May 2016 Beth Am Builder by Congregation Beth Am

THE BETH AM

may 2 0 1 6 Nissan / iyar 5776

Lag BaOmer Family Fun Day Concert, Outdoor Fun and Picnic for Families with Kids from 2-11

in this issue:

S u n d a y, M a y 2 2 , 1 1 : 4 5 A . M . – 2 : 3 0 P. M . B eth A m San c t u a r y an d O u t d o o r Camp u s

Celebrate spring and the joyous holiday of Lag BaOmer with a free family fun day at Beth Am. Start with our headliner concert by rockin’ Jewish performer Elana Jagoda Kaye, followed by food and festivities. Enjoy sports, face painting, bounce houses and a petting zoo. Sunday Program families are invited to stay that day after the close of the last session of the year; everyone else, join the fun in the Sanctuary at 11:45 A.M.! Learn more about Lag BaOmer and Elana Jagoda Kaye at www.betham.org/LBFamilyFun. The Family Fun Day is sponsored by Carol Kantor and Allan Douglas. Enjoy!

High Holy Day News page 3

Equal Start Shabbat page 8

Nourish Your Mind and Spirit

Asilomar It’s Time to Register for Beth Am’s Adult Study Weekend by the Sea Friday, July 22 to Sunday, July 24 A s i l o ma r , P a c i f i c G r o v e , C A

2016 A k s e l ra d S p e a ke r page 8

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. The Asilomar adult study retreat is not to be missed! 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). Beth Am’s education theme for the 2016-2017 year, which will be kicked off at Asilomar, is “Judaism: Evolution and Revolution.” This year we’ll explore how Judaism has changed and continues to change over time. We’ll focus on the ways, big and small, dramatic and subtle, that communities have adapted Jewish tradition to a changing world. How has change — sometimes radical change — contributed to Jewish survival, and what transformations can we expect in 21st-century Judaism? Please download, complete and return the registration form available at www.betham.org/ Asilomar2016 by Monday, June 20, 2016. For information about scholarships, please contact Rachel Tasch at rachel_tasch@betham.org or Rabbi Marder at rabbi_marder@betham.org.

From Rabbi Jonathan Prosnit Judaism: Be Part of the Story

It’s incumbent on all Jews to be part of our conversation.

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A few months ago, Erin and I went to see Hamilton in New York (lucky us, I know). It was terrific! An amazing piece of theater, complete with homages to hip-hop, Sondheim, R&B, Tin Pan Alley, jazz and Shakespeare. It brings United States history to life as Hamilton, Jefferson, Washington, Lafayette and Burr tell the story of the founding of our country in a way that feels remarkably relevant and important. Jefferson and Hamilton engage in a heightened rap battle about America’s financial system. But the genius of the show lies in the idea that American history is still being written. As Ben Brantley writes in The New York Times, “Hamilton is, among other things, about who owns history, who gets to be in charge of the narrative.” The main actors are black or Latino, the soundtrack is rap, yet the play stays entirely true to Hamilton’s biography. When you watch the play or listen to the soundtrack it asks you to have a stake in our country. Rebecca Meade writes: “By telling the story of the founding of the country through the eyes of a bastard, immigrant orphan, told entirely by people of color, he is saying, ‘This is our country. We get to lay claim to it.’” So, what does this have to do with us at Beth Am and as Jews in the 21st century? Perhaps, in the same way that Hamilton asks us to have a claim and be part of the American narrative, we have the same challenge by being part of a Jewish community: to recognize that we have an opportunity to be part of the ongoing Jewish conversation. There is a famous story in the Talmud that models the idea of Judaism being an ever-living conversation that we are asked to be a part of. When Moses ascended heaven [to receive the Torah] he found the Holy One sitting and fashioning coronets for the letters. Moses said to God: “Master of the world, who requires you [to do this]?” God replied: “There is a person who will come to be after many generations, called Akiva ben Yosef; he will one day expound heaps upon heaps of laws from each and every coronet.” Moses said before God: “Master of the world, show him to me.” God replied: “Turn around.” He turned around and found himself behind the eighth row. Moses did not understand the discussion and was dazed. When Akiva came to a certain point, his students asked him, “Whence do you know this?” Akiva replied, “This is a law given to Moses from Sinai.” Then Moses was calmed. “Master of the Universe,” he exclaimed upon returning to heaven, “you have such a scholar and yet you give the Torah through me?” (Talmud, 29b)

Rabbi Marc Washofsky, a professor at HUC, comments on this Talmudic story, saying: “What Moses brought down from Sinai was not, therefore, a set of rules so much as the outline of a conversation, a continuing argument over the meaning of Torah that began with him and stretched through the era of the rabbis, culminating in our own time and beyond. It is a conversation rooted in the Divine, yet we are the ones who must complete it... Its full meaning awaits the future generations who interpret its precepts in order to live by them. And that is why, as a liberal Jew, I really like this version of what happened on Sinai.” At Beth Am we feel that we are part of that living legacy. And what we ask is that all members see themselves as part of the storytelling. This is true for those who converted to Judaism as well as those who are born Jewish. Just as we are part of the American conversation, whether as new American citizens or descendants of ancestors who arrived on the Mayflower, it is also incumbent upon all Jews (and non-Jews living Jewish lives) to be part of the Jewish conversation. Where does storytelling exist at Beth Am? All over the place! Equal Start, our early learning initiative, is rooted in social justice through storytelling. One of the primary goals of our education programs is for students to “perceive themselves to be on a Jewish journey” and feel connected to the Jewish dialogue. Our Bar and Bat Mitzvah students offer their own insights to Torah each Saturday morning, adding new meaning to our ancient traditions as they embrace adulthood. We are also always trying new models and methods. Our congregant-led summer services are part of our long storytelling tradition. A new Beth Am small groups initiative will look into deepening meaningful connections among organized groups of congregants. We’ve just started a podcast called Beth Am Stories in which Beth Am members talk about their individual roles in the Jewish conversation. The final song and the final words of Hamilton ask the question “who tells your story?” The song is a formal question to the audience, an acknowledgment that stories outlive people themselves. This is true for Judaism as well. The responsibility is on each of us to ensure that we play our role in continuing a rich, beautiful and compelling conversation.

Im p o r ta n t C h a n g e f o r 2 0 1 6 j e w i s h F i lm S e r i e s P r e s e n t s

Mamele Film Is Free; Refreshments Will Be Served S a t u r d a y, M a y 2 1 , 3 : 3 0 P. M . , B e i t K e h i l a h

Molly Picon, “Queen of the Yiddish Musical,” shines in Mamele (little mother), as the dutiful daughter, keeping her family intact after the death of their mother. She’s so busy cooking, cleaning and matchmaking for her brothers and sisters that she has little time for herself — until she discovers the violinist across the courtyard! Director Joseph Green and leading lady Molly Picon reteamed for Mamele after their success with Yiddle with his Fiddle (1936). Filmed in Lodz, Poland, this musical comedy drama features Picon’s trademark song “Abi Gezunt” and embraces the diverse gamut of interwar Jewish life in Poland, with its nogoodniks and unemployed, nightclubs, gangsters and religious Jews celebrating Sukkot. .

High Holy Days New Venue — Jubilee Christian Center This year, there is a change in venue for Beth Am to celebrate the High Holy Days. We are excited to announce that we have rented a beautiful space, the main sanctuary of Jubilee Christian Center, a large church in north San Jose located at 105 Nortech Parkway. This venue is conveniently located (off Route 237, approximately 12 miles from Beth Am), with stateof-the-art facilities and easy parking. We hope this is the beginning of a multi-year relationship with a community that is delighted to host us for our holy days. For both Rosh Hashanah (October 2-3, 2016) and Yom Kippur (October 11-12, 2016), we will be meeting at the Jubilee Christian Center. More details about the new venue will follow in coming months. Finding a home for the High Holy Days has indeed been a challenge now that the Flint Center is not available to us. With active involvement of the Board of Directors and Rabbi Marder, close to 40 different venues were considered over the past two years. We needed to consider a wide variety of criteria, including size, location, cost, parking, technology/sound, space for children’s programming and appropriateness. After much consideration, we are comfortable that the Jubilee Christian Center is the best choice. It is common practice for synagogues to rent larger churches during the High Holy Days, and many people know that Beth Am’s own history involves meeting in a church in Palo Alto at our beginning. We are working with the staff at Jubilee to minimize Christian symbolism in the spaces we will be using. Just as we made the most of the space in San Mateo last year, we are confident that we will be able to make this location feel like our own holy space. In addition to the new venue, it is important to note that again this year, Beth Am will not be using Gates of Repentance during the High Holy Days; we will use Mishkan HaNefesh, A Machzor for the Days of Awe. Copies will be available for purchase at Beth Am this summer.

o n e g i s r a e l i s b a ck !

Jerusalem Day From Jerusalem with Love: Celebrate Yom Yerushalayim F r i d a y, J u n e 3 , a f t e r t h e T i z m o r e t S h a bb a t S e r v i c e

. 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 “From Jerusalem with Love,” presented by Sigal Vardi and Ron Sheffer, two renowned Israeli musicians. We will celebrate Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) with beautiful music and Israeli songs that treasure Jerusalem for symbolizing unity, our hope for peace and a better future for all. RSVP required using the form online at www.betham.org/ OnegIsraelJune2016 or by phone to Judith at (650) 494-3081 no later than Wednesday, June 1. Your contribution to the dinner is very much appreciated, and allows Beth Am to continue offering these Israeli cultural programs. Please send your donation to Congregation Beth Am with a note “for Oneg Israel.”

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mother’s day

AM PM

4:00 Hagigah 6:00 Teen GPS Class 7:30 BAW Rosh Chodesh

Community Yitzhak Rabin Memorial (offsite)

4:00 Hagigah 4:00 Hebrew 4:40 3rd Grad 7:00 Commun Commem

yom hazikaron

4:00 Hagigah 6:30 Ballroom 7:00 Adult B’n 7:30 BAM Pho 7:30 Equal Sta

11:45 Lag BaOmer Family Fun Day

BAW Cooking

AM PM

memorial day — office closed 29 30 31

7:30 Shivah Minyan Leader Training PM

8:00 BAM Breakfast

22 23 24

10:00 Chicken Soupers

3:00

AM PM

6:30 Ballroom 6:15 Beit R’fua

9:00 Sunday Program AM

15 16 17

9:oo Sunday Program 10:oo Hagigah Performance 11:30 Zimriyah: Junior Choir

7:00

5:30 Avodah! 5:30 Tuesday Night Program 6:00 Confirmation 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level B 7:30 Adult Hebrew Level A

12:00 Avodah! 12:00 Shabbat Cooking Class 3:00 Jewish Meditation 3:00 Torah Circle

6:15 Adult Hebrew Level A2

11:00 Adult Hebrew Level F

Wednesday

9:00 Sunday Program 9:15 A Season of Mussar 10:oo Chicken Soupers 11:30 Zimriyah: Junior Choir 11:30 Teen Torah Study

T u e s d a y AM

Monday AM

Sunday

6:30 Ballroom 7:00 Adult B’n Rehearsa 7:00 Mah Jong

8:00 Thursday Morning Minyan 9:00 Yoga for Israel 12:00 Talmud 1:30 Jewish Spirituality Class 4:00 Hagigah 6:45 Tinnitus Support Group 7:30 Board Meeting

nfty cwr Gesher Kallah

5:00 Lay-Led Gates of Prayer 6:15 Tizmoret Shabbat Service: 12th Grade Graduation 7:30 Confirmation Dinner 7:30 Connections 3 Shabbat Dinner 9:00 Consecration

7:00 Confirmation Program

5:00 Lay-Led Gates of Prayer 5:15 Tot Shabbat 6:15 Equal Start Shabbat Service 7:30 Community Oneg Shabbat and Tzedek Program

8:30 Bagels and Coffee 9:00 Torah Study 10:15 Torah Minyan 11:30 Connections 2 Hike & Learn

yom ha’atzmaut

8:00 Thursday Morning Minyan 9:00 Adult Hebrew Level A1 10:30 Adult Hebrew Level C 12:00 Talmud 1:30 Jewish Spirituality Class 4:00 Hagigah 4:00 Hebrew Program and T’filah 4:40 3rd Grade Scavenger Hunt 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level E 7:00 BAW Board Meeting 7:30 Advanced Conv. Hebrew

S a t u r d a y

8:30 Bagels and Coffee 9:00 Torah Study 10:00 Connections 1 Potluck Picnic Brunch 10:15 Torah Minyan 10:30 B’not Mitzvah Service: Roth/ Solomon

4:00 Hagigah Performance PM

m Dancing nei Mitzvah Class otography Group art Meeting

yom hashoah

h Program and T’filah de Scavenger Hunt nity Yom HaShoah moration

Friday

T h u r s d a y

Calendar

5:00 Lay-Led Gates of Prayer 6:15 Shabbat Service In the Round: New Member Blessing 7:30 New Member Dinner

12:00 Talmud 1:30 Jewish Spirituality Class 6:15 Adult Hebrew Level E 7:00 BAW Chai Mitzvah 7:00 Knitzvah Circle

Minyan

m Dancing ah

8:00 Thursday Morning 8:30 Bagels and Coffee 18 19 20 21 9:00 Torah Study 9:15 Tot Shabbat 10:15 Torah Minyan 10:30 Bat Mitzvah Service: Mahlmeister 10:30 Friendship Minyan 3:30

Jewish Film Series: Mamele

5:00 Lay-Led Gates of Prayer 6:15 Shabbat Service

C o n g r e g a t i o n B e t h Am

may 2016 For a more detailed calendar, visit www. betham.org

12:00 Talmud 1:30 Jewish Spirituality Class 7:30 Executive Committee

8:00 Thursday Morning Minyan

m Dancing nei Mitzvah al gg

yom ha’atzmaut 8:30 Bagels and Coffee 25 26 27 28

9:00 Torah Study 10:15 Torah Minyan 10:30 B’nei Mitzvah Service: Weiner/ Krauskopf

A N ot e f r o m th e P r e si d e nt

State of Our Union With the rush of spring holidays and family obligations, committee meetings and professional demands, it is easy to be focused solely on doing. Who has time, in this crazy valley of ours, to stop and reflect? Who has time to step back and look at where we have come from and where we are headed? Who has time to pause and appreciate all that we’ve accomplished? As I complete my first year as president and look forward to my second, we have an opportunity to take stock — to reflect on the state of the union, as it were. The state of our union is strong. Really strong. By just about any metric, Beth Am is thriving. Our membership is growing. Our budget is balanced. Our children are full of delight, whether in lively worship at Sunday Program, or exploring Judaism through drama in Hagigah, or in any one of Beth Am’s many other unique and vibrant offerings. We contribute in many ways to the Reform Movement, not only in North America, but around the world. Our campus is beautiful — not something that changes much from year to year, but worth appreciating nevertheless. Our clergy are thoughtful and hardworking, warm and inspiring. Our community is welcoming. We have so much to be grateful for, so much to be proud of. And yet, even with such a bright and shining present, we do not rest on our laurels. This year at Beth Am, we started, grew, or continued multiple significant initiatives which ave the potential to impact Beth Am and our world for many years to come. Some are already bearing early fruit; others will grow slowly, impacting our Jewish community a generation from now, and a generation after that. Read more at www.betham.org/OurUnion. L’Shalom, Loree Farrar President@betham.org

Debby Satten M E M B ER SPOTLIGHT

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When Debby Satten was growing up in Topeka, Kansas, she probably wouldn’t have predicted that one day she would be President of Beth Am Women, even though her mom led their temple’s sisterhood. But as her two-year term is now drawing to a close, she credits her experiences leading Beth Am Women with helping her find her Jewish community. Debby has a special place in her heart for people who may feel on the margins of Judaism. Since she herself joined Beth Am after many years of being unaffiliated, she knows how difficult it can be for newcomers to find community and feel a sense of belonging, especially if they are not part of a “traditional” family unit or do not match the typical vision of who Jews are.

Blessing & Celebration:

12th Grade Graduation Wishing A Fond Farewell to Becky DePalma

Friday, May 6, 6:15 P.M., Sanctuary & Social Hall

At this service we’ll bless and honor our graduating high school seniors. As they end this chapter in their lives and go out into the world, we want them to know that their Jewish community will always be here to welcome and support them. Any graduating senior may participate in this celebration. Following the service, there will be a catered dinner for graduating seniors and their families, at which we will wish a fond farewell to Becky DePalma, who has served as Director of Teen Engagement for the past two years (RSVP required at www.betham.org/ GradBlessing2016.) For more information, please contact Becky at bdepalma@betham.org.

Debby’s own journey at Beth Am began with the Adult B’nei Mitzvah class. She chose Beth Am over other congregations because of our adult education opportunities. It was through that experience that Debby first began to feel at home thanks to her classmates, who by the simple act of inviting her to sit with them at services and events, made a tremendous impact on her sense of belonging. This led to a subsequent invitation to join the Beth Am Women board. At the time, Debby had been looking for ways to get more involved Jewishly, and she realized that this invitation was the “sign” she needed — the right ask at the right time. Thankfully for Beth Am, she accepted the invitation and those that followed! Most recently as President of Beth Am Women, Debby has focused on meeting the needs of those seeking community, no matter what their backgrounds might be, even as she herself strives to help build Beth Am Women and Beth Am into the warm and welcoming community we aspire to be. Kol hakavod, Debby!

music for a sunday afternoon:

blessing & shabbat dinner:

A Poltava Event

New Members

Help Support Congregation Beth Am of Poltava, Ukraine

Welcome and Celebrate Our Newest Members

S u n day, J u n e 5 , 3 P. M ., P e r f o r m a n c e i n t h e S a n c t ua ry; R e c e p t i o n o n t h e S o c i a l H a l l Pat i o

F r i day, M ay 2 0 , 6 :1 5 P. M ., S a n c t ua ry

Join Beth Am musicians as they delight you with a variety of Jewish music, from traditional Yiddish to modern to classical, ending with a rousing set of Klezmer tunes. Visit www.betham.org/PoltavaSundayMusic for a list of performers. The performance will be followed by a tea and crumpets reception. Cost is $20 per person. Please sign up by Thursday, May 26 by downloading, completing and returning the sign up form at www.betham.org/PoltavaMusic, along with a check made out to “Congregation Beth Am” with “Poltava Musical Event” in the memo line, and mail to Judy, 410 Pine Wood Lane, Los Gatos, CA 95032. Reservations are required; space is limited. 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. .

We warmly invite all our new members who have joined Beth Am during the past two years to celebrate Shabbat with a special blessing. We’ll sing and pray together at 6:15 P.M. in the Sanctuary, and call up all new members to the bimah for a special blessing from the clergy. New members are invited to a festive Shabbat dinner following the Shabbat service. New members who would like to attend are asked to RSVP by Wednesday, May 18 using the online form at www.betham.org/NewMembers2016.

Builders Circle Member Profile:

Maureen & Paul Roskoph Celebrate Confirmation Of Our 10th Grade Students Saturday, May 7, Ceremony at 7 P.M., Sanctuary; Dessert Reception to Follow, Social Hall

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 at around 8:30 P.M. A dessert reception will follow. Please contact Rabbi Jon Prosnit, rabbi_prosnit@betham.org or Rabbi Heath Watenmaker, rabbi_watenmaker@betham.org if you have any questions. Mazal tov to the Confirmation Class of 5776/2016!

Maureen and Paul Roskoph arrived in the Bay Area on a short vacation — but it was love at first sight and soon Palo Alto became the new home for their growing family. Now, 48 years later, the Roskophs are regular participants at Beth Am and feel a deep sense of pride in this community in which they raised their children — and where they remain as connected as ever. Initially Maureen taught Sunday School and Paul sang in the choir. Later they each served on the Board of Trustees and as consecutive Chairs of the Membership Committee. They describe how Beth Am removed the “rabbi barrier” for them — and how much they enjoy engaging, learning and laughing with Beth Am’s rabbis. Maureen and Paul have not only prepared their own legacy gift to Beth Am, but Paul was the founding chair of Beth Am’s Legacy Giving Committee and, in his profession as an estate attorney, he has helped dozens of Beth Am members arrange their gifts. Paul suggests to his clients the ideal that inspired him and Maureen: “People created Beth Am before we came here — so we need to do that for those who will come after us.”Learn more about the Roskophs at www.betham.org/ RoskophLegacy. The Beth Am Builders Circle is the group of members who have included a legacy gift, such as a bequest, to Beth Am. For more information, please contact Director of Development Mandy Eisner at meisner@betham.org, call (650) 493-4661.

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NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #121 CONGREGATION BETH AM LOS ALTOS HILLS, CA

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Equal Start Shabbat Featuring Beth Am Volunteers of 10 Books A Home F r i d a y, M a y 1 3 , 6 : 1 5 P. M . , S a n c t u a r y; O n e g S h a bb a t t o F o l l o w, S o c i a l H a l l

Through 10 Books A Home (10BH), Beth Am volunteers pay weekly visits to the homes of preschoolers’ families, from local underserved communities, to spend time reading and engaging in playful activities. 10BH volunteers help families create learning opportunities to close the achievement gap and prepare their children to succeed in school. During our Shabbat service, Beth Am volunteers with 10BH will share stories of how their time with 10BH has been enriching, both for themselves and for the families with whom they work. The special Oneg Shabbat (sponsored by the Liebhaber Family Fund) to follow will include appetizers and desserts, and 10 Books A Home Founder and CEO Paul Thiebaut III will give a short overview of 10BH’s mission, impact and growth over the last three years. Parents of children who have benefited from 10BH will also speak at the Oneg Shabbat, sharing their families’ experiences. Learn more about Beth Am’s Equal Start initiative at www.betham.org/EqualStart.

beth am welcomes Our 2016 akselrad speaker:

Sister Judy Donovan F r i d a y, J u n e 3 , 6 : 1 5 P. M . , S a n c t u a r y

We are honored to welcome this year’s Rabbi Akselrad speaker, Sister Judy Donovan who is the Lead Organizer of OneLA, the Los Angeles Chapter of the IAF, the Industrial Areas Foundation. IAF is the nation’s largest and longest-standing network of local faith and community-based organizations. She is formally the Lead Organizer for the Bay Area IAF and has worked extensively with Congregation Beth Am. As Beth Am continues our community organizing effort focused on early childhood learning, don’t miss this opportunity to hear about the roots of congregationbased community organizing, the future of a local IAF chapter and how Beth Am can become a leader in local interfaith organizing. Before the service, you’re invited to enjoy an informal gathering with the Akselrad family and Sister Judy Donovan, sponsored by Beth Am Women. The Rabbi Akselrad (z”l) Lecture Series honors our beloved rabbi’s memory while carrying out the legacy he created by highlighting today’s leaders of social justice, ethics and human relations.

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