THE SYNAGOGUE | CONGREGATION B’NAI EMUNAH | PUBLISHED MONTHLY | JANUARY 2025
Milestones
Mazel Tov
To Mimi Tarrasch, along with the staff, supporters, and community of Women In Recovery, who recently celebrated the 15th anniversary of the program, which is an intensive outpatient alternative for eligible women facing long prison sentences. Women In Recovery is a program of Family and Children’s Services.
Births
Emmett Lev Rejwan was born December 1, to Natalie Charney and Avi Rejwan. The family resides in Los Angeles. Grandparents are Randee and David Charney of Tulsa and Lilian Rejwan of Los Angeles.
Deaths
Sally McCoy
Wife of the late George McCoy
ON THE COVER
Born in Chicago to a Jewish family of Polish origins, Bruce Davidson exhibited an early love for photography and received his first advanced camera for his bar mitzvah. In 1961, Davidson received a Guggenheim fellowship to document the Civil Rights Movement after his work on the Freedom Rides. His work during that period produced some of the most recognizable, challenging, and hopeful photographs of the Selmato-Montgomery marches.
Masthead
Daniel S. Kaiman ............................... Principal Rabbi
Marc Boone Fitzerman ................. Rabbi (of Counsel)
Mark Goldman ........................................... President
Aaron Miller ......................... Executive Vice President
Ross Heyman ...................................... Vice President
Brae Riley ............................................ Vice President
Kate Basch ............................ Sisterhood Co-President
Rebecca Fine Stallings ......... Sisterhood Co-President
Nancy Cohen ...................... Sisterhood Gift Shop Chair
January Program Highlights
AFTERNOON/EVENING SERVICES
Every Wednesday and Friday 5:30 p.m.
Each week, we gather to experience traditional daily prayer and establish a quiet space for those mourning a loved one or observing the anniversary of a loss (yahrtzeit). All use these opportunities to recite a communal Mourner’s Kaddish. Both gatherings take place in the Synagogue’s Davis-Goodall Chapel, with full participation available both in-person and through the Synagogue Zoom Room. We ask that in-person attendees register in advance on our website. Friday gatherings always occur in the Synagogue Zoom Room at 918 583 7121.
SHABBAT MORNING SERVICES
Every Saturday 9:30 a.m.
Each week, we convene on Saturday morning to sing the liturgy of the tradition, study the weekly Torah portion, and spend time amongst family and friends. All are welcome to participate in this experience in person or on Zoom. Members and friends can access the Synagogue Zoom Room at 918 583 7121.
1 CHANUKAH PARTY AT WESTREET ICE CENTER 6:00 p.m.
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with your friends and family as we glide across the ice, enjoy delicious treats, and spin the dreidel together at WeStreet Ice Center. Whether you’re a seasoned skater, a beginner, or just a spectator from the sidelines, all are welcome to join in the fun and festivities. It will be an evening filled with music, laughter, and the warmth of community. Please let us know if you plan to attend by registering at tulsagogue.com/events.
8
LIFELONG LEARNERS AT ZARROW POINTE 11:30 a.m.
Ageless seniors from all over the community are invited to join Rabbi Kaiman for a learning session and lunch provided by Zarrow Pointe. Reserve your spot by contacting the Synagogue or registering at www.tulsagogue.com/events. Please check-in at Zarrow Pointe Town Center and you will be directed to the Dining Hall for the learning seminar.
20
46TH ANNUAL TULSA MLK PARADE 10:00 A.M.
The Synagogue is proud to continue its’ ongoing sponsorship of the Tulsa MLK Parade. We’re delighted that this event is one of the largest such parades in the country and encourage all to march, attend, or tune in on TV from home. The parade route begins at 11:00 a.m., but we’ll be gathering for hot drinks and a bite to eat starting at 10:00 a.m. From our preschool families to those involved in the Altamont Bakery and refugee resettlement, we’re excited to march as one organization representing The Synagogue. For more details, including the parade map and participant registration, please visit tulsagogue.com/events.
24 SHABBAT SHALOM: MUSICAL CIRCLE, DINNER AND SHABBAT TALKS
5:30 p.m.
Experience a musical Shabbat evening with songs and storytelling starting at 5:30 p.m. This inclusive and accessible event is an ideal introduction to Shabbat traditions, welcoming participants of all ages and backgrounds. Following services, we’ll enjoy a beautiful Shabbat dinner together starting at 6:15 p.m. The evening will conclude with a special Shabbat Talks speaker at 7:00 p.m. to discuss a relevant topic of interest to our community. Reserve your spot at the Shabbat table by registering at tulsagogue.com/events.
25 SISTERHOOD SHABBAT 9:30 a.m.
A morning of celebration and community, Sisterhood Shabbat brings together women of the congregation in an annual service led by members of Congregation B’nai Emunah’s Sisterhood. All are welcome to participate. Join us in this week’s special service as our community gathers to sing the tradition’s liturgy, study the weekly Torah portion, and spend time amongst family and friends. This year’s Sisterhood Shabbat is being chaired by Carol Mandlebaum,
26 FAMILY JEWISH COOKING CLUB Noon
JANUARY 2025, PUBLISHED MONTHLY
CONGREGATION
B’NAI EMUNAH
1719 South Owasso Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120
Office: (918) 583-7121
School: (918) 585-KIDS
Fax: (918) 747-9696 Web: tulsagogue.com
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news. (Isaiah 52:7)
9 BLATT + BLUE: AREALPAIN7:00 p.m.
Visit www.tulsagogue.com/events for more information regarding the movie selection and viewing options. Join us for our conversation at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom (918 583 7121). Newcomers are welcome to join the dialogue.
10
BIB-DIBI 5:30 p.m.
Join us for a Shabbat gathering crafted for babies and their families. Revel in the joy of singing songs, playing games, and savoring a delightful Shabbat dinner. It’s an excellent opportunity to establish and embrace your own family traditions. While no reservation is required for the celebration, we ask you to secure your spot for the meal by calling or visiting tulsagogue.com/events.
Join the club and embark on a flavorful, family adventure. The club will meet for dinner, schmoozing, and a hands-on kitchen session as we explore the origins and diversity of kugel recipes. Each family will leave with their prepared dish, along with a recipe and instructions to recreate the experience at home. For more information and to register, please visit tulsagogue.com/events.
26 SEVENTEENTH
STREET DELI 5:30 p.m.
Indulge in the delectable offerings of the Seventeenth Street Deli, where our kitchen crafts dishes with a perfect blend of slow cures, a touch of pepper, and heaps of love. Our much-loved pop-up restaurant invites you to enjoy both dine-in and take-out dinner services. Ensure your place in this culinary experience by pre-registering at www.tulsadeli.org and choose from our delightful pastrami, corned beef, or deli egg salad options.
From Rabbi Daniel S. Kaiman
BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE FUTURE
The year before I entered rabbinical school, the Conservative Movement, the denomination with which I’ve closely identified the entirety of my life, was embroiled in a bitter debate. The question was whether to lift the ban against ordaining openly lesbian and gay rabbis and cantors. That was just over 18 years ago. There was real pain, suffering, and fear.
Too many people were excluded from Jewish life because of this ban. I remember the celebration, relief, and joy expressed by those of us who had long advocated for this step toward inclusion. Just over two decades earlier, a similar moment occurred with the decision to ordain women as rabbis and cantors.
Sometimes, the facts of Jewish inclusion, as we have come to know them in my part of the Jewish world, are overlooked as if these decisions have been in place since Moses and Mount Sinai. But it is essential to remind ourselves that this isn’t the case.
In the long arc of Jewish history, the period allowing full inclusion has barely begun. I share all of this to underscore explicitly the need to foreground efforts to democratize Jewish life and make accessible religious rituals and leadership.
I am incredibly proud to be part of a congregation with a strong and vibrant Sisterhood. One of the signature efforts of our Sisterhood will take place this month. It’s Sisterhood Shabbat—a service entirely led by women of the congregation.
One of the signature efforts of our Sisterhood will take place this month. It’s Sisterhood Shabbat—a service entirely led by women of the congregation.
While we now proudly speak of ourselves as ‘open and affirming congregations,’ we lived in a different reality only a few decades ago. Within our communities, too many people were marginalized, shamed, and sent messages of exclusion. In particular, the privileges of Jewish ritual leadership excluded people who felt outside the very narrow definition of what was then considered permissible.
This isn’t just a symbolic gesture. It is a serious educational effort that allows individuals to challenge themselves to participate in ritual Jewish life in new ways. From reading Torah to leading parts of the service, it’s a remarkable Shabbat morning. I hope you will join in one way or another. Sisterhood Shabbat will occur on Saturday, January 25, at 9:30 a.m. In doing so, we will continue the intentional effort necessary to build an inclusive Jewish world where all people grow up knowing they have access to all aspects of Jewish life. I’m grateful to live in such a world, and I know it will take continual effort to keep building our world for the better. Learning from those who have forged this path, including the decades-long history of women leading our Sisterhood, is one good way to make this a reality.
From Morah Sara Levitt
WOMEN’S WELLBEING RETREAT
I will admit it: I binge-watched “Nobody Wants This” on Netflix. The story, the actors, and the Jewishness immediately hooked me. After the show gained more traction, I began to read and hear complaints about the way the Jewish women were portrayed in the show. They were nudge-y, anxious, and overbearing.
While in the movies, we might feel uncomfortable with the gross overgeneralization of Jewish women as anxious, nervous, and overprotective. I have a feeling many of us can relate. Our natural distaste for this stereotype sits alongside what we all know to be true about family members, friends, and even ourselves. It turns out that these characteristics don’t come out of nowhere. We’ve got good reasons for being anxious. If you have studied history, you know that we have had our fair share (or maybe not so fair) of hate, persecution, and
We’ll learn about the link between our ancestors and ourselves, be inspired by their wisdom, and begin to lighten the load.
injustice. We see these threats as far back as the Torah and as recent as the news article you probably read this morning on the latest act of antisemitism. Recent studies show that PTSD is literally in our genes. It’s science. But of course, it is more than that. Collective memory is a deep and beautiful part of our Jewish communal experience. Whether you are genetically linked to our mishigas or not, our tradition demands that we remember the pain of our ancestors. That weight is heavy and triggers something profound inside of us.
We’ll explore this topic at the Women’s Wellbeing Retreat this year. We’ll learn about the link between our ancestors and ourselves, be inspired by their wisdom, and begin to lighten the load. Throughout Shabbat, we will lean into one another and have new ideas about how to deal with this blessing of memory. Of course, we’ll also laugh and sing and eat and connect.
Mazol Tov
Asher Verduzco
Asher Frank Verduzco, son of Bethanie and Bhadri Verduzco, will become a bar mitzvah on Saturday, January 11, 2025, corresponding to the 11th day of Tevet, 5785, at Congregation B’nai Emunah.
Saturday, January 25, at 9:30 a.m
The retreat begins Friday evening, February 7, and ends after Havdallah on February 8, at the Osage Forest of Peace. The retreat is designed for women-identified folks in our community to unite for twenty-four hours of connection, learning, and unplugging. With the noise of the daily grind out of our way, we’ll zoom into relationship building and create a holy community in the Osage Forest! To learn more and register, please get in touch with me at slevitt@bnaiemunah.com.
Asher is a seventh grade honor student at Carver Middle School. When he’s not playing baseball for the Carver Wildcats, you might find him in the kitchen whipping up some delicious baked creation or in his room playing video games with his friends. When he grows up, he hopes to put his STEM skills to good use and become a radiologist. Asher has been preparing for his bar mitzvah under the tutoring and guidance of Morah Sara Levitt.
Asher is the grandson of Kathi and Joe Jones, and David and Susan Bryant of Tulsa, OK, and Sue Verduzco of Austin, TX. Asher is the younger brother of Noa Verduzco. The community is invited to join the Verduzco family for services at 9:30 a.m. in person at Congregation B’nai Emunah or in the Synagogue Zoom Room. The meeting ID is, as always, 918 583 7121.
Blatt + Blue: A Real Pain
THURSDAY, JANUARY 9
Now regarded as one of the ten best films of 2024, A Real Pain has just concluded its theatrical run. Directed by Jesse Eisenberg and featuring Kieren Culkin, the film traces two temperamentally different cousins on a “heritage” trip to Poland, funded by their recently deceased grandmother. Her plan seems to be an experience that will bind the cousins to
A Real Pain has excited both controversy and admiration for its focus on third-generation responses to the Holocaust.
one another and honor the horror of the Sho’ah. Anyone who has made such a pilgrimage will recognize the featured sites, along with the complexity of the experience. A Real Pain has excited both controversy and admiration for its focus on third-generation responses to the Holocaust.
Our conversation about A Real Pain will take place on Thursday, January 9 at 7:00 p.m. We’ll think aloud about where this work fits in the canon of Jewish film-making and whether it will stand the test of time. The film is just now being platformed on streaming sites, and we believe that it will be available on Amazon Prime (and other websites) for a modest fee. Please let us know if you have any difficulty locating the program.
Now in its fifth year, Blatt+Blue expresses the Synagogue’s commitments to an inclusive and pluralistic vision. Difficult films deserve thoughtful conversation. Film and television enthusiasts David Blatt and Alice Blue begin each session with a summary of the featured material, which means that you’ll be able to follow the conversation even if you have to delay your viewing of the material itself. After that, it’s questions and comments from the Zoom Room audience.
Join the moderated discussion in the Synagogue Zoom Room. The Zoom meeting ID is 918 583 7121, and the session will conclude at 8:00 p.m. If there is a film or broadcast you would like to screen, please call Richie Bolusky, Synagogue Program Director, at (918) 583-7121 with your suggestions.
Contributions to The Synagogue
Altamont Bakery Fund
Debbie and Barry Lederman
Harold and Sheryl Springer
Carla Weston
Bikur Cholim
Thea L. Clark
Julie Frank
Building Renewal Endorment Fund
Rahm McNeir
Chevra Kadisha
Susan Contente
Allan Jeffy
Education Endowment Fund
Ellen Adelson
Eva Unterman Environmental Education Fund
Betty and Keith Lehman
Goodall Blanc Visual Arts Fund
Sherri Goodall
Janis Bolusky Memorial Outreach Fund
Jennifer Joels and Family
Joe and Dorothy Katz Senior
Adult Fund
Sharon Neuwald
Mizel Family Philanthropic Fund
Mr. Steven M Mizel
Norman and Shirley Levin
Publication Fund
Linda Levin Dubois
Preschool
Tom and Liz Black
Andy Leithner
Press Pause Films
Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman
Discretionary Fund
Phyllis Raskin
Rabbi Arthur D. Kahn, D.D.
Culture Fund
Bonnie and George Kennedy
Rabbi Daniel S. Kaiman
Discretionary Fund
Jeffrey Alderman and Tobey
Ballenger
Rahm McNeir
Aaron Miller
Rebeca Shalom
Karen Tilken and Craig Michael
Refugee Resettlement Fund
Sylvia Armellini
Sally and Robert Donaldson
Alana and Rob Gorden
Curtis and Joan Green
Philanthropic Fund
Renny Parra
Rose Borg Sukah Fund
Richard and April Borg
Sisterhood
Anne Kozlowski
The Stephen J. Adelson Fund
The Estate of Stephen J. Adelson
Synagogue Endowment Fund
Jerry and Susan Sokol
Synagogue General Fund
Dr. Marcel Binstock
Sanford and Irene Burnstein
Family Foundation
Julie Frank
Debra Levin Jardot and Leo Jardot
Rahm McNeir
Karen Neuwald
Jay Ramey
Feb 7–8
From Rabbi Fitzerman
GIVING AT THE SYNAGOGUE
The late, great Stephen Adelson set the bar very high. He was a gifted pediatrician who gave his professional life to children, enfolding all of them in a gentle, egalitarian embrace. He was a changemaker in social policy, helping to close down abusive institutions that failed the citizens of Oklahoma. And he was the paterfamilias of the extended Adelson family, raising children and grandchildren with his wife, Ellen, in a way that remains both challenge and inspiration. As many of you know, Steve also loved the Synagogue. For years he worked on our Board of Directors, raising his voice for enlightened initiatives that enhanced our work in the social justice arena. The issues generally involved service and inclusion. Steve Adelson always argued that more is more. Steve is now gone, but he left a great deal behind, including the largest single gift in the history of the congregation. Fully half his estate has now become part of the Synagogue Foundation, where it will help to anchor our educational program for neighborhood children, honor the Nadel legacy of securing our facility, and buttress the fundraising effort for our Rabbinic Endowment. All of this work was important to Steve and reflects his interest in the Synagogue and the community. We do not exist apart from the world, but rather as citizens in dialogue with society at large.
Family CookingJewish Club
Sunday, January 26 at noon
March with Congregation
We invite all members of our synagogue, along with friends and allies from across Tulsa, to join us on January 20 in this significant event. Let’s walk together in solidarity, honoring the legacy of Dr. King and reaffirming our dedication to the ideals of justice, peace, and mutual respect. Register at tulsagogue.com/events
Congregation B’nai Emunah marching in the 2023 MLK Day parade.
Steve Adelson
TALK
ABOUT THE PASTRAMI.
AFTER MUCH RESEARCH, WE DEVELOPED THIS PASTRAMI SANDWICH, SOURCING THE MEAT, DEVELOPING THE SEASONING, AND OVERSEEING THE CAREFUL PREPARATION OF THE PASTRAMI TO GET IT JUST RIGHT AND SHARE THIS TASTE OF NEW YORK WITH TULSA. COME AND GET IT!
JANUARY 26 THE DELI RETURNS.
RYE BREAD + PICKLES + SAUTÉED ONIONS + PASTRAMI + SPICY MUSTARD + OLD FASHION SODA & CHIPS
Ensure your place in this culinary experience beginning at 5:30 p.m., January 26 by pre-registering at tulsadeli.org and choose from our delightful pastrami, corned beef, or deli egg salad options.
