In This Issue:
- JOIN MOTAS FOR CHINESE FOOD ON CHRISTMAS
- DINING DOES GOOD: OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE – WE 1/7/26
- MOTAS SHABBAT – FR 1/9/26
- JANUARY MOTAS MEETING – SU 1/11/26
- MOTAS POKER TOURNAMENT – SU MAR 22
- DECEMBER MEETING MINUTES
- 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. During the summer, when there are not a lot of events, the weekly will appear … less than weekly. If you know of someone who should be getting the weekly, of if you had this forwarded this to you and you want to get on our sublist, please drop a note to cybermaven@tasnorthridge-motas.org and we’ll add you.
1. JOIN MOTAS FOR CHINESE FOOD ON CHRISTMAS
Where should we go? What should we do? Should we just stay in? Should we see a movie?
What’s for dinner? Should we go out for dinner? What movie should we see? Should we ask our friends?
What could be better than a movie and some great Chinese food? Luckily, MoTAS has a solution — at least for the dinner. MoTAS is coordinating a Chinese dinner for you, and we’re making the reservations. All you need to do is pay in advance, and show up.
The goal is to make this win-win: We’ll have a pre-ordered dinner with the restaurant, and they get paid with a single check. This makes life easier for them. We’ll have a reservation already made, and the pre-ordered dinner means we should be served faster even with the crowds. This is a win for us.
- Where: Hot Wok Northridge, 9135 Reseda Blvd, Northridge, CA 91324
- When: Thursday, December 25 at 6:00pm
- How Much: $28 per person, including tax and tip.
- Deadline: Reservations must be made AND PAID by Saturday, December 20 at noon. There are no exceptions and no walk-ups. If you are not paying on-line, your check or payment must be received by the close of reservations on Dec 20. You can also reserve online and pay via Venmo or Zelle to treasurer@tasnorthridge-motas.org.
- How to Reserve: Visit https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/tasnorthridge-motas/25-12-motas-jewish-xmas
This event is open to the entire family; it is not restricted to just the men of MoTAS. The more, the merrier!
For more details, including the dinner menu, visit https://wp.tasnorthridge-motas.org/activities/motas-jewish-christmas/ .
2. DINING DOES GOOD: OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE – WE 1/7/26
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 January Dining Does Good” will be Wednesday, January 7 at Outback Steakhouse Northridge, 18711 Devonshire St., Northridge, CA 91324, (818) 366-2341. 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 Google Drive . From there, just click on the printer icon to print, or the three dots to download.
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.
3. MOTAS SHABBAT – FR 1/9/26
As you are aware, every year MoTAS has an opportunity to lead the congregation in prayer. We also give the temple our unofficial “State of MoTAS” address, and announce our Man of the Year. In past years, interested men were able to participate in the service, by reading sections in English, prayers in Hebrew, singing in our “choir,” or making brief reflections on their experiences with MoTAS.
This year, our service will be held on Friday, January 9, 2025, 7:00 PM. Although it will be streaming, it will NOT be on Zoom. You must be present to participate.
Please contact Bob Levine, at tasboblevine@gmail.com if you are able to join in, and what you would like to do. If you are unable/unwilling/not available, please let Bob know as well.
More information regarding what you would be doing will be sent out as soon as the service is put together.
4. JANUARY MOTAS MEETING – SU 1/11/26
Our January Membership meeting will be Sunday, 1/11, at 8:45am. A full breakfast, including bagels, lox, and eggs, will be available starting at 8:45am. Our speaker at this meeting will be Mark Tilles on the Ten Most Important Maintenance Jobs. As Roger is unavailable, the Breakfast Crew can use some additional support. If you can help shop and prepare breakfast, please coordinate with Howard Schnee <Haschnee106@gmail.com> and Chuck Mondras <cmondrus@gmail.com>
5. MOTAS POKER TOURNAMENT – SU MAR 22
Hold the Date. The MoTAS Annual Poker Tournament is coming on Sunday, March 22. We hope to have the website updated and the new TicketLeap open by mid-December.
6. DECEMBER MEETING MINUTES
Date: Sunday, December 14, 2025, at TAS
Presiding: President Howard Schnee
Members Present: Howard Schnee (President), Hal Bass (Secretary), Les Birken, Daniel Faigin, Brian Hatkoff, Larry Hoffman (Immediate Past President), Gordon Lester, Joel Lowell, Howard Miller, Jeff Neiman, Larry Pfefer, Bill Shapiro (VP), Ben Tenn, Mark Tilles, Scott Yollis (VP)
Guests: Richard Gobuty, Dori Hoffman
Coffee & Breakfast: Scott Yollis, Joel Lowell, Howard Miller
President’s Report:
- Dining Does Good Wednesday, Jan 7: The January venue is the Outback in Northridge. Print out and present the flyer available on the MoTAS website to your server or cashier. If you know of other establishments that would be good choices for this program, let Dining Does Good coordinator Barry Mann know.
- A Poker Tournament, headed up by Howard Miller, will take place Sunday evening, March 22, 2026. A flyer about the tournament will be distributed to congregational families and previous players.
- New Member Brunch Sunday, Jan 25: Immediate Past President Larry Hoffman will represent Howard Schnee (who will be out of town) at the TAS new member brunch.
Roger Lowe’s Treasurer’s Report as of 12/11/2025:
- [See Emailed Report]
New Business:
-
- MoTAS Logo Shirts: Attractive, stylish T-shirts, polo shirts and dress shirts with the MoTAS logo are available to order. To order shirts online, visit https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/tasnorthridge-motas/25-11-motas-logowear. The header page on the order form will show how the shirts look (our shirts will have a different logo). Daniel Faigin will place the orders with our supplier shortly. You can either pay by credit card for an additional fee or by check or Zelle at no additional charge.
- Chinese Food Thursday, Dec. 25, at 6 pm, Hot Wok, 9135 Reseda Blvd, Northridge: This has become a popular MoTAS Xmas tradition. $28 per person, including tax and tip. Deadline: Reservations must be made AND PAID FOR by Saturday, December 20 at noon. No exceptions and no walk-ups. If not paying online, your check made out to Men of TAS must be received by the close of reservations on Dec 20. You can also reserve online and pay via Venmo or Zelle to treasurer@tasnorthridge-motas.org. For reservations, visit https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/tasnorthridge-motas/25-12-motas-jewish-xmas
- MoTAS Shabbat: Every year MoTAS is invited to lead the congregation in prayer. This is when we present our “State of MoTAS” address and introduce our Man of the Year. Interested men are encouraged to participate in the service by reading sections in English or prayers in Hebrew, singing in our “choir,” or sharing brief reflections on their experience with MoTAS.
The service will be held Friday, January 9, 2026, at 7 pm. Although the service will be streaming, it will NOT be on Zoom. You must be present to participate. Contact Bob Levine at tasboblevine@gmail.com if you would like to participate, and what you would like to do. Further information will be forthcoming once the service is put together.
- Annual Appeal: Per Daniel Faigin, the MoTAS Annual Appeal will begin after our Jan 9 Men’s Shabbat and continue through May 2026.
- Yom HaShoah candles. Larry Pfefer noted that Yom HaShoah in 2026 will begin at sundown Monday, April 13, and end 24 hours later. Candles and a cover letter will be prepared for mailing to the congregation at our March 15 membership meeting.
Educational Presentation: Attorney Howard Schnee spoke about advanced health care directives. He described the nature of this document and said everyone over 18 should have an advanced health care directive, which should be prepared by an attorney and name a trusted individual as the person’s agent. He then answered questions from the members and guests. Those who heard Howard’s talk appreciated his clear explanations and advice.
Next Meeting: The next General Membership Meeting will take place Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 8:45 am. The speaker will be Mark Tilles on “The 10 Most Important Maintenance Items Around the House.”
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!
Men of Temple Ahavat Shalom 