In This Issue:
- Clean It Up, Then Party On Down (ECEC Clean Up + Concert in the Park, Su 8/10)
- Second Summer Shabbabeque (Fr 8/15)
- Golf Players Wanted (Golf Tournament, Mo 10/27)
- Mitzvah Day Ideas Wanted (Mitzvah Day, Su 11/2)
- The Board is Filling Fast (Football Squares)
- Meet the Men of TAS – Dave Friedman
- Building Better B’nei Mitzvah Students
- Stand With The Community in Support of Israel (Th, 7/31)
- August Executive Board Meeting
- In Closing
1. CLEAN IT UP, THEN PARTY ON DOWN
For the last few weeks, I’ve been reminding you about the MoTAS Concert in the Park on Sunday, August 10. Here’s a way to make it a TAS Day: Start your day at 9am at TAS by participating in the 3rd Annual ECEC Clean Up Day. This activity, which continues until 1pm, helps make the ECEC and Religious School sparkle (and be more attractive to prospective students). The more that participate, the more that can be done. For more information, call (818) 360-5183 or email brooke@mossbydesign.com.
When you’re done cleaning, go home, clean up, get a picnic lunch together and travel down to Warner Park, where the Men of TAS is organizing our Concert in the Park. We’re using the free summer Sunday evening Valley Cultural Center Concert in the Park as an opportunity to get together and have fun. Join your MoTAS family starting at 4:30 pm for a bring-your-own picnic, discussion, games, followed by a concert (at 6:00 pm) featuring Queen Nation, a tribute band that pays homage to the golden age of vintage Queen concerts. The VCC concert is free (so why trek to downtown to see the Queen musical at the Ahmanson). The concert ends at 8:00 pm. We will attempt to have some sort of MoTAS banner or sign so you can find us. We will attempt to be near the trees.
Concerts on the Green are held at the Lou Bredlow Pavilion in Warner Park at 5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd., in Woodland Hills. There is plenty of room for a late afternoon picnic with the family while being entertained by headline performers. Parking for Concerts on the Green is available in the parking structure directly behind the stage on Califa Street for $10. Additional parking is available on Owensmouth Avenue in either parking structure between Califa and Oxnard. (see map). Signs are clearly posted. Carpooling is encouraged; those who wish to carpool should contact Daniel Faigin (a dedicated vanpooler) at faigin@cahighways.org and he’ll coordinate the pools.
2. SECOND SUMMER SHABBABEQUE – SIGN UP NOW/VOLUNTEER
Summer isn’t summer without a Shabbabeque or two. On Friday, August 15, TAS will hold its second Shabbabeque of the summer. If you aren’t familiar with the event, Shabbabeque is a early summer service with accessible music, followed by a barbeque dinner sponsored by the Men of TAS. The menu includes chicken, burgers (beef, turkey, and veggie), and hot dogs, together with salads and beans, chips, and sodas. Services are at 6:15 PM, followed by dinner. Dinner is $11 for adults, $7 for children, whether you register online or not. Register or make your reservation (to pay at the door) by clicking here.
WE REALLY NEED VOLUNTEERS TO HELP WITH THIS. One of our Shabbabeque stalwarts is on the disabled list, and we will need some extra help with the shopping and schlepping before the event, and the schlepping afterwards. If you can help with these aspects, please let Daniel (faigin@cahighways.org) or Steve Z. know.We’re also looking for volunteers to help us set up the dinner, prepare the dinner, and clean up afterwards. If you are available to help on Friday, August 15, please RSVP at http://events.tasnorthridge-motas.org/event?eid=131226924.
3. COME OUT AND PLAY – GOLF PLAYERS WANTED
The Annual MoTAS Golf Tournament is on Monday, October 27, 2014, and (as I’ve mentioned before) you’re going to be seeing weekly reminders until then to participate. Each week, we’ll try to highlight the different ways you can help the Golf Tournament; this week, we’re talking about playing in the tournament, and finding new players.
One key element of the success of any golf tournament is the number of golfers. At one time, the MoTAS golf tournament actually hit a high of almost 100 golfers. Last year, we were back down to the more typical number of about 70.WE MUST ALL TRY AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS. How can you help us do that? It’s easy. Here are seven ideas:
- Play yourself. First, and foremost: come out an play yourself! If you are an amateur or a pro, we want you.
- Ask your friends. Ask and invite your friends who you know golf, whether regularly or occasionally. The tournament is about community and having fun, even for a duffer.
- Ask your business contacts. Look at your network of business contacts: vendors, bankers, accountants, lawyers, colleagues, etc. There are sure to be golfers among them; however, they will not come just because you want them to. You have to invite them. So get out there and put together a foursome or two.
- The power of networking. The allure for vendors, bankers, accountants, lawyers, is they can network while on the links. One new contact/client makes the cost more than worth it.
- Share your belief in the product. Don’t be bashful. Getting players is a sales activity, and sales is extending your love of the product to someone else. This tournament will help MoTAS support TAS. Share your love of the links, or your love of TAS, by extending yourself personally by calling or meeting with prospective players. Don’t be afraid to push a little, they can always say “no”… but one or more may just say “yes”.
- Get help from the committee. If you need help convincing a potential player, talk to others on the Golf Committee and maybe they can help. Just drop a note to Barry Mann at golf@tasnorthridge-motas.org or call (818) 231-4856.
- Set a goal and work to achieve it. If you measure your success, you are more likely to achieve it. If every man in TAS brought in a player or a foursome, our tournament would be a resounding success.
As always, you can find more information on the golf tournament and how to be a player at http://golf2014.tasnorthridge-motas.org/. Our Golf website also provides information on how to make prize donations, sign up for golf sponsorships, and place ads in the calendar/ad book.
4. MITZVAH DAY IDEAS
Mitzvah Day is the first Sunday in November, and MoTAS will be there. We’re looking for your ideas on what the MoTAS contribution should be? Should we work on cleaning and repairing an ECEC room? Should we organize an activity related to men’s health? Should we take on the scourge of domestic violence? The Social Action Committee has a number of ideas, but what we do should be decided by the Men of TAS. So send me your ideas, and the Executive Board will pick one. Just drop an email to faigin@cahighways.org, call me at (818) 438-5781, or fill out the contact form on the website.
5. THE BOARD IS FILLING FAST
Another easy way to support MoTAS and TAS is by participating in our 2014 Football Squares. $50 is all that is required for an individual to purchase a square. Each week during the Monday Night Football season, prizes will be awarded for those squares matching the scores at the quarter, half, three-quarter, and final marks (based on the last digit of the total score, and the randomized numbers along the top and side of the grid – no skill involved). Not only can you win, but the congregation wins as well. If the board is fully subscribed, $5000 is raised, and $2000 is paid out in prizes, leaving $3000 to be allocated to specific temple activities.
The board is over half full, and there’s still a month to go on signups. There’s only one way to ensure you get a square: visit http://squares.tasnorthridge-motas.org/to learn how to purchase your square today. There you can find an online sign-up form, or a form you can fill in, print, and mail.
6. MEET THE MEN OF TAS – DAVE FRIEDMAN
The best way to build a relationship with someone is to get to know them. In support of this, we’re using our weekly newsletter to introduce you to the Men of TAS, starting with this year’s officers. If you’re a man of TAS — especially if you’re a regular participant in MoTAS activities — we would love to share your bio. Just mail it to president@tasnorthridge-motas.org.
This week, we’re learning about Dave Friedman, one of the vice-presidents of MoTAS. Dave and his family have been members of TAS since 2006 and he has been a Jew for over 50 years. Dave and his wife Judy have had both our boys, Brandon and Jordan, bar mitzvahed at TAS. Dave enjoys spending time with the families at our temple. The Men of TAS gives him a chance to participate in the temple activities. The get-togethers MoTAS has for the Men’s Hang Out and Discussion Group is his favorite activity.
After receiving a management degree from San Diego State University, Dave worked 25 years in the corporate world, mostly as a Vice President of Operations. He then realized his passion was and is to invest in Real Estate. During the day he works as a consultative residential Realtor at 818MyHouse.com licensed by Keller Williams Realty, in addition to his investment business. His family has lived in Porter Ranch since 1994 and he enjoys the community. He enjoys traveling to wine country for a nice getaway. It is a pleasure to watch his boys play their instruments in the L.A.P.D. Band. He also enjoys relaxing around the pool with my wife Judy.
7. MoTAS BUILDS BETTER B’NEI MITZVAH STUDENTS
Do you ever wonder how the winnings of the Sports Squares programs are used? Here’s a recent example. At the July 2014 TAS Board Meeting, MoTAS President Daniel Faigin presented two boxes of the book “Tough Questions Jews Ask” by Rabbi Ed Feinstein of Valley Beth Shalom to Cantor Jen Roher. Outgoing MoTAS President Bob Levine selected this text to augment those already provided to our B’nei Mitzvah student as it was designed to answer the questions young adults have regarding Judaism. The intent of MoTAS (and the clergy) is not to have this be another book that goes on the reading stack and is quickly forgotten. The current plan is to provide the book to students early, and for them to work through the book as they study for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. We also hope to bring Rabbi Feinstein to Temple Ahavat Shalom to speak to our students.
A yasher koach to Bob Levine for leading this effort. There will be more on this in the September Menorah.
8. STAND WITH THE COMMUNITY IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL
One of the thrusts of MoTAS this year is emphasizing relationships. Here’s a chance to show your relationship to other congregations in the Valley and throughout the world. On Thursday, July 31st, at 7:00 pm an event in support of Israel will be held at Valley Beth Shalom located at 15739 Ventura Boulevard Encino, CA 91436. The WVRTF (West Valley Rabbinic Task Force) and the Los Angeles Jewish Federation are sponsoring the event. The event’s name is “Shoulder to Shoulder” and it will be an informative, emotional, and spiritual discussion in support of Israel. Click here for more information.
9. EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
The MoTAS Executive Board always meets the Monday before our Sunday “meeting”, at 8:00 PM Pacific, by telephone conference call. Any man of TAS, by virtue of being part of the Men of TAS, is welcome to listen to the meeting. As the next Sunday “meeting” is August 10, the next Executive Board meeting will be Monday, August 4. The Conference dial-in number: (712) 432-0075 (note that this may be a toll call). The participant access code is412408. Members can also participate via Skype by adding the contact “freeconferencing.7124320075? to their contacts list and calling the contact at the time of the meeting (after which the access code is entered). Please let the president and/or the secretary know if you will be attending.
10. IN CLOSING
In closing, remember that the Men of Temple Ahavat Shalom is *your* organization. Keep up to date on our activities at http://www.tasnorthridge-motas.org/ and participate. We want to serve all the men of Temple Ahavat Shalom and welcome new participants from the TAS membership. Join our Facebook group and “follow” our new website. Come be part of the Men of Temple Ahavat Shalom!
Men of Temple Ahavat Shalom 
Very nice!
Scott
0 0
\___/