Thursday Morning Minyan
Co-led by Louise Stirpe-Gill and Ellen Stromberg

Thursdays at 8:00 am, Chapel

Please join us and start your day in community, with the Thursday lay-led minyan.

Our purpose is threefold: to provide a place, support and a minyan for those wishing to say Kaddish for a loved one; to allow all of us to start our day with a prayerful and centering practice; and to learn more about the daily service. We use prayers in English, Hebrew and transliteration.

Reach Out to New Members--Be a Beth Am Mentor

Share your enthusiasm about Beth Am with a new member/new member family. Introduce them to what you enjoy at Beth Am and help them become a part of the Beth Am community. There are many new members who would love to have a Beth Am Mentor. We will match you up and assist mentors in involving their new members.

If you would like to be a Beth Am Mentor, please go to www.betham.org/beamentorform.html to complete and submit a “Become a Beth Am Mentor” form or contact Joanne Donsky. If you are a new member and would like a mentor, please contact Joanne Donsky or call 650/851-1950.

 

Mazel Tov to Rabbi Marder
Named One of the Top 25 Pulpit Rabbis in America

Newsweek Magazine (April 11, 2008) recently named Rabbi Marder as one of the top 25 pulpit rabbis in America.  Based on an overwhelming response to their "influentials" list last year, and using the criteria listed below, Lynton, Ginsberg and Sanderson put together a list of the best pulpit rabbis in the country:

• Ability to inspire congregation through scholarship and oratory
• Success in growing and expanding congregation
• Community leadership and innovation
• Ability to meet spiritual and personal needs and goals of his/her congregation
• Leadership within denominational movement

Lifelong Learning at Beth Am - Enroll or Drop-In on a Class

Make this year a year of Torah by enrolling in a Hebrew class or dropping in on one of our ongoing classes like Torah Study or Talmud. By now, you should have received a mailing detailing our lifelong learning opportunities for 2007-2008. You can also visit www.betham.org/adult_ed/  for a complete list of classes and programs.

Some classes you might enjoy this fall:

• Building Blocks of Judaism with Rabbis Allenberg and Citrin and Cantor Bandman
• Parenting Series
• Mothers’ Circle
• Adult Hebrew with Orna Morad
• Writer’s Art: Contemporary Israeli Literature with Dr. Joyce Penn Moser
• Eternal Lovers–Song of Songs: mini-class taught by Cantor Bandman

For more information or to register, call the Education office at (650) 493-4665.

 

Émigré Program Events in May

TORAH STUDY IN RUSSIAN WITH MASHA FARBER
SATURDAYS, May 17, 9 a.m., Room Aleph, Lower Campus

All Russian-speaking adults are welcome to drop in at any time.

MY JEWISH DISCOVERY
SATURDAY, May 31, 3:30 p.m., Rooms Aleph & Bet
For Russian-speaking families with children from 5 to 8 years old

GAN HAGGIM
SUNDAY, May 25, 10 a.m.
Rooms 5 & 6
A program in Russian for families with children up to 4 years old.

JEWISH HISTORY LECTURE (in Russian)

WEDNESDAY, May 21, 7:30 pm

Conference Room

 

Beth Am Women Rosh Chodesh Iyar - May 5, 2008
Gods Messengers with Ilona Shechter

You are invited to Beth Am Women's Rosh Chodesh gatherings. We meet in a small group to learn, laught, share stories and speak from the heart. We will discuss topics from the personal to global. Most programs are held at Congregation Beth Am. For more information, see the Builder, the Sisterhood cyber newsletter or email Rosh Chodesh Chair Ellen Stromberg.

May 5 - God's messengers may appear to us in human form, says Jewish studies teacher Ilona Shechter. they bring good and bad tidings, protect us, bring news or dire warnings. But one needs to be open to the message. What exactly are angels? And what does Judaism say about them?

Shechter will lead an exploration of the legends and biblical stories of God’s messengers and then participants will use their creativity with handmade midrash.

Shechter has taught Jewish studies and Holocaust at the Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School for 17 years. She just returned from Israel, spending 17 days at the Yad Vashem International School for Holocaust Studies. She is a former Beth Am teacher.

The Rosh Chodesh group is sponsored by Beth Am Women. To RSVP or for more information, contact Ellen Stromberg.

Future dates:

June 3, 2008 - The Story of Ruth: Finding our Way to Judaism with Louise Stirpe-Gill

Simchat Shabbat - With Music & Israeli Dancing
Friday, May 9, 7:15 pm, Social Hall

Let the music of Shabbat carry you away…and let the party begin! Our celebration continues with dancing, food and fun, including a Mediterranean Oneg to celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut. . We’ll nosh and dance the night away (Israeli style) led by Shirley Smith, dance teacher extraordinaire. Bring your dancing shoes and get ready to party. For all ages and levels of experience. See you there! FRIDAY, May 9 , after our 6:15 p.m. Shabbat service, in the Social Hall.

Third Grade Junior Congregation
Hebrew Students Get Ready to Pray!

Saturday, May 10, 10:30 am, Beit Kehillah

Come celebrate our youngest Hebrew learners completing their first year of Hebrew program. Our 3rd Grade Hebrew students will lead us in a Shabbat morning prayer service. Here at Beth Am, our students have many wonderful opportunities to participate in prayer services.

Junior Congregation is a special opportunity for our students to become service leaders. This service gives students the opportunity to practice for their future Bar or Bat Mitzvah in a comfortable environment surrounded by family and friends. Our students take great pride in this experience!  Please be sure to join us for this wonderful family friendly service that is open to all.

Yom Ha'Atzmaut - Celebrate Israel's 60th Birthday!
Save these May dates!

Thursday, May 8, Jews around the world will commemorate Israel's 60th year of independence.

Save these five dates to celebrate!

• Thursday, May 8, 5:00 pm - Community-wide Celebration Featuring Israeli singer/songwriter Miki Gavrielov, Temple Beth Jacob, 1550 Alameda de las Pulgas, Redwood City. Click here for more information.

• Friday, May 9, 6:15 pm Shabbat Service, Beit Kehillah

  7:30 pm - Mediterranean Oneg & Simchat Shabbat Israeli Dancing

• Sunday, May 18, 11:30 am, - Middle eastern themed lunch, open to the community, Beit Kehillah

• Sunday, May 25, 9:30 - 11:00 am - Deligitimizing Israel: The New "Old Threat"

Lecture by Dr. Joshua Teitelbaum, Sr. Research Fellow, Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Tel Aviv University. Some intellectuals and campus activists are coming out against the very idea of a state for the Jewish people; Dr. Teitelbaum will analyze the issue and discuss how we can reinvigorate Zionism for the 21st century.

 

Simchat Shabbat - With Music & Israeli Dancing
Friday, May 9, after 6:15 pm Shabbat Service, Social Hall

Let the music of Shabbat carry you away…and let the party begin! Our celebration continues with dancing, food and fun, including a Mediterranean Oneg to celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut. We’ll nosh and dance the night away (Israeli style) led by Shirley Smith, dance teacher extraordinaire. Bring your dancing shoes and get ready to party. For all ages and levels of experience. See you there!

An Afternoon of Yiddish Music With Heather Klein
Guest Appearance: Cantor Lauren Bandman

Saturday, May 10, 4 p.m., Sanctuary

FREE . Refreshments will be served.

Beth Am proudly presents a concert of Yiddish music featuring the exquisite voice of Heather Klein. Known to many Beth Am members for her occasional appearances on our pulpit, Heather is a recent graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with a special interest in Yiddish.

Heather recently debuted in recital with City Opera’s Robert Abelson and Claire Barry of the famous Barry Sisters with National Yiddish Folksbine; she also appeared in West Bay Opera’s The Merry Widow last May. She has performed at many music festivals and other Bay Area venues, and is excited about the release of her first CD, a compilation of Yiddish theater music, art songs, folk opera and more.

Beit R'Fuah - Monthly Potluck
Wednesday, May 14, 6:15 pm Beit Kehillah

For Those Coping With Mental Illness & Family & Friends

Beit R'fuah is a Jewish support group for those coping with mental illness and the family and friends who support them. The group also welcomes non-Beth Am members. Information: Jane Marcus

A Tribute to Ellen Lefkowitz
Community Potluck Dinner - Saturday, May 17, 6 pm, Beit Kehillah

Join us for a tribute to Ellen Lefkowitz, a beloved Educator at Beth Am for five years, where she has directed the Shabbaton and Hebrew Programs. At the end of June, Ellen will join the Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Foster City as Program Director for the pre-school.

Stay tuned for more details, but plan to come wish Ellen well at a community potluck dinner in her honor!

Hagigah Premier of The Magic Shul Bus
Beth Am Student Production - Social Hall

Sunday, May 18, 10:30 am, Social Hall

Admission is Free!

Why travel to New York or London to see an original musical production? That's right. . .here on the Beth Am stage, join students of our Youth Education Theater Program, Hagigah, as they sing and dance their way through time and place to Israel, in the premier of the Magic Shul Bus.

Parenting Discussions with Leah Reider - May 18
Sponsored by Parent Kesher, Beth Am's Parenting Association

NOTE DATE CHANGE:  SUNDAY, May 18, The Blessing of Self Control and Work: A Jewish Perspective on Discipline and Household Chores

9:15 to 10:15am, Beit Kehillah

After the Parenting Seminars last Fall, many people asked for an opportunity to continue the discussion. Join other parents of elementary school children this winter and spring to continue the conversation. This series of conversations will explore more deeply some of the chapters in Blessings for a Skinned Kn ee by clinical psychologist Wendy Mogel. Through this three-part series, we'll look at various ways that traditional Jewish teaching can help us to raise resilient, appreciative and self-reliant children in our modern world.

Leah Reider, one of the panelists from last Fall, has graciously agreed to facilitate these discussions. She is a social worker here in Palo Alto and has facilitated many groups on the subject of parenting and family life.

If you have questions about Parent Kesher or these events, email Parent Kesher.

Yad l'Yad - with Marilyn Schilling on How to Visit Somebody with Alzheimer's Disease - May 18

Sunday, May 18 , Beit Kehillah
1:30 - 2:30 (before the BAW Tea)

Yad l’Yad, conceived as a Chevra Bikur Cholim (Society for Visiting the Sick), provides communal support and inspiration for those engaged with visiting the sick. We do this especially by learning together: Yad l’Yad meetings are all learning events, and we alternate our focus between religious and practical topics. Most recently Rabbi Zweiback guided us through a chapter of Tractate Nedarim (Vows) from the Talmud, which is sprinkled with provocative statements about visiting the sick. Yad l’Yad was inspired by a Toledot class where the concept of Chevra Bikur Cholim was introduced as the class engaged in its own chavruta (learning together) about honoring aging parents.

This month our speaker is Marilyn Schilling.  Marilyn facilitates a support group and helpline for caregivers for the Alzheimer's Association of Northern California.

Information: http://yadlyad.org or contact Lisa Whitmore at (650) 599-9458.

Save the Date! Beth Am Women Y.E.S. Tea
Honoring Women Who Make a Difference

SUNDAY, May 18, 3:00 pm, Social Hall - RSVP by May 12 - Click here to download an RSVP form.

Donation - $20

Join Beth Am Women as we honor five women in the Congregation for their contributions in the areas of Youth, Education and Service. A special theme of the event is Israel at 60 and projects in Israel supported by the Y.E.S. Fund.  Beth Am women board members will also be installed.

This year, Beth Am Women recognizes Carole Katz (youth), Rachel Tasch (education), and Stephanie Hannaford, Marlene Levenson and Chris Taich (service).

Carole Katz has worked with B'nai Mitzvah students in the Ecumenical Hunger Program's meal service, coordinating Beth Am's involvement in the project. Rachel Tasch is a lay leader of Shabbaton and co-chair of the Education Steering Committee, and was involved in launching the Gan Ami Early Childhood Program and Parent Kesher.

As a member of the Adult Learning Council, Stephanie Hannaford has helped set up the Asilomar retreat, Selichot services and other adult learning programs; she has co-chaired the High Holy Days Committee and produced BAW's monthly cyberletter, its web page and countless flyers. Marlene Levenson, long active in the local and national Jewish community, is co-chair of the Membership/Community Committee and a member of the URJ Committee on Jewish Family Concerns, and has led workshops at beth Am. Chris Taich is co-chair of Yad l'Yad, Beth Am's program for visiting the infirm; she has chaired the Chavurah and Outreach Committees, and facilitated bereavement and illness support groups.

Information: Patty Ortenberg.

B'nai Mitzvah Parent Orientation Meeting
Thursday, May 22, 7:00 pm, Beit Kehillah

Very Important for First-Time B'nai Mitzvah Families with Celebrations in 2009

If this is the first time, as a family, you will experience Bar or Bat Mitzvah, then this meeting will have very important information for you and your child who will become Bar/Bat Mitzvah from January through December 2009.

 

In this meeting you will learn about the B’nai Mitzvah process including training sessions with tutors, meetings with the cantor, meetings with rabbi(s) and any special needs issues.  You will also hear about Tikkun Olam projects and alternative party options.  You will also receive the Beth Am B’nai Mitzvah Manual and a copy of the book, Putting God on the Guest List, by Jeffrey Salkin.

 

The Parent Orientation Meeting will be in the Beit Kehillah, Thursday, May 22nd at 7:00 p.m. Please be sure to RSVP to Linda or call 650-493-4661, ext. 207, to let us know if you will attend.

Lab B'omer - Softball with the Rabbis vs the Community
Sunday, May 25, 3 pm, Greer Park in Palo Alto

Last year the rabbis and Jewish professionals of greater Palo Alto challenged the community to a Lag B’omer softball game. The rabbis and Jewish professionals won. Convincingly. Another challenge has been made.

If you’d like to play, contact the coach of the “Jews,” Larry Mitchell, at larrysbabysafety@gmail.com. A kosher bar-b-que will follow the game.

Beit R'Fuah - NAMI Walk, Saturday, May 31, 11 am, San Francisco
For Those Coping With Mental Illness & Family & Friends

Beit R'fuah invites Beth Am members to walk with them in Golden Gate Park in the NAMIWalk (National Alliance on Mental Illness), which raises money and awareness for advocacy, research, education and support programs. For the second year in a row, the beit R'fuah mental health support group will sponsor a team.

For details about joining the team or sponsoring participation with a contribution to NAMI, visit the team website.

Beit R'fuah is a Jewish support group for those coping with mental illness and the family and friends who support them. The group also welcomes non-Beth Am members. Information: Jane Marcus.

Gift of Israel Savings Program
Enrollment for Families of 3rd and 7th Graders

Enrollment Deadline: SATURDAY, May 31

The Gift of Israel Savings Program is a special savings account to be used for a teen trips to Israel after 10th grade. Funds in the account grow through annual contributions made by the family, Beth Am, and Jewish Community Federation.

This program begins when children are in either 3rd or 7th grade. The deadline to open an account this year in your child’s name is May 31. For more information, please contact Julie Roston.

Save the Date! Honoring Rabbi Josh!
Celebrate Rabbi Josh Zweiback's 10th Anniversary at Beth Am

FRIDAY, June 6, 6:15 pm Service, Sanctuary

Festive Oneg to follow - Bring a dessert to share.

Live the text that says “worship God in gladness” by joining our congregation and Tizmoret, the instrumental group founded by Rabbi Josh, at Shabbat evening services on Friday, June 6. Dr. Michael Zeldin, Director of the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at HUC- JIR, Los Angeles, will be our special guest in honor of Rabbi Josh, and will speak at services that night. Rabbi Ken Chasen, senior rabbi at Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles, member of the musical group Mah Tovu, and close friend of Rabbi Zweiback’s, will also attend this celebration. A festive oneg, including live music, will follow the service. We will provide drinks and appetizers, and we invite you to bring a dessert to share.

 

Congregation Beth Am has been blessed by the talents, energy and dedication of Rabbi Josh Zweiback since 1998. Read on to find out how you can help acknowledge this significant milestone and show Rabbi Josh your appreciation for the many gifts he brings to us all. A teacher of text is worthy of a gift of text! Help create a commentary book for Rabbi Josh by reflecting on one or both of these texts, which Rabbi Josh has identified as guiding his work:

“It is a great mitzvah to always be happy.” — Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav “Worship God in gladness; come into God’s presence with shouts of joy.” — Psalms100:2

Please write a paragraph about how Rabbi Josh has impacted you and our congregation, what the text means to you, or how you think Rabbi Josh exemplifies the text. Submit to yoshibook@betham.org no later than May 12, with “Yoshi book” in the subject line. Consider tzedakah in Rabbi Josh’s name. Judaism includes the great tradition of giving tzedakah in someone’s honor. If you would like to honor Rabbi Josh by giving tzedakah in his name, consider donating to one of these organizations:

 

1. Costaño School Project—a project sponsored by Beth Am Men, the Tzedek Council and the East Palo Alto Kids Foundation (spearheaded by Rabbi Josh) in support of literacy and reading skills at the school and the school’s library. Checks payable to Congregation Beth Am with Costaño School Project on the memo line. Click here for more information.

 

2. Kavod—a volunteer-run tzedakah collective started by Rabbi Josh, www. kavod.org for more info. Checks payable to Kavod, 8914 Farnam Court, Omaha, NE, 68114-4076.

 

3. Rabbi Zweiback’s Discretionary Fund—to be used for creative musical and educational programming. Checks payable to Congregation Beth Am with Rabbi Zweiback’s Fund on the memo line.

Celebrate Our Adult B'Not Mitzvah
Four Women Exploring Torah

SATU RDAY, June 7, 10:30 a.m., Sanctuary

Kiddush Lunch following Service, Social Hall

 

On June 7 the Adult B’not Mitzvah class will celebrate the culmination of two years of intense

learning and community building. Join us to help celebrate four women’s incredible achievement

as they proudly lead the Shabbat Morning service.

Barbara Levinson, Laurie Pritchard, Juliet Whinston, and Jennifer Wolfeld have been working

hard, learning Hebrew, attending Torah Study, and exploring liturgy and Modern Jewish Thought under the guidance of Cantor Lauren Bandman. The four also completed Tikkun Olam projects: knitting baby blankets and hats for hospitals, guiding potential converts, feeding the hungry, and tutoring readers.

 

The Adult B’not Mitzvah class is a wonderful enriching experience that is open to any adult in the Congregation who has never had the chance to become Bar or Bat Mitzvah. A new class will convene in the fall and will be taught by our Cantor Emerita, Kay Greenwald. Contact Jessica Rosenberg at jrosenberg@betham.org for more information.

 

Please bring a dessert to share at the Kiddush Lunch.

Visit Israel with Your Beth Am Community

June 16-30, 2008:  Beth Am Family Trip to Israel
June-July, 2008:  NFTY Summer Trip for Teens

Israel turns 60 this year and we need you to help celebrate!

There will be three opportunities to visit Israel with Beth Am community and staff in 2008.

June 16-30, 2008:  Beth Am Family Trip to Israel - Registration Deadline December 21
Interested in learning about the current situation in Israel from a noted expert? Want to learn more about next summer's family trip to Israel?

Over 40 Beth Am congregants participated in this summer's family Israel trip led by Rabbi Josh Zweiback. Educator Ellen Lefkowitz joined the group for the last week of touring. Highlights included a camel ride in the Negev desert, a sunrise hike to the top of Masada, swimming in the Dead Sea, h iking in Ein Gedi, a moonlight cruise of the Sea of Galilee, soaking up the mystical energy in Tzfat, and five glorious days in Jerusalem. Sign ups for next summer's adventure, June 16-30, 2008, are underway. For more information or to reserve your space, please contact Rabbi Zweiback.

June-July, 2008:  NFTY Summer Trip for Teens

Beth Am teens are invited to join the NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth) Israel trip with Reform Jewish teens, which usually leaves in late June and goes through July.

Join a Chavurah Today! Discover New Friends in Our Community!

Chavurah (from the Hebrew word meaning friend) is a social connection for singles, couples with or without children, seniors, parents without partners, empty nesters, and long standing or recently affiliated members.

New chavurot are forming now with the yearly kick-off being held in November.  Sign up online or ask for an application at the Beth A office. Chav__rah. The only thing missing is "U."

A Chavurah is a small group of Temple members who come together on a regular basis to share in the experiences of synagogue and Jewish communal life.  There are currently 28  groups which meet about once each month to share social, cultural, religious, family and holiday occasions together.  Some of these groups have been meeting for 25 years or more and the interpersonal relationships that have been formed are as close as family.  But let a few Chavurah members tell their own story.

From Joe Podolsky, of blessed memory, a member of a long established Chavurah:  Our Chavurah is the extended family many of us left back east.  In health and sickness, in joy and struggle, in birth and death, we have been together, each event adding to the strength of enduring relationships. One of the many joys of our Chavurah is that we are now sharing the lives and life cycles of the next generation.  Beth Am has always been a sanctuary, a meeting place and a school. Our Chavurah has given us a home.

And from Francine Gordon, a member of a relatively new Chavurah, comes this response: I purposely joined Beth Am  to join a Chavurah and such a group we are.  We meet at least once a month to attend services (and eat) or go to a concert (and eat) or see a movie (and eat) or just to eat.  And talk. Oy-do we talk.  Our gatherings always leave me smiling and energized.

Ann DeHovitz belongs to a Chavurah made up of families with young children.  Our Chavurah was formed 14 years ago when we were all new members just beginning our families.  We are now made up of six families with 13 children. Over the years we have become like extended family.  We have supported each other through difficult times and celebrated countless holiday and simchas.  Each fall we plan the year's activities, which include holiday get togethers, adult evenings and family outings.  Being part of a Chavurah has enriched our lives and strengthened our connection to Beth Am.  We are grateful to Beth Am for bringing us all together and we highly recommend the experience to others.

Let next Chanukah be the first that you celebrate with your new Chavurah.  Download a Chavurah application on the Beth Am website (www.betham.org) or call the office. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Chavurah Committee member Janice Weinman at (408) 253-8376 or Debbie Coutant at (650) 493-4661. 

Rabbi Akselrad Memoir Available

Lishma: For His Name's Sake--The Life and Times of Rabbi Sidney Akselrad

Rabbi Sidney Akselrad's memoir is available at Amazon.com and bookstores nationwide.

May Tzedakah Box
Providing Emergency Relief for the People of Burma

Due to the crisis in Burma, we have changed May's Tzedaka box to provide emergency relief for the people of Burman through the American Jewish World Service Rapid Relief Fund.

 

AJWS is providing rapid relief funding to communities hit by the storm, particularly in the Irrawaddy River Delta. The Beth Am community is mobilizing to support this relief effort.

The death toll from Cyclone Nargis, which hit Burma this weekend, has topped 22,000. Almost 40,000 people are reported as missing, thousands are homeless and many more have been injured in the aftermath of the devastation. In the delta coast, particularly the Irrawaddy region, 95 percent of homes have been destroyed. Given the latest reports, this could be the world's deadliest natural disaster since the tsunami of 2004, which killed 181,000 along the coastlines of Indonesia, Thailand and other parts of Asia. The combination of flooding, collapsed roads, landslides, and the destruction of much of the country's already-poor infrastructure is hampering rescue efforts.

American Jewish World Service has been making grants focused on Burma since 2002 and has long-standing partnerships with organizations on the eastern and northern borders of the country. AJWS is providing rapid relief funding to communities hit by the storm, particularly in the Irrawaddy River Delta. The Beth Am community is mobilizing to support this relief effort -- please give generously.

 

A check (payable to Congregation Beth Am) may also be mailed to the office as follows: Congregation Beth Am, Attn: Tzedaka Boxes, 26790 Arastradero Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022.

 

Congregation Beth Am
26790 Arastradero Rd
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
Phone: 650-493-4661
Email: Info@betham.org

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