OUR SHARED COMMITMENTCongregation Beth El

2015-16/5776

WHAT IS OUR SHARED COMMITMENT?Beth El is our extended Jewish family home.

We don’t pay dues to join Beth El. Anyone who wants to be a member is welcome in our family. We voluntarily contribute membership dues and make donations to sustain Beth El, so that together we help cultivate purposeful Jewish lives for our members.

As a Kehilla (community) with shared values, we offer programs that express those values. Cognizant of the diversity of our community, we endeavor to be inclusive, and provide meaningful and worthwhile programming to all.

We affirm our values by volunteering and making financial contributions to support our services and programs.

Like any family, we are dynamic.

We know that our members’ needs will vary over time, and their contributions will also vary. We are committed to each other, to ensuring that others’ needs are met as well as our own. We are committed to future generations, to offering a Jewish life that is accessible and relevant.

We strive to provide a breadth of opportunities for Jewish spiritual experience, learning, and social connection, to be a source of stability and comfort, and to be a gentle seed of unrest, encouraging movement in new directions.

In this booklet we want to share a bit of all we’ve accomplished together and some of our goals for the new year ahead.

Thank you for being part of our family. Thank you for your affirmations of our values with your time, your financial contributions, and your participation.

Our covenant, our commitment is enduring. With each other, with God, and with future generations.

L’Shalom,

Laurie GreenbergPresident

Dear Chaver,

The Hebrew word Chaver means “friend.” In fact, there are two Hebrew words for friend. The other is yedid which is a more formal, less intimate form of friendship. So chaver is the real thing – the person you confide in, celebrate with, complain about; it’s the one with whom you mourn, laugh, gossip, feud, reconcile.

Oddly, the founders of Modern Hebrew Language chose chaver as the word for “member.” A member of Knesset (Israel’s parliament) is called chaver Knesset. Members of a housing association are chaverim. I’m not sure why membership became equated with friendship, but I do know that the term works best in describing a Beth El member. Because more than anything else, we strive to become a group of friends, a community that expresses friendship through study, celebrations, lovingkindness, worship, play, travel, Jewish identity.

Not long ago a United Synagogue executive called me and asked to pick my brain on the “big ideas” that will influence the next decades of Jewish life. I told him I don’t ever prophesize about the future but at this point in my career if a synagogue program doesn’t advance the concept of chaver, I’m simply not interested.

We’re here to connect people to each other, in relationships – intense and important relationships. Friendships.

We worked hard to identify and narrow down our list of Beth El values and we’ve highlighted them in this document. We don’t list them in order of priority; they’re all important. But friendship will probably be the most important and lasting of these values in the life of any one member. We sometimes fall short of achieving it, but it’s our ultimate goal.

Thank you for being a Beth El member, a friend.

Shalom Chaver,

Rabbi Philip Graubart

Cover photography by

BOArD AND STAff MEMBErS

BOARDLaurie Greenberg - President Dan Kaplan - Vice President Mike Dolinka - SecretaryJeannie Posner - TreasurerSonia Israel - Immediate Past President

BOARD Of DIRECTORS 2015-2016Raquel BenguiatBernardo BicasHollie BiermanCliff BoroNancy DosickSam Jacobs Rick Nerad Rebecca O’Neill Stacy RosenbergSarah Schatz Larry ShermanEdna Wallace Michael Weiner

STAffPhilip Graubart - Senior rabbi Avi Libman - Associate rabbi & Director of Education Judith Persky - Executive Director Jessie Blank-Birnbaum - Associate Director of Education

Doreen Prager - Community Engagement Director Elana Kobernick - Chai 20s 30s Coordinator Dvora Vinick - Israel & Community Outreach Director Jason Lobenstein - Youth Director/USY Eva Blank - rabbinical Assistant & Simcha Coordinator Maria Alvarez - Executive Assistant Tina Marchiano - Accounting Operations Assistant Sarah Katularu - VTS Assistant Antonio Carmona - facilities Manager Daniel Garcia - facilities Arcangel Cruz - facilities

We are grateful to the leadership and staff for their vision,oversight, and care throughout the year.

"Who occupies himself with the needs of the community is as though he occupies himself with Torah."

~ Talmud Yerushalmi, Berakhot

HONOr rOLL

Maccabee ($50,000 and up)Irwin & Joan JacobsJulian & Jennifer JosephsonDonald & Stacy rosenberg

G’vir ($36,000 - $49,999)Jerome & Carole TurkAndrew Viterbi

parnas 15-16 ($25,000 - $35,999)rod & Gloria StoneAlan & Caryn Viterbi

Gabai ($18,000 - $24,999)Gary & Jerri-Ann Jacobs

Mitzvah ($10,000 - $17,999)richard & Sharon GabrielMark & Hanna GleibermanJan Steinert & richard Bosseryan & Ashley Stone

ahava ($7,200 - $9,999)Ari & Alexandra HirschhornElyse Sollender & Mark Lohkemper

Koach ($5,400 - $7,199)Marsha BerksonDennis & Marcia Bermanruth CovellBrian & Karen firstDana & Danny GabrielGraeme & Simone Gabriel Hilary & Selwyn IsakowAndrew Israel & Sonia Ancoli Israel

richard & Ann JaffeDavid & Susan KabakoffLawrence & Sherry Klinerichard & Carol KornfeldSteven & Barbara Mendell Lawrence & Barbara Sherman

ruach ($3,600 - $5,399)Philip & Debra AronoffBarbara BarmatzJoel Bergerrobert & Sondra Berkroger & Marilynn BoeskyHarris & Karen CohenBard & Pamela CosmanStuart & Sharon DavidsonAndrew & Belinda Donnerrichard & Jessica EffressDaniel & Emily EinhornMichael & Laura Elbazraymond & rhona finkDeborah friedlaenderLaura Galinson & Jodi DiamondMark & Michele GinsbergAmnon Gires & Monica

Handler-PennerJerrold & Myra GlassmanMindy GoldMorris & Phyllis GoldMichael & Brenda GoldbaumLaurie GreenbergNorman & Sheila Greenbergrichard & Jennifer GreenfieldIra & Dana GrossmanBryna Haber

Gerald & Judy HandlerPaul & Denise HydeIsrael & Jacqueline IsmajSergio & Sonya JinichLeon & Sofia KasselSelwyn & Barbara KleinGary Kornfeld & Theresa DupuisIsaac & Candice Lagnadorobert & Susan LapidusMichael LevinsonIsidoro & Marila LombrozoDavid & felicia MandelbaumNorman & Sivia MannKendall Melville & Sabina WallachAlberto & Silvana MichanCarlos & Esther MichanNancy Muller & Jeannie PosnerEugene & Suzanne NewmanJoel & ruth PerlinEli & Anita PlaxeKenneth & Lori PolinMorton & Jana PrintzElena romanowskyHoward & Laura roselinskyIvan & Janet rostovskyAbe & Ana rothmanPaul & Joan SchultzStephen Shoemaker & Denise HandlerEstelle Silverstein & Jeffrey EldenDavid & Miriam SmotrichMurray & Orah SteinValerie ViterbiMichael WallacePeter & Diane Yanofsky

We are grateful to our Honor roll members for their generous investment in our community.

TrENDS IN SYNAGOGUE AffILIATION

SHRINKING NATIONAL AffILIATION RATES

CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENTJEWISH AffILIATION IN AMERICA

BETH EL MEMBERSHIP GROWTH VITERBI TORAH SCHOOL ENROLLMENT GROWTH

CONSErVATIVE AffILIATION

OTHEr AffILIATION51% 49%1990

CONSErVATIVE AffILIATION

OTHEr AffILIATION

21%79%2015

52%NATIONAL AVErAGE

19902015 32%

SAN DIEGO AVErAGE

19902015

48%17%

5803502002

2015

135422002

2015

122kids enrolled

in Machar, Kadima & USY

OUr BETH EL fAMILY*

COMMITTEESStanding CommitteeSAuditBuildings and Grounds - Security - TechnologyExecutiveDevelopmentfinanceHuman relationsNominating & Governance

auxiliary organizationSBeth El Endowment fund (BEEf)

Auxiliary organizations continued...Men’s ClubViterbi Torah School (VTS)Women’s ConnectionYouth Commission

Program CommitteeSAdult EducationBeth El BabiesChaiClub 1318Communicationsfamily Connection

HesedIsraelMinhagPurim BasketSeniorsTikkunUSCJWelcoming (Membership)

temPorary CommitteeSMegillat CelebrationShoahStrategic Planning

1,989 people and growing!

*In 2014/15

187614

9

18

135 15

singleschildren under 18

adults had their Bar/Bat

Mitzvah

babies born

children in VTS weddings

Congregants over age 60 =

23%

members

age 20-39 =

19%725

216

young adults involved with Chai

families with children

under 18

OUr VISIONCongregation Beth El welcomes all Jews and fulfills their spiritual, emotional, intellectual,

cultural, life-cycle, and social needs, while ensuring Jewish meaning for future generations

and emphasizing Tikkun Olam.

OUr VALUESCongregation Beth El strives to be a

synagogue that is welcoming and inclusive, whose operations are guided by responsibility,

transparency, and trustworthiness, and whose interactions are characterized by

respect, gratitude, joy, humility, optimism, and kindness.

Open-Minded educatiOn

caring & cOMpassiOn

innOvative spirituality

traditiOn

inclusiveness

friendship

JeWish identity

• VTS values-based curriculum• Diverse speakers• Chai JED talks for 20’s and 30’s• Yachad - new teen high program • Jacobs Ladder leadership education

• Community-led Torah services all year• Addressing kids with special needs• Open 2nd Day Rosh Hashanah,

Taschlich, and Kol Nidre service • New Dues model in 2016-17!

• Shalom Hartman Institute - classes for understanding Judaism and Israel

• Israel Day - Cooking, movies, lectures• Jewish camp scholarships for youth• Adult B’nei Mitzvah class• Israel advocacy and education

• Winter shelter - housing homeless families at Beth El

• Delivering meals to Beth El families in times of need

• Clergy hospital visits• Attending shiva minyanim • Volunteering in the community

• Shabbat Without Walls - Outdoor activities, meditation, music

• Rosh Chodesh - Celebrating with the Women’s Connection

• 2nd day Rosh Hashanah Spiritual Adventures

• Musical Shabbat

• Shabbat B’Bayit - dinner at Beth El members’ homes

• Club 13-18 programs to bring parents and teens together

• Intergenerational festivities• Purim baskets• Beth El Babies

• Daily minyan, 6 days a week• Simchas - baby naming, B’nei

mitzvah, auf ruf, wedding• Torah study• Mourning practices• Traditional services

NEW & NOTEWOrTHYThere are many exciting new projects underway for 2015-2016.

• federal grant recipient to improve campus security

• rosh Hashanah Second Day Spiritual Adventures

• Campus-wide recycling

• 60th Anniversary of Women’s Connection (founding of the Sisterhood which led to founding of Beth El!)

• Health fair sponsored by Hesed and Women’s Connection

• New roof over Administration and VTS buildings

• Solar panels

• Tarbuton after-school program

• Gesher Program to welcome new members

• VTS new curriculum – Ivrit B’Kef Hebrew interactive language program and exciting new electives

• Yachad Teen High Program for high schoolers

• Volunteering at Bannister House to help families of patients undergoing long term care at UCSD medical center

• SDG&E Energy Efficiency Program evaluation

• Hanukkah Multiplex Bonanza

• Judaica Shop is now also online at judaica.cbe.org

The Shared Commitment Membership Model for 2016-17. Dues are replaced by a voluntary membership commitment.

BETH EL VOLUNTEErS MAKE A DIffErENCED

eliv

erin

g Th

anks

givi

ng

mea

ls t

o fa

mili

es in

nee

d greeting congregants on Shabbat

Serving on the board or a committee

Crun

chin

g nu

mbe

rs fundraisingChecking the roof

BakingW

elco

min

g a

new

mem

ber

Creating & sharing art

Stuffing envelopes

Putt

ing

out b

agel

s

EditingReviewing financials

Serving wine at KiddushSharing stories

Playing music on Shabbat

organizing events

Bringing mitzvah meals to families with new babies

Sing

ing

in t

he c

hoir

Reading Torah

Atte

ndin

g m

eeti

ngs

Volu

ntee

ring

for

the

win

ter

hom

eles

s sh

elte

r

Reviewing contracts & agreements

Repairing a ritual object

Speaking at events, lectures, & classesfixing the sound

Reco

mm

endi

ng n

ew b

oard

mem

bers

Ushering during High Holy Days

Picking up trash

Giving bloodInviting speakers

Wri

ting

tha

nk y

ou n

otes

Hos

ting

even

ts

leading prayers during Services

Preparing monthly yahrzeit mailings Se

rvin

g as

be

ta te

ster

s

Sending get well

cards

Writing & editing for Zmanim

Visiting the sick

Taki

ng p

hoto

s at

eve

nts

We strive to continue to provide meaningful, vibrant and diverse programs. Below are some investments we

hope to make to help Beth El improve and stretch.

Expanded musical programming

Improved sound system

Increased staffing for development, communications, and programs

facility improvements for the winter homeless shelter at

Congregation Beth El

New DVD recording system for simchas

Sound system in the Sanctuary for the hearing impaired

Youth scholarships

WISH LIST

“Build your home in such a way that a stranger may feel happy

in your midst! “ ~ Theodor Herzl

Anonymous (3)Stan & Pam AmundsonTeedy ApplebaumLaurielynn BarnettAbraham Cohen z”lJoshua & Lyda CohenStuart & Sharon DavidsonJeffrey & Nancy DosickJeff Elden & Estelle SilversteinIrving & fran Elsonraymond & rhona finkGraeme & Simone GabrielPhilip Graubart & Susan freemanGeorge & Sharon GlickmanMorris & Phyllis GoldStuart z”l & Jo Ann GoldstoneZelda Goodman z”lLaurie GreenbergGerald & Judy HandlerAndrew & Sonia IsraelIrwin & Joan JacobsIrvin & Jacqueline JacobsKarl JacobsSam & Lois JacobsMarjory KalmansonHillel Katzeff

Jerome z”l & Miriam Katzin z”lGary Kornfeld & Theresa Dupuisfanny Krasner-LebovitsTom & Alina LevyAvi & Vicki LibmanPeter & Lynn Louisflorence Maio z”lAndrew & Tanya MalkSimon & Diana MalkNorman & Sivia MannKendall Melville & Sabina WallachEugene & Suzanne NewmanJoseph Schuman & Judith PerskyAndrew ratner & Marcie SinclairGary ravet z”lHoward & Laura roselinskyAnthony & Ellen SacksPhilip ShapiroLawrence & Barbara Shermanryan & Ashley Stonerod & Gloria Stonerobert & Nancy TuggleAlan & Caryn ViterbiAndrew & Erna Viterbi z”l Babs Walden z”lYosi Yedid

LEGACY CIrCLE MEMBErSPlanning your legacy can be a meaningful, life-changing experience. Legacy Circle donors in all life stages have unique family and financial situations. remembering Congregation Beth El in your estate plans at any level would greatly impact Beth El’s future and provide a foundation

for future generations of Jewish families.

Everyone can leave a legacy. If you would like to learn more, contact Judith Persky, Executive Director.

DID YOU KNOW?

“The world stands on three things: Torah study, worship, and acts of lovingkindness.” ~ Pirkei Avot

151

$212,000$227,000

$3,000

$1,175

families

per household

cost to run Beth El:

cost to educate a

VTS student:

per year

total dues assistance in 2014-15:

dues assistance

in 2014-15 for:

new roof over administration

& VTS:

? ???

WAYS TO HONOr AND TrIBUTE

Beth el general donationSupporting the breadth of Beth El and our mission to be a home for every Jewish soul.

memorial and yahrzeitremembering our loved ones through Tzedakah.

Chai 20s 30sProviding a spiritual home for young adults and helping them create spiritual connections and establish a sense of belonging in the Jewish community.

daily minyanBringing worshippers together each morning in comfort, prayer, and friendship.

education and youth Wing renovationHelping us reach our goal to provide a modern, safe and vibrant space for learning.

Hesed FundHelping and supporting our Beth El family throughout the life cycle, illness and recovery, and celebrating new babies.

israel ProgrammingEngaging members and inspiring a connection with Israel through advocacy and education.

Jewish Camp & travel youth ScholarshipsEnabling our youth to attend Jewish sleep-away camp or travel to Israel.

Kol nidreMaking a meaningful contribution according to our tradition.

men’s ClubPromoting friendship and support among the men of Beth El.

rabbi graubart’s discretionary Fundfortifying Beth El's moral support of our community in diverse ways at the discretion of rabbi Graubart.

rabbi libman’s discretionary Fund fortifying Beth El's moral support of our community in diverse ways at the discretion of rabbi Libman.

tikkun FundConnecting Beth El to the broader community through service and support of people in need.

uSy ScholarshipsEnabling our youth to attend kinnusim and youth events.

VtS CurriculumEducating the next generation in the spirit of Dor l’Dor and supporting innovation in Jewish education through curriculum, materials, and guest educators.

Women’s ConnectionConnecting women of all ages through programs, spirit, and sisterhood and supporting donations to Beth El educational and other programs.

Women’s Connection torah FundSupporting the Conservative Judaism’s four major institutions of higher learning.

It is our tradition to give Tzedakah to honor our loved ones in times of celebration and times requiring prayers for healing, to say thank you, and to honor our loved ones who have passed.

We are grateful to everyone for remembering Beth El throughout the year.

Congregation Beth El 8660 Gilman Drive, La Jolla(858) 452-1734 | www.cbe.org