Rodef Sholom: A Reform Jewish Congregation in Marin County, California

Dear Friends, 

I passed by a costume super store on the street, the kind we see here every year around Halloween time. But it was the middle of winter . . . in Israel. I smiled. It was a PURIM costume Super Store!! I was home.

I was privileged to spend time during my Sabbatical in Israel with a group of rabbis from the Bay Area. Many of us had never met before, and it took going to Israel for us to get to know each other. In addition to seeing the Purim Super Stores, and given that this trip was for people who visited Israel many times, we were also able to visit sites and agencies we’d never been exposed to previously. Many of the organizations toil under the radar, working tirelessly for the advancement of democracy, pluralism, and human rights in Israel.

One of the agencies we visited is MCTC, The Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center. In its 53 years of existence, the MCTC has trained thousands of teachers, agricultural experts, and technology workers in the developing world. They have created networks for micro-enterprises. Partnering with numerous international agencies, MCTC brings the best of its expertise to countries in Africa, and around the world. They have helped to train teachers, and to create teacher-training institutions throughout the developing world. They have taught the latest agricultural techniques, greatly improving the lives of countless people. The impact of the MCTC is enormous, and I was proud to know that the values of our Jewish tradition are being realized every day through this remarkable organization. 

While in Haifa, we also met a Rabbi and an Imam who work closely together. The two men, close friends, realized that they could bring their communities together through study and celebrating together. It is not easy, they explained. They each face tremendous resistance from many within their own traditions, but they believe strongly in co-existence. They have convened a group of religious leaders who create new ways to celebrate together and plant groves of trees together, and bring the people of Haifa together as well. It was a true inspiration to be part of the promising work being done in Israel!! 

I am so pleased to be back at our synagogue, and once again, to be able to be part of your lives. It is a true blessing for me. 

Rabbi Stacy Friedman

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I've thought of several metaphors when describing my time with Rodef Sholom to others but the one that seems most appropriate is a soul-filling, walk in the garden. 

I was honored to offer sacred nurturing to the many b'nai mitzvah students and families which began my time. I connected with everyone and the blessings were once in a lifetime Jewish moments. There were several Sunday mornings studying Judaism from a visual perspective, learning with the shabbes morning Torah class, and sharing stories of loss and healing with the Chevrah Kadisha. I was again deeply honored to offer Jewish learning and pastoral care in these settings. 

Every rabbi is charged to interpret Torah for our time. The closing chapters of Exodus and the book Leviticus offer us rich metaphors of wandering in the desert and establishing the Tabernacle. Instead of desert, I found a blooming garden of spirituality at your synagogue. Building on the dedication to the service that Leviticus teaches: I found eager participation, a true joyousness and real musical depth every Friday night. So a deep thanks to Cantor Margules and all the musicians who made shabbes shabbes. Gratitude to both Rabbi Lezak and Rabbi Friedman for entrusting me with crafting and delivering Torah during my walk in your garden. 

Chazak vEmatz, Kadima! May you be strong and filled with boundless energy, Onward.

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One of the recurring issues that came up in our Community Conversations was a deep desire for easier ways to connect with other congregants. This month, we are launching a new tool to make that happen! 

With our new online directory, you'll be able to reach out to other congregants in a number of ways. In addition to connecting with others, you will be able to change your own contact information, make donations, register your children for religious school and RSVP for classes and events and pay for religious school, adult classes and events, and membership. 

This database information will be available only to members of Rodef Sholom. Each household will receive a letter within the next few weeks telling you how to log on to the database and issuing a unique password for each member household. When you first log in, you will be able to change your password. 

When you log in, you will be able to see your account information, and make changes accordingly. You will see also see a menu on the left hand side of the page offering you other options. When you select the Member Directory option, you will be able to search by the first or last name of an adult congregant, the first name of a child congregant, or by zip code. 

In the Member Directory, the following information will be displayed:
•Name of every member in your household;
•Street address or P.O. box (depending on what you have listed in the database);
•Home and cell phone numbers of the adult members; and
•Email addresses of the adult members of the household. 

If you do not want your information displayed in the Member Directory, you will have three options: you can opt out of showing your home telephone number, you can opt out of showing your email address, or you can opt out altogether.  Contact Deanna at deanna@rodefsholom.org if you want to choose any of these opt-out options.

In addition, once we are fully launched, you will be able to download our MM2000 application for your smart phone (iPhone and Android) and have a member directory at your fingertips! 

Look for your letter in the mail shortly.  Please contact Michael Kamler at michaelk@rodefsholom.org or 479.3441 with any questions, or wait until you get your letter and try it yourself. 

Congregational Gathering
Don't miss the opportunity to listen, learn & contribute on May 21! Thank you to all who participated in our Community Conversations. Please attend our Congregational Gathering on Tuesday, May 21, 7 to 8:30 pm, in the Social Hall, to hear a full report from the Visioning team on what they learned through the process, and find out where we are going from here. Dessert will be served. RSVP to visioning@rodefsholom.org.

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At this service, our 10th grade confirmation class will receive a blessing and our 12th graders will teach as part of their graduation from Midrasha, our religious school for teens. If you are a 10th, 11th or 12th grade family, you should have received an invitation to the service and the dinner that follows it. RSVP to Robin in the religious school office at robin@rodefsholom.org or 479.3441.

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Thank you to our Religious School Teachers, Madrichim, Teen Hebrew Tutors, baseCamp CIT’s, Teen Musicians and Friday night CITs – one of our teachers even won an award! 

It has been a fantastic year of learning at Congregation Rodef Sholom Religious School and we have many people to thank. Below you will find a list of teachers, and teen volunteers who gave their time and talents to making our school a place that nurtures excellence in Jewish education. If you see any of them around the synagogue, feel free to say Kol HaK’vod/all honor to you for the best year yet. 

We also are extremely proud to announce that our Midrasha Fire Circle teacher Day Schildkret is the winner of the prestigious Helen Diller Family Excellence in Jewish Education award in the Congregational and Community Schools category. The award carries with it a $10,000 prize for the educator and $2,500 for the congregation! Here’s a link to a recent j weekly article about Day. 

Join us in saying todah rabah to Day and the following teachers: Rachel Barnett, Lisa Bialkin, Aviva Lev David, Amy Kassiola, Ari Breakstone, Brandon Brown, Robin Foster, Sherry Knazan, Marla Lake, Leah Lamstein, Sandra Lampear, Nechama Levin-Langer, Hannah Lesser, Rabbi Michael Lezak, Claire Mikowski, Nivi Oron, Jackson Mercer, Nina Price, Ilana Rabin, Evi Rachelson, Irene Resnikoff, Joel Resnikoff, Sandy Rosenberg, Day Schildkret, Harriet Schnitzer, Valeri Schwartz, Natalie Shamash, Orah Sholin, Fanny Stein, Gabriel Stern, Dan Utley, Ronna Voorsanger, and Stephanie Zimmerman. 

Classroom Madrichim (teaching assistants): Zachary Bellin, Macie Besenty, Rachel Bialkin, Alea Chedekel, Jordan Cannington, Abbie DeRosa, Carley DeRosa, Zoe Epstein, Alan Friedman, Jack Foley, Ethan Gaines, Claire Hankin, Jerry Katz, Adam Kreitzman, Noah Loudon-Lebell, Sydney Marne, Ben Reese, Ethan Strull, Noah Walpole, David Waterman, and Leut Van Hoven.

baseCamp CITs: Lily Goldwasser, Jerry Katz, Laurel Levin, Sarah McCaffrey and Jack Parnell-Wolfe 

Musicians: Jerry Katz, Miles Minkin, Jack Parnell-Wolfe, Hannah Unkrich and Mira Welner

Hebrew Tutors: Henri Lite and Noah Walpole 

First Friday CITs: Kayla Buki, Adam Friedman, Nathan Kertz, Solomon Lapides, Sarah McKenzie, Ryan McLaughlin and Sophia Salesky. 

Chugim (Elective) Teachers: Laurel Levin, Norm Levin and Sarah McCaffrey

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