ETZETERA - June/July 2024

Clergy

Rabbi Ari Averbach

Cantor Noam Fields-Meyer Gould

Associate Chaplain Benny Sommerfeld

Rabbi Emeritus Richard Spiegel

Rabbi Emeritus Simon Paskow (z”l)

Staff

Executive Director Gideon Manzur

Early Childhood Education Director Debbie Blumenthal

Religious School Director Joyce Bronstein

Early Childhood Education Asst. Director Keri Loventhal

Programming & Youth Director Cindy Goldberg

Office Manager Shane Silverstein

ECE Administrative Assistant Jessica Jacoby

RS Administrative Assistant Sarah Karamas

Clergy Assistant Jill Rosenberg

Musical Director Mariano Dugatkin

Board of Directors

President Felicia Toporoff

Vice President Dan Lubetkin

Immediate Past President Eric Feigenbaum

Treasurer Shira Soria

Secretary Sarica Klein

Trustee, Bingo Arnie Blitstein

Trustee, Building and Grounds Steve Plotkin

Trustee, Early Childhood Education Chad Hampton

Trustee, Financial Consideration Neal Arons

Trustee, Inclusion Paula Lefko

Trustee, Membership Rachel Pugh

Trustee, Personnel & Legal Affairs Josh Hopstone

Trustee, Programming Evan Robichaud

Trustee, Religion and Worship Cheryl Wolf

Trustee, Religious Education Adya Riss

Trustee, Security Paul Dryman

Trustee, Social Action Pam Friedman

Trustee, Sustainability Ely Jacobsohn

Trustee, Ways and Means Judy Gindi

Trustee, Rachel Carmona

President, Men’s Club Mark Goldstein

President, Women of TEC Phyllis Dankberg & Elissa Lazarus

Past

Past

Past

Past

Past

HILLEL AT UCLA

In light of UCLA's recent conflict on campus, TEC is collecting donations for UCLA Hillel.

These donations are in appreciation of our recent speaker, Mike Cohn, Director of SOLE at UCLA.

Any donation you can make would be greatly appreciated.

Follow the link below to to donate, and TEC will ensure that your donation is sent to UCLA Hllel. The initial deadline for donations is June 2.

Letters from Our Leaders

Rabbi Ari Averbach

rabbiaverbach@templeetzchaim.org

We continue to pray for peace, as we also pray for the return of the hostages and we pray for the IDF to do their work in defending our sacred nation. But I was raised in a synagogue where the rabbi didn’t believe in prayers to do their work alone. We must be active as God’s partners on earth. Some have done this by flying to Israel and volunteering on the ground. Some are using their resources to help causes in Israel or locally, to educate students on college campuses.

One more way to do this is to take a page from Dan Harris’s bestseller, Ten Percent Happier, and live 10% more Jewish. One of the best ways

to fight the rampant hatred out there is to live proudly as a Jew – to take on our holy task that we are so passionately defending.

Maybe that means lighting Shabbat candles. Or maybe it means updating your kashrut standards. Perhaps it is showing up to a minyan (online!) once a month, or learning to read a Torah portion. It does not have to be revolutionary, but to counter the shame that people are hatefully placing upon us, I think we must double-down and remind ourselves why we are proud to be Jews.

Benny Sommerfeld, Chaplain benny@templeetzchaim.org

Believe it or not but schools are out, and the summer is here. I hope you have some fun plans for the summer, be it with family or friends. Summer is the time to rejuvenate, spend most of the days outside and enjoying the beauty that we are surrounded by living in Thousand Oaks, and Southern California. Our family is going to Sweden for vacation and my father’s unveiling. Being in Sweden during this time is very special. The sunset is around 11:00 pm and it never really gets dark during the night. We have to use dark curtains to be able to go to sleep. This is my favorite time of the year to be in Sweden when everything is so light and vibrant. The food is from my vantage point, fantastic. It is smorgasbord season with the abundance of delicacies. In my case, beside cheeses, it is salmon in any shape and form. From gravlax, cold smoked lox, hot smoked salmon to a poached fish. They all are delicious and not to forget the obvious food favorite, herring.

I wish all of you a wonderful summer with good friends, food, and books. I will try to read as many books as possible and I have a long list of books ready to go. Learn some Torah or read a chapter of Psalms and make it a practice by carving out some time daily, 15 minutes should do it. You will be amazed how much learning you will do. Just a friendly reminder we need your participation in Shabbat services and Minyan’s weekly services. Every Sunday morning at 8.30 am, we are in person for most of the times. Monday and Wednesday we are on Zoom only. We start at 7:20 pm and we read both Mincha and Maariv. It is a mitzvah to help us make a minyan so that mourners and congregants with a Yahrtzeit can say the Kaddish prayer.

Bivracha, Benny Sommerfeld

Feigenbaum, Outgoing President eric@templeetzchaim.org

June 30th is the end of my two-years as President of Temple Etz Chaim. There was a brief period in May and June 2022 when I thought I might either have to bow out or delay being president. From March to May, my then-wife and I were on a trial separation and in June a divorce was decided on. I wasn’t sure if I was up to the job – if it would be fair to TEC for me to take it on while I was in such a rocky moment.

Then Temple President and always my good friend Shari Mark lovingly and supportively walked me through all the possibilities

and in the end, made me feel that I could still do well. She helped me realize that Temple Etz Chaim was nothing to run from — but somewhere to run towards.

While I never would have planned it this way — and I might not recommend it for everyone — becoming Temple President was very good for me. For the past two years — during some of my personally most difficult times — I have been surrounded by an amazing community. Throwing myself into meaningful work helped keep me afloat and directed. continued >>

Eric Feigenbaum, Outgoing President (continued)

When there are critical issues such as untangling confusing financial reporting, organizing vigils in moments of profound shock and loss, producing 720 knishes in a day or deciding whether the high holiday tickets should be lavender or gray – you don’t have time to wallow in the mire.

Temple leadership is wonderful for developing intergenerational relationships. I know three-year-olds, twenty-somethings, fortysomethings like me and have friends ranging into their eighties. I’ve talked with people from a variety of walks of life about their many issues and questions. I’ve come to better understand that there isn’t one Temple Etz Chaim – there is each person’s Temple Etz Chaim that looks, feels and means something different to each of us. The biggest challenge of a Temple President is figuring out how to support and care for all of those TEC’s.

I am profoundly grateful for this amazing community that has sustained me and for entrusting me to – as best I could – help care for each of your Temple Etz Chaim. I am equally grateful for the home TEC provides for my children who not only believe doors at shul are mere suggestions – and who firmly believe they are the best known kids on campus – but who are so deeply rooted in their temple community. At an unfortunately turbulent time in their lives, TEC has been a place of grounding, support, friendship and love.

Above all of this, I am so honored to have had such a unique experience. To go from seeing TEC through the eyes of a child to being the middle-aged adult who gets to lead it has been mind-blowing. Having children gave me greater empathy for my parents and leading my childhood synagogue have given me greater empathy for Wendy Margolis, Joel Schraeter and Harvey Moskowitz. I can only hope that I have done as they did and left

TEC a little better-off than I found it.

It seems to be our nature to focus on what goes wrong or what could be better. To be sure, there’s tons of work ahead to continue to improve our temple and meet the challenges of the future – to keep up with the times and make the case that Jewish life remains important and relevant in every age.

It’s also important to zoom out and recognize how much we have. Our family of families is strong – almost 60 families stronger than it was two years ago. We are growing across numerous age demographics! Our religious school is the largest in the Greater Los Angeles Area and consistently wins awards. Our Early Childhood Education Center (infant care and preschool) is almost double the size it was when my kids started just eight years ago and usually has a wait list. We have extensive programming, an amazing rabbi, experienced and empathetic leaders, devoted teachers and tutors and passionate volunteers. We have a community where people are genuinely happy for each other in their moments of triumph and wholeheartedly mournful in one another’s moments of tragedy and loss.

At the end of my two years as president, my advice is to love and enjoy this wonderful Temple Etz Chaim each of us has and to whatever amount and in any way you can, support its growth. And to the extent the world feels scary and we worry about antisemitism and safety – hold to this place, protect and proudly and wholeheartedly live Jewish life. But make no mistake – the biggest threat to our Jewish future isn’t external – it’s when apathy, fear or both set in and people simply stop showing up. We all make up this Temple Etz Chaim and we are each responsible for what it becomes. Let’s remember a truth we’ve known for so long and know so well, “It is a Tree of Life to all who hold fast to it and all of its supporters are happy.” In the words of Rabbi Paskow, “L’Chaim, Etz Chaim.”

Toporoff, Incoming President felicia@templeetzchaim.org

As I begin my term as President of Temple Etz Chaim, I have been reflecting on the all the changes this organization has seen in the seven years I’ve been a member of the Board of Directors. As an active member of the synagogue and with children in the Religious School, I began my journey on the Board first as the VP of Religious Education and then as Executive Vice President. It is with great pride, and much humility, that I take on this next role as President. We’ve seen a lot of change, and certainly for the positive! We’ve seen our membership grow at a rate that has surprised all of us. Other synagogues look to us wondering what is it that we have that draws people to join; to make our community their community. Our clergy is second to none, lead by our wonderful Rabbi Averbach, Chaplain Benny Sommerfeld, and our new Hazzan, Noam FieldsMeyer Gould, who begins July 1. Our Religious School and Early Childhood Education are thriving and are literally bursting at the seams with enrollment. If you walk out on the Warren Lawn at Religious School pickup, most of the children are seen playing with their friends and hugging their teachers, and not at all ready to leave. We have a beautiful, newly decorated and upgraded Beit Midrash that everyone has been enjoying. We have had our calendar packed with programming geared toward a wide variety of interests ranging from concerts to babka bakes to a Zoom discussion on what is happening on college campuses. We have created an Inclusion Committee geared towards making everyone

from every background feel welcome as a part of our community. As you may have surmised, there is no singular secret ingredient. It is a combination of factors and all of them include a common underlying thread of a genuine love for Judaism and every member of our community.

We, as a community, have also seen negative change in the world in the aftermath of October 7th and the Board of Directors is committed to continue to do all it can to ensure the safety of our campus, our congregants, and guests, along with continuing our unwavering support for Israel.

It is my hope that we continue Temple Etz Chaim’s role as a vital center for Jewish life in the Conejo Valley and surrounding areas in addition to being a place of refuge and comfort, that we continue to engage people in new and interesting ways that meet their needs, and that our community continues to embrace one another as family as we always have in a time when it hasn’t been needed more.

You are an important part of all this positive change, and I want to extend my deepest gratitude. As a Board, we firmly believe in transparency – so please come to a Board of Directors meeting, join a committee, or feel free to contact me if you have new ideas you’d like to share. I’m excited for the next two years and I look forward to making this journey with you.

Felicia

TEC Education

Debbie Blumenthal, Early Education Director

debbieb@templeetzchaim.org

The month of June will begin with our preschool celebration of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. The children will hear stories of Moses and the Ten Commandments and talk about the traditions of this holiday. We especially love to try new dairy recipes and enjoy yummy treats like blintzes and cheesecake!

Our PTEC will host their last Coffee and Chat for ECE parents on Wednesday, June 5th from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Michelle and Sara, our PTEC co-chairs enjoy meeting new parents and talking about all their wonderful PTEC activities and plans. Stop by if you want to learn about ways to get involved.

June is always bittersweet for the staff and I as we celebrate our PreKindergarten graduates. Our last day of this school year is Tuesday, June 18th, and we will be having graduation at 9:30 a.m. that morning. We have 40 children who are leaving TEC and moving on to public school programs. We know that these children are all ready to spread their wings and go off to their new schools however, we look forward to seeing many of them back in September when Religious School begins.

Our 2024-25 school year will begin on July 8th! Many of our infants will be transitioning to our preschool toddler program and we will welcome many new students to Temple Etz Chaim Preschool and Infant Center. Our existing students will move up the next age group and begin a new year with lots of fun learning and new friends! July and August will be summer-type activities including water play, dress-up theme days, music, outdoor creation stations, and of course Shabbat on Fridays!

We want to thank all our ECE families for their support and for sharing your children with us during this school year! We have

enjoyed your children and we are so happy that you chose to be part of our Temple Etz Chaim family! Thank you to my amazing, loyal, and hard-working staff! I have loved greeting the children every morning and watching them run to their teachers and into their classrooms with great enthusiasm. We are blessed to have the best staff who are creative, loving and work together as a great team!

Thank you to Chad Hampton, our V.P. of Early Childhood Education who has been there for us all year, supporting us at Board meetings and listening to our weekly reports. We thank you for all your time and great advice!

We want to wish our Administrative Assistant Linda Starr congratulations on her retirement! Linda has sat at the front desk greeting families, helping the teachers and been the best assistant I could ever have asked for! Linda has been a great part of our TEC family and while we will all miss seeing her every day, she has earned this time, and we wish her all the best as she begins the next part of her journey. We hope everyone has a fun and safe summer!

Joyce Bronstein, Religious School Director

joyce@templeetzchaim.org

As the school year concludes, it is my personal hope that students had a wonderful and fulfilling educational experience at TEC Religious School. From joyful celebrations to dedicated volunteers, I feel complete gratitude and appreciation for everyone who has made our school a vibrant and nurturing community.

First and foremost, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to all of you, our families, for your support throughout the year. Your participation in our programs, from holiday celebrations to special events, has been instrumental in creating memorable experiences for our students. Seeing our students’ smiling faces anad hearing their positive comments truly warms our hearts.

I sincerely thank Eric Feigenbaum, our outgoing Synagogue President, for his dedication and commitment to the Religious School and Temple Etz Chaim. During his term, Eric worked tirelessly to support the TEC community, and his commitment to our students, families, and staff is truly appreciated. I genuinely thank him for his leadership. Yasher Koach, Eric!

A warm welcome to our incoming President, Felicia Toporoff. Felicia has always shown a strong commitment to strengthening our synagogue. She has served on the board for many years, including as V.P. of Religious School Education. Felicia has volunteered many hours and is a wonderful person with a vision for the future of TEC. I know she will be a fantastic president!

I also want to express a huge thank you to Adya Riss, Vice President of Religious School Education, for his exceptional leadership and dedication. Adya has worked tirelessly to ensure that our Religious School continues to thrive, and his commitment is truly commendable.

As V.P., Adya serves as the head of the Education Committee. The committee meets monthly during the school year. Our Education Committee members have played a vital role in shaping the direction of our school. I want to express my sincere gratitude to each member for their tireless efforts and invaluable contributions. continued >>

Programming & Youth

Cindy Goldberg, Programming & Youth Director cindy@templeetzchaim.org

including, a

Joyce Bronstein, Religious School Director (continued)

Thank you to Susan Goldberg for sewing all the book covers for our third-grade program and all the tallitot (more than one tallit) for our fifth-grade program. Carl Friedlander, todah rabah for tying the tzitzit on each tallit. Also, thank you so much to you and Linda for preparing the delicious nut-free charoset for our grade-level model Passover Seders.

I also want to express my gratitude to Sarah Karamas, our Religious School Administrative Assistant, for her invaluable support in keeping our programs running smoothly. We have worked together for many years, and I appreciate all her dedication.

Rabbi Averbach and our outstanding Religious School teachers genuinely deserve recognition for their unwavering dedication to providing our students with meaningful and enriching learning experiences. Their passion for education and Judaism is truly inspiring. Finally, thank you to all our students for their enthusiasm and dedication. I would also like to thank our teenage aides who help at the

Religious School in both classrooms and in the office. All of our aides attend our Confirmation/Post Confirmation program, and their role in the Religious School is significant. Knowing they represent our future is heartwarming. Together, our students’ participation makes our school a vibrant and welcoming community.

As we look ahead to the next academic year, I encourage parents to consider volunteering and becoming active participants in our school community. Your involvement not only enriches the experiences of our students, but also fosters meaningful connections within our community.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this past year a truly memorable one. Together, we look forward to another year of learning, growth, and community building at our Religious School. We can’t wait to see our students’ joy-filled smiles in September! Wishing you all a restful and rejuvenating summer break. Stay safe, Joyce

April and May happenings

talk about the Conflict in Israel with Rachel Lester, Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, and Yom HaAtzmaut.

TEC Community

Linda Hutchings, President, Women of TEC

It has been a wonderful two years serving as President of Women of Temple Etz Chaim. We have accomplished a great deal over the past two years and I look forward to passing the torch on to Elissa Lazarus and Phyllis Dankberg, our incoming Co-Presidents. I will still be active in WOTEC in charge of Communications and Publicity. We are excited to welcome Jill Rosenberg as our incoming Board Member in charge of Programs and Education. Thank you to all of our Board Members for all of their contributions and continued support: Cynthia Koepcke (VP of Membership and VP of Youth); Esther Pullan and Phyllis Dankberg (Torah Fund); Jen Sonnenberg Rhim (Treasurer); Ann Ross (Corresponding & Recording Secretary); Shirley Lipkin (Israeli Affairs/Current Events); Judy Mayer (Sunshine Committee); Ann Ross and Phyllis Dankberg (Gift Shop); Bonnie Rothman, Ann Ross and Liz Groden (High Holiday Booklets); Roni Rosen (Mitzvah Committee).

We are in need of someone with basic word-processing and data base skills that could help us with formatting our high holiday booklets. Training can be provided and it would be a wonderful

mitzvah to help with this time honored project and tradition. Each year we donate over $6500 in funds to the Synagogue, Religious School, ECE and Youth Programs. We have lots of opportunities to get involved, so please reach out — we would love to have you join us in serving our synagogue community.

I also want to send a big thank you to our committee that planned and carried out the fantastic Woman of Valor Luncheon honoring Bonnie Rothman: Irma Sommerfeld, Elissa Lazarus, Phyllis Dankberg, Myrna Stelman, Etta Weinstein, Karen Roberts, Wendy Margolis and Liz Groden. Also, another big Thank You to Cindy Goldberg and Maya Tenenbaum for making our Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebration a fantastic success! See pictures on page 11)

Please make sure to save womenoftec@wotec.ccsend.com as a safe sender so you do not miss out on our WOTEC email updates — check your spam folder!

Sending prayers of peace to all and the safe return of the hostages.

Susan Kane, Chairperson, Inclusion Committee

Mark your calendars and join us for these upcoming events:

Join TEC in celebrating Pride month at Pride Shabbat on June 7th –8th. Friday night services will feature congregants as guest speakers and Saturday morning’s service will include a topical sermon. Information and resources providing education, support and advocacy of the LGBTQ+ Community will be available in print in the lobby as well as on the TEC website (under the Connect tab, Community Resources).

On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas with the news that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were ‘free’. This day came to be known as Juneteenth, now officially a federal holiday and a time to celebrate, gather, reflect on the past and look to the future. TEC will be celebrating Juneteenth on Friday, June 21st during Shabbat Under the Stars.

Check out the recently added listing of Community Resources under the ‘CONNECT’ tab on the TEC website. Among these are organizations that provide information and/or support in the areas of addiction, medical crises, special needs, social services and for the LGBTQ+ community. If there is an organization that you think

should be included as a Community Resource, please let us know.

A variety of social services and support are available through THE EZRA NETWORK. These include mental health counseling, job search support and legal assistance, among other things. Please see the flyer included in this month’s bulletin. In addition, if you need help navigating services or are not sure where to call, the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles has a warm line at (855) JFED-HLP.

Magnifying sheets are now available to support those with vision impairment. They will be available in the lobby to be used during services. Please return them to the lobby at the conclusion of services. Should you need them for any other temple related activity, please notify the office in advance to make arrangements.

The Inclusion Committee seeks to expand the opportunities for full participation and support by listening to congregants’ needs and experiences so we can advocate for positive changes. We certainly don’t have all the answers, so we are leading with curiosity and welcome your thoughts and suggestions... where can we improve and what are we doing well... Email us at Inclusion@templeetzchaim.org

Pam Friedman, VP, Social Action

Thank you for donating to the Many Mansions Cleaning Supplies drive. Your kindness has helped so many families. They received a bounty of much needed supplies that will go a long way to making their lives a bit easier. Both the staff and the families at Villa Garcia are so very grateful for your help. Included are some pictures from the donation drive, photos courtesy of Many Mansions.

This fall we will be collecting donations with the Women’s Inter Faith Network for “Conejo Closet” run by the Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD). Conejo Closet accepts donations of school supplies, clothing, personal care items and toiletries for the more

than 500 unhoused students within the CVUSD. Here is a list of items we will be asking for this fall and that you can start collecting this summer: toothbrushes (all sizes}, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and conditioner. I will be sending out a flyer with the details soon. You can start dropping off your donations anytime at the Temple Office.

Our monthly Feed the Hungry Program is looking for volunteers to help assembly lunches. Feed the Hungry lunch assembly day is the 3rd Tuesday of every month. If you would like to help, please let me know, by sending me an email at pamelaf@templeetzchaim.org. We would love to have you join us.

Irwin Barney, President, Men’s Club

Here’s an update on recent Men’s Club activities. This past month Men’s Club enhanced the WOTEC Women of Valor luncheon as servers. Thank you WOTEC for the opportunity to help! Men’s Club led a TEC Hike and Havdallah where the participants ranged in age from 2 to, well, a lot older than that, and most participants were not Men’s Club members. We saw birds, lizards, tadpolls and many colorful and interesting plants. Big thanks to the supremely knowledgeable trail guide Niki Stokols for leading the hike! That’s the last Adventures In Learning activity for now. We will be scheduling more soon. Please contact Men’s Club if you are interested in leading an Adventure In Learning event or have an idea for a theme or activity. Please keep on the lookout for flyers announcing the Jeff Finn Dinner and Talmud event as well as out annual planning meeting in June and July.

This is my final Etzetera article as Men’s Club President. Throughout that time, I have felt honored and privileged to have served as Men’s Club President. Over the past two years I have met almost every Thursday with a group of past Men’s Club Presidents and our Vice President, Mark Goldstein, who have provided guidance, perspective, and support in carrying forth our Men’s Club agenda. In addition, further direction and hands-on work were provided by an excellent group of Men’s Club Officers and Board members. I thank each of them for their dedication to making about twenty events happen in each of the past two years as well as coordinating and participating in our TEC greeter program.

Next month, a new group of Men’s Club Officers and Board members will convene. This group of individuals will be led by the new Men’s Club President, Mark Goldstein. He has been an indispensable Vice President and will provide great leadership for our Men’s Club.

B’nai Mitzvah

DYLAN SKLAR JUNE 1

Hi, my name is Dylan Sklar. I am in the 7th grade at Colina Middle School, where I am proud to be on the honor roll, and on the school’s debate team. I love spending time with family and friends, and I have a passion for many activities, including soccer, tennis, golf and hiking. I also enjoy travelling to exciting new places, trying out new food, and collecting various novelties. Collecting coins has been a long-time passion of mine. At TEC, I have made many friends! I’ve enjoyed some magnificent and fun assignments, that have all contributed to both my understanding of Judaism, and it’s influence on strong values in my life. I would especially like to thank my Religious School teachers for being there since I was in the 3rd grade and to Rivka, for her dedication in mentoring me and giving me all the necessary tools for success during this important time in my life. Thank you everyone for helping me on my journey to becoming a Bar Mitzvah!

Eli Ben-Tov

July 20

Hi, my name is Eli Ben-Tov. I am in the 7th grade at Lindero Canyon Middle School and have been at TEC since kindergarten. I play the Tenor Saxophone in my school Cougar band and Jazz B band. I also enjoy playing the drums, various video games, and spending time with family and friends. I am currently on the All-Star team for Agoura Pony Baseball and really like the Dodgers. I am so excited for my Bar Mitzvah and having my family from Israel join me. I want to thank Rabbi Ari, Betty Zonshine, Cantor Kenny, and all my TEC teachers for preparing me for my Bar Mitzvah. I feel very grateful for all the support I’ve received from my Grandma and Grandpa, Mom and Dad, my brother, Aunts and Uncles, and my friends.

Congratulations to our 2024 Babe Dunaier Woman of Valor recipient, Bonnie Rothman.

She was honored by WOTEC at a beautiful luncheon on May 5. See more details in Linda’s article on page 8.

Woman of Valor

Congratulations to the Paller family on the birth of Dae Sun Rae Paller

Born on May 21, 2024

Parents

Michael and Sandra Paller

Older Brother Dune

Grandparents

Randee and Gary Paller

Welcome our New Cantor

NOAM FIELDS-MEYER GOULD

Noam Fields-Meyer Gould is a musician, scholar, and community builder based in Southern California who strives to create musical experiences that are engaging, accessible, and joyous.

A current PhD candidate in music theory at UC Santa Barbara, Noam was raised in the Los Angeles Jewish community as part of a family that sang constantly— around the Shabbat table, on long walks to and from shul, even on hikes.

His love of Jewish communal singing has led him to serve in multiple leadership roles in Jewish organizations, including as choir director at Camp Ramah in Ojai and as a prayer leader at Congregation Shaarie Torah in Portland, Oregon. As an undergraduate at Emory University, he led High Holiday services for Hillels of

Georgia in Atlanta. From 2021 through 2023, he served as the High Holiday Chazzan for Mishkon Tephilo in Venice, California, directing the choir, and creating multiple new music arrangements for it.

He has also worked as a Teaching Associate and Assistant in UC Santa Barbara’s Department of Music, primarily teaching the fundamentals of music notation and composition to non-music majors. He lives in the Santa Barbara area with his wife Kelly, their cats Arnie and Oslo, and their blue heeler Kaldi.

The Mitzvah Committee is here to help...

• Large plastic trash bags and remember your loved ones.

MEMORIAL RECEPTION

Services offered by Women of TEC Mitzvah Committee

What to Expect

We will be at your house a day or two before the funeral, or as time permits, for planning and any questions. We will arrive at your house half hour to one hour before you leave for the cemetery to receive any last-minute instructions. Our volunteers will be there to accept all deliveries and complete the set-up.

We will provide:

• Handwashing station to be set up outside, in front of the door, including water pitcher, paper towels, TV tray and trash bag

• Hard-boiled eggs (12)

• Challah, wine and mini wine cups

• Large and small paper plates, napkins, and cutlery

• Hot and cold cups

• Ice cubes in a cooler

• Large coffee maker, coffee, tea bags

• Sugar, sweeteners, mocha mix

Family provides:

• Tablecloth, serving platters and utensils

• Cold drinks, water bottles

• Folding chairs

Have the deli/bakery deliver:

• Platters of food, bread, salads, cakes, etc.

Special Instructions for the deli/bakery:

• Be sure to schedule these items to be delivered at the same time the funeral is scheduled to begin.

• Remind them not to mix meat and dairy on the same platter.

To ask questions or make arrangements

Contact the Temple Office at 805-497-6891 or inquire via email at Shiva@templeetzchaim.org

After hours, please contact Roni Rosen at 818-585-9449

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Tributes

Dr.

Ruth Kaplan RSSF

In Honor of The Wonderful Programs at the TEC Religious School

Arthur & Barbara Harris

Dunaier Music Fund

In Memory of Rachel Rosen

Marshall & Ronia Rosen

Early Childhood Education Fund

Bruce Cohen

In Memory of Parvin Rostamian

Zoe Abdolrazagh

In Memory of Courtney Maltz. “To my beautiful daughter, may God continue to watch over you.”

Eric Maltz

In Memory of Anita Levine

In Memory of Arthur Levine

Marshall & Ronia Rosen

Elisa Feldman Memorial Religious School Scholarship Fund

In Memory of Leonard Mandel

In Memory of Roberta Mandel

Valerie Knight

In Memory of Harry Altman

In Honor of a Speedy Recovery to John Lutzker

Nomi Freed

In Memory of Gary Feldman

Les & Debbie Feldman

In Honor of The Birth of Maurice & Gayle Feldman’s Grandchild

Les & Debbie Feldman

In Honor of the Marriage of Marvin Vickter & Joanie Reuben

Les & Debbie Feldman

In Memory of Ida M. Bernstein

Marshall & Ronia Rosen

Fienberg-Lerner Chapel

Minyan Fund

In Memory of Lillian Fleishman

Sandra Levy

Inbar Israel Travel and Education Scholarship Fund

In Memory of Albert Goldenberg

Merrill Goldenberg

Jotkowitz Camp Ramah Scholarship Fund

In Memory of Bernice “Tee Dee” Greenstein

Davina Anderson

In Memory of Sidney Rosen

In Memory of Marvin Rosen

Marshall & Ronia Rosen

Kiddush Fund

In Memory of Leopold Sommerfeld

Benny Sommerfeld

Lipnick RSSF

In Memory of Yetta Edelstein

Judi Gill

In Memory of Reba Stelman

In Memory of Sarah Orlin

Myrna Stelman

In Memory of Sylvia Rosen

Marshall & Ronia Rosen

Men’s Club

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project

Marc & Carole Firestone

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Jeff & Sheri Schoeneald

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Steve Salant

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Anonymous

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Greg Korn

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Peter & Wendy Margolis

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Gary & Maureen Levine

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Merrill & Bonnie Goldenberg

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Arthur & Sandra Pfefferman

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Herb Wexler

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Leon & Iris Woods

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Judi Gill

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Michael & Helene Gollub

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Joel & Harriet Shrater

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Jerome & Dawne Ratzan

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project David & Rebeccah Schwartz

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Nomi Freed

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Rabbi Jack Shechter

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project Myles & Gail Simpson

In Honor of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles Project

Cynthia Urbach

Men’s Club Silverstein

Humanitarian Fund

In Memory of Gary Levine

Gari & Richard Saly

In Memory of Gary Levine

Richard & Gari Saly

In Memory of Sarah Simpson

Myles & Gail Simpson

Minyan Fund

In Memory of Joseph Bernstein

In Memory of Samuel Rosen

In Memory of William Rosen

Marshall & Ronia Rosen

Rabbi Averbach’s Discretionary Fund

In Honor of Passover and the Sale of Hametz

Marie Rubens

In Honor of Sasha Klein

Michael & Evie Klein

In Honor of Passover and the Sale of Hametz

William & Cynthia Koepcke

In Honor of Passover and the Sale of Hametz

Ronald & Lynn Freeman

In Memory of Sadie Alperson

Bonnie Garfinkle

In Memory of Florence Kinsbruner

Jodi Greenberg

In Memory of Maurice L. Fine

Lila Oberman

In Appreciation of Rabbi Averbach Speaking to Hazak

Valley Beth Shalom Temple

In Memory of Lou Schotland

Tess Wilkoff

In Memory of Raquel Saranga

Rivka Moscovitch

In Appreciation of Rabbi Averbach’s Help with Wedding Ceremony Questions

Drew and Aviva Koff

In Memory of Jerry Maze

In Memory of Nancee Maze

Heidi Birnbaum

In Memory of Charlotte Denkensohn

Zane Averbach

In Memory of Gary Levine

Maureen Levine

In Memory of Murray Bass

Sharon Seiden

Robin Goldfinger

In Memory of Jack Arons

Steven Arons

In Honor of Ethan and Noam’s Wedding

Mark & Beverly Brutzkus

In Honor of Noam & Ethan’s Wedding

Orly Bar-Greenberg

In appreciation from the Michael Levin

Base for Lone Soldiers

Rabbi Gershon Weissman

Marshall & Ronia Rosen

Religious School Fund

In Memory of Stephen Herzog

Elaine Herzog

In Memory of Jerry Schneider

Mitchell & Lesley Schneider

In Memory of Reuben Zucker

Richard Engler & Ellen Zucker

Ritual Fund

In Honor of Rabbi Ari’s Passover Service Leadership

Larry & Judy Mayer

In Memory of Gary Levine

Maureen Levine

Sandee Tischler RSSF

In Memory of Jerry Zimmerman

In Memory of Abe Bass

In Memory of Abraham Ratzan

In Memory of Harvey J. Levine

Jerome & Dawne Ratzan

Security Fund

In Memory of Morris Marks

Kenneth Marks

Social Action Fund

In Honor of Feed the Hungry for Harbor House

William & Cynthia Koepcke

In Honor of Feed the Hungry for Harbor House

Bonnie Rothman

Temple General Fund

In Memory of Aghdass Harounian Safani

Michael Safani

In Memory of Allen Carl Kanner

Susan Kanner

In Memory of Gary Levine

Gloria Katz

In Memory of William Horwitz

Doreen Horwitz

In Memory of Blanche Chak

David & Rebeccah Schwartz

In Memory of Hannah Golda Shulman

Alik Shulman & Yevgeniya Belenkaya-Shulman

Tzedakah Fund

In Memory of Eli Levine

Barbara Kluber

In Memory of Klara Kovar

In Memory of Ernest Kovar

Rita Kovar

USY Youth & Scholarship Fund

In Memory of Morris Spitzer

Leonard Spitzer

In Memory of Bernice “Tee Dee” Greenstein

Davina Anderson

Women of TEC

In Memory of Gary Levine

Elissa Lazarus

In Honor of The Woman of Valor Recipient, Bonnie Rothman

Kenneth & Julie Saul

Women of TEC Scholarship Fund

In Memory of Ruth Harris

Barbara Harris

Women of TEC Torah Fund

In Memory of Beatrice Forman

Harriet Shrater

In Memory of Helen Odoroff

Robyn Krieger

In Memory of Mollie Chadroff

Edward Chadroff

Zerlin Library Fund

In Memory of Helena Dain

Cherie Wrigley

Dylan Sklar

Bar Mitzvah

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SUNDAY JULY 28

14 PM

FRED KAVLI THEATER BANK OF AMERICA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

DURING SHAVUOT, WE READ THE STORY OF RUTH.

HOW MANY ENGLISH WORDS CAN YOU THINK OF THAT CONTAIN ALL 4 LETTERS IN THE WORD “RUTH”?

GRAB YOUR FAVORITE MARKERS, CRAYONS OR COLORED PENCILS AND BRING THIS HISTORIC MOMENT FROM THE MONTH OF JUNE TO LIFE. IN THIS PICTURE, RUTH IS DEPICTED IN ISRAEL AROUND THE TIME OF SHAVUOT TO GIVE HER MOTHER-IN-LAW, NAOMI A SHEAF. HER ACCEPTANCE INTO THE JEWISH FAITH WAS ANALOGOUS OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE