more. But this will give you an idea. with a new appreciation of how to talk to one another and volunteer bulletin board

We’re looking for a cover art designer for the TBA Omer Contact Lori Rosenthal at [email protected] or (510) 339-0133.

Give a New Mom or Dad Do you have time an Hour to Shower to help deliver TBA’s A perfect mitzvah for those with daytime flexibility. new members baskets? Volunteers needed to provide short daytime sits free If so, please contact of charge to our new moms and dads allowing them to Stacy Margolin shower, get a haircut or just take a walk. at [email protected] Interested sitters should contact us or by phone (510) 482-3153. at [email protected].

16 cooking corner Something New for Passover Gnocchi are small Italian dumplings served as pasta. These By Faith Kramer use matzah cake meal instead of flour, which give them a nutty, almost whole wheat taste. I’ve simplified their shap- Passover cooking doesn’t really faze me. I do a lot of cook- ing to make forming the dumplings fairly quick and easy. ing from scratch anyway. It is the sheer amount of cooking that gets to me. I’m not referring to the Seder meals, that I Use the gnocchi with your sauce of choice or just toss them can handle. It’s the day in and day out needing to prepare with butter or cheese. You can also play with the flavor every bite my family and I eat that wears me down. The by adding additional seasonings or a few tablespoons of only short cuts are expensive packaged foods of dubious chopped or pureed herbs to the batter. This makes enough taste and quality. Every meal requires lots of planning and for 4-5 as a main course (with a hearty sauce) and about cooking. 6-8 as a side dish. The recipe can be doubled if you want to make extra. See the notes at the end of the recipe for That’s why when my sons were young I came up with my storage tips. Passover Potato Gnocchi recipe. I could bake extra potatoes one night, turn them in an easy-to-use dish the next night Be sure to use potatoes that are steamed or baked, not and even make extras to use for a quick meal or side dish boiled. Soggy potatoes absorb more of the cake meal and later. This recipe is parve, so it is very versatile. My sons result in a doughy tasting gnocchi. Exactly how much mat- loved helping to make the gnocchi as well as eating it, pref- zah cake meal you’ll need will depend on the moisture in erably smothered in tomato or pesto sauce. your potatoes.

Passover Potato Gnocchi Makes about 80 gnocchi 2 lbs. russet potatoes, baked, or cut in large ½ tsp. and ¼ tsp. salt chunks and steamed until just soft ¼ tsp. ground black pepper 2 eggs, beaten About ¾ to 1 cup of matzah cake meal flour, plus additional as needed Allow potatoes to cool. Remove skins. Rice gnocchi at a time to the pot. The gnocchi will or mash potatoes thoroughly in large bowl float to the top fairly quickly. Cook for an addi- until smooth. Mix in eggs, ½ tsp. salt and pep- tional 2 minutes and scoop out with a slotted per. Add ¼ cup of matzah cake meal, stir spoon. Toss the gnocchi in oil, butter or sauce until absorbed. Add ¼ cup more and stir until to prevent them from sticking and keep warm. absorbed. Add additional ¼ cup of matzah cake Return the water to a boil and repeat until all meal and stir again. Begin to mix and knead the gnocchi are cooked. the potato mixture with your hands until the To make ahead, shape all the gnocchi and place matzah meal is well combined and has formed in single layers on baking trays. The dumplings a soft dough. Knead in more matzoh meal as should not be touching. Cover with wax paper needed until the dough’s surface is fairly dry. and then place a very slightly dampened tea You should be able to roll a bit of the dough into towel on top. Store at room temperature for up a ball in your hands and not have it be sticky. to an hour or two and then boil as directed. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Dust a To freeze uncooked gnocchi for later use, set clean, dry work surface with some of the mat- dumplings in a single layer on baking tray. zah cake meal. Roll out one part at a time into Place in freezer. Once individually frozen, a log about ½” wide and 12” long. Cut into 10 remove from tray and store in plastic freezer pieces and roll by hand into small ovals. Keep bag. Do not defrost. Cook in boiling, salted the ovals about the same width and length to water as above until cooked through. make sure they cook evenly. (Optional, press the back of a fork into each oval to create “ridg- To store leftover cooked gnocchi, toss in olive es” to catch the sauce.) Place gnocchi in single or other oil to coat and store covered in the layers on baking tray or plates. Repeat until all refrigerator. Gently reheat in sauce, in steamer the gnocchi have been rolled out and shaped. or in microwave. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ¼ tsp. salt. Add about a fourth (20 or so) of the

Faith Kramer blogs her food at www.clickblogappetit.blogspot.com. Her food columns appear twice a month in the j. weekly. 17 gala

18 gala

19 life cycles March Birthdays 1 8 16 Elon Simon Paz Avidor Linda Arons Katie Anna Kaizer-Salk Daniel Sosebee 2 Denise Bostrom Elya Prystowsky 24 Hilary Altman Mark Fickes David Sherman Rebecca Glick Mark Beilock Amy Maidenberg Aaron Sunshine 25 Isaiah Goldstein Julia Mendelsohn 17 Stephanie Mendelsohn Sophie Kreeger Benjamin Mirkin Jonah Kunis 26 Janice Reisman Prystowsky Jeffrey Rothman 18 Kathryn Burge Victoria Zatkin Lisa Sadikman David Galant Ellen Collaco Ori Sasson 9 Elliot Gordon Susan Cossette 3 Jeremy Bruner Rebecca Kirsch Daniel DeBare Ilan Breines Owen Kelly Esther Pinkhasov 27 Oona Grace Swartz 10 Rebecca Posamentier Endre Balint Sarah Ur Karen Glasser Joan Rubin Reba Schechtman 4 Keren Nathan 19 28 Anya Wayne Leah Kaizer Ari Kelley Brian Lerner 5 11 Nina Teichman Jill Rosenthal Debra Barach Jon Golding 20 Barbara Rothblatt Amanda Brown-Stevens David Mendelsohn Jennifer Kopp Vera Zatkin Lowell Davis Noah Stiegler Hana Rotman 29 Rachel Lorber 12 21 Jennifer Goodman Abrami 6 Brooks Solomon Hagey Naomi Chalem-Wallach Deborah Kahane Rego Howard Maccabee Michelle Schubnel Nathan Chalem-Wallach Dvora McLean 7 Hannah Sosebee 22 Benjamin Persin Benjamin Bernstein 13 Penelope Hagan Yuval Wolf Ward Hagar Marjorie Myers Talia Hagan 30 Anthony Kay Andrew Rosenbach Sophie Levin Tosha Schore Maya Palter Katara Shea Dinkin David Paulson Ilana Share Julian Ring Rickie Shea Dinkin 23 31 14 Kenneth Cohen Madeleine Leibovitch Naomi Bernstein Aaron Feldhammer Sam Pollock Isadora Blachman-Biatch Oliver Goldman Sarah Broach Mala Johnson 15 David Lindenbaum Samuel Bowers Betty Ann Polse Lloyd Silberzweig Sanjiv Sanghvi Vicki Weller Ariela Simon

Mazel Tov to Daniel & Marieka Schotland on the birth of a son, Oren Micha. Mazel Tov Mazel Tov to David & Rachel Setton on the birth of a son, Jonah.

Pesach Quiz Answers 1 c 2 b From quiz on page 7. 3 b 4 a Welcome New Members 5 c Keith and Marlene Dines who live in Alameda. 6 a 7 c Lynn Green who lives in Oakland. 8 c 9 a 10 c

20 life cycles March Yahrzeits adar 15-19 Ida B. Edelson Riskind Jack Helfend Samuel Peters March 1-5 Mildred Arenbart Adler Carl Karp Jennie Bercovich Olga Banks Pauline Belzer Barbara May Benjamin Samuel Schneiderman Moses Frankel Florence Brettler Boris Carasick Irving Barach Emily Friedman Anna Cohen Sophie Friedman James Abe Dickson Esther Gershenson Sue Kantor William Goldfine Martha Harris Shirley Handloff Ethel Rose Kapler Michael Lasar Soloman Klor Jack Jacobs Bernice Ring Mary Leavitt Rebecca Rubin Lillian Levine Samuel Riter Tom Miller Grace Gill Rachel Levy Faye Zaslov Esther Morofsky Rose Gottesman Isidor Margolin Maria Belin Samuel Neuman Elliott Nankin Rachel Rutter Harry Bercovich Arleen Shub Robinowitz Eleanor Heyman Goldie Weisbrod Kate M. Berkovitz Tillie Rubin Sam Jarmulowsky Helen Goldberg Morris K. Cohen Connie Schwartz Holton Jocelyn Latifa Naggar Morris Davis Maurice Veiss Annie Levit Ury Rath Anna Dietz Ethel Fisher Leo Lorber David Roach Esther Gold Sidney Getzovitz Shirley Rosenberg William Tenery Albert Hyman Jack Kubalik Nissan 12-16 Jacob Weinstein Freda Katz Anne Goor J. Leon Bloch Morris Lerman Werner Gross March 27-31 Charles Marcus Mildred Davis Samuel Lampart Lonnie Balint Blutstein Dora Spellman David Rosenfeld Regina Mandel Nelly Collins Goldie Brody Miriam Goldberg Samuel Moses Joseph Epstein Pearl Brook Alek Lerner Adolph Moore Fritz Gottschalk Harvey Casson Luba Lerner Philip Oseroff Nissan 4-11 Audrey Cohen Saul Pearce Ben Weiss Louis Schwartz David Weinstein March 20-26 Stanley Behr Regina Singer Goldie Alper Bettie Bercovich Donald Bleiberg Benjamin Sutz Peter Hecht H. Andre Blau David Cook Jennie Rosenzweig Herman Hertz Vera Popper adar 20-26 Nathan Blaustein Beatrice Feuerstein Simon adar 27-Nissan 4 March 6-12 Nathan Blumstein Jack David Leon Edith Gruber March 13-19 Samuel DeVorin Henrik Balint Allen Silver Rose Moses Finestein Richard Fickes Rose Gelfond Abraham Silverman Joeseph Kantor Sam Glasser Elsa Maho Sylvia Turkenitz Melvin Klein Allen Lee Lipsett Avrim A. Raskin Harry Jaffe Abraham Louis Schneider Hilda Brodke Irene Langberg Jay Leopold Leo Wood Pearl Brodke Solomon Saidan Sophie Breslov Delbert B. Campbell Sarah Gordon Joseph David Weiss Max Clar Sam Frankel Israel Kurtz

Recent Deaths in Our Community May God comfort you among all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem Roselyn Goldberg, mother of Carol Kirsch. MEMORIAL PLAQUE Joseph Zuckerberg, father of Anyone wishing to purchase a memorial plaque, Arlene Zuckerberg. please contact Pinky at the synagogue office at extension 229.

21 donations

Charity is equal in importance to all the other commandments combined.

Centennial Project Fund Robert DeBare & Esther Rogers Kenneth & Julie Cohen Steven Glaser & Deena Aerenson Randall & Jan Kessler: in memory of Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt: in memory Edward & Paula Hamilton Helen Hakim of Benjamin Goor Stephen & Susan Shub Robert Klein & Doreen Alper Paul & Galen Rothman: in memory of Al Rothman Alan & Mary Ellen Silver Mark & Maribel Mogill: in memory of Minnette Mogill Howard Zangwill & Stacy Margolin: Lowell Davis Elizabeth Simms Haiti Relief Howard Davis Michael & Deborah Sosebee Robert DeBare & Esther Rogers: Celia & Morris Davis Hunger Fund Lawrence & Judith Wallcave: in memory in memory of Sylvia Reback Robert & Arlene Davis: in memory of Isaac Wallcave and Herman Erlen Michael & Shelley Egger of Hyman Kaplan Mark Fickes & William Gentry Kiddush Fund Sharon E. Fogelson: in memory of Ronald & Lynn Gerber Elinor DeKoven Lily Mary Fogelson Steven Rosenthal & Ailsa Steckel Fifi Goodfellow: in memory of Celia Somers: in memory of Charles Curtis & Adi Schacker Moshe Naggar Somers Michael & Deborah Sosebee: in honor of Steven Rosenthal & Ailsa Steckel: Endowment Fund Lisa Tabak and Jeff Lipsett’s new baby in memory of Sylvia Reback Leonard E. Johnson & Karen L. Quittman: Maurice & Barbara Weill: in memory of Paul & Galen Rothman: in memory in memory of Leonard Quittman Joseph Singerman of Al Rothman Ilya & Regina Okh: in memory of Jeanette Jeger Kitchen Fund Minyan Fund David Okh Misia Nudler: Congratulations to Etoile Stella Campbell: in memory of Jeffrey & Judith Quittman: in memory of Lisa Tabak and Jeffery Lipsett Zohra Benisty, Raphael Benistry and Leonard Quittman on your new son David Benis Leonard Wolf: in memory of Sam Wolf and Marion Newman-Wolf HH Day Appeal–General Fund Yom Ha Shoa Fund Hertz Interfaith Fund David Avidor & Tosha Schore Misia Nudler: Condolence on loss of sister Aaron Bukofzer & Julie Rubenstein to Shirley Bolton Gerald & Ruby Hertz: in memory of Harry Morofsky HH Days Appeal–Endowment Playground Fund Gerald & Ruby Hertz: in memory of Fund Barbara Kanter: in honor of William Morofsky Matthew Gildea’s Bar Mitzvah David Avidor & Tosha Schore Wasserman Fund Aaron Bukofzer & Julie Rubenstein Wendy & Marvin Siver: in honor of Matthew Gildea’s Bar Mitzvah Marc & Janet Wasserman: in memory David & Angelina Levy Ruth Siver: in memory of Cyril Weiss of Leo Wasserman General Fund Rabbi Discretionary Fund David Avidor & Tosha Schore Richard S. & Rhoda T. Becker: in honor of Kenneth & Ann Cohn: in memory of Arthur Gould and Carol Robinson Irene Peters

“How wonderful it is that no one need wait a single moment to start to improve the world.” Anne Frank

22 sale of chametz

SALE OF CHAMETZ

Deadline: March 25, 2010

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______

Address______

Signature______

I enclose $______for the Ma’ot Hittim fund.

Please make checks payable to Temple Beth Abraham, with “Chametz Sale” in the memo. Half the donations will go to Mazon, the Jewish World Hunger organization, and the other half to Scattered Among the Nations, which are the Jewish communities in places like Peru , Uganda , India , and other communities where you might not imagine there are Jews. Please allow one hour after dark on Tuesday, April 6, to allow the Rabbi to buy back the Chametz.

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! TEMPLE BETH ABRAHAM FUND CONTRIBUTION FORM This contribution of $ ______is (check one) ___in Memory of ___ in Honor of: (name) ______

Please credit the fund listed below: Contribution ______Acknowledge______From: ______To: ______Address: ______Address: ______Fund ______

For a complete list of funds and other ways to support our synagogue, visit www.tbaoakland.org and select “Fundraising” from the left column.

Thank you for your generosity. Please make checks payable to Temple Beth Abraham and mail to: 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610

23

6

13 27 20 ADOL (42 min.) A R AH G

A A C HODE S H P A C HODE S H H H

H

dalah Tzav Vayikra Ki Tissa HABBAT I R KAT Havdalah (42 min.) Havdalah (42 min.) Hav HABBAT S HABBAT B S S Vayakhel-Pekudei 6:56 9:30a-12p Shabbat Service 9:30a-12p Shabbat Service 8:02p 6:49p 8:09p Havdalah 8:09p Havdalah (42 min.) 9:30a-12p Shabbat Services 10:15a-11:30a T‘fillat Y’ladim T‘fillat 10:15a-11:30a 1-3p Exploring the New Siddur D David Galant 2nd Bar Mitzvah David Galant 2nd Bar Mitzvah 2nd Bar Galant David 9:30a-10:30a Shabbat Service 10:15a-11:30a Jr. Congregation 10:15a-11:30a Jr. 9:30a-10:30a Musaf and Hallel Melodies (Library) 5 12 Nisan 20 Adar 27 Adar 10:15a-11:30a Shabbat Mishpacha

March 2010 5 26 19 12 pm pm pm pm

7:01 5:55 5:48 7:08 ' ' ' ' 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym

6:15p Bet Share A Shabbat 6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat 6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat 6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat 6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat 6:15p Gimmel Share A Shabbat 11 Nisan 4 Nisan 26 Adar 19 Adar 4 11 25 18 et Sefer

4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p B 4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 7:30p Men’s Club Poker 7:30p Men’s 6:15p Zayin Dinner Class 10 Nisan 3 Nisan 18 Adar 25 Adar 3 10 31 24 17 II

E S A C H P (office closed) 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym (Woodminster Café) (Woodminster 10a-12p Kindergym (Woodminster Café) (Woodminster (Woodminster Café) (Woodminster (Woodminster Café) (Woodminster 9-10a Weekly Text Study Text 9-10a Weekly 9-10a Weekly Text Study Text 9-10a Weekly 9-10a Weekly Text Study Text 9-10a Weekly 9-10a Weekly Text Study Text 9-10a Weekly 8:13p Havdalah 8:13p Havdalah (42 min.) with Rabbi Bloom - (Library) with Rabbi Bloom - (Library) with Rabbi Bloom - (Library) with Rabbi Bloom - (Library) 8–10p Reintroduction to Judaism 16 Nisan 9 Nisan 2 Nisan 17 Adar 24 Adar 8–10p Reintroduction to Judaism 8–10p Reintroduction to Judaism 8–10p Reintroduction to Judaism are are produced 30-60 days in advance using the best data available TBAfrom Staff. the Administration 2 9 16 30 23 I

HODE S H

C E S A C H P O S H R 4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer

7:30p Board Meeeting 9:00a First Day Pesach 9:00a Services Day First Pesach 4:45p Bet Sefer Carnival Purim 15 Nisan 8 Nisan 1 Nisan 16 Adar 23 Adar Calendars Calendars The in Omer

1 8 O R N 29 22 15 B

U R IM I RS T pm P E S A C H F P Always Always check Shabbat Bulletin the for Congregational E-mail more up-to-date Weekly or information. the Please note any corrections care of Art Rosenberg at TBA the office. THE

7:11 7:11 R EV HU S HAN O F E

S ' A S T with Rabbi Art Gould F 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 7:30-9p Spiritual Joy 7:30-9p and Spiritual Joy the Siddur’s Built-in Story the Siddur’s 14 Nisan 7 Nisan 29 Adar 15 Adar 22 Adar

7 ibrary) rope rope 28 21 14 T odesh groups groups odesh Ch ffice and L

rope T rope Haftarah La’atid Chocolate Seder La’atid 10a–11a with (Library) Susan Simon 10a–11a Haftarah Trope Trope 10a–11a Haftarah 10a–11a Haftarah Trope Trope 10a–11a Haftarah 10a–11a Haftarah with Outi Gould (Chapel) with Outi Gould (Chapel) with Outi Gould (Chapel) with Outi Gould (Chapel) meet (Susan’s O meet (Susan’s 2p– 4p Learning the Seder Songs Songs Seder the Learning 4p 2p– 13 Nisan 6 Nisan 28 Adar 21 Adar 3:30–6 p Both Rosh 10:30a–12p Kindergym Playdate 10:30a–12p Kindergym Adar / Nisan 5770 24

CH 3 ESA

10 P

24 17 – t Gressel Josh OMOED A CH ODES H

H H Pesach Shemini H OL Kedoshim C IRKAT Havdalah (42 min.) Havdalah (42 min.) Havdalah (42 min.) Acharey Mo Tazria–Metzora B 8:22 9:30a-12p Shabbat Service 9:30a-12p Shabbat Service 9:30a-12p 9:30a-12p Shabbat Service H ABBAT 8:15p 8:28p 8:35p Havdalah 8:35p Havdalah (42 min.) 9:30a-12p Shabbat Services 10:15a-11:30a T‘fillat Y’ladim T‘fillat 10:15a-11:30a S April 2010 Wasserman Speaker: Wasserman 1-3p Exploring the New Siddur 10:15a-11:30a Jr. Congregation 10:15a-11:30a Jr. 3 10 Iyar 19 Nisan 26 Nisan 10:15a-11:30a Shabbat Mishpacha

2 9 CH 16 30 23 ESA pm pm pm P pm pm Roll Shabbat

7:34 7:27 7:21 OMOED ' 7:40 7:14 H ' ' Rock Rock n ' ' Dalet Dalet Share A Shabbat ' ' H OL 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym C 6:15p 7:30p– 8:30 p A Capella with the Cantor 6:15p 6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat 6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat 6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat 6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat 16 Iyar 9 Iyar 2 Iyar 25 Nisan 18 Nisan 1 8 CH 22 15 29 ESA P H ODES

C OMOED H OS H R 4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer H OL 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym C 10a-12p Kindergym 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 6:15p Vav Dinner Class 6:15p Vav 15 Iyar 8 Iyar 1 Iyar 17 Nisan 24 Nisan 7 28 21 14 H ODES C OS H R Zayin Zayin LA trip 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym (Woodminster Café) (Woodminster 10a-12p Kindergym (Woodminster Café) (Woodminster (Woodminster Café) (Woodminster (Woodminster Café) (Woodminster 9-10a Weekly Text Study Text 9-10a Weekly 9-10a Weekly Text Study Text 9-10a Weekly 9-10a Weekly Text Study Text 9-10a Weekly 9-10a Weekly Text Study Text 9-10a Weekly with Rabbi Bloom - (Library) with Rabbi Bloom - (Library) with Rabbi Bloom - (Library) with Rabbi Bloom - (Library) 8–10p Reintroduction to Judaism 8–10p Reintroduction to Judaism 14 Iyar 7 Iyar 30 Nisan 23 Nisan 8–10p Reintroduction to Judaism 8–10p Reintroduction to Judaism are are produced 30-60 days in advance using the best data available TBAfrom Staff. the Administration 6 ) 27 20 13 IZKOR TZMAUT ’ A III (Y A V H CH Celebration OM Zayin Zayin LA trip 4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer Y 4p-6p Bet Sefer/

ESA P 7:30p Board Meeeting 7:30-9p Yom Ha’atzmaut Ha’atzmaut 7:30-9p Yom 9:00a 8th Services Day Pesach Bet Sefer Yom Ha’atzmaut party Ha’atzmaut Bet Yom Sefer 13 Iyar 6 Iyar 29 Nisan 22 Nisan Calendars Calendars The in Omer

5 26 19 12 II V AS H O A CH AZIKARON H Always Always check Shabbat Bulletin the for Congregational E-mail more up-to-date Weekly or information. the Please note any corrections care of Art Rosenberg at TBA the office. H ESA OM P OM Y Y Zayin Zayin LA trip with Rabbi Art Gould 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 7:30-9p Spiritual Joy 7:30-9p and Spiritual Joy the Siddur’s Built-in Story the Siddur’s 12 Iyar 5 Iyar 28 Nisan 21 Nisan 4 odesh 25 11 18

I V CH

ESA P groups groups meet Zayin Zayin LA trip

La’atid Earth Day La’atid Event (Susan’s O ffice and L ibrary) (Susan’s 10a-3p Workshop Marriage 3:30–6p Both Ch Rosh 11 Iyar 4 Iyar 27 Nisan 20 Nisan Nisan / Iyar 5770 25 Temple Beth Abraham Periodicals 327 MacArthur Boulevard Postage P A I D Oakland, CA 94610 Oakland, CA Permit No. 020299

Save the Date! Sunday, May 2 • Starry, Starry Night Mark your calendars, book your babysitters. You will not want to miss the TBA Schools “Starry, Starry Night’’ Auction, where you’ll dine on French food and bid on wine, hotel stays, art, community cooking nights and more. Proceeds from the auction go to help fund our Gan and Bet Sefer classrooms. Don’t miss out on the fun. Thank You and Todah Rabbah: To everyone involved with helping out with the Schools Auction on May 2, themed “Starry, Starry Night.’’ Specifically, we appreciate the hard work of: Event Chairs: Karen Bloom and Anne Levine; Solicitations Chairs: Doug Moss, Jill Lindenbaum and Anat Shenker; Data Management Guru: Alicia von Kugelgen; Data and Solicitation Liaison: Julie Kotovsky; Printing Guru: Aliza Shechter; Décor Designer: Jeanne Swartz; Invites Team: Amy Moscov, Abby Klein and Eve Maidenberg; Publicity Chairs: Andrea Futter and Lisa Fernandez; Thank You Letters: Alicia von Kugelgen, Julie Kotovsky, Aliza Shechter, Zoe Cohen and Greg Estow.

what’s inside TBA Directory...... i The Pesach Issue...... 7 Cooking Corner...... 17 What’s Happening...... 1 Gan Avraham News...... 11 Gala Photo Collage...... 18 Rabbi’s Message...... 2 Bet Sefer News...... 12 Life Cycles...... 20 President’s Message...... 3 La’atid...... 13 Donations...... 22 Editor’s Message...... 4 Local Jewish Day Schools...... 14 Sale of Chametz Form...... 23 Women of TBA...... 5 Midrasha...... 16 Calendar...... 24 Men’s Club...... 6 Volunteer Bulletin Board...... 16