DayTimers' Grand Finale, "Live in Concert with Heidi Gantwerk & Andrew Mayer" Was a Big Hit!

by Emily Jennewein, President

Longtime CBI and Chai Band members, Heidi Gantwerk and Andy Mayer entertained about 100 members and guests of DayTimers in the Foster Family Chapel at Beth Israel on Thursday. Heidi and Andy poured their musical hearts into an eclectic mix of songs, including selections from Yiddish theater, American stage, jazz and R&B classics, with a little rock'n roll thrown in.

In addition to the singing, piano accompaniment and composing that Heidi and Andy regularly contribute to Beth Israel, Heidi also serves on the temple board and is co-chair of our 2011 Strategic Planning process.

Attendees enjoyed delicious desserts in the Price Family Courtyard after the concert.
The afternoon was co-sponsored by Brandeis National Committee: San Dieguito Chapter. DayTimers' Co-Chair Barbara Gellman delivered a beautiful introduction on behalf of the committee and her co-chair, Sima Oppenheimer.

Program Director Bonnie Graff invited everyone to attend the Chavurah Shabbat coming up on June 3.

Religious School End of Year Picnic a Big Hit With Families

by Emily Jennewein, President

Parent Association Chairs Heather Keith and Michelle Breier put on a smashing picnic for Religious School families last Sunday to mark the last day of the Religious School year.

Dozens of families brought picnics and enjoyed a relaxing lunch while being serenaded by the Beth Israel Youth Choir.

Just before, the Religious School community enjoyed songs by several of the younger grade students and Rabbi Katz promoted each grade level of students up a year.

Rabbi Katz presented a beautiful bouquet to retiring first grade teacher Carole Wilinsky on her many years of service to Beth Israel. By coincidence, Carole was actually Rabbi Katz's own 2nd grade teacher in New York state many years ago.  

Several parents delivered tributes to Rabbi Katz including Beth Tabor, whose remkars are below, and Education Co-Chairs Meryl Maneker and Greg Markow.

Beth Tabor's Tribute to Rabbi David Katz

by Beth Tabor, member of Beth Israel's Education Advisory Council

It is with gratitude and sadness I come to thank you for your dedication to our religious school families and to personally thank you for the opportunity to work together on several projects over the last three years.  

Rabbi David Katz

Thank you for bringing enchantment and creativity as well as rigor to our school.  From that first leaning tower of honey cake and the day the staff and clergy dressed as bible heroes to welcome our children to religious school  to help us learn about Torah, to The Hebrew Kids' Choice Awards and Lehrhaus where we discovered that we could learn together in personal, informal spaces as well as the classroom.  You created the magic that brings a sense of excitement to Jewish learning.

Since day one, community building has been a top priority for you.  You developed EAC, a think tank and sounding board that gave parents a bigger voice.  You revitalized the parent organization giving parents more opportunity to get  involved in their children's education.  Yes, most of your ideas did need that 'village', but in that 'village' community was being built.  You are creative and think 'outside the box'.  My hope is, that those seeds you have planted to build community and to think creatively about education will continue to grow.

I am sorry to see the curtain fall, but we thank you for a wonderful performance.  We sincerely wish you and Nancy all the very best.  Thank you again for all you have done to make CBI Religious School a better place, and for lighting a spark in our children to embrace Jewish learning.

Tribute to President Ron Simon

by Emily Jennewein, Incoming President

May 19, 2011 -- The board and staff of Congregation Beth Israel thank Ron Simon for the wisdom and intelligence he brought to the leadership of our synagogue over the past two years.

As president, Ron set an outstanding example for us all. He brought his significant talents and experience to the leadership of every aspect of our congregation.  For 37 years, Ron has been an active member of Beth Israel.

Ron Simon

Watching Ron guide board meetings has been to learn from a true mensch, someone who cares deeply about Beth Israel and what’s best for our synagogue.  He approaches every challenge with wisdom and patience, and with his eye on the big picture.

I’d like to repeat those words: wisdom and patience. Ron has brought to the leadership of our congregation the wisdom to set important goals and the patience to focus and achieve them.

Of course, Ron brought a successful financial executive’s perspective to the temple’s financial challenges. During the past two years he has strengthened the financial foundation of our synagogue, laying the groundwork for the 150th anniversary endowment campaign. He has personally cultivated generous endowment gifts.

If you ask Ron why he has loved being president -- as you know he clearly has from that certain smile you can count on always to be on his face -- he would tell you that the best part has been the opportunity to work closely with Rabbi Berk, Lesley Mills, and all the people of Beth Israel, and to move the temple forward. 

To know Ron well is to know that the single goal that’s most important to Ron for Beth Israel’s future, is that we advance one of the Five Big Ideas identified in last fall’s Strategic Visioning process – and that is to make Beth Israel a second home to our future: the congregation’s youth.

And that may be why Ron seemed, to me, to enjoy most of all the opportunity to set an outstanding example for his grandchildren. Ron and Anne’s three children became b’nai mitzvah and were married at Beth Israel, and his seven grandchildren all received their Jewish names in our congregation.

Surely one of the happiest point of the last two years was watching Ron beam with pride at his four granddaughters -- all lined up in the front row at the Civic Theatre -- for services last Rosh Hashanah morning, and watching them gaze back at him with keen interest and pride.

Ron, we are immensely grateful for all the wisdom you have given Beth Israel.

Introducing Rabbi Arlene Bernstein - A Report from the Ordination

by Emily Jennewein, President

May 20, 2011 -- Cantor, and now Rabbi, Arlene Bernstein was ordained along with 12 other rabbinic ordinees of Hebrew Union College at a beautiful and moving ceremony at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles last Sunday morning.  

Rabbi/Cantor Arlene Bernstein

Many of you know that for seven long years, Cantor has been driving several times a week to Los Angeles for classes and seminars. I understand that studying for the rabbinate is hard enough if you’re a full-time student. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for Cantor Bernstein to pursue her studies in addition to performing her duties as Cantor at Beth Israel. But she did so beautifully for seven full years.

This was my first time visiting Wilshire Boulevard Temple. It is a stately, historic building whose Byzantine revival exterior architecturally resembles our old synagogue on Third and Laurel. The bimah and the entire sanctuary are paneled in dark wood, and gilded fresco paintings illustrating Jewish history surround the dome. 

As the service began, our Rabbis – Rabbi Berk, Rabbi Satz, Rabbi Katz and Rabbi Aliza Berk – processed along with dozens of other clergy from across the West.  Beautiful cantorial music graced the entire service.

Each student was presented by a rabbi mentor and then blessed by Rabbi David Ellenson, president of Hebrew Union College -- who will speak here next April toward the end of our 150th year. Cantor Bernstein was presented for ordination by Rabbi Jonathan Stein, who was her rabbi when she decided to become a rabbi, and who is currently president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.

In his introduction of Rena Sarah bat Yosef u’Masha, Arlene Sandra Bernstein, Rabbi Stein noted that our Cantor has an “extraordinary ability to connect with people of all ages and stages…. How fortunate for the Jewish people that you decided to become a Cantor and now a Rabbi. You could have been a therapist, musician, teacher, singer, or coach,” he said. “Arlene is a Jew with a flexible spirituality, open to new ways of expression, welcoming to all while maintaining high standards…. Her innate ability to understand others, her good judgment, considered opinions and gentle support and encouragement have made her a loyal mentor and role model.”

Rabbi Ellenson then took Cantor Bernstein by the hand, led her up several steps to the open ark, and blessed her under a historic ordination canopy – a special chuppah. And then she was handed her s’meechah, ordination certificate, and introduced as Rabbi Arlene Bernstein, at which point the sanctuary erupted with applause.

Rabbi Ellenson told the new rabbis that in their work it isn’t what you say -- or even what you do -- but how kind you are. People will remember your kindness. That message of kindness truly reflects how we think already of Rabbi Bernstein. We congratulate Rabbi Arlene Bernstein on her magnificent and sacred achievement.