Messenger - March 2021 by The Synagogue | Congregation B'nai Emunah

MESSENGER

105

volume

FROM THEEMUNAH RABBI | MARCH 2021 | PUBLISHED MONTHLY THECALENDAR SYNAGOGUEHIGHLIGHTS | CONGREGATION B’NAI

PASSOVER —SEE UPCOMING FOR DETAILS

MASTHEAD

MILESTONES BIRTHS

Daniel S. Kaiman and Marc B. Fitzerman *............... Rabbis Dr. Elana Newman................................................ President Dr. John Schumann..................... Executive Vice President Ross Heyman..................................................Vice President Mark Goldman................................................Vice President Sally Donaldson.......................................................Treasurer Nancy Cohen.......................................................... Secretary Jeremy Rabinowitz......... Synagogue Foundation President Hillary Roubein.................................... Sisterhood President Sara Levitt..................Director of Jewish Life and Learning Eric Hunker................................................Program Director Rick Gratch......................................................Administrator Shelli Wright........................................... Preschool Director Happie Hoffman ...................................Artist-in-Residence Brigid Kelley & Cheryl Myers..........Co-Staff, Office Wing Nancy Cohen............................ Sisterhood Gift Shop Chair

Eli Henry Rodheim, born to Andy and Hannah (Newman) Rodheim on February 7, 2021. Eli is the grandson of Russell and Gail Newman.

IN MEMORIAM Terri Kramer (Rao) Mother of Elliana F. Rao, Benjamin H. Rao, and Gabriella A. Rao Former wife of Dr. Peter Rao

NEW MEMBERS Stephanie Marshall Nick and Blair Abrahamson We’re so happy to welcome one and all into the family of the Synagogue. Onward and upward!

*Both Rabbis are affiliated with the Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Movement.

TODAH RABBAH

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

We are deeply grateful to those who have become part of our renewed effort to provide home-cooked meals to those members of our congregation in need. Thanks to:

ON THE COVER The crossing of the sea is usually depicted as a straight path through walls of water standing at attention on either side. What makes this illustration stand out is that it foregrounds the unruly power of the moment: a mad, frightened dash through a sea that threatens to swamp the Israelites themselves. Our seders somehow have to capture deep emotions and bring them to the surface. What would we risk to escape the Hillary Roubein slavery that is part of every life? How fast are we willing to run in order to be part of the IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTS drama of liberation? Who demands that we put ourselves in peril, and are we ready to respond?

Randee Charney Marcy Cyter Barbara Eisen Jackie Lasky Gail Richards Jillian Roberts Kathy Sandler

MAZAL TOV Congratulations to Emily Lapidus, who was accepted last month to Washington University in St. Louis as part of its entering Freshman class for Fall 2021. Emily is the daughter of Seth and Dedra Lapidus.

Sally A. Donaldson Craig Silberg Jolene Sanditen

Good news to share? Write us at info@bnaiemunah.com.

THE MESSENGER

Yahrtzeits and Kaddish

March 2021 - Published Monthly

Every Friday Afternoon at 5:45 p.m. on Zoom 918 583 7121

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

THE MARCH CALENDAR OF EVENTS 7

TWO RABBIS AND... | EVERY FRIDAY

TWENTY-ONE TO TWENTY-ONE

This year marks one hundred years since the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. To more deeply understand the history of the event and the realities of its effects on today’s Tulsa, we will hold a four-part series on Sunday afternoons at 4:00 p.m. in our Synagogue Zoom Room. For more information about participating in this learning opportunity, please contact Eric Hunker at ehunker@bnaiemunah.com ehunker@bnaiemunah.com.. Meeting ID: 918-583-7121.. 918-583-7121

Every Friday at 11:00 a.m., our rabbis convene a weekly conversation to reflect on pertinent topics of the day, interview special guests, and talk about ideas relevant to Synagogue life. They hope you’ll join them. Sessions take place on March 5, 12, 19, and 26. Zoom meeting ID: 918-583-7121.

SHABBAT TOGETHER | FRIDAY EVENINGS As days and weeks go by, our tradition asks that we take time to pause, reflect, and enjoy time together. Shabbat Together is a short, digital gathering where we take a few moments to pause with community as we enter Shabbat. The content is songs for the Shabbat table and it always starts at 6:00 p.m. A weekly Yahrtzeit service precedes this experience at 5:45 p.m. The sessions this month are March 5, 12, 19, and 26. Zoom meeting ID: 918-583-7121.

13-15

SHIVA BABY: THE SCREENING

Shiva Baby, Baby, a 2020 comedy film directed by Emma Seligman, is an international co-production of the United States and Canada. The film stars Rachel Sennott as Danielle, a directionless young bisexual Jewish woman who attends a shiva with her family. The film is not yet available on any major platform as it is still on the festival circuit. However, we have secured a two-day screening for the Synagogue community, which will be available for viewing from 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 6 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 8. Please visit tulsagogue.com for the link and information on how to screen the film.

PANIM EL PANIM | SATURDAY MORNINGS Our tradition speaks of a special power that exists when a group of people gathers together for prayer. Panim el Panim is a live broadcast service led by Rabbis Kaiman and Fitzerman. Rooted in our in-person Shabbat morning service, we spend time singing, reflecting, studying Torah, and connecting. Services begin at 10:00 a.m. The dates for Panim el Panim services are March 6, 13, 20, and 27. Zoom meeting ID: 918-583-7121.. 918-583-7121

MATZAH MAKING AT HOME

As we prepare for Passover, come learn how to make your own bread of affliction with Rabbi Fitzerman. Making your own matzah is a way to connect with the holiday in ways you may not have experienced. It’s about time for a new quarantine baking craze. Why not matzah? We’ll meet in the Synagogue Zoom Room. Meeting ID: 918-583-7121 918-583-7121.. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. The ingredients are simple, flour and water!

BAKER’S DOZEN | TUESDAY & THURSDAY After a brief winter hiatus, our cookie-baking program is back in full swing, and we need bakers! We’re collecting cookies, bars, and other single-serving baked goods every Tuesday and Thursday morning and delivering them right away to frontline workers around the city. Any donation of baked goods is deeply appreciated; reach out to Eric Hunker at ehunker@bnaiemunah.com, and we’ll work you into the schedule as smoothly as we work our pastry dough! All of our recipients have been deeply grateful. Please note: we’ll be taking a break the final week of March for Passover.

SHIVA BABY: BLATT+ BLATT+ BLUE DISCUSSION

Our ongoing film and television series, Blatt + Blue, spotlights film and television enthusiasts David Blatt and Alice Blue, who first summarize the featured material and then field questions and comments from the Zoom Room audience. This month we’ll discuss Shiva Baby, Baby, the noted film which is still in pre-release but available for screening by our Synagogue audience. Join the discussion in our standard Zoom room: 918-583-7121 918-583-7121.. The starting time is 7:00 p.m.

Our new Program Director is

Eric Hunker See April edition for details. (continued on page 4)

MARCH [CONTINUED]

FROM RABBI FITZERMAN

(continued from page 3)

READ THIS BOOK

OPASSCO: OKLAHOMA PASSOVER SUPPLY

Alice and I are now on our second generation of picture books for children. The first were for Micah and Nina in the 1980s. Some of them now feel dated, but others work beautifully in our reading lives with Zelda, Lucy, Anya, and Bino, or at least the two who are ready to hold a book. If you are now engaging with a young grandchild, I think the world of a Caldecott classic called Ox-Cart Man, Man, by Donald Hall. It’s a nourishing look at values like industry, craft, seasonality, and the balance between indulgence and restraint. First published in 1979, it remains a winner decades later.

Tulsa’s one-stop-shop for all things Passover! From matzah to maror, OPASSCO, the Oklahoma Passover Supply Company has everything you need for your Seder and day-to-day Kosher-for-Passover staples. Visit tulsagogue.com for a product list, details on ordering, and hours for limited in-person, pandemic-safe shopping.

SEDER SING

The songs of the Seder stand apart as a singular moment where we call out to one another in a collective voice that invites us to remember oppression and celebrate liberation. At 9:00 p.m. on the night of the First Seder, we’re inviting everyone into our Zoom room for a sing-a-long Passover experience led by our Artist-in-Residence, Happie Hoffman. Stay up late with us as we sing into the night!

I know that I’ll think the same about Welcoming Elijah, Elijah, by Leslea Newman and Susan Gal, and published by the PJ Library. That’s the project of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, distributed by Jewish Federations around the country, including our own. The story is straightforward. There is a boy who celebrates Passover with family and friends inside a cozy bungalow. Outside, a cat mewls forlornly, hoping that someone will take him in. At the climax of the story, the boy opens the door for Elijah, and the cat trots across the threshold, only to be taken up in the boy’s arms.

TO++GATHER | PASSOVER TO

Our March session of To+Gather will take place on the morning of the Second Seder and will be a full Passover experience with story, movement, singing, puppets, and more. We’ll meet at a new time, Sunday at 9:00 a.m. on Zoom for our live experience. We hope that this program will give families the tools they need to do Jewish at home, connect to other families, and their Synagogue community. Please be sure to be in touch with Morah Sara at slevitt@bnaiemunah.com to receive a To+Gather Toolbox.

It couldn’t be simpler, but Welcoming Elijah is a picture book tour de force. Newman’s story gives an authentic account of the order of the seder, just enough to enfold a young child in the rhythm of the event. What’s extraordinary are Gal’s rich illustrations. This is clearly a progressive American Jewish household, at home in ritual, storytelling, and community. The guests are racially diverse and depicted with loving regard. Men and women are joined in an egalitarian dream of joy and celebration. Any one of our community’s kids would recognize gatherings like this, or begin to think about the possibilities of reaching across the barriers of race, gender and ethnicity. My favorite character is one of the two roly-poly zaydies zaydies,, who wears perfectly round glasses and appears in three different panels. Our granddaughter Lucy has noticed a certain charming similarity.

SECOND SEDER WITH THE SYNAGOGUE

Come spend Second Seder with your family at the Synagogue. We will retell the tale of Exodus with song, story, food, and friends. Passover essentials are available through OPASSCO, our Passover Market, including a Seder Plate in a Box to make the holiday accessible to us all. Contact Rick Gratch for more information about our Passover Market items or boxes at rgratch@bnaiemunah.com rgratch@bnaiemunah.com.. Visit tulsagogue.com for more details and a link to join. It all begins at 5:45 p.m.

I don’t think that Welcoming Elijah is part of the PJ Library’s distribution program for this year (some books are sold, some given away), but I know that the book is just a click away at Barnes and Noble. I could easily imagine a space at everyone’s seder, filled with the simple plot of Welcoming Elijah and its warm and lush illustrations.

THE GREENWOOD POGROM

We commemorate the unnatural disaster of the 1921 Race Massacre in a special seder during the intermediate days of Passover. The short service will begin at 7:00 p.m. on the fourth night of the holiday. The liturgy for the evening will include first-hand accounts and parallel events from the history of European Jewry. Like all events in this period of pandemic, “The Greenwood Pogrom” will be a virtual gathering. Our Zoom Room may be accessed at 918-583-7121 918-583-7121..

Blatt + Blue ON MARCH 18 at 7:00 p.m.

SHIVA BABY 4

MARCH [CONCLUDED] 31

FROM RABBI KAIMAN

MACAROON MANIA

PASSOVER ABUNDANCE Life at the Synagogue is rarely dull. It’s one of the things I love best about being a rabbi in a congregation like ours. Almost nothing is routine or mechanical. We’re continually moving from one thing to the next. That gives us plenty of flexibility to respond quickly and nimbly to the many opportunities and needs in our community. We hope that makes you proud to be a part of our Synagogue.

Macarons (French sandwich cookies) may be all the rage, but Passover wouldn’t be complete without a plate full of flaky, coconut macaroons. While cooking on Passover can sometimes be intimidating, we’re here to walk you through it step-bystep. And it’ll all culminate with a treat to enjoy and share. Our program begins at 7:00 p.m. and will occur in our standard Zoom Room, Meeting ID: 918-583-7121 918-583-7121.. Visit tulsagogue. com//macaroons for an ingredient list to cook along with us. com

There’s plenty we’ve done in recent months worthy of reflection, but I’m already looking ahead to Passover, and I want to be sure you are too. We’ve got opportunities to cook together through our Matza-Baking Workshop and a Macaroon -Making Experience.

APRIL: LOOKING AHEAD 1

BITTER: PASSOVER TASTING AND TALK

THE RESILIENCE PROJECT

POST-PASSOVER PIZZA PICK-UP

BRAIDING WITH BRAE: CHALLAH ART

BOARD MEETING

BLATT + BLUE

MORNING + MINDFULNESS + MEDITATION

TO++GATHER TO

BURN CO. LAG B’OMER

Of course, to “get you through” on supplies, food, and other Passover essentials, be sure to check out OPASSCO, the Oklahoma Passover Supply Company. For longtime Tulsans, that name will ring familiar, as OTASCO was a regional retail chain whose roots ran deep in our Tulsa Jewish community. On both nights of Seder, there will be an opportunity to engage with the Synagogue. On the first night of the holiday, we’ll gather for a late-night singing experience led by our Artist-in-Residence Happie Hoffman. The next night we’ll be running a Zoom version of Second Seder at the Synagogue, which will be both familiar and new. And if that was all we were doing, dayenu (it would be enough). But that’s just the beginning. On the fourth night of the holiday, we’ll host a program called The Greenwood Pogrom, which you can read about elsewhere in this issue. On the sixth night of the holiday (April 1), we’ll welcome the author of the cookbook Bitter, who will help us explore one of the signature tastes of Passover and lead us through a bitter box tasting experience. Finally, don’t forget about the Synagogue when it’s time to chow down on pizza at the end of the holiday. We’ve got a fun partnership we’ll be announcing soon. Stay tuned to our weekly e-mails for more details on all these events and more! If we do our part right, this may end up being one Passover that you hope will never end.

TWO RABBIS AND...

Every Friday in the Synagogue Zoom Room at 11:00 a.m. 918-583-7121

D&P Janitorial .

Commercial Deep Cleaning

. and High-Level Sanitation

CALL RABBI DAN KAIMAN at 918,583,7121

TO TALK ABOUT SYNAGOGUE MEMBERSHIP. 5

Keith Palmer, Owner 918-284-4610 kpalmer988@gmail.com www.dpjanitorial.com

MORAH SARA LEVITT

COMING SOON

UPCOMING (CONCLUDED)

CHALLAH FOR EVERYONE!

THE GREENWOOD POGROM

Over the years, I have taken up the practice of baking challah for Shabbat. I’ve been searching for the best recipes, new toppings to try, and different braids to practice. Throughout the pandemic, my ability to braid and bake has improved dramatically. Being home to mix the dough, walk away for a few hours and then come back to finish the process has opened me up to all sorts of possibilities, and it’s been thrilling and delicious.

A hundred years ago this year, White Tulsans brought death and ruin to Greenwood, one of the most vital and prominent African-American communities in the country. By the time this spasm of violence was over, hundreds were dead, and the physical form of the neighborhood was shattered. Very few households survived unscathed, and pictures from 1921 show smoking ruins. The Synagogue will commemorate this unnatural disaster in a special seder during the intermediate days of Passover. The short service will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30, the fourth night of the holiday. The liturgy for the evening will include first-hand accounts and parallel events from the history of European Jewry. Between 1918 and 1921, pogroms in Ukraine posed many of the same questions as the race massacre in Tulsa. In fact, pogrom is a useful term to describe what happened in Oklahoma: an uprising motivated by politics, greed, and exclusivist hyper-nationalism, in which the state either offered a modicum of support or refused to intercede in the violence.

What I love about making challah is the simplicity of it all. After perfecting the temperature to activate the yeast, it takes just a few ingredients to produce something special. By the time we get to Shabbat dinner, I look at the challot on my table and know exactly how they came to be: the time, the work, the patience, the ingredients. More importantly, it reminds me of the distinct nature of the start of Shabbat. Even if the food itself is what we might eat on a Monday or a Wednesday evening, that challah makes it unique and holy. The challah elevates our experience and signals to us, especially my son Lior, that Shabbat is finally here! In the last few months, our Bikkur Cholim program has grown to add baking and delivering challah. We have assembled a team to bake and deliver challah to folks in our community who perhaps don’t want an entire meal or just need a little show of support from their Synagogue. We see this as a gesture of tender care for our community members and an opportunity to bring a little bit of holiness and love into homes all over Tulsa.

Like all events in this period of pandemic, The Greenwood Pogrom will be a virtual gathering. The Synagogue Zoom Room may be accessed at 918-583-7121 on the Zoom platform. Security controls will be in place to prevent disruption of any kind, but you will be asked to share your name before admission. The Synagogue looks forward to a meaningful and thought-provoking gathering.

If you are interested in joining our Challah Team or know someone who you think could benefit from this show of care, please be in touch with me at slevitt@bnaiemunah. com or call (918) 583-7121.

MACAROON MANIA ON MARCH 31

FIRST NIGHT OF PASSOVER AT 9:00 P.M | "SEDER SING" WITH ARTIST-IN RESIDENCE

HAPPIE HOFFMAN 6

SISTERHOOD

SPECIAL EVENTS

QUICK NOTES

BLATT + BLUE ON MARCH 18 The Synagogue’s ongoing program on Jewish cinema and television will focus in March on Shiva Baby, the 2020 feature which debuted at South by Southwest (SXSW) and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), but whose wider distribution was interrupted by the pandemic. Directed by Emma Seligman, the film is a comedy about a directionless young bisexual Jewish woman who attends a shiva (gatherings of mourners) with her family. Other attendees include her successful ex-girlfriend Maya.

Joan Neidell reports that there have been two babies born recently. Joan has delivered a special gift book from Sisterhood to each family. The Sisterhood Nominating Committee is working to renew and recruit members for the Sisterhood Board of Trustees. Watch for the date of the annual Sisterhood meeting. Looking for Judaica gifts? Go to www.tulsagogue.com and click on the link to the Sisterhood Gift Shop. The Shop is open 24/6, and funds collected from sales help Sisterhood to make its annual donation to the Religious School. Shop Local for your Judaica needs!

The events of the film take place almost entirely in real time and at one location as Danielle explores her romantic and career prospects under the intense watch of her family, friends, and judgmental neighbors. The film was universally praised by critics for its bisexual and Jewish representation, while being described as accessible for all audiences, and for effectively conveying the anxiety-inducing claustrophobia experienced by Danielle.

Interested in volunteering for a Sisterhood project? Got an idea for a Sisterhood project? Contact Sisterhood President, Hillary Roubein at hillaryroubein@gmail.com.

The film has not yet been seen by general audiences, but the Synagogue has arranged a special, password protected showing, available on demand between Saturday evening, March 13, at 7:00 p.m. and Monday evening, March 15, at 7:00 p.m. There is no charge for this screening, but please check the Synagogue website for a special link to the platform, along with the necessary password. If you have any difficult logging on, please call Program Director Eric Hunker at (610) 730-5859. Join the Zoom event on the following Thursday evening, March 11, at 7:00 p.m. The Zoom meeting ID is 918-5837121 and the session will conclude at 8:00 p.m. If there is a film you’d like to see in these sessions in the future, please reach out to Eric Hunker at ehunker@bnaiemunah.com. . At the 2015 Passover Potluck Party at Hillary Roubein's home. Carol Mandlebaum and Alice Blue were happy to contribute their own dishes to the event.

BAKER’S DOZEN

PASSOVER 2021 IS HEADED OUR WAY!

Please drop your home-baked goods at the Synagogue every Tuesday and Thursday so that we can wrap and deliver treats to Tulsa’s first responders.

SEE THIS ISSUE OF THE MESSENGER FOR DETAILS ON ALL PROGRAMS

SECOND SEDER

AT THE DIGITAL SYNAGOGUE SUNDAY, MARCH 28 | 5:45 to 7:00 p.m. No charge to participate. Zoom ID: 918-583-7121

OPASSCO Oklahoma Passover Supply Company The Seder Plate Box | $18 Everything you need to set your Seder plate, including a roasted egg, shankbone, raw horseradish, green onions, charoset, endive (the second bitter herb), and matzah.

The Seder Meal | $25 Your choice of either brisket, chicken, salmon, or vegetarian entree, with imaginative vegetables, new spring potatoes, and salad. Price for children's meals: $10 per serving

The OPASSCO Store Order online at tulsagogue.com for pick-up beginning Monday, March 22 between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. You can also do COVID-friendly outdoor shopping at the front door of the Synagogue.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SYNAGOGUE Altamont Bakery Fund Michael and Cindy Guterman

Rabbi Arthur D. Kahn, D.D. Culture Fund

Dennis and Terri Johnson

Jerry and Susan Sokol

Ann Beerman Garden Fund Michael and Cindy Guterman

Rabbi Daniel S. Kaiman Discretionary Fund

Jerry and Jan Potash

Joe Degen

Bikur Cholim Fund

Joe Edmonds and Aaron Miller

Nancy Resnick Isrella Taxon

Brian Sweet Multimedia Fund Rosalie and Bob Hanson

Brouse Family Shabbat and Holiday Fund

The Family of Norman Levin

Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman Discretionary Fund Dr. Harvey Blumenthal Dr. Morris Brown Martin and Alecia Fischer Julie B. Freid Tim and Laura Howard

Jerry and Jan Potash

Carol Kallmeyer

Chevra Kadisha Fund

Richards Family Library Fund

Nancy Resnick

Gail and Kip Richards and Family

Dave Sylvan Joyful Music Fund

Rose Borg Sukkah Fund

Susan Cook

Roslyn Borg (St. Louis) and Family

Eva Unterman Environmental Education Fund

Rubin Fund for Children and the Visual Arts

Martin and Alecia Fischer

Michael and Sari Addicott

Goodall/Blanc Art Education Fund Nancy Resnick

Nancy Resnick

Touro 2020 Martin and Alecia Fischer

Isabel and Edgar Sanditen Preschool Fund

Synagogue General Fund

Jerry and Jan Potash

Yolanda Charney

Norman and Shirley Levin Prayer Book Fund Jane and Steve Friedlin

Martin and Alecia Fischer Bob and Rosalie Hanson Paula and Lenny Holzband

Karen and Mark Kiely Sharon Neuwald Harvey Solomon Elaine Weise Janice A. Winzinger

In Honor Of David Biespiel, on his birthday Scott Biespiel, on his birthday Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman Rabbi Daniel S. Kaiman Betty Lehman

In Memory Of Miriam bat Shmuel Baruch E. Stanley Berger Estelle H. Berger Roberts S. Berger Sandy Blumenthal Marion Brodsky Miriam Brown Morris Freidlin A.W. Friedman Ursula Guterman Robert Alexander Hanson Martin Kallmeyer Eileen Koven Terri Kramer Norman Levin Adolf Neuwald Sylvia and Milton Oberstein Mel Resnick Seymour Shapiro Darrell and Sylvia Smith Freda Solomon Sheldon Tilkin Oscar Velarde Jack Zarrow Scott Zarrow

Sandra Treanor

PASSOVER FOOD SALE BEGINNING MARCH 22

march | adar-nisan Sunday

10:00 AM ShulSchool 4:00 PM 21 to 21

4:00 PM 21 to 21

Monday

7:00 PM Maker Judaism: Matzah with R. Fitzerman

Tuesday