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ConnectionsTemple Emanu-El Adar - Nissan 5781 • V. 85 No. 6 March 2021 Service Schedule March Passover Second Night Seder Sunday, March 28, 5:00 PM Friday, March 5 We’re excited to host our Second Night Seder with all of you! Join 7:00 PM Zoom Family Erev Shabbat Service us online for our annual dinner and reading of the Haggadah. This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to come together to share in the Saturday, March 9 tradition of telling the Passover story. We will be providing Seder Gift Bags for you 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan to enjoy in addition to our Second Night Seder in a box, which will be available for led by Shomrim (6th Grade) purchase. Pricing, ordering, registration and further details will be available for you online at www.templesanjose.org/event/SecondNightSeder Friday, March 12 7:00 PM Streaming Erev Shabbat Service Kreplach and Dim Sum: Saturday, March 13 10:00 AM Zoom Cassie Schneider Bat Mitzvah Yes, There Are Jews in China! Friday, March 19 Tuesday, March 16, 2:00pm 6:00 PM Streaming Tot Shabbat Celebrate the extraordinary presence of Jews in China via Zoom! Through lively stories, photos, videos and music, Robin Helzner 7:00 PM Erev Streaming Shabbat shares an irresistible enthusiasm for both the ancient and modern Saturday, March 20 Jewish communities of Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Kaifeng. 10:30 AM Zoom Bar Mitzvah of Robyn Helzner radiates a passion for Jewish music that captivates listeners. A leading Justin Ball interpreter of World Jewish Music, Robyn has appeared in concerts in Amsterdam, Friday, March 26 Hong Kong, Tokyo, and throughout North America. This event is jointly organized 6:30 PM Zoom Live Kabbalat by the synagogues of the South Bay: Congregation Beth David, Congregation Shir Shabbat Service Hadash, Congregation Sinai, Temple Emanu-El, and Jewish Silicon Valley. In the spirit of the relaunching of the local Jewish Federation as Jewish Silicon Valley, the four local synagogues (CSH, Temple Beth David, Temple Emanu-el and Congregation Sinai) and the Addison-Penzak JCC have come together to, on a Mark your rotating basis, host educational programs that will be of interest to our collective calendars communities. We believe there is strength in numbers and we will be able to bring in for a special bigger and better speakers to the South Bay Jewish community. Havdallah on March 13 Free! Register at www.templesanjose.org/event/JewsInChina at 6:00 PM. We will be marking the 1 year anniversary of Temple Emanu-El becoming an Jews of Lithuania online community. Check out Join Shirley Lee as we journey to the land of the Litvaks. Page 4 for more details. Even if your ancestors didn’t come from Lithuania, you, too, may be a Litvak! In four sessions, we will explore: 1010 University Ave., • The History of the Litvaks up to the • Shetls, Cemeteries, San Jose, CA 95126 eve of WWII Synagogues, and Castles 408-292-0939 February 28, 12:00 PM–1:00 PM March 14, 10:00 AM–11:00 AM www.templesanjose.org • Lithuania’s three major cities: Vilna, • Holocaust, Soviet Occupation, and facebook.com/templesanjose Kovno, Klaipeda Righteous Gentiles March 7, 10:00 AM–11:00 AM March 21, 10:00 AM–11:00 AM twitter.com/templesanjose [email protected] Register online at: https://www.templesanjose.org/event/JewsOfLithuania Connections Cantor Notes Calling all ladies of Temple Emanu-El! Please join Cantor Amanda Edmondson, the Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood, and special guest, Cantor Tifani Coyot of Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles for a truly inspiring Rosh Chodesh zoom session: Sunday, March 14, 1:00 PM. This Rosh Chodesh Nisan, we’ll explore the Jewish values that go into the food we eat. Kashrut, or kosher law, is what has guided our Jewish eating habits for centuries. But what does it actually mean to eat Jewishly? Shouldn’t there be a deeper meaning for us than simple kosher commandments? This session, we’ll talk about how to have a positive, Jewish relationship with food. And even more, how can we help our world and our society have a better relationship with food and the agriculture and production Cantor Tifani Coyot that goes along with it? Cantor Coyot will share her journey of healing from her relationship with food through various stages in her life which has led to the creation of a spiritual reimagining of kashrut — Value-Based eating. Please join us on Sunday, March 14 at 1:00 PM to learn more about this fascinating new approach. Register on our Temple website to receive the zoom link. Cantor Amanda Edmondson Preschool One of my favorite things about preschool is the excitement the children feel over the simple little things. Whether it is sidewalk chalk just after a rain or playing with shaving cream the kids are full of excitement and giggles. The kids also enjoyed making hamentashen and of course the annual Preschool Purim Carnival. Though, it had to be altered a bit this year to make sure we are following all of our protocols for Covid-19, the kids had the very best time! I am in awe of the support and encouragement our preschool has received from the TEPS community both new and former families. We continue to grow and thrive during this crazy time and we are just about full for the 2021- 2022 school year. Please contact me if you are interested in joining our program. Barbara Smead, MA.Ed Director of Early Childhood Education [email protected] Bat Mitzvah Cassie Schneider, daughter of Harry Schneider and Gia Kipperman Schneider, will be called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on March 13, 2021. Cassie loves musical theater, softball, streaming television shows and spotting actors making cameo appearances. Cassie’s parents and sister Alyssa commend her on her persistence and positive attitude as she has changed her dates and plans with the evolving circumstances. Cassie is looking forward to a special zoom mitzvah, and hoping to travel to Israel and/or celebrate in some other special way when restrictions ease. 2 Connections Religious School Spring time is unique to the natural that I think is comparable is if I had the opportunity to go world. Flowers begin to bloom, the to Mecca and witness the Hajj (although that throng would days get a bit longer, the animals get dwarf the size of the Pilgrims to the Church of the Holy a bit frisky, and the Jewish calendar Sepluchre). turns to the month of Nisan. It is on My hope is that everyone has an opportunity in their lifetime the 14th day of this month that we to witness such unique experiences that are not part of our celebrate the most widely observed normal, everyday culture in the Unites States. Many people Jewish holiday – Pesach. What this time of year make pilgrimages to Arizona and Florida to comes to mind when you hear the pay homage to the gods of baseball but somehow I think word Pesach? It is matzah? Family? it is not quite the same. Of course, we can only dream of Long seders? Gefilte fish? Charlton traveling again once the COVID-ness is under control. And, Heston? Searching for the Affikomen? Whatever images are once that does happen, it would be a wonderful sight to see conjured upon hearing the name Pesach, it is distinctive and all of our families here at TEE making the weekly pilgrimage memorable. This is due to the fact that almost every Jew, to 1010 University Ave on Sunday mornings for Religious regardless of their level of observance, has at one point School. But for now, we can dream… celebrated Pesach. Some people have dubbed Pesach the Jewish Thanksgiving because of the similarities of family Phil Hankin, MAJE, Director of Education gathering around a table to eat and be together. At this time I think back to my year studying abroad in Jerusalem at Hebrew Union College. That year was memorable for many reasons but some have to do with Brotherhood opportunities that I had that might never happen again. Unless I make aliyah and move to Israel, I was fortunate As we head towards Spring, Brotherhood continues to to experience the Jewish holidays in ways that we cannot roll on with virtual meetings and safe outdoor activities, replicate here in the US. For instance, on Yom Kippur, I while looking forward to the day when we can get walked down the middle of the busiest street in Jerusalem together in person. to attend services because there was not a single vehicle As the weather gets warmer, we will be looking to set moving in town. Completely empty. Only adults and kids up a couple of outdoor events, including a bike ride walking freely without fear of being hit by a car or bus. and possibly a hike, weather permitting. Be on the Imagine if that happened here and you were able to walk lookout for events on our calendar. up and down The Alameda with absolutely no vehicles. We have also re-started a Brotherhood tradition: poker How about Purim and dancing in those same streets like night. Of course, for now, poker night will have to be you were in Times Square on New Year’s Eve? Purim in held virtually, but it will still be good fun and a chance Jerusalem puts Mardi Gras in New Orleans to shame. for Brotherhood to gather and hang out. During Pesach, though, you not only have the experience We’re continuing to do our part to contribute to the of living in the very country that the Israelites fled to upon community in Santa Clara Valley by volunteering at leaving Egypt with Moses, but you also have the unique Second Harvest Food Bank food distribution events.