Shalom from TBD Religious School

Shabbat newsletter compiled by Gal Kessler Rohs, Education Director

Dear Temple Beth David family,

Today, as was last Friday, I'm sharing an occasion where I share our weekly religious school newsletter with TBD's general mailing list, (as opposed to only our religious school families).

Jan Robertson, TBD's "grandmother" is leading a summer Challa Bake activity later on today. It is not too late to contact Jan to Join the fun. Jan has contributed much to TBD, not only to the children of our Religious School, but also to the Temple community as well.

We asked Jan to share a tad about herself. Please read here below Jan's shared message to us.

Wishing you Shabbat Shalom, and looking forward to seeing you this evening for services, or this morning for challah baking with Jan.

- Gal Kessler Rohs, Education Director

Jan Robertson retired from her teaching career at the State University to become a full-time grandma 17 years ago. Her own four grandchildren no longer needing her full-time attention, Jan now happily “grandmothers” all of the children here at Temple Beth David.

She delights in making crafts with our children, joining them in service projects, helping out with their family simchas, and baking. You can also find her, every Sunday morning that School is in session, teaching free Hebrew classes for adults: Beginners at 9:30, Intermediate at 10:30 and Advanced at 11:30. 

Later on today, Jan is offering a Challah Bake. We start at 9 AM on Friday morning. Not-so-secret: sometimes she brings chocolate chips, marzipan, or other unusual ingredients to put in the challah.

If you want to join in, please text 818-406-4273 with the name of the baker and how many loaves you want to make. $10 per loaf. Everybody is welcome, but 10 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

I am writing to invite Temple Beth David on a private docent-led tour of Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust and Holocaust survivor talk this summer. 

Founded by local Holocaust survivors in 1961, the Museum moved to its award-winning architectural building in Pan Pacific Park near The Grove and Farmers Market in 2010. Today the Museum carries on the mission of the founding survivors to commemorate those who perished, educate future generations about the Holocaust, and inspire a more respectful, dignified and humane world.

In addition to our permanent collection of artifacts and survivor testimonies, this summer we have several compelling temporary exhibits: 

Women at the Frontline of Mass Violence Worldwide gives voice to female survivors of mass violence and genocide during the Holocaust, in Guatemala, and in Iraq today. 

Venerated - Persecuted - Forgotten: Victims of Nazism at FC Bayern Munich (opening July 16), curated by the soccer club FC Bayern Munich and appearing for the first time outside Europe, highlights the heart-wrenching stories of nine players and officials who were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis because of their religion or political views.

We would be happy to schedule a private tour of our galleries and a Holocaust survivor talk for your group. The Museum is open seven days a week, and admission is always free. 

Please contact me for more information or to schedule a tour.

Thank you,

Shelby Jirikils

Executive Assistant

Thanks to Jason Young for being a mensch! Thanks for coordinating TBD's Union Station volunteering. If you would like to volunteer at Union Station please contact Jason and specify which of these dates you would like to help:

August 18, 2019

September 15th, 2019

October 20th, 2019

November 17th, 2019

December 15th, 2019

January 19, 2020

February 16th, 2020

March 15th, 2020

April 19, 2020

May 17th, 2020

June 21, 2020

Grateful to our  religious school  preschoolers for collecting tzeddakah money for  RAICES . By doing mitzvot, Madison wants to follow in the same footsteps as our preschoolers.

RAICES helps families like

Nilda and her 2-year-old son, Keyden, who were forced to flee their home, friends and family in Honduras. 

"Nilda looked to the United States for safety and asylum from domestic abuse and gang violence. Then, she was detained on the border and separated from Keyden. She thought she’d never see him again.

Thousands of miles, five detention centers, and two months later, Keyden was finally returned to his mother, but THEIR STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL CONTINUES IN AMERICA, as they begin to rebuild their lives."

To find out more about RAICES, click here.

In light of Jan Robertson's Challa making workshop this Friday, we thought it relevant to have Challa as the word of the week!

Transliteration: challah

Translation: a loaf of (typically) white  leavened bread , typically p laited  in form, traditionally baked to celebrate the Jewish sabbath. Pictured here is  Janice Natalie Robertson  in a challah making activity at our Ulpan Shabbat class. Call us to find out more about Ulpan Shabbat, or about this Friday’s challa making with Jan at  Temple Beth David

A note from Jan: " I’ll be making non-toxic (but salty) play dough in six colors so that we can practice making the 6-braid while the dough is rising the first time. When I’m done teaching with it, families are welcome to keep it. It will keep about a week in plastic bags in the refrigerator. Doesn’t contain any preservatives."

יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁיִּתְחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ חֹדֶשׁ תמוז לְטוֹבָה וְלִבְרָכָה, לְשָׂשׂוֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָה, לְשָׁלוֹם וְאחֲוָה, רֵעוּת וְאַהֲבָה, לַעֲבוֹדָה וִיצִירָה, פַּרְנָסָה וְכַלְכָּלָה, לְשַׁלְוַת הַנֶּפֶש, וּבְרִיאוּת הַגּוּף, לַחַיִּים שֶׁל דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, וְאַהֲבַת תּוֹרָה, לְחַיִּים שֶׁיִּמָלוּ בָּם, מִשְׁאֲלוֹת לִבְּנוּ לִבֵּנוּ לְטוֹבָה, כֵּן יְהִי

רָצוֹן

May the month of Tamuz

be a month of blessings:

blessings of goodness,

blessings of joy,

peace and kindness,

friendship and love,

creativity, strength,

serenity,

fulfilling work

and dignity,

satisfaction, success,

and sustenance,

physical health

and radiance.

May truth and justice

guide our acts

and compassion

temper our lives

that we may blossom

as we age

and become

our sweetest selves.

May it be so.

Chukat is the name of this week's  torah portion . It is found in the book of  Numbers  19:1-22:1.

Chukat and tells of how  #Moses  is taught the laws of the Red Heifer, whose ashes purify a person who has been contaminated by contact with a dead body.

After 40 years of journeying through the  desert , the people of  Israel  arrive in the  wilderness  of Zin.  Miriam  dies and the people thirst for  water . G-d tells Moses to speak to a  rock  and command it to give water. Moses gets angry at the rebellious Israelites and strikes the  stone . Water issues forth, but Moses is told by G-d that neither he nor Aaron will enter the  Promised Land .

(pictured is clay art made in our 2nd grade  religious school  class)