Shalom from TBD Religious School

Shabbat newsletter compiled by Gal Kessler Rohs, Education Director
This week I attended  Rabbi Lachtman ’s seminar focusing on  Rabbi Simeon Maslin’s book  Navigating the Journey . The book provides a platform guide to the Jewish life cycle. As an educator, who is humbly responsible for part of the Jewish learning of your children, I first opened to chapter 2, Lifelong Education. I was motivated by the chapter’s subtitle, Raising and Educating a Jewish Child, so, even though we are meeting next on November 15 th , I started to do my homework. Rabbi assigned us with finding an issue or two of interest in the book, something provocative to discuss amongst our fellow students. #CantWait. 

The book states the importance of Jewish learning within our tradition. Just as it is a mitzvah to teach the beliefs and traditions of Judaism to one’s own children, it is equally a mitzvah to teach Judaism to the children of the community. Our students will learn Torah this weekend at religious school. Specifically, they will learn about Sunday evening’s holiday of Tabernacles, or Sukkot.

Another name for Sukkot is Chag HaAsif, or festival of harvest. Jews historically would pick the best of nature’s harvest, offer those as priestly orders, and ultimately, those would be provided to the hungry. Tabernacles had agricultural aspects to them- they were like shelters in the midst of harvesting, to allow those who harvest, to gather their offerings and rest.

As progressive religious school students, we will do the same this Sunday. Not only will our Men's club collaborate with Haskala's students to build a sukkah, but we will also sort out non perishable food items donated throughout High Holy Days. Just as the priests in biblical times give those offerings to those in need, so will Foothill Unity do the same. They will pick up the sorted food and allocate to those in need, within the San Gabriel Valley.

The donations are paralleled to the Biblical “priestly offerings”. The tabernacles, or sukkot, we spoke about, are the shelters we are helping provide the needy, by providing the basic necessity for survival- food. Foothill Unity, infact, is a program that helps those in need find their paths in life, their shelter to live in, their work, and themselves professionally and emotionally. We are not just offering food, but serving a program that rehabilitate our fellow mankind.

We are learning Torah, we are assuming the mitzvah of offering the needy, we are providing shelters, and in essence, we are providing life. As the Talmud teaches us, “Teaching Torah to the child of another is the same as giving the child life” (Sanhedrin).

Chag Sukkot Sameach, 
Gal Kessler Rohs, Education Director
Ulpan (and) Shabbat on October 11
with children's entertainer Cindy Paley
Cindy Paley will be joining us on October 11th to enrich our school’s Ulpan Shabbat program and Shabbat spiritual experience. 

“From her website: For over 20 years, Cindy Paley, musical educator and performer, has brought the joys of Jewish music to teachers, students and families throughout North America. She has combined education and entertainment to teach Jewish values, holidays and traditions. With eight recordings to her credit, Cindy has provided musical tools for teachers, families and children that enrich lives and insure that the best of our heritage will continue.

Cindy has served as the Music Educator at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California since 1977. After receiving her teaching credential at UCLA, she chose to devote her career to songleading and music as a Jewish educator. In addition to her recordings and family concerts, Cindy often serves as a cantorial soloist, and is currently involved in creative prayer services for women.”
A message from Cantor Orly about ShalomLearning
TBD's Hebrew learning online program for upper grades
Shalom Parents,

 We are so excited and have been working hard on getting "Shalom Learning" into the classrooms. I am happy to tell you, the contract is being signed as we speak. Shalom Learning truly looks like such a wonderful program that is accessible in and out of the classroom for all of our students.

The cost as discussed will be $120 per student, this applies to anyone in Steve and Rabbi-in-training MinsterCheng's class. We have 2 ways available for you to pay this:
  1. Send a check or drop it off in my box in the TBD office
  2. You can now log into shulcloud and make a one -time payment. Anthony Serio, finance chair is able to help with that. 
Whatever way works best for you works for us . After speaking with Rabbi, Gal, and Mickey, we have come to the decision that you will not be given a log in until you have paid by check or via shulcloud.

Truly looking forward to all of your kids expanding their knowledge and thirst for the Hebrew language. By the time he or she has their Bar/Bat Mitzvah, I feel confident that they will be better off prepared by using the Shalom Learning program .

Wishing you all the best and see you at service on Friday where we will be honoring our room moms, changing the mantel on the Torah and praying together as one. 

Cantor Orly
Religious School Sign in and Out
on Sunday morning
Please remember to sign both in and out as you come through out leave the lobby doors on Sunday mornings. The sign in sheets will be on the front table by the security table. Thank you for following these safety procedures.
Coming up at Temple Beth David
featured dates to note:
October 11 Ulpan Shabbat and Shabbat Services with Cindy Paley
October 13 Men's club and Haskala setting up the sukkah. Food sorting for Foothill Unity.
October 18 Shabbat services focusing on Sukkot and Consecration
October 19 Men's club cookout
Nov 3 Adult Bagel Breakfast with Jason Moss about the Rise of Anti-semitism
Nov 4 Sisterhood meeting
Nov 10 Sisterhood Game night
November 13 Jewish Food Festival's The Food Explorer with Daniel Stone
December 1 Adult Bagel Breakfast with Scott Davis about Jewish Yiddish Writer Scott Dinezon
December 8 Hanukkah Boutique
Torah Portion this week
Parashat Ha'Azinu / פרשת האזינו

Parashat Ha'Azinu / פרשת האזינו is the portion of the week. It is the 53rd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. 

The Parshah concludes with G-d's instruction to Moses to ascend the summit of Mount Nebo, from which he will behold the Promised Land before dying on the mountain. "For you shall see the land opposite you; but you shall not go there, into the land which I give to the children of Israel."

(pictured is a street sign of Mount Nebo Street in Tel Aviv, Israel)

Flyers, flyers, flyers
flyers, flyers, flyers
Useful Shabbat Reading
to keep you informed/interested/engaged?

Shabbat Shalom
and LeShana Tova from the Alkana girls