As Passover begins and spring settles in, April is a good time to reconnect—with tradition and with each other. Read on for all that’s happening with your community at Congregation Beth Shalom. Have questions? Contact us anytime.
Dear friends,
I hope this message finds you well, despite the dark and troubling events that color so much of our world today. As Jews, much of what is happening in Iran, Israel, and the wider Middle East can be especially challenging, regardless of our views on the current war.
Anti-semitism and anti-Zionism continue to rear their ugly heads. We must be vigilant and strong.
But we also must celebrate our identities and our traditions. And what better and more celebratory way to welcome in the month of April than with the weeklong festival of Pesach!
While only a very small percentage of American Jews observe Shabbat in any regular and meaningful way, recent studies have shown that well over 80% of us celebrate Passover in some way, shape, or form, whether it is attending a Seder, eating matzah, or taking a break from bread for a week (or even for a day).
Why is that? Why does Passover continue to be so engaging for Jews, when so much else in our religion and culture seems to fall by the wayside?
I think a major reason that Pesach is so compelling is the fact that it is interactive and intergenerational.
On Passover, young and old, women and men, children, Jews and gentile neighbors and friends—we all sit together at the Seder table in fellowship, peace, and joy. We eat festive foods, drink multiple glasses of wine, and dramatize the story of the Exodus in engaging ways.
There is a script: the Haggadah. There are props: the items on the Seder plate, matzah, Elijah’s cup, and more. And there are actors: each one of us. Together, the Passover holiday grants every one of us the opportunity to participate in a sort of spiritual “dinner theater,” a sacred drama that highlights the journey of our ancestors from slavery to freedom.
What could be more joyous and celebratory than that?
The observance of Pesach has evolved over the centuries, and today it looks much different from its ancient depiction in the Torah. But it is still just as popular, just as inspiring, and just as foundational to our identities as Jews as it has always been. What a blessing for us!
I hope to see many of you, as well as your friends, at our community seder on Thursday, April 2. And I wish everyone a joyous, meaningful, and transformative experience of Passover this year. May we all continue to thrive and grow through our rich and beautiful Jewish heritage.
Because if not now, then when?
B’Shalom
Niles
Birthdays and Celebrations
I want to thank all of you who helped me celebrate my 80th birthday.
Every birthday is special – but the “milestone “ years typically focus on a significant event, the start of a new chapter, achievement, or accomplishment. I would definitely include my years as President in these descriptions.
A milestone can also be an indicator of progress and overall success. In 2028, Congregation Beth Shalom will be celebrating its 75th year! What started as the “Napa Jewish Group” with members gathering in each other’s homes. And, in 1953, we finally organized as Congregation Beth Shalom. And from these humble beginnings, we have achieved significant success and accomplishments due to your support, involvement, and participation.
Board President Eve Kahn
Love is all around, and I think now is as good a time as any to remember that. When I went to Israel in December, I purchased a bracelet that says אַהֲבָה (Ahava) which is Hebrew for love. I wear the bracelet every day as a reminder of the love that is all around, and available to be given and received.
When I went to Las Vegas last month for a conference on teaching Israel, I received some lotion made by the Israeli company Ahava, another nice reminder. Next week I will be traveling to NY to celebrate Passover with my family and loved ones.
Passover is one of my favorite holidays. I love it! I love the preparation, and the cleaning that comes along with it, starting fresh in the pantry (getting rid of that expired food that keeps regenerating even though we know we got rid of it the last time we did this clean up). I love sitting around the table with the family and chosen family, and repeating the Passover story that we have told time and time again, each of us having our favorite part, knowing that some of us are slower readers than others, and some will try to speed read the entire telling of the story, just to get to the festive meal. I love the charoset and making it just the way my dad taught me, despite not being able to peel a whole apple in one shot the way he could. My mom’s matzah ball soup can’t be beat, and neither can sitting down with matzah and the blue butter and TemptTee cream cheese.
I love Napa, and the friends and community that have blossomed into my life since moving here. This week I had a scare when my roommate’s dog got sick. While waiting in the ER, I witnessed firsthand the love and connection that people can have for their animals. When we brought Oliver home (he is going to be ok), I got to see Rebel’s innate love for Oliver in how she was calmer, and more gentle with him, even sharing her collagen stick with him without him trying to steal it. But the love and support of my Napa family came through so strong it was palpable throughout the entire ordeal.
I love summer, and have ALWAYS loved camp! As summer quickly approaches, I urge you to give your children the gift of camp. Registration is open for Camp Chaverim (wink wink)! Let your children experience the summer of אַהֲבָה (Ahava) both at camp and at summer Sundays at the Shul with the pool (more information will be coming on this in the next few weeks). Our focus this summer will be on providing warm, joyful , and immersive Jewish summer experiences.
Executive Director Marah Peresechensky
“Even if we were all wise… we are still commanded to recount the story of the exodus from Egypt, and one who dwells on it is worthy of praise.”
One of my favorite Chassidic masters, Netivot Shalom, wondered about this verse in the Haggadah. Why are we taught to dwell on it, he asked. After all, he taught, when you pray, you only say the Shema once. You don’t get extra credit for saying it slowly. Why is this mitzvah different?
And why is it, he asked, that parents tell the story to their children. Even if your son is an adult, our tradition says, and even if he is a great rabbi, you need to tell him the story every year.
Netivot Shalom’s answer was profound. The story of the exodus, he said, is the root of our faith. It is the root of our faith that life can get better, that we have the ability to change the world, and that next year will not be as difficult as this year.
And as we tell our children the story, wrote Netivot Shalom, we pass on the faith that our parents gave to us, and that their parents gave to them, going all the way back to the generation that left Egypt.
And what does God do while we are telling the story to our children, Netivot Shalom asks. While we’re telling the story to our children, God tells the story to his children. God whispers to each of us, “Have hope. Have faith. Tomorrow can be better than today.”
For Netivot Shalom, this was a mystical teaching. He believed that at the moment we tell the story, the fabric of the cosmos changes so that we are more able to hear God’s voice. But you can look at his teaching as a statement about the power of tradition. By keeping the tradition, by telling the story, each of us can bring the world closer to redemption.
This year, more than ever, we need that faith.
Chag Sameach,
Rabbi Art
Here’s what’s happening this month; visit our full calendar to see everything on the horizon.
Mark your calendar for these events coming your way:
May 30 • 6:00 pm
Come browse and sign up for a season of fun, relaxed member-hosted gatherings to raise funds for Beth Shalom. Mark your calendar, this is going to be a fun evening! Sign up now.
Interested in hosting an experience that will be offered at Schmooze & Choose? It’s easy, and we’ll help you plan. Reach out to Elizabeth Olcott by email or phone: 707-266-8779
May 28 – 31
We are delighted to welcome Rabbi Neil Sandler and Rebbetzin Susan Hart Sandler of Atlanta for a special weekend with our congregation. Through learning, conversation, and shared experiences, they’ll help us explore Jewish life and tradition together in fresh and engaging ways.
2 Jennifer Kaufman
4 Ed Kohos
7 Matt Eisenberg
8 Anthony Borders
8 Andrew Florsheim
8 Noah Ewig
9 John Bonick
9 Laurence Kamer
9 Leopold Shaul
10 Kathryn Goldman
10 Kane Doran
10 Rolando Sanchez
11 Ryan Bergman
11 Emily Savinar-Nogue
12 Lora Levin
14 Erica Aronson
15 Berit Muh
15 Edward Holman
15 Michael Charney
15 Paul Bloomberg
16 Eric Ewig
17 Aaron Thornton
18 Sy Karfiol
18 Dania Massey
19 Katie Di Pasqua
21 Roderick Murre
21 Aviv Abramovitch
22 Jonah Thornton
24 Naama Abramovitch
24 Audrey Mouriski
25 Guy Sandler
25 Shara Orem
26 Leona Meckel
27 Susan Woolf
27 Marc Frankenstein
27 Tucker Catlin
28 Wendy Cochran
28 Heidi Soldinger
29 Luis Shein
29 Shira Lubliner
29 Terra Pepper
29 Leona Rice
30 Josephine Soldinger
30 Theodora Soldinger
30 Emily Doran
3 Neil & Cindy Watter
14 Anita & Frank Catlin
16 Rebecca & Joe Blum
18 Tami Holzman & Edward Holman
20 Beth & Brooks Painter
26 David & Jacqueline Blinderman
29 Henni Cohen & Lee Trucker
We remember and honor loved ones on the anniversary of their passing on these days this month. Make a donation in honor of a loved one.
1 Edward Weinberger
1 Adam Lieberstein
2 Jean Bremler Ladrigan
2 Ruth Dinerman
2 Ethel Solomon
3 Samuel Bickoff
3 Bertha Albert
4 Sam Weinstock
4 Gerald Lustig
6 Paul Domfort
8 Peggy Dover
9 Judy Wortman
9 Aaron Brown
10 Virginia Rhine Kelting
11 Barbara Gardner
11 Larry Friedman
13 Jannat Schwartz
13 John Packard
13 Dolly Rubinstein
13 Peter Davidson
13 Florence Ames
13 Faye Bisberg
13 Edna Epstein
14 Henrietta Robert
15 Sam Kapchan
16 Haidee Brainen
16 Harry Ehrlich
16 Maurice Werner
16 Larry Krieger
17 Sanford Rubin
17 Henrietta Forman
17 Victor Linn
17 Kathy Dellar
18 Andrew Michael Friedman
19 Norman Charney
19 Carlene Burgheimer Berman
20 Betty Eisendrath
20 Thea Greenhouse
21 Herman Katz
21 Gertrude S. Kopp
21 Rosella Bernstein
22 Oscar Tanen
22 Annette Friedman
23 Morris Faiman
23 Helen Spitz
25 William Shwarz
26 Alan Fingerman
26 Morris Levi
27 George E Kantor
27 Bernard Wein
27 Miriam Iliahn Krijanowsky
28 Fanny Abrams
28 Lill Eisner
29 Morteza Daee
29 Jack Jacobs
29 Hazzan Yehuda Keller
30 Sam A Robert
30 Celia Pave
30 Irving Altman
30 Harry Conrey
General Fund:
In memory of Audrey Lieberstein – Barbara Lustig, Anne & Debbie Percelay, Sabina Stoltz & The Soul Sisters
In memory of a dear friend and avid MahJongg player, Audrey Lieberstein. – Patricia Hise
In memory of my beautiful and vivacious mother, Ruth Green, with much love. – Ellyn Elson
In memory of Joseph Wood – Susan Segal-Wood
In memory of my brother Peter Gordon – Judy Nystrom
In memory Of Lee’s mother, Ella Trucker – Henni Cohen & Lee Trucker
In memory of father and grandfather, Jacob Sherman – Anne & Debbie Percelay
In memory of Harold Chevlen – Michael & Lauren Chevlen
In honor of Eve’s 80th Birthday – Lola & David Safer
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund:
Youth Program Fund:
Purim Carnival – Ellyn Elson, Howard Eisenstark & Teresa Barnes, David & Sheila Amar, Sheri Kohos, Linda & Larry Miller, Donna & John Bonick, Carla DalPorto, Maxine Miluso, Roberta & Robert Solomon, Carla Dal Porto
In loving memory of our B’not Mitzvah sister, Audrey Lieberstein. May her memory be for a blessing. – Roy & Sue Barush
In memory of Ba Jack, a loving and caring Dad and Grandfather – Roy & Sue Barush
Lifelong Learning Fund:
Music Fund:
In honor of the anniversary of Leona and Carl Rice. – JoAnne Miller
In honor of Rabbi Niles – David & Jacqueline Blinderman
Refugee Resettlement Fund:
In memory of Maggie Sherman – Hennie Cohen and Lee Trucker
In memory of Audrey Lieberstein – Jan & Tom Sabo
Pool Fund:
Interested in becoming a member? Learn more about the benefits of membership, join Beth Shalom today, or reach out to Executive Director Marah Peresechensky to start the discussion.
Religious School this month:
• Sunday April 12, 9:30am
• Sunday April 19, 9:30am
• Sunday April 26, 9:30am
Questions about Religious School? Contact Education Director Marah Peresechensky.
Camp Chaverim Dates and Times:
Questions about Camp Chaverim? Contact Education Director Marah Peresechensky.
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Need a notary? Meredith’s Mobile Notary is here to help.
Contact Meredith Cutler at 215-285-0865
Special discounts for Beth Shalom members.
Colors of Time
Saturday, April 18
Two showtimes: 4:00 pm & 7:00 pm
Jarvis Conservatory (1711 Main St, Napa)
United by the unexpected inheritance of a house in Normandy, four estranged cousins discover their family history. While exploring the house, left untouched since the 1940s, they excavate the life of their ancestor, Adèle Vermillard, a 20 year old woman who lived there in 1895. The end of the 19th century saw the birth of both photography and the Impressionist movement, which profoundly changed painting.
Through back-and-forth journeys between 1895 and 2025, they find in the relics of the past what will help them better envision their own future.
President: Eve Kahn
Treasurer: Scott Brown
Secretary: Lara Shumer
Past President: Roberta Solomon
Board members at large:
Mark Charney
Michael Chevlen
Cynthia Cohen
Allison Frost
Amy Hall
Guy Levin
Suzie Myers
Naomi Petrick
Robin Stearn
Please reach out with any questions, concerns, or just to have a cup of coffee and a chat. Our doors are always open to you.
Rabbi
Niles Goldstein
Executive Director
Marah Peresechensky
Music Director
Gordon Lustig