Bulletin I 5774
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January/FebruaryPAGE 1 2014 BETH ISRAELTevet/Shevat/Adar JUDEA BULLETIN I 5774 BETHBETH ISRAELISRAEL JUDEAJUDEA BULLETIBULLETINN Scholar-in-Residence Weekend January 10-12, 2014 Rabbi Elyse Goldstein BETH ISRAEL JUDEA BULLETIN PAGE 2 WELCOME TO BIJ In This Issue: Board of Trustees ........................................ 3 BIJ Board of Trustees From the Rabbi‟s Study ............................... 4 Officers Joshua Goodman ............................................ President The Cantor‟s Voice ...................................... 5 Carol Mills .......................... Immediate Past President B3 Education Program ................................ 6 Trustees Adult Education ........................................... 7 Nathan Blau Ian Brown Scholar-in-Residence ................................... 8 John Fuchs-Chesney Nancy Greenberg Barbara Hammel Blair Horst Shabbat.......................................................... 9 Harold Kahn Steve Kolm Spotlight On ............................................... 10 Alisa Law Matthew Lefkowitz B‟nai Mitzvah ............................................. 11 Deborah Schweizer Robin Winburn-Woll Happenings/Tikkun Olam ....................... 12 Sisterhood Representative Michele Siegel Sisterhood ................................................... 13 Gifts & Donations ..................................... 14 BIJ Staff Our Volunteers .......................................... 15 Danny Gottlieb .................................................... Rabbi [email protected] / ext. 22 David Morgenstern ........................... Cantorial Soloist [email protected] / ext 23 Rebecca Goodman .................. Director of Education [email protected] / 415.625.3613 Sara Heckelman ................. Synagogue Administrator [email protected] / ext 25 The BIJ Bulletin Neil Bronstein ......................... Security/Maintenance The BIJ Bulletin is published in January, March, May, July, September and November each year by Congregation Beth Israel Judea. Contact BIJ 2014 © Congregation Beth Israel Judea 625 Brotherhood Way All rights reserved. San Francisco, CA 94132 We encourage committees to submit articles. 415-586-8833 Original articles and reviews are appreciated, but we www.bij.org cannot guarantee publication. All articles should be [email protected] submitted by email to: [email protected] in simple Microsoft Word format or in the body of your email. Office Hours Deadline for articles for the upcoming March/ CLOSED Mondays April issue is February 10. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 10 AM to 5 PM Friday: 10 AM to 3 PM PAGE 3 BETH ISRAEL JUDEA BULLETIN BOARD OF TRUSTEES From the President By Joshua Goodman Fellow members of our BIJ family: All of these sessions provided valuable information about Wow!!! That is the short version of my report on the Union significant issues facing BIJ. What for Reform Judaism (URJ) Biennial that I just attended with was most interesting, however, was Rabbi, Ricki and several other BIJ members. Four days in how much we are already doing San Diego with 5,000 Reform Jews. I participated in many right. The main theme of the workshops, lectures and other learning events, including one learning sessions was change. The just for Temple Presidents. I listened to moving and URJ and those assembled did not beautiful Jewish music and attended unbelievable Shabbat pretend to have all the answers but services. I met a surprising number of non-BIJ people I they were trying to get us all to think about doing things knew and made new friends as well. The Biennial was differently and embracing the idea that we had to reinvent rewarding and enriching in ways I had not imagined. I will the synagogue. I heard from many presidents how difficult share some of my experiences with you here, though this change was and how resistant their clergy and congregants really does warrant a larger event, perhaps a Friday Night could be. As you all know from the many bulletin articles Feast, at which those of us in attendance at the Biennial can and communications over recent years, few could accuse BIJ share with you our thoughts and experiences in greater of being afraid of change. We have looked for ways to depth. improve our Jewish community and make it more robust and vibrant, and have implemented many of those changes. Learning: The Biennial provided an opportunity to learn in This process is ongoing and with the information we a wide variety of settings. I went to a presentation by a large obtained at the Biennial, I believe we can continue to make congregation from Pittsburgh which had recently merged its constructive and important changes at BIJ. religious school with that of a nearby Conservative synagogue. I selected this program because we have Music and Prayer: There is not much I can say about the combined our religious school with that of B‟nai Emunah music at the Biennial, other than that I am still humming it. and I wanted to gain from the experience of others who I heard a choir of cantors, a Jewish blues musician and more have done similar things. I also attended a workshop on beautiful, moving and rousing voices and instruments than I addressing the needs of the baby boomer generation can count. The music was truly inspirational. presented by a rabbi from a large congregation in Los Angeles. This program was quite thought-provoking, both The Shabbat services were also inspirational. It is an unusual in the information this congregation obtained when they and moving experience to pray with 5,000 Jews. Services conducted an internal exploration of these issues and in were led by amazing rabbis, cantors and song leaders, with a terms on the implications for our community. I attended a d‟var Torah by the outgoing President of the HUC-JIR fascinating lecture on the future of the synagogue which seminary, Rabbi David Ellenson. I also had my first taste of began with a history of the synagogue and its development Storatelling, by Amichai Lau-Lavie, an engaging and in the United States. I also attended a discussion with two fascinating way to tell the stories and lessons of the Torah. rabbis on new types of Jewish communities. Community: I went to the Biennial with members of my One of the most interesting sessions was a meeting with own community. What I found was that I was part of a other temple presidents and Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of much larger community, one dedicated to the Jewish people the URJ and Steve Sacks, Chairman of the Board of the URJ. and to the preservation and advancement of the synagogue This included a discussion of what the temples needed from as the central focus of Jewish life. I came back enlightened, the URJ and what the URJ could provide. This was a uplifted and encouraged. remarkable opportunity to speak directly with the leadership of the URJ and several dozen presidents. I came away with a much clearer picture of the assistance and guidance the URJ can provide and how to obtain that assistance and guidance. Joshua Goodman BETH ISRAEL JUDEA BULLETIN PAGE 4 FROM THE RABBI’S STUDY Al Shlosha Devarim By Rabbi Danny Gottlieb will be adding “Cuddle-Up Shabbat” (a “kabbalat shabbat” Al shlosha d’varim ha-olam omed experience for our youngest children and their families). “On three things the world stands:” GEMILUT CHASADIM (Acts of Loving Kindness) is at the center of our communal life. We begin with our B‟nai Mitzvah students, each of whom undertakes a Mitzvah Project that demonstrates their commitment to tzedakah, acts of kindness and tikkun olam. Over the past year these have Al ha-Torah, al ha-avodah, v’al g’milut chasadim included fundraising to provide gift packages for Israeli and “On Torah, on worship, and on loving deeds.” US soldiers, volunteering at the SF Food Bank and other These words, found in the Mishnah in Pirke Avot (Sayings of community agencies, and currently there is a collection of the Fathers), identify the pillars upon which the sacred socks for homeless people living on the streets in the winter communities of the Jewish People are built. And nowhere is cold (you can find the donation baskets just outside the 3 this more true than here at Beth Israel Judea. Fireside Room). Our B Religious School Program (with our B‟nai Emunah partners) holds two Food Bank volunteering TORAH is at the center of our congregational life. days, and we will soon be adding a monthly adult volunteer Whether it is Torah study and the sounds of Torah chanting day at the Food Bank as well. Visiting our home-bound on Shabbat mornings, or child, family and adult education members and providing Rosh Hashanah and Pesach throughout the week, the opportunity is there for every packages, and rides to and from the synagogue are more member of our BIJ family to enrich their lives with Jewish ways that we reach out. learning. Over the past two years, we have expanded the menu of shared learning opportunities with our The words of Pirke Avot are wise, indeed. They present us collaboration partners, B‟nai Emunah, Ner Tamid and Or with a prescription for a life that is good and brings Shalom. And recently we have added a monthly Golden goodness to ourselves and others. The challenge to build Thursdays: Lunch and Learn, and a Siddur (Prayerbook) our lives and our community upon these pillars is before us. based adult Hebrew Reading class. The weekend of January I invite you to join us in meeting this challenge and making a 10-12 will be our Second Annual Scholar-in-Residence better world. Weekend, yet another opportunity for in-depth Jewish Rabbi Danny Gottlieb learning with Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, one of North America‟s most dynamic teachers. The rabbis were not shy A Shabbat Evening “Learning Service” about extolling the virtues of Torah study “…for it is our life January 31- 7:30 pm and the length of our days.” (Ahavat Olam) Do you sometimes feel “lost” in services? AVODAH (Prayer) is meant to be at the center of our Do you wish that you had a better understanding of the individual life. Daily prayers offered privately at home or in meaning of our prayers? Have you ever felt that you wanted to “sing out” but you a synagogue minyan keep us connected to the Holy One of didn’t know the new melody? Blessing during the otherwise secular days.