In This Issue:
- LAST CHANCE: NCAA BASKETBALL SQUARES – MARCH 30 DEADLINE
- LAST CHANCE: SIGN UP FOR MOTAS SEDER – MARCH 31 DEADLINE
- YELLOW CANDLE PACKING – APRIL 9 MONTHLY MEETING
- MOTAS 2017 ANNUAL APPEAL – RESPOND TODAY
- APRIL DINING DOES GOOD – EMLE’S ON APRIL 17
- ANNOUNCING THE PROPOSED MOTAS BOARD FOR 2017-2018
- CHP CAR FIT EVENT – APRIL 29
- IN CLOSING
1. LAST CHANCE: NCAA BASKETBALL SQUARES – MARCH 30 DEADLINE
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.
Deadline Extended – Squares must be purchased by 11PM, Thursday March 30, 2017. Forms are available in the Temple Foyer and were included in your Annual Appeal mailing. 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. LAST CHANCE: SIGN UP FOR MOTAS SEDER – MARCH 31 DEADLINE
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.
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. Deadline Extended – RSVPs are due by 6PM, Friday, March 31. 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: 
3. YELLOW CANDLE PACKING – APRIL 9 MONTHLY MEETING
Our regular monthly meeting on Sunday, April 9 will be our Annual Yellow Candle Packing meeting. Join MoTAS at 8:45 AM for our usual meeting breakfast with eggs, bagels, lox, cream cheese, and other goodies. After some brief announcements, we’ll be packing the boxes for our Yom Hashoah Yellow Candle activity. This is always a fun meeting where we get a chance to just socialize while doing good.
4. MOTAS 2017 ANNUAL APPEAL — RESPOND TODAY
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. It is through your annual contribution that we are able to make our annual contribution to the Temple’s general fund, to support our breakfasts, and to fund our various activities.
By now, you should have received your appeal reminder in the mail. We urge you to respond and help our great organization continue to support TAS and the member of MoTAS. 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.
5. APRIL DINING DOES GOOD – EMLE’S ON APRIL 17
Our April Dining Does Good” will be Monday, April 17 at Emle’s in Northridge in support of MoTAS and the Social Action Committee. This is the last day of Pesach, so come and have a lovely dinner with your first real bread in a week. (You can also come earlier in the day depending on your level of observance). 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.
6. ANNOUNCING THE PROPOSED MOTAS BOARD FOR 2017-2018
In accordance with the MoTAS bylaws, we are gearing up for the MoTAS election season. The MoTAS Nominating Committee has filled the slate for 2017-2018, and announces the following nominations:
- President: Frank Soronow
- VP: Bill Shapiro
- VP: Howard Miller
- Secretary: Hal Bass
- Treasurer: Roger Lowe
If you would be interested in running against one of these fine individuals, please drop a note to faigin@cahighways.org. Elections will be at the May MoTAS meeting.
7. CHP CAR FIT EVENT – APRIL 29
In early 2017, MoTAS had a speaker on the CHP Age Well, Drive Smart program. They have sent us material on a new “CarFit” program they are doing. It will be Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the California Highway Patrol West Valley Area Office, 5825 De Soto Avenue, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. Here’s what they wrote:
AARP is sponsoring a nation-wide program promoting CarFit and your group has the opportunity of participating in this program at the CHP West Valley Area office. We hope you and your group’s members will want to participate in this program. All you have to do to participate is to call the CHP office at 818-888-0980 and say “I want to register for the CarFit Event.” Appointments will be made at 30 minute intervals. You’ll drive in, enter the vehicle line-up in our parking lot, and our technicians will evaluate you and your car in terms of your driving safety. We’ll have multiple lines and technicians available. Contact Lynn Blumberg, Senior Volunteer Program V58017 at 818-601-0408 or Officer Leland Tang (LTang@chp.ca.gov) for any additional information.
CarFit is an educational program that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them. The CarFit program also provides information and materials on community-specific resources that could enhance their safety as drivers, and/or increase their mobility in the community.
CarFit is important because while older drivers are often the safest drivers in that they are more likely to wear their seatbelts, and less likely to speed or drink and drive, they are also more likely to be killed or seriously injured when a crash does occur due to the greater fragility of their aging bodies. Driver safety programs improve adult driver safety by addressing cognitive abilities and skills, however, older drivers can also improve their safety by ensuring their cars are properly adjusted for them. A proper fit in one’s car can greatly increase not only the driver’s safety but also the safety of others. At a CarFit event, a team of trained technicians and/or health professionals work with each participant to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety. A CarFit check takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Visit www.Car-Fit.org for additional information
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 