Shalom from TBD Religious School

Shabbat newsletter compiled by Gal Kessler Rohs, Education Director
The winter holidays are upon us, and what better time to begin preparing for Hannukah, as Dennis Prager (pictured here with Rabbi and myself) says in his video “For Goodness Sake”. 

One of the reasons we celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights is in commemoration of our redemption from the Antiochus regime who sacrificed our freedom to practice Judaism. In a nutshell, it was the heroism of Judah Macabee and his army that we honor as they saved the day. Their intention was good- to allow freedom of Jewish beliefs to shine, and to rebuild the temple after its Hellenistic destruction. 

Yet doing good, according to Prager, is not high on our daily priority list. We are not good just because we are not criminals, “robbers” or “killers”. In order to be kind and giving people, we should do good, as was the intention of the Macabees. Humbly paying for someone or helping someone in need are examples. Ensuring our barking dog is not outside at night disturbing the neighbors’ sleep is a consideration of others. Prager portrays further skits in his video in attempt to advocate for good as a lifelong reward.

Amongst the skits is a bullying scene. A group of school boys, save one, plan to gang up on a spectacled child. The one who refuses to go along with the flow, is the striving “Judah Macabee”. Why striving? Because it is not enough to refuse to act meanly. Though it is a start, it is the advocating for doing good by befriending the bullied, or preaching why not to bully, that would have been a direction towards a complete act of kindness.

Prager would agree that we should consider the role of kindness as was the intentions of Judah Macabee as part of our winter holiday planning. Yes, part of our planning for Hannukah is the indulgence of jelly filled doughnuts, frying of latkes, or perhaps purchasing of ugly Hannukah sweaters at the upcoming TBD Hannukah boutique, but perhaps more importantly is the sake of goodness. Prager mentions doing good (and not only on Hannukah) to have a positive effect on ourselves, humanity, others, and more. “It enables us to love, enjoy life, and most importantly, be worth living.”

We’ll be preparing for the festival of lights as of tonight at Ulpan Shabbat by working on our own Hannukah skits, all the way through to Sunday’s religious school, and way beyond,

Shabbat Shalom,
- Gal Kessler Rohs , Education Director
About Ulpan Shabbat
and our upcoming two classes focusing on Channukah

From our website: “Ulpan provides our children with an Ivrit B’Ivrit (Hebrew in Hebrew) curriculum where students learn letters, vowels, sounds, words, all in aim to advance Hebrew literacy and conversation, both modern, and traditional.

Shabbat provides children with exposure to preparing for the Shabbath, hands-on. Children will learn to set the Shabbat table, cook their meal, perform Shabbat rituals to the guidance of our beloved Rabbi Lachtman, and joyous singing. The class will also incorporate areas of social justice learning, and performing mitzvot like feeding the hungry, preparing toiletry kits for the homeless, baking for seniors, caring for premature infants, and more.”
Seeking volunteer helpers
for our Dec 15th Hannukah TBD program
This year, our students will be busy with Hanukkah learning and the holiday fun. Our younger students will be making apple sauce with Jewish food specialist Lindy Bornstein, while our older students will be making Channukiyot with Julianne Swartz from Havaya Arts .

We are seeking parent volunteers who can step up to help in the kitchen to prepare the brunch. We are thankful to Robin Evans and Carol Ozer from sisterhood, Anthony Serio , and Jim Hewitt for their help with the latkes.

Please reach out to me if you are able to help plan and prepare the meal. The meal will be in the late morning of Dec 15th, so that there is ample time for the food to be set and ready by 11.15pm. We will be meeting this Sunday at 11am to plan the menu, allocate roles, and discuss as a team how to make the experience fun for our kids.

Thanks in advance for our parent and community volunteers!
Channukah is a Time of Giving
Channukah gifts for the children of our school
We asked our teachers and staff for a wish list for their classes. Here is a list they came up with. Please note not all items are of monetary value. Gently used items can be purchased from thrift shops such as Savers at Santa Anita and Live Oak in Arcadia)

  • For setting up a garden: dirt for planting, seeds, compost container, fencing for perimeter of container, watering cans, cutting shears, small hovels, garden hose
  • air dry clay
  • For outdoor play: chalk, sandbox pails and shovels, tricycle (just one)
  • Tarp for sandbox cover
  • dry erase board markers
  • dry erase personal size mini boards
  • sign up for providing sunday snack or ulpan shabbat dinner
  • Gently used (or new) children's toy musical instruments, and drums in particular
  • cleaning wipes
  • large plastic storage containers
  • toilet paper and paper towel rolls

We thank our Religious School readership for supporting our teachers!
Thanks Dr. Spiegel, for the recommendation
TBD home-made Minestrone soup recipe for tonight at Ulpan Shabbat dinner
TBD member and very nice lady, Dr. Mindel Spiegel suggested we served Minestrone soup for our religious school families as a hearty, warm, vegetarian soup for the season’s winter and rainy days. So Rabbi Lachtman and I got to work! Looking forward to sharing at tonight’s Ulpan, and religious school this Sunday.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 medium sized potatoes, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 28-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup elbow pasta
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (served on the side)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green beans, dried oregano and basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook 3 more minutes.
2. Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls and top with the parmesan and chopped basil (optional).
Torah Portion of the Week
פָּרָשַׁת הַשָּׁבוּעַ Vayeitzei , "And he left", Genesis 28:10-32:3
Vayeitzei  is translated as “And He Left”, and is this week’s  #Torah portion. It is the 7th weekly Torah portion in the annual  #Jewish  cycle of Torah reading.

On his way out of Israel 🇮🇱  Jacob  stops to rest, he takes a number of stones and puts them in a semi-circle around his head as protection and goes to  sleep . 

He dreams of a ladder on which he sees angels going up and other angels going down the ladder, these were the angels which G‑d sent to protect him on his trip. 

G‑d reveals Himself to Jacob and promises him that the land on which he is resting will be given to his descendants, his  children  and  grandchildren  and their grandchildren. 

When Jacob wakes up the stones had become one, he takes the stone and makes it into an  altar  as a sign that that place is a  holy place.

This video depicts four Religious School students about to sleep, though not on the ground, and not around a semi circular stone made protective shield for their heads!
Hannah Stein's Mitzvah project
Jewelry and muffin sales happening this Sunday, benefitting Hand in Paw
Hannah ’s endeavor in her Sunday muffin and jewelry sales is to raise money for  Hand in Paw , a non profit organization that caters to dogs in severe need.
🐩 🐕 🐾 
Hannah has been part of our temple since she was months old, part of our school since Kindergarten, and is preparing now for her Bat Mizvah with Rabbi Lachtman and Cantor Campbell. Though her Bat Mitzvah is in February, Hand in Paw has been part of Hannah’s heart since she first adopted Negrita, her Shihtzu puppy, and then Luna, Hannah’s Multi-poo dog.
🐩 🐕 🐾 
The mitzvah bracelet project is only part of the good that Hannah does for animals. Hannah spends her Saturday mornings at the adoption centers Hand in Paw sets up within the San Gabriel community. She collaborates with Piper Wood, the organization’s founder and president, to help rescued dogs prior to their surgery, helping administer their medication, socializes with the dogs to provide them emotional support, grooms them, cleans them, and walks them. 
🐕🐩 🐾 
It is rewarding for her to see how dogs with an otherwise unfortunate destiny and challenging health, are assigned to loving homes and families. She realizes, that with the help of her community, she can achieve the mitzvah of tzaar baalei chaim- caring for the needed animal. She will thus also involve her Haskala peers in her mitzvah, by taking turns in selling bracelets and muffins. 
🐩 🐕 🐾 
By us encouraging the class as they sell bracelets, or purchasing or donating to Hannah’s cause, we too are participating in the mitzvah of doing good, as one mitzvah leads to another, mitzvah goreret mitzvah.
Coming up at Temple Beth David
featured dates to note:
Dec 6 6pm: Ulpan Shabbat and Family dinner for Ulpan Shabbat families
7.30pm Shabbat services with Cindy Paley
Sunday, Dec 8th: Sisterhood Holiday boutique and bagel brunch. Mail sisterhood here for more information.
Thursday, Dec 12th: Last Day to order Sisterhood latke mix. From Carol Ozer, sisterhood president: " Sisterhood latka mix is $8.00 quart. Makes 10-12 delicious latkas. Just add eggs and fry! Email here  with your order. Pick up is Sunday, December 15, 9:30 am-12pm. Pay when you pick up!"
Friday, Dec13th: 7.20pm Shabbat services with Israeli dancing with Ellen Feldman to follow
 Sunday, Dec 15th 9.30, 10.30, 11.30am Free Adult Hebrew with Jan Robertson
Hanukkah at TBD Religious School (see flyer for details)
9:30am Mindfulness Meditation (Call Victor Herzfeld 626-975-5235 for information.)
Dec 20 6pm: Ulpan Shabbat and Family dinner for Ulpan Shabbat families
7.30pm Shabbat services with Cindy Paley
Shabbat Reading
and more Jewishly relevant resources

  • Last Friday's TBD Religious School eblast about giving thanks and it's relation to us as Jews, families, religious school students, parents, friends, and more here
  • For Goodness Sake- video featuring Dennis Prager, directed by David Zucker
  • Why I am wearing a jacket, and other ways of a stereotypical Jewish mother?
  • Why we cover our eyes when we say the Shema?
  • Turkey shaped Challa
  • Hand in Paw- a non profit organization caring for cats and dogs in severe need
  • How to prepare for Channukah
  • "What exactly do we mean by happiness", a positive psychology approach to Jewish education, written by Michelle Shapiro Abraham
  • December edition of JLife magazine
Out and About
in our community
Click here for Throw Back Time
to when our preschoolers of last year sang Sevivon Sov Sov Sov #awwww!