category archive

  Candle lighting time for Friday, February 3, 2012, 5:16 p.m.

1. (14:15-18) God tells Moses that He will save Israel; they will cross the sea on dry land.
2. (14:19-25) The splitting of the sea.  The Israelites pass through safely.  The Egyptians pursue them into the sea.
3. (14:26-31) At God’s command, Moses stretches his hand forth over the sea; its waters close up again, and the pursuing Egyptians are drowned.
4. (15:1-21) The Song at the Sea, sung to God in praise and thanksgiving.
5. (15:22-26) The continuation of the journey; the bitter waters at Marah.
6. (15:27-16:10) The encampment at Elim; God feeds the Israelites with manna and quail.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Hadashot Religious School – On announcement page on WIKI

On Sale Now – Queen Esther’s Kitchen

Donations Needed for Purim Silent Auction

Click Here for MishloahManot Exchange order forms  

Mitzvah a Month

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, March 10: Beth David Hamantaschen Ball - 7:00 – 11:00 p.m. RSVP

UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, February 3: Hagigat Noar Celebration of Youth – 6:30 p.m.

Friday, February 3: Family-Friendly Shabbat Supper – 7:00 p.m. RSVP

Saturday, February 4: Board Installation and Volunteer Appreciation Shabbat – 9:30 a.m.

Saturday, February 4: Ask the Rabbi - after Shabbat Kiddush lunch (about 1:30 p.m.)

Saturday, February 4: 2nd Annual Talent Show Benefit for Jews’ Next Dor - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 4: Sausy Sato Sleepover – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, February 5: Social Action Meeting – email Bryan Ferguson for address – 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, February 5: Jewish Families Group Brunch and Planning Meeting – 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Sunday, February 5: Men’s Club Super Bowl Party – 2:30 p.m.

Monday, February 6: Beginning Hebrew for FSU Emigres – 2:00 p.m.

Monday, February 6: Three Short Books of the Bible - 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 7: Musical Minyan – 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 8: Intermediate Hebrew – 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday, February 8: Beginning Hebrew - 11:45 a.m.

Thursday, February 9: Parent and Me Program: Thursday Rompers (1 – 2 year olds) – 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Thursday, February 9: Parent and Me Prorgram: Thursday Crawlers (Infants) – 11:00 a.m. - Noon

Thursday, February 9: CBD Membership Committee Meeting – 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 11: Jewish Book Discussion Group - at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, February 12: “Calling Gabbaim” Camp for Past and Prospective Gabbaim - 10: 00 am. – 12:00 p.m.

 Thursday, February 16: Career Chavurah - 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

 Saturday, February 18: Donor Shabbat – 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 18: Shabbat Afternoon Torah Discussion - 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 21: Conversations in Jewish Learning: The Kabbalah of Creativity - 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.

 Friday, February 24: Wine? Cheese? Shabbat? Why Not? – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 25: Sausy Chopped – Candy Edition  email for more information – 8:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, February 26: “Pointing Gabbaim” Camp for Past and Prospective Gabbaim – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

 Sunday, February 26: Mah Jongg Tournament – 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, February 26: Jews’ Next Dor Hamantaschen Baking - 1:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 4: Purim Sing-Along and Carnival - 11:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 7: Family Purim Celebration – 6:15 p.m.

Daily Minyan – Sunday 9:30 am & Monday – Thursday 7:00 p.m.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Tuesday, February 7, “Love the Earth and Eat Healthy!” – A Joyous Celebration of Tu B’Shevat - 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, February 21, PJ Library Presents: Trees, Trees, Trees - 4:00 – 5:15 p.m.

When Do We Eat? is a dysfunctional-family comedy about the world’s fastest Seder gone horribly awry.

In celebration of the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shevat, the “Birthday of the Trees,” The PJ Library® is collaborating with Our City Forest to help children ages 3-7 learn how trees grow and how people take care of them.

Participate in the joyous Purim custom of sending greetings and treats!

Program Open to the Community Parents Included

Join Rabbi Ohriner to explore what Judaism teaches regarding heaven.

What Does it Mean to Be a Jew? READ THIS TO FIND OUT!

Dear friends,

Two weeks ago I wrote to you with a link to a poem written and recited by Andrew Lustig entitled “What it Means to be a Jew.” I was impressed by Lustig’s work and perceived it as an invitation to respond. So did many of you! Below are selections of poetry and prose written by Beth David congregants about what being Jewish means to them.  I was truly moved by the responses I received, and they helped me focus my own thoughts.

There are commonalities in much of what our fellow Beth David members wrote about what it means to be a Jew: shared values, mutual obligation, common tradition, cohesive community, interconnectedness, culture, struggle, history, memory, Israel, and Hebrew. These similarities reflect the underlying purpose of belonging to a group people, sharing an ethnicity, and adopting a particular religion as a way of life. Fundamentally, Jews share in a covenantal relationship with God exemplified through the performance of mitzvot. We all feel an obligation to Jewish community and also understand the necessity of our role as Jews in the larger world. However, being Jewish is also a quite personal experience. We each live out the hallmark features of Jewish existence differently. Just as no moment can be experienced by two people in exactly the same way, being Jewish cannot be experienced by two Jews in the same way. (As we all know, two Jews experience Judaism in three ways!) This is an obvious fact of life and reality. However, the panoply of ways Jews define what it means to be Jewish reflects another facet of Jewishness worth sharing.

In his epic work, Man is Not Alone, Heschel writes: “Judaism is a theology of the common deed…dealing not so much with the training for the exceptional, as with the management of the trivial. The predominant feature in the Jewish pattern of life is unassuming, inconspicuous, piety…Thus, the purpose seems to be to ennoble the common, to endow worldly things with hieratic beauty; to attune the comparative to the absolute, to associate the detail with the whole, to adapt our own being with its plurality, conflicts, and contradictions to the all-transcending unity, to the holy (p. 271).”

In essence, being Jewish is dramatically different for each of us because Judaism’s predominant focus is on the quotidian moments in our lives. The essence of Judaism is not about liminal moments in lifecycle events or awe-inspiring Yom Kippur experiences or even about the rockin’ Passover seder you have every year. Rather, our Jewishness is best observed in how we approach the normal, unremarkable moments in life. Being Jewish is about how we eat and sleep, how we spend our free time, how we interact with our friends and family. Being Jewish is about how we think about war and peace, justice and freedom, love, friendship, sexuality, and history. Being Jewish is about acting Jewishly in every moment of every day in every situation.

This is why being Jewish is a different experience for every Jewish person. Each of us lives a different life from one another. Furthermore, we all let Judaism into our lives to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore, our experience of what it means to be Jewish varies. However, the tie that binds us together as a people is the perspective through which we approach our varying daily routines. Being a Jew is about elevating each moment, interaction, word, and deed from the sublunary to the holy. Being a Jew is about imbuing the quotidian with meaning and purpose. Being a Jew is about enacting God’s will and bringing God’s presence more fully into our world to the greatest extent possible. For me, this is the central element of what it means to be a Jew.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Philip Ohriner

What it Means to be a Jew—Gary Nankin

Being a Jew means being part of a story that tests everyone’s imagination. Is it rational that such a small People survived more than three millennia while other much larger and more physically domineering civilizations have become extinct? How can we explain our existence in the face of incredible adversity with so many powerful enemies who have aggressively sought to destroy us? The fact that Jews have not only survived, but also thrived to impact the world so disproportionately to our numbers raises countless questions about our secret sauce.

The answers lie in our strong foundation.  Notwithstanding our challenges, being Jewish is far more of a gift than a burden.  Our identity goes hand in hand with the ideal and most important values that we have contributed to civilized society: family, social justice, compassion, charity, education, etc.  The legacy of the Jewish experience is our treasure, but carries with it a special obligation for each of us to play our part to make the world a better place.

Our continuity has depended and will depend upon our ability and willingness to live up to our responsibility to teach and inspire our children and next generations about the richness of our history and our heritage.  Only by perpetuating our tradition to retell our story can we continue to thrive as a People, enabling Jews, individually and collectively, to follow the path of our ancestors who moved from slavery to freedom. We are all still enslaved in our own ways, so this is an ongoing mission.

The kinship that we have with each other, as Jews, is enhanced because of our common destinies. We are guided by the central theme that we are created in the image of God; the more we live our lives accordingly, the greater will be our sense of fulfillment, as Jews and as human beings, and our contribution to the world.  In the Torah, it is written: “I call heaven and earth to witness you today: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life”; our tradition sends a clear message that every action we take from birth to death matters, as we strive for tikkun olam.

Today, particularly in America, internal threats to Jewish continuity are more dangerous than external ones. Jews here can affirm or ignore their identity, so we must consistently answer the question “Why be Jewish” to current and future generations. The Jewish world has changed so quickly in many of our lifetimes as we have seen the renaissance of Jewish sovereignty in the State of Israel and the re-awakening of Jewish life in the former Soviet Union. As Israel is so central to our continuity and sense of connection and purpose, and its future existence is not assured, we can take nothing for granted, so we must “Stand With Israel”, regardless of our individual political views.

Finally, Judaism thrives by creating a sense of connectedness like having an enormous extended family.  In our individual ways, we can ideally use our incredible history, tradition, and teachings to infuse spirituality into our daily lives.  By doing so, we can not only strive for personal redemption, but we can also uplift humankind with the moral and ethical principles that are at the core of our being.  This is the essence of our Covenant, providing all of the valuable tools we need to deal with the complexity and hectic nature of modern life.

Judaism is—Aaron Nankin

Judaism is the space between God and humanity where we strive to be

teetering back and forth as if each Jewish life was a drawn out Kedushah

Judaism is a framework that shapes extraordinary lives

breathing godliness into lungs

forging selfless fingers and hands onto arms

and molding holy language that can inspire nations

Judaism is patience, and understanding that long term gain is all about evolution not just creation

Judaism is gold, not the color but the value, a precious stone which needs to be discovered, mined, melted down, and delicately carved into an intricate masterpiece

Judaism is more than a stale bagel left to harden after Sunday brunch

It is the cream cheese, spread with ease, like an ancient breeze on the Dead Sea

It is the porcelain god, just kidding, it is that herring and cod, mashed together into an abhorrent ball to create an ancient staple we call Gefilte Fish

Judaism are the principles, on which a people so mighty and resilient, holy and brilliant have been built

It is loving thy self, thy mother, thy father, thy wealth, not money but health, not honey alone, but milk as well

Judaism is community glue

it is me

it is you

it is that child in the Alum Rock School District who is beaten by his father and is reading 3 grade levels below average

it is the brilliant Biomechanical Engineer studying robotic arm design to save lives in East Africa

It is the professor whose paper on Alzheimers will shake the foundation of societal mental decay

It is the mental wrestling match I experience each time I make a difficult decision on how to conduct a holy life

a decision which sometimes has me pinned on the mat for days, months, even years

struggling with all my might to roll over, praying the referee won’t blow his whistle

It is Broken Glass on KristalNacht, and Broken Glass of joyous marriages

It is a clumpy alphabet soup containing acronyms like BBYO, JDC, ADL, YAD, AEPI, AIPAC and USY

It is Amare Stodamire’s appearance on Shalom Sesame,

Jon Stewarts wit pointing out truth using comedy

Rick Recht’s lyrics uniting a thousand Campers in song

it is Adam Sandler from Don’t Mess with the Zohan

It is this poem, it is all poems, and it lies within the absence of poetry

Where unlikely beauty is hidden

What It Means to Be Jewish—Jeanette Lerner

What is means to be Jewish is having an identity, a core set of values, a feeling of belonging and sense of pride.  A rich history giving me the basis for the above.   I love being Jewish.

What It Means to Me to Be Jewish—Len Jacobson

To feel pride when something good happens to or because of a Jewish person (or because I perceive the person is Jewish)

To feel sadness or shame when something bad happens to or because of a Jewish person

To feel the warm, nostalgic feelings I feel when I remember the holidays with my grandfather, hoping he would call on me to read part of the Hagaddah , sitting in shul on Yom Kippur when he would daven the Mincha service, and remembering the huge smile on his face on the day of my Bar Mitzvah when I looked down at him from the bimah

To feel enormous pride when they talk about the proportion of Nobel Peace Prizes awarded to Jews around the world

To be struck incredulous at the unfair, illogical treatment that Israel receives in the world community

To be outraged when the world demands that Israel return one inch of land that it won in war, when the entire span of recorded history shows no other case of a victorious nation having the same demand placed upon it

And to not even know the words to use to explain my complete outrage when some will declare that Israel has no right to exist

To feel pain when I listen to the words of a song, written and performed by a young Israeli girl, Yedidah Freilach – she says:

רק לישראל אין זכות להגן,

כי מדם יהודי העולם מתעלם.

Only Israel has no right to defend itself,

Because the world ignores the blood of the Jew.

To love the idea that our children speak Hebrew

To feel enormous pride that our younger son, David, is the president of his shul, that he and his wife keep a kosher home (even though we do not), that he goes twice a month to the maximum security federal penitentiary in their town to lead Jewish services for the Jewish inmates, that his children know beyond a doubt that they are Jewish

To feel joy that our older son, Danny, and his wife light candles every Friday night (even when we are not with them!!), that the first word I ever heard their younger daughter say was מוצץ (pacifier) and the second word she said to me was סבא (Grandpa).  (Not to exaggerate this – the rest of the words were all in English.)

To brag to anyone within earshot about the Hadassah Medical Organization and how my wife was the President of the Northern California region and how she devotes so much time to Hadassah.

To realize that I have a need to let people know that I am Jewish in the most subtle or unsubtle ways within minutes of meeting them.

Andrew Lustig’s poem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJe0uqVGZJA&feature=youtu.be

Putting wisdom first, but giving wit the last word.

  Candle lighting time for Friday, January 27, 2012, 5:09 p.m.

1. (11:4-10) Moses announces the tenth plague to Pharaoh, and the slaying of all the first-born of Egypt, but God hardens Pharaoh’s heart and he does not respond to this final ultimatum.
2. (12:1-13) The Passover sacrifice in Egypt. The Israelites are commanded to take a lamb, slaughter it on the 14th of Nisan, at twilight, mark the doorposts of their houses with its blood, and eat the lamb on the eve of the 15th. On that same night, God struck down all the first-born of Egypt.
3. (12:14-20) Passover for the generations: The Israelites are commanded to observe this festival, the 15th of Nisan, for all time. For the entire seven days of the festival they shall not eat, or even possess, any leaven.
4. (12:21-28) Moses and Aaron convey the Passover commandments to the people.

A Lesson from One Letter
Rabbi Daniel Pressman 

Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: Toward midnight [or “around midnight”] I will go forth among the Egyptians, and every first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the first-born of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; and all the first-born of the cattle. (Exodus 11:4-5) 

Moses knew [the exact moment of midnight, so] why did he say “around midnight”?* Moses thought that Pharaoh’s astrologers might err and say, “Moses is a liar.” [Rashi: “Though I know how to determine the exact hour, they don’t know, and they might think it had arrived before it actually did, and the plague would not yet have begun, and so they would say ‘Moses is a liar.’ Therefore it is better to use the language of ‘I don’t know.’” For the Master said [that is, an anonymous Rabbi taught]: “Teach your tongue to say ‘I do not know,’ lest you be caught in a falsehood. (Talmud Berachot 4a) 

The essential point about this reading is the precariousness of truth. The slightest of time-gaps—an error of milliseconds in the Egyptian calculation of mean time—will give them grounds to belie Moses’ whole story. Although Moses, and certainly God, knows the precise moment of midnight, human language must engage with the approximations and not with the absolute. This is particularly true in speaking about time, where subjectivity is unavoidable. (In the narrative of the night of the plague of the firstborn, the word, ba-chatzi—”at exactly midnight” [12:29]—is used, to describe the absolute, divine measurement that is beyond human perception.) 

The point is paradoxical, because elsewhere…the thrust of the narrative has been to demonstrate the exact and publicly witnessed fulfillment of God’s foreshadowing, in time and place, and against all odds of improbability Here, a contrary movement is held in focus: there is no way of absolutely preventing or repudiating the subversive narratives of Egypt. Moses avoids an arrogant exactness of prediction; he adopts a modest skepticism, which in the Talmud becomes exemplary: “Teach your tongue to say, ‘I don’t know.’” This motif, of the low cognitive profile, counterpointing the precisely articulated foreshadowings at other moments in the drama, does read strangely, in the context of the most manifest redemption in Jewish history. The human modesty recommended here takes account of the narratives and probable mis-narratives of others. (Avivah Zornberg, The Particulars of Rapture: Reflections on Exodus)

There are people who take pleasure in finding fault with others. They are experts at finding inconsistencies in what people say and do. It is almost impossible to meet their standards. Just as the Egyptians were able to call Moshe a liar—an extreme term—for what they considered to be a mistake, so too faultfinders use strong language to condemn and belittle their victims. They do this either because they are perfectionists or as a means of gaining power. Living with such a person can cause suffering, especially for someone who is very sensitive. Such a person must learn to find the good in what others do. Even if he is not able to master that wonderful trait, he still needs to develop a sense of proportion. If a person does something which is basically right and proper, acknowledge this even if you do point out the errors that still remain. Realize there is always the possibility that you are making a mistake. Then you will be much more gentle when you correct others. Because of the harm caused by this negative tendency, it is crucial to work on overcoming it. (Zelig Pliskin, Growth Through Torah) 

*      The Hebrew says k’hatzot, with a kaf, rather than b’hatzot, with a bet, which would mean “at midnight.”

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Hadashot Religious School – On announcement page on WIKI

Volunteer to Help Bake for Purim

On Sale Now – Queen Esther’s Kitchen

Donations Needed for Purim Silent Auction

Mitzvah a Month

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, March 10: Beth David Hamantaschen Ball - 7:00 – 11:00 p.m. RSVP

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday, January 28: Wisdom and Witdom with Doug Brook: Ireland or Oyreland - after Shabbat Kiddush lunch (about 1:15 p.m.)

Sunday, January 29: Zimriya Song Festival Honoring Debbie Friedman – 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (note new start time)

Sunday, January 29: Jews’ Next Dor Winchester Mystery House – 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 29: Kadima Bagels and Board Games - 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 29: Women’s Voices – From Torah to Contemporary Israel - 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 1: Intermediate Hebrew – 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday, February 1: Beginning Hebrew - 11:45 a.m.

Wednesday, February 1: Habitat for Humanity Home Building Project Organizing Meeting - 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, February 2: Parent and Me Program: Thursday Rompers (1 – 2 year olds) – 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Thursday, February 2: Parent and Me Prorgram: Thursday Crawlers (Infants) – 11:00 a.m. - Noon

Thursday, February 2: Career Chavurah – 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Friday, February 3: Hagigat Noar Celebration of Youth – 6:30 p.m.

Friday, February 3: Family-Friendly Shabbat Supper – 7:00 p.m. RSVP

Saturday, February 4: Board Installation and Volunteer Appreciation Shabbat – 9:30 a.m.

Saturday, February 4: Ask the Rabbi - after Shabbat Kiddush lunch (about 1:30 p.m.)

Saturday, February 4: 2nd Annual Talent Show Benefit for Jews’ Next Dor - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 4: Sausy Sato Sleepover – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, February 5: Jewish Families Group Brunch and Planning Meeting – 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Sunday, February 5: Men’s Club Super Bowl Party - 2:30 p.m.

Monday, February 6: Beginning Hebrew for FSU Emigres – 2:00 p.m.

Monday, February 6: Three Short Books of the Bible - 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, February 9: CBD Membership Committee Meeting – 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 11: Jewish Book Discussion Group - at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, February 12: “Calling Gabbaim” Camp for Past and Prospective Gabbaim - 10: 00 am. – 12:00 p.m.

Sunday, February 12: Hazak – Crossing Delancey Street - 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 18: Donor Shabbat – 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, February 26: Mah Jongg Tournament – 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, February 26: Jews’ Next Dor Hamantaschen Baking - 1:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 4: Purim Sing-Along and Carnival - 11:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 7: Family Purim Celebration – 6:15 p.m.

Daily Minyan – Sunday 9:30 am & Monday – Thursday 7:00 p.m.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Monday, January 23: Dr. Deborah Lipstadt – The Eichmann Trial, National Jewish Book Award Finalist! – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 29: South Bay Teen Idol Auditions - 9:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 29: South Peninsula Hebrew Day School - 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Tuesday, January 31: Knitzvah a Mitzvah! - 3:45 – 4:45 p.m.

Thursday, February 2: The Sacred Table: Creating Jewish Food Ethic - 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 7, “Love the Earth and Eat Healthy!” – A Joyous Celebration of Tu B’Shevat - 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Rabbi Zamore presents a program discussing the intersection of Judaism and food, exploring the challenges of navigating personal and communal choices about eating.

Fun for the whole family! Come in costume! Wear crazy clothes and wild hair!

We will read aloud and then discuss two short stories from a collection edited by master storyteller Penninah Schram.

CBD Men and their families are invited to a potluck Super Bowl party at a private residence.

The Habitat for Humanity home building project in Cupertino is getting underway!

See three episodes from the award-winning Israeli TV comedy Ramzor (Traffic Light) about how friendships and romances enhance and complicate lives.

Kohen and Kohenet

Since I was ordained 38 years ago, one of the major developments in Conservative Judaism has been its transformation into a predominantly egalitarian movement. There is a spectrum of practices, but the overwhelming majority of Conservative congregations grant women equal roles in ritual practice, as well as rabbinic leadership. One remaining area has been puzzling to me, and after research and reflection, I am proposing a change in our practice. That is the status of women as Kohen and Levi in terms of synagogue honors.

First, let me note that Beth David has never insisted on only calling a Kohen and a Levi for the first two Aliyot. If we did, on Shabbatot when there is a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, we would not have flexibility in giving out the two congregational Aliyot. However, on other Shabbatot, we do try to fill the first two Aliyot with a Kohen and a Levi.

Over the years, women who are bat-kohen or bat-levi have asked that they be called to the Torah the same way as male kohanim and levi·im. I had felt that somehow these status issues were different from other matters of equality, since they trace back to specific roles in the Temple worship that were only taken by males. The question persisted, and so I looked to the decisions of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly, which is our authority on halakhah (Jewish law). There is a responsum (legal decision) from the committee that was written by Rabbi Joel Roth. Roth is one of our great experts in Jewish law and typically comes down on the stricter side. In this case, his research led him to conclude that female kohanim and levi·im should be given the same honors as males.

The discussion revolves around one key question: “whether the rights of the priests and Levites to the first two aliyot accrue to them by virtue of their general sanctity, or by virtue of their right to offer sacrifices on the altar. If we discover that their right is dependent on their sacrificial responsibilities, the daughters of kohanim are excluded from aliyot because they do not share any right to offer at the altar with their brethren. If we discover that their right is dependent upon their general sanctity, and not exclusively upon their rights to serve at the altar, we shall have to analyze whether the daughters of priests possess sanctity at all.”

Rabbi Roth then analyzes a wide variety of sources (the 14 page paper has 53 footnotes!) to show that a kohen or levi have their status not because of their roles in Temple sacrificial worship, but because of their lineage. He also presents sources that demonstrate that daughters of priests and Levites shared in some of their perquisites.

He concludes, “On the basis of the evidence adduced it seems reasonable and proper for the Law committee to decide that daughters of priests and Levites be accorded the same aliyot that are normally accorded to priests and Levites’. This should be the case whether they are single or married. Their status regarding being called to the torah should not be determined by the lineage of their husbands but by their own paternal lineage.”

Based on this, in my role as Mara D’atra (legal authority) for Congregation Beth David, I have decided that woman shall be called up as kohen and levi for the first two aliyot on those occasions when we are assigning those aliyot to a kohen or levi.

Links:

You can read Rabbi Roth’s paper on line: The Status of Daughters of Kohanim and Leviyim for Aliyot

Agenda

CBD Committee Minutes, 01/25/2012

Noten Yad Minutes
Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Chair:  Judy Holtzman
Scribe: Stephen Kinsey
Credential: Harvey Checkman
Reflection: TBD  

1. 7:30  Welcome
2. Introductions
3. Reflection: Rabbi Pressman
4. Credential: Matt Hammer
5. Members Present: Ina Checkman, Harvey Checkman, Judy Holtzman, Rabbi Pressman, Matt Hammer, Stephen Kinsey, Barbara Green
6. 7:45 Action Item: Review of recent multi-LOC meeting; agenda for meeting with elected officials.
   1. Harvey to discuss council meetings he attended. Today meet with San Jose City Council People Nancy Pyle and Sam Licardo re Community Block Grants being allocated on Senior issue. The meetings were cordial but forward progress concerning Senior issues was not apparent. There is another potential meeting with Councilman Pete Constance  Supervisors Liz Kniss and George Shirakawa also need to be approached.  Judy Holtzman said we need to also look at the other cities throughout Santa Clara County concerning Senior issues.
   2. Perhaps Matt can also give us a perspective of what these meetings are like and how to best communicate with the officials.
   3. Judy is hoping to have update from Bev DeKoven about who is attending the meetings and if there is already an agenda set by the Aging Collaborative Services.
7. 8:20 Philosophical Item: Two or more sides to every issue- more information needed Postponded.
8. 8:30 Review our materials for the CBD Executive Board Meeting on Jan 11^th.  Add the change to the disclaimer on the PACT website that our congregation was instrumental in instituting.
9. 8:50 Planning for next meeting — Chair: Ina  Scribe: Stephen  Credential: Judy      Reflection: Ina
10. January 17^th next multi-LOC meeting at the PACT office  @ 7:30 p.m.
11. Evaluation: Continued progress was evident from our discussion.
12. 9:00 Adjournment

Program Meeting Minutes 1/11/12
What: Hamantashchen Ball committee meeting
When: Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2012 7:30-8:45 PM
Where: Rita Schlosser’s home
Attending: Carol Osofsky, Felicia and Michael Shaffer, Cheryl Graubart, Rita Schlosser

Agenda:

• · Publicity
• · Dancing lessons prior to party
• · Havdalah?
• · Fund raiser
• · Decorations
• · Food & Beverages
• · “Prom” Photos?

Budget sketch (Adjusted)

Publicity: Cheryl reported that the event will be posted on the CBD website and tickets will be sold for $25 per person on the website (billed to Member’s accounts). The tickets will be priced at the lower rate until March 5^th so we can get a more accurate headcount, then they will go up to $30 per person. The party information will be posted in the Shabbat Bulletin, the D’Var, CBD’s website, the Federation’s e-news and the J. Michael had talked about getting the news out to the Russian community. Rita previously suggested that we put a flyer up at the Jerusalem Grill. *Action Owner: Rita will ask the CBD office about getting an email “Blast” out to the congregation so people can save the date.

Dance lessons: Carol suggested that Kim, who teaches at the JCC might want to do some lessons. Michael Herman had suggested that Donna Frankel might want to have a brief dance lesson during the Ball to teach and to promote her potential Israeli dance class that she would like to hold at CBD. Conclusion: Dance lessons would detract from the party and getting full value of the band, we voted against having them.

Havdalah: Michael Schaffer brought up the point that Rabbi may want to have Havdalah ceremony prior to the party, to mark the transition from Shabbat. Discussion ensued, conclusion was that having a ceremony in the Social Hall would be impractical for the set up, perhaps it could be done in the CBD Lobby. The Rabbi should be consulted to find out his view. *Action Owner: Rita will ask Rabbi Pressman.

Fundraiser: Have a ”Drawing for Prizes”, selling tickets to “win”. Cheryl suggested that three bottles of liquor could be the prizes. Michael S. suggested that Royal Liquors might donate them. All donations would be acknowledged on the table and letters from CBD acknowledgeing the donation would be sent. Goods and Services and Silent Auction was discussed and dismissed for these reasons: It would compete with Sisterhood’s fundraiser from the Purim Party and it takes a great deal of energy to set up the items. Pam Werba sets them up for Hillel Pillars events, she would be a good person to consult for a future event, per Carol.

Photos: Should we as a volunteer to take “prom photos?” Response: There was no interest at the present time.

Membership Meeting, 1,12,2012 

Our meeting on Jan 12 2012 was attended by:

1. Bob Torczyner

2. Cheryl Graubart

3. Andrea Ammerman

4. Bryan Ferguson

5. Alex Baskind

6. Shelley Timmins

7. Donna Frankel

8. Michael Herman

The following were discussed:

1. Bryan Ferguson described the many activities planned by his Social Action group at Beth David.   These include:

    a. Volunteer efforts to help Habitat for Humanities, who is building 4 homes in Cupertino.  This will likely be sometime between June and September 2012.  The work is a long duration project, probably spanning years, and can use help from people from age 17 up. 

    b. Rotating Shelter (Ronnie Gordon) to house about a dozen men, at Beth David in the Multi-Purpose room at the end of the Religious School, during the month of June 2012.  This activity was not held last year due, but had been held for many years before last year.

    c. Feed the Homeless (Judy Levin leading this).  Working with the EHA Emergency Housing Authority.

    d. Saratoga Serves.  City of Saratoga faith organizations working together to provide training to those in need.  Beth David has in the past made up activity kits for the “Sunday Friends” effort, to keep children entertained and occupied while their parents receive training. 

    e. Bryan did not think his group needs additional funds to carry out the work they have planned. 

2. Cheryl Graubart described two important things:

   a. An extensive writeup and CD with all contact, plans, and notes about holding the Purim Carnival.  MHH is to work with Charles Adelberg to get this organized… ASAP.   And this needs additional volunteers to handle various aspects of this large event. 

   b. Described the plans unfolding for a Humantashen Ball, to be held at Beth David, the Saturday night March 10th. 

   c. Next step seems to be establishing a good way to SELL TICKETS!  

       We need about 150 people to reach break even on this event (75 couples), with prices of $25 per person. 

3. Shelley Timmins and Bob Torczyner described ideas to kick off a “Game Night” at Beth David.

   We discussed various games that might work (including ones new to me like: Apples to Apples). 

   We also discussed CBD ideas to add games to some Friday Night shabbats.. still being considered by the rabbis at Beth David.

   We also discussed the fact that Reform synagogues get lots of turnout on Friday nights but not on Saturdays, while Beth David is the other way around.  (MHH joked that we hold Reform services on Friday night and get the best of both worlds.)

   We also discussed how to get events on the CBD calendar – and the answer is: Contact Lynn Crocker (her email is on the CC list)

   We also discussed whether to charge anything for Games Night … and considered no charge for CBD members and $5 for non-members (to give CBD members a sense that their membership has an additional value). 

   MHH urged Shelley and Bob to just pull the trigger – and hold an event or two.  Then modify the plans to reflect what actually happens and who shows up…   {At an earlier meeting, Alex Lazer had suggested that he loves to play chess – and so does MHH – but these kind of intense games may not be very social!}

4. Donna Frankel commented that she would freely give her time in teaching some dance classes at Beth David, with the stipulation that people will come to know of other fee-based classes she is giving elsewhere.  This is a great idea, and Donna is quite an asset.  (Who knows, I may not  have two left feet after all?!).  She also mentioned that she coaches brides and grooms how to dance before their wedding day, and Shelley may have need of this important social service before his upcoming marriage!

5. Alex Baskind had many important observations about how to get Israeli families to become interested in Beth David. 

   We reviewed the understanding that Israeli families can either be strongly Orthodox, or strongly Secular, and in both cases not attracted to the Conservative nature of Beth David.  He also mentioned that many like Chabad because all discussions and services are in Hebrew, while ours are in English. 

   Yet, Alex and his family, and about a dozen other Israeli families, do attend Beth David services and are members.  The real question is how to meet with these families and solicit their comments and opinions about what they find beneficial about membership at Beth David – and get that message out to the Israeli community for consideration. 

   Another good idea that Alex had was to contact the Israeli Embassy (Ms Shuly Galili is involved in that), and ensure that they tell Israelis who they contact know that Beth David is interested in their membership and friendship. 

   Another good idea was to contact the major companies (Intel, Google, etc) and have their HR departments let new employees know about Beth David as a prospective place they may choose to come for worship. 

   Alex made one more observation that needs discussion – he says that our Torah readings often do  not match Israeli Hebrew pronunciation and that even he has trouble understanding what is being chanted.  I think Alex should become a Hebrew instructor – if he ever stops working so hard in the semiconductor business!!!

At that, we reached 9PM and we adjourned.  

________________________________

I thank everyone for giving their time and effort to drive over to Beth David and meeting with us all. 

I think everyone has some action items – but the Purim Carnival planning seems urgent to me.  Cheryl has well considered plans for the Hamantashen Ball.  Bryan seems to have his area under control too.   Shelley and Bob will contact Lynn to get some calendar dates.

Our next meeting will be next month, 2nd Thursday, or Feb 9th… 7:30PM classroom 2 (as usual).

(I also need to buy the RS a WhitePaper presentation tablet… !)

Best regards,

Michael Herman, Membership VP

Ritual Committee Meeting
December 21, 2011

Ritual Committee meeting was held 21 December, 2011. The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss “lessons learned” from 5772 High Holy Day Services and discuss/assign actions where necessary.

The following are noted highlights from the meeting:

1) Overall, things went very well with the services in general, and specifically with the implementation of the new Mahzor Lev Shalem.

2) Service Timing

a. Data was collected on actual timing with the new mahzor material and pacing.

b. Adjustments will be made as appropriate.

c. Rabbi’s will be looking at the number of English readings.

d. To help with service flow, we may look at calling groups of readers up at once.

3) Mahzor was well received.

a. 457 donated, 465 individually purchased (total 922).

b. At most points in the service, adequate numbers existed. We did run out at a couple of high attendance points.

c. We will look to sell additional copies for next year.

4) Honors

a. 225 honor distributed

b. Challenge to fill all Kihilla Katana honors.

c. Email reminders (with copies of readings) worked well

d. Margin readings will require large print Mahzor on Bimah

e. Need to be more aware of aging demographics for physical honors (i.e. Hagba, Carrying Torah, holding Torah, etc..)

5) Hazan Levy

a. Overall good to work with

b. Rabbi’s to work on a couple of nusach issues

c. RC recommends re-engaging Hazan Levy next year.

6) Ushering

a. Went very smoothly

b. May dial back number of ushers to no more than 5-6/shift in KG and only 3 in KK.

7) Youth

a. Need to establish a clear budget for next year

b. Looking at including responsibility in Youth Director F&Rs

Respectfully submitted,

Howard Fine

VP Ritual

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Congregation Beth David Board Meeting