Temple Emanu-El Connections Adar 5775 • V
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Temple Emanu-El Connections Adar 5775 • V. 79 No. 5 February 2015 Third Annual Latkes and Laughs Thank you to all who attended this fun event on December 14, 2014. The event was a huge success! There was a full house, and an amazing line up of comedians. Our host - Jeff Applebaum, Joe Ngyuen, and Wayne Federman. This is an annual fundraising event which kicks off our Chanukah season. More importantly it is a fun event with a chance for people to get together and schmooze over latkes and laughs. We had fantastic Temple Emanu-El February Service Schedule support, as well as from many others outside our Temple community. Friday, February 6 6:15 PM Shabbatluck Dinner Big thanks go to the Latkes and Laughs Committee: Stacey Dedering and 7:00 PM Erev Shabbat Family Service Carol Hoffman (co-chairs), Jeff Applebaum, Andrea Laber, Rebecca Wong, Saturday, February 7 Liz Shivell, Jenny Wagner, Julie Schnitzer, and Deborah Zimmer. 10:00 AM Shabbat in Nature And THANK YOU to the fantastic EESY volunteers, as well as the office Friday, February 13 and custodial staff for their great support! 7:00 PM Erev Shabbat Service See page 2 for additional pictures Saturday, February 14 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan Please Join Our Synagogue Friday, February 20 for Temple Emanu-El Religious School’s 6:00 PM Tot Shabbat 6:30 PM Tot Shabbat Catered Dinner Shabbat in Nature 6:30 PM Wine and Cheese Reception at Vasona Park – Creekside Picnic Area 7:00 PM Rock Shabbat Spring and Love Saturday, February 21 celebrating Tu B’Shevat Plant 10:00 AM Minyan, Tea & Torah (Parshat Terumah) February 7, 2015 some seeds! Friday, February 27 Please join us around 10:00 AM 6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Scout Service and participate in any or all of the following: 7:30 PM NextGen Shabbat Family Friendly Minyan Saturday, February 28 led by Rabbi Magat & Cantor Simerly at 10:30 AM 10:00 AM Yoga Shabbat Sunday, March 1 Potluck Lunch 11:00 AM Purim Spiel Please bring a dish to share & something to drink. We mark Tu B’Shevat by eating fruit, 11:30 AM Purim Carnival especially those mentioned in the Torah: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates! All are welcome – Babies, Kids, Families, and Friends l 1010 University Ave. E • Vasona Park has a walking trail, No reservations required, but for - San Jose, CA 95126 u open space, a creek and lake more information about this Shabbat n 408-292-0939 in Nature, contact Carol Hoffman a • Stay all day and play with facebook.com/templesanjose ([email protected]). m family and friends E twitter.com/templesanjose • Near Oak Meadow Park with the This event is sponsored by Temple e l carousel and train Emanu-El Ritual Committee. p [email protected] Donations to support Shabbat in Nature m For more about Santa Clara County e www.templesanjose.org Parks, go to are welcome. T http://gooutsideandplay.org/ Please bring money for parking fees. Connections Words From the Rabbi Purim is that we must face those who hate us with dignity and courage. We must stand up in opposition to hatred and prejudice. And we are reminded of the importance of strong female leadership! The story of Ester is a powerful story of a Jewish woman rising up to speak her mind and who was willing to sacrifice herself for the good of her people. Purim is also a holiday that is supposed to be fun, a catharsis, a way to let yourself go. Purim is an opportunity to remind ourselves that we should not take ourselves too seriously. Purim is a fun holiday that features the reading of the Megillah, dressing in costume, hamentashen, graggers (noise makers) and a shpiel. It also features the giving of Early next month we will be celebrating one of our favorite gifts, the mitzvah of Misloach Manot. Often, gift exchanges of minor festivals … the holiday of Purim. food, pastries, and other such goodies take place. In modern times, giving gifts to the poor on Purim has become a Purim features the story of Ester from the book of Ester custom. Traditionally, one is extra generous on this holiday. which was the last book in our TaNaKH (bible) to enter our Canon. It is one of the five Megillot (scrolls) in our Ketuvim A number of years ago, the Confirmation class created (writings) which is the third section of our TaNaKH. Each an opportunity for members of our congregation to scroll either inspired a Jewish holiday or reflects a participate in this Mitzvah. I hope that you will partici - message that is at the heart of the holiday. The other four pate in our Mishloach Manot Exchange. Information and scrolls are Ecclesiastes which is read on Sukkot, Song of details are on page 11 in this issue of Connections so Songs on Pesach, Ruth on Shavuot, and Lamentations on please sign up! The deadline to order is February 18 and Tisha B’Av. It took hundreds of years of debate, and they will be distributed beginning on February 27. generations of rabbis to finally agree to allow the book of Ester into our Bible. Why so long? Because it is the only May this Purim remind us how blessed we are to be a part book in our entire Bible that never mentions God. of this holy congregation. But the rabbis understood that the book was important L’Shalom, because of its meaning and its message. The message of Rabbi Dana L. Magat More Photos from the Third Annual Latkes and Laughs… continued from page 1 2 Connections A Women’s Journey Women in Relationships On Friday, November 21, Temple Emanu-El celebrated its long-time members at a Shabbat service filled with Sunday, February 8, 2015 traditional readings and melodies. The 1PM—4:30PM siddur was developed initially for our Keynote Speaker~Lori Solay 150th year celebration, and drew from Awakening your full potential to live your best life! the Union Prayerbook. Cantor Meeka Simerly led us in the familiar melodies. When Rabbi Magat asked congregants who had been members for 80 years or more to stand, they included Bob Hersch, Rubin Jurman, and Marv Fox. Joan and Marv Fox and Syd Levin represented 5 generations of Temple membership when they lit the Shabbat candles. More than 100 people were honored for 25 or more years of dedication to our congregation. At the Oneg, guests drank a celebratory A workshop for women from Teens to Golden Girls champagne toast. Ronald Mandel took photos of long-time members as well as with lectures featuring local health professionals. those who attended our Religious Topics include: Teen Romance, Meaningful Relationships in a School, and families who represented Cyberworld, Expectations of Aging Parents, Adapting to Motherhood, up to four generations of Temple membership. It was an evening to nosh, Feathering Our Empty Nest with Fun, Letting Go with Grace, schmooze, and reminisce with old Balancing Career and Kids, 20’s are for Change, and more. friends. Congregants were invited to share their memories on decorative pieces of paper which will be collected $18 per person pre-paid. $25 at the door. Teens attend FREE. in a scrapbook. If you were unable to For registration and full description of the topics and presenters visit: attend on November 21st, and would www.templesanjose.org Open to the community. like to share some of your experiences of Temple Emanu-El in the past, please send an e-mail to Shirley Lee ([email protected]). 1010 University Ave Much appreciation goes to the San Jose, CA committee who organized the event: 408-292-0939 Co-chairs Shirley Lee and Gloria Melmon-Ascher, with help and support from Kama Fletcher, Stephanie Pollock, continued on page 10 Temple Religious School Attendees Members for 50 years or more 3 Connections Kama’s Corner The Temple’s Administrative Team Ritual Committee has gone through a number of staffing changes in the past few February is one of those months that doesn’t speak to me very months so I’d like to take this much, and I wondered what to write about. I’m writing this in a opportunity to bring you up to speed break from one of the storms of mid-December, and I see the on our new and improved A-Team: fresh green foothills that I hadn’t seen for years of drought, almost appearing overnight after the first “Storm of the Century.” Yael Meiri joined the Temple’s A- I find myself taking a deep breath and saying “ahhh”, feeling Team in early October as our Clergy and Administrative renewed. Assistant. She is our “front line” in terms of answering calls to the Temple, greeting visitors, and generally Perhaps we’ll have had more of these If you have helping anyone who contacts the Temple with questions storms by the time you read this, or we never been to or scheduling requests. She also manages the Rabbi’s could be tired of rain and cold, (after a Tu B’Shevat more than half my life living in California, calendar, creates Shabbat handouts, mails acknowledge - seder, I hope the Midwesterner in me still thinks of ment letters to donors, oversees the healing list, that you have communi cates regarding Yahrzeits, assists families with February as “Will this never end?!”). the opportunity B’Nai Mitzvah and other important lifecycle events… It’s a But I look at the calendar and see that big job! And Yael has gracefully and quickly embraced this year, Tu B’Shevat arrives in February, to attend one.