Igniting the passion to connect

Congregation Rodef Sholom

Igniting the passion to connect with Jewish values

with each otherand with our world.

On the surface, the thought of igniting passion is irresistible. The daily routine upended and in its place, the promise of adventure and transformation.

Igniting passion, however, can be daunting. We must be willing to venture out of our comfort zones and question old perceptions. Challenge the personal status quo. Upset long-standing balances. Open up hearts and minds.

Congregation Rodef Sholom asks no less of its congregants than to startsomething—ignite a passion to connect in any way that enriches our owncommunity and the world around us. On Mitzvah Day, we roll up oursleeves in shelter kitchens and school gardens. During the winter months,members from 12 to 70 years old serve dinners to homeless members of thecommunity while the synagogue provides space for sleeping bags and a littlepeace for a night. Lectures and classes shine a different light on long-heldideas, while Shabbat creates pathways for discovery and interpretation.

Every day, our community embraces the call to ignite passion.

Multiple portals of entry to Jewish learning have created a congregation of learners. Music, firepits, and play are woven with Torah, giving our students a deep sense of their Jewish identities. Adult study provides time and space for learners to develop a personal expression of Judaism.

We are Rodef sholom, rodef limmud: pursuers of peace, pursuers of learning.

grow.Passion to

explore.Israel — Our promised land.

A spiritual homeland. An extraordinary achievement. At Rodef Sholom, we celebrate Israel’s sacred history and its unparalleled contribution to the modern world.

As we support Jewish communities the world over, we take particular pride in our engagement with Israel. While we acknowledge the mighty challenges that Israel continues to face, we are inspired by a vision of peace, human rights and security in this thriving nation that embodies our people’s history.

Passion to

We are a dynamic and compassionate, warm and supportive collection of families and individuals who believe in the importance of Jewish values in our lives. We share Shabbat dinners; we bring challah and sit shiva. We study together; we talk about mental health. We work to make a difference in our world.

We celebrate our varying points of connection with Judaism and God, and make sure there is room for discourse and the opportunity to create and innovate.

touch.Passion to

Our commitment to tikkun olam is unquestionable, axiomatic. By fighting for the rights of the most vulnerable among us, we embody the words of the prophet Isaiah, who challenged us to “learn to do good, seek justice, defend the oppressed.”

disrupt.Passion to

Prayer can be comforting, experimental, inscribed in memory or spontaneous, practiced in sanctuaries built by humans or provided by nature. There is no single way to make prayer come alive, but when we bring our curiosity and generous hearts, we open up the higher worlds that bring down blessings.

breathe.Passion to

give.Passion to

It is not what you gather but what you scatter that tells the story of a life.

We are here for each other. For a larger us, and our community that plays a critical role for us here, and for those beyond our walls.

We need each other. We need our synagogue, and a strong, vibrant Judaism. One which welcomes—and is strengthened by—the newcomer, the curious, the stalwart and the stranger.

Our members’ generosity allows Rodef Sholom to educate, participate, pray, and repair the world in the spirit of grace and loving kindness. Without fail. Without question.

Thank you.

PEACEAnonymousHilda Namm BLESSINGS Sigmund AndermanLawrence FeldBruce & Jacquie Gribens HONOR David Becker & Ann Peckenpaugh BeckerMartin& Farron BrotmanEugene Palmer & Hali CronerJoseph & Eda PellMike & Sharon StoneSuzanne Waterman WISDOMJay Bellin & Shelley BrownJeff & Kate Colin

Stuart & Emily DvorinDavid Rudnick & Julie FingershRichard & Susan GoldwasserRalph & Christine JacobsonMartin & Beth KatzLoren & Rachel KertzAlexander & Anna LushtakMarc & Kimberly PressGary & Joyce RifkindAndrew & Ingrid Tolson RIGHTEOUSNESS Gary & Suzanne AlpertSeth & Amy BaradFrank & Lee BattatWilliam & Cassandra BernsteinRobert & Barbara BleckmanLee Unkrich & Laura CenturyAndrew & Stacey EllisonJeff & Rena FoxFrank & Stacy Friedman

Abe & Suzanne FromanEdward & Kris GrossmanDouglas & Carolen HerstJodie Silberman & Donna IsralskyLorin & Becky KaplanJeffrey & Judith KirshbaumDarell & Elizabeth KrasnoffDuff & Carol KurlandRob & Naomi LeonardDavid & Kina MandelbrotStephen Swire & Jacqueline Neuwirth SwireRussell & Joan PrattTom & Patty RosbrowSterling & Jane RossMartin Konopken & Richard SchneiderMichael Kamler & Patricia Shiu

LOVING KINDNESS Michael Barnett & Judith Bloomberg

Daniel & Hongjun BreinerRiver CohenThomas Neylan & Mary DeMayMichael & Donna FranzblauYury & Evgenya FriedmanJohn & Lisa GeisseDavid & Lani GershikFred & Joanne GreeneHerbert & Gloria HerzogJanet KaplanJim & Joan KirsnerAaron & Leah LamsteinWayne & Johanna MalenJohn & Harriett MichaelAdam Wolfson & Dana OliverDave & Virginia PellLen & Elssy RifkindBernie & Yetta RobinsonSteven & Joanne SaxeDonald ShareFereydoon & Rhonda SooferHarold & Mary Zlot COMPASSION Josh Brier & Grace AlexanderRosemary & Christopher BarlowRichard & Dorothy BreinerMartin & Geri BrownsteinLawrence Baskin & Kathlynn CapdevilleScott & Laurie DubinEdward Zimmerman & Deborah GellerRobert & Gail HaarPeter HaasBradly Jacobs & Julia Isen-JacobsRichard JewelerDon & Bobbie Kamler

Scott & Juli KauffmanChris & Rebecca LienDavid & Marney MargulesJonathan & Jessica MarkerBarbara MusserGary & Dona NovackRichard & Susan PerlsteinMax Bernstein & Karen RobbinsMark & Susan SchatzbergRichard Thalheimer & Christina SimonelliDavid Lazerwitz & Alyson SinclairWilliam & Susy StewartMaurice & Emily WeingerHarvey Lerchin & Betty WoodSelma Abdo GENEROSITY Robert Kerson & Andee Abramson KersonDiane AmarillasTom Berliner & Lee AngressKaren ArnoldMichael & Katharine ArrowSharron BakerBahram & Sima BakhshiJohn & Susan BarnesMaxine Epstein & Geraldine BarrLeslie & Carol BenetAlan & Ellen BerkowitzCarol BerlAllan & Joanna BerlandJoanna Berman MandelSuzan BernsJeffry & Diane BernsteinBruce BerrolMarian BlantonRonald Zimmerman & Ann Blender

Paul Price & Laura BlochDavid & Rosalind BloomMark & Julie BloombergSteven & Karen BluestoneMichael & Susan BlumCatherine BlumbergJan BolglaNancy BougheyCynthia BoydMark & Theresa BradyJanet BraffJohn Law & Aana BrenmanDavid & Suzanne BroadEvan Pontoriero & Sara BrownElizabeth Katz & Travis BrownleyRick Burg & Deborah Burg-SchnirmanShale & Courtney ButlerMichael & Judy CalderSteve & Jessica CarrollPeter Scheer & Morry CaterDon & Margery CherinRoy & Renee ChernusRichard & Carolyn CoganGeorge & Susan CohenPeter Zwerling & Barbara CohenJulie CohenMiriam CohnKevin & Lori ColemanLawrence & Laraine CunhaStephen & Rhonda DanielsMoris & Donna DavidovitzMichael DeAngelisRachel deBaereMichael & Bronner DeixlerMichael & Kristine DellRobert & Ruth DellBruce & Sheryl Denker

We are grateful to the Tradition of Giving Annual Fund Donors for the Fiscal Year 2017-2018Thanks to your generosity, we raised $458,000, put immediately to work for our Rodef Sholom community.

Clifford DetzAnna DibbleEric Swergold & Dawn DobrasJ. Niley & Cynthia DoritErik Petersen & Lisha DriscollJoshua Archer & Julia DvorinStephen & Margaret EdelsonJudith EinbinderPhyllis Eisenman LampertJoel Lurie & Nancy EllenbogenGene & Patricia ElliotRobert & Lisa EpsteinDavid Lakes & Stephanie FeinNatan FennerBryce & Rebecca FensterAlan & Carol FerenRick & Tracy FermBart & Dvora FerrellTodd & Marla FieldsJeff & Shelley FinciJerome Engel & Shirley FischerSanford & Sandra FishMatthew & Jamie FoleyAnatoly & Alla FortenkoChris & Allison FragakisAlan Bear & Bonnie FrankDini FreemanJon & Dodi FriedenbergMark & Carole Friedlander

Ted Cohen & Judy FriedmanBruce & Amy FriedricksMichael Jacobs & Ellen FuerstRoger & Davi GainerThomas & Roberta GarberGail Geiger z”lIlene GenetHoward & Julie GershKent & Rita GershengornNaomi Sachs & Steve GershikSuzanne GibsonCharles & Sylvia GillBob & Amy GlaserHarold & Gail GlassbergMitchell & Toni GolbusAaron & Jennifer GolbusSteven & Wendy GoldKenneth Hoffman & Janet GoldbergJames & Vicki GoldbergJoanne GoldenMark & Roberta GoodmanRichard & Laurynn GouldZvi & Dvora GovrinStephen & Nancy GrandSidney Sall & Deborah GrayDavid & Angeline GreenblatClaudette GreenblatDavid Cohen & Antoinette GrimesMichael & Louise Gross

Steven Hong & Jennifer GrossmanJoel GumbinerSharon HaasBarbara HaimAllan & Naomi HansonAndrew & Pamela HarlemJulie HarrisJack Maslow & Sheryl HausmanStephen & Carol HerbstmanJoan HerskoRonni HimyMarcelo & Nora HirschlerWarren Lefort & Hannah HochstaedterMark & Lori HorneStephen & Leslie IsaacsManny & Doreen IshtamDavid & Evelyn IsraelAdam Fells & Cheryl JacobsMarilyn JacobsSeth & Merrie JaffeEric & Maria JohnsonJonathan Delson & Mindy JonasAndrew &Diane KalletIrving Schwartz & Idajean KaplanKen Polowitz & Shelley KatzLouis & Laurie KimballJon & Jane KimballKenneth KingEthel KirschnerSally KitchenMark & Sherralyn KleinBabak Ettekal & Elizabeth KoenigRhoda KopanWilliam Katz & Beth KramerBarry & Janet KrantzJohn Benesch & Barbara Kraus

Caroline KreitzbergKen & Meghen KurtzigBradley & Dena LakritzTimothy & Diana LangJerome & Sheri LangerSteve & Leslie Laskin-ReeseBrad & Susan LauerPaula LavineDavid & Judith LayneWilliam McKenzie & Cheryl LazarArthur & Basia LeafferTerrence Shea & Sharon LebellJonathan Hoeh & Giselle LedermanElliot & Barbara LeffertsJerome LernerMarc & Amy LesterMyra LevensonStuart & Sue LevinNorman & Deborah LevinJohn & Kerry LevinEllen LevinAndrew & Jennifer LevineTom Allen & Beth LevisonMark & Nora LevyMatt Elkins & Janet LewisMarvin & Andrea LewisJason & Lori LewisJohn & Joy LewisJohn Harkin & Janet LipseyMichael & Jeanne LipsonSteven & Miriam LiteMaxine LitwakRochelle LondonJoan LubamerskyJay & Jan LuxenbergEthan Kaplan & Diana MaierMartin & Ruth Malkin

Jay & Susan MallHarold & Nancy MannGary Gross & Carole MarksWilliam Huth & Sandra MausnerMark & Ellyn McCaffreyAndrew & Robin MeiselBarbara MerinoSteven & Beth MillerSheldon & Alice MillerYair Nudel & Angie Miot-NudelMarc & Sharon MiravalleDavid & Jan MishelBenjamin Gordon & Vicki MitchellGerald & Dara MoskowitzJerrold & Jacquelyn MoskowitzBarry & Jane MossRonald MossBruce & Gail NapellSteven & Ruth NashHoward & Jacqueline NemerovskiRobert & Shari NemerovskiRichard Brenner & Lisa NewmarkRoger Smith & Lynne OberlanderNeil Handelman & Karyn O’MohundroDavid & Andrea OppenheimerNicholas & Caren OrumRaoul Stepakoff & Cindy OstroffMichael Fox & Gigi PaganiDarren Haggerty & Heidi PaulJay Schulman & Lisa PavlovskyJoyce PavlovskyRobert & Audrey PedrinDana PeppAlan Packer & Margaret PerlsteinHoward & Evi RachelsonSteven & Lara Rajninger

Michael & Alissa RalstonColin & Tara RandStuart & Deborah RatnerJulie ReinganumMarshall & Anne RichmanDebra RoseDavid & Jeanette RosenRobert & Susan RosenbergDorie RosenbergGary & Barbra RosensteinCraig Albers & Amy RosenthalRobert Grossman & Wendy RossFrederick & Catherine Ross-PerryJoseph & Ona RotenbergAndrew & Caroline RothIngrid RubinGary & Justine RudmanJonathan & Beth RutchikBrad Widelock & Francie SalleTom Corwin & Marlene SaritzkyFred & Ann SchalitJules & Barbara SchechnerArnold & Christina SchererMax & Marlene Scherer

Norman & Adrienne SchlossbergEdward Simon & Marilyn SchneiderLadd & Debra SchulmanMichael & Susan SchwartzDavid & Susan SchwartzPaul & Sharalee SchwarzbartAlan & Margot SegalAlan Markle & Yudit SegevTerry SeligmanSanford & Susan ShapiroPaul McLaughlin & Elizabeth ShareJoyce ShareKen Walpole & Ann ShartsisPaul & Belle ShensaHarold & Lisa ShensonJohn Hamel & Judith SheppardJudd & Erin SherJack & Judy ShermanRobert Goldman & Sarah SilversteinRonald & Sarah SimonLynne SimonSteve & Darci SmithJoel & Bonnie SmolenJoanne SobelRonna Voorsanger & Helmut SommerJudy SommerDavid & Marcia SperlingJoseph & Sara SperoLaurence & Deborah StadtnerRose StadtnerFanny SteinKip SteinbergMona SteinbergTodd & Rachel StengelGail SternJeffrey & Marianne Stone

William & Deborah StrullAverell Smith & Laura TalmusMartin Lowenstein & Inbar TelemLeonard Gensburg & Debra ThalPatrice Goldman & D’vora TirschwellEric & Debbie ToizerAllan Jackman & Evelyn TopperEric & Jeannette TorchonJuan Restrepo & Jessica TrubowitchHarold & Suzanne TruettElise TrumbullCarl Cox & Gilda TuritzElissa Van DeursenRichard Chinlund & Rena VictorSamuel & Tasha Vogel-SeidenbergJohn & Ann WathenRichard & Betty Jo WaxmanDavid & Vivian WeinbergKif Scheuer & Jamie WeinsteinJon & Pamela WelnerMatthew & Lisa WertheimEric & Debra Wertheimer Ronald Gaines & Ellen WhiteAlan WhiteBarbara WilkesCarol WolfeJoel WolfsonHoward & Valerie WynnAndrew Brown & Shirley YoungJerald & Sharon YoungChandra ZieffKory & Linda ZippersteinJeff & Connie ZlotJeffrey & Sharon ZwerinMarvin & Michele Zwerin

Todah rabah!

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this Annual Report. Please contact the Development Office with any omissions or changes.

COMMUNITY

1650Meals served at Shulchan Shabbat

Tunes sung at Shabbat Unplugged

176Miles walked in Torah on the Trails

24Hours of Sanctuary Committee planning for HHD

300

Participants at Civic Center services

60High Holy Days greeters

43

14Births New members

B’nai Mitzvahs

A SNAPSHOT OF 2017-2018

44

64Congregants with more than 35 years of membership

288

Congregants over 90 years old

66HELLO

1150Clergy visits Challahs

delivered

1600Mitzvah Kitchen and Nichum meals cooked and delivered

1130

Tons of food collected in High Holy Days food drive

Volunteers for 17 Mitzvah Day projects

400

2

WORSHIP

Average number of minutes spent in the Dead Sea per traveler

20

EDUCATION SOCIAL JUSTICE

Meals served to the homeless

2160

Speakers, with a total of 1,150 attendees

9

ISRAEL

pounds of hummus consumed205

Enrolled in religious school

249

2trips41

participants

hours one student sings Tefillah in a year

6.7

LIFECYCLES

170 North San Pedro Rd., San Rafael, CA 94903 www.rodefsholom.org • 415-479-3441