Volume 32, Number 9 May 2013 Iyyar/Sivan 5773

Volume 32, Number 9
May 2013
Iyyar/Sivan 5773
directory
Temple Beth Abraham
Services Schedule
is proud to support the Conservative Movement by
affiliating with The United Synagogue of Conservative
Judaism.
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© 2013. 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)
May 3
May 10
May 17
May 24
May 31
7:44 p.m.
7:50 p.m.
7:56 p.m.
8:02 p.m.
8:07 p.m.
May 4
May 11
May 18
May 25
Behar-Bechukotai
Bamidbar
Nasso
Behaalotchah
Torah Portions (Saturday)
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 (x 213)
Cantor (x 218)
Gabai
Executive Director (x 214)
Office Coordinator (x 210)
Bet Sefer Director (x 217)
Gan Avraham Director (x 219)
Bookkeeper (x 215)
Custodian (x 211)
Kindergym/Toddler Program
Volunteers (x 229)
Mark Bloom
Richard Kaplan
Jay Goldman
Rayna Arnold
Virginia Tiger
Susan Simon
Barbara Kanter
Kevin Blattel
Joe Lewis
Dawn Margolin 547-7726
Herman & Agnes Pencovic
OFFICERS
President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
i
Bryan Schwartz 814-1936
Mark Fickes 652-8545
Rachel Teichman 858-922-0145
Steve Grossman 834-3937
Laura Wildmann 601-9571
Flo Raskin 653-7947
Susan Shub 852-2500
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 Susan Shub
Endowment Fund Herman Pencovic
Finance Susan Shub
Gan Avraham Parents Laura Kaplan &
Rachel Teichman
Gan Avraham School Committee Rebecca Posamentier
House Stephen Shub
Israel Affairs J.B. Leibovitch
Membership Mark Fickes
Men’s Club Jeff Ilfeld
Omer Lori Rosenthal
Personnel Laura Wildmann
Public Relations Lisa Fernandez
Ritual Eric Friedman
Schools Rachel Teichman
Social Action Marc Bruner
Torah Fund Anne Levine
Web Site Liz Willner
Women of TBA Jeanne Korn
Youth Phil Hankin
what’s happening
Jews in Bad Shoes Bowling
May 2 at 7:30 p.m.
at Alameda Bowl with pizza and beer.
Contact Howard Zangwill for details.
The Teen Scene
May 12, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Baum Center
The Teen Scene program, a place for teens with special needs to come and hang out with typical teens
and do fun activities together. Events begin with a light
supper from Oakland Kosher.
Spring Session final date:June 2.
Sha’a b’Matana: May 6
Thanks to you all for your enthusiasm and
support of the Sha’a b’Matana (an hour’s gift)
speaker series. We have had great turnout at
each and every event!
Mark your calendars now for May 6, 7:30-8:30
p.m., when TBA President, Bryan Schwartz,
will speak on Understanding Employment Law
for Employers and Workers.
Sha’a b’Matana (An Hour’s Gift) is a new series
of monthly speakers, members of our TBA
community, who have volunteered to share
their professional expertise with you in an
intimate, informal setting. We hope you’ll
come out, get some expert advice, and enjoy
a relaxed evening with other TBA members.
Please feel free to contact Tosha Schore directly with questions at toshaschore@gmail.com.
Please contact Devorah Romano with any questions
or to sign up: dl@fcberkeley.org or (510) 396-4285.
TBA Goes to Israel
Sunday, May 19, 7:30 p.m.
TBA Chapel
Come learn about the next Temple Beth
Abraham congregational trip to Israel, to be
held in July of 2014. Yes, of course we will
see the Wall, the beach, and Machanei Yehuda,
but there will be much, much more in store.
Come hear about the initial plans, and be part
of the planning process for this next trip. It will
be suitable for both first timers and frequent
visitors.
So, even if you went in 2011, maybe especially
if you went in 2007, come to the meeting on
May 19. Israeli wine will be served!
J
TEXAS
TEXAS HOLD
HOLD ‘EM
‘EM
POKER
TOURNEY
BE N E F I T T I NG T H E
SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013
Temple Beth Abraham Social Hall
327 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland
4:30pm: Registration and Bar Opens
5pm: Tournament Starts
6pm: Dinner
Pre-game poker tutorial and tips by professionals included
Top finishers and raffle winners will receive BIG prizes!
$65 per player buy-in includes dinner,
refreshments and snacks.
& Volunteer Recognition
Book now, “early bird” registrations will receive
a $200 bonus chip for the game
Buy your tickets online at
http://www.jshofnc.org/pokertourney
Questions? Email bbarnes510@gmail.com
J
May 19
TBA Annual Meeting
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from the rabbi
We Teach Your Children Well
Am I allowed to take a moment to brag? I am going to anyway.
I have a strong memory of my first trip to Los Angeles with the 7th graders. The first night there
we held an evening service, and I asked for volunteers to lead the various prayers. My requests were
met with silence. This is not uncommon with 7th graders. But then one of them spoke up and
said, “it’s not that we don’t want to volunteer; it’s just that we don’t really know the prayers.”
We have come a long way since then. It wasn’t the students’ fault. They had had something like
four different Bet Sefer directors in three years. There was no continuity to the program, no focus
to the curriculum.
We decided that with a four hour a week program, we needed to be much more targeted in our
approach. We would focus primarily on prayer. We teach other things besides prayer of course—
values, mitzvoth, life cycle, Bible stories, Talmud, commentaries, and much more. But teaching
prayer is still the core. It’s not just to prepare them for Bar and Bat Mitzvah. My goal was (and
still is) that our kids should graduate Bet Sefer with the ability to be comfortable at any synagogue in the
world, Conservative, Orthodox, or Reform. From then on, by the 7th grade Los Angeles trip, every
kid should be able to lead any of the evening prayers.
Then Susan Simon took on the job as the full time Director, and things really took off. She hired
better teachers, she established clear expectations, she built up the Junior Congregation, she added
family educational programs to every grade, she worked with individual students who needed extra
help, she met with parents, and she went above and beyond to improve the school.
I have worked at other synagogues where the goal of Bet Sefer was that the kids have fun. It’s a
noble goal, but no matter what you do, most kids would still rather be playing soccer, taking ballet lessons, or sitting at home on their computer. So the kids end up learning very little and still
not having fun. The fun at our school comes in the kids getting to know one another and in the
accomplishment of learning something. These kids are smart. They will rise to the occasion when
they know their time is not being wasted.
Susan is constantly looking at ways to improve our school to make it even better. It is still only a
four hour a week supplemental program. But, in all honesty, and with great pride, I can tell you
that we are indeed “teaching your children well.”
Thank You
I would like to thank our Temple’s
Second Generation of the Holocaust
for giving us such a warm reception, the
meaningful service, delicious luncheon
prepared by Jing, and the beautiful
orchids on the tables. It was delightful
and meant so much to me. Also thank
you to the TBA congregation for being
so warm and loving to us.
Misia Nudler
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Shavuot Services
Tuesday, May 14
6:15 p.m. Family Services,
Sticker Rewards, & Ice Cream Party
8 p.m.-Midnight, Tikkun Leyl Shavuot
Late Night Study Session
Wednesday, May 15
9 a.m. First Day Services
in the Chapel
Thursday, May 16
9 a.m. Second Day Services & Yizkor
in the Chapel
from the president
Teach Your Children by Example – Serve Your Community
By Bryan Schwartz
A dozen years ago in Israel, Rabbi Moishe Schlass gave me a pair of tefillin and taught me to
wear them. On winter days when I inhabited a formerly abandoned apartment in Ukraine, hiking the Inca trail in Peru, living alongside the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, I learned to recite
the three-paragraph Shema by heart in Hebrew, as I wrapped myself in tefillin: “Take My words
to your hearts and to your souls, and bind them for a sign on your hands and for frontlets [tefillin] between your eyes. Teach them to your children: to speak them when you sit in your house
and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise up.”
I still perform this ritual every morning. Since having a child, I have often been aware of my
daughter watching me do this, and she has become more aware of the significance of the ritual
over time. “Daddy…can I–?” Camelia will start to ask as I am starting morning prayers. “Give
Daddy a minute,” I say, “I am talking to G-d.” It has seemed to me lately that this is the very
purpose of tefillin – to inspire this conversation in every generation, to show our children by
example that we are taking time out to connect with something larger than ourselves and dayto-day concerns.
It is the same with community. For the last five years on TBA’s Board, and the last two as your
President, I have been acutely aware of setting an example for my daughter. Though she has
generally been too young to understand where I am going so many Tuesday evenings, I always
explain, “Daddy has a meeting at the synagogue.” On Shabbat mornings, Camelia knows well
that it is our synagogue time together, when she can come sit in my lap (often on the bimah)
while I help her unwrap her Ein Keloheinu candies. Doing a school garden planting in East
Oakland for Tu B’Shevat, or a march against genocide or to fight AIDS, she has joined with
Mommy and Daddy and the TBA community in Tikun Olam. I believe these are osmosis lessons
– through the feeling of her hands in small gardening gloves, or the warmth of Golden Gate Park
sunshine on her face, or helping her parents hold a sign and walk with other families in protest of
atrocities – a child gains a sensory connection with social justice, and with community.
Now that my term as this congregation’s leader is coming to a close, my hope is that as President,
Vice President, and Social Action Chair over the last five years, I have helped give more TBA
members opportunities to teach their children, by example, the many worthwhile lessons this
sacred community has to offer. I know you have been proud, with me, to collect more food and
clothing to donate to the poor in our midst than ever before. I have seen many kids on their way
to the Gan or Bet Sefer helping their folks deposit bags of contributions in the bins which overflow so often that TBA’s maintenance staff feels it has a part-time job tallying them all.
You have brought your children with you to new programs, like welcoming diverse Jewish speakers
from China and Uganda, applauding TBA’s talented musicians, or just joining together to celebrate
Jews in baseball. We taught our children together – Jews are multicultural, musical, and athletic.
You have joined with me to set a good example for our children, taking this congregation out
of debt – embracing fiscal responsibility – and firmly establishing a new capital campaign, to
continue improving our campus into the future. When our children read in the Omer or on a
donations placard at the synagogue that we have donated to help in the Centennial and in the
Next Big Thing – the Murray Davis Courtyard project – they see what we value – love for our
brethren, benevolence, and Jewish continuity.
Now I plan to do as TBA Presidents before me have done, and set an example by remaining
involved. Sandy Margolin, Rick Heeger, Steve Shub… just the three most recent, great TBA
Presidents who I regularly see on Shabbat, and at committee meetings, remaining an integral
part of our congregation’s life. Jewish values are in rituals, like laying tefillin. We also teach our
children by our role in community life. I hope you feel that I am leaving our community stronger than I found it when I entered a leadership role five years ago. I know that for my daughter,
seeing me so involved with TBA has been an important lesson. For me, leading this congregation has been among the greatest honors of my life.
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editor’s message
My Tenure Ends as Omer Editor … Next Month
By Lori Rosenthal
When I started copy editing for the Omer in 2005, I certainly did not have any intention of
becoming its Editor. I loved the way I could use my writing skills to help the synagogue and also
the fact that, as part of the Omer team, I had free rein to explore any aspect of synagogue life that
interested me.
Over time, what interested me more than anything else was the way we operated as a community
– especially outside the walls of the sanctuary. Sure, as a Conservative congregation, many of our
activities are sanctuary based. With Shabbat services on both Friday night and Saturday mornings,
and holiday observance scattered throughout the year, there is certainly a lot of ritual glue to hold
us together. Yet, with a membership in the 400s and weekly attendance at services far less than
that, there is clearly much more going on among our members than what takes place in the sanctuary.
And so I took on the Omer Editor in Chief position with this focus in mind. And asked congregants to contribute their own stories to the Omer. Over time, I’ve heard a lot from many of you.
You generously contributed stories about how your family creates meaningful holiday celebrations,
volunteer activities that give you great joy, the role of Jewish summer camp in your life, how you
are “greening” your world, the chavurot in which you take part, Israel stories, the role gratitude
plays in your daily world, as well as about the wonderful lasting Jewish memories that sweeten
your lives.
Like any parent, I have my favorites. In June 2007, in a beautiful issue for TBA’s Centennial year,
we covered the history of our congregation chock full of historic photos and stories. In May 2010,
we highlighted members of our congregation who work in the Food industry. February 2011
focused on TBA members who work and play in the world of Music. The November 2011 issue
was all about the Artists among us. And in April 2012, we focused on the members of our Second
Generation Group in a beautiful issue full of memories and family photos. Each of these issues
gave me wonder anew at how varied and interesting our congregants are. Some folks who I have
never seen in the sanctuary or never noticed in a leadership role around the shul have such rich
lives and contribute deeply in other places. Our community is stronger for it.
A particular joy I had as editor was working with our cover artists. To get a sense of the beauty
and variety of their work, view this page on the TBA website: http://www.tbaoakland.org/community/newsletter?start=20. It’s like looking at a Jewish Art Gallery. David Avidor lent his artistic
hand for three years of covers from 2007 – 2010. Ruth Teitelbaum used her own style of graphics
for two years from 2011 – 2012. And in 2013, we had a rotating group of talented artists including Lauren Manasse Smith, Joni Tanis, Daniel Sosebee, and Ruth Teitelbaum.
Speaking of artists, I want to give a huge shout out to the graphic talents of Jessica Sterling, who
continued on page 6
Cover artist: Lauren Manasse Smith (bio on page 16).
the
Omer
June Omer Theme: Summer
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
Lori Rosenthal
Lisa Fernandez
Jessica Sterling
Jon Golding
Susan Simon
Lauren Manasse
Smith
Help From People like you!
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Copy Editors Jessica Dell’Era, Nadine Joseph, Richard Kauffman, Jan Silverman, Debbie
Spangler
Proofreaders June Brott, Jessica Dell’Era, Charles Feltman, Jeanne Korn, Anne Levine,
Stephen Shub, Susan Simon, Debbie Spangler, Rachel Dornhelm
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
A few of our happy Bunco champs at WTBA’s April Girls Night Out. The Baum Center was rocking with much needed laughter as we
learned this fun social dice game. Thanks to Susan Gildea for teaching us to play and awarding to the winners!
Come Out and Play at WTBA’s Girls’ Night Out
Thursday, May 2, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
The Baum Youth Center, 341 MacArthur
Game Night
Let yourself come out to play with your TBA friends
of all ages. We’ll have our usual wine and cheese,
with an assortment of word and board games and
accompanying laughter and camaraderie.
Prizes for the winners!
Girls’ Night is a casual monthly event open to all TBA
women. A social time where TBA women can get to
know each other better.
Come for all or part, and no need to bring a thing!
Meet old friends, and make new friends.
RSVP to Jeanne at jeannekorn@aol.com
Women on the Move
Sunday, May 12
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 (510) 225-5107 or
daerenson@gmail.com.
Rosh Chodesh
Special Evening Meeting on MAY 6
On behalf of The Women of TBA (WTBA) and
Oakland Ruach Hadassah, we would like to invite
all East Bay Women to join our Rosh Chodesh
group. The group typically meets monthly on the
Monday closest to Rosh Chodesh, from 9:30 to
11:30 a.m. at rotating members’ homes. This month
we are meeting on May 6 at 7:00 p.m. The meetings are facilitated by members of the group. As a
community of women, we explore the emotional
and intellectual themes that live in Torah and connect to our lives. There is no cost to participate and
it’s fine to come intermittently.
This year we are studying the book, Lifecycles:
Jewish Women on Life Passages and Personal
Milestones (Volume 1) edited by Rabbi Debra
Orenstein. In her book, Rabbi Orenstein poses the
question “How the Jewish community might be
enhanced if it fully incorporated women’s experiences and talents?”
The topic for this month is on intermarriage in
Jewish communities and the question of Jews and
non-Jews choosing Judaism. Ideas for new customs
are presented by a variety of women from diverse
Jewish backgrounds. Each meeting opens with a
short discussion about the significance of the current month.
Our last meeting this year is on June 10 at 9:30 a.m.
for the month of Tammuz. Mark your calendar now!
Questions? Contact Debbie Spangler at debspang@
yahoo.com or (510) 531-1105 to get on the distribution list for the upcoming meeting locations.
5
men’s club
Men’s Club News
By Jereme Albin, Men’s Club Board Member
I write this article after having just completed two amazing
and meaningful Seders. The second night was an intimate
gathering with my wife and children, during which my kids
were able to ask a lot of questions. We had a meaningful discussion about the tenth plague and why God was
justified in acting in such a manner. Devarim 6:7 says,
“v’shinan’tam l’vanekha v’dibar’ta bam. You shall teach them
diligently to your children and you shall speak of them.”
The Torah references the commandment of teaching our
children in multiple instances. While I look at the Seder
as a teaching moment, Judaism is full of them. Hebrew
School teaches our children to read Hebrew, and the rabbi’s
d’rash helps them to understand Torah. The act of lighting
Shabbat candles on Friday night helps teach the sanctity of
the Sabbath. Rashi says that, “your children” refer to others
as well. It is incumbent on all of us to teach others a bit of
Torah whenever possible.
Lori’s Column, continued from page 4
creates the layout and design of each issue. Jessica has a
magical way of making text look beautiful and inviting
to read. She has been a wonderful Omer partner to work
with. As has Jon Golding who formats our activity calendars each month with a diligence and attention to detail
that is marvelous. In my mind, Jon, one of my predecessor
as Omer editor, started us on this road to award winning
monthly issues, created the concept of monthly themes, and
provided the shoulders on which current issues still stand.
Thanks Jon!
Thanks too to the talented team of copy editors, proofreaders, traffic and managing editors who I have worked with.
You all kept me sharp - on an ongoing basis you challenged
me, stoked my creativity, removed my foot from my mouth
when needed, and corrected mistakes I never even noticed
before they appeared in print.
Ongoing thanks to the content providers who contributed
time each month or occasionally over the years to fill the
Omer pages with interesting, accurate and readable items.
Please keep doing it.
And another shout out to consistent quality – to the efforts
of Virginia Tiger who provides all our life cycle information
and also organizes the monthly printing, folding, labeling,
and mailing of each Omer issue. We would not have an
6
So come to the next two Men’s Club events. We won’t be
discussing Torah, but we will have lots of fun.
Jews in Bad Shoes Bowling
May 2 at 7:30 p.m.
At Alameda Bowl, with pizza and beer
Contact Howard Zangwill for details.
The Northern CA Jewish Sports
Hall of Fame Poker Tournament
Sunday, May 19
Contact Barry Barnes for details.
Are you worried that you don’t know how to play poker or
that you are a bad bowler? Don’t worry! At the men’s club
there will be some fantastic teachers.
Omer without you and without the distribution team. Your
work makes a huge difference!
Thanks to each and every member of Temple Beth
Abraham, whether or not you are an Omer reader. For
without you, there would not be events to publicize, holiday services and celebration to talk about, ritual to explain,
community events and volunteer opportunities to promote.
Our Omer reflects our lively congregation, of which I am
honored to be a member.
As a nod to this month’s Teach Your Children theme, I
would be remiss not to thank my family, David, Emma and
Becca, for your ongoing ideas, feedback and editing prowess. I wasn’t always gracious when you so proficiently edited
my columns or commented on plans for an upcoming issue,
and I know your feedback always improved them.
I want to end this column by sharing the single most
important lesson I have learned from taking on this Omer
role (as well as other roles at TBA) and it is: Get involved
in your TBA community. Deeply involved if you can. You
will gain significantly more than you give.
Next month you’ll hear more about our new Omer editor:
Rachel Dornhelm. And I know she is waiting to hear these
words from you, “that would make a good Omer story.”
hertz fund
teach your children
Thank You Hertz Fund!
Learning About Shabbat Through Osmosis
I would like to thank the Hertz Fund for helping make the
JDC Entwine-Hillel trip possible for me. I deeply appreciate your generous support, and I would not have been able
to go on this trip without it. What I learned from my participation on the trip will stay with me forever.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines osmosis as: a
process of absorption or diffusion suggestive of the flow of
osmotic action and as a usually effortless and often unconscious assimilation.
By Jacob Raskin
Between high school and college, I took a year to live and
learn in Israel. I attended ulpan classes to learn Hebrew language, and I volunteered at various jobs among communities in Be’er Sheva. I am now a senior in college, and since
leaving Israel before college, I had not been back before
this winter. I had very much wanted to go back to Israel to
visit and spend more time in that beautiful country, and the
JDC-Hillel trip provided the perfect opportunity. During
my time volunteering in Be’er Sheva, I discovered that I
really enjoy working with my hands to help improve a community, and the opportunity to get back to Israel and do
just that was fantastic. I was especially excited to travel to
and work in Carmiel, because that was a region in which
I had not been before, so it was a great opportunity to
explore a new part of Israel.
Carmiel proved to be very beautiful, both aesthetically and
in the rich cultures that we encountered there. Our work
in the Prachim neighborhood was well received, and it
was clear to us that were able to improve the community
by painting walls and building a playground. We met and
worked alongside people from that community, and we
could see from their smiles and hear from the way they said
“thank you” that they were grateful for our help. I really
enjoyed taking a break from the note taking and testing at
Cornell to work with my hands to produce something that
is physically present to benefit the lives of others. We met
with many different communities within Carmiel, and it was
especially fascinating to hear from the Ethiopian community
about their heritage, cultural and religious practices. We
also saw how there are many programs operating in Carmiel
to help make people’s lives better. There are many people
in Carmiel who continue to need help, whether because of
disabilities or handicaps, difficulty integrating into Israeli
society, or other issues that exist in Israeli culture. We saw
how the JDC has partnered with local organizations to help
ease hardships that exist in people’s lives in Carmiel, as well
as throughout Israel. While it certainly pained me to see and
hear of some people’s misfortune, it was inspiring to see the
work being done to help them. I have faith that the work we
did in Carmiel was just a small link in a chain of continual
improvements that will continue in that city.
I am so thankful that I got to return to Israel and work in
a community where help is needed. Each story that I can
bring to people here in America about all of the beautiful
things that exist in Israel improves the country’s image and
strengthens our countries’ ties.
By Rachel Teichman
Example: From watching 26 kids and a dozen educators in
the Gan, my two-year old son Eli has learned how to celebrate Shabbat through osmosis.
We are waiting to cut Eli’s hair until he turns three in
September. We like the idea of this tradition, and waited
until Nina was three for her first haircut as well. We made
a festive cake topped with gummy Hebrew alphabet letters
to signify the beginning of her formal Jewish education,
which is only one of the reasons why the age of three is
chosen. Of course all of our congregation’s children start
their Jewish educations long before reaching the age of
three. And for Eli that couldn’t be more true. He has literally grown up in the Gan Avraham classrooms, as he was
born two weeks into his sister Nina’s first year in Kitah
Aleph. He attended weekly Shabbat classroom celebrations
first asleep in a carseat, then asleep in a stroller, awake in a
stroller, and finally uncontainable, as an actual participant
in the Shabbat circle.
If you look around the Shabbat circle now in Kitah
Gimmel, he will always be the one child who is covering
his eyes during the candle blessing and raising up his cup
of grape juice, and not drinking it, until after the Kiddush
is said. This is all he knows. This is what you are supposed
to do. And boy does he long for the day when he can be a
Shabbat helper too!
At home he prides himself in saying the motzi at our own
Shabbat table; he likes to start it halfway through. And
he will literally cry if he isn’t the one who gets to bless the
grape juice on his own. He plays Shabbat Shalom on his
ukelele, and sings Goodbye Chaverim too. What he will do
when he starts preschool and realizes you have to wait until
the Kiddush is said to even hold your grape juice cup is just
another learning moment we will get to when we get there.
We recently celebrated Passover at the Kitah Gimmel seder,
and afterwards I asked Eli if he ate matzah. He said, “Yes,
and they didn’t have any challah there.” Despite his sister’s
thorough explanation as to why we eat matzah, he does not
know why there was no challah at the seder. But as with
everything else, he is taking it all in. By the time he begins
preschool in the fall, he will have a lot of Jewish knowledge
to share…and lots more to learn.
Rachel Teichman provides a directory of resources for Jewish
families in the Bay Area and beyond at www.oogiah.com. She
also blogs at www.totsandplans.com.
continued on page 8
7
teach your children
Teaching our Children, continued from page 7
Stealing Knowledge: How Jewish Values Can
Guide 21st Century Parenting
By Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann
On March 17, the Men’s Club and WTBA sponsored a parent
education event featuring Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann
who discussed the topic of “Stealing Knowledge: How Jewish
Values Can Guide 21st Century Parenting.” Rabbi KarlinNeumann is the Senior Associate Dean for Religious Life at
Stanford University. She is the first University Chaplain from
a tradition other than Christianity in Stanford’s history. She
co-chaired the Campus Climate Study Group of Stanford’s
Task Force on Student Mental Health and Well Being. Rabbi
Karlin-Neumann is an advisor to Challenge Success, an organization founded at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education
that believes our society has become too focused on grades, test
scores and performance. She teaches and lectures widely on rabbinical ethics, the relationship between religion and education,
and social justice. Below is an excerpt from her speech at TBA.
–intro by Samantha Spielman
As you might have sensed, I care about this as an educator and as a rabbi, but also as a mother, worried about my
own kids and their peers. When my kids were at home,
we read Denise (Pope)’s book, Doing School as a family and
discussed it at Sunday night dinners. If you choose to do
this with your family, or with your book group or with your
schools, there are more books tackling these issues—Wendy
Mogel’s The Blessing of a B-Minus, Madeline Levine’s The
Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children Well. There is the
film, Race to Nowhere. From the early days of this work,
I suggested to Denise Clark Pope that she was leading a
movement, that she was as much an activist as an educator,
mentor and researcher. Look on the Challenge Success website (challengesuccess.org) and you will find many secular
resources. But while we as Jews may be overrepresented in
the anxiety about achievement, we are also blessed with the
rhythms of Jewish life to guide us. A rabbi friend whose
kids were teens when mine were infants told me about a
corollary benefit of being observant—it gave his kids experience in resisting the temptations of their peers. When
others might have been out drinking on Friday night, his
kids were at the family Shabbat table. When other teens
were experimenting with drugs, his kids had learned to
say no—you see, he explained, they keep kosher, and were
used to being careful about what they put in their bodies.
I don’t mean to suggest that ritual observance is a panacea.
But the idea that Jewish life gives kids practice to resist
peer pressure, to develop the habit of thinking for themselves, has stuck with me. If Shabbat punctuates the week,
it reminds us to make time for relationships, to unplug, to
savor a long dinner. Tiffany Shlain, filmmaker who founded
the Webby Awards just made a film called Connected. In
8
it she advocates unplugging on Shabbat. She says that the
most important feature of our technological gadgets is the
off button. At Sukkot, under the stars and surrounded by
friends and family, we remember what is enduring and what
is evanescent. At Pesach, we consider the stranger, invite in
the one who doesn’t feel at home and listen carefully to the
one who doesn’t know how to ask. On the high holidays
we reevaluate and reorient our lives, based on what matters.
Each holiday reminds us that Judaism provides us with endless potential to see our world differently. In December I
was asked to write some thoughts for the Challenge Success
website. Struck by the contrast between my students preparing feverishly for finals and the marketing industry ginning
up desire for the next new thing during the Christmas/
Chanukah holiday season, I thought about young people
making their way through the thicket of desires, some
imposed from without, some grown deep within.
I thought of the menorah, holding eight candles and the
shamash, the server. The kabbalists believed that shamash
holds hidden light, strength not only for its own glow, but
also to illumine a path for others. The flame of the shamash
extends strength to uncover courage, to give birth to hope, to
harken awareness. Darkness is not only physical. Darkness
can also be limited vision, generalized and undisputed expectations, a narrow view of success, unbridled competition,
uncritical thinking and unacknowledged feeling, yet the
shamash, the small candle of strength can illuminate, for both
students and those who love them, deeper desires.
Of course there is the mitzvah to light the menorah, but
there is also a tradition to watch the candles as they slowly
burn down each night. What might we learn about ourselves, about our desires, if we sit with those flickering
flames, if we enter into a dream state looking into the light,
untroubled by expectations, undisturbed by anxiety? What
might we discover if we find ourselves meditating, contemplating, closing out the calls of competition, masking the
marketplace, refusing the ratings?
I invited each of us to appreciate the metaphor of the
shamash, of light engendering light, helping us to quell the
chatter, inviting understanding and uniting us with our
deepest desires. I offered for each night, a question to kindle
others, to ignite discussion with those we love about what
matters, awakening our own desire for purpose in this season
of holiday light and of love. Here are my eight questions:
What do I wonder about?
What are my gifts and strengths?
What have my mistakes and disappointments taught me?
When do I feel alive with learning?
What would I sacrifice for?
What do I do that inspires dignity and respect?
How do I want to make a difference in the world?
teach your children
What could college or my next stage be?
Educator and activist John Gardner, teaches, “Meaning
is not something you stumble across, like the answer to a
riddle or the prize in a treasure hunt. Meaning is something
you build into your life. You build it out of your own past,
out of your affections and loyalties, out of the experience of
humankind as it is passed on to you, out of your own talent
and understanding, out of the things you believe in, out of
the things and people you love, out of the values for which
you are willing to sacrifice something. The ingredients are
there. You are the only one who can put them together into
that unique pattern that will be your life. Let it be a life
that has dignity and meaning for you. If it does, then the
particular balance of success or failure is of less account.”
Looking at Temple Beth Abraham
Excerpted from a Tehiyah Day School Research Project
By Hannah Friedman, Maud Utstein, & Roni Weissman
On Macarthur Blvd. stands a large, majestic brick building
known as Temple Beth Abraham. Built in 1929, although
the Hungarian founders had started it long before, this
beautiful building still stands after almost 100 years. It
even withstood the building of freeway 580 directly in
front of it. A relatively new addition to the synagogue is
an elevator tower, which makes the synagogue wheelchair
accessible. Inside, the social hall, where members eat lunch
on Saturday, leads to the kitchen. The Sanctuary is on the
second level of the synagogue, and is where people come
to pray every Saturday morning, Friday night, and on
holidays. The Sanctuary includes a balcony, which is usually locked. Overall, the Sanctuary can seat around seven
hundred people. A cloth representing a Tallit hangs over the
gold colored Ark. Inside, several Torahs are standing, ready
to be taken out and read from.
Denomination
Conservative Judaism (also known as Masorti, historical,
and traditional Judaism) was born out of Reform Judaism
in Germany in the middle of the 1800s, and moved to
the United States in the early 20th century. Now there are
about 1,000,000 Conservative Jews in the US. The conservative movement is a middle point in between the orthodox
and reform movements, integrating modernism, yet still
practicing religious traditions like the orthodox. It allows
people to read old texts with modern interpretations.
Rabbi Zacharias Frankel is credited with being the founder
of the conservative movement. He believed that Judaism
should be based on scholarship and a positive attitude
towards modern culture. Scholarship is looking at a text
with a critic eye, asking questions, and wondering why. A
positive attitude toward modern culture is not separating
ourselves from the modern world. You can see here that
the typical orthodox movement is separating, the reform
movement is assimilating, and the conservative movement
is integrating. Frankel disagreed with both the orthodox
and the reform movement. Today, most conservative Jews
still observe dietary laws and don’t have a mechitza separating men and women. Many Conservative synagogues hold
all of the traditional services, including Kabbalat Shabbat,
Shacharit, the Torah service, and Musaf. Some also hold
weekday services. Girls and women are allowed have a bat
mitzvah, chant from the Torah and lead services. Female
rabbis are also permitted. Many people drive to services,
and carry their tallitot with them. Some synagogues, including TBA, even use microphones and sound system on
Shabbat.
Hannah Friedman
I personally like the conservative movement, because it is a
balance. I usually don’t like to be too extreme, so I am very
happy being a conservative Jew. I belong to TBA, and it is
definitely the right synagogue for me. It has a very welcoming community, and is intergenerational. The synagogue
may be intimidating from the outside, but is definitely an
amazing place to be. My favorite part of the service is the
Drash, also known as the D’var Torah, the interpretation of
the week’s Torah portion. Rabbi Mark Bloom usually writes
the Drash, and is very good at it. Even though the building
itself is charming, it’s the people, and the way that we do
things that motivates me to get up at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday
morning instead of 9:30 a.m., even though it is hard most
of the time. I have been a member of this synagogue all of
my life, so I don’t know very much about the customs of
other synagogues. Through this project, I have grown to
love Temple Beth Abraham even more than I did before,
and it makes me feel even more at home there.
Maud Utstein
I like the conservative movement because it isn’t extremely
religious but it isn’t not religious. TBA is a conservative
synagogue. I go to TBA on holidays. I think being a conservative Jew would fit my lifestyle much better than other
movements. When I go to TBA I feel like the community is
very welcoming. I think TBA is a very beautiful synagogue.
If I were to go to any synagogue in 30 years I would probably go to TBA because it has a welcoming community and
I like the way they do the services and shabbats. The temple
is also very beautiful and large in size. Even though I don’t
feel very connected with the synagogue, my grandparents
and mom have very strong connection. My grandma went
to TBA when she was a child and my mom did too. I know
a lot about TBA because like I said before, a lot of my family grew up going there.
Conclusion
We learned a lot about Temple Beth Abraham through this
project. We found that Temple Beth Abraham is a welcoming community, for members and visitors alike.
9
cooking corner
Cooking Up Memories with Kids
By Faith Kramer
The kitchen was often a de facto classroom for my two sons
when they were growing up. They learned a lot about food,
nutrition and cooking but also got an appreciation for what
it takes to plan, shop and create a meal.
They each started at two or three years old with one of my
aprons wrapped around them and with a repurposed step
stool set up nearby as their stove with some small wooden
spoons and pots to play with.
By four they had graduated to small chores in the kitchen.
After a parent-supervised hand washing, they snapped the
ends off of green beans, stirred batters or worked on small
cutting boards with disposable plastic picnic knives, slicing
mushrooms and cutting the tops off strawberries. Slowly
this evolved to their being major help in the kitchen, with
the oldest, Seth, eventually being most interested in baking
projects. Noah was a dependable sous chef for many years
and still helps out when he’s home from college.
We not only cooked up dinner, we cooked up memories.
Below are some of my recommendations for working with
children in the kitchen.
Don’t pick a time when you are rushed. Having young
children work with you requires a lot of supervision.
Demonstrate what you want them to do and stay with them
as they do it or at least check in on them often. This is
about the experience, not results, so don’t expect perfection
or standardization in their efforts.
Create a safe place for them away from potential sources of
burns and sharp knives. Teach them about kitchen safety.
Start older children in with knives slowly, making sure you
always monitor for proper knife use. Always use equipment
properly when children are in the kitchen with you.
10
Select recipes that are child friendly. Something with lots
of frying or complicated directions you are not comfortable
with creates issues with children nearby. Look at recipes
in cookbooks aimed at children for ways to break down the
steps so they are age appropriate.
Be okay with them losing interest. They are kids. Have a
second project ready for them, anything from helping to
set the table to decorating plain paper placemats. Or have
some cookbooks nearby with color photos and encourage them to look through and pick out recipes they want
to make with you in the future. My boys loved looking
through illustrated cookie cookbooks.
Show and tell the children what you are doing and why.
Have them sniff the spices and ask them what they smell.
Explain where the spices came from and how you use them.
Go into the background of the recipe if you know it. Point
out how the food changes as it cooks. Take them to the
store and explain how to pick out a good eggplant or tomato. If you can, grow some vegetables and or take your children to a farm so they can understand where food comes
from. Show older kids the nutrition labels on packages and
explain what they mean.
I have lots more tips. If you’d like to learn more, please
email me at fjkramer@msn.com. Or send me your tips and
I’ll include them in a future column or blog post.
One recipe my boys and I made a lot was for these pretzels. Their pretzel shapes began as simple rings or logs but
became more elaborate as they got older. I remember them
forming letters, a space ship and animals among other
shapes. I like to make Jewish-themed pretzels for the holidays, such as a Jewish star. Try to keep similar thickness
pretzels together on one baking tray, since baking times will
vary depending on shape and size.
cooking corner
Soft Pretzels – Adapted from The Jewish Holiday Cookbook
by Gloria Kaufer Greene (Times Books)
Makes 16 “regular” pretzels
When they were young, I made the dough and they helped to shape it, but as they grew they took over more and more of
the recipe.
2 ¼ tsp. active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 Tbs. sugar
1 ½ cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 Tbs. canola or other vegetable oil plus extra for
greasing baking sheets
1 tsp. salt
Mix the yeast and sugar with the warm water in a large
bowl. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If it doesn’t
foam your water might not have been the right temperature or your yeast might be too old. Either way you’ll
need to start over.) Stir in oil, salt, whole wheat flour
and enough of the white bread flour to make a soft dough,
about 2 cups. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface
and knead 5-10 minutes until it is very smooth and just
a bit tacky, adding bread flour by the spoonful if necessary. (The dough can also be made in a heavy duty mixer
or food processor, but having kids help knead adds to the
process. There is nothing fancy about kneading, just work
on a floured surface and have kids press down on the
dough, fold it in on itself and repeat until it feels as firm
and smooth as an ear lobe.)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease baking sheets with
oil.
Make pretzel shapes by pinching off a piece of dough then
rolling it in your hands or a flat surface until you have
a rope that’s about ½" thick. Shape on a flat surface and
then lay the completed pretzel down on the greased sheet.
Pretzels should be about 1" apart.
To make a standard pretzel shape, make a rope about 20"
long. Bend into a U shape. Cross over the arms of the U to
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 to 2 ½ cups white bread flour
1 egg
1 tsp. water
Toppings – kosher or other coarse salt, sesame seeds or
even sprinkles
form a 4" loop at the bottom. Twist the arms around each
other so they intersect and each arm comes back to the
side of the U where it started. Then press the end of each
arm down against the bottom of the U.
To make a Jewish star, make 2 equal ropes. Directly on
the baking sheet, form one rope into a triangle pointing
up. Shape the second rope into a triangle with the point
facing down. Lay it over the first so it forms a six-sided
star. Press the ropes together where they touch.
Beat the egg with the 1 tsp. water and brush on top of
pretzels and then sprinkle with salt or other topping (or
leave plain).
For chewy pretzels, bake immediately for 15-20 minutes
until browned and baked through. (See below for soft pretzel variation)
Remove from baking sheets right away and cool on wire
rack. Store in air-tight containers.
For softer, more bread-like pretzels, don’t immediately
preheat the oven. Let pretzels rise in a warm place for
20 minutes. Turn the oven on to 425 degrees to preheat.
Once the pretzels have risen to almost double in size,
(another 10-25 minutes), place in oven and bake until
golden brown.
Faith Kramer blogs her food at www.clickblogappetit.com. Her cooking column appears twice a month in the j. weekly. You can
contact her directly at clickblogappetit@gmail.com.
Save the Date
June 7
Rock’n Roll
Shabbat
with Dinner
More information as we get closer
11
gan avraham
Gan News
By Barbara Kanter
I love walking through the Gan seeing children engaged and
excited to be at school and teachers as they interact with the
children. I especially enjoy touring prospective families and
introducing them to our program and practices. Prospective
parents want to know our educational philosophy, and these
tours allow me to explain that children learn best through
play. I have the opportunity to explain our play-based curriculum and developmentally appropriate practices. Our
environment encourages each child to actively participate,
explore and discover. In addition Gan Avraham is often the
first step in a child’s Jewish identity and sense of belonging
to the Jewish community.
for the environment and are not wasteful. We show respect,
kavod, to children and grown-ups. Our Gan integrates
Judaism into the entire curriculum every day and paves the
way for a positive Jewish identity and learning throughout a
lifetime.
An excellent Jewish early childhood program is not just
Jewish on Friday when we celebrate Shabbat, or on Monday
when we observe Havdallah or when we are preparing for
a special holiday. We are Jewish every day. Jewish values,
traditions and rituals are integral aspects of our program.
Judaism informs every aspect of our curriculum.
At Gan Avraham our classroom environments look Jewish.
Our wall displays show Jewish life and rituals. We have
many Jewish materials available to the children from books
to CDs to dramatic play props. Jewish values, principles and
mitzvoth are constantly emphasized. We give tzedakah, and
Tikkun olam and bal tashcheet are evident when we care
Please Join Us for TBA’s Youth Services
Shabbat Mishpacha for
preschool-aged children
and their families.
Kitah Gimmel classroom.
May 4, 10:15 a.m.
T’fillat Y’ladim for children in
Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd grade
and their families.
In the Chapel.
May 18, 10:15 a.m.
Junior Congregation
for children in
3rd through 6th grade.
In the Chapel.
May 4, 10:15 a.m.
Keflanu: Shabbat Fun & 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 & 3rd Shabbat of the month.
Upcoming dates: May 4 & 18
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.
12
bet sefer
Chicken or Eggs at Bet Sefer?
By Susan Simon
All throughout the school year and during the summers, we
are faced with difficult dilemmas and have to sort them out
as best we can with the information at our disposal. One
of those dilemmas has to do with how the social relationships between students impacts their level of learning as well
as their “happiness factor” at attending Bet Sefer. Let me
explain a little more.
The students who seem happiest to be at Bet Sefer (and this
certainly isn’t limited to our institution) are the ones that
seem to like others in their class, to play well with them at
recess, to enjoy each other’s company. The students who
seem most unhappy are those that don’t seem to have connected as well with others in their class. It doesn’t even seem
to be directly related to how much they see their classmates
outside of Bet Sefer or whether they get together socially
outside of TBA. And while most of them would rather be
playing soccer or dancing or reading somewhere else, these
positive social interactions seem to have some correlation
with how content the students are to be here. In many cases,
the children who end up behaving poorly are the ones who
haven’t such strong social interactions with their peers.
But, is there REALLY a cause and effect relationship? And
which came first – was it that the chemistry with the classmates wasn’t so great (that chemistry thing is so mysterious
sometimes!) thereby impacting the learning, or is it struggling with the learning that is impacting the social relationships. And, the really key piece of all of this is what we (the
staff ) can do about it.
For the past few months (and ongoing), I have been working with other educators to try to unravel this mystery. We
know from observation that simply having students work
on a project together may or may not impact how they feel
about each other. It depends, partly, upon the quality of
the project. But it also seems to relate to the culture set up
in the classroom surrounding cooperative learning. How
does that culture get established by the teacher and how do
we get students to buy into that culture?
We can use “regular” school classes from which to learn
much about classroom conduct and technique. But we feel
handcuffed by the limited number of hours that we spend
with our students at a particularly difficult time of the
day. Can we be as successful in classroom culture as a class
which means for 6 hours, 5 days a week?
As my group continues to mull these questions and do
observations, I hope to be able to update you with some
of our conclusions next school year. In the meantime, a
couple of suggestions if you feel that your child isn’t as connected as you’d like:
1.Attend youth services – Junior Congregation or
T’fillat Y’ladim – the children who attend regularly
feel very comfortable here and exhibit real joy at being
part of this community.
2.Attend La’atid events (4th-7th grades) – there is nothing that builds community more than being with
other students your child’s age doing a fun activity –
the good feelings spill over into school.
3.Invite other families from your class to your home for
a Shabbat or other dinner. We are so busy rushing
around, it is wonderful to stop for a couple of hours
and connect with another family. Don’t wait for an
invitation – reach out!
Our school year is almost finished and we’ll be working all
summer at making our programming even better. Hope
you enjoy life with a slightly easier schedule once Bet Sefer
is finished for the year.
Don’t be a stranger around here!
What Our Kids Like and Learn About at
Bet Sefer
By Susan Simon
This past week we spent some time with our students asking questions about their favorite activities and things they
have learned. Not surprising there were many votes for
recess and snack. But we also had some wonderful specific
responses that I thought you might enjoy.
Students in Kitah Gimmel (3rd grade) talked about learning Hebrew letters and how to write them, how to read
Hebrew, and vocabulary words. We had comments regarding learning about the holidays and one student talked
about learning about God.
For students in Kitah Hay (5th grade), the focus was on
the activities they are currently doing, such as writing skits,
conversational Hebrew, learning prayers, Holocaust studies
and ethical dilemmas. Of course, everyone loved the Purim
carnival.
Our Kitah Bet (2nd grade) students loved learning new
songs with Rabbi Bloom. Some talked about learning
Hebrew words and letters and practicing writing them.
And a couple really loved testing what they have learned by
continued on page 14
13
midrashala’atid
Graduation at Berkeley Midrasha
By Diane Bernbaum
It’s coming. My favorite day of the Midrasha year...graduation. No, it’s not my favorite day because it marks the end of the
school year and I can finally sleep a little later or go to a ball game or have guests for brunch on Sundays. It my favorite
because when I hear each graduate speak about what Midrasha and their 18 years of Jewish education have meant to them,
I am overwhelmed with pride and have absolutely not a worry in the world about “Jewish continuity.” All the early mornings, late nights, long work days, and worry about program details all go out the window and I realize that I have chosen the
right profession and the right job. If you’d like to be similarly filled with nachas (You don’t have to be the school director
or be related to Midrasha in any way to take pride in the teens. Just living in our community will do!), please join us for
graduation. It is Sunday, May 19 at 10:15 a.m. in the Sanctuary at Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford Street, Berkeley. The
graduation epitomizes the pluralistic nature of our Midrasha community. We have 20 graduates. They come from 5 different
synagogues and represent the general community as well. We are truly a community school. See you on May 19 at 10:15 at
graduation.
Mazel tov to TBA’s Midrasha graduate Dina Zangwill.
La’atid
A Youth Group
for 4th-7th Graders!
Save these dates! Get on the mailing list
for up to date program information today!
Final Event: May 19
To RSVP or if you have questions,
contact your trusty advisors,
Dina & Phil Hankin at dinahankin@aol.com.
This Month’s Cover Artist Lauren Manasse Smith
is the artist for the cover of this month’s Omer. Lauren’s
excitement in art and design lead her to pursue an
Associate’s degree in Communications and Media Arts,
and a BFA in Interior Design from FIT in New York
City. She has a strong background in graphic design, and
has worked for a variety of architectural firms including
both residential and corporate projects.
Three years ago after a trip to Israel, Lauren and her
husband, Matt Smith, moved to Oakland together. They
became members at Temple Beth Abraham upon finding Rabbi Bloom to lead their wedding ceremony last
October. They are expecting their first baby this summer,
in July!
14
Bet Sefer, continued from page 13
playing “Jewpardy.”
In Kitah Dalet (4th grade), we had many votes for the carnival as a favorite, but we also had votes for flashcard work,
improving Hebrew decoding and comprehension skills,
learning prayers, observing Shabbat in class and the one
on one tutoring that the 4th graders get. One student said
“I’ve learned how to observe Jewish holidays and how to
pay respect to Adonai and I’ve learned more Hebrew.”
The last class that we polled was Kitah Alef (1st grade).
Recess and snack were big favorites, but there were also
votes for the Israel slideshow that the students get to experience most weeks. There was also lots of enthusiasm around
learning the Hebrew letters – one student said his favorite
Hebrew letter is “kuf.” And, no surprise, music with Rabbi
Bloom is also a big hit.
It’s a fun and worthwhile experience, finding out about the
best experiences for children as seen through their own eyes.
Perhaps next year we’ll get up the gumption to ask what
they don’t like???
Celebrate
Shavuot
May 14-16
donations
Charity is equal in importance to all the other commandments combined.
Centennial Project Fund
Joan & Richard Rubin
Stephen & Susan Shub
General Fund
Centennial Match Fund
Harold & Jean Pearl, in memory of
Max Pearl
Marsha Maslan, in memory of Phyliss &
Jack Maslan
Keith & Marlene Dines
Joseph & Judith Epstein, Joseph Epstein
Yahrzeit
Leonard & Helen Fixler, in memory of
David Galant
Eric & Heike Friedman
Alan Gellman & Arlene Zuckerberg
Steven Grossman & Jill Rosenthal, in
memory of Abe Grossman
Alison Heyman, wishing Fifi Goodfellow
a happy birthday
Alfred & Anne Hyman, in memory of
Rose Glefand
Bob & Lori Jaffe
Yo Matsuzaki & Laura Tucker
Esther Novak & John Chendo, thanks
to TBA for making Myra Kaplan so welcome at TBA
Misia Nudler, condolences to Galant
Family on loss of their father
Misia Nudler, thanks to Second generation holocaust survivors for honoring us
Misia Nudler, thanks to TBA for putting
the story of my life in The Omer
Misia Nudler, wishing Charles Bernstein a
speedy recovery
Barbara Oseroff, in memory of David
Galant
Svetlana & Mikhail Partsuf
Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt
Jeffrey & Molli Rothman
Barry & Hana Rotman
Curtis & Adi Schacker, in memory of
Murray Davis
Annie J. Schwartz Strom, Happy 98th
Birthday Andre Baliant
Annie J. Schwartz Strom, in honor of
Misia Nudler writing her book
Annie J. Schwartz Strom, In memory of
David Galant
Annie J. Schwartz Strom, in memory of
Ian Jaffe
Annie J. Schwartz Strom, in memory of
Sam Block
Mark Fickes & William Gentry
Robert Klein & Doreen Alper
Sandy & Dawn Margolin
Davis Courtyard Match Fund
Jonathan Bornstein & Amy Wittenberg
Jack Coulter, in memory of Nadine
Brasch
Randall & Jan Kessler, in memory of
Alice Kessler
Peter Miller & Bess Gurman, in honor of
Michah Bloom’s Bar Mitzvah
John Parker & Deborah Santucci, in
memory of Murray Davis
Josh & Rebecca Posamentier
John Rego & Deborah Kahane Rego, in
memory of Murray Davis
Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, in honor
of Ori Sasson’s Birthday
Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt, in memory of Anne Goor
Klaus Ullrich Rotzscher
Curtis & Adi Schacker
Jeri & Marvin Schechtman, in memory
of Mary Rouben and David Galant
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor of
Arthur Tobias’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor of
Alexander Kohn’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor of
Eamon Kight
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor of
Ezra Ratner’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor
of Jacob Cheslosky’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor
of Maxwell Hapiro’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor
of Meyer Diamondstein’s Brit Milah
Stuart & Abby Zangwill, in honor
of Zinnia Lapides’s Baby Naming
Jeanette Jeger Kitchen Fund
Leonard & Helen Fixler, in memory
of Aron Nudler and Shomo Fixler
Misia Nudler, get well Henry Ramek and
condolence to Eric Friedman on loss
High Holy Days Appeal Fund
Steven & Victoria Zatkin, in memory of
Donald Bleiberg
Kiddush Fund
Leonard & Helen Fixler
Minyan Fund
Adolf Freinguel & Nina Korican, in
memory of David Galant
Etoile Stella Campbell, in memory of
Delbert Campbell and Lily Benisty-Kent
Steve Fankuchen, in memory of David
Galant
Fifi Goodfellow, in memory of David
Galant
Alison Heyman, in memory of David
Galant
Michael & Deborah Sosebee, in memory
of David Galant
Mark & Lori Spiegel, in memory of
David Galant
Yom Ha Shoa Fund
Irwin Keinon & Adele MendelsohnKeinon, in memory of David Galant
Irwin Keinon & Adele MendelsohnKeinon, in memory of Nadine Brash
Irwin Keinon & Adele MendelsohnKeinon, in memory of Rey Steinberg’s
brother Sam Bloch
Misia Nudler, in memory of Aaron
Nudler
Ron & Adele Ostomel, in memory
of David Galant
Ron & Adele Ostomel, in memory of
Pola Silver, Mother, Grandmother, Great
Grandma
John Rego & Deborah Kahane Rego,
in memory of Sidney Szepsel Kahane
Sidney & Ethel Shaffer, in memory of
David Galant and recovery to Henry
Ramek
Camper/scholarship Fund
Barbara Berman, in memory of Harvey
Steinberg & Sam Block
Elinor DeKoven
Rey Steinberg, in memory of my brother
Sam Bloch
Rabbi Discretionary Fund
Sharlene and Leonard Ludwig
Judy Berkowitz
Benjamin & Carolyn Bernstein
continued on page 17
15
B’nai Mitzvah
life cycles
Maayan Rubin, May 11, 2013
I go to Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley. I like to play basketball and dance. I really love lifeguarding, and watching baseball. When I’m
bored, I love to draw and study lifeguarding first aid.
In fourth grade I found out I have CRMO. CRMO means chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis which is when your cells inside of your bones get
inflamed. This is one reason why I’m interested in medical subjects.
At my bat mitzvah I will read the Torah parasha Bamidbar and I will be talking
about the theme of relationships which comes up in the Haftarah. I hope you
can come to celebrate this special day with me.
Hannah Rubin, May 11, 2013
I go to King Middle School in Berkeley. I love King!!!! My favorite subject is
lunch because I get to hang out with all my friends who I don’t have classes with
and with the friends who I do have classes with. But, if I have to pick an academic subject, it would be P.E. and English because we do fun stuff in both of
those classes and my best friends are with me in those classes.
I really like music and my favorite artists include One Direction, Justin Bieber,
Katy Perry, and Maroon 5. I really like Die Young and Come On by Kesha. I also
like the song Troublemaker by Olly Murs, and Oath and With Your Love by Cher
Lloyd.
In my drash for my bat mitzvah I am going to be talking about the Pidyon Haben
and parents. I like to hang out with my family and I love to ride on roller coasters
at Great America and Six Flags. I definitely like to hang out with my friends. I
love cheering really loudly with my family and friends while watching football and
baseball. Though the sport I like to do is swimming and I’m really good at it.
I’m very thankful for my friends and family for coming to my bat mitzvah and I
would really like to thank my tutor Susan for teaching me all this stuff and my
family for planning it with me. Can’t wait to see y’all at Maayan’s and my b’not
mitzvah!
Julia Mendelsohn, May 25, 2013
I am a 7th grader at Julia Morgan School for Girls. Outside of school I love playing soccer, rowing crew, running, dancing, art and hanging out with my friends
and family.
My portion is Beha’alotecha. In my portion people are complaining that they
are not getting enough food, which leads to God forcing them to eat meat in
excess. Also in the portion, Eldad and Medad are prophesying and Aaron and
Miriam are gossiping about Moses’s wife. Following the gossip session Miriam
is stricken with leprosy. I will be focusing on and discussing their gossiping and
the results and consequences of gossiping not only in the Torah, but also in
modern day.
Since I was born, Judaism has always been a great part of my life. I love being
Jewish and am very excited and grateful to have this large milestone in my life
and as part of my Jewish identity.
I’d like to thank Outi Gould for helping me this year in preparation for my Bat
Mitzvah and Rabbi Bloom for the help on understanding and taking apart my
portion in order to write my drash. An extra special thanks to my “personal” Bat
Mitzvah teacher, my dad, who has assisted me through everything for this day
continued on page 17
16
life cycles
B’nai Mitzvah, continued from page 16
and made me enjoy every minute of it. Most of all I would like to thank both of my amazing parents and sister for supporting me through everything and making this day possible.
Finally I’d love to give a huge thanks to my B’nai mitzvah class for making Hebrew school
enjoyable after eight years and being the coolest Jew Crew in the world!
Two of my friends, who had their Bat Mitzvahs last year, began an organization called Dress
It Up. Now my friend Maya Marcus and I are joining Dress It Up for our Bat Mitzvah projects so that we can expand and help continue the organization. The original idea was that
we go to so many Bar and Bat Mitzvah parties and get many new dresses. But, some girls
never get to have the fun of going to parties like we do in pretty dresses. So with the help
of donations we are collecting dresses for girls to wear to a dance party that we are hosting. The girls will also get their hair styled professionally and keep the dress. Along with
that a DJ will be there to lead the girls in the great night! Watch for our collection baskets
and flyers around the synagogue. I hope you can help me continue my friends’ idea and I
really hope you will join us on May 25!
Sarah Rothman, June 1, 2013
I am a 7th grader at Montera Middle School. At Montera I participate in a woodshop
program that is the only one left in Oakland. My favorite subject is science. I love science
because I learn about topics I did not previously know about. In science we have been
studying heredity, genetics, and DNA. I have learned so many new things. Another thing
I love is the beach. Every year in the summer I go to the Outer Banks in North Carolina.
The beach is a place for me to relax and have fun in the sand and water. I also love to try
new and strange foods.
My Torah portion is called Sh’lach. It is about how to prepare a burnt offering or sacrifice.
It also covers offerings for unintentional sins, and information on Tallitot.
I am excited to be having a Bat Mitzvah. I hope you can join me as I become a Jewish adult
on June 1, 2013.
Donations, continued from page 15
Herbert & Harriet Bloom, in memory
of Matilda Bloom Holzman
Dr. Walter Chang & Miriam Gould
Richard Charlesworth & Amy Moscov,
in honor of Micah Bloom’s Bar Mitzvah
Jerome & Judith Davis
Yale J. & Arlene Downes, in memory
of David Galant
Eric & Heike Friedman
Robert Gammon & Lisa Fernandez
Fifi Goodfellow
Jeff & Johanna Ilfeld
Jonathan & Joy Jacobs
Martin & Lisa Kharrazi
Daniel & Jessica Klein
Darren & Marni Kottle
David Lenik
David & June Marinoff
Martin & Sylvia Miller, in memory of
Michael Miller
John Rego & Deborah Kahane Rego
Sheldon & Barbara Rothblatt
Klaus Ullrich Rotzscher
Joan & Richard Rubin
Ori & Susan Sasson, in honor of Barbara
Rothblatt’s birthday
Colin & Cecile Schlesinger, in memory
of David Galant
Daniel B. & Marieka Schotland
Cindy Sloan
Jerome & Beverly Turchin, in memory of
Melvin Klein
Bruce & Alicia von Kugelgen
Joshua Wittenberg & Jennifer Kopp
Celia & Morris Davis Hunger Fund
Norma Armon, in memory of Abraham
Kreimerman
Denise Davis, in memory of Grace Gill
Endowment Fund
Shirley Bolton, in memory of Raymond
Bolton
Larry Miller & Mary Kelly, in memory
of David Galant
Hertz - Israel Scholarship Fund
Gerald & Ruby Hertz, in memory of
Herman Hertz
17
life cycles
May Birthdays
1
10
18
24
Elliott Albin
Lauren Davis
Ariel Karwat
Ilya Okh
Stephen Tessler
Camille Edesess
Gary Kramer
Anna Morris
Lori Rosenthal
Eliza Kauffman
Stuart Korn
Arel Zachary Masliyah
19
2
Emil Leventhal
Jeffrey Reichenberg
Cara Spangler
Renat Engel
Josh Mailman
Dvora McLean
Judah Slavin
Maxine Halem
Danielle Jurow
Reuben Liron
Judy Craddick Maccabee
Oscar Mendelson
Rebecca Mogill
Jerome Turchin
3
Lisa Geggie
Caleb Reichenberg
Eva Rosenberg
4
Jacob Kubalik
Paul Raskin
Lior Remler
5
Juliette Linzer
Liz Willner
7
Thalia Broudy
Rachel Dornhelm
8
Avi Joseph
Naomi Kottle
9
Sophie Casson
Warren Gould
Aesa Masliyah
11
12
Cynthia Berrol
Maya Harlev
Noah Kramer
Steven Zatkin
13
Lita Krowech
Anna LaForte
14
Sharon Alva
Shai Krantz
Nathaniel Margolin
Helene Moore
Steven Berl
Heidi Bersin
Judy Bloomfield
Eitan Feiger
Benjamin Hoffman
Rebecca Johnson
Joseph Maidenberg
Peter Miller
Ilan Remler
Bruce von Kugelgen
20
Summer Albin
Liana Barach
Ephraim Margolin
Yo Matsuzaki
21
15
Sarah Applebaum
Joshua Bersin
Jordon Gerstler-Holton
Laila Maidenberg
Edan Alva
22
16
Leon Bloomfield
David Feldhammer
Maya Engel
David Gould
Jeff Ilfeld
Kerry Segal
Leah Skiles
17
Adam Arons
Emily Karwat
23
Celia Hill
Oren Mizrahi
Eva Paul
Maria Pinkhasov
Wendy Siver
Kay Warren
25
26
Jory Fankuchen
Outi Gould
Anne Levine
Sarah Miller
Samantha Spielman
27
JB Leibovitch
Rebecca Rosenthal
28
Ezra Graham
Jeremy Kruger
Jerrold Levine
Zea Lindenbaum
Ava Remler
Deborah Santucci
Howard Zangwill
29
Lisa Brinner
Morris Goldberg
30
Haley Baum
Sidney Shaffer
Deborah Sosebee
31
Doreen Alper
Aaron Belikoff
Is your birthday information wrong or missing from this list? Please contact the TBA office to make corrections.
Welcome New Members
Ilan and Victoria Remler. Their children Ava, Lior, Avi
Aaron Goldberg & Amy Gerard. Their children Reuben
& Asa Goldberg
18
A note to new members:
We would like to introduce you to the TBA
community in an upcoming newsletter. Please
send a short introduction of you and your
family, with a digital photo, to omer@tbaoakland.
org. Thanks!
life cycles
May Yahrzeits
May God comfort you among all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem
Iyar 21-23
May 1-3
Irving Podolsky
Robert Hyman
Irving Dronsick
Margaret Naggar
Philip Rohold
Harold Rosenberg
Heinrich Spritzer
Mathilda Ritter Spritzer
Iyar 24-Sivan 1
May 4-10
Don Eberhart
Lawrence Freedenberg
Irwin Goldberg
Sylvia Margolin
Sylvia Good Margolin
Jeanette Strassman Morrow
Inaclaire Carter
Charles Naggar
Martin Rockmaker
Charles Cohen
Rakel Kantola
Velkko Kantola
Melvin Rifkin
Alexander Wallis
Huguett Dayan
Sidney Greenstein
Sivan 2-8
May 11-17
Rene Nathan
Jessie Powell
Sylvia Stein
Viola Glinn
Alex Harris
Molly Silverman
Molly Bauer Silverman
Shira Weisbach
Max Davidson
Anne Gould
Henry Brentwood Henzel
Stanley Klimen
Fruma Goldstein
Elynore “Skip” Harris
Anne Kaplan
Ida Miron
J. Dorothy Standfield
Sarah Hertz
Rolf Schlesinger
Sivan 9-15
May 18-24
Jack Spritzer
Edythe Cohen
Max Eckstein
Irene Lasar
Phillip Weinstein
Abraham Blumberg
Zelda Jacobs
Joseph White
Diana Bereskin
David Yaron
Sivan 16-22
May 25-31
Jack Gerber
Hyman Gurman
Sy Harris
Nathan Brody
Fanny Naggar
Coleman Bloomfield
Haja Blymenkrantz
Albert Gould
Lee Aerenson
Raymond Mogill
Ann Frankel
MEMORIAL PLAQUE Anyone wishing to purchase a memorial plaque,
please contact Pinky at the synagogue office at extension 229.
A Legacy Gift Lasts Forever
Include TBA in your Estate Planning so that your message to your family is loud and clear:
The existence of Temple Beth Abraham is important to me and for the future of Jews in Oakland.
Contact TBA’s Executive Director Rayna Arnold for further details
(510) 832-0936 or Rayna@tbaoakland.org.
You are never too young to plan for the future!
19
20
5
12
19
26
6
27
Iyyar
7
13
20
27
Gan/Office closed
9-10a Minyan (Chapel)
MeMoriAl dAY
18 '' 7:07p
Sivan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
11
Sivan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
4
Sivan
19
Sivan
4-6p Bet Sefer
28
Classes with/at Outi Gould’s:
10a Understanding the Siddur
11:15a Prayerbook vocab. & grammar
21
29
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
20
Sivan
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
22
13
Sivan
ShAVuot i
15
12
Sivan
6
Sivan
Office/Gan closed/No Kindergym
9a Shavuot Service and Kiddush
7p AZA and BBG
No BBYO this week
14
8
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
6:15-7:15p Confirmation Class
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
YoM YeruShAlAYiM
28
Iyyar
Classes with/at Outi Gould’s:
10a Understanding the Siddur
11:15a Prayerbook vocab. & grammar
NO Bet Sefer
8p Tikkun Leyl Shavuot
ereV ShAVuot
5
'' 7:53p
Sivan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
7:30p Rosh Chodesh Celebration
Classes with/at Outi Gould’s:
(at Faith Kramer’s)
10a Understanding the Siddur
7-8:30p Professional Presentaiton-- 11:15a Prayerbook vocab. & grammar
Understanding Employment Law for
Employers and Workers with
4p-6p Bet Sefer
Bryan Schwartz
26
Iyyar
1
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
6:15-7:15p Confirmation Class
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
21
Iyyar
2
9
16
23
30
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
21
Sivan
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
14
Sivan
8:54p Havdalah (42 min)
9a Shavuot Service with Yizkor
No Kindergym or Bet Sefer
ShAVuot ii (Yizkor)
7
Sivan
4p-6p Bet Sefer
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
29
Iyyar
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
10-11a & 11:15a-12p Kindergym
4-6p Bet Sefer
7p Men’s ClubJews in Bad Shoes go Bowling!
7:30p Girls Night Out
22
Iyyar
3
10
17
24
31
kitAh giMMel cAMping trip
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
22 '' 8:06p
Sivan
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Kindergym
15 '' 8:01p
Sivan
7p East Bay Minyan (Baum YC)
No Kindergym
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat,
Confirmation and Graduation night!
8
'' 7:55p
Sivan
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Kindergym
roSh chodeSh
1
'' 7:49p
Sivan
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
9:30-10:30a & 10:45-11:45a
Kindergym
23 '' 7:43p
Iyyar
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.
4
11
Naso
18
25
9:02p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bat Mitzvah of Julia Mendelsohn
16 B’Ha-alot’kha
Sivan
8:56p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
11a T’fillat Y’ladim
9
Sivan
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
B’nai mitzvah of Maayan and
Hannah Rubin
10:15a Junior Congregation
12p Keflanu-Get together grades 3-6
8:50p Havdalah (42 min)
B’Midbar
2
Sivan
8:44p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
kitAh VAV ShAbbAt
24 B’Har / B’Hukkotai
Iyyar
May 2013
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
5p CityTeam in Oakland—
feeding the hungry
17
Sivan
7:30p Trip to Israel Meeting
10:15a Berkeley Midrasha Graduation
9:30a AnnuAl Meeting And
Volunteer AppreciAtion
10
Sivan
6p Friendship Circle - Teen Scene
9:45-11:30a
Women on the Move hike
3
Sivan
5:30p tbA SchoolS Auction
25
Iyyar
Iyyar 5773 / Sivan 5773
21
2
9
23
30
15
Tamuz
22
Tamuz
3
10
17
24
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
16 '' 7:07p
Tamuz
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
9
Tamuz
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
9:30a Rosh Chodesh Celebration
(contact Amy Tessler for location)
2
Tamuz
7-8p Professional Presentaiton-Helping Children Play Well Together
with Tosha Schore
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
25
Sivan
11
4
25
18
Tzom Tamuz
(dawn To dusk)
17
Tamuz
10
Tamuz
3
'' 7:53p
Tamuz
26
Sivan
5
12
19
26
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
18
Tamuz
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
11
Tamuz
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
4
Tamuz
7p BBYO-AZA and BBG
9a Weekly Text Study
(Woodminster Cafe)
27
Sivan
20
27
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
19
Tamuz
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
12
Tamuz
6
13
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
5
Tamuz
8a-9a Minyan (Chapel)
28
Sivan
7
14
21
28
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
20 '' 8:17p
Tamuz
7p East Bay Minyan (Baum YC)
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat
13 '' 8:16p
Tamuz
6:15p-7:15p Kabbalat Shabbat,
Gan Avraham-Last Day of Schoolcloses as 1:00pm
6
'' 8:14p
Tamuz
6:15p-7:45p Rock n Roll Shabbat
29 '' 8:11p
Sivan
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.
1
Korach
8
15
22
9:17p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bar Mitzvah of Ethan Grossman
29
9:17p Havdalah (42 min)
Pinchas
21
Tamuz
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
Balak
14
Tamuz
9:14p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Chukkat
7
Tamuz
9:11p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Service
Rosh Chodesh
30
Sivan
kiTah Gimmel CampinG TRip
9:07p Havdalah (42 min)
9:30a-12p Shabbat Services
Bat Mitzvah of Sarah Rothman
10:15a Shabbat Mishpacha
23 Sh’lach L’kha
Sivan
June 2013
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
5p CityTeam in Oakland—
feeding the hungry
16
8
Tamuz
9:45-11:30a
Women on the Move hike
Rosh Chodesh
1
Tamuz
kiTah Gimmel CampinG TRip
6p Friendship Circle-Teen Scene
24
Sivan
Sivan 5773 / Tamuz 5773
Temple Beth Abraham
327 MacArthur Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94610
Periodicals
Postage
PAID
Oakland, CA
Permit No. 020299
TBA SCHOOLS AUCTION
Hola TBA! See you at the TBA Schools Auction.
Our theme, what else? Cinco de Mayo!
May
5
what’s inside
TBA Directory.......................................i
Cooking Corner..................................10
What’s Happening................................1
Gan Avraham News...........................12
From the Rabbi.....................................2
Bet Sefer News...................................13
From the President................................3
Midrasha............................................14
Editor’s Message...................................4
La’atid................................................14
Women of TBA.....................................5
Donations...........................................15
Men’s Club...........................................6
Life Cycles..........................................16
Hertz Fund...........................................7
Calendar.............................................20
Teach Your Children..............................7