Denielle will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on August 28, 2010 at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Denielle is the daughter of Paul and Robin Zambrowsky of Redmond and the sister of Max. Her grandparents are Aaron and Edith Dichter of Bellevue, Sheila Zambrowsky of Redmond, and the late Leonard Zambrowsky.
Denielle is going into the 8th grade at Evergreen Junior High. Her interests include soccer, horseback riding, basketball, volleyball, skiing, acting and surfing. Denielle is an elected school treasurer. She is excited to attend State Leadership Camp in August and for her new leadership role in the fall. For her mitzvah project, Denielle is selling bracelets to raise awareness and funds for the non-profit Save the Orcas.

Lily will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on August 21, 2010 at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue.
Lily is the daughter of Terry and Robert Rosencrantz of Seattle and the sister of Zadek, Maximum, and Axel. Her grandparents are Edith Rosencrantz of Seattle and Lee and Sharlene Jones of Melbourne, Fla.
Lily is going into the 8th grade at Washington Middle School. Her interests include soccer, cooking, swimming, and basketball. For her mitzvah project, she is volunteering at the Northwest Harvest food bank.

Sabrina will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on August 21, 2010 at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Sabrina is the daughter of Jerry and Michelle Pierce Kavesh of Mercer Island and the sister of Daniel. Her grandparents are Elliot and Lucie Kavesh of Bellevue, Maureen Pierce of Redmond and the late Albert Pierce.
Sabrina is going into the 8th grade at Islander Middle School. Her hobbies include soccer, skiing, tennis, swimming, reading, arts and crafts projects, and hanging out with friends. Her favorite subjects are math and science.

Anthony celebrated his Bar Mitzvah on August 14, 2010 at Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue in Bellevue.
His parents are Meredith Berlin and Larry Bencivengo of Seattle and he is the brother of Keara Berlin. His grandparents are Mike and Nancy Berlin of Truro, Mass., Larry Bencivengo of Wallingford, Conn. and the late Pauline Bencivengo.
Anthony will enter the 9th grade at Nathan Hale High School. He enjoys playing baseball, acting in plays, and political activism. For his mitzvah project, he is helping to construct a disabled-accessible playground.

Identical twins Adam and Tobias were born April 9, 2010 at Swedish Medical Center to Zeb and Elisa Haradon of Seattle. Adam weighed 4 lbs., 11 oz. and Tobias weighed 3 lbs.
Their grandparents are Rita and Gerry Deutsch of Livingston, N.J. and Michael Keane and Andrea Haradon of Corning, N.Y.

Sara celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on August 1, 2010 at Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath in Seattle.
Sara is the daughter of Julie and Joey Greene and the sister of Benjamin and Rena. Her grandparents are A. Richard and Ina Weiner of Omaha, Neb., Bernard Greene of Seattle, and the late Irene Greene.
Sara is a student at the Torah Day School. Her interests include shopping, animals, art, sports — swimming, basketball and especially soccer — hanging out with friends and attending Jr. NCSY events. For her mitzvah project, she is collecting items to be donated to various homeless and animal shelters in Seattle. 

Sara will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on August 7, 2010 at Temple Beth Am in Seattle.
Sara is the daughter of Edward and Rabbi Allison Flash of Newcastle and the sister of Adam and Daniel. Her grandparents are Ed and Sue Shulkin of Studio City, Calif., Phil Flash of Mercer Island and the late Claire Flash.
Sara is entering the 7th grade at Maywood Middle School. Her interests include swimming, art, photography, and running. She also plays flute and piano. For her mitzvah project, Sara planted a garden at the Ronald McDonald House.

Esther will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on August 6 and 8, 2010. She will chant Shir Hashirim (the Song of Songs) and lead a women’s Kabbalat Shabbat service the evening of Fri., Aug. 6 at the Kline Galland Home. She will then have a siyum (completion ceremony) for finishing the study of the entire tractate of Megillah (Babalonian Talmud) on Aug. 8 at the Robinswood House in Bellevue.
Esther is the daughter of Shlomo (Sheldon) Goldberg and Karen Treiger and the sister of Elisheva, Jack and Shoshana. Her grandparents are Betty Lou and Irwin Treiger of Seattle and the late Sam and Esther Goldberg.
Esther has completed the 6th grade at the Seattle Hebrew Academy, where she plays on the volleyball and basketball teams. Her interests include sports, piano, reading and drama. Esther will make a donation to the Gvanim Association in Sderot, Israel, which provides psychological counseling and support to those affected by the years of bombings from Gaza, as well as programs for disabled adults in the region.

Adam celebrated his Bar Mitzvah on July 31, 2010 at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue.
Adam is the son of Sue and Scott Davenport of Duvall and the brother of Aaron. His grandparents are Barbara and Paul Caraco of Kirkland, Richard and Joan Davenport of Lynnwood, and the late Douglas Koch. His great-grandfather is Howard Michel of Bellevue.
Adam is entering the 8th grade at Tolt Middle School. He enjoys playing football, baseball and basketball and spending time with friends and family, especially his brother Aaron. For his mitzvah project, Adam collected and distributed sports equipment to kids in need.

Briana and Jeff are engaged to be married in October 2010 in Seattle. Rabbi Josh Hearshen of Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation will officiate the ceremony.
Briana is the daughter of Dennis Goldstein and Robin Rogel-Goldstein of Bellevue. Her grandparents are David and Helaine Goldstein of Redmond and Joseph and Ann Lee Rogel of Bellevue.
She is a graduate of the Bellevue International School and holds bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and French from Emory University. She works as a program manager in Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing organization.
Jeff is the son of Patrick and Marilyn Roberts of Seattle. His grandparents are Jeanna Roberts of Willows, Calif and the late Fred Roberts and Richard Friedenrich of Laguna Woods, Calif. and the late Gladys Friedenrich.
He is a graduate of Garfield High School and holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Washington. He is a manager with Ernst & Young’s advisory services practice.

Adam will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on July 31, 2010 at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue.
Adam is the son of Sue and Scott Davenport of Duvall and the brother of Aaron. His grandparents are Barbara and Paul Caraco of Kirkland, Richard and Joan Davenport of Lynnwood, and the late Douglas Koch.
Adam is entering the 8th grade at Tolt Middle School. He enjoys playing football, baseball and basketball and spending time with friends and family, especially his brother Aaron. For his mitzvah project, Adam collected and distributed sports equipment to kids in need.

It was a battle she had fought for years, and a battle she ultimately lost. Joyce Shane was well-loved in her two overlapping Jewish communities — that of Congregation Beth Shalom, where she had long been involved as a member and educator, and of the Seattle Jewish Community School, where she served as head of school for 10 years.
Joyce succumbed to cancer on July 2. She was 69 years old.
“There’s going to be a big hole in Jewish education here,” said Joyce’s husband, Barry Shane.
Joyce Levy was born in Boston, Mass. in 1941 and lived in a Jewish section of the Dorchester neighborhood. She met Barry Shane at the age of 10.
“We were in the 4th grade together, the 6th grade together, we went to Hebrew school together,” Barry said.
They had their first date in high school, and the two married in 1965.
Joyce’s life was steeped in Jewish education. Upon her high school graduation, she spent a year in Israel, then attended Barnard College. She earned Master’s degrees in Hebrew literature from Hebrew Teachers College and in education from Oregon State University.
Joyce held the position of director of education at Congregation Beth Shalom during a sabbatical year in Seattle in the late 1980s — Barry is a college professor — before returning to Portland to serve as assistant principal at the Portland Jewish Academy and director of her congregation’s Hebrew school.
The Shanes came back to Seattle in 1995, when Joyce became principal of what was then known as the Seattle Jewish Primary School. She retired due to her fight with cancer.
According to Debra Butler, who both preceded and succeeded Joyce as head of school at SJCS, Joyce had a deep, abiding love for children.
“Joyce loved the school and the staff, but she especially loved the students,” Butler said in her eulogy at Joyce’s funeral. “For the rest of my life, I think that Joyce’s memory of goodness and derech eretz [the way of kindness] will accompany and guide me. Even though she will not be here physically, her advice and inspiration will continue, as we remember her.”
Butler noted that in their friendship they had a mutual love for theater — including one outing to Late Night Catechism — and ice cream sundaes.
When in Seattle during the sabbatical year, the Shanes attended services at Beth Shalom. Though Joyce had taught many children their Bar Mitzvah portions, she had never ascended to the bima herself. But with urging from then-Rabbi Dov Gartenberg, she began to lead services and read Torah.
“And then of course she blossomed, because she was the best,” Barry said.
“Joyce became a truly beloved shaliach tzibur (service leader) and leyner (Torah reader) whose radiance filled the room when she davened or read Torah,” said SJCS Judaics teacher Beth Huppin in her eulogy. “For her, it was always about helping us connect to God and to the Torah. And she succeeded. When Joyce led Kol Nidre, she transported us.”
But, as a teacher, she was also a stickler for method and detail.
“Her attention to proper pronunciation and nusach (proper melodies) was well-known,” Huppin said. “Anyone who wanted to learn how to lead services or read Torah properly went to Joyce. If she trained you, you put the accents in the right place.”
Still, said Barry, “she had a grace about her that people respected because she was so accepting of everyone and had very high standards of behavior.”
One of Joyce’s other loves was singing. When she and Barry were first married, “she applied for a job at a summer camp,” Barry said. “To show her skill, she wrote down the names of 100 songs that she could both play on the guitar and sing at the same time.”
To that end, Joyce’s family is working to build an online resource of weekly Torah portions, haftarot, and services she recorded over the span of 40 years. They are asking anyone who has possession of a tape with Joyce’s lesson to deliver the tape, with the owner’s name and contact information, to Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98115. All recordings will be digitized and returned to their owners. They are also seeking small donations to get the site up and running.
The site, which will be online in the next few weeks at http://www.morahjoyce.org, will offer these educational resources as a free download to anyone who wants them.
In addition to the many students at both SJCS and Beth Shalom, both formal and informal, she leaves behind husband Barry, children Bryna and Joshua, daughter-in-law Shoshana, and her grandson, Spinoza.
— Joel Magalnick

When five women were called to the Torah for the first time on June 13, each had a different reason for wanting to do so. They told JTNews why they decided to celebrate this honor.

Audrey Joseph
I always wanted to become Bat Mitzvah. My brother was Bar Mitzvah. I felt I wanted to do something. All these years I never had the opportunity or the time.

Jackie Schmidt
I’d had a fairly extensive background in Hebrew education and synagogue practice. This [event] was a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of preparation offered at The Summit for an actual Bat Mitzvah ceremony, and I went for it.

Joan Greenberg
If Cleveland can do it, we can do it. My motivation was to encourage continual learning, especially Jewish learning, for everyone at The Summit. It worked.

Irene Eskenazi
I jumped at the chance to be Bat Mitzvah because I never got to do it as a child. When Rabbi Elana Zaiman asked if there was interest, I said yes. My late sister Madeline Motola in Portland had hers. I said I’m going to do it; I was bound and determined.

Rose Liberman
During a class at The Summit, Rabbi Zaiman asked if we would like to become a Bat Mitzvah. I know some Hebrew, I thought. My daughter Mary said to me, “Oh Mom, do it, you’d be good!” At first I hesitated. Then it was easy.

Stefanie and Daniel C. Robbins of Seattle welcomed Eli to the world on February 26, 2010. He was born at Group Health in Seattle, and weighed 7 lbs., 5.5 oz.
Eli is the little brother of Gabriella and the grandson of Linda Sorrentino of Ocean Township, N.J., Irwin Hader of Hazlet, N.J., Diane Tepfer of Washington, D.C. and Leonard Robbins of Sienna, Italy.
Eli Baruch was named in honor of Dan’s maternal grandfather, Baruch Tepfer. In Hebrew, the name Baruch means “blessed” and Eli means “my God.”

Jordan will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on June 26, 2010 at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Jordan is the son of Gina and Marc Gonchar and brother of Micah and Ella. His grandparents are Fred and Lila Ehrlich of Edmonds and Joel and Nancy Gonchar of Scarsdale, N.Y.
Jordan just completed the 7th grade at The Jewish Day School, where he loves science, sports and math. He will commemorate his Bar Mitzvah by volunteering with Friendship Circle, a non-profit organization that connects Jewish teens and special-needs children. He will also make donations to three non-profit organizations in Israel: House To House, which serves people in need, The Forgotten People’s Fund, which funds B’nai Mitzvah for Ethiopian Jews, and the Leket Israel food bank. In addition, he will continue to volunteer at the Jewish Family Service Food Bank.

Shamber celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on June 19, 2010 at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Shamber is the daughter of Kathleen Goldstein and the late Jeffrey Goldstein and the sister of Marissa Goldstein. Her grandparents are Nathana Berman of Tamarac, Fla., Kenneth Goldstein of South Easton, Mass., Nora Madden of Hudson, Fla., and the late John Madden.
Shamber will enter the 7th grade this fall at Odle Middle School. She is a student at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and enjoys all types of dance, as well as drawing, music, swimming, and hanging out with friends. For her mitzvah project, Shamber has made beaded bracelets to sell with all proceeds going to the Center for Biological Diversity, a non-profit that protects endangered animals.

Daniel will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on June 26, 2010 at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue.
Daniel is the son of Lisa and Kenny Kranseler of Bellevue and the brother of Julie and Andrew. His grandparents are Cindy Coopersmith of Olympia, Fredric Coopersmith of Del Mar, Calif., Arthur Kranseler of Falmarth, Mass. and Highland Beach, Fla. and the late Barbara Kranseler.
Daniel completed the 7th grade in the Tillicum Middle School Spanish immersion program. His interests include jazz piano, soccer, tennis, reading, chess, travel and acting. He has appeared in numerous theater productions, including Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Fifth Avenue Theater. For his mitzvah project, Daniel performed a piano concert at The Summit retirement home and took part in Holocaust teaching with “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” with Youth Theater Northwest. He will also participate in the Jewish Federation’s Youth Mitzvah Corps starting in the fall.

Joshua will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on June 19, 2010 at Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Bellevue.
Joshua is the son of Stacey and Richard Eastern of Bellevue and the brother of Emily and Zach. His grandparents are Sharon and Sam Eastern of Medina, Marsha Burdman of Youngstown, Ohio and the late Kenneth Burdman.
Joshua is in the 7th grade at Issaquah Middle School. He is an avid Husky fan who enjoys playing baseball and basketball, watching sports, and hanging out with friends. For his mitzvah project, Joshua is working in conjunction with Treehouse to collect baseball equipment for foster kids in need. 

Danielle will celebrate her
Bat Mitzvah on June 12, 2010
at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue.
Danielle is the daughter of Gail and Jackie Frank of Woodinville and the sister of David and Leah. Her grandparents are Doris Frank of Atlanta, Ga., the late Harold Frank, Marilyn Yampolsky of Tucson, Ariz., and the late Max Yampolsky.
Danielle is in the 7th grade at Evergreen Junior High School. Her interests include cheerleading, dance, and skiing. For her mitzvah project, she worked as a Hopelink volunteer.

Jeremiah’s Bar Mitzvah will take place on June 19, 2010 at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Jeremiah is the son of Peter and Carol Michel and the brother of Charlie and Sam. His grandparents are Evelyn Sidell and the late Merle Sidell, and the late Katherine and Charles Michel.   
Jeremiah is a 7th grade student at Timbercrest Junior High School. He enjoys playing tennis, skiing and following Seattle’s sports teams. For his mitzvah project, he volunteered for the Jewish Family Service food bank. He will also be donating Bar Mitzvah funds to the Jewish Family Service food bank and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

Mikayla will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on June 12, 2010 at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Mikayla is the daughter of Sherrie and Mitch Nudelman of Newcastle and the younger sister of Lauren and Brandon. She is the granddaughter of Sandra and Phil Nudelman of Bellevue and Betty and Al Hasson, also of Bellevue.
Mikayla is in the 7th grade at Maywood Middle School, where she is in the honor society and plays clarinet in the symphonic band. Mikayla enjoys dancing, singing, acting, ice skating and volleyball.

Kylie Brooke Goldfarb was called to the Torah on April 17, 2010 at Temple Adath Emanu-El in Mt. Laurel, N.J.  
Kylie is the daughter of Linda and Keith Goldfarb and brother of Alec. Her grandparents are Natalie and Bob Malin of Mercer Island, Kris and Royal Goldfarb of Kirkland, and Marcia and David Glassel of San Francisco, Calif.  Her great grandfather was the late Samuel E. Goldfarb, former cantor at Temple De Hirsch.
Kylie is an honor student and a talented artist who enjoys playing soccer on her traveling team, acting, reading, and spending time with her friends. Her mitzvah project is collecting clothes for a women’s shelter.

Eric will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on May 22, 2010 at
Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue.
Eric is the son of Michael and Susu Moshcatel of Seattle and the brother of Marc. His grandparents are Jack and Fran Moshcatel of Seattle, Leonard Wiviott of Seattle, and the late Evelyn “Pickle” Wiviott.
Eric is in the 7th grade at Eckstein Middle School. He enjoys playing baseball, cards, and video games. He also likes listening to music, and is working toward achieving his black belt in martial arts. For his mitzvah project, Eric is collecting supplies and funds to help Ginger’s Pet Rescue, a nonprofit organization specializing in the rescue and adoption placement of dogs that would otherwise be euthanized in animal shelters.  He is also donating a portion of his Bar Mitzvah gifts to this organization.

Abigail will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on May 22, 2010 at Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle.
Abigail is the daughter of Lisa Geiger and Charles Shifren of Edmonds. Her grandparents are Iris Shifren and Seymour Shifren of Los Angeles, Calif., Anne Geiger of Millburn, N.J. and the late Harold Geiger.
Abigail is in the 7th grade at Madrona K-8. Abby enjoys playing the viola, swimming, reading, and spending time with her friends and family. For her mitzvah project, she organized and performed with a string trio at the Ida Culver House in Broadview.

Richelle will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on May 22, 2010 at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation, on the same bimah where her mother became the first Bat Mitzvah when the synagogue opened in November 1971. Her grandfather became a Bar Mitzvah at Herzl in 1938.
Richelle is the daughter of Patricia Willner-Martin and Neil Martin of Bellevue and the sister of Allison. Her grandparents are Kathryn and James Martin of Edina, Minn., Ina Willner of Bellevue and the late Richard Willner.
Richelle is in the 7th grade at the Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle. Her interests include attending Camp Solomon Schechter, acting and teching at Youth Theatre Northwest, Facebook, Skype, and texting with friends. For her mitzvah project, Richelle is raising money for the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces Bar/Bat Mitzvah LEGACY Program to send a child whose parent or sibling has been killed in action with the Israeli Defense Forces to summer camp in the United States.