News from Yorktown Jewish Center

December 1, 2010

Newsletter

Please note:

The Latkes and Liquor Event will not take place. A Valentines Event will take its place in February. Details to come!

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Lost and Found:

brown suede gloves left in the kitchen
Honeywell security card found in hallway

Please contact the office if anyone knows whose these might belong to. Thank you!

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Friends: Rabbi Sternstein here with a reminder about events coming up over the next 3 Shabbat mornings. I'm sure you'll want to join in when you hear about them.

1. This Shabbat December 4^th, please join me for Lunch and Song. We'll sing lots of songs you may know, and some you may not. But, together, we'll make great music. And, we thank Bart Donow for sponsoring the Kiddush in honor of his son, Sam.

2. Shabbat Dec. 11^th. In addition to wishing our friends Mark and Rachel Seliber, Lehitraot, as they move to Massachusetts, we devote that morning to helping Ari Hagler, a boy in Bergenfield, New Jersey, fulfill his Bar Mitzvah project. He's asked for at least 100 synagogues to mark December11th as Gilad Shalit Shabbat. Gilad is the Israeli soldier still held by Hamas. Please join me as we explore what we can do to help Ari, and Gilad.

3. Shabbat Dec. 18^th: Ricky Segal will lead another Meditation Shabbat, which he has been asked by participants to offer again. In addition, our friend Jim Garofalo hosts the Kiddush after services, in honor of Lulin.

At YJC, we have many Shabbat morning activities, and, of course, everyone is invited to join us. Hope to see you there.

Happy Chanukah, and Shabbat Shalom.

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ribbon

Simplify your gift-giving needs and purchase a gift catalogue.....all different prices and occasions. No one know the price you paid and the recipient gets to choose from up to 40 gift items!

Call the office for more information to help raise funds for Sisterhood.

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Orot Committee Reminders:

December 4th Lunch & Song:

Come and join Rabbi Sternstein after Shabbat morning service in some familiars songs and some new ones celebrating our heritage. There is NO COST for this event!

December 18th Meditation Shabbat:

Come to our next Meditation Shabbat, an alternative to the regular Shabbat morning service. Spend a peaceful hour with skilled practitioner Ricky Segal.

Women's Rosh Chodesh Group led by Marsha Sternstein: the next two classes will take place on Tuesday, December 7 at 7:30pm.

The Orot Committee announces exciting NEW WEEKLY CLASSES:

The Absolute Beginner's Introduction To Talmud: What is it, why do we need it, what ethical and practical lessons does it teach?

Beginning Friday,

December 3 from 10:30am-12.00 in the library

taught by Wendy Segal:

This class is designed to introduce Talmud to the adult with no previous familiarity with Talmud. No Hebrew reading is required. The Babylonian Talmud was finished about 1,500 years ago. What is it? Why do people still study it? Why was it the subject of book-burnings? We'll look at how and why the Talmud was written, and then we'll look at a piece of the section on civil law. What are your responsibilities if you borrow something and lose it? What should you do if you find someone's cat? What does your shoemaker owe you if he dyes your party shoes the wrong color? Whose fault is it if your neighbor's dog falls into your pool and drowns? Come and learn, read, and argue like the sages of old as we explore the sea of Talmud.

Please sign up in the office by replying to this email or calling 245-2324 so that we know how many copies of materials to make.

A Beginners Hebrew Class

Beginning Monday, November 15

From 7-8pm; teacher Hazzan Isabel Kopstein

Have you always wanted to be able to read the prayers in the siddur or dreamed of having an Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah? Come and learn to read Hebrew, starting with the aleph-bet. The class will be based on the National Jewish Outreach Program, and will begin on Monday, November 15th from 7-8pm, classroom 9. It's an amazing, anxiety-free journey for all beginners. Come and take that first step. You can sign up through the office or contact Hazzan Isabel Kopstein at 420-7844.

FROM SOCIAL ACTION

Thanksgiving Baskets:

Our heartfelt thanks to those who contributed Thanksgiving baskets to our recent campaign. We are happy to report that you exceeded our commitment of 12 baskets, contributing a total of 19 baskets, some as a single donor and some together with one or two friends. It was a very warm response from an amazingly generous congregation.

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Holiday Gift Drive

If you haven't participated in the basket campaign (or if you have and choose to join us again in this one), may we ask that you now turn your attention to the Giving Tree which represents the holiday wish list of members of four needy families in the area. As in the past, the anonymous list was funneled to us by the local school system, and if you are kind enough to take one or more leaves, be sure to take a yellow sheet with specific instructions. We ask that you bring the item(s) back, wrapped and labeled with the information on the leaf, to the YJC Teen

Center on Sunday, December 5 from 10 a.m. to noon.

May you and your loved ones have a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

The Social Action Committee

Yorktown Jewish Center