President's Message - February 2018

 Happy Shortest Month of the Year everyone,

I had a long message written but then I decided to re-create the “Upcoming Events” page just so you can see all the goings-on that will be taking place at your synagogue in the very near future. It’s almost the twelfth hour as I’m writing this message and I see that the newsletter has already been sent out; however, Candice (the editor) said to check back for this message. So here it is!!

The first thing up is the Tu B’Shevat seder, dinner and service on Friday, February 2^nd. A flyer was sent out reminding you of it so I hope you have all made your plans to be there. With such little notice and publicity we currently have approximately 40 people who will be attending.

The VBI-VIP program that we started in mid-January is a success. By the closeout date (January 31^st) we had fourteen people sign up. If you missed out look for a follow-on program sometime in the May/June timeframe for events happening during the final six months of the year.

You can see that there are quite a number of events including dinners and special services that will be take place between now and June. It takes a huge effort to put all this in action and we need you to be a part of as many of the special events as you can. Please come and enjoy.

Not included in the events is a clean-up day at the synagogue. There are many things that you can do (not strenuous) to help us put the synagogue in better shape. I’ll let you know when that will happen but it most certainly must be done before the High Holy Days in September.

We have a restaurant/delicatessen that wants to sponsor a fund-raiser to help Valley Beth Israel. Please understand that it is not a kosher restaurant but if someone is willing to contribute a certain percentage of those participating on a certain day I think we need to take advantage of it. The more people we can direct to the restaurant the more we can receive. Let me know if you think this is a good idea. We must find ways to raise funds for the synagogue.

I hope to see you at the temple often. Participate in services and events. Make new friends. We have new members for you to get to know!

 Ron
Ron Trachtenberg
VBI Temple President

Tu B'Shevat - New Year for Trees

Tu' B'Shevat  or Jewish Arbor Day is the New Year or birthday of all Trees.  It is celebrated with the full moon in the Hebrew month of Shevat.  This year that falls on Tuesday, January 30th.

We know trees provide us with shade, food, wood, warmth, and protection. But trees are also central to religious practice around the world - the Celts, Druids, Buddhists, and yes the Jews; all through the Torah, trees are mentioned, from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil to the tree under which Jonah slept. Long before the Mogen David, the original symbol of Judaism in ancient times was the seven or nine branched Menorah which is based on a two-dimensional representation of a tree.
Tu B'Shevat is not mentioned in the Torah, but, in the Mishnah.  Hillel settled a dispute as to the proper date for the New Year of the Trees and he decided it should be the 15th of Shevat, the full moon, and the end of the rainy season in Israel. Tu B'Shevat is the New Year for the purpose of calculating the age of trees for tithing, as in Leviticus 19:23-5 which states that fruits from trees may not be eaten during the first three years' the fourth year's fruit is for G-d, and after the fifth year, the fruit is yours.

VBI is holding our annual Tu B'Shevat Seder with our Shabbat service on Friday, February 10th!  Be sure to mark your calendar and make reservations for this special evening.  All Hebrew school children will be in attendance.

The observance of Tu B'Shevat is to plant a tree or to collect money to plant a tree in Israel. Some children plant the bitter herb or the parsley greens in anticipation of and for the Passover Seder. Another custom is to eat from the Seven Species described in the Bible as being abundant in the land of Israel - wheat, barley, grapes (vine), figs, pomegranates, olives and dates (honey) as in Deuteronomy 8:8. Although we as humans celebrate our New Year on Rosh Hoshanah, we as humans attach special significance to his holiday because in Deuteronomy 20:19, we are compared to "the tree of the field" - through cultivating strong roots, as in faith and commitment to G-d, we produce many good "fruits" - Torah and Mitzvot. 

In the 16th century, Kabbalists developed a seder ritual conceptually similar to the Passover seder discussing the spiritual significance of fruits and of the Seven Species. We have celebrated this seder in our synagogue with the different fruits and juices. Enjoy this holiday, and the fruits of your endeavors!

Mrs. M.R.S. Gradvohl

VBI Sisterhood 2018

VBI Sisterhood is small - but we do great things!  Read on to find out how you can help those in our Community through the Sisterhood
 
Show You Care - Send a Card

Are you aware that you can send tribute cards to congregants (and others) through VBI Sisterhood?   

Our very own Pauline Reich has been sending these cards for over 25 years - and she'd like to do so on your behalf as well.  The cost is only $3.00, though many congregants give more as a donation to the synagogue*.  

These cards are the perfect way to congratulate, send well wishes, or offer condolences.  A personalized message is always added, and if you aren't sure what to say, Pauline is happy to add a kind note on your behalf.   Contact Pauline by email to make your request!    

*Contributions made from the sale of these cards is used to pay for Kiddush Luncheons, post Shabbat services, challah, and other various needs for preparing meals and events. 


Help Local Veterans
VBI Sisterhood, in connection with volunteers at the VA Hospital, maintains an on-going collection of goods for our local Veterans.  Special thanks to Pauline Reich who has been participating in this effort for many years and brings this need to our attention.

Many things needed are FREE for you to contribute:

• Pads of paper
• Pens/pencils
• 2018 Calendars
• Cards: Birthday, Get Well, Christmas, etc. (some come free by mail)
• Gift wrap
• Toiletries  (Sample sizes are great! - Hotel, Dentist, etc.)
• Soft cover books
• Current magazines (this year)
• Music CD's
• Clothes that are clean and wearable (t-shirts, shirts, pants, jackets, etc.)

 So many of these items we take for granted, and perhaps even throw away.  Please consider collecting and donating them through the Temple Sisterhood.  Look for a collection box in the Temple office.

                                                                                                                                                              

 

Tips to Stay Safe - See Something / Say Something

Eleven Things Burglars Do Not Want YOU To Know

 

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway, and I may leave a pizza flyer on your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

3. You are correct; I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it is not bolted, down, I will just take it with me and open it later.

4. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never look like a crook.

5. I will break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, s/he will stop what he is doing and wait to hear it again; if s/he does not hear it again,s/he will just go back to what he was doing. It is just human nature.

6. I always knock first. If you answer, I will ask for directions and offer to perform some task as cleaning the gutters. (Do NOT take me up on it.) If you do not answer when I know, I will try the door or enter through the back of the house.

7. I am not complaining but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system  and leave your house without setting it?

8. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It is easier than you think to look up your address.

9. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it is an invitation.

10. It is raining, you are fumbling with umbrella, and you forget to look your door - that is understandable. But understand this; I do not take a day off because of bad weather.

11. The two things that I hate the most - loud, barking dogs, and nosy neighbors.

 

 

Tu B'Shevat - Celebrate the Trees

Tu B'Shevat is an important time to discuss how we as individuals, friends, and families can help care for the Earth. This Ecology List includes many of the things people do to care for the Earth.

Read though the list and describe how each item takes care of the Earth. Next, put a check next to all of the things that you already do. Finally put a star next to things that your family can begin to do as a Tu B'Shevat resolution this year, 5778.

 

And of course, Close/Conclude by singing "Happy Birthday" to the trees.

 ___Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.

___Separate your garbage into recycling, composting, and true trash.

___Turn off lights when leaving a room.

___Take short showers.

___Use the second side of school papers and memos for scrap paper.

___When hiking and visiting parks, stay on marked trails.

___Keep your home thermostat at 68ºF during the winter and 78ºF during the summer.

___Buy fruit and vegetables from local farmers.

___Travel by bicycle and public transportation when possible.

___Eat less red meat.

___Plant trees in your yard or neighborhood.

___Volunteer for an environmental organization.

___Go organic!

___Compost!

___Grow some of your own fruits and vegetables.

___Buy printer paper made from 100% post-consumer waste.

___Other

 

 

 

Torah Fund - January 2018

WHY TORAH FUND?

 

To give every woman an opportunity  to participate in preserving, promoting and perpetuating Conservative/Masorti Judaism through active giving to the Torah Fund Campaign of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism.   Through our dedication and generosity to the Torah Fund Campaign, we support the various Jewish universities.    Women’s League women make a difference—perpetuating Judaism in our homes, in our communities, and in the world.   

 

Torah Fund was a fundraising campaign which was started more than 70 years ago.   It is now a crucial source of funding, through which members of our congregation participate in the development, strengthening and maintenance of these schools.   Your dedication and generosity to the Torah Fund campaign assures that Judaism, our tradition, rituals, and culture, will continue to thrive.

For those who have not sent in your pledges, please write a check to Valley Beth Israel Torah Fund.

 
Again, thank you for your continued support of Torah Fund.  
 
Bobbie Cohen 764-7952
Torah Fund V. P.