New Member Spotlight: Say hello to new members Katherine and Halay na Oschin. Katherine was born in Santa Monica, although she spent some of her adolescence in Honolulu and Oahu, before finally settling in Encino. She now resides in Altadena, with her daughter Halayna, aged 8. When she was pregnant with Halyana, Katherine decided to become an adult bat mitzvah. She and her family enjoyed the deep sense of Judaism that the studies provided. Katherine is a graphic artist, although she began her career as a business developer. It was during that time that Katherine discovered her love and talent in the design world. A serial entrepreneur, she currently owns two businesses–Arroyo Graphics and Paint Time. She loves being a business owner, as it allows her the time she needs to be with Halayna and follow her passion. Katherine will readily admit that she loves her Paint Time company—a face paint and entertainment company. It allows her to spend time with children and provide happy experiences for them. She tells me that she joined PJTC because she wants to give Halayna a Jewish education; she has found our community to be very warm and welcoming, and now is inclined to spend more time at PJTC. As you see Halayna and Katherine on our campus, be sure to reach out and give them both a big welcome! Karen Ruth Bellinskinova Chan, Ruthie (as she likes to be called) has quite a storied history. Her family is from Siberia, and they arrived in the 1930s, fleeing from the persecution they experienced. She speaks English, Hebrew, Russian and some Spanish…a veritable walking UN! She has three sons: Jonathan, Jeffrey and Michael. Jonathon is studying to be a physical therapist, Jeff is finishing his electrical engineer degree, and Michael will attend the Police Academy in 2014. You might see Jeffrey (whom we know as Yosef) on our campus; both Ruthie and Yosef are members of the b’nai mitzvah class at PJTC and frequently attend Saturday morning services. In previous lives, she has worked as a police officer with the El Monte police department, a security officer at the El Monte Junior High School, and is now employed at our very own B’nai Simcha as a pre-school teacher. Ruthie loves Hebrew; as a current student of stitchery, she is creating matzoh covers and kippot bags, with designs in Hebrew and Russian. Among her many ambitions is to make her creations available to others. Jewish culture and religion are very important to her. Ruthie lives by the motto “Always remember where you came from.” Be sure to look for her and Yosef on our campus and welcome them to our community!
The FLAME
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Melissa Bergman Levy. The Shabbat Shirah concert is not only an amazing gala event, it has also become the main fundraiser for PJTC. The temple relies on fundraisers to help provide the essential revenues for budgeted programs and services. To accomplish this, various levels of sponsorship are available; and, of course we need your assistance. There will also be a festive Argentina-themed Wine and Food Reception and reserved concert seating for VIP ticket holders. A sneak preview of Cantor Ruth’s 2014 Argentina tour will be included with the reception. I can already thank the PJTC Sisterhood, Men’s Club, and our Shomrei Zahav for their wonderful support. The “Journey to Argentina” should be a truly memorable event! Please save the date, make your reservations early, and don’t miss the musical thrills and excitement as we celebrate Shabbat Shirah together. The Board of Directors is continuing its review of the proposed new PJTC Constitution. The vast majority of the revised document was essentially approved at a Special Board meeting on November 17. However, the Board has identified some larger questions and discussion points relating to Board governance. I have proposed and appointed a Task Force to discuss these structural issues and bring back recommendations to the full Board. I strongly feel that this extended process is necessary even though it may delay the ratification of the Constitution at the regularly scheduled annual Congregational meeting in February. I hope we can all be patient. After more than two years of fine-tuning the Constitution, we want to get it right. I anticipate the completed document should be ready for congregational approval at a Special Congregational meeting in March or April. Please await further updates on this very important project. Two months ago, I encouraged our congregants to consider participating in a community mitzvah activity as we prepared to celebrate the early observance of Hanukkah 2013 with our families. I detailed some of the wonderful Tikkun Olam activities that our PJTC congregants have to choose from. Now I have the opportunity to report on my experience as part of a PJTC group providing assistance to the homeless in Pasadena. On a very cold December evening, approximately a dozen PJTC members set up cots, prepared a hot meal, washed dishes, and even entertained some very grateful local homeless men and women. The program, sponsored by “Friends in Deed,” provides much–needed shelter for these individuals during inclement weather. I found the experience to be quite emotional and profoundly gratifying. There were some tears, but plenty of laughter and camaraderie. I wish to thank Yudie Fishman for coordinating this wonderful program with the PJTC Tikkun Olam Committee. I also wish to thank all the congregants who helped make that evening very special (I am sure I will leave someone out if I try to name them all). Our next “Bad Weather Shelter” day will be Sunday, February 16. I am looking forward to it, and I hope to inspire others to join in. So how did our PJTC members provide “entertainment”? I promise to tell if you agree to volunteer....I hope to see you there. Best wishes for the new year, Jon Return to Page 1
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January 2014