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L'shanah Tovah! Elul 5780—Tishrei 5781 - SEPTEMBER 2020 L’Shanah Tovah! Friday, September 4 Let’s be optimistic and say this is our first and last virtual High Holy Days. We hope to celebrate Shabbat Service 6 pm Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur 2021 in the Temple without masks and social distancing. Saturday, September 5 Below are possible ideas from the Worship Committee and Mental Health Subcommittee that Shabbat Service 10:30 am might help you experience a fulfilling High Holy Days experience. You may also have additional Jessica Harris Bat Mitzvah ideas for these Holy Days. Ki Tavo, Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8 As you celebrate with Rabbi Devorah, Rabbi Benj and Marshall Voit by creating a religious space Isaiah 60:1-22 in your home, we have a few suggestions for the High Holy Days. Friday, September 11 Before Services Shabbat Service 6 pm • Wearing synagogue-appropriate clothing Saturday, September 12 • Having flowers in the room as we usually see on the Bima Shabbat Service 10:30 am • Staying “off the grid” with all technology except for these virtual holiday times Nitzasvim-Vayeilech, Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30 • Calling or emailing a few congregant friends before services to wish them “L’Shana Tovah” Isaiah 61:10-63:9 • Lighting Shabbat and Yom Tov candles on Erev Rosh Hashanah Selichot Service 7 pm • Kindling a yahrzeit candle on Erev Yom Kippur Friday, September 18 During Services Erev Rosh Hashanah Light 6 pm • Placing your computer near items considered special or religious in your home, such as Erev Rosh Hashanah Service 7 pm photos, rocks, gems or family keepsakes. Saturday, September 19 • Separating your virtual celebration from your designated home workspace by going Rosh Hashanah Boker Tov 9 am outdoors or to another place inside Rosh Hashanah Morning Service 10 am • Setting up a social distancing place for another family and yours in your garden; having them Family Service 1:30 pm bring their own food & drinks so they can be physically and emotionally with you. Tashlich 3 pm • Being “outdoors” but together by social distancing with family or friends Friday, September 25 Shabbat Shuvah Service 6 pm • Standing and singing online together with Temple members Saturday, September 26 • Wearing a kippah or tallit Shabbat Shuvah Service 10:30 am • Having your shofar handy to participate in this religious tradition during the service Haazinu, Deuteronomy 32:1-52 • Playing a musical instrument Hosea 14:2-10, Micah 7:18-20, Joel • Encouraging your children to participate during services 2:15-27 After services Sunday, September 27 • Going outside to feel the spaciousness of the night sky and looking at the stars to remember Kever Avot Community Memorial our loved ones Service 10 am Thank you for uplifting the kedushah (holiness) of our special time together. Erev Yom Kippur Light 6 pm Erev Yom Kippur—Kol Nidre 7 pm Monday, September 28 Yom Kippur Boker Tov 9 am Yom Kippur Morning Service 10 am Limmud 12:30 pm Breakout Sessions 1:45 pm Afternoon Service 3:30 pm Yizkor 4:45 pm Ne’ilah & Havdallah 5:15 pm Friday, October 2 Erev Sukkot Service 5 pm On behalf of the Rabbi, the Board of Directors and the Saturday, October 3 staff, we wish you all a happy, healthy new year! Sukkot Festival Service 10:30 am Drive-Thru Sukkah Event 6 pm Ha-Sofer ⚫ September 2020 ⚫ Page 1 From the Presidents Shalom Chaverim! Here we are – standing again before the gates of the Jewish new year of 5781! Each new year brings with it the idea of renewal and reinvention. At the same time, each new year reminds us of how important our traditions and customs are. If the last six months have taught us anything, they have clearly demonstrated how important it is to have a strong community and a circle of support through our friends, who are family, and our family, who are friends. This includes of course, our beloved Temple Emanu- El family. It has been amazing seeing the many ways our sacred community has become even stronger and tighter through the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers have been driving and shopping for congregants who cannot safely go out. Students have been helping with cleaning out our buildings and assisting with so many very important tasks. Volunteers have been lending their expertise to our necessary property refurbishments and supporting our professional team through an unending series of adaptations and innovations for bringing Judaism to our homes and computer screens. We are filled with gratitude at the number of congregants who have stepped up to become new Chai Circle members, those who have chosen to remain Chai Circle members, and those who have increased their Chai Circle membership levels. It’s hard to describe how important these financial commitments are. We as a synagogue are committed to making sure that everyone who wants to call Temple Emanu-El their Jewish home still can, regardless of an ability to contribute financially. We are equally committed to ensuring that no family has to skip a year of important Jewish education because of an inability to pay. Because of the generosity of our Chai Circle members, we are working toward meeting these goals. We are also thrilled to share the news that we have launched our newest Endowment Fund – the Temple Emanu-El Torah School and Campership Endowment Fund! We want to thank Dr. Bob Rubenstein, Tom Lincoln, and Aaron Cohn for their leadership, along with the rest of the Endowment Committee. It requires an ongoing labor of love to help ensure a strong long-term Jewish future for our children. We are incredibly thankful to each and every one of you has chosen to maintain your Temple Emanu-El membership during these uncertain times. While some people look at synagogues similarly as to how they look gyms (as a transactional commodity), we know that the true value of the synagogue is not how often we do or do not step into either the sanctuary or a classroom. The true value is the community we form, the children who together we support, the seniors who we lend a helping hand to, and every person and family in between, who finds Temple Emanu-El to be a place of inclusion, a place of belonging, and a place to ask the deep and important question on life, meaning, and purpose. Because of you all and your commitments, this is the community that we are blessed to be a part of, and that we all continually work together to strengthen and maintain. Not only do we have wonderful volunteers and donors, but we are thrilled to announce that we now have a new Executive Director!!! We welcome our new Executive Director, Shaun Copans. Shaun grew up right here at Temple Emanu-El and is excited to return as an adult and reconnect with the Jewish community of his youth as one of our key leaders. Shaun, his wife Keri, and their two children (who both attend SDJA) are our newest Temple members and we welcome them with excitement and open arms. In this midst of an ever-changing and stressful world, Temple Emanu-El stands strong, preserving our values and traditions, and building beautiful, inclusive Jewish life right here in our little corner of the world. May 5781 be all that we dream of and more. As always, we encourage you to reach out to us to share your ideas, thoughts, and concerns so that we can better serve you and our community. Jeff Schindler & Eric Rosenzweig Co-Presidents [email protected] HA-SOFER THE SCRIBE BULLETIN DEADLINES is published monthly by Temple Emanu-El September 1 for the October issue 6299 Capri Drive San Diego, CA 92120 October 1 for the November issue Recovery International Do you suffer from stress, tension, worry, hopelessness? Can't sleep, experiencing anger, fear and panic? You are not alone. Recovery International is a cognitive- behavioral, peer-to-peer, self-help training method that has been around for 80 years. It supports individuals as they gain skills to lead more peaceful and productive lives. The meetings are donation based, but no one is ever turned away. Getting relief is more important. (619) 383-2084 [email protected] www.recoveryinternational.org Ha-Sofer ⚫ September 2020 ⚫ Page 2 Adult Education Add Your Strength to Ours! Supporting Lifelong Jewish Learning Below is a list of contacts for committees, projects and other ways to become more involved in the life of Temple Emanu-El. Please reach out to any of these groups to learn more about their work, and how you by Madelynn Micon, Committee Chair can become involved. Coffee with the Rabbi Wednesdays, September 9, 16, 23 and 30 11 am • Adult Education [email protected] Zoom in when you can for a lively discussion on current events. No Madelynn Micon (619) 200-3267 registration is needed – just an interest in Jewish learning. Zoom • Advocacy [email protected] links are published in the weekly congregational emails. Barbara Learner Mark Berger • Budget and Finance [email protected] • Caring Community [email protected] Ira Moskowitz (619) 449-2762 • Mental Health Subcommittee Lisa Goldberg (619) 405-5261 [email protected] • Endowment [email protected] Bob Rubenstein • House & Grounds [email protected] Steve Naiman (619) 449-2349 • Library [email protected] Wendy Ponomarenko • Membership [email protected] Cathy Sigismonti Introduction to Judaism is an engaging multi-session course for • Mi Shebeirach Tapestry [email protected] anyone interested in exploring Jewish life through a Reform lens. Claire Fritz Open to all, this course is perfect for interfaith couples, those raising Jewish children, spiritual seekers, individuals considering • Personnel [email protected] conversion, and Jews who want a meaningful adult Jewish learning Debbie Macdonald (858) 731-1354 experience.
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