We Remember - Temple Beth Abraham

the
Volume 31, Number 8
April 2012
T E M P L E
B E T H
A B R A H A M
Nisan / Iyar 5772
We Remember
directory
Temple Beth Abraham
Services Schedule
is proud to support the Conservative Movement by
affiliating with The United Synagogue of Conservative
Judaism.
Services/ Time
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by Congregation Beth Abraham, 336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610.
Periodicals Postage Paid at Oakland, CA.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Omer, c/o Temple Beth
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© 2010. Temple Beth Abraham.
The Omer is published by Temple Beth Abraham, a non-profit, located at
336 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610; telephone 510-832-0936. It is
published monthly except for the months of July and August for a total of
ten issues per annum. It is sent as a requester publication and there is no
paid distribution.
Location
Monday & Thursday
Morning Minyan
Chapel 8:00 a.m.
Friday Evening (Kabbalat Shabbat) Chapel 6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Morning
Sanctuary 9:30 a.m.
Candle Lighting (Friday)
April 6
April 13
April 20
April 27
7:19 p.m.
7:25 p.m.
7:32 p.m.
7:38 p.m.
Torah Portions (Saturday)
April 7
April 14
April 21
April 28
Pesach
Pesach
Shemini
Tazria/M’tzora
To view The Omer in color, visit www.tbaoakland.org.
General INFORMATION
All phone numbers use (510) prefix unless otherwise noted.
Mailing Address 336 Euclid Ave.
Oakland, CA 94610
Hours M-Th: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Fr: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Office Phone 832-0936
Office Fax 832-4930
E-Mail admin@tbaoakland.org
Gan Avraham 763-7528
Bet Sefer 663-1683
STAFF
Rabbi (ext. 213)
Cantor (ext. 218)
Gabai
Executive Director (ext. 214)
Office Coordinator (ext. 210)
Bet Sefer Director (ext. 217)
Gan Avraham Director (ext. 219)
Bookkeeper (ext. 215)
Custodian (ext. 211)
Kindergym/Toddler Program
Volunteers (ext. 229)
Mark Bloom
Richard Kaplan
David Galant & Jay Goldman
Rayna Arnold
Virginia Tiger
Susan Simon
Ruth Morris
Christine Tripod
Joe Lewis
Dawn Margolin 547-7726
Herman & Agnes Pencovic
OFFICERS
President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
i
Bryan Schwartz 847-8079
Mark Fickes 652-8545
Steve Glaser 531-6384
Steve Grossman 834-3937
Laura Wildmann 601-9571
Flo Raskin 653-7947
Dan Finkelstein 428-2849
Committees & organizations
If you would like to contact the committee chairs,
please contact the synagogue office for phone numbers
and e-mail addresses.
Adult Education Steve Glaser & Aaron Paul
Chesed Warren Gould
Development Steve Grossman & Flo Raskin
Dues Evaluation Dan Finkelstein
Endowment Fund Herman Pencovic
Finance Dan Finkelstein
Gan Avraham Parents Lauren Kaplan &
Mala Johnson
Gan Avraham School Committee Jenny Michaelson
House Murray Davis
Israel Affairs David Marinoff
Membership Mark Fickes
Men’s Club Phil Hankin
Omer Lori Rosenthal
Personnel Steve Glaser
Public Relations Lisa Fernandez
Ritual Eric Friedman
Schools Laura Wildmann
Social Action Jessica Dell’Era
Torah Fund Anne Levine
Web Site Jason Swartz
Women of TBA Jeanne Korn
Youth Steve Fankuchen
what’s happening
Women on the Move
Sunday, April 8, 9:45 a.m.
WTBA hikes happen the second Sunday of every
month. We meet at 9:45 and depart promptly at
10:00. Hikes end by 11:30. We will meet at the
Skyline Gate on Skyline just south of Snake and
hike in Redwood Regional Park.
For details, contact Deena Aerenson at
daerenson@gmail.com or (510) 225-5107.
TBA Annual Blood Drive
April 15 • 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Sign up to give blood at www.redcrossblood.org.
Choose “Search by Sponsor” and enter
<TBAOakland> as your choice. You can also
call the Red Cross to schedule an appointment
at (800) 733-2767. Contact Charles Feltman with
questions at (510) 653-7664.
Please Join Us For:
Sukkot in April/Rebuilding Together
Oakland (RTO)
Sunday, April 22 and April 29
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Contact Gabriella Gordon or Rachel Goldstone
to sign up.
Gabriella: allanbellagordon@yahoo.com
Rachel: Rachelgoldstone@comcast.net
See article and more details on page 16.
Keflanu: Shabbat Fun & Games
for 3rd - 6th Graders
April 7 & 21, after services
See details on page 11.
Book Group Meeting
Monday, April 16, 7:30 p.m.
Judy Langberg’s home
2 Netherton Ct, Moraga (925) 376-1544
“The Hare With Amber Eyes:
A Hidden Inheritance” by Edmund de Waal
Please RSVP to Deena daerenson@gmail.com
or call (510) 225-5107.
Save the Date
WTBA Girls Night Out
Thursday, May 3
The theme will be Names and Naming Traditions.
Planning for Pesach
Do you need a place at the seder table?
Or are you able to offer one this year?
Please contact Rabbi Bloom (this year’s
seder matchmaker) to be matched up for seder
this year. First night seder is April 6.
Honoring TBA’s
Holocaust Survivors
Saturday, April 14 at 9:30 a.m.
As we approach Yom HaShoah this year,
please join us in the Sanctuary for a
special Shabbat service honoring
TBA’s Holocaust Survivors:
Leonard and Helen Fixler • David Galant
Hennie Hecht • Jack Jeger • Genia Kerbel
Adele Mendelsohn-Keinon • Misia Nudler
Henry Ramek • Pola Silver
We celebrate their extraordinary lives
and the richness they add
to our TBA community.
Kiddush following services sponsored by
TBA’s Second Generation.
Yom HaShoah
Community-wide Observance
Tuesday, April 17
7:45 p.m.
Temple Sinai, Oakland
“Voices of Our Youth: Stories from the Holocaust”
This program is open to the community.
Admission is free.
For more information: (510) 318-6453.
Underwritten by The Tillie and Rene Molho Fund
for Holocaust Remembrance of the
Jewish Federation and The Jewish Community
Foundation of the East Bay.
Co-sponsors: Bay Area Midrasha, Beth Jacob
Congregation, Center for Jewish Living &
Learning, JCRC/East Bay, Jewish Family &
Children’s Service, Oakland Hebrew Day School,
Tehiyah Day School, Temple Beth Abraham,
Temple Beth Sholom and Temple Sinai.
See additional WTBA and other
Adult Education activities on page 5.
1
from the rabbi
A Tribute to Past TBA Survivors
A few years ago, we had a Saturday morning service which honored 12 TBA members who survived
the Holocaust. Each story is truly amazing in its own right. We are blessed that nine of them are
still with us today, but I also want to share brief snippets of three who have passed away since we did
that service. Each of them inspired me and many others through the examples of their lives.
RACHEL GORDON was born in Kovno, Lithuania, one of three girls and three boys. She was
forced into the ghetto in 1941 and then sent to the Shtutov Concentration Camp in 1944, where
she was forced to dig ditches on little food and sleep. Her son Aaron, 12 at the time, was sent with
her husband to Dachau. When they parted he said “Don’t cry. I have a feeling we will see each
other again.” Rachel was liberated by Russian soldiers and helped significantly by a Jewish soldier
named Marshak. At a hospital in Berlin, all the doctors and nurses who had been caring for her witnessed her “Mother and Child Reunion.” Her son Aaron was right. He survived because he looked
and could work like a man, even at 12. After the war he went to Israel aboard the actual Exodus
ship.
ILSE SANDERS was born in Germany as part of a successful family but left after Kristallnacht.
Her jewelry and valuables were saved by her husband’s good friend, Paul, a Protestant man whose
son would come to write a book about their special friendship. After paying for and applying for
visas for various places, she was eventually allowed to leave for Haiti, where she and her husband
arrived with $4 between them. They made ends meet by sharing a rented house with four families
and by doing manicures for 10 cents for people, including, eventually, the Finance Minister and
President of Haiti. Eventually, she made her way to Oakland and Temple Beth Abraham as relatives
of the Jonas family.
JEANETTE JEGER was born in a small town in Poland into the Loszak family, two of seven girls.
Her family was committed to Judaism, education and helping others, whether Jewish or gentile.
When Germany invaded she was told to leave for a ghetto being formed when the Mayor advised
her not to go because she would be killed. He was right, but she and her sister Misia, who we are
still blessed to have in our congregation today, had escaped, with the Mayor’s help. When their
ghetto was liquidated and the people were sent to Treblinka, Jeanette and Misia managed to escape
into the fields, where they spent the next year and a half hiding. They recalled hiding for an entire
week in a barn under hay, with German soldiers taking a rest on top of that very haystack. They
could hear the trains headed for extermination camps from the fields in which they were hiding.
They were occasionally given food by kind farmers and their wives, but were constantly on the run.
Today, Jeanette’s three children, her husband Jack, her sister Misia, and many other relatives are
anchored in Oakland.
May their memories continue to be a blessing and an inspiration to us all!
Random Thoughts on
Genesis
By Irene Weinberg
I shall be leaving Oakland as soon
as my house is sold. But here is an
essay of some thoughts concerning
Genesis I would like to share in the
Omer. I have enjoyed attending the
Wednesday a.m. Torah study sessions.
They made me think.
Good luck to everyone. Irene
Creation
Reading the story of Creation: it is
interesting there are two versions.
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Why? Because God goofed! There is
a need for the second version of the
Creation, so that we can have the creation of Eve. And this is why we need
Eve. In Version One, God creates
male and female. There is nothing
in Torah making the female whom
God creates in Version One to be
evil. That evil female (Lilith) is the
invention of men.
God tells man to be fruitful and
multiply, but then God makes the
birth process so painful. Well, there
has to be a reason for all the pain.
(Otherwise, man might not be so
fruitful, and woman might blame
God). And so we have the story of the
Garden of Eden; the eating of forbidden fruit by Eve, and the punishment
of Eve. Because Eve did wrong, she
shall be punished. She shall have
pain with childbirth. It is all Eve’s
fault. Men had reasons to fear the
power of women. Most people who
have power don’t want to share it. So,
like so many societies in so much of
history, Judaism denigrated womanhood (and look what has been happening now...female rabbis, cantors,
scholars etc.).
Genesis, continued on page 7
president’s message
I Remember
By Bryan Schwartz
I remember what it felt like to enter the concentration camp at Majdanek, while on the other side
of the barbed-wire fence, the large Polish city of Lublin went about its daily business, within spitting distance of the trench dug for thousands of Jewish bodies to fall into, as they were shot. I
remember the ashes of hundreds of thousands of our brethren there, piled two stories high, and a
beautiful young Jewish girl from New Jersey as she cried, sitting on the edge of the massive urn,
staring at the ruined civilization.
I remember the sea of shoes of the victims, tens of thousands of pairs collecting dust for nearly 50
years (at the time of my visit), and my solitary pair. I remember thinking that nothing more than
being lucky, born in late 20th century America, kept my high top Timberland boots on my feet,
walking with thousands of other Jewish teenagers on the March of the Living.
I remember it was cold in Auschwitz in the springtime, and I was wearing a heavy wool sweater. I
remember there were dandelions in the grass, out of place indicators that existence continues without Them. I remember Polish schoolchildren pointed and laughed at us as we walked toward the
camps where our families were burned, and I hated them. I seethed at the country where they lived,
that did not even use the crimes of its past generations to teach its future generations to do better.
I remember the train tracks, and the human bone fragments in the crematoria of Birkenau, and
chanting prayers with dozens of youths in a drafty barrack there. I remember the desecrated gravestones of Kazimierz, where our people’s memorials were made into sidewalks. I remember the ash
pits and monuments that are all that remain of 800,000 of us, in the peaceful woods of Treblinka.
I also remember dancing the hora with elderly survivors in Krakow, and thinking – we Jews are
stronger than other peoples, to survive like this. No one is stronger than we are.
I remember realizing that my uniquely lucky birth, my desire to weave fairness and justice into the
fabric of future generations, and the strength of our ancestors coursing in my blood, all pointed me
in one direction – the ongoing struggle for civil rights. I am grateful that my legal career empowers
me to fight on behalf of the less powerful, and against the indifference of those holding power. I am
grateful, too, that I can spend my free time engaged in social action with a vibrant community of
young and old Jews whose desire to repair the world and pursue justice was the Nazis’ greatest fear. Please join with me again at the Second Annual Bay Area Walk Against Genocide, on Sunday, April
29 at noon, at Lake Merritt. It is our duty as Jews to remember genocide and bring attention to –
not ignore – atrocities in our world today. Go to http://www.walkagainstgenocide.org/ and click
“Register Here” and then “Join a Team” to become part of the Temple Beth Abraham effort today!
Looking For a
Flat Screen TV for
One Night to
Help the Schools
The Schools Auction committee is
hoping you’ve found your platform
shoes and bellbottom pants to wear
to our fabulous Sunday Night Fever
Auction May 6. Our Decorations
Committee Chair Sharon Alva
could use some help. If anyone has
two flat screen TVs, either 26-inch
or 32-inch, to lend for the night of
the auction, please contact her at
sharon@alvaproperties.com.
2nd Annual Bay Area
Walk Against Genocide
Sunday April 29
• Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA
Noon-4 p.m. Music & Tabling
1-2 p.m. Program
• 2-3 p.m. Walk
Join the TBA team that will walk the lake and raise awareness about
historic and ongoing genocides. If you cannot make the walk but want
to help contribute to TBA’s strong stance against these atrocities,
please consider a team donation.
Contact Rachel Dornhelm at handknit@gmail.com with questions.
And online: http://www.walkagainstgenocide.org/.
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editor’s message
Effortless Curiosity
By Lori Rosenthal
I heard a new term in yoga class recently that spoke to me instantly and then lodged itself into my
brain. I think it is here to stay. Want to hear this new term?
Effortless Curiosity.
Just hearing the words makes my mind expand. Effortless curiosity sounds like an open door
through which anything is possible. I find it tremendously appealing. Facing my day with effortless
curiosity makes me feel like a two-year old exploring the world. And, like a two year old exploring the world, it means that any situation, no matter how many times I have done it before, can be
transformed into something new and different.
Just today, on this sleepy Sunday morning, my mind effortlessly happened upon a few questions that
provided me with new food for thought:
I wonder if that beautiful reddish bush with the pink flowers that is growing in the garden across the
street would work in my shady front patio.
How many of my high school friends can I meet up together while in New York this summer for my
nephew’s wedding?
Maybe I will volunteer for the Sukkot in April event this year and help rebuild a house in Oakland.
I wonder what it would be like. Who cares that I know nothing about using tools to build things?
While the seemingly easy nature of effortless curiosity is enhancing my life with new thoughts and
ideas on the “thinking end” of the creative process, on the “doing end”, it draws me into situation
that end up requiring additional effort. For every new “I wonder” or “whatever happened to” or
“why can’t I?” idea that arises, I am tasked with expending some level of effort to discover the answer
or bring the possibility to fruition. Sometimes it is a little effort and sometimes a much bigger one.
That is the thing about plunging into uncharted waters. You never know where it will take you and
you can’t operate on automatic when you are presented with new ideas. Yet - that is where the magic
often happens.
Imagine what effortless curiosity could inject into your daily life. Try it while driving your kids to
Hebrew school, struggling with a testy situation at work, participating in a Shabbat service, or just
chatting with friends, family and other special people in your life. You never know where it will
lead. Let me know how it turns out.
Are you The Omer's next cover artist?
We are currently searching for a TBA member who wants to contribute monthly to
The Omer in an artistic way. We will need someone for the September issue,
due in early August. Contact Lori Rosenthal at omer@tbaoakland.org.
the
Omer
Upcoming Omer theme in May: Shavuot
We cheerfully accept member submissions. Deadline for articles and letters is the seventh of the month preceding publication.
Editor in Chief
Managing Editor
Layout & Design
Calendars
B’nai Mitzvah Editor
Cover
Help From
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Lori Rosenthal
Lisa Fernandez
Jessica Sterling
Jon Golding
Susan Simon
Ruth Teitelbaum
People like you!
Copy Editors Jessica Dell’Era, Charles Feltman, Nadine Joseph, Richard
Kauffman, Jan Silverman, Debbie Spangler, James Wakeman
Proofreaders June Brott, Jessica Dell’Era, Jeanne Korn, Anne Levine,
Stephen Shub, Susan Simon, Debbie Spangler
Distribution Fifi Goodfellow, Hennie Hecht, Herman and Agnes Pencovic,
Gertrude Veiss
Mailing Address 336 Euclid Ave. Oakland, CA 94610
E-Mail omer@tbaoakland.org
wtba, our sisterhood
Vashti’s Banquest
Imagine 35 TBA women, lounging in a big cushiony tent,
relaxed from massage, beautified by henna tattoos, munching on fruit and nuts, sipping martinis, getting in touch
with their Vashti side, and generally escaping to Persia for
a couple of hours. That’s what happened on March 11, at
WTBA’s 2nd annual Vashti’s Banquet. We gained insight
into our futures with tarot readings. Miriam Gould tantalized us with her sultry Middle Eastern dance, and taught us
a few key dance moves to work off those martinis. Thanks
to Outi Gould and Bella Gordon, our killer “ambience”
team, for creating an AMAZING, exotic tent. It looked
just like a movie set! Thanks also to Mary Odenheimer for
our scrumptious goodies, and Dawn Margolin for leading
us in some Vashti exploration. Look for the 3rd annual
Vashti’s Banquet next year.
Pirkei Imahot / Monday, April 23, 9:30 a.m.
Subversive Sequels in The Bible
Join our community of women as we uncover
the emotional and intellectual themes that live
in Torah and connect to our lives. Meetings are
hosted and facilitated by group members.
Sponsored jointly by Oakland Ruach Hadassah
and the Women of TBA, the group is open to all
women. Questions? Contact Debbie Spangler at
debspang@yahoo.com or (510) 531-1105 for the
location of our next meeting.
Fifth Annual East Bay Women’s Torah Study
Kolot
Nashim
Monday, April 30, 2012,
at 7:00 p.m.
Hosted by
The Women of Temple Beth Abraham (WTBA)
327 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, CA
Join women from throughout the East Bay as we
explore a wide range of thought-provoking topics.
Taught by Bay Area Women Rabbis and Teachers.
Contact with questions:
Ellen Kaufman (ebkaufman@sbcglobal.net)
Lori Rosenthal (rosentlori@gmail.com)
5
mishloach manot
Thank you to all who made our 2012
PURIM BASKET Purim Basket Fundraiser
such a success – you made nearly
$35,000 for TBA with a portion going to
Mazon, A Jewish Response to Hunger!
Thanks to all member who donated to
Mishloach Manot. And to those volunteers
who worked so hard to make it happen!!!
“IT DOES TAKE A VILLAGE”
Hamentashen Assemblers
Amy Tessler, Bella Gordon, Jeanne Korn,
Jing Piser, Judy Chun, and Lynn Langfeld
Driving Route Preparation:
Amy Tessler, Jeanne Korn, Karen Bloom,
Stacy Margolin, and Steven Grossman
Basket Schlepping to Cars:
Sara Korn and Scott Tessler
Basket Assemblers:
Adi Schacker, Alice Hale, Amy Tessler,
Anna Schacker, Asher Rose, Doreen
Alper, Ellis Diamant, Flo Raskin, Jeanne
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Korn, Jenna Tessler, Joanne Goldstein,
Joe Lewis, Jonah Bloom, Karen Bloom,
Karen Schoonmaker, Leah Goldberg,
Lori Rosenthal, Melissa Diamant, Micah
Bloom, Miriam Green, Rabbi Mark
Bloom, Rayna Arnold, Roni Schacker,
Roxanne Diamant, Sara Korn, Scott
Tessler, Stacy Margolin, Steve Grossman,
and Steve Tessler
Route Drivers & Helpers:
Abby Klein, Adi, Anna & Roni Schacker,
Alice Hale, Amy Moscov, Amy, Steve,
Jenna & Scott Tessler, Armin Brott, Barbara
Gross & Ben Stiegler, Barbara Rothblatt,
Bella Gordon, Colin Schlesinger, David
& Elliot Lenik, David Mendelsohn,
Debbie & Ward Spangler, Deborah &
Larry Reback, Doreen Alper, Dvora
McLean, Ella Pashmar, Esther Rogers
& Robert DeBare, Flo & Paul Raskin,
Hildie Spritzer, Howard Zangwill, Jan
Kessler, Jeanne & Sara Korn, Jenny Berg,
Jerry Levine, Jessica Dell’Era, Jessica &
Emma & Zoe Sterling, Jill Rosenthal,
Joan Korin, Joanne Goldstein, Joy Jacobs,
Jueli Garfinkle, Ken & Julie Cohen, June
Brott, Laura Gilman, Liat Porat & Yuval
Wolf, Lisa Fernandez, Lisa Kharrazi, Lori
Jaffe, Lori Rosenthal, Lori Jill Seltzer,
Lynn Langfeld, Marcia Benjamin,
Melissa Diamant, Melissa Werthan,
Miriam Green & Asher Rose, Patricia
Eliahu, Rabbi Mark, Jonah, Karen &
Micah Bloom, Rachel Brott, Rachel
Dornhelm, Rachel Goldstone, Richard
Kauffman, Rick Heeger, Ronn Berrol,
Sharon Shoshani, Steve Grossman,
Swann Lander, Uli Rotzscher, Ward
Hagar, and Wendy Siver
College Basket Coordinators:
Debby Barach, Lori Rosenthal & Flo
Raskin
Route & Map Creation Coordinator
Jeanne Korn
Volunteer Coordinator:
Amy Tessler
Database Management
Deborah Sosebee, Rick
Heeger, and Steven
Grossman
Office Assistance:
Agnes Pencovic, Christine
Tripod, Pinky Pencovic,
and Rayna Arnold.
Administrative Heavy
Lifting & Support
Virginia Tiger
All Kinds of Heavy Lifting & Support:
Joe Lewis
Food Donors:
Ailsa Steckel, Arlene Zuckerberg, Debbie
Spangler & Gabriella Gordon (Tangerines),
American Licorice Company (Red Vines)
Amy & Steve Tessler, Barbara’s Bakery
(Snackimals Animal Cookies), Clif Bar
& Company (Clif Bars & Mojo Bars)
Steve Grossman, Edie & Dick Mills
(Hamentashen) Emerald Nuts (Almonds),
Hennie Hecht Kosher Katering (Hershey
Kisses), Joel & Jing Piser (AIPAC Pin),
Liat Bostick (Hamentashen), Nest
Collective (Mashups), Numi Tea, Pop
Chips, Semifreddi’s (Biscotti) Michael
Rose, Somersault Snacks, Trader Joe’s
Lakeshore (70% Dark Chocolate), Whole
Foods Market. Oakland (Organic Raisins
& Pirate’s Booty)
And of course, the incredible co-chairs:
Jing Piser, for her vision and creation
of the most beautiful baskets yet; Steve
Grossman, for negotiating and procuring
the basket items; and
Deborah Sosebee, who with Steve
oversaw all things large and small.
TODAH RABBAH!
shabbat
It’s Not Shabbat Without the Challah!
By Susan Simon
For many of us, it just wouldn’t be Shabbat without
our beloved challah. Typically we only enjoy challah
on Shabbat and on Sunday morning, devouring the
leftovers as French toast, or with peanut butter or as
part of a fabulous sandwich.
From what I can tell, the word “challah” first
appears in the Torah in Leviticus 24, verse 5, where we are
told to take 12 “challot” and place them on a table before
God in two rows. The word “challot” is translated in most
chumashim as “loaves.”
We find another reference to challah in Numbers 15, verses
17-21, where they talk about taking the first baking of challot to the priests as an offering. This is particularly significant, because it is this offering that we are still commemorating when we make our own challah. It is customary
when forming the loaf to remove an olive-sized portion of
the raw dough as an offering to God. It is this small piece
of dough that is called “challah.” When we separate this
dough, we recite a bracha – Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu
Melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hafrish
challah. (Blessed are you Adonai, Ruler of the universe,
Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to separate challah.)
We tend to like our challot long and braided, but there is
nothing sacred about this form of the loaf. You can shape
your challah any way you like, and in different parts of the
world, you are likely to encounter very different looking
challot. We believe that the custom to have a round challah
for Rosh Hashanah might have originated in the Ukraine in
the 1700s. Some like to bake their challot for the New Year
in the shape of a fish or a bird.
And for Shabbat we typically have two challot on our
tables, to represent the double portion of manna that God
gave to the Israelites in preparation for Shabbat so that they
would not have to collect manna and violate the requirement of rest.
So what do we DO with our challot for Shabbat? In many
homes it is the custom to perform a ritual hand-washing
right before reciting the motzi, and starting the meal with a
Genesis, continued from page 2
Sarah
Later we learn that Sarah laughed when the visitors told her
she shall give birth to a child…she was too old. But, I think
that is NOT why Sarah laughed. She believed them, and
laughed with relief. Now her place in the tribe and community was safe.
bite of bread. Clean water is poured
on each person’s hands. The hands
are dried and the blessing is recited (al
n’tilat yadayim), and then the person
must not speak (humming is permitted) until the motzi is recited and a
bite of bread eaten.
What’s with the hand washing? After
all, this form of hand washing doesn’t
get the hands clean. But the idea is that it transforms us
from everyday eating rituals, where hand washing is just for
cleanliness, to an act that embodies holiness as though our
dining table becomes a Divine altar. The simple act of each
person individually washing their hands, making everyone
wait their turn, and making everyone wait to eat is supposed
to heighten the specialness of this meal, causing everyone to
focus on getting a bite of the yummy challah. It also contributes to the differentness of the Shabbat meal, where such
rituals are not a part of the ordinariness of eating.
I have been at homes with a variety of lovely customs. In
some households, as the challot are raised while saying
motzi, everyone touches the challot, or touches someone
who is touching the challot, as though everyone is sharing the electricity. Some people dip the challah in salt or
in honey before eating it. In some families, an adult walks
around the table and hands out a piece of challah to each
person at the table, as though each is an honored guest. In
one home, chocolate chips are hidden in the challah and
children delight as they find and eat them.
There are many more customs surrounding challah that
we could discuss. But I close with this thought: when we
love people, so many of us want to give something special
to them, and we often express that love by providing gifts
of food. In this emotional state, we are far more likely to
want to nurture one another than to receive gifts. One
translation of the Pirke Avot teaching that explains “Who
is rich?” is “the one who is happy in sharing.” Breaking
bread is at the very core of our concept of human giving.
Making a beautiful and meaningful ritual of breaking bread
with family and friends sanctifies Shabbat in immeasurable
ways. This week, enjoy the holiness you make of your own
Shabbat table.
You see, Abraham was told he would to be the father of
‘many’, but Sarah was not told she would be the mother of
those ‘many’. As of then, only Ishmael had been born to
Abraham, and his mother was Hagar. But, with the birth of
a son of hers and Abraham’s, Sarah would have her place as
the matriarch, and have security.
7
we remember
These photos of
loved ones were
contributed by
members of TBA’s
Second Generation
Holocaust Survivor’s
Group in honor of
Yom Hashoah. These
are photos of loved
ones who perished
and of loved ones
who survived and
went on to rebuild
their lives and
have children and
grandchildren.
Photo from Judy David Bloomfield: This is a photo of my
mother’s little sister, Edith Klein, who at age 13 was deported
with her family from Nagyvarad, Hungary to Auschwitz in May
of 1944. The family was separated upon arrival, and Edith and
her mother were killed in the gas chambers. My mother, Eva,
and her older sister Lily survived. My parents named me Judith,
in memory of Edith, and now my daughter Eliana shares this
legacy with me. She is named after both Edith and Cornelia.
Simon Roth (adult man on left), grandfather of Hana Rotman,
in 1946 after he got remarried to Reszi Roth and legally
adopted Hana’s mom and her uncle (the two kids in the picture),
whose biological father perished in the Holocaust. Note:
Simone Rotman (Hana’s daughter) was named after Simon.
8
Three Kahane brothers (clockwise from left):
Sidney Szepsel, Sam Shmuel, Martin Morechai
(photographed with cousin Irene Kahane
in Regensberg, Germany after the war).
They survived the Shoah, settled and raised
families in the Bay Area. Sidney and Sam
were members of TBA until their deaths in
April, 2000 and August, 2000, respectively.
Sadly, the last surviving brother, Martin,
passed away in February, 2012. Submitted
by Deborah Kahane Rego, Sidney’s daughter.
“My grandmother’s sister Nora married a Catholic and had
this child, Peter. They had to divorce to save the boy. The
parents would meet in the woods so Nora could see him.
Nora died in a camp, we found Peter, now age 70,
only a few years ago.” From Debbie Spangler
we remember
Rivka Spiegel with grandchildren, Hannah and Molly.
Mark Spiegel’s mother, Rivka Spiegel,
at Zeilsheim DP camp in 1946
Liat Bostick’s mother and her
wartime foster mother.
Lisa Tabak with mom, Edith Tabak. Edith
survived the holocaust as a little baby in
hiding in Rawa Ruska, Poland.
Four-year-old son of Simon Roth
(Hana Rotman’s grandfather) who
was killed in the Holocaust.
This photo is of my (Hildie Spritzer’s)
grandparents: Heinrich and Mathilda
(whom I am named after) Spritzer.
Hilde Spritzer’s Uncle Moritz Aron, the sole survivor of the rest of his
family in the photograph. Edda (his wife), Dodi and Horst (his children)
who were gassed. Our daughter, Marissa was named after Moritz!
9
rock and roll purim
10
morning minyan & kitah zayin
TBA Morning Minyan Needs You!!!
The Lord looked down on the House of Abraham, and
anger roseth mightily in his breast, as the people of Israel
were scant to be seen at minyan. And the Lord raileth from
out of his heavenly abode, for those whom He had already
called unto Himself were not properly honored, and that
vexed him greatly. “Have I not taught thee that but ten of
thy flock of six hundred need be present to say Kaddish?
Have I not made thee a light unto the nations, counting
the daughters of Sarah and the sons of Abraham with equal
merit? Have I not provided thee with heat in the winter,
shade in the summer, and a lot to parketh thy chariots? Yea
verily, ye shall answer unto me why ye cannot arrange that
precious life I, and those who have come before, bequeathed
thee, so that but thrice each year, ye gathereth on a Monday
and Thursday morning in the chapel I have provideth thee,
to honor thy father and mother, thy sister and brother, thy
friend and thy child. Yea verily, ye shall answer unto me if
thee refuseth to be present in support of thy fellow members of the House of Abraham, who cry out in their hour of
need for a tenth.
the freeways shall I cleareth, so that thee might be speedily
on thy way.
But if ye continueth in thy present ways and heedeth not
my word, and ye continueth to hide thy face from the
gathering of minyan in the House of Abraham, then shall
I hideth my face from thee and cloggeth thy freeways with
all manner of beast. And if ye shall be hard-hearted and still
not heedeth My word, then surely shall I sendeth unto thee
my prophet, Fanny ben Yoseph, for a great plague, and he
shall ranteth and raveth, grinding thine ear into dust, and
he shall filleth up thy Voicemail and In Box with all manner
of gibberish, yea verily unto the end of thy days!”
As revealed to Steve Fankuchen.
But if ye heedeth my word it shall pleaseth me, and surely it
will come to pass after davening thine rightful portion that
my prophet, Yacov ben Avraham, shall announceth a sumptuous feast prepared for thee in the main diningroom. And
Kitah
Zayin
In L.A
.
11
gan avraham Pesach at the Gan
By Ruth Morris
When I think of Pesach at Gan Avraham, I am always
reminded of the portion of the Haggadah that instructs parents how to answer the questions of the “four children”. As
director of the preschool, the child that comes to mind first
is the child who is too young to ask about the holiday. We
are told to teach that child about the Exodus.
At the Gan, teachers often begin talking about Pesach by
asking the children what they know or remember about
Passover. Some prompting words may be given. The very
youngest, even if they’ve been to a seder, usually remember
very little about Pesach, when asked. Some know that matzah
is “a cracker.” In Kitah Bet, before teachers begin talking
about Passover, children remember that it is a holiday, that
matzah is a “crunchy bread”, that matzah ”helped the Jews”
and “you read from a book”. As expected, the children in
Kitah Gimmel can recall much more about Passover. Many
children can retell parts of the story in some detail, although
Pharoah may be confused with King Ahashverosh, particularly when Purim is on their radar. They remember some items
from the seder plate. Each year we build on what children
remember and retain from their previous year.
Soon children at the Gan will be busy preparing for Pesach.
By creating associations through all five senses we help
children retain knowledge. They will hear the story of the
Exodus in many ways. They will have the opportunity to
participate in art projects, seeing, touching and tasting
many of the ritual objects for Pesach. Everyone goes home
with something to add to their own family’s Seder table.
And of course we will smell and taste everything from salt
water and parsley to charoset. Some children may make
their own matzah, and everyone will help clean the school
so that there is no chametz to be found!
When you include your child in Passover preparations at
home you help your child incorporate what they are doing
at school into memories of the holiday that they will draw
upon when Passover comes around the following year. Let
them help clean their toys or help you clean a corner of the
kitchen. Could they help prepare matzah balls or charoset?
Or try this: play some Passover songs while your family prepares for the holiday.
The Hagaddah has it exactly right when it instructs us to
teach our children about Pesach every year, especially our
young children who don’t yet know what questions to ask!
la’atid
To All TBA Families,
If you have a child who will be attending an
overnight JEWISH summer camp, the Men’s Club
would like to help provide you the means of offsetting some of your camp tuition. This is a campership, not a scholarship. All you need to do is fill
out the following and send it in to the TBA office
(or email philhankin@aol.com the info):
Parent Name:
Child Name:
Name of Summer Camp:
Dates Attending:
Cost of Tuition:
All interested families will need to get this information turned in by May 1, 2012. Once we have
received all of the requests, we will send out checks
to all respondents.
Kol Tuv, Phil Hankin, Men’s Club President
La’atid Events
2012
April 1
Chocolate
Seder
May 20 - Pool party/Graduation
To RSVP or if you have questions,
contact your trusty advisors,
Dina and Phil Hankin at
dinahankin@aol.com.
12
bet sefer
keflanu
Bet Sefer Update
By Susan Simon
At Bet Sefer we try to teach many Jewish skills: how to read
Hebrew, how to recite prayers and brachot, how to interpret text. But that’s just one side of our religious school.
Another side has to do with teaching about values, both
Jewish and universal. Our Bet Sefer Bet (second graders)
just finished studying the Ten Commandments and worked
hard to create their own ethical rules to live by. They presented their illustrated scrolls at a siyum on February 28
before a packed house of loved ones. (See photos below.)
Their “commandments” varied widely. Some took an ecological path – don’t litter, take care of the trees. Others
were most concerned with how we treat others: be kind
to the new kids in class, be nice to your teachers and parents. Each illustrated scroll was reflective of the personality,
charm, wit and intensity of each student.
We finished our siyum with a quick fruit snack and congratulations all around. A huge yasher koach to all of the
students for their thoughtful work. And a hearty mazel tov
to their teachers, Mindy Myers and Rachel Rubenstein as
well as their madrichot, Jenna Tessler and Ruby Rosenberg.
Enjoy the photos that we took–the afternoon was a delight!
Keflanu: Shabbat Fun and Games for 3rd - 6th Graders
We would like to invite 3rd – 6th graders to join their friends in the Baum Youth Center
following Shabbat services on the 1st and 3rd Shabbat of the month,
Dates include: April 7, 21
May 5,19
June 2,16
After the service join together for lunch in the social hall.
About 20 minutes after motzi, the Rabbi will announce the chaperone is ready for check-in at the Baum Youth Center!
Have fun with Shabbat appropriate games and activities…
basketball • board games • jump rope • foosball • ping pong • or even just shmooze
Parents: we ask that an adult accompany the child/children to the Baum Youth Center – the chaperone will sign your child in
and an adult pick-up at the Baum Youth Center – for the safety of the youth, we ask that they not leave the site on their own.
We ask your assistance and cooperation with this new program. Please make suggestions as we work out any kinks.
13
midrasha
Midrasha in Oakland – Upcoming Activities
By Kendra Lubalin
Thank you to all of you who turned out for our second
annual “Pouring for Passover” wine tasting and auction. It
is only through the ongoing support of our families, communities, donors and volunteers that we are able to continue this program that means so much to so many of our
teens! Thank you, again, to all who supported our March
Fundraising event!
Please join us for our community Yom HaShoah
v’HaGevurah commemoration on April 17 at 8:00 p.m. in
Temple Sinai’s Sanctuary. This year’s program will connect
stories of the teen experiences of holocaust survivors with
local teens in our community, building bridges of memory
and understanding.
Final Parent Program of the year. On April 24 at 7:15
p.m. we will offer a Midrasha style class for parents on
“Interpreting Text through Art.” Two Midrasha teachers,
Erica Fink and Jennifer Levine, both of whom have taught
Midrasha classes on Jewish texts and art this year, will use
text study as a format for exploring core values and identity
questions, and then guide parents in a self reflective art
project connected to the text. This class offers a two-fold
opportunity: first, for your own ongoing adult education, and second, to experience first hand what your teens
are doing when they sign up for a class like “Jewish Art,
Ancient Wisdom and You.” Our previous parent nights have
had much positive feedback, so don’t miss your final chance
this year to check out this great program!
israel tidbits
Oakland Midrasha’s 7th Grade Orientation is coming
Tuesday, May 1 at 7:15 p.m.! Any and all curious 7th
graders and their parents are invited to come and check
out Midrasha that night. Students will have the chance to
hang with the 8th graders for the night in their core and
elective classes, and get the inside scoop on what the 8th
graders think of Midrasha. Parents are invited to a parent
orientation to learn about our classes, curriculum, special
programming, our retreat program and much, much more
while your students are enjoying Midrasha classes! Come
have all your questions answered! We are also having a preMidrasha social event that night for 7th and 8th graders!
All 7th graders are invited to come early (6:00 p.m.) to the
orientation to hang out with our 8th graders, play games,
eat pizza and ice cream, and have some pre-orientation fun!
This is part of our monthly ‘Lounge Night’ program – cosponsored and run by Marshall Sachs, Temple Sinai’s youth
director and Midrasha’s 8th grade teacher. These nights are
always a hit!
You are invited to Midrasha Graduation on May 15 at
7:45 p.m. in Temple Sinai’s Sanctuary. Please join us in celebrating our students! Graduation is a golden opportunity
to celebrate our joint community’s successes by hearing our
students talk about their Jewish experiences and education
in their diverse communities and what this Jewish foundation offers them as they go forward into adulthood. It is a
time to hear the next generation reflect on their meaningful
experiences, growth and aspirations. You will be inspired!
There is a reception afterwards in Stern Hall.
Israel Tidbits
Submitted by June Brott
The Prototype AshPoopie
AshPoopie, the brainchild of Prof. Oded Shoseyov of the Hebrew University, is a super pooper-scooper. After it gathers dog
droppings, it turns them into odorless, sterile ash within seconds. All the dog-walker does is push a button to release an activation capsule from the cartridge inside the unit. Some of the biggest pet product manufacturers and retailers are interested
in partnerships, licensing agreements, joint ventures and sole marketing rights from the manufacturer, Ramat Gan-based
Paulee CleanTec. The product will be on the market in 2012.
The Mouse Finds The Drugs Every Time
Israeli startup Bioexplorers uses mice to detect contraband in purses, luggage and cargo. “Mice have an excellent sense of smell
and are relatively easy to train,” explains CEO Eran Lumbroso. When a person goes through a Bioexplorers system passageway, a fan blows air into a sensor receptor and delivers it into a chamber containing several trained mice. If they sniff drugs or
bombs, they move into another chamber and set off an alarm. “The mice rarely make an error, and the entire procedure is far
less invasive or intimidating than the alternatives, like using dogs or X-ray machines,” says Lumbroso.
Sleeping Your Way To Smoother Skin
The Cupron company of Beit Shemesh makes textile products impregnated with copper oxide, including a pillowcase that it
claims can reduce facial lines after sleeping on it for two weeks. As you sleep, perspiration from your skin releases copper ions
from the case, which stimulate the production of collagen, helping to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Other Cupron products
include bath towels that don’t retain odors, a self-sterilizing makeup brush set, socks that fight athlete’s foot, and even socks,
already in use by the Israel Defense Force, that don’t have to be washed!
14
cooking corner
Pesach Favorites
By Faith Kramer
While all Friday night celebrations of Shabbat are special,
this month we have the blessing of our Shabbat observances
coinciding with the first night of Passover, making the
Sabbath very special indeed.
Every family seems to have its own Pesach food traditions.
Much of that practice depends on Judaic background and
interpretations of Jewish law. Other traditions depend on
geography and income (which dictated what foods were
available), custom and individual taste.
I grew up with the New York Ashkenazi Jewish Passover
basics – chicken soup with matzo balls, brisket, sponge cake
and a chunky charoset thick with apples, walnuts, cinnamon and Manischewitz. While I still make those foods, I
also serve an Iraqi-style charoset made with date syrup and
my adaptation of a Turkish pastry as well as many other
traditional foods from other cultures that my grandmother
might not recognize as “Jewish” but which connects me to
Jewish celebrations across the globe. Despite my own Seder
meal’s international elements, though, the number one
recipe request I get from friends at Passover is for a potato
casserole. Below are recipes for the charoset, pastry and our
favorite potato casserole.
Charoset from Shanghai
via Iraq and India
Makes about 1 cup
My friend Dianne’s family roots are in Iraq but the family
lived generations in India and then Shanghai.
Feel free to change the proportions to suit your taste or to
substitute other nuts. Date syrup is available in kosher,
Middle Eastern and other specialty markets.
1 cup date syrup
¾ cup chopped walnuts
Combine and stir well.
Passover “Shredded” Pastry
Makes 16 pieces
This recipe was inspired by the shredded phyllo dough
desserts from Turkey and elsewhere. Cutting the dessert into 16 pieces before baking makes it much easier to
serve. This sugar syrup is not as sweet as the traditional
Turkish style one would be. Be sure to use the Passover
fine or thin egg noodles which are a few inches long and
about 1/8th of an inch wide.
Syrup
1 ½ cups cold water
½ cup sugar
Juice of one lemon
Pastry
1/3 cup of raisins
4 oz. parve Passover margarine or butter plus
extra for greasing pan
3 ½ oz. (about 1 cup)
shelled walnut halves
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ cup sugar
1-12oz, bag of Passover
fine or thin egg noodles,
uncooked
1 cup hot water
16 walnut halves for
garnish
Make sugar syrup by combining water, sugar and lemon
juice in a heavy pot over high heat. Stir until mixture
boils, then stir occasionally, boiling for about 15-20 minutes until mixture is reduced by half. Let cool then chill.
Soak raisins in boiling water to cover until softened, about
20 minutes. Drain and discard water.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8”x 8” pan. Combine
drained raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and sugar in food processor or blender. Chop until coarsely ground. Set aside.
Melt margarine or butter. While still warm toss with the
uncooked fine egg noodles and 1 cup hot water. Press half
of the noodle mixture into an even layer in the prepared
pan. Top with layer of raisin and walnut mixture. Pat
another layer of the noodle mixture evenly on top of the
filling. Distribute any extra margarine mixture evenly on
top of the final layer of noodles. Cut into 16 squares.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and toasty.
Immediately pour cold sugar syrup evenly over top. Let
rest until pastry has absorbed the syrup. Top each piece
with walnut half. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 6-8
Potato Casserole
This is a kosher for Pesach, parve, gluten-free and vegan
version of a Kramer family favorite. The top layer of potatoes gets crunchy and brown, the bottom layer seem to
melt into the onions for a rich, almost creamy taste.
¼ cup olive oil, divided, plus
additional as needed
2 1/2 pounds baking potatoes (about 6 medium)
1 medium onion
(about 8 oz.)
2 cups vegetable stock
or broth
1 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
4 Tbs. minced fresh basil,
divided plus extra for
garnish if desired
½ tsp. salt, divided, or to
taste
½ tsp. ground pepper,
divided, or to taste
¼ tsp. paprika
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a 7” x 11” or similar
baking dish with about 1 tsp. of the oil. Set aside. Peel
potatoes if desired. Cut potatoes into 1/8” slices. Slice
onion into 1/8” slices. Layer a third of the potato slices on
the bottom of the baking dish, overlapping slightly if needed. Layer in half of the onion, distributing the sliced onion
rings evenly on top of the potatoes. Pour a third of the of
vegetable stock over the potatoes and onions. Drizzle with
1 Tbs. of oil and sprinkle on half of the garlic, half of the
basil, half of the salt and half of the pepper. Layer another third of potatoes and top with onions, stock, oil, garlic,
basil, salt and pepper as before. Top with the remaining
third of the potato slices. Pour remaining stock over potatoes. Using a pastry brush, brush top layer of potatoes
with remaining oil, sprinkle with paprika and put in oven.
Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour until the under layers of
potatoes and onions are very soft and cooked through, the
top layer is browned and the liquid in the pan is bubbling.
Brush with additional olive oil if needed while baking. Let
cool a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped
basil to garnish. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Faith Kramer blogs her food at www.clickblogappetit.blogspot.com.
Her food columns appear twice a month in the j. weekly.
15
B’nai Mitzvah
life cycles
Rebecca Glick, April 28
My parents are Marci Gottlieb and Reuven Glick, and my older sister is named
Marissa. I love to read any book I can get my hands on. At the moment, my favorite
book award would go to The Hunger Games. I also love to do art and draw random
things whenever I can. During the summer, I enjoy taking different art classes. I also
enjoy cooking for my family and friends. My favorite thing to make is chocolate chip
cookies. I have a pet gecko named Gimmel.
Currently, I am in the 7th grade at Piedmont Middle School. Most kids say they hate
school, but I love going to school and learning new things. My favorite subjects are
math and science. I am so happy that I have made so many friends that will be able to
join me for my Bat Mitzvah celebration.
My parsha is Tazria-Metzora from the book of Leviticus. It is probably one of the Torah
portions that might be classified as boring, since it discusses leprosy, including ways to
tell whether somebody has the disease and rules for how to treat it. For my drash, I chose to focus on the number seven, which shows up a lot, not only in the rules for dealing with leprosy, but also in many other places in
the Bible and in Judaism. For my Bat Mitzvah project, I will be donating 10 percent of the money I receive to
an organization of my choice.
Many of my family and friends from around the country will be traveling to support me on my Bat Mitzvah
day. I am so excited to have them join me for this special occasion.
There have been many people that have played a huge role in getting me to where I am right now. I want to
thank Rabbi Bloom for helping me find a subject that interests me in my torah portion and Susan Simon for
tutoring me so I will be prepared for my special day. I would also like to thank all of the other people that have
helped me become who I am today, especially my parents and sister.
Sukkot in April: Rebuilding a Home
By Rachel Goldstone
Join us this year on April 22 and/or April 29.
Temple Beth Abraham will once again participate in the
annual Sukkot in April/Rebuilding Together Oakland
(RTO) event. This year, we will be working on Sunday,
April 22 and finishing on Sunday, April 29, 8:00 a.m. -5
p.m. on both days. We will be painting and repairing the
home of a low-income family in Oakland.
Each year, thousands of Rebuilding Together volunteers
come together for one or two weekends in April to help
restore the homes of their low-income neighbors. The April
Rebuilding Program grows each year, and we look forward
to continue the rebuilding throughout the city of Oakland.
Skilled and unskilled volunteers are all needed. If you are
a skilled volunteer or contractors who is willing to serve as
team leader, that is greatly appreciated, but ALL skill levels
are needed.
Our Sukkot in April project will be jointly sponsored by
Kehilla Community Synagogue and Temple Sinai. Breakfast
and lunch are provided. RTO provides all materials, but by
all means bring your own tools, gloves, and hats. Volunteers
must be at least 14 years old (that’s an RTO rule). We need
volunteers for food pickups and more, so there’s a job for
anyone who wants to help out. Whether you are handy or
not, please become involved in this important and satisfying event. It is a wonderful way for our TBA community to
truly reach out to those right in our “back yard.”
Please contact us with any questions and to sign up as a
volunteer.
Leevnote u’l’he’ba note (to build and to ourselves be built!)
Thank you so much.
Gabriella Gordon and Rachel Goldstone
Volunteer Coordinators
Gabriella: allanbellagordon@yahoo.com
Rachel: Rachelgoldstone@comcast.net
16
life cycles
April Birthdays
1
8
15
25
Kevin Horodas
Trevor Kaplan
Mary Kelly
Shira Kharrazi
Zoe Brott
Willa Heeger
Heike Friedman
Liam Gordon
Shoshana Yael Kay
1
9
16
Tirzah Brott
Stella Goodwin
Allison Kent Weiss
Danielle Raskin
Max Wike
Steven Grossman
Jonathan Jacobs
Rachel Swetnam
Melissa Werthan
Amanda Becker
Benjamin Jacobs
Ellen Kaufman
3
10
Michelle Cossette
Fernand Garcia
Jeffery Michael Hamilton
Steven Jacobs
Fred Knauer
Jenny Michaelson
Anat Shenker
Mathew Frierman
Ruth Kleinman
Maayan Rubin
Dan Kaiser
Tamara Miller
Eva Sasson
Naomi Weiss
4
Aliza Batzdorff
Aaron Sloan Freid
Jerry Lorber
5
Cheri Feiner
Cindy Mirkin
Maya Young
6
Daniela Acevedo-Schiesel
Deena Aerenson
David Lorber
Kevin Schwartz
Ian von Kugelgen
7
Roberta Masliyah
Avrah Ross
David Schleuning
Sara Zimmerman
11
Benjamin Estow
Isaac Estow
David Goodwin
Swann Lander
12
Renuka Bornstein
Fifi Goodfellow
Noah Hagey
Robert Klein
Aviva Maidenberg
Sara Aviva Teitelbaum
13
Beverly Turchin
14
Sophia Blachman-Biatch
Isabel Goldman
Rosalind Heeger
Judith Stein
18
19
Ray Plumhoff
Liat Porat
20
Maimone Attia
Eva Handlers
Lindasue Kay
Steven Kay
Joseph Young
21
Desten Broach
Noah Isaacs
Noah Stein
22
Audrey Hyman
Lila Miller
Melissa Morewitz
David Oseroff
Bruce Sawle
26
Yehudit Chang
Naomi Hazens
Laurence James
Joseph Karwat
Benjamin Marinoff
27
Gregory Estow
Talia McLean
Abbie Villanueva
Welch Warren
28
Maya Rath
29
Benjamin Morewitz
30
Steven Harris
Bayla Jaffe
Sarah Levine
Shira Levine
Alexander Lowell
Simone Rotman
Elana Sasson
Walter Teitelbaum
24
Bayne Albin
Yaeir Heber
Ariel Trost
Gideon Ur
Is your birthday information
wrong or missing from this list?
Please contact the TBA office to
make corrections.
Mazel Tov
Benjamin, born February 18 to proud parents
David and Talia Kaplan.
Ayla, born March 14, to proud parents Naomi
and Gary Rosenblum.
Noa, born March 15, to proud parents Jennifer Beck
and David Joseph.
Welcome New Members
Hannah Acevedo-Schiesel & Gabriel Acevedo-Bolton.
Their daughters Daniela & Lucia Acevedo-Schiesel.
Svetlana & Mikhail Partsuf. Their daughter Irene.
17
life cycles
April Yahrzeits
May God comfort you among all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem
Nissan 9-14
April 1-6
Irving Barach
Lily Benisty-Kent
Martha Harris
Solomon White
Grace Gill
Holton Jocelyn
Alice Kessler
Leo Lorber
Lonnie Balint Blutstein
Joseph Epstein
Fritz Gottschalk
Philip Oseroff
Stanley Behr
Donald Bleiberg
Beatrice Simon
Nissan 15-21
April 7-13
Henrik Balint
Herbert L. Groginsky
Elsa Maho
Avrim A. Raskin
Solomon Saidan
Michael Nicolas Miller
Murray Goldstein
Abraham Hoffman
Renee Davis
Sidney Szepsel Kahane
Albert Levine
Pavel Blyumenkrantz
Milton Heyman
Annie Silver
Nissan 22-28
April 14-20
Claire Braaf
Judith Diamont
Shelly Lipton
Aaron Nudler
Jack Sharnak
Rose Applebaum
Shlomo Fixler
Abraham Grossman
Nancy Quittman
MEMORIAL PLAQUE Anyone wishing to
purchase a memorial plaque, please contact
Pinky at the synagogue office at extension 229.
Rosalie Rogers
Connie Schwartz
Leon Benjamin
Sidney Bernstein
Ida Jaffe
Mary Simon
Joseph Banks
Herman Weisman
Herman Zatkin
Alvin Alper
Harry David
Maurice Glasser
Anna Leah Goldman
Moses Rynski
Raizel Rynski
Faygel Scheinerman
Mordechai Scheinerman
Nissan 29-iyar 5
April 21-27
Walter Green
Betty Isaacs
Burton Polse
Pearl Weinstein
Pearl Myers
Steven Beilock
Dorothy Dronsick
Morris Gerstler
Maisie Steckel
Alice Steiner
Jane Saunders
iyar 6-8
April 28-30
Ida Gevertz
David Harris
Benjamin Paul
Anna B. Gurman
Gittel Rothblatt
Helen Schleifer
Leslie Davis
Gerstler Florence
Recent Deaths in Our Community
Charlotte Resnick, Mother of Renee
(Michael) Marx
Shirley Goldberg, grandmother of Karen
(Rabbi Mark) Bloom
David Bernstein, grandfather of Bryan
(Alicia) Schwartz
It is a Jewish tradition to give contributions to commemorate life cycle events and other occasions.
Are you celebrating a birthday, engagement, anniversary, baby naming, Bat/Bar Mitzvah or recovery
from illness? Or perhaps remembering a yahrzeit? These are just a few ideas of appropriate times to
commemorate with a donation to Temple Beth Abraham. These tax-deductible donations are greatly
appreciated and are a vital financial supplement to support the wonderful variety of programs and
activities that we offer. Thanks again for your support! We could not do it without you!
18
donations
Charity is equal in importance to all the other commandments combined.
Centennial Project
Cynthia Berrol
Dr. Janice Corran & Linda Polse
Marshall & Lynn Langfeld, in honor of
Stuart Zanwill’s birthday
Stephen & Susan Shub
Michael & Deborah Sosebee, In honor of
Anna Schacker’s Bat Mitzvah
Andy & Marcia Wasserman, In honor of
the birth of our first grandchild, Samuel
D. Lieb
Centennial Match
Mark Fickes & William Gentry
Philip & Dina Hankin
Klaus Ullrich Rotzscher
Howard Zangwill & Stacy Margolin
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, In honor of
Adam Adelstein’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, In honor of Eliot
Byler’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, In honor of Etai
Shimony’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, In honor of
Ethan Sisitsky’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, In honor of
Jackson Beiser’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, In honor of
Joshua Beliak’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, In honor of
Liev Wiegmann’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, In honor of
Nathaniel Taksa’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, In honor of
Oliver Berman’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, In honor of
Theodore Lieberman’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, In honor of
Jordan Revzan’s Brit Milah
Piser/Davis Challenge
Barry Barnes & Samantha Spielman
Richard & Audrey Kauffman
Dick & Mary Odenheimer, In honor
of Joe and crew
Benjamin & Susan Persin
Hildie Spritzer & Tsutomu Satomi
Jeanette Jeger Kitchen Fund
Norman & Jo Budman, In memory
of Ruth Roth
Jack Coulter, In memory of Cora Coulter
Fifi Goodfellow, In memory of Latifa
Naggar and Charles Marcus
Norbert & Alice Nemon, In memory of
Tillie Eisenberg
Harold & Jean Pearl, In memory of Max
Pearl
General Fund
Richard & Naomi Applebaum
David & Shany Barukh, In memory of
father
Ellen Beilock
David & Marcia Benjamin
Ruth Feldman, In memory of Louis
Feldman
Charles & Harriett Feltman
Barry & Elaine Gilbert, In memory of
Morris Klang
Daniel Harvitt & Liz Willner
Ytzhack & Etta Heber
Richard Heeger & Alice Hale
Jessie & Susan Kasdan, In memory of
Louis Kasdan
Martin & Lisa Kharrazi, In honor of
Bethany’s Bat Mitzvah
Ruth Kline
Marshall & Lynn Langfeld, In memory of
Charlotte Resnick
Dan & Amy Maidenberg
Peter Miller & Bess Gurman
Dick & Mary Odenheimer
Ronald Pepperman & Penny Kayano
Steven Rosenthal & Ailsa Steckel
Paul & Galen Rothman
Klaus Ullrich Rotzscher
Bryan Schwartz & Alicia CernitzSchwartz
Aaron & Rebecca Skiles
Ben Stiegler & Barbara Gross
Jesse & Rachel Teichman, In memory
of Joseph B Teichman
David & Treya Weintraub
Howard Zangwill & Stacy Margolin
Kiddush Fund
Charles & Harriett Feltman
Leonard & Helen Fixler, Get well to
Pinky Pencovic and Ethel Shaffer
Herman & Agnes Pencovic, In honor
of Steven Rosenthal
Annie J. Schwartz Strom, In memory
of Samuel Jaffe
Minyan Fund
Daniel & Anne Bookin, In memory of
Sheba Bookin
Fifi Goodfellow, In memory of Latifa
Naggar and Charles Marcus
Martin & Evelyn Hertz, In memory of
Sylvia Hertz
Joan & Hershel Solomon, In memory of
Blanche Roth Neuman
Yom Ha Shoa Fund
Misia Nudler, Happy Birthday Steven
Rosenthal and Thank you to Dr. G.
Balbas
Misia Nudler, Speedy Recovery Ethel
Shaffer, in honor of Professor Samuel
Oliver and condolences to Ruth
Schneider on the loss of her daughter
Camper/scholarship Fund
Elinor DeKoven, Get well wishes for
Ethel Shaffer and Hennie Hecht, Mazel
Tov to Bethany Kharrazi and her family.
Rabbi Discretionary Fund
Herbert & Harriet Bloom, In memory of
Matilda Bloom Holzman
Martin & Lisa Kharrazi, In honor of
Bethany’s Bat Mitzvah
Steven & Victoria Zatkin, In memory of
Joseph Zatkin
Cantor Discretionary Fund
Martin & Lisa Kharrazi, In honor of
Bethany’s Bat Mitzvah
Celia & Morris Davis Hunger Fund
Joan Aldeff, In memory of Helen Aldeff
Celia Somers, In memory of Charles
Somers
Endowment Fund
Ilya & Regina Okh, In memory of David
Okh
Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, Happy
Birthday Ori Sasson
Leonard Wolf, In memory of Sam Wolf,
Melissa Ann Powers and Marion Wolf
Hertz Fund
Gerald & Ruby Hertz
Hertz Interfaith Fund
Gerald & Ruby Hertz, In memory of
William Morofsky
19
20
1
PesaCh ii
15
8
22
29
PesaCh iiii
Rosh Chodesh
23
30
7-9p East Bay Women’s Torah Study
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
8
Iyar
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
1
Iyar
9
2
16
Gan Resumes
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
24
Nisan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
17
Nisan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10
Nisan
3
PesaCh iv
10
17
24
4p-6p Bet Sefer (K-6th)
7:30p Monthly Board Meeting
2
Iyar
4p-6p Bet Sefer (K-6th)
7:40p Community Commemoration
of Yom HaShoa at Temple Sinai
25
Nisan
No Bet Sefer (K-6th)
18
Nisan
No Bet Sefer - Pesach Break
11
Nisan
4
PesaCh v
11
18
25
Yom haZikaRon
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
6:15p Confirmation Class
7:30p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Intro to Judaism
3
Iyar
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
No Kindergym
6:15p Confirmation Class
7:30p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Intro to Judaism
26
Nisan
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
No Kindergym
6:15p Confirmation Class
7:30p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Intro to Judaism
19
Nisan
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
No Kindergym- Pesach Break
6:15p Confirmation Class
7:30p BBYO-AZA and BBG
7:30p Intro to Judaism
12
Nisan
5
PesaCh vi
12
19
Yom haatZma’ut
26
4p-6p Bet Sefer (3rd-7th grade)
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
4
Iyar
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
No Kindergym
4p-6p Bet Sefer (3rd-7th grade)
Yom hashoah
27
Nisan
4p-6p Bet Sefer (3rd-7th grade)
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
No Kindergym
20
Nisan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
No Kindergym
No Bet Sefer (3rd-7th grade)
No Girl’s Night Out
Fast oF the FiRst BoRn
13
Nisan
6
13
20
'' 7:38p
27
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Kindergym
5
Iyar
No Kindergym
6:15p East Bay Minyan
6:15p Rock’n Roll Kabbalat Shabbat
28
'' 7:32p
Nisan
Office Closed
No GAN / Kindergym
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
PesaCh vii
21 '' 7:25p
Nisan
Office closes 1:00p
No GAN / Kindergym
No Kabbalat Shabbat Service
eRev PesaCh
14 '' 7:19p
Nisan
Always check the Congregational E-mail or the Weekly Shabbat Bulletin for more up-to-date information. Please note any corrections care of Rayna Arnold at the TBA office.
PesaCh i
Pesach
7
Pesach
14
21
8:39p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bat Mitzvah of Rebecca Glick
28
6 Tazria / M’tzora
Iyar
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
11a T’fillat Y’ladim
12:15p-1:15p Keflanu –
Shabbat Fun & Games
8:33p Havdalah (42 min)
Shemini
29
Nisan
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
10:15a Jr. Congregation
8:26p Havdalah (42 min)
PesaCh viii (YiZkoR)
2nd geneRation
CommemoRation shaBBat
22
Nisan
8:20p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
12:15p-1:15p Keflanu –
Shabbat Fun & Games
15
Nisan
April 2012
Calendars in The Omer are produced 30-60 days in advance using the best data available from the TBA Administration Staff. This calendar is also available at our website www.tbaoakland.org
8a-5p Rebuild Oakland Together
10a-12p New Ken Cohen Class
12p-4p 2nd Annual Bay Area Walk
Against Genocide (Lake Merritt)
7
Iyar
8a-5p Rebuild Oakland Together
10a-12p New Ken Cohen Class
Rosh Chodesh
30
Nisan
10a-12p New Ken Cohen Class
9a-2p tBa Blood dRive
and Bone maRRow testing
23
Nisan
16
Nisan
2-4:p La’atid Chocolate Seder
(Baum Y.C.)
4p Teen Rosh Hodesh Group
9
Nisan
Nisan / Iyar 5772
21
PesaCh sheni
6
13
20
shavuoT i
21
28
(Office and Gan Closed)
9a Shavuot Services
9:05p Havdalah (42 min)
shavuoT ii (Yizkor)
7
Sivan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
9:30a Rosh Chodesh–
Wisdom of out Mothers
29
Iyar
7
14
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
22
Iyar
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
15
Iyar
15
8
1
22
8
Sivan
29
7:30p Monthly Board Meeting
4p-6p Bet Sefer (K-6th)
Last session for this year-Bet Sefer
rosh Chodesh
1
Sivan
4p-6p Bet Sefer (K-6th)
5p Jr. Congregation Ice Cream Party
23
Iyar
4p-6p Bet Sefer (K-6th)
16
Iyar
4p-6p Bet Sefer (K-6th)
9
Iyar
2
9
16
23
30
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
6:15p Confirmation Class
7:30p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9
Sivan
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
6:15p Confirmation Class
7:30p BBYO-AZA and BBG
2
Sivan
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
6:15p Confirmation Class
7:30p BBYO-AZA and BBG
24
Iyar
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
6:15p Confirmation Class
7:30p BBYO-AZA and BBG
17
Iyar
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
6:15p Confirmation Class
7:30p BBYO-AZA and BBG
10
Iyar
3
lag B’omer
10
17
24
31
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
10
Sivan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
3
Sivan
4p-6p Bet Sefer (3rd-7th grade)
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
25
Iyar
4p-6p Bet Sefer (3rd-7th grade)
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
18
Iyar
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
4p-6p Bet Sefer (3rd-7th grade)
6:15p BS Zayin dinner class
7:30p Girl’s Night Out
11
Iyar
'' 7:45p
4
'' 7:51p
11
'' 7:57p
18
25
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Kindergym
4
'' 8:03p
Sivan
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Kindergym
6:15p East Bay Minyan
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
26
Iyar
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Kindergym
19
Iyar
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Kindergym
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
BS Hay Share a Shabbat
12
Iyar
Always check the Congregational E-mail or the Weekly Shabbat Bulletin for more up-to-date information. Please note any corrections care of Rayna Arnold at the TBA office.
Acharei Mot/
K’Doshim
5
Emor
12
B’Har
19
26
6:15p Erev Shavuot Sticker Service
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
erev shavuoT
B’Chukkotai
5
Sivan
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bar Mitzvah of Danny DeBare
11a T’fillat Y’ladim
12:15p-1:15p Keflanu –
Shabbat Fun & Games
8:58p Havdalah (42 min)
27
Iyar
8:52p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bat Mitzvah of Shira Benau
10:15a Jr. Congregation
20
Iyar
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
12:15p-1:15p Keflanu –
Shabbat Fun & Games
8:46p Havdalah (42 min)
13
Iyar
May 2012
Calendars in The Omer are produced 30-60 days in advance using the best data available from the TBA Administration Staff. This calendar is also available at our website www.tbaoakland.org
27
9a Shavuot Services
6
Sivan
4p Teen Rosh Hodesh Group
Yom YerushalaYim
9:30a TBa annual meeTing
28
Iyar
Ls’atid Pool Party/Graduation
21
Iyar
5:30P TBa sChools auCTion
14
Iyar
Iyar / Sivan 5772
Temple Beth Abraham
327 MacArthur Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94610
Periodicals
Postage
PAID
Oakland, CA
Permit No. 020299
COMING SOON!!!
Sunday Night Fever
The TBA Schools Auction
(Benefitting Gan Avraham
& Bet Sefer)
Sunday,
May 6, 2012
5:30-8:30 p.m.
Pesach Services Schedule
1st Night Pesach is Friday April 6
– No Kabbalat Service
Shabbat Service, Saturday, April 7
– regular Shabbat service begins at 9:30 a.m.
Friday April 13 – Office closed
– regular Kabbalat Service
Shabbat Service, Saturday, April 14
– regular Shabbat service begins at 9:30 a.m.
Disco the night away! To volunteer for the event, please
email rachel.teichman@gmail.com or eric.leve@gmail.com.
TBA’s Second Generation will be involved in the
Shabbat service with a special Pesach Kiddush.
what’s inside
TBA Directory..........................i
Shabbat ....................................7
Keflanu..................................13
What’s Happening...................1
We Remember........................8
Midrasha...............................14
From the Rabbi........................2
Purim....................................10
Israel Tidbits..........................14
President’s Message.................3
Minyan Purim & Kitah Zayin.. 11
Cooking Corner.....................15
Editor’s Message......................4
Gan Avraham News..............12
Life Cycles.............................16
Women of TBA........................5
La’atid...................................12
Donations..............................19
Mishloach Manot......................6
Bet Sefer News......................13
Calendar................................20