February / March 2016 - Congregation Beth Ami
Transcription
February / March 2016 - Congregation Beth Ami
February/March 2016 5776 Congregation Beth Ami Office, Library, and Gift Shop Hours 4676 Mayette Avenue Santa Rosa, CA 95405 Mon.–Thurs. 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Telephone707/360-3000 Fax707/360-3003 Mission Statement Email office@BethAmiSR.org Website BethAmiSR.org Congregation Beth Ami enriches our lives, transforms our hearts, helps heal the world and sustains our Jewish heritage. We are deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and welcome all to our community through celebration, learning, education, and prayer. Fri. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Please “like” us at facebook.com/CongregationBethAmi Personnel Rabbi Mordecai Miller 707-889-6905 rabbi@bethamisr.org Leah Frost, Executive Director 707-360-3011 execdirec@bethamisr.org Elizabeth Jarlsberg, Office Manager 707-360-3000 office@bethamisr.org Diane Lennox, Bookkeeper bookkeeper@bethamisr.org Jenny Levine-Smith Nursery School Director 707-360-3030 ns@bethamisr.org Mandi Emery-Flynn, NS Assistant 707-360-3030 ns@bethamisr.org Rick Concoff, JCC Teen Program 707-823-3916 rickc@jccsoco.org Ben and Tara Winkler, Shofar Newsletter 641-451-7076 newsletter@bethamisr.org Anya Concoff Por, Director of Youth Education 707-360-3000 rs@bethamisr.org Gabor Por, Librarian 707-360-3006 library@bethamisr.org Bonnie Boren, Gift Shop 707-360-3022 bonnieboren@gmail.com Andrea Nett, Friedman Center Director 707-360-3021 director@friedmaneventcenter.com Edythe Smith, Invitations 707-538-3698 Officers and Board of Directors, 2015–16 Laura Alexander, President cbapresident@sonic.net, 837-8695 Arnold Drake, Past President gidrdrake@gmail.com, 542-1765 Myrna Morse, VP of Administration mrm75@att.net , 539-5457 Russ Gurevitch, VP of Facilities russgurev@msn.com Barbara Tomin, VP of Youth & Education btprojects@sonic.net, 576-1167 Mel Decker, VP of Ways and Means, meldecker5@gmail.com, 540-0614 Barbara McGee, Treasurer barbara.mcgee@ffic.com, 953-2526 Betty Boyd, Secretary bettyboyd@informingscience.org, 537-2211 Members at Large Richard Kahn earthin@sonic.net, 217-5265 Alan Krubiner akrubiner@msn.com, 694-6239 Lyla Nathan lylanathan5@gmail.com, 526-7438 Jeff Sheff, Adult Education jssheff@gmail.com, 539-5346 Leanne Schy, Torah/Haftarah Readings leanne@sonic.net, 528-4874 Members Ex Officio Leah Frost, 481-3390 Jenny Levine-Smith, 360-3030 Anya Concoff Por, 707-360-3000 Rabbi Miller, (314) 308-3672 Andrea Nett, 707-360-3021 Deadline for Apr./May 2016 Shofar is Mar. 15 Jewish Community Contacts Hillel of Sonoma County Ilana Stoelting, (707) 795-5464 www.sonomahillel.org JCC, Sonoma County Beth Goodman, 528-4222, www.jccsoco.org Jewish Community Federation Barbara Levinson, 568-6207, www.sfjcf.org Jewish Community Free Clinic Donna Waldman, 585-7780, www.jewishfreeclinic.org Jewish Community Relations Council Suzan Berns, 415/957-1551, www.jcrc.org Jewish Family & Children’s Services Diana Klein, 571-8131, www.jfcs.org/sonoma-county February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 2 • bethamisr.org Rabbi’s remarks Rabbi Mordecai Miller Transitions “The sun rises and the sun sets…” (Ecclesiates 1:5) “R. Berechyah said in the name of R. Abba bar Kahana, ‘Really! Don’t we know that the sun rises and the sun sets?! “But the sense of this verse is: Before the sun of a certain righteous person sets, the sun of another righteous person rises...Before the sun of Sarah set, the sun of Rebecca dawned. And so it is in every generation: The sun rises and the sun sets.’” (Ecclesiastes Rabba 1:10) The classic midrashic commentary, Etz Yoseph, explains that this is all an expression of Divine Providence; that despite the constant changes that go on in the world, this is one way in which God sees to our well-being. Our synagogue has recently experienced a major transition. Last Fall, Carolyn Metz announced her retirement from the position of Executive Director as of the end of December, 2015. I still remember my personal sense of dismay when I received her letter informing me of her intentions. In many ways Carolyn has served as a mentor to me as I assumed the position of rabbi to Congregation Beth Ami a little over three years ago. We had many conversations about the need for our congregation to take an active role in in our community and in the lives of our members, and just how that might be accomplished. Carolyn was the point person in the monumental challenge of re-envisioning the role of our Beth Ami Community Nursery School and, with her close friend Barbara Tomin, helped bring this complicated project to a successful conclusion. It was Carolyn who read about the program Guess who’s coming to Shabbat Dinner! and decided that we could reinvigorate our synagogue membership’s Shabbat experience through this. Again it was Carolyn and BT who worked together to come up with the idea of our Beth Ami Sustainers and find a way for our synagogue to finance the newly created position Director of Youth Activities as well as other important projects. We all know that it’s one thing to have a great idea; it’s a whole other matter implementing that idea and making it a successful reality. The secret of Carolyn’s success is that, over the course of decades, and in the various roles she has played in serving our Santa Rosa and Sonoma County Jewish community, she has developed deep and lasting friendships. She has been able to share her enthusiasm and her ideas with those friends. In this way they have all worked as a wonderful team in making dreams a reality. This has gone well beyond the responsibilities of a synagogue executive director and we have all been the beneficiaries. I look forward to working with Carolyn in her role as a regular member of Beth Ami, and pray that she will gain much naches from the additional time she will have to enjoy her family and friends. I know that we will continue to be blessed by her presence and the active role she plays in our Sonoma County Jewish Community. Our Search Committee, under the able chairmanship of Myrna Morse, had an awesome task in finding Carolyn’s successor. To say that Myrna put together a hard-working and multitalented committee would be an understatement. Over the course of just a few months they achieved what many might have thought was an impossible task! As a result of their combined efforts, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Leah Frost as our new E.D. Leah’s background includes a relationship with our Beth Ami during the course of her childhood. She has had extensive experience in the various tasks of administration, from scheduling to writing February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 3 • bethamisr.org Rabbi’s Events & Announcements remarks continued… handbooks. She has had first-hand opportunity to work with customers, clients and service providers and, as of late, she serves the congregation in Davis as the assistant to their executive director. We have all been charmed by Leah’s talent, warmth and sincerity and her clear abilities as a people person. She expresses a deep love of Judaism and K’lal Yisrael, as well as a compassionate concern for her fellow human beings. As leaders of the congregation, our president, Laura Alexander (who played an active role on our search committee), along with our Board and our Committee Chairs are all delighted to welcome Leah and her mother to our community and our synagogue family. I look forward with confidence and great anticipation to working with Leah in continuing the important work that Carolyn and others have accomplished, in leading Congregation Beth Ami into the future. “The sun rises and the sun sets…” May this transition indeed be an expression of God’s Divine Providence! Our Hanukkah Party Welcome to New Members: Bernard & Maria Soltes Our Condolences to the Families of: Evey Abramowitz Helen Francis Gillston Matzner (David Matzner’s stepmother) New Members Dinner On Friday evening, April 1, Beth Ami will host a dinner for new members at the Social Hall. All members are encouraged to attend. Dinner for new members is free of charge, as our guests. The evening event starts at 6 p.m. and includes a brief service, Shabbat candle-lighting, dinner and schmoozing. Look for more details, such as price and menu, in coming weeks in the Beth Ami Cyberschul. Reservations are required for new and existing members. Please RSVP to the Beth Ami office, 707-360-3000. For further information, call or text Mark Rosen at 860-202-8953. Announcing the Purimspiel for 2016! If I had a Hamantash...The Folk Megillah The Beth Ami Purimspiel...we’ve pretended to be British, Country, Motown, Jersey/Italian, all kinds of Broadway, and surfers. And now we’re going to pretend that we’re folkies from the Folk Music Revival, centered in the coffeehouses of Greenwich Village, New York. Are some of you thinking, “Pretending? Who’s pretending?” Maybe somebody will do a study on which was more Jewish: Broadway or the Greenwich Village coffeehouse scene. Sponsor The Spiel! We’ll Write You A Singing Commercial! The Spiel opens, and closes, on the weekend February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 4 • bethamisr.org Events & Announcements continued… of March 19 and 20. It is a wonderful community event at Beth Ami, and yes, you too can contribute to its success. You can invest in sponsoring your favorite character, or one of the beloved songs. You can even step forward as one of the major spiel sponsors. Yes, for you true patrons of business and the arts, there is the exciting opportunity to purchase a singing commercial, which will be performed at all Spiel shows. It will surely increase the success of your business beyond your wildest dreams. All donations go to supporting Congregation Beth Ami, the home of the Spiel. Watch for a mailer with spiel sponsorship information. It will also give you an easy way to fulfil the Purim mitzvah of Shalach-mones, sending gifts to one another. You can get tickets in advance or at the door: Saturday, March 19, 7:30 p.m. $30/person for spiel and party. Join us following the performance to party with the spielers; continue the fun with music by the Megillah Band, dancing, wine, refreshments, Beth Ami-made hamentashen, and more. Sunday, March 20, 2 p.m. $10/Adults, Children 12 & under free. Following the performance you shouldn’t leave hungry: have some Beth Ami-made hamentashen. If you wish to be part of the spiel sponsorship, contact the CBA office or the Purim Players business office, at Leanne@sonic.net. Spiel Fever!! Catch it!! Hebrew Studies Class A Hebrew class to build skills in reading Biblical Hebrew with full understanding continues on Tuesdays, 2–4 p.m. We are currently meeting David in 1st Samuel. Sessions include reading the text aloud, translating it into English, and engaging the grammar and vocabulary of the Hebrew in lessons and discussion, as well as exploring the theology and history of the text as questions come up. We periodically invite newcomers, and next Tuesday we will be starting a new segment. Instructor—Eric Thompson, Instructor Religion Studies, Department of Philosophy, Humanities and Religion, Instructor of Ancient Hebrew Location—2230 Professional Dr., Suite D, Santa Rosa (across from In and Out Burger, one block north of Steel Lane and one block east of the 101) For more information, call Karen at 707-545-4569 Purim Celebration and Services March 23 and 24 Join us as we celebrate Purim, one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar. Come in costume. Swing your gragger and boo Haman as we read the Megillah. Have some hamantaschen to eat. Come Wednesday, March 23, at 6 p.m. for the first reading of the Megillah and an evening of fun. Come Thursday, March 24, at 7 a.m. for the second reading of the Megillah. Israeli Folk Dance Dance circle dances to songs from Israel, and other places too—with varied speeds, moods and styles. We will start with 30 minutes of beginning instruction if there is interest. Check the Israeli dance blog on the Beth Ami website for up-to-date info and helpful videos of dances. 7–9:30 p.m. February 3 & 17 March TBD Friedman Center, $3 donation to Beth Ami February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 5 • bethamisr.org Is W da ua si da M on in President’s Page Laura Alexander, President As we close 2015 and move into 2016, I’m pleased to see so many blessings bestowed on Beth Ami. Thankfully, with the help of the Sustainer’s Circle and an improved economy, we’re finally starting to pay down our capital campaign loan and eventually start a building fund to address years of deferred maintenance, to strengthen our Nursery School and Religious School and expand the hours and scope of the role of our new executive director, Leah Frost. Beth Ami is undergoing many facility improvements and much needed repairs. We’re just starting to scratch the surface of the work needed at Beth Ami but we’re making progress. We’re working on fixing water damage in the Library, sealing leaks on the roof and the Friedman Center is undergoing major renova- tions to attract more frequent and lucrative event rentals. I’m especially excited to welcome Leah and am looking forward to working with her. I am confident that she will bring a fresh perspective and energy not only to her job but also to our community. I know you’ll find her warmth and friendliness as disarming as I do. I hope you had a chance to meet her at the mid-year membership meeting on January 31st but if not, please take a moment to introduce yourself to Leah and welcome her to our Beth Ami family as only Beth Ami does! THE Trusted Name in Real Estate For a more PROFITABLE sale, call Martin Levy BUY or LIST with me or REFER a friend to me and I will make a $1000 donation in your name to Congregation Beth Ami upon close of escrow. Please mention this ad when you call. Martin A. Levy Approaching 40 years of Full-Time Service and Full-Time Commitment Century 21 NorthBay Alliance If you’re even considering buying or selling, call BRE#00619542 707-303-3333 www.MartinLevy.com • Martin@MartinLevy.com • 707-303-3333 February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 6 • bethamisr.org Executive Director’s Message Leah Frost I would like to introduce myself, or rather, reintroduce myself to the Beth Ami community. My name is Leah Frost and I have humbly accepted the honor of becoming Beth Ami’s new Executive Director. I was born in Battle Creek, Michigan. My parents divorced when I was three, and after much soul searching, my mother, who was unsatisfied with her ancestral religion as a Seventh Day Adventist, decided to lead our family down the path of Judaism. We started out attending the Reform synagogue in Battle Creek where I learned Hebrew, Torah stories, and the holidays along with the other Sunday school kids. The transition was not a difficult one for me. Growing up in a home with a single parent that instilled values of loving kindness, discipline, and respect for others and their right to be; all the while living a Torah oriented life, helped shape who I am as a Torah observant Jew and the things I stand for. Doing what’s right and standing up for myself and others has always been my modus operandi. As we learned more of the differences in Judaism, we moved back to my mother’s hometown of Dayton, Ohio to start the process of an Orthodox conversion. My brother Aaron and I attended Hebrew Day schools in Dayton, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where we shined and excelled. One year we both won first place in the fair at Cincinnati Hebrew Day school. My brother created a carving of an oversized pair of tefillin out of wood, and I re-created the Bible scene of Esau hunting and coming to Jacob for porridge in a diorama. My brother z”l was of course the true artist in the family. My family and I have lived in several Jewish communities across the U.S. thus realizing the term, Wandering Jew. As pioneers to the phrase, Jews of color, our experiences have not always been pleasant. At one point, my mother’s frustrations became so great that she moved us as far away from a Jewish community as one could get, aka Ukiah, California, while still being a part of civilization, somewhat! However, realizing that being completely cut off from the Jewish community wasn’t working either, we sought out like-minded Jews in Mendocino County and then ventured down to Santa Rosa and Beth Ami. In Beth Ami, we found a home of warmth, understanding, openness, tradition and most important, acceptance. People didn’t question whether we were truly Jewish, demand to see conversion papers before my brother could help make up a minyan, or ask what church we were visiting from as had been done elsewhere. Beth Ami congregants were genuinely happy that we made the trek from Ukiah to come and simply…be! From an early age, I have loved being involved in various Jewish activities in each place that I have lived. At the age of 12, I was a camp counselor for Camp Gan Israel in Marin. While attending Hebrew Academy of San Francisco for my freshman year of high school, I volunteered for different projects and sang in the choir. During my years at Sonoma State while obtaining my Bachelors degree, I worked as an Assistant Teacher at Gan Israel Preschool. I have even stepped in as the substitute chef and cooked lunches for the students at Aleph Academy in Reno, Nevada when we lived there. My career path has also led me on various journeys from being an Alarm Dispatcher and Operator while completing my Associates in Psychology at Mendocino College, working in the alarm industry as a technical supervisor, serving the Marin and Sonoma County communities as a Funeral Director, and being the Office Manager at Congregation Bet Haverim in Davis; which in a lot of ways has prepared February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 7 • bethamisr.org Executive Director continued… me to come full circle back to Beth Ami. I decided to apply for the position of Executive Director at Beth Ami because I felt a sense of familiarity and comfort, and while some experiences and people will be new to me; I feel this path is bringing me home after a long journey. I look forward to meeting and building many lasting relationships with everyone and serving the Beth Ami community and the community at large, in order to assist with bringing Tikkun Olam and healing to the world. May the new Gregorian year bring us peace, acceptance, wisdom, love and understanding. Nursery School Notes Jenny Levine-Smith Nursery School Director I can’t believe it’s that time of year again, but registration for the fall of 2016–17 is beginning in February. We start on the 1st with priority registration for current families, and then open it up community-wide on February 16. If you or someone you know might be interested in getting to know our school, feel free to e-mail me at NSDirector@BethAmiSR.org to get in touch. We welcome everyone to come to our Nursery School Open House on Thursday, February 4 from 5:30–7 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to see the work that our children do, to talk with teachers, myself, and parents, and walk through the classrooms. It has been so refreshing to have the rain back this year. Our two’s class took a minifield trip to the patio to jump in puddles, while one of our four’s classes took a walk to the creek to see how the rain had impacted it. This morning, one of our four-year-olds used the ride-on excavator and a large bucket to make “muddy soup,” while another four-year-old scooped water from the inside of one of our tires to clean the balance bike’s wheels which had some wet sand attached to them. Our three’s class burst out of their room this week to look at the redwood tree, which seemed to be smoking as the frozen dew evaporated in the late morning sun. As the weather starts to warm again, we are looking forward to our annual Purim Carnival on March 22. This is an event run mostly by our parents during the school day. Our children are so excited to have a day dedicated to dress up (although of course many of them dress up every day) and games. The carnival includes face painting, exploring rainbow rice, bean bag toss, groggers, and, of course, hamantaschen. February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 8 • bethamisr.org Religious School Report Anya Concoff Por—Director of Youth Education At Religious School, our fun in learning is providing a warm light on these cold, winter afternoons. We enjoy our bustling Fridays starring the 4–12 year olds, and on Tuesdays the upper grades love working with Miriam, the PostB’nai Mitzvah class is rockin’ their new curriculum focused on Jewish music and cuisine, with an infusion of historical context, kashrut and primary text study, and our intrepid teens gather for their monthly class, engaging in text, culture and ethics, peppered with lots of snacks. The 4th–6th graders have finished a unit on their place in Jewish Time and Space, focusing on history, culture and genealogy, and continue their work on prayers for Shabbat. At this midyear point, we are switching gears and deepening our skill building efforts, beginning with learning Torah trope. Our Pre-K-Kindergarten class starts a unit on Jewish music and movement with the talented Shoshanna Weiss and the 1st–3rd graders are head over heels in love with our Miriam Lane, who is giving them all a hearty start on Hebrew reading through movement and doing, rather than sitting and receiving. Experiential learning, at its best! The First Friday potluck dinners, coordinated by Esther Baruch and Debi Neistat continue to be a great community building opportunity for our families, rounding out the full-service Erev Shabbat experience that we strive to deliver. Not having to rush home after pick-up and make a meal is much appreciated by our families. The meal is a huge undertaking for our two volunteers and we need more help! Please sign up for a role and be sure to RSVP and communicate what you can contribute. Toolkit Sundays, our monthly Skill Building Workshops, are wrapping up our three-part Trope for Haftarah series with Patty Bernstein. The next three workshops, February 7, March 6 and April 3, will be focused on chanting Torah, led by Anya. (Trope is my favorite subject!) These intensives are open to adults in our community, so please join us if you’d like to learn to chant or brush up rusty skills. No charge for members but a small donation is gratefully received. 10 a.m.–1 p.m., bring a dairy or pareve sack lunch. Our next Rockin’ Shabbat is on February 19th and features Mia Miriam Cohen, a gifted singer and Rabbinic intern at B’nai Israel. She will bring a fusion of chanting and Carlebach to our Rockin’ service. Youth program at 5:30 during the usual religious school Kabbalat Shabbat. Dinner at 6. Shabbat program at 7:30. Dinner is $8 for adults, $4 for children and under 5 are free. RSVP for dinner at 360-3000 by 2/15. Donation request: Our hungry students have devoured our snack budget! I am gratefully receiving donations of fresh, whole oranges, string cheese and unopened boxes of whole grain crackers. Please let me know if you’d like to sponsor a snack. $10 feeds all our kids for the whole school day! Thanks so much. Come chat with me! My door is always open and you can find me on campus on Tuesdays, Thursday and Fridays (plus holidays and events). I love to connect with our members and families and am happy to answer questions about programs, current or future desires! February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 9 • bethamisr.org Israel From The Left Coast Bob Raful Two recent news stories compare and contrast the ongoing issue of equality in Israeli society. Read on: An Israeli bus driver garnered praise after refusing demands by passengers on Tuesday to remove an Arab. Ruti Tehrani, 54, was driving the 129 bus from Tel Aviv to Petah Tikva on Tuesday when passengers began complaining about an elderly Arab man who started talking to himself in Arabic shortly after they passed Dizengoff Center. The passengers suspected he was a terrorist and demanded she remove the man from the bus. “I’m aware of the current security situation,” she told Channel 2, “but there’s a limit to everything.” Tehrani recounted that she approached the man, asked him if he needed assistance, and discerned immediately that he was feeling ill and didn’t pose a threat to anybody. She said she informed the other passengers that she had no intention of removing the man from the bus and would continue on the route. If they wanted to get off the bus, they were welcome to. Shelley Dvir, one of the passengers on the route, said that half the passengers got off the bus at that point. She recalled that she asked Tehrani for her name, saying she intended to write a letter of commendation to the bus company for “the humanity with which she behaved and that she didn’t succumb to pressure.” Dvir’s post was quickly shared hundreds of times and earned thousands of likes. “Here in the company everyone’s equal— Jews and Arabs. My upbringing was to respect everyone and not discriminate against anyone,” Tehrani, a three-year employee with Dan Public Transportation, said. She stood by her decision, saying “I am proud of what I did.” The Dan company said in a statement it considered Tehrani’s behavior “a model and an example…it’s a great pride for us as a company and for all the drivers and public in general.” The incident came in stark contrast to one several days earlier when a group of Jewish Israeli travelers forced Greek national carrier Aegean Airways to remove two Arab co-nationalists from a flight from Athens to Tel Aviv for fear that the pair could be terrorists. During the incident Sunday, the Israelis stood up and prevented the flight from taking off, the airline said. “An initially small group of passengers very vocally and persistently asked for two other Israeli passengers to be checked for security issues,” Aegean said in a statement. ALEF isn't enough BET isn't tough Study Hebrew from the source with a native Israeli. All levels.The easy way. Prayers, Chanting Torah Tropes contact Ahuva Simon-Sa'ar at (707)545-2454 or Ahuva@sonic.net February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 10 • bethamisr.org 2016 Scholars-In-Residence Weekend Stand with us A well attended Scholar-in-Residence weekend started Saturday, January 16. Ms. Johanna Wilder, the Northern California Associate Director of StandWithUs, gave the drash and talk after lunch on the growing anti-Semitic environment on California college campuses and its impact on Jewish students. The anti-Semitic environment permitted by university administrations is chilling. Following Havdalah that evening, Dr. Michael Harris spoke on “1948: The War Still Being Fought Today”. Dr. Mike showed how 70 years later, Israel is still confronted by the same ideologies of hate. Esther Baruch of our Israel Committee organized the light dinner for the attendees. On Sunday, Max Samarov, Senior Researcher with StandWithUs, shared his investigation into the activities of Israel boycotters. He has uncovered startling facts. Check the website http://IsraelUpdate.INFO orhttp://bethamisr. org/2015/12/2151/ for more details and updates. (left to right): Israel Committee Chair Eli Cohen, Betty Boyd, speaker and author of the recently published book, How to Win a Debate with an Israel-Hater, Dr. Michael Harris, and volunteer Ben Winkler. StandWithUs Volunteers Stan Roodman and Arlene Rosenbaum, Speaker Johanna Wilder, Northern California Associate Director of StandWithUs, Speaker Max Samarov, Senior Researcher with StandWithUs, Israel Committee Chair Eli Cohen and Betty Boyd. Buy Your Purim Shalach Manot Groceries While Supporting Beth Ami! Thank you to supporters of eScrip who earned almost $1800 for Beth Ami from January - November, 2015. This generous donation was achieved by our supporters just doing their everyday shopping As you know Safeway is no longer participating in the eScrip program as of August 1, 2015. This change has severely impacted CBA’s contribution. So, what can we do? Shop at other eScrip merchants: Oliver’s Markets in Santa Rosa or Cotati, Fircrest Market in Sebastopol, Glen Ellen Village Market, Sonoma Market, Mollie Stones Markets, Petaluma Market, Scotty’s Market, Molsberry Market. They all require a separate store Community Card linked up with the Beth Ami name and ID#136921119. Just ask at the store about how to get a card. Shop online at: https://shopping.escrip. com or by joining eScripdining at: http:// escrip.rewardsnetwork.com and eating out. Recruit more supporters: anyone can participate in eScrip and contribute; you do not have to be a CBA member & you do not have to live in Sonoma County. Invite your friends & relative to join us! Any questions, contact Nancy Sherman at (707)538-9388 or nancysherman06@gmail. com. February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 11 • bethamisr.org The Kitchen Corner Jeffrey & Janet Stein-Larson (Co-Chairs) Besides our usual events, this is the time of year we are busy preparing and baking the hamantashen for Purim, Purim Spiels, etc. We plan to be preparing and baking hamantashen February and into March. All of the volunteer bakers will be thinking about all the different fillings and doughs we might be using. The smells of baking will be wonderful and we’ll be filling up the freezer with hamantashen for everyone to enjoy... Then when Purim is over, the Passover preparations begin. The Passover plans are a major upheaval in their own right. Not only is the kitchen unavailable for it’s usual operations. It’s turned upside down (just like at home) to be cleaned of all chamatz, and the pots, pans, utensils of Pass- over brought in exchanged with the regular pots, pans, utensils, etc. After Purim is over, if you have any foodstuffs you care about that are stored in the CBA refrigerator or freezer, make plans for removing them. And make alternate plans for kitchen use since you can expect the kitchen, storage room and apartment to be unavailable for most people from the evening of Sunday April 17th through Passover as the cleaning and seder preparations begin. Any food left in the refrigerator and freezer after the morning of Sunday, April 17th will be donated. For your volunteering, donations and support; we thank you. It is you who make the CBA Kitchen available for all to enjoy. Beth Ami Gift Shop WHAT’S NEW IN THE GIFT SHOP? Candlesticks & mezuzahs crafted in Israel from stone & 3D engraved glass, as well as sterling pendants PASSOVER IS ON ITS WAY! Our Beth Ami Judaica gift shop has seder & matzo plates, afikomen bags, Elijah & Miriam cups and more… All books including cookbooks are 50% off M–W 10–4:30 • Th 10–6 • F 10–2 Located in Beth Ami Gift Office • Call Bonnie Boren for special orders—528-1628 February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 12 • bethamisr.org GREEN Committee GREENING the Shul Progress Report At the Tu B’Shevat celebration, there was a GREEN Committee Meyer Lemon tree on display, donated by Russ and Terry Gurevitch. It will be planted outdoors, when the soil is dryer. The kitchen uses a lot of lemons and, along with the herb garden that will be planted after frost danger is over, this will help reduce costs for our meals at Beth Ami. Have you noticed? There are motion sensors in the bathrooms, which go on when the door is opened, and go off ten minutes later. Thank you, Richard Kahn, for putting these in, as well as the new LED lights in the courtyard. All of this saves money for the shul and energy, while reducing carbon emissions. Please help the Religious School and the planet. Use the CRV barrels—the square black ones with the signs—in Courtyard. Please, please, only put bottles and cans that are marked CA Cash Refund in these barrels. Especially don’t put any food or paper in them, there is a trash barrel in the courtyard. Phil Weil sorts them frequently (and recently had to deal with a lot of lasagna mixed in) and takes them in for the refund. This goes to the Youth Education Fund for the Religious School. You can bring in CRV recycling from home to help. (We’ll get larger barrels if needed.) Survey Results are in. We received 61 responses, mostly favorable, from the survey sent out in November. The most support was for solar panels and a vegetable garden. February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 13 • bethamisr.org Social Action Scoop Lyla Nathan I want to thank everyone in the congregation who gave so generously to the warm winter clothing drive. We collected many bins of gently worn items that were distributed at Elisha’s Pantry during December. This was a joint effort with Shomrei Torah. Redwood Empire Food Bank Also in December, Jared McGee completed his Bar Mitzvah project at the food bank where we packed lots of packaged breads. Congrats to Jared and all who attended—Jared, his mom Barb and sister, the Alexander guys, Dave Ballo and Lyla. Always fun to go to the food bank with our teenagers. We go to the Redwood Empire Food Bank on the first Wednesday of the month. The next dates are : Wed. Feb. 3, and Wed. March 2, from 10–12. Please consider joining us. Remember, you can also volunteer at the state of the art kitchen. Jewish Family & Children’s Services Thanks again for everyone’s continual support by providing healthy food to the Jewish Family & Children’s Services (JFCS). Our efforts are truly appreciated. Remember they are always in need of low sodium soups, canned tuna and chicken, boxed milk and especially non-glutton items. The bins are waiting to be refilled. Speaking of the JFCS: At their Annual Fammy Gala Fundraiser our SAC, along with other groups, will be honored for their work providing food to the pantries of JFCS. We will be featured in a video to be shown at the Gala. This important fundraiser for JFCS will be held at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco on Saturday, February 27th. This is a great honor. Congratulations to Judi Hyman, Ellen Mundell, Roz Edelson, Cheryle Miller, Lenore Holloway, Susan Miller, Karen Herskovic, Tish Levy, Bob- bie Rosental, Carol Levine and Lyla Nathan for their time and dedication. It would be wonderful if Beth Ami members could help us fill a table. For more information please contact Diana Klein at JFCS, 707-303-1500. Dream Center of SAY Our neighbors at the Dream Center of SAY (Social Advocates for Youth) opened their doors at the newly renovated site of the old Warrack Hosptial on Dec. 28th. The offices of SAY as well as housing for the young adults are located there. As with any new facility, they have a wish list. Also the young adults who will be living there could use some items to set up their rooms, such as Welcome Baskets that could include laundry basket, basic dishware and kitchenware for one person, new pillow and blanket (twin ex.long) If you have anything you would like to donate, please contact Stepanie Picard Bowen at spicard-colomb@saysc.org. There is also a Goodwill donation bin at the Dream Center. We at the SAC are thrilled that the Dream Center is open to help youth who need housing and direction to start their adult life as they age out of foster care. Youth who are at the Dream Center are required to work and go to school We are proud of SAY and the positive role they play in our community. Sonoma County is very lucky. There will be a Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting on March 12th (check local media or online closer to the date for more details). We have some ideas about having little giveaway bags for the homeless that will include a nutritious snack, info about community services and maybe socks. More to follow. So stay tuned. There are many homeless people in Santa Rosa and many times we want to give a little something besides money. February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 14 • bethamisr.org Services at Beth Ami Please join us for services. For additional information or to verify the times, call the office at (707) 360-3000. February Shabbat and other Services Feb. 5 (Fri.)—6 p.m. dinner* followed by 7:30 p.m. Shabbat evening service Feb. 6 (Sat.)—9:30 a.m. Shabbat morning service followed by dairy potluck Feb. 12 (Fri.)—7:30 p.m. Shabbat evening service Feb. 13 (Sat.)—9:30 a.m. Shabbat morning service Feb. 19 (Fri.)—Rockin’ Shabbat with Mia Miriam Cohen. 5:30 p.m. Kid’s Shabbat with Mia. 6 p.m. dinner.* 7 p.m. A musical Shabbat evening service. Feb. 20 (Sat.)—9:30 a.m. Shabbat morning service followed by dairy potluck March Shabbat and other Services Mar. 4 (Fri.)—6 p.m. dinner* followed by 7:30 p.m. Shabbat evening service Mar. 5 (Sat.)—9:30 a.m. Shabbat morning service followed by dairy potluck Mar. 11 (Fri.)—7:30 p.m. Shabbat evening service Mar. 12 (Sat.)—9:30 a.m. Shabbat morning service followed by dairy potluck Mar. 18 (Fri.) –7:30 p.m. Shabbat evening service Mar. 19 (Sat.)—9:30 a.m. Shabbat morning service Mar. 26 (Sat.)—9:30 a.m. Shabbat morning service *Reservations necessary by the preceding Wednesday. Call the office at (707) 360-3000 to make your reservation. Daily Daven Sundays & National Holidays— 8:30 a.m. Morning Minyan in the Chapel, followed by a light breakfast on the 1st and 3rd Sunday Mon.–Fri.—7 a.m. Daily Daven in the Chapel except for Yom Tov (holidays) Sun.–Thurs.—6:30–6:50 p.m. Daily Daven in the Chapel except for Yom Tov (holidays) Mar. 23 (Wed.)—6 p.m. Purim service with reading of the Megillah—come in costume! Feb. 26 (Fri.)—7:30 p.m. Shabbat evening service Mar. 24 (Thurs.)—7 a.m. Purim morning service with reading of the Megillah Feb. 27 (Sat.)—9:30 a.m. Shabbat morning service followed by dairy potluck Mar. 25 (Fri.)—7:30 p.m. Shabbat evening service Shabbat Dinner RSVP Shabbat Dinner: Name ❑ Friday, February 5 Phone ❑ Friday, March 4 I want to volunteer for (indicate which event) # of Beth Ami Member Adults @$14 = Total amount enclosed # of Non-member Adults @$18 = ❑ Check # of Youth (ages 6–17) @$10 = Credit Card # # of Families @$46 = Expiration Date Please return payment and forms to: ❑ Visa/MC / Billing Zipcode Congregation Beth Ami 4676 Mayette Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95405 February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 15 • bethamisr.org Generous Contributions to our Congregation The next time you are looking for a meaningful way to celebrate a joyous occasion, remember a loved one, or comfort a mourner, please consider a donation to Congregation Beth Ami. When you make a gift, a card is send to the honoree or the family and your donation is proudly acknowledged in the Shofar. The minimum donation for each occasion is $7.50. Congregation Beth Ami truly appreciates your support. Children’s Education Fund In honor of Carolyn Metz‚ for your kindness and awesome legacy —David & Margorie Ballo Thank you to Myrna Morse for the terrific job heading up the ED Search Committee —Mark & Carol Rosen Mazal Tov to the Social Action Committee for their continued good work at Redwood Empire Food Bank—David & Margorie Ballo Thank you to Barbara Tomin for the terrific job she did as chair of the ED Retirement Celebration committee —Mark & Carol Rosen Mazal Tov to Jared McGee upon his Bar Mitzvah—David & Margorie Ballo; Dr. Russ & Terry Gurevitch General Fund A thoughtful donation —E.W. Webster Associates In memory of Dean Fleming —Andy & Nancy Fleming Speedy recovery to Elaine Golemb —Edith Newman A generous donation —Bruce Maxwell In memory of Evey Abramowitz —Edward & Nancy Sherman In honor of Russ Gurevitch’s birthday—Carolyn Metz In memory of Gertrude Cohen —Eli Cohen & Elizabeth Boyd; Evelyn Gurevitch In memory of my mother, Eleanor Marshall—Carolyn Metz In memory of David Kerben —Claire Miller In memory of Blair’s father, Leo Schweitzer—Dan & Blair Pleasant Better health to Irwin Margolese —David & Margorie Ballo Thanks to all those that organized Open Sukkah of Peace —David & Margorie Ballo Mazal Tov and Happy Anniversary to Stuart & Ethel Schy —David & Margorie Ballo Welcome to Jerry Newman —David & Margorie Ballo Welcome to Gayle & Abe Farkas —David & Margorie Ballo Welcome (back) to Pat & Bill Thomas—David & Margorie Ballo Welcome to Glenn & Nancy Tisman—David & Margorie Ballo In memory of Isadore Wiesentthal —Natalie Friedman In memory of my mother, May Tannenbaum—Pat Thomas In appreciation for our Religious School students who did and outstanding job serving at Carolyn Metz’s retirement party! —Phil Weil & Bonnie Boren In memory of Evey Abramowitz, a wonderful woman and true friend— Phil Weil & Bonnie Boren Thank you for the services and wonderful programming you provide for us and the whole congregation all year long. Happy New Year! —Richard & Chanah Robinson In honor of Carolyn Metz —Ross Jones & Jane Paul In memory of John Metz —Florence Metz In memory of Charles Feingold —Stanley Feingold & Roslyn Edelson A generous donation—Ivan Barta In memory of Ethel’s father, Jacob Goldman—Stuart & Ethel Schy In memory of my mother, Anna Barta—Ivan Barta; Jewish Community Federation In honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Joseph Elizalde—Stuart & Ethel Schy Speedy recovery to Marc Bernstein—Judi Hyman In honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Jared McGee—Stuart & Ethel Schy In memory of Evey Abramowitz —Judi Hyman In memory of Evey Abramowitz —Stuart & Ethel Schy In honor of Mel Decker’s BIG birthday!—Judi Hyman In memory of Evey Abramowitz —Barbara Tomin In memory of Maurice & Frances Street and Stephane Ray—Jules Street Happy 89 plus 1 birthday to Marion Hochstadter—Edith Newman In memory of Evey Abramowitz —Juli Scherer In honor of our long friendship and the hard work of Carolyn Metz —The Brosbes Congratulations to Jared McGee on his Bar Mitzvah—Juli Scherer Condolences to Marilyn and Rad Sommer on the loss of Rad’s brother, Frank—Melvin Decker & Judith Stern In memory of my mother, Elaine Robinson—Myrna Morse General Fund— Shabbat Lunch A generous donation —Patty & Marc Bernstein February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 16 • bethamisr.org Generous Contributions to our Congregation Continued… Thank you to Mark Rosen and Irwin Margolese for serving as Mashgiach, serving ice cream, and baking delicious challah for Joseph’s Bar Mitzvah—Todd & Fara Elizalde Malk Fund In memory of Don’s father, Harry Glickman —Donald & Gloria Glickman his kindness in visiting my father —Joe Graff & Barbara Corinblit In memory of Mary & Noah Minuskin—Joseph & Signe Minuskin Harris Fund In memory of my mother, Miriam Malk—Phyllis Shapiro In memory of Samson Hochfiled —Malvina Tsipan In memory of my husband, Verne Paule—Raynore Paule In memory of Ron Malk —Phyllis Shapiro In honor of Rabbi Miller —Marian Katz Israel Programming Fund Nursery School Fund In memory of my husband, Fred Marvan—Regina Marvan Condolences to the Silverman family upon the passing of Robert Silverman—David & Margorie Ballo In appreciation for the personal time, support, and care Rabbi Mordecai spent with Joseph and our family in preparation for Joseph’s Bar Mitzvah—Todd & Fara Elizalde In memory of Chana bat Behia —Robert & Susy Raful In memory of Susy Raful’s sister, Mary—Robert & Susy Raful In appreciation of Bob Raful’s time and support coordinating the honors for Joseph’s Bar Mitzvah —Todd & Fara Elizalde Jill Tager Nursery School Scholarship Fund In memory of Sid Milstein —Edward & Nancy Sherman Library Fund In memory of my brother, Mordechai ben Hershel —Evelyn Gurevitch In memory of Eugene Streitfeld —Ricki Streitfeld Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund In memory of Ruth Schwartz Susnow—Andy & Nancy Fleming In memory of Hal Boren —Barbara Boren Thank you to Rabbi Miller for the kindness he showed our family on the passing of my mother, Evey Abramowitz —Deana Abramowitz & Joel Reif In memory of Benjamin Strudler —Gerald Lakins & Susan Miller In honor of multiple calls to the Bimah—Ivan Barta In memory of Janet’s father, Max Stein—Jeffrey & Janet Stein-Larson In appreciation of Rabbi Miller‚ for In memory of our beloved aunt, Evey Abramowitz —Barbara Shulman Religious School Fund In memory of Evey Abramowitz —Bernice Fox & Ed Harman Sincere thanks to Pnina Loeb, Patty Bernstein, Anya Por, and the religious school teachers for preparing Joseph for his Bar Mitzvah —Todd & Fara Elizalde USY Fund Kudos to the USY students who served at Carolyn Metz’s retirement dinner. They did an outstanding job!—Arnold & Karen Herskovic February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 17 • bethamisr.org February Yahrzeits Secular dates correspond to Hebrew date of death. Observance of yahrzeit begins at sundown the previous day. All yahrzeits observed at Beth Ami. Announced on Feb. 5 & 6 Feb. 9 Mort Sherman, Father of Nancy Sherman Feb. 12 Sam Dzik, Father of Judith Dzik Feb. 12 Nathan Hartzman, Grandfather of Cheryle Miller Feb. 12 Charles Yelin, Grandfather of Francie Rogovin Announced on Feb. 12 & 13 Feb. 13 Mae Bernstein, Grandmother of Marc Bernstein Feb. 13 Sylvia Shelan, Mother of Ronald Shelan Feb. 13 Aaron Spiegelman, Uncle of Ronit Glickman Feb. 14 Lillian Garson, Mother of Andrea Nett Feb. 15 Anna Branagan, Mother of Branagan Feb. 16 Sadie Selowitz, Aunt of Susan Miller Feb. 17 Lydia Ross, Sister of Henry Cohn Feb. 18 Mollie Brisgel, Mother of Sue Bell Feb. 19 Sylvia Feingold, Mother of Stanley Feingold and Grandmother of Vivian Klein Feb. 19 Andor Taubner, Father of Susy Raful Announced on Feb. 19 & 20 Feb. 20 Fred Kaplan, Father of Sherri Kahn Feb. 21 Michael Brust, Father of Barbara McGee Feb. 21 Phillip Feingold, Brother of Stanley Feingold & Father of Vivian Klein Feb. 24 Sidney Sternfield-Squires, Husband of Edee Sternfield-Squires Feb. 25 Simon Jimmy Saar, Brother of Ahuva Simon-Saar Feb. 26 Polly Boyd, Mother of Betty Boyd Announced on Feb. 26 & 27 Feb. 27 Bernard Bernstein, Father of Marc Bernstein Feb. 27 Rabbi Meyer Miller, Father of Rabbi Mordecai Miller Feb. 29 Leo Gurevitch, Husband of Evelyn Gurevitch & Father of Eleanor Cohen & Russ Gurevitch Feb. 29 Jacob Stromer, Father of Marilyn Sommer Mar. 2 G.K. Branangan, Father of Branagan Mar. 2 Hazel Schloner, Mother of Carol Swanson & Fred Schloner February Birthdays 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 11 11 14 18 19 20 21 21 23 23 24 25 27 27 Debbie Shapiro Ellen Mundell Arnold Drake Eli Cohen Julie Simkovitz Rayme Shapiro Ed Harman Tara Winkler Edith Friedman Semyon Pekker David Ballo Andy Fleming Betty Kale Daryl Schloss Sid Burwell Alfred Batzdorff Yona Miller Elizabeth Boyd Audrey Darby Bernice Fox Barbara McGee Arnold Herskovic Allan Brody Dorothy Gerstein Michael Newman February Anniversaries 2 4 14 19 20 23 Alan & Janice Shotkin Harry & Edie Friedman Davis & Diane Brown Jeff & Janice Sternfeld Patty & Marc Bernstein Irvin & Vivian Klein February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 18 • bethamisr.org January Yahrzeits Secular dates correspond to Hebrew date of death. Observance of yahrzeit begins at sundown the previous day. All yahrzeits observed at Beth Ami. Announced on Mar. 4 & 5 Mar. 5 Pearl Lotsoff, Mother of Cheryle Miller Mar. 6 Nichama Rivkina, Mother of Adolph Rivkin Mar. 7 Maurice Fried, Father of Caryn Fried Mar. 8 Michael Abrams, Brother of Patty Bernstein Mar. 8 Sabine Pelta, Mother of Esther Pilch Mar. 9 Ester Gutman-Markman Aunt of Ahuva Simon-Saar Mar. 11 Irwin Inman, Father of Lee Feinstein Announced on Mar. 11 & 12 Mar. 13 Shulamith Miller, Mother of Rabbi Mordecai Miller Mar. 13 Edward Susnow, Father of Nancy Fleming Mar. 15 Josephine Goldstein, Mother of Elaine Golemb Mar. 16 Stan Diamond, Husband of Marilyn Diamond & Father of Lauren Newman Mar. 18 Arthur Margolese, Father of Michelle Zygielbaum & Brother of Irwin Margolese Announced on Mar. 18 & 19 Mar. 19 Barbara Garam, Mother of Rose Batzdorff Mar. 21 Morris Bernstein, Grandfather of Marc Bernstein Mar. 21 Frieda Goldman, Mother of Ethel Schy Mar. 23 Tillie Streitfeld, Mother-in-Law of Ricki Streitfeld Mar. 25 Boruch Zelichenok, Father of Rimma Rivkin Announced on Mar. 25 & 26 Mar. 28 Joseph Meyer, Father of Jane Meyer Mar. 29 Mannie Goldstein, Father of Elaine Golemb Mar. 31 Mary Hahn, Mother of Edith Newman Simcha Board Tree of Life Honor thy mother ...also thy aunt, uncle, cousin, child, best friend, teacher with an engraved leaf on our Simcha Board, commemorating any joyous occasion, bestowal of an honor, or cause for thanksgiving. Leaf—$360 Small Stone—$1000 Large Stone—$2500 We also provide the opportunity for you to memorialize loved ones. Yahrzeit Board Plaque—$450 March Birthdays 1 1 3 3 5 6 15 17 17 19 20 23 23 25 26 28 29 31 Ben Goldman Karen Herskovic Melissa Bloom Sherri Kahn Rose Batzdorff Nancy Sherman Raynore Paule William Cordell Dr. Alan Shotkin Lee Feinstein Jacqueline Sutter Kim Cordell Olga Pekker Glenn Tisman Diane Brown Adolph Rivkin Warren Davis Judith Dzikf March Anniversaries 3 12 19 21 24 27 28 Ivan & Kimiko Barta Al & Sue Batzdorff George & Paula Schlesinger John & Barbara Whitaker Ed & Nancy Sherman Jeff & Karen Sommers Glenn & Nancy Tisman Please Support Our Advertisers Contact Congregation Beth Ami Office office@bethamisr.org for details about advertising in the Shofar. Thank you! February / March 2016 • Congregation Beth Ami Shofar • page 19 • bethamisr.org Address service requested February Shabbatot February 6 Parshah: Mishpatim, Ex 23:20–24:18 (Page 474) Candle Lighting: 5:20 Havdalah: 6:20 February 13 Parshah: Terumah, Ex 26:31–27:19 (Page 495) Candle Lighting: 5:28 Havdalah: 6:27 February 20 Parshah: Tezaveh , Ex 29:19–30:10 (Page 513) Candle Lighting: 5:35 Havdalah: 6:34 February 27 Parshah: Ki Tissa, Ex. 33:12–34:35 (Page 538) Candle Lighting: 5:43 Havdalah: 6:41 March Shabbatot March 5 Parshah: Vayak-hel, Ex. 36:20–38:20 (Page 558) Candle Lighting: 5:50 Havdalah: 6:480 March 12 Parshah: Pekude, Ex. 39:22–40:38 (Page 567) Candle Lighting: 5:57 Havdalah: 6:57 March 19 Parshah: Vayikra, Lev. 4:27 -3:16 (Page 599) Candle Lighting: 7:04 Havdalah: 8:02 March 26 Parshah, Tsav, Lev. 8:1–36 (Page 621) Candle Lighting: 7:10 Havdalah: 8:09
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