july flame

3 Tammuz - 4 AvJuly 2014

Temple President Jon WeiszFinancial Realities

ServicesMinyan Services are held every Sunday in Knell Chapel, beginning at 9:00 AM.

1434 N. Altadena Drive • Pasadena CA 91107 http://www.pjtc.net/ ( 6 2 6 ) 7 9 8 - 1 1 6 1

This is the second issue of our new FLAME format.

We hope you like it. Opinions are welcome at

[email protected].

July 4/5 Parashat: BalakFri. Service 7:30 PM Galpert Sanctuary

Oneg hosted by Sisterhood

Sat. Service 9:00 AM Knell ChapelKiddush hosted by

Deborah Noble & Erich SchlechtJuly 11/12 Parashat: PinehasTot Shabbat 6:45 PM Knell ChapelFri. Service 7:30 PM Galpert Sanctuary

Oneg hosted by Anita and Jeff Landau and Andrea Edwards and Brian Mark

Sat. Service 9:00 AM Knell ChapelMini-Kiddush hosted by Shabbes Minyan Group

July 18/19 Parashat: MattotFri. Service 7:30 PM Galpert Sanctuary



July 25/26 Parashat: Mas’eyFri. Service 7:30 PM Galpert Sanctuary



August 1/2 Parashat: DevarimTot Shabbat 6:45 PM Knell ChapelFri. Service 7:30 PM Galpert Sanctuary



August 4 Tisha B'AvTisha B'Av Service

Service 8:00 PM Knell Chapel

E ach year your Board of Directors w o r k s d i l i g e n t l y to create a f iscally responsible budget that is appropriate for our synagogue. The purpose of this column is to communicate the major decisions the Board has made regarding the fiscal 2014-2015 Budget, and how those decisions will impact you directly. Please know that your Board has analyzed all expenses and revenues very carefully, with the goal of achieving a balanced budget. By balancing our budget, we ensure our continued fiscal health.

PJTC has survived for ninety-three years as a thriving and vibrant congregation. Nevertheless, financial stability has often been a challenge. With the sale of the Shaarei Torah campus for $6.3 million, our financial situation improved dramatically. The funds generated from the sale have allowed us to pay off our mortgage in its entirety, pay all dues owed to the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, make a sizable contribution toward the integration of the B’nai Simcha Preschool onto our campus, and help balance our annual budget.

The money generated from the Shaarei Torah sale, combined with our existing endowment, currently totals $7.5 million. Utilizing the principal of the endowment for PJTC operations might seem to be an attractive alternative, but doing so would diminish the fund over time. The principal must be reserved for worthy capital improvements and projects, as well as for emergencies. Importantly,

the dividend and interest income generated by the endowment is essential to our budget this year. Indeed, as detailed below, without that income, we would not have been able to balance our budget. Temple expenses are likely to grow in the

future due to inflation and other factors. Therefore, we need to keep the principal intact and allow it grow so that the endowment can provide the income we will need in the future.

What follows is a summary of the approved budget, and the approaches we took to achieve a balanced budget.

Revenues and expenses for the 2014-2015 fiscal year are each projected to be $1.2 million:

Expenses: 90% of the $1.2 million of expenses are fixed, made up of staff compensation, utilities, and facility maintenance. The remaining costs are variable, consisting of expenses for ritual activities, programs and fundraising events.

Revenues: Dues are projected to provide only 35% ($424,000) of total revenues. The Yom Kippur Appeal and Shomrei Zahav donors will provide another 22% ($268,000). An additional 28% ($328,000) will come from a number of other sources, including Religious School tuition, rental income, as well as fundraising. Lastly, as I mentioned above, we project that our combined endowment funds will generate $180,000 in dividend and interest income, providing the remaining

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The FLAME 2 July 2014

Staff and Officers

Advertise in The FLAMEHelp offset the cost of our monthly publication while promoting your

business or service.Business Card @ $20.00/month Quarter Page @ $35.00/month

Half Page @ $70.00/monthThree month minimum. Discounted rates

are available for longer running ads. Make your request at

[email protected]

The Communications Committee can assist you with ad copy and layout.

Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center1434 N. Altadena Drive

Pasadena, California 91107(626) 798-1161 • (626) 798-8410 (Fax)

http://www.pjtc.net/[email protected]

– PJTC Clergy and Staff –Joshua Levine Grater – RabbiGilbert Kollin – Rabbi EmeritusRuth Berman Harris – Cantor

Sondra Dreshner - GabbaiEitan Trabin – Executive Director

Debby Singer – Education DirectorEitan Lowenstein – Religious School Assistant

Bruce Applebaum – Operations ManagerMelissa Bergman Levy – Youth DirectorDebra Bunting – Assistant to the Rabbi

Marian Rosen – BookkeeperRobert Brown – Facilities Manager

– PJTC Officers –President – Jonathon WeiszSecretary – Erich SchlechtTreasurer – Mickey Bernath

Exec. VP Management – Faith SegalExec. VP Programs – Jeff Landau

VP Administration – Noah Golden-KrasnerVP Adult Programs – Felicity SwerdlowVP Youth Programs – Geoff DeBoskey

VP Finance – Sandy HartfordVP Membership – Andrea Edwards

VP Religious Affairs – Richard SamuelsonPlanning Committee Chair – Brian Mark

Sisterhood President – Debbie GuestMen's Club President – Andy Schwarz

– Board of Directors –Keri Axel, Judy Balian, Ira Blitz,, Valerie Grover, Haley Karish,

Jacob Levy, Carol Rader-Meislin,Amy Richardson, Nathan Temple,

Roberta Tragarz, Ruth Several–Voting Past Presidents –Judy Callahan, Cathy Krasner

Matt Ober, Mickey Segal

– The FLAME Staff –Bruce Applebaum – LayoutEdie Taylor, Roz Scherr and Breyne Moskowitz – Editors

Karen Hochman Brown – Advisor

Religious School Newsby Debby Singer, Education Director

Yep, this is real ly it , my last article for t h e F L A M E as Education D i r e c t o r o f PJTC, one in a list of many lasts. So what m e s s a g e d o I want to get

across? What thanks need to be conveyed? What do I want my final words to be? I have been mulling these questions over in my mind and the conclusion I came to was …

My son Jeff came to my office today to help me with computer issues like what to save, what to delete, what to leave for our new Education Director, etc., etc. Jeff 's a pretty savvy guy and knows me very well. "Has it hit home yet, Mom?" he asked, a little hesitantly. "I haven't seen any indications that this has really sunk in – that you are really leaving." And he's right. Outwardly I haven't shown those typical emotional signs that my life as I have known it to be for the last 28 years is taking a turn. I do get a tug on my heart when I realize that my granddaughter Sophie will be an Aleph class student next year and that her sister Hannah now has a bat mitzvah date and how weird it will be for me not to oversee those two big events. I do get a flutter as I start packing up my things and find photos from a class

of Dalet kids in the year 1995 and realize they are in their 30s now! I did sigh deeply when I purged old teacher files from the cabinet and realized how many amazing people I have had the privilege of working with. I wonder if I will see them again.

There it is: the unknown. Now what? That's the scary part for me. I have a few opportunities I am pursuing to see what fits. I still want to be part of this community. I am interested to see what paths we choose in the future. I hope that our leaders will value and learn from our past, that they will cherish the unique culture of our community, that they always put the well-being of our congregants in the forefront, and that they recognize how diverse our population is. I hope they will always make sure we continue to be the welcoming, warm, nurturing and caring PJTC that drew many of us here and has kept us here for decades.

So, I guess that's what I really want to do in my last column; I would like to give a little unsolicited advice and it is, simply, be kind to one another. I also would like to say one more thank you and that would be to my husband of 47 years who has experienced all the ups and downs of this job with me and has been my constant sounding board and advice giver, even if I didn't always listen. Thank you, Jack. I would also like to thank the PJTC community for allowing me this opportunity of a lifetime.

L'Hitraot, Debby

A Back to School Mitzvahby Roz Scherr

It certainly seems like summer vacation has just begun. But Foothill Unity is already looking ahead to help some of our community’s more needy students get a good start when the new school year begins again. We again have a large collection box in the lobby of our main building, ready to be filled with donations of school supplies – pencils, loose-leaf paper, folders, etc. The box will be here until July 23. If you do any school shopping this month (to catch the sales!) and/or if you have leftover supplies that your children can no longer use, please bring them to PJTC so another child can have useful new items as he/she goes back to school. Thank you!


Israel MattersWhy the Middle East Matters Tony Blair (Spectator-UK)

The Middle East matters. What is presently happening there still represents the biggest threat to global security of the early 21st century.

At the root of the crisis lies a radicalized and politicized view of Islam, an ideology that distorts and warps Islam’s true message. The threat of this radical Islam is not abating. It is growing and spreading across the world. It is destabilizing communities and even nations. And in the face of this threat we seem curiously reluctant to acknowledge it and powerless to counter it effectively.

There are four reasons why the Middle East remains of central importance:

It is still where a large part of the world’s energy supplies •are generated, and the world’s dependence is not going to disappear any time soon. It is right on the doorstep of Europe. The boundary of the •EU is a short distance from the Levantine coast. In the center of this maelstrom is Israel. Its alliance with •the USA, its partnership with leading countries of Europe, and the fact that it is a Western democracy mean that its fate is never going to be a matter of indifference. It is in the Middle East that the future of Islam will be •decided. Underneath the turmoil of the past years is one very clear and unambiguous struggle: between those with a modern view of the Middle East, one of pluralistic societies and open economies; and, on the other side, those who want to impose an ideology born out of a belief that there is one proper religion and one proper view of it, and that this view should, exclusively, determine the nature of society and the political economy. We might call this latter perspective an “Islamist” view.

For the last 40-50 years, there has been a steady stream of funding, proselytizing, organizing and promulgating coming out of the Middle East, pushing views of religion that are narrow-minded and dangerous. Unfortunately, we seem blind to the enormous global impact such teaching has had and is having.

In Egypt we have to understand plainly what happened. The Muslim Brotherhood government was not simply a bad government. It was systematically taking over the traditions and institutions of the country. The revolt of 30 June 2013 was not an ordinary protest. It was the absolutely necessary rescue of a nation. We should support the new government and help.

As to Iran, we should continue to make it clear, as the Obama administration is rightly doing, that they have to step back from being a nuclear threshold state. I do not favor yielding to their demands for regional influence in return for concessions on their nuclear ambitions. The Iranian government plays a deliberately destabilizing role across the region. Our goals should not include regime change. Their people will, in the end, have to find their own way to do that. However, we should, at every opportunity, push back against the use of their power to support extremism.

The writer served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Since then he has served as Middle East envoy for the Quartet.

From the Eugene and Marilyn Fingerhut Memorial History Project

by Michael Several, Project ChairContinuation of series on the original Sisterhood musicalsSisterhood luncheons were the unlikely setting for the revival

of musical theater at PJTC. After a 16-year break following the congregation's staging of Showtime at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in 1949, skits incorporating original lyrics and popular music were written for special Sisterhood occasions. Between 1965 and 1967 at least four skits were written and performed. The author or authors of the first three are unknown, though it may have been Shirley Cohen, of blessed memory. However, we know the fourth was written by Shirley Cohen, Marilyn Fingerhut, Fran Collins, and Connie Levy for a luncheon honoring Louise Barth, a beloved Sisterhood member who was moving to the east with her husband to a new job. The skit was successful and gave the writers confidence they could create a bigger production.

The following year, the same writers, augmented by Marcia Alper, wrote the first show, Pharshimelte Fairy Tales. Opening on May 25, 1968, and closing the same night, the show represented a quantum leap in its size, scale, complexity, and themes over the Sisterhood luncheon skits. Unlike the Sisterhood skits with women-only roles, Pharshimelte Fairy Tales had roles for men that made the production a community project. The cast expanded from 11 in the Barth tribute to 26. In addition to the five writers, the show recruited 27 people for the backstage work, with women filling the important positions of producer, director, choreographer, and musical accompanist. Men's backstage work was limited to handling technical components, including audio, and lighting.

The show opens with Snow White dead in the home of the seven dwarfs after being poisoned by her wicked stepmother. Since all the characters in the show are Jewish, the seven dwarfs need three more men for a minyan to bury her. They go into the forest to find the three. First they go to the home of Jack and his mother. However, Jack, who in the play is Jackey, can't be recruited because he is a no-goodnik lazy hippie who likes climbing beanstalks. The dwarfs continue their journey and come to the home of an Old Woman who Lives in a Shoe, but she has so many children she didn't know what to do. Though there were enough males in the shoe for a minyan, they weren't old enough to be part of it. The dwarfs then encounter the Queen of Hearts, who after hearing that Snow White is dead, threatens to behead her. Next, they go to the home of Citronella, but only women live there. The show's interlude involves Little Red Riding Hood, and then ends with the dwarfs meeting Herrel, Berrel and Schmerrel, the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker. The seven dwarfs recruit the three for the minyan, but before they can bury Snow White, a prince comes and kisses her on the lips and brings her back to life. In the finale, Snow White and the Prince marry with the entire cast hoping that they will have a baby boy the following year.

More to follow in the future.


William Weiss, son of Jony and Jim Weiss, will become a bar mitzvah on July 12, 2014 in New York City so that his grandparents, who are ill and unable to travel, will be able to attend. Will sends a giant thank you to the clergy, teachers, temple staff and members, parents and students here at PJTC for

all the support he has received in preparation for this event. He will be entering eighth grade in the fall at First Avenue

Middle School in Arcadia. Will plays alto saxophone and is on the San Marino Tsunamis Swim Team.

Will’s Mitzvah/Tikkun Olam (Healing the World) Project is helping animals who are in need at the STAR Eco Station, which is an environmental science museum, an exotic wildlife rescue center, and a haven for endangered and illegally trafficked exotic animals. The STAR Eco Station’s mission is “Preservation through Education.” Will helped arrange for the Eco Station to do a presentation at PJTC, which he co-taught. The kids were thrilled to meet some of the rescued exotic animals and learned about the importance of preservation of our environment and the inter-dependence of all living things.

USY Columnby Melissa Bergman Levy, our new Youth Director

I am incredibly excited to be the new Youth Director! We all have something that connects us to our own brand of Judaism – what do you think that might be for YOUR children? For me, the initial “hook” was music. You may have heard me singing with Cantor Ruth and the rest of the music team during Friday evening services. But even right after my own bat mitzvah, leading services was how I connected to my Jewish

community.A bit more background: I moved out here from Ithaca, New

York, almost three years ago to pursue an acting career, and will definitely leverage my knowledge of improv and theater games throughout the year. My previous work and educational experience should also help. After college, I was a Program Associate for Cornell Hillel, where my primary responsibilities were leadership development and large-scale event planning. I have a Masters in Hospitality Management from Cornell, with a focus in Social Responsibility and Organizational Behavior. On the personal side, I’ve been obsessed with Disney since birth, and can often be heard bursting out into random songs from Disney musicals. This past August I married my very own Prince Charming, Jacob Levy. Jake and I love to hike with our pug-beagle mix named Duke, play softball, and cook whatever new recipe we can get our hands on.

This past year I had the privilege of getting to know some of our youth better by tutoring the b’nai mitzvah students and teaching the Bet Class at LBSRS. My wonderful teaching assistant was Amelia Dreier, who also happens to be the incoming President of our USY Chapter, and I cannot wait to work with her and the rest of the Board. The current USY Board is small but very mighty. I hope to further strengthen their leadership, while simultaneously increasing participation and enthusiasm from newer members of USY and Junior USY. This goal also means strengthening the Kadima program (grades 4-6) in order to grow and build from within. I am so very grateful to have Aaren (Weisz) Heller working with me this year as a volunteer Youth Advisor. Aaren was PJTC’s Youth Director a few years back, and her creativity and institutional knowledge will be invaluable. We both look forward to helping our community’s youth find their own “hook,” whether that engagement be through socializing with their peers, connecting to their history, playing sports, choreographing their own dance to Israeli music, or making their own matzoh ball soup – whatever excites them most about Judaism and prepares them to be empowered and socially-responsible Jewish adults.

To that end, I’ll be personally reaching out to parents and members of our youth community this summer. But please don’t hesitate to reach out to me first with comments, questions, and ideas! Beginning July 1, I can be reached via email at [email protected]. Let’s get this party started!

Rock a bye BabyMazel tov to Anat and Nadav Bar-

Chaim on the arrival of granddaughter Aviva on June 2. Proud parents Hili and Rob Revzan and big brother Jordan all welcomed the new baby at their home in San Francisco.

Nominees for Men's Club Board of DirectorsJune 2014

OfficersPresident - Andy SchwarzMembership VP - Eric MillsProgram VP - Neil Brown

Communications & Publicity VP - George RoeglerSecretary - Ira Blitz

Treasurer - Bud SlotkyImmediate Past President - Jerry Halpert

DirectorsLaurence Harris

Jim Hogan Jeffrey LandauJoel PadlipskyErich SchlechtMaury Weiss

Fred RotenbergBarry Krasner

Bar Mitzvah


A Trip to My Homelandby Talia Harris, for the Madeline Mark Memorial Award (abridged by FLAME editors for space reasons)

During the summer of 2011, my family and I went to the most amazing place in the world, Israel. This trip was a life-changing experience for me because I experienced so many different and wonderful things and learned things I never knew about Israel. It opened my perspective of the world and how people live, communicate and especially eat. It was a very personal trip for me because I was going back to the place I was born,

and I haven’t been back since. The most incredible thing was seeing all the things that I have seen in pictures.

Six weeks is a long time, and during those weeks my family and I traveled almost everywhere in Israel. I lived in Arizona at the time, and had not traveled very much. So it was so cool being there and seeing all these new and exciting things, including how the Israeli people interacted with each other. I was surprised by how nice they are to one another.

I especially loved the Shabbats there. Everything is closed and just stops there on Shabbat. It really felt like everyone was “resting” in his/her own way. The food there was incredible! My favorite part was the chocolate. The food is so different there and so delicious that I can’t wait to go back and have more of it.

The most remarkable part was the Kotel. It really struck me how there was a wall dividing the women from the men. My family visited an Orthodox Saturday morning service and experienced the separation between the men and the women. Even though I thought this was totally unfair, I respected it because not everyone has to agree with my beliefs.

This trip changed the way I look at the world. Seeing how people live really changed my perspective on everything. It changed me because I had never seen anything like Israel before in my life. Being in Israel was like being at home because of the Jewish feeling and the Jewish environment that was so present in Israel. It connected me to my Jewish self that I had never really felt before. I didn’t have to hide that I didn’t eat pork or that I couldn’t go out to a movie on Friday night because everyone else went through those things too. My attitude at the beginning of the trip was so different from at the end of it. Yes, I complained a lot, as I often do, but I learned to not complain, to live in the moment and enjoy. Life changing experiences don’t happen all the time, but when they do, they will change you forever.

I would love to go back to Israel some day. I’ve definitely grown as a person during this experience because of all the different lessons I had to learn while I was there. There were so many things I didn’t know about Israel, like the Shabbat elevator, and that you could float in the Dead Sea, and how hot it is and tired you are after you climb Masada. Those things you can’t learn from reading a textbook. You have to experience them yourself, and that’s what I did. So through the complaining and the whining and the “I want to go home,” I opened parts of me that I never knew existed: tolerance, patience, and commitment. These are the things that I really learned and experienced by being there.

I never really knew what it meant when my mom said, “You live in an empanada,” but I understand now. Living in an empanada means that you’re so focused on your own personal

life that you can’t even look up and see what is right in front of you. Realizing that there is so much more to life than petty teenager problems really changes one in a way that I can’t describe. So I guess that life changing-experiences can be anywhere you turn, I just had to get out of my comfort zone and find them. And Israel was where I found them.

At the end of the trip, it was time to come home. As Dorothy from the “The Wizard of Oz” says, “There is no place like home.” I can’t wait to travel again with my family in the future. And who knows? Maybe we will even travel to Argentina! I bet there will be more life-changing experiences that await me.

Remembering Congregation Shaarei Torahby Joan Halpert

The Final CST Service, June 22, 2014Today is not a celebration. Today is for remembering to

many of us here. Congregation Shaarei Torah was the home of our families and friends. We participated in life cycle celebrations over many years, here are some of them: attending Hebrew School, baby namings, bar and bat mitzvahs, meetings (quite a few), confirmations, weddings, religious services, rabbis (there were many) holidays, fund–raisers, havarot, and of course funerals and shivas. We will also remember B’nai Simcha Preschool and our recent occupant, our Jewish Federation. Let us cherish these memories and never forget the significance and influence of CST in our lives

Although this beautiful building will no longer be here, our treasured memories will be ours forever. May we go from strength to strength in our new home, the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center.


June Donations

Thanks to Our June VolunteersPJTC offers our members a variety of ways to be of service

to the Temple. Those who are able to give of their time are vital to sustaining our community.

To host an Oneg, call Anita Landau.To host a Kiddush, call Roz Scherr.

Oneg & Kiddush Hosts June 6/7 Oneg hosted by Ginny and Ira Blitz in honor of their

40th wedding anniversary Kiddush hosted by the Shabbes Minyan GroupJune 13/14 Oneg and Kiddush hosted by Judy and Steven

Balian in honor of their son Jacob’s bar mitzvahJune 20/21 Oneg and Kiddush hosted by Jessica and Robert

Weiner in honor of their son Matt’s bar mitzvahJune 27/28 Oneg and Kiddush hosted by Liane and Larry Herbst

in honor of their son Elliott’s bar mitzvah

Gabbai’im Mickey Butnik Sondra Dreshner John Guest Roz Scherr

Torah, Haftorah and Book of Ruth Readers Marcia Alper Jacob Balian Sondra Dreshner Sam Haddad Cantor Ruth Elliott Herbst Ofer Ho Matt Hurwitz Jacob Levy Linda Rourman Roz Scherr Erich Schlecht Ruth Several Matt Weiner Marlene Reichenbach

Office Volunteers Ryna Aviram Ginny Blitz Judy Ellis Sue Galpert Jerry Halpert Michelle Kandel Ruth Kaye George Roegler Roz Scherr Edie Taylor Arlene Weiss Farewell and best wishes to Breyne Moskowitz, who moved to New York state, but will keep in touch and will continue to assist with FLAME via email.

— Contact for Donations —Donate to Temple Projects & FundsOrder a Memorial PlaqueFreeman Passover FundOrder Leaf/Stone on Tree of Life ... Temple Office (626) 798-1161Shabbat b'Lev Music Fund ...................................... Cantor RuthMAC Committee............................................................. Aty RotterPJTC Oral History Project ...................................Michael Several Simcha & Memorial Tablecloths ............................ Paula Waluch Sisterhood's Lena Berman Tribute Fund .................. Roz Scherr Dedicate a Prayer Book ...................................... Sheila PadlipskyLarge Print Sim Shalom .................................................Roz Scherr Rabbi Galpert Memorial Fund ........................................ Jan Pais

Shirley Hoffman L.B. Silver Religious School........................................... Jan PaisTorah Fund Donations ...............................................Bobbi SloanJudaica Shop ...............................................................Stacy Miller Sisterhood Kitchen Fund ....................................Nancy Copeland Women's Retreat Fund .........................................Nancy CopelandMadeline Mark Memorial Fund ...................................Ruth Several

Library FundJune Brodie & Harriet Berkowitz in loving memory of our mother, Annie

WiskindMAC (Membership Assistance Committee)

Mickey Bernath in memory of his father, Arthur BernathBarbara Levinson, with thanks to MAC for the shiva reception for her

beloved husband, Bob LevinsonDonations to General Fund

Donated by: In Memory of:Craig Fox Father, Irving FoxMena Shapiro Husband, Saul ShapiroMena Shapiro Father, Morris MorrisonJudy & Jordan Ellis Mother, Norma LoebBarbara Weisenberg Stepfather, Nate GrobanMolly Wolveck Mother-in-law, Mary WolveckAlice Shulman Mother-in-law, Anna ShulmanPeter & Roberta Braun Mother, Harriet S. GoldbergIlene & Marvin Donner Mother, Hazel DonnerJim & Susie Hogan Mother, Estelle AltShirley Hoffman Brother, Les BermanEdward Gomperts Father, Arthur GompertsEthel Cooper Mother, Sarah CooperFred Raichlen Mother, Ethel RaichlenHoward Rambach Wife, Sandie RambachHoward Rambach Mother & Father, Mary & Morris RambachSusan Auerbach Father, Irwin AuerbachPauline Witkin Sister, Sally Lipser KorobkinPauline Witkin Brother-in-law, Irving KorobkinPauline Witkin Mother-in-law, Leah Witkin KorobkinPauline Witkin Brother, Sidney LipserPauline Witkin Aunt, Libby SilberblattClaire Gorfinkel Mother, Helen GorfinkelVictor Berlant Father, Herman BerlantEmilie Hoffman & Vicky Einem Husband & Father David Hoffman Carolyn Kunin Father & Mother, Milton & Charlotte Kunin

Sisterhood TributesTo Debbie Guest in appreciation of all her work on our new Sisterhood

cookbook, from Edie TaylorTo Debbie Guest in honor of her becoming our new Sisterhood President,

from Sylvia Schleimer and from Nancy CarltonTo Carolyn Siegal in appreciation of her being our Sisterhood President

2013-2014, from Nancy CarltonTo Talia Harris in honor of her receiving the Madeline Mark Memorial

Award, from Sylvia SchleimerTo Wendy Bat-Sarah with a double mazel tov on her ordination as cantor

and on her marriage, from Stacy & Stu MillerTo Tami Cutler & Craig Fox in honor of the birth of their new

granddaughter, Ava Brooke Cutler, from Evelyn & Ernie RobinsonTo Anat & Nadav Bar-Chaim in honor of the birth of their new

granddaughter, Aviva Revzan, from Stacy & Stu MillerTo Ellen Dinerman with congratulations on a very successful student art

show, from Stacy & Stu MillerTo Karen Hochman Brown with congratulations on her having an art

show in New York, from Stacy & Stu MillerTo Frank Grant, wishing him a speedy recovery and return to good

health, from Sylvia Schleimer and from Evelyn & Ernie RobinsonTo Mel Spira, wishing him a speedy recovery and return to good health,

from Ginny & Ira BlitzTo Barbara Levinson in memory of her beloved husband, Bob Levinson,

from Nancy & John Carlton, Sylvia Schleimer, Evelyn & Ernie Robinson, Linda & Paul Rourman, Aty & Howard Rotter, Kathy Kobayashi & Hal Barron, Ginny & Ira Blitz, Connie & Art Taus, Stacy & Stu Miller, and from Sue Galpert

To Stacy Ober in memory of her beloved mother, Lynn Harris, from Edie Taylor, Nancy & John Carlton, Mary Ann & Mickey Bernath, Marcia Alper, Aty & Howard Rotter, Sue Galpert, Linda & Paul Rourman, and from Kathy Kobayashi & Hal Barron

General FundJane & Yudie Fishman in memory of Irwin Sameth, beloved father of

Carla Sameth & Jane & Yudie FishmanArlene & Maury Weiss in loving memory of Bob LevinsonJudy & Jordan Ellis in loving memory of Bob LevinsonBarbara Weisenberg & Len Lipton in loving memory of Bob LevinsonMichael & Janet Klekner in loving memory of Bob LevinsonHarvey & Peggy Golden


Yahrzeits for July (announced Fri/Sat preceding the date)

Safety and SecurityAt our events and services, kids are great but remember our staff has a lot on its plate.Keeping children safe is an important thing to do but parents and grandparents, it’s up to YOU!

Tammuz 3 July 01, 2014Morris Brezner Elfreda Mindlin Herbert Schiff

Tammuz 4 July 02, 2014Mervin Gold

Esther Messerman Milton Michaels

Isidore Rosen Shirley Spitzer

Tammuz 5 July 03, 2014Sam Saffman

Tammuz 6 July 04, 2014

Devorah Abend Herman Berlant

George Caton Abe Jampolsky Dorothy Resnik Beverly Rogers

Tammuz 7 July 05, 2014Sonia Barsky

Milton Breslow Morris Rambach

Dora Scheflin Anna Weichman

Tammuz 8 July 06, 2014Ian Breslow

Anita Jick Minnie Litt

Wolfe Weissman Aaron Wolf

Tammuz 9 July 07, 2014Rebecca Shrifter

Tammuz 10 July 08, 2014David Hoodkiss

June Lanes Stanley Paul

Tammuz 11 July 09, 2014Max Eisenberg Fannie Ganulin

Pearl Jaffe Joseph Mindlin

Benjamin Russell Irving Scherr

Tammuz 12 July 10, 2014Samuel Davis

Roxie Holland-Moritz Saul Lubow

Harriett Seigle Florence Siegel

Tammuz 13 July 11, 2014Minnie Cohen Mary Priester

Marlene Segal Ruth Shenfeld

Leon Weisman Tammuz 14 July 12, 2014

David Mark Edward Schwam

Murray Siegel Emmie Vida

Naomi Weinstein Tammuz 15 July 13, 2014

Rose Freund Stephen Kaye

Nathaniel Miller Louis Zimon

Tammuz 16 July 14, 2014Harry Adelstone

Erwin Brown Harry Finesod

Peter Richman Oscar Stern

Freda Watson Martin Zelanka

Tammuz 17 July 15, 2014Michel Anghel Lena Berman

Stella Brier Jack Kandel

Tammuz 18 July 16, 2014Thelma Brumer

Benjamin M. Klekner Charles Kollin

Jose Procupez Sarah Roth

Tammuz 19 July 17, 2014Frieda Breitman

Robert Friedman Tammuz 20 July 18, 2014

Jack Ardman Maurice Cohen Fanny Finesod Nuta Glickman

Sally Gottfeld Lewis Marks Lynne Mazur Celia Meyers

Harry Mittleman Tammuz 21 July 19, 2014

Morris Mandel Samuel Senter

George Vida Tammuz 22 July 20, 2014

David Allen Ernest Klein

Oscar Medina Yetta Segal

Marcella “Sally” Tyree Tammuz 24 July 22, 2014

Gustav Fleischhacker Jeanette Lorber

Harriet Padlipsky Marie Roegler Mariam Vego

Tammuz 25 July 23, 2014Yetta Hollander

Ray Miller Tammuz 26 July 24, 2014

Zvi Bar-Chaim Gregory Frey

Tammuz 27 July 25, 2014Edward Solomon

Tammuz 28 July 26, 2014Rose Altschule Bess Pemstein

Sam Phillips Martin Spellman

Tammuz 29 July 27, 2014Jay Hoffman Fritzi Lerner

Janice Lipton Valli Loewenberg

Juanita Earlene Murray-Wesson Av 1 July 28, 2014

Ruth Kaplan Harry Koz

David Kristan Julian Snyder

Av 2 July 29, 2014Bernice Feldstein

Anna Friedenberg Philip Karr

Howard Lassman Charlotte Levinson

Louis M. Witkin Av 3 July 30, 2014

Gertrude Budnitsky Goldie Gordon

Av 4 July 31, 2014Armin Rosenblum William Terfansky

Nathan Witt

Camping is In-Tents!

July 116:45 PM

Knell ChapelCome for an

evening of togetherness, song

and prayer!Join Judy Callahan, Director of B’nai Simcha Preschool,

and Cantor Ruth for a half-hour Shabbat experience filled with music and movement for families with children age seven and under.

Tot Shabbat Service


July Birthdays and Anniversaries

To PJTC Booklovers by Carol Sofer

If you are interested in participating in the newly expanded book group at PJTC, please attend the next get-together on Thursday, July 10 at 7:30 PM in Wohlmann Hall. This is the usual monthly Sisterhood Book Group, but all are invited to attend.

The book being discussed is The Reluctant Fundamentalist, by Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid, a short book and a quick read.

Our book club is registered with Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Go upstairs to Will Call and tell them you are with PJTC Women's Book Club to receive a 20% discount coupon good only for the book selection. You may want to mention that the Women's Book Club isn't just for women.

July 1 ................ Nora Eidelberg Joshua Gould Izak Langholz

Janice Markham Rachel Spaizman

July 2 ...............Ed Brunngraber Janet Klekner

July 3 ............. Jennifer Leonard Joel Padlipsky

July 4 ................... Ilana Basseri Ira Blitz

Anne Cheslow Vera Marisela

July 5 ...............Marshall Cohen Arlene Hogan

Ellie Mendel Alex Weisz

Jeremy Weisz July 6 ................. Erich SchlechtJuly 7 ............... Louis FriedmanJuly 8 ............... Jill Adler-Moore

Sara Bloom Haley Karish

Maria Libman Fred Rotenberg

Rachel Weisz July 9 .......... Norman Ackerman

Ava Kate Arkader Margaret Ho Eitan Pattow

Andrea VassilevJuly 10 .......... Theodore Krieger July 11 ................ Darrell Cozen

Lynn Gould Alex Jacobs

July 12 ................Simon Burrow Peter Dreier

Ale Kiguelman Andy Owen

Carol Rader-Meislin Faith Segal

July 13 ............Joseph Johnson Josh Pais

Benjamin Shilling July 14 ..................Ilene Donner

Eden Golden-Krasner Meredith Rose

July 15 ......................Coby Earll Margaret Frerking

July 16 ............... Audrey Cohen Hyman Vego

July 17 .............. Marjorie Gulkis Diana Howard

July 18 .....Benjamin Teitelbaum July 19 ....................Matt Knight

Talia Nissimyan July 20 ..............Michael Ostroff

Marlene Reichenbach Amy Richardson

Ryan Sharp Arthur Taus Judy Ungar

Robert WeinerJuly 21 ................Emma Beubis July 22 ..............Barbara Cohen

Dovid ZviDavid Snyder

Hayley Yoskowitz July 23 ..........Helene Emmerich

Miran Painter July 24 .........................Lisa Fox

Jonathan Fuhrman Charlotte Jorban

Rosa Nicely July 25 .................Victor Berlant

Tzedek Segall-Gutierrez July 26 ................Tucker Cobey

Stephanie Ivler Elizabeth Loughren

July 27 .......... Melissa Bergman Susan Claster

Martin Lewin Anita Pemstein

July 28 ................ Gaston Araya Kirk Brattkus

Cara Jaffe Bonnie Pais-Martinez

July 29 ................. Zoe Fishman Isaac Paz

Arielle Sharfstein James Weiss

July 30 ................ Janice Betrue Evan Raz

July 31 ..................Sherri Hauer Jessica Hencier

Emile Painter

Jonathan and Julia Grinblat .................................................7/2/2006George and Roz Lubow ............................#60 ....................7/3/1954Norman and Hannah Ackerman ................................................7/3/1960Dave and Susan Lorin ...............................................................7/3/1977Isaac and Sylvia Paz .................................................................7/4/1982Daniel Fishman and Sandra Lavine ..........................................7/4/1993Peter Dreier and Terry Meng .....................................................7/5/1992Matthew and Lauren Krieger .....................................................7/5/2002Todd and Stacey Sharp .............................................................7/7/1996Ryan and Candice Earll .............................................................7/7/2007Jim and Cari Yoskowitz ..............................................................7/8/1990Ray Marcus and Jennifer Golub Marcus ...................................7/9/2006Jonni and Felicity Swerdlow .................................................... 7/11/1976Joe Ucuzoglu and Cristiane Guberman ................................... 7/11/2004Hervey and Doris Segall ..........................................................7/14/1962Jack and Debby Singer ...........................................................7/15/1967Maury and Arlene Weiss ...........................#30 ..................7/15/1984Jerry and Shelly Kaplan ...........................................................7/16/1961Isaac and Ojig Ergas ...............................................................7/17/2004Fred and Lori Rotenberg ..........................#35 ..................7/22/1979Larry Moore and Jill Adler-Moore ............................................7/23/1977David and Felice Mittman ........................................................7/26/1987James and Joan Weiss ............................#50 ..................7/29/1964Art and Chris Bogad ................................................................7/29/1973Joshua Tornek and Claudia Argueta ........................................7/29/1993

Experienced CAREGIVER available in Pasadena Area

Yolanda Santiago cared for Ruth Wolman's father (and also for Joanne Scherr's mother) with expertise and kindness. Either of them would be happy to provide a glowing recommendation.

Call Yolanda at (626) 827-3792

To PJTC Sisterhood for receiving The Jewel in the Crown Award from Women's League of Conservative Judaism. You are truly Jewels in the Crown at our congregation. Congratulations from the PJTC Board of Directors!

*************To Wendy Bat-Sarah and Lev Mallinger, who were

married on the Katz Terrace on May 18. They have six children between them: Natan, Avishai, Avidan, Eitan, Shoshanah and Benjamin. Wedding officiants were Rabbi Mordehai Finley and Cantor Seth Ettinger.

This is a double mazel tov for Wendy, as she was ordained as a Cantor on May 26 at the Academy for Jewish Religion/California. Congratulations to Wendy and Lev.

************* To Patricia Bunin, whose Pasadena Star News column,

“Senior Moments,” has been named a finalist for Best Column in the L.A. Press Club 2014 Southern California Journalism Awards. Winners will be announced at the Awards Banquet on June 29, too late for this July FLAME.


We are continuing PJTC Basketball for adults (high school age and above) at 8:00 PM on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month.

Coffee • Sandwiches • Pastries

New Menu Items Extended Hours 1359 North Altadena Dr.Mon. - Fri. • 6:00 PM) - 8:00 PM (at Washington Blvd.)

Sat. • 7:00 am - 5:30 PM (626) 398-8654

After Hour Rentals

– A friend to PJTC –

We thank you for supporting our advertisers

Pasadena JewelersServing San Gabriel Valley Since 1988• Jewelry and Watch Repair • Special Orders

• Diamond Settings • Engraving

— A friend of PJTC members —1864 E. Washington Boulevard • Pasadena, CA

91104in the Washington Mini-mall

at the corner of Allen and Washington.

(626) 798-4403 www.pasadenajewelers.com

painting and wallpapering

– Temple Member –

E L L I O T T M A Z U RSCL #587549 626 •398•9928

JULY – a month full of special occasions: birthdays, weddings ... You can find lovely gifts for these and other celebrations at your PJTC Sisterhood's Judaica Shop.

Avoid crowded malls! Shop here first! Stop by and browse!

Remember us for your next Simcha!

Please remember to bring canned food whenever you come to the temple. Be sure to notice the basket on the table in the main lobby. Please bring a couple of cans of food to help fill it.

The FLAMEIf you prefer to receive the FLAME by mail at no

charge, please email the office at [email protected].

Capable, trustworthy, experiencedLocal references available

Call Flor Randall at (626) 235-6094

Available Now


(626)792-5879

(800) 300-2532

3230 E. Colorado Blvd. (Between San Gabriel and Rosemead)

Factory Trained Technicians

Rourman TallitotBeautiful Hand Embroidered Custom

Tallitot made to order

Pashmina style tallesim as low as $100.00

Custom Judaica• Mazel Tov bags •Chuppahs

•Challahcovers•Matzohcoversandmore.

Call Linda Rourman(626) 447-7252 [email protected]

-Temple Member-

President's article continued from page 1

15% of total revenues.Incorporated in the budget is a 5% increase in Temple dues,

effective July 1, 2014. This will result in a $107 annual increase for families and a $53 increase for individual members.

Also incorporated in the budget is an increase in Religious School tuition. Specifically, the budget includes a $170 increase per student for Hebrew School, a $100 increase per student for the Sunday School program, and a $100 increase in the family maximum tuition cap. The tuition proposal was developed based on a very careful and detailed review of the increase in Religious School expenses as well as comparable tuition data from other synagogues. PJTC, like most synagogues, subsidizes the cost of its Religious School. In the coming fiscal year, the amount of this subsidy will be 61%. The Religious School is a very important part of PJTC, and the comparative research we conducted confirmed that it provides our children with an excellent and cost-effective educational experience.

PJTC has so much to offer. We have wonderful and inspirational clergy. We have the award winning Louis B Silver Religious School and its exciting new Education Director, Rabbi Becky Silverstein. We offer diverse and interesting Adult Education programs, and our recently invigorated Youth Program led by Melissa Bergman Levy. We have our active Sisterhood and Men’s Club, and a variety of other clubs and chavurot. And most of all, we have an amazing congregation, an embracing extended family.

Congregational meetings have now been scheduled to provide you with even greater detail on our Temple’s finances. I invite you to attend and participate in these discussions. All of the meetings will be at PJTC. The meeting dates are: Wednesday, July 9 at 7:30 PM; Friday, July 11 at 10:00 AM.; and Tuesday, July 15 at 10:00 AM. Again, I hope you can attend and learn more about our temple’s financial realities.

Please join me and the PJTC Board of Directors in continuing to support our efforts to ensure the vitality and financial stability of our extraordinary congregation.

Sincerely, Jon

Corrections to the New Sisterhood Cookbook

Nobody is perfect, but we try to come close as we can. Please make the following corrections in your new Sisterhood Cookbook.

Pg. 166 – Black Velvet Cake – Change amount of •water to 1/2 cup instead of 1/3 cup. Pg. 206 – Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake •– Change quantity of butter to 1/2 cup instead of 1/4 cup.Pg. 215 – Mandlebread – Correct amount is 1-3/4 •cup sugar (NOT ¾ as printed in book).Pg. 229 – Toffee Chip Cookies with oatmeal and nuts •– should be DAIRY, not PAREVE. Listings should be changed from PAREVE to DAIRY on the Contents Page for Baked Goods, Desserts & Sweets, and also in the index at the end. The version with chocolate chips on pg. 216 is correctly listed as PAREVE.

Return to Page 1

To view the July FLAME

calendar, please click icon

1434 N. Altadena Drive • Pasadena, CA 91107

Sisterhood’s “Family Favorites” CookbookAvailable for Purchase Now!

Buy several, as this is the perfect gift for school graduations, hostess gifts, special occasions and for your friends and family members who enjoy cooking.

With over 260 recipes from 80 contributors, you will find family favorites from traditional briskets to modern vegetarian dishes to famous desserts and more. This cookbook is a “must” addition to the library of veteran or novice cooks and is a wonderful keepsake.

Cookbooks ($25.00) and optional cookbook stands ($2.00) are available in the Judaica Shop.

- Wanted - Bunco Babes

Must know how to toss dice.Must know how to add to twenty-one.

Must be able to recognize three of a kind.Must be willing to have a great time.

No experience necessary.Sisterhood Members are Invited to

play Bunco!Thursday, July 24, 7:00 – 8:30 PM

Social HallBunco babes are welcome to bring appetizers or wine.

Please RSVP by July 18 to Aty Rotter. at [email protected]

Artisan Boutique & Art Show

Sunday, November 16, 201410:00 am – 4:00 pm

Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center1434 N. Altadena Drive, Pasadena, CA 91107

Call for participationFor more info and an application form contact [email protected].

You may also download an application online at http://www.pjtc.net/Downloads/ArtisanBoutique.pdf

Saturday, July 197:00 PM, Katz Terrace

We will have food, ice cream, and a bounce house - come play, eat, and meet old and new friends. We will gather together to close the evening with the traditional havdallah ceremony.

july flame

Documents

pm knell chapelfri

pm knell chapele

pm galpert sanctuaryoneg

knell chapelminikiddush

knell chapelkiddush

responsible budget

annual budget

balanced budget