June-September 2019 It Began As a Typical Week Sanctuary
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K olenu Our Voice THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF PENINSULA TEMPLE BETH EL Riding on the Marrakesh Express Rabbi Eisner Just as our Passover holiday (a wonderful Moroccan dish that is both Iyar-Elul 5779 ended, twenty-one travel sweet and savory), but we had never eaten companions, my wife Mandy, them in Casablanca, Fes, or Marrakesh. Many June-September and I began our journey on the of us had walked through ancient markets 2019 Marrakesh express. There were no in Jerusalem, but never in an Arab-Muslim trains involved, but our Airbus country. And we had all heard Crosby, 380 was packed to the gills as our Stills, and Nash sing about riding on the plane roared down the runway, “Marrakesh Express,” but we had never heard Inside this Issue taking us on a magical journey to it while riding on a bus through Marrakesh. 2 President's a land we had never visited. Message Take the train from Casablanca going south We had all seen the pictures of carpets, copper Blowing smoke rings from the corners of my, 3 Schedule of pots and pans, colorful tagines, pointed my, my, my, my mouth Shabbat Services slippers, and djellabas, but we had not met the Colored cottons hang in air 4-5 people who made these beautiful objects. We Charming cobras in the square B’nai Mitzvah had eaten couscous, lamb, and pastilla/bastila See Rabbi Eisner on page 16 6 Book Club 7 Messages 8-9 Chai Giving 10-12 Our Community 13 Beth El Women 14 Brotherhood 15 Senior Friendship Club 23-24 Contributions 25-28 Calendar of Events 29-30 Yahrzeits Outside the world’s third-largest Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Iyar-Elul 5779 Iyar-Elul 5779 In the Moment Jeff Hyman, President June-September 2019 It began as a typical week Sanctuary. From the bimah, I saw the faces in my life as PTBE’s of family and friends, including friends who KOLENU Temple President. serve with me on the Board of Trustees and Published Quarterly by Peninsula Temple Beth El A meeting with the other PTBE members. Today we gathered 1700 Alameda de las Pulgas Governance Redesign Task just to celebrate Sierra’s simcha. Force leaders. My weekly San Mateo, CA 94403 A synagogue is a truly unique and special (650) 341-7701 Construction meeting place. We are “members,” who have Fax (650) 570-7183 with our project manager expectations and various needs that our www.ptbe.org to review updates and Education Office discuss ongoing decisions and plans. Several clergy, staff, and lay leaders strive every day (650) 931-0775 other meetings followed on a range of topics to fulfill. We are “congregants,” for whom Gift Shop (650) 345-6563 including next year’s budget, Ganon, and PTBE is our spiritual home, and our clergy A reform congregation preparing to host a candidate in our Executive play a deeply meaningful role in the most affiliated with the Union for Director search. important moments of our lives. We are Reform Judaism “volunteers” and “lay leaders,” whose efforts PTBE Staff Then on Friday, I sat down to meet with and dedication build up, sustain, and enable Dennis J. Eisner Rabbi Eisner, who had just flown back from PTBE to thrive and carry forward. We Senior Rabbi leading our congregational trip to Morocco. are “donors,” whose financial support and Lisa Kingston After hearing about the trip and discussing commitment to PTBE’s mission, vision, and Associate Rabbi/Educator a few pressing matters of PTBE business, it values enables everything that we do. And Laura J. Rumpf was already 1:30 p.m., and in four hours my we are “friends,” whose connections are Assistant Rabbi/Educator wife Hillary and I would be hosting a Shabbat made through our interactions at PTBE in Elana Jagoda Kaye dinner in the Fireside Room for family and all these different roles, and whether we are Cantor out of town guests as we kicked off a weekend newer friends or friends for decades, we are Meredith Liron celebrating our daughter Sierra’s Bat Mitzvah. connected and we care about each other. Director, Ganon Early Childhood Rabbi Eisner looked at me and said, “OK, Education Center now let’s stop. For this weekend, you are I am reminded as your President that the not the Temple President. Don’t even wear Temple is not a business or a typical non- Officers 2018–2019 profit. It’s more than just a large enterprise President Jeff Hyman your name tag when you come to services.” 1st VP Drew Lieberman Rabbi Eisner was now speaking to me in his with complex financial, operational, facilities, 2nd VP Judy Fisher and administrative challenges—though Secretary Roger Feigelson office, Rabbi-to-Congregant and father-to- Treasurer Jeff Lager father, sharing memories from his own family it has all of those things in droves! It is Immed Past Pres. Lawrence Siegel experiences and giving me the important a community built on faith, caring, and Board of Trustees 2018–2019 advice to “stay in the moment” and savor our Jewish values. Though we often find Debby Courtney David Pelzner every second of the events to come. ourselves engaging in seemingly ordinary Roger Feigelson Steve Sarver “business” or mundane matters, we are always Judy Fisher Aviv Siegel On Shabbat morning, my heart was beyond wearing these many hats. Jonathan Fox Michele Stafford full as Sierra lifted up the Congregation, Julie Firestone We are called upon to remember that our Garlikov Ex-Officio leading the service, chanting Torah and Marni Gerber Members delivering a brave and inspiring D’var Torah connections at PTBE are “sacred,” where even Pam Barasch & Julie Goldman that left few dry eyes. Rabbi Eisner was the ordinary is an opportunity to engage in a Aliya Gordon Marcia Barkoff, “sacred” manner with each other. When we Sydney Kapchan Beth El Women the first to embrace her on the bimah. As Natasha Kehimkar Darin Leviloff, my family stood in front of the Ark with forget to do so, as I have inadvertently done Sherry Lipson Brotherhood Rabbi Laura and Cantor Elana to receive on a few occasions, we don’t just experience a Erik Nierenberg Zara Jaffe, Senior rough “business” interaction with someone, Friendship Club the benediction, I looked in both of their eyes and saw the connection and caring they but we impact a friend, a volunteer, a donor, 2 returned to Sierra, whose words still filled the See President on page 31 SHABBAT SERVICES June-September 2019 Schedule of Shabbat Services Saturday, June 1 Friday, August 2 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Max 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Miller becomes Bar Mitzvah Saturday, August 3 Friday, June 7 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service 5:00 p.m. Tot Shabbat in the Park Friday, August 9 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, June 8 Saturday, August 10 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Hannah Levin becomes Bat Mitzvah 9:30 a.m. Tot Shabbat 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Nicolas Sunday, June 9 Krakovsky becomes Bar Mitzvah 10:00 a.m. Yizkor Service & Blintz Brunch Friday, August 16 Friday, June 14 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, August 17 Saturday, June 15 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Marlee No Shabbat Morning Service Cherkas becomes Bat Mitzvah Friday, June 21 Friday, August 23 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, June 22 Saturday, August 24 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Addison 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Alexa Fine and Lauren Whorl become B’not Mitzvah Schmeltzer becomes Bat Mitzvah Friday, June 28 Friday, August 30 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, June 29 Saturday, August 31 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Evan 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Samuel Rose becomes Bar Mitzvah Young becomes Bar Mitzvah Friday, July 5 Friday, September 6 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, July 6 Saturday, September 7 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Xander 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Kylie Love becomes Bar Mitzvah Zeldin becomes Bat Mitzvah Friday, July 12 Friday, September 13 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, July 13 Saturday, September 14 No Shabbat Morning Service 9:30 a.m. Tot Shabbat Service 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Sasha Friday, July 19 Gordon becomes Bat Mitzvah 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Friday, September 20 Saturday, July 20 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Sophia Schreiber becomes Bat Mitzvah Saturday, September 21 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service Friday, July 26 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Friday, September 27 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, July 27 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Maya Saturday, September 28 Wohl becomes Bat Mitzvah 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Maxwell Armstrong becomes Bar Mitzvah Morning Minyan – Tuesdays at 8 a.m. 3 B’NAI MITZVAH Iyar-Elul 5779 Introducing B’nai Mitzvah Our New Youth The congregation is invited and encouraged to attend the special Shabbat services when the children Educator: Ashley of our congregation become Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Jerome! Maxwell Heisman Miller—June 1 Evan Rose—June 29 Max is the son of Dr.