MESSENGER
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FROMB’NAI THE RABBI HIGHLIGHTS THECALENDAR SYNAGOGUE | CONGREGATION EMUNAH | TULSA | APRIL 2016 | NO. 4
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TOURO BANQUET IN HONOR OF OUR PRESIDENTS | SEE PAGE 5
PERSONALS
DIRECTORY
BIRTHS
THE MESSENGER
Julian Isaac Rome. Mazal tov to parents, Lisa and Matthew Rome of Chicago, Illinois. Grandparents are Jerry and Susan Sokol of Tulsa, Debbie Rome of Farmington, Connecticut, and Michael Rome of Rocky Hill, Connecticut.
April 2016 - Published Monthly
CONGREGATION B’NAI EMUNAH 1719 South Owasso Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120 Office: (918) 583‑7121 School: (918) 585‑KIDS Fax: (918) 747-9696 Website: www.tulsagogue.com
Zelda Rose, born on February 23, 2016. Mazal tov to parents, Liba Wenig Rubenstein and Micah Fitzerman-Blue of Los Angeles. Grandparents are Rabbi Maggie Moers Wenig, Dr. Robert and Elsa Rubenstein, and Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum (all of New York), and Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman and Alice Blue of Tulsa.
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news. (Isaiah 52:7)
CENTENNIAL NOTES
DEATHS Fay Goldman Sister of Lillian Hellman
YOUR HELP NEEDED Will you be 90 years old by April of this year? Please be in touch with Valerie or Gwenn at the Synagogue Office as soon as possible. We’d like to make sure that you are honored in the upcoming celebration of Milestone Shabbat. The number to call is (918) 583-7121, and we’d love to hear from you as soon as possible. Our final deadline is fast approaching.
Velma Swanson Grandmother of Charlie and Jason Swanson Beloved former Mother-in-Law of Julie Frank Bishop Thomas Smith Close Friend of the Tulsa Jewish Community
We’re planning a big Centennial Year display of yarmulkas (kippot) imprinted for special occasions/life cycle events. If your drawers are full of them, please drop your surplus at the Synagogue. We are also eager to accomplish a project that will require many unused tallitot (tallises). Whatever you can pass along would be very helpful!
MAZAL TOVS Congratulations to Richard Borg, on completing his journey to chant all of the haftorot on the liturgical calendar. Richard’s celebration was a warm and spirited event, widely covered in the press. Onward and upward!
We’re grateful to say that many of you have started to send your historic pictures to the Synagogue. Please keep them coming, either for the purpose of copying or direct donation. Our archive needs your help this year!
A big sustained mazal tov to Noam Faingold, on his new “genre-bending” album Burning City Orchestra. The album received high praise in the pages of the Tulsa World. Noam is the son of Drs. Eduardo Faingold and Sonia Hocherman.
ON THE COVER Lynne Feldman is a prolific painter and printmaker, born and educated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Her Jewish portfolio evokes warm appreciation for the color and intimacy of holiday celebration. At the same time, there is always a feminist element in her work, in which women and men are seen to be co-creators of Jewish life. We have three large works by Feldman, donated by the family of the late Leona Glazer in her honor. This one—a seder scene—hangs opposite the Anne Zarrow Fountain Courtyard.
At the Kum Essen Release Party: Carol Mandlebaum, Nikki Sack, Nancy Cohen, Sharon Benjamin, Joan Neidell, Randee Charney, and Mindy Prescott. 2
THE SYNAGOGUE ARCHIVE
In an age of full-color Haggadot with superb typography and evocative illustrations, it may be hard to appreciate this humble pamphlet from the Synagogue archive. Part of a gift of documents and photographs from Rosetta and Avrom Brodsky, it reflects an era in American Jewish history with different (and humbler) norms. At the same time, the Maxwell House Haggadah represents an interesting development in American culture. It was the first important effort by a large commercial concern with no Jewish identity of its own to address the Jewish community on its own terms. Maxwell House first published its Haggadah in 1932. Our version dates from 1935. In its own way, the company helped to enfranchise Jewish consumers and affirm their importance in the American market economy.
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THE APRIL CALENDAR AT B’NAI EMUNAH 1
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BIBI DIBI
Very young children and their parents are invited to join us for another soft and cuddly Shabbat experience. Parachutes, rattles and toys sit at the center of our circle while parents and kids share in the blessings of peaceful Shabbat. A delicious, kid-friendly Shabbat dinner accompanies this program. It all gets under way at 6:00 p.m. To RSVP, visit our website or contact the Synagogue office.
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Our relationship with McClure School continues in this annual day of service. We’ll turn out to do anything the school asks of us. Please see the article on page 10 for details.
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FETO + JERUSALEM QUARTET
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SECOND SEDER AT THE SYNAGOGUE
A Passover celebration for the whole community! With a special welcome to newcomers to the Tulsa Jewish community, we’re excited to host one fantastic community Seder. It is an evening of singing, storytelling and sharing. See our Featured Events section for more information about all our Passover happenings at Congregation B’nai Emunah.
CENTENNIAL MILESTONE SHABBAT
Vibrant communities are the result of many different generations coming together to bring the idea of community to life. Join us as we bring together the energetic members of our congregation in their seventies, eighties and nineties. A festive dinner welcomes the start of Shabbat, followed by a musical service filled with joyful singing. See the article in Featured Events for more information. As we celebrate 100 years of synagogue life, we offer special recognition for individuals who have been members of the congregation for fifty years or longer. We hope you will be able to join us. To RSVP, visit our website or contact the Synagogue office.
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JEWISH FOLK DANCING
Perhaps there is no better way to express feelings of joy and excitement than to get up and dance! Grabbing hands, moving in a circle, and celebrating life is a fantastic way to connect to community and explore the rich cultural heritage of Jewish and Israeli folk dance. Under the leadership of Avi Gelfand, all are invited to participate in a monthly informal evening of dance. The program will begin at 7:00 p.m. For questions, more information, or to let us know you’re coming, call the Office or visit the Synagogue website.
The Jerusalem Quartet visits the Synagogue as part of our Sunday Morning Seminar series. At 9:30 a.m., a free-eggsto-order (FETO) breakfast will be served in the Synagogue kitchen. The program will begin at 10:30 a.m., with Scott Gregory of Public Radio Tulsa (KWGS – 89.5 and KTTU – 88.7) interviewing the visiting artists. Following a short performance, there will be an opportunity for Q and A. While this program is free and open to the public, we do ask that you RSVP for the meal by visiting our website or contacting the Synagogue office. For details about the Jerusalem Quartet’s Chamber Music Tulsa concerts, visit www.chambermusictulsa.org.
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MITZVAH DAY AT McCLURE
MAY AT A GLANCE
BAT MITZVAH OF ALEXI SOTKIN
We’re happy to announce the upcoming bat mitzvah of Alexi Sotkin, daughter of Michele Sotkin and Jason Sotkin, on Shabbat afternoon. The services will begin at 7:15 p.m. As always, everyone in the congregation is invited to attend each ceremony. Here’s to a joyous celebration for us all!
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“BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME”
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BIBI-DIBI: BABIES AND BLESSINGS
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SEVENTEENTH STREET DELI
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BAR MITZVAH: ITAMAR WEST
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DOING JEWISH
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SHABBAT FOR EVERYONE: GRADUATION
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CENTENNIAL TOURO BANQUET
FROM RABBI MARC BOONE FITZERMAN
SISTERHOOD The key thing for me is that our Centennial Edition of this event honors all the past presidents of the congregation of the last 50 years. At last count, my own career in Tulsa overlaps the terms of twelve of these good people, with many more going back to the Fiftieth Anniversary of the congregation in 1966. I hope that you will join us in force on the evening of the event so that we can fill the auditorium with warm reminiscence. The highlight of the evening will be a performance of “Minutes,” a staged reading from the chronicles of B’nai Eumunah. Look for highlights, low spots, and moments of genuine emotion—all of this, and a tribute to our living presidents.
JUST SAY NO In recent weeks, two candidates for president, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, were asked to reflect on issues of faith, denominational belonging, and religious identity. Mrs. Clinton gave a lovely statement about her Methodist heritage and what she felt it contributed to her life. After many weeks of apparent discomfort with this line of inquiry, Mr. Sanders spoke feelingly about his sense of Jewish belonging and the Holocaust experience of his extended family. I wish that both of them had just said no.
So look for the invitation in the mail over the next week. And please be generous when responding to Craig and Jolene’s appeal. They’re putting their hearts into this effort, and I am personally grateful to both.
Some of you will no doubt disagree. In the American political landscape, we require that all candidates bare as much of themselves as we care to know about, with no regard at all for issues that should remain separate from the public sphere. Apart from that, we applaud and support relentless probing into all aspects of a candidate’s life history. Some of this is right and proper, especially when it reveals patterns that should give us pause. But some of this feels, well, relentless.
Synagogue membership information? Please call Rabbi Kaiman at (918) 583-7121. We’d love to help you find a place in the Synagogue family.
My enduring wish is that candidates close the door on questions of denominational belonging and pull back to address the American people in broad and inclusive language. Instead, this election season is alive with nonsensical chatter about whether somebody is or is not a Mormon, the “Christian duty” to support a particular candidate or party, and rhetoric that belongs more to a place of worship than to a political rally. That strikes the wrong note for me. I’m a high-wall separationist who believes that a life of faith is richly important and rewarding, but that overt, insistent religious language on the part of a candidate running for political office threatens to be divisive in virtually every possible way. In that sense, Bernie Sanders’ reluctance seemed right to me. Some Jewish voters were clearly uncomfortable with the candidate’s own apparent discomfort in allying himself to a particular religious community, but his general pattern of circumspection on issues of faith was in keeping with a key American ideal.
Committed to the cause of ending homelessness? Support the bakers of the Altamont Bakery!
For quick reference, please check the Synagogue’s website at
CENTENNIAL TOURO BANQUET Over the next several weeks, you will begin to hear more about the Touro Banquet scheduled for Sunday evening, May 22. Official invitations will go out shortly, reservations taken, linens chosen for the event and all the rest. My personal thanks to Terry Marcum and Molly Berger for chairing this annual banquet, and to Craig Silberg and Jolene Sanditen Stephens for serving as Fundraising Chairs. The Touro Banquet, honoring those who have strengthened the congregation and improved the totality of Jewish life, is our only fundraising event of the year, and crucial to our well-being as a congregation.
www.tulsagogue.com You’ll find a useful calendar and many other helpful features.
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FROM JANET DUNDEE
BAT MITZVAH
UPCOMING (CONCLUDED) ALL ABOUT THE KITCHEN
ALEXI SOTKIN
Sunday evening, February 28, was a high point for Sisterhood, as we released the latest Kum Essen V cookbook. Chaired by Randee Charney and Sharon Cash, the supper of soups and salads, along with breads and desserts (all recipes from the cookbook), was the perfect approach to launching the new edition. After a year of planning, collecting recipes, soliciting donations for the cookbook Divider Tabs and the Dedications, spending hours proofing the recipes, working with our graphic artist and finally, boxing up and sending the entire project to the publisher, this evening was a crowning moment for Sisterhood. The Musical Salute to Sisterhood, produced by Sabrina Darby, Janet Dundee and Jeff Darby, was performed by Eric Himan, Jennifer Paxton and Kara Staiger, with accompaniment by Scott McQuade. It gave the guests an opportunity to relax and listen to the story of all five of the Kum Essen cookbooks, narrated by Jill Wenger.
Michele Sotkin and Jason Sotkin are pleased to announce the upcoming bat mitzvah of their daughter Alexi Hart Sotkin at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 16th, 2016, at Congregation B’nai Emunah.
The Kum Essen V cookbook committee, chaired by Carol Mandlebaum and Janet Dundee, completed their project well ahead of the February 28 deadline. Appreciation goes to Michelle Brock, Jackie Lasky, Debbie Lederman, Jennifer Joels and Rebecca Plunkett, who spent many an evening discussing and outlining the cookbook. The Release Party committee included Lori Lieb-Rosas, Hillary Roubein, Jennifer Joels and Carol Mandlebaum. Special thanks go to those who volunteered the day of the event for the final set up and smooth running of the party.
Alexi is a seventh-grade honor student at Jenks Middle School, where she takes advanced placement courses and maintains an interest in the study of forensics. Alexi is also an accomplished competitive gymnast who has placed first in State Championships and Regional Competitions. Alexi also enjoys golf, tennis, surfing, and spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys working with preschoolers in B’nai Emunah’s religious school, and is a regular and enthusiastic Midrasha student. Alexi is particularly fond of animals, especially Lia, her adopted dog.
Our gratitude to the Check-In Committee, Sharon Benjamin, Mindy Prescott and Nikki Sack; to the Cookbook Sales Committee assisting Jennifer Joels, Joan Neidell and Sharon Benjamin; and to the Pre-Sales Pickup Committee, Wendy Weisberg and Jolene Sanditen-Stephens.
Along with her parents, Alexi will be joined on this joyous occasion by her brother Reid, grandparents Albert and Robbi Selkin of Norfolk, Virginia, and Steve and Jeanne Sotkin of Brevard, North Carolina. Alexi is grateful to Moreh Greg Raskin for his continuous encouragement, and to Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman, Rabbi Dan Kaiman, and Moreh Danny Kraft for their support and preparation for this special day.
General assistants for the evening included Alin Avitan, Hillary Roubein, Debby Westbrook, Janet Simmons, Shirley Brody and Allie Wenger. Those who worked in the kitchen to tray the desserts were Jill Wenger, Lillian Hellman, Terry Marcum, Sofia Nagda, Debby Westbrook and Nancy Cohen. Helping to prepare the pre-sales bags were Jennifer Joels, Nancy Cohen, Mona Smith, Bobbi Warshaw and Debby Westbrook. Finally, a huge thank you to Betty Lehman, Rabbi Dan Kaiman, and the Synagogue staff for the roles they played in assuring a successful event.
PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO ART FROM THE HEART BY DROPPING OFF FRAMED WORKS AT THE SYNAGOGUE.
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FEATURED EVENTS AT THE SYNAGOGUE The Seder will feature spirited and moving music from members of the Synagogue’s instrumental ensemble, Klay Kodesh, and participants will enjoy a festive mix of Ashkenazic and Sephardic traditions.
MILESTONE SHABBAT, APRIL 8 We’re just a few days away from Milestone Shabbat: The Centennial Edition, but please call today if you’d like to join us for dinner. We’ll start at 6:00 p.m. with a traditional Shabbat meal, and continue with our celebration at 7:00 p.m. There will be a special tribute to members in their seventies, eighties, and nineties, along with those who have affiliated with the congregation for fifty years or more. Special guest speaker will be Gail Lapidus, long-time member and CEO of Family and Children’s Services.
The Synagogue can seat 200 people for this event; reservations need to be confirmed by check or charge. Cost for adults, age 13 and up, is $36; for children ages 4 -12, $18. Children ages 1-3 are $6. If you would like to reserve an entire table for up to 8 guests, please let us know, and we would be glad to oblige. In order to reserve such a table, the paid reservations of all guests sitting with you must be received no later than Monday, April 18. Please call our reservations line at (918) 9353373 to discuss your preferences. You may also write us at reservations@bnaiemunah.com to assure your place. And, of course, you can also make reservations by visiting our website. Please note that the first part of the Seder will unfold between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. The meal following will last until approximately 8:30 p.m., and we will close the evening by 9:30 p.m. Thanks to the generosity of B’nai Brith, along with the Sam Marks Helping Hand Fund of the Synagogue, we would be glad to accommodate those for whom the price of attending poses a challenge. Please speak with Rabbi Kaiman or Betty Lehman at the Synagogue Office (918) 583-7121, if you would be benefitted by financial assistance. Are you selling your chamaytz this year? Call the Synagogue office if you’d like a form for this purpose. We’d be glad to help you with this ritual transaction.
Gail’s topic is “New Ideas About Aging,” and she’ll reflect on her own experience and the most recent literature on the rich possibilities that come with growing older.
Need Passover supplies? Betty’s Fine Foods will be open in the weeks prior to Passover to help you secure all your holiday needs. According to early reports, local supermarkets, especially Reasors at Peoria and 41st, are working hard to accommodate Passover consumers. Contact Betty Lehman by calling the office for questions and more details.
Please call Gwenn or Valerie to make your reservations at (918) 935-3373, or go to the Events page on the Synagogue website: www.tulsagogue.com.
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SECOND SEDER ON APRIL 23 Congregation B’nai Emunah’s annual “Second Seder at the Synagogue” is scheduled for Saturday evening, April 23, in Kaiser-Miller Auditorium, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The event is open to the entire community, with a special welcome to Tulsa newcomers and those whose families are far away. Join Synagogue members and friends for a joyful celebration of the most important event in Jewish history.
NEXT SHABBAT FOR EVERYONE ON FRIDAY, MAY 20. PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE GRADUATION EDITION!
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FEATURED EVENTS AT THE SYNAGOGUE [PART 2] SMART CONVERSATIONS ON MAY 3
and Micah Cash, graduating senior from Booker T. Washington High School. The event will be moderated by Dr. Elana Newman, R.M. McFarlin Professor of Psychology at The University of Tulsa.
Once in a great while, an essential book goes beyond normal borders to set new parameters for public discussion. One of those books is Between the World and Me, the newest work by Ta-Nehisi Coates, a senior editor for The Atlantic Monthly magazine, and an acute observer of culture in America.
This edition of Smart Conversation is part of an ongoing series of broadcasts, lectures, and public discussion, and will take place at The Synagogue at the corner of Seventeenth Street and Peoria. Attendees are encouraged to read Between the World and Me before May 3, and may order copies online, at our local Barnes and Noble, or through the Synagogue Office by calling (918) 583-7121. This event is free and open to the public, and no advance reservations are necessary.
Written in the form of a letter to his adolescent son, the book carefully, passionately describes what it is to be black in America in the era of Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner. Coates describes a world in which young black men of great promise and ambition must nevertheless learn to negotiate the dangers of the street and, at the same time, assert themselves against institutionalized racism. Coates reminds us that years after the era of Civil Rights, America remains a maze of impediments and frustrations to those who stand outside white majority culture. The book has been much honored since its publication and won the National Book Award in 2015.
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Congregation B’nai Emunah will address the issues Coates poses in a public conversation on Between the World and Me on the evening of Tuesday, May 3, at 7:00 p.m. The event will feature a panel presentation followed by roundtable discussions designed to bring together citizens from all parts of the Tulsa community. Panelists will include Rev. Ray Owens, faculty member of Phillips Theological Seminary and pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church; Felicia Correia, former Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Tulsa and DVIS/ Call Rape; GT Bynum, Tulsa City Councilor for District 9;
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Atlantic Monthly editor and author of Between the World and Me.
Touro Banquet Honoring Our Presidents At the Synagogue on Sunday, May 22. Watch the mail for your invitation!
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FROM RABBI KAIMAN
MANY THANKS
BAT MITZVAH
THINKING AGAIN ABOUT FRANK
TODAH RABAH
It’s okay if you’ve never heard the name Leo Frank. A factory-managing, Yankee Jew transplanted to the Deep South of Atlanta in 1913, he was charged with the murder of a 13-year old factory employee named Mary Phagan. Despite significant evidence both exonerating Frank and pointing in the direction of the factory’s janitor, Frank was sentenced to death. And while the governor of Georgia eventually commuted his sentence to life imprisonment, a group of men broke him out of prison to enact their own punishment—they lynched him.
It has been a busy month for volunteerism at Congregation B’nai Emunah! Under the leadership of Avi Gelfand, our Jewish Folk Dancing evenings continue to gain interest and involvement. Thank you, Avi, for your good work and good ideas! In late February, we welcomed noted photographer Frederic Brenner to Congregation B’nai Emunah. Many were able to share in the pleasures of his work, thanks to the efforts and leadership of David and Randee Charney. Thank you to the Charneys for spearheading this programmatic effort.
It’s a complicated story, covering territory from the faults of a criminal justice system to the social status of the Jew as “outsider” and “other.” For many years, this story was simply not told. Whether it be the unspeakable pain or the intolerable reality, we shouldn’t be surprised that the place of the Jew in society today reflects an almost entirely different set of circumstances.
Of course, late February also brought about the official launch of the Seventeenth Street Deli. Thanks to many generous supporters and volunteers, our maiden voyage received rave reviews. Our volunteer kitchen staff included Vanessa Boshuizen, Rachel Gold, Bhadri Verduzco and Ilana Shushansky. The front of the house was staffed by volunteer BBYO teens Ali Bovasso, Micah Cash, Kathryn Kleiner, Nathan Levit and Zoe Weinstein.
Last month, as I visited New York City with our Midrasha students, I encountered this story seriously for the very first time. The Museum of Jewish Heritage had just opened a new exhibit and they are taking on the essential task of sharing Leo Frank’s story.
March came in with our Centennial Scholar, Dr. Jeffrey Gurock, who came for a delightful weekend of learning. Many took part in pulling together this programmatic success, but we offer a special thank-you to the Brouse family for their generous support of this program. Thank you, also, to Alex and Karen Goldberg for hosting our Havdalah program and lecture at their home in Maple Ridge.
And in my estimation, their timing could not be better. As our country engages in a vigorous conversation about who should be the next president, as our landscape is peppered with instances of racial and ethnic inequality, as this generation makes decisions about the world we will build for our children, we must remember Leo Frank.
BBYO
In just a few weeks, we will all gather around our Passover tables and recite the ancient words of the Haggadah. To sum it all up in one sentence: “Bechol for va-dor chayav adam lirot et atzmo k’ilu hu yatzah mimitzrayim.” “In every generation, each individual is obligated to see themselves as though they personally were freed from the persecution of Egyptian slavery.” As Rabbi Emmanuel Rackman terms it, we must embrace a sense of “empathic Justice.” We do this not only as an outgrowth of ancient history, but in light of recent history.
BBYO PRESENTS Please save the date and join us for an evening of music and dance performed by our talented BBYO members. This entertaining evening will include delicious desserts and will take place on Sunday, April 3, at Congregation Bnai Emunah from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Admission will be $5/student, $18/adult, or $36 for the entire family. Your invitations will arrive in the mail shortly.
But here is our key challenge: sometimes we don’t even know our own history. Sometimes it takes time, distance and bravery to confront these difficult stories. And so, as we enter this Passover season and as we continue to make choices about what this world will look like for our children, we must keep Leo Frank in mind. We must see ourselves as the survivors of existential threat, and see ourselves as people who can do something important to change our realities. If we all do this together, perhaps this year Passover will bring us a little closer to freedom.
PUTTING ON THE RITZ AT MIZEL April 9, 2016. Call 918.494.0953 for details!
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FROM DANNY KRAFT
MEMBERSHIP Please let us know if there is a newcomer to Tulsa who needs to be welcomed by the Synagogue. Steve Aberson, our Membership Chair, would love to extend hospitality and a helping hand. In the meantime, we’re delighted to welcome
MITZVAH DAY AT McCLURE ELEMENTARY On Sunday, April 17, the Synagogue and Religious School community will return to McClure Elementary School for a Mitzvah Day morning in support of the teachers and students of the 61st and Peoria area.
Dr. David and Mary Liff 2172 East 26th Place Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114
Children and adults who participate will have the opportunity to help with some of the basic and essential aspects of schoolimprovement: cleaning up the grounds, organizing uniforms and clothing for students who are unable to provide their own, preparing classroom and project materials for teachers, and other worthwhile tasks. Some of these projects might seem minor, but I can assure you that everything we do will have a huge and lasting impact for teachers and students.
Janet Simmons 9110 South Florence Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma 74137 Les and Carla Weston 22419 South 377 Road Fort Gibson, Oklahoma 74434
Adults will also have the opportunity, during our morning at McClure, to engage in some Jewish text study relevant to our volunteer work. Our morning will begin at McClure Elementary at 9:00 with B’naigels, and I hope to see you there!
We hope that these new relationships bring much pleasure and new strength to the congregational family.
SISTERHOOD [PART 2]
MIDRASHA SPRING BREAK TRIP Our Midrasha spring break trip was a tremendous success! Eighteen teenagers from across Tulsa’s Jewish community spent five days and four nights in the heart of New York City, where we learned about the early Jewish-American experience through tours of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, the Eldridge Street Synagogue, Ellis Island, and other sites. We saw the new and critically acclaimed Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, took in panoramic views of three states from the OneWorld Observatory, and held a moving student-led ceremony at the September 11th memorial. From the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where a local BBYO chapter hosted our teenagers for dinner, to a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and a drive through Hassidic Crown Heights, our students saw and did much more than a few paragraphs could hold. It was an amazing experience, and we’re grateful to everyone who made it possible. The following teenagers participated; feel free to ask them about the highlights of their trip: Levi Johnson Eliot Mathews Jakob Mathews Ava Rabinowitz Max Sharpnack Jared Simon Ma’ayan Stafford Dakota Suter Allie Wenger
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Sales of the cookbook continue at the Synagogue. Those who have yet to purchase Kum Essen V can do so by visiting the Synagogue during regular office hours or on Sunday mornings during Sunday School. The purchase price of the cookbook is $36, or 3 cookbooks for $100. Those who need further information about the cookbook can continue to contact Carol Mandlebaum and Janet Dundee. HELPING TO FEED THE HUNGRY Sarah-Anne Schumann is chairing a new Sisterhood Sunday morning program. Sisterhood has reserved several Sunday mornings at Iron Gate to serve breakfast to Iron Gate guests. Iron Gate feeds hungry people every day of the week at 501 South Cincinnati Avenue.
Maia Anderson Gracie Arlan Noah Blatt Rachael Brodsky Ava Bumgarner Charlotte Bumgarner Erik Haake Jaxson King Kathryn Kleiner
If you would like to be a part of this new Sunday morning program, please email Sarah-Anne at hennschu@gmail. com. The Sunday morning dates are May 8 (celebrate Mother’s Day at Iron Gate), June 26, August 28 and October 30. You will need to be at Iron Gate from 7:50-10:30 a.m.
WE NEED YOUR OLD PHOTOGRAPHS!@
Our spring break trip rotation will continue next year with another coastal Jewish experience in the city of Los Angeles. 10
Centennial Highlights
Over the next several months, we’ll be using this space to remind you of events connected with the Synagogue’s centennial celebration. Please make note of these dates and join us for times of festivity and rejoicing.
The Touro Banquet: The Centennial Edition Sunday, May 22, at 6:00 p.m. This special event will honor presidents who have served the congregation in the last fifty years. Invitations will reach you shortly. Craig Silberg and Jolene Sanditen-Stephens, Touro Fundraising Chairs, hope you will respond generously when your invitation arrives in the mail.
Yarmulkas and Tallises Needed Soon We’re planning a big Centennial Year display of yarmulkas (kippot) imprinted for special occasions/life cycle events. If your drawers are full of them, please drop your surplus at the Synagogue. We are also eager to accomplish a project that will require many unused tallitot (tallises). Whatever you can pass along would be very helpful!
Please note that there are many other events on the Centennial calendar. Watch this space for more good things to come.
Congregation B’nai Emunah Invites You to
Second Seder at the Synagogue Saturday Evening, April 23, at 6:30 p.m. Kaiser-Miller Auditorium Adults: $36 per person Children 4 to 12: $18 per person Children 1 to 3: $6 Patrons: $50 Please plan early and confirm your reservation by charge or check. Deadline: Monday, April 18. Call (918) 935-3373 for reservations, write us at reservations@bnaiemunah.com or make a reservation at tulsagogue.com.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SYNAGOGUE 17th Street Deli
Mizel Family Philanthropic Fund
Altamont Bakery Fund
Morris and Edith Sylvan Transportation Fund
Andrea Schlanger
Claudia and Owen Butler Judy and Tom Kishner
Ann Beerman Flower and Garden Fund Joe Secan
Anne Zarrow Courtyard Fund Joyce Roodman Tobi and Mark Rubin
B’nai Brith Youth Education Fund Debbie and Barry Lederman
Building Renewal Endowment Fund Jon Kantor
Chevra Kadisha Fund Jonathan Jeffy
Endowment 2000 Fund Jon Kantor
Janis Bolusky Memorial Outreach Fund Gloria and Robert Joels
Julius and Mildred Sanditen Pilgrimage Fund Deana and Michael Maloney
Julius Bergman Book Fund Jon Kantor
Louis Klein Nursery Fund Jon Kantor
S. & J. Frieden Computer Fund Debbie and Mel Hallerman
Dr. Marcel Binstock
Sam Plost Matzah Fund Fred Strauss
Sidney & Jenny Brouse Family Shabbat and Holiday Fund
Sharon and Fred Benjamin
Tobi and Mark Rubin
Norman and Shirley Levin Fund for Prayerbook Publication
Synagogue Endowment Fund Julie Frank
Linda Brown
Synagogue General Fund
Rabbi Daniel S. Kaiman Discretionary Fund
Bernard Backer Jeff Bonem O’Neil Cobb Ann-Rose and Frank Kaplan Sara Loshak Nina Meyer Mindy and Harris Prescott Verizon Judith and Robert Weiss Latona and Ron Willhoite
Tobi and Mark Rubin Barbara and Dave Sylvan
Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman Discretionary Fund Anonymous Joan Benesh Jackie Cohen Julie Freid Cindy and Michael Guterman Laura and Tim Howard Ann Marks Tobi and Mark Rubin Nikki and Dr. Stephen Sack Jolene Sanditen-Stephens and Jim Stephens Barbara and Dave Sylvan
Richards Family Library Fund Gail and Kip Richards
Robinowitz Library Fund Vellie Bloch
Rose Borg Sukkah Fund
April and Richard Borg Rosalyn Borg (St. Louis) and family
The Religious School Fund Joan and Curtis Green
In Loving Memory
Ann Beerman Irving Benjamin Estelle Berger Florentine Binstock Irving Borg Sam Dritch Jules and Darryl Edelman Ad Eichenberg Jean Eichenberg Irvin Frank Monroe “Jim” Friedman Leona Glazer Faye Goldman Michael Guterman Gertrude Kantor Rose Kantor
Seventeenth Street Deli | Kosher Eats at the Synagogue!
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SYNAGOGUE In Loving Memory (continued) Betty Kaplan Charles Kaplin Lou Lederman Paul Marks Bill Meyer Nancy Polishuk Charlotte Richards Dr. Gerald Richards Lee Roodman Sam Rothman Mildred and Julius Sanditen Sylvia and Darrell Smith Rebecca Stephens Anne Zarrow Henry Zarrow Jack Zarrow Scott Zarrow Sam Zeligson
In Honor
In Honor (continued)
Alice Blue, on being honored by Iron Gate
Jon Glazer Rabbi Daniel S. Kaiman Betty Lehman Greg Raskin Carol Sweet
Claudia and Matthew Biespiel, on their anniversary B’nai Emunah Sisterhood, on the publishing of Kum Essen V Richard Borg Brian Brouse Sharon and Dr. Jamie Cash Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman and Alice Blue, on the birth of Zelda Rose
Liba Wenig Rubenstein and Micah Fitzerman-Blue, on the birth of Zelda Rose
Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman and Alice Blue, on the engagement of Nina Fitzerman-Blue to Daniel Sterba
Speedy Recovery Jenny Brouse Jonathan Jeffy Ethel Lubin
BETTY’S FINE FOODS Need a great treat for Passover or a stock of basics? Please call Betty at (918) 583-7121 to
IN THE COMMUNITY
place your Passover order today. We’ll be setting up our store on the Monday before Passover!
april | adar bet-nisan Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
1
Friday
5:30 PM Service 6:00 PM Bibi-Dibi
Candles: 7:26 PM
3
9:00 AM Religious School 9:30 AM FETO 10:30 AM Jerusalem Quartet 5:30 PM Service 7:00 PM BBYO Presents
10
5:30 PM Service
4
5:30 PM Service
11
5:30 PM Service
5
1:00 PM Altamont Baking 5:30 PM Service
12
1:00 PM Altamont Baking 5:30 PM Service 7:00 PM Board of Directors
6
9:00 AM Altamont Packing 3:30 PM Hebrew School 5:30 PM Service 6:45 PM Midrasha
13
9:00 AM Altamont Packing 3:30 PM Hebrew School 5:30 PM Service 6:45 PM Midrasha
7
4:30 PM Meditation 5:30 PM Service
14
4:30 PM Meditation 5:30 PM Service
9:00 AM Mitzvah Day @ McClure Elementary 5:30 PM Service
18
5:30 PM Service
19
1:00 PM Altamont Baking 5:30 PM Service 7:00 PM Jewish Folk Dancing
20
9:00 AM Altamont Packing 3:30 PM Hebrew School 5:30 PM Service 6:45 PM Midrasha
21
5:30 PM Service
9:00 AM Yom Tov Service 8:15 PM Service
Havdalah: 8:30 PM Passover Day 2
25
5:30 PM Service
Passover Day 3
26
5:30 PM Service
Passover Day 4
27
3:30 PM Hebrew School 5:30 PM Service 6:45 PM Midrasha
Passover Day 5
Torah: Shemini Havdalah: 8:15 PM
9
Candles: 7:32 PM
Rosh Chodesh Nisan Torah: Tazria Havdalah: 8:20 PM
15
16
5:30 PM Service 6:00 PM Milestone Shabbat Dinner 7:00 PM Centennial Milestone Shabbat
5:30 PM Service
22
5:30 PM Service
Passover Begins Candles: 7:44 PM
24
9:00 AM Shabbat Service 8:00 PM Service
8
Candles: 7:38 PM
17
2
Saturday
9:00 AM Shabbat Service 8:05 PM Service
9:00 AM Shabbat Service 5:30 PM Service 7:15 PM Bat Mitzvah of Alexi Sotkin
Torah: Metzora Havdalah: 8:25 PM
23
9:00 AM Shabbat and Yom Tov Service 5:30 PM Service 6:30 PM Second Seder at The Synagogue
Candles: 7:45 PM Passover Day 1
28
29
30
Candles: 7:49 PM Passover Day 6
Candles: 7:50 PM Passover Day 7
Havdalah: 8:40 PM Passover Day 8
4:30 PM Meditation 5:30 PM Service
9:00 AM Yom Tov Service 5:30 PM Service
9:00 AM Shabbat and Yom Tov Service 10:45 AM Yizkor Service 8:15 PM Service
THE SYNAGOGUE
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage
PAID
CONGREGATION B’NAI EMUNAH
Tulsa, Oklahoma Permit No. 587
1719 South Owasso Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120 P.O. Box 52430 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74152
YAHRTZEIT CALENDAR— APRIL 2016 — 24 ADAR BET THROUGH 22 NISAN Sunday, April 3 - 24 Adar B Asher Zeldich Monday, April 4 - 25 Adar B Gary Morris Mandell Tuesday, April 5 - 26 Adar B Alexander Urban Wednesday, April 6 - 27 Adar B Morrey Frey Thursday, April 7 - 28 Adar B Anna Glenn Beatrice Lifsics J. Morris Mayer Saturday, April 9 - 1 Nisan Joseph S. Kantor Shimon Sam Mizel Morris Mizel Dr. Herbert Prussack Abbo Stekoll Bessie Stekoll Sunday, April 10 - 2 Nisan Charles Borochoff Nadine Iola Wise Irene Renee Kasner Meredith Lois Levine Ilse Schwarz Mark Seigel Sol Spector Bernice Stekoll Benjamin Franklin Stockfish Monday, April 11 - 3 Nisan Celia Davis Neil Markman Barbara Rambach Eva Rashbaum Gary Zukerman
Tuesday, April 12 - 4 Nisan Henry “Hank” Alcouloumre Monroe “Jim” Friedman Max Wolens Wednesday, April 13 - 5 Nisan Joe Bobrow H.C. Bortel Maxine Jeffy Etta Price Thursday, April 14 - 6 Nisan Mark Finston Bella Jankofsky Odie McReynolds Sam S. Miller Nathan Mizel Milford S. Ungerman Friday, April 15 - 7 Nisan Jacob Greenberg Norma Lee Hipfner Ruben Kern Morris J. Krawitz Marjorie Lubin Ruben Leib Paru Katie Pollock Saturday, April 16 - 8 Nisan Goldie Cash Naomi Isaacs David J. Lieberman George Ludman Harry L. Miller Etta G. Milsten Lottie Minsky Leonard Seigel William Stein Evelyn Trommer Sunday, April 17 - 9 Nisan Berel Dundee Joe Katz Philip Rubinstein Michael Steinberg Tillie Welcher
Monday, April 18 - 10 Nisan Charles Brouse Bahram Delrahim Abraham Finkelstein Sophie Leffmann Francis Miller Aaron Moran Marvin Phillip Shalon
Monday, April 25 - 17 Nisan Solly Appel Aaron Nisson Levin Chaya Leya Levin Nathan Price William Nathan Raskin Al Solow Chasya Zarrow
Tuesday, April 19 - 11 Nisan Eva Wiseman
Tuesday, April 26 - 18 Nisan Earnest Appel Irving M. Blum Abraham Markovitz John Griffin Moody Grace Solomon Dr. Ronald L. Solow Fannie Tenner Regina Zanerhaft Harry Zoblotsky
Wednesday, April 20 - 12 Nisan Harry Beinhorn Louis Berlowitz Frances Brodsky A. Jeb Lewis Samuel David Miller George Robison Thursday, April 21 - 13 Nisan Saul Baum Dorothea Dundee Paul M. Jankowsky Helen Langer Abe Silverman Jerry Wittels Friday, April 22 - 14 Nisan Harry Fadem Abe Fedman Barbara Goldberg David C. Goldberg Mina Lapidus Alicia Urban Ben Watt Lillian Sanditen Weinstein Saturday, April 23 - 15 Nisan Irwin Oleinick Dorothy Zarrow Renberg Sunday, April 24 - 16 Nisan Bernard Clay Hawkins Shulamith Massil Ethel Salle
Wednesday, April 27 - 19 Nisan Paula Ethel Bergman Anna Scheer Thursday, April 28 - 20 Nisan Brian Chebon Borofsky Alena Horska Jacob Marks Judah Zeldich Friday, April 29 - 21 Nisan Harry Borg Edward Isadore Cohen Sam Goldstein Herbert Kramer Samuel Lenske Randall H. Levin Regina J. Milsten Abraham Isaac Schwartz Abraham Siegal Saturday, April 30 - 22 Nisan Esther Ginsberg Morris Milsten Abraham Minsky Fred Preston Shirley Rabinovitz
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life everlasting. Please note that each yahrtzeit begins at sunset on the day before the date listed.