In This Issue:
- NCAA BASKETBALL SQUARES ON SALE
- FEBRUARY DINING OUT – SUPPORTING SISTERHOOD
- MOTAS 2017 ANNUAL APPEAL
- LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP: MRJ MAN OF THE YEAR DINNER AT TAS – SAT MAR 4
- MOTAS SEDER: HELP WANTED / SIGNUPS OPEN
- PURIM CARNIVAL: HELP WANTED
- UPCOMING MENS HANGOUT: WHAT IS SOCIAL JUSTICE?
- IN CLOSING
1. NCAA BASKETBALL SQUARES ON SALE
NCAA/Basketball Squares are on Sale! The NCAA finals are rapidly approaching — have you created your brackets. Within MoTAS, the NCAA Basketball championships mean it is time for Basketball Squares. This year, we’ve added something new: We’re “Squaring” both the Men’s and the Women’s Semi-Final and Final Games. You’ll have six games, meaning 12 opportunities to win, for only $36 a square! The procedure is very similar to the Superbowl Squares. Basketball Squares cover the last three games in each of the Men’s and Women’s NCAA championships: the Women’s semifinal and final games on March 31 and April 2, and the Men’s semifinal and final games on April 1 and April 3, 2017. Squares are $36, and adults may purchase up to 3 squares for themselves, and 3 squares for their partner. Payouts are $150 for both the halftime and final scores of each game. You can win once or twice in a game. If the board is not fully subscribed, the payout is proportional based on the number of subscribed squares. To address the possibility that all 100 squares might not be subscribed, the following is the procedure for empty squares that win: each player will make a guess as to what the total number of points will be (i.e., you add the final scores of both teams). This number will be used to settle all cases, for all games. If you purchase more than one square your “number” will apply for all your squares. Closest to actual score wins (payouts divided with ties). If there is no halftime winner, the final score prediction will still be used.
Squares must be purchased by March 29, 2017. Forms will soon be available in the Temple Foyer. You can also print the registration form — or register online — at the usual online home of the Squares program: http://squares.tasnorthridge-motas.org/. Remember that the real winner is Temple Ahavat Shalom. With a fully subscribed board, $1800 will be available to support specific temple activities, organizations, and projects.
2. FEBRUARY DINING OUT – SUPPORTING SISTERHOOD
Our February Dining Does Good” will be February 20 (Presidents Day) at Marie Callender’s in Northridge in support of MoTAS and Sisterhood. You can find a flyer for the event at https://wp.tasnorthridge-motas.org/activities/dining/. We really encourage you to come and support these events: we raise a little extra funds for various groups, but more importantly, we come together and break bread as a Temple family on a regular basis. It is a real joy to walk into a neighborhood restaurant and see your Temple friends, to sit down and share a table and talk. This is the heart and goal of MoTAS: Building Relationships.
Mark your calendar for our March Dining Does Good, which will be at Souplantation on Monday, March 20 to benefit MoTAS and TASTY. The flyer will be available shortly.
3. MOTAS 2017 ANNUAL APPEAL
In 2012, ignoring the objections of our accountant, the Men of TAS eliminated the dues requirement for membership. We moved to an inclusive model where every man in TAS is part of the Men of Temple Ahavat Shalom. Since we don’t have dues, we don’t have steady revenue. So, every year Men of TAS asks you to support our work financially.
By now, you should have received the email with our Annual Appeal message. You can also find the message on our support page at http://support.tasnorthridge-motas.org/. On that page, you can find a printable donation form that you can mail in, as well as a link to contribute online.
See your friends and fellow congregants that have really stepped up to support us on our website’s Wall of Honor at http://wallofhonor.tasnorthridge-motas.org/. Join the Wall of Honor yourself by donating 100 or more shekels (dollars). Your generous gift will provide fun events for all Temple members, kids to adults, teachers and staff. Continue to repair and improve our facilities. Most importantly, it will help us continue teaching and living the Jewish values that guide and enrich all our lives.
4. LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP: MRJ MAN OF THE YEAR DINNER AT TAS – SAT MAR 4
At the 2017 MoTAS Shabbat on Friday, January 27, 2017, the MoTAS Man of the Year for 2017 was announced by Barry Mann, our 2016 Man of the Year. You can read Barry’s speech at https://wp.tasnorthridge-motas.org/2017/02/01/2017-motas-man-of-the-year/. Our honoree is none other than your humble MoTAS Weekly editor and cybermaven (and also your immediate past president), Daniel Faigin. Daniel will be honored, together with all the other Men of the Year from the other MRJ congregations in the region, at the MRJ Regional Man of the Year dinner on March 4th at TAS.
Speaking of the MRJ Man of the Year Dinner: This week is your last chance to sign up for the dinner. We have to get in the reservations by the end of February. This year, the dinner will be held at Temple Ahavat Shalom, allowing us to show off our beautiful remodeled social hall. The cost of the dinner is $36, and you can RSVP now by clicking here. You can get checks to Roger by leaving them in the MoTAS Box or giving them to Roger the night of the dinner.
We will also need volunteers to help check in people and help with the event; if you are able to volunteer, click here.
5. MOTAS SEDER: HELP WANTED / SIGNUPS OPEN
On Sunday, April 2, you are invited to join the Men of TAS at our annual Mens Seder. This special service and dinner, modeled after the traditional Passover Seder, provides a comfortable and ‘safe’ space for the men of TAS to explore and celebrate what it means to be a contemporary Jewish man. The text of our special haggadah, developed by MRJ and available at http://www.menrj.org/mrj-mens-seder, explores issues that pertain specifically to men; the service and dinner provides a place to take those issues, share them, discuss them, and wrestle with them.
NOTE: Our usual coordinator, Mike Thornhill, will be out of town for this event. We are looking for volunteers to help with shopping, Pesach food preparation, and picking up the food. If you can help, please contact Daniel at faigin@cahighways.org.
Our Mens Passover Dinner will consists of traditional Passover foods — water, wine, homemade charoset, and more (maybe even gefilte fish) — as well as barbeque chicken and tri-tip (for what man doesn’t love barbeque).
To RSVP (and pay in advance), visit https://wp.tasnorthridge-motas.org/activities/mens-seder/. You can also RSVP by mailing treasurer@tasnorthridge-motas.org and paying at the door. RSVPs are due by noon, March 27. The cost for the meal and the service is $20. The schedule is as follows:
- 5:30pm: Sign in and snacks
- 6:00pm: Service and dinner
Register Online: 
6. PURIM CARNIVAL: HELP WANTED
At last Sunday’s meeting, we discussed the upcoming Purim Carnival and our partnering with Temple Ramat Zion. The tentative date for the carnival is Sunday March 12. The carnival will be held at Ramat Zion. White Oak Ave. will be closed in in front of Ramat Zion for it. There will be Kosher food trucks. Ramat Zion will also provide Kosher Pizzas. We were asked to serve food and provide general assistance. We will also likely be running a game booth.
RSVP Online:
7. UPCOMING MENS HANGOUT: WHAT IS SOCIAL JUSTICE?
At our last MoTAS meeting, we had an energetic discussion about the meaning of the term “Social Justice”, and how different groups view the term very differently. Should “Social Justice” be redistribution by the government to those it deems to be in need, or should it be people helping people that they feel are in need — in other words, what is the role of government, and what is the role of community? Independent of what the government does, what is an individual’s responsibility to others? What does our tradition teach about the different views of social justice from a Jewish perspective. The discussion got so lively that we have decided to devote an upcoming Mens Hangout to the subject. We’re looking for a Sunday evening in late February, so watch your MoTAS Weekly for the announcement.
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. Sign up for our action alert list at http://tinyurl.com/motas-action-alert. 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 