Messenger April 2017

MESSENGER

101

volume

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE RABBI THECALENDAR SYNAGOGUE | CONGREGATION B’NAI EMUNAH | TULSA | APRIL 2017 | NO. 4

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SECOND SEDER AT THE SYNAGOGUE ON APRIL 11 | SEE PAGE 7

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MASTHEAD

PERSONALS

THE MESSENGER

DEATHS

April 2017 - Published Monthly | Bimonthly

Dr. Sy Sweet Father of Dr. Carol Sweet

CONGREGATION B’NAI EMUNAH

Dave Berman Father of Bob Berman

1719 South Owasso Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120 Office: (918) 583‑7121 School: (918) 585‑KIDS Fax: (918) 747-9696 Website: www.tulsagogue.com

Larry Fasel Husband of Evy Fasel

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news. (Isaiah 52:7)

Brenda Kay Jobe Mother of Ronnie Jobe

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Frimi Apt Mother of Andrea Myer, Debbye Zanerhaft, and Ira Apt

ART FROM THE HEART Imagine that you are just getting started again after a period of homelessness or dislocation. You have some tableware and a bed to sleep in, but your walls are bare and your apartment looks temporary. At the same time, you have to husband your resources and concentrate on the basics.

MAZAL TOV Mazal tov to Michael Cyter and Marcy Hammerschlag on the announcement of their engagement.

Enter “Art from the Heart.” The purpose of this project is to give framed artwork to the residents of community-supported housing in the Tulsa area. The Synagogue has now been the conduit for a significant flow of contributions. All you have to do is drop your gift off at the Synagogue. For information about pickup of your artwork at your home, please call Dr. Melissa Weiss at (918) 260-2294.

Congratulations to David Charney, who led a groundbreaking ceremony last month for Ogans Circle, a 14-home development at East Virgin Street between North Lansing Avenue and the Osage Prairie Trail. As a public-private partnership, the project will make high-quality affordable housing available on Tulsa’s North Side.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE ON THE COVER

Twice a week, on Wednesday and Friday mornings, the Synagogue convenes a group of fifteen young Burmese refugee mothers for instruction in English language. This is an essential service for an underserved community. We are the only program in the city that provides complimentary child care, and we currently accommodate nineteen children.

The famed synagogue of Dura-Europas in ancient Syria is the source of this image of Moses being lifted from the Nile. Dating from the Third Century Mazal tov Dura to Mindy and Silberg on the recent wedding C.E., is one ofCraig the oldest synagogues in the of new couple Lindsay and Alessandro images Kola, which took place world. The tempera-on-plaster of Dura in Julywere in Colorado.

Congratulations to the transferred to Damascus after thenewlyweds. synagogue was excavated. Dura has since been obliterated

by ISIS in the ongoing Syrian Civil War.

While we have an abundance of volunteers for the classroom program, we are still looking for help with infants. If you can comfortably hold a baby for an hour or two, we would appreciate your help. Volunteers for this responsibility should be able to lift, carry, and tend to an infant. Can you move from a chair to the floor? Please contact Sara at (918) 583-7121.

Our cover image is a paradoxical reminder of the central place of Moses in the Exodus narrative and his complete absence from the text of the traditional Passover Haggadah. It also speaks to the complexity of Jewish artistic practice in the ancient world. Clearly, there were believing Jews who did not hesitate to depict the human figure, even on the walls of their local synagogues.

UNVEILING SCHEDULE Curtis Green on Sunday, June 11, at 10:30 a.m.

Harold Charney on Sunday June 11, at 11:00 a.m.

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ALL IN THE FAMILY

RABBI MARC FITZERMAN

SISTERHOOD

STAYING THE COURSE

HAROLD SANDITEN RETURNS!

In this odd period of rising tension, many of you have wondered how we’re doing at the Synagogue. Do nuisance calls to Jewish Community Centers (our own included) make a difference in the way people feel? Are people nervous about entering the Synagogue for classes or public events?

Cabaret luminary Harold Sanditen will be returning home to Tulsa to perform Flyin’ High, a comic look at travel to seventy-three different countries in a long musical career.

The show will feature songs from The Beatles, Cy Coleman, Jimmy Van Heusen, Carole King, Irving Berlin, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Kurt Weill and many more.

As far as I can tell, the answer is no. This may just be a reflection of the new normal (yes it's a nuisance; no we're not going to get bent out of shape), but I think it reflects a bedrock sense that we're going to be fine, no matter what.

The Synagogue has been at home in Maple Ridge since 1941.

We are older than all our neighbors and we have worked hard to cultivate good relationships with people who live close by.

Harold’s performance will be part of Life Senior Services’ Musical Mondays. You can join him at the Performing Arts Center at Cascia Hall on Monday, May 22nd, at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are now on sale at www.lifeseniorservices.org.

The show was recorded live at the Crazy Coqs in London, and CDs will be available. Harold will be joined on stage by Tulsa musicians Scott McQuade on piano and Jared Johnson on drums.

And many of those people regularly tell us that they care about our well-being and that they are sensitive to the fact that we are members of a minority faith community.

That also goes for the city as a whole. One morning in March, when the nuisance calls to Jewish institutions were particularly numerous, Toby Jenkins came down to the Synagogue just to let us know that he had our backs.

As many of you know, Toby is the Executive Director of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center downtown. A couple of days later, Rabbi Kaiman and I went down to the Equality Center to return the favor. The windows of the Center had been pockmarked by vandals, and we wanted them to know that we had their backs. As a punctuation mark of love, we brought Queenie's justly famed Strawberry Short Cake. There is no more powerful response to hate than high glycemic index carbohydrates. Needless to say, we were the most popular Rabbis on the block.

All of this is a way of saying that we will find a way through.

It won't always be easy, but we pay close attention to security issues and we have friends in all directions. As this edition of The Messenger goes to press, it would appear that many of the calls to Jewish institutions were part of a revenge fantasy by a fired journalist and the work of a nineteen-year-old American Israeli operating out of his bedroom in Ashkelon. We'll know more about this in the days ahead, but the weirdness quotient here is about a mile high.

But if not now, there will be other challenges. The best thing for us to do is to build warm relationships, come to the aid of our friends, and help create a cosmopolitan, inclusive, culture of sensitivity in Tulsa. That's why we're here, and it's exactly the right time to make our presence felt.

PASSOVER CLEANSE LET US KNOW IF YOU'RE INTERESTED

BY CALLING Rabbi K. AT (918) 583-7121.

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THE APRIL CALENDAR AT B’NAI EMUNAH 2

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DOING JEWISH: CLEANING FOR PESACH

It’s the enduring challenge—how do I clean my kitchen for Passover? Leavened products are ubiquitous in our daily lives.

Ridding ourselves of their presence presents an interesting set of obstacles. In this workshop, we will take a look at some guiding principles and explore techniques to make your Passover cleaning a more manageable task. The workshop will begin at 11:00 a.m. For questions or to learn more, contact Rabbi Kaiman.

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Love to dance? Love to sing? Love spending time with friends and family? Then Shabbat for Everyone is the place for you!

Our monthly, kid-friendly Shabbat experience begins with a delicious dinner, so you can just relax and enjoy. We then move into the sounds and movements of a joyous Friday night celebration. Your feet will be stomping as the music carries us forward into the night. No reservation is needed for the service at 7:00 p.m. But please call our Office or visit our website by Wednesday, April 19, to make dinner reservations.

SECOND SEDER AT B’NAI EMUNAH

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The Synagogue’s annual Second Seder is open to the entire community, with a special welcome to Tulsa newcomers and those whose families are far away. Join Synagogue members and friends for a joyful celebration of the most important event in Jewish history. The Seder will feature spirited and moving music from members of the Synagogue’s instrumental ensemble, Klay Kodesh, and participants will enjoy a festive mixture of Ashkenazic and Sephardic traditions.

For more details or to make your reservations, please call our Office.

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SEVENTEENTH STREET DELI

Corned beef, pastrami, Jewish deli food—all remind us of our past and help inform our present. We’re making this food our own at our monthly pop-up restaurant. Now serving knishes! Join the deli revolution and visit tulsadeli.org or call the Synagogue office to make your reservation today.

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CINEMA EMUNAH: HUGS AND KNISHES

In honor of the Seventeenth Street Deli’s latest menu addition, we will be screening a special documentary entitled Hugs and Knishes. This new film looks at the rich culinary history of Jewish community and celebrates the rich diversity that is Jewish food. Join us for dinner at the Seventeenth Street Deli beforehand and make it a full evening. No fee or reservations necessary for the film. Screening at 7:00 p.m.

PASSOVER KICKSTART

Never quite sure what to eat during the days of Passover?

Our holiday food rituals dictate that we cleanse ourselves from chamaytz as we pursue freedom. This work is never easy, but this year’s Kickstart blended juice cleanse makes things a bit simpler. In partnership with Ediblend Superfood Café, the Synagogue will facilitate a one-day juice cleanse on Thursday, April 13. With carefully crafted blended drinks to give you energy and focus, this is a wonderful way to mark out a different ethic of consumption during the holiday. For more information, please see our featured article on page 7.

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SHABBAT FOR EVERYONE

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BIBI-DIBI: SHABBAT FOR LITTLE GUYS

It’s a Shabbat experience for our very youngest members.

We sit on the floor, sing songs, play games and dance our way into the weekend. Parents, grandparents, and community members are invited to the short service at 6:00 p.m.

However, we do ask that you make reservations if you plan to join us for the Shabbat dinner which follows, $14 for adults and just $1 for those tots. Visit our website or call the Office today.

ACTOR STEPHEN TOBOLOWSKY

You’ve seen him in hundreds of movies and TV shows. Now meet consummate character actor and author Stephen Tobolowsky.

He will discuss his new book, My Adventures with God. A payment of $30 admits two people and includes one signed copy of the book ($25 retail value), which will be available for pick up at the event. Join Stephen at the Circle Cinema afterward for a showing of the movie Groundhog Day. Movie tickets will be sold at Circle Cinema. See details on page 7.

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BAR MITZVAH OF MILLER VAN HANKEN

We note with pride the upcoming bar mitzvah of Miller Van Hanken, son of Annie and Jeff, brother of Lucia Ann. All are invited to participate in the Shabbat morning service, which begins at 9:00 a.m. Mazal tov to the Van Hanken family!

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE EXTRA ROOM AT YOUR SEDER FOR GUESTS. CALL RABBI KAIMAN AT (918) 583-7121.

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BAR MITZVAH

MAY AT A GLANCE 7

DOING JEWISH: MAKING MUSIC

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BAT MITZVAH OF FRANCISCA OYARZO

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FRONT|ROW + 17TH STREET DELI

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BIBI-DIBI: SHABBAT FOR LITTLE GUYS

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LAST DAY OF RELIGIOUS SCHOOL

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SHABBAT FOR EVERYONE

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MEMORIAL DAY

MILLER VAN HANKEN

You can make reservations for any Synagogue event by calling Gwenn or Valerie at our special Reservations Hotline: (918) 935-3373. You can also use the Reservations Page on the Synagogue website at www.tulsagogue.com.

Miller Van Hanken, son of Annie and Jeff Van Hanken, will become a bar mitzvah on Saturday April 29. Preparing Miller for this milestone is Sara Levitt, Congregation Bnai Emunah’s Director of Jewish Life and Learning.

On the back inside page of this edition, you’ll find the monthly calendar of the Synagogue, with candlelighting times, our regular service schedule, the Religious School calendar and other routine events.

Miller is a seventh grader at Cascia Hall. He participates on the wrestling and tennis teams.

For his mitzvah project, Miller was inspired to support Women in Recovery. After learning about the extremely high rates of incarceration for women in Oklahoma and becoming concerned about the impact on their children, Miller toured Women in Recovery. He learned about the program, which provides substance abuse treatment and therapy instead of incarceration, and allows the mothers a path to reunite with their children. After volunteering at the program, Miller has organized a Lego toy drive so that there are more fun activities for the children who have visitation with their mothers while enrolled in the program.

The calendar on page 4 is intended to draw attention to upcoming programs. For a full description of special moments on the calendar, please check the pages headed Featured Events.

You can find our comprehensive calendar, including events that are months away, on our website: tulsagogue.com.

Please note that all yahrtzeits listed on the back page of this issue begin at sunset on the night before. They will first be announced at services on the day preceding the listed date. All yahrtzeits for the coming week are announced on Wednesdays.

Miller’s extended family from across the country will be present to share in this joyous event. .

Synagogue membership information?

Please call Rabbi Kaiman at (918) 583-7121. We’d love to help you become part of the Synagogue family.

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COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE We are proud to partner with Fisher Farms.

Contact the Synagogue to learn more about purchasing a farm share for the upcoming harvest season.

The cost is $300. First pick-up is April 19.

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A CONGREGATION OF IMMIGRANTS

The second in our series on immigrant heritage, this picture shows us Harvey Cohen before the Ark in the front foyer of the Synagogue. He’s dressed in a vintage T-shirt from the 1997 Gitlin Family Reunion, a celebration of his mother’s forebears. The family portrait on the shirt shows us Harvey’s maternal grandmother’s family. The images in his right and left hands are of the same person, Morris Kaplan, Harvey’s maternal grandfather. The store behind Morris on the left is a pawn shop, owned by Morris in Cleveland. The photo on the right (car and suspenders) shows Morris at about 90 years old in 1972.

This picture is part of a new project intended to foreground the immigrant origins of many B’nai Emunah families. If you’d like to schedule a session, please make contact with Valerie Henderson at the Synagogue Office. She will help coordinate a sitting with Rabbi Fitzerman. All you need is yourself and a portrait (framed or unframed) of the good people who came before you.

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FEATURED EVENTS AT THE SYNAGOGUE partnership with Ediblend Superfood Café, whose staff members are helping to make this project possible. Kickstart kits will be available for pickup first thing in the morning on Thursday, April 13. To register, call the Synagogue office or visit our website. For questions, contact Rabbi Kaiman.

SEDER | SALE OF CHAMAYTZ | JUICE CLEANSE Congregation B’nai Emunah’s annual Second Seder at the Synagogue is scheduled for Tuesday evening, April 11, in Kaiser-Miller Auditorium beginning at 6:00 p.m. The event is open to the entire community, with a special welcome to Tulsa newcomers and those whose families are far away. Join Synagogue members and friends for a joyful celebration of the most important event in Jewish history.

STEPHEN TOBOLOWSKY ON APRIL 19 Legendary character actor Stephen Tobolowsky—who currently appears in The Goldbergs, HBO’s Silicon Valley, and Norman Lear’s new One Day at a Time—visits the Synagogue this month on April 19 to discuss his new book My Adventures with God. Following the success of The Dangerous Animals Club, this newest work is a funny, introspective collection about love, catastrophe, and triumph, all told through the lens of Tobolowsky’s evolving relationship with the mystery that is “God.”

The Seder will feature spirited and moving music from members of the Synagogue’s instrumental ensemble, Klay Kodesh, and participants will enjoy a festive mix of Ashkenazic and Sephardic traditions.

The Synagogue can seat 200 people for this event; reservations need to be confirmed by check or charge. Cost for adults, age 13 and up, is $36; for children ages 4-12, $18.

Children ages 1-3 are $6.

If you would like to reserve an entire table for up to eight guests, please let us know, and we would be glad to oblige.

In order to reserve such a table, the paid reservations of all guests sitting with you must be received no later than Wednesday, April 5. Please call our office to discuss your preferences. You may also make reservations by visiting our website.

Please note that the first part of the Seder will unfold between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. The meal following will last until 8:00 p.m., with the close of seder at 9:00 p.m.

As Tobolowsky explains, “It’s hard to believe in nothing. Even cats believe in suppertime. As much as we love certainty, we are often shaped by the invisible, the unexplainable—something we call faith. We are inclined to acknowledge the holy. Even if it is only a paper heart we find in an old suitcase.”

Thanks to the generosity of B’nai Brith, along with the Sam Marks Helping Hand Fund of the Synagogue, we would be glad to accommodate those for whom the price of attending poses a challenge. Please speak with Rabbi Kaiman or Betty Lehman at the Synagogue Office, if you would be benefitted by financial assistance.

My Adventures with God is a series of short stories exploring the idea that most people’s lives seem to fit into the template of the Hebrew Bible. We all have powerful creation myths: tales of our childhood and family, our first battles won and lost.

It is our Genesis. Then, like in the Book of Exodus, we go into slavery. Rather than building pyramids, we lose ourselves in fear and ambition—in first loves, first jobs, too many dreams mixed with too much beer. We eventually become free, only to wander in the wilderness. At some point, we stop and proclaim to the universe who we are. This is our Leviticus moment. We reconcile what we thought we would be with what we have become. We often attempt a mid-course correction. Then, as in the Book of Numbers, we are shaped by mortality as we bear the loss of family and friends. Finally, we retell our stories to our children as Moses did in Deuteronomy.

Are you selling your chamaytz this year? Visit tulsagogue. com/chamaytz to complete this ritual task digitally. Call the Synagogue Office if you’d like an analog form for this purpose. We’d be glad to help you with this ritual transaction.

Need Passover supplies? Betty’s Fine Foods will be open in the weeks prior to Passover to help you secure all your holiday needs. Contact Betty Lehman by calling the office for questions and more details.

New to our Passover programming this year is the Passover Kickstart Kit. This one-day blended juice cleanse costs $45 and includes six Passover-friendly drinks designed to give you energy and strength throughout the day. Each kit also comes with motivational materials and a snack to help facilitate this day-long experience. We’re grateful for our

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LET US HELP YOU

FROM RABBI KAIMAN BAT MITZVAH

SIT OR STAND

CHILD CARE AT THE SYNAGOGUE Child care is always available at the Synagogue. All you have to do is to let us know two days in advance of an event or a service and we will be glad to help. We love having children in the Sanctuary and the Chapel, but sometimes they are uncomfortable with their surroundings and make it difficult for others to hear. Please let us help you strike the right balance between having your children at your side and making it possible for others to participate comfortably. Todah rabah!

There is a predominant practice in Ashkenazic synagogues for the congregation to rise for the public chanting of the Ten Commandments from the Torah. This standing symbolizes the moment of revelation at Mount Sinai, when the Israelites stood at the foot of the mountain.

Remarkably, in Sephardic synagogues, the prevalent custom is to remain seated during the reading of the Torah, including during the recitation of the Ten Commandments. This practice roots itself in the notion that the whole Torah—from beginning to end—is holy. To stand only for the Ten Commandments might imply that only the Ten Commandments were given

by God. In light of this disagreement, quite naturally, a pious and punctilious person might ask this question: may one be individually stringent and stand for the Ten Commandments in a congregation where the custom is to remain seated? In a world like our own, where American individualism seems to dominate, can one hold by a personal interpretation of tradition?

MEMBERSHIP NEW FACES AT THE SYNAGOGUE Here’s where we introduce new faces to B’nai Emunah.

Members and their families are a source of strength to all of us, and we are pleased to bring these good people to your attention. Meet our new members:

Reading this very question, Rabbi Marc Angel points out the response of an 18th century Sephardic rabbi, “It is obvious that one is not permitted to do so because it appears presumptuous….Moreover someone who does so [stands] in the presence of wise students greater than he, is deserving of excommunication.”

Jon and Starla Glazer 5339 South 74th East Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma 74145-7728 Happie Hoffman and Eric Hunker 107 North Detroit Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120

If a sanctimonious person stands while others remain seated, the impression communicated is that only the one who stands is truly conscientious about honoring the Torah. He might communicate a feeling that the rest of the congregation is less pious, less important. Yet the question remains, what was in the minds of those who stood for the Ten Commandments in a synagogue where the custom was to remain seated?

They most likely believed they were demonstrating honor to Torah. This halakhic response turns sharply in the direction of inner motivation. These individuals view themselves as holier than the rest of the congregants. According to lasting attitudes, one should not disobey the entrenched custom of a congregation, but should rather follow the prevalent custom of the community. To call attention to one’s supposed piety is an act of impiety.

We look forward to welcoming one and all as official members of the Synagogue family. Here’s to a great and lasting relationship!

There is a thin line between sincere and fake religiosity.

We all know that one can show external gestures of piety and yet be religiously inauthentic. For the sake of community, if one wishes to adopt a practice that the law does not require, one should do so privately. It would seem that the governing principal in our tradition is this: one should not follow religious stringencies in public if the leadership and members of the community do not observe these stringencies.

BETTY'S FINE FOODS SHOPPING BEGINS ON APRIL 3 AT CBE

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FROM MORAH SARA LEVITT | JEWISH LIFE AND LEARNING It has also become a custom in many homes to add things to the Seder plate to further emphasize the less-discussed themes of the Seder. My favorite is the orange, for marginalized groups. This addition comes from Suzanne Heschel, who put an orange on her Seder Plate and asked participants to eat from the orange, spitting out the seeds of hate against marginalized people. Putting an orange on our seder plate shows that we believe that all marginalized groups should be welcomed in our community. Some other possibilities are a tomato (for workers’ rights), an olive (peace in Israel), and an artichoke (for interfaith families). Not satisfied with any of these? Create something special for your family.

THINKING ABOUT PASSOVER Passover is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays around the world. Perhaps it’s the meal, with its many courses, or the story-telling that compels even the most secular Jew to find a Seder. It might also be the connection to family and community or the collective memory of Seders past. A Seder might range from eating a piece of matzah with a regular meal to staying up through every page of the Hagaddah but either way, Jews flock to Passover. Passover is a perfect way to welcome all sorts of people with varying levels of Jewish education and experience. On Passover, we read a story, we talk about our history, ask questions and of course eat. It’s a great opportunity to take the learning and discussion to new heights.

I can’t wait to hear about what you decide to emphasize this year at your family’s Passover celebration. Chag Samayach!

WELCOME HOME

Embedded in the story of Passover are various themes and ideas that continue to be relevant to our world today. What an incredible avenue for talking to our children about issues in our world today is written into our tradition! Here are some of my favorites:

Welcome back to our students who travelled to Israel and LA. We are so excited teens participated in various spring break trips to Israel and Los Angeles.

On our annual Midrasha trip to LA this year, we explored, learned, ate, and had a stimulating time in California. Additionally, two of our middle school students, Eli Anderson and Sophie Raskin, spent their spring break in Israel as a part of the Carver Middle School Exchange program. Lastly, we had high school students in Israel on the Mifgash Program with the Jewish Federation. We are excited to welcome back Maia Anderson, Lily Raskin and Eve Adelson. Keep on the lookout for students sharing their experiences from spring break!

Enslavement. The Israelites have lived in slavery for over 400 years by the time we arrive at the Passover story. We learn from them of the hardships of being ruled by another and the challenge of not being able to live a life of freedom.

This concept of enslavement still exists today. Depending on the age of your children, you could talk about some modern forms of enslavement, including human trafficking, domestic violence, child labor and treatment of workers. You can go beyond physical enslavement and explore what other things enslave us (perhaps technology?).

LET MY PEOPLE GO CAMPAIGN

Immigration and Displacement. We are people on the move!

One of our biggest moves comes during the Passover story.

Our ancestors learn firsthand during the Passover story what it is like to leave a place you have known for your whole life in order to find a better life. Take this opportunity to talk about immigration, refugees and displaced people. Invite someone to share the story of how their families migrated to the U.S., or ask your children to imagine what it must be like to leave your home and start all over again.

Help us this Passover by putting the values and lessons from the holiday into action! B’nai Emunah Religious and Hebrew School present the Let My People Go Campaign. We are enlisting the help of students, parents, teachers, Synagogue and community members to collect 400 kitchen utensils (for each of the 400 years of slavery in Egypt) before the start of Passover for new refugee arrivals in Tulsa. Help us reach our goal by dropping off kitchen utensils (spatulas, spoons, ladles, wooden spoons, and can openers) to the Synagogue

by Sunday April 9.

Women. The story of Passover is full of extraordinary women, who play vital roles in the outcome of the story. Yocheved, Miriam, The Pharoah’s Daughter, Shifrah and Puah each act in ways to keep Moses alive and allow him ultimately to stand up for the Israelites. Celebrate the women in your family and in the world whose voices might often not be the loudest. Invite your children to read about an important woman in history and share with the group at the Seder, take the opportunity to dive more deeply into Miriam’s and Yocheved’s motivations and to celebrate the women in your own life.

Interfaith Community Yom Ha-Sho’ah Commemoration April 20 at 7:00 p.m.

At the Synagogue

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SISTERHOOD NEWS | JANET DUNDEE

UPCOMING (CONCLUDED)

SISTERHOOD ANNUAL MEETING

MAH JONGG MADNESS You’ve heard of it: the game of Mah Jongg, right? It is a tile-based game originating in China many centuries ago.

The game takes four players and it is a game of skill, strategy, calculation and a little bit of luck. There are 144 tiles based on Chinese characters and symbols.

June is the month for Sisterhood’s Annual Meeting.

Soon Synagogue members will be receiving an invitation to this event. Sisterhood wants to make it clear that both men and women are invited to the Annual Meeting.

Please get involved and watch this space for further information.

Imported into the United States in the 1920’s, Mah Jongg is often thought of as a Jewish remake of the Chinese original. After all, our own Adult Institute has a class to teach people how to play. There are Mah Jongg cruises, tournaments, leagues and of course, gift items.

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Sisterhood’s Gift Shop will be selling this year’s Mah Jongg large card for $9.00. The cards can (and should) be pre-ordered. As we said last month, if you are a Mah Jongg devotee, you might want several cards to have at home or to carry around with you. We hear that impromptu Mah Jongg games are cropping up everywhere!!

For further information, contact Nancy Cohen, Sisterhood’s Gift Shop Chair. .

Buy your cards soon. See the article in the facing column.

TODAH RABAH

COME HELP AT IRON GATE If you want to help serve breakfast to the Iron Gate clients on the fourth Sunday morning of each month, just send Sarah-Anne an email at hennschu@gmail.com..

MANY THANKS If you happen to see anyone from the article below, please feel free to add your own expression of gratitude to the words of the column. Many people have willingly shared their time and talents with The Synagogue community. Please let them know how much it is appreciated.

2017 MAH JONGG CARDS IN GIFT SHOP Nancy Cohen, chair of the Sisterhood Gift Shop, wants everyone to know that the 2017 Mah Jongg cards will be available in March at the Gift Shop. Nancy wants Mah Jongg devotees to know that you can pre-order your cards. She suggests that you might want a few extra cards to keep at home for guests who may have forgotten their cards when they come to play. It is not too far-fetched to keep a few cards in your car “just in case”!

We offer a todah rabah to the following members for their service to Bikur Cholim and Elijah’s Cloak: Sally Donaldson, Brian Brouse, Mindy and Harris Prescott, Joan Niedell, Kay Oleinick, and Carol Mandlebaum.

Thanks, also, to Mary Cantrell for organizing our Table Talks event with author Rachel Hall in early March. We’re always strengthened by the good ideas of our members and the networks we’re able to tap to provide stimulating programming for the congregation. If you have a personal connection to a speaker who might be of interest to the congregation, please let us know!

Proceeds from Gift Shop sales benefit the Sisterhood and the Religious School. In addition, the Gift Shop is now carrying a variety of Mah Jongg-themed gift items.

Adorable is the word this year.

COOKBOOKS Sisterhood has both the Kum Essen V and the Miracles and Meals cookbooks. What a great gift to yourself or someone else!!

STEPHEN TOBOLOWSKY AT THE SYNAGOGUE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, at 7:00 P.M.

Please check the Gift Shop for both cookbooks.

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COMING SOON TO THE SYNAGOGUE your complimentary tickets. In the same call, please let us know if you’d like reservations for the Seventeenth Street Deli. Prix fixe meals are $25 for adults and $12.50 for children. In honor of Mother’s Day, free home-made potato knishes will be served to every mother in the congregation.

FRONT|ROW—HAPPIE AND ERIC Congregation B’nai Emunah will soon debut a live community concert called Front|Row. Scheduled for the evening of Sunday, May 14, the concert will be preceded by a special edition of the Seventeenth Street Deli, the Synagogue’s artisanal pop-up restaurant featuring home-cured corned beef and pastrami, as well as traditional Jewish deli rye baked from scratch on premises.

The deli meal will be served at 5:30 p.m., with the open-seating concert beginning at 6:30 p.m. We hope that those times will be helpful to families with children. Concert tickets for the general community are $10 a piece. If you’d like to bring a friend or a neighbor, please purchase extra tickets in your call to the Synagogue.

Featured performers for this year’s concert are Happie Hoffman and Eric Hunker, two of the most important figures on the new Jewish music scene. Eric and Happie are veteran music makers (www.ericandhappie.com), with an established reputation among national Jewish groups and large communities. They are regularly featured at BBYO gatherings across the country and recently performed at the AIPAC conference in Washington, D.C.

RABBI DANIEL KAIMAN

(continued from page 8)

Our tradition places a very high value on collective harmony. Our job, as individuals, is to locate ourselves within the framework of these structures. Inevitably, there will be times a communal practice is discordant (and perhaps even antithetical) to one’s inherited traditions. This, it seems, is a spiritual practice that demands our careful attention.

It is easy to get caught up in our echo chambers. One of the roles of community is to remind us all that to be part of something greater than ourselves also demands sacrifice.

May our struggle between individual practice and communal norms remind us of what it means to be part of a community.

FEATURED EVENTS (continued from page 7)

Tobolowsky’s stories tell of a boy growing up in the wilds of Texas, finding and losing love, losing and finding himself.

My Adventures with God not only shines a light into the life of one of America’s most beloved actors, but also provides a structure to evaluate our own lives and relationship with God.

Thanks to the efforts of Jewish Tulsa’s volunteer leadership community, Happie and Eric are now living in Tulsa after a move from Austin, and they use Oklahoma as a base for travels to concert venues everywhere in the U.S. The duo are now featured participants in Klay Kodesh, the Synagogue’s liturgical music group. Front|Row will be their first large event in Tulsa, and an opportunity to meet the entire community.

Presented in partnership with BookSmart Tulsa and Magic City Books, the event costs $30, which admits two people and includes one signed copy of the book ($25 retail value).

The book will be available for pickup at the event. Visit www. booksmarttulsa.com to secure your place at the event.

Following the 7:00 p.m. public conversation, join Stephen at the Circle Cinema for a showing of the movie Groundhog Day, in which Tobolowsky notably played the role of Ned Ryerson. Movie tickets will be sold at Circle Cinema.

The concert is a gift to the congregation, with free tickets to any individual or household who has made a contribution of any size since May 1 of last year. That includes High Holiday contributions, yahrtzeit donations, etc. All you have to do is call the Synagogue Office at (918) 583-7121 to claim 11

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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SYNAGOGUE Altamont Bakery Fund

Cindy and Michael Guterman Gale Mason Isrella Taxon Amy Terkel

Ann Beerman Flower and Garden Fund

Judith and Jeremy Freedman Frieda Grossbard Cindy and Michael Guterman Joseph Secan

Anne Zarrow Courtyard Fund Joyce Roodman

Barbara Curnutt Preschool Fund Rosetta and Avrom Brodsky

Bikur Cholim Fund Julie Frank

B’nai Brith Youth Education Fund

Joe Kantor Hebrew School Fund Jon Kantor

McClure Emergency Fund Jerry Borofsky Gale Mason

Mizel Family Philanthropic Fund Susan and Jerry Sokol

Morris and Edith Sylvan Transportation Fund Jan Brickman

Norman and Shirley Levin Fund for Prayerbook Publication Jerry Borofsky Linda Brown Judith and Jeremy Freedman

Rabbi Arthur D. Kahn, D. D., Culture Fund

Gary and Donna Dundee Ira Smith Debbie and Barry Lederman

Jerry Borofsky Janet Dundee and Jeff Darby

Building Renewal Endowment Fund

Rabbi Daniel S. Kaiman Discretionary Fund

Betty Lehman

Camp Ramah Scholarship Fund Sandra Klein

Chevra Kadisha Fund Jerry Borofsky Julie Frank

Edgar and Isabel Sanditen Preschool Fund Jon Kantor

Irvin and Sharna Frank Endowment Fund Julie Frank Karen Neuwald

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Laurie and Bob Berman Gale Mason

Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman Discretionary Fund Laurie and Bob Berman Kathe and Morris Brown Barbara and Stephen Heyman Gale Mason Faye and Marvin Robinowitz

Richards Family Library Fund Kip and Gail Richards and Family

Robinowitz Library Fund Rosetta and Avrom Brodsky

Rose Borg Sukkah Fund

Rosalyn Borg (St. Louis) and Family

Sam and Pan Marks Helping Hand Fund

Barbara and Dave Sylvan

Schlanger-Blend Kitchen Furnishings Fund Bette and Wynn Wozobski

Scott Sanditen Memorial Community Service Fund Laurie and Bob Berman Sharon Neuwald Harold Sanditen Jean and Will Sanditen

Scott Foreman Zarrow Rabbinic Endowment

Barbara and Dr. Rick Cohen Susan and David Duitch Jon Kantor Karly and Dr. Jeremy Mason The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation

Sharna Frank Music Fund

Lisa Braverman Mark Goldman and Dr. W.C. Goad

Sidney & Jenny Brouse Family Shabbat and Holiday Fund Karen Neuwald

Synagogue Endowment Fund Dr. Andrew Gottehrer

Synagogue General Fund Ellen and Dr. Steve Adelson Ameritrust Corporation Anonymous Sue and Rick Arlan Jeffery Bonem O’Neil Cobb Joe Degen Jennifer Flexner Carlynne L. Holmes Trust Elaine Kahn

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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SYNAGOGUE Synagogue General Fund

(continued) Ruth Lebow Cheryl and Greg Myers Rod and Kara Plaster Charitable Fund Barbara Smith Eva Unterman Latona and Ron Willhoite Linda Zoblotsky

The Religious School Fund Jerry Borofsky B’nai Emunah Sisterhood Ira Smith

Trees of Life Fund

Sheila and Samuel Harding

In Loving Memory

Katherine Alperin Frimi Apt Evelyn Brodsky Arbesman Dave Berman Sandy Blumenthal Irving Borg David “Toots” Borochoff Abe Borofsky

In Loving Memory

(continued) Louis Lederman G.S. Richards Sharon Robinowitz Lee Roodman Jack Saikin Scott Sanditen Sylvia and Darrell Smith Albert Stein Fred Strauss Leora Taylor Mania Wozobski Leah bat Yitzchak Danny Zeligson

In Loving Memory

(continued) Valerie Borofsky Avrom Larry Borofsky Joseph Brickman Sanford Brophy Miriam Brown Pauline Borofsky Carmel Barbara Curnutt Rose Degen Michele Borofsky Deissig Yetta Dundee Ad Eichenberg Irvin Frank Monroe Friedman Eydie Selzer Goldman Renee Gottehrer Marshall Grossbard Michael Guterman Bob Hakan Bess Heyman Gertrude Kantor Rose Kantor Marvin Kahn Molly Katz Cecilia Klein Libby Lebow

In Honor Of

Jeffery Bonem, on his birthday April and Richard Borg Shirley Levin, on her birthday Gloria Borg Olds, on her birthday Phyllis Raskin, on her birthday Josh Sharpnack, on his bar mitzvah

Speedy Recovery Of Freda Aron Nancy Broudy Kathy Friedman Leah Friedman

FRONT|ROW A SYNAGOGUE CONCERT WITH

ERIC HUNKER AND HAPPIE HOFFMAN SUNDAY, MAY 14, AT 6:30 P.M. SEE PAGE 11 FOR DETAILS.

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