Etzetera - May 2021

MAY 2021, ISSUE 5

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF TEMPLE ETZ CHAIM

IN THIS ISSUE Join TEC's Clergy Search Committee - 4 Shabbat Dinners to Go - 5 Shavuot Secrets - 12 & 13 Kid's Corner - 20

ETZETERA

TABLE OF CONTENTS Letters from Leaders Get to Know: Clergy Search Committee TEC to Go May Menu Calendar Education Simchas Deja View SPOTLIGHT: Memorial Day SPOTLIGHT: SHAVUOT SECRETS TEC Community ETZ-iting Events Kid's Corner ETZ-tra ETZ-tra Community Partners

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CLERGY

Rabbi Rabbi Rabbi Rabbi

Ari Averbach Intern Rachel Simmons Emeritus Shimon Paskow Emeritus Richard Spiegel

STAFF

Executive Director - Gideon Manzur ECE Director - Debbie Blumenthal Religious School Director - Joyce Bronstein Youth Director - Shannon Tepfer ECE Asst. Director - Kathy Sharp Program/Events Coordinator - Shane Silverstein Accounts Receivable - Jessica Jacoby Administrative Support - Lindsey Alpert BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President - Shari Mark Executive Vice President - Eric Feigenbaum Immediate Past President - Jeff Solomon Corresponding Secretary - Elissa Lazarus Financial Secretary - Wendy Margolis* Recording Secretary - Beth Meyer Treasurer - David Yodkovik VP, Building and Grounds - Larry Slomowitz VP, Communications - Dan Lubetkin VP, Early Childhood Education - Joe Zwicker VP, Membership - Jennifer Elson VP, Personnel & Legal - Tom Milhaupt VP, Religion & Worship - Benny Sommerfeld VP, Religious School Education - Felicia Toporoff VP, Social Action - Judy Gindi VP, Youth - Ilana Sweet Trustee, Adult Education - Sherri Finn-Werber* Trustee, Bingo - Michael Roberts Trustee, Community Outreach - Mark Goldstein Trustee, Strategic Planning - Terri Zwicker President, Mens Club - Colin Pullan President, Women of TEC - Cindy Scherr Past President - Gary Katz Past President - Marshall Scherr Past President - Myles Simpson *Past President

THIS MONTH'S SPOTLIGHT

ETZETERA

People share with me. It is a wonderful part of this life.

People share their lives with me and their stories with me. I am present at the most hallowed moments of their lives - both the joyous ones and the heartbreaking ones.

In these moments, people often vocalize their theology where they see God. For some, it is in simple nature hummingbirds and rainbows. Others find Divinity in the wonders of nature - the Milky Way on a clear night or childbirth. Some connect with Eternity through prayers and melodies during minyan. Sometimes people tell me of God that is anathema to my sense of Judaism, but it is a perspective that works for them.

We come from a long line of people who find God in various forms. In the TaNaKh (Bible), the prophet Isaiah sees God at the Temple in Jerusalem as the angels sing one to another “Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh.” Elijah finds God in the still, small voice in the wilderness. Ezekiel, the most visionary of the prophets, witnesses God descending on a chariot, pulled by mythic beasts, by a riverbank in the Diaspora. All unique, and yet all true to their character.

We come from a long line of people who find God in various forms.

This month is Shavuot, which commemorates our receiving the Torah. It is our personal moment of revelation, of communication with the Holy Blessing One. While our tradition teaches that we all stood together at Mount Sinai, we all feel that moment differently as we all bring our own history to that grand reveal.

We can picture our ancestors - from Russia, Spain, Iran, Yemen - standing next to us. And further back, Sarah who laughed at God, Ruth who chose this shared destiny - standing with us. And, perhaps if we can summon the energy, we can picture our descendants, generations from now, standing next to us as well, in conversation with God in their own unique way.

Just as our ancestors pictured us standing with them.

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The air at Temple Etz Chaim seems recharged with excitement as we’ve returned to more in-person events such as services and now, happily, Religious School. As I write this article, most of our students have returned to campus for inperson learning and what a glorious morning it was! From clergy to sta ff , to parents, students and volunteers, our campus was buzzing and felt so revitalized. Lox boxes were distributed to all parents at drop o ff or special delivery.

Once again, our volunteers rock!

Exciting times ahead for TEC. You might have noticed in the April 15th Constant Contact email that the initial steps have been taken toward the formation of a Clergy Search Committee. To avert any confusion, this committee was very intentionally named "Clergy Search" and not "Cantorial Search." Once this committee is formed, our search will begin to find a member of our clergy to work with Rabbi Averbach.

By way of background, our preliminary research to date tells us that there are two very strong and popular trends occurring.

The first trend is that many newly-ordained and future rabbis possess musical abilities from beautiful voices to playing instruments, piano to guitar and more. Perhaps this is happenstance, perhaps not.

The second trend is many synagogues have reduced their clergy count so having a rabbi who can add singing and musical accompaniment to their list of talents is a big plus.

We have decided not to limit our search to only a Cantor, but to cast as wide a net as possible to include musicallyinclined rabbis as well. We at TEC are very fortunate that we are NOT looking to reduce our clergy count, we are simply looking to grow with the very best fit to enhance our community.

If you are interested in serving on the Clergy Search Committee, it is not too late to apply!

The link (bit.ly/tec-csc-form) will be open until Friday, May 14th and the selection process will begin shortly thereafter.

That’s when the real work begins. Exciting times ahead for TEC. I hope you will feel comfortable returning to campus soon for services, programs or events and I very much look forward to seeing my community in person.

Memory is no accident.

We sometimes say that “hindsight is 20/20.” While this might be said jokingly, there are deep Jewish and human truths to this statement. Hindsight - aka intentional memory - lets us look back on where we have been and to choose what lessons we wish to carry with us into the future.

As Jews, we have applied intentional memory to the entire narrative of our people. We have read and reread the stories of our ancestors and have, over time, chosen which aspects of these stories to focus on most intently and to develop into communal tradition and ritual.

For example: it is not by accident that on Hanukkah, we focus on the miracle of the oil and the importance of being lights in the darkness - not primarily on the military exploits of the Maccabees. This is because our communities, over time, have chosen what the moral of the story should be through intentional memory.

Similarly, it was intentional that our daily prayers were organized so that Diaspora Jews wouldn’t forget the rhythms of the Temple, even though it stood a millennium ago.

As we prepare to emerge from the shadow of Covid, I would invite you to ask yourselves: what have I learned from this experience? How has it changed me? What would I like to carry on with me from the past year - and what would I like to leave behind?

There is a new chapter to our story now. Let’s make our hindsight 20/20.

Rabbi Rachel is TEC's new Rabbinic Intern.

GET TO KNOW:

CLERGY SEARCH COMMITTEE

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CLICK HERE

IF YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCESSING THE LINK ABOVE SIMPLY FIND US ONLINE AT BIT.LY/TEC-CSC-FORM

ETZETERA

th

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Chicken Marsala

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Oregano Vinaigrette Roasted Green Beans Roasted Potatoes Dessert Add-On: Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce

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th

Braised Short Ribs

Garden Salad with Balsamic Dressing Mashed Potatoes Asparagus Dessert Add-On: Fresh Fruit Tart

Blintzes - $8 per order of two, $20 per half-dozen (Includes sides of sour cream and jelly) Cheesecake - $10 per slice; 4 slices for $35 st

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Enchiladas or Tortellini

Veggie Enchiladas or Pesto Cheese Tortellini Garden Salad with a Cilantro Vinaigrette Julienne Vegetables Dessert Add-On: Flourless Chocolate Cake th

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No Meal - Happy Memorial Day

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CALENDAR

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TEC'S MAY 2021

ES TO DAT R E B M E EM

SUNDAY

R

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY 1

RELIGIOUS SCHOOL REGISTRATION STARTS TODAY!

See Page 9 for more info

2

3

4 h "May the Fyoouu!rt" be with

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10

MOTHERS' DAY

16 SHAVUOT

5 STAR WARS DAY

6 CINCO DE MAYO

7 NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

8

TIKKUN OLAM CLOTHING DRIVE

See the flyer on Page 18

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12

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14

15

18

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26

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YOM YERUSHALAYIM

17 SHAVUOT

SHAVUOT

SACK LUNCHES FOR THE HUNGRY

23 MACHAR END OF YEAR PARTY Read Shannon's 8 column on Page

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24 See the fly19er on Page

31 MEMORIAL DAY

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MONTHLY MITZVAH WEDNESDAY Page See the flyer on 19

ETZETERA

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SUNDAY 8:30 AM MONDAY 7:15 PM TUESDAY 10:00 AM WEDNESDAY 7:15 PM FRIDAY 7:00 PM SATURDAY 9:30 AM SATURDAY 8:15 PM

1 Judith Sneed Lawrence Grosslight Judah Sklar Ayla Sklar 2 Jack Warren Steven Golove Daniel Sturman Jake Wellen John McCauley 3 Mark Scop Meredith Teck 4 Mia Small Richard Eidman Noah Dvir 5 Samantha Katz Jorge Gruener Arnie Blitstein Jake Simowitz Eric Shechter Alana Silverstein 6 Robin Kahn Eden Lazarus Zachary Friedman

8 Spencer Morris Leah Israel Deborah Goldin 10 Lynne Zuckerman Jessica Anderson Jeanna Gindi Jennifer Golove Blaire Urfrig 11 Leon Sassoon Rebecca Gindi 12 Jessica Wernick Martin Sturman Jeremy Garelik Leah Tepfer Paul Munowitch 13 Ethan Rinkov Stephanie Morgenstern Rachel Axelrad Hillary Natlin Danica Katz Josh Rudman Eli Tischler Jacob Ross Robert Sarto

7 Tali Lefko Natalie Roman Ron Mark Yola Kalinski Anat Erman Carl Friedlander

14 Dina Stone Irving Weiss Deli Weisberg Julia Katz Devora Hettena Brooke Roberts Elisha Manzur

8 Jaclyn Plotkin Harvey Moskowitz

15 Israel Bronstein Max Cohan

Morning Minyan Service Evening Minyan Service Tuesdays with Rabbi Spiegel Evening Minyan Service Kabbalat Shabbat Shabbat Morning Service Community Havdalah

16 Kenneth Saul Michele Salant Anita Heber Susan Friedman 17 Gabrielle Polkes Joshua Reinus Benjamin Acosta Lillian Levine 18 Brooke Paiva Dylan Sklar Michael Goodkin Benjamin Slomowitz Paula Lefko Nicole Blitstein 19 Shailee Hoffmann David Matzkin Jan Blakely Julie Sterling Lana Marcus Gil Kessler 20 Jenna Marx Aaron Heirshberg 21 Bryan Breverman 22 Kenny Ellis Michael Druyen Cecilia Diamond Michael Teck Michael Bayewitch 23 Brian Kahn Irma Sommerfeld Ariana Mendelson Emma Riss Ann Moore-Ross Amy Shipow

24 Ruty Levy Anna Deitel Herb Weisberg 25 Ilana Shapiro David Werner 26 Penina Lipkin Rachael Tahir Mark Heirshberg Jeffrey Sweet Elijah Lubetkin 27 Bruce Mahler Lucas MacBrair Aaron Zucherman Sandy Pfefferman Jack Gindi 28 Ryan Sterling 29 David Cohan Dalia Samansky Andrew Moore Jonathan Hops 30 Declan Winthrop Matthew Garelik Betty Zonshine Benjamin Hopstone Matthew Jacobs Ron Stein Elinor Stabinsky Matthew Jacobs

May 1 Jason & Jessica Anderson May 2 Sharon & Harold Seiden May 5 Elizabeth & Ronald Groden May 7 Inez & Mark Zucherman May 16 Heather & Greg Urfrig Laurie & Joel Volk May 17 Andrea & Adam Ainley May 18 Marti & Eric Litwin Susan & Timothy Mellon May 19 Jackie & Mike Wellen May 21 Gabriele & Lawrence Bugaisky Dina & Philip Stone May 22 Nili & Darren Perlmutter Nancy & Charles Schwager May 24 Samantha & Scott Wasserman May 27 Cindy & Gil Goldberg Debra & Jay Levine Stephanie & Matt Morgenstern Yevgeniya Belenkaya-Shulman & Alik Shulman Amy & Ari Wallack May 29 Lorie & Chad Hampton Briana & Jordan Roberts

EDUCATION

As our school year winds down, we have so many exciting activities yet to come. The month of May begins with Teacher Appreciation Week 2021! Our preschool parents are already working hard to come up with creative ideas to show the TEC staff how much they appreciate and thank the teachers for all they do all year long to care and teach the children in our program. Look for messages from the Room Parents with more details.

Our weekly Facebook Shabbat Live will continue until further notice. Each week we have been able to invite just two classes into the sanctuary to join us. The rest of the school and friends at home are watching us from their classrooms or homes on their flat screens.

Our 2021-22 school year registration is ongoing. We have limited spaces left in our program and then we will start our wait list. Our current school year will end on Friday, June 25th and the entire ECE Center will be closed the week of June 28th- July 2nd as we prepare for the start of the new school year which begins on Tuesday, July 6th!

The preschool will be celebrating Shavuot towards the end of May! We love to prepare healthy dairy snacks and read stories about Moses and the 10 Commandments!

For more information on any of our infant or preschool programs, feel free to email or call Debbie Blumenthal at debbieb@templeetzchaim.org or 805497-6852 anytime between 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Monday- Friday.

During this year, we recognize the difficulty in staying connected.

For our students, it was especially important this year to keep them connected, get them “together”, and create some “normalcy”. TEC Youth Department and our USY Boards have worked hard to make these connections available. Studies show that Jewish teens flourish socially, emotionally and spiritually when connected to youth groups. TEC USY has been making sure to help our students thrive.

Some of the ways we have been connecting with the kids this year are: movie nights, cooking videos, TikTok challenges, dance parties, online games and challenges, and educational programming. I am so proud of our fourteen Jr. and Sr. Board members for all they have accomplished. This month, we are moving back to in-person events and we hope that everyone will join us one last time before summer begins.

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On April 18, our Religious School students returned to in-person classrooms!

What a fabulous day it was; our students on Zoom were enthused too. It was fun to watch as teachers greeted their students. As parents circled the parking lot, they received a delicious “lox box” to enjoy. Those families who remain virtual had this same breakfast delivered to their home by members of the Religious School Education Committee. Thank you to all the volunteers who made this day a success!

Throughout the day, it was clear that our students and teachers were thankful to meet in person. As I visited classrooms, students were jumping with excitement. The teachers and classroom aides navigated their ZoomRoom and In-Person class with a great deal of care. It was a wonderful success!

Usually, I distribute licorice each day we are at TEC. The students say, “I love Religious School,” and I respond with, “And I love having you here.” These words were even more meaningful today. Licorice is a tradition at TEC Religious School, so each student received a box of licorice as they left TEC. Please know that the staff and I are truly grateful for the incredible support we have received from our families this year.

If you see these same leadership qualities in your student/s, or if your children feel inspired after reading this and want to be a part of the bigger picture, send an email to youth@templeetzchaim.org and request a board application for 2021-2022 Board year.

Upcoming events: Sunday, May 2: Kadima Summer Smash Lounge 11:30am-1:30pm

Sunday, May 16: Jr. and Sr. B'yachad Lounge 2:00pm-4:00pm Saturday, May 22: Havdalah and Board Installations 5:00pm-8:30pm Sunday, May 23: Machar End-of-Year Party 11:30am-1:30pm

ETZETERA

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EMAIL JOYCE@TEMPLEETZCHAIM.ORG OR CALL (805) 494-8174 EXT 123 FOR MORE INFO

SIMCHAS

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Emma Riss

Jack Gruener

Jenna Marx

May 8

May 29

May 29

PLEASE JOIN US IN WISHING SUSAN A WELL-DESERVED CONGRATULATIONS!

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T I NG

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HE D

ED

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AT

RD

just got bigger!

Susan Mellon, one of our amazing Gesher class teachers, received the highly coveted Lainer Distinguished Educator Award in April. Susan has been teaching at TEC for over 24 years and beat out countless nominees from 91 eligible LA area schools. The award, sponsored by the Builders of Jewish Education, is given to exemplary Jewish educators who have done an exceptional job working with their students.

LAI N

Our TEC family

OR AW

A

DEJA VIEW

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In April, we began returning to the TEC grounds. In addition to our Religious School reopening - in accordance with safety guidelines and protocols, of course - on Sunday, April 18, our Religious School conducted its consecration program for Kindergarten & 1st Graders, as well as its 5th Grade Shabbat Program where they were presented with their special Tallit designed by their parents.

The Tallit were designed in March 2020 and were scheduled to be presented last year, but with COVID and lockdown orders, the ceremony was delayed for over a year. Finally, on Friday, April 23, the 5th Graders received their Tallit - in the Sanctuary! Many thanks to Joyce Bronstein and our teachers for making this long overdue event take place.

Elation. Exuberance. Excitement. Underneath the mandatory masks were smiles, cheers, and sighs of relief as our religious school students returned to campus. The staff and families who support them were thrilled to see all the kids reunite and get back to their Jewish studies.

SPOTLIGHT: MEMORIAL DAY

WE OBSERVE MEMORIAL DAY ON MAY 31ST. ABOUT 750,000 JEWISH MEN AND WOMEN SERVED IN UNIFORM DURING WORLD WARS I AND II, AND ABOUT 15,000 JEWISH SOULS LOST THEIR LIVES TO SAVE OUR FREEDOM. THIS MEMORIAL DAY, PLEASE TAKE TIME TO REMEMBER AND THANK THE JEWS AND NON-JEWS IN UNIFORM WHO GAVE UP EVERYTHING FOR OUR LIBERTY. - A NOTE OF REMEMBRANCE WRITTEN BY COLIN PULLAN -

ADAPTED FROM MYJEWISHLEARNING.COM

SHAVUOT COMMEMORATES THE SPRING HARVEST AND THE GIVING OF THE TORAH ON MOUNT SINAI Along with Passover and Sukkot, Shavuot is one of the three major Jewish pilgrimage festivals. It falls out precisely 49 days after the second day of Passover, a period of time known as the Omer, and marks the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai.

Here are 8 things you might not know about this springtime holiday.

1

SHAVUOT IS THE HOLIDAY OF JEWISH PAPER-CUTTING

Shavuot is a springtime festival, a period when much of the earth is coming into full bloom. One Jewish legend recounts that Mount Sinai burst into flower with the giving of the Torah. In ancient times, Shavuot was also the time of bikkurim, when Jewish farmers would bring the first fruits of their crops as an offering to God in the temple. For these reasons, many synagogues have the custom of decorating their sanctuaries with flowers and greenery. But some rabbis were uncomfortable with this, fearing that it too closely resembled Christian traditions, which in turn led to the custom of using a papercut instead called a shavuosl.

2

ISRAELIS HAVE WATER FIGHTS ON SHAVUOT

In Israel, Shavuot is the holiday of water. In the center of many cities, massive crowds engage in water fights on the holiday, tossing water balloons at each other or spraying passersby with powerful water guns. Others embrace the water idea by taking hikes along rivers and streams. The origins of this tradition aren’t entirely clear, but some link it to North African Jewish communities that celebrated water on Shavuot because the Torah is sometimes compared to the life-giving properties of water. Also, it’s the start of the hot season, so frolicking outside with water only makes sense.

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3

SHAVUOT IS JUDAISM’S ONLY ALL-NIGHTER

4

LADINO SPEAKERS RECITE A MARRIAGE CONTRACT

5

SHAVUOT'S CENTRAL FIGURE WASN’T BORN JEWISH

The main ritual associated with Shavuot is known as Tikkun Leil Shavuot. The custom originated among the mystics of Safed as compensation for the fact that, according to the Midrash, the ancient Israelites slept in on the day of the giving of the Torah. To make up for that ancient mistake and to show our eagerness to receive the Torah, the custom emerged of staying up all night to study. In many synagogues the study session is capped by a sunrise worship service at daybreak.

The relationship between God and the Jewish people is often likened to marriage. The Talmud calls Shavuot the wedding day between God and the Jewish people. Some have also pointed to various wedding metaphors contained in the biblical story of revelation. To mark this anniversary, many Sephardic communities developed liturgy describing the holiday as a symbolic betrothal of the Jewish people to God. Ladino-speaking Jews went even further, reciting a liturgical poem called Le Ketubah de la Ley, the marriage contract of the law.

Traditionally the biblical Book of Ruth is read in synagogue on Shavuot. The book tells the story of Ruth, a Moabite woman who returns to Israel with her mother-in-law after the death of her husband. Though Ruth is encouraged to stay with her own people, Ruth refuses, speaking the lines for which she would become known: “For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” Ruth’s embrace of Judaism took place around the time of Shavuot and her acceptance of the Jewish faith is seen as analogous to the Jewish acceptance of God’s Torah.

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SHAVUOT IS THE ONLY HOLIDAY WHERE DAIRY IS ENCOURAGED

Eating meat and fish are signs of celebration in Jewish tradition, which is why many people eat beef or chicken on Shabbat and other Jewish holidays. Shavuot is the one Jewish observance where the opposite is true — dairy foods like cheesecake and blintzes are customary. Various reasons for this tradition have been offered, but many link it to the fact that the kosher laws were handed down on Shavuot, and the ancient Israelites, finding that their meat was no longer kosher, ate dairy foods instead.

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SHAVUOT IS THE ONLY HOLIDAY WITH NO FIXED DATE

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IT IS THE LEAST-OBSERVED MAJOR JEWISH HOLIDAY

According to the Bible, Shavuot is observed seven weeks after “the sickle is first put to the standing grain.” In practice, the counting began on the second day of Passover. In ancient times, when the new month was established on the basis of witness reports, that meant that Shavuot could fall on either the fifth of sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. Today, it is observed on the 6th day of Sivan. And because Shavuot begins only after seven weeks have been counted, the holiday does not traditionally begin until nightfall, unlike other Jewish holidays that begin at dusk.

Coming seven weeks after what is frequently considered the most widely observed Jewish ritual, the Passover seder, Shavuot is often overlooked by less observant Jews. Various reasons have been suggested for this. Perhaps the most compelling is that, unlike Passover (with its seder and dietary restrictions), Sukkot (with its custom of eating in a sukkah for seven days), or Rosh Hashanah (with its shofar blowing and traditions of introspection and forgiveness), Shavuot is comparatively lacking in any specific dramatic rituals. The primary act associated with Shavuot, the all-night study session, developed comparatively recently.

TEC COMMUNITY

MEMBERSHIP

BY JENNIFER ELSON

Have you ever been in a Havurah? Was your family in one when you were growing up?

More importantly...

WHAT is a Havurah??

A Havurah is a small group of members who come together to socialize and enjoy aspects of Jewish living together.

When you join, you will be connected to others who are in the same stage of life: couples, families with young kids, empty nesters, singles….

It is a wonderful opportunity to share life cycle events, holidays and worship with people who very well may become part of your extended family, much like each and every member of Etz Chaim is part of OUR Temple family!

Please email me if you are interested!!

Jennifer Elson is VP of Membership She can be reached at membership@templeetzchaim.org

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MEN'S CLUB

BY COLIN PULLAN

Join the Mens Club!

Mens Club is a great way to make friends at TEC in a fun and informal setting. When you join, it is an opportunity to give to the Temple via time and service. Mens Club is a great way to become more involved in temple life.

We are planning great programming this year, including Brunches with Speakers, Pick-up Sports Games, Watching games at sports bars, Playing football with the Rabbi, a Poker Tournament, our “Hearing Men's Voices” series, Building the Sukkah, the Jeff Finn Memorial Steak, Scotch & Cigars, family Hike and Havdalah, family Havdalah and Bowling... and a whole lot more.

Colin Pullan is President of Men's Club He can be reached at colinclp@sbcglobal.net

ETZETERA

WOMEN OF TEC

BY CINDY SCHERR

Happy May! Women of TEC is so excited that our synagogue is beginning the reopening process! And we are thrilled to be able to be a part of it!

Please mark your calendars for Sunday, June 6th. We will be installing our new board members, and announcing our Woman of Valor winner. More details will be following soon. We are also planning an outdoor lunch/picnic for the summer – again, details to follow.

A reminder that our Judaica Shop is available for whatever you need – please contact Ann Ross. You can always reach me with any questions you have or any information you need, email me! Looking forward to seeing all of you as we begin meeting in person!

Cindy Scherr is President of WOTEC She can be reached at womenoftec@templeetzchaim.org

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TIKKUN OLAM

BY JUDY GINDI

We continue to collect new socks and underwear for foster children, so please bring these items to the office until Friday, May 7.

On Monday, May 17, we will be Feeding the Hungry again! If you are interested, please sign up when the email goes out.

The Social Action Committee meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month - at 7:45pm after minyan - and our next one is Weds, May 26. It’s only May, but we have already begun planning Mitzvah Day for this fall.

Join us on Zoom, we’d love to have you!

Judy Gindi is VP, Social Action She can be reached at socialaction@templeetzchaim.org

TRIBUTES

Dunar Music Fund In Memory of: Anne Goldstein Ron Goldstein Early Childhood Education Fund In Memory of: Mollie Chadroff Edward Chadroff Davood Moradian Nasser Moradian Parvin Rostamian Zoe Abdolrazagh Abraham Blumenthal Scott Blumenthal Elisa Feldman Memorial Religious School Fund In Memory of: Blanche Chak Nomi Freed Lou Schotland Nomi Freed In Honor of: Colin & Esther Pullan Debbie & Les Feldman Irwin & Ilene Barney Debbie & Les Feldman Stan & Lynne Rosen Debbie & Les Feldman In Memory of: Eugene Feldman Marc Firestone Rebecca Atterman Denise Coleman Fienberg-Lerner Chapel Minyan Fund In Memory of: Sheila Rubenstein Stephen Fienberg Lou Schotland Bruce Polkes Inbar Israel Travel & Education Scholarship Fund In Memory of: Albert Goldenberg Bonnie Goldenberg Davood Moradian Nasser Moradian Jotkowitz Camp Ramah Scholarship Fund In Memory of: William Horowitz Doreen Horowitz Jerry Maze Heidi Birnbaum Blanche Chak Myles & Gail Simpson Gigi Rosalie & Ken Fromberg Lipnick Religious School Scholarship Fund In Memory of: Paul Chesnick Myrna Stelman Reba Stelman Myrna Stelman Mens Club Scholar-in-Residence In Memory of: Seymour Lipkin Alan Lipkin

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Mens Club Scholar-in-Residence In Appreciation of: Mens Club Myrna Stelman Mens Club Joan Grossman

Temple General Fund In Memory of: Jack Goldberg Joyce Goldberg Sara Rudman Arnold Rudman

Rabbi Averbach’s Discretionary Fund In Memory of: Max Natkowitz Marvin Natlin Sadie Alperson Bonnie Garfinkel Murray Bass Sharon Seldon Avremi Manzur Gideon Manzur Lou Schotland Liz & Ron Groden

Tzedakah Fund In Memory of: Irwin Marco Fran Curtis Betty Weiss Laurel Warner

In Honor of: Miles Carl Warren Herb & Agnes Warren In Memory of: Raquel Saranga Rivka Moscovitch Johnnie Bruun Judy Sneed In Honor of: Rabbi Averbach Rosalie & Ken Fromberg Rabbi Averbach Marshall & Cindy Scherr Religious School Fund In Memory of: Jerry Schneider Michael Schneider Harvey J. Levine Dr. Jerry Ratzan Gerald Zimmerman Dr. Jerry Ratzan Temple General Fund In Memory of: Max Portnoy Ed Portnoy Victoria Rose Raab Laurence Raab Bernard Herbert Raab Laurence Raab Shirley Marion Raab Laurence Raab Leon Mark Raab Laurence Raab Lillian Fleishman Sandra Levy Klara Kovar Rita Kovar Jean Kanner The Estate of Allen Kanner Barbara, Maurice & David King Paul King In Appreciation of: Temple Etz Chaim Clergy & Staff Seth Browner In Honor of: Peter Margolis Dan, Debbie, Jaymee & Maxton Margolis Wendy Margolis Dan, Debbie, Jaymee & Maxton Margolis

USY Youth & Scholarship Fund In Memory of: Morris M. Spitzer Leonard Spitzer In Appreciation of: Shannon Tepfer Myrna Stelman Women of TEC Beautification of TEC In Memory of: Helena Dain Cherie Wrigley Nancee Maze Heidi Birnbaum Women of TEC Fund In Memory of: Ida Krugel Barbara Excell In Honor of: Shirley Lipkin Elissa Lazarus Women of TEC Torah Fund In Honor of: Colin & Esther Pullan Earl & Esther Roth In Memory of: Jack Frye Emilia Fischer

ETZETERA

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! u o Y k n a h T

FEATURED EVENTS

U L MEN L U F UR G5 SEE O MAY ON P FOR

TO ORDER

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ETZETERA

KINDLY SIGN UP FOR AN ITEM OR ITEMS AND DROP THEM OFF IN FRONT OF SECURITY OR AT THE MAIN OFFICE BY 5 P.M. TUESDAY, MAY 11TH. IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO ORDER THE ITEMS ONLINE, SUCH AS FROM AMAZON, AND HAVE THEM SENT TO THE TEMPLE, THAT WORKS TOO! THE ADDRESS IS 1080 EAST JANSS ROAD, THOUSAND OAKS, 91360: ATTENTION SHANE SILVERSTEIN WITH YOUR GENEROSITY, ON MONDAY, MAY 17TH,

TEC VOLUNTEERS WILL

CREATE AND DELIVER 70 LUNCHES TO HARBOR HOUSE'S FEED THE HUNGRY PROGRAM IN THOUSAND OAKS.

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KID'S CORNER

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Kid's Corner IN HONOR OF SHAVUOT, LET'S PLAY A GAME Of

can you HELP MOSES FIND THE Ten Commandments?

start finish

ETZETERA

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t h u n d e r

Our c coLoRful oLo oL oRful History

During Shavuot, we read the story of ruth.

How many English words can you think of that contain all 4 letters in the word "ruth"?

ETZ-TRA ETZ-TRA

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FROM THE TEC PHOTO VAULT In this issue - and upcoming issues of Etzetera - we will share a few “mystery photos” preserved from the archives of Temple Etz Chaim. We hope to learn more about our shared history - the history of our community, and those who have worked so hard to build and maintain Temple Etz Chaim.

If you know anything about the stories behind these pictures, please share them with us. We will publish the story along with the photo in our next issue!

SHARE THE STORIES BEHIND THESE PHOTOS! COMMUNICATIONS@TEMPLEETZCHAIM.ORG WE WILL POST YOUR STORIES!

GROUND-BREAKING! We know this is from the ground-breaking of our beloved TEC campus. But who is in the photo?

EGG TOSS! A perfect fun family activity with some incredibly impressive egg tossing skills on full display. Our best guess is that this photo is from the 1960’s, before TEC was built!

Do you know anyone in the photo? What event was this for? Please let us know!

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Answers on Page 25

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WHAT I'M INTO RIGHT NOW Been watching “Bridgerton,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” “Entourage,” “Bridgerton,” “Schitt’s Creek,” “Bridgerton”... oh, and did I mention “Bridgerton”?

- Jennifer Elson

On an Israeli TV kick - just finished “Tehran” on AppleTV+, very cat-and-mouse. Watched Season 3 of “Shtisel” and loved “Fauda.”

- Joe & Terri Zwicker

I’ve been reading as many Harlan Coben and Michael Connelly books as I can.

- Marshall Scherr

I’ve been watching “Men in Kilts” on Starz. It has two Outlander actors who traveled all around Scotland highlighting the country’s traditions and culture. It’s a great show!

- Felicia Toporoff

I’ve been watching reruns of “Modern Family” and Season 3 of “Shtisel.”

- Benny Sommerfeld

Just finished the book The Zookeeper’s Wife.

- Ilana Sweet

I am enjoying Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera and completing three rings each day on my Apple Watch. Trying to get those pandemic pounds off.

- Judy Gindi

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COMMUNITY PARTNERS

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COMMUNITY PARTNERS

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COMMUNITY PARTNERS

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