Volume7PMVNF /VNCFS 30, Number 1 •t 4FQUFNCFSSeptember 2010 •t Elul/Tishrei&MVM5JTISFJ 5770-71
/FX#FHJOOJOHT directory Temple Beth Abraham Services Schedule is proud to support the Conservative Movement by Services/ Time Location affiliating with The United Synagogue of Conservative Monday & Thursday Judaism. Morning Minyan Chapel 8:00 a.m. Friday Evening (Kabbalat Shabbat) 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. Candle Lighting (Friday) The Omer is published on paper that is 30% post-consumer fibers. September 3 7:18 p.m. The Omer (USPS 020299) is published monthly except July and August September 10 7:08 p.m. by Congregation Beth Abraham, 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610. September 17 6:57 p.m. Periodicals Postage Paid at Oakland, CA. September 24 6:46 p.m. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Omer, c/o Temple Beth Abraham, 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610-3232. © 2010. Temple Beth Abraham. Torah Portions (Saturday) The Omer is published by Temple Beth Abraham, a non-profit, located at September 4 Nitzavim-Vayelech 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610; telephone 510-832-0936. It is September 11 Ha’Azinu published monthly except for the months of July and August for a total of September 18 Yom Kippur/Yizkor ten issues per annum. It is sent as a requester publication and there is no September 25 Shabbat Hol Haoed paid distribution. 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) Rayna Arnold 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 Steve Glaser 531-6384 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 Dan Finkelstein 428-2849 Youth Steve Fankuchen
i what’s happening Begin the New Year WTBA Presents as a Lakeview Tutor Change a Child’s Life! Last year, a dozen TBA members tutored students at nearby Lakeview School. This year we hope even more congregants will volunteer to make a difference in a child’s life. Attend a free workshop to become a tutor: Cinema in the Sukkah Sunday, September 19 or Sunday, October 3, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. September 26 Jewish Coalition for Literacy 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 300 Grand Avenue Oakland A screening of the film Register: http://www.jclread.org/training.htm#eastbay For more information about the TBA Literacy Project Praying in or to help in other ways, contact Ronna Kelly at (510) 834-2563 or by email at [email protected]. Her Own Voice Documenting the struggle of the Help a Child. Make a Difference. religious Jewish women for freedom of worship in Israel Followed by a discussion led by Nitzhia Shaked faculty member of the Department of Jewish Studies at SF State University
September 4, 6:30 p.m. This powerful film documents the struggle of the famed Women of the Wall movement, a group that has spear- Selichot Services headed the battle for female equality in the religious world. Their main focus has been on the Wailing Wall — and film the holiest site for Jews where orthodox, conservative and reform women are not allowed to gather and pray. For the past decade they have challenged the government of Israel September 30, 6:30 p.m. by raising a lot of media attention both through colorful protests and by their unstoppable legal battle — which has Simchat Torah Services ended several times at the Israeli Supreme Court. The film raises many questions about the battle of the sexes within the religious Jewish world.
Full list of High Holiday Questions? Contact Beth Sirull, [email protected]. Services on page 6. Open to women and men. Bring your friends!
1 from the rabbi The Cholesterol Test A few years ago, when I was applying for life insurance, I had to lower my cholesterol to get the low- est rate. So, for two months I went on a super no-fat diet. I ate only chicken, salmon, and green vegetables. I drank a glass of red wine every night. I took Niacin every day. I went running in both the morning and the evening. And it worked. I lowered my cholesterol by 70 points and made it into the lowest rate/super low risk category. I was so proud of myself. I shared the story with one of our members, Randy Kessler, with great pride. Then he asked me: “What are you doing to take care of your body now?” It was a very good point. I had gone back to an unhealthy diet, toned down the exercise when I should have been toning up, and, essentially, forgotten about it. What is true for our bodies is also true for our minds and our souls. We can’t just nourish them once a year and then forget about them. When we come to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur our task is not to improve just for those ten days, but to make permanent changes that will make us bet- ter parents, children, spouses, Jews, friends, and people. This year, don’t just gear up for the big event. Think about the long-lasting, high impact changes we can make to improve our bodies, our minds, and our souls.
L’shanah tovah, Rabbi Mark Bloom
Rabbi Bloom and family visit with TBA campers and staff members at Camp Ramah in July
2 president’s message Networking with G-d, Part 1 Hi G-d. I’d like to start networking with you. It’s not that we haven’t yet, but I’d like to get to know you better. To start, I would like to send you LinkedIn and Facebook requests to connect. Just curious, are you on Plaxo or MySpace, and what’s your e-mail address? Actually, I don’t really prefer all these online places. If I had my choice, we would speak face to face (or in your case, face to back). I believe that personal contact is the best way to network, become friends, and get to know each other better. I’m happy to climb a mountain, meet you in the desert, or wherever you would like. I’m sure you’ll agree that we have a lot to talk about. But why climb, or hike, or swim? Isn’t texting or e-mail good enough? It seems everyone is doing it. They all have their faces staring at the little screen, working the keyboard, barely speaking to each other. Hello – are you there? (Nod) I prefer the outdoors, fresh air, all things nature. Since you created nature, I want to find out what inspired you. If there was nothing to start, what did you model it on, and us for that mat- ter? Whatever your inspiration, we turned out great. Well, maybe sometimes not so great. I guess it depends on your point of view. There’s plenty of bad stuff as well as good stuff. Have you ever heard the phrase about bad things happening to good people? I like to think we Jews, as the cho- sen ones, would have an easier time of it. Yet it seems we’ve been on the short side quite a few times. But it’s not just us. There are lots of things going on, good and bad, so I guess this brings me back to my original question – where did the inspiration come from? Perhaps I can learn more from the Sages. It seems that a long time ago, there were lots of people who spoke with you, in one way or anoth- er. In Genesis, we read about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and then there’s Moses. Reading on in the Tanach, there seem to always be people connected with you. Then, what? Skip a few thousand years and we find ourselves in the 21st century; all things now electronic. Maybe that’s the problem. We spend too much time looking for answers in cyberspace when answers could just be in the trees, or up on that mountain. I always feel better when I’m in nature, and I bet many people agree. Maybe that’s the answer. We should just enjoy what you created. All the electronics and other stuff – it’s great for distractions, but the world you created with all the trees and grasses and animals and fish, it’s awe-inspiring. I’ve always felt a connection to you, and with the High Holidays coming up, my congregation and I plan on renewing it again. Perhaps, I’ll see you (correction: your back) this time, or perhaps I don’t have to, as long as I know you’re there. It’s time to go to get ready for Minyan. I’ll get back with you after the Chag. And, as always — see you in Shul. Steve WTBA and the Men’s Club are proud to sponsor TBA’s First Professional Networking Evening Monday, October 25, 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the TBA Social Hall Our Professional Networking Evening offers you the opportunity to: • Learn about the professional lives of people in our community • Make contacts that may help you build your business or find your next professional position • Leave having secured a connection with at least one person you did not know • Sign up for our TBA Linked In group Refreshments will be served. Remember to bring business cards!! RSVP to Deena Aerenson by Wednesday, October 20 at [email protected] or (510) 225-5107.
3 editor’s message Feeling Spiritual By Lori Rosenthal During the last week of July this year, I had the wonderful experience of spending a week in the high country at Yosemite National Park. Our group did a 25 mile loop out of Tuolomne Meadows and stayed at the May Lake and Glen Aulin High Sierra Camps. Among the 8,000-foot campsites that we stayed at, the 10,000+ foot cliffs of Mount Hoffman that we bushwhacked up, and the breathtakingly beautiful stretch of the Tuolomne River Canyon that we hiked in, with water gush- ing past us at freeway-like decibel levels, I felt closer than I ever have to a divine force. It is almost effortless to feel spiritual after butt-kicker hikes while wearing clothes so dirty that they stand up on their own. I know it is not the dirty clothing that inspires these powerful feel- ings. Rather, there is something about the granite domes and cragged peaks with views that stretch forever, punctuated with impossibly beautiful ridge lines and dotted with mountain lakes that fuels my lofty feelings. I start to think about creation... and scientific phenomenon...and the interplay between the two. And questioning what it is that I want to accomplish on earth anyway? And real- izing how much bigger the world is than the little role I play in it. My life and my efforts and my dramas become just a little drop in the ocean of living experience and I think...no I know... that there must be a higher force out there calling the shots. For nothing less than that force, could have created this beauty that I am feasting my eyes on right now. I wonder if it was this same force that Moses experienced at the burning bush, when he observed God nearby? It is a sense of awe so pow- erful that words don’t even come close to describing. My goal for the High Holy Days this month is to summon that same spiritual feeling while dav- ening in the TBA Sanctuary. I will settle for even a moment or two of that awe inspiring feeling. Perhaps it will come on Rosh Hashanah, during the chanting of Avinu Malkenu, one of my all time favorite prayers, where I can close my eyes and feel my long-gone Zaidie sitting by my side. Or maybe during the poignant U’Netaneh Tokef prayer with its powerful images of the great shofar that is sounded and the still small voice that is heard. Perhaps my moment will come during the ach- ingly beautiful chords of Kol Nidrei on Erev Yom Kippur, when the ark is open and all the Torahs are taken out. It might even come to me while smiling back at the toothless grinning faces of one of our youngest members. I have faith that when that spiritual moment comes, it will lift me out of my everyday thoughts and help me open myself to the forces of introspection, repentance and for- giveness that characterize this holiday season. Together with my family, David, Emma and Becca, I wish you and yours a Happy, Healthy and Sweet New Year, “L’shanah tovah u’metukah.”
Upcoming Omer Themes: October: Creating Connections • November: Hooray for Chavurot t h e Omer 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, Nadine Joseph, Richard Managing Editor Lisa Fernandez Kauffman, Jan Silverman, Debbie Spangler, James Wakeman Layout & Design Jessica Sterling Proofreaders June Brott, Jessica Dell’Era, Jeanne Korn, Stephen Shub, Calendars Jon Golding Susan Simon, Debbie Spangler B’nai Mitzvah Editor Susan Simon Distribution Herman Pencovic, Pola Silver, Gertrude Veiss Cover Ruth Teitelbaum Mailing Address 336 Euclid Ave. Oakland, CA 94610 Help From People like you! E-Mail [email protected] 4 wtba, our sisterhood Women on the Move Sundays: September 12, October 10, November 14, and December12 We meet at 9:45 and depart promptly at 10:00. Hikes end by 11:30. We will meet at the Skyline Gate on Skyline just south of Snake and hike in Redwood Pirkei Imahot – Regional Park. WTBA hikes happen the second Sunday of Ethics of Our Mothers every month. For details, contact Deena Aerenson at Monday, October 4, [email protected] or (510) 225-5107. at 9:30 a.m. At the home of Anne Levine People of the Rosh Chodesh Chesvan Book Club Uppity Women September of Ancient Times Meeting Buria – Woman Monday, Sept. 20 of the Talmud 7:30 p.m. Join our community of women as we uncover Molli Rothman’s home in Oakland the emotional and intellectual themes which We will be reading live in Torah and connect to our lives. Our Rosh Chodesh Torah study meets monthly, on the Monday closest to Rosh Chodesh. Everything Meetings are hosted and facilitated by group members. is Illuminated Sponsored jointly by Oakland Ruach Hadassah by Jonathan Safran Foer and the Women of TBA, the group is open to all women. Please RSVP to Deena Aerenson by Sept. 7 by email at [email protected] Questions? Contact Anne Levine at or by phone at (510) 225-5107. [email protected] NOTE: If we do not have an adequate response, or (510) 336-0565. we will postpone the book group meeting. Please RSVP!
5 high holy days services schedule
TEMPLE BETH ABRAHAM HIGH HOLY DAYS SERVICES SCHEDULE 2010/5771
S’LICHOT Saturday, September 4 at 8:00 p.m. special screening of the movie Reunion in the Social Hall 11:00 p.m. S’lichot in the Sanctuary
ROSH HASHANAH Erev Rosh Hashanah Service Wednesday, September 8 at 7:45 p.m. First Day Service Thursday, September 9 at 9:00 a.m. Family Service for young children 9:30 a.m. in the Social Hall Youth Services 9:30 a.m. in the Chapel Tashlich Service 5:45 p.m. Dimond Park with Beth Jacob Second Day Services Friday, September 10 at 9:00 a.m. Learners Services 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel
SHABBAT SHUVAH Ma’ariv Friday, September 10 at 6:15 p.m. Morning Service Saturday, September 11 at 9:30 a.m.
YOM KIPPUR Kol Nidre Friday, September 17 at 7:00 p.m. Morning Service Saturday, September 18 at 9:00 a.m. Family Service for young children 9:30 a.m. in the Social Hall Youth Service 9:30 a.m. in the Chapel Yizkor Service 10:45 a.m. Study Session 1:45 pmp.m. Martyrology Service and Mincha 5:00 p.m.
6 lulav and etrog order form
TEMPLE BETH ABRAHAM
SUKKOT 5771 LULAV AND ETROG ORDER FORM
Your Information Name Daytime Phone Number Email Address I would like to purchase a Lulav and Etrog Set. Please circle one: Regular Set Premium Set $36.00 $50.00 Each set contains an Etrog from Israel and Lulav (palm branches) with its holder, made of Hadassim (myrtle branches) and Aravoth (willow branches). Each set is assembled together in a holder with the Lulav, Hadassim and Aravoth, as one unit. Shipping and handling are included in the price above if ordered by the deadline.
You may pick up your order at the Temple office on Tuesday, September 21 (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) or Wednesday, September 22 (9 a.m.-1:00 p.m.).
Total number of sets requested Total amount due $
PLEASE RETURN THIS REQUEST WITH PAYMENT NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 1.
If you have any questions, please call Rayna Arnold at the Temple office at (510) 832-0936 x14.
7 new year, new beginnings New Happening at TBA Adopt a US Soldier By Rayna Arnold, TBA Executive Director By June Brott TBA is truly an amazing community, warm and welcoming, I recently “adopted” and have been corresponding with a generous and insightful. In my mere 3 months here, I have young soldier through the Adopt A US Soldier organization hit the ground running as we prepare for the High Holy and I thought other TBA members might be interested in Days and the beginning of the school year. doing the same. Next time you are here, be sure to notice the number of Get started by visiting this website: www.adoptaussoldier. projects, most of which have been donated by very generous org. Once you register, you will be assigned a soldier and members. Be sure to notice the: will receive their information in your email. Soldiers are • Awning above the chapel doors to protect the doors happy to receive emails, mail, baked goods and other items. and give coverage in the rain. This is a wonderful way to support the young men and • New wood on the bench outside the chapel, stained women fighting for our country. and ready to sit on. High Holy Day Soul Searching • Replacement of four outside doors for the Gan. By Cantor Jennie Chabon • Painting of the whole outside of the Gan, walls and A few weeks ago, my synagogue choir began rehearsing for trim. the high holy days. It always feels sort of strange to be sing- • Men’s bathroom new lighting, painting, vanity and ing Avinu Malkeinu in the middle of July, but it also seems carpet plus a few other touches. somehow appropriate to our ritual calendar, too. None • Women’s bathroom new paint, additional lighting, of us is meant to arrive at Rosh Hashanah without several new sofa and new carpet. weeks of spiritual preparation, and choir rehearsals give us a • Office furniture in our administration office. little bit of a jump start on our soul-searching. The Youth Center/Beit Midrash should be open by the Every year we have the opportunity to find new perspec- printing of this Omer!! If you have not had an opportunity tive on the high holy days based on what is going on in our to see the house, stop by for a tour. It’s fresh and new, bold lives. Although the liturgy is constant, we are continually and welcoming. The classrooms for grades 3-6 will be held changing, so our experience of the holy days is meant to there along with the AZA and BBG meetings. As you look be unique each year, a truly new beginning each time we at the property you will also notice a few additional parking observe the days of awe. As I begin my personal prepara- spots that double as a basketball half court. The adjacent tions, I find myself returning to these verses from Psalm 61 courtyard will be turned into a lovely gathering spot as we as inspiration for how to approach my journey to the holy move forward. days: Also, during the High Holy Days we will be using the new Hear my cry, O God, conservative movement machzor. I was warmed by the out- heed my prayer. pour of volunteers as 15 congregants gathered to use their “steady hands” to place the bookplates in the Machzorim. From the end of the earth I call to You; After a rocky start, we completed the job in record time when my heart is faint, and even enjoyed the lively conversation and nosh. The You lead me to a rock that is high above me. older machzorim have all found new homes, some in the Jewish communities in Ghana and Prague, and also in For You have been my refuge, two American synagogues, Coconut Creek, Florida and a tower of strength against the enemy. Lakeland Hills Jewish Center in Ringwood, New Jersey. O that I might dwell in Your tent forever, Life at TBA continues to be exciting with the sounds of the take refuge under Your protecting wings. Gan kids playing, the members who visit for a meeting or From psalm 61 program, the traditions of years of leadership, and the work of a business with employees and bills that melds with a In these few verses the psalmist captures the delicate religious organization with sensitivity and philosophy. complexity of the high holy day season. We begin Rosh Hashanah with energy and joy after eating a festive meal As I took my first steps into this new beginning, I thank with our families and coming to services in a celebratory you for the warm welcome and I look forward to meeting mood. We dip apples in honey to symbolize the sweet- you at the High Holy Days. ness that we hope to weave throughout our lives in the L’shanah Tovah coming year. But that joy is almost immediately tempered Rayna by the somber undercurrent of the whole cycle of holy
8 new year, new beginnings days. Before erev Rosh Hashanah is over, we chant Avinu connected to the Torah can, on rare occasion, give me a Malkeinu, our plea to God to accept our prayers and sup- brief sense of the spiritual. It is not the Torah itself nor the plications despite the fact that we are lost and we really have rolled parchment and inscribed words within. It is not the no idea how to find our way out of the darkness. If you story told within the Torah nor the story of the twenty-five follow the path that the liturgy lays out for us, you realize hundred years of its existence. Rather, it is hagbah, raising that it is only by traveling through the darkness that you the Torah high overhead at minyan, displaying the parch- come to reach the light again. ment for all to see, for all to draw from it whatever mean- What begins on Rosh Hashanah as a song has by Yom ing, however little or great, he or she will. Kippur turned into a wail. We all want nothing more than The relationship of hagbah to Tsegi Canyon, while not to “take refuge under Your protecting wings,” but that pro- obvious, is really quite simple. I largely live in my head, tection is not offered to us until we have found our voice barely in even tentative control of its peripatetic, almost that cries, “hear my cry, O God/ heed my prayer/ From the manic existence. Thoughts, impressions, questions, sensa- end of the earth I call to You/ when my heart is faint.” We tions, hypotheticals, meanings, stories, implications, and all know that life is not just sweet like apples and honey, but explanations continually vie with each other to be master how often do any of us turn to God and cry for help? On of the moment. Thus, words, whether spoken, written, or Yom Kippur we literally feel faint, empty, stripped down to thought, are largely background noise, merely the air my our essential selves. We don’t fast as punishment or in order mind breathes, blah blah blah on the spiritual level. to suffer; we fast because it takes fasting and refraining from To experience something spiritually, I must have an abso- all normal, joyful activities in order for us to hear the raw lute minimum of mental activity; I must be relaxed. And it voices deep down in our hearts that are calling out for help. is physical activity that has the capacity to slow my mind. Ultimately, we are all trying to find “a tower of strength Breathing in the walls of Tsegi Canyon, spearing a line against the enemy,” but we first have to become acquainted drive on the mound, sparring in karate, driving across the with that enemy before we can find our way to make peace vast starlit expanses of Nevada at 3 a.m. while feasting on a with it. Jr. Whopper and some generic Coke as I listen to country When we reach the break-the-fast meal at the end of Yom music, these are the things which can relax me and, when Kippur, the giddiness in the room is palpable. This is not I am extremely fortunate, provide me with a sense of the just because we are all happy to be eating food again. The spiritual. Hagbah, as a physical rather than an intellectual excitement comes from the relief and joy that we made it act, also has that potential though, as I write these words through our encounter with the darkness within ourselves, in ninety-five degree weather, camped out in southeastern we called out to God, and you know what? God heard our Wyoming next to the stream flowing under the red-rock call. The elation comes from the belief that we might, in of Ayres natural bridge above, I doubt that it will ever be fact, “dwell in Your tent forever.” I wish you all a profound able to fully compete with the great “out there.” Or a Jr. and meaningful high holy day season. Whopper for that matter. Spirituality My Rosh Hashanah Resolutions By Steve “Fanny” Fankuchen By Lisa Fernandez I am not a spiritual person. To the extent that I have a It’s that time of year again. Time for resolutions. How can I sense of the spiritual (contradiction hereby duly noted), it become a better person? makes its appearance in one or two places, most notably Losing that five or ten pounds is always on the list. But Tsegi Canyon. Slickrock country. The vast, red, Kayenta it never really happens and it’s not all that meaningful a and Navajo sandstone walls radiate spiritual oneness, com- change. Keeping cool more often with the kids; not get- municating to me the ineffable. And, just one time, toward ting upset when the hubby leaves his banana peel on the the latter part of a ninety degree, fourteen mile hike to Keet coffee table. Again, those are eternal problems that I battle Seel, taking a break at the top of the thousand foot dune, daily, and they’re not totally on point with the theme of I watched a group of vultures circling high over the rim this holiday. So, I came up with three things I believe I can another couple thousand feet above the canyon floor. As I do. They’re achievable. I don’t like to pick goals that are too lay there in the sand, staring at their graceful loops over- large and lofty. Then the high-minded ideas get overwhelm- head, another spiritual oneness hit me, as I realized that as ing, I won’t do them, and the result will be failure. I was aesthetically regarding them, they too were regarding me, trying to decide if the barely moving lump of meat way So, here are three things I’m going to work on this year. below would be dinner. Two I’ve already started, but I’m going to continue. One will be brand new. I did not come to TBA for spiritual reasons, nor have I experienced it as a spiritual place. Nonetheless, one thing, continued on page 10 9 new year, new beginnings Cooking for the sick. On Rosh Hashanah a few years every rainy season when they become flooded. The only ago, Rabbi Bloom gave a sermon on feeding the hungry. mode of transportation for most folks, including Jeremy He asked the congregation to volunteer at a soup kitchen. (and me when I visited) is a bicycle. There are no houses The timing of that volunteer opportunity didn’t really work of the type that we are accustomed to - they appear thrown for me, so I morphed that idea into something I could do. together from native materials and do not hold up well in I joined the Chesed Committee, founded and organized the stormy season. There is no running water – there are by TBA member Warren Gould. All you have to do is get wells that are safe to drink from, no refrigeration in most on Warren’s email list ([email protected]). When areas of the camp because there is no electricity. Most someone is sick in our community, Warren offers the com- homes have no toilets as there isn’t much of a sewer system mittee an opportunity to cook a meal for that person. He in the camp. sends out dietary concerns, a schedule and directions to the There are refugees from Angola, the Congo, Sudan, person’s house. I’ve met new people this way, I’ve shown my Rwanda, Burundi and other countries that have suffered children by example what it means to help, and I feel that from internal conflict. Somehow they all manage to co- perhaps in no better way, I can show the sick person that exist in the camp, albeit with some problems. they are cared about. Life from a Western point of view is frustrating, and all of Reading Torah. If any of you Omer readers remember, I the assistance – financial and educational – seems to have wrote an article a while back on how much I don’t enjoy little impact. What is apparent is that there are different standing up on the bimah and belting out trope before a values, some of which are fostered by reason of living in a large group. I also wrote I was going to continue reading refugee camp where the mentality is that some other entity Torah until I had mastered this hurdle. While I can’t say I will take care of you. Forced to run for your life, refugees jump for joy on the Shabbat mornings that I’m chanting have no choice but to rely upon the kindness of strangers ancient script, and wondering if all my memorization has for their basic necessities, and prolonged exposure to this actually stuck in my brain, it hasn’t been that bad the last perspective has a dreadful impact on the motivation of the few times, either. Spiritual bliss may not be too far away. refugees to take care of themselves. Certainly these are I’m going to keep plugging away at it. broad generalities, but what I witnessed in my week in the Havdalah at home. I grew up with a lot of Jewish ritual camp seemed to support the idea that the Western concept in my home. But one thing we never did was havdalah. It’s of “I can do anything” just doesn’t exist there. time to change that. Before this issue airs, I will have gone Some examples – Jeremy is in charge of several pre-schools to Afikomen and have bought myself a braided candle and – hiring and training teachers, getting them supplies, help- some fresh cloves to add to my spice box. I may start small, ing set the curriculum, and general administration. He has promising myself to do a havdalah service once a month teachers that sometimes just don’t show up – no notice, no at home. Who knows? By next Rosh Hashanah, I may be phone call (everyone has cell phones), no message. They doing it every Saturday night. just don’t show up. If he dares to dock their pay for their Zambia, A Very Narrow Bridge missed time, they come to him in outrage that he would do such a thing – after all, they need to feed their families, By Susan Simon and Jeremy is now responsible for them not being able to Totally unrelated to TBA and our schools, I wanted to share do that? They don’t see the connection between their own a bit about my trip to Zambia this summer to visit my failure to work and losing pay. son, Jeremy. Zambia is a landlocked country, with Angola Another example – the farmers are in the middle of bring- on the west, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique to the ing in the harvest and bagging it to get it to market. This east, the Democratic Republic of Congo to the north, and is a very labor-intensive period and requires great coordina- Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south. It has tremendous tion and labor to make it work so that all of the farmers in copper reserves and wonderful wildlife, but it is a very poor, the collective are able to get the most profit. In the middle and in my observation, dysfunctional country. When visit- of the harvest, five farmers whose farms had been harvested ing, my son and I often repeated the state motto – “It isn’t disappear – they may have gone fishing – literally, without broken; it just doesn’t work.” telling Jeremy or anyone else about their trip. Their pres- My son has been living in the northwestern area of Zambia ence is required at the time of the selling – the whole co-op without a nearby modern metropolitan area to escape to. cannot sell the produce without them – but they aren’t He has lived in the Meheba Refugee Settlement for the past around and no one knows when they will be back. 14 months where he has worked as a project manager, help- A man accosts Jeremy as we are walking back from one of ing to run pre-schools, an agricultural micro-finance busi- the communities. He asks Jeremy to give him money, but ness, English classes, and a computer center. The roads in Jeremy tells him he cannot do that – that the man must get the camp are unpaved and suffer additional damage during 10 new year, new beginnings money for himself. The man asks him how and Jeremy tells have kids decorate with sprinkles, put in candles, and sing him to earn it. The man asks him how and Jeremy tells “Yom Huledet Sameach” to the World! (party idea from him to figure out a way – there are sometimes jobs, there is Barbara Diamond Goldin’s book: The World’s Birthday). farming and other income-producing opportunities. The Old Ritual: Making and sending Rosh Hashanah cards to man says that he cannot find anything. He wasn’t raised to friends and relatives to wish them a “Shana Tovah.” feel like he could succeed – he has probably spent his whole New Variation: life in a refugee camp being taken care of (as primitive as Same idea, but use modern technology – the conditions are) and knows no other system. He cannot have kids help pick a favorite family photo from the year, imagine another way of life. write a Shana Tovah greeting to go with it, and send to friends and family online. Classes are offered in English, computer skills, sewing and Old Ritual: knitting, business – sometimes people come (if you give Eating apples dipped in honey, and trying new them biscuits and an attendance certificate) and sometimes foods. they do not. There is always an excuse and they never seem New Variation: Go to your local farmer’s market or Berkeley to take responsibility for any of the stagnation that sur- Bowl and get as many varieties of apples and honey you can rounds them. Nothing is their fault. And you can under- find that are organic and locally grown. Go home and have a stand how this happened, but the solutions are not so easy. taste test. Use the favorites at the festive meal. Of course, sitting in my comfortable chair with my nice Old Ritual: Buying new clothes for Rosh Hashanah. computer, I can theorize many solutions – how if I were in New Variation: In addition to buying new outfits, add a charge, I could fix all of the problems. But that is nothing new ritual of going through old clothes and deciding which more than pie-in-the-sky superiority. I can do nothing of to donate to friends with younger kids, and which to give the sort. to the Salvation Army, or Bananas, etc. Make the deliveries Jeremy should be home by the time this is published, and together. I am hoping he has an easy re-entry to the land of light Craft idea that can be re-used every year (from chabad.org): switches, flush toilets, real kitchen appliances (he has been Make a holiday table cloth – buy a plain white tablecloth cooking on a brazier with charcoal), and Zachary’s Pizza. I and help your kids decorate it with potato prints and fabric hope that the energy, idealism, motivation and optimism paint or fabric markers. Make apple shapes, shofars, creation that fueled his drive to work in a refugee camp has not been themes – stars, moon, sun, etc. crushed by the realities of life there. And I hope that the lessons he learned there can be translated to skills that con- New Ritual: Make a Rosh Hashanah theme table with your tinue to bring a better life to those less fortunate than we. kids. Have them gather all of their High Holiday books (PJ Library subscription makes this easy) and toys that fit with “The whole world is a very narrow bridge, and the most the creation theme (animals, moon, sun, stars), etc. Place on important part is not to fear at all.” (Kol ha-olam kulo table for decoration. gesher tsar m’od…) May we all be blessed with the courage to cross and conquer those bridges of life. New Ritual: Have a discussion of the past year, and all of the “highlights” and “low-lights.” Look through photos of Rosh Hashanah Rituals, Old and New the past year. (PJ Library notes idea). Discuss goals/ideas for By Debbie Weinstein the coming year, including ways your family can be healthi- Every year, as Rosh Hashanah approaches, I try to come up er or “greener” in the coming year. with some new ideas for things to do with my kids that will make the holiday memorable, meaningful, and fun. Last year, I submitted an article about kids making pome- granate juice by rolling their pomegranate on a hard surface until many of the seeds break inside, and then making a hole in it with a skewer, putting in a straw, and having individual pomegranate juices (from Joan Nathan’s The Children’s Jewish Holiday Kitchen). That one is a keeper and will be repeated at our house. But here are a few new ideas, as well. Some ideas are mine, and others I read about and will credit the sources: Old Ritual: Making honey cake for a sweet new year. New Variation: Make honey cake cupcakes to celebrate the “Birthday Party for the World.” Top with whipped cream, 11 gan avraham bet sefer Another Year at the Gan By Wendy Siver As I sit in my office writing this article I can hear the sounds of summer at the Gan. Children here are full of laughter as they play in the yard. As those children play my thoughts are turning to fall and the beginning of the school year. This year at the Gan we are excited to welcome two new teachers, Emma Schnur and Judy Blumenfeld, I am excited about these new addi- tions to our staff. Teaching in a Jewish early childhood program involves combining the best of good early childhood practice along with the teaching of Judaica at all times. We want to be developmentally appropriate – doing the right thing for each child at the right time. We want to be play based – allowing children to learn through their play. We want to have emergent curriculum – cur- riculum that results from interactions between teachers and children with both providing ideas, and we want to lay the foun- dation for Jewish life. And all of these things need to occur at the same time. This is a tall order and yet the teachers at Gan Avraham are able to fill the bill, as they help children develop into confident, curious, adventurous, learners, with a strong sense of who they are, firmly grounded in a Jewish context. The Gan teachers and I are looking forward to a wonderful year – Shanah Tovah Wendy
341 MacArthur falls and logistics helped us all understand how the process By Susan Simon would work. Thank you to our president, Steve Shub, who attended many a planning meeting and kept his finger on By the time you read this, we WILL have a new school the pulse of the operation throughout every stage. Thank building, and perhaps, even a new name for that building. you to our new Executive Director, Rayna Arnold, who Still referred to at this time as 341 MacArthur, thanks to oversaw the project from her first day on the job and helped the generosity of the Bessler/Baum Family (living in China) keep us on schedule, and who, with help from Lindsay and to all of you who donated funds, we will inaugurate Goldberg, selected the wall and floor finishes which resulted our new multi-use building when Bet Sefer resumes in the in a beautiful learning and meeting environment for us all. fall. Almost all of our upper grade students will attend (And if you don’t like the bright wall colors, I’m to blame!) class there, freeing the social hall, Gan classrooms (we’re still using them, but fewer), Chapel (most of the time) and A special thank you to the Board of Directors for approving Euclid Avenue office. For the first time we will have rooms this project, despite its very responsible concern about the that are primarily designed as classrooms with our own bul- continued on page 17 letin boards, white boards, storage and wall space for dis- playing student work. I feel like a kid in a candy shop and cannot believe our good fortune. Thank you to everyone who made this happen - I know it will help improve the education of our students and make an easier work environ- A Youth Group For 4th-7th Graders! ment for our teachers. La’atid The new building will be used for more than just the reli- Sept 26, 2010 • Water Park Fun gious school. It will be a meeting place for many groups, Oct 17 • Bowling including the BBYO students (you had better be careful Nov 14 • Social Action Program when using MY new building!!!), and perhaps the Midrasha Board, adult education and maybe for Men’s Club and Dec 12 • Hannukah Party WTBA events. We have had a shortage of space for quite a Jan 16-17, 2011 • Shul-in while now, so everyone benefits from this wonderfully refur- Feb 27 • QZar bished building. Mar 27 • Chocolate Seder A huge thank you to the many people who made this hap- pen - from Sandy Margolin who took charge of the project May 15 • Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and kept it moving along, no matter what the stumbling We look forward to another great year with blocks, to Ruth Kleinman who studied the plans from an TBA’s La’atid group!! To RSVP or if you have architectural prospective and contributed with her expertise questions, contact your trusty advisors, in innumerable ways; from Dick Odenheimer to Richard Applebaum whose understanding of construction, the pit- Dina and Phil Hankin at [email protected]. 12 midrasha Midrasha in Oakland Update Some of your favorite things from the retreats and our time By Kendra Lubalin up at Merritt College won’t be changing though. We’ll still have a great outdoor space for break time on Tuesdays, The year 2010 brings big changes for Midrasha in Oakland. Marshall will still be making movies, Loal will still be doing Here are some of the new things coming your way this ‘secrets’ with our 9th grade retreat students, Havdalah will school year: still be a weekend highlight, and your friends will still Over the summer, we moved into Temple Sinai’s newly be here on Tuesday nights, excited to see you. Oakland completed building, and after two years of having a ‘virtual’ Midrasha will still have all the things you love about it, but office, we now have file cabinets, supply closets, computer with the addition of wonderful new spaces, and a streamlined stations, phone lines, walls and windows. What a thrill to retreat program. We’re excited about what this new year has have all our materials accessible and in one location. to offer and are looking forward to sharing it with you! We are starting the school year with new classrooms in the Midrasha in Berkeley Update new building. No longer will our students share their class- By Diane Bernbaum rooms with the preschool students, with white boards that have art pasted on them, and pint-sized overflow chairs. I love this time of the year when I’m always filled with We have bulletin boards, white boards, space for teachers anticipation for the start of school. I know I’ve hired great to store ongoing projects and supplies right in the room, staff. I know they’re teaching creative and innovative class- and plenty of spaces for special programs. What an exciting es. I know that we have eager, exuberant students enrolled. transitional time. Now all that remains is to see the chemistry created between Our Retreat program has undergone a major overhaul over them all. Which students will get turned on by which this past summer. After many years of being run by the classes? Which teachers will come into the office, stunned Center for Jewish Living and Learning, and subsidized by by the wisdom of their students in class that morning? It’s the Jewish Federation and Foundation, the retreat program all a story waiting to be written. is changing hands, and the Midrashot are collaboratively There is so much to look forward to this year. We will be taking over ownership. While the CJLL continues to pro- holding our retreats at Walker Creek Ranch, a site we have vide free support to the orchestration of the programs, we used in the past and one with ample space to accommodate are now at the helm, and are working, with much more our second big change – all grades will be on the retreats modest support from the Federation, to make the programs together and everyone will feel like a member of a large affordable, and viable in the long term. Midrasha community. We’ll have the opportunity to group Due to these changes in the retreat program, there have students in different ways, sometimes just with students been some significant shifts to the look of the retreats. from their own grade and sometimes with another grade or First, the retreats are moving from Camp Newman to two and sometimes with the entire community. And since Walker Creek Ranch, which will allow for many new pro- all students will be together on retreats and there will be no gramming opportunities, hopefully allow for better retreat Midrasha classes those weekends, I get to go along on the dates, and be more affordable for our families. Second, all retreats, something I haven’t done for years. our students will be attending retreats on the same week- Our faculty remains the heart of what makes Midrasha ends. There will continue to be separate tracks for differ- in Berkeley so great. This year we have three new teach- ent grades that are age appropriate, but by having all our ers. Aaron Levi recently moved to the Bay Area. He’s retreats in the same space on the same three weekends, been director of a Habonim camp, a guide in Israel and a we are able to expand our leadership opportunities while journalist. He’ll be teaching classes in Israel and Advanced offering savings to our families on retreat costs. Third, the Hebrew. Both of our other new teachers are Midrasha structure of signing up for retreats has changed. Now, stu- grads. Josh Weisman, Midrasha Class of 1997, has worked dents can sign up only for the retreats they choose, instead as an organizer for nine years, training youth, parents, of signing up for all three of the retreats. We hope that congregational leaders, rabbis and pastors to create social being able to sign up for one or two package deals, as well change. He’ll be teaching classes in Jewish spirituality as the usual three-retreat package, will work better for fami- and thought and in ecology and the Bible. (How’s this lies who might have a conflict with a particular date. for a title: Singing Trees, Melting Mountains, Whirling This will be a transitional year for the retreat program, so Oaks?) Beth Midanik-Blum, Midrasha Class of 2005, just please anticipate some bumps. For many years it has been graduated from the University of Washington. She will The Red Tent running only because the Federation was able to underwrite be teaching a class in Anita Diamont’s and it so significantly. We are working hard on the program in classes in relationships and sexuality and on being Jewish the hopes that in the long term it will become more inde- in a multicultural world. Of course, most of our veteran pendently sustainable for our families and for the Midrashot continued on page 17 13 check out our local jewish day schools Rosh Hashanah ... a New Beginning at Association of Schools and Colleges. You are invited to CCJDS visit CCJDS - to set up a tour please call Amy Wittenberg, Admissions Director (925) 284-8288 or visit our website Amy Wittenberg, CCJDS Admissions Director www.ccjds.org. Please RSVP to come to our Open House L’Shanah Tovah from Contra Costa Jewish Day School in on Sunday, November 7, 3:00-5:00 p.m. Lafayette (only an 18 minute drive from TBA!) On the first day of school CCJDS welcomed a new New Beginnings and a Healthy Lifestyle at Kindergarten class of 17 eager and excited students. Tehiyah Day School Amongst them are 7 graduates of TBA’s Gan Avraham! By Donna Sidel, Tehiyah’s Director of “CCJDS is more than we expected. Great teachers, small Communications class sizes, and a community of welcoming families com- This fall, we at Tehiyah have the pleasure of seeing our mitted to their school in a very special way. We love it!” fresh-faced and slightly awed new kindergarten students said Dr. Ortal Kirson Trilling, mother of daughters in begin their formal education. We also are thrilled to wel- Kindergarten and Third grade. come our inaugural class of students to our new Bridge The calendar for school and the Jewish calendar compliment Kindergarten program. It’s a special pleasure to welcome each other well. September means new beginnings, a fresh Jeremiah Harder and his parents Ros and Ken. Jeremiah just start. For the students adjusting to a new grade, with new finished TBA’s Gan Avraham and will be joining our first teachers and some new classmates, it is very exciting. We Bridge-K class. Helping young children and their families as think about the year behind us and try to learn from it. We they begin new and exciting chapters in their lives is a truly appreciate our friendships and family and seek to try new joyous thing. paths. Teachers set expectations and discover much about As our new students enter the Tehiyah community, we look their new students in those first few school days, and for par- forward to sharing with them our commitment to healthy ents, a new school year brings new routines to the household living through both sound personal habits and tikkun olam and a change of pace from the summer activities. We look (social responsibility, or repairing the world). forward to joyous celebrations of the Jewish Holidays with From the solar energy that runs our campus’ electrical sys- our families, our school and shul communities. tem, to our recycling and composting program, to our free This year we hope you will consider a Jewish Day School school bus reducing congestion on the roads, Tehiyah has for your child’s education. We are a Community Jewish worked hard to minimize our own carbon footprint. That Day school serving families with diverse Jewish back- commitment to maintaining the health of our planet is a grounds. We not only offer a rich Hebrew and Judaics key part of our curriculum and integral to the daily life of program but also an outstanding General Studies cur- our campus. This focus will be a cornerstone of the Tehiyah riculum with small class sizes, talented teachers and a Bridge Kindergarten curriculum which focuses on the natu- warm community. CCJDS is fully accredited by the ral world, ecology, and conservation. The program is geared California Association of Independent Schools and Western toward students developing a strong sense of responsibility toward keeping their bodies, their local surroundings, and their planet alive and healthy. Promoting physical well-being is equally as important at Tehiyah. Our physical education program is geared to developing a love for physical activity and is an important part of our students’ school experience. Our two full-time PE teachers have designed a program with the goal of pro- moting positive life-long exercise habits for each student at Tehiyah while helping them develop their physical and social skills. We are especially proud of the healthy and delicious food served in our hot lunch program, cooked by a trained chef (and Tehiyah parent) who came to us after cooking at res- taurants in Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto. All of the ingredi- ents are fresh, and everything is cooked from scratch using no processed food. Our chef is making plans to work with local farmers to use as much locally grown, organic prod- Audrey and Josephine Trilling practice their shofar blowing skills ucts as possible in this year’s lunches. All food waste in the
14 check out our local jewish day schools school is recycled, feeding local poultry and composted. activity, and a kid-friendly dinner, we will join together for Tehiyah takes pride in our commitment to teaching our stu- holiday-related stories and songs. This is an informal event dents the importance of maintaining healthy bodies, healthy for your entire family. Save the dates for our Kindergarten lifestyles, and a healthy planet. If you’d like to learn more Information Nights on December 15 and January 6 at 7:00 about our Bridge-K through eighth grade program, please p.m. For more details about Oakland Hebrew Day School, call our Director of Admissions, Amy Utstein at (510) contact Melanie at 531-8600, ext. 26 or [email protected]. 233-3013 ext. 239 for a personal tour of our campus. 2nd Annual Sukkapalooza - Simchat Beit Hashoeva OHDS Update Tuesday, September 28 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. By Melanie Marcus You won’t want to miss this community-wide party! Music, dancing, food and lots of fun for all on OHDS’ beautiful Shanah Tovah U’Metukah! Oakland Hebrew Day School upper playground. Bring your entire family and friends for extends warm wishes to the entire Beth Abraham commu- a Israeli style sukkot celebration! nity for a healthy and happy New Year. May this year be filled with good health, prosperity, peace and kindness. Mark your calendars now – December 8 at 5:00 p.m. OHDS has a packed event calendar this year and we’d love Acclaimed local storyteller, Joel ben Izzy is coming to your family to join us.... OHDS for the final night of Chanukah. Come light the candles, and get swept away in Joel’s magical holiday stories. Preschool Family Sukkah Celebration This event is co-sponsored with PJ Library. No charge to Monday, September 27 from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. attend. More details in next month’s Omer. All preschool families are invited to come for a fun-filled celebration in OHDS’ beautiful sukkah! After a creative art Kindergym Please Join Us Fall Schedule for TBA’s Youth Services Sunday Playdays: September 12, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. up to age 3 T’fillat Y’ladim is designed for children in October 10, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. up to age 3, AND 3 Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade p.m.-4:30 p.m. age 3 up to age 4 ONLY and their families. November 7, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. up to age 3 This service is held in the Chapel on the Wednesdays: Third Shabbat of each month and will bridge the 9/1, 9/15, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, gap for those students who are too old 11/17, 12/1, 12/8, 12/15 no classes 9/8, 9/22, 9/29, 11/24 for Shabbat Mishpacha and too young for Fees: $120 for 12 classes Junior Congregation. Thursdays: Junior Congregation is designed 9/2, 9/16, 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, for children in grades 2 through 6. 11/18, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16 no classes 9/9, 9/23, 9/30, 11/25 This services is held in the Chapel on the Fees:$120 for 12 classes First Shabbat of most months. Fridays: Build your child’s sense of community, reinforce 9/3, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, what they learn in religious or day school, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17 and foster their interest in Jewish practice by no classes 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/1, 11/26 making youth services a regular part of Fees: $110 for 11 classes your Shabbat schedule. Your toddlers and babies can slide, climb, slither in Mark Your Calendar Now! our ball pit, make music, jump on a trampoline, pop First Junior Congregation service: October 2. bubbles and all of you will make new friends! Sibling First T’fillat Y’ladim service: October 16. under 3 free!! All families welcome. Visit our website for details at: www.tbaoakland.org/kindergym.
15 israel Learning about Israel Thus is born a new Omer column. that is the point!!!). Opponents also By Susan Simon Each month I will write a short col- pointed to the United Kingdom, a umn providing little facts and history well established democracy without a This summer I was privileged to attend about Israel that I hope you will find constitution, and stated that the only a conference in Atlanta, Georgia orga- interesting. For some of you, much “constitution” needed was the Torah. nized and run by the Center for Israel will be old news, but my experience Finally, they argued, emergency rules Education (CIE) as well as the Institute tells me that we all have much to learn. could impose restrictions on rights for the Study of Modern Israel (ISMI). Occasionally, I may hit on a tidbit you protected by a constitution, and since CIE, based in Atlanta, writes and dis- didn’t know before. If I can help to the citizens of Israel are so polarized seminates curricula about Modern keep Israel in our consciousness, per- on many issues, they would never be Israel, as well as running the confer- haps I can do my little part to keep able to reach consensus on substantial ence that I attended. ISMI is part our emotional connection with Israel issues. In other words, why bother with of Emory University’s Jewish Studies strong. a document that they can disregard in department and, among other things, And here is this month’s entry: times of emergency and on which they provides grants to its students to allow will never be able to agree? them to learn about issues relevant to Did you know that Israel does not have Modern Israel. Both organizations are a Constitution? From an American Think back to the founding of the run by Dr. Kenneth Stein, a professor at point of view, this seems unthinkable United States – would those arguments Emory with an impressive background, – how can you have modern rights and have impressed our Founding Fathers? including a lengthy stint as advisor to liberties protected without a document Were the Founding Fathers more of a former President Jimmy Carter after his defining them? Israel has a Declaration like mind back when they were drafting presidency. of Independence, a judicial system, our Constitution? Was our American beginning orchestrated by men whose Along with about 65 other educa- a parliament and basic laws, but no formal constitution. On January 25, values differed from those in 1948 in tors, I spent six very full days learning Eretz Yisrael? from Dr. Stein and other prominent 1949, the Constituent Assembly was Modern Israel experts about the history elected in Israel’s first general elec- Unable to reach an agreement, a com- of Zionism, the years leading up to the tion. Later renamed the Knesset, this promise was reached known as the 1948 United Nations vote, and subse- new body could not agree whether to Harari Resolution which stated: “The quent years through the present con- issue a formal constitution. The new Knesset instructs the Constitution, flicts and difficulties Israel faces. The Declaration of Independence called for Law and Justice Committee to prepare goal of the conference each year is to a constitution, yet opponents argued a draft State Constitution… it will substantially increase the teaching about that the Declaration of Independence be built chapter by chapter, in such a Modern Israel in all types of Jewish had no legal standing (meaning it way that it will constitute a separate schools. Without serious education wasn’t binding on anyone). The UN Basic Law … and all these chapters put through religious and day schools, the Declaration of November 19, 1947 together will comprise the Constitution coming generations may not grow up required that Israel and the proposed of the State.” Currently, Israel has 11 to feel the emotional connection with Arab state draft a democratic constitu- Basic Laws but cannot reach any agree- Israel that many of us have. tion, but Israel was too busy defending ment to turn them into a Constitution herself against Arab attacks to worry because of the conflicting factions of I came back from Atlanta with a thick about such a technicality in the early the Knesset. binder full of information, as well as days. enough books, pamphlets and teacher Want to know more? Check out http:// materials to fill two good-size boxes that Proponents argued that the constitu- www.knesset.gov.il/laws/special/eng/ had to be shipped. Even if I were to tion would be the foundation upon basic3_eng.htm to read the basic laws cut everything except Israel out of the which all laws and regulations are based and the amendment. Bet Sefer curriculum, I still wouldn’t be and would outline the principles upon able to teach all of the information that which the society was to be based. I was provided. But my conscience just Ben Gurion argued that the constitu- won’t let me put it away on a shelf to tion might hinder the activities of the gather dust. executive branch (yes, Mr. Ben Gurion,
16 israel chanukah shuk
Jerusalem 1967 Written by Yehuda Amichai On Yom Kippur in 1967 I put on My dark holy day clothes and walked to the Old City of Jerusalem. "OOPVODJOH For a long time I stood in front of an Arab’s hole-in-the-wall shop, $)"/6,"OOPVODJOH")4)6, Not far from the Damascus Gate, a shop with "354$3"'54'"*3 $)"/6,")4)6, Buttons and zippers and spools of thread "354$3"'54'"*3 In every color and snaps and buckles. &IRST !NNUAL #OMMUNITY A rare light and many colors, like an open Ark. &IRST !NNUAL #OMMUNITY I told him in my heart that my father too Had a shop like this, with thread and buttons. 3UNDAY .OVEMBER AM PM 3UNDAY .OVEMBER AM PMAT 4EMPLE "ETH !BRAHAM (OSTEDAT 4EMPLE "ETH !BRAHAM BY 4EMPLE "ETH !BRAHAM 4EMPLE 3INAI I explained to him in my heart about all the decades (OSTED BY 4EMPLE "ETH !BRAHAM 4EMPLE 3INAI "ETH *ACOB #ONGREGATION +EHILLA #OMMUNITY 3YNAGOGUE And the causes and the events, why I am now here "ETH *ACOB #ONGREGATION +EHILLA #OMMUNITY 3YNAGOGUE And my father’s shop was burned there and he is buried here. When I finished, it was time for the Closing of the Gates prayer. He too lowered the shutters and locked the gate %ACH OF THE FOUR HOST SYNAGOGUES MAY USE OR EIGHT FOOT BANQUET TABLES TO SELL THEIR MERCHANDISE AT THE #OMMUNITY 3HUK ARTISTS MAY DECIDE TO SHARE TABLES #ALLING !LL !RTISTS And I returned, with all the worshippers, home. %ACH OF THE FOUR HOST SYNAGOGUES MAY USE OR EIGHT FOOT BANQUET TABLES !LL ARTISTS MUST BE MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING OF THEIR CONGREGATIONS TO SELL THEIR MERCHANDISE AT THE #OMMUNITY 3HUK ARTISTS MAY DECIDE TO SHARE TABLES 4HE WORK PRESENTED FOR SALE MUST BE MADE BY THE LOCAL ARTISTS#ALLING !LL !RTISTS
new year, new beginnings !LL ARTISTS MUST BE MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING OF THEIR CONGREGATIONS4HE ARTISTS SHOULD BE PRESENT ON .OV SELLING THEIR OWN MERCHANDISE@ continued from page 13 @ 4ABLE RENTAL FEE IS PER EIGHT FOOT TABLE@ faculty are returning, and they will teaching classes with 4HE WORK PRESENTED FOR SALE MUST BE MADE BY THE LOCAL ARTISTS%ACH ARTIST WILL DONATE OF HISHER PROCEEDS BACK TO THE ARTIST´S OWN SYNAGOGUE@ titles including, “Hunting Eichmann,” “Art Meditation: Shiviti Mandalas,” Experiment 2010 : Live the Life You’ve 4HE ARTISTS SHOULD BE PRESENT ON .OV SELLING THEIR OWN MERCHANDISE#ONTACT TO APPLY @ 4EMPLE "ETH !BRAHAM "ONNIE "URT AND /UTI 'OULD SHUK TBAOAKLANDORG @ Imagined,” “Pop-Jewy: Music to the Jewish Ear,” “Yoga: 4EMPLE 3INAI 3USAN ,EVY AND ,YNNE "ELMONT SKAHNLEVY AOLCOM bet sefer @ Shmirat Ha-Guf – Protecting the Body,” and an art class "ETH *ACOB #ONGREGATION $AVID -ARINOFF HOSHIE4ABLE RENTAL FEE IS PER EIGHT FOOT TABLEcontinued from page 12 PACBELLNET called “Jewish Genes/Jewish Jeans among others.” And of %ACH ARTIST WILL DONATE OF HISHER PROCEEDS BACK TO THE ARTIST´S OWN SYNAGOGUE+EHILLA #OMMUNITY 3YNAGOGUE 3ANDY "REDT SANDY KEHILLASYNAGOGUEORG@ course we have classes in Talmud, Hebrew and Tanach text cost. While I strongly appreciate your fiscal responsibility, I study and Abraham’s Vision, our inter-group Muslim and am sincerely appreciative#ONTACT TO APPLY that you went with your hearts on Jewish conflict transformation program will be continuing, 4EMPLE "ETH !BRAHAM "ONNIE "URT AND /UTI 'OULD SHUKthis and allowed this project to go forward. I knowTBAOAKLANDORG that the now in its third year. 4EMPLE 3INAI 3USAN ,EVY AND ,YNNE "ELMONT SKAHNLEVYentire TBA community will get great use and pleasureAOLCOM from this"ETH *ACOB #ONGREGATION $AVID -ARINOFF HOSHIE building for many years to come. We truly PACBELLNETappreciate New students and parents come on Thursday, September +EHILLA #OMMUNITY 3YNAGOGUE 3ANDY "REDT SANDYyour support on this project. KEHILLASYNAGOGUEORG 2 at 7:30 p.m. Students will have a chance to meet each other, see old friends, and get a taste of what the year will Lastly, a special thank you to Joe Lewis, our jack-of-all- be like. Parents will get to meet with me and get all their trades, whose hard work and wisdom kept this project for- questions answered. Midrasha’s Sunday classes begin on ever on task and kept the ball rolling from angles we never September 12 at 9:30 a.m. and our Monday afternoon even contemplated. Tanach Study Group with David Henkin, Midrasha’s gem So let’s all raise our virtual champagne glasses and recite for students who love to delve into the Bible, will begin a Shehechiyanu and a L’Chaim as we toast our new build- on Monday, September 13 at 4:15 p.m. at Beth Israel. ing. May our community celebrate many years of learn- Everything else will take place at Beth El in Berkeley. ing, community, growth and happiness in it together. I wish all of you a Shanah Tovah U’Metukah, a year that is Yasher Koach TBA! sweet and good, filled with everything you wish for.
17 cooking corner High Holiday Appetizers By Faith Kramer This month’s Omer theme is New Beginnings and (of course), the first thing I thought of were new appetizer recipes to start off High Holiday (or any) meals. Since Healthy Living is part of the theme as well, I thought I’d make them vegetable based and give some options to keep them lighter. Make the Grilled Eggplant Tomato Topping and serve it as a dip for vegetables or a spread for crackers. Or toast or grill oil- brushed baguette slices and serve as a bruschetta topping. Make your own (baked) tortilla chips or pita chips and serve it like a salsa. The sauce also makes a great topping for pasta, grilled meats, baked chicken and poached fish, as well as a tasty omelet filling. With this recipe in your repertoire you’ll always have the beginnings of something good to eat. The Sliced Zucchini Appetizer recipe is based on one from a food blogger and cookbook author I find very inspiring. It is a dairy dish and would work well for the Yom Kippur break fast.
Grilled Eggplant Sliced Zucchini Appetizer Tomato Topping (Adapted from Chocolate & Zucchini, Broadway Books, Makes 8 appetizer servings by Clotilde Dusoulier) The char of the grill, the smokiness of the fire Serves 4 and the earthiness of the vegetables gives this This makes a light, fresh appetizer that is made topping a deep and satisfying taste. Using the oil ahead of time. To make it even lighter use the spray option and leaving out the added olive oil water option for the vinaigrette recipe (see the (or keeping it to a minimum) helps lighten this note below) and use the lesser amount of goat recipe without sacrificing flavor. I like to grill the cheese. vegetables on my barbecue, but you can also use an indoor grill pan or electric grill or even roast 6 young, fresh, slender zucchini them in the oven at 450 degrees instead. 4-6 oz. goat cheese ½ cup vinaigrette (see note below) 1 lb. of small Italian or Japanese eggplants, cut in half, skin left on ¼ tsp ground thyme 2 large tomatoes, halved Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 small red onion, cut in thick slices ¼ cup chopped parsley, basil or mint 1 large red pepper, halved and seeded ¼ cup chopped walnuts Oil spray or 1 Tbs. olive oil Cut the zucchini into round slices, very thin. 2 Tbs. of chopped basil Arrange on four individual plates or a large plat- 1 Tbs. chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley ter to cover. Crumble cheese on top. Splash a light 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes or dash hot sauce (option- coating of the vinaigrette on top (you will probably al) have some left over). Sprinkle thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Scatter chopped herbs and walnuts 1-3 Tbs. olive oil or as needed (optional) over all. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the zuc- 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar or as needed chini slices to absorb the vinaigrette and the sea- Salt and pepper to taste sonings to meld. Serve at room temperature. Brush cut side of the eggplants, tomatoes, onion Note: I used raspberry vinegar in my vinaigrette, slices and pepper with olive oil or lightly coat but champagne, sherry or white wine vinegar with oil spray. Grill vegetables over medium high would also work well. Use your own vinaigrette heat until very soft. Let cool a bit and coarsely recipe or combine 2 Tbs. vinegar with 1/8 tsp. of chop, keeping any juices that the vegetables ground pepper and 1/8 to ¼ tsp. of salt. Mix well. release. (If you want a less chunky sauce, dice the Add in 4 Tbs. of oil and 2 Tbs. water OR 6 Tbs. vegetables into ¼” or smaller pieces.) Transfer of oil and whisk until combined. Taste. Correct chopped vegetables and their juices to a bowl. seasonings. Add a dash of sugar if needed. Makes Toss with the basil and parsley. Add optional red about ½ cup. pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Add vinegar to taste. If desired, add olive oil to taste. Correct seasonings if needed.
Faith Kramer blogs her food at www.clickblogappetit.blogspot.com. Her food columns appear twice a month in the j. weekly. 18 life cycles TBA Welcomes New Members
Introducing Nathaniel and Shirley Margolin Introducing Alexandra Feinstein-Wike and Nathaniel and Shirley Margolin have recently relocated to St. Paul’s Towers in Oakland from Los Angeles where they Chris, Jake and Max Wike resided for 43 years. They have been happily married for 63 Chris Wike is currently a project manager at the Golden years and have 4 children and 8 grandchildren. They are the Gate Bridge where he is busy retrofitting the bridge to make parents of members Sandy Margolin and Stacy Margolin. it more safe. In his spare time he likes to ride bikes, race boats on the bay, and construct things with his son! Alexandra Feinstein-Wike is a designer for Nautica clothing, designing items specifically for their home line, such as bed- ding, quilts, sheets, and pillows. In her spare time she has created her own company called Tchotchkah that sells mod- ern and fun Chanukah decorations for the home. As a family they love to be outdoors including boating on Lake Merritt with sons Jake (4 years old), and Max (3 months old), and bike riding around the neighborhood. Jake will be attending Gan Avraham in September. Why they chose TBA? Chris and Alexandra have been liv- ing near Lake Merritt for 7 years now. Since moving there they have had children, and have been wanting to be part of a community. Rabbi Bloom made it possible for their family!
Introducing Adam and Diana Miller Darren & Marni Kottle Adam and Diana Miller, and their sons Elijah (“EJ”) and Welcome New Members David Shaffer Zeke, are pleased to have finally found a synagogue to join after a few years of wandering through the wilderness ... Sophie Souroujon of Jewish preschools. Says Adam, “We’ve had a wonder- Daniel Harvitt & Liz Willner ful time at Temple Sinai and Temple Isaiah, but we wanted something closer to our physical and spiritual location here in Oakland. We look forward to meeting old and new A note to new members: We would like to introduce you friends at TBA.” to the TBA community in an upcoming newsletter. Please send a short introduction of you and your family, with a digital photo, to [email protected]. Thanks! 19 life cycles David Lehman October 2 Hello, my name is David Lehman, and my parashah is Bereshit. My Hebrew name is David Pinchas, and I go to Redwood Day School. Some facts about me: I play basket- ball, volleyball, soccer, guitar, bass, and piano. My favorite TV show is Scrubs. My Bar Mitzvah is about Creation and how it happened in seven days. A fun fact is that I will be reading the first words of the Torah, since we are in the first triennial. Some questions I will be exploring in my drash are: is G-d alone creating, and did Creation stop after those seven days? I will also be using Bar Mitzvah Kabbalistic Judaism to answer one of my questions. For my Bar Mitzvah project, I will be giving a homeless family basic supplies, as they are about to move into a house: silverware, school supplies, and such. But before I do, I will meet the family through a clinic at Children’s Hospital, where I give out goody bags to homeless families. I hope you can come to my Bar Mitzvah and meet some of my family and friends!
September Birthdays 1 8 Lola Kahane 21 Robert Davis Marlee Beranbon Regina Okh Laura Gold Emily Harris Stella Beranbon Shoshana Rosenthal Sharon Jacobs 2 Lawrence H. Diller Roni Schacker Gina Kessler Dan Abrami Rick Hudson Arthur Warmoth Eve Maidenberg Caroline Frierman Justine Jacob 15 Eliza Van De Water Sophie Goodwin Joy Jacobs Sam Baum 22 Jeffrey Lipsett Lauren Kaplan Eliana Rosenthal Arlene Davis Henry Ross Allyson Kauffman Maria Tostado Stephanie Leslie Kane Samuel Stone Kenneth Shea Dinkin 16 Theo Jesse Kleinmann Arlene Zuckerberg 9 Josh Berl Michael Patten 3 Seth Kramer Ari Bornstein John Rego Diane Abt Elane Rehr Bess Gurman Eric Van Deventer Jonathan Bornstein Zevan Shuster Shana Kirsch Irene Weinberg Steve Chabon Andy Wasserman Zeke Miller 25 Seymour Kessler 10 Ellis Moss Jasper Handlers Jared LaMar Noam Birnbaum Gary Zimmerman Adam Liss 4 Rachel Brott 17 Renee Sellers Leo Grossman Noah Lindenbaum Adam Chalem-Wallach Michael Zatkin Jolie Hagey 11 Benjamin Friedman 26 Amy Wittenberg Ivan Hudson Elanna Kunis Ethel Shaffer 5 Jeanne Swartz 18 John Turman Ruth Feldhammer 12 Howard Davis 27 Steven Glaser Braudy Bersin Milo Davis Joel Freid 6 Joan Jacobs Hunter Disco 28 Alexa Baum Ethan Sheanin Elena Goldberg Diane Feldhammer Rabbi Mark Bloom 13 Benjamin Jaffe Staci Shub Tamira Elul Jennie Chabon Klaus Ullrich Rotzscher 29 Francie Kursh George King 19 Elan Masliyah Benjamin Odenheimer Marcia Wasserman Knut Grossmann 30 Myles Plumhoff 14 Lisa Kharrazi Irene Brauer Greg Sterling Jonah Bloom Rebecca Skiles Drew Kessler 7 Galvin Fickes 20 Diana Miller Cheryl Silver Zachary Fickes Talia Blumberg
Is your birthday information wrong or missing from this list? Please contact the TBA office to make corrections.
20 life cycles September Yahrzeits
May God comfort you among all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem Elul 22-24 Merle Goldstone Pauline Wolf Ellen Goldstein September 1-3 Helen Katzburg Bella Wolfe Faye Selinger Kimberly Beth Orlin Arthur Adler Nettie Wadler Mayer Goldberg Henry Rosenberg Emma Bolton Solon Weiner Zelda Klein Benjamin Wolf Minnie Teverov Evelyn Gluck Bandel Joseph Landes William Kestenblatt Joseph Catarevas Samuel Burge Moshe Marcus Gertrude Kreimerman Bernard Lutz Maurice Goldberg Michael G. Melvin Regina Lazar Nathaniel Ranzer Rose Wasserman Mundl Litvak Okh Samuel Leson Sam Shapiro Henry Reingold Tishrei 17-22 Bertha Rothman Melvin David Altman Adolph Rose Sam Hillman Simma Leson September 25-30 Nella Schlesinger Jack Kovell Frances Piser Fradel Darling Cocia Shikevich Ely Levis Mary Plotkin Sam Epstein Albert Bercovich Nuta Okh Minnie Gershenson Harry Lipka Tishrei 10-16 Albert Reingold Iris Leve Rose Nankin September 18-24 Harold Nudler Alexander Rosenberg Tishrei 3-9 Harry Brook Sam Sarver Adolph Berkovitz September 11-17 Sam Grant Marie Weiss Davidson Nathan Abraham Bauer Mathilda Kahane Bernice Katz Zywotow Minnie Wasserman Avram Bercovich Bertha Rosenstein Benjamin Davidson Leo Young George Bruder Jack Tessler Sylvia Elber Elul 25-Tishrei 2 Ida Gold Mary Weinstein Dorothy Maccabee September 4-10 Nathan Kurtz Isedore Isenberg Eleanor Davis Jeffrey Litman Rose Kastel David Benjamin Gaynor Nessim Cowan Samuel Weiss Gary Rosenfeld Toba Goldenhar Isaac Naggar Isadore Gottlieb May Landowitz Max Goldstein Doris Sutnick Jacob Leson Frances Lapp Albert Perl Samuel Zatkin Carolyn Rau Elizabeth Rosenberg Emma Rothenberg Abraham N. Schneider Joseph Schwartz Rabbi Morris Schussheim Celia Bierman Rabbi Rachlin Baer Eli Baston Harry Horwitz Beke Schechtman Abraham Elkin Ethel Baston Abraham Maltzman Rebecca Diamond Lillian Simon Jacober Anna Hammerman Rocco Rocky Di Perri Max Fass Joseph Markovitz Wilhelmine Sanders Florence Dines David Belzer Abraham Breslov Fannie Silberman Jack Lorber Donna Erlen Lillian Silverman Melvin L. Simon
Recent Deaths in Our Community Eva Klein David, Mother of Judy Bloomfield. Yitzchak Gottlieb, Father of Liat Bostick. Tobe Burnstein, Life member of Temple Beth Frances Hochman, Mother of our Gan Avraham Abraham, part of one of our founding families (the Preschool Director, Wendy Siver. Davis family, which sponsors the Davis Hunger Fund), and the first woman to have an Aliyah here. Jerry Kopp, Father of Jennifer Kopp. Jean Green, Mother of Allan Green.
MEMORIAL PLAQUE Anyone wishing to purchase a memorial plaque, 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 and Match Stephen & Amy Tessler Alex Bernstein, in honor of grandson’s Joan Berzon S. H & G Troy, in celebration of Susan Shub brit milah Jim Floyd & Amy Kivel Raymond Van Tijen & Ilene Levinson, in Diane Biglovsky, in memory of Sidney and Charles Bernstein & Joanne Goldstein, in honor of Ward Hagar and Susan Shub Kathe Bigalovsky and Mina honor of Adult B’nai Mitzvah class B’nai Mitzvah Daniel Hudi Brenman & Eva Meyers, in Andy Campbell & Rachel Dornhelm, in Neil & Madeline Weinstein, in memory of honor of Rafael Brenman’s brit milah honor of Etta Heber’s Bat Mitzvah Hannah Roth Kenneth & Ann Cohn, in honor of Helen Lowell Davis and Howard David Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor of Arel and Len Fixler’s 60th anniversary Robert DeBare & Esther Rogers, in Masliyah’s Brit Milah Kenneth & Ann Cohn, in memory of Louis gratitude for the help of Rabbi Bloom Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor of Rosenberg Robert DeBare & Esther Rogers, in honor Benjamin Porter’s Brit Milah Murray & Virginia Davis of Jing Piser’s work for the B’nai Mitzvah Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor of Elainn Andrew & Esther de Laix Patrick & Donna Dell’Era, in honor of Lapide’s Brit Milah Robert DeBare & Esther Rogers, Bathroom Jessica Dell’Era Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor of Eli renovation Mark Fickes & William Gentry Cohen’s Brit Milah Haim Erez, in honor of Ben Moses Erez Ronald & Lynn Gerber Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor of Noah brit milah Waltzer’s Brit Milah Allan & Gabriella Gordon, in honor of Jing Rita Frankel, Happy Birthday Elinor preparing B’nai Mitzvah lunch Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor of Zuri DeKoven Fox’s Brit Milah Pamela Gross, in honor of Barbara Gross’ Fifi Goodfellow, in memory of Victoria Bat Mitzvah Jeanette Jeger Kitchen Fund Naggar Ward Hagar & Caroline Hastings, in honor Rita Frankel, Happy anniversary to Helen Morey & Eleanor Greenstein of Jing preparing B’nai Mitzvah lunch and Len Fixler Brett & Robyn Hodess Ytzhack & Etta Heber, in honor of Jing Fifi Goodfellow, in memory of Marie Susan Johnson preparing B’nai Mitzvah lunch Marcus Jessie & Susan Kasdan, in memory of George & Janet King, in honor of Helen Morrey & Sari Grossman, in honor of Abraham Goldstein and Len Fixler’s 60th anniversary Helen and Len Fixler’s anniversary Golde Katz, in honor of Asher Leon Jason Klein & Doree Jurow Klein, in Jack Jeger, Happy Birthday Rabbi Gould Goldwater’s Brit Milah memory of Irving Reback Jack Jeger, in honor of Helen and Leonard Robert Klein & Doreen Alper Phillip & Andrea LaMar, in honor of Jing Fixler’s anniversary Ralph & Hadassah Kramer, in memory of preparing B’nai Mitzvah lunch Misia Nudler, Congratulation to Helen and Rabbi M. Goldberg Eric Leve, in honor of Esther Rodgers Bat Leonard Fixler Ely & Shirley Langfeld, in honor of Marshall Mitzvah Misia Nudler, Get well Carla Golding and and Lynn Langfeld’s anniversary Jerrold & Anne Levine, in memory of Frank Weinberg Todd & Cindy Mirkin, in honor of Sarah Eve Charles Levine Misia Nudler, Happy Birthday Alisa Mirkin’s birth/naming Philip & Amy Mezey Rosenthal, Bonnie Burt Liss, Elinore Mark & Maribel Mogill, in memory of Misia Nudler, in honor of the Adult B’nai DeKoven, Jack Jeger, Rabbi Gould, Raymond Mogill Mitzvah class Richard Mills and Millie and Alvin Eugene & Marjorie Myers, in memory of Garret & Helen Romain, in honor of Eva Ron & Adele Ostomel, in honor of Jack Manuel Starr Paul’s B’nai Mitzvah Jeger’s birthday Barbara Oseroff, in memory of Shira Steven Rosenthal & Ailsa Steckel, in Bet Sefer Discretionary Fund Weisbach memory of Larry Reback’s Father Richard & Marilyn Dornhelm, in honor of Aaron & Eva Paul, in honor of Jing Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, B’nai Etta Heber’s Bat Mitzvah preparing Bat Mitzvah lunch Mitzvah Seth & Donna Golub, Hebrew tutoring Gross Peter, in honor of Barbara Gross Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, in memory of Steven & Joan Jacobs Jeffrey Reichenberg & Ana Schwartzman, Morris Rothblatt in honor of Caleb’s brit milah Joseph & Eve Maidenberg Klaus Ullrich Rotzscher, in honor of Jing Vince & Debbie Rocha, in memory of Daryl & Bryna Ross preparing B’nai Mitzvah lunch Irving Reback David & Treya Weintraub Samuel Schuchat & Ilana De Bare, in honor David & Lori Rosenthal, in honor of Art of Esther Rogers’ Bat Mitzvah General Fund Gould’s 60th birthday Michael & Deborah Sosebee, in memory of Sally & Victor Aelion, in memory of Elias Steven Rosenthal & Ailsa Steckel, in Sheldon Rothblatt’s Sister Aelion and Sam Brenner memory of Sidney Steckel Michael & Deborah Sosebee, in memory of Isabelle Arabian Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, Chametz Yitzchak Gottlieb David & Shany Barukh, in memory of donation Ben Stiegler & Barbara Gross, in honor mother Barry & Hana Rotman, in honor of Jing of Jan Barker’s birthday and the B’nai Eric Batzdorff & Kari Barnes preparing Bat Mitzvah lunch Mitzvah class
22 donations
Curtis & Adi Schacker, in honor of Rabbi Howard and Barbara Silverberg, In honor Shirlee Perl, in memory of Lillian Bloom from the 2010 confirmation class of their children’s wedding Silverman, Albert Perl, and Fradel Darling Curtis & Adi Schacker, in honor of the Minyan Fund Adult B’nai Mitzvah class Paul & Florence Raskin Lynne Bunin, in honor of Leonard and Curtis & Adi Schacker, in memory of Irving Jonathan Ring & Maya Rath Helen Fixler’s anniversary Reback and Yitzchak Gottlieb Steven Rosenthal & Ailsa Steckel, in honor David & June Marinoff, in memory of Amy Alvin & Mildred Shain, for Leonard and of Adi Schacker’s birthday and Alex Galas Helen Fixler’s anniversary Barry & Hana Rotman, in memory of Stephen & Susan Shub, in honor of Jing Camper/scholarship Fund Shelley Rotman preparing Bat Mitzvah lunch Eleanor Cohen, in memory of Helen Judy Shalev Shirley Silver, Happy Birthday Elinor Dubner Ben Stiegler & Barbara Gross, Thank you DeKoven Elinor DeKoven, in honor of the 60th anni- Rabbi Bloom and Outi Gould Daniel & Amanda Stevens, in honor of versary of Helen and Leonard Fixler Joshua Wittenberg & Jennifer Kopp, Thanks Noah Landon Stevens’ brit milah Warren & Outi Gould, in honor of Susan for your support and teaching Ben Stiegler & Barbara Gross, in honor of Simon Jing preparing Bat Mitzvah lunch Cantor Discretionary Fund Playground Fund Herbert Van Deventer, Jr & Lita Krowech Maurice & Barbara Weill, in memory of Shirley Silver, Happy anniversary to Helen Helen Singerman Gertrude Veiss, Congratulations to Helen & and Len Fixler Len Fixler on their anniversary Celia & Morris Davis Hunger Fund Jonathan & Melissa Weinberg, in honor of Rabbi Discretionary Fund Robert & Arlene Davis, in honor of the Drew Zachary Weinberg’s brit milah Richard S. & Rhoda T. Becker, Thank you 60th anniversary of Helen & Len Fixler Steven & Victoria Zatkin, in memory of for a wonderful shabbas Robert & Arlene Davis, in memory of Sylvia Gertrude Bleiberg Herbert & Harriet Bloom, in memory of Heyman Kiddush Fund Ina Nathan Harold Rubel, Leon & Judy Bloomfield, in Leon & Judy Bloomfield, in honor of this memory of Coleman Bloomfield Elinor DeKoven, in honor of Adele and year’s B’nai Mitzvah class Irwin Keinon 25th anniversary Endowment Fund Michael & Kathryn Burge, in memory of Elinor DeKoven, in honor of Millie and Morrey & Sari Grossman, in memory of Vera Jennings Alvin Shain Morrey K. Grossman Harvey & Donna Clar, in memory of Irving Fifi Goodfellow, in memory of Sam Nathan Ilya & Regina Okh, in memory of Matly Sonny Boy Clar Hennie Hecht, Thank you to Michael Rose Genfold Richard & Janice Freeman, in memory of Herman & Agnes Pencovic, in honor of Len Irwin Keinon & Adele Mendelsohn-Keinon, Carl Freeman in honor of the Fixler’s anniversary & Helen Fixler’s 60th anniversary, Allan & Gabriella Gordon, in honor of Leonard Wolf, in memory of Doreen Wolf Phillip & Andrea LaMar, Vav Shabbat B’nai Mitzvah and Sadye Baer Adele Mendelsohn, speedy recovery David Martin & Evelyn Hertz, in memory of Ida Galant, Sid Shaffer and Manny Riter Barber Wasserman Fund Henry Ramek & Eve Gordon-Ramek, in Larry & Susan Isaacs Norbert & Alice Nemon honor of the Fixler’s anniversary
TBA’s High Holiday Food Drive Please support the Alameda County Community Food Bank by donating non-perishable food items during the High Holy Days, from Rosh Hashanah to Sukkot and help make a difference. Bags will be distributed during Rosh Hashanah. Just return your bags during the High Holy Days, as early as Rosh Hashanah or as late as Sukkot. Donations will be accepted at 327 MacArthur Boulevard or 336 Euclid Avenue.
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UKKOT ABOR S L (Office (Office Closed) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 19 Tishrei 12 Tishrei 5 Tishrei 27 Elul Always Always check Shabbat Bulletin the for Congregational E-mail more up-to-date Weekly or information. the Please note any corrections care of Rayna Arnold at TBA the office. 5 ) 26 19 12
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C C No•ach B’reishit Jr. Congregation Jr. Va-yera OSH Lech-L’cha I R KAT Havdalah (42 min) Havdalah (42 min) Havdalah (42 min) Havdalah (42 min) R B Chayyei Sarah 10:15a T’fillat10:15a Y’ladim 10:15a Melanie Melanie Laar Bat Mitzvah 6:55p 7:23p Havdalah 7:23p Havdalah (42 min) 7:13p 7:04p 7:34p Benjaim Benjaim Ring Bar Mitzvah 9:30a-12p Shabbat Service 9:30a-12p Shabbat Service 10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha 10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha 9:30a-12p Shabbat Services 9:30a-12p Shabbat Services 9:30a-12p Shabbat Services David Lehman Bar Mitzvah 8 Cheshvan 22 Cheshvan 15 Cheshvan 24 Tishrei 1 Cheshvan Wasserman Speaker: Nitzan Gordon Wasserman 6p Gan Gimmel Share A Havdalah
www.tbaoakland.org 1 8 October 2010
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HODESH
6:25 p 6:05 p C 5:56 p 6:35 6:14 p No Gan No OSH ' IM C HAT ' with Dinner ' R S ' ' Share Share A Shabbat Gan Gan Aleph & Bet 10a-12p Kindergym 9:30a-12p Kindergym 9:30a-12p Kindergym 9:30a-12p Kindergym Mechina Mechina Share-a-Shabbat 9a Simchat Torah Services Torah 9a Simchat 6:15p Rock & Roll 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 21 Cheshvan 14 Cheshvan 7 Cheshvan 30 Tishrei 23 Tishrei 7 21 14 28
4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym 7p Men’s Club Poker 7p Men’s 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 9:45a East Bay Lecture Series 9:45a East Bay Lecture Series 20 Cheshvan 13 Cheshvan 6 Cheshvan 29 Tishrei 6 27 20 13 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym (Woodminster Cafe) (Woodminster 10a-12p Kindergym 10a-12p Kindergym (Woodminster Cafe) (Woodminster (Woodminster Cafe) (Woodminster (Woodminster Cafe) (Woodminster 9a Weekly Text Study Text 9a Weekly 9a Weekly Text Study Text 9a Weekly 9a Weekly Text Study Text 9a Weekly 9a Weekly Text Study Text 9a Weekly 19 Cheshvan 12 Cheshvan 5 Cheshvan 28 Tishrei 5 26 19 12
4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer 4p-6p Bet Sefer
7:30p Board Meeting
18 Cheshvan 11 Cheshvan 4 Cheshvan 27 Tishrei 4
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HODESH are are produced 30-60 days in advance using the best data This available TBAcalendar from Staff. the is Administration also availablke at our website C OSH OLUMBUS R C 6p Chief Batts (Office (Office Closed) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) 8a-9a Minyan (Chapel) Oakland Police Department Oakland Police 6:30-8p Networking 6:30-8p with Networking the Woment of TBA & Men’s Club TBA of & Men’s Woment 17 Cheshvan 10 Cheshvan 3 Cheshvan 26 Tishrei Always Always check Shabbat Bulletin the for Congregational E-mail more up-to-date Weekly or information. the Please note any corrections care of Rayna Arnold at TBA the office.
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24 10 17 31 Calendars Calendars The in Omer with Susan with Susan with Susan Alameda Food Alameda Bank Food 3p Kindergym-Grads 4:p-5p Talmud Study Talmud 4:p-5p 4:p-5p Talmud Study Talmud 4:p-5p 4:p-5p Talmud Study Talmud 4:p-5p 9:45a Hike with WTBA 10a Kindergym Playday! Volunteers needed all day Volunteers at (sign up w/ Bryan Schwartz) 9-1:30p Arab-Israeli Dialogue Workshop with Nitzan Gordon Workshop 16 Cheshvan 9 Cheshvan 2 Cheshvan 25 Tishrei 23 Cheshvan Tishrei / Tishrei Cheshvan 5771 25 Temple Beth Abraham Periodicals 327 MacArthur Boulevard Postage P A I D Oakland, CA 94610 Oakland, CA Permit No. 020299
High Holiday Honors Look for our High Holiday Honors Coordinators — Maya Rath and Stacy Margolin — to let them know you are present on the day of your Honor.
what’s inside TBA Directory...... i High Holy Days Services Schedule. 6 Local Jewish Day Schools...... 14 What’s Happening...... 1 Lulav/Etrog Order Form...... 7 Israel...... 16 Rabbi’s Message...... 2 New Year, New Beginnings...... 8 Cooking Corner...... 18 President’s Message...... 3 Gan Avraham News...... 12 Life Cycles...... 19 Editor’s Message...... 4 Bet Sefer News...... 12 Donations...... 22 Women of TBA...... 5 Midrasha...... 13 Calendar...... 24