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April 2012
From the Rabbi
Mystical Meditations on the Meaning of Maror and More
It’s that time of year, Pesach time, when we start hunting frantically for where we stashed the haggadahs from last year’s seder and all of the various ritual items that will be needed to create the annual retelling of “our exodus from Egypt” with our friends and family gathered round the table. Shank bone? Check. (We keep ours in the freezer from year to year). Cup of Elijah and Miriam? Check. Seder plate? Check. As we assemble all of the items, we often find that we retrieve more than the physical objects themselves; gathering, in addition, a host of memories, stories and family traditions that cling like thick Sephardic charoset to fresh matzah. Sometimes, however, the items are so familiar, the stories so well-known, that we don’t even give them a second thought and on to the table they go without a question. This is particularly true of the symbolic foods that we place every year on the seder plate. Sometimes an egg is simply an egg. But, as is generally the case in our Jewish rituals, if you poke a bit at that radish or peel back the shell on that roasted egg, you will discover that our tradition reveals a whole host of deeper meanings that help connect the essential teachings of the seder to our lives today.
I only recently learned–from the teachings of Reb Zalman, Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh, and Rabbi Reuben Modek–that each of the symbols on the seder plate, according to our mystical tradition, represents one of God’s divine qualities, emanating through the kabbalistic spheres, that can shine through us into our own lives, as well.
The Zero’ah, or shank bone of a lamb, traditionally recalls the Passover sacrifice brought by our ancestors and is a reminder of the lamb’s blood placed on the doorposts of the Israelite homes so that the Angel of Death would “pass over,” thus sparing the lives of those inside. For the Kabbalists, the Zero’ah, symbolizing the outstretched arm of the Holy One, corresponds to the divine quality of chesed (loving-kindness). As we reflect on the deeper meaning of the Zero’ah for us this year, we might ask ourselves where we are stretching ourselves to help others? How might we extend ourselves even a bit further to be that loving and supportive presence in another’s life? How have others reached out to us and how have these acts of chesed impacted us?
The Beitzah, or roasted egg, represents the festival offering and is linked by the Kabbalists to the divine quality of gevurah (strength and structure). The egg has a hard shell on the outside to provide the necessary container for new life to emerge. The egg calls us to reflect on tough decisions we have made so that we can protect what is important to us. We might ask ourselves how setting limits have actually nurtured us and where we could use even more support in our lives. What is nascent and emerging in us at this time that needs a stronger sense of gevurah, guarding and special nurturing?
The Maror, or bitter herbs, are well known to evoke the bitterness of slavery and oppression. So it might seem strange that the Kabbalists associated Maror with the divine quality of Tiferet (harmony and balance). Tiferet stands at the intersection of gevurah and chesed, strength and kindness, and must find a way to balance and harmonize these opposing forces. The Maror of Passover challenges us to consider how to incorporate and make peace with the difficult, bitter experiences in our life. We might ask ourselves how we want to choose to respond to the bitterness in life? Can we find a way to respond, and not simply react, so that we can be with what is and learn even from life’s challenges? The sting of the Maror calls us to pay attention to the suffering of others, as well, so we can be with them.
The Charoset (a mixture of apples, nuts and wine or dried fruit and honey) represents the mortar, the symbol of our servitude and hard labor, that the Israelites used to build the pyramids for Pharaoh. The mystics saw Charoset as the divine quality of Netzach (endurance, that which lasts and sticks). The Charoset might stimulate in us questions about what is lasting in the things that we are doing with our life. What would we like to endure from our lives into the future? What do we hope our legacy will be? How will we build something of lasting value with the days that we have?
The Karpas (the green parsley) represents the new growth of spring and the hope that emerges from desolation of winter. The Kabbalists imagined Karpas as connected to Hod (beauty and splendor). Hod is also related to the word Hodaya, a sense of thanksgiving. Is not our gratitude rooted in a sense of awe at the beauty of the world? The Karpas might evoke in us questions about where our gratitude is rooted. What experiences cause us to feel appreciation? What are we thankful for at this season? How do we show our gratitude to those whom we treasure?
Chazeret (more bitter herbs, often a romaine lettuce leaf) is one of the great mysteries of the seder plate; its place on the Passover table often left empty. Yet the Kabbalists linked the Chazeret with the divine quality of Yesod (foundation, rootedness), which can also be connected to the Hebrew word chazarah or return. Yesod is the steady and stable platform upon which our vision for ourselves and the world is grounded. The Chazeret might invite us to ask ourselves about our core passions and values upon which our life is founded. Have we been living in alignment with these beliefs? How can we better support our spiritual foundation and our ability to be advocates for the world of our dreams? Where are there opportunities in our life to return to what is most important to us?
And, finally, even the seder plate itself, the Ke’arah, is considered to reflect a particular divine quality, that of Malchut (manifestation). The Zohar refers to Malchut as the “mouth of God… a sacred container that holds all that has been received.” (from Counting the Omer by Min Kantrowitz, p. 205) The seder plate invites us to imagine how we can move in our lives from the narrow places that trap us into the wide open spaces of possibility where we can manifest all of these divine qualities of lovingkindness, strength, harmony, endurance, thankfulness, and groundedness. For when we live with a deeper awareness of these divine attributes within us, God’s radiant light comes shining through each one of us to brighten the world.
With Blessings for a liberating Pesach,
Rabbi Greg
Religious School & Keshet
From Malka Sansani – Director of Education & Youth
Purim Carnival
Cake walk, dunk tank, costume parade, cotton candy, hamentachen, magic show, prizes, and much more happened in 2 ½ hours of our exceptionally successful Purim Carnival! As always, this is an enormous production comprised of many details that must be sewn seamlessly together in order to put on a successful event. Many thanks go to our superb Purim committee members Bonnie Berman, Stephanie Moss, Ruth Fankushen, and Steve Fineberg. We also thank Joy Cohan for an outstanding and timely advertizing job; Raychel Adler and Alan Titche for exchanging game tickets for prizes; Laurel, Eric and Nathan Hassid for lunch sale; Lori Chavez, Sharon Richman, Linda Silverstein, Barbara Fineberg, Gretchen Shcroeder and Madelyn Schwartz for ticket sale; Denise Hoffner and Benjamin Hoffner for creating a colorful and dramatic Purim “buzz” in our morning services; Sabrina Batuman for soliciting attractive prizes from all over Davis for our balloon raffle; and Shoshana Zatz for handing out the donated prizes. Our gratitude extends to all the parents who baked all kinds of sweet delights for our remarkably successful “Cake Walk.” The “Walk” ran until the last cake was taken…thank you Karen and Eric Crane for running this booth. We were blessed to get help from our teens – Max Williams, Jacob Young, Ian Soffos, Daryn Kuhlman, Avery Lascher-Posner, Emilia Fineberg, and our Youth Advisor Chelsea Halperin. And last but not least, thanks to Gan Haverim crew – Rhoda, Nina and Ashley for running 4 busy booths for 7 year olds and younger. And thanks also to our teaching staff – teachers and madrichim for supervising the Purim games with a smile, selling coffee and hamentachen and making and serving cotton candy to the long line of children. I’m grateful to all of you for making Purim 2012 a day to remember! Todah Rabah!
Family Purim Service & Hammentachen Noshen’
On Purim evening March 7th, many more than usual gathered in the social hall for a delicious and generous potluck meal. We needed to open extra tables! Following dinner, our Wednesday Hebrew classes dressed up in a variety of costumes and participated in the Purim Family service. They sang Purim songs in Hebrew and entertained the happy crowd. Thank you teachers Zipi Mor and Tali Link for bringing Purim spirit to your students and to all of us. The hammentachen (Purim Oneg) were gone in seconds!
Shabbaton Event was Too Short!
From Friday afternoon on March 16 to Saturday afternoon on March 17, we offered Shabbaton program to 3rd and 4th graders. Eleven lucky children participated in this incredible Jewish experience, staying from beginning to end and enjoying every minute. A few children were willing to give us some feedback about the Shabbaton. To the question “What did you like the best about the Shabbaton,” Aaron Eckey said, “I liked capture the flag game and free time.” Aidan’s Cohan’s response was “I liked making a t-shirt out of bouncy balls,” and Emily Batuman loved it all – the sleepover, the food the games, the tag in the park and making the tie-dye shirts.
“If you will need to convince your friend to come to the Shabbaton next year, what will you say to him/her?”
“You would love it” Aaron said. When I asked Emily if she would sign up for the Shabbaton next year she replied, “I would faint if I’ll miss it.” Thanks to Amy and Sidney Zide, our Shabbaton leaders, and to Max Brumer, Hannah Titche and David Alcalay, our teen counselors.
3rd Graders Met Heroes from Israel Past and Present
Theodor Herzl, David Ben Gurion, Golda Meir and a kibbutznik visited our 3rd grade family program this past Sunday to share their vision, experiences and contributions to the Jewish state. Participants watched a 3D DVD, “Between Holy & Secular” which shows the unique mix of holy places and spiritual practices with secular life in the small country. Thank you to Mitch Singer who brought Ben Gurion to our program and to Carmia Feldman who appeared as Golda Meir. Thanks also to Sabrina Batuman who enabled our learners to taste Israel by providing pita bread, hummus and oranges. The 3rd graders made an artistic mizrach (east) signs to hang on the eastern walls of their homes. These mizrach signs will remind them of the direction to Israel.
RS Dates to Remember
Sunday Apr 1: Pesach Programs in all grades
Sunday Apr 8 to Sunday Apr 15: NO Sunday & Hebrew School (Spring Break)
Tue & Wed Apr 10 & 11: Hebrew school resumes
Sunday Apr 22: Sunday school resumes
Sunday Apr 29: Israel Independence Day (more details will come)
Keshet News
After not seeing enough of our 10th graders in February (they studied Ethical Will with their parents and Rabbi), March gave us the opportunity to mix 8th, 9th and 10th graders in the 2 electives we offer in the 2nd hour of Keshet. Some of our students enjoyed watching, analyzing and discussing animated torah portions and others accumulated basic Modern Hebrew words necessary for short conversations.
DRTY News (From Jacob Muller)
The month of March was one of excitement and new ideas in the making for the Davis Reform Temple Youth group. We had a great time helping out at this years’ Purim Carnival at CBH running the doughnut eating contest and having our President get a little chilly serving as the dunkee for this years dunk tank. Coming up in April we plan to have an event at the Sky High trampoline complex in Sacramento , which is bound to be a lot of fun and one of the lower key just for fun events of the year. Also, DRTY will be co-hosting an event with the Sacramento youth group, BISY, on May 5th that is still in the works, but one hint is that piñatas will be involved so be sure to get excited.
If you have any questions, concerns, comments, or are interesting in one of our events and want more information contact Chelsea Halperin at 530-913-3540
Gan Haverim Preschool
by Rhoda Rohnstock, Director
The children of Gan Haverim really enjoyed celebrating Purim. We had a costume parade around the grounds, made lots of noise to scare off Haman and enjoyed hamantashen that the children made themselves.
In April, we are getting ready for Passover with a lot of cleaning, sweeping and scrubbing. It’s amazing how much the children want to help do all the work to make our classroom sparkly clean. Rabbi Greg will be joining the children on Wednesday April 7th for the classroom model Seder.
Gan Haverim has a few slots open for new families. If you have thought about enrolling, please feel free to stop in and visit us. We have many enrollment options available along with our new summer camp weeks. Contact director, Rhoda Rohnstock at (530) 758-0842 ex. 105 for more information.
SAVE THE DATE! Davis Jewish Food Festival, Sunday September 30, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Central Park, Downtown Davis So much more than just bagels & bicycles…CBH will celebrate its 50th with the entire Davis community by sharing the best of local Jewish food & culture at this free admission event, featuring Klezmer music, Israeli dancing, “Dan Nichols & Eighteen” in concert & so much more! Mark your calendar…don’t miss this! Additional information coming late Spring. Contact Tree of Life/50th anniversary chair Joy Cohan with questions, at joycohan1@gmail.com or (530) 383-1814.
Adult Education
CBH has a library located in the main office. Books may be browsed and borrowed. How to borrow books is posted near the entry door to the library. On the CBH Web site you will find three listings of our books, one arranged by author, one arranged by title, and one arranged by call numbers. You may contact Ken Firestein at:
kenfirestein@gmail.com if you have any questions about the CBH Library.
Click here for a list of books which are about Passover in the CBH Library. http://bethaverim.wordpress.com/welcome/passover-2012/
NEW SPEAKER & DATE ADDED FOR APRIL!
The Jubilee Lifelong Learning Series expands Spring programming.
In celebration of CBH’s 50th anniversary, the Jubilee Lifelong Learning Series honors the shared history between the founding of Bet Haverim & the UC Davis campus. Many of our founding families came to Davis in the 1950s & 1960s to serve as professors and in other faculty & staff positions at the growing university. See below for a NEW addition to the schedule, as well as a date change:
• NEW! Thursday April 26, 7:00 PM, Social Hall – UC Davis Religious Studies Assistant Professor Moulie Vidas on “The Audacity of the Rabbis: Tradition, Independence and the Talmud”. Religion in late antiquity is an area of focus for Assistant Prof. Vidas.
• DATE CHANGE! Thursday, May 24, 7:00 PM, Social Hall – Dr. Aziza Khazzoom on “Wither ethnic difference? Similarities in the Immigration Experiences of Polish and Iraqi Olim of the 1950s”. Dr. Khazzoom is an Israeli sociologist currently serving as the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Visiting Israeli Professor for the 2012 academic year at UC Davis.
• More speakers & dates for Fall 2012 to be announced soon!
Annual Kol HaNefesh Shabbaton with visiting scholar Rabbi Shawn Zevit
~ Kehillah Kedoshah: Growing Sacred Community ~ From Self to Family to Congregation to World
June 1st – 3rd, 2012
Kol HaNefesh is pleased to welcome visiting scholar Rabbi Shawn Zevit for our annual Shabbaton on the weekend of June 1–3, 2012. This engaging and inspiring program, entitled “Kehillah Kedoshah: Growing Sacred Community,” will explore ways we can access the sacred in our personal, congregational, and communal lives. Believing that Jewish congregational life entails “taking the building of sacred community to heart,” Rabbi Shawn will guide participants in “reaching in and reaching out.”
Rabbi Zevit has over 25 years of experience in spiritual leadership, organizational consulting and training, teaching, and performing. He has consulted with over 500 institutions and faith communities across North America, and since 1998 he has been the Director of Congregational Services and Tikkun Olam for the North American Reconstructionist Movement. In addition to being a spiritual director and trainer of clergy in spiritual direction, Rabbi Shawn is a composer, a liturgist, and the recording artist of five CDs. He is also the author of Offerings of the Heart: Money and Values in Faith Communities (Alban, 2005).
For more information and a detailed schedule of events, please go to our website: http://bethaverim.wordpress.com/about/cbh-board-committees-and-groups/kolhanefesh/
Activities & Committees
Host Families Needed!
Friday, April 6th, First Seder
Saturday, April 7th, Second Night
If you have been making a Passover seder at home for years, we hope you’ll be willing to add a few more chairs around the table and include people who are in search of a seder to share. This is a great mitzvah at Passover time! Perhaps you are thinking of hosting a Passover seder for the first time, but you don’t know who to invite. We can help you find just the right individuals and families to fill out your guest list. Or maybe you are in need of a place to go for first seder this Passover. We hope you will let us help you find just the right seder to meet your needs. To fill out the Passover/Seder questionnaire form go to: Seder Questionnaire or you can always email Cathy in the office (office@bethaverim.org) or call 758-0842 ext. 100. For more ideas and information go to http://bethaverim.wordpress.com/welcome/passover-2012/
Yizkor Service Saturday, April 14th, 10 AM
The traditional Yizkor service recited at the conclusion of Passover will be held this year on Saturday, April 14th at 10:00 am. Four times a year, our tradition bids us gather at a special service to remember loved ones who are no longer living. Please join us at this time-honored service to gather with our community to pay tribute to those who have left a lasting mark on our lives.
Citizens who Care for the Elderly Come to CBH on April 19th
Are you looking for a meaningful way to contribute to our community?
Would you like to volunteer and receive training and support?
Would you enjoy visiting members of CBH who are housebound?
Citizens Who Care is a community agency that has provided services to older adults for over 20 years. Housebound clients are matched with volunteers with similar interests and the relationship begins. Volunteers can rely on training and support from the agency.
We have invited staff from Citizens Who Care for the Elderly to present their program and discuss how we can partner with them to create a home visiting program at CBH.
Date: April 19th
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: CBH Social Hall
Come and hear about a volunteer opportunity where you can provide companionship and support to a housebound CBH member, receive training and feel good about contributing to our CBH community.
Please contact Sandy Jones by e-mail: sandyjon@gmail.com or phone: 530-848-5559 if you have questions.
ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE WEEK AT CBH
Israel Matters Committee
Join your friends and other CBH members for our annual Israel Independence Celebration—this year the 64th birthday of the founding of the Jewish state. All events are at CBH. For further information, contact George Rooks, gmrooks3@gmail.com , or Al Sokolow, 758-3246. Here is the schedule, concluded by our big Independence Day luncheon on the 29th:
April 19: Israel Consul General Akiva Tor. 7 PM. Consul General Tor will give an update on the missile fire in the south, the situation with Iran, and other topics of current interest.
April 22: Israel Inside (a 55 minute documentary) 3 PM. This film showcases how Israel was able to become such a center of diversity and innovation in a very short time.
April 29: Israel Independence Day Celebration. 12 – 3 PM. This annual Israel Matters event is bigger and better than ever, with numerous kids’ activities such as bouncy houses, cotton candy, face painting, necklace making, and more. Not to mention our famous bbq, falafels, and salads. ALL FREE.
April 22 is Deadline for Israel Essay Contest for High School Students
Think you know a lot about Israel? You can prove it, if you are a high school student in Davis, Yolo County or the Sacramento region by entering the third annual CBH Israel Essay Contest. The deadline for submitting essays is April 22.
In honor of Israel Independence Celebration week, April 22-29, the Israel Matters Committee is sponsoring this contest for junior and senior high school students. Instructions follow:
In 1,000 words or less, explain why the nation of Israel is important to the world. Choose one of the following topics:
1. Israel and Technology. Choose a technological advance made by Israelis in an area such as energy technology (solar, wind, and others), recycling, agriculture, information technology, health technology, and other fields. Discuss its importance within the field and for society as a whole.
2. The Importance of Israel: Past, Present, and Future. Suggested topics include the importance of Biblical Israel, Israel as the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel as a bulwark against terrorism, or other appropriate subjects.
Essays will be evaluated on the basis of originality, content, and form, and should have proper citations (sources). Two copies of your entry must be postmarked by April 22, 2011 and sent to:
Israel Matters Committee
Essay Contest
Congregation Bet Haverim
1715 Anderson Road
Davis, CA 95616
The prizes are: $200 first place, $50 second place, $25 third place, and honorable mentions to be determined. Winners will be notified by April 29. For further information, contact George Rooks at gmrooks3@gmail.com.
Preserving Davis Jewish History
Do you know that there is a Jewish section of the Davis Cemetery? Do you know that there is no written history of the individuals buried there? Wouldn’t it be worthwhile to know something about the Jews whose remains are there? Where did they come from? Why did they settle in Davis? What are their personal stories? Shouldn’t this information be preserved? The longer we delay in preserving these memories the more will be lost. A good example of this exists in Woodland. In 1891 there was a Jewish cemetery on College Street where Southland Park and the YMCA now are located. In 1908 there were 22 graves occupied out of 66 plots. Between 1955 and 1960 those graves were moved to Home Of Peace Cemetery in Sacramento. Records cannot be found which confirms the reburial.
A group of Bet Haverim members has volunteered to collect and preserve the histories of Jews buried in the Davis Cemetery. When the program begins, friends and family will be asked to share facts and stories about them. Research will be done for those who have no available relatives or friends.
The plan is to collect the material into a written form that will be available to future generations. Hopefully someone will be interested in keeping the materials up to date.
To do this project the cooperation of knowledgeable people will be needed. Bet Haverim members and others in the community will be asked to share their knowledge. Jewish high school students will be asked to volunteer to do research. The written materials will be edited into a consistent format. There is a need for a computer savvy person who can help create the final document. For questions contact any of the people listed below.
More about this project will be in future newsletters.
Tom Frankel: thfrankel@gmail.com 753-5471
Ed Rabin: ehrabin@ucdavis.edu 756-4888
Larry Rappaport: lrappaport@ucdavis.edu 756-7751
Marvin Goldman: drmarving@aol.com 753-5255
Ezra Amsterdam: eaamsterdam@ucdavis.edu 756-7146
Stew Teal: seteal@ucdavis.edu 758-0718
Be a part of the journey of the creation of our 50th anniversary Torah, in between Soferet Jen’s visits to Davis
Jen’s blog chronicles her weekly progress on our Torah, visit now at http://hasoferet.com/cbh/ . If you missed scribing in our Torah with Jen in March, one more chance remains in mid-October. Look for registration information to be announced approximately September 1.
KCRA Channel 3 covered the Tree of Life Torah Project during a recent newscast!
Starring familiar faces at Bet Haverim, this two-minute video captures the historical & emotional significance of our community effort to write a 50th anniversary Torah. Enjoy! http://www.kcra.com/video/30750915/detail.htm
Tree of Life Campaign Update: Mazel tov to our generous CBH partners who have enabled our Campaign for our 50th year to come within $125,000 of our congregational goal to raise $500,000 by the High Holy Days this September. In addition to our new Torah, this Campaign is intended to provide for the maintenance, restoration & enhancement of our synagogue home here on Anderson Road, as well as ensure financial security for CBH’s next 50 years. With more than 250 partner households & less than a half-dozen Tree of Life Committee members, the Committee knows that not everyone has yet had the opportunity to learn more about the Campaign & consider how they might participate. Please let us know if you would like to arrange a visit with Tree of Life Committee members to talk further about the project. Be a part of the “Builders’ Generation”, & help to continue the community building & investments in capital made possible by our Founders’ Generation! Learn more at http://bethaverim.wordpress.com/welcome/50th-anniversary-tree-of-life-torah-project/from-the-founders-to-the-builders/, or contact Joy Cohan, Tree of Life/50th anniversary chair, at joycohan1@gmail.com or (530) 383-1814 to arrange a visit.
Check your mail soon for YOUR invitation to the CBH 50th ANNIVERSARY GALA PARTY (formerly Le Bistro Haverim), happening Sunday May 20, 5:30-9:30 PM, in the Bet Haverim Redwood Grove!
The excitement includes:
• A celebration of Bet Haverim’s jubilee year with your synagogue family, as well as friends & dignitaries from throughout the Davis community
• Recognition of Candace Naliboff as the 2012 Founders’ Spirit Award honoree – - CBH’s highest volunteer honor!
• An exquisite dining experience at your table (no buffet!), by CBH partner Bobby Coyote, inspired by his Dos Coyotes Restaurants
• Music & entertainment by Noah Wolfe & his jazz trio, as well as an encore performance by local musicians/artists Heidi Bekebrede & Dianna Craig of “Frankie & the Fabletones”
• A fun & enticing live auction, featuring trips to Wine Country, Lake Tahoe & Costa Rica, as well as awesome experiences offered by our CBH partners!
How can YOU help make the 50th Anniversary Gala Party a success?
• The Community Sponsorship deadline has been extended to April 18…see http://bethaverim.wordpress.com/welcom/50th for a form & more info. The annual CBH operating budget is balanced each year thanks to your support of this event.
• There’s still time to share your talents & experiences to benefit CBH in the auction…host a wine tasting or dinner event in your home, lead a hike, boating or camping excursion…there’s no limit to the possibilities!
Please contact 50th Gala Party chair Jodi Liederman at jliederman@cs.com or 916-730-3413, or 50th Anniversary/Tree of Life chair Joy Cohan at joycohan1@gmail.com or 383-1814 to share your ideas, or with other questions or offers to assist with this very special event!
A Conversation on Sacred Leadership
Please join us for an inspiring conversation on Sacred Leadership led by Rabbi Shawn Zevit on Thursday, May 31, 2012 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the social hall. Our 50th year celebration invites us to look back at all we’ve accomplished and to contemplate the endless possibilities for our collective future. During this evening we will explore leadership in a spiritual context, the individual ways in which each of us might help lead our congregation forward, and the manner and direction in which we want our congregation led.
Rabbi Shawn Zevit has over 25 years experience in spiritual leadership, organizational consulting and training, educational arts, writing, recording, teaching and performing. He has consulted with over 500 institutions and faith communities across North America, and has taught Interpersonal and Organizational Communications at the University of Toronto and Temple University. Since 1998 he has been the Director of Congregational Services and Tikkun Olam for the North American Reconstructionist Movement.
Mishloach Manot – Much More than a Fundraiser
Wow! Our Synagogue’s Mishloach Manot again surpassed our expectations and was even better than last year. Synagogue partners rolled, filled, and pinched over 1600 Hamantaschen and then assembled and delivered over 350 baskets. The Congregation received over $4,500 but the event’s true delight was our community working together on a fun project and the smiling faces and happy stomachs of those who received them. This year, every partner received a gift box.*
A special thank you goes to our Synagogue’s very own Ishai, Amina and Josh at Z Specialty Foods who generously donated both the honey sticks and noisemakers. Amina also created the beautiful formatting of the 50th anniversary message. We are grateful to Timothy’s Bakery in Woodland for providing loads of delicious apricot filling and other supplies for a great price. Thank you to Orit Kalman for baking the delicious gluten free hamentashen.
Most importantly, our thanks go to all of the volunteers who made this event possible. We appreciate the great efforts Dalia Frank and Rebecca Bobell. As master bakers they were present for the baking of all the hamentashen. Our other volunteers included Larry Frank, Nancy Loeb Williams, Jodi Azulai, Jeri and Anna Hollander, Orit, Don, Talia, Elan and Itai Kalman, Meryl Rappaport, Cherynne and Aviva Kravitz, Jennifer Goldman, Amy Levin, Hadassah Zatz, Linda Sternberg, Eileen Spoth, Matti Siltanen, Joy Cohan, Eric, Karen and Molly Crane, Bonnie Berman, Linda Glick, Joyce Goldman, Steve, Dennis and Lucille Fineberg, Livia Berman, Linda Bresnick, Elise Parnes and Johannes Troost, Rob Egel, Ben Bobell, Amina Harris, Zohar Tal, Hannah Hunter, Amelia Sweeney, Pat Kaminker, Chaviva Hollman, Carrie Shepard, Sarah Pattison, Claudia Levitt, Diane Kramer, Jessica Tucker Mohl, Ellen Cohen, Connie Caldwell, Carol Plack, Sylvia Richman, Mari and Jared Schwartzer, Carol Corbett, Patty Diaz-Britz, Maria Skavhaug (We think we got everyone?)
Stay tuned as we have more ideas to make next year lots of fun.
Rochelle and Michael
Summer Camperships
Jewish camping provides wonderful experiences for our children during the summer. Summer Camperships for Jewish camps are available for children in the synagogue. All applications will be handled in confidence. Campership applications must be submitted by April 29th. To download an application click here:http://bethaverim.wordpress.com/education/camperships/ . Submit the completed application form to Cathy in the CBH office at: office@bethaverim.org.
April Donations
Biberstein Social Action Fund
Steven & Andrea Weiss, in honor of Ernie for his outstanding work with Eli on his Bar Mitzvah
Diane Moore, in memory of Hazel Moore
Community Meals Fund
John, Sandi & Sonny Kniep
Israel Matters
George & Ninette Medovoy, in honor of Alex Groth’s 80th Birthday
Dan & Tzipi Goldkorn, in honor of Alex Groth’s 80th Birthday
Jerry & Helen Suran, in honor of Alex Groth’s 80th Birthday
Kol Hanefesh
Steven & Joy Cohan, in memory of Heidi Smith’s mother
Steven & Joy Cohan, in recognition of Heidi Smith’s work on the Donor Recognition Committee
Steven & Joy Cohan, in honor of Rochelle Frank & Michael Bobell and the entire Mishloach Manot Team
Piano Fund
Carole Plack, in honor of Dalia and Rochelle Frank & Michael Bobell
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Nancy Loeb & William Williams, for yahrzeit of Ellen Angres Loeb
Abira Laurie, in honor of Rachel’s Bat Mitzvah
Paul and Julie Gussman, for yahrzeit of William Thompson
Gene & Libby Renkin, in loving memory of Mary Margaret Russell
Alan Hirsch & Vera Sandronsky, for the Michael Lerner program
Magdalena Heymann, for the Michael Lerner program
Diane Moore, for the Michael Lerner program
Barbara & Walter Sherwood, for the Michael Lerner program
Ernie Biberstein, for the Michael Lerner program
Eugene & Jerilyn Borack, for the Michael Lerner program
Gene & Libby Renkin, in honor of the Naliboff family
Pearl & Raymond Carpenter, in memory of Dylan Peters
Steven & Andrea Weiss, in honor of Rabbi Greg’s outstanding work with Eli on his Bar Mitzvah
Al & Sandy Sokolow, in memory of Frederick Aladjem
April Birthdays
2 Nancy LeRoy
3 Marcia Rosenstein
3 Barbara Sherwood
3 Shani Simon
4 Leslie Brumer
4 Netania Moore
4 Zoe Raven
5 Dean Newberry
6 Ella Haberman
6 Aaron Styne
7 Donald Kalman
7 Sunny Kniep
8 Scott Goldman
8 Suzanne Nitzkin
8 Ben Tennenbaum
9 Ruby Kubby Adler
9 Eric Crane
9 Nancy Erbstein
9 Elliot Landes
9 Brenna Perlaman
10 Jaclyn Hausman
10 Houston McCray
10 Lawrence Paikoff
11 Anna Eckert-Kramer
11 Marsha Mohtes-Chan
11 Rachel Trauner
12 Edward Lascher
12 Maya Ruth London
12 W. Avi Steele
12 Joan Sublett
12 Varda Topkis
13 David Julian
14 Zachary Gordon
14 Patrick Hendershall
14 Leny Heymann
14 Brigette Hunley
14 Chani Oppenheim
14 Emily Philipps
15 Colby Davidson
15 Jessica Tucker Mohl
15 Jeremy Rubin
16 Jodi Liederman
16 Moriah Smith
17 Nancy Lazarus
19 Barbara Fineberg
19 Kane Rooks
19 Angela Wapner
19 Susan Wolbarst
21 Liba Cohn
21 Donna Petre
21 Samuel Sands
21 Jennie Singer
22 Joe Green
22 Annette Montgomery
23 Jeri Hollander
23 Stewart Teal
24 Shari Belafsky
24 Jonathan Diamant
24 Kim Griffiths
24 Thomas Jones
24 Phoebe Schenker
25 Eliana Ellenberger
26 Mike Clark
26 Jeffrey Gollober
26 Vivienne Roseby
26 Arthur Zalkan
27 Lawrence Ward
28 Abira Laurie
29 Bruce Gardner
29 Ethan Schroeder
29 Ken Sprott
30 David Abramson
30 Joshua Zeldner
April Yahrzeits
2 Ruth Hurwitz, mother of Jane Rabin
3 Blanch Brownstein, mother of Alan Brownstein
3 Sam Gordon, father of Carla Levin
3 Ephriam Landes, father of Elliot Landes
4 Alice Blumenfeld, mother of Judy Rose
6 Shirley Levine, mother of Neal Levine
7 Suzette Wright, sister of Kerry Wright
8 Syril Carlson, mother of Richard Zeiger
8 Robert Dexter Carpenter, son of Raymond Carpenter
8 Paul Levin, father of Amy Levin
10 Murray Friedman, father of Marc Friedman
12 Rick Hascal, cousin of Sandra Kniep
13 Martin Shickman, father of David Shickman
14 Hannah Biberstein, wife of Ernie Biberstein
14 Mary Renkin, mother of Gene Renkin
15 John Lantry, grandfather of Virginia Lantry
15 Elie Tennenbaum, father of Dan Tennenbaum
17 Evelyn Siegel, mother of Annette Montgomery
17 Arthur Suran, father of Jerry Suran
18 Mollie Ginsberg, mother of Karen Berliner
20 David Chan, father of Gilbert Chan
20 Harry Novak, father of Esther Novak
21 Bernice Broida Marchak, aunt of Joan Sublett
22 Beverly Teal, mother of Stewart Teal
23 Michael Blumenfeld, brother of Judy Rose
23 Barbara Frankel. wife of Tom Frankel, mother of Valerie Frankel
23 Betty Hascal Roberts, aunt of Sandra Kniep
24 Ben Hirsch, father of Michael Hirsch
24 Jacob Reuben, father of David Reuben
25 Betty Eichler-Blum, mother of Ann Teal
25 Pauline Klein, mother of Barry Klein
26 Joseph Katz
28 Hilda Lazarus, mother of Nancy Lazarus
29 Wendy Resnick, mother of Scott Goldman
30 Irving Glick, father of Linda Glick
Staff and Board of Directors
Staff
Rabbi Greg Wolfe rabbi@bethaverim.org
Malka Sansani, Director of Education and Youth school@bethaverim.org
Rhoda Rohnstock, Director, Gan Haverim Preschool ganhaverim@yahoo.com
Cathy Phillips, Office Manager office@bethaverim.org
M.K. Menard, Executive Director bethaverim@yahoo.com
Board of Directors
Andrew Newman, Presidents
Nancy Loeb Williams, co-Vice President
Jennifer Goldman, co-Vice President
Arnie Wolf, Treasurer
Betsy Elzufon, Secretary
Dan Abramson
Eric Crane
Rob Egel
Dan Goldkorn
Joe Green
Orit Kalman
Heidi Smith
