october 2006 ~ tishrei - cheshvan 5767
in this issue
-- From the Rebbe
-- Gifts of Light
-- News from Dor Hadash
-- eScrip and more...
-- Board News
-- Community Announcements
-- Etz Chaim ~Tree of Life
-- Jewish Family and Children's Services
-- Donations Make a Difference!
-- Newsletter Guidelines
Chevre and Friends...
Announcements:
Please see High Holiday Information under "Board News".
Seniors At Home, a program with Jewish Family and Children's Services is offering a new service to Jewish Seniors.This new program is offering free rides to Jewish Seniors to doctors appointments, to the grocery store and Jewish community activities. Please phone 571-8131.
From the Rebbe
We begin this month with the holiness of Yom Kippur, the most joyous day in the Jewish calendar. Joyous? Yes, indeed, for it is on this day that we are all brought once again to a state of spiritual purity within our holy community. Through our prayers and hopes for forgiveness, our own forgiving of others, and our support of each other, we renew ourselves as we step into the new year. In ancient times, as you know, this was accompanied by an elaborate ritual of animal sacrifices - bulls and rams - done by the high priest. Here is what the Zohar (one of the classic mystical texts) has to say about him, as he enters the Holy of Holies with a bowl brimming with blood to purify the altar and the people:
Zohar, Vayikra, Section 3, Page 102a
'On this day the priest is crowned with superior crowns and stands between heavenly and earthly beings and makes atonement for himself and his house and the priests and the sanctuary and all Israel. We have learnt that at the moment when he enters with the blood of the bullock he concentrates his thoughts on the highest principle of faith and sprinkles (the sacrificial blood) with his fingers.' He began to count one, the first "one" by itself, one being the sum of all, the glory of all, the goal of all, the beginning of all. Then "one and one", joined together in love and friendship inseparable.
The first 'one' is the Ein Sof, the supernal unknowable Divine aspect of G!d. The second 'one' is Bina, the attribute of compassion. So by counting and sprinkling, he unites the harsher and less accessible part of G!d with the universal, tender, accepting part of G!d. At that moment, the world returned to the glory of pre-creation, with the added beauty of creation as a crown upon all.
Today we no longer use blood to help to affect this union - we rely on the depths of our hearts and the fervency of our prayer. It is the crown and not the guts that entwine the two parts of the Divine together. Our very existence becomes essential for our own continuity - we no longer have the high priest as go-between, nor the power of life and death, as symbolized by the blood of atonement. We have only our longing, our need to be free of the mistakes of the past, and to join together in the creation of the future. May it be joyous one, with health, love and prosperity for all of us, and all who dwell on earth!
L'Shalom, Elisheva
Gifts of Light
MEMORIAL DONATIONS...
ARIANA ELSTER, a donation in memory of Pearl Elster
TAMAR BERG, a donation in memory of Martha Hoffmann Berg
OFFERINGS...
DEBRA KAHN-WAND, a donation in honor of Harry Ostroff
THANK YOU TO...
ROBIN BIRDFEATHER, for once again responding to the alarm
BARBARA TOBIN, for doing a great job as coordinator for High Holy Days
ALL THE VOLUNTEERS who have helped with the High Holy Days
News from Dor Hadash
Dear Chevre,
We had a wonderful beginning of the new school year at Dor Hadash on Sunday, September 17. Our pre- school/kindergarten programming is growing, under the expert guidance of Karen Mitchell. We are still looking for second and third graders in order to continue that class, but we have a very full fourth and fifth grade class under the thoughtful guidance of Debbie Fass. Our sixth grade is still open for more participants with our dedicated, longtime teacher, Devorah Blum, and our seventh graders are enjoying our newest teacher, Rachel Thompson, a senior at Sonoma State University. Rabbi Elisheva is teaching two full classes for older students. The eighth graders study with the Rabbi from 10:20 a.m. until 11:20 a.m., and then the Rabbi teaches our high school students a film and history class from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The film class is open to any high school student interested in learning about Jewish history. We have a beautiful new TV/DVD, thanks to a very generous grant from the Jewish Federation of San Francisco, which is helping to fund the film program.
Please feel free to come and participate with the school. We will be celebrating Sukkot with a special family involvement day, building and decorating the sukkah, and sharing food to celebrate another year of abundant harvest, our appreciation of nature, the importance of sharing what we have, and acts of loving kindness. The celebration will be on October 8 beginning at 10:00 a.m. Please bring non-perishable foods to donate to the food bank.
Everyone at Dor Hadash wishes you a sweet new year, filled with shalom bayit (peace in the home) and shalom b’olam (peace in the world).
Peace, Shalom, Salaam,
Leslie
"The most direct means for attaching ourselves to G-d from this material world is through music and song. Even if you can't sing well, sing. Sing to yourself. Sing in the privacy of your own home. But sing."
Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav
eScrip and more...
Do you need new tires or more for your vehicle? If you do, than check out the participating merchants in the eScrip (two are Big O Tires and Pep Boys) www.eScrip.com and Communitysmart (such as McLea's Tire) www.communitysmart.com programs. All it takes is having work done at one of these merchants and then when you go to pay for it present your Communitysmart card or use your credit/debit card linked with eScrip. Its so easy to make your vehicle safe and provide a donation to your community.
eScrip shoppers please make sure you keep your credit/debit cards up to date. Just go on-line to www.eScrip.com and check out "my escrip" to see what your expiration dates and card numbers are on their records.
Oliver's and about 9 other markets belong to the Communitysmart Card program. Oliver's shoppers please note this major change!! To join this program you can: instantly join by asking for a card at Oliver's checkout counter; call COMMUNITYsmart at 568-4995 or go on-line to www.communitysmart.com. When you check out at one of the participating merchants, you slide your Communitysmart card just like a debit card to get credit for your transaction. This program requires that a certain minimum be spent but then we receive a greater rebate (for Oliver's you need to spend $25 for a rebate of 5%).
Albertson's shoppers can participate by connecting your blue and white Preferred Savers card to Ner Shalom by going to www.Albertsons. com or using a tan and white Community Partners card Anna can provide you.
Raley's users just need to obtain a Raley's partner's card from Anna and activate it through their website (Raleys.com). Using the card without activating it for Ner Shalom will leave those rebates in suspense.
Not sure where you stand with all these programs? Give Anna Ghandour a call at 584- 4829 or e-mail her at huskyanna@yahoo.com and let her help you make a difference today.
Board News
As always, many volunteers are needed to bring off the Days of Awe, so if you can help, please contact Barbara Tobin at (707) 829-2119.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
Ariana Elster 824-5609
e-mail: aelster@comcast.net
Anna Ghandour 584-4829
e-mail: huskyanna@yahoo.com
Ari Kimiti Wang'oo 239-9615
e-mail: kimitiwangoo@yahoo.com
Richard Koman 887-0278
e-mail: rkoman@gmail.com
William Rogers 762-8645
e-mail: willrogers13@gmail.com
Dan Williamson 480-2235
e-mail: danrw@sonic.net
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Education - Liz Hagen 829-3031
e-mail: lizhagen@earthlink.net
Religious Practices - Ari Kimiti Wang'oo 239- 9615
e-mail: kimitiwangoo@yahoo.com
Building Maintenance - Dan Williamson 480- 2235
e-mail: danrw@sonic.net
No-Cost Fundraising - Anna Ghandour 584-4829
e-mail: huskyanna@yahoo.com
Personnel - Anna Ghandour 584-4829
e-mail: huskyanna@yahoo.com
Membership - Sally Churgel 823-0541
e-mail: churgel@pacbell.net
Newsletter - Pam Pepper 588-8824
e-mail: twinsushilover27@yahoo.com
Publicity - Richard Koman 887-0278
e-mail: rkoman@gmail.com
Website - Anne Woods
e-mail: rainywoods@yahoo.com
Rabbi: Elisheva Sachs Salamo 664-8603
Dor Hadash Education Director: Leslie Gattmann
e-mail: lgatttmann@msn.com
Office Manager: Carol Vanek 664-8622
e-mail: shalom@sonic.net
Office Hours: Tues.-Fri. 9:00 AM- 2:00 PM
Community Announcements
Jewish Community Center Friendship Circle
Are you interested in activities for those of you 55+?
Please contact Elly Cohen, Outreach Coordinator, Friendship Circle, Jewish Community Center, Sonoma County at 707-528-1476. Or e-mail: ellyc@jccsoco.org
website: www.jccsoco.org
2 Job Opportunities at Jewish Family and Children's Services. Please check the website for details. nershalom.org
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation West Coast Region website: www.jrf.org/westcoast
Ongoing Toy and Book Drive for Jewish Community Free Clinic
Donations of gently used toys and/or books can be brought to Free Clinic on ongoing basis at 421 E. Cotati Avenue, Suite C, or call 792-1932.
ASK JCI & R
Yours for the Asking:
Did you know....the following publications and educational guides are available to you free of charge (and if you want one for a friend, just ask for two, with our compliments)!
*Jewish calendar for the New Year 5767
*Resource, A Guide to Jewish Life in the Bay Area 2006
*JCIR Bookmark/Calendar 2005/2006
*The Whole Megillah--A Guide to Jewish adult activities in the Bay Area
*A Guide to Compensation and Restitution for Holocaust Survivors
Israel Information:
*An Insider’s Guide to Israel
*Out of the Closet and into the Streets of Tel Aviv (DVD)
*In Every Tongue: A Story of Eternity (DVD)
Family stuff:
*Resource book for planning a great Jewish summer
*Bridges/Issues and Information for Interfaith Families
*Alef Bet, the Letters, Language & Literature of the Jewish People
*Havdalah, how to
*Common Threads: the Fabrics of Jewish Life
*Heroes, Who Needs ‘Em
*Our Family Matters, Jewish Memory & Storytelling
*Rosh Hodesh, how to
*What we’re reading/People of the Book talk about Books
*Jewish Heroes activity book
*Kids and the Law: An A-to-Z Guide for Parents
*When you become 18: A survival guide for teenagers
Émigré information:
*Creating Success: Russian-English Guide to Financial Security
Senior information:
*Seniors and the Law: A Guide for Maturing Californians
*New Lifestyles, Area Guide to Senior Residences and Care Options
*Senior Alternatives: Informed Decisions
For more information about connecting to Jewish life, call JCI & R at 415/777-4545 or local toll-free 877- 777-JCIR (5247)
Jewish Community Information and Referral is a service of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and Sonoma counties. Visit our websites at: www.JewishNfo.org or bayarea.planitjewish.com
Interested in an Interest-Free Loan?
The Hebrew Free Loan Association provides interest-free loans to Jewish residents in Northern California needing assistance with personal or financial matters. Types of loans include: Student, Emergency, Adoption, Personal, Business, First-time Home Buyer, Life Cycle, Debt Consolidation, Institutional (for Jewish communal agencies and synagogues) and Special Needs (for emotionally and physically challenged people).
Since 1897, the Hebrew Free Loan of San Francisco has provided vital assistance to more than 50,000 families. Each year, we help more than 350 people to reach their goals and pave their way towards financial security and future success.
We offer a helping hand, rather than a handout. Whether we're providing people a way out of their financial distress, or helping them to realize a lifelong dream, our recipients maintain dignity and self- sufficiency as they repay their interest-free loans.
If you, or someone you know, needs financial assistance and would like to apply for an interest- free loan, please contact us by phone (415-546- 9902) or e-mail info@hflasf.org.
Check out our website: www.hflasf.org.
Etz Chaim ~Tree of Life
Etz Chaim - Tree of Life
Our Tree of Life in the Oneg room began as a way to thank those in our community who worked so hard to establish our permanent home in Cotati.
It will now be used to help Ner Shalom continue to flourish through the celebration of life events. A simcha leaf to honor a special life event and a pomegranate to commemorate the seeds of our community's hard work, our B'nai Mitzvahs, can be obtained through a donation of 10 Chai or $180
To mark your special occasion with a simcha leaf or pomegranate please contact the office.
Jewish Family and Children's Services
2 Job Opportunities at Jewish Family and Children's Services. Please check the website for details. nershalom.org
See our website www.nershalom.org/news/JFCS for programs and classes listed for October at JFCS in Sonoma County.
All low-cost/ no-cost JFCS and Parents Place programs listed on our website are non-sectarian and open to all members of the public.
Donations Make a Difference!
Donations to Ner Shalom Make A Difference!
*Building Repair Fund
*Dor Hadash School
*Etz Chaim (Tree of Life)
*General Fund
*Music Fund
*Rabbi's Discretionary Fund
*Teen Fund
*Tikkun Olam Fund
*Written Word/Torah Fund
Honor some one; remember an event or a special person. Donations (minimum of $6 {1/3 Chai} per listing) will be listed in the Gifts of Light section of the next newsletter. Send the donation to the office with the appropriate designation or call the office at 664-8622 for more information. Your generous support of Ner Shalom is greatly appreciated.
Memorialize the memory of a loved one with a Yahrzeit Plaque on our Wall of Remembrance. The cost of a plaque and inscription is $200 Please contact the office at 664-8622 for more information.
Newsletter Guidelines
*1. Deadline will be at 2:00 p.m. on the first Friday of every month (unless arrangements have been made with the editor of the newsletter.)
*2. All submissions should be sent to the editor via e- mail with the subject heading: NL submission.
*3. Editor will change, edit, or delete any or all portions of submission(s) as deemed necessary without prior approval of the author.
*4. Editor is not responsible for retrieving submissions from other sources. It is the responsibility of the author to submit all necessary components to the editor by the deadline. |
