February 2015 5775 The Next Step in Realizing our Vision: In This Issue: Netivot Haneshamah (Pathways of the Soul) By Rabbi Ohriner With great excitement, I’d like to share with you the latest developments From the Rabbi in our efforts to be a more vibrant, welcoming, and Shabbat focused kehillah kedoshah (sacred community). Page 3 In transitioning into the role of senior rabbi this past July, I crafted a strategic vision for how our kehillah might better fulfill our mission as a 21st Century Jewish-American community. This strategic vision sprouted President’s from one-to-one coffee conversations, congregational meetings, and Perspective strategic planning sessions with our board and focused on becoming a visionary community in each of the three Page 5 pillars of our mission - a Beit Knesset (House of Relationships), a Beit Midrash (House of Learning), and a Beit Tefilah (House of Prayer). Calendar As a Beit Midrash (House of Learning), Pages 16 & 17 our vision includes diversifying and bolstering our adult education offerings, particularly on Shabbat; more fully embracing an experiential learning modality in our JYEP (Jewish Youth FEBRUARY Education Program) by introducing Birthdays & Shabbat school and launching our Anniversaries Wednesday elective-based program, Page 26 JEWEL; and reinvigorating our teen program (now called JET). In each of these areas we have made tremendous strides and are currently reaping the individual and communal benefits of these developments. Our 100% CLUB schools are growing, our attendance at adult education programs is up, and Pages 27 & 28 there is an amazing energy of Torah-learning in our halls. As a Beit Knesset (House of Relationships), our vision includes creating multiple opportunities to Jewishly engage with our fellow congregants in activities we enjoy through affinity groups; planning multi-generational Contributions holiday and cultural programming; founding new havurot as a way of Pages 29-30 building stronger relationships in micro-community; and transitioning from being a kehillah that has a chevrat chesed committee of caring souls who deliver meals, offer rides, and reach out in times of need to a kehillah of individuals committed to these mitzvah opportunities as a function of living together in community. Continued on page 3: From The Rabbi 1 Main Office 408-257-3333 [email protected] Rabbis Philip R. Ohriner Senior Rabbi 408-366-9104 [email protected] Leslie Alexander Rabbi of Community Engagement and Outreach 408-366-9105 [email protected] Daniel J. Pressman Rabbi Emeritus Staff Tanya Lorien Dir. of Operations 408-366-9107 [email protected] Barbara Biran Dir. of Ritual 408-366-9106 [email protected] Monica Hernandez Bookkeeping Associate 408-366-9108 [email protected] Jillian Cosgrave Front Office Associate 408-366-9110 [email protected] Lynn Crocker Mkt & Comm Associate 408-366-9102 Share This Simcha! [email protected] Rowin Hughes is called to the Torah on: Iris Bendahan Dir. of Jewish Edu. Program 408-366-9116 Saturday, February 21st [email protected] Join us for Kiddush luncheon Andrea Ammerman following the service. School Admin. Assistant 408-366-9101 - Rowin’s Family [email protected] Help Rowin collect new or gently used JET sporting equipment for his Bar Mitzvah project. (Jewish Experience for Teens) The equipment will be donated to [email protected] underprivileged kids who can’t afford their own equipment. Please put items in the collection box in the lobby. 2 From the Rabbi Continued from front cover In this area of kehillah life we have seen the genesis of our affinity groups with a new artists group, the formation of a mah jongg group and a Yiddish speakers group. Rabbi Alexander and our Havurot chair, Ziva Fishman, are currently in the process of launching new havurot and would love to hear from you if you have an interest in joining a Havurah (see page 25 for more information on forming a new havura). Chevrat Chesed transitioned to an online platform called Lotsa Helping Hands. Our cadre is growing every day with new caring souls offering to help out 15 minutes to an hour at a time when a fellow community member needs an extra pair of hands. In the last six months we have had a fantastic series of events from BBQ and Barchu, our Sukkot Supper and Skits, Light Up the Night, a packed A cappella concert with Ani V’atah from NYU, and a wonderful week with our Artist-in-Residence, Mordechai Rosenstein. Already, our staff is working with the programming and membership committees on an exciting array of multi- generational relational, cultural, and educational events for 5776! As a Beit Tefilah (House of Prayer) we continue to work towards maintaining our successful daily minyan; streamlining, invigorating, and enriching our traditional Shabbat morning service, and diversifying the opportunities for spiritual fulfillment both within our main service and elsewhere in the building on Shabbat. Many of our parents join their kids in Youth Congregation, Haverim services, and Tot Shabbat. Some members come by just for our ruah rally and stay for lunch and learning. And, as of this month, we are launching Netivot Haneshamah: Pathways of the Soul. This new program provides alternative, eclectic Shabbat learning and prayer experiences complementing our main service as an entry points into kehillah life. Netivot Haneshamah: Pathways of the Soul begins at 10:30 and ends at noon when we will all join together for our Ruah Rally and, of course, lunch (see flyer on page 12). Our pilot Netivot (pathways) include a learners’ service with Rabbi Alexander, a Torah LIVE improv opportunity with Doug Brook, and a Torah study discussion with Rabbi Allan Berkowitz. In reflecting on all we have accomplished together in the last six months, including raising more than six million dollars for our Next50 project and breaking ground, I want to express my profound appreciation for all of our staff, our lay leadership, and our dedicated volunteers. We still have much holy work to do together, but our congregation and the lives of our members have been enriched through your hard work! I hope many of you will join us on Shabbat mornings in the coming months for Netivot Haneshamah: Pathways of the Soul. I believe this program will provide is unique opportunities to explore authentically Jewish Shabbat experiences. As always, please share your feedback, thoughts, and ideas with us. We are still exploring the ideal movement-based opportunity for this program and are open to other Jewish experiences that might enhance our learning, mindfulness, and prayerfulness on Shabbat. Netivot Haneshamah: Pathways of the Soul is just one more opportunity CBD provides for our members to find meaning, authenticity, purpose, and joy in their Judaism and their lives! L’shalom, Rabbi Philip Ohriner 3 4 Join us for this year’s Hamen-Scotch-En February 21st 7:30pm Two Ways to Enjoy: Sign-Up as Contestant or Attendee at Beth-David.org/RSVP Or call 408-257-3333 Attendees: $36 per person: Enough dinner bites to satisfy as well as the infamous scotch and hamentaschen tasting and contest included. RSVP by February 13th Contestants: $10 per person: See participation guidelines online. RSVP by February 6th Last Year Our Event Sold Don’t delay! Sign up Today! (See flyer on page 19) 5 President’s Perspective By David Hoffman, CBD Board President Dear Friends, concern was that the historic model – you have to I draft this column in early January, anticipating that it pay to be a member of a synagogue – was failing in will reach your mailbox before February 7th –the date of the new millennium. Conservative and Reform Board Installation Shabbat. I hope you will attend to shuls nationwide were reporting declining show support for the Board that you elected in memberships, with more and more members December. I would like to thank outgoing Board requesting special arrangements. Young families members Michael Sinensky, Bob Baird, Steve Levin, were not joining traditional congregations. We have David Graubart, Bryan Ferguson, and Crystal Ouzillou not been immune to declining membership, nor for their service and dedication to our community. I members requesting special arrangements. The will miss their presence at future board meetings! question was how to turn this around. Are there As you know, CBD has been going through some major models out there that are financially sound, but changes in the last few years. I think it instructive to allow people the dignity to choose to contribute to their community? remind you of where this change began. Prior iterations of your board understood more than 10 years ago that Spearheaded most recently, and very ably, by the horizon for rabbinic transition was rapidly Membership VP Jeff Warwick, he and the finance approaching. committee will be hosting a series of informational The congregation agreed to accept Rabbi Ohriner as meetings about the new dues model the Board will Rabbi Pressman’s successor, which occurred in 2012 at be considering at its March meeting. I hope you a special congregational meeting. Then, in June, 2013, will attend these meetings to learn more about the Sustaining Dues model. I called a congregational forum to gather information from you as to what direction(s) you wanted Beth L’shalom, David to move in. Dave Arising out of that forum was the clear need to hire a second rabbi for community engagement and outreach. A mere 10 months later, Rabbi Alexander joined our fold in that capacity. Sustaining Number Dues The June, 2013 Congregational Forum expressed the Model Information need for new and different worship experiences. Beginning this month, learning services, in-depth torah Meetings study services, and interactive Torah experiences will be rolled out in successive Shabbats.