K olenu Our Voice THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF PENINSULA TEMPLE BETH EL Protect with Honor Serve with Pride Dennis Eisner, Senior Rabbi Tevet-Nisan 5780 Rabbi Tarfon would say, “It is Never has this teaching resonated so deeply not up to you to finish the work, with me as it did when I attended two January-March yet you are not free to avoid it.” retirement functions for our very own San 2020 (Pirke Avot 2:16) Mateo Police Chief and PTBE member, Susan Manhiemer. Our tradition teaches us that we are not responsible for completing Inside this Issue all of the work it takes to make 2 President's our world more generous and Message loving. At the same time, our tradition does teach us that we are 3 Schedule of not free to evade our sacred responsibility. Shabbat Services 4-5 Like most of us who have chosen to be in B’nai Mitzvah service-related professions, or those who 6 Book Club volunteer their time caring for others, I know firsthand how this rabbinic teaching can run 7 ARZA circles in our minds. As the Senior Rabbi at PTBE, I observe our staff struggling to keep up 8 Our with the demands of community. I engage with Chief and PTBE member, Susan Manhiemer. Community our lay leadership as they give of their time, 9 Sunday intellect, and resources to guide and support Chief Manheimer’s thirty-plus years in law Sandwich Hevre our congregation. I personally understand the enforcement epitomize the struggle our 10 physical, emotional and spiritual energy that rabbis taught in Pirke Avot. I can’t imagine Beth El Women the clergy team expends to comfort, celebrate, that there was ever a day when the Chief teach and care for our members. of Police finished her day by clapping her 11 Senior Friendship Teachers, healthcare professionals, social hands together and stating, “All the work Club is done, and now I can sit back and relax”. workers, firefighters, law enforcement 17-18 Contributions professionals, military personnel, To the contrary, I know that every day volunteers…, the list goes on, as so many of Chief Manheimer, like every police officer, 19-21 Calendar of us face the fact that there is never enough finished her day by clapping her hands Events together in gratitude. Grateful she made it time for us to finish our sacred work. While 22-23 Yahrzeits we may wring our hands and rub our heads home safely, knowing she tried her best to as we struggle to finish the task of making make our city safer and more compassionate. our world a better place, we realize that we Chief Manheimer, like all of her colleagues, can’t do it all in one day. Our only choice understands that every day brings with it is to start each day by thanking God, and the imminent danger of police work. In to remind ourselves that we are blessed to her retirement address, Chief Manheimer be alive and have the ability to continue the reminded all of us that what she and the work of tikkun olam. See Chief on page 12 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Tevet-Nisan 5780 Tevet-Nisan 5780 President’s Message Jeff Hyman, President January-March 2020 Have you ever attended KOLENU a Kaballat Shabbat Published Quarterly by service with 5,000 Peninsula Temple Beth El people sitting in the 1700 Alameda de las Pulgas pews? Well, that is San Mateo, CA 94403 precisely what Rabbi (650) 341-7701 Lisa, Kate Lauzar, Fax (650) 570-7183 Roger Feigelson and I www.ptbe.org got to experience on a Education Office (650) 931-0775 Friday night in December while attending Gift Shop (650) 345-6563 the Union for Reform Judaism’s 2019 A reform congregation Biennial in Chicago. Our service was led Roger Feigelson, Rabbi Lisa, Kate Lauzar and Jeff Hyman. affiliated with the Union for by a talented and articulate Rabbi from Reform Judaism Pennsylvania, and a Cantor from New of a vast and vibrant community. As we PTBE Staff York, who had both an extraordinary engage with clergy, staff, and lay leaders from Dennis J. Eisner voice and a charismatic style. The Senior Rabbi hundreds of other synagogues, we realize that feeling of Shabbat and community was Lisa Kingston we have far more similarities than differences. Associate Rabbi/Educator palpable, even though we sat in a convention We confront similar challenges, like Laura J. Rumpf hall large enough to fit an aircraft carrier. Assistant Rabbi/Educator We greeted our seatmates, a couple from how to enable meaningful relationships and Elana Jagoda Kaye Oak Park, Michigan, and they could just engaging experiences for temple members; Cantor as easily have been from San Mateo. For how to inspire our members to support the Kate Lauzar that night, we were all part of the same temple generously with their time, effort Executive Director congregation. We were the congregation of and funds; and how to make temple life Meredith Liron reform Judaism. relevant and meaningful to five different Director, Ganon Early Childhood generations of Jews who all share the same Education Center Leading and running a synagogue of 900+ synagogue. (My friends Zara Jaffe and households is a complex, never-ending labor Ed Austin who are in their 90’s, have quite Officers 2019-2020: President: Jeff Hyman of love for our clergy, staff, and lay leaders. different spiritual and communal needs than First Vice President: Roger Feigelson We are acutely aware of the blessings we enjoy my 13-year old daughter, Sierra). Second Vice President: Julie Garlikov Secretary: Debby Courtney at PTBE, as well as the challenges we face. Treasurer: Steve Sarver The urgency of daily responsibilities is always We care about similar issues. How do we Immed Past Pres.: Lawrence Siegel at our doorstep, (from fixing the plumbing, make our communities more inclusive and Board of Trustees 2019–2020 to handling a myriad of administrative tasks, just, and still tackle the rising inequality Roxanne Cohen Ex-Officio teaching classes, and making hospital visits— that surrounds us? How do we combat a Debby Courtney Members just to name a few). There are the bigger wave of anti-Semitism that threatens the Roger Feigelson Pam Barasch & Julie Garlikov Marcia Barkoff, picture issues spelled out in our Strategic perception and reality of our safety? How do Marni Gerber Beth El Women Plan, that we frequently address at Board we love the State of Israel unconditionally, Julie Goldman Neil Oettinger, meetings. while occasionally disagreeing with its Sydney Kapchan Brotherhood governmental policies? Sherry Lipson Zara Jaffe, Senior With all that effort and focus on ourselves, David Pelzner Friendship Club Steve Sarver it is easy to forget that PTBE does not exist A favorite part of any Biennial is chatting Aviv Siegel on an island. We are part of a movement. We with other temple leaders. We share are but one of many reform synagogues across our collective experiences, successes, and North America. Attending the Biennial, frustrations in doing this sacred work. which I also had the chance to do in 2017, 2 is an incredible reminder that PTBE is part See President on page 13 SHABBAT SERVICES January-March 2020 Schedule of Shabbat Services Friday, January 24 Friday, February 28 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, January 25 Saturday, February 29 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Cole Noah Greenspan becomes Bar Mitzvah Reimer becomes Bar Mitzvah Friday, January 31 Friday, March 6 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service 5:30 p.m. Tree of Life Service 7:15 p.m. Shabbat Hallelu Service Saturday, February 1 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Saturday, March 7 Joshua Jacobs becomes Bar Mitzvah 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Philippa Reading becomes Bat Mitzvah Friday, February 7 5:30 p.m. Tree of Life Service Friday, March 13 7:15 p.m. Shabbat Hallelu Service 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, February 8 Saturday, March 14 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, 9 a.m. Tot Shabbat Juliana and Lara McDowell become 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service B’not Mitzvah Friday, March 20 Friday, February 14 6:30 p.m. Shabbat Unplugged 6:30 pm Shabbat Unplugged Saturday, March 21 Saturday, February 15 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Samantha Leavitt becomes Bat Mitzvah Siena Weisman becomes Bat Mitzvah Friday, March 27 Friday, February 21 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service 6:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, March 28 Saturday, February 22 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service, Jack Handelman/Nikolas Baker become Noe Peretz becomes Bat Mitzvah B’nai Mitzvah Morning Minyan – Tuesdays at 8 a.m. Go Scent Free You never know who will end up seated next to you in the Sanctuary, and they may not have a tolerance for strong perfumes or lotions. For some, strong scents can bring on headaches, migraines, or an asthma attack. Please be considerate and come to the temple scent free. 3 B’NAI MITZVAH Tevet-Nisan 5780 B’nai Mitzvah The congregation is invited and encouraged to attend the special Shabbat services when the children of our congregation become Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Davis Minton—January 4 Eliana Sarver— January 18 Davis is the son of Jennifer and John Eliana is the daughter of Jennifer and Steven Minton. He has a younger brother, Aaron, Sarver. Her three brothers are Sam 17, Zach 11.