In This Issue:
- BATTER UP FOR THE PANCAKE BREAKFAST – SUN SEP 11
- FOOTBALL SQUARES SALES IN THE FINAL INNINGS
- SUKKAH BUILDING AND MEMBERSHIP LUNCH – SAVE THE DATE – SUN OCT 9
- BAT MITZVAH AT 100 – SAT AUG 27
- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO LEAD ACTIVITIES
- MRJ/NCJW WEBINAR: REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS 9/22 5PM PACIFIC
- TAS MUSICIANS SMALL GROUP NEEDS PLAYERS
- SHARE YOUR SIMCHAS
- IN CLOSING
From the Editor: The goal of the Weekly is to get MoTAS members the information they need on upcoming activities, and then get out of the way. If you have any information on MoTAS activities you need to get out to the membership, please contact the Weekly Editor at cybermaven@tasnorthridge-motas.org.
1. BATTER UP FOR THE PANCAKE BREAKFAST – SUN SEP 11
Batter up, not for baseball but for our annual Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, September 11! Our Master Flippers, Scott and Bill, will be up at the plate, I mean grill, with their hot bats, I mean spatulas. We need the rest of the team that morning ready to play their positions: mixer, table set-up, serving and clean-up. The Rabbi wants to serve the pancakes at 11:30am, so we’ll start at our usual time (around 845 am) for a short business meeting. Around 945am, we’ll head over to the Social Hall to start setting up for the breakfast. We should be done by 1pm. as there will be no extra innings. Please let our manager Larry know by email to president@tasnorthridge-motas.org or signup at https://volunteersignup.org/88L9T if you can help.
If you’re curious, the menu will include: Pancakes, Blueberries, Fresh Strawberrys if available – Sliced, Syrup, Powdered Sugar, Butter, plus loads of great other toppings. It will be free to students and parents, although donations will always be welcome.
2. FOOTBALL SQUARES SALES IN THE FINAL INNINGS
The players are now in training camps, so the opening game is not far away. There are only a few places left on our 2018 Sports Squares board, so this is a reminder to reserve your spot before they’re all gone. Your participation in the past has always been so appreciated, and MoTAS hopes you will continue your generosity. You can order online at http://squares.tasnorthridge-motas.org or send in your check ($50 per square) payable to MoTAS. Mark the envelope “MoTAS football squares” so it’s routed to us directly.
Summer is Football Squares season! It’s an easy way to support TAS and possibly win a little back. $50 gets you a random square on the board, where randomized rows and columns have the digits 0 through 9. During Monday Night Football season, match the last digit of the home and away team scores in a quarter and win! More information, complete rules, online signup, and signup forms are available at http://squares.tasnorthridge-motas.org, or contact Bob Levine (818-271-1282, tasboblevine@gmail.com) or Kathy Pullman (gridmaven@tasnorthridge-motas.org). Funds raised by the Sports Squares programs are used to fund specific needs that are often unfunded, and expenditures are distinct from MoTAS’ general fund contributions. Registration closes at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, September 6.
As you recall, the net proceeds for the Football Squares goes to support TAS projects that cannot be funded, either adequately, or at all, by current temple budgeting. It is your support that makes these things happen. Please support us this year, as you have in the past. All the information about the game, as well as sign-up instructions, are available at our website:
http://squares.tasnorthridge-motas.org
We hope you can see your way to be part of our team this season. You might win some money, but the temple is the big winner. A warm thank-you from the Men of TAS.
3. SUKKAH BUILDING AND MEMBERSHIP LUNCH – SAVE THE DATE – SUN OCT 9
When you’re tired, what sounds appealing? Perhaps a little shack out the field, with some fruits, where perhaps you can see the twinkling stars in the sky? In other words, it’s Sukkah Time!
First, we build a Sukkah: JEWISH MEN WITH TOOLS (MoTAS) are scheduled to build our temple Sukkah on Sunday October 9. We have some social time and share some news starting around 9am, and the construction will commence at 10 am. All able bodied men [and women] are invited to come help build our community Sukkah and join in the fun and camaraderie. Bring your gloves, Allen wrenches, your mask. your appetite and your smiles. There will be free bagels, cream cheese and coffee for all. This easy job can be completed in about an hour.
Please let Scott Gore (scott22g@msn.com) know if YOU can shop for chicken wire and wire ties. AND, as Valley Crest is not offering palm fronds, please let us know if you know of sources for palm fronds, corn stalks, or other similar flat-ish vegetation that would be good for the roof or the sides. If YOU have a truck available to pick up the palm fronds, we would appreciate that also. Please let us know if you can be there to help out!
Then, we eat! After we finish building the sukkah, we’re planning on kicking off the year by going out for lunch. We should have more details by the next newsletter, but the basic plan is to go out, just have fun talking to each other, and do some planning for our activities. Watch this space for more details as we get them… If you are willing to help coordinate the lunch, please let Larry (president@tasnorthridge-motas.org) or Scott Gore (scott22g@msn.com) know — we can set up the sign up sheets and help collect funds, so you just need to figure out where, make the reservations, and help with any other logistics.
4. BAT MITZVAH AT 100 – SAT AUG 27
This is a joint event with Sisterhood celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Bat Mitzvah. We’ll be helping to serve a light meal after Saturday morning services at 1:15pm. The meal will include Cheese Blintzes, fruit and sweet toppings, and more. We need volunteers to help with the shopping, setup, cooking and cleaning. Sign up at: https://volunteersignup.org/4RQ3F
5. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO LEAD ACTIVITIES
The MoTAS Board met in early August and discussed a bunch of fun activities, including tossing around a number ideas for new activities. We aim to shake off the stodgy image of MoTAS, and come up with events that will appeal to many potential members. To do that, however, we need volunteers to coordinate activities. If you would like to step up to the plate and help us, drop a note to Larry (president@tasnorthridge-motas.org).
6. MRJ/NCJW WEBINAR: REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS 9/22 5PM PACIFIC
Save the date! The MRJ fall webinar series will kickoff on September 22nd, 5PM Pacific with a discussion about Reproductive Rights, and more. The speaker will be Sheila Katz, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW). As the CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), Sheila Katz leads an organization of more than 200,000 advocates who make change happen at the local, state and national levels. Since becoming CEO, Sheila has led the organization to more than double the number of NCJW advocates working to ensure that the rights of women, children and families are protected, translated into public policy and upheld in our courts. Through meaningful education, strategic advocacy and supporting the 56 local NCJW sections in direct service, Sheila works to empower Jewish women and allies to engage in work that impacts those at the margins of society while centering the most impacted through partnerships and coalitions.
Under Sheila’s leadership, NCJW has responded to threats to abortion access, voting rights, childcare access, equal pay, and other issues of equity through protest, advocacy and new campaigns making it clear where Jewish women and allies stand on the most important issues of the day. Sheila spearheaded the creation of 73Forward, a Jewish movement for abortion justice, and the launch of “Rabbis for Repro,” a network of more than 1,700 Jewish clergy teaching and preaching about reproductive justice and Judaism.
Before coming to NCJW, Sheila led student engagement and leadership at Hillel International, the largest Jewish on-campus community in the world. In her 12 years at Hillel, she founded programs to expand student participation in Jewish and civic life including “Ask Big Questions,” an award-winning national initiative to guide diverse students in meaningful conversations, and MitzVote, Hillel’s successful non-partisan civic engagement campaign.
Sheila holds an M.S. in teaching from Pace University and B.A. in politics from Ithaca College. She is a proud alumna of the Wexner Foundation Field Fellowship and Teach for America. Sheila was named as one of the top 10 faith influencers in 2021 by Religion News Service, as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world in 2020 by the Jerusalem Post and one of 2020’s faith leaders to watch by the Center for American Progress. She has also been featured in the New York Times, Oprah Magazine, the Washington Post, Haaretz and more. She sits on the Board of Governors of Tel Aviv University.
Registration Link now available: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ODo70wUCSVStSzAct41srw
7. TAS MUSICIANS SMALL GROUP NEEDS PLAYERS
Inviting intermediate to advanced players of any instrument, i.e., guitar (electric or acoustic) bass, drums, banjo, keyboards, brass, strings, woodwinds, and singers. The group will meet monthly or more frequently as the group decides. For a small fee, depending on how many people are involved, there is an opportunity to meet in a studio space, available with drum kits amplifiers and PA provided. If you are interested, contact Chuck Mondras at chuck@americanhealth911.com.
8. SHARE YOUR SIMCHAS
If you have a Simcha you want to share, click here for the link to submit your Simcha. Submissions will be due no later than the last day of the month prior to the month of publication. We are now taking August submissions to be listed in September 2022. For more details or questions contact Bob Levine. If you are interested in making a donation to TAS in honor of your Simcha, click here. A donation is not required to submit your Simcha.
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. Join the MoTAS Google Group at https://groups.google.com/g/tas-motas (you may need to be logged into your Google account, if you have one). Come be part of the Men of Temple Ahavat Shalom!
Men of Temple Ahavat Shalom 