Shabbat Message - Friday, October 23, 2026

In this week's Torah portion, Lech-Lecha (Gen 12:1-17:27), God tells Avram to travel to the land that would become Israel. Thus, it seems like an auspicious time for Reb Moshe, Laura & Sam, and Vaughn to be traveling to Israel. After their return, they will speak about how the trip impacted them on Wednesday, November 11. See details below.

There's no CJC Shabbat service tonight, but we hope you'll make Shabbat special.

Dear CJC Members & Friends,

Many of you knew that Jill and I were going to be in Athens this week, stopping over there on our way to Israel, but our plans changed. Instead, we're in Miami this morning.

Sadly, Jill's 96-year old mother passed away last Shabbat, so we've been here to grieve with family and friends after a brief trip to New York on Wednesday for her burial in Queens. At this point, Jill will be staying behind to handle the affairs of her mother's estate while I leave for Israel this evening to catch up with Laura and Sam, Vaughn, and the others on our trip with the authors of The Future is Peace.

It is an especially fraught time to be in Israel, ahead of their elections next week. Just a couple days ago, dozens of Israeli and international activists, including congressional candidate Brad Lander, were detained by Israeli authorities in the occupied West Bank while accompanying Palestinian farmers harvesting olives.

The delegation was helping Palestinians who have faced severe restrictions on access to their land since Oct. 7, 2023. Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, was among those arrested. “There is a Jewish principle of accompaniment of those in danger,” Jacobs told the Forward. “We were living that out, in contrast to the settlers who justify stealing olives and carrying out violent acts contrary to Jewish law.”

The detentions follow an escalating wave of settler violence in the West Bank. Last Friday, settlers severely beat Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine while she covered the olive harvest in Abu Falah, leaving her with fractured vertebrae and a broken rib. The following day, settlers attacked a delegation of European diplomats and other visitors near Taybeh. Palestinian residents have also faced repeated assaults, with dozens injured.

The peace activists we will be traveling with, Aziz abu Sarah and Maoz Inon, are likely to keep us safe. They have been arranging dual-narrative tours together for years and monitor tensions in the region around the clock using local and global networks that include local police, security forces, tourism ministries, and U.S. embassies.

We will keep you apprised and, after we return, will share a recap of the trip with you and the broader Coastside community, as we have dozens of friends outside of CJC who are interested in hearing about the outcome of our trip. See details at the bottom of this Shabbat message and save the date - Weds, Nov 11 at 7pm.

Until then, join us as we continue to pray for peace, bridge divides, and protect the rights of those less fortunate than us.

Shabbat Shalom,

Reb Moshe

CJC loves Puente and what they do for the South Coast!

We are happy to report that the food and monetary donations we collected during the High Holy Days were delivered to Puente de la Costa Sur in Pescadero. Reb Moshe made an additional donation to Puente of $1,000 from his discretionary fund.

Puente works side by side with its community partners to increase equity for farmworkers and residents of the South Coast, providing an essential lifeline and social services for families since 1998. Thank you to all who donated! And thanks to Joe for delivering the goods.

UPCOMING CJC EVENTS

Friday, November 6 - Kabbalat Shabbat service in Moss Beach, 7pm

It's been a while! The last Kabbalat Shabbat service we had was during Sukkot. Join us in two weeks for our next service at a beautiful home in Moss Beach. A few members will be meeting for dinner at 5:30pm at a local restaurant. Let Brianne know you'd like to come, for the dinner and/or service, and she will send you the address and other details.

Sunday, December 6 - CJC's Annual Chanukah Celebration in HMB, 4:30pm

After we sing a few Chanukah standards, we will light the Chanukah candles and sing the blessings. A vegetarian dinner of falafel, hummus, salad, pita, and rice will be served at 5:00 pm, complete with latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts). The music will continue with all the Chanukah favorites played by The Coastside Kehillah Band, along with dreidel games, story time with Reb Moshe, and a latke-hamentash debate. Your kids will have a blast and return home with gelt and lasting memories. Plan to join us!

EVENTS WITHIN THE WIDER COMMUNITY

Beautiful cabin in La Honda available to sublet for about 8 months

A member of our community is subletting a beautifully furnished 750-square-foot cabin in La Honda from early November to the summer. The dates are flexible; she plans to be in Israel.

It's located in a gorgeous fern grove and has one bedroom with a king-sized bed and two chests of drawers; a fully-equipped kitchen, dining room (with a fireplace heater and a Baldwin grand piano!), a living room with 2,000 books, a large velvet couch, and a flat-screen TV. There's an outdoor sitting area with a gas fireplace, a two-person hammock under a redwood "fairy ring," and plenty of outdoor space. This would be a perfect place for a visiting couple, a writer/artist looking for a residency, a visiting Stanford academic, etc. There is space in the driveway for one car. For more info, email Emily.

Thursday, October 29 - 'Trunk or Treat' at Holy Family, 4:45pm

Our friends at Holy Family Church reached out to extend an invitation to any small children (ages 2-5) at CJC for a 'Trunk-or-Treat' event. If you are looking for a small and safe Halloween event for your kiddos, this ingenious 'Trunk-or-Treat' is a great option! No need to RSVP. They'll be happy to see and greet us.

Saturday, October 31 - Trick or Treating

Looking for safe and fun neighborhoods for trick-or-treating?

There are several very safe and fun neighborhoods to trick-or-treat in. Each area has decorations, lots of lit houses, and families enjoying the Halloween air.



• Montara in the numbered streets is notorious for Halloween fun
• Highland Terrace neighborhood has a perfect loop
• Coral Reef neighborhood is protected from traffic, and lots of houses are decorated

Sunday, November 1 - Z3 Conference 2026 at the JCC in Palo Alto, 8:30am - 7:30 pm

The Z3 Conference is a public square: a place to celebrate, wrestle with big ideas, and dream boldly about what comes next. At a moment when questions of Jewish power, vulnerability, belonging, and responsibility are impossible to avoid, the Z3 Conference creates a Jewish public square where we'll argue through hard choices and decide together what we're responsible for building next. Childcare & virtual options are offered. You can register here.

NOTICE: THE DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM NOV 9 TO NOV 11

Wednesday, November 11 - The Future is Peace Journey Continues, 7pm

Reb Moshe, Laura & Sam, and Vaughn will be returning on November 1 from a trip to Israel with the authors of The Future is Peace. Join them soon after their return to hear about their "peace mission," how it impacted them, and how they plan to continue the journey toward peace. RSVP to Lisa for the location and to reserve your seat.

Sending condolences to Jill Brookner, Reb Moshe's partner, following the recent passing of her mother, Shirley "Sam" Ringler Bacon. Sam passed away on October 17 at the age of 96. She had a free spirit and loving soul. She is survived by two children, two granddaughters, and a great-grandson.

Wondering what else is coming up? You can always check our website here. And follow us on Facebook! Kerry Lobel posts frequent announcements and items of interest here:

The Mission of CJC is to provide an inclusive community that supports connection to Jewish life, both cultural and spiritual, on the coast from Pacifica to Pescadero.

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Did you know that you can donate shares of stock to CJC? Donating shares of stock can be a tax-effective way to give, benefiting both you and CJC. For more info, email Monica.

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