2010-November Bulletin

Cheshvan—Kislev 5771 PAGE 1NOVEMBER 2010

Temple Israel Bulletin

Holiday Expo—page 1

Good News from Israel—page 5

Get your new Temple Israel Cookbook—page 6

Meditation Workshop—page 7

Jewish Film Series—page 8

Tot Shabbat—page 9

Bar/Bat Mitzvah scholarship offered by B’nai B’rith–page 9

Volunteer Opportunities—page 12

Wanna dance? - page 14

Chinook Book—page 14

JCRC event—page 15

IN THIS ISSUE

SCHEDULE OF

SHABBAT SERVICES

EREV SHABBAT, November 5:

6:30 PM: Family Shabbat evening serviceTorah Portion: Toledot, Gen. 25:19-28:9,Haftarah I Sam. 20:18-42


7:30 PM: Friday Night Chai Shabbat eve-ning serviceTorah Portion: Vayetze, Gen. 28:10-32:3,Haftarah, Hos. 12:13-14:10


7:30 PM: Shabbat evening service.Torah Portion: Vayishlach, Gen. 32:4-36:43,Hafatarah, Obadiah 1:1-27


7:30 PM: Shabbat evening service with To-rah reading.

Torah Portion: Vayeshev, Gen. 37:1-40:23,Haftarah, Amos 2:6-3:8

It’s your right and your

responsibility. Election day is Nov. 2.

PAGE 2 TEMPLE ISRAEL BULLETIN

FROM THE RABBI’S STUDY

Sometimes, when I read thenews, it hits a little too closeto home. Other times I re-member a quotation that weusually say after a close call:“There, but for the grace ofGod, go I.” While many of uswere busying ourselves in

September with the High Holy Days, children in their teensin five different communities across America were takingtheir lives into their own hands – and ending them. Whilewe sat in our pews or seats reciting the al cheit prayer overand over again, hoping that by doing so we would learn tobe more aware of the behaviors in which we engage thatcause harm to others in our world and in our lives, childrenas young as 13 years old were putting their own names intothe Book of Death and sealing their fates with suicide.

According to an increasing number of recent reports, teensuicides as a result of bullying, intimidation, and harass-ment have continued to increase. The most-often reportedbasis for this bullying is anti-gay sentiment, acted out byother children with virtually no intervention by the schoolsin which this activity occurs. That parents in the town ofMentor, Ohio, not far from where I went to high school, aresuing their local school district, its superintendent, highschool principal, and others, as a result of the deaths bysuicide of so many of their children within the last coupleof years, all on the basis of anti-gay bullying, is terrifyingand chilling at the same time. It leads me to ask how chil-dren could behave this (bullying) way without anyone’snoticing. It also leads me to ask what kind of role modelingtheir parents are doing that makes it seem all right for kidsto engage in the same sorts of behaviors.

Here in Alameda there was a huge hue and cry when agroup of citizens, including many members of the clergy –I was part of that group – supported the inclusion of anti-bullying material, with specific reference to anti-gay bully-ing, in the general school curriculum. We didn’t do this onthe basis of “liberal” or “progressive” values or because wehad a “homosexual” agenda. We did it precisely becausewe fear(ed) for the lives of the children in our schools whomay be perceived as gay or lesbian and who could well bepushed to ending their own lives because other peoplebully them to death on the basis of their perceived differ-ences.

I didn’t come out of the closet as an openly gay man overthirty years ago because I thought it was a cute, fun, or po-litically expedient thing to do. I didn’t become the first

openly gay rabbi in America because I wanted to be threat-ened to within an inch of my life or because I wanted to behated, taunted, demeaned, dehumanized or in any otherway disrespected. Rather, I did what I did because I didn’twant others to have to go through these kinds of things andsuffer at the hands of bullies, ignoramuses, religious bigots,the way I had done, if my coming out could do anything toprevent it. I also wanted to provide a role model for hon-esty in a world that paid lip service to it but rarely madegood on its promise. I am sad to report that my coming outwas not enough to stem the tide.

The 70s folk song “Blowin’ In The Wind” asks how manypeople have to die before we change our ways and dosomething to prevent further deaths. I ask the same ques-tion today, and not only about gay kids taking their ownlives because they can’t take the bullying any more. I seeall around me people who seem to be utterly insensitive tothe implications of their actions, people who are not willingto intervene in the situations where their involvement couldmake a real difference. At the beginning of the AIDS epi-demic the most outspoken activist group, called ACT-UP,produced t-shirts that had the words “SILENCE=DEATH”emblazoned on them. Their message is just as true today asit was then. Even our own tradition requires that we “notstand idly by the blood of our neighbor.” Our prophets,Amos, Isaiah, Micah, and Jeremiah, all demand that weturn our values into actions, our creeds into deeds. The Tal-mud (Tractate Sanhedrin) says that taking a life is tanta-mount to destroying a whole world, but that saving a life istantamount to saving an entire world.

We cannot – and we must not – allow this kind of behav-ior, this bullying, intimidating, humiliating kind of behav-ior to become the norm or to become acceptable in anyway. And we cannot wait for someone else to be moved toaction. Lives are at stake here, and in many cases, younglives. I am not looking for more things to add to my list ofregrets for things I either did that I shouldn’t have done ordidn’t do that I should have done – and neither should you.

While it is not your responsibility alone to finish the task,neither are you at liberty to refrain from (working on)it….And if not now, when? (Pirke Avot)

Shalom,

Rabbi Allen B. Bennett

Cheshvan—Kislev 5771 PAGE 3

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The 4 R’s: Rot, Recycle, Reduce, Re-UseThe San Francisco Green Festival iscoming up this month and in order tostay consistent with my COEJL messageof a few months ago and the environ-mental mindset I am always walking andtalking about, I would like to share wayswe can be better stewards of the envi-ronment, at home and especially at Tem-

ple Israel.

At TI, we have already taken steps to change our daily hab-its to reduce our waste. We try to use less paper in the of-fice. We have changed our light bulbs to compact fluores-cents and put in low flow toilets in the bathrooms. We areusing compostable dishes and cups in the kitchen. Butthere is much we aren’t yet doing. I was working to helpprepare for the Cookbook Kickoff Dinner event last monthwhen I realized that no one knew we had a green bin in thecourtyard.

Our kids have annual school trips to the Waste Manage-ment Center and the Davis Street Transfer Station. Theyare taught to be accountable for recycling everything attheir schools here in Alameda and elsewhere. We have anobligation to support them in their efforts to save the planetfor their own generation and beyond. Because of our com-mitment to Tikkun Olam, the act of repairing the world,there are simple behavior changes we can make right nowthat will have a great impact for future generations.

Composting (ROT):Composting appeals to the thrifty person in all of us. Itfeels good to keep materials on site and cycle them backinto the yard. And composting results in a very valuableproduct. The best soil amendment—your own homemadecompost—is one that money can’t buy.

Waste reduction is another good reason for composting.Almost 20 percent of the waste stream in Alameda Countyis plant and vegetable trimmings that could be recycled ascompost. Recycling organic resources not only extends thelife of our landfills, it can also save you money. Your gar-bage bills will go down. Your water bills may drop too,since a soil that’s well amended with compost holds mois-ture better and reduces runoff. Maybe one day, TempleIsrael will have its own compost bin and use it to nourishour own garden. But until then, we have a huge green binin the courtyard. Right now it isn’t in a location conven-ient to the kitchen, but it is so easy to roll it over to thekitchen door. When we are working in the kitchen, we can

collect the food scraps in an old cardboard box, on a news-paper or a paper bag. When we are done, just take thewhole heap, box, bag and all and put it in the greenbin. Roll the bin back to where it is kept and you are done.

What goes in the GREEN BIN?All Food ProductsFruit, vegetable, breads, cereal, dairyMeat, fish (including bones)Leftovers & table scrapsCoffee Grounds, filters & tea bagsFood-Soiled PaperPaper towels, plates & napkinsPizza boxes

Recycle: all paper all the time:Paper – mostly newspaper, junk mail, magazines, and ce-real boxes – makes up approximately 10 percent of materi-als sent to the landfill in Alameda County. By recycling 1ton of paper, you can save 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons ofwater, and 3 cubic yards of landfill space.

You can put Glass or Plastic, Bottles, Jars and Tubs; Alu-minum or Steel Cans; Foil Plates and Pans; Paper andCardboard (Flattened); Newspapers; Magazines and Cata-logs into the Blue Bins around the Temple.

The Proctor Elementary School in Castro Valley has ayearly fundraiser collecting recycled bottles and cans. Youknow that fee you pay for each bottle you purchase at thestore? Did you know that you can get that back? ProctorSchool parents save all the plastic bottles and aluminumcans they use every year in big bags in their garages. Onrecycling day they throw it all in the car, roll through theschool parking lot and drop off the bottles and cans for theschool to turn in. They have a huge amount of communityparticipation and the Proctor School makes thousands ofdollars this way. Do I hear fundraiser anyone? Anyone?

One of the things that I have seen happen in the TI kitchenis that the blue bin gets filled to overflowing and becomesunmanageable. Well, guess what??? There is a huge bluebin on wheels right next to the green bin in the court-yard. Roll it into the kitchen or social hall to empty over-flowing smaller bins inside.

REDUCE:Why are some cities banning Styrofoam food containers?Polystyrene, better known by the brand name Styrofoam, isnot readily recyclable, especially when it has food on it. It

Continued on page 13


EDUCATION NEWS

Dear Temple Israel Commu-nity:

There’s a dilemma that appearsto permeate the ReligiousSchool and it’s about time com-

mitments.

As a mom I am clear that juggling your child’s obligationswith school, sleep, tutoring, sports commitments, familytime, and other extra-curricular activities is not an easyfeat. And that doesn’t even take into account the schlep-ping, and time commitment of the shlepper. There’s somuch we want to offer our children. How do we fit it all in?

It’s not easy figuring out priorities when the timing ofthings overlap. Lately, however, I am noticing that Reli-gious School is taking the hit, and I’m concerned. This isnot to say that I don’t see the value of being on a team orgoing to a party or staying longer at a sleepover. I do. It’sjust that I also see how your child’s uneven attendance and/or coming late/leaving early is affecting his/her learning.

I would like to frame for you how it affects the teacher andthe student. Here’s how it affects the teacher:

Your child’s teacher spends hours each week reviewingclass directions, figuring out the timing for content, acquir-ing the art or cooking supplies needed for that day’s lesson,and making sure each class session covers a variety of sub-jects ranging from Hebrew to Israel to prayer study to Jew-ish culture and Torah.

When a child or more than one child is missing/leaves earlythe teacher wonders, “should I continue to stay on coursebecause I will have to re-teach the lesson to the missingkids.” The teacher wonders if she does a review will thekids that do come on time get bored. At our last staff meet-ing teachers talked about feeling disrespected, as if whatthey have to offer isn’t worthy of the student’s full atten-tion or time.

Here’s how it affects the student:

If a child misses a class or comes late/leaves early, whenhe/she comes the following session, a review is needed;class cannot resume at the place where they left off the ses-

sion before, or the late child will be at a loss. The learningpace is slowed because of review. Yes, we can always sendhome a book or two but will the student take the time towork on the material? And can the material be self-taught?

Several Wednesdays ago I peeked into the fourth gradeclass at 4:15 and there were 6 students in the class. At 5:20there was one child in the classroom. Everyone left to car-pool or attend another program. The teacher was dumb-founded.

When parents allow their children to cut out early or forgoReligious School they send a message saying ReligiousSchool is only somewhat important. This “somewhat im-portant” outlook gets transferred into the classroom and theimportance of learning gets diminished. I don’t think that’swhat any of us want.

When I was a youngster (and dinosaurs roamed the earth –wink), Religious School was the priority. Everything elsetook a back seat. Jewish education trumped other obliga-tions and programs. There wasn’t discussion about it.That’s just how it was, not only for my family, but it waslike that for the other students as well.

I wonder if the “somewhat important” of Jewish educationis a byproduct of a more secular world. Or do we want ourchildren to fit in more than we want them to acknowledgetheir difference as Jews?

Again, I am not saying dump baseball or soccer, give upGirls Scouts, or forgo the party, I am merely drawing yourattention to the time commitment culture that seems to existat the Temple Israel Religious School. I ask that you recon-sider your child’s time commitments and make ReligiousSchool a priority.

Thank you.

B’Shalom,

Mindy Myers, Director of Congregational Learning

[email protected]; 510-593-5285


ISRAEL “GOOD NEWS”

BULLETIN

OCTOBER, 2010

In Space, the Costs are High but the Rewards Higher

For Star Trek fans, space is the final frontier. In Israel, it's

the next frontier - to be more specific, the next high tech

business frontier. Israel already has lucrative defense,

communications and IT industries. These make a solid

base for the leap into space. Money is also now forthcom-

ing. The Israeli government has promised an $80 million

injection of cash every year for the next five years, in an

effort to kick-start a potential $10 billion-a-year business

in the world's $250 billion space industry. Other countries

want to partner in space with Israel because its satellites

are lighter than conventional satellites - they weigh a fifth

of US and European satellites yet have the same capabili-

ties. Israel has also developed expertise in the optical and

radar photography of the Earth that the satellites supply.

Targeting Tumors Without the Pain of Radiation

Today, radiation therapy is one of the most important

weapons against cancerous tumors, but the therapy can

have a significant impact on the health of a patient as it

harms healthy tissue as well as malignant cells. Scientists

from Israel are developing a new way to destroy cancer-

ous tumors that will have fewer side effects than tradi-

tional radiation therapy, and cause minimal damage to

surrounding tissue. The innovative method developed by

Professor Gannot at Tel Aviv University uses heat to kill

the tumor cells, while leaving the surrounding healthy

tissue intact. The method, soon to be published in the

journal Nanomedicine, uses a special mixture of nano-

particles - already approved by the Food and Drug Ad-

ministration (FDA) - and antibodies to locate individual

tumors and bind directly to them. Administered safely

through injection, the nano-particles bind to the tumor and

are excited with an external magnetic field. The magnetic

field is manipulated to create a targeted rise in tempera-

ture, and it is this directed heat elevation that kills the tu-

mors.

Israeli Wine Steals Award from Traditional Producers

The steadily rising profile of Israeli wines reached aglobal crescendo last month when Carmel Winery gar-nered the 2010 Decanter World Wine Awards trophy. Thewinery won the award for its red Rhone varietals in theupper price category. Ten years ago Carmel was a com-pany that produced grape juice and supermarket wine.Since then, they have built new boutique wineries, took ona new young winemaker trained in Australia along with awhole new management and shifted the emphasis to sin-gle vineyard wines. Established in 1882 as a vintners' co-operative with financing from Baron Edmond de Roths-child, Carmel produced the first Israeli wine to win amedal at a wine show in the early 1900s.

Israelis join Komen for the CureA week of events in mid October will launch the IsraelBreast Cancer Collaborative, a major partnership betweenSusan G. Komen for the Cure and non-governmentalorganizations in Israel. The goal is to enhance advocacy,awareness, screening, and treatment of breast cancer. Thisinaugural initiative by the world's largest breast cancerorganization has been in the planning for more than a yearwith the City of Jerusalem, Hadassah, the Women's Zion-ist Organization of America, and Israeli health advocatesand scientists. Israel's population though relatively small,includes both women and men at genetically high risk forthe disease.

“ISRAEL GOOD NEWS BULLETIN” is intended to helpyou learn more about the positive contributions takingplace in the state of Israel. Adapted from “Israel 21C”and news from the Weizmann Institute, these stories aredistributed weekly by the Temple Isaiah Israel and WorldJewry Committee and selected and provided to youmonthly by the East Bay JCRC. If you are interested inlearning more about the East Bay JCRC, please contactyour JCRC representative (Felice Zensius)


It has been over 30 years since TempleIsrael printed a recipe book. Now, inhonor of our 90th anniversary, TempleIsrael has a new cookbook. This cook-book reprises some of our favorite“Fiddler in the Kitchen” dishes, in honorof our history, but also includes manynew, updated recipes from currentmembers.

TEMPLE ISRAEL’S

90TH ANNIVERSARY

COOKBOOK

2010

AVAILABLENOW!

The 90th Anniversary Cookbook will beavailable at the Holiday Expo. Or, youcan contact

Alison Harris at

[email protected] or

510-521-3375

and we will arrange to get you yourcopy at a mutually convenient time.

ONLY$18.00

Make great birthday,anniversary, Chanukah

and other holidaygifts!


Sacred Jewish ChantingLed by Rabbi Carol Caine

Saturday, November 20th, 7 – 8:30 pm

at Temple Israel, 3183 Mecartney Road, Alameda

Jewish sacred chanting is a meditative process of singing short phrases from Jewish liturgy for extended peri-ods of time. Repetition of the chant creates a joyous meditation with sound, and is usually followed by a briefperiod of silent meditation. In this workshop, we will use chanting to quiet our minds, open our hearts, and en-ter Jewish liturgy and text at a very deep level.

Rabbi Carol Caine was ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and also received the private smicha ofRabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi. She currently serves as High Holy Day rabbi for B'nai Haaretz in Garberville, medi-tation service leader for Netivot Shalom, regular adult education instructor at Lehrhaus Judaica, b’nai mitzvah teacherat Kehilla Community Synagogue, and rabbi, instructor, workshop leader and ritual facilitator for congregations andindividuals in the Bay Area and beyond. A former attorney with over fifteen years experience teaching Jewish chantand meditation, Rabbi Carol integrates a keen intellect with a heart of devotion.

_______________________________________________________________________

Workshop Order Form

The fee to register for this workshop is $20. Checks can be made payable to Temple Israel with “Jewish Chanting” inmemo line. Please mail check to: Temple Israel, 3183 Mecartney Road, Alameda, CA 94502. Registration must bereceived BEFORE Nov. 12. Admission is available at the door for $25/each. For more information call 510-593-5285.

Name__________________________________________________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone_______________________________ Email______________________________________________________


Don’t miss the November movie in Temple Israel’s Jewish Film Series:

“Goodbye, Columbus”Sat., Nov. 6, 7 – 9:30 pm

‘‘Goodbye, Columbus’’ is filmed from the point of view of Neil Klugman, a 23 year-old Jewish man who lives with his aunt and uncle in a lower-middle-class neighbor-hood in New Jersey, and works at a public library. The film focuses on his relation-

ship over the course of one summer with Brenda Patimkin, an upper-middle-class Jewish college student liv-ing with her family in the suburbs. Their relationship is contrasted by their socio-economic differences, de-spite the fact that they are both Jewish.

‘‘Goodbye, Columbus’’ explores themes of Jewish identity, class divisions within the Jewish community,spiritual crisis over Judaism, love, sex and relationships, and the struggle for self-knowledge. Despite its seri-ous subject matter and themes, the film is very funny, peppered with the narrator's sense of irony in his obser-vations of his and his girlfriend's families.

The film stars Richard Benjamin and Ali MacGraw. Surprise appearances by Johnny Carson, Susan Lucci,Bette Midler, and Jaclyn Smith.

Tickets are $10 at the door. Refreshments included in ticket price.

Babysitting available with 1 week’s advance notice: 510-522-9355

Temple Israel is located at 3183 Mecartney Road, Alameda

NEVER TOO YOUNG TO DO MITZVOT!

Eliana Whatley is following in her mom, Jen’s, footsteps here at Temple Israel. The five year old deliveredover 75 Clothing Swap flyers in her neighborhood with enthusiasm and a sense of purpose. Thank you,Eliana, for your help, and mazel tov to the Whatley family for raising such a helpful child!

Many of our congregants are sensitive to perfumes and cologne. It gives them headaches and /or allergyproblems. Please try to be sensitive to this when attending services or events at Temple.

Thank you !!


We are delighted to announce the creation of a new B’naiB’rith B’nai/B’not Mitzvah Israel Bond scholarship pro-gram here at Temple Israel. Beginning with Adam Paget acouple of weeks ago, and through the generosity of EdenLodge of B’nai B’rith, our next thirty bar or bat mitzvahstudents will each receive a $100 Israel Bond that, whenthe bond matures in five years, can be used for the youngadult to visit Israel as a college student. Temple Israelmember (and Past President) Charles Wolf serves as thePresident of Eden Lodge, and it is under his guidance thatthe Lodge has decided to offer this generous scholarship.

B’nai B’rith International, a global voice of the Jewishcommunity, is one of the best-known Jewish humanitarian,human rights, and advocacy organizations in the world.Since 1843 BBI has worked for Jewish unity, security, con-tinuity, and acceptance of diversity. BBI’s reach extends tomore than 50 countries around the world. Today B’naiB’rith International is a national and global leader in thefight against anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias. In addition,it provides housing advocacy on issues of vital concern toseniors and their families. BBI helps communities in crisisand promotes Jewish identity through cultural activities.

The work of BBI is focused in its “centers.” These centersprovide the framework for intensive study of issues andthoughtful responses through the combined efforts of dedi-cated volunteer leaders and staff.

The Center for Human Rights and Public Policy (CHRPP)brings a Jewish voice to international and domestic policyand in defense of Israel. BBI has served as an NGO (non-governmental organization) at the United Nations since1947. Whether an issue is before the Human Rights Coun-cil, the Security Council, or on the desk of a U.N. official,BBI leaders and staff provide expert testimony and advo-cacy for Israel and the Jewish people worldwide. In theUnited States, CHRPP advocates for the safety, security,and rights of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. InLatin America CHRPP works to build tolerance and pro-motes social justice. Throughout the United States, inEurope, and around the world, CHRPP is a leader in thefight against anti-Semitism, and in Central and EasternEurope, CHRPP is a strong advocate for Holocaust restitu-tion.

We are most grateful to Eden Lodge, B’nai B’rith, andCharlie Wolf for their generosity.

EDEN LODGE OF B’NAI B’RITH CREATES NEW SCHOLARSHIP

Tot Shabbat Services at Temple Israel

Friday, November 19th, from 6:30 – 7 pmfollowed by a Tot Shabbat Oneg Shabbat from 7 – 7:30pm

Welcome Shabbat with music, singing, prayer, and joy!

Introduce your child to Shabbat through prayer services designed especially for children ages 2 – 8

Older children are invited to help lead the service.

Services are led by Rachel Herrmann

Mark your calendars for upcoming Tot Shabbats:

Dec. 17, Jan. 21, Feb. 18, March 18, Apr. 15, and May 20


NOVEMBER 2010


DECEMBER 2010


If you’re a regular reader of Moshe’s List – Temple Is-rael’s Volunteer Clearinghouse – which is e-mailed tomembers each week, you have probably noticed that thereis a plethora of volunteer opportunities available. We havetried to break down tasks into short-term and one-shotstints. Hopefully every member will find something theycan do to help our Temple.

Here is a sampling of current volunteer needs we’ve beenpublicizing on Moshe’s List:

SEEKING:

HOLIDAY EXPO VOLUNTEERS – Volunteers neededSunday Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (2 hour shifts avail-able). Contact us to volunteer for a specific shift and as-signment at [email protected]

MOVIE NIGHT STAFFERS – Volunteers may still beneeded on Nov. 6 and Dec. 11 to help set up for the JewishFilm Series. Contact Mindy Myers [email protected]

ONEG SHABBAT HOSTS – Can you host a Friday night

Oneg Shabbat? Complete directions about how to set it upand what to bring. Reserve a date to host by contactingC.J. Kingsley [email protected]

RIDES AND ESCORTS TO TEMPLE – Can you occa-sionally offer a ride to services to someone who does notdrive? Could you provide a walking escort for Waters EdgeResidents to come to temple events sometimes? Please e-mail the office so they can add you to the list of peoplewho can offer to do this mitzvah once in awhile. [email protected]

WANTED:

BAKED GOODS – To be sold at the Holiday Expo bakedgoods table Sunday Nov. 14. Drop off baked goods thenight before in the temple kitchen. Questions? [email protected]

NON-PERISHABLE FOOD – Alameda Food Bank barrelswill be on site for one day - Nov. 14 during the HolidayExpo. Bring your non-perishable food donations beginningat 10 a.m. that day to the social hall. (Do not bring dona-tions in advance, please.)

MANY WAYS, LARGE AND SMALL, TO HELP OUR TEMPLE

THANKS TO SEPTEMBER ONEGSHABBAT HOSTS

Many thanks to the following people who hosted anOneg Shabbat during the months of September andOctober:

Sept. 10: Barbara Sayre in memory of Jack Mi-halovich, Sept. 24: Oneg Committee (Jerry Rabinovitz& CJ Kingsley), Oct. 1: Rita Diamond Cohen, Oct. 8:Barbara Sayre in memory of Jack Mihalovich, Oct.15: The Paget Family in honor of Adam’s bar mitz-vah, Oct. 22: Lee & Alison Harris, Oct. 29: Ken Kof-man

To host an Oneg Shabbat in the future, please e-mail[[email protected]] or call [510/864-2300

C.J. Kingsley, Oneg Committee Calendar Secretary.

BRUCHAS AND BAGELS IS BACK

Our monthly pre-service gathering, Bruchas & Ba-gels, takes place the 2nd Friday of the month, at6:30 p.m., in the Social Hall, prior to that evening'sShabbat service. This is a casual way to come to-gether to do the candle, wine and challah blessings(aka "Bruchas") while noshing on bagels and meet-ing your fellow congregants. So the right amount offresh bagels and challah are ordered, please e-mailmember Mel Waldorf at [email protected] call the Temple office with your RSVP.


THE MIDWAY SHELTER

COOKING PROJECTThe Women of Temple Israel are proud to have been preparing dinner once amonth for the residents of the Midway Shelter for the past several years.Many religious and community organizations in Alameda take part in thisactivity, so that the women and children who are putting their lives back to-gether at the Shelter get a nourishing, healthy dinner each day.

In October, Bev Blatt, Nancy Freed, Gretel Gates, Mary Gold, and AlisonHarris prepared and delivered vegan “meatballs” in a wonderful sauce(leftover from the Cookbook launch dinner), rice pilaf, bean salad, pumpkinbread, and juice. We always have a good time visiting with each other andcatching up on each others’ lives while we cook! And, as Mary Gold fre-quently says, “Many hands make work light”!

We cook on the third Wednesday of each month. Four or five volunteers areneeded, and if you’d like to help, please contact Alison Harris at 521-3375 [email protected].

THANKS TO ALL WHOHELPED WITH THE

YOM KIPPUR

BREAK-THE-FAST!

Our wonderful Yom Kippur Break-the-Fast could not have happenedwithout the help of many volunteers.A very grateful todah rabah to: LoisBlumsack, Carol Brasel, Arthur &Mary Gold, Alison Harris, Judy Ja-cobs, CJ Kingsley, Elaine & KenKofman, Carol Parker and DorisWeiner Gluckman. Thanks also tothe numerous will ing handswho helped with the cleanup. Peoplelike you are what make Temple Israelsuch a special place!

Continued from page 3

It just ends up in the landfill. Choose to use compostablecontainers (many can be recycled in your green waste cart)or, better yet, bring your own container from home. UntilAlameda completely bans Styrofoam we really don’t wantto see it at our Temple. When you are out shopping pleaselet the store clerks know that you would like to see themstop using Styrofoam.

The Plastic Bag Problem

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) states thatevery year between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bagsare consumed worldwide. In California, we are using 600bags per second. These bags are destined for the landfill orour marine environment. And the unfortunate part is werecycle only about 1 percent of them. Please reuse yourbags whenever possible, or better yet, bring your own clothbag with you when you go shopping.

REUSE

Don’t throw it away. Find a second home for your clothing,books, and other household items by donating them. Reus-ing items conserves energy and natural resources and givesthem a new life. Reusing is a great way to get items forfree or at a small cost. Temple Israel already makes it easyfor you to recycle your gently-used items, by offering totake them off your hands and bring them to Second HomeConsignment Shop on Santa Clara Avenue. We also justhad a very successful Children’s Clothing Swap. Many ofus are already using www.freecycle.org. and there are

many other resources to help you reuse.

Did you see the food barrels in the TI lobby over the HighHolidays? You don’t need to wait another year to help outat the Alameda Food Bank. You can make regular dona-tions or just help out by working with our kids, led by SkipSoskin, at the Alameda Food Bank on the first Saturday ofevery month.

I would like to see the changes we make become part ofour everyday vocabulary at Temple Israel. Anyone whouses our space for any reason should be held accountable tothe recycling rules of our building. If you can think ofother ways to help Temple Israel in our efforts to be moreenvironmentally responsible, please share them with me oranyone else on the Board.

T h e r e c y c l i n g g u i d e d i s t r i b u t e dat http://www.stopwaste.org/docs/recyclingguide.pdf is a52 page wealth of information with answers to tons ofquestions, such as, how do I recycle anything, whereshould I dispose of my old TV and where can I buy a gen-tly used bathtub?

I encourage you to download it to your computer and use itas a handy reference guide.

Peace,

Cindy Berk


Big Band Concert/Dance

in Alameda the Last Wednesday of the MonthCome and listen/dance to Dave’s Swingtime Big Band playing the hits from the 30’s to the 60’s.

Eighteen piece big band plus a female vocalist performs east and west coast swing, rumbas,

waltzes, cha chas, tangos, night club two-step and a few surprises!

Wednesday, November 24

8:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Temple Israel 3183 Mecartney Road

$5.00 donation

For further details call Dave at 510-521-1349 or

Email: [email protected]

Directions:

From I-880 take High Street exit into Alameda crossing the High Street Bridge. At the 5th stoplight turn left ontoOtis Drive. Take the right lane across the bridge; immediately after the bridge take the right fork onto IslandDrive. Go approximately 2/3 of a mile and the shopping center will appear on the right. Make a right onto Me-cartney Road at the stop sign, and turn right into the shopping center (at the Union 76). Take the first left(before reaching CVS Drugs); parking lot ends at Temple Israel.

Support Our Fundraiser!Order Your 2011 Chinook Book now

Chinook Book (formerly EcoMetro) is filled with 300valuable coupons for saving up to $3,000 at local, sus-tainable businesses that promote healthy living in ourcommunity.

Merchants include: Alameda/Oakland Ferry, AlamedaFarmer’s Market, Berkeley Rep, Blue Dot Cafe, CalShakes, Children’s Fairyland, Dog Bone Alley, Lau-ren’s Closet Little House Cafe, Peet’s, several home &gardening businesses, and various merchants in TheMarketPlace. Over 150 grocery coupons too!

To purchase yours, please contact the Temple office orvisit our gift card selling table at the Holiday Expo andother Religious School Sundays. Price is $20.

Amitim students, Sarah Charney, Daniel Waldman,and Noah Berk kibitzed with a Sumo wrestler whenthey attend the Palo Alto “Chai” Festival


CONTRIBUTIONS

Temple Israel has recently hired a new bookkeeper. Because she has to review all the Temple financial records, she hasnot yet been able to compile a list of donations for printing in the Bulletin. Your donations will be acknowledged in theDecember or January Bulletin. Thank you for your patience.

Dear T.I. member,

The East Bay JCRC invites you to a special evening withDr. Mitchell Bard (see attachment) on Monday night, No-vember 15th, at a private home in the Trestle Glen area ofOakland from 7 - 9 pm. The invitation is above.

Dr. Bard is a renowned authority on Middle East affairs,authoring 22 books on the subject. His latest book is TheArab Lobby and It's Influence on American Foreign Policy.(Have a look at what Alan Dershowitz has to say about itat: www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-08-24/the-arab-lobby-in-america-alan-dershowitz/. He willbe there to sign his book and dialogue with a small groupof people on the worldwide movement to delegitimize Is-rael.

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement has fo-cused a great deal of attention on the bay area which re-quires our response. It is our hope that this stimulatingevening with Dr Bard will raise needed funds to helpcounter their actions. General admission is $36.00. Pleaseconsider a sponsorship level which will include a signedcomplimentary copy of Dr. Bard's book.

I do hope you can support us. Please let me know whetheryou can make it and on what basis you would like to regis-ter.

Thank you so much,

Felice ZensiusTemple Israel's Rep, Jewish Community Relations Council


YAHRZEITS

November 5Anna Brown 10/31 Heshvan 23Irving Drucker 10/31Max Steinberg 10/31Louis Abrams 11/2Faye Lefkowitz 11/2Steven Grossman 11/3Ruth Heaps 11/3Albert J. Mandelbaum 11/5Norman Rabinovitz 11/5David Rotner 11/5November 12Harold Attell 11/6 Heshvan 29Katie Bernstein 11/6 Heshvan 29Harry Nitkin 11/6 Heshvan 29Lillian Greenberg 11/7Jonas Cohen 11/8 Kislev 1Sam Schwartz 11/8Jack Solinger 11/8Walter Gluckman 11/9 Kislev 2Edna Greenberg 11/9Pinchas Barlas 11/10Max Eis 11/11 Kislev 4Earle Alexander 11/12Marie Corral 11/12November 19Eve Bennett 11/13Ruth Savel 11/13Wilfred Garfinkle 11/14Harold Barnett 11/15Ruth Maxwell 11/15David Rendel 11/16 Kislev 9Henry David Weill 11/16Anna Frogel 11/17Rae Linver 11/17Ann Barker Shane 11/17Fannie Skigen 11/17 Kislev 10Karl Wolff 11/17Joseph Bergman 11/18Jennie Buttrill Files 11/18William Haynes 11/18Samuel Applebaum 11/19David Benisty 11/19Michael Fink 11/19Siegfried Haas 11/19Selma Merris Young 11/19 Kislev 12

November 26Simon Blatt 11/20 Kislev 13Ed Johnson 11/20Michael Kamby 11/20 Kislev 13Anthony Micco 11/20Laura Rosenthal 11/20 Kislev 13Audrey Leewright 11/21Eric Nagel 11/21 Kislev 14Sally Lauer 11/22Jimmy Marquez 11/22Pearl Reimer 11/22Berta Feldhammer 11/23Seymour Green 11/23Bobby Harmon 11/23William Mackey, Jr 11/23Joseph Schein 11/25Richard Barnett 11/26Eunice Feitelberg 11/26Gerson Hochstadt 11/26 Kislev 19Maurice Klotz 11/26December 3Morris Hellman 11/27Fern Sockol 11/27William Blumenstein 11/28David Zolot 11/28Samuel Fuhr 11/30 Kislev 23Merritt Rowland 11/30


CELEBRATIONS

BIRTHDAYS

ANNIVERSARIES

Arnold & Linda Schneider November 6 22nd anniversaryRoger & Tracy Becker November 13 11th anniversaryKenneth & Marti Freeman November 22 29th anniversary

Carol Brasel November 1Dara Kaplan November 1Nicole Kaplan November 1Daniel Waldman November 1 12thFrances Cohen November 4David Graber November 4Matt Lessinger November 5Jessica Lindsey November 5Daniel Elefant November 6 25thRowena Manlapaz November 6Joyce Salinas November 6Nathan Levine November 7 29thMichael Hobbs November 8 23rdRita Diamond Cohen November 9Simon Ffinch November 9Addie Helfand November 10 20thWilliam J. Schaff November 11 11thAaron Harris November 12 28th

Emily Fertig November 13 23rdAlicia Guber November 14 23rdJamie Marx November 14 30thJoshua Mandell November 16 20thZaria Zinn November 17 14thEmily Klein November 20Myra Lander November 21Stephen Markowitz November 22Emma Ulrey November 22 19thDiana Cooper November 23 30thLori Mandell November 23Robert Finberg November 25Laurie Ricksecker November 25Allene Schaff November 26 14thIsaac Benson November 27 11thJoshua Rendel November 27 24thSarah Charney November 28 13thSteve Ellson November 28Bryan Goldschlag November 28Jennifer Riback November 29Gryphon Tanner November 29 6th


TEMPLE ISRAEL BULLETIN

The Temple Israel Bulletin is a monthly periodical.Deadline for articles is the 10th of the month for the fol-lowing month’s issue. Comments can be directed to theTemple office: 3183 Mecartney Rd., Alameda, CA94502-6912, Phone 510-522-9355, Fax 510-522-9356,email: [email protected].

RABBI: Allen B. Bennett,

[email protected]

DIRECTOR OF CONGREGATIONAL LEARNING:

Mindy Myers

[email protected]

ADMINISTRATOR:

[email protected]

PRESIDENT: Cindy Berk

[email protected]

The TI Times is a weekly email publication sent to theTemple Israel membership with email addresses. If youwould like to receive the TI Times please contact the Tem-ple office at: [email protected]

OFFICE HOURSRabbi Allen B. Bennett is generally in the office:

10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays,

9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays,

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Fridays,

and Sundays during Hebrew and ReligiousSchool hours.

The office is open from 9:00—11:00 AM on Monday andTuesday and 9:00 AM—2:00 PM Wednesday throughFriday.

Because the Rabbi may be involved in meetings, other ap-pointments, tutoring students, etc., during the times he is inthe building, it is best to make an appointment before com-ing in.

YOUR TEMPLE ISRAEL BOARDOF DIRECTORS

President - Cindy BerkTreasurer—Jacob Lustig

Secretary—Beth Magidson

Fundraising— Kimberlee MacVicar & Jen Whatley

Personnel—Betty Riback

Public Information- Carol Parker

Operations – Eric StrimlingDirectors at Large - Mike Riback, Suzi Scher, CharleyWeiland



UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

CHALLAH WORKSHOPThe challah workshop has been postponed until the spring. More information will be given as the date ap-proaches.

JEWISH FILM SERIESNov. 6, 7:00 PM: “Goodbye Columbus” - see page 8 for information.

TOT SHABBATNov. 19, 6:30 PM: A short service for young children. See page 9.

SACRED CHANTING WORKSHOPNov. 20, 7:00 PM: See page 7 for information on this workshop.

BIG BAND NIGHTNov. 24, 8:00 PM: NOTE THE DATE CHANGE! Dance to the Big Band sound of Dave Altschuler’s SwingtimeBand. A $5.00 donation at the door is requested. See page 14 for information.

MINYAN AND BAGEL BREAKFASTNov. 28, 9:30 AM: Join us for davenning followed by a delicious bagel brunch

COMMUNITY CHANUKKIAH LIGHTINGDec. 3, 6:30 PM: Bring your chanukkiot and 3 candles to light in the sanctuary. Please note this is an early service!

GIFT CARDSSales Table open during all Temple Israel committee meetings and during Religious School!

Documents

2010-November Bulletin