Beth Israel’s Thank You to Our Most Generous Donors Featured Reform Movement Head, Rabbi Eric Yoffie

By Emily Jennewein, President

Bud and Esther Fischer hosted Beth Israel's Thank You Event

This year’s event to thank Beth Israel’s Century Club, Dor L’Dor members and major donors was especially significant because our keynote speaker was the head of the Reform Movement, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, who retires in June after 16 years at the helm of our Movement.

Beth Israel was extremely privileged to host Rabbi Yoffie at the spectacular home of Esther and Bud Fischer, high on the bluff, above the Pacific Ocean. Cindy and Lorne Polger chaired the reception.

Emily and Chris Jennewein with Rabbi Eric Yoffie

Rabbi Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, which represents 1.5 million Reform Jews in 900 synagogues across North America, said membership and participation in synagogues is fundamental to Judaism in America. He also thanked those in attendance for their steadfast support and involvement in the life of Beth Israel.


The reception was Beth Israel’s annual event to thank our Century Club members whose generosity makes it possible for Beth Israel to have open arms to all who want to be members, regardless of the ability to meet our dues. Beth Israel values inclusiveness and openness, and our Century Club members make it possible for us to live these values.



Rabbi Michael Berk with Cindy Polger, who chaired
the Thank You Event with her husband, Lorne.

We also honored the members of our Dor L'Dor Society, those who have left a legacy bequest to Beth Israel that will become part of our endowment. Those legacy gifts will forever benefit our synagogue and ensure the strength of the Reform Jewish community in San Diego.


And we thanked all our major donors to Beth Israel, including those who have made dedications as part of our 150th anniversary Torah Project. Our major donors’ generosity allows Beth Israel to assure the vitality of our synagogue this year and for the next 150 years.

Linda Goldberg and Bonnie Graff.

I’m proud to be able to report that every member of Beth Israel’s Board has made early, personal commitments to our fundraising initiatives. Our leadership takes very seriously the responsibility to strengthen our congregation, the historic center of Jewish life in San Diego. Our Board leaders continue the strong legacy established by a group of Jewish pioneers on the wild, remote coast of California, who created a community so successful that it has endured 150 years and seems still to get stronger.

Our visionary founders sought to establish Jewish connection then, and Beth Israel continues on that same quest now. Through the generosity of our members, we sustain a thriving, inclusive community where people find ways to connect to Judaism and to one another. The support of our donors ensures Beth Israel’s ability to do so effectively for generations to come. For that, I thank each of you who make Beth Israel a financial priority.

Sallye and Larry Krause with Jerry and Lee Levy.

George Scher with Jerry and Marge Katleman

Nadine Finkel and Gail Malkus.

Wishing Mazel Tov to Past President Barbara Haworth

By Emily Jennewein, President

I’d like to wish Mazel Tov to Past President Barbara Haworth and her husband Gordon, who have moved to Chicago, where Barbara has become Executive Director of the historic Anshe Emet Synagogue, a large Conservative, egalitarian synagogue. Beth Israel bid a fond farewell to the Haworths with a warm Shabbat blessing in late March.

As president from 2005-07, Barbara established a period of Shalom Bayit, peace in the house, when she presided over the engagement of Rabbi Michael Berk, renewed Beth Israel’s relationship with Rabbi/Cantor Arlene Bernstein and enhanced the high level of professionalism. Barbara presided over Beth Israel’s first long-range strategic plan and conceived of our leadership development institute which trains a pipeline of future lay leaders. To my knowledge, she is the first past president to leave our community and the first to leave for employment at a synagogue. I send the Haworths my very best wishes on behalf of the Beth Israel community.

Building Our Synagogue Is Their Greatest Mitzvah

By Emily Jennewein, President

There may be no higher mitzvah, nor anything more lasting in congregational Judaism, than building a synagogue. The devotion, humility and pride of those who helped with the vision, design and construction of Beth Israel's magnificent La Jolla campus was evident at a sold-out dinner and packed service on March 16.

Dan Epstein

Dan Epstein, co-chair of the Architect and Building Committee, said building Beth Israel was the most meaningful project of his long and varied career in construction. He recalled countless meetings and extended negotiations that, he concluded, were well worth the effort. He spoke about the hard work and selfless contributions of his co-chair, May Sebel, and many others including Bob Berton, who chaired the land acquisition committee, Melissa Garfield Bartell, who chaired the art committee, Helene Ziman, who chaired the interior design committee, Sally Wyte, who chaired the landscape committee, and Ted Mintz, who chaired the construction development committee. Epstein and his wife Phyllis were co-chairs of the evening to honor those who built the bricks and mortar of our congregation.

Douglas Austin

The campus’ architect, Douglas Austin of Austin Veum Robbins Partners, recalled the spirituality he felt in designing the campus to look like a small part of Jerusalem in San Diego. Though not Jewish, Austin visited Israel, read extensively about the history of the first and second temples in Jerusalem, and as the son of a minister, brought a learned background to the project.

Robert Price recounted how very meaningful it is to his family that members of his family have been involved in creating all three of Beth Israel’s synagogues. Along with Elliot Feuerstein and the late Stan Foster, Price helped raise the funds for the current campus. Price cited his work with Stuart Simmons, Beth Israel’s executive director emeritus, as the most gratifying of all his work on the project.

Rabbi Jonathan Stein

Past President and 150th Anniversary Chair Mary Ann Scher introduced former Rabbi Jonathan Stein, who addressed the congregation about the importance of participating in a Jewish community and recalled his own involvement with the planning and building of Beth Israel’s campus. Rabbi Michael Berk encouraged members to heed Rabbi Stein’s message to fully participate in the life of our Beth Israel community.
Stein, as the current president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, previewed the forthcoming report on the future of Reform Judaism, which will envision a future that addresses the major challenges facing the Reform Movement: how technology changes the nature of community-building and affiliation, financial challenges, and the meaning of being a religious movement in a culture that is inherently anti-institutional.

Rabbi Stein cited his greatest legacy to Beth Israel as having brought Rabbi/Cantor Arlene Bernstein to our congregation. Rabbi Stein and his wife Susan last visited Beth Israel in 2008 when they helped us honor Rabbi/Cantor Bernstein for her 10 years of service.

The evening was the final stop on Three Temple Tour that enabled us to visit each of Beth Israel’s former homes, and to re-live many glorious memories. The first board meeting of the anniversary year was held in our original synagogue building, now a historic monument in Old Town. And we conducted an authentic, Classical Reform service from the 1940s in our second temple, where we lived out half of Beth Israel’s history. Stan Schwartz, Beth Israel’s temple archivist, was invited to sit on the bimah in recognition of his invaluable historical contributions throughout the planning and celebration of the 150th anniversary year.

Honoring Beth Israel's Commitment to Social Action

by Emily Jennewein, President

I'd like to thank Deb DeBow, chair of this evening’s Speakers Series event, and a longtime dedicated Board member of the congregation.

And I'd like to add my thanks to all the past chairs of our Social Action Committee – most of whom have stayed truly involved with social action over many years.  In your honor, the temple has made a donation to the Hunger Project and you’ll receive certificates this evening to commemorate those donations.

Beth Israel's Social Action Chairs present for the celebration are:

• Jerry Goldberg, chair from 1994-96
• Elaine Moser, 1999-2001
• Anita Hosenpud,  2001-04
• Bob Metz,  2001-03
• Judy Fisher, 2003-06
• Deb DeBow,  2006-11
• Seekey Cacciatore,  2009-11
• Stan Bliss, our current chair

I’d also like to recognize and thank Joan Kutner for founding and running the Hunger Project for most of its 25 years.

Beth Israel’s Social Action Committee dates to the mid-1960s when the congregation formed the Social Action Committee to apply Jewish ideals and ethics to modern life. Early social action programs included an initiative with Jewish Family Service, to help with Vietnamese Boat People Resettlement. 

A group of Beth Israel families helped prepare East County apartments for the refugees with basic furnishings, clothing and food, and then met with the refugees once they arrived to welcome them and help them acclimate to their new environment. 

And for years, Beth Israel held community Thanksgiving dinners for needy people in the Third & Laurel neighborhood.

The committee fell dormant for several years until Jerry Goldberg, who later became our president, revived the committee in 1994. Today the Social Action Committee operates with a comprehensive framework for social action that includes advocacy on social issues, education, opportunities for hands-on participation, and support for Israel.

This evening, we’re also honoring the Hunger Project as the congregation’s longest-standing mitzvah project. Since 1986 Beth Israel has partnered with St. Vincent de Paul to provide a nourishing hot brunch to 800 to 1,000 adults and children every Sunday morning. 

On the very first Sunday, our Hunger Project clients numbered 249 men and one woman.  The servers were our rabbis, members of the board of directors and their families.  Word quickly spread on the street about the quality and quantity of the food served and among the temple membership about the positive experience. 

The next Sunday morning we served 400 people. In 2005, Rabbi Saperstein’s Religious Action Center honored Beth Israel for the Hunger Project with the Irving J. Fain Social Action Award Honorable Mention.

Among the Social Action highlights of the past decade were two Walks for Darfur co-chaired by Judy Fisher and Ami Minteer.  Again Beth Israel led the way, reaching out to the entire San Diego community and raising awareness as well as $80,000 to $100,000 for relief aid to the region.

Beth Israel is very proud of the leaders of our Social Action initiatives over many years.

Our Classical Reform Service at Third & Laurel

by Emily Jennewein, President

This was the introduction to our second stop on the Three Temple Tour, a Classical Reform service held at Third & Laurel on Friday, January 27. 

Our host, Ohr Shalom Synagogue, has lovingly restored this temple that was originally built in 1926 as the second home of Congregation Beth Israel. In fact, Ohr Shalom’s President, Al Shelden, who is here this evening, led the group that won a Preservation Award from the Save Our Heritage Organization last May for the restoration of this sacred place.  For 75 years – until 2001 – this historic structure was Beth Israel’s sacred dwelling, and the center of Jewish life in San Diego.

Tonight we will welcome back some very special guests who will be sitting on the bimah with Rabbi Michael Berk, Rabbi Arlene Bernstein and Rabbi Michael Satz.

We are thrilled to welcome Cantor Sheldon Merel. For 11 years, Cantor Merel’s beautiful tenor voice graced this sanctuary. He was a pioneer who expanded the role of Cantors in the Reform Movement. At his retirement in 1991, Cantor Merel became Cantor Emeritus of Beth Israel, but his contributions to our High Holy Days services have continued to this day and well into his retirement.



I am also pleased to welcome back Marline Gendelman, who directed the Bill & Sid Rubin Preschool for 20 years.  When Marline re-opened the preschool in 1977 she had 11 youngsters enrolled, and Marline herself acted as bookkeeper, secretary, snack provider, and sometime-custodian.  When Marline retired, she had built the preschool to full capacity with 65 children and a staff of eight. 

Also sitting on the bimah this evening will be Director of Education Emerita – Helene Schlafman, another wonderfully innovative force in our congregation.  Eemah – as everyone calls her – created our Madrichim Leadership Program more than 40 years ago and it became a model nationwide.  Over the years, hundreds of Beth Israel teens have been trained to assist in our religious school and camps. Eemah was our first woman director of education, a position she held for 20 years.  She was instrumental in creating a number of summer camps for Beth Israel, and the Beth Israel Day School.

For making this evening a seamless walk down memory lane, I’d like to thank the ALEINU Committee and its chair Jerry Sampson, our Facilities Coordinator Lynn Sampson, Maintenance Director Nick Reilly, and our Program Director with distinction for 27 years, Bonnie Graff. We are also grateful to Organist Bob McLeod, Choirmaster Nancy Jones Johnson, Beth Israel's Shabbat and Festival Choir and volunteer singers who have joined us to make music for many years.  

And we’ll also welcome to the bimah our host, Rabbi Scott Meltzer of Ohr Shalom, to whom we are most grateful for allowing us to journey back to our former home tonight, to worship here, and to re-live so many glorious memories of Congregation Beth Israel.

*       *      *

You’re holding in your hand a service from the old Union Prayer Book, first published in 1894, newly revised in the 1940s, and used throughout the Reform Movement until 1976 when the Gates of Prayer was introduced.  Just a few congregations today still follow the liturgy that we’ll use for tonight’s service.

Tonight’s service is meant to be authentic, to take us back in time. So please be prepared for the unexpected and don’t be on auto-pilot. Our Reform Movement has evolved over time. But tonight we’ll venture back and we’ll hear the dignified, formal oratory in use in the 1940s, especially the male-oriented language of that day.

The music of a Classical Reform service – conducted without benefit of a Cantor, by the way – featured majestic Choral music, powerful and dignified congregational hymns, organ accompaniment, and musical responses to liturgy read by the Rabbi and Congregation. Though the hymns would have been published in a separate Union Hymnal, you’ll find some of the music for this evening in the back of our special Prayer Book.

*       *      *

Now, let us be transported back to the 1940s to worship in the Classical Reform style – using the liturgy and music of the Reform movement – during the period in which Beth Israel convened at Third and Laurel.

Honoring Beth Israel's Many Community Leaders

We are thrilled to honor 75 leaders tonight.
Everyone in this sanctuary thanks you for your service.

These remarks were delivered by Emily Jennewein, president, at the Shabbat to honor Beth Israel members who have served as presidents and executive directors of organizations in the greater Jewish community.

Congregation Beth Israel has reached our 150th anniversary in large part because our leaders have dedicated themselves to building a strong, broad-based, and resilient Jewish community in San Diego. And then to guiding it as it grew and prospered. Along the way, our leaders encountered economic adversity and many challenges, but found the inspiration, fortitude and creativity to evolve, and the vision to persevere and thrive. 

Rabbi David Wolpe spoke eloquently
to the gathering. And he engaged our
religious school students in conversations
about God earlier in the afternoon.

In fact, since our founding in 1861 by pioneer Jews in the dusty backwater that was early San Diego, Beth Israel has been the incubator for Jewish leadership in our city. Our synagogue was not just the first, but the only Jewish institution in San Diego for nearly 50 years. Today we’re honored to share the role with about 40 synagogues of all denominations. And with a multitude of Jewish social service agencies, schools, private Foundations, advocacy and Israel support groups that serve both the Jewish and general communities.

Betty Byrnes, center, celebrated her 78th
birthday along with daughter Laura Byrnes
and Laura's fiance, Michael.  

Many of those we’re honoring tonight started their leadership careers at Beth Israel – in youth groups, on our committees and our Board – and then spread out to give back to meaningful causes in the larger community. A few years ago, when I had the privilege to work at the Jewish Community Foundation, I gained appreciation for the depth of commitment on the part of so many San Diego Jewish leaders to making the world a better place.

Marcie Merel, left, was honored for her
service as past president of
Jewish Family Service.

Tonight Beth Israel is honoring our own members who have served as presidents and executive directors of San Diego Jewish organizations.  We are thrilled to honor about 75 leaders tonight. Everyone in this sanctuary thanks you for your service. Please join me in another round of applause.

I’d like to thank Andie Oster for chairing this beautiful evening, and present you with this gift from Beth Israel in appreciation of your guidance of this special celebration of our 150th anniversary.  Andie most recently completed her term as Chair of Federation, and this year was honored with the Anne Ratner Award for Extraordinary Leadership.

150th Anniversary Chari Mary Ann Scher,
Kate Kassar, 150th Project Coordinator Terri Bignell

Beth Israel’s entire 150th anniversary year is chaired by one of our honorees, Mary Ann Scher. And working closely with Mary Ann is another of our community’s leaders whom we’re honoring tonight, Terri Bignell.

I encourage all of you to please join us for the fascinating lineup we have planned for the next four events in our Speakers Series, all on Shabbat evenings – dates and speakers are listed in tonight’s program.

Hillel Executive Director Michael Rabkin,
former JFS President Ron Zollman,
Zachary Zollman, Susan Shmalo and
Gene Hamilton Carswell.

And I hope everyone here – whether or not you’re a member of Beth Israel -- will feel welcome to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in our Torah Project. We will be working through June of this year to fulfill the mitzvah of scribing a new Torah. Dedications are available ranging from a single letter, to a parasha, to naming the entire Torah.

In closing, I hope you’ll join us and our community leaders at the dessert reception that awaits us next door in the David & Dorothea Garfield Social Hall.

Thank you for your leadership! 

Jewish Community Foundation CEO Marjory Kaplan,
Past President Amy Corton and T.E.A.M founder JJ Surbeck

Steve and Ellen Fox, Past President of JFS Steve Levine, Michael and Lynn Maskin

Cathy Weil, JFS CEO Michael Hopkins, John Weil

Rabbi Michael Satz, Liz Levine, Gary Hirschfeld, Andrew Resnick

Rabbi Janice Elster, President Emily Jennewein

Executive Director Lesley Mills,
Communications Director Karen Shein,
Membership Coordinator Judi Schwartz

Celebrating Shalom Hunan Chanukah

By President Emily Jennewein



For many liberal Jews, the Christmas holidays are synonymous with Chinese food.  While our Christian friends celebrate their holidays, we Jews often gather for our own feasts, and more often than not, the meal is Chinese.

True to form, several hundred Beth Israel members and friends celebrated Beth Israel’s festive tradition of Shalom Hunan Chanukah again this year with a Shabbat service followed by Chinese dinner and sufganyot.  The service featured the lighting of Beth Israel’s giant chanukia, created several years ago by our own master woodworker, Louis Vener.  And our Shabbat and Festival Choir, Youth and Teen Choir and Chai Band performed lively and animated Chanukah songs.

The happiness and sense of community was palpable throughout the evening as congregants filled the beautifully decorated David & Dorothea Garfield Social Hall. Beth Israel’s hard-working, cheerful staff made certain there was a bounty of delicious food and that the evening flowed seamlessly. It warmed my heart that our staff, many of whom are not Jewish, seemed to enjoy the Chanukah celebration as much as anyone!

Professor Joellyn Zollman

But why the connection between American Jews and Chinese food? Our member, Professor Joellen Zollman told congregants how this relationship began and why it continues. Zollman explained that Jewish affinity for Chinese food was influenced by the proximity of Chinese communities on the lower east side of New York at the turn of the 20th century, and the idea that Chinese is "safe treyf."

Sociologists developed the term safe treyf to describe the idea that Chinese food was appealing to Jewish immigrants, Zollman explained, because it uses virtually no dairy, therefore avoiding the milk and meat combination that was repulsive to many American Jews who came from a kosher background, even if they were no longer maintaining the dietary laws themselves. Further, most treyf ingredients, especially pork, were so finally minced as to be unrecognizable. And, Chinese food uses ingredients familiar to Jews -- chicken, garlic, tea, and overcooked vegetables.

A joyful evening like this one exemplifies our congregation’s commitment to being an inclusive community of people who come together under the name of Beth Israel to pursue our shared interests and goals. The warmth and inclusiveness of our community are qualities that make Beth Israel the extraordinary place that it is.

So whether you enjoyed our Chinese Chanukah or plan to join us next year, I encourage you to join our Beth Israel community in February for any or all of the many wonderful programs that will continue our 150th anniversary celebration:

• On Fri., Feb. 10, Rabbi David Saperstein, who heads the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center in Washington, D.C., will speak here
• On Wed., Feb. 15, Dr. Jess Mandel and a panel of our members who are research scientists and health care providers at UCSD School of Medicine, UCSD Moores Cancer Center and the Salk Institute will present at Forum 150
• On Wed., Feb. 22, Torah scribe Julie Seltzer will teach the joy of baking challah, creating edible art 
• On Fri., Feb. 25, Rabbi/Cantor Arlene Bernstein will lead us in celebrating 150 show-stopping years from Broadway to Beth Israel

Members of the Beth Israel community are invited to contact President Emily Jennewein by writing to board@cbisd.org.