Welcome to the 613+ Shabbat Project blog! We are eager to share with you the reflections, responses and recipes of your fellow members here. Feel free to check back, week after week, to watch the progress of our effort to reach 613+ Shabbat dinners by Rosh Hashanah 5773 (2012)!
613+ Shabbat Dinners
Beth Am is taking “feels like home” to new heights in the year 5772 with the introduction of The Year of 613+ Shabbat Dinners, an exciting new initiative to connect our members to one another around the Shabbat table. Members will be asked to host or invited to participate in Shabbat dinners throughout the year, with our goal to reach 613 (or more) and engage each and every Beth Am family by Rosh Hashanah 5773.
Did you host a 613+ shabbat dinner? Tell us about it.
From the Shabbat table of Carol & Jerry Doctrow
May 13th, 2012
Dinner date: 12 May 2012
Guests: Ken & Paula Williams, Bryna Zumer, Malka Sarros, Miriam Tillman, Elaine Weiss
Story: Those in attendance are all positive on Beth Am but offered a number of suggestions and comments. A number of those in attendance, both older and younger members, would like changes in the service to make it more participatory including changes in songs that would make it easier for congregants to sing along. Guests were very positive on the musical Shabbat services. One person cited Rosh Hashanah services as particularly in need of revision to make them more participatory and more relevant. I also had the sense that, while BAYITT was a draw for both of the younger members who joined us, the passage of time may have made it less dynamic/exciting today and we should not be resting on our laurels with regard to BAYITT.
Recipe: Salmon marinated in teriyaki sauce and broiled.
From the Shabbat table of Shana Kroiz & Eddie Seidel
May 9th, 2012
Dinner date: 27 January 2012
Guests: The Lunken Family
Recipe: The meal was delicious and Shana pulled out all the beautiful dishes and settings. We enjoyed soup, meatloaf, collared greens and a variety of other tasty treats
Story: The kids loved when Eddie threw the challah to everyone after the blessing! There was a lot of laughing and joking. It was a delightful evening!
From the Shabbat dinner table of Alyson Bonavoglia & George Wittenberg
May 8th, 2012
Dinner date: 4 May 2012
Guests: Stacey Mink & Geoff Brown & son Hugo Brown, Rabbi Kelley Gludt & Rob Gludt & son Romy
Recipe: Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage
Story: Stacey told us how she discovered that she is related to Beth Am member Lisa Schulman. We talked about all the places we’ve lived–about a dozen cities among us. Hugo & Romy had fun hanging with the big kids.
From the Shabbat dinner table of Susan & Brian Sullam
May 5th, 2012
Dinner date: 4 May 2012
Guests: Al & Jill Somer, Hillary & Jim Jacobs, Ken Tellerman and Donna Behrens
Analogy: We did not ask the standard questions (our guests had already been to several of these). But we had a thoroughly enjoyable evening in which new members met and got to know long-time members and many of our the guests talked about why they had joined Beth Am.
From the Shabbat dinner table of Robin & Jason Katcoff
May 1st, 2012
Dinner date: 27 April 2012
Guests: Rabbi Michelle Stern and Eitan and Noa Kimchi, Simon Birenbaum and fiancee Whitney, Lauren Lyon-Collis and Ariel and Leora Collis
Recipe: BBQ wings
Story: Eitan “wore” Noa the entire meal.
From the Shabbat dinner table of Robin & Jason Katcoff
April 25th, 2012
Dinner date: February 3
Guests: Gail and Lou Wohlmuth Jim Kraft and Kristi Aho
Story: The kids LOVED playing with Lou!
From the Shabbat dinner table of Sharon & Joe Nathanson
April 23rd, 2012
Dinner date: 6April 2012
Guests: Faye Rifkin and Marcos Vera
Analogy: Why was this Shabbat different from all other Shabbat nights? To start, it was the first night of Passover. And, we had a chance to get to know two new members of Beth Am. recipe: Matzo ball soup, Greek chicken with asparagus and — once again — Harriet Miller’s wonderful carrot souffle. Dessert: Passover macaroons and fruit compote.
Story: We had learned that Marcos was born in Ecuador. The Seder had selected passages about the observance of Passover in Quito, elsewhere in Ecuador and South America. We even referenced a recipe for making charoses from yucca — haven’t tried it yet. Faye and Marcos mentioned the small Jewish cluster residing in their Medfield neighborhood. (Alert to membership committee!) We also learned that Marcos played soccer and now is a soccer coach to the teenagers — representing a small United Nations — in their community.
From the Shabbat dinner table of Sharon & Joe Nathanson
April 22nd, 2012
Dinner date: 23 March 2012
Guests: Amy Nathanson and Marc Ershler, Stacy and Gary Suskauer, Andi Lipstein Fristedt and Peter Fristedt
Analogy: a mini-reunion, on this particular occasion
Recipe: Roast chicken dinner was accompanied by potato kugle, green beans and Harriet Miller’s carrot fluff. Amy contributed her Moroccan chickpea tagine and brought along red velvet cupcakes for dessert.
Story: It was a special day for Andi, the daughter of one of Sharon’s college roommates back in Berkeley. Earlier in the day Andi had accepted a new position on Capitol Hill, focused on healthy care policy.
From the Shabbat dinner table of Ann & David Saunders
April 22nd, 2012
Dinner date: 20 April 20
Guests: Elaine & Sol Snyder, Gilbert Sandler, Suzanne Lapides, Rheda Becker & Bob Meyerhoff, and Nancy Holder
Analogy: Beth Am is a great resource to connect to each other through stories of our past.
Recipe: Rosendorff challah!
Story: We had so much fun! Sol accompanied us on the guitar while we sang lots of Hebrew songs, including Debbie Friedman’s “Let Us Light These Lights” to bless the Shabbat candles. Throughout the evening, we discovered that we had gone to some of the same elementary, junior high, and high schools (although years apart) and had hilarious stories to tell about people and places we knew in common. We’re grateful for the “613+” initiative that brought us all together to weave our stories.
From the Shabbat dinner table of Stephanie Fleishman
April 22nd, 2012
Dinner date: 30 March 2012
Guests: Ken & Sandra Freed, Stanley & Bailey Fine & Sarajane Greenfeld
Analogy: Shabbat is like a way to slow down from the week, relax and reconnect with family and friends.
Recipe: A wonderful parve sweet noodle kugel with No Yolks noodles, eggs, apples, raisins, vanilla, sugar and orange juice! Yum! Also vegetarian chopped liver, beet salad and eggplant salad.
Story: All of my guests did not know everyone. It was great for all of us to meet new people from Beth Am and discuss Beth Am, living in the city, where we all were from originally and how Beth Am brought us all together! Urban Jewish life in Baltimore is having Shabbat dinner in a row house!