In This Issue:

1. DINING OUT AT CARUSOS – WE 5/29
2. SHABBABAQUE IS COMING – FRI MAY 31
3. JUN 2ND MEMBERSHIP MEETING – VALLEY GIRLS
4. MAY 2024 MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES*
5. IN CLOSING

(* indicates updated items)

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. DINING OUT AT CARUSOS – WE 5/29

“Dining Does Good” has returned. Things have gotten more complicated since the pandemic with all the delivery apps and such, so this is DINE IN or PICK UP only. Let’s support MoTAS, and all show our smiling faces at Caruso’s in Granada Hills on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.

Would you like an easy way to help MoTAS financially? How about taking your family to dinner. The MoTAS “Dining Does Good” allows you to go out to dinner, and have the restaurant donate a portion of your check support the Men of TAS. Our May Dining Does Good” will be Wednesday, May 29 at Caruso’s Italian Restaurant, 10152 Balboa Blvd, Granada Hills, CA 91344, (818) 671-1140, https://www.carusositaliankitchenbargrill.com/. Just present the flyer or mention the fundraiser when you order or pick up your take out order in person.

How do you get a flyer? You can find a flyer for the event at https://wp.tasnorthridge-motas.org/activities/dining/ (click on the image of the flyer) or download PDF from our Box account . Once you are at the Box version of the flyer:

• If you are on a PC or Mac using a browser: (1) click on the white DOWNLOAD button; (2) there will be a pop-up about logging in to do more — ignore that – just close the popup box; (3) You will be prompted on where to save the download, or it will go into the downloads directory; (4) when the download is complete, open the PDF and print it. DO NOT right click and attempt to print from the Box page.
• If you using a browser on an Android phone: This takes you directly to the PDF. You can download or print from there.
• If you are using some other method, please send it to me and I’ll include it on this list.
• If you can’t figure this out at all: Drop me an email at cybermaven@tasnorthridge-motas.org , and I’ll send you the PDF as an attachment.

We really encourage you to come and support these events: we raise a little extra funds for our work, 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.

2. SHABBABAQUE IS COMING – FRI MAY 31

It’s back. MoTAS’s Famous Shabbabaque (or, as Larry the Elder spells it, Sha-Bar-BBQ) on Friday, May 31, 2024. Whatever the spelling, Shabbabque, Shabbaque, or Sha-Bar-BBQ (think of it like Chanukah, or is that Hanukkah), it is a MoTAS tradition to usher in summer. Before we go into the details of the event, WE WILL NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THE MAGIC HAPPEN. We need you to go to https://volunteersignup.org/BF9XM and sign up to help. You can sign up with multiple duties. We need people to shop, prep, cook, setup, serve, take tickets, and cleanup.We can’t do it without you. So again: Volunteer to help at https://volunteersignup.org/BF9XM .

Shabbabaque starts with a service in the sanctuary at 6:30pm, followed at 7:45pm by a delicious barbeque dinner.  Last year’s menu included turkey burgers, beef burgers, and hot dogs.  Vegetarian items included vegetarian patties, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad,  watermelon, and dessert. To sign up, visit https://wp.tasnorthridge-motas.org/activities/shabbabaque/, or you can go to the Ticketleap directly at https://tasmotas.ticketleap.com/2405-shabbabaque/. The cost is $10; free for religious school families. Reservations are required (and pre-payment is encouraged) by the Tuesday before the event, May 28, at 6:00 PM.

Our grid mavens have informed us that this will be your first official chance to purchase Football Squares for the 2024 Monday Night Football season. A birdie tells me that if you go to https://wp.tasnorthridge-motas.org/activities/sports-squares/, you may be able to jump the gun.

3. JUN 2ND MEMBERSHIP MEETING – VALLEY GIRLS

Our June membership meeting will be Sunday, June 2, 2024 @ 8:45am. As the temple is nominally closed that day, in-person attendance will be by pre-registration ONLY. Register here (for free), and we’ll send you a temporary gate code. Everyone else, including our speaker, will be attending via Zoom: Click here to join (Meeting ID: 823 6876 3653; Passcode: 490006) or to dial in:  +1 669 444 9171 .   The speaker will be Erin Faigin on Valley Girls, or to be more precise, “Postwar Jewish Suburbanization through the Lens of the Jewish American Princess and Valley Girl.” This is an update to a presentation given to the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati in March 2023. The talk will begin at 915a, after our usual introductions. Any business meeting will be after the talk.

For our on-site meetings, a full breakfast, including bagels, lox, and eggs, will be available. For ZOOM, we’ll have virtual bagels, lox and eggs, which are much lower in calories.

4. MAY 2024 MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES

Date: Sunday, May 19, 2024, TAS Social Hall

Presiding: President Larry Hoffman

Members Present: Larry Hoffman (President), Hal Bass (Secretary), Les Birken, Daniel Faigin, Scott Gore, Brian Hatkoff, Gordon Lester, Bob Levine, Roger Lowe (Treasurer), Joel Lowell, Barry Mann, Howard Miller, Chuck Mondrus, Jeff Neiman, Larry Pfefer (Immediate Past President), Howard Schnee, Bill Shapiro, Alan Stepakoff, Mike Thornhill, Scott Yollis (VP)

Guests: Robyn Blachman, Jackie Zev

Coffee & Breakfast: Bob Levine, Roger Lowe, Mike Thornhill, Scott Yollis

Question of the Day: What are you looking forward to?

President’s Report:

Howard Miller has been seeking bids for landscaping in front of the temple offices, but the project is on hold until a water leak in the system can be repaired and trees are trimmed.

Larry Pfefer will be ordering new lighting fixtures next week from L.A. Lighting Manufacturing Co. of El Monte.

2024-25 calendaring is in progress. The annual Pancake Breakfast will take place on Oct 20, the Veterans Shabbat on November 8, Poker Tournament November 17 and the MoTAS Shabbat, at which our 2025 Man of the Year will be introduced, is January 10, 2025.

Howard Miller chaired the Annual Gala, held at TAS yesterday evening and was very well attended. This year’s honorees were the Breuer, Pfefer and Solomon families.

Upcoming event: MoTAS Shabbabeque Friday evening, May 31. A volunteer signup form is on the MoTAS website.

Bob Levine announced that 2024-25 Football Squares can be purchased for $50 each (maximum of four squares per family) via Zelle and by credit card or check at the May 31 Shabbabeque.

Roger Lowe’s Treasurer’s Report as of 05/16/2024

• (emailed only)

New Business:  

The May Dining Does Good venue to dine-in or takeout is Caruso’s Italian Kitchen at 10152 Balboa Blvd, Granada Hills, on Wednesday, May 29. Be sure to bring the flyer available on the MoTAS website. If you know of other restaurants that might be good candidates for our Dining Does Good program, let the coordinator, Barry Mann, know.

Daniel Faigin, Howard Miller and Larry Pfefer were appointed by President Larry Hoffman to the nominating committee for 2024-25 MoTAS officers. The slate of officers is Larry Hoffman, President; Scott Gore and Scott Yollis, Vice Presidents; Roger Lowe, Treasurer; Hal Bass, Secretary; and Larry Pfefer, Immediate Past President. Additional nominations were entertained until Sunday, April 21, and no further nominations were submitted. Daniel Faigin moved and Chuck Mondrus seconded a motion to accept the 2024-25 slate of officers by acclamation. The motion carried unanimously. The new officers will begin their terms on July 1.

The Annual Congregational Meeting will be held in person only (and not virtually) at TAS on Sunday, June 9, at 9 am.

Tree-trimming throughout the TAS campus will take place the week of June 21.

Howard Miller announced that the Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament is on tap for Sunday evening, November 17.

Brian Hatkoff explained that the umbrella organization which represents the men’s clubs at TAS and other Reform temples is Men of Reform Judaism (MRJ). The Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC) represents Conservative synagogues.

Educational Presentation: Alyce Botwinick is an experienced psychiatric social worker who discussed compassion and forgiving and reviewed techniques for relaxation and leaving one’s cares behind. Alyce answered questions from the members and guests about retirement issues and dealing with personal or family illness. She was very well received during her one-hour presentation.

Adjournment and Next MoTAS Meeting: At our membership meeting on Sunday, June 2, 2024 @ 8:45 am, Historian Erin Faigin will do a presentation via Zoom on Valley Girls, or to be more precise, “Postwar Jewish Suburbanization Through the Lens of the Jewish American Princess and Valley Girl.” This is an update to a presentation Erin gave to the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati in March 2023. Those who wish to attend the June 2 meeting at the temple will have to sign up in advance; others are welcome to attend remotely.

Respectfully submitted,
Hal Bass/Secretary

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!