Milestones
Deaths
Shandra Abrams; sister of Linda Brown.
Lynn Shirley; mother of Kiffa (Nicolette), Jacob, and Ben Shirley, and grandmother of Elazar and Yitzhak.
Masthead
Daniel S. Kaiman ............................... Principal Rabbi
Marc Boone Fitzerman ...................Rabbi (Emeritus)
May Program Highlights
AFTERNOON/EVENING SERVICES
Annette Dunitz; wife of the late Dr. Norman Dunitz; mother of Elise (Terry) Brennan and Dr. Scott (Harriet) Dunitz; grandmother of Michelle (Ryan) McDonald, Drew Dunitz (Gillian Silver), Philip Dunitz (Whitney Mohr), Katie (Vic) Zimmermann, and Daniel (Maddie) Brennan; greatgrandmother of Levi and Oliver.
Births
Jonah Coretz, son of Courtney and Ryan Coretz.
Mark Goldman ........................................... President
Aaron Miller ......................... Executive Vice President
Ross Heyman ...................................... Vice President Brae Riley ............................................ Vice President
............................................ Treasurer
............................................Secretary
Director of Jewish Life and Learning
........................Director of Operations
...................... Director of Programming
................................. Preschool Director Director of Refugee Resettlement
................................. Executive Assistant Assistant Director of Jewish Life and Learning
................................. Sisterhood President
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.
1 MORAL CLARITY IN THE AGE OF CONFUSION
Join us Thursday, May 1 at noon for the final meeting of a four-part in-person reading group, Moral Clarity in an Age of Confusion. Through the writings of political philosopher Hannah Arendt and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, we’ll explore how individuals and communities respond to moral crisis, resist apathy, and uphold conscience in dark times. Each session will engage with short, powerful readings. Bring your lunch (vegetarian-only, please) and an open mind. Please register to attend at tulsagogue.com/events.
After 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.
12
BOOKSMART: THE SURVIVORWANTSTO DIEATTHE ENDWITH ADAM SILVERA
The Synagogue welcomes Adam Silvera on Monday, May 12 at 7:00 pm to discuss his third book of the USA Today and #1 New York Times mega-bestselling They Both Die at the End series. Adam Silvera will be in conversation with Karl Jones, an interdisciplinary artist, curator, and storyteller who recently completed a five-year arts residency within the Tulsa Artist Fellowship. For more information and to purchase tickets for this event, please visit, magiccitybooks.com/events.
22 HOLY HOEDOWN
Dust off your cowboy boots and grab your Stetsons!
The Synagogue is thrilled to announce the return of its annual fundraiser, Holy Hoedown, Thursday, May 22 at 5:30 pm. This high-energy evening will bring together community from all walks of life—our preschool families, supporters of our refugee resettlement work, and participants in our many programs—to celebrate and support the vital work of The Synagogue.
DoOrs pen at 5:30 pm
get ready for an unforgettable night of music, dancing, and giving back. Tickets and sponsorship details are available at tulsagogue.com/hoedown.
...................... Sisterhood Gift Shop Chair
7 LIFELONG LEARNERS AT ZARROW POINTE
Seniors from all over the community are invited to join Rabbi Kaiman on Wednesday, May 7 at 11:30 am for a learning session and lunch provided by Zarrow Pointe, starting at 11:30 a.m. Reserve 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.
8 BLATT + BLUE: THE BRUTALIST
See page 5 for more information regarding the movie selection and viewing options. Join us for our conversation at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom (918 583 7121). Newcomers are welcome to join the dialogue.
9 SHABBAT SHALOM: MUSICAL CIRCLE, DINNER AND SHABBAT TALKS
This boot-scootin’ event will feature live music by Jacob Tovar and his All-Star Band, lively two-step dance lessons, and a delicious fried chicken feast. Families and friends will enjoy an evening filled with entertainment, kids programming, and a silent auction, all while honoring the incredible lay leadership that keeps our community thriving.
Co-chaired by Carly Finer and Brae Riley, Holy Hoedown is The Synagogue’s only annual fundraising event, making its success essential to our mission. Sponsorships start at $250, which includes admission for two adults and two children (under 13). Your generosity directly supports every aspect of our work, from education to social action initiatives and beyond.
So grab your Western chic and get ready for an unforgettable night of music, dancing, and giving back. Tickets and sponsorship details are available at tulsagogue.com/hoedown.
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)
Experience a musical Shabbat evening with songs and storytelling Friday, May 9 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.
Join us May 12
Booksmart: The Survivor Wants to Die at the End with Adam Silvera
The Synagogue welcomes Adam Silvera on Monday, May 12 at 7:00 pm to discuss his third book of the USA Today and #1 New York Times mega-bestselling They Both Die at the End series
Bat Mitzvah of Lyla HammerWolle
Lyla Mackenzie Hammer-Woller, daughter of Stevan Woller and Courtney Hammer, will be called to the Torah as B’nai Mitzvah on Saturday morning, May 3rd, 2025 at Congregation B’nai Emunah. This date corresponds with the 5th day of Iyar, 5785.
Lyla is a student at Edison Preparatory Middle School after completing education starting with Mizel Jewish Day School and Patrick Henry grade school. She is blessed with 3 wonder sisters and a great brother, Solomon & Sarah Woller, Avery Hammer and Aliyana Grace.
Lyla enjoys swinging out back, morning, noon and night while listening to music and singing along. When not swinging, she delights in her brother teaching her chess and riding skateboard. Lyla’s next favorite thing is shopping with her sister Sarah. Lyla is thrilled to be studying with Alin Avitan and Morah Levitt along with realizing the importance of a Jewish education. The community is invited to join Lyla and her family for services at 9:30 a.m. in person at Congregation B’nai Emunah or in the Synagogue Zoom Room. The meeting ID is, as always, 918 583 7121.
Bikkur Cholim
Many thanks to the volunteers who helped cook, bake and deliver to our members and friends in their times of need:
Randee Charney
Nancy Cohen
Dr. Rick Cohen
Karen Grimes
Art Lasky
Jackie Lasky
Terry Marcum
Debbie Zelkind
Garret Zelkind
From Morah Sara Levitt
WHAT’S JEWISH ABOUT MOTHER’S DAY
May is here and with it comes a slew of celebrations! Memorial Day, Cinco de Mayo, the end of the school year and Mother’s Day, all take their place each year on our Google calendars. Even now as a mother myself, the holiday has never really sat well with me. Shouldn’t we always honor our mothers? And how does brunch and roses really help us celebrate?
It turns out however, that Mother’s Day celebrations in its earliest form were about much more than brunch and flowers. Towards the end of the Civil War an effort by a woman named Ann Jarvis from Virginia to bring peace and unity to our country laid the groundwork for this modern celebration of mothers. Ann began her work with families and children to improve public health in her own community. When the Civil War erupted, her work shifted to trying to bring peace and unity in her divided community. She insisted that women, and particularly mothers, were the key to bringing people together to achieve peace. After her death, her daughter Anna worked tirelessly to establish a day to honor her mother Ann and all of the hard-working mothers in our country. Anna
petitioned President Wilson and in 1914, just before the start of World War I, Mother’s Day became an official holiday of the United States.
While the history and founding of Mother’s Day is seemingly non-religious, it speaks deeply to our Jewish values. Threaded throughout the Torah and our other texts, stories of mothers, motherhood and infertility, highlight our traditions’ acknowledgement of the challenges and beauty of motherhood. Embedded within the first ten of our commandments is the obligation to honor your parents, uplifting this value even more. The American history of Mother’s Day as one of peace and unity during war, is more Jewish than I ever knew! Its roots in a call for peace, mirror our own prayers and work towards peace in a way that makes me love this holiday even more. This Mother’s Day, we’ll see many of you at our final day of ShulSchool. We’ll celebrate another fantastic year of learning and community. On that special day, we can also honor the incredible women in our lives, mothers or otherwise, who nurture our community and who work towards peace for all.
Anna Reeves Jarvis’ mother, Ann
A First Milestone
SHELLI WRIGHT
The wonderful thing about being an educator is that our work begins with an unshakable belief in the future. At B’nai Emunah Preschool, we step into the classroom every day with confidence in our children’s capacity to learn, to grow, to care, and to make a difference in the world that they live in. “Peace begins with Me” is the mantra said every day, in every classroom.
On May 29th, we will celebrate the graduation of my twentieth class of Prekindergarten students at B’nai Emunah Preschool. Twenty-one tiny world changers will leave us for schools all over Tulsa, public and private. While we are excited about the learning and growth that is in store for them, our fervent hope is that every classroom that they occupy will be a community of hope—growing their muscles of imagination, curiosity, kindness, laughter, playfulness, honesty, and joy— the hallmarks of B’nai Emunah Preschool. Imagination and Curiosity are the foundation of critical
thinking. Together, they shape a child’s questions and journey toward deeper understanding.
Kindness fosters a sense of community and connection. When you walk in the Preschool, the first words you see are “A Community of Kindness.” This kindness fosters empathy, strength, and shared humanity.
Playfulness—Through play, children learn to experiment, strategize, and find solutions to challenges, developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Honesty—Establishing honesty as the norm fosters an environment where trust is the natural outcome. Developing a sense of integrity and self-worth begins with honesty. Joy is central to everything we do at B’nai Emunah Preschool. With immense JOY, we send these twenty-one tiny humans into the care of others to find, share and strengthen hope for a better world. We will gather in the Sanctuary at 10:30am on Thursday, May 29th. All are welcome to attend this celebration.
Bat Mitzvah of Mason Zelkind
Mason “Maci” Olivia Zelkind, daughter of Deborah and Garrett Zelkind, will become a bat mitzvah on Saturday, May 24th, 2025. This date corresponds with the 26th day of Iyar, 5785. She is the youngest sister to Nathan (Cami), Joshua and Gavin. Mason is the granddaughter of Joseph and Judy (of blessed memory) Kleiner of Tulsa, OK, Glen and Bobbie Zelkind of Aurora, CO and Bennie Zelkind of Louisville, KY.
Mason is a seventh-grade honor student at Jenks Middle School. She plays clarinet in the school band and has a deep passion for art, taking private lessons to refine her skills. Mason loves animals and has a unique talent
for identifying dog breeds. But above all, her favorite way to spend her free time is with her best friends-her brothers.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Rabbi Dan Kaiman and Morah Sara Levitt for providing a warm, nurturing and always engaging education. A special thank you to Greg Raskin for his unwavering patience, infectious humor, and invaluable tutoring skills. The community is invited to join the Zelkind family for services at 9:30 a.m. in person at Congregation B’nai Emunah or in the synagogue Zoom room. The meeting ID is, as always, 918-583-7121.
Blatt + Blue: The Brutalist
THURSDAY, MARCH 8
Brady Corbet’s epic film, The Brutalist, was rightly honored in this year’s awards season. The protagonist, Laszlo Toth, is a peculiar hero, both hollowed and enriched by the experience of suffering. The film feels like a window on the Jewish psyche, forcing us to consider the place of Jews in the Western World, as both perennial target and indispensable creator. Our conversation about the film will take place on Thursday, May 8 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.
You can browse Rabbi Fitzerman’s notes and his review of the film on “Thoughts and Prayers,” his new opinion page, at marcboonefitzerman.org/blog/review-the-brutalist.
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) 583-7121 with your suggestions. If you are the kind of person who plans ahead, please note that we will tackle Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara in June.