New Member Profiles:
Kaitlin Stephens
I started coming to Netivot Shalom in August of 2023, recently became a member last July, and even more recently finished my conversion to Judaism last May. I was born and raised in Berkeley all my life and raised in the Catholic Church, attending Catholic schools through high school. Most of my family is, to varying degrees of observance, Irish Catholic. My dad was raised and has lived most of his life here, besides a short stint in southern Alabama, and my mother lived in Kentucky (and very briefly in Texas) before moving out here.
I had been thinking about converting to Judaism to some degree since 5th grade but found myself with time to focus on this when I decided to take some time off before going to college. I appreciate Judaism for its deep connection with texts and history, a significantly less structured hierarchy, the value placed on continuous work put into interpretation, and a greater emphasis of ritual in day-to-day life. I was drawn specifically to Netivot Shalom because of the egalitarian nature of services, as I’ve always found myself most connected with religion when I could be a more active participant. I wanted to be a part of a community where I could connect with a wide range of people and would be supported through every stage of my life.
After high school I continued to work in the area I had invested a significant amount of afterschool time in, technical theater. I was an Assistant Stage Manager at Aurora Theater and Berkeley Playhouse and used that experience to help with the Purim Shpiel last year. I’ve recently graduated from Berkeley City College with associate’s degrees in history and anthropology. In January, I will be continuing to work on my bachelor’s in history at UC Berkeley (and likely a minor, to help me narrow down which of the many, many interesting classes I should take).
I identify as non-binary (using they/them pronouns) and queer. Currently, I am making little bits of progress learning Hebrew. I can never decide my favorite period of history but areas I want to dive into more are labor history in the United States, Enlightenment era Europe, and Catholicism in post-colonial countries. I spend most of my free time reading, writing, and going down research rabbit holes tangentially related to something I was working on. I’m so thrilled to be part of Netivot Shalom!
Longer-Term Members:
Rita Largman
I was an early member of Netivot Shalom but migrated to Kehilla for a few years. My husband, Corey Largman, was raised by Quaker parents who left Judaism and Kehilla was a better fit for us and our family in our early years together. I was raised by Conservative parents so ultimately, I joined Netivot. The liturgy and song drew me to what was familiar to me. As a child, I went to Hebrew school, but I was rebellious and regretfully there wasn’t much Jewish learning taking place.
Corey died 3 months after we went on a Netivot Shalom Israel trip with Rabbi Menachem Creditor. Corey was killed in a freak storm while back packing, and that tragic incident has been a defining event which shapes my life and my children’s lives to this day.
I have two children, Jenna Lewis and Jeremy Largman both married (to Ben Feldman and Jennifer Steinbach respectively) and am blessed that they live within 8 minutes of my home. Jenna has 3 boys: Reuben, Meyer and Coco (now called Corey, his official name.). They are the joy of my life.
I would describe myself as a very avid learner and I can be interested in almost anything. When I was an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, I never could choose a major till Penn said I had to in order to graduate. I picked English literature only because I was sitting in a Shakespeare class at the time and liked the teacher! I had about 3 other major interests in those days including going to medical school.
For my 50th birthday, I decided to take a piano lesson with a jazz pianist. I have no idea why I picked piano or jazz, but the hand fit the glove, and I have been studying and playing ever since. (I’m 81 now.) My grandson recently asked me if I would like to play a Brahms piano violin composition with him, and I was thrilled at the possibility and that he had asked me. (I’m not a good sight reader and have never played classical piano so we’ll see how that goes!)
I am currently still working as a clinical psychologist in addition to painting (watercolor and acrylics). I have always had a creative endeavor to accompany my learning interests even as a child when I played guitar.
Netivot Shalom has become, over the years, a vital part of my community, my learning, my singing, my grounding, and I have much gratitude for all of its gifts.
David Levine & Joanna Weinberg
David: I was born in Wilmington, Delaware, but also lived in Philadelphia, New Haven and Buffalo as my parents pursued their education and then their academic careers. I graduated from the University of Michigan and studied at University College, University of London before earning my law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. My first legal job was serving as a law clerk to Judge Alvin B. Rubin of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans. I moved to the Bay Area in 1979 to work as an associate in the litigation department of Morrison and Foerster in San Francisco. In 1982 I joined the faculty of University of California, College of the Law (then UC Hastings), where I have taught ever since. You will see (or hear) me from time to time as a talking head on T.V. or radio, opining on legal topics. I have a brother, Zachary, who lives in Maryland with his family and works as a physicist for the U.S. government.
Joanna: I was born in Boston, MA, as an early baby-boomer, but my family moved to Queens, NY, when I was a baby. At age 8, my family moved to Westchester County, although I would have preferred Manhattan. I attended Brandeis University and then Harvard Law School. With my first husband, Don, I had my first child, Paul, while we were still in law school. We then moved to Philadelphia and had a second child, Tama. I commuted to New York City for a Master of Laws degree at Columbia University and later taught at Bryn Mawr College’s Law and Policy program. Sadly, my first husband passed away in 1983.
Joanna and David: We like to say we first met when David cited an article Joanna wrote in a footnote of a law review article he published; we met in person later in a hot tub at a conference in San Diego. (Ask one of us sometime if you want the full story.) Together with my children and my sister, Diane, I (Joanna) moved to Berkeley in 1987 where I married David. I (Joanna) worked at UCSF’s Health and Aging program. Paul started college locally and finished at Cal. Tama attended Berkeley High, went to college in the east, but returned to Cal for her masters. Arie came along in 1989. Rabbi Kelman conducted her naming ceremony; it was the first baby-naming at Netivot Shalom. She became a bat mitzvah at Netivot and attended Tehiyah Day School and Oakland School for the Arts before also going east for college. Our 3 children, their spouses, and our 5 grandchildren live in L.A. and Seattle. I (Joanna) have been involved in the shul since it was The Berkeley Conservative Congregation. We have both served stints on the Board. The Netivot community remains close to our hearts.