june 2008 ~ sivan-tamuz 5768
-- From the Board
-- Rabbinic Support
-- Upcoming Services
-- Dor Hadash News
-- Mazal Tov!
-- Gifts of Life
-- Welcomes & Thanks
-- Kavanah Committee
-- Monthly Healing Day
-- Our Community
Thank You, Pam!
For years the Malakh has been published monthly through the hard work of congregant Pam Fender (formerly Pam Pepper). With this issue, Pam has begun a leave of absence from her role as volunteer editor-in-chief. Our community sends its deep gratitude for all Pam's efforts to keep us in touch.
July Birthdays
8 Oren Slozberg
15 Lily Wagner
18 Emmy Wagner
18 Zachary Wagner
20 Robin Birdfeather
From the Board: New Directions at Ner Shalom
Dear Chevre,
As Sally Churgel noted at the congregational meeting, this is a time of transition for Ner Shalom. We are mindful of the loss of Rebbe Elisheva as our spiritual leader at this time last year, and are grateful to the efforts of the Board and the members of the Visioning committee for their work over the past year. We are also grateful to Rabbi Tsvi Bar-David, who led our High Holiday services last year and served as interim rabbi for the past seven months, and we rejoice with him in his recent ordination. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Pamela Fender (formerly Pepper), Shari Brenner, Jack Fender, Berrine De Carmo, and especially Irwin Keller, whose commitment and wisdom have helped revitalize our religious school, Dor Hadash. And thanks also go to Ariana Elster and Art Magnus who have steered the Finance Committee (and Renee Kramer who stepped in as Treasurer) and helped us keep our financial heads above water. A debt of gratitude to Pamela Fender who is taking a well deserved break from serving as our newsletter editor. So many have contributed to our community and it feels as if we are now beginning to truly reap many of the positive seeds that have been sown in the past year.
As Barbara Lesch McCaffry reported on behalf of the Personnel Committee, the board and the membership were divided as to how to move forward with half of us wanting to hire Rabbi Tsvi on a permanent basis and the other half wanting us to engage in a search for a new spiritual leader. Given the lack of consensus, the Board decided that the best option was to engage in a search and invite Rabbi Tsvi to apply (which he has declined). The board felt it was best to have the new Board (which will come on at the July board meeting) both appoint and direct the Rabbinic Search Committee. In the meantime, we have had a number of potential leaders contact us as and have been scheduling guest rabbis and leaders over the next few months. The visit by Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman was a lift to the spirits of all of us who were able to attend her Kabbalat Shabbat service and the activities at Ariana Elster's home the following day.
The Board felt it was important to return to having services dependably on the first and third Fridays of every month, following a summer hiatus in July. Please join us for the next services: Reb Irwin Keller leading on August 1 and Rabbi Alyjah Navy on August 15, with Reb Irwin providing musical accompaniment. If you have not had a chance to participate with Reb Irwin at Dor Hadash, the Shabbaton or at Rabbi Sharfman's services, you have missed something truly special and heartfelt.
As many of you who attended the congregational meeting know, the entire current board is stepping down in order to provide for new energies in the year to come, although two of us, Berrine DeCarmo and Barbara Lesch McCaffry, have agreed to run for the new board in order to provide continuity. Other departing Board Members will be continuing to provide leadership through our synagogue committees: Jack Fender as chair of the Building Committee, Nancy Rapp as chair of the Membership Committee, and Ellyn Lazar as chair of the High Holiday Committee. Former Board President Ariana Elster has stepped forward as a nominee to the new Board, as have Shari Brenner, Alan Hahn, A.J. Levis, Art Magnus and Helene Steinlauf-Norwitt. Ballots with stamped returned envelopes were mailed to all members who were not at the congregational meeting. If you have not already done so, please vote and return your ballot immediately. A quorum of votes by members is required. Each candidate must receive a minimum 60% of the votes cast in order to serve on the board.
The hope of all of us who have tried to provide leadership to our congregation in the past year is that each of you will be able to rededicate yourself to our wonderful community and finds ways to help us in moving forward.
B'Shalom,
Barbara Lesch McCaffry
on behalf of the outgoing Ner Shalom Board of Directors
Rabbinic Support
If any Ner Shalom member is in need of spiritual counseling or rabbinic support for a life cycle event, feel free to contact Rabbi Ted Feldman of B'nai Israel in Petaluma. His phone number is (707) 765-2937. We also wish to thank Rabbi Tsvi Bar-David for his spirit-filled rabbinic support over the past year.
Upcoming Services
Kabbalat Shabbat Services:
(no services in July)
7:30 August 1, led by Reb Irwin Keller
7:30 August 15, led by Rabbi Alyjah Nabi; music by Reb Irwin
Yamim HaNoraim - High Holy Days:
Selichot - Saturday, September 20
Erev Rosh Hashanah - Monday, September 29
Rosh Hashanah Day - Tuesday, September 30
Erev Yom Kippur - Wednesday, October 8
Yom Kippur Day - Thursday, October 9
Stay tuned for times, volunteer needs, children's programming, etc. We look forward to welcoming 5769 with you, your friends and your loved ones!
Dor Hadash News
Dor Hadash ended the 2007-08 school year with our fabulous Shabbaton Bamidbar (translates as "in the wilderness" - the parasha of that week) at Spring Lake. We camped in the wilderness for two nights, had services on
picnic benches and read Torah under a tree. The turnout of Dor Hadash students AND Ner Shalom members was great and we hope to build on this tradition next year.
Dor Hadash 2008-09 promises to be a wonderful year, and we hope many new students will be joining us. We are working on a curriculum that enhances the kids' love of learning, incorporates Bar Mitzvah study and builds community. Stay tuned - we will be asking all members of the Ner Shalom community to participate in some way. Meanwhile, the Special Needs class will move into its second year of programming, bringing in families from around the Bay Area.
Note: we're still hiring teachers for this fall. If you know strong teachers who might be interested, email us!
Beginning this fall, Dor Hadash will be co-hosting a Jewish Teen Group, along with Congregation B'nai Israel in Petaluma. Let us know if your teenager or others that you know might want to participate. The program is being established with the help of Jewish Teen Alliance.
Above right: Sixth grader Khalil Schwartz-Omer keeps the fires burning at Shabbaton Bamidbar last month.
Mazel Tov To:
* PAM AND JACK FENDER on their marriage in May
* RABBI TSVI BAR-DAVID on his recent and eagerly anticipated ordination
* ROSE TRIEST on her Bat Mitzvah
* ANNE TAMAR-MATTIS for winning a highly competitive Echoing Green Fellowship to continue her legal advocacy on behalf of intersex children (visit Advocates for Informed Choice)
* SQUID TAMAR-MATTIS for winning an American Legion Award for leadership, scholarship and service
* LANCE SMITH of our Dor Hadash School, for tying the Sebastopol Little League's home run record, breaking his own team's record, and making the All-Star Team!
If you have a simcha, let the community celebrate with you. Call the synagogue office at (707) 664-8622. You may also choose to mail us a donation to honor any of our community members.
Gifts of Life
MEMORIAL DONATIONS...
PAUL & LORRAINE LICHTMAN, in memory of Harold Goodman and Dick Goodman
HELENE STEINLAUF-NORWITT, in memory of Rachel Steinlauf
ARIANA ELSTER, in memory of Ida Hycha Elster
ALAN & ADELLE ZIFF, in memory of Joseph Aaron Nadler
OFFERINGS...
ARIANA ELSTER, in honor of our newlyweds, Pam & Jack Fender
JOE & LINDA MALONEY, in honor of Ari, Sam, Alysa and Rose Triest
BARBARA & MICHAEL LESCH MCCAFFRY, in honor of Pam & Jack's wedding, and Rabbi Tsvi Bar-David's ordination
SHIRA HADDITT, in honor of Ariana Elster, in appreciation of many, many things
Welcome New Members...
ALAN HAHN - welcome back!
And Special Thanks To...
RABBI TSVI for all his support in the past year.
ANNA BELLE KAUFMAN and ARIANA ELSTER for sponsoring the Oneg and Ordination Celebration on June 27.
RABBI BONNIE SHARFMAN for her services last week and to ARIANA ELSTER for opening her home for shabbat and havdalah activities.
Kavanah Committee
Kavanah means "intention". Ner Shalom now has a Kavanah Committee -- an advisory committee looking at our congregation's rituals, observances, services, music, and our spiritual intentions. We would love to hear from you! What is important to you in our religious life? Should we offer more family services? Saturday mornings? Torah study sessions? Healing services? More singing? Dancing? Tell us what moves you, and we'll try to make a home for it at Ner Shalom. Our next meeting is over coffee, Monday, July 14, 9:30 am at Northlight Books. Come join us. Or email us!
Monthly Healing Day
Sunday, July 13, 11 AM - 4 PM
Our synagogue is a sacred space. This is a day when people can come for what they need.
Bodywork offered by Alan Hahn, massage therapist since 1976. Robin Birdfeather, Trigger Point teacher, will be teaching a Self Healing workshop at 1PM. Suggested donation of $36.00, but no one will be turned away. For more information, call Alan Hahn at 795-3891.
Board Members
Jack Fender - President
588- 8824
fenderola@yahoo.com
Berrine DeCarmo - VP
588- 9088
berrine1988@sbcglobal.net
Barbara Lesch McCaffry Secretary 585- 2291
mccaffry@sonoma.edu
Renee Kramer - Treasurer 823- 9555
reneek777@comcast.net
Nancy Rapp
(415) 897-5090
nancyerappinsky@yahoo.com
Ellyn Lazar
838-4785
emlazar@sbcglobal.net
Anna Belle Kaufman 824-2997
rxarts@gmail.com
Barkat Ferar
765-1844
ferarfamily@yahoo.com
Committees
Education Committee
Shari Brenner
575-5863
sbrenner@sonic.net
Personnel Committee
Barbara Lesch McCaffry
585- 2291
mccaffry@sonoma.edu
Finance Committee
Ariana Elster
824- 5609
aelster@comcast.net
Membership Committee
Nancy Rapp
(415) 897- 5090
nancyerappinsky@yahoo.com
Building and Maintenance - Jack Fender
588- 8824
fenderola@yahoo.com
Kavanah Committee
(formerly "Religious Life")
Irwin Keller
(415) 637-2003
irwin@irwinkeller.com
Administrator
Carol Vanek
664-8622
shalom@sonic.net
Office Hours:
Tues.- Fri. 9:00 AM- 2:00 PM
In Our Community
The Jewish Community Free Clinic of Sonoma County is now accepting donations of toys and children's books. Please bring them to their new location at Center Drive in Rohnert Park, just north of the public library. Go to JCFC for more details.
JFCS Rides hits the road to help seniors get to medical appointments, shopping, personal care appointments, and local community events. Go to JFCS Senior Programs for more information.
More events, needs and opportunities in our community can be found at Ner Shalom Community Announcements.
Congregation Ner Shalom Malakh
Carol Vanek
Editor
(707) 664-8622
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