|
|
Congregation B'nai Harim
at the Nevada County
Jewish Community Center
|
|
|
|
Nevada County Jewish
Community Center Newsletter
Serving the members of our Diverse Community
as together we search , study, learn the history, the culture,
the principles, the Values ..... explore and take on moments here and there
of just what does it mean, how does it feel to take on this Jewish experience ?
What is this Jewish Identity .......
|
|
First and Third Friday each month
Friday Night Shabbat Services
..........Online via ZOOM, Facebook
with
Rabbi David Azen joined by
Rabbi Alan Greenbaum
Time: 07:30 PM Pacific Time
(US and Canada)
Following Friday Night Services
Saturday Torah Study
......Online
Via Zoom
with Rabbi David Azen
@10:00 am
August 7,8 and 21,22
|
|
Upcoming Holidays
Watch the Schmooze for details as they become available.
September 18 Rosh Hashanah
September 27 Yom Kippur
October 2-9 Sukkot
October 9 Simchat Torah
|
|
|
Annual Meeting Board Results
Sunday, August 9th at 4:00 PM
Thank you to our members for all your votes!
Congratulations to this years elected board members
David Cohen and Iola Gold.
We appreciate your continued dedication.
A Special Thank you to all of our board members! We appreciate your dedication, energy and collaboration to serve our members and our community.
Our 2020-2021 Board Members
Garrett Eckerling - President
David Cohen - VP Finance & Policy
Iola Gold - VP Public Relations / Development
Mya Russell - Secretary / Advertising
Jan Brenner - Membership Director
Kinnert Vinitzky - Children, Youth and Adult Education Director
Gordon Mann - Mens Club
Ruth Goodin - Sisterhood Board Representative
Dan Kalt - Youth Leader
Patricia Smith - Member
Organization Leaders
Rabbi
Lee Nold-Lewis - Sisterhood President
Jerry Waxman - Facility and Operations Director
|
|
Nevada County Fairgrounds
Online Junior Livestock and Ag Mechanics Auction
|
|
August 13, 14, and 15.
See details below
|
|
Meet our youth member
Peyton Eckerling!!
She will be participating in both the Junior Livestock and Ag Mechanics Online Auction. She has been working hard this summer to raise her Suffolk Hampshire Cross Lamb and complete her Ag Mechanics Project thru this unprecedented time of Covid-19.
Visit the links below to register and check out all the projects our youth have been working on.
|
|
Please Support our Youth and Non-Profits
The Nevada County Fair Online Junior Livestock and Ag Mechanics Auction is August 13, 14 and 15, 2020.
COVID-19 Fair Update
At this time, the Fairgrounds are closed to the public due to COVID-19 guidelines. When the grounds are open to the public again, we will post an update on this page.
Despite the cancellation of the 2020 Nevada County Fair, we are still here. We are your Nevada County Fairgrounds. We are your Nevada County Fair.
Established in 1884, the Nevada County Fair is one of the county’s oldest community institutions. Adaptability and innovation are part of our history. During WWII, the Fair was canceled for several years, the Draft Horse Classic was displaced during the 49er Fire, and now the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic will be part of our story. We will prove, as we have time and again, that as a Fairgrounds and as a community we are stronger together.
We know the cancellation of the Fair will have a huge impact on the community, including all the hardworking agricultural youth exhibitors, and the Fairgrounds itself.
There are many questions right now, but the one we hear the most often is, “Can I help?” The answer is a resounding “Yes!” Here’s how:
-
Bid and buy online at the official Nevada County Fair Junior Livestock and Ag Mechanics Auction August 13 – 15. Go here to learn more.
-
Donate, advocate, or join the Fairgrounds Foundation in support of the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Visit here to learn more.
-
Support local organizations represented on Treat Street through direct donations. Visit here for information.
|
|
Messages from our Rabbi, Education Programs
Men's Club, Sisterhood, Book Club, Membership, and
Update Landscaping (Backyard ) Project
|
|
Are We Different? Are you special? Are you set apart in some way? Do you have a unique destiny? Are you part of a special people, a people set apart, a people with a unique destiny? If you’re special and/or your people are special, does that mean you are better than others, or simply different in some way?
In the traditional Aleinu, one of the central prayers that we chant before the Mourner’s Kaddish at the end of a service, we recite: “…who has not made us as the other peoples of the lands…who has not made our portion (our lot in life) as theirs….” Aleinu is one of our oldest prayers and was composed in the 2nd century to introduce the sound of the shofar on Rosh Hashana, announcing G-d's ultimate and universal rule. By the fourteenth century, this prayer joined the final Kaddish as a concluding note of hope for every service. Reform Jewish tradition emphasizes the universal aspect of this hope, represented by the English prayer, "Let us adore" going back to the original Union Prayer Book of 1895.
In Mishkan T'fillah, our prayer book, we find four interpretations. The first one praises G-d as our Creator. The second one is closer to the original text acknowledging we are set apart and have a unique destiny. The third calls upon us to declare G-d's unity, and the fourth is from the Union Prayer Book.
What prompted our early Reform liturgists to shift away from affirming that we are set apart and have a unique destiny? Primarily it had to do with anti-Semitism. Anything with a faint scent of chosenness provoked a fast run in the opposite direction. Some expressions of Judaism, such as Reconstructionism, got rid of anything close to chosenness. For example, the Reconstructionist prayer book changed the original language of the Torah Aliyah, from “…who has chosen us from among the peoples….” to “…who has drawn us near to divine service.”
In the Reform movement, for hundreds of years we have interpreted chosenness to mean that we have certain responsibilities, not privileges that make us better than others, or we have seen it as acknowledging that we, the Jewish people, have done the choosing. The fact remains that most of us are quite ambivalent about the concept of declaring that we have a unique destiny, separate from others. And yet, the Aleinu version chanted in most Reform congregations is the traditional one. Why?
Perhaps it is about acceptance and gratitude. Acceptance that we do have a unique destiny. It is not superior in any way to anyone else's destiny; it is simply our destiny. And today, when we hear of people who don’t care about the well being of others enough to wear a mask, it reminds us of how our tradition, with its emphasis on kindness to strangers, love of neighbors and service to the greater good, has shaped the best in our civilization.
It’s never been easy to be Jewish and it’s not getting any easier to be Jewish, or human, but we can embrace our uniqueness and be determined to add our names and legacy to the history of Judaism.
May we be blessed with a sense of destiny and purpose, now and always,
Rabbi David
|
|
Providing Food during a crisis-
Fresher Sacramento has partnered with DoorDash to power the delivery of meals to the city's senior citizens during the ongoing health crisis. With the support of the DoorDash platform, Lesieli Pilate and Lucy Munoz, along with Chef Michael Harris, produced and sent with DoorDash to deliver over 9,000 meals for 477 seniors at five different residences in Sacramento. Thank you to the City of Sacramento and SHRA for funding, to DoorDash for your generous support and partnership and to Meals on Wheels for partnering with Fresher Sacramento to make this happen.
"Fresher Sacramento seeks to enable everyone to go to bed well-fed and build wealth from health for generations to come. With nearly a quarter of a million folks in Sacramento County lacking regular access to affordable, nutritious food, our team of Fresher Chefs are cooking up a brand new model for making sure everyone goes to bed well fed, by preparing affordable, convenient, delicious, and nutritious meals for folks who lack the time, knowledge, and resources to prepare their own."
|
|
Copy and paste the following links to your web browser.
CDC - Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19- Step by step instructions to make your own face mask.
CDC -Frequently Asked Questions
Have you found a resource you would like to share? Please email NCJCC@outlook.com and we will post it in the Schmooze.
|
|
Youth and Adult Education |
|
Kinneret Vinitzky, Principal Religious, Hebrew School
for Children, Youth and Adult Education.
Please watch the Schmooze for details. We are working on ways to safely bring back our Education program during these difficult times.
Welcome back to School Nevada County! Use this time at home with distance learning to work on organization, time management and active participation online. You all have amazing talents! We wish you the best as you start this new school year.
|
|
Dan Kalt, Youth Coordinator |
|
We'll be planning more fun activities for our temple teens / tweens as the year starts and throughout the year. If anyone is interested in helping out, please don't hesitate to contact the Rabbi or myself at dankalt@yahoo.com.
|
|
The Men's Club meets the second Sunday of each month at 9:30am. We feature interesting speakers and presenters from the community. The activities include monthly meetings with stimulating speakers, and events such as a scotch and BBQ, wine and beer tastings, golf, and Poker games to prepare for the next Poker Tournament.
The Men's Club is open to the entire congregation and community, men and women alike. Speakers and events are scheduled on Sundays as well as in the evenings and we'll share the upcoming opportunities in the weekly and monthly announcements, as well as the website.
We appreciate your interest and support of our activities and look forward to seeing you. Our annual dues are only $20. When we meet on Sunday mornings, we serve lox and bagels, coffee, and orange juice for only $5.00 (such a good deal! Your mother would be proud).
Contact Gordon Mann at sharkmann@suddenlink.net for more information, to suggest an interesting speaker, or to schedule an event.
|
|
Lee Nold-Lewis, President |
|
Our 2020-2021 Officers:
President:
Lee Nold-Lewis
VP Programs:
Ruth Goodin and Jackie Levy
VP Membership:
Carol Brown
VP Fundraising:
Cheryl Kelly and Karen Oakley
Secretary:
Judy Silberman
Treasurer:
Gail Atlas
Corresponding Secretary:
Lori Cohen
We welcome any women who would like to join us!
Please contact Carol Brown, Sisterhood Membership Chair, at 831-578-2101
|
|
Book Club discussions do continue on the second Monday of the month. Contact Arlene Waxman at 530-478-9484 for additional information.
|
|
Jan Brenner, Membership Chair |
|
If you haven't already or you are new to the area, please fill out the membership renewal form and mail it to Congregation B'nai Harim at P.O box 1426. If you did not receive a copy in the mail, please reply to this email with your mailing address or call the office at (530) 477-0922. |
|
History
Several years ago we did a lot split with the neighbors and purchased additional land which allowed for our kids to be able to play on their recently purchased play structure with plenty of room to run around. We cleared many diseased and invasive trees and did an initial grading of the property to create a more usable space. We seeded the ground and ran movable sprinklers, which created a temporary ground cover to keep the dirt down. We then built a deck with wheelchair ramp for better access to the backyard. We created a backyard design plan with the help of a landscape designer and for a while had plans on hold while we worked on raising additional funding.
Spring 2020
We received a very generous matching donation of $50,000 which enabled us to get a jump start on the first few phases of development and we made major progress as you can see in the above photos. We regraded the land, ran water and electrical lines, put in irrigation, drip systems, lawn, plants, and trees, added playground chips in the play area, installed fencing and gates and a large concrete patio. It really looks amazing and once we raise the matching $50,000 we will be able to complete the project.
In Progress
We are staining the fence and installing a tool shed for lawn and garden equipment and will add additional shredded bark to cover needed areas and install outdoor lighting.
Upcoming
We’ve done a lot, but there is still much more that needs to be done. In order to complete the project, we need to raise the matching $50,000. Here is what the funds will go to:
· Install handicap accessible concrete walkway along the side of building to patio and fill in needed areas in front
· Install pavilion over concrete patio
· Install outdoor kitchen with sink and propane BBQ
· Install Star of David shaped memorial rose garden and handicap accessible pathway leading to it
· Purchase and install storage shed for outdoor folding chairs and umbrellas
· Purchase outdoor folding chairs
· Install raised vegetable garden beds
· Refurbish flower garden area in front of building
· Install plaque honoring all donors that contributed to the land purchase and backyard development
It’s a Mitzvah!
Please make your tax-deductible donation to help us meet our $50,000 donation match and finish our backyard development project.
Sponsorship Levels
· Diamond $10,000+
· Platinum $5,000+
· Gold $2,500+
· Silver $1,000+
· Bronze $500+
· Copper $100+
· Other ____
Donations can be made by cash, check or credit card. Mail donations to NCJCC, P.O. Box 1344, Grass Valley, CA 95945 or visit www.ncjcc.org and scroll down to click the “Donate Now” button to pay by credit card. Please write “backyard” in the memo line.
|
|
Happy Birthday to you!! August 2020 |
|
Happy Anniversary to you!! August 2020 |
|
By sharing the names of family and friends
who forever hold a special, precious place
in our hearts and minds .....
the people who we keep close within our
person as we move
We Remember
|
|
Thank you to our Sponsors |
|
506 Walsh Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945
P.O. Box 1426
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
