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The Carob Tree Project
Featuring Earl Goldhammer
“I am very interested in art,” Earl began. “I knew nothing about art, absolutely nothing. I just loved the class.” He has always been willing to step into what he doesn’t yet understand. Years later, that instinct became a love language he shared with his wife, Karen.
“I met my wife and it turns out that she was an art lover too, but knew much, much more about art than I did. And so our life was very focused on art.” They traveled. They tried new things. They built a life around what they loved. “She was very devoted to Judaism. The thing that I looked forward to each year was our Seder.”
One year, Karen invited two nuns. “So it was a Seder with my wife and I and two nuns.” He paused, smiling as he remembered. “One of the nuns enjoyed the Seder so much… I was glad that she had a ride home.”
There is something about Earl’s presence that can be felt immediately. He meets people with an openness that does not ask for attention but holds it anyway. He cares deeply about those around him; he listens closely, responds thoughtfully, and makes space for others to be seen. His warmth is steady and comes naturally; it shows in the way he speaks and in a smile that is both gentle and unmistakably Earl.
Earl speaks about miracles and intervention with a kind of quiet certainty. He leaves space for them, the way one leaves space for a question that does not need to be answered right away. “Has God ever intervened in your life? My answer is yes.” In Jerusalem, standing at a locked gate, something happened. “A guy comes along. He pushed some buttons to let me in, and just as I got in, I turned around to thank him, and he disappeared.”
The moment still lingers—not because he can explain it, but because he cannot. He does not turn it into something larger than it is, but he doesn’t dismiss it either. He carries it alongside everything else he knows to be true. “I’m a math major and I was a tax lawyer. I don’t deal in fantasy very much.”
The people who shaped him remain close to his heart. “One of the most important people in my life was the cantor in my synagogue when I was a boy.” He remembers the time they spent together like it was yesterday. “He had numbers on his arm. He told me, ‘The reason I’m here is because the commander liked to hear me sing.’” What stayed with Earl was not only the story, but the standard. “Everything had to be just perfect.” And the music. “He taught me Jewish music that I never forgot. As an old man, I can still remember.”
His mother’s influence stands on its own. “I’ve never seen anybody work harder…She really gave me a sense of morality and a sense of purpose. She still influences my life every day.”
Alongside that influence came deep loss. When asked about life’s biggest challenges, Earl answered without hesitation: “My mother and my wife, both of whom were victims of cancer.”
When speaking about the loss of his wife, he does not soften what followed. “It was difficult… I had to have counseling because she was such a big part of my life that I needed help.” Still, he kept going. “I’ve had a very good life. Sometimes life comes with difficulties.”
Earl returns often to the topic of how people speak to one another. “We can discuss things and have different points of views and not get angry at one another.” He doesn’t see disagreement as something to avoid. “I think that we ought to emphasize that more. Different rabbis have different interpretations. That’s the way to exist, not fight with one another.”
As he looks back, there is no single defining moment, only a collection of life’s miracles. “I’m really lucky. I’m 84… I’m still here.” He lets that simmer. “That’s sort of a miracle too.
I have a lot to be thankful for.”
Earl Goldhammer was interviewed on March 5, 2026 by Rabbi Rick Kellner and Hannah Karr
Written by Hannah Karr, Director of Marketing & Community Engagement at Congregation Beth Tikvah
The Carob Tree Project is an initiative at Congregation Beth Tikvah designed to preserve the life stories, wisdom, and experiences of longtime congregants so their voices continue to guide the community long into the future. This project was started by Rabbi Rick Kellner and Hannah Karr, inspired by a story in the Talmud about Honi the Circle Maker. When asked why he is planting a tree that will take decades to bear fruit, he explains that just as others planted for him, he plants for the generations who will come after him. The lesson is about legacy, continuity, and responsibility across generations. In that spirit, the Carob Tree Project focuses on members of the congregation whose lives hold deep experience, reflection, and perspective. Through recorded interviews, participants are invited to share memories, formative moments, values, and lessons learned. These interviews are video recorded and archived, ensuring that their stories become a lasting resource for the community. Written profiles are then created from the interviews so that the insights and voices of these individuals can be shared more widely within the congregation. The goal is not simply to document history. It is to capture the human insight behind a life lived — the ideas, questions, and experiences that can nurture future generations. Just like the carob tree in the Talmudic story, the project recognizes that the fruits of a person’s life often extend far beyond their own lifetime. In this way, the Carob Tree Project becomes both an archive and a teaching tool: a living collection of stories that remind the community how wisdom is passed forward — one voice, one memory, and one life at a time.
Rabbi Rick’s Sabbatical Reads
April 4, 2026
Each year, I feel incredibly blessed to have time away from the office and the flow of daily rabbinic life to create space for learning and for thinking deeply about Jewish life and the future of our synagogue. Each month-long sabbatical offers me the opportunity to do something different and unique. Last year, I reflected on the major challenges facing Jewish life and crafted a vision for how I believe those issues play out in our own community. This year, I had the opportunity to read ten books—a personal record for a single month. Most were excellent; only one is not worth mentioning again. A few are books we will share with our Holocaust Seminar participants, one helped prepare me to teach a course in the fall, and another inspired a High Holy Day sermon.
Here are the top five books from my February sabbatical:
While reading about antisemitism can always be challenging, Nadell takes us on a journey from the earliest days of the American colonies to a post–October 7th narrative that depicts the unique ways antisemitism has taken root on American soil. What I love about her book is that she does not simply recount what others have done to us; she highlights the resilience of those affected and how they responded. There is much we can learn from history about how to live today. Perhaps her most provocative chapter challenges us to consider that there was no true “golden age” of Jewish life in America—contrary to what many of us feel about the post-Holocaust era in the latter part of the 20th century. Learn with Professor Nadell at this year’s Gaynor Lecture on April 28 at the JCC.
This is a book that should be read by any 11th or 12th grader, as well as college students. Tabarovsky is an expert on Soviet anti-Zionism, a topic that has not received widespread scholarly attention until recently.
Be a Refusenik provides a historical understanding of anti-Zionism and then shares the stories of several refuseniks—individuals who courageously defied the Soviet regime. Tabarovsky’s unique approach draws thoughtful parallels between these refuseniks and young people today who are standing up for their Jewish identity in school and on college campuses.
Arguably the best book on the Holocaust I have ever read, The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto takes us into the 1940s to understand life in Warsaw during the war. Hyman shares the stories of several young women who played essential roles in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Without them, the revolt could not have taken place. Although the uprising was doomed from the start, several of these women were able to escape and become partisans, continuing the fight against the Nazis beyond the walls of the ghetto. Historically, men have received much of the credit for the uprising, but Hyman offers a powerful new perspective on this critical moment in Jewish history.
For years, we have sung Hannah Senesh’s “Eli, Eli” at funerals, on the High Holy Days, and in moments of collective remembrance. Many of us are aware that she wrote these words along the shores of Caesarea in Israel. We also know that she joined the Haganah paratroopers and took part in a mission to help rescue Jews during the Holocaust. Crash of the Heavens is Senesh’s biography, recounting the story of a young woman who took her future into her own hands and defied both the Nazis and her Hungarian captors up until her execution.
May her memory be for a blessing.
For years, we have sung Hannah Senesh’s “Eli, Eli” at funerals, on the High Holy Days, and in moments of collective remembrance. Many of us are aware that she wrote these words along the shores of Caesarea in Israel. We also know that she joined the Haganah paratroopers and took part in a mission to help rescue Jews during the Holocaust. Crash of the Heavens is Senesh’s biography, recounting the story of a young woman who took her future into her own hands and defied both the Nazis and her Hungarian captors up until her execution.
May her memory be for a blessing.
Written by Rabbi Rick Kellner
Passover Recipes from Around the World
April 4, 2026
Try out these different recipes from all around the world inspired by the Jewish spring holiday of Passover!
Click on the photos to access the recipes.
Moroccan Carrot Salad
Tender carrots tossed in a vibrant chermoula of garlic, cumin, lemon, and fresh herbs. A staple in Moroccan Jewish cuisine, it reflects the bold flavors of North Africa and the Passover theme of renewal.
Greek Lemon Potato Bake
Potatoes roasted with lemon, garlic, and oregano until crispy on the edges and soft inside. Naturally chametz-free, it reflects Mediterranean simplicity and the Passover theme of making something extraordinary from humble ingredients.
Ethiopian Spiced Lentil Stew
Lentils simmered with garlic, ginger, and warm spices for a deeply comforting dish. Inspired by Ethiopian flavors, it reflects resilience and community—central themes of both Jewish history and the Passover story.
Classic Brisket with Caramelized Onions
Slow-braised brisket cooked until tender with sweet, deeply caramelized onions. This beloved Seder centerpiece represents abundance and the joy of gathering, often prepared in advance to allow families more time together.
Argentine Chimichurri Grilled Chicken
Juicy grilled chicken topped with a bright chimichurri of parsley, garlic, and vinegar. In Latin American Jewish communities, grilled meats often anchor festive meals, celebrating both freedom and gathering.
Tikkun Olam Club
April 3, 2026
We are thrilled to share the launch of our new Tikkun Olam Club as part of our Religious School! Open to students in grades PK–5, this special program meets once a month before school and is already off to a wonderful start, with two well-attended gatherings full of energy, creativity, and kindness.
We launched the program in January with a special in-school experience to build excitement and frame the importance of this work. Students participated in station-based learning about hunger and food insecurity, as well as the value of ma’achal re’evim. As part of the program, participants packed 75 lunches for The Open Shelter.
At our first official before-school meeting, students created heartfelt thank-you cards for the police departments that serve Beth Tikvah, expressing gratitude for their role in keeping our community safe. At our second meeting, students focused on bringing joy to others by creating beautiful Passover decorations for the residents of Wexner Heritage Village.
This program is made possible by an incredible group of parent volunteers who partner with me each month to plan these meaningful, hands-on service projects. Their dedication and enthusiasm have helped bring this vision to life. Thank you to Apryl Ash, Jessica Horowitz-Moore, Julie Snyder, and Amanda Steller for your work on this program!
The Tikkun Olam Club has been a dream in the making for several years, and we feel so grateful to now have the passionate lay leadership to make it a reality. We look forward to watching it continue to grow as our students learn the power of giving back, living Jewish values, and making a difference in the world.
Written by Morissa Freiberg-Vance, RJE
Director of Education & Lifelong Learning
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