VROXPH1XPEHU-DQXDU\THYHW6KHYDW Volume 29, Number 2 • October 2009 • Tishrei/Cheshvan 5770 directory TEMPLE BETH ABRAHAM Services Schedule is proud to support the Conservative Movement Services Location Time by affiliating with The United Synagogue of Monday & Thursday Morning Minyan Chapel 8:00 a.m. Conservative Judaism. Friday Evening (Kabbalat Shabbat) Chapel 6:15 p.m. Shabbat Morning Sanctuary 9:30 a.m. Advertising Policy: Anyone may sponsor an issue of The Omer and receive a dedication for their business or loved one. Contact us for Candle Lighting (Friday) details. We do not accept outside or paid advertising. October 2 6:34 p.m. The Omer is published on paper that is 30% post-consumer fibers. October 9 6:23 p.m. October 16 6:13 p.m. The Omer (USPS 020299) is published monthly except July October 23 6:04 p.m. and August by Congregation Beth Abraham, 336 Euclid Avenue, October 30 5:55 p.m. Oakland, CA 94610. Periodicals Postage Paid at Oakland, CA. Torah Portions (Saturday) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Omer, c/o Temple October 3 Sukkot Beth Abraham, 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610-3232. October 10 Shemini Atzeret October 17 Bereshit © 2009. Temple Beth Abraham. October 24 Noach To view the color version, visit www.tbaoakland.org. October 31 Lech-Lecha GENERAL INFORMATION COMMITTEES & ORGANIZATIONS All phone numbers use (510) prefix unless otherwise noted. If you would like to contact the committee chairs, Mailing Address 336 Euclid Ave. please contact the synagogue office for phone numbers Oakland, CA 94610 and e-mail addresses. 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 Centennial Fund Raising Paul & Flo Raskin and E-Mail [email protected] Alan & Cheryl Silver Gan Avraham 763-7528 Centennial Steering Committee Sandy Margolin Bet Sefer 663-1683 Chesed Warren Gould Development Laura Wildmann STAFF Dues Evaluation Marshall Langfeld Rabbi (ext. 213) Mark Bloom Endowment Fund Herman Pencovic Cantor (ext. 218) Richard Kaplan Finance Marshall Langfeld Gabai David Galant Gan Avraham Parents Andrea Futter and Executive Director (ext. 214) Art Rosenberg Jo Ilfeld Office Coordinator (ext. 210) Aliza Schechter Gan Avraham Subcommittee Samantha Spielman Bet Sefer Director Susan Simon House Stephen Shub Gan Avraham Director Wendy Siver Israel Affairs David Marinoff Bookkeeper (ext. 215) Christine Tripod Membership Stacy Margolin and Custodians (ext. 211) Joe Lewis, Dennis Moore Jill Rosenthal Kindergym/Toddler Program Dawn Margolin 547-7726 Men’s Club Eric Friedman Volunteers (ext. 229) Herman & Agnes Pencovic Publicity & Promotion Sally Ann Berk Ritual Sally Ann Berk OFFICERS Schools Stacy Margolin President Stephen Shub 339-3614 Social Action Bryan Schwartz Vice President Mark Fickes 652-8545 Torah Fund Anne Levine Vice President Jerry Levine 336-0565 Tree of Life Open Vice President Stacy Margolin 482-3153 Web Site Outi Gould Vice President Bryan Schwartz 350-7681 Women of TBA Judith Klinger Secretary Laura Wildmann 601-9571 Youth Steve Fankuchen Treasurer Marshall Langfeld 769-6970 i what’s happening Join Oakland Ruach Hadassah on a “Safari” of the Oakland Zoo Sunday, October 25 Special docents will guide Hadassah members, their children and grandchildren and other guests through the award- Join Women of TBA for winning Oakland Zoo. This family event is open to all, even adults unaccompanied by children. Travel through an African savannah, delight in the antics of Interactive Torah Study the meerkats and chimpanzees, see the baby giraffe (and of course the lions, tigers and elephants), explore the rain for- in the TBA Sukkah est, and visit the renown children’s zoo with its discovery playground area. There will be a special activities sheet for Sunday, October 4 youngsters to complete. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at the park and plan to stay afterwards to give your tot a spin on some of the classic kiddie rides available at the zoo’s amuse- ment park. The group will meet in the upper parking lot (closest to the zoo entrance) at 9:45 a.m. RSVPs are needed by October 17. To RSVP, please call Miriam Goodley at (510) 891-8256 or email at [email protected]. The cost is $10 per adult and $8 per child (parking fees not included). Checks should Continental Breakfast at 10:30 a.m. be made out to Hadassah and sent to Goodley, 100 Bay Place #1715, Oakland CA 94610-4427 or brought to the Our Program begins at 11 a.m. event. Please let her know if a wheelchair is needed. We will finish around 12:30 p.m. Zoo address: 9777 Golf Links Rd., Oakland, off Highway 580. Our Topic: Oakland Ruach Hadassah events are open to all. You need not be a member to participate. Harlots, Witches, Wives and Tricksters: Women of the Bible Friday Evening at 7:30 p.m. October 30 with Devra Aarons* Using contemporary and older art sources, Raza deShabbat discussion, [light] Torah study and a few The Secret of the Sabbath movement exercises, we’ll explore the stories of - Zohar, Terumah 134a Biblical women. How do these women inform our lives today? How do their stories reflect our Join Hazzan Richard Kaplan stories? And why is it that some Biblical women don’t even get names? Join us for a chance to for a unique Shabbat experience. actively engage in Jewish learning, under the We will daven the beautiful Tefillot (prayers), breezy palms of the TBA Sukkah. Tehillim, (psalms) and Zemirot (songs) of the *Devra Aarons is currently the Director of Contra Sabbath liturgy, using the nuscha’ot (musical styles) Costa Midrasha and an educator at Berkeley of Jewish communities from around the world – Midrasha. She’s also been a Field Producer for Moroccan, Yemenite, Hasidic, Turkish, Sephardi CNBC, HGTV and the Food Network and was the -Yerushalmi, Iraqi, Salonican, Western European Managing Director for Traveling Jewish Theatre. and American. We will sing contemplative niggunim Contact Beth Sirull with questions. Also, we’d (musical meditations without words) to help uplift appreciate an RSVP so we have enough food! our prayers, recite sacred poetry, drash, dance RSVP to [email protected] or (510) 601-5570. and drum. This event is open to all women! This gathering will take place in the Temple Beth Abraham (Oakland) Chapel. 1 from the rabbi Tale of Four Synagogues Remah, provided it. It is only because of the By Rabbi Mark Bloom Remah that Jewish law became standardized and codified. So what the Remah synagogue This is a tale of four synagogues: the Remah, represents is Jewish law and learning. the Kupah, the Temple, and the Isaac. These are the names of four synagogues in Krakow, Near the Remah synagogue is the Kupah, Poland, which I visited last March. founded in 1643 by the entire community. The word Kupah means community chest and this Jews arrived in Krakow in the late 1200s, modest synagogue was for the poor – those who German immigrants en route to Prague. couldn’t afford a synagogue. As the community Krakow soon became famous as a center of synagogue, it changed in different directions Yeshiva learning, but also for its Jewish diver- over time. At some point, its walls became sity. The community endured pogroms, expul- adorned with paintings of Zodiac signs. Since sions, and anti-Semitism, but it was one of the when does Judaism believe in astrology? Well, most successful Jewish communities in Europe. since a long time ago, as you’ll find Zodiac at Tragically, the Jewish population peaked at ancient synagogue ruins in Israel. It’s not that 60,000 on the Eve of the Holocaust, when the Judaism “believes” in astrology, per se, as much community was destroyed with the exception of as paintings like this show that Judaism inter- 1,000 people, saved by being on Schindler’s list. acted with surrounding cultures and spiritual Seeing these synagogues was inspiring, with movements. each synagogue historically interesting in its The Kupah synagogue represents not only the own right and each representing a different will of the people, but our obligation to care aspect of Jewish life. for those without means. In Biblical times that As a rabbi, I am blessed that people share with referred to the widow, the poor, and the strang- me their connections to Judaism. For some, er. Today, it might be the homeless, hungry, or formal prayer is meaningless but philanthropy disenfranchised. offers Jewish purpose. Some connect to Judaism The third synagogue is known as “The Temple,” through Kabbalah, others through Zionism, even in Poland. Built in 1862, it is famous for still others through values they can’t identify. its neo-Romanesque architecture and ornate Judaism is not one size fits all, and the tale of Moorish-style interior. Founded by Krakow’s these synagogues, the Remah, the Kupah, the Jewish Reformers, it often functions as a concert Temple, and the Isaac, shows this diversity. hall. The Remah is the smallest but busiest, and the This synagogue represents the beauty of Jewish only one that still functions as a synagogue for ritual and Judaism’s innovative spirit, the abil- current Jewish residents. Built in 1558, it was ity to adapt, beautify, and flourish. Our rituals named for the great Rabbi Moses Isserles, Moses connect us to our traditions, our ancestors, ben Israel, whose acronym is the Remah. The and God, but each person and each generation building is plain, but it is not the building, but should imbue those rituals with sacred meaning the man, that is important.