THE SYNAGOGUE | CONGREGATION B’NAI EMUNAH | PUBLISHED MONTHLY | MARCH 2025
Milestones
Births
Waverly Anna-Joan Willworth, daughter of Jessica and Amanda Willworth, and sister to Levi Willworth.
Idan Miriam Feinkuchen, daughter of Shahaf Feinkuchen and Hadas Cohen-Naznin.
Deaths
Vellie Bloch, widow of Elliott G. Bloch; mother of Eric Bloch, Cheryl Wallace, and Renee (Mohamed) Shallouf; grandmother of Rachel Bloch (Adam Christian) and Melissa (Jason) Meier; and great-grandmother of Bennett and Beau Christian.
Hayden Becker, nephew of Bernard and Carla Guzik.
Masthead
Daniel S. Kaiman ............................... Principal Rabbi
Marc Boone Fitzerman ................. Rabbi (of Counsel)
Mark Goldman ........................................... President
Aaron Miller ......................... Executive Vice President
Ross Heyman ...................................... Vice President
Brae Riley ............................................ Vice President
Kate Basch ............................ Sisterhood Co-President
Rebecca Fine Stallings ......... Sisterhood Co-President
Nancy Cohen ...................... Sisterhood Gift Shop Chair
March 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.
2 FAMILY JEWISH COOKING CLUB
Join the club and embark on a flavorful, family adventure on Sunday, March 2 at noon. The club will meet for lunch, schmoozing and a hands-on kitchen session as we explore the traditional Purim treat, bourekas. Each family will leave with their prepared dish in hand, along with a recipe and instructions to recreate the experience at home. For more information and to register, please visit tulsagogue.com/events.
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BLATT + BLUE: AMERICA
See page 4 for more information regarding the movie selection and viewing options. Join us for our conversation on Thursday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom (918 583 7121). Newcomers are welcome to join the dialogue.
7 SHABBAT SHALOM: MUSICAL CIRCLE, DINNER AND SHABBAT TALKS
Experience a musical Shabbat evening on Friday, March 7, 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. Following services, we’ll enjoy a beautiful Shabbat dinner together starting 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.
your spot by contacting the Synagogue at 918-583-7121 or registering at www.tulsagogue.com/events. Please check-in at Zarrow Pointe Town Center and you will be directed to the Dining Hall for the learning seminar.
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PURIM IN THE STREETS
In partnership with City Lights OK, we’re taking Purim to the streets of Downtown Tulsa on Thursday, March 13, combining the traditions of the holiday with a focus on matanot la’evyonim, the Purim custom of providing gifts of food to the hungry. Together, we’ll serve, converse and build relationships with many individuals of Tulsa’s unhoused community, starting at 6:30 p.m. The evening will conclude with a downtown megillah reading, food, drinks and celebration. Please visit tulsagogue.com/events for details.
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TRADITIONAL MEGILLAH READING AND MORNING SERVICE
All are invited to participate in a traditional chanting of the Story of Esther in observance of Purim. The morning service and Megillah reading will begin at 8:00 a.m. and last approximately one hour. Bring your noisemakers and fulfill the commitments of the holiday with the community. Following services, we’ll enjoy hamantaschen together.
21 BIBI DIBI
Join us for a Shabbat gathering crafted for babies and their families on Friday, March 21, at 5:30 p.m. Revel in the joy of singing songs, playing games, and savoring a delightful Shabbat dinner. It’s an excellent opportunity to establish and embrace your own family traditions. While no reservation is required for the celebration, we ask you to secure your spot for the meal by calling or visiting tulsagogue.com/events.
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BOOKSMART: REINVENTING THE HEARTLAND WITH NICHOLAS LALLA
9 PURIM— SHUSHAN STATE FAIR
B’NAI EMUNAH
1719 South Owasso Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120
Office: (918) 583-7121
School: (918) 585-KIDS
Fax: (918) 747-9696
Web: tulsagogue.com
The fair is coming to town and landing in the Synagogue parking lot on Sunday, March 9 starting at 9:00 a.m. MARCH 2025
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news. (Isaiah 52:7)
The fair is coming to town and landing in the Synagogue parking lot on Sunday, March 9 starting at 9:00 a.m. Following a lively reading of the Megillah, enjoy a Persian petting zoo, main stage concert, deep-fried sweet and savory hamantaschen on a stick, hamantaschen eating contests, giant butter sculptures, carnival rides, games and prizes. This celebration is open to the entire community, however, please indicate your attendance at tulsagogue.com/events.
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LIFELONG LEARNERS AT
ZARROW POINTE
Seniors from all over the community are invited to join Rabbi Kaiman on Wednesday, March 12, at 11:30 a.m. for a learning session and lunch provided by Zarrow Pointe. Reserve
The Synagogue welcomes Nicolas Lalla, founder of Tulsa Innovation Labs, on Wednesday, March 26 at 7:00 p.m., for a special and free event to celebrate his new book, Reinventing the Heartland: How One City’s Inclusive Approach to Innovation and Growth Can Revive the American Dream. Drawing upon his experience in Tulsa, Lalla’s book lays out a bold and pragmatic plan for urban reinvention, showing cities how to reorient their entire civic ecosystems toward inclusive tech-led growth. Lalla provides a path forward, not just for Tulsa, but for any city ready to embrace the future. More at magiccitybooks.com/events.
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SHEMA: JEWISH MUSIC CLASS FOR BABIES
Join us for the next gathering in a series of Jewish music classes for babies and their adults on Sunday, March 30, at 10:30 a.m. We’ll blend the best of what we know about early childhood education and the joy of Jewish music for this class geared towards kiddos 2 and under. Please register at tulsagogue.com/events.
From Rabbi Daniel S. Kaiman
GROWING KESHER: STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITY
Just over two years ago, we began working on a new idea at the Synagogue. Keenly aware of the pressures facing families, we launched KESHER, our afterschool program. The program is a five-day-a-week space where kids get picked up from their elementary schools by KESHER staff and spend their afternoons diving into projects, building friendships, exploring Jewish values, and even adding on piano and tumbling lessons. I’ve seen firsthand the tremendous success of this program as it works to strengthen a sense of belonging, enhance school-day learning, and provide parents with an essential resource for rearing a family. Parents have called KESHER their ‘lifeline’ and ‘the key to being able to work full-time while raising kids.’
Jewish tradition teaches us that learning isn’t just about knowledge—it’s about connection. Connection to our past, to our community, to our values, and to each other.
I am excited to share that recently, KESHER has been accepted into the Jewish Afterschool Accelerator (JASA) program, a national initiative that recognizes and supports outstanding Jewish afterschool programs. This is a huge milestone—not just for KESHER, but for our entire congregation. It affirms what we’ve known all along: that our vision for meaningful, joyful Jewish learning works But we’re not stopping here. To grow KESHER’s impact, we are taking a big step forward—expanding our professional team. In real terms, that means bringing on a new Assistant Director of Jewish Life and Learning. This person will help shape KESHER’s future while also strengthening Jewish education across our congregation. More opportunities, more mentorship, more connection.
Jewish tradition teaches us that learning isn’t just about knowledge—it’s about connection. Connection to our past, to our community, to our values, and to each other. That’s the heart of KESHER. And as we look ahead, I can’t help but feel excited. This is how we build the next generation—not just by teaching but by creating spaces where Jewish life feels alive. So, whether your family is already part of KESHER or you’re just hearing about it now, I invite you to be part of this journey. There’s so much more to come, and I can’t wait to see where we go together.
Blatt + Blue: America
THURSDAY, MARCH 6
Ofir Graizer’s film, America, brings us into the world of an Israeli swimming tutor living in Chicago who returns to Israel after ten years of absence to bury his father. An encounter with a beloved childhood friend and his newly engaged girlfriend sets in motion a challenge to heteronormative love and complicates everyone’s lives.
Our conversation about America will take place on Thursday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. The film is now available on Amazon Prime for a modest fee. Please let us know if you have any difficulty locating the program.
Blatt + Blue is the longest-running project at the Synagogue dating from the height of the pandemic. Now having reached its fifth anniversary, the series expresses the Synagogue’s commitment to an inclusive and pluralistic vision. Difficult films deserve thoughtful conversation.
Film and television enthusiasts David Blatt and Alice Blue begin each session with a summary of the featured material, which means that you’ll be able to follow the conversation even if you have to delay your viewing of the material itself. After that, it’s questions and comments from the Zoom Room audience.
Join the moderated discussion in the Synagogue Zoom Room. The Zoom meeting ID is 918 583 7121, and the session will conclude at 8:00 p.m. If there is a film or broadcast you would like to screen, please call Richie Bolusky, Synagogue Program Director, at (918) 5837121 with your suggestions. If you are the kind of person who plans ahead, please note that we will tackle The Shop on Main Street in April and Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara in May.
From Morah Sara Levitt
THE STORIES WE TELL
At the Women’s Wellbeing Retreat last month, we focused on the resilience of our ancestors, who are an inspiration for us today. In one of our sessions, we met some of the “Bad A**” women of the Tanach and discovered what helped them get through the challenges of our past. Relationships and community strengthened our foremothers like Miriam and Yocheved, Shifra and Puah, Ruth and Naomi, and the brave Daughters of Zelophehad to shape the stories we tell today.
During our next Jewish holiday, we meet a few more women who play vital roles in shaping our story. Our Purim story tells the tale of the brave Queen Esther saving the Jewish people against the threat of Haman. Esther uses her smarts, relationships, and calm persistence to win favor with the King and ultimately save her people. Though Esther takes center stage for most of the story, Vashti, the banished Queen who proceeds Esther and Haman’s wife Zeresh, also play important roles. In a show of strength for women’s rights, Vashti refuses to dance for the King and his comrades, despite the threat of banishment from Shushan. Of course, we know what happens next. The Midrash teaches us that Zeresh, whose role is minor in the story, actually had significant influence over her husband and might have even hatched the plan to kill the Jews of Shushan herself.
The women of our story reflect the diversity of women in our society today: those who stand up with a loud voice, those who take time and plan to initiate change, and those in the ears of folks with power. It takes each of them to move the story along.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Women’s History Month and the retelling of the Purim Story happen simultaneously. I’ve been thinking about these women and all the women in our history who continued to speak up and out even when it seemed impossible to do so. As Women’s History Month and Purim collide this year while the leadership in our country works to erase the celebration of women’s history, among others, we know as Jews that’s impossible. Our ancestors continued to tell our stories, celebrate holidays, and practice our traditions under immense hardship. Despite the most incredible odds, we’ve carried these stories with us, and we will continue doing it for centuries to come.
Bikkur Cholim
Many thanks to the volunteers who helped cook, bake and deliver to our members and friends in their times of need.
Alex Brodsky
Anne Hipfner
Jackie Lasky
Terry Marcum
Les Neidell
B’nai Mitzvah of Noah and Abigail Schreier
Noah and Abigail Schreier, children of Larry and Jennifer Schreier, will be called to the Torah as B’nai Mitzvah on Saturday, March 29th, 2025, at Congregation B’nai Emunah. Noah and Abby are seventh grade students at Holland Hall. Both Noah and Abby are avid animal lovers. This is exemplified by their mitzvah project which raised $1,100.00 for the Tulsa Zoo. They love sports, reading, art and eating Chinese food. They are fun outgoing kids.
Both kids have been preparing for their B’nai Mitzvah under the tutoring and guidance of Morah Kathy Sandler and Morah Sara Levitt. Both of these ladies are amazing and our family is very grateful for all of their help, love and support.
As both Noah and Abby lead the service they will be surrounded by family and friends from all over who are so excited to be there to celebrate with them.
The community is invited to join the Schreier family for services at 9:30 a.m. in-person or in the Synagogue Zoom Room. The meeting ID is 918-583-7121.
Cassidy Petrazzi
Becca Sterling
Family Jewish Cooking
Club families
to Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman’s new website THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. Also snark at www.marcboonefitzerman.org, where you can read his thoughts on politics, religion, and culture.
