August 2016 - Beth Am Synagogue

My Reluctant
Return to the Kotel
Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg
AUGUST 2016
AV/ELUL 5776
CONTENTS
MESSAGE FROM
THE RABBI
1
CANTOR’S CORNER
6
CONGREGATIONAL
LEARNING
8
PRESIDENT’S
PRESPECTIVE
11
UPCOMING EVENTS
16*
COMMUNITY NEWS
19
CONTRIBUTIONS
20
FUND DESIGNATION
23
*throughout bulletin
I write these words from
an apartment in Abu Tur,
Jerusalem, where I am
attending the first installment of my multiyear fellowship at the Hartman Institute. It
has been a wonderful experience with topnotch learning, meaningful community (and
lots of excellent kosher food!) But there have
been a few trying moments as well.
The month of August includes Tisha B’Av,
the day on which, by tradition, the Jerusalem
temples were burnt in 586 BCE and 70 CE
respectively. A midrash explains that the
second temple, in particular, was destroyed
because of sinat hinam, causeless hatred.
Alas, eretz Yisrael is still not immune to the
phenomenon of Jews hating other Jews. Below
is a piece I wrote for The Jewish Forward
about my experience at the Kotel on Rosh
Hodesh Tammuz:
Thursday morning, I joined hundreds of
women and men as we stood in solidarity
at Judaism’s holiest site. We danced in
celebration of a new Jewish month (Rosh
Hodesh), we lifted our voices in song,
and we demanded that the Israeli
government implement a plan to which
it had already agreed.
Protests are familiar to me. I have often felt
called to march or stand up or speak on
behalf of the marginal or disenfranchised.
Being a rabbi is for me many things, but
among them it is a call to see justice done.
US
ON
facebook.com/
BethAmBaltimore
This Thursday, though, I didn’t visit the Kotel
with eagerness nor hope for change but
instead with trepidation. I was 21 years old
the last time I prayed with an egalitarian
group on the Kotel plaza. I was a Junior in
college studying at Hebrew University for
the year and exploring a deeper religious
life which brought me, on Shavuot, to
the newly formed Conservative Yeshiva.
We learned Torah and rabbinic sources
throughout the night, noshing on Bamba
and rugelach, sipping soda or coffee.
At first light, we began to make our way
through the streets of West Jerusalem
continues on page 3
BETH AM OFFICE AND STAFF
Office Hours:
Phone Numbers:
Email/Website:
Tuesday — Thursday: 9am - 4pm
Telephone: (410) 523-2446
Email: nakia@bethambaltimore.org
Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg
(443) 202-0912 (cell for emergencies only, please)
ravdaniel@bethambaltimore.org
Friday: 9am - 3pm
Fax: (410) 523-1729
Site: www.bethambaltimore.org
Office Contact Extentions:
Henry Feller
Executive Director
henry@bethambaltimore.org
(443) 742-9654 (cell for emergencies only, please)
Rabbi Daniel Burg - 14
Rabbi Kelley Gludt - 15
Henry Feller, Executive Director - 20
Josh Weisberg, Program Coordinator - 16
Rachel Weitzner, Capital Campaign Coordinator - 21
Norm Weinstein, Bookkeeper - 17
Nakia Davis, Front Office Coordinator &
Assistant to the Rabbi - 11
Lynora Lawless, Communications &
Membership Coordinator - 10
Linda Small, Annual Fund Coordinator
linda@bethambaltimore.org
Sandy Winters, Ritual Coordinator - (410) 598-6397
Julie Gottlieb
Board President
juliegbetham@gmail.com • (410) 294-7418
Transportation assistance?
Contact Joyce Keating at
joyceskeating@yahoo.com or (410) 358-5477
Cantor Ira Greenstein
(443) 759-7807 (home) • cantor.ira@gmail.com
Rabbi Kelley Gludt
Director of Congregational Learning
(520) 248-9541 (cell)
rabbikelley@bethambaltimore.org
BETH AM BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Rabbi
Daniel Cotzin Burg
Officers
President 1st Vice President 2nd Vice President Treasurer Secretary Julie Gottlieb
Lisa Akchin
Lynn Sassin
Alan Kopolow
David Lunken
Trustees through 2017
David Demsky
Ashley Pressman
Risa Jampel
Naomi Rosner
Trustees through 2018
Debbie Agus
Carol Berkower
Dina Billian
Matt Herman
Standing Committees
Continuing Ed Chair Continuing Ed Co-Chair Finance Chair Finance Co-Chair
Kiddush Chair Membership Chair Membership Co-Chair Religious Services Chair Social Action Chair Social Action Co-Chair Youth Education Chair Ad Hoc Committees
Annual Fund Chair Annual Fund Vice Chair
Balt. Jewish Council Rep.
Trustees through 2019
Beth Am Connection Ilene Cohen
Marjorie Manne
Brenda Serpick
Bob Wittenstein
BAYITT Chair Congregant to Congregant Past Presidents and Life Members
Development Chair
Past President Scott Zeger
Development Co-Chair
Past President Cy Smith
In, For and Of, Inc.
Honorary Life Member
Lainy LeBow-Sachs Marketing Chair Honorary Life Member
Efrem Potts
Operations Co-Chair
Operations Co-Chair
Res. Hill Improvement Council
2
Roberta Greenstein
Rachel Rosenheck
Alan Kopolow
Joe Wolfson
Desireé Robinson
Patricia Fradkin-Berman
Meg Hyman
Joe Wolfson
Arthur Shulman
Jackie Donowitz
Dina Billian
Ricky Fine
Jim Jacobs
Ben Rosenberg
Joanne Katz
Risa Jampel
Sara Goodman
Joyce Keating
Lainy LeBow-Sachs
Cy Smith
Don Akchin
Ellen Spokes
Ashley Pressman
David Demsky
Don Akchin
Return to the Kotel continued
toward the Old City. I remember
the anticipation I felt, the
excitement rising in me as students
at various yeshivot spilled into the
streets forming rivulets and then
rivers of bodies. We flowed toward
the Temple Mount, one people
making its ancient aliyat haregel,
our sacred pilgrimage.
Eventually, the police escorted
us to the bus station beyond the
Kotel plaza. We resumed our
prayers. We were followed and
surrounded again. The morning
concluded on the ramparts of
the Old City walls, high above the
Kotel which was barely visible off
in the distance.
A group of us, men and women
together, gathered in the Western
Wall plaza at daybreak, well back
from the gender-segregated
sections, and began to pray.
Jerusalem, at sunrise, is golden
and pink and as a young college
student thirsty for Torah and
connection, my sleep-deprived
body filled with caffeine and
adrenaline, I drank it all in with
innocent delight.
In the nineteen years since, I have
been to the Kotel. I’ve brought my
family, stood with my seven-yearold son, our foreheads pressed
against the stone. I’ve led shul
trips and done my best to create
an atmosphere of holiness for my
congregants as they experienced
the Western Wall for the first time.
But since that day in 1997, the
Kotel plaza, the Ultra-Orthodox
shul that has infiltrated Israel’s
national holy site, has not been
holy for me but profane.
The sun was fully in the sky as
some Ultra-Orthodox men began
to notice our group. At first they
seemed surprised, perhaps even
curious. We continued to raise
our voices in prayer and song:
Hallel, the book of Ruth, Torah,
Haftarah – and as we prayed the
crowd around us grew. More of
them had finished their prayers
and stopped to gape on their
way back to the Jewish Quarter.
The few became dozens, dozens
became more than a hundred
and still their numbers grew.
They surrounded us. The shouting
began. They called us names:
“Goyim! Traitors! Nazis!” Women
were pushed to the ground by
men who refuse to touch women.
I was hit in the chest with a bottle
of ice. The police came but they
didn’t know what to do. They
encircled our group but could
not contain the vortex swirling
and pulsing around us. I had never
seen anything like it – in the eyes
of these Jewish men was pure
hate, anger beyond description.
Rage.
Recently, the Masorti and Reform
streams, together with Women
of the Wall struck a deal with the
Israeli government. Yizhar Hess,
Executive Director of Israel’s
Conservative Movement describes
it this way:
“Finally, there will be one Kotel:
Walking through one common
entrance, visitors will be able to
choose which part of the Kotel
they would like to pray [at] or visit –
the Northern Plaza of the Western
Wall which respects Orthodox
custom, or the Southern Plaza that
respects the egalitarian traditions
of both Conservative & Reform
Judaism. The two plazas, north &
south, will provide Torah scrolls,
siddurim, tables for Torah reading &
everything necessary for every man
and woman to pray as they see fit.
Every month, Women of the Wall will
be able to pray, undisturbed in the
Southern Plaza.”
The new plan was to be
implemented months ago. The
government has stalled. Haredi
and religious nationalist forces
3
Return to the Kotel continued
have combined to block
egalitarian prayer at Robinson’s
Arch. So, this past Thursday we
returned to the Kotel plaza. And
I went because I am here in
Jerusalem. And despite my fear,
despite reliving that trauma of
received hatred and violence at
the hand of my fellow Jew, I went
to stand for a better Israel and a
fuller Judaism.
The morning went mostly as
expected. The Women of the
Wall, three hundred strong, sang
and prayed. They smuggled in
a Torah and celebrated a bat
mitzvah. A woman blew a whistle
at them, over and over again.
Others chanted epithets. Men,
who erect mechitzas so as not
to see women during prayer,
stood on chairs and shouted
into the women’s section. One
of them tore up a prayer book
and scattered the pieces to the
wind. Afterward we gathered as
one community in the common
plaza, women and men, to sing
Psalms for Rosh Hodesh. We were
unmolested this time (though a
similar gathering a few weeks ago
did not fair so well). We closed
with Hatikvah.
As for me, I’m glad to have
returned to the Kotel plaza. I
don’t know when, if ever, it will
again feel holy. But the best
part of the morning wasn’t
the egalitarian minyan; it was
standing with the other men,
many of them my fellow rabbis,
in the plaza and echoing the
prayers of Women of the Wall.
How I strained for a better view.
How I yearned to cross over into
that space and touch that Torah
and raise my voice in song. It is
the yearning I will remember. A
yearning my female friends and
colleagues know all too well.
Read more:
http://tinyurl.com/RDBArticle
Follow Rabbi Burg on his blog
www.theurbanrabbi.org
4
The
Annual
Fund
for Beth Am
      
 
       
   
From every person whose heart
is willing take my offering...and
make me a holy space that I may
dwell among them.
- Exodus 25
Thank you to everyone who has
so generously contributed to this
year’s Annual Fund. We hope
for 100% participation from the
Beth Am family in support of our
synagogue. Please make your
donation now by calling Ricky Fine
at (410) 358-2380.
5
CANTOR’S CORNER
Does “Truth” Diminish Value?
Cantor Ira Greenstein
Lately, I have been reading a book
titled, How the Bible Became Holy
by Michael L. Satlow, a professor
of Religious and Judaic Studies at
Brown University. The book takes
evidence gathered from a variety
of Middle East and Greek / Roman
sources and attempts to draw from
them a possible understanding of
how the various sources of texts
came together to form what we see
today as the Tanakh – the Torah,
the Prophets, and the Writings. It
also seeks to track the history of
how people began to see these texts
as “holy,” that is, associated with or
capturing the rules of behavior and
human interactions of God and then
obligating ourselves to follow them.
(They apparently did NOT start out
as holy books at all.)
My purpose in this column is not
to summarize the book. It is too
intricate, and it would necessitate
complicated distinctions between fact
and speculation. For example, there
have long been theories of how what
we see as the Torah (Five Books of
Moses) is actually a compilation of
works of at least 3 authors (often
called E, J, and P), who themselves
may have compiled their respective
works from sources available to
them. Satlow is hampered in part
by trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle
with a substantial number of pieces
missing, and he openly discloses
where he is speculating. I find it
an honest book. But certainly, his
premise has nothing to do with the
idea of texts being dictated by God to
Moses on Mt. Sinai and given to the
Children of Israel, or with inspired
scribes transcribing verbatim the
6
divinely-inspired words of prophets,
or documenting unbiased histories of
kings and nation-states.
One might expect that, depending
on one’s orthodoxy (small “o”), the
book could serve as enlightenment,
or alternatively could be heretical.
Analyses like Satlow’s contradict
what we teach our children, showing
that it’s possible we have built our
religion based on what we could call
a misleading premise. It is not hard
to see how an adult being exposed
to a more “scientific” analysis could
become cynical about religion. I dare
say that this is not uniquely a Jewish
circumstance, since Christian and
Islamic beliefs are founded on equally
curious texts. But from a traditional
perspective, because these texts are
“the word of God,” we have devoted
generations of thought to reconcile
and comprehend the message in each
inconsistency in the texts.
The challenge I am posing here to
us, as parents and educators and
adults, is how to teach the evolving
non-orthodox truth, that our
foundation texts are theology from
truly divinely-inspired humans with
remarkable intellect, not history –
that perhaps there was no Noah or
Abraham or Moses or parting of Sea
of Reeds, but that these religious
icons are a means of conveying the
essence of our belief, culture, and
moral compass which have been part
of our 3,500-year heritage, which our
parents and grandparents used as
their guideposts, and which give us
a sense of belonging. And because of
that system of beliefs, our ancestors
have been celebrated, enslaved,
tortured, successful, and triumphant.
We have brought great things to our
civilization and aspire to continue,
all because of this faith.
My fear is that, as I have seen, at
some point – if we do not explain
these truths – we risk turning or
losing people because they ascertain
that Judaism has misled them
and that they only require a moral
compass, not a Jewish religion, to
guide their lives. In my opinion, we
should find a way to convey that our
source texts are culture, not history
and not truth, and that our religion
is a communal tradition which gives
our lives understanding, guidance,
comfort, and direction. I think
Judaism is a strong enough belief
set to survive an honest assessment
of our sources. The texts are holy
because they define our role in the
world and the relationship we have
with a power that is beyond our
ability to understand. It may take
generations to figure out the right
educational approach, but that is a
challenge we should take up.
We need your feedback for 5777!
Please complete this short survey:
tinyurl.com/KesherLNeshama
Hard copies are available by request.
7
CONGREGATIONAL LEARNING
Rabbi Kelley Gludt
In his Mishneh Torah Moses
Maimonides, the great 12th century
rabbinic authority, philosopher and
royal physician, said:
Every Jew is required to study Torah,
whether poor or rich, healthy or
ailing, young or old and feeble. Even
a man so poor that he is maintained
by charity or goes begging from door
to door, as also a man with a wife
and children to support, is under
the obligation to set aside a definite
period during the day and night for
the study of the Torah. Until what
period in life is one obligated to study
Torah? Until the day of one’s death.
Luckily, Beth Am has a year full
of educational opportunities that
will allow you to be a part of this
2000-year-old tradition.
We will kick off an amazing year
of learning with a special weekend
in September devoted to this year’s
theme of Sacred Space. Under the
expert guidance of Marilyn Price,
Jewish educator, puppeteer and
storyteller, we will hear and share
the stories that strengthen the
bonds between us as a community.
Saturday evening, for Slichot, we
will welcome Baltimore’s own
Dr. Paul Schneider, rabbi, teacher
and storyteller, as he employs
story to take us through the
process of teshuvah.
Young families are encouraged
to participate in our weekly
Shaabbat Yachad, an all-sensory
experience for our littlest members.
If you have school-age children,
join us for Shabbat Lab and Junior
Congregation, Shabbat experiences
which offer a warm and welcoming
place for children and families to
8
both acquire and practice lifelong
synagogue skills. Students and
families in the sixth and seventh
grades will participate in a twoyear B’nai Mitzvah experience that
includes social justice work in the
wider Baltimore community, family
values clarification, advocacy, a book
club, and public speaking.
Every Shabbat morning finds a
dedicated group of learners engaging
in the weekly Torah portion, and
this year, in our monthly Lunch and
Learn sessions, we will explore the
five Megillot and the big questions
they ask and answer today.
Slichot
Sacred Stories, Sacred Space
Saturday, September 24 with Marilyn Price
A special program for our young families
Saturday evening with Dr. Paul Schneider
Sunday, September 25 for our Lab families
We will be offering a Hebrew
Marathon to put learners on the
road to decoding our ancient,
holy language. In March, join your
synagogue community for our fourth
annual shul Shabbaton, a ruachfilled weekend filled with learning
and praying and playing together.
This year we will once again benefit
from time spent with a Scholar-inResidence, enjoy a stirring discussion
at our annual Sages through the
Ages presentation, come together
for Shabbat dinners in the Sukkah,
and enjoy some out-of-the-box
learning opportunities, such as
Shabbat Tai Chi.
This is only a small sampling of
the educational opportunities your
community has planned for this year,
chances to come and be together,
to explore ancient and modern
Jewish thought and philosophy, to
learn with and from one another,
and to benefit from the deep and
knowledgeable Jewish resources
from both within and outside our
community.
Join us!
Save the Date!
4th Annual Beth Am Shabbaton
March 24 - 26, 2017
Capital Camps & Retreat Center, Waynesboro, PA
Theme: Giborim - Jewish Heroes
Enrollment for The Jewish Discovery Lab 5777/2016-2017
is now open for kindergarten through eleventh grade.
Go to www.bethambaltimore.org to enroll online!
9
While there are many ways to give to Beth Am, we hope you
will consider supporting the Synagogue’s missions by
making a bequest to Beth Am in your will or living trust.
Making a bequest allows you to combine your financial planning with
philanthropy to make a lasting investment in the future of our congregation.
Contact your attorney to learn how you can make a bequest to Beth Am.
Discover what has been happening
this summer behind the Sanctuary’s
closed doors.
Join us for Shabbat services on:
September 10
September 24
to see the latest results of
10
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
Julie Gottlieb, President
As you read this, we will be well
into the dog days of August. The
warm (hot and sticky) weather and
long days of summer invite us to
slow down and step off the treadmill
for a while. Whether it’s going to a
family reunion, traveling with one’s
kids during school vacation, getting
together with other Beth Am’ers at
Services in the Park, or reading books
and taking long walks,
I hope you are enjoying a break
from your routine.
Summer also is a time for looking
ahead. At Beth Am, planning for the
coming year is well underway. At the
Annual Congregational Meeting on
June 5th, Rabbi Burg and Director
of Congregational Learning Kelley
Gludt announced that we will explore
the theme of “sacred space” during
5777. You will hear more about the
ways this idea will come to life in
our continuing education programs,
the Jewish Discovery Lab, and other
programs and activities.
In the meantime, I want to report
on progress involving Beth Am’s
sacred space – the plans to
expand and renovate our historic
shul building. At an open meeting
last December, the congregation
reviewed and discussed “concept
designs” for adding to and renovating
the building, and the Board of
Trustees voted to approve a $12
million Campaign goal to support an
endowment and a building plan. The
next step is to move from general
concepts to a fully designed project.
I am delighted to share that over a
dozen Beth Am members have agreed
to serve on a Building Task Force. Ed
Hord is Chair of the Task Force, and
Lisa Akchin is serving as Vice-Chair.
The group includes congregants who
are professionals in architecture,
construction, real estate development,
and engineering, as well as members
who have deep involvement in
various facets of congregational
life. They will work with architects
and contractors through the design
and planning process, keep the
congregation involved and informed,
and make recommendations to the
board regarding final designs.
To move the design process forward,
the task force and its sub-groups
will be addressing several important
questions:
• How can we upgrade and
preserve the character of our
beautiful sanctuary while
possibly also adapting it for more
frequent use?
• What is the right size for a
• Beit Midrash, a new space that
would be used for intimate
worship and study?
• Which needs should a new
kitchen serve?
• What is the best way to design
• a more welcoming entrance to
our building?
Members of the Building Task Force
will need help from all of us as they
consider these and other questions.
During the summer and early fall,
they will reach out to congregational
stakeholders through synagogue
committees and via focus groups
that will be open to all members.
These conversations will be about our
community’s sacred space and how
to make it as inspiring, effective, and
functional as possible. Please take
advantage of opportunities to share
your views with the Task Force.
You don’t have to be an architect or
engineer to weigh in.
11
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY
July 31
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2
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7
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21
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24
28
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Rosh Hodesh
1 Elul
5
6
7
11
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Tisha B’av
KUSY
LAB
LAB
4
Rosh Hodesh
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
5
Rosh Hodesh
Av 1
7:55pm Candle Lighting
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12
5:30pm BAYITT
7:46pm Candle Lighting
6
8:45am DIY Torah Study
9:30am Kesher Services
11:15am DIY Shabbat
Yachad
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8:45 am DIY Torah Study
9:30am Kesher Services
11:15am DIY Shabbat
Yachad
8:15pm Tisha B’Av Services
18
19
7:37pm Candle Lighting
25
26
7:27pm Candle Lighting
September 1
2
7:16pm Candle Lighting
AUGUST
THURSDAY
20
8:45am DIY Torah Study
9:30am Kesher Services
11:15am DIY Shabbat
Yachad
27
8:45 am DIY Torah Study
9:30am Kesher Services
11:15am DIY Shabbat
Yachad
2016
3
Rosh Hodesh
8:45am DIY Torah Study
9:30am Kesher Services
11:15am DIY Shabbat
Yachad
8
9
6:30pm BAYITT
7:55pm Candle Lighting
16
6:53pm Candle Lighting
8:45am DIY Torah Study
9:30am Kesher Services
w/ Bat Mitzvah
of Laura Loveland
11:15 am DIY Shabbat
Yachad
17
8:45am DIY Torah Study
9:30am Kesher Services
10:15am Junior
Congregaion
11:15am DIY Shabbat
Yachad
5776
AV
ELUL
15
10
BOOKWORMS @ JOHN EAGER
HOWARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Join us: joyceskeating@yahoo.com/410-358-5477
Beth Am’s Bookworms Program just completed
its eighth year at Beth Am’s neighborhood school,
John Eager Howard Elementary. Volunteers
from Beth Am read to a class of kindergarten
students once a month throughout the school
year. The volunteers take books of their choice
to read to the children and then donate the books
to the classroom library.
Here is an anecdote from long-time Bookworm
volunteer Ed Levin, which was included in a
previous article but is worth repeating:
As I was walking to my car
after Saturday morning
services at Beth Am, I
stopped to say hello to two
boys who were playing with
their bikes. The younger
boy looked at me and said,
“I know you. You’re
Mr. Ed.” He knew me
from Bookworms.
After seven years, Cheri Levin
has stepped down as the head
of Bookworms.
If you are interested in becoming a
Bookworm volunteer or need more
information, please contact
Joyce Keating, the new head of
Bookworms, at joyceskeating@yahoo.com
or at 410-358-5477.
We were able to purchase books for the children to have to read over the
summer with the help of a partial grant from the Beth Am Social Action
Committee. We gave the summer reading books to the children at our
Bookworms session in May.
This past school year we had a record number of enthusiastic and committed
volunteers. Thanks to Sandy Angell, Grace Arak-Freedman, Bailey Fine,
Elaine Freeman, Laurie Glassner, Roberta Greenstein, Joyce Keating,
Francine Krumholz, Cheri Levin, Ed Levin, Raellen Polan, Judy Richter,
Barbara Rosenberger, Carla Rosenthal, Ann Saunders, Octavia Shulman,
Joan Sills, Deborah Singer, Linda Weisfeldt, Norm Wigutow, Gail
Wohlmuth, and Carol Zenilman!
14
GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL/FUTURE FRESHMAN
Joshua Adams
Jemicy Upper School
Curry College, Milton, MA
Eli Loeb
Friends School of Baltimore
Pomona College, Claremont, CA
Ross Basner
The Park School of Baltimore
Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Erin Minick
Carver Center for Arts and Technology
University of MD, College Park, MD
Hannah S. Berman
Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School
Franklin and Marshall College,
Lancaster, PA
Noah Samuels
Baltimore City College High School
University of Southern California
School of Architecture, Los Angeles, CA
Leah Fishman
Park School of Baltimore
Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Benjamin Segall
Park School of Baltimore
Trinity College, Hartford, CT
Julia LeMel
Dulaney Valley High School
University of MD, College Park, MD
Leah Miriam Smith
Park School of Baltimore
Yale University, New Haven, CT
Tobias (“Toby”) Spokes
Jemicy Upper School
Lasell College, Newton, MA
GRADUATING UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
Sydney Chasin
Edinburgh Napier
Kate Scher
College of Charleston
Aaron Kraft
Clark University
Daniel Stern
Yale University
COMPLETING GRADUATE PROGRAM
Eric Raphael Gottlieb
University of Maryland
School of Medicine
Leah Jacobs
University of Maryland
Rebecca Stainman
Drexel University School of Medicine
CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES!
Complete list as of 7-14-2016
15
UPCOMING EVENTS
BABYSITTERS NEEDED!
We need to add to our bench of babysitters for Shabbat Yachad and other
special events. Learn more about this
opportunity by emailing Josh at
Josh@bethambaltimore.org
BAYITT
BBQ
When: August 12, 2016
RSVP: tinyurl.com/BAYITTBBQ
We are young adults in our 20s and 30s transforming Jewish life in Baltimore
City by building an egalitarian, socially conscious Jewish community.
Check us out at bayitt.org
The highly anticipated cookbook from Beth
Am’s beloved food maven, “In the Kitchen
with Harriet, Vol.2” is now available.
Hardcover: $25
Paperback: $18
The net proceeds benefit Beth Am.
Order/Reserve your copy today! 410-523-2446 or nakia@bethambaltimore.org
AED/CPR CLASSES
We anticipate scheduling AED/CPR Classes between:
August 21 — September 18th. (Dates TBD) If you’re
interested in certification/re-certification, please
contact Josh at Josh@bethambaltimore.org
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TISHA B’AV SERVICES
Saturday, August 13 @ 8:15pm
Services & Chanting of Eicha,
The Scroll of Lamentations
We will sit on the Chapel floor
Please bring flashlights.
LUNCH&
learn
Fall Schedule:
September 21
November 15
December 20
February 20
BIMAH FLOWERS
Would you like to
co-sponsor the
High Holy Day Bimah
flowers in memory
of a loved one?
Please contact
Josh: 410.523.2446,
ext 16 or
email at josh@
bethambaltimore.org
THE THRILLAS IN THE MEGILLAS:
EXPLORING PROVOCATIVE AND PERTINENT
THEMES IN OUR FIVE LITURGICAL SCROLLS
WILL RETURN MONTHLY ON TUESDAYS
FROM NOON - 1 PM
Join Beth Am congregants and friends for Lunch and Learn
with Rabbi Daniel Burg and Rabbi Kelley Gludt.
All are welcome. Please bring a fish/dairy lunch.
In the spirit of volunteerism, we
would like to invite you to help
clean up after Kiddush Lunch.
Join our unofficial clean up crew to
make the transition quicker and cleaner
than ever before. Make it a mitzvah!
http://tinyurl.com/BethAmKiddush
From time to time Beth Am members ask for help
in the following ways:
• Rides to shul and events
• Rides to doctor appointments
• One-Dish Meals for those who are ill
• Occasional errands
Beth Am’s Congregant to Congregant (C2C) committee wants to provide
these services for our members.
Please indicate your interest to Joyce Keating: joyceskeating@yahoo.com
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HIGH HOLY DAY
SEATING
Reserve your seats for the
High Holy Days!
Fill out the form and pay online:
tinyurl.com/HHSeats2016
Deadline for Priority Seating has passed.
TALLITOT
CLEANING
High Holy Days are
fast approaching. We
need volunteers to
help us prepare by
cleaning the tallitot.
You will find these on
the table in the lobby.
Please return clean
tallitot in a bag and
place bag under the table.
Thank you for assisting in this!
Beth Am’s publications
wouldn’t be possible without
the help and generosity of our
proofreaders & photographers:
ProofreadersSarajane Greenfeld
Betty Seidel
PhotographersJim Burger
Aaron Levin
Michael Temchine
Siobhan O’Brian
TODAH RABAH!
Martyology 2016
Wednesday, October 12 at 2:00 pm
Beth Am’s Martyrology Service,
led by Rheda Becker, has been a
special part of Yom Kippur day
for our congregation.
During this service, it is our tradition
to hear about and remember martyrs
from different periods of Jewish
history. This year, we will reflect on
the past thirty years of these
Martyrology services.
The Martyrology Service
will begin at 2:00 p.m.
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Held after Kiddush lunch,
congregants share their
personal interpretation of
what Judaism means to
them and how they integrate
Judaism into their daily lives.
If you are interested
in sharing your Jewish
journey, please contact
Michael Sanow at
msanow@ccbcmd.edu.
COMMUNITY NEWS
PRAYERS FOR HEALING
Carolann Cory
Robert Young
Lynn Kapiloff
Ralph Dinsdale
Gavriel Haskins
Rebecca Feldberg
Jacqueline Martins
Mark Nelson
John Martin Marks
Peggye Remilleux
Bert Rosenheck
Murray Rose
Cole DeLorme
Joshua Simon
Elise Cohen
Koby Gruenwald
Bette Cotzin
Christine Fletcher
Frank Rosenstein
Lenore Berman
Marvin Berman
Debi Manhein
Russell Kassman
Ned Pollard
Charlie Blair
Ron Silberberg
Burton Gold
Alexa Moinkoff
Merle Sachs
Murray Sachs
Lottie Greene
Donald Allen
Hilda Coyne
Vickie Dorf
Fran Kanterman
70+ BIRTHDAYS
Patsy Perlman
Jane Reifler
Peter Semel
Barry Blumberg
Allen Coven
Joseph Katz
Richard Rosenthal
Marcia Kargon
Charles Neustadt
Robert Rombro
Suzanne Coven
Barbara Shapiro
Linda Gross
Barry Glass
Ivan Stern
Josef Nathanson
Richard Magid
Gigi McKendric
Joyce Leviton
Allen Schwait
Richard Swerling
Winifred Borden
Gala Stern
Daniel Chemers
Richard Rubin
Joanne Wallach
Rene Rosenthal
1-Aug
1-Aug
1-Aug
2-Aug
3-Aug
4-Aug
4-Aug
5-Aug
5-Aug
5-Aug
7-Aug
8-Aug
11-Aug
13-Aug
13-Aug
15-Aug
17-Aug
17-Aug
18-Aug
18-Aug
22-Aug
23-Aug
23-Aug
26-Aug
26-Aug
26-Aug
27-Aug
MAZEL TOV
Jackie Fried on receiving the
American Dental Hygienists
Association’s Irene Newman Award
for Professional Achievement
Lynn Sassin completing her term
on the JCS Board
Rachel Fishman Feddersen on
becoming Forward’s Publisher
(daughter of Merle and David Fishman)
Joan & Stuart Schoenfeld, and
Ida & Edward Gulin (grandparents),
on the wedding of Devorah Schoenfeld
& David Dror
Ben Rosenberg on becoming the
secretary of the BJC; being a member
of the Executive Committee and Vice
Chair of the Board of Trustees of the
Enoch Pratt Free Library
Ellen Heller and Shale Stiller
on receiving honorary doctorates
from Johns Hopkins University
Miriam Avins and Leah Smith
on their opinion pieces in the
Baltmore Sun June 2, 2016
Jordana Meisel as she heads off
to medical school
BIRTHS
Connie & Thomas Baker on birth of
their grandson, William Tholom Baker
(parents are Elizabeth and Daniel Baker)
Rebecca Adler Miserendino &
Scott Miserendino on the birth of their
son, Corbin David
Nat & Liz Pitman on the birth of their
daughter, Dena Ruth
Leah Hanna Jacobs & Jonathan
Gress-Wright on the birth of their
daughter, Flora Judith Jacobs Gress
(grandparents are Erica & Lou Jacobs)
50+ ANNIVERSARIES
Edward & Ida Gulin
Alan & Helene Goldberg
Stuart & Martha Burman
Stuart & Ellen Fine
Joseph & Gloria Askin
Stanford & Lynne Lamberg
Harvey & Deborah Singer
George & Betsy Hess
11-Aug
14-Aug
17-Aug
17-Aug
18-Aug
19-Aug
22-Aug
31-Aug
Make donations online to
acknowledge life cycle events, the
Annual Fund & special occasions.
bethambaltimore.org/donate/
19
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yo
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n
a
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T
CONTRIBUTIONS
JUNE
In memory of Leonard Sachs, husband of Lainy LeBow-Sachs
Accessibility Fund
Roz & Nelson Hyman
Building Preservation &
Ritual Enhancement Fund
Rheda Becker
Myrna Cardin
Lynn & Tony Deering
Meyerhoff Foundation
Bonnie Guralnick
Margaret & Dick Himelfarb
Gina & Daniel Hirschhorn
Ann Kahan
Judy & Hersh Langenthal
Sheila & Steve LeMel
Flo & Roger Lipitz
Sylvia Marcus
Robert Meyerhoff
Liz Moser
James Pitts
Judith & Fred Ruttenberg
Joy & Steve Sibel
Barbara & Charles Silberstein
Marc Hayes & Michael Yerman
Prayer Book Fund
for a Humash
Educator’s Discretionary Fund
Lisa & Don Akchin
Betsy & George Hess
Cheri & Ed Levin
Jo-Ann Orlinsky
Paula Singer & Michael Pearlman
Gail & Lou Wohlumth
Patricia & Mike Berman
Etta & Louis L. Kaplan
Education Fund
Rex Rehfeld
Garden Fund
Nancy Hackerman
Debbie & Efrem Potts
General Fund
Connie Goldberg & Tom Brown
Laura & Lewis Coleman
Jeannie Gilfix
Hillary & Jim Jacobs
20
Sandy Baklor & Arlene Kaufman
John Mann
MOI
Nate Braverman & Lynn Sassin
Tom Hall & Linell Smith
Donna & Mark Wasserman
Rabbi David Herman
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Phyllis Burg
Nancy & Howard Cohen
Bette & Alan Cotzin
Sara Fishman
Harriet & Herb Goldman
Barbara & David Kornblatt
Andrea Kupp
Jill & David Paulson
Marion Pines
Miriam Tillman
Social Action Fund
Youth & Teen Education
Support Fund
Sharon & Joe Nathanson
In memory of Tony Perlman, husband of Patsy Perlman
Building Preservation &
Ritual Enhancement Fund
Joan Glassner
Sylvia Marcus
Garden Fund
Debbie & Efrem Potts
Hillary & Jim Jacobs
Kiddush Fund
Phyllis Gerber
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Sara & Nelson Fishman
Harriet & Herb Goldman
Eleanor & David Goldstein
Barbara & David Kornblatt
Adult Education Fund
Gail & Lou Wohlumth
in memory of Mignon Salzman, mother of Ken Salzman
Building Preservation & Ritual Enhancement Fund
Ingrid Kohlstadt
in appreciation of Beth Am for welcoming us to be a part
of the service
Sheila & Steve LeMel
in honor of Lois & Alan Kopolow on their retirement(s)
Liz Moser
in memory of Gail Bendit
Jill & David Paulson
in honor of Meg Hyman & David Berman on their marriage
Genoveva & Mark Yoffee
in memory of his father Lewis Yoffee, on his yahrzeit
Cantor's Discretionary Fund
Cheri & Ed Levin
in honor of Cantor Ira Greenstein on his birthday
Judy Miller
in memory of her parents, Mildred & Sidney Perman, on their yahrzeits
Anne & Ken Moss
in appreciation of Cantor Ira Greenstein
Educator’s Discretionary Fund
Rosellen Fleishman
in honor of the brilliance of Ellen Heller & Shale Stiller
Garden Fund
Shirley Braverman
in memory of her daughter Renee Crocker, on her yahrzeit
Debbie & Efrem Potts
in memory of Shirley Bowers
General Fund
Hillary & Jim Jacobs
in honor of Jeff & Christie Friedman on their wedding
in honor of Meg & David Berman on their wedding
21
I. William Schimmel Student Scholarship Fund
Barbara & David Schimmel
in memory of his father, I. William Schimmel, on his yahrzeit
Kiddush Fund
Dovey Kahn
in honor of Roberta & David Schwartz on Leon’s marriage
in honor of Shirley Braverman on her new home
in honor of Bonnie & Stuart Stainman, on your daughter
Rebecca Stainman becoming a doctor
Georgia Parker
in honor of Lois Feinblatt, on her birthday
Ricky Fine
in memory of her mother, Harriet Scherl, on her yahrzeit
Rabbi's Discretionary Fund
Meg & David Berman
in appreciation of Rabbi Burg
ShirleyBraverman
in honor of Nate Braverman on his birthday
in hopes of a speedy recovery for Phyllis Gerber
Nancy & Howard Cohen
in memory of Elaine Snyder, wife of Sol Snyder
Eleanor & David Goldstein
in memory of her father, Morris Shenker, on his yahrzeit
Mimi & Richard Joseph
in memory of her father, Coleman Silbert, on his yahrzeit
Judy Miller
in memory of her parents, Mildred & Sidney Perman, on their yahrzeits
Anne & Ken Moss
in appreciation of Rabbi Burg
Abby & Charles Rammelkamp
in appreciation of Rabbi Burg
Joanne & Ed Wallach
in memory of his father, David Wallach, on his yahrzeit
Gail & Howie Weber
in appreciation of Rabbi Burg
Social Action Fund
Francine & Allan Krumholz
in memory of her parents, Florence & Arnold Herzog, on their yahrzeits
Nancy Kohn Rabin & Joel Rabin
in memory of David Rabin, his brother, on his yahrzeit
Jo-AnnOrlinsky
in honor of Linda & Jack Lapides anniversary
Paula Singer & Michael Pearlman
in honor of Rebecca Stainman graduating from Medical School
Debbie & Efrem Potts
in memory of Gail Bendit
Youth & Teen Education Support Fund
The Spokes Family
in appreciation of Jack Samuels for coordinating the Class of 2016 Aliyah
22
FUND DESIGNATION
Accessibility Fund - Used to make the facility
accessible to those with impaired physical
abilities
Adult Education Fund - Supports
educational programs for all adults
BAYITT Fund - Beth Am’s Young Adult
Initiative for 20’s and 30’s
Building Preservation and Ritual
Enhancement Fund - Supports the
preservation and renovation of the building
and the ritual items
Cantor’s Discretionary Fund - Allows the
Cantor to support special programs and
individuals in need
Educator’s Discretionary Fund Allows the Educator to support special
programs and individuals in need
Etta & Louis L. Kaplan Education Fund
Supports the purchase of furniture, equipment
and capital improvements for the Jewish
Discovery Lab
Floral Fund - Beautifies the Bimah
Garden Fund - Beautifies grounds
General Fund - Applied to the
operating budget of the congregation
I. William Schimmel Student Scholarship
Fund - Assists students in their educational
pursuits
Kiddush Fund - Used for luncheons
following Sabbath and holiday services
Prayer Book Fund - Supports the
purchase of prayer books and dedication
prayer books
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund - Allows the
Rabbi to support special programs and
individuals in need
Social Action Fund - Supports social action
activities in the Reservoir Hill area and the
general community
Tiny Tots Shabbat Fund - Supports Shabbat
programs for our preschoolers
Youth & Teen Education Support Fund Supports educational programs for all of Beth
Am’s youth
ACKNOWLEDGE THE OCCASION THROUGH BETH AM
We encourage all congregants to send their contribution requests directly to Nakia Davis,
nakia@bethambaltimore.org so they can be processed in a timely manner.
Online donations available at our website bethambaltimore.org/donate/
First & Last Name(s): __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
If your contribution is from a couple or family, please list all names
(use additional paper if necessary)
Telephone: (________) __________ - ___________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip: _____________________________________________________________________
Date: _______________________________ Amount of Donation: ____________________________
($10 minimum requested; please make checks payable to Beth Am)
Fund Designation____________________________________________________________________
In honor/memory/appreciation of ______________________________________________________
Send Acknowledgement Card To:
Name: _____________________________________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip: _____________________________________________________________________
© 2016 Beth Am Synagogue
Beth Am Synagogue is a member
of the United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism.
Look for the USCJ on-line at:
www.uscj.org.
2501 Eutaw Place
Baltimore, MD 21217