december 2007 ~ kislev - tevet 5768
-- Rabbinical Support During Transition
-- Gifts of Life
-- News from Dor Hadash
-- Board News
-- Birthdays and Anniversaries ~ December
-- Community Announcements
-- Donations Make a Difference!
-- Etz Chaim ~Tree of Life
-- eScrip and more...
-- Jewish Family and Children's Services
-- Newsletter Guidelines
Chevre and Friends...
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Chanukah Party ~ Friday, December 7 ~ 6:15 p.m
Come to our annual Chanukah Celebration! Bring your menorah and candles for the 4th night (5 candles). Please bring a potluck dish to share for 8-10 people. Plan on having fun!
Saturday morning service led by Reb Tsvi Bar-David on December 8 at 10:00a.m.
Rabbinical Support During Transition
Rabbi Ted Feldman of B'nai Israel Jewish Center in Petaluma will be providing rabbinic support to our congregation during this transitional period. If any Ner Shalom member is in need of spiritual counseling or rabbinic support for a life cycle event please feel free to contact him directly at 707-765-2937. We hope to have Rabbi Feldman lead a Friday night service in the near future so that you have a chance to meet and get to know him. We are very pleased and honored that he has agreed to assist in serving our community and hope this will also create ties with the members of B'nai Israel.
Gifts of Life
MEMORIAL DONATIONS...
ARIANA ELSTER, a donation in memory of Sally Churgel's mother, Harriet
MICHELLE & STEVEN MARKS, a donation in memory of Sally Churgel's mother, Harriet
THANK YOU TO...
BERRINE DECARMO and MYRNA ROGOFF, for doing a thorough job of cleaning out the food cupboard and refrigerator
News from Dor Hadash
Dear Chevre,
     After a late and admittedly rocky start, Dor Hadash has very quickly gained momentum thanks to our wonderful teachers Rebecca and Sharon.
     Just as in Jerusalem, we need the rain that comes only between Sukkot and Pesach, so we start each week with a prayer for rain that we do with our bodies. The students are learning that there are many ways to pray, and so far they have been pretty good at bringing some rain most weeks. In both classes, the students are learning Hebrew. The older students are brushing up on what they've learned in previous years and the younger ones are making Hebrew letters with clay, crayons and with their bodies. Did you know it takes two young children to make the letter "hay?"
     Last week, the delicious smell of freshly baked challah filled the air as the beautiful loaves the kids braided, baked. They took them home in the challah covers they made the week before. As they learn, they create, touch and taste different pieces of Judaism.
     We are looking forward to future holidays, and are very excited about our Chanukah celebration on Friday night, December 7th at 6:15 pm.
Blessings,
Shari Brenner, education committee
Pamela Pepper, education committee
Board News
Dear Chevre,
     I look forward to seeing you at our annual Chanukah party on Friday, December 7th.
     The coming months we will have services return on a regular basis led by our Rabbinical team which include Rabbi Ted Feldman and other invited guests.
     Early in 2008 we will be producing some fundraisers to benefit Ner Shalom, with a Murder Mystery Dinner and Show and other exciting events for the family. If you have thespian blood in your veins and would like to participate or have suggestions for a fundraiser, please e- mail me or contact Ellyn Lazar who chairs our Public Events Committee.
     I would like to take this opportunity to invite the members of Ner Shalom to sit on one or more of our committees, which are the backbone of our leadership. Please feel free to attend one of our Board meetings to participate and indicate you interest.
     The Board would like to thank all those members who volunteer their time and energy to make our Shul the warm, loving and nurturing place that it has become.
B'shalom,
Jack Fender
Board President
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
Jack Fender 588-8824
e-mail: fenderola@yahoo.com
Berrine DeCarmo 588-9088
e-mail: berrine1988@sbcglobal.net
Ellyn Lazar 838-4785
e-mail: emlazar@sbcglobal.net
Nancy Rapp (415) 897-5090
e-mail: rappwayne@prodigy.net
William Rogers 762-8645
e-mail: willrogers13@gmail.com
Renee Kramer 823-9555
e-mail: reneek777@sbcglobal.net
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Education - Co-Chairs Pamela Pepper 588- 8824
e-mail: p.pepper@yahoo.com
and Shari Brenner 575-5863
e-mail: sbrenner@sonic.net
Finance Committee -Ariana Elster 824- 5609
e-mail: aelster@comcast.net
Membership - position open
Personnel - Barbara Lesch-McCaffry 585- 2291
e-mail: mccaffry@sonoma.edu
Visioning Committee - Sally Churgel 823- 0541
e-mail: churgel@pacbell.net
No-Cost Fundraising - Anna Ghandour 584-4829
e-mail: huskyanna@yahoo.com
Building and Maintenance - Jack Fender 588-8824
e-mail: fenderola@yahoo.com
Newsletter - Pamela Pepper 588- 8824
e-mail: p.pepper@yahoo.com
Website - Anne Woods
e-mail: rainywoods@yahoo.com
Dor Hadash Education Director: position open
Administrator: Carol Vanek 664- 8622
e-mail: shalom@sonic.net
Office Hours: Tues.-Fri. 9:00 AM- 2:00 PM
Birthdays and Anniversaries ~ December
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
DECEMBER 6 ~ HELENE STEINLAUF NORWITT
DECEMBER 8 ~ ELLYN LAZAR
DECEMBER 18 ~ AMY SCHIFF
DECEMBER 27 ~ ANDREW WAGNER
Community Announcements
The Jewish Community Free Clinic is now accepting donations of toys and children's books. Please bring them to the Jewish Free Clinic located at 6307 Commerce Blvd., next door to Summit Bank.
JFCS RIDES hits the road to help seniors go to medical appointments, shopping, personal care appointments, and local community events.
Please check our website nershalom.org for more information.
OPEN YOUR HEART TO A WAITING CHILD
Sonoma County has a serious shortage of caring foster families.
Foster parents are needed for children and youth of all ages and ethnic backgrounds.
Please check our website nershalom.org for more information.
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation West Coast Region website: www.jrf.org/westcoast
ASK JCI & R...
Nun, gimel, hey, shin! Let the magic of Chanukah begin!
Looking for?
. Community menorah lighting events http://bayarea.planitjewish.com
. Family and tzedakah Chanukah projects.
. Adopt-a-family-sponsor a needy family for Chanukah
. Latke and holiday recipes
. Directions for the dreidel game
. Traditions and rules for lighting the candles
. Fun gift and entertaining ideas
. Lyrics and music to traditional and contemporary songs
. Companion Guide to Chanukah
. Or just trying to get the candle wax drippings off your menorah?
Nu, you've come to the right place!
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.
Please check our website nershalom.org for more information.
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.
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.
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.c om 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.c om 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.Al bertsons. 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.
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.
Contact Information
email: p.pepper@yahoo.com
phone: (707)664-8622
web: http://www.nershalom.org |
