Celebrate Confirmation

Transcription

1 T H E B E T H A M MAY 2018 IYAR/SIVAN 5778 Shop ModernTribe & Support Beth Am Shop ModernTribe for Judaica from all over the world, with a modern design aesthetic. Beth Am receives 5% of all purchases! Shop at: bit.ly/bethammt IN THIS ISSUE: Marder Family Simchas PAGE 2 CELEBRATE WITH BETH : Shavuot 2018/5778 SHAVUOT BEGINS SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 19 Shavuot is the Hebrew word for weeks and refers to the Jewish festival marking the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, which occurs seven weeks after Passover. Shavuot, like many other Jewish holidays, began as an ancient agricultural festival that marked the end of the spring barley harvest and the beginning of the summer wheat harvest. In ancient times, Shavuot was a pilgrimage festival during which Israelites brought crop offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem. Today, it is a celebration of the giving of the Torah, education and actively choosing to participate in Jewish life. To learn more about these Shavuot celebrations, visit betham.org/shavuot5778 or call (650) CELEBRATE SHAVUOT WITH THE LOCAL JEWISH COMMUNITY Saturday, May 19, 8 P.M.-6 A.M. (come for one hour or stay all night), Beth Am Campus Tikkun Leil Shavuot An extraordinary all-night program of Jewish learning with rabbis and teachers from across the Jewish community! Organized by Congregation Kol Emeth. SHAVUOT YIZKOR SERVICE Sunday, May 20, 9:30 A.M., Beit Kehillah Followed by Brunch We gather as a community to create a peaceful time of prayer, song and remembrance. If you have names of loved ones to be read aloud, contact Alison at akronenberg@betham.org, (650) BAW YES Tea PAGE 3 Celebrate Confirmation Of Our 10th Grade Students SATURDAY, MAY 12, CEREMONY AT 7 P.M., SANCTUARY; DESSERT RECEPTION TO FOLLOW, SOCIAL HALL Religious Freedom in Israel PAGE 7 The entire Beth Am community is invited to celebrate Beth Am s Confirmation students, as these dedicated youth express their Jewish identity in a beautiful program of spoken word, music, Torah and creative liturgy created entirely by them. The program will conclude with Havdalah around 8:30 P.M. A dessert reception will follow. Mazel tov to the Confirmation Class of 5778/2018! To learn more, contact Rabbi Heath Watenmaker at rabbi_watenmaker@betham.org or call (650) CONTACT US AT (650)

2 Rabbi Jon Prosnit, Associate Rabbi The Old Shall Dream Dreams and the Young Shall See Visions Don t call them your children, call them your builders. - Brachot 64a One of my favorite Sunday morning activities at Beth Am is standing at around 11:35 A.M. at the top of the long foyer leading from the classrooms on the upper campus looking down toward the Sanctuary. Sunday school has just let out and our students have just been picked up and are heading toward the parking lot with their parents. They are holding terrific projects that they ve made during Sunday Program a paper shofar in September, a newly planted seed in February, a piece of freshly made matzah in April and telling their parents about their day. When they enter our main building, a few of them always stop to look at the collection of Confirmation photos on the wall. They flip through the photos and, often, search for their parents, dressed in robes, who were confirmed at Beth Am as 10th graders. They love seeing their parents as high schoolers, the perms on their moms, the long hair of their dads. Occasionally, I notice this with soon-to-be married couples too, with one partner showing the other these photos. Even if you did not grow up here, you may recognize the Confirmation photos as an integral part of any synagogue. At the synagogue where I was confirmed, B nai Israel in Bridgeport, CT, the first Confirmation photo on the wall dates back to 1915 though they suspect Confirmation ceremonies existed even before then. The first recorded Confirmation in North America was held at New York s Anshe Chesed Congregation in At Beth Am, we will soon be celebrating 62 years of Confirmation, with our first Confirmation class of 1956 (though the photos start in 1962). My hunch is that it s not just the old photos of their parents that our Beth Am kids like seeing. I think they like knowing that their mom or their dad also had a Jewish education. Our students proudly embrace the idea that this place is theirs, just as it was their parents place in their youth. It reminds me of the teaching from the book of Proverbs: Train a child on the path he/she shall go, and when they are old they will not depart from it. Our Confirmation class celebratory ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 12 at 7 P.M., and I hope you ll join us. It s a wonderful ceremony during which our 10th graders express their Judaism through songs, sermons, art and Torah. We hope that it s just another link to a lifelong chain of Jewish learning and identity building. In this month of Shavuot, the holiday when we received Torah with its custom to study Torah all night long, let s be sure we cultivate our own Jewish learning and identity building let s not let our link get too rusty. As CCAR President Rabbi David Stern said in a sermon at the URJ Biennial last December:...(a) word about adult responsibility towards our kids it begins with responsibility for our own Jewish lives. The great wisdom of the Federal Aviation Administration is that you put the oxygen mask on yourself first, and Jewish oxygen is no different. We will create the path to nurtured Jewish children by nurturing Jewish adults. As communities, we need to create meaningful Jewish learning for adults, inspire adults in prayer, challenge adults to justice, so they can model learning and prayer and acts of justice for our children. There is lots going on at Beth Am to cultivate that Jewish learning not just on Shavuot, but weekly at Congregation Beth Am Hebrew classes, Talmud study, book groups and more. If you re specifically interested in a topic, please reach out to one of the clergy. Our tradition calls Torah an Etz Chaim, a tree of life, not just because we believe the words of Torah are living, but because we believe when watered, it will flourish and grow. Rabbis Janet and Shelly Marder joyfully invite the congregation to celebrate the marriage of their daughter, Rachel Aliza, to Hilly Haber. Rachel is a fifth-year student at the Ziegler School, the Conservative rabbinical seminary in Los Angeles, who will be ordained on May 7; Hilly is a 4th year rabbinical student at HUC, the Reform rabbinical seminary. Marder Family Simchas FRIDAY NIGHT, MAY 25, 6:15 P.M., SANCTUARY; SATURDAY, MAY 26, 10:15 A.M., BEIT KEHILLAH On Friday night, May 25, the happy couple will be called to the bima for a blessing during the Erev Shabbat service. Following the service, all are invited to a festive Oneg Shabbat in the Social Hall. On Saturday morning, May 26, rabbinical students from the Ziegler School and HUC will lead the Torah in an upbeat Shabbat service honoring Rachel and Hilly. All are welcome and invited to Shabbat lunch following the service. To sign up by Friday, May 18 to attend the Friday night Oneg Shabbat and/or Saturday afternoon Shabbat lunch, complete the form at betham.org/mardersimchas or call (650) PAGE 2

3 Honoring Our Fathers Personal Essays & Poems About Our Fathers SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018 (THE DAY BEFORE FATHER S DAY), 3:30 TO 5 P.M., BEIT KEHILLAH In honor of Father s Day, congregants are invited to submit a short personal essay or poem about fathers, to present at our Saturday afternoon reading and reception. Submission guidelines are as follows: Original personal essay or poem about your father Maximum length: 500 words (2 double-spaced typed pages) Please include a title for your reading Submissions must be typed Submission deadline is Monday, May 14. Please submit your piece as an attachment to Caryn Huberman at yackybooks@hotmail.com and include Honoring Our Fathers in the subject line. You may also give a hardcopy printout of your submission to Caryn. We look forward to a warm and intimate afternoon honoring our fathers! For more information, contact Caryn Huberman at yackybooks@hotmail.com, (650) During our President Bruce Ives remarks at Rosh Hashanah, you heard about a developing campaign to support a more robust infrastructure to strengthen Beth Am for the generations to come. Working with the results of a comprehensive visioning process by our board, we had just completed a campaign feasibility study and were finalizing the plan to realize that vision. Today we are excited to announce that our campaign, now called From Strength to Strength, is officially up and running! We are in the first phase when our campaign leaders will meet face to face with as many members as possible to invite their major support. Over the life of this multi-year campaign, all members will be invited to participate in From Strength to Strength to their full capacity as together we prepare our community for an exciting future. Our campaign will raise a total of $8.6M for these key areas: endowment, professional team housing assistance, facility improvements and program innovations. From Strength to Strength will better position our congregation to build on our many successes ready for innovation and responsive to the evolving needs of our members. To learn more about the campaign, visit betham.org/fs2s. We are eager to share more about this exciting campaign in the months and years to come, and always welcome your questions. Contact Loree Farrar at loreelfarrar@yahoo.com. JEWISH FILM SERIES PRESENTS The Green Prince This Film Is Free & Refreshments Will Be Served SATURDAY, MAY 5, 3:30 P.M., BEIT KEHILLAH The Green Prince tells the fascinating story of Mosab Yousef, son of Hamas founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, who for ten years worked undercover for Israel s security service, the Shin Bet, preventing many suicide attacks. This gripping, award-winning film features original footage from the Second Intifada and interviews with Mosab and his Israeli handler, Gonen Ben-Yitzchak, in which they explore his decision to risk his life by becoming an informant for Israel. BETH WOMEN HONORS FIVE REMARKABLE WOMEN AT 2018 YES Tea The Entire Community Is Invited to Celebrate Our Honorees SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 3 TO 5 P.M., SOCIAL HALL The YES Tea is a biennial BAW event to honor women from the Beth Am community who have made outstanding contributions to Beth Am Women and to our entire congregation in support of youth, education and special projects. This celebratory event recognizes these women and their contributions in a warm, inviting atmosphere that promotes and builds community. The YES Tea also raises funds to support the important work of the Youth, Education and Special Projects (YES) Fund of the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ). This Fund provides grants to Reform Jewish institutions and individuals worldwide to strengthen Reform Judaism by supporting clergy, cultivating women s leadership and advocating for social justice. The entire Beth Am community is invited to join BAW as we honor these five exceptional women: Laura Cohen, Margit David, Rachel Gibson, Linda Kramer and Diane Rolfe. To purchase tickets by Friday, May 25, download, complete and mail the sign up form with your check or complete the online form available at betham.org/yes2018. For more information, please BAWevents@betham.org. PAGE 3

4 Calendar SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY For a more detailed calendar visit 6:00 Confirmation 6TH GRADE FILY RETREAT 1 2 8:00 Thursday Morning 3 6TH GRADE FILY RETREAT 4 5 8:00 Jewish Meditation 4:00 T filah 8:30 Bagels and Coffee 5:00 Tot Shabbat 7:00 BAW Book Club 4:00 Hebrew Program 6:15 Tizmoret Shabbat Service 10:15 Torah 7:00 BAW Board Meeting 3:30 Jewish Film Series: The Green Prince 3:45 Shabbat Together 9:00 Beit Midrash 9:00 Sunday Program 11:30 Zimriyah Junior Choir 11:45 Sunday Afternoon Hebrew 3:00 Gesharim Event: There Is a Place Film Screening & Discussion :00 Thursday Morning :00 Jewish Meditation 12 6:00 Confirmation 4:00 Hebrew Program 4:00 T filah 6:15 Beit R fuah 7:30 B Photography Group 7:30 Adult B nei Mitzvah :00 Thursday Morning EREV SHAVUOT 19 9:00 Modern Jewish Literature 11:00 Adult Hebrew Level F SHAVUOT 9:30 Yizkor Service 5:45 Adult Modern Hebrew Level D2 7:00 Mah Jongg 7:00 Adult Modern Hebrew Level A 7:00 Health Initiative :00 B Breakfast :00 Thursday Morning :00 Jewish Meditation 26 MEMORIAL DAY OFFICE CLOSED 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level C 7:00 Farewell to Falls Presentation 7:30 Adult Hebrew Level B 7:30 BAW Rosh Chodesh 9:30 B Bridge Group 11:00 Adult Hebrew Level F 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level C 7:30 Adult Hebrew Level B 5:45 Adult Modern Hebrew Level D2 7:00 Adult Modern Hebrew Level A 7:30 Adul B nei Mitzvah 7:30 Board Meeting 9:00 Adult Hebrew Level B 10:30 Adult Hebrew Level D 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level E 7:00 Knitzvah Circle Group 7:30 Adult Modern Hebrew Advanced Conversation 7:30 Hadassah Sequoia 9:00 Adult Hebrew Level B 10:30 Adult Hebrew Level D 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level E 7:30 Adult Modern Hebrew Advanced Conversation 7:30 Executive Committee M :00 Adult Hebrew Level F 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level C 7:30 Adult Hebrew Level B DAY OFFICE MMEMORIAL CLOSED8:00 Thursday Morning 5:45 6:30 7:00 Adult Modern Hebrew Level D2 Ballroom Dancing Adult Modern Hebrew Level A 9:00 Adult Hebrew Level B 10:30 Adult Hebrew Level D 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level E 7:30 Adult Modern Hebrew Advanced Conversation 6:15 Shabbat Service 7:30 Graduating High School Seniors Shabbat Dinner 6:15 Shabbat Service in the Round: with Guest Speaker Uri Keidar 6:15 Shabbat Service 7:30 Community Oneg Shabbat 9:00 Bagels and Coffee 10:15 Torah 3:45 Shabbat Together 7:00 Celebrate Confirmation 8:00 Jewish Meditation 9:00 Bagels and Coffee 9:15 Tot Shabbat 10:15 Torah 3:45 Shabbat Together 8:00 Community Shavuot Event: Tikkun Leil Shavuot 8:30 Bagels and Coffee 10:15 Torah CONGREGATION BETH MAY 2018

5 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: MEET THIS YEAR S Adult B nei Mitzvah Class Meet this year s adult B nei Mitzvah class: six inspiring Beth Am members who have engaged in a yearlong program of studying Hebrew, Torah and the siddur (prayerbook) in preparation for their B nei Mitzvah service on Saturday, June 2! Marcel Bergmann grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and was born into a family of scientists. He came to Beth Am three years ago with his wife, Cantor Jaime Shpall (you may have met her), and their eight-year-old twins, Sam and Ella. He decided to join the adult B nei Mitzvah class because, as he says, I live with three Super-Jews, one of whom is an expert in Judaism and chanting Torah, and two of whom will become experts (I expect) over the next five years. I learned to speak a little Hebrew prior to a visit to Israel, but didn t learn writing or reading, and I didn t have a Bar Mitzvah growing up. So learning the material was on my mind, and then I heard my friend Jeremy was taking the adult B nei Mitzvah class. I decided to sign up as well. Barbara Elspas has deep roots at Congregation Beth Am. She was given her Hebrew name, confirmed and married at Beth Am, but didn t have a Bat Mitzvah because as a teen, she didn t feel quite right about it. Barb and her husband, Jay Rusoff, have two sons, Alex and Sam, who both celebrated becoming Bar Mitzvah here at Beth Am. Now it s Barb s turn! As she says, It was always on my bucket list. Judy Goldberg grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey but has lived in the Bay Area for twenty-four years. She has two grown sons, twins Paul and David. Judy grew up Orthodox, and then belonged to Reconstructionist synagogues back East as well as here in California, but all of her friends were members of Beth Am, so she eventually joined this congregation. As an Orthodox girl growing up in the fifties, Judy never had the opportunity to celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah. As Judy says, celebrating as an adult was something I haven t done that s doable. Why not? Her decision was cemented last Sukkot during a fateful conversation in Tina Rosenblum s sukkah. When Tina said she was joining the class, Judy and Lauren John decided to join her. Speaking of Lauren, Lauren John was born in Queens, New York. She and her husband, George, moved to the Bay Area twenty-two years ago. She joined Beth Am five years ago and decided to celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah because, my faith has deepened over the years. Also, I worked at St. Patrick s Seminary (as a librarian) and realized I knew more about Catholicism than I did about Judaism! In celebration of her sixtieth birthday, Lauren decided that this was the year to join the adult B nei Mitzvah class. Jeremy Korito grew up in southern California but has lived in the Bay Area for the past twenty years. He and his wife, Lea Hallert-Korito, joined Beth Am six years ago along with their son, Nathan (12), and daughter, Maya (8). Jeremy decided to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah as an adult because he never had the opportunity as a kid. It s something I ve thought of doing off and on, but this year is my last chance to do it before my son, who is having his Bar Mitzvah in November. This is a great way for me to be more engaged at the temple and to grow personally. Tina Rosenblum is another New Jersey native who came to the Bay Area for work twelve years ago. She and her husband, Jay Jennings, are the proud parents of Matthew (1). Tina and Jay first came to Beth Am five years ago to attend Torah study and were hooked. When Tina was thirteen, she was given the chance to celebrate becoming Bat Mitzvah but felt that the process should be meaningful, and the way it was presented to her didn t seem meaningful, so she decided against having one. Since then, Tina says, It always felt like something was incomplete. Please join us on Saturday, June 2, at 10:30 A.M. in the Sanctuary to support our wonderful adult B nei Mitzvah class as they celebrate this milestone! A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT A SNAPSHOT As Rabbi Weissman discussed in her April Clergy Column Shining a Light on the Bay Area s Jewish Community (see betham.org/aprilcc), the Jewish Community Federation recently released its comprehensive survey of Bay Area Jewish Life. This fascinating study provides insight into the strengths and challenges we face, and highlights interesting similarities and differences with the national survey of American Jews and Judaism conducted by the Pew Research Center a few years ago. Visit betham.org/ snapshot to read some of the findings. We need to understand these realities and trends because they affect our congregation and because, as a leading Jewish institution in the Bay Area, we will have a hand in determining how they are addressed. A group of congregants joined in an effort known as Project Micah to do just this after publication of the Pew Study. The new JCF study affords us an opportunity to re-visit and update the Project Micah findings and to strengthen our efforts to attract and retain young members and families and grow engagement across all of Beth Am. Continued innovation is key to the long-term vitality of our congregation. L Shalom, Bruce Ives President@betham.org PAGE 6

6 Farewell to Falls Presentation by Ellen Corman, Injury Prevention and Community Engagement, Stanford Health Care Trauma Center TUESDAY, MAY 15, 7 P.M., BEIT KEHILLAH Anyone can fall, but the risk of falling increases as we age, due to normal physical changes, medical conditions and medication side effects. Each year, 25% of adults age 65 and older fall, sometimes resulting in serious injury. And nearly 188 Californians age 55 and over are hospitalized every day from slips, trips and falls. But falls do not need to be an inevitable part of growing older. If you re concerned about yourself, or about aging parents or grandparents, don t miss this opportunity to hear Beth Am congregant Ellen Corman discuss Farewell to Falls, a program of the Trauma Center at Stanford that she developed and manages. Learn how to minimize the risk of falling and remain independent as long as possible. Presented by Beth Am s Health Initiative free of charge, refreshments and good conversation included! Ellen Corman has been a member of Beth Am for almost 20 years, and has over 20 years of experience working in the area of injury prevention. She has an undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy and a Master s degree in Rehabilitation Administration. BETH WELCOMES URI KEIDAR, SPEAKING ON The Struggle for Freedom of Religion in Israel FRIDAY, MAY 18, 6:15 P.M., SANCTUARY* Uri Keidar is Executive Director of Israel Hofsheet, a grassroots movement that strives for an Israeli society that practices cultural and religious pluralism, protects civil rights and upholds the principles of democracy and Zionism. Since its founding in 2009, Israel Hofsheet has led many campaigns dealing with freedom of marriage, the exclusion of women from the public sphere, LGBT rights and the struggle against religious coercion. This program is presented by the New Israel Fund, which promotes a democratic, just and equal Israel by investing in organizations that work to further civil rights, religious freedom and social justice in Israel. *This service will be live-video streamed. By entering the Sanctuary, you give Beth Am permission to record you. Family Camping Trip Sign up Early Space Is Limited! FRIDAY TO SUNDAY, JUNE 15-17, PORTOLA REDWOODS STATE PARK Find out how much fun camping can be at the 16th annual Beth Am family camping trip. This year we will be back at Portola Redwoods State Park, the site of many wonderful Beth Am camping trips in past years. Get ready for lots of fun with a chance to enjoy Jewish community and experience God in nature. For many, the Beth Am Family camping trip is their favorite activity of the year. We ll have hikes, campfires, a fabulous kids talent show, plenty to eat and songs around the campfire, led by congregant musicians of all talent levels. The family trip has the group campsite for Friday and Saturday nights. You can participate for both or just one night, or you can even just come for the day. Beth Am will provide the campsites, breakfasts and of course, s mores! First-time campers are welcome. There are bathrooms with running water and drinking water available at multiple places around the campground. To ensure your spot, sign up soon priority will be determined by when your registration fee is received. The cost is $15 per person per night. For example, a family of four will cost $60 per night which includes campsite registration, Saturday and Sunday breakfast foods, and hot dogs for the Saturday night potluck (more information and signups for the potluck will follow). This trip is likely to fill up, so reserve your spot today! To register, please visit the members area of the Beth Am website at beth.org/members as soon as possible and sign up for the trip under Event Registration. Space is limited and registration is first-come, first-served. For more information, contact familycamping@betham.org. PAGE 7

7 50% Recycled Chlorine Free Printing CONGREGATION BETH Arastradero Road Los Altos Hills, CA NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #121 CONGREGATION BETH LOS ALTOS HILLS, CA Oneg Israel Is Back Celebrating Israel at 70 BETH S ADULT SUMMER RETREAT: Asilomar FRIDAY, JUNE 1, FOLLOWING THE TIZMORET SHABBAT SERVICE, SOCIAL HALL The Israel Awareness Committee invites you to another armchair trip to Israel. After the Tizmoret service, come to the Social Hall, help yourself to a delicious Israeli-style dinner and sit back to enjoy the program Celebrating Israel at 70, including music and songs reflecting the various periods of Israel s 70-year history. The program will be presented by Sigal Vardi (MC and singing) and Ron Sheffer (musical arrangements), two renowned Israeli musicians. RSVP required by Tuesday, May 29 using the online form at betham.org/juneonegisrael or by phone to Judith at (650) This event is free, but please consider a suggested donation of $20 per person to support future Israeli cultural programs at Beth Am. Please make your donation online or send your donation to Congregation Beth Am with a note For Oneg Israel. FRIDAY, JULY 13 TO SUNDAY, JULY 15, ASILOMAR CONFERENCE GROUNDS, PACIFIC GROVE, CA Enjoy a relaxing and inspiring weekend on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula. Learn something new, take a walk on the beach and spend quality time with your Beth Am community. It s a great opportunity to get to know fellow congregants and members of the Beth Am clergy in a casual atmosphere. At Asilomar, we ll introduce Beth Am s education theme for the year: Sex and Gender in Judaism. Together we ll explore issues around sexuality and gender in Judaism, from ancient understandings of gender (there were more than two sexes!) to questions about what it means to be a man, woman or transgender person in the Jewish community today. How can Jewish tradition help us navigate issues of gender expression, equality and sexual ethics, and where does Judaism itself still need to grow? To sign up, download and return the registration form, available at betham.org/asilomar2018 or in the Beth Am Office, by June 13. For more information, including scholarship requests, contact Rabbi Sarah Weissman at rabbi_weissman@betham.org or (650)