After almost 100 years at 2 Lake Street, Congregation Emanu-El has launched Emanu-El Next

How does the son of a pioneering San Francisco Jewish family meet and marry a woman raised in Chicago by a Jewish mother with Eastern European ancestry, and a Catholic father from India? This remarkable shidduch was made by Peter’s first cousin, Lisa Bransten, in 2004. Leela and Peter knew soon after their first date that they could build a loving partnership rooted in shared values, common goals, a firm commitment to family, and Temple Emanu-El. They were married at the Temple and it became an important constant in their family life as they raised their daughter Arielle. She attended preschool and Hebrew school at the Temple, and celebrated her Bat Mitzvah in 2019 under the guidance of Rabbi Jonathan Singer.

But let’s start at the beginning. In 1850, Joseph Brandenstein, Peter’s great-great-grandfather, emigrated to the United States from Germany during the Gold Rush, determined to build a new life and a family amidst the promise of America. Joseph was one of the founders of Temple Emanu-El and served on the Board of Directors. He was the third President of Mt. Zion Hospital and a member of the board of the Pacific Hebrew Orphan Asylum, which eventually became Jewish Family and Children’s Services. With his large family—11 children—Joseph participated in the business, political, and arts communities of San Francisco and was proud of his Jewish heritage. He thrived in the City by the Bay and devoted much of his life to philanthropic causes. Three of Joseph’s sons founded the MJB Company, which they built into a major coffee company in the United States.

Peter’s grandfather, Joseph M. Bransten, who served as President and Chairman of MJB, amassed an important collection of rare books about coffee and tea, which he donated to the Bancroft Library at U.C. Berkeley. When he died in 1980, Rabbi Joseph Asher spoke of his limitless pride in his family and his mastery of the “Art of Living.” Peter’s late father, John, was also Chairman of MJB, a former President of the Board of the Berkeley Art Museum, and a trustee of SFMOMA. He went on to become a passionate collector of contemporary art and developed a deep appreciation for Irish poetry. John’s funeral, like his father’s, was held in the main sanctuary at Temple Emanu-El. Peter’s mother, Rena Bransten, is the founder of one of San Francisco’s most prominent art galleries. She was also a founding board member of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and continues to be a vital figure in the San Francisco arts scene.

Peter grew up within walking distance of the Temple, attended Town School, Lowell High School, and U.C. Berkeley. He is now an attorney at the Los Angeles-based firm Glaser Weil. He inherited his family’s passion for the arts, and over the course of his annual trips to India with Leela and Arielle, he developed a keen interest in collecting contemporary Indian art. Reflecting on his childhood in San Francisco, Peter relates that his family identified as Jews but did not practice Jewish rituals and rarely attended services or events at Temple Emanu-El. What did anchor his experience of Jewish life, however, was a community of like-minded people with a shared sense of values, humor, and empathy.

Leela’s journey as a Jew was strongly influenced by her maternal grandmother, Augusta Tannenbaum, the principal of a Hebrew school in Chicago. Growing up in a conservative congregation, Leela went to Hebrew school three times a week and had her first of two Bat Mitzvahs at Anshe Emet Synagogue. While she strongly identified as Jewish, she didn’t really feel a deep connection to Judaism. Leela attributes this disconnect to being instructed to read, write, and pray in Hebrew without understanding the meaning of what she was learning. In addition, the clergy in Leela’s Chicago synagogue was dominated by men, which prompted her to question the lack of leadership roles for women in Jewish communities.

After retiring from her career as a principal contemporary ballet dancer, Leela attended the University of Chicago and moved to the Bay Area to earn her MBA at Stanford University. Upon graduation, she joined the San Francisco office of McKinsey & Company, as a management consultant, where she met long-time congregant Jennifer Futernick. In 1996, Jennifer invited Leela to join her for High Holy Days. To this day Leela remembers her first service in the main sanctuary: the stunning architecture of the sanctuary, Rabbi Helen Cohn’s inspirational sermon on choosing one’s unique path in life—professionally and religiously—and Cantor Roslyn Barak’s transcendent rendition of Kol Nidre. Particularly meaningful was the fact that much of the service was in English. Almost instantly, Leela knew she’d found the Jewish home she’d been looking for, with two women clergy leading more than 500 congregants that night in song and prayer—and also feeling intellectually challenged by the many questions posed throughout the service. She began attending Shabbat services every Friday evening, became a member of the Temple, joined several committees, and had an adult Bat Mitzvah guided by Cantor Barak. This second time around Leela had the desire to more fully embrace the richness of her Jewish heritage and its traditions. Today her professional journey is guided by the principle of tikkun olam. As Chief Development & Marketing Officer for College Track for the past ten years, Leela is dedicated to increasing access to higher education for students from low-income communities.

Falling in love with Peter, whose family is connected to the history of Temple Emanu-El, and being married by Rabbi Cohn and Cantor Barak in Martin Meyer sanctuary gave Leela the opportunity to further anchor her sense of a “home” in San Francisco. After nearly twenty years of marriage, Leela and Peter are deeply appreciative of the kindness and guidance they have received from the Temple’s clergy as well as other congregants. And it has been a joy for them to share their relationship to Judaism with Arielle, a sixth-generation San Franciscan, who now attends the Temple’s 11th-grade Youth & Family Education program.

From generation-to-generation, Leela and Peter are committed to being part of the movement to ensure that Temple Emanu-El thrives through the 21st-century and beyond. They strongly believe that, long-term, our building must be a place that allows the Temple to grow its membership by being a space that brings Jews, young and old alike, together in new and inspiring ways that reflect the needs of our community. That is why they have pledged to the Emanu-El NEXT campaign. “We believe in the importance of sustaining Jewish life in the Bay Area so that generations to come are proud to be Jewish, actively participate in Jewish life, and abide by the hopeful principle of tikkun olam. For that is what Temple Emanu-El will forever foster in its congregation.”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Senior Director of Philanthropy, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in a January edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Our Executive Director David Goldman has answered some of the most commonly asked questions we’ve heard from our congregants.

Q: How much has Congregation Emanu-El raised to-date?

A: As of November 2022, we’ve raised $100.7M thanks to the incredible generosity and wide support of our community. But we have not reached our goal yet.

Q: Did the budget of Emanu-El Next change? Why?

A: Yes. Our costs have increased from $97M to $115M due primarily to supply chain issues, inflation, and rising construction costs, like other construction projects throughout the Bay Area. We are working hard to raise those funds.

Q: Do you have a contingency plan if you don’t reach your new goal of $115M?

A: With the support of everyone in our community, we believe we can reach our revised goal. However, in the event we fall short, we can still deliver a transformative project that largely meets our goals. We have several options to do this such as either scaling back our plan or delaying the start of construction to allow us to raise more money. We believe everything in the plan for Emanu-El Next will improve our physical infrastructure and our capacity to serve the community, so if we don’t reach our revised goal then we will have to make some tough decisions. No matter what, we will be prudently responsible, and try our best to reach our goal.

Q: When will you have entitlement/city planning approval?

A: We’re on schedule for approvals at the end of this year, December 2022. A key upcoming aspect is the public comments period which will open in late September, in which community members will have the opportunity to raise any concerns or objections to the project.

Q: When is ground-breaking?

A: We’re on schedule for groundbreaking in June 2023.

Q: Will Emanu-El operate during construction?

A: Emanu-El will be open for business during construction. We anticipate offering a full range of services, education, and social justice opportunities. The main sanctuary will be open throughout. And we anticipate using other nearby locations, such as the JCC, other Shuls, and our great outdoor programming. The construction years will be a vibrant time at Emanu-El, and the different spaces will allow us to experiment with different types of programs to meet members’ needs.

Q: Where will YFE and Preschool be located?

A: We are relocating YFE and the Preschool and are finalizing details on leases and use of properties in the general neighborhood. Securing a space to relocate is a high priority for us and we are working with a group of experts to find the best space for education, preschool, and offices. Our priority is to ensure we have a safe, nearby, convenient and programmatically appropriate space for children and families. We understand the need for families and educators to know the locations for next year, and we hope to have specific locations by the year’s end and hopefully sooner. When our plans are finalized we will let the congregation know.

Q: Is Emanu-El Next the best use of money – especially during/after COVID-19?

A: We have learned many lessons from COVID-19, including ways to make our programs more accessible for those who can’t come in person. We’re carrying these lessons over into our new design, as well as incorporating improvements from a public health perspective, such as better ventilation. But most importantly, the isolation of the pandemic has only reinforced the value of coming together in community. That’s why we think our plan to build a better gathering space is more important now than ever.

Q: How will Emanu-El raise another $14.5M?

A: Although we’ve had great participation, there are still many congregants who haven’t yet given. We appreciate gifts at all levels, and we will continue to ask our congregation to support Emanu-El Next. We are also encouraging testamentary giving by including Emanu-El in people’s wills, which helps us secure the long-term stability of the synagogue.

Q: Do you need additional gifts from those of us who have already given?

A: Yes! We are grateful for the gifts we have already received, and we hope people will make contributions payable over 5 years in order to make the most generous gift possible within their means.

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Senior Director of Philanthropy, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in a November edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Chris and Sara Ehrlich were non-practicing Jews when they came to California from the east coast in the early 2000s. When they sent their daughter, Charlotte, to a Catholic private school, she came home one day and told them that her friends were getting confirmed – and asked – could she get confirmed, too? They wanted her to know their roots, so they enrolled her in the Youth and Family Education program at Congregation Emanu-El. As Sara said, “Charlotte, it’s time that you learned who and what you are.”

It was fortuitous timing. Just weeks later her two year old brother, Campbell, passed away unexpectedly. The family found the temple to be an indispensable guide through that unspeakable trauma. “When our son died, we realized how fleeting life is,” says Chris. “It made us think of our legacy and how we wanted to make an impact.” It was a difficult way to find religion, but since then, the Ehrlichs have recommitted to Judaism and built strong ties to our congregation.

Chris grew up in Concord, Massachusetts, where his family essentially hid the fact they were Jewish, celebrating Christmas and Easter in lieu of the High Holidays. His father, a pediatric orthopedist, helped young kids walk. Chris remembers people approaching his dad when they went out to dinner, thanking him for helping their children. “I was impressed. And my dad told me: don’t go into medicine! It’s a terrible lifestyle tradeoff!”

Despite the warnings, Chris became a biotech strategy consultant, helping firms in Boston develop their business. The end users of the drugs they produced were doctors – some of whom were friends of his father – and Chris felt comfortable gathering feedback from them to improve his clients’ products. He was a successful consultant, but the biotech industry primarily exists on the east and west coast, and over time, Chris grew tired of the cold in Boston. He found himself dreaming of a new life in California. He put some feelers out and, on Memorial Day of 2000, got an interview for a dream job at Interwest, a venture capital firm. “I had a great life on the east coast, but I never looked back.”

Over a 30 year career in biotech, Chris and Sara got more and more involved in philanthropy. Passionate about oncology, they continue to support efforts that impose a business discipline around academic research to ensure life-saving products have a chance of reaching the market. Chris remarks that one of his proudest moments as an investor was helping bring a drug to market that his father, who had cancer, was able to take to extend his life span. They also give to the Rivers School in Weston, MA, to support internships for kids who want to explore summer jobs in biotech. Furthermore, they contribute to the cancer accelerator at Dartmouth college and the Healthcare program at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, both of which Chris and Sara attended.

“I think it’s really cool to see a gift actually help people,” Chris says. “To see students develop an interest in biotech and want to go off and contribute. To see a cancer drug reach the market and impact lives. And, in Emanu-El’s case, to build our community so it’s there in perpetuity.”

The Ehrlich family see their gift to Emanu-El as a lifelong investment. “You’re at your synagogue forever,” Chris says. As an institution that celebrates birth, observes death, and gathers people together constantly, he sees no other institution with as much longevity as his temple. “Make an investment at 30, and you’ll be around to see it when you’re 70.”

They see their gift to Emanu-El Next as just one piece among the many “co-owners” of the synagogue. “This is like an equity investment. We like the experiences we have and it makes us feel great, and we get to be part of it.  Contributing to make the institution what it deserves to be is a privilege.”

Of note, Sara and Chris are grateful to Rabbi Ryan Bauer for recruiting the family to go on a trip to Israel years ago, where they had a cathartic, life changing time and made friends with whom they still keep in touch and, in fact, travel internationally every year.  They also appreciates the effort Emanu-El, particularly Julie Weinberg, have made to host events in support of Emanu-El Next. They thank our congregation for bringing the family back to Judaism. Says Chris, “Emanu-El got me through losing my son, my mother and my father. I’m eternally grateful. They make me and my family proud to be Jewish.”

Perhaps even more interesting, their kids have embraced Judaism in a way they would never have dreamed. When their son, Harrison, came back from Maccabi Camp, he told the family he wanted to wear a necklace with the Jewish star to represent his religion proudly. When his daughter, Charlotte, was bat-mitzvahed at our temple, she wanted to come back to teach in the YFE program, where she found a community of teachers, kids and their families. “As someone who went to a Catholic school where I felt like an outsider, Emanu-El was the first place I would call home,” Charlotte says. “I love it. I know some people say they don’t want to go to church, but I’m always excited to go to temple for the high holidays.”

“Emanu-El Next will make our synagogue even more interesting and relevant to people today,” Chris says. “But it’s not just about making a nice place that people want to go to. When people get in the door, it gives them the opportunity to discover the substantive meaning of Judaism on their own.”

(From left to right): Sara, Charlotte, Chris and Harrison Ehrlich.

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in an October edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Emanu-El has continued to make wonderful strides in the transformational Emanu-El Next project. We are grateful for our community’s dedication to building a bright future for our congregation.

With groundbreaking anticipated to begin in June 2023, we are working to ensure the least impact on services and congregational life as possible, including arrangements for off-site locations for preschool and religious school. We are on track to complete the Design Development phase this fall/winter. And we are navigating the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process, assessing the environmental effects of our construction plans. This represents one of the last major steps in completing the entitlements process and gaining the approvals we need to enter the construction phase.

A key upcoming aspect is the public comments period, in which community members will have the opportunity to raise any concerns or objections to the project. Emanu-El is committed to being a good neighbor and involving the broader community—that’s why we’re planning a new round of outreach and additional town halls this fall.

We have been blessed with widespread support from every part of the Emanu-El community of individuals, families, and institutions who have contributed to this campaign. While we achieved our initial fundraising milestone, we continue to seek additional funds to help with the unforeseen costs to the project that have resulted due to COVID-19, supply chain issues and inflation.

We are laying the foundation for a transformed Emanu-El that better serves our collective Jewish community—from the oldest member to the youngest—while adapting to a changing world. Thank you for being part of this sacred journey.

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in a September edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Myrna and Stuart Aronoff sit side-by-side in their home immersed in abstract works of art. They talk of the cities they’ve lived in, the projects they’ve accomplished, and the insights they’ve learned along the way. Supporters of Emanu-El Next, they view their contribution as a gift to the younger generations who will succeed them. “I believe in giving when your hand is warm, not cold,” Myrna says with a forthcoming smile. “We should be generous while we’re alive – while we can see the happiness it brings others.”

The Aronoffs have lived in San Francisco since 1980. Stuart became Treasurer of Emanu-El in 1991 during our congregation’s last major capital project before Emanu-El Next – the renovation of the Temple House. Over the course of his service, he introduced a new dues structure to reestablish Emanu-El’s firm financial footing by the late 90s. He also instituted the consolidation of the Home of Peace and Hills of Eternity Cemetery operations.

With humility in his voice, Stuart tells the story of an unprecedented speech he made from the Bimah during Rosh Hashanah in the days when, “no one ever talked about money during the high holy days.” He told our congregation: “Now is the time to give. Shrouds don’t have pockets, and we should be generous while we live.” He remembers how some had considered it a heretic remark. But Stuart understood the urgency of the campaign and stepped up to institute change. As he reflects on the years he’s been with Emanu-El, he takes pride in the strides the congregation has taken to adapt to our ever changing world.

Myrna shares her husband’s fortitude and strong Jewish identity. She grew up in Springfield, New Jersey, always knowing she’d marry somebody Jewish, and when her children were born they would be members of a synagogue and follow in the Jewish tradition. Stuart’s father was the oldest (at 94) serving head usher at Temple Emanu-El in Beverly Hills. Stuart was bar mitzvahed there, graduated from UC Berkeley in 1954 (where he was president of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu). He then went into the army for two years and pursued a twelve-year IBM career.

Myrna and Stuart married in 1967 in New Jersey. Myrna was a very independent person and traveled before she got married. She feels that Stuart supported her wholeheartedly in her independence throughout their marriage, which was especially meaningful to her at a time when not many women were in her position.

In 1969 they moved to Los Angeles where their first son Alan was born. There, Myrna got to know Stuart’s family – the Aronoffs and the Dillers. “It was lovely to come to LA and have all these cousins because I’m a very family minded person,” Myrna says. The couple had their second son, Todd, in 1971, and Stuart again moved the growing family in 1972 to their next stop: London. Myrna remembers with great fondness the nine years they spent there, where they became members of West London Synagogue, grew close with the Jewish community and volunteered with the Joint Israel Appeal.

The Aronoffs came to San Francisco in 1980 when Stuart was appointed executive vice president of Booth Financial, a computer leasing company. They made new friends, found a home and adorned it with marvelous collections of glass and abstract art. To Myrna, art is a passion. She lives immersed with it and shares it with her children, family and friends. Her passion for collecting art, and the feeling of serenity it brings her, has only grown with time.

Early on in their years in the Bay, they toured synagogues to find their Jewish home. When they visited Emanu-El, the couple received what Myrna calls an unbelievably warm reception from Rabbi Asher. They joined our congregation, both their boys were bar mitzvahed here, and Stuart became deeply involved.

“I believe that being Jewish comforts who you are and helps you strengthen your community,” Stuart says. Over the years, he’s been on the board of the JCCSF, the Jewish Community Federation, the President of the Northern Division of Israeli Bonds, and Board President at Congregation Emanu-El. Knowing that he could provide in his small way a prolonging of the Jewish tradition has always meant a lot to him. He thinks synagogues have to be on the forefront of community involvement, and to do so, they have to be realistic about the circumstances of modern society. “It’s our ability to adapt to everyday life and consider new ideas that makes us relevant,” he says. To that end, Stuart believes Congregation Emanu-El has excelled through the years.

Myrna’s involvement with Jewish fundraising has been an important factor of her life. She got involved in 1981 and was campaign chair for the San Francisco Women’s Division and held various other positions in numerous Jewish organizations. She was also on the board of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Her life has been fulfilling, and she has felt a part of the San Francisco Jewish community.

“You have to keep moving forward,” Stuart says. “Whether it’s physically, financially or philosophically. And that takes effort and intensity.” Stuart asserts that the continuity of Jewish life depends on young families. He brings up the Emanu-El Next initiative to upgrade our religious school as an important example of how the temple is moving forward by giving young families the spiritual, yet modern, education their children need in order to continue to cultivate a vibrant Jewish community.

“Thanks to our community’s generosity, Emanu-El will be here for years to come,” Myrna says, proud of the part that she and Stuart have played in helping give long life to our temple. Myrna and Stuart say that Jews hold hands around the world. Wherever they are, they hold hands and think about one another. “This is our way of holding hands with the next generation.”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in a June edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Kimberly and Danny Sanner are thrilled to make a gift to Emanu-El Next – the largest philanthropic contribution they’ve ever made. “Emanu-El has been there for us every step of the way – from our engagement to our wedding, and as we’ve raised our family,” Kimberly says. “This gift is our way of saying thank you to a community that means so much to us.”

Growing up in Palo Alto, Kimberly and Danny met and started dating in high school. “We’ve known each other over half our lives!” Kimberly says. She grew up with a conservative congregation, while Danny, one of three boys, went to church every Sunday. “I was raised Christian,” he says, “but Judaism spoke to me. I respected the values – the importance of family, intellectual curiosity, being a good citizen and active in the community.”

As their relationship matured, they explored how Judaism would fit into their lives. “I wanted to raise a Jewish family, but I didn’t know how that would work for us,” Kimberly says. So they sought out a synagogue to support them. Before becoming members, they found an Intro to Judaism class at Emanu-El and loved their experience – it helped Danny feel comfortable raising a family in a Jewish home. “As someone who wasn’t raised Jewish, getting to know Emanu-El, I was welcomed with open arms,” he says.

The intimate classroom setting of the Adult Education program, “was like a window into a world that became so important for us,” Kimberly says. “The classes were instrumental in deepening our early relationship and our bond to the congregation.” Their wedding guest list grew with the friends they made in a “Chuppah and Beyond” class, and their education gave them the confidence to write their own Ketubah. They asked Rabbi Steven Pearce to read those vows at their wedding. “The Ketubah that we wrote 13 years ago has stood the test of time, and is one of our most cherished possessions,” Danny says. “Thanks to our experiences together at Emanu-El, I now identify as Jewish.”

Danny and Kimberly volunteer their time at our congregation, and their son, Caden, is in the Youth and Family Education program. “A home/school connection plays an important part in our efforts to pass along Jewish values to our son.” Danny says. They appreciate that Emanu-El Next will utilize funds to support families who otherwise wouldn’t have the resources to be a part of the community.

Kimberly is on the board of the Anti-Defamation League, has been involved with AIPAC for decades, and has worked with Rabbi Jonathan Singer on Israel programming and the World Zionist Congress election. “My parents set an example of Jewish community involvement and generosity in my life,” she says. “As a child, when my temple had an expansion campaign, they were eager to help, and I saw how meaningful that was for them to be a part of.” Danny’s mother instilled in him a passion for generosity, too – in particular, for increasing access to education for those that come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“A synagogue is a home base for Tikkun Olam,” Kimberly says, firm in her belief that Emanu-El Next will foster a stronger community and help repair the world. Especially excited to see the Youth and Family Education program grow into new, state-of-the-art classrooms, she says: “Children benefit from an extension of Jewish life beyond the home, and the spaces they’re in should be conducive to learning and playing. Our young son will grow, but future children will enjoy the inspiring new spaces. We’re delighted to support that.”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in a May edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Bob and Jan Newman usually shy away from the spotlight. But they agreed to a conversation about their gift to Emanu-El Next out of love for our congregation and gratitude for the role it has played in their lives. “I will never forget walking out of a high holiday service in the very early days of the contemporary services,” Bob says. “It was our introduction to Rabbi Sydney Mintz, and so educational and engaging that I didn’t want it to end!” The couple is especially appreciative of Emanu-El’s presence during significant life events, like when Cantor Attie led both of Bob’s parents’ Shloshim services at the Newman home. “We are so fortunate to have such an amazing group of clergy here at Emanu-El,” Bob adds.

Raised in modest households in the Midwest “neither of us lacked for much growing up,” Jan says. Jan’s mother was the principal of the Temple religious school, while Bob grew up in an environment shaped by philanthropy, inspired by his father, the executive director of the Jewish Federation and later the endowment fund in Indianapolis for over 30 years. “Giving back is just part of being Jewish,” Bob says.

In addition to being supportive of the Jewish community – the arts, education, healthcare and the environment are very important to the Newmans. Jan is especially moved by giving young people access to cultural activities that they otherwise would not have had. “How else do young people discover what they like and gravitate towards?” she asks. “You have to be exposed to many things to find out.”

They married after meeting in their early 20s “the old-fashioned way, before the internet, when it was just about getting out there and being yourself,” Bob laughs. After living in Chicago for their first decade of marriage, they moved to San Francisco in 1982, “pioneers in our families, the first to go West,” Jan declares. “The first thing I did when I came to San Francisco was get season tickets to the ballet – the first thing Bob did was call the Jewish Community Federation and say who can I talk to about how to contribute!”

Although they’ve witnessed San Francisco’s Jewish community evolve in the decades since the 80s, Bob believes Congregation Emanu-El will always have a major role to play in Jewish life in San Francisco. “That’s one of the reasons we chose Emanu-El,” he says. “Whenever there’s something affecting the Jewish or wider community, Emanu-El is front and center to take on the situation at hand.”

While Jan and Bob live on the Peninsula, they still attend Friday night services whenever possible. When they can’t, they tune in to online services from their home, allowing access to gatherings they were previously unable to get to as easily. They feel Emanu-El has a little something for everybody – with the clergy and cantors each bringing their own distinctive experience and style, “so if you’re into different kinds of services or musical renditions,” Jan says, “you’ll find it with one of the many religious leaders here.” She applauds Emanu-El’s efforts to adapt to the changing landscape of COVID-19, using technology for the benefit of the congregation. “The leaders do an amazing job of contemporizing an old religion, bridging the doctrine of Judaism with communal life.”

Adaptation with regard for precedent is the calling card of Emanu-El Next. “This campaign will make our synagogue a stronger gathering place,” Bob says, “with updated security, quality and comfort improvements, a restored main entrance and all the capabilities needed in a modern building,” Inspired by the generosity of previous generations, they both feel a responsibility to future generations as our predecessors did for us.

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in an April edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Roselyne (Cissie) Chroman Swig is a proud supporter of Emanu-El Next. She is the widow of Richard Lewis Swig Sr., a 2nd generation member of the Swig Family in the Bay Area. She is the mother of four: Richard Jr. (Rick), Susan, Marjorie and Carol, the grandmother (Nana) of twelve and great grandmother (Granana) of five, soon, G-d willing, to be six!

Cissie has been an integral part of many institutions in the Bay Area Jewish Community. “My sense of my Jewishness has always been very strong and I believe that has been reflected in all of my affiliations, and where I use my Jewish values in my interactions and my commitments: values reflecting Tikkun Olam, respect, caring, inclusion, compassion, empathy, listening, and the mantra, “Know thyself,” knowing who you are, why you are, and how you can make a difference in this world and in the lives of others. These are the tenets for how I live my life, and what I enjoy sharing with my children, my grandchildren, my great grandchildren and all of my friends here and abroad.”

In 1960, Cissie started her own company, Artsource, to dignify the roles that artists play in our world, and to provide activities and venues where artists’ potential collectors would understand the positive impact that artists have in enriching our lives. Today, that company exists under other ownership and Cissie maintains her business and nonprofit interests in Community Consulting International.

Over her decades of involvement with Bay Area organizations, Cissie has advocated for and supported agencies and organizations that work towards women’s empowerment, education, the arts, social justice, diversity, equality, inclusion and more. She has championed raising awareness of domestic abuse and is a founding member of Partners Ending Domestic Abuse. In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Cissie to serve in the State Department as Director of the Art in Embassies Program, providing artwork lent by US citizens for the residences of US Ambassadors serving abroad.

With so many interests, Cissie, maintains her high esteem and support for the pivotal role Congregation Emanu-El plays in the Jewish community and the broader religious and general community, emphasizing that it must always stay strong in action and message, stressing outreach to all, along with empathy, compassion and respect.

Cissie came to the Bay Area in 1948 as a transfer student to study at UC Berkeley. It was during that time that she met Richard Swig on a blind date. They were married in 1950, in Los Angeles, with Rabbi Alvin Fine officiating. Thus began a long and cherished relationship with Rabbi Fine and with Temple Emanuel. She looks back on her beginnings at Temple Emanu-El: “I feel so lucky to have learned from Rabbi Fine. He was an enormously sensitive individual, and what he had to share was always so authentic! I was absorbed by his profound thoughts. They embraced and nurtured me and, as well, the congregation and the community at large.”

Cissie feels the strong leadership that the clergy and Temple Emanu-El have had over the years reinforces the critical role that both play as gatherers and conveners, always presenting opportunities to bring families together in community building. She feels it has become a center, if it will accept that, of decision making and direction for many of the Jews living in San Francisco, whether they are members of Emanu-El or not. “I want the Temple and the clergy to always project a message of forward thinking, meaningful vision and implementation that reflects that there is value, both spiritual and humane for all of us to share with others.”

Today, Cissie sees an institution grounded in its support for, and from, the community: recognizing the diversity within its membership and celebrating the inclusive environment that it provides. With Emanu-El Next becoming a reality, Cissie looks to the future. She feels that Emanu-El must prioritize and is well positioned to attract the younger generation and include them in the “thought process” going forward. “There are many who are already leaders in mind, purpose and action,” she says, “and they must be welcomed, embraced and appreciated.”

Cissie concludes by thanking everyone for this meaningful opportunity to share thoughts and feelings. She is filled with gratitude for all of the members of the congregation for recognizing and pursing the certainty that Emanu-El will endure and stay strong forever!

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in a March edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Congregation Emanu-El is grateful to have Richard and Rebecca Goozh among the many supporters of Emanu-El Next. Richard has served on the Emanu-El Finance Committee for almost seven years and been involved with our congregation for more than twenty years. “It’s amazing that we can support our congregation through the next generation, and even longer,” Richard says, “with the biggest change to the infrastructure of the temple since it was built.”

Richard grew up on the east coast with a conservative Jewish background. “The services at Emanu-El remind me of my childhood services, but with more music and singing to bring in a more accessible reform and liberal aspect.” An entrepreneur working in strategic and financial consulting with biotech and high-tech companies, he feels, “it’s important that Emanu-El be financially accessible because our congregation consists of community members from all walks of life.” In order to secure a future with a vibrant membership from diverse backgrounds, Emanu-El Next will make a significant investment in our reserves and endowment.

His wife Rebecca, an artist, joined our congregation through her husband’s involvement. Her acceptance into the fold means a lot to her because she was raised Episcopalian. Judaism was always part of her life, since her parents’ closest friends were Jewish and she grew up going to seders and bar mitsvahs. “I’ve felt so comfortable with Emanu-El over the years,” Rebecca says. “It’s been a home for us.” She works on various philanthropic causes, from serving on the board of the Bhutan Foundation, to working with organizations in marine conservation and Native American issues like the American Indian College Fund.

“Even though it is such a big community, there are so many at Emanu-El who I feel a great deal of warmth, appreciation and thankfulness toward for the help they’ve given us over the years,” Rebecca says.

Richard and Rebecca met on Match.com. Their first date, a walk on Ocean beach, took place on a weekend between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. “Richard was coming from a Kabbalah event with Wilderness Torah,” Rebecca remembers, “and I thought that was so interesting! We just kept walking and walking, and finally he said: how about we get together next week for lunch or dinner? And I said to him: why not right now?” It didn’t take long for the two to hold their marriage (on a glacier in Alaska) and start a family of two sons: Raphael and Curtin.

The family of four celebrates shabbat every Friday night, creating a cadence of ritual that punctuates their lives. “The boys really like it,” Richard observes. “When we sit down to dinner, everyone quiets down, we do the blessings for the candles, wine and bread, and it forms a transition to the weekend for all of us.”

Over the years, Richard has seen Emanu-El Next come together step by step – architecturally and financially. “I find the vision of Emanu-El Next to have so much in store for our whole congregation,” Richard says. “And the generosity of the entire community has been inspiring.”

“Our temple is just a brief glimpse into Jewish life,” Richard continues. “which goes back for millennia and more to the First Temple in Jerusalem, and even beyond that to the creation of the religion itself. That’s why it’s profound for us to have a part in that continuum that hopefully will last many more generations to come.”

To the congregation, Richard and Rebecca say: “We’d love to have you over for shabbat dinner, get to know you and talk about Emanu-El Next further!”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in a February edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Congregation Emanu-El is delighted to count David Friedman among the supporters of Emanu-El Next. A longtime member of our congregation, he and his wife, Paulette Meyer, set aside a portion of their contribution for testamentary giving. “I love the idea of a legacy gift for the future – the future beyond me: the next generation. That’s why the ‘Next’ in this campaign is a profound gesture to what it’s all about.”

David is no stranger to capital campaigns with architectural engineering components, having chaired several within and beyond the Jewish community. “My background made me think with a slightly more critical eye about the project,” David reflects. “I’ve seen a lot of what works and what doesn’t. And this time, I saw all of the pieces in place.”

A structural and earthquake engineer, former CEO of Forell/Elsesser Engineers, and a board member of SPUR – David has worked on many large projects throughout his career, including the San Francisco Jewish Community Center, a handful of Jewish Home of San Francisco projects and campaigns, and the collaboration between the Jewish Home and the Palo Alto JCC in what is now the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life.

Born to a family with a long philanthropic history, David’s mother, “Phyllis Friedman, was a philanthropist with a capital P,” he remarks with respect and regard. His father, Howard Friedman, was born and raised an Orthodox Jew in Yonkers, New York. He joined the United States Naval Construction Battalion, also known as the Seabees, and came into Port in San Francisco in 1943 while stationed in the South Pacific. He and other Jewish service members went to shabbat at Emanu-El.

“My great grandmother, Fannie Haas, used to go to temple on Friday nights. She would invite servicemen she saw there to her home on Washington Avenue, ostensibly for shabbat dinner, but really to meet her granddaughters!” David laughs, “My father went, and that’s how my parents met.”

A third-generation member of Emanu-El, David Friedman has been extraordinarily impressed with Emanu-El Next. “All of the questions I might ask about the project were thought through,” he recalls. “By the time a visit was made to our home it was just a matter of reflecting on our own motivations to give.”

Emanu-El Next was conceived by looking at the administrative spaces of the courtyard building – to find out how to, in an already packed space, get more use out of it. And David was brought in from the start. “When you want to renovate, you have to assess the existing structure,” David says, “My firm was contracted to do the initial assessment, and during the analysis, we found some seismic vulnerabilities.”

“I presented what the seismic issues were to the Emanu-El Building Committee, and ultimately the question became: how do we deal with it?” After careful planning, the leaders of Emanu-El encapsulated the seismic retrofit into an expansive vision for the whole temple.

“More than just a captivating, advanced architectural design – there was a method to what was trying to be achieved by returning to Lake Street for the grand entry,” David says. “The design eliminates the seismic hazards, keeps the historic façade on the sidewalks, and does security in a way that makes sense. It brings everything up to code, and up to date in terms of how people will use it, giving the entire assemblage of buildings a life into the next 100 years.”

Considering his family ties to our temple, David feels honored to have grown closer with the leadership, clergy and congregants over the years of his involvement with Emanu-El Next. He believes his work throughout his career has been incredibly rewarding thanks to the people he’s met along the way.

“Emanu-El Next truly became important to me because it was important to a whole group of some of my favorite people – and some of my true friends – rolling up their sleeves for the future of our community.”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in a January edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Emanu-El Next is grateful to count Fred Levin among its supporters. A fourth-generation Californian, Fred’s philanthropic family line remains unbroken. “I learned by observation,” he says, “Giving has always been part of my life. I just assumed this is what people did – if you couldn’t give a million dollars, you could give ten.”

Fred’s great-grandfather, Aaron Shenson, was the second president of Hebrew Free Loan, a nonprofit providing interest-free loans to Northern Californians. “If the stories are true,” Fred remarks, “I think they started with a handful of guys who would put in 25 cents a week. And when they had 10 dollars, they lent it out. That’s really starting from scratch!”

Fred’s mother’s side have been active in the Jewish community for over a century. His cousins, Ben and Jess Shenson, established The Shenson Foundation, which Fred was involved with from the start. Five years later, Fred would head the foundation. “It was a huge honor to be given this responsibility. I made it a goal to keep the name alive. It deepened the ability to be philanthropic,” Fred recalls.

Nancy Livingston Levin, Fred’s wife of 40 years, passed away in November of 2019. Her family, like her husband’s, was also very involved in the Jewish community – in Cleveland where Nancy grew up.

The couple met through work. Fred was in the importing business, Nancy was in advertising – he hired her advertising agency. “We worked together on everything, on all of our philanthropic adventures! Of course, when you’re young with kids there’s a lot to do and not so much to give.”

“But we agreed it was one thing to give a grant, and another to actually be involved as much as possible with the organizations we supported,” Fred says. So, the pair rolled up their sleeves, particularly in the arts. Nancy was chair of ACT for 7 years. Fred was chair of San Francisco Performances for a few years, and is currently Chair of the Board of the Asian Art Museum. In various volunteer capacities they’ve supported the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera, the Conservatory of Music, the Film Society (which was founded by Fred’s father, Irving Levin) and many more.

“Over the years we’ve come to support performing arts, visual arts, and Jewish social services. But we also do a lot of work in education and various other areas,” adds Fred. “And when I took over the foundation, I continued supporting Emanu-El.”

Bar Mitzvah’d at Emanu-El in 1957, his parents joined our congregation when Fred was a kid. Over successive generations, a steady progression occurred: Fred’s great grandfather was orthodox, the next generation went conservative, and the following went reform. “The whole family all started going together when my grandmother became a member after my grandfather passed.” Fred’s mother worked on the flower committee in the 1950s, arranging the flowers on the bima.

“The Temple is loaded with childhood memories for me.” Fred remembers a second rabbi by the name of Mike Heller who, “had an amazing way with kids, talking about Judaism in a way we understood. I remember a lot of sermons, stories and experiences from that time. And I always felt a certain majesty about high holiday services.”

Fred and Nancy continued to go to services at Emanu-El throughout their lives. When they lived in Marin for about 30 years, they joined Congregation Rodef Shalom. Fred became a past president of that congregation. But he still came to services at Emanu-El: “That was my personal commitment to the temple.”

Fred feels overjoyed at the success of Emanu-El Next. He believes that the synagogue must exist for future generations and is delighted to see that the community agrees. “Emanu-El offers an amazing array of lifelong programs – for new mothers, preschoolers, young adults and more – and these events are all very important for our community. It’s important that everybody support the congregation so that those who can’t afford dues can still attend.”

Ultimately, Fred thinks it’s important that Emanu-El simply exist, “that people have a place to go. That it’s here. It’s an eternal place of worship and education and a center of Jewish community in San Francisco. A temple has to be there for everybody – whenever. I feel this way about every temple across the country, and across the world. Emanu-El must be here for everybody, whenever.”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in a December edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Building on Our Sacred Inheritance – The Design of Emanu-El Next

Joel Roos, Vice President of the Board of Directors for Congregation Emanu-El, helps to oversee the real estate development of Emanu-El Next. “It’s been a labor of love for so many people in our community,” Joel says. “Emanu-El Next is the community’s project.”

He grew up in Honesdale Pennsylvania, a little town outside of Scranton, PA, “where you’ll find what once was referred to as the smallest synagogue in the country.” It was founded in the same year as Emanu-El by his Bavarian Jewish ancestors. “Temple Beth Israel,” he says. “It’s a beautiful building about 40 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 30 feet tall, near perfect proportionally, with simple pressed tin off-white walls and ceiling and a beautiful Tiffany chandelier at the center. The bima is like ours at Emanu-El with the clergy nearly at the level of our parishioners. I was taken by that synagogue. It helped formulate my reference point for what I call a harmonious sanctuary space.”

A Partner with Pacific Union Development Company, Joel feels, “creating building product is incredibly satisfying – it’s tangible.” He believes that the success of great buildings and a goal of some of the great world architects is to create harmony in their designs. “When something’s out of sync – when the proportions are wrong or the details are fussy – the space distracts,” he remarks. “When you walk into the powerful-volume space of the Main Sanctuary of Emanu-El, with its plane stucco walls and arched openings, you don’t always realize why it feels so comfortable and so good. It’s subliminal. But you always know when a space feels bad!”

Reflecting on his hometown temple, beside the grand proportions of Emanu-El’s Main Sanctuary, Joel sees both as “timeless,” he says. “It must have felt right in the year 1926 and it still feels so great in 2021. I think Mark Cavagnero,” the lead architect of Emanu-El Next, “will bring design sensibility to the courtyard and Temple House that doesn’t compete with the simplicity, beauty and importance of the Main Sanctuary. We all want the new spaces that Cavagnero is creating to be considered timeless in a hundred years.”

Emanu-El Next preserves the historic integrity of the perimeter walls and roof lines on Lake and Arguello by dropping a new building within the old one. “The courtyard,” Joel adds, “which is so much a part of the Temple’s signature, will have program space above that looks upon the interior court. And those spaces surrounding the center, at the courtyard level and above, will be able to open up to air. The courtyard will become part of the main floor, providing easier indoor and outdoor flow for large crowds. So, when we all gather outside on the high holidays,” he says, “we will be able to gather with our members and friends just as we have done for nearly 100 years.”

The redesigned courtyard will provide, “seamless, modern security so you don’t even notice that you’re passing through certain gates and levels of safety. It also realigns the original entry point on Lake Street, restoring the procession to the Main Sanctuary, and making the Lake Street entrance more accessible to everyone.” And to top it all, the architects designed the building surrounding the atrium space with large operable glass doors to make the courtyard a more usable event space.

Chair of both Emanu-El’s Master Planning and Financial Oversight Committees, Joel and the Emanu-El team are working with Equity Community Builders to develop the project. He’s seen Emanu-El Next evolve from its origins as a seismic retrofit – a response to a structural analysis conducted over five years ago – into what it is today.

As we started to explore a Master Planning process to upgrade and modernize our buildings – focusing on the Atrium Building – we found that the facility was not as seismically sound as we would like. “There was no code requirement to take any action. But we felt it was prudent to implement some interim safety measures at the time. So, when you walk into the courtyard today, you’ll see what appear to be plywood columns. And within those are additional steel elements that, along with temporary shoring and catchments, make the courtyard building much safer.”

With these interim seismic safety improvements, planning continued. The structural analysis forced Emanu-El’s leadership to re-envision the needs and priorities of the community on a much larger scale. “Why would we only improve one building with an expensive fix and little impact on square footage and functionality?” A choice had to be made. “The team realized that if we were going to retrofit the courtyard, we ought to make the whole building work for us programmatically for the next 100 years.”

Thus, Emanu-El Next adjusted the scope to meet both long- and short-term needs. The synagogue has long been more than a house of worship – it’s a place where people come together to learn, teach our children and teens, celebrate simchas – so the project grew to meet the existing needs of our community, and anticipate our future needs.

As seen in the cross sections (below), Emanu-El Next includes a reclaimed entrance on Lake Street and an expanded basement.

Design of Emanu-El (Before Emanu-El Next Renovation)

Design of Emanu-El (After Emanu-El Next Renovation)

“Many projects in the city have made a decision to expand their subterranean real estate because land is incredibly precious,” Joel gleans from his experience as a developer. “In the original design there’s an unusable basement space. These are the areas with seismic vulnerability.” Through excavation and construction, Emanu-El Next will strengthen the structural integrity beneath the courtyard while creating a member engagement space with offices and a mechanical floor below. “That’s where we’ve expanded much of the program.” Joel points out.

The original staircase on Lake Street ends at the edge of the sidewalk. The new design provides greater accessibility and easier flow for large events by allowing congregants to enter the building at a vestibule – coming in at level area before reaching the elevator and stairs.

Upgrading the temple’s mechanical systems, “is really about creating a sustainable Emanu-El for the future,” Joel deduces. “We have a goal of making it carbon neutral. We’re looking at water usage, energy usage, lighting, good pure air exchange, and hardwiring modern technology into the design.” But for all the changes, “humans are hardwired to be together,” he concludes. “And we were given an incredible gift by 200 families who created the synagogue campus back in 1926. This is our opportunity to help maintain and sustain the almost 100-year-old building and to be a part of making it even better.”

Joel confesses that Emanu-El Next is the most moving project he’s been involved with in his career – and he understands the weight on the entire Emanu-El team of getting this project right. “This really is it!” Joel laughs, “Emanu-El is home to me. And I think the new design will make it an even more remarkable sanctuary and campus for our community to come together.”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in the November edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Our Congregation is proud to count Sara Seims among the many supporters of Emanu-El Next. “I don’t think of myself as a donor,” Sara says, “I work for nonprofits,” referring to her long career in the social sector. “But I have been lucky to have this Hewlett Foundation match,” a retiree benefit whereby the Hewlett Foundation matches every dollar Sara gives, up to a limit, usually at a ratio of 2:1 but during the pandemic the match has been raised to 4:1.

“It is a privilege to have a match – it’s wonderfully generous of the organizations that give it, and it seems like a tragedy if you don’t take advantage of it!”

As a former staff member of both the Hewlett and Rockefeller Foundations, Sara has pursued her lifetime passion of supporting developing countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, to have their own research and advocacy entities in women’s rights, human rights and health.

Having dedicated herself to improving the lives of women and girls, Sara believes: “if you only had one dollar to spend in economic development, it should go to educate girls.” Although retired now, she’s still engaged in that work – “but in a different way,” she says.

“I think of the old Chinese proverb that women hold up half the sky. And in so many parts of the world, girls are not allowed to reach the potential to do that. We see that now in the fall of Afghanistan – what will happen to girls?”

Sara admires the role our Congregation has played in the movement for civil rights and social justice. She thinks of Emanu-El’s ties with GLIDE, San Francisco’s oldest African American church, when she remarks that: “Emanu-El crosses boundaries through its work. It’s an organization that has not just been having the conversation but also doing the work on social justice for decades.”

She adds that, “it’s very important that the conversation be continued into the future. Emanu-El Next will put in place the infrastructure that will bring that conversation forward – at a moment in time now where the country is ready to talk about things it was never ready to talk about before.”

Sara has seen firsthand the conversation on social justice evolve through the years. As a child in the UK, she grew up with a Jewish identity reinforced by the antisemitism around her – “seeing people with tattoos on their arms from the concentration camps at a time when antisemitism was overt and rife in Europe still, especially in London where I was born.”

Her family was not religious. Even though her father was raised orthodox, and her mother was raised anglicized Jewish, they didn’t light candles on Shabbat, or fast at Yom Kippur. But when she came to New York City at 18 on a tourist visa, Sara fell in love with America. “It was new to live in an environment where you didn’t have to whisper to be Jewish!”

Today, she and her husband, Paul, have made their home in San Francisco to live near their two granddaughters. “They are the center of my life: Zoe and Sophia.” Drawn to the Temple ever since she settled on Arguello Boulevard, Emanu-El was the first Congregation Sara joined in her life. “It took a while to get here! I joined at the same age I took my first yoga class – but you just keep growing!”

She’s grateful to have had the chance to give back to a community that has supported her through hard times. When Paul badly broke his ankle a few years ago, Sara got a call from the Temple asking if she needed any help. “There’s a support structure for me that comes with Temple membership,” she says. “It’s the communitarian aspect of Judaism that really attracts me – the emphasis that we’re part of a whole, we’re part of a group, and we’re in it together.”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in an October edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Susan Morris applauds Emanu-El for its work repairing the world and promoting social justice and human rights. “I have a deep and abiding feeling about Congregation Emanu-El in my heart,” she says. “It’s always been part of my life, and I’ve always been proud to be a member.”

A fourth generation San Franciscan, Susan’s family came to the City during the gold rush. Her grandparents were married in 1916 by Rabbi Martin Meyer. She grew up just a block and a half down Arguello.

Her late husband Mark Morris practiced optometry in the Mission and was deeply involved in optometric organizations making sure that Medi-Cal patients were well served. “He was a generous man who gave so much of his time to others.” They met at Lowell High School and went on to college together at UC Berkeley. Mark’s family were members of Sherith Israel. “And in the days when Rabbi Fine married us in the 1960s,” Susan says, “it was kind of a mixed marriage between Sherith Israel and Emanu-El!”

After Mark passed away to ALS in 2010, Susan became very involved with the ALS Association, and was past chair of the board. She has supported many charities over the years with both volunteer time and resources. During the pandemic, Susan and her children donated to several food banks and supported issues around voting rights and systemic racism.

“Philanthropy has always been part of my family ethos, it’s who we are and what we do. I don’t feel comfortable when I have privileges that just came to me through luck and others don’t.” Susan says. “And my kids feel this as well. We are grateful – our family has been able to have stable lives and health over many generations. Many people are not able to. So it is an active feeling I constantly have, that if I have this, I need to pass it on.”

This ethos guides her support of Emanu-El Next. She chose to invest in Emanu-El Next because she wanted to enable the congregation to move forward with its goals, both structurally for the synagogue, and for the work of social justice. To ensure that the next, and the next, and the next generations of Emanu-El will be able to thrive, to learn to give back to the community, and to have the kind of strength and leadership that brings tikkun olam to the world.

“When we talk about seismic stability we understand that buildings need strong foundations. Well, so does our society! To me, there’s no question that I need to participate to update the building itself. It’s an opportunity for the Jewish community and all of San Francisco to strengthen its foundations.”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in a July newsletter.

Renovating While Restoring the Essence of Emanu-El

Lead architect of Emanu-El Next, Mark Cavagnero takes his task to renovate our synagogue enormously seriously. “Fear has always brought about my best work,” Cavagnero says, “and this is a project that warrants a little fear and a lot of thought.”

What began as a project to ensure Emanu-El’s seismic safety has grown into a transformative endeavor to bring the temple into the 21st century. “Temple Emanu-El is easily one of the most beautiful buildings in the City. It’s flattering to be asked to work on a project of this import both to the congregation and to the city of San Francisco. Our redesign is grounded on the original architecture, what the congregation needs, and what my gut tells me about the spirit of Emanu-El. I love renovating and repurposing.”

Cavagnero and his team at Mark Cavagnero Associates believe that restoring the entrance on Lake Street is returning to the vision of the founders. Arthur Brown, Emanu-El’s original architect in the 1920s, modeled the linear, step-by-step ascension to the main sanctuary on the entrance of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

“As they walk up the procession, congregants let go of the distractions of the busy world, gain the ability to focus, and prepare themselves for soul searching, thought and prayer,” says Cavagnero.

Today, congregants enter the synagogue through Arguello Blvd. “But the 2,000 year old tradition of the Second Temple that was brought all the way to the West coast was lost when congregants slip into the synagogue sideways from Arguello,” Cavagnero says. “We want to bring that inspirational entrance back.”

After the redesign, the Lake Street entrance will have everything the Arguello entrance has and more – enhanced security and a welcoming presence to answer questions. The sidewalk will be level to the front door to provide easy access. Congregants will enter the building the way it was intended to be entered.

The main sanctuary itself will remain untouched by the renovations. The redesigned courtyard will function as a grand atrium with soft light filtering through the glass ceiling. People will be drawn to linger and socialize after service. The rooms surrounding the courtyard will be easily adjustable to accommodate events as small as birthday parties or as large as High Holiday services.

Remodeling a historic building poses its own unique challenges, and Cavagnero is careful to make sure he honors the presence of past generations while also responding to 21st century problems.

100 years ago people weren’t knowledgeable about seismic stability, environmental sustainability, and accessibility to name a few. Emanu-El Next will address modern concerns. The renovation will make the building work for today while honoring the best elements of the original design. Cavagnero assures our congregation that, “it will feel like the 21st century in the spirit and body of a 1920s building.”

“Years from now, Temple Emanu-El will show the intent and values held by the people who made this transformation happen,” Cavagnero says. “I look to those who came to San Francisco generations before us who made this synagogue so profound. But we also have to ask: how can we make it even better for ourselves and future generations?”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in the May edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Growing up in Alaska, Kirsten Wolberg never thought of herself as religious. But as time went on and she had her own family, she realized she wanted her family and children to be part of a spiritual community. During this process, she rediscovered her own personal connection to Judaism, which changed her life in ways she now shares with her kids.

“I made the decision to become part of Congregation Emanu-El when they were young,” Kirsten says, “in kindergarten and 2nd grade. I wanted them to know the synagogue as well as they know their own home – to have a second home, and a part of that sacred space.”

She and her two daughters, Annika and Margeaux, have embraced their Jewish identities. They have engaged with Emanu El in a variety of ways. Margeaux taught in the preschool, was a founding member of the Tzedek Council, and sings at services, and Annika is currently involved in a teen discussion forum about Israel on campus and plans to be confirmed this year. As Kirsten puts it, “I created my Jewish path at Emanu-El. And I want to role model that for my daughters.”

The concept and practice of tzedakah has been a particular focus of the family. They have conversations about the importance of tzedakah, and Kirsten has taught her kids that whatever money comes in – through work or gifts – they split equally between savings, tzedakah, and personal use.

In addition to tzedakah, the family supports their community in many ways. Both Annika and Margeaux will be counselors at Camp Newman this summer. Margeaux dreams about joining the clergy at Emanu-El one day. And Kirsten, someone for whom service deeply matters, is an involved board member at Jewish Vocational Services and has been on the board of Year Up for 13 years, two organizations that reflect her passion for workforce development.

In this context, it is no surprise that the Emanu-El Next project is also a priority for Kirsten. She recognizes the importance of this effort, believing that “modernizing and evolving with the needs of today will allow Emanu-El to continue playing an important role in keeping families, young adults, and kids engaged in our congregation.”

That’s especially important to Kirsten because prayer and community became essential during the toughest chapters of her life. Kirsten is proud to give back to the community that has given her and her family so much, noting that “No other community has had such a meaningful impact on our family.”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in the May edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Sandi Bragar and Jerome Rossen are thrilled to support Emanu-El Next. To them, this project is an incredible opportunity for the entire congregation to make an impact on our spiritual home today and in the future.

Sandi, a partner at Aspiriant, an independent wealth management firm, has been a longtime board member at Emanu-El, and chair of the Development Committee. “I  believe people have  meaningful relationships with money when they use their resources for what matters most to them.  This is tied to the work I’ve done with Emanu-El for years.“

Her husband Jerome is a professional musician and composer whose work has been heard in Temple Emanu-El. “Cantor Attie has been generous enough to include an Oseh Shalom I wrote,” Jerome says. “It’s an amazing moment for me when, at the end of the Rosh Hashanah morning service, we all get up and start singing the Oseh Shalom. It’s not about me anymore, it’s about everyone else being moved through music.“

Their connection to Emanu-El began early on in their relationship, soon after Jerome moved from New York City to San Francisco to be with Sandi. Together, they began a journey of touring temples to find the best fit for them, and were awestruck with Emanu-El.

“We popped in and walked through the courtyard,” Sandi recollects, “And if the angels sing, that’s what we heard. It felt like a place we needed to be in.” “Emanu-El had me at the fountain,” Jerome adds.

Sandi and Jerome, who both come from families that were active with their synagogues, have seen their own children, Ben and Natalia, grow up at Emanu-El. They’ve felt that the community has been there for every milestone in their children’s lives.

In Sandi’s words, their family’s Jewish engagement embodies the notion of l’dor v’dor. Jerome agrees, reflecting on the multi-generational impact of Emanu-El Next: “It’s incredible to be able to provide for people in the future who we will never meet. Knowing that our children have grown up in this synagogue and that other families could have that experience too is extremely moving.“

Jerome and Sandi are excited to watch the collective generosity of the community come alive and are deeply grateful for everyone helping to making this project a reality. As a community effort that relies on everyone’s contributions, Emanu-El Next will elevate our congregation’s sacred moments and create a lasting legacy for those who come after us.

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in the April edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Echoing the Ethos of our Founders

Our award-winning architectural firm Mark Cavagnero Associates has designed a building renovation that not only honors our cultural heritage and the historic significance of Emanu-El in San Francisco, but also encompasses innovation, modernity, and sustainability.

Congregation Emanu-El’s current home on Lake Street is the third synagogue that our founders built in San Francisco. They saw America as Zion and thought: if America is Zion, then San Francisco is Jerusalem. And if San Francisco is Jerusalem, we need to build a Third Temple. So they took the design of the Second Temple, and used that, not just as inspiration, but as the blueprints for our current home.

In the Temple of Jerusalem, you follow a procession from the secular to the sacred to the Holy of Holies. At Emanu-El, we move from Lake Street through the courtyard into the sanctuary. Not only are we going from the mundane to the sacred, but this design shows the ethos of the founders. They’re thinking in grand terms, very much in tradition with the culture of San Francisco. The 300 families who built a 2,000-person Main Sanctuary in the 1920s asked: how do I disrupt and scale and change the world? They’re thinking much bigger than themselves.

When you sit in the seats of the Main Sanctuary today, those seats were made for you. They were always there for you, and will continue to be there for those who follow. And that’s what Emanu-El Next is – it’s a 100-year vision that’s much grander than any of us will ever know.

Rabbi Ryan Bauer
Senior Associate Rabbi

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in the April edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Rita Semel lives her life hand in glove with her view of what it means to be Jewish. “What drives me is the basic tenet of Tikkun Olam, to repair the world,” she says, “I look at a broken world and I figure that we each have to do something to repair it.”

Now at 99 years, she has labored tirelessly in service to her ideals. Learning at the feet of her parents, her core belief took root as she was raised in the Great Depression. “My father suffered from the depression like many others,” she recalls, “But no matter how little we had, we always shared with other people. That was a tenet of my life growing up – that you always had to do for others.”

Over the years she held prominent roles in many organizations, including the Jewish Community Relations Council, the S.F. Interfaith Council, and the United Religions Initiative, just to name a few. Today, she is a member of the board of Congregation Emanu-El, a community she’s been a part of since the end of World War II.

After her husband was discharged from service, they had their first child, and felt it was important to join a congregation. So they toured, visiting all the congregations in town until they came to Emanu-El, where they met Alvin Fine. “We were immediately drawn to Rabbi Fine because of the values he expressed when he preached and his feelings of social justice. We’ve been members of Emanu-El ever since.”

As Rita looks to the future, she reflects on her own motivations to give to Emanu-El Next.

“Years from now when I won’t be here, we will still need a home for our work,” she says. “As I thought about the campaign, I realized – we’ve got to make sure that the synagogue has a safe and solid future so that it can continue.”

And Rita is the first to admit that anything worth doing can’t be done alone.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with so many wonderful people over the years who care about the same issues as I do. Nobody does anything alone, if they say they did, they’re not telling you the truth. We must work with others to do what needs to be done.”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in the March edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.

Congregation Emanu-El has been lucky to have Steven and Pamela Dinkelspiel as generous supporters to Emanu-El Next. Building on years of service to the congregation, they have made the largest gift in their family history to this transformative campaign.

“For both Pamela and myself, getting involved with Emanu-El has been one of the most meaningful experiences of our lives,” Steven says. “Our daughter and son were the first Dinkelspiels to be b’nai mitsvah’d! And they both went all the way through twelfth grade confirmation in the youth and family ed program.”

The Dinkelspiels trace their roots at Emanu-El to 1853, just two years after the birth of the congregation. Steven’s Great, Great Grandfather, Lazarus Dinkelspiel, was a part of the effort to build the old Temple on Sutter St.

“I was lucky enough to come from a family of some means with a long history of giving back to the community. I was raised to believe that if you can, you do. My commitment to philanthropy really came from watching my mom share her time with anyone who needed any help whatsoever. From her I learned that one got satisfaction and gratification by being involved with and giving back to the community.”

Steven has been deeply involved in and led many other fundraising efforts through Urban School of San Francisco, East Palo Alto Community Law Project, Compass Family Services and more. He was Board President of Congregation Emanu-El in 2007 when he ran his first major fundraising effort at the synagogue. Now, he’s a principal lay advisor to the team working on bringing Emanu-El into its next stage of life.

“Emanu-El has never before engaged in such an ambitious building and endowment effort. With the exception of the 150th anniversary led by Rhoda Goldman, of blessed memory, and the campaigns to build the two temples, the one at 450 Sutter St. and the one we occupy now, there hasn’t been another major fundraising undertaking done in the history of Emanu-El.”

The architectural redesign is intended to provide more opportunities for congregants to coalesce as a community. It will create more spaces for learning together, engaging in social activism together, praying together and raising children together. And these are just some of the planned changes that capture the vision for what Congregation Emanu-El can become.

The renovation will also bring the building to today’s seismic standards, create a safer outdoor play space for young children, and be more energy efficient and green. The original Lake Street entrance will be restored and make the courtyard a bustling center for community engagement. New, larger and more flexible classrooms with improved technology will meet 21st century educational needs for learners of all ages. And the campaign will build an endowment that will ensure Emanu-El continues to provide innovative programs and is able to welcome all people, no matter their means.

“Every time we have asked our congregation what is most important for them, what comes out is some expression of community. Our congregation seems hungry for opportunities to connect in all ways Jewish in more intimate, closer gatherings that also make the larger events feel like a collection of friends and not strangers. The most important gift that Emanu-El gives to all of us is a sense of togetherness and connectedness in an increasingly fragmented world.”

Recent events have made him more acutely aware of the importance of this project.

“The experience and isolation of COVID – all of us being unable to be together in groups this year – just deepens my belief that connection is essential to mental health, spiritual health and community health.”

This campaign promises to make a resounding impact that Steven hopes congregants at Emanu-El will feel for generations.

“My hope is that this campaign will bring a sense of great collective accomplishment by our congregation in reestablishing and redefining a historic place of worship and community. This is a great opportunity for every member of our congregation to be a part of a once in a century effort to enhance the experience that our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are going to be able to have. It’s for all of us – and all of us with pride will be able to look back and know we did something extremely meaningful for our community.”

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Director of Development, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.

Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!

This article appeared in the February edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.