Congregation B'nai Harim
at the Nevada County
Jewish Community Center
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December 5781 - 2020 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 Chanukah Dec 10-18th
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In Person and Zoom Services
1st Friday Night Shabbat Services
December 4th
with
Rabbi David Azen joined by
Rabbi Alan Greenbaum
3rd Friday Night Shabbat Services
December 18th
with
Rabbi David Azen
Time: 07:30 PM Pacific Time
(US and Canada)
Following Friday Night Services
Saturday Torah Study
......Online
Via Zoom
with Rabbi David Azen
@10:00 am
Kabballah & the Enneagram with Rabbi David
December 5th and 19th
See Rabbi's Message below for more details.
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Important Dates
Sisterhood Meeting December 3rd @12:30pm
NCJCC Board Meeting December 3rd @ 7:30pm
December 6th @9:30
Sunday school, K-7 and Rabbi's Kids 9:30 am
December 13th
11:00 to1:00
Sunday school is hosting a Chanukah Party outside Limited to students only.
December 1st, 8th, 15th and Hebrew Class 3:30 pm
Sisterhood Book Club Monday December 14th @1:30pm
December 10th -18th
Chanukah
Watch the Weekly Schmooze for more details and updates as they become available.
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We have all of your Chanukah needs - candles, wrapping paper, and gifts.
Please call the office to arrange shopping, orders, pick-ups or deliveries!!
530-477-0922 or email ncjcc@outlook.com
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Working to keep everyone safe
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In-Person Services are on hold. Nevada County is currently in the Purple tier. This means outside events only.
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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Chanukah Stories and Resources
Looking for
It is time again for glowing menorahs, spinning dreidles, delicious latkes (potato pancakes) and deep fried sufganiot (jelly donuts). It’s Chanukah time. On Chanukah, Jewish families around the world gather together in their homes and light the Chanukah candles.
Visit the NJOP site for fun and ideas this Chanukah
https://njop.org/chanukah/#ChanukahPrograms
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FORWARD
The Forward is a nonprofit organization and is supported by the contributions of its readers. Your support enables our critical work and contributes to a vibrant, connected global Jewish community.
Do you have questions about anti-racism, healing divides, or finding people making a difference? The link below is an opportunity to hear what is happening around the world.
Join our timely, virtual conversations, connecting you to the news, to each other and to the Forward.
https://click1.e.forward.com/ViewMessage.do
This message is for information only. We will try to share events that are happening and online opportunities to get involved.
Let us know if you would like to share ideas and connections online.
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Amazon Smile
Do you find you are ordering online more often? Your online Amazon purchases can help us raise funds while you shop everyday. In addition, Amazon offers special Deals that can help us all save money and give back!!
donates to Nevada County Jewish Community Center.
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Holidays
Note: Not all customs and rituals will be safe during times of social distancing. Please use your judgment and celebrate only in ways that are responsible and safe.
Torah will not be unrolled due to current safety concerns and distance requirments.
https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays
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Rabbi Message, Presidents Message, Fresher Sacramento, Covid-19 resources, Education Programs
Men's Club, Sisterhood, Book Club, Membership, and
Landscaping (Backyard) Project
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Hiding from a terrible contagion.
Darting out for food.
Dreaming of a time of freedom and peace.
Sound familiar? In 168 BCE, the Maccabees hid in caves from the Syrian-Greek army and its war against Judaism, and finally, in 165, they defeated Antiochus’ forces and emerged to find the Temple in ruins and in need of rejuvenation, cleansing and rededication. Chanukkah is coming, oh yeah, and with it a reminder that we can survive, reemerge and flourish once again.
With the latest surge, we need to keep away from gathering in our sanctuary, yet we can have faith that we will come together once again. The couple of months when we could at least have some limited gatherings were nice, but all too brief, and it might be a number of months more until enough of the vaccine has gotten out to all of us, but the time will come again, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Chanukkah comes at the darkest time of the solar year and at the darkest time of the lunar month, but the light of the moon starts to wax again by the time our chanukiot are full of candles. While we might wish things were different, every experience offers opportunities for growth, and this year, we have the chance to examine our relationship with faith.
Faith, as distinct from belief. Mother Teresa admitted that she had a very long period, perhaps forty years, in which she did not believe in God, felt abandoned, and dared not admit it to anyone. And yet, she still had enough faith to carry on and do the work she felt called to do. There have certainly been times this year when many of us have felt alone and desolate and unsure of what life is about. While we can look ahead to better times, we’ve also had a glimpse into our own souls and how we respond, and what ways we might look to our tradition for a greater sense of connection with God, aka, the Source of our being.
Joseph Campbell, the great scholar of world mythology, once wrote: People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.
May this Chanukkah, this passage through the darkness toward the light, bring us the chance to feel fully alive, no matter what our circumstances, and to guide us toward strengthening our faith that we are supported by something greater than ourselves and by our community.
Chag sameach!
Rabbi David
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We would like to welcome
our two new Board Members Shawn Polivoi and John Lamont
and our new Youth Advisor Maddux Eckerling.
Congratulations and welcome aboard!!
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Providing Food during a crisis-
Fresher Sacramento has partnered with DoorDash to power the delivery of meals to the city's senior citizens during the ongoing health crisis. With the support of the DoorDash platform, Lesieli Pilate and Lucy Munoz, along with Chef Michael Harris, produced and sent with DoorDash to deliver over 9,000 meals for 477 seniors at five different residences in Sacramento. Thank you to the City of Sacramento and SHRA for funding, to DoorDash for your generous support and partnership and to Meals on Wheels for partnering with Fresher Sacramento to make this happen.
"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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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!!! We have a lot of new ideas and exciting plans for this coming school year!
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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! December 2020
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Happy Anniversary to you!! December 2020
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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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