In This Issue:
- HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM MOTAS
- JANUARY SPEAKER – MITCH ENGLANDER – JANUARY 11
- MoTAS DINNER AND SHABBAT – FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015
- SUPERBOWL SQUARES ARE ON SALE
- FEBRUARY EVENTS
- LAST CHANCE FOR END OF YEAR DONATIONS
- IN CLOSING
1. HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM MOTAS
Judaism provides us the opportunity to wish you a happy new year many many times*. So, with the start of the secular new year, the leadership of the Men of TAS (MoTAS) wishes the entire congregation the happiest and healthiest of new years. May 2015 be a year that sees you strengthening your relationships within and with TAS, as well as a year that sees increased participation in TAS and MoTAS activities.
*: Five, to be precise. The secular new year on January 1, as well as the four Jewish new years: Rosh Hashanah (1 Tishri – the New Year for the Calendar), Tu B’Shevat (15 Shevat – the New Year for Trees), the first of Nisan (the first month of the year per the parashat we’ll read at the MoTAS Shabbat), and 1 Elul (the New Year for the tithing of cattle, essentially a fiscal year).
2. JANUARY SPEAKER – MITCH ENGLANDER – JANUARY 11
In January, MoTAS will be hosting a very special speaker: The Honorable Mitch Englander, LA City Councilmember for District 12. Councilman Englander will speak for about 20-30 minutes about new and on-going projects that affect Northridge. This will be followed by a question and answer session. Start preparing your questions now, and join us in the Social Hall for the meeting. Councilman Englander’s talk will start at 10:00 AM
Prior to the talk, MoTAS will be having our usual MoTAS breakfast and review of upcoming activities, starting at 8:45am. Please let us (info@tasnorthridge-motas.org) know if you will be there and are not normally present for breakfast, so ensure we have sufficient food. Although not required, MoTAS welcomes donations to help cover the cost of breakfast.
3. MoTAS DINNER AND SHABBAT – FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015
Once a year TAS celebrates the contributions of MoTAS at the MoTAS Shabbat. This is a special Shabbat service, preceded by a special Shabbat dinner, that is primarily led by the members of MoTAS. Mark your calendar NOW, and reserve your space:
- Call for Participation. If you are a male member of TAS and would like to participate in the service, please contact Bob Levine, at pastpresident@tasnorthridge-motas.org. You can also call Daniel at (818) 438-5781 and the message will get to Bob. Please let him know if you want to read Hebrew.
- Make Your Dinner Reservations Now. Before the service we will be having a special Shabbat dinner catered by Silver Spoons catering. The cost is $15 for adults, $10 for children. The menu will feature Israeli Salad w/Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing, Chicken Kabobs w/Tzatziki Sauce, Basmati Rice, Ratatouille, Pita Breads and Hummus, Fresh Fruit, and the usual Shabbat treats. For more information and to make reservations, visit http://shabbat.tasnorthridge-motas.org/
4. SUPERBOWL SQUARES ARE ON SALE
The Monday Night Football season is over and the last Football Squares checks have been sent. Next up: the Superbowl on February 1. Now is the time to buy a Superbowl Sqaure. The cost is only $18 per square, and you can help Temple Ahavat Shalom while potentially rewarding yourself. You can register and pay online at http://motascybermaven.eventbee.com/event?eid=194021395, or find the paper registration form, together with the official rules, at http://squares.tasnorthridge-motas.org/.
5. FEBRUARY EVENTS
As the calendar rolls over into January 2015, it is time to start marking your calendar for our February events:
- Speakers Meeting: Sunday, February 8th at 8:45 AM. Our February speakers meeting will feature Hal Daum. Hal has had a long and varied career, including working in real estate, as a parole officer, and as the Executive Director for a number of congregations. For this meeting, however, his claim to fame is that he was the student Rabbi assigned to North Valley Reform Temple in 1962 when it split off of Temple Beth Torah. In 1965, NVR rejoined with Temple Beth Torah to form Temple Ahavat Shalom. Thus, Hal is essentially the first Rabbi of what became TAS.Come and share your memories of the early days of what became TAS as we prepare for our 50th anniversary year.
- Mens-Only Hangout: Sunday, February 22nd at 6:00 PM. Our February Men’s Only Hangout / Discussion will be a special one, as we’ll be hanging out with Rabbi Lutz, discussing a variety of topics. A signup sheet will available shortly, but mark the date on your calendar. Space will be limited.
6. LAST CHANCE FOR END OF YEAR DONATIONS
Today is December 31 — the last date you can make donations that you can deduct on your 2014 tax returns. Hopefully by now you’re received the letter from the congregation encouraging you to contribute to the Temple’s end-of-year Tzedakah appeal. The MoTAS leadership encourages you to do so — if you haven’t figured it out by now, we believe that TAS is a cause worth supporting. The Temple survives on your donations, and every dollar is important. Make a year end donation, and remember that it is tax-deductable.
P.S.: If you have a little left over after making that donation, consider getting a jump on your annual support of MoTAS. As you may recall, two years ago MoTAS got rid of dues — every man at TAS is a member of MoTAS. To make this model work, we’re building a relationship with you, and hope you want to provide financial support to maintain that relationship. We’ll be sending out a letter after the beginning of the year, but if you want to get your donation in during this tax year, just visit our website at www.tasnorthridge-motas.org and select “Support Us” from the right-hand column.
7. IN CLOSING
As always, 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 website. Come be part of the Men of Temple Ahavat Shalom!
Men of Temple Ahavat Shalom 