Shabbat Outdoors FRIDAYS, JUNE 9 THROUGH AUGUST 25 6:15 P.M., OUTDOOR CHAPEL

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1 T H E B E T H A M JUNE/JULY 2017 SIVAN/TUZ/AV 5777 IN THIS ISSUE: Shabbat Outdoors FRIDAYS, JUNE 9 THROUGH AUGUST 25 6:15 P.M., OUTDOOR CHAPEL Summer worship outdoors is a tradition at Beth Am. Below is a listing of summer outdoor services as well as our featured congregant speakers beginning in July. Sign Up for Asilomar PAGE 3 June Speakers 9 Rabbi Sarah Weissman 16 Rabbi Jonathan Prosnit 23 Rabbi Janet Marder 30 Rabbi Heath Watenmaker July Speakers 7 Donnovan Yisrael 14 Alison Barnstable 21 Tina Rosenblum, with special guests from MVPA Musalla, serving the Palo Alto/ Mountain View Muslim community. (Service followed by a community Shabbat potluck picnic.) 28 Dana Marks August Speakers Prospective Member Month 4 Nancy Federman (Service followed by Tu B Av Wine & Chocolate Oneg Shabbat, cosponsored by BAW and B.) 11 Michele Parker 18 Camp Shabbat with Mike Mason 25 Hannah Marcus **These services will be live video streamed. By entering the Outdoor Chapel, you give Beth Am permission to record you. Sh ma Groups PAGE 8 Tisha B Av PAGE 8 Beth Am Reads The Plot Against America by Philip Roth WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 7 P.M., BEIT KEHILLAH Join Cantor Jaime Shpall and Beth Am member Jeremy Weinstein, Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Professor of Political Science, Stanford University, for a discussion of The Plot Against America by Philip Roth, an astonishing feat of empathy and narrative invention. In The Plot Against America, Philip Roth imagines an alternate version of American history. In 1940, Charles A. Lindbergh, heroic aviator and rabid isolationist, is elected President. Shortly thereafter, he negotiates a cordial understanding with Adolf Hitler, while the new government embarks on a program of folksy anti-semitism. For one boy growing up in Newark, Lindbergh s election is the first in a series of ruptures that threaten to destroy his small, safe corner of America and with it, his mother, his father and his older brother. CONTACT US AT (650)

2 From Rabbi Janet Marder Should We Stop Reading the News? News consumption can act like a dangerous drug. Rolf Dobelli, author of The Art of Thinking Clearly, warns that news consumption is bad for us. Just as too much sugar can lead to obesity and diabetes, gorging ourselves on a constant diet of news flashes can be toxic to our bodies, minds and spirits. Most news stories, he argues, are misleading; they titillate but don t explain much. They re mostly irrelevant to our lives, but they constantly jack up our anxiety, leading to high levels of stress, fear and aggression. Moreover, news consumption can act like a dangerous drug; it increases cognitive errors (because it feeds our confirmation bias), inhibits deep critical thinking and creativity, wastes time and inculcates passivity, pessimism and cynicism. [ News is bad for you and giving up reading it will make you happier, The Guardian, April 12, 2013] We all acknowledge that democracy demands an informed citizenry, but these days people often tell me that they ve stopped watching or reading the news, because it s so depressing. Why bombard yourself with negativity, especially when most of what s reported is beyond your control? A recent oped piece in The New York Times made just this point. Arthur Brooks, president of The American Enterprise Institute, cited research evidence that people who consider themselves very interested in politics and very attentive to the news tend to be unhappier than those who pay less attention. He comments: We all have political opinions some of them strongly held. But much of what actually happens in politics is far beyond our individual influence. That doesn t mean it is intrinsically unimportant, but let s be honest: Many of us consume political news and commentary in a compulsive, concupiscent way, voluntarily subjecting ourselves to gratuitous information and stimuli, particularly onsocial media. The unhappiness results speak for themselves. Brooks suggests that we control our addiction to news by reading the news just once a day, as opposed to hitting your Twitter feed 50 times a day like a chimp in a 1950s experiment on the selfadministration of cocaine, and that we get involved in a tangible way volunteering, donating money or even running for office. This transforms you from victim of political circumstance to problem solver. [Depressed By Politics? Just Let Go, March 17, 2017] Responding to the prevalence of negative news stories is also a spiritual problem, as apathy, cynicism and pessimism are spiritually debilitating states. How might Judaism address the challenge of seeking to be informed without being overwhelmed or enraged by large external forces we can t control? Fortunately, ours is a tradition with much experience in maintaining resilience and hope in difficult times. I find guidance in the two names by which the Torah refers to the Jewish people. The first name comes from our matriarch Leah, who named her fourth son Yehuda (Judah), meaning gratitude. We are Yehudim Jews literally grateful people. Practicing gratitude is intrinsic to Judaism, for it energizes us, connects us with others, opens us to joy and motivates generosity. The Hebrew term for gratitude hakarat hatov, literally, recognizing the good, teaches us to make a conscious effort to recognize and appreciate the good that is already ours. When Jacob wrestles with a divine being in Genesis 32, he receives the name Yisrael literally, struggles with God and prevails. This name conveys another distinctive quality of Jewish identity we don t merely accept the world as it is, but actively confront the problems we see. As Rabbi Mychal Copeland writes: We are wrestlers. We will fight until dawn and not despair, no matter how bleak it looks. There is an obvious tension inherent in these two names for the Jewish people. One suggests an attitude of appreciative celebration; the other implies a mode of continual struggle to improve and enhance our circumstances. Yet, for Jews, both qualities grateful appreciation and engaged struggle are essential. The combination ensures our resilience, our continued ability to thrive despite the negativity around us. Rabbi Copeland beautifully expresses this idea: How can we be both the thankful ones, grateful for what is, and also be the ones who struggle because it isn t good enough? How do we live in awe of life if it is also in our nature to say, This world should be better? We must be comfortable living in the paradox. It has been suggested: Each person should carry in each pocket a slip of paper with one of our names. One reads, I am Yehuda: I am grateful for what is, while the other reads, I am Yisrael: I will always fight to make it better. [Pirkei Imahot: The Wisdom of Mothers, The Voices of Women, p.131] The solution, for Jews and for all citizens in a democracy, is not to cut ourselves off from the news; nor are we permitted to fall into despair. Instead, let s take every opportunity to rejoice in the goodness and beauty that is ours, but never stop fighting to make things better. The dynamic combination of gratitude and struggle will help us to remain strong, and eventually to prevail. PAGE 2

3 SIGN UP FOR THIS YEAR S ADULT STUDY RETREAT AT Asilomar Enjoy a Weekend on the Beautiful Monterey Peninsula JEWISH FILM SERIES PRESENTS: Crime After Crime Screening and Presentation by Director Yoav Potash FRIDAY, JULY 7 TO SUNDAY, JULY 9, ASILOMAR CONFERENCE GROUNDS, PACIFIC GROVE, CA Spend a relaxing and inspiring weekend on the Monterey Peninsula! Study under the pines, enjoy a Shabbat stroll on the beach and schmooze with friends old and new. It s a great opportunity to get to know fellow congregants and members of the Beth Am clergy in a casual atmosphere. The Asilomar retreat is designed for adult congregants (B nei Mitzvah and older). At Asilomar, we ll introduce Beth Am s education theme for the year: Jews and Politics. What does Judaism have to say about politics and government? How might our tradition inform our political beliefs and engagement today? Learning sessions will include: Politics in the Talmud, Jewish Roots of Western Political Thought, How a Political Poem Works and Why, Political Songs from the Land of Israel, Jews and the Supreme Court and Why We Went : 16 Rabbis Speak Out from a St. Augustine Jail Cell. To sign up, download and return the registration form, available at or in the Beth Am Office, by Wednesday, June 7. For more information, including scholarship requests, contact Rabbi Sarah Weissman at rabbi_weissman@betham.org or (650) SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 3:30 P.M., BEIT KEHILLAH Meet Yoav Potash, director of Crime After Crime, a powerful film that tells the dramatic story of the legal battle to free Debbie Peagler, an incarcerated survivor of domestic violence. Over 26 years in prison could not crush the spirit of this determined African-American woman. Despite suffering many injustices and abuses, she remains an inspiring and upbeat individual, leading the gospel choir and teaching other inmates to read and write while behind bars. She finds her only hope for freedom when two rookie attorneys with no background in criminal law step forward to take her case. Through their perseverance, they bring to light long-lost witnesses, new testimonies from the men who committed the murder and proof of perjured evidence. Their investigation ultimately attracts global attention to victims of wrongful incarceration and abuse, and takes on profound urgency when the case becomes a matter of life and death. Filming in and out of prison for over five years, Berkeley filmmaker Yoav Potash methodically documented this story as it unfolded. With exclusive access to Debbie Peagler and her attorneys, Crime After Crime tells an unforgettable story of a relentless quest for justice. Film is free, all are welcome and refreshments will be served. Shabbat Together SATURDAYS, 3:45-6:15 P.M., STARTING OCTOBER 21 Shabbat Together is a family education program for families whose oldest child is entering kindergarten. You ll have an opportunity to celebrate Shabbat with your family, make family friends and eat dinner with your community. Shabbat Together will meet on Saturday afternoons and will include a lively song session, parallel adult and child learning time with our clergy and educators, family project time and Havdalah *. The family learning will be primarily experiential. To find out more, visit: * Havdalah is a short, sweet ceremony that separates Shabbat from the rest of the week. PAGE 3

4 june Calendar SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY CONGREGATION BETH JUNE FILY CPING TRIP 9 FILY CPING TRIP 10 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level B 11:00 Adult Hebrew Level F 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level B2 7:30 BAW Book Group 7:30 Adult Hebrew Level A2 6:00 Adult Hebrew Level D 6:00 Music & Meditation Class 7:00 Beth Am Reads 7:00 Shabbat Committee Meeting 7:15 Adult Hebrew Level A 7:00 BAW Board Meeting 9:00 Adult Hebrew Level A2 10:30 Hebrew Level C 6:15 Adullt Hebrew Level E 6:45 Tinnitus Support Group 7:00 FIDF Speaker 7:30 Advanced Conv. Hebrew 7:30 Board Meeting :15 Tot Shabbat Service 6:15 Tizmoret Shabbat Service 7:30 Oneg Israel Service: Speaker Rabbi Sarah Weissman 10:15 Torah 10:15 Torah 10:30 B not Mitzvah Service: Leff/Leff 3:30 Jewish Film Series: Crime After Crime FILY CPING TRIP 3:00 Jewish Composers Musical Performance 3:00 Wise Aging 7:00 Peaceful Presence Multifaith Service :15 Adult Hebrew Level B 11:00 Adult Hebrew Level F 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level B2 7:30 Adult Hebrew Level A2 6:00 Adult Hebrew Level D 6:15 Beit R fuah 7:15 Adult Hebrew Level A 7:30 B Photography Group 9:00 Adult Hebrew Level A2 10:30 Hebrew Level C 6:00 Mother/Daughter Torah Study 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level E 7:00 BAW Chai Mitzvah 7:00 Knitzvah Group 7:30 Advanced Conv. Hebrew Service: Speaker Rabbi Jonathan Prosnit 10:15 Torah :15 Adult Hebrew Level B 11:00 Adult Hebrew Level F 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level B2 7:30 Adult Hebrew Level A2 6:00 Adult Hebrew Level D 7:00 Mah Jongg 7:15 Adult Hebrew Level A 9:00 Adult Hebrew Level A2 10:30 Hebrew Level C 6:15 Adullt Hebrew Level E 7:30 Advanced Conv. Hebrew 7:30 BAW Rosh Chodesh 7:30 Executive Committee Mtg. Service: Speaker Rabbi Janet Marder 10:15 Torah 10:30 Bar Mitzvah Service: Fisher :00 BAW Yoga 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level B 8:00 B Breakfast 11:00 Adult Hebrew Level F 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level B2 7:30 Adult Hebrew Level A2 6:00 Adult Hebrew Level D 7:15 Adult Hebrew Level A 9:00 Adult Hebrew Level A2 10:30 Hebrew Level C 6:15 Adullt Hebrew Level E 7:30 Advanced Conv. Hebrew Service: Speaker Rabbi Heath Watenmaker For a more detailed calendar, visit

5 July Calendar SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY CONGREGATION BETH JULY 2017 *Prospective Member Shabbat Fridays in August 1 10:15 Torah 10:30 B nei Mitzvah Service: Gevelber/Alvidrez 2 3 4TH OF JULY ASILOMAR 7 ASILOMAR 8 OFFICE CLOSED 6:00 Music & Meditation Class 7:00 BAW Board Meeting Service*: Speaker Donnovan Yisrael 10:15 Torah 10:30 B not Mitzvah Service Politzer/Wluka ASILOMAR :15 Beit R fuah 7:30 B Photography Group 6:45 Tinnitus Support Group Service*: Speaker Alison Barnstable 10:15 Torah :00 BAW Celebration in the Garden 7:00 Mah Jongg 7:00 BAW Chai Mitzvah 7:00 Knitzvah Group 9:00 Challah Baking Service*: Speaker Tina Rosenblum (with special guests from MVPA Musalla) 7:30 Community Shabbat Potluck Dinner 10:15 Torah 10:30 B not Mitzvah Service: Sachs/Limaj 23 9:00 BAW Yoga :00 B Breakfast 9:30 B Bridge Group 7:30 BAW Rosh Chodesh 10:15 Torah Service*: Speaker B 10:30 Bar Mitzvah Service: 7:30 Executive Committee Mtg. President Dana Marks LaPedis :00 Erev Tisha B Av Service Roman soldiers carry off the Temple menorah.

6 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Debbie & Zoe Mukamal When asked about her favorite part of Beth Am, Zoe Mukamal stood up and declared in one breath, ZIMRIYAH, learning Hebrew and helping other people. Then she had to take another breath, because her list was long. Zoe, an 8-year-old 3rd grader who attends Ohlone Elementary School, loves swimming, helping other people and just about everything she does at Beth Am, came to Beth Am with her mom, Debbie Mukamal, when she was four. They joined because they were looking for community after relocating from Brooklyn. Debbie recalls taking a parenting class with Rabbi Marder shortly after arriving. It was a great on-ramp to meeting a smaller group of people in a synagogue with so many members, Debbie said. Soon the family of two joined Connections, a family learning program. The Mukamals participation in their Connections family learning group, aka the Chaggers (pronounced like challah or Chanukah ), is their anchor at Beth Am. Chaggers has become their core friendship group, and they spend time with members outside of the program, going hiking and camping, and playing in a regular Mah Jongg game. The Chaggers learn, celebrate holidays and volunteer together. Debbie and Zoe also volunteer with Yad l Yad, a Beth Am program in which volunteers regularly visit homebound members. The relationship they have developed with their Yad l Yad partner has been meaningful for all of them. She is nearly 100 years old. Her life stories teach us so much, Debbie said. Debbie has become a leader at Beth Am. With Rabbi Miriam Philips, she co-chairs the Family Learning Task Force. Beth Am s new family learning program, Shabbat Together, is the product of that work, and opens in the fall to kindergarten families. In December, Debbie co-led a Beth Am Reads program with Rabbi Jon Prosnit about the book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. That program sparked a new project, a collaboration of the Library Committee and Beth Am teens under the leadership of Maddy Winard: The Beth Am Books to Prisoners Pipeline. The Pipeline donates unused books from Beth Am s library to prison libraries throughout California. In addition to Yad l Yad, Debbie and Zoe regularly participate in many of Beth Am s volunteering opportunities. On Easter Sunday, they joined Beth Am members to serve breakfast to clients of LifeMoves, an organization that provides housing and services to homeless people. That was really fun, Zoe reported, even though they served cereal but couldn t eat it because it was Passover. (Zoe made a matzah and tater tot sandwich. She impressed Rabbi Jon with her creativity, but she doesn t recommend the sandwich.) When asked what is the most meaningful thing each does at Beth Am, Debbie and Zoe gave similar replies. Debbie said, The intergenerational interactions, pointing to the volunteer activities she and Zoe have enjoyed, including Yad l Yad and cooking for the ill and elderly with Chicken Soupers. When asked the same question, Zoe answered, ZIMRIYAH [the children s choir led by Cantor Shpall], because I get to sing to other people who are older. Beth Am is our second home, said Debbie. No it isn t, corrected Zoe. First we lived in Brooklyn, now we live in California and Beth Am is our third home. Read more at: DOES YOUR EMPLOYER HAVE A Matching Gift Program? You might be missing out on free money for Beth Am! Does your employer have a matching gift program? You may be able to double or even triple your contributions to Beth Am! Many Bay Area companies will match charitable donations dollar-fordollar. Contact your company s matching gifts coordinator to determine whether your donation to Congregation Beth Am is eligible to be matched. Some companies have exclusions including religious usage, but Beth Am has certain vital non-religious funds and initiatives (such as Equal Start and Hunger and Homelessness) that these monies can be directed to. The best way to use corporate matching gift programs is to make the gift (such as for dues or for Annual Campaign) to Beth Am first, then apply for matching funds from your employee program. That way your initial portion can be directed anywhere you want, even if the second matched portion has usage exclusions. Your company s matching gift program manager will be able to best assist you in securing the most funding for Beth Am. PAGE 6

7 . Graduation A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT Graduation Education Innovation season can be a time to reflect on the quality of education that our children receive in general, and more specifically on the education programs provided for our congregation. One of the main reasons our family joined Beth Am 15 years ago was the high-quality Jewish learning that would be available for our kids. This is true for many families we know. Our education programs were strong then and have only gotten better over the years through the innovative leadership of our education team. I witnessed that innovation first hand when I was asked to serve on the Re-Imagine Task Force, a broad group of members and clergy tasked with re-thinking our education program. From that effort emerged Camp Beth Am, a wildly popular initiative, and the process that led us to launch our brand new family learning program Shabbat Together ( These new programs are part of a broader range of innovative programs, from the traditional Sunday Program that so many experience to creative alternatives like Hagigah, our theatre program, and the service learning offerings for teens. We continue to explore, providing multiple opportunities for Hebrew study and new options for students on the path to B nei Mitzvah. Read on at: L Shalom, Bruce Ives President@betham.org An Evening of Music Help Support Beth Am of Poltava, Ukraine SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 7:30 P.M., SPONSORED BY LAURA AND RICHARD BLOOMFIELD AND DIANE STADLEN; RSVP FOR LOCATION INFORMATION Participate in a special evening of sing-a-long down memory lane! Enjoy Broadway hits and background stories about the tunes and their times. Come sing, then enjoy delicious refreshments. This event sold out the last time it was held, so sign up soon! Cost is $25 per person. Please sign up by Thursday, June 1 by returning the sign up form available at or in the Beth Am Office, along with payment. Reservations are required; space is limited. This Poltava event is sponsored by Laura and Richard Bloomfield and Diane Stadlen, and held in memory of Michael Stadlen. Poltava events are fun, social gatherings where you can meet new people and connect with Beth Am members. By attending Poltava events you will perform a mitzvah, helping support our sister congregation, Congregation Beth Am in Poltava, and promote progressive Jewish life in Ukraine. To learn more about Congregation Beth Am of Poltava, Ukraine, visit: AN AFTERNOON OF MUSIC BY Jewish Composers SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 3 P.M., BEIT KEHILLAH Works by Grammy-nominated composer Derek Bermel, Kurt Weill, David Garner, Gyorgy Justus and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco will be performed by members of Ensemble for These Times (E4TT): Nanette McGuinness, Dale Tsang and cellist Anne Lerner-Wright. Ensemble for These Times is a new music chamber group consisting of award-winning soprano Nanette McGuinness, Van Cliburn competitor pianist Dale Tsang and the 2015 American Prize Winner in Composition David Garner, often joined by MUSA cellist Laura Gaynon or 2012 Voices of Music Young Artist Adaiha MacAdam-Somer. The ensemble s mission is to bring new, nearly new, forbidden and forgotten music to light, focusing on 20th- and 21st-century music that is relevant, engaging, original and compelling, music that resonates today and will speak to tomorrow. E4TT strongly believes in the power of artistic beauty, intelligence, wit, lyricism and irony to create a deep understanding of our times and the human condition. PAGE 7

8 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 Tisha B Av Service Living Through Loss COMING IN AUGUST/ELUL: Sh ma Groups In the month of Elul we reflect on the year that s been, prepare for a new year and make some new friends MONDAY, JULY 31, 7 P.M., BEIT KEHILLAH Tisha B Av (the Ninth of the month of Av) is a day of mourning for the Jewish people as we remember the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem, as well as other tragedies that have affected Jewish communities through history. This year, we will observe the day with study and small-group discussion on the theme of living through loss. How did our ancestors cope with loss in their lives, and how can we? Following the discussion, we will join together for a short service, which will include the chanting of Eichah, the Book of Lamentations. This year, as we continue to explore the Jewish tradition of spending the Hebrew month of Elul preparing for the High Holy Days, we re offering a four-session small groups experience as part of our Sh ma Groups initiative. This will be a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the year that s been, prepare yourself for a new year and make some new friends. These groups will be led by trained lay facilitators and will use Mussar, the Jewish practice of character development, as a tool for meaningful reflection. If you would like to learn more, or to volunteer to lead a group, please shmagroups@betham.org or call (650) Sh ma Groups offer a simple yet radical idea: to bring our members together to know and be known, learn and laugh, rest and rejuvenate, deepen connections with one another and Beth Am, and to experience the rhythms of Jewish life. Find out more at: