SYNAGOGUE | CONGREGATION B’NAI EMUNAH | PUBLISHED MONTHLY | JULY 2025
Milestones
Deaths
David Baugh, husband of Ricki Price-Baugh; son-in-law of the late Joshua and Lillian Price.
Sandra “Sandy” Klein, mother of Hali Klein Goss (Jeff Goss) and Richard Klein (Patti Dalton Klein); wife of the late Alfred Herbert Klein.
Steven Sackin, uncle of Dr. Andrea Schwartz.
Births
Shaina Abigail Gorden, born to Alana and Rob Gorden on June 20, 2025.
Mazal Tov
Wedding of Amanda Freedman to Ryan Bergamini. Amanda is the daughter of Jeremy and Judith Finer Freedman. The couple will be married on July 6 in Toronto, Canada.
Masthead
Daniel S. Kaiman ............................... Principal Rabbi
Aaron Miller ............................................... President
Noah Bleicher ....................... Executive Vice President
Randee Charney ................................. Vice President
Ilana Shushansky ................................ Vice President
Marc Boone Fitzerman ..................... Rabbi Emeritus
ON THE COVER
Vacationers resting poolside at Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel, Liberty, New York; photo by John Margolies, c. 1977. This iconic image of poolside leisure embodies the golden era of the Borscht Belt—an essential chapter of American Jewish life and culture. Families gather, sunbathe, and schmooze in a scene that recalls the heyday of the Catskills resorts, where community, comedy, and comfort reigned supreme.
Rafi Dworsky ............................... High Holiday Cantor
July Program Highlights
Afternoon/Evening Services
Join us on Wednesdays and Fridays at 5:30 p.m. in the Davis-Goodall Chapel for traditional prayer and community Mourner’s Kaddish. Both in-person and Zoom participation are available. Please register for in-person attendance on our website.
Shabbat Morning Services
Every Saturday at 9:30 a.m., we celebrate Shabbat through song, Torah study, and fellowship. These services, available both in-person and via Zoom, offer a chance to mark anniversaries, celebrate milestones, and engage in our congregation’s ritual life.
9, 16 & 23 Sacred Speech: Jewish Wisdom for Life’s Hard Conversations with Morah Sara Levitt
Join Morah Sara Levitt, Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m., for our annual summertime lunch and learning series. This summer we’ll explore how Jewish texts and values can guide us through compassionate conversations with our friends and community members during moments of transition or vulnerability. Whether you’re a Bikkur Cholim volunteer preparing for a visit with a bereaved community member or talking with a friend who just had a baby, this class will offer tools for showing up with empathy, attentive listening and kindness when it matters most. Please feel free to bring a dairy lunch! Visit tulsagogue.com/events to hold your spot.
10 Blatt + Blue: LetitBeMorning
Let It Be Morning, an Israeli film by director Eran Kolirin, is the story of Sami, a Palestinian-born Israeli citizen living in Jerusalem, who is invited to his brother’s wedding. He returns to the Arab village where he grew up only to find his hometown under a military blockade lockdown. The film is now available on Amazon Prime for a modest fee. Please let us know if you have any difficulty locating the program. Join the moderated discussion in the Synagogue Zoom Room starting at 7:00 p.m. The Zoom meeting ID is 918 583 7121, and the session will conclude at 8:00 p.m.
CONGREGATION
B’NAI EMUNAH
1719 South Owasso Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120
Office: (918) 583-7121
School: (918) 585-KIDS
Fax: (918) 747-9696
Web: tulsagogue.com
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news. (Isaiah 52:7)
20 ShulSchool at the Pool
Missing your ShulSchool and Synagogue friends? We’re excited to get together for a morning of connection, food, and fun. We’ll meet at the Tulsa Jewish Community pool at 10:00 a.m. and wrap up the day with lunch together. You can hold your spot by visiting the Synagogue website or by being in touch with Morah Sara at slevitt@bnaiemunah.com.
23 Booksmart: MidnightonthePotomacwith Scott Ellsworth Magic City Books and The Synagogue welcome Tulsa native Scott Ellsworth for a free event to celebrate his latest book, Midnight on the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the Rebirth of America, starting at 7:00 p.m. From the author of The Ground Breaking, longlisted for the National Book Award, comes a riveting saga of the last year of the Civil War—and a revealing new account of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Scott will be in conversation with local historian Russell Cobb, author of The Great Oklahoma Swindle and Ghosts of Crook County. For more information about this free event, please visit magiccitybooks. com/events.
25 Shabbat Shalom: Musical Circle, Dinner and Shabbat Talks Experience a musical Shabbat evening with songs and storytelling starting at 5:30 p.m. This inclusive and accessible event is an ideal introduction to Shabbat traditions, welcoming participants of all ages and backgrounds. After services, we’ll enjoy a beautiful Shabbat dinner together at 6:15 p.m. The evening will conclude with a special Shabbat Talks speaker at 7:00 p.m. to discuss a relevant topic of interest to our community. Reserve your spot at the Shabbat table by registering at tulsagogue.com/events.
28 Who is My Neighbor? Immigration Education Forum with ACTION Tulsa
Starting at 7:00 PM the Synagogue will host an educational workshop organized by the ACTION Tulsa immigration team. Since February, the team has gathered stories and insights from Tulsa’s immigrant community. In response, they have developed this event to dispel common myths, share real experiences, and equip attendees with tools to support their immigrant neighbors. The workshop is open to the public, and registration is available at actiontulsa.org
From Rabbi Daniel S. Kaiman
KEEPING THINGS GOING
It’s hard to describe the mix of emotions wrapped up in our refugee resettlement work these days. For many months, we’ve been navigating a constantly shifting landscape shaped by changing priorities under a new presidential administration. We’ve experienced staff reductions, the suspension (and later reinstatement) of key grants, and the ongoing sense that anything could change at any moment. And yet, we’re still here. Our resettlement office remains open. Remarkably, as a result of all these shifts, our Refugee Resettlement Department is now the only refugee agency still operating in the eastern half of Oklahoma. That’s something I’m deeply proud of. We’ve hung in. We’ve stayed alive. At the same time, I feel deeply frustrated—especially by the way this work has become politicized, including by some of our own state leaders. People I once saw as potential partners in building a more compassionate future have chosen instead to turn this basic act of humanity into a political wedge. That politicization has also made it harder to talk about what we’re doing. Part of it is practical: the nature of the work keeps shifting as systems change and priorities are rewritten. But part of it is about safety—about self-protection. Resettlement work has, at times, become a political target. And we’ve learned that speaking too publicly about what we do can bring unwanted attention or even political retribution. So we keep going, but we keep quiet. It’s not the way we’d choose to operate—but it’s the reality we’re navigating.
Still, here’s what may not be visible from the outside: we haven’t walked away. Staff and volunteers from Congregation B’nai Emunah are still showing up—for the families already in our care, for those who arrive in crisis, and for the belief that a more compassionate system is still possible. Our team continues to offer intensive case management. We continue to welcome walk-in clients who’ve made their way to Tulsa in search of safety. We continue to provide direct assistance, help with public benefits, and guide new arrivals as they begin again. We have not abandoned this work. We’ve helped families navigate grief, learn new skills, and build the kinds of connections that make a new life possible. One of our congregants recently hosted a pool party for a client family he met through volunteering. It was more than a backyard gathering—it was a small but powerful reminder that what we do here matters. It’s real. It isn’t going away.
And I’m not blind to everything else happening in our world. As a Jewish people, we’re hurting. Our cousins are sheltering from Iranian missiles. Jewish communities are reeling from violent attacks like the one in Boulder just last month. Political tension is everywhere—about Israel, about identity, about who we are and who we ought to be. In the midst of all this, the work of resettlement feels even more urgent. There’s a midrash I keep coming back to. It teaches that when God offered the Torah to the nations of the world, each
A prayer published on @tulsagogue as war unfolded between Israel and Iran. Let us continue to pray for peace.
Hashkivaynu Grant Peace
Grant, O God, that we lie down in peace, and raise us up, our Guardian, to life renewed. Spread over us the shelter of Your peace. Guide us with Your good counsel; for Your Name’s sake, be our help. Shield and shelter us beneath the shadow of Your wings. Defend us against ... war, famine, and sorrow. Distance us from wrongdoing. For You, God, watch over us and deliver us. For You, God, are gracious and merciful. Guard our going and coming, to life and to peace evermore.
asked, “What’s in it?”—and declined. Only Israel responded, na’aseh v’nishma—we will do, and we will understand. It was a radical act of trust: to commit before knowing all the answers.
I think about that all the time. This work—resettlement, compassion, solidarity—is not easy. But we don’t say yes because something is easy. We say yes because our values demand it. Because Jewish tradition teaches us to act first and trust that understanding will come. And so we keep going, even when the road ahead is uncertain.
That’s what Jewish life asks of us: to stay engaged. To help because it’s right. To remember that we, too, were once strangers—and to do everything in our power to ensure that our children and grandchildren never have to wonder whether anyone will stand with them.
I’m deeply grateful—for the support of our lay leadership, the partnership of our extraordinary resettlement staff, and the trust of our Tulsa Jewish community. Together, we are ensuring that B’nai Emunah remains a voice of courage and compassion, and that our Jewish lives are not only vibrant and rooted, but also meaningful and purpose-driven.
From Morah Sara Levitt
THE KITCHEN WINDOW
My grandparents lived in the middle of a row of twin homes on Macon Ave in northeast Philadelphia for almost 40 years. The house had three levels, including a partially finished basement where my sisters and I would stay when we visited. Our grandparents were famous for staying up as late as it took to greet us from the airport, and undoubtedly with some Philadelphia’s own Tastykake or soft pretzels. When we pulled up to the house, they had assumed their post in the tiny window in front of the sink in the kitchen. It was, in fact, the best view of the road. This was before cell phones helped us track our loved one’s whereabouts, so they could have waited hours in the kitchen for our arrival.
When I was ten years old, my grandfather died after a battle with colon cancer. He was a 6-foot-something World War II veteran and a doctor of social work who served as the dean of the school of social work at Yeshiva University for the latter part of his career. I wish these things were more impressive to me as a kid, but alas. Grandpop Lloyd’s death was my first. While many of the memories from his funeral and the days following have a haze around them now, there is one moment that stuck with me more than any other. I’d never felt more sadness than when my family and I pulled out of the driveway and saw my grandmother’s face, alone in the kitchen window. I remember saying goodbye to her and my very proper grandmother, sobbing in my mother’s arms. What could we say that would bring her comfort? I distinctly remember the pit in my stomach that day, a deep sadness less about losing my grandfather but leaving my grandmother. I think most of us have felt that pain for someone we care about before. Maybe you’ve delivered a bikkur cholim meal to a community member whose loved one is dying, or you’re sitting with a friend who just experienced a miscarriage. We’re quick to drop food or send note cards, but it can feel impossible to know what to say to bring comfort in those moments.
This summer, our annual Learning over Lunch in July will focus on just this topic. We’re calling it Sacred Speech: Wisdom for Life’s Hard Conversations.
The class will focus on learning about active listening, empathy, sitting in silence, and much more. Of course, all these things will be guided by Jewish wisdom and values. We’ll even practice these challenging conversations! This course is especially great for folks who volunteer or who are interested in volunteering with our Bikkur Cholim program, but all are welcome!
Meet me on July 9, 16, and 23rd from noon–1:15 p.m. for our annual Learning over Lunch series. Hold your spot by visiting www.tulsagogue.com/events.
The Ted & Mitsu Cohen
Undergraduate Assistance Fund
Supporting the College Journey of B’nai Emunah Students
Congregation B’nai Emunah is proud to offer the Ted and Mitsu Cohen
Undergraduate Assistance Fund, providing up to $1,000 in annual support for students enrolled in two- or four-year college programs.
This fund helps offset the cost of books, supplies, and other fees—and honors the legacy of Ted and Mitsu Cohen, who deeply valued education and Jewish community.
Eligibility
1. Graduates of synagogue programs like Madrichim or Midrasha
2. Families in good standing with the congregation
3. Funds are distributed directly to schools or as reimbursements. Applications are reviewed semi-annually.
About Ted and Mitsu
Ted Cohen was a lifelong learner, a World War II veteran, and a leader in the Jewish community of Tokyo, Japan. He met and married Mitsu during his post-war service, and together they raised a family rooted in Jewish life and values. Mitsu, who converted to Judaism, modeled a deep love of learning—even joining her son’s Hebrew class to study alongside him. This fund reflects their shared belief in the power of education to shape lives.
Contact Sara Levitt for application information and take the next step with your community behind you. If you’d like to support this assistance fund or other educational endeavors, please speak with Rabbi Kaiman.
From Cassidy Petrazzi
SPATIAL POEMS AND THE SACRED PRACTICE OF ATTENTION
Over the past year, Rosov Consulting gathered feedback through surveys, interviews, and listening sessions with Jewish community members across Tulsa. One of the most resonant findings, shared at the June Town Hall at the Jewish Federation, was a strong desire for deeper engagement with arts and culture. In response to that call, I invite you to experience Spatial Poems, an art exhibition I curated that is currently on view at Flagship, the Tulsa Artist Fellowship gallery. The exhibition is inspired by an event score by artist Mary Lucier, which instructs: “Select an image of an environment. Concentrate on this image, discovering all the circles, squares, or triangles in it, until either the original scene is obliterated or an entirely new landscape emerges, or until your mind can no longer hold all the information.” In the context of visual art, an event score is a set of written instructions—a poetic or conceptual prompt that invites action, interpretation, or performance. Scores shift the focus from object to process, from product to perception, and historically focus one’s attention on mundane everyday tasks.
“This is not spectacle—it is sacred attention. A quiet, radical proposal where meaning is constructed not through force or clarity, but through the depth of one’s presence.”
Scores are designed to enliven ordinary moments and invite playful, mindful engagement. In this case, Lucier’s score becomes more than a conceptual exercise, it functions as a curatorial prompt, and a way to consider the Jewish practice of kavanah, asking viewers to fully commit their awareness
to the act of seeing. Like Jewish ritual, Lucier’s score, asks us to slow down, notice, and respond with intention. In Jewish tradition, kavanah refers to the intentionality that imbues ritual acts with meaning. It is not the action alone that matters, but the spirit and mindful focus that matters, ensuring that prayer and mitzvot are performed with purpose not just habit. Across painting, sculpture, photography, and time-based media, Spatial Poems features artists whose works don’t demand attention but invite it—subtly, insistently. These pieces do not present meaning; they ask for your participation in discovering it. As in Jewish ritual, where prayer is incomplete without mindful intention, the works in this exhibition only fully come into being through an engaged viewer. This is not spectacle—it is sacred attention. A quiet, radical proposal where meaning is constructed not through force or clarity, but through the depth of one’s presence. Like reciting a blessing over bread, placing a mezuzah at our doorpost, marking a first with the shehecheyanu, the viewer’s role becomes one of both reverence and co-creation. In a way, the sacred hides in plain sight and emerges when we’re fully present.
Flagship gallery is located in Tulsa’s downtown arts district at 112 North Boston Avenue. Open Thursdays through Saturdays from 12 to 6 PM, now through August 9.
H LYH0EDOWN
Gold Star
With thanks for the generous support for our annual fundraiser, Holy Hoedown
George Kaiser Family Foundation
The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation
David and Jan Finer
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies Cowboy
Cha
Jewish Federation of Tulsa
Julie Frank Jolene Sanditen
Maxine and Jack Zarrow
Family Foundation Double
Shuffle
Brian Edward Brouse
David and Randee Charney
Coretz Family Foundation
Mark Goldman and WC Goad
Sue and David Halpern
Summit Heat and Air
Jeffrey Brown and Deborah Sobel Family
Tush Push
Steve Aberson and Brent Ortolani
Jennifer Airey
Molly and Sheldon Berger
Marcel Binstock
Dr. Jamie and Sharon Cash
Jason and Maria Dratell
Rabbi Marc Fitzerman and Alice Blue
Rabbi Daniel Kaiman and Rachel Gold
Aaron Miller and Joe Edmonds
Julius and Maria Moreno
Joe and Marielle Roberts
Eric and Jacqueline Scholl
Barbara Sylvan
The Weinreb Family
Drs. Richard and Linda Young
Craig and Anita Zalk
Achy Breaky Heart
Lesli and Greg Augsburger
Bob and Laurie Berman
John and Leah Clayman
Jason and Connor Cleary
Harvey and Nancy Cohen
Anne Dunnigan
Carly and AJ Finer
Isaac Ellis and Mary Huckabee
Leanne Helmerich
Sara and Matt Levitt
Brae Riley
Hillary and Leor Roubein
Tobi Glazer Rubin
Drs. Andrea and Mark Schwartz
Benjamin and Kara Traster
Nancy and Andy Wolov
Half Moon
Carolyn and Jack Blair
Richard and Emily Bolusky
Richard and April Borg
Caitlin Contreras and Dr. Andres Contreras Vega
Cortez Family
Sally and Bob Donaldson
David and Roxanne Friedland
Susanna Ginsburg
Alana and Rob Gorden
Francisca Hernandez
Ross Heyman
Dennis and Terri Johnson
Barry and Debbie Lederman
Terry and Andy Marcum
Sofia and Mike Noshay
Joe and Marielle Roberts
Roniet and Eric Sachs
Brad and Adria Sanditen
Gerry and Kathy Sandler
Nina Fitzerman-Blue and Daniel Sterba
Jack and Kristi Tarabolous
Jennifer Wilner Abrams and Tyler Abrams
Leslie Sanditen and Frank Zigmond
Supporters
Shelly Aberson Narotzky and Hal Narotzky
Holly Allen
Maya and Dancey Apple
Ethan and Kate Basch
David and Cassandra Bizzaro
David Blatt and Patty Hipsher
Noah Bleicher and Marcela Swenson
Jeff Bonem
Elisha and Teala Bosch
Jason Brimer and Mary Cantrell
Alex and Nina Brodsky
Amy Burden
Robert and Rachel Carlson
Micah Cash
Darlene Coleman
Kayla Costner
Ryan Donaldson
Shawna and Curt Fain
Drs. Eduardo Faingold and Sonia Hocherman
Mariel Ferreira
Blaylee and Jessica Freed
Mark Frieden
Alex Gavern and Laura Jones
Jared and Kelly Goldfarb
Sarah Beth Gordon
Karen and Mike Grimes
Danielle and Gilad Gurevitch
Bob and Rosalie Hanson
Joli Jensen and Craig Walter
Matt and Janelle Katz
Hannah and Edward Kenneweg
Teresa Kroh
Art and Jackie Lasky
Scott and Claire Legler
Sidney and Cheryl Levine
Landon and Jenna Lewis
Dan and Beth Malks
Liz Maine
Carol Mandelbaum
Chris McNeir
Christian McSoud
Logan and Kayla Morris
Elana Newman
Robert Nollen
Daniel and Veronica AllenOberstein
Dr. Clark Plost
Harris and Mindy Prescott
Taheerah Salim
Daryl Sartwell
Drs. Sarah-Anne and John Schumann
Ilana Shushansky and Vanessa Boshuizen
Isabella Silberg
Ruth Slocum
Harold and Sheryl Springer
Mimi Tarrasch and James Jakubovitz
Ms. Sofia Thornblad and Benjamin Wagman
Karen Tilkin
Sandi Tilkin
Carla Weston
Amanda and Jessica Willworth
Tim Wood
Travis Wunsch and Rebekah Kantor-Wunsch
Thank you
to all those who generously donated to our auction and raffle, including:
