MoTAS Weekly 05/20/20: Ready for the Three Day Weekend? We Are!

In This Issue:

1. MoTAS is Here to Help

Our President, Howard Miller, wants everyone to know that our men’s group has talents, expertise, and friendly guys willing to help our fellow congregants in the time of need during the pandemic. If there is something one of our members might be able to help you with, even just a friendly voice, you are welcome to call Howard at (818) 993-0796. He will help find someone who can answer your questions, find people to provide a friendly call, and work with our Caring Community to help with various needs.

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2. MAY MENS HANGOUT – POSTPONED

Unfortunately, there has been limited response to the Man Mens Hangout, so it has been postponed until after our June meeting. Perhaps people are overwhelmed with all the zoom opportunities around, and this is just one more…. MoTAS recognizes that the quarantine is affecting us all, and both in similar and also unique ways. In a few weeks, whatever the situation, there may be more people who want to dig between the weeds and express how your life is being changed and how you are adapting, or not, and how it makes you feel about it. Please mention to your MoTAS friends about this confidential opportunity to share what’s really going on. If you would be interested in participating in June, please contact Bob Levine at tasboblevine@gmail.com . All men are welcome to attend.

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3. FINAL MONTH: OUR ANNUAL APPEAL FOR MOTAS AND TAS PRIDE

MoTAS normally runs our appeal starting with the Men’s Shabbat in January, and ending on May 31. We’re now in May, so this is our final appeal month for this year. Our annual operating budget depends on the generous contributions of our temple members — now more than ever, as we don’t know what will happen with some of our future events. We use the funds to run our organization, support the ECEC and Religious School, and the Temple. In combination with our other fundraising activities, we support the costs of Camperships, the Avodah Program, the free pancake breakfast, Confirmation L’Taken, and many more activities and benefits that are not part of the Temple budget. If you would like to help us, visit support.tasnorthridge-motas.org. Let’s show that 100% of our active members participate, even if it is just for $18.

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4. MRJ WEBINAR ON COMBATING ANTISEMITISM AND HATE – JUN 9

MRJ invites MoTAS to participate in a webinar led by German Consul General David Gil on the subject of combating Anti-Semitism and Hate. The webinar will be held at 6pm on Tuesday June 9. His background includes overseeing the dissolution of the East German Stassi (secret police). If interested, you will need to register at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZxwEBWnXRASkXPQtmILXSw

Here’s the abstract:

Germany has been a world leader in the efforts to educate and eliminate anti-Semitism and hate. On Thursday, April 30, 2020, Germany outlawed all Hezbollah activities, including those of its political wing. Here’s more infomation: https://bit.ly/2SA9dkN The speaker is Consul General David Gill, German Consulate General New York. Born in 1966, Gill grew up in a protestant minister’s family in Herrnhut, Saxony, in former East Germany. He was denied a higher education by the communist regime for political reasons. Instead, he trained and worked as a plumber before joining a preparatory protestant school and later the theological seminary of the Protestant Church in Berlin-Brandenburg. In 1990, he initially was the chairman of Normannenstrasse Citizens’ Committee which oversaw the dissolution of the Ministry of State Security at the Stasi headquarters and served as the secretary of the Special Committee for the dissolution of the Stasi of the East German Parliament. After reunification, Gill became spokesman and head of the research division of the Federal Commissioner for the Stasi-Files before studying law in Berlin and Philadelphia. After holding positions in the Federal Ministry of the Interior and at the Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in Berlin, he served as the Deputy Representative of the Council of the Protestant Church in Germany to the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union. During Federal President Joachim Gauck’s term from 2012-2017, he was state secretary and chief of staff of the President. Since August 2017, he has been the German Consul General in New York.

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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!

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