Morah Becca became Director of Education at CTJ-OEC in 2020. She lives in Los Angeles but is hoping to move closer to CTJ in the coming year. She loves to visit the beach with her dog. I spoke with her about her life and her new position.

JB: Morah Becca, what brought you to our community and what was it like moving in the middle of COVID-19?
BT: Lots of my family and friends live here so I wanted to be closer to them. I started working for CTJ in August 2020 and moved here in November. It was nerve-racking; I was worried about getting sick, so it felt extra risky arriving here and looking at housing. It was harder to settle in because I couldn’t see my childhood friends and family. The CTJ board supported me, helped move me in, and made me feel welcome.

JB: You have a high position in this school. What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your job?
BT: I was the academic director at a synagogue in Atlanta which is the same job as I have now. I like to guest teach students and lead t’fillah. T’fillah was boring when I was a kid, so I like trying to make it engaging. My least favorite part is paperwork! And, because of the pandemic I can’t see all the students and teachers in person.

JB: What is your favorite Jewish holiday?
BT: Sukkot is my favorite. Another name for Sukkot is the “season for joy,” celebrating the harvest and things we have. Also, being aware of how fragile that is, aware that others don’t have as much and being grateful for what we have.

JB: Where are you from and where did you go to school?
BT: I am originally from California and grew up in Fresno. I am the oldest of four with one biological brother and an adopted brother and sister. I went to college in many places. I finished my degree at University of Phoenix and completed my master’s degree at American Jewish University.

JB: What do you love to do in your free time? And tell us about your pets.
BT: I am a huge bookworm and enjoy hiking, walking on the beach with my dog, and playing board games. I have so many favorite books, I can’t choose. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and A Wrinkle in Time are probably my favorites. My dog Navah is mostly German Shepherd and Cedric is an orange and white tabby cat. They are both rescues.

As we can see, Morah Becca is already an asset to CTJ-OEC community, and we are excited to have her at our school.

This pandemic has been very hard for many people, and we have been turning to Zoom for many of our social interactions. Likewise, CTJ services and OEC Religious School are done on Zoom, with the occasional holiday drive-by celebration.

CTJ has been hosting weekly Friday night and Havdalah services. With a new theme each week, these occasions bring smiles to people’s faces. Although you just click a link and you are there, these services require more work than that. I spoke with CTJ Executive Director Tamah Kushner about how services are run. “It takes a lot of energy,” she says, “I have to be ready to share my screen, unmute people and make sure they know the process.” There is also preparation. “I email the people who are participating,” she explains, “give them the link, and make sure they know what to do.” Every Friday there is an agenda for what the service will look like. “People have different opinions about worshipping on Zoom. I like how we can see each other, and chat about the backgrounds in people’s rooms,” Tamah shares, “I don’t like that we can’t all talk and sing at once together, and that we are not together in the building.”

OEC Religious School is also happening on Zoom. With teachers meeting their students for short, but interesting sessions, religious school is one of the week’s highlights. At 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, kids join Zoom and either go to their class or hugg. The classes are run by awesome teachers, and students can learn about their ancestry, and explore interests in a variety of subjects through huggim. “I really like the small groups,” says Hebrew teacher Morah Ellen, and connecting with students more 1-to-1.”

Fifth grader Lexi Silver likes Religious School too saying, “I think it's about the same (as being in person); there is not a lot different.” Though Covid is hard, it can’t stop the great community of CTJ!

Passover is a time for delicious food, and matzo brei (or matzah brei) is hard to resist. It’s not clear where matzo brei originated; some claim it was first served in Eastern Europe, others say it began here in North America in the 1800’s. Dylan Brozost contributed this classic matzo brei recipe by our own OEC Chef Rachael Narins.

INGREDIENTS

serves 4

• 6 matzo
• 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• large pinch fine sea salt

To Make Savory

• Large pinch black pepper
• Chopped green onions, for serving

To Make Sweet

• 1 tablespoon sugar, more to taste
• honey/maple syrup, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Breakup the matzo into pieces and put them in a colander.
2. Run the matzo under cold water for a few seconds, to soak but not disintegrate. Set aside to drain while you break the eggs.
3. In a large bowl, scramble six eggs. Add ¼ cup milk and a pinch of salt. Add the drained matzo piece and stir to combine.
4. Place a large, preferable nonstick skillet over a medium-high heat and add the butter.
5. Once it melts and the foam subsides, sauté matzo and eggs, salt and pepper (if you’re making the dish savory) to the pan and scramble the mixture until it is just set but still light fluffy, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with sugar (if you’re making it sweet) and toss well.
6. Serve matzo brei sprinkled with salt and topped with scallions (savory) or with salt, additional sugar and maple syrup (sweet).

Happy Pesach to our OEC Families

Mr. Gold is a long time teacher at the OAC. He teaches Noar and 6th and 7th grades. He used to be a touring drummer with different rock bands and has a career in aerospace.

JP: Before we talk about your teaching, where did you learn to play the drums?
JG: I never had a lesson in my life. I learned by literally putting on headphones and playing the drums to records by the Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Genesis, Pink Floyd and a million different bands.

JP: Why did you move from drumming to aerospace? What prepared you for that career?
JG: I married and had a daughter and got tired of touring and when all that happened, I got sick with cancer. Given a 55% chance of living two years, sick and still touring, I ran through all the money I had from my 90 units at UCLA, so I went back and finished my math degree. After that I was hired into aerospace. My math training prepared me, but the music industry really prepared me for aerospace. Music was a tough business that toughened me up to work in different businesses.

JP: So how did you get into teaching?
JG: I always tutored kids in math but actually someone from the synagogue called my wife and asked her to teach here. My wife said no, but said her husband could. I’ve been here ever since.

JP: Why 6th and 7th grade? And what do you love most about teaching?
JG: First off, I teach Noar which is 8th-12th grade and I’ll pick it up when we’re back in person. I like 6th and 7th grade because that’s when the kids are starting to mature and form their own opinions. I really like it when kids' brains turn on and wake up and understand the world around them in a deeper way and think in a way they have not before.

JP: Tell me about your family and what you enjoy doing together?
JG: I have been married for 25 years. I have one daughter who is 23. She graduated from Berkeley and also works in aerospace. My other daughter is 18 and in college. We spent a lot of time together before Covid, seeing theater and enjoying season seats at the LA Opera. We've travelled the world together seeing Israel, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, all over Europe and often to New York.

JP: Who inspired you?
JG: My dad is my biggest inspiration. He passed away 20 years ago. He had a PhD in physics and pretty much excelled in everything. He is by far my big inspiration.

At Purim time we eat hamantaschen because they are shaped like triangles to represent Haman's hat. One legend is that Haman had an evil plan and supposedly when you take a bite out of the cookie it prevents it from happening. This treat originated in Germany and Eastern Europe in the 18th or 19th century.  Personally, my favorite filling is strawberry! If you're looking for a yummy, fun and easy treat for next Purim (or anytime) I highly recommend this recipe from Jewish Boston.

INGREDIENTS

Makes about three dozen

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 1/2 to 6 cups flour
• 1-2 small jars filling (apricot, prune or cherry preserves, poppy seed filling, etc.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla.
3. Add baking powder and flour.
4. Knead until smooth.
5. Roll out very thin (1/8 inch if you can) on a floured board.
6. Cut out circles with a drinking glass. Put a dollop of filling in the center of each circle.
7. Fold in three sides over the filling to make a triangle with filling showing in the center.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes on a greased cookie sheet.

You may want to dip your finger in water and use it to gently moisten the rim of the dough circles before you fold them—it helps them stick or keep their form.

Ava Eisenberg is a madriha with the OEC Times. She has been at CTJ for six years and started in 4th grade. She shared her thoughts about being Jewish and her experience at CTJ.

RP: Ava, what was your favorite project or thing you did in CTJ?
AE: My favorite thing I did was dance where I met my best friends who are still my best friends now.

RP: What is your favorite thing about being Jewish? What is your favorite Jewish holiday and why?
AE: It’s a community and everyone's welcome. It’s just special because you get raised a different way than other people. I like Rosh Hashanah because it is the time that my family comes together. It's also a New Year and a new start.

RP: Who was your most impactful teacher at OEC?
AE: Morah Adina because she is so nice, caring, and she always had a smile on her face. She made being in Hebrew school very good.

RP: What are your other interests?
AE: I love swimming and playing water polo. I also like going to the beach.

One day, my mom was working at her vet hospital when a volunteer came in and said that a dog was found in an alley in downtown L.A. He was probably in a car crash and had a broken pelvis. My mom said that he wouldn’t need surgery, but he would need a lot of medicine. It was unlikely that he would survive. But it was worth a try because my mom wouldn’t give up on him! They named him Dexter.

By the time Dexter was fully recovered, my mom had fallen in love with him! She convinced my dad to come to the hospital by telling him that there was a litter of black lab puppies to see. There was, but my mom’s real plan was getting him to see Dexter.

My dad came to the hospital and, of course, went straight to see the black labs! But my mom dragged him over to Dexter. And when he saw how much my mom loved Dexter, they took him home and changed his name to Einstein. And that’s how Einstein joined our family!

1. What has to be broken before you can use it?

2. I’m tall when I’m young and I’m short when I’m old. What am I?

3. What month of the year has 28 days?

4. What is full of holes but still holds water?

5. What question can you never answer yes to?

6. What is always in front of you but can’t be seen?

7. What can you hold in your left hand but not in your right?

Answers below

We’re so excited for our friends who are becoming Bar and Bat Mitzvah in the next few months! You have each worked hard to reach this occasion. Mazal Tov and much happiness to you and your families!

Daniel Greenberg: April 10th
Sina Shams: May 1st
Aviva Flechner: May 15th
Jared Manasse: May 22nd
Josh Kohorn: June 5th
Noa Kalev: June 26th
Kylee Garfield: August 14th

We are happy to announce our OEC March and April birthdays. So next time you see these kids, wish them a happy, happy birthday!

Evan Brozost: March 3rd
Rose Waldman: March 3rd
Teddy Glozman: March 5th
Sam Raker: March 8th
Alexis Silver: March 9th
Noam Taylor: March 11th
Alex Weinbaum: March 13th
Marc Hartman: March 13th
Jeremy Szkolnik: March 14th
Kylie Jaboury: March 20th
Mackenzie Kabot: March 22nd
Jocelyn Bross: March 27th
Holden Braunstein: March 27th
Marlowe Hutter: March 28th
Jacob Kalev: March 29th
Tia Eichner: March 29th
Blythe Wladman: April 2nd
Delia Waldman: April 3rd
Amelia Rizika: April 4th
Xander Bendall: April 5th
Sina Shams: April 10th
Morah Ellen: April 12th
Jagger Kagen: April 21st
Vivian Ostrick: April 21st
Marlee Becker: April 24th
Shai Carmi: April 24th
Samuel Carmi: April 25th
Sam Raker: April 26th

Landen Braunstein

Jillian Bross

Dylan Brozost

Juliette Grandy

Griffin McDaniel

Jack Perelson

Reese Perelson

Abigail Schildhouse

Alexis Silver

Harriette Wardwell

Jack Wardwell

Logo by Alexis Silver

Layout by Jillian Bross & Landen Braunstein

Madricha and Advisor: Ava Eisenberg

Technical Wizard: Moreh Ezra Flom

Advisor: Moreh Myles Cohen

Editor: Morah Ellen