Note: During the summer, the Weekly may skip the occasional week as things are quieter.
First of all, I hope this note is finding you and your families in good health. I also want to wish each of you a very healthy and happy coming High Holidays.
I have planned on writing this note for some time once my third year as President ended. I will admit that I put off writing it for a while but something has come up that reminded me it was time to send it out. Many of you may have noted the passing of Leland “Lee” Baum. We have not seen Lee for a few years; even pre-COVID he was becoming more frail and had stopped driving. Lee might have been considered the epitome of a Man of TAS. He belonged to our group for its friendship, honest conversations, comradery and our dedication to TAS. He attended our meetings regularly. Whenever there was an event, Lee would be there to help out. Never a leader but always a quiet example of a gentleman. Lee was remembered last Sunday at a memorial service at TAS.
As I reflect on the last three years, I realize how much enjoyment I have had being a part of MoTAS and with being associated with such a fine group of friends. My leadership team of Larry Pfefer, Russ Rapoport, Roger Lowe, Hal Bass, past president Daniel Faigin and my counselors Bob Levine and Brian Hatkoff helped make MoTAS a well-oiled machine. I thank them for their assistance and friendship. Our incoming president, Larry, is well prepared to take the helm and continue our success. I know that our incoming Vice Presidents, Scott Gore and Edward Lapporte, will be ready to help out and bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm. Join me in wishing all of them the best of luck in the coming year!
2020-21 was a very different year for The Men of TAS. We were only been able to meet online and could not carry out many of the activities for which we are normally depended upon. We missed our Shabbabaque, building the Sukkah, helping Sisterhood with their boutique, holding our annual poker tournament fundraiser, etc. Even so, our monthly meeting attendance has shown the continued comradery of our bunch. We have met every financial obligation to the temple and our religious school communities.
I am most proud that MoTAS used a portion of our Sports Squares proceeds to benefit a dozen families who lost work due to the pandemic and were in dire financial need. If helping members in need is not helping TAS, I don’t know what else would be. I do know that, based on the publication of our efforts, a number of other families independently followed suit to support those families. In addition, MoTAS paid for the complete provision and integration of the Temple’s new WiFi system. I did have to promise Rabbi Becky that you guys would limit your checking of Dodger scores during Shabbat services. MoTAS also paid for part of the painting of the Social Hall kitchen. Thanks to all of you for helping make our Sports Squares and annual appeal successful. And especially, thanks to Bob Levine and our Gridmaven, Kathy Pullman, for administrating our Sports Squares program.
A special thanks also to Daniel Faigin, our Master of Publicity and digital media. He does so much behind the scenes to benefit our group and our activities.
Lastly, I would like to thank our major benefactors who have been strong champions of MoTAS. The Krowne, Miles, Friedman, Handler, Silverstein, Kantor, Lucks and Hilecher families have been significant MoTAS contributors for 20 years to ensure our big fundraising activities are successful. And just as importantly, thanks to all the active members of MOTAS who personally donate to our fundraising events.
Wishing all of you the best,
Howard Miller
Past President
The Men of TAS
JEWISH MEN WITH TOOLS (MoTAS) are tentatively scheduled to build our temple Sukkah on Sunday September 19 at 9am, after a brief status update. This easy job can be completed in about an hour. Please come with gloves, Allen wrenches, and friends. Please let Howard (president@tasnorthridge-motas.org) know if YOU can shop for chicken wire and phone ties. AND, as Valley Crest is not offering palm fronds, please let us know if you know where we can get them. If YOU have a truck available to pick up the palm fronds, we would appreciate that also. We will have bagels and drinks. Please let us know if you can be there to help out!
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 July submissions to be listed in August 2021. 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.
Did you know you can pay MoTAS via EFT. If your bank is connected to Zelle (or you have the Zelle) app, you can add MoTAS to your list of Zelle recipients: Name of Business: Men of Temple Ahavat Shalom, Email: treasurer@tasnorthridge-motas.org . If you aren’t connected to Zelle, you can go to https://www.zellepay.com/get-started and see if your bank or credit union is on the list; if not, you can still connect via the Zelle app (download at https://www.zellepay.com/go/zelle ).
Note that you can also pay MoTAS via Venmo to the same email address treasurer@tasnorthridge-motas.org . Just make sure to indicate the payment is person to person, not for goods or services, so that we don’t incur a fee. Paypal is more likely to charge a fee; however, if you do a person to person transfer to onlinesales@tasnorthridge-motas.org from a bank account, there isn’t a fee. If you indicate it is for goods or services, or if you use a credit card, there is a fee.
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!
Join us for the last meeting of the 2020-21 year this Sunday, June 13. The business portion of the meeting starts at 9:00am. Anyone who would like to join for just the program should get on our Zoom call by 9:45.
The topic for the meeting program will be “Jewish Players in Major League Baseball”. If you thought Sandy Koufax was the only professional Jewish baseball player you will be very surprised. Our Presenter will be Rabbi Rebeccah Yussman, daughter of renown L.A. Dodger fans Les and Mel Birken.
Meeting details:
We are all hoping that this will be our last required Zoom meeting. Next Fall in Jerusalem, or at least the TAS Activity Center. Once again, congratulations to our new officers who will be leading our fine group starting in July:
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 June submissions to be listed in July 2021. 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.
The first 100 days of the Biden-Harris administration is now history. In the United States, no one talked that much about the importance of a president’s first 100 days—until Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933. He took swift action to calm the nation’s crippling financial panic (cue the Emergency Banking Act and the “fireside chats” that became Roosevelt’s signature) and began rolling out the programs that made up his New Deal, including 15 major pieces of legislation in the first 100 days. John F. Kennedy ordered the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion 87 days into his presidency. At a time when the U.S. and USSR were locked in the Cold War, JFK’s first 100 days also saw the Soviets launch the first human into space. On Day 1, Ronald Reagan started off with a bang, announcing the release of U.S. diplomats being held hostage in Iran. Sixty-nine days into his administration, he survived an assassination attempt. Barack Obama — who like FDR took office during a severe financial crisis—was able to get Congress to sign a $787 million stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, on his 29th day in office.
This virtual talk will explore the First 100 Days (Give Or Take) of the Biden – Harris Administration as seen through a Jewish lens. The speaker, Rabbi David Saperstein, is the Director Emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, representing the Reform Jewish Movement, the largest segment of American Jewry, to the U.S. Congress and Administration. Between 2015 and 2017, Rabbi Saperstein served as the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, carrying out his responsibilities as the country’s chief diplomat on religious freedom issues. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and Center for Jewish Civilization and as a Distinguished Fellow at the PM Glynn Center at the Australian Catholic University.
The talk will be Monday, June 21, 2021 at 5pm Pacific. To register, click here.
MoTAS held its first get-together in 15 months on Sunday June 6 in order to honor Dr. Hal Bass as our 2021 Man of the Year. Howard Miller presented Hal a plaque from the Western Region Men of Reform Judaism. Hal was recognized for his years of service as Secretary to MoTAS, for the many interesting presentations he has made for our monthly programs, for organizing the memorable Veterans Shabbat Service last November, and for continually being among the first to offer help in organizing and executing many of our activities. A note from last year’s MOY awardee, Les Birken, was read by Larry Pfefer. Brian Hatkoff, current President of the MRJ Western Region, and incoming Vice President of the national board of MRJ, also provided congratulations from the umbrella organization. Congratulations once again to Hal!
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!
As you have read in the Temple eBlast, a farewell service for Cantor Ken will be held on Friday, May 28 at 7:00PM.
MoTAS has set up a virtual card for the Cantor. We encourage all MoTAS members to sign it and leave a short note (and if you share it with others in the congregation, that’s OK, as the card will show up as being from MoTAS and Friends). It will be delivered to the Cantor just before the service via email at 630pm, and he will be able to enjoy it for a year, and download a PDF of the card. To sign the card, click here or visit https://tinyurl.com/cantorken .
By now, you have received your MoTAS Appeal Letter. You’ve read about all MoTAS has done to support TAS over the past year, and how the COVID environment has limited our fund raising options. You know that our appeal is even more important this year for us to do what we do. Luckily, it is easy to support MoTAS. Just visit our support webpage: http://support.tasnorthridge-motas.org/. There you can read the appeal letter, make your donation online, or download a form to mail with your check to Roger. Without all of our usual activities, MoTAS needs your support even more to be able to support the temple and its needs during these extraordinary times. MoTAS does not charge dues to its members; we depend on your donations to be able to do what we do.
Note: The MoTAS Appeal formally runs until May 31, 2021. If you haven’t contributed yet, and want to be counted for this year, the clock is tick, tick, ticking.
Just visit http://support.tasnorthridge-motas.org/ to donate.
MoTAS members and their guests are welcome to share the presentation of a commemorative plaque to our 2021 Man of the Year, Dr. Hal Bass, on Sunday June 6 at 4pm. The presentation will take place in the back yard of Howard Miller at 9656 Geyser Ave in Northridge. Please be sure to let Howard know that you will be attending this 30 minute event via email at hmiller12@socal.rr.com.
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 May submissions to be listed in June 2021. 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.
The first 100 days of the Biden-Harris administration is now history. In the United States, no one talked that much about the importance of a president’s first 100 days—until Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933. He took swift action to calm the nation’s crippling financial panic (cue the Emergency Banking Act and the “fireside chats” that became Roosevelt’s signature) and began rolling out the programs that made up his New Deal, including 15 major pieces of legislation in the first 100 days. John F. Kennedy ordered the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion 87 days into his presidency. At a time when the U.S. and USSR were locked in the Cold War, JFK’s first 100 days also saw the Soviets launch the first human into space. On Day 1, Ronald Reagan started off with a bang, announcing the release of U.S. diplomats being held hostage in Iran. Sixty-nine days into his administration, he survived an assassination attempt. Barack Obama — who like FDR took office during a severe financial crisis—was able to get Congress to sign a $787 million stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, on his 29th day in office.
This virtual talk will explore the First 100 Days (Give Or Take) of the Biden – Harris Administration as seen through a Jewish lens. The speaker, Rabbi David Saperstein, is the Director Emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, representing the Reform Jewish Movement, the largest segment of American Jewry, to the U.S. Congress and Administration. Between 2015 and 2017, Rabbi Saperstein served as the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, carrying out his responsibilities as the country’s chief diplomat on religious freedom issues. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and Center for Jewish Civilization and as a Distinguished Fellow at the PM Glynn Center at the Australian Catholic University.
The talk will be Monday, June 21, 2021 at 5pm Pacific. To register, click here.
Date: Sunday, May 16, 2021 via Zoom due to the pandemic
Presiding: President Howard Miller
Members Present: Howard Miller (President), Hal Bass (Secretary), Les Birken, Daniel Faigin (Past President), Ken Feldman, Scott Gore, Brian Hatkoff, Al Lapides, Ed Lapporte, Bob Levine, Roger Lowe (Treasurer), Joel Lowell, Barry Mann, Chuck Mondrus, Jeff Neiman, Larry Pfefer (VP), Russ Rapoport (VP), Mike Rayfield, Bill Shapiro, Bernie Singer, Mike Thornhill, Aaron Weissman, Scott Yollis
Guests: Cheryl Hatkoff, Terri Jonisch, Debby Weissman
President’s Report:
Howard began the meeting by asking members what changes in their lives they anticipate as we move beyond the Covid restrictions.
Howard congratulated Brian Hatkoff on his election as first VP of Men of Reform Judaism for 2021-23.
On Wednesday, May 19, from 3-4:15 pm Pacific time, the Alzheimer’s Association and MRJ are sponsoring an online program about the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease hosted by Temple Beth El of Hollywood, FL. For further information and to register for this free event via Zoom, go to: https://templebethelhollywood.org/brotherhood.
Daniel Faigin is inviting MoTAS members, spouses and friends to add a message to Cantor Ken on the digital appreciation card he has created: https://www.groupgreeting.com/sign/b69c760f1228323 or tinyurl.com/cantorken. Cantor Ken will be honored at a combination outdoor and Zoom Shabbat service May 28.
The security access control project is to be completed by next week, and kitchen repainting will be finished May 19.
2020-21 Sports Squares supported the temple’s WiFi upgrade ($5,000), William Rosen’s Eagle Scout project in which he planted decorative tree boxes near the parking lot ($350), kitchen repainting ($1,500) and camperships ($450).
Regarding Sports Squares, Bob Levine said planning is underway for the 2021-22 football season, with an announcement anticipated next month.
The MoTAS Annual Appeal is ahead of its fundraising goal for 2021 ($6,920 to date vs. $3,600 projected and $5,200 last year).
TAS Campus Pride has raised $931 vs. $600 projected. The Beautification Subcommittee is looking into using the funds to improve the area in front of the office windows and planter area outside the main doors.
Bob Levine publishes simchas in the temple’s Wednesday and Friday eblasts. Email your simchas to Bob at tasboblevine@gmail.com. May 31 is this month’s deadline for publication on June 2.
An online poker tournament may take place, with a minimum top prize of $500. Anticipated income would be $3,600 as compared to $5,000 with a live tournament.
Howard will honor MoTAS Man of the Year Hal Bass on Sunday, June 6, at 4 pm. Refreshments will be served. The ceremony will take place at Howard & Laraine’s home. Let Howard know by email if you plan to attend.
Treasurer’s Report Submitted by Roger Lowe, as of 05/15/21:
New Business:
Election of Officers: No additional nominations were submitted following last month’s Nominating Committee report by Bob Levine and Mike Thornhill. Therefore, Bob Levine moved, and Russ Rapoport seconded, a motion to elect the following by acclamation: Larry Pfefer, president; Scott Gore and Ed Lapporte, vice presidents; Roger Lowe, treasurer; Hal Bass, secretary. The new slate of officers will begin serving their one-year terms July 1, 2021.
Educational Presentations by Debby Weissman and Joel Lowell:
Following retirement last year after 30 years as a nursing executive at Kaiser Permanente, Debby donned an N95 mask, helmet, and gloves to join the L.A. County Department of Health as a COVID-19 outbreak investigator. Her activities took her to CSUN, where she administered Covid vaccine, and then to people experiencing homelessness or domestic violence. She shared stories about the challenges she faced, especially among the homeless, many of whom prefer to remain out of shelters, and the victims of domestic violence.
This obviously has been a rewarding experience for Debby and is an example of the outreach by members of our TAS Caring Community.
Joel Lowell is an elected board member of the Northridge West Neighborhood Council. There are 99 neighborhood councils in Los Angeles, established by an amendment to the city charter in 1999, which created the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment. Councils range in size from 7 to 35 elected members, all of whom are volunteers and, at each council’s discretion, serve for 2 or 4 years.
Council District 12 has 8 neighborhood councils (NCs). Local NCs, which often collaborate with nearby NCs on specific issues, advise on traffic, parking, land use, parks, homelessness, public safety, and transportation. One of the projects Joel’s NC undertook was the planting of topiaries in the Tampa Ave. median.
At the end of his talk, Joel took several questions, the answers to which demonstrated a wide-ranging fund of knowledge on Joel’s part.
Adjournment and Next MoTAS Meeting: The next meeting will be held by Zoom, Sunday, June 13, 2021, at 9:00 am.
Respectfully submitted,
Hal Bass/Secretary
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!
Join MoTAS on Sunday, May 16 for our MoTAS Monthly Meeting. We’ve shifted the meeting a week later due to Mother’s Day. At the meeting, our program will spotlight two of TAS’ own special people who are giving back to their community.
Debby Weissman, long time TAS member and member of the 2020-21 TAS Board of Trustees, will speak on her interesting post-retirement work-life helping our local community in areas with unique challenges. Debby is a Los Angeles County COVID-19 Outbreak Investigator working with PEH, aka People Experiencing Homelessness. If that is not enough, Debby also provides vaccines at the COVID facility at CSUN and assesses people for adverse reactions. She will talk about the unique challenges and observations she has experienced at both positions.
Joel Lowell, also a member of TAS and a past president of MoTAS, will talk about his experience on the Northridge West Neighborhood Council. He will cover the purpose of the council, some its current challenges, and what he would like to see the Council involved in in the future.
Additionally, at our meeting, we’ll be voting on our slate of officers for the 2021-2022 programming year.
Here’s the link to the meeting:
Join our MoTAS May 16 monthly Zoom meeting. Our program will start at about 9:45.
The MoTAS Nominating Committee presented the following slate of potential officers at the April meeting:
We will be voting on this slate at the May meeting. Please attend and show your support for these fine men as they move MoTAS forward.
By now, you have received your MoTAS Appeal Letter. You’ve read about all MoTAS has done to support TAS over the past year, and how the COVID environment has limited our fund raising options. You know that our appeal is even more important this year for us to do what we do. Luckily, it is easy to support MoTAS. Just visit our support webpage: http://support.tasnorthridge-motas.org/. There you can read the appeal letter, make your donation online, or download a form to mail with your check to Roger. Without all of our usual activities, MoTAS needs your support even more to be able to support the temple and its needs during these extraordinary times. MoTAS does not charge dues to its members; we depend on your donations to be able to do what we do.
Just visit http://support.tasnorthridge-motas.org/ to donate.
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 May submissions to be listed in June 2021. 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.
Alzheimer’s and other dementias cause memory, thinking and behavior problems that interfere with daily living. Join us to learn how to recognize common signs of the disease; how to approach someone about memory concerns; the importance of early detection and benefits of a diagnosis; possible tests and assessments for the diagnostic process, and Alzheimer’s Association resources.
The program will be held Wednesday May 19 at 3:00 PM Pacific (6:00 PM Eastern). Click here to register.
Hosted by Temple Beth El Brotherhood, Hollywood FL.
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!
Join MoTAS on Sunday, May 16 for our MoTAS Monthly Meeting. We’ve shifted the meeting a week later due to Mother’s Day. The topic is still to be announced.
Additionally, at our meeting, we’ll be voting on our slate of officers for the 2021-2022 programming year.
The MoTAS Nominating Committee presented the following slate of potential officers at the April meeting:
We will be voting on this slate at the May meeting. Please attend and show your support for these fine men as they move MoTAS forward.
By now, you have received your MoTAS Appeal Letter. You’ve read about all MoTAS has done to support TAS over the past year, and how the COVID environment has limited our fund raising options. You know that our appeal is even more important this year for us to do what we do. Luckily, it is easy to support MoTAS. Just visit our support webpage: http://support.tasnorthridge-motas.org/. There you can read the appeal letter, make your donation online, or download a form to mail with your check to Roger. Without all of our usual activities, MoTAS needs your support even more to be able to support the temple and its needs during these extraordinary times. MoTAS does not charge dues to its members; we depend on your donations to be able to do what we do.
Just visit http://support.tasnorthridge-motas.org/ to donate.
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 April submissions to be listed in May 2021. 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.
Date: Sunday, April 11, 2021 via Zoom due to the pandemic
Presiding: President Howard Miller
Members Present: Howard Miller (President), Hal Bass (Secretary), Les Birken, Yale Doberne, Daniel Faigin (Past President), Ken Feldman, Scott Gore, Brian Hatkoff, Larry Hoffman, Al Lapides, Ed Lapporte, Bob Levine, Roger Lowe (Treasurer), Joel Lowell, Fabian Malinovitz, Barry Mann, Chuck Mondrus, Mark Moskowitz, Jeff Neiman, Larry Pfefer (VP), Russ Rapoport (VP), Bill Shapiro, Bernie Singer, Sandy Stern, Mike Thornhill, Ken Wolf, Scott Yollis
Guests: Ellen Lowe, Elaine Pfefferman, Kathy Pullman, Judy Stehr
President’s Report:
Howard began the meeting by asking members what family or temple event was most impactful over the years.
2020-21 Sports Squares supported the temple’s WiFi upgrade ($5,000) and William Rosen’s Eagle Scout project in which he planted decorative tree boxes near the parking lot ($350).
The Annual Appeal is ahead of its fundraising goal ($6,740 vs. $3,600 projected). It is hoped that 100% of active MoTAS members will participate.
TAS Campus Pride has raised $931 vs. $600 projected. David Silverman and the Beautification Committee are looking into using the funds to spruce up and improve the area in front of the office windows and planter area outside the main doors.
Howard announced that Joel Lowell is a candidate for the Northridge West Neighborhood Council, and asked Joel to describe the council’s responsibilities and goals.
Bob Levine publishes simchas in the temple’s Wednesday and Friday eblasts. Email your simchas to Bob at tasboblevine@gmail.com. April 30 is this month’s deadline for publication on May 5.
The playground on the temple grounds can be reserved for one family at a time.
The Board of Trustees has adopted dietary rules for temple members and caterers, which include avoidance of pork products and shellfish and require separate dishes for meat and dairy products at temple functions. However, individuals can still make their own cheeseburgers, for example, and add butter or sour cream to bread or potatoes when meat is served. Our kitchen is not kosher, and groups meeting outside the temple (e.g., havurot) are not required to apply these rules.
An online poker tournament may take place in June, with a minimum top prize of $500. Anticipated income would be $3,600 as compared to $5,000 with a live tournament.
The Annual Gala will be held Saturday, May 15. Our 2021 honorees are members of the Caring Community. Arlene Stone chairs the planning committee, and Mark Gottesman is arranging the entertainment. MoTAS has contributed $1,000 toward advertising and $250 for special activities in conjunction with the Gala.
High Holy Day plans currently anticipate virtual services. If we were to hold live services in the future, Larry Pfefer said they could also be broadcast using strategically placed cameras.
Nominating Committee Report: Bob Levine and Mike Thornhill introduced the slate of officers for 2021-22. Nominees are Larry Pfefer, president; Scott Gore and Ed Lapporte, vice presidents; Roger Lowe, treasurer; Hal Bass, secretary. Voting will take place at the May 16 general meeting. Anyone else interested in running should contact Bob or Mike.
Treasurer’s Report, as of 04/08/21:
Income:
Expenses: $0
Sports Squares:
New Business:
Motion to Contribute $1,500 from Sports Squares to Sisterhood for Kitchen and Closet Repainting and Floor Repair: Howard introduced the motion and Chuck Mondrus seconded. In the discussion, Howard explained that the Sisterhood has budgeted $4,500 and the vendor will charge $5,380 for painting, while floor repair will be extra. The motion carried.
Educational Presentation by Laraine Miller: Time Travel – Been There, Undone That; Looking Ahead, Selfish Motives?
Laraine’s talk stimulated a lively discussion about the time-space continuum and time travel. She began her presentation by showing a YouTube video about the possibility of building a time machine. The video was made by an emeritus professor of theoretical physics at the University of Connecticut, Ron Mallett.
Laraine then reviewed concepts advanced by different religious traditions, with particular emphasis on what the Talmud, rabbis and various Jewish sages have had to say.
Many of those in attendance shared their own views about reliving the past or gazing into the future. Laraine’s presentation was greatly appreciated for the time, effort and thought she put into it.
Adjournment and Next MoTAS Meeting: The next meeting will be held by Zoom, Sunday, May 16, 2021, at 9:00 am.
Respectfully submitted,
Hal Bass/Secretary
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!
Now that football season is officially over, it’s time for basketball and the craziness known as the Final Four, in early April. Once again, MoTAS is happy to offer you the opportunity to help raise some needed funds for special TAS projects, and maybe you’ll earn some $$ along the way. You are receiving this email because you so generously supported our Sports Squares program sometime in the last year, and we want you to have first opportunity to play now. To get all the information (and in some cases, more than you could ever want), go to http://squares.tasnorthridge-motas.org/ where you’ll find the instructions, a sign-up form you can print, and a link if you wish to order your spaces online.
To summarize: each name on the board can have up to 3 spaces. The squares are priced at $36 each. The game is for both the men’s and women’s tournament (semifinal two games each, and final games), so there are 12 opportunities to be a winner, since there is a winner at the half and final score. If the board is fully subscribed at all 100 spaces, the payout is $150 per win. Once again, we’ll use our “tie-breaker” method to determine a winner if a winning square is unsold (If there are unsold squares, the payouts will be adjusted.) The tie-breaker is your prediction of the total number of points both teams will score in any game, for example, if you think the final score will be 82-61, your number = 143. Here’s a hint for those who are unfamiliar (or don’t really care….): the average score for the men’s tournament for the last two years was 147, and the average score for the women’s tournament was 134. You get only one tie-breaker per person, so choose wisely.
By now, you have received your MoTAS Appeal Letter. You’ve read about all MoTAS has done to support TAS over the past year, and how the COVID environment has limited our fund raising options. You know that our appeal is even more important this year for us to do what we do. Luckily, it is easy to support MoTAS. Just visit our support webpage: http://support.tasnorthridge-motas.org/. There you can read the appeal letter, make your donation online, or download a form to mail with your check to Roger. Without all of our usual activities, MoTAS needs your support even more to be able to support the temple and its needs during these extraordinary times. MoTAS does not charge dues to its members; we depend on your donations to be able to do what we do.
Just visit http://support.tasnorthridge-motas.org/ to donate.
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 February submissions to be listed on in March 2021. 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.
Traditionally, our March meeting is where we assemble the Yellow Candle boxes for mailing, in lieu of a speaker. But this year our March meeting is virtual, and Zoom is not conducive to assembling candles. So March will be a normal virtual speakers meeting—but we still need to assemble candles.
The approach we will take is to have each volunteer assemble a small number of candles, and return the assembled and labeled boxes to Howard. If you would be willing to help assemble candles, please let Howard know at president@tasnorthridge-motas.org.
In the mailing for the Annual Appeal, Howard included a tenative date for the MoTAS Seder. If we are actually doing the event, and how it might look, and who we might do it with, is up in the air. Your humble Newletter editor is the coordinator for the event, and I’ve prepared a short SurveyMonkey survey to see what people want. After a week or two (or I get 10 responses), and if there is a desire to actually do something, I’ll drop a note to Mark Singer and see if he wants to pass it to his membership and we can continue the coordination. You can find the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5CXJ28W .
For reference: You can find the updated draft version of the MoTAS/TBHLA Haggadah (cut down from the first trial year) at https://app.box.com/s/gbh0aydqshh4omtb3ac8gf4pta3iy1vk . Note that we would not do everything in the service, especially if we do a discussion-only (no meal) event. You can find the 2007 version of the MRJ Haggadah at http://www.menrj.org/sites/default/files/articles/files/MRJ%20The%20Mens%20Seder%20highres.pdf .
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!
In This Issue:Our February 21 MoTAS Meeting will feature our own Al Lapides speaking on The History of Advertising and its Effect on Society. The presentation will cover the early roots and history of advertising to the 21st century. Much of advertising can be applied to discussions on the ideas and ideals we believe in. The key is to identify your target, and engage and motivate the people or groups you desire to help your cause or buy your product. The debate includes whether advertising should entertain and/or irritate (yes that too) your audience, as well as inform them. Al will also cover the 5 different types of advertising:
Zoom details will be in next week’s Weekly.
By now, you have received your MoTAS Appeal Letter. You’ve read about all MoTAS has done to support TAS over the past year, and how the COVID environment has limited our fund raising options. You know that our appeal is even more important this year for us to do what we do. Luckily, it is easy to support MoTAS. Just visit our support webpage: http://support.tasnorthridge-motas.org/. There you can read the appeal letter, make your donation online, or download a form to mail with your check to Roger. Without all of our usual activities, MoTAS needs your support even more to be able to support the temple and its needs during these extraordinary times. MoTAS does not charge dues to its members; we depend on your donations to be able to do what we do.
Just visit http://support.tasnorthridge-motas.org/ to donate.
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 February submissions to be listed on in March 2021. 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.
At the January MoTAS Shabbat, our Man of the Year for 2021 was announced: Hal Bass. For those who don’t know Hal, or who missed the Shabbat, here is the introduction to the announcement from our 2020 Man of the Year, Les Birken:
Anyone who meets our honoree soon learns of his deep convictions and passionate observations of the world’s current and past events. He likes to read and share his ideas not only with family and friends but also readers of the Los Angeles and New York Times where he has had more than 200 letters published. I know he is an avid reader of the L.A. Times because he acknowledged me when I had a letter published. He keeps current in his field even after retiring and I have no doubt he could step in today without missing a beat and run circles around colleagues half his age.
Our honoree was born and brought up in a well-known Midwestern city where he learned a strong work ethic from his parents, who owned a “mom and pop” store. He joined his brother in working in the store on weekends and peak seasons and absorbed his parents’ political and ethical standards that guide him to this day. His first vote was for JFK in 1960 and has not missed an election since.
He met his bride at a young adult mixer in Chicago’s Blackstone Hotel in August, 1960. Within three weeks they were engaged and married ten months later. She worked as a high school French and English teacher while he completed medical school and residency. He graduated from The University of Chicago with his MD degree and a Masters in pharmacology. He found time to study genetics and used that skill as a clinical professor at UCLA and later at a well-known HMO where he was a pediatrician.
Thanks to the U.S. Air Force, the couple found themselves at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, CA. The base needed his medical specialty so desperately that he missed out on basic training. He never learned to shoot or properly salute but he took his military duty seriously and you can often see him proudly wearing his Air Force Veteran’s baseball cap. That is, when we were seeing anybody!
Our honoree and his wife have enjoyed travelling throughout the U.S. and abroad. He had a burning desire to visit all 50 states. He often took a Greyhound Bus to and from national genetics meetings. Between these and other trips he and his wife took, by the late 1990’s he was missing only one state. His wife booked a cruise to Alaska to help him complete his dream to visit all 50 states. I am impressed!
Our honoree and his wife have been members of TAS since 1974. Both have served the Temple in various capacities including serving on the Temple Board, working to build our sanctuary-social hall building, and other committees. In addition, both our honoree and his wife have taken leadership positions within MoTAS and Sisterhood and fervently believe that the synagogue is the foundation for Jewish survival. They have passed this belief to their two daughters and four grandchildren.
Since retiring, our honoree has devoted even more time to MoTAS. He is currently serving his fifth term as secretary, providing us with highly detailed and accurate records of our meetings. As part of our monthly meeting programs, we have learned from him through presentations on a variety of subjects including genetic birth conditions, the 1956 Sinai War between Israel and Egypt, and the Armenian Genocide and its connection to the Holocaust. He also developed and helped organize our November Veterans Day salute where we identified and honored all of our TAS veterans. If all of this were not enough, we can always count on him to help both in front and behind the scenes for many other events such as our Shabbabaque, mailers, poker tournament and wherever else he sees a need.
I am not sure how effective I have been in trying to hide his identity but nonetheless, it is my honor and privilege to present you with The Men of TAS 2021 Man of the Year: Dr. Hal Bass.
Congratulations, Hal.
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!
