President's Message - June 2017

Shalom everyone,

As usual I’m writing this message for the newsletter much past the time that it should have been submitted since it is 13 minutes before midnight on May 31^st. I never plan it this way but more often than not it happens. Thank you as always to Candice for inputting my report at whatever time she is able to do it.

It has been a month with times of great elation and other times of pain—the good along with the bad. Whenever you have seen me lately I’ve had a big smile on my face because my oldest daughter, Amy, after having gotten married a number of years ago and raised two children she committed herself to going back to college to get her degree. On Friday, May 19^th, she walked down the aisle at California State University Dominguez Hills to receive her B.S. in Political Science. My chest has certainly swelled as a result of my adulation for the hard work she put forth in completing her requirements. Every class day she spent around two hours each way either taking trains/busses or later driving after she got her car. That was after making sure her husband and son were where they needed to be for work and/or school. Mona and I are so proud of her. Now she is preparing to take the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) prior to applying for law school. She has worked extremely hard and has her goal in sight. I have all the confidence in the world that she will some day soon be a lawyer.

I want to congratulate all the other families in the synagogue who have graduates no matter what their age or school they have attended. Keep up the good work.

The “Mammas and Pappas” fundraiser has been postponed to some future date. I do not want their efforts to go for naught so I hope they can find a time to make it work. It’s not easy to put on the many programs that we attempt to do but keep trying. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed.

We put together a pre-Shavuot dinner on the last Friday night of May and with almost no advertising we ended up with over forty people in attendance. As usual the food was delicious and there was plenty for everyone. We try to schedule these around most of the holidays so plan to be at the next one whenever that might be. The price is easy to handle and just remember you don’t have to do the cooking. Thanks to Mona and her crew for planning the dinner, preparing the food and then cleaning up in time for the service that night. A job well done and everyone who helped deserves a pat on the back.

One last paragraph for this newsletter and it centers on keeping the synagogue in a strong financial condition. The current 2016-2017 fiscal year ends June 30^th so you can expect to receive your next year’s billing statement for your dues soon. As this year has come to a close we have had to dip into reserves much too often. There are plenty of reasons that I can point to as a reason but suffice it to say we need to have money come into our coffers as soon as possible. We appreciate your membership and look forward to seeing you throughout the year. Take advantage of your membership by coming often to many things we provide.

Feel free to pay for your dues or other bills with your credit card but understand that this year we will add a 4% surcharge whenever you do use the card. We simply cannot continue to absorb those fees charged to us by the bank. Out of time and space. Have a great month.  

Ron
Ron Trachtenberg
VBI Temple President

Birthdays, Anniversaries, & Celebrations - June 2017

MAZEL TOV

Mazel Tov to Sandy and Merrill Bonar upon the engagement of their granddaughter Aliya to Eric Peterson. 

Aliya, is the daughter of Jeff and Nanci Bonar.  Jeff is a graduate of our VBI Hebrew School.

Mazel Tov to Ron and Mona Trachtenberg, and congratulations to their daughter Amy who recently graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Cal State Dominguez Hills.  Amy plans on continuing on with her studies as she pursues a Law Degree.

 

Birthdays and Anniversaries!!

 Happy Birthday to Merrill Bonar upon the celebration of his 90th Birthday!! 

To honor birthdays and other celebrations, please join our congregation in our monthly Choral Shabbat. 

Our next program will be this Friday, June 2nd, 2017.
Services begin at 7:30pm

Please let Judy Knigin know if you will be celebrating a birthday or anniversary in the coming month.  Likewise, we invite you to sponsor an Oneg Shabbat or Kiddush Luncheon. Judy can be reached in the Temple office at (818) 782-2281

 

 

 

 

 

BEHIND THE HEADLINES - June 2017

by Selma Alpert

VOTER  FRAUD.   A Pew Foundation study found 1.8 million dead voters registered on the rolls in 226 counties in 42 states.  There were more actual than registered voters.  Judicial Watch claims there are 20 million aliens of voting age.  . Experts have limited resources to prosecute illegal voting.

 

NEW  HELP.  President Trump has created a commission to investigate voter fraud, by executive order. This Presidential Commission on Election Integrity, will be led by Vice-President Pence.  This will be a difficult job.

 

PRAISE  FORDHAM.  A Catholic university, Fordham, has rejected the “Students for Justice in Palestine,” a terrorist-supporting, Muslim-front organization, from its campus.  SDS is the leading anti-Israel, pro-BDS agitator at the UC campuses. Congratulations go to Fordham.  We hope others will join them.  Unfortunately, Jewish Brandeis University is on a top-ten list of terrorist-friendly colleges.  That’s disgraceful.

 

SAFE Z0NES.  President Trump has gotten Saudi Arabia’s King to agree to support “safe zones” in Syria.  Skeptics are amazed.  Refugees will rejoice.

 

TRULY  NAMED.  Finally, the U.S. has designated the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps as “terrorists.”  Iran sponsors and strengthens Hezbollah, based in Lebanon.  The Corps have built up a missile force of multi-thousands in Lebanon.  They have trained Lebanese soldiers for a united attack on Israel.  Iran has trained with Hamas forces in Gaza, and built up the missile supply.  Iran is a serious threat to Israel’s survival.

 

RUSSIA  PROBE.  Russia has interfered in worldwide elections for years, U.S. security chiefs reported Russia did not affect the 2016 election results.  Polls show Donald Trump would win again if the election were held today.  

Why isn’t anyone investigating Hillary Clinton’s role in getting for Russia 20% of our precious U.S. uranium?  That is a very serious concern.
 

COMEY  FIRING.  In July, 2016, FBI Chief Comey presented a convincing case against Hillary Clinton but refused to proceed. Later he reopened it. Members of both parties wanted him to be fired.  Now President Trump has fired him, liberals are “outraged.”  Others say, “Why did you wait so long?”

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect the views of VBI.

News of Our Congregants - June 2017

Get well soon!

Get well to Myron Crystal - long time past member of  VBI.

 

 

We learned through a family member that Melissa Abramovicz, a past Sisterhood President of VBI, is quite ill.  We wish her a return to good health.

 

A speedy recovery to congregant Tamara Wynn who recently underwent stomach surgery.  We are thinking of you Tamara, and wish you well.

 All VBI Congregants

If you know of a congregant who is in need of our prayers due to a health issue or the loss of a loved one, please let us know.

 

 

Our Condolences
  

Heartfelt condolences go out to the family of
Bernie Yudell who recently passed.

 

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU to my VBI family and friends,

Thank you so much for the cards and phone calls during my last siege with physical and health problems.  Between pneumonia and back problems I am grateful for all your concerns.  I do hope that all these issues come to an end and I can go into senior citizen life with very little difficulty. (I can dream, can't I)?
Love, Gloria Sheftel

 

 

Torah Fund - June 2017

Torah Fund
Making a Difference

How do clergy in training learn to interact with people who are hospitalized, living in nursing homes, progressing through addiction recovery, seeking support groups, or finding themselves in hospice?    Astonishingly, these topics have not always found a place on the curricula for rabbinic and cantorial training.  Today, the seminaries that the Women’s League Torah Fund campaign supports dedicate substantial dollars, expertise and time to these issues.  A recent Alumnus from Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies served as campus Rabbi at the Los Angeles Jewish Home or Rabbi at a Hillel group. 

We are inspired by the commitment of our students and graduates to this deep level of caring.   Thanks to the support of Torah Fund, the ripple effects of these students’ education will impact people in all of our communities.  There will be many new rabbis and cantors who graduated from all our Jewish Institutions united in their desire to serve the Conservative movement.

We need your support more than ever in our Torah Fund campaign.  For those who have not contributed, please write your check to V. B. I. Sisterhood, Torah Fund . 

Again, thank you for your continued support of Torah Fund.

Bobbie Cohen 764-7952

Torah Fund V. P.