Torah Fund - November 2017

Torah Fund Campaign of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism is a grassroots fundraising campaign dedicated to perpetuating Judaism by supporting its seminaries and scholarship funds.    This campaign was first launched in 1942 as a scholarship fund.  In 1963 it combined with the Mathilde Schechter Residence Hall campaign, which provided housing for undergraduate students at JTS and University of Judaism in Los Angeles.

This year, 2017-2018, our theme Mah tovu  which means “how good”, is a phrase that originates in the Torah, in Numbers 24:5.   Quoted in our prayer book, it forms the basis of the opening prayer that is sung when we enter the synagogue.

The one value that we all share is our love of Judaism and Jewish education.  It is because of this that we all benefit from the graduates of the schools that our Torah Fund campaign supports.  

You have received  letters for the 2017-2018 Torah Fund campaign in August.  We need your support more than ever in our Torah Fund campaign so please send your checks if you haven’t. 

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

Bobbie Cohen 764-7952

Torah Fund V. P.

Birthdays, Anniversaries, Celebrations - Nov 2017

Mazel Tov 

To Flora Jean and Merkel Weiss upon the birth of their first grandchild, Ryan to their son David and wife Genevieve.  

Birthdays and Anniversaries!!

To honor birthdays and other celebrations, please join our congregation in our monthly Choral Shabbat.  Our next program will be this Friday, November 3rd, 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

News of Our Congregants - Nov 2017

CONDOLENCES

Our deepest condolences to Bea Gelfand whose son Harold Gelfand passed during the High Holidays.  Harold lived in Buffalo, New York.  Bea is a long time member of VBI, though she is 95 and unable to join us at VBI for most festivities. 

 

Our very own "Behind  the Headlines" writer Selma Alpert passed suddenly this month.  She'd only just retired from her column last month.  We will miss you Selma, and send our condolences to your family and loved ones.

 

Finally. we send our condolences to the victims of the many recent tragedies our fellow Americans have faced in Las Vegas, in fires throughout our state, and as a result of the many hurricanes that have devastated so many.

 

GET WELL
Donna Leff, who suffered a recent fall, we wish you well in your recovery.

There are always a handful of our congregants who are battling illness or other health issues.  We send you wishes of a return to good health.  We look forward to seeing you back at VBI soon.

     

Interfaith Thanksgiving at VBI

Monday November 20th, Valley Beth Israel will be participating in the Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. This special community events brings together the local Jewish, Catholic, and Presbyterian congregations for a special service that promotes our shared faith in G-d and our love for humankind. Interfaith services will be held throughout southern California - we hope you will join us in attending our local event which begins at 7:00pm and concludes at about 8:15pm - with refreshments to follow.

 

The service is a special time for coming together and building good-will. The diverse program features music, words, and songs from many faiths, including a wonderful performance by a children's choir. Whether this will be your first time or one of many, you will learn and experience something new and wonderful about your neighbors of other faiths. And you'll get to meet and visit with some of them as you enjoy light (and Kosher) refreshments after the program.

 

This year's theme is "In the Image of God" reminds us "do not oppress the orphans, widows or strangers among you". Leaders of Panorama Presbyterian Church, St. Genevieve Catholic Church, and our Temple, Valley Beth Israel, along with special guest Rev. Ken Craft of the Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission all participate in leading this community event. 

 

The event works to provide support to Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, www.hopeofthevalley.org. Free-will offerings of non-perishable food, clean used clothing, and monetary gifts will be collected.

 

Congregations of Valley Beth Israel, Panorama Presbyterian Church, and St. Genevieve Catholic Church come together as congregants for this interfaith event.  This year's event will be hosted by our very own Valley Beth Israel Temple.  Please come and show your support for your synagogue and your fellow man at this fantastic event.

 

Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Celebrations - October 2017

Mazel Tov 

Last month we wished Mazel Tov to Elaine and Dan Rubinstein on the birth of their new granddaughter.  Their loving response...

 

Thank you for your donations and congratulations on the birth of our granddaughter in Finland. She now has a name!  It is Oreen Mia which is Hebrew for light of joy from God.

Receiving your cards with the congratulations and listing the many, many donations brought smiles to our faces.  You always respond whether it’s times of joy or sorrow.  Please know that all of you are greatly appreciated.

Birthdays and Anniversaries!!

To honor birthdays and other celebrations, please join our congregation in our monthly Choral Shabbat.  Our next program will be this Friday, October 6th, 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

Torah Fund - October 2017

Thank you for your continued support of our Torah Fund campaign!

 

Torah Fund is the grassroots fundraising campaign of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism that supports the seminaries of the Conservative/Masorti movement, the Jewish Theological Seminary in N. Y. the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles,  the Schechter Institutes in Jerusalem, Rabinico Latinoamericano in Buenas Aires and now Potsdam, Germany.

 

We are blessed in our synagogues with depth of learning, prayer, and acts of kindness that bind us together, with communal leaders who are thoughtful and learned; with children and grandchildren who make us smile; and with the love of family and friends.  Everyone has the opportunity to participate in preserving, promoting and perpetuating the Conservative movement by giving to the Torah Fund Campaign.   

 

By supporting the Jewish institutes our mission remains the same: educating rabbis, cantors, educators, scholars, and future lay leaders that our communities need to energize the “vital center” of religious life.

 

We need your support more than ever in our Torah Fund campaign. 

 

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

 

Bobbie Cohen 764-7952

Torah Fund V. P.

News of Our Congregants - October 2017

Our High Holiday services engaged many members and we really enjoyed the participation of each person who got involved. 
A very special Mitzvah was done by Justin Jacobs who conducted the Haftorah reading on Rosh Hashanah.  Justin became a Bar Mitzvah last year and requested to be involved in the service.  He and Shirley Winger spent months in preparation for the reading and it was beautiful.  Justin's proud family commented that "you could hear a pin drop" as congregants listened to the chanting of this young man.  Well Done Justin and Shirley!




A handful of our congregants have battled illness this summer.  We know some of you are doing much better and we are so glad for it.  We hope you all continue to improve and, please get well soon! 

Get well Macey Taylor!  Macey, who is 11 years old and a member of our Hebrew School is being treated for atypical pneumonia.  She's doing better and we wish her a speedy return to good health!

Finally, we send our well wishes to Selma Alpert - long time contributor the VBI Temple through her "In the Headlines" news reports.  Selma is recovering from major surgery - and has also decided to retire from her writings.  We wish you well and we thank you for your many contributions!

     

 

 

 

President's Message - October 2017

L’Shana Tovah everyone,

Yom Kippur is only a day away as I am writing this message. I hope the beginning of the new year has been kind to you and I wish for you only the best as the year progresses. We had a great start to the holiday with a Selichot dinner and service on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah. In prior years attendance for this beginning of the year had decreased to the point of perhaps cancelling it. My oldest daughter, Amy, stood up at a ritual meeting and said that was not a good idea suggesting that a dinner might attract at least a few people so that the service would be meaningful for Rabbi Mark and those that came. Well, lo and behold, we had 40 – 45 people at the dinner and over 60 for the service. All it took was someone to come forward with an idea and a few people to make it happen.

 

Much goes on behind the scenes to get the synagogue in a holiday mode: changing Torah covers and polishing the silver, setting the chairs in the social hall, preparing and distributing the tickets and pledge cards and many other things. All this is done by volunteers who do it out of love for the synagogue. They don’t look to have their names published and since I was under the weather and wasn’t there to help I don’t know all who helped but I can imagine the names of most of them. I want to say thank you from me and the congregation for your efforts.

Services have gone well this year with some different people leading parts of the service. Rabbi has had one of these nagging coughs but has been able to somehow belt out the melodies. I expect to see all of you at Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur day services. As I mentioned in the last newsletter there has been a change in the way we do our appeals this year. Three of us will speak about the synagogue and our need to have you provide as much support as you are able. However, when you come to your seats you will not find pledge cards on them as in past years. A small white pledge card was sent to you with your tickets so that you could fill them out in the privacy of your home and either bring or send your pledge to the synagogue. The High Holy days are the one time each year that we ask you to think about Valley Beth Israel and what it has meant to you over the years. Please contribute to the synagogue as much as you are able. Every year it gets more difficult to satisfy our financial obligations.  

 

Three things, at least for now, to put on your calendar: Barbeque in the sukkah on October 8^th sponsored by the Men’s Club; 23^rd Interfaith Service on November 20^th hosted by VBI; and the Return of the Big Bands on December 2^nd. Please remember these events and make plans to be at each of them if you are able.

 

We look forward to each of you getting involved in the services and events that are happening at your synagogue.  Beyond attending functions, please volunteer for a committee and help us get projects done.  Valley Beth Israel needs you so please get involved. If you want to be on the Board of Directors of the synagogue and be a voice in the decisions that affect the survival of VBI please call me.

 

I hope to see you at the synagogue soon.  To a healthy, safe, peaceful and prosperous New Year.

                                                Ron