Congregation B'nai Harim
at the Nevada County
Jewish Community Center
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March/April 5781 - 2021 Newsletter |
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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 .......
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Celebrating
Passover Seder March 28th @ 6:00pm Zoom
April 9th Yom Ha-Shoah -Holocaust Remembrance Day April 16th Yom Ha'atzmaut - Isreal Independence Day April 30th Lag BaOmer
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1st and 3rd Friday Night Shabbat Services via Zoom
March 5th and 19th
April 2nd and 16th
with
Rabbi David Azen joined by
Rabbi Alan Greenbaum or Sharon Joy Jahoda
Time: 07:30 PM Pacific Time
(US and Canada)
1st and 3rd Saturday Torah Study
via Zoom
March 6th and 20th
April 3rd and 17th
with Rabbi David Azen
@10:00 am
followed by
Kabballah & the Enneagram with Rabbi David
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Rabbi David Azen
Watch the weekly Schmooze for In-person updates, dates and times.
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Important Dates
Sisterhood Meeting
March 4th
April 1st
NCJCC Board Meeting
March 4th
April 1st
Sunday school, K-7 and Rabbi's Kids
March 14th and 27th
April 11th and 25th
Youth Hebrew Classes every Tuesday
Adult Hebrew Classes the first and Third Wednesdays of each month
Rabbi Office hours
Sundays 10-11
by appointment only please.
You may contact Rabbi Directly or the NCJCC Office
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Passover March 27-April 4th |
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Please join us for a Second Seder by Zoom March 28th at 6:00 PM. Details will be sent out via the weekly Schmooze as we get closer. Here are some ideas to get ready for the celebration from the comfort of your own home.
From the URJ website -
Making your online seder liveley, engaging and meaningful. They have it all from CHOOSING A HAGGADAH to SETTING THE ATMOSPHERE, preparing for the KADEISH: SANCTIFICATION and why the KARPAS: GREENS / VEGETABLE. They can help with the MAGID: TELLING THE STORY, THE FOUR QUESTIONS, THE FOUR CHILDREN, THE TEN PLAGUES and SINGING “DAYENU” and more.
https://reformjudaism.org/make-your-online-seder-lively-engaging-and-meaningful
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In honor of Passover, an Los Angeles Artist, Britta-K has produced a limited issue piece in honor of RBG. "May her devotion to the Torah Values of justice and mercey, of equality and inclusion, and of welcoming for the stranger continue to light out way.
Please visit www.britta-k.com
to see this newest piece and check out her other beautiful works of art including music and poety.
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A Time of Remembrance and Honor |
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April 9th Yom HaShoah -Holocaust Remembrance Day
Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, occurs on the 27th of the Hebrew month of Nisan. Shoah, which means “catastrophe” or “utter destruction” in Hebrew, refers to the atrocities that were committed against the Jewish people during World War II. This is a memorial day for those who died in the Shoah. The Shoah is also known as the Holocaust, from a Greek word meaning "sacrifice by fire."
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April 16th Yom Ha'atzmaut - Isreal Independence Day
Yom HaAtzmaut marks the anniversary of the establishment of the modern state of Israel. It is observed on or near the 5th of the Hebrew month of Iyar on the Jewish calendar, which usually falls in April.
Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day), Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day), and Yom Y’rushalayim (Jerusalem Day, which celebrates the reunification of the city in 1967). In Israel, these days are observed as national holidays; around the world, they are observed in various ways by Jewish communities.
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April 30th Lag BaOmerLag BaOmer is a minor, festive holiday that falls on the 33rd day of the seven-week period between Passover and Shavuot, a period of time is known as the Omer.This holiday gives us a break from the semi-mourning restrictions (no parties or events with music, no weddings, no haircuts) that are customarily in place for some Jewish communities during the Omer.
The Omer has both agricultural and spiritual significance: it marks both the spring cycle of planting and harvest, and the Israelites’ journey out of slavery in Egypt (Passover) and toward receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai (Shavuot). An omer (“sheaf”) is an ancient Hebrew measure of grain. In remembrance of these events, some people celebrate with picnics and bonfires. Many couples in Israel choose to get married on Lag BaOmer, and many people also choose to wait until that day to get a haircut or beard trim.
Visit URJ for more information at https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays
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RSVP to https://cutt.ly/yomhashoah
After you RSVP you will be send a seperate link for the program.
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Working to keep everyone safe |
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In-Person Services will be listed in the schmooze. Nevada County is currently in the Purple tier. This currently allows for up to 25 people inside and outside activities.
We are working hard to provide a safe environment for everyone and appreciate your help in following all county and state requirements.
All attendees must wear a mask and maintain a
6 ft physical distance to others.
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Rabbi Message, Board Message, Fresher Sacramento, Covid-19 resources, Education Programs
Men's Club, Sisterhood, Book Club, Membership, and
Landscaping (Backyard) Project
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Dear Friends:
Looking forward to a Second Seder by Zoom Sunday March 28 at 6PM
This Passover, we can celebrate the freedom from the pandemic that looks like it is coming in time for Independence Day. The salt water will remind us of all the people we’ve lost and the bitter herb a reminder that we could have done much better in handling this as a country. The matzah will represent the flatness so many have felt without interactions and social events in person, the cooped up feeling, the boredom and the glaze that came from watching too much Netflix. The word dayenu, it would be enough, reminds us to rejoice in each step taken toward a return to the wider world (just got my first shot).
G-d willing, we will be able to join together in prayer and song and oneg soon. We will be able to see family and friends even if they have to fly to get to us, and not need a month off so they can quarantine for fourteen days first. We will be able to enjoy live music and theater and some day see each other’s faces again and not have to learn to smile with only our eyes.
Here’s to a sweet and healthy Pesach, chag sameach,
Rabbi Dave
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Spring is a time for renewal, growth, and expansion; we feel it in the air.
Even though we can do this at any time during the year, it feels just right
to do it during Spring. We seem to have that extra energy and focus to get physically active, take action, and create change.
-Veronica Correa, LCSW-C
I’m excited about all that is to come in the next few months. The NCJCC calendar is filling. And most excitedly, I look forward to seeing you all in person soon. While the number of folks being newly diagnosed in Nevada County with
COVID-19 continues to grow, and while we remain at the “Purple” level, the number of folks becoming fully immunized is growing. We anticipate that when we have a greater number of Congregants fully immunized, we can expand
the in-person events.
We have a number of holidays and events coming this spring. Stay tuned for information regarding our ability to expand in-person attendance. One advantage of Zoom, is that people who wouldn’t otherwise be engaged can join us. Therefore, when we have in-person events, we will continue the Zoom option as is practical. Until then, we have some upcoming Zoom only presentations in addition to celebrating being together in person.
For instance, as the Rabbi noted, this year’s Passover Seder will be by Zoom, on Sunday, March 28th at 6pm.
For Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), there is a program on Sunday, April 11th at 6:30pm which looks very important. To get a link to the “Echoes of the Holocaust in Salonica” program, please RSVP to https://cutt.ly/yomhashoah.
Our Annual Meeting will be on Lag BaOmer, Sunday, May 2nd at 4pm. Since outings are celebrated on Lag BaOmer, I hope we can all be together in person (or at least those of us who are fully vaccinated).
Likely still socially distant, our NCJCC Picnic on Sunday, May 16th (time TBD) will be an in-person live event in our beautiful backyard.
Further, we are making plans for our Remembrance Garden in the backyard.
I hope you are well. See you soon.
Garrett M Eckerling, MD
NCJCC President
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Check this out!
Chef training program going well.
https://www.abc10.com/video/news/local/south-sacramento/fresher-sacramento-trains-chefs-to-increase-access-to-affordable-healthy-food/103-a02ebd60-1584-419e-8331-a56011931ad8
"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."
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What follows is the CDC quick guide for what you can --
and still can't do -- after you're vaccinated:
Fully vaccinated means it's been two weeks since you've received your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks since you received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot.
Socializing
Can I see my friends and family once I'm fully vaccinated?
Yes! Don't throw a big party with everyone you know, but the CDC admits socializing becomes a lot safer once vaccines are involved. The guidelines differ based on whether the people you want to see are also vaccinated.
● With vaccinated people, you can gather indoors without masks
● With unvaccinated people, you can gather indoors without masks with members of one household only -- as long as none of your unvaccinated friends/family are at high risk. That means you still want to avoid seeing unvaccinated elderly people or those with underlying conditions that would make a potential COVID-19 infection particularly severe, just to be extra safe.
What about large gatherings?
The CDC is still advising against medium-sized and large gatherings, even if you're fully vaccinated.
What about hugs?
This is where your personal comfort with risk comes into play, but the risk of COVID-19 transmission with two fully vaccinated people is close to zero, so hugs should be pretty safe there. When one person is vaccinated and the other is low risk, hugging is also low risk with members of a single household.
Masking
Do I have to wear a mask if I'm still vaccinated?
Being vaccinated doesn't exempt you from local and state ordinances on wearing masks or face coverings in public. While the CDC says you can socialize with members of one household indoors and unmasked, the agency still suggests wearing a mask when around lots of people, in public or running errands.
You should continue to wear a mask or face covering, plus practice 6-feet distancing when:
● Socializing with people from more than one household indoors
● Visiting with people who are at high risk for COVID-19 and unvaccinated
● In public
Travel
Can I travel now that I'm fully vaccinated?
The CDC still suggests avoiding domestic and international travel that is not necessary. Many countries are still prohibiting U.S. citizens from entering.
If you do have to travel, you still need to follow any restrictions in place, such as wearing a mask on an airline or taking a PCR test before arriving (depending on destination).
Quarantining
Do I need to self-quarantine if I am exposed to COVID-19?
If you come into contact with someone who has COVID-19 and you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to self-quarantine if you have no symptoms.
If you start to have symptoms, you should self-quarantine and get tested, says the CDC.
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.
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Youth and Adult Education |
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Kinneret Vinitzky, Principal Religious, Hebrew School
for Children, Youth and Adult Education.
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Hello Dear teachers, students, and parents!
This year starts differently from what we know and therefore I am trying a new program. We have a small group of students and that allows us to physically come to the Temple and be outside with all the safety requirements for Covid-19. New beginnings always bring renewed hope!!!
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Dan Kalt, Youth Coordinator |
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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.
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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.
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Lee Nold-Lewis, President |
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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
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Book Club discussions do continue on the second Monday of the month. Contact Arlene Waxman at 530-478-9484 for additional information.
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Jan Brenner, Membership Chair |
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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. |
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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 1426, 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.
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Happy Birthday to you!
March and April 2021
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March and April 2021 - Happy Anniversary to you!! |
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We honor those who went before us....who helped us become who we are! |
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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
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Thank you to our Sponsors |
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506 Walsh Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945
P.O. Box 1426
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