Congregation Beth Shalom|Newsletter April 2007

Previous newsletters are here. April 2007 /Nisan-Iyyar 5767
Religious School News Dear Families, When you receive this bulletin letter, we will have less than a month of religious school left. WOW, how time does fly! I wanted to make this letter a little more thought-provoking, so here it goes.... It is Passover and what do we think of during Passover? Like every Jewish holiday, the FOOD, the food we eat or don't eat. According to Carol Oseran Starin, on Pesach, "we eat foods designed to trigger memories. Each food links us to a memory. Haroset looks like the mortar that held the bricks together. At the seder the haroset is eaten with the maror, a combination of bitter and sweet. The bitterness of slavery combined with the joy of liberation. Can we have joy without hardship?" Take this time with your children to reflect on joys and hardships. Share some of your thoughts with your kids on special foods and meanings that you were brought up with. Foods associated with joy, holidays, hardships, and the importance of re-telling stories year after year. On a lighter note, my bruises from the Purim carnival are almost gone! I thought sitting in a throne would be a kick-back fun way to spend at our carnival. Boy was I wrong! A few of you kids were a little rough with that BIG crown that Hannah Hyden made for me. Gary Shmorgon is the only one who opted not to play this booth because he did not want to hurt Queen Marlene. I knew I loved that boy! All in all, it was a fun-filled day. Good job to our MoUSY group--but next year I'm making my own crown! I also want to extend a formal mazel tov to Sam Brotslaw! He is now a post-Bar Mitzvah boy and still coming to Sunday School and Shabbat services. Keep up the \ good work and your commitment to Judaism. Don't forget to check out our website. We have a lot of activities going on in April and May! Please join us for the last day of religious school on Sunday, April 29th. We will have our regular class time at 10:00 a.m., then celebrate with a family BBQ at 11:30 a.m. Bring a side dish to share! Have a wonderful Passover and enjoy the sunshine! Shalom, Marlene Gonsalves Remember, half of every subscription to J- will go to Congregation Beth Shalom. See your Bulletin for details.	Oneg Shabbat Hosts April 6 -- (Kitchen closed for Passover) April 13 -- Angel & Rabinovitz families April 20 -- Greenwald-Gonella & B. Israels families April 27 -- Rubin-Smith & Rubin families Thank you for participating. Please remember to include fruit as an alternative dessert. Did You Know ... ... that the vestments of the kohanim were specifically designed to reflect the positions and responsibilities of those wearing them and that these were placed on the high priests with prescribed ceremony and dignity? This mirrors the more modern day significance of the clothing worn when greeting the Queen of England, royalty of any culture, and even the attire chosen when celebrating with the bride and groom. On Shabbat we do all of these. We welcome the Sabbath Queen, we greet the Sabbath Bride, and we come to the synagogue to talk with G-d. The humility, modesty and dignity of our vestments often reflect, as did those of the kohanim, our humility before HaShem when we join to welcome G-d into our midst. May our raiment in the synagogue continue to be just one more way in which we carry on the sacred rituals of our ancestors. Contributions Thank you for your donations or contributions. Please make all checks out to CBS, Congregation Beth Shalom, or USY, and use the memo portion to note the fund you are contributing to. [The bank is beginning to object to other names on checks.] Todah Rabbah! "Get Well" Information Needed If you know of a congregant who is ill or in the hospital, please help us include them for calls, visits, and the speedy recovery list by letting the office staff know. Please remember that hospitals are not permitted to share information with the public, including the synagogue. Are You Getting Our Weekly eMail? If you are not getting our weekly CBS email, let me tell you what you might be missing. Our weekly email is sent out on Thursdays, and includes yartzets observed, weekly activities, a Torah summary, congregational "get well" list, and special announcements. If you would like to be added to this list, please contact Laura Biewer (cbslaurab@sbcglobal.net or 571-6060). Don't miss another week! Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Program Our last box of ink jet cartridges earned $101.10 for CBS. This is a very easy way to help CBS earn extra money. Thank you for your past support and we hope that more of you will think of recycling your used ink jet cartidges by placing them in the recycling bin in the foyer. Scrip News We carry O'Brien's, Gottschalks, Richland Market, and Starbucks. These are in stock and available for purchase. Safeway and Macy's If you shop at Safeway or Macy's, we ask that you consider registering your store cards with escrip. Every time you make a purchase, you generate a percentage of your purchase for CBS. SaveMart If you shop at SaveMart, please register for a SHARES card. Forms are available in the foyer or call the CBS office and we will mail one to you. If you have any questions on any of these programs, please call the CBS office at 571-6060.

Previous newsletters are here.

April 2007 /Nisan-Iyyar 5767

Religious School News

Dear Families,

When you receive this bulletin letter, we will have less than a month of religious school left. WOW, how time does fly! I wanted to make this letter a little more thought-provoking, so here it goes....

It is Passover and what do we think of during Passover? Like every Jewish holiday, the FOOD, the food we eat or don't eat. According to Carol Oseran Starin, on Pesach, "we eat foods designed to trigger memories. Each food links us to a memory. Haroset looks like the mortar that held the bricks together. At the seder the haroset is eaten with the maror, a combination of bitter and sweet. The bitterness of slavery combined with the joy of liberation. Can we have joy without hardship?" Take this time with your children to reflect on joys and hardships. Share some of your thoughts with your kids on special foods and meanings that you were brought up with. Foods associated with joy, holidays, hardships, and the importance of re-telling stories year after year.

On a lighter note, my bruises from the Purim carnival are almost gone! I thought sitting in a throne would be a kick-back fun way to spend at our carnival. Boy was I wrong! A few of you kids were a little rough with that BIG crown that Hannah Hyden made for me. Gary Shmorgon is the only one who opted not to play this booth because he did not want to hurt Queen Marlene. I knew I loved that boy! All in all, it was a fun-filled day. Good job to our MoUSY group--but next year I'm making my own crown!

I also want to extend a formal mazel tov to Sam Brotslaw! He is now a post-Bar Mitzvah boy and still coming to Sunday School and Shabbat services. Keep up the \ good work and your commitment to Judaism.

Don't forget to check out our website. We have a lot of activities going on in April and May! Please join us for the last day of religious school on Sunday, April 29th. We will have our regular class time at 10:00 a.m., then celebrate with a family BBQ at 11:30 a.m. Bring a side dish to share!

Have a wonderful Passover and enjoy the sunshine!

Shalom,
Marlene Gonsalves

Remember, half of every subscription to J- will go to Congregation Beth Shalom. See your Bulletin for details.

Oneg Shabbat Hosts

April 6 -- (Kitchen closed for Passover)
April 13 -- Angel & Rabinovitz families
April 20 -- Greenwald-Gonella & B. Israels families
April 27 -- Rubin-Smith & Rubin families

Thank you for participating. Please remember to include fruit as an alternative dessert.

Did You Know ...

... that the vestments of the kohanim were specifically designed to reflect the positions and responsibilities of those wearing them and that these were placed on the high priests with prescribed ceremony and dignity?

This mirrors the more modern day significance of the clothing worn when greeting the Queen of England, royalty of any culture, and even the attire chosen when celebrating with the bride and groom.

On Shabbat we do all of these. We welcome the Sabbath Queen, we greet the Sabbath Bride, and we come to the synagogue to talk with G-d. The humility, modesty and dignity of our vestments often reflect, as did those of the kohanim, our humility before HaShem when we join to welcome G-d into our midst. May our raiment in the synagogue continue to be just one more way in which we carry on the sacred rituals of our ancestors.

Contributions

Thank you for your donations or contributions. Please make all checks out to CBS, Congregation Beth Shalom, or USY, and use the memo portion to note the fund you are contributing to. [The bank is beginning to object to other names on checks.] Todah Rabbah!

"Get Well" Information Needed

If you know of a congregant who is ill or in the hospital, please help us include them for calls, visits, and the speedy recovery list by letting the office staff know.

Please remember that hospitals are not permitted to share information with the public, including the synagogue.

Are You Getting Our Weekly eMail?

If you are not getting our weekly CBS email, let me tell you what you might be missing. Our weekly email is sent out on Thursdays, and includes yartzets observed, weekly activities, a Torah summary, congregational "get well" list, and special announcements.

If you would like to be added to this list, please contact Laura Biewer (cbslaurab@sbcglobal.net or 571-6060). Don't miss another week!

Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Program

Our last box of ink jet cartridges earned $101.10 for CBS. This is a very easy way to help CBS earn extra money. Thank you for your past support and we hope that more of you will think of recycling your used ink jet cartidges by placing them in the recycling bin in the foyer.

Scrip News

We carry O'Brien's, Gottschalks, Richland Market, and Starbucks. These are in stock and available for purchase.

Safeway and Macy's
If you shop at Safeway or Macy's, we ask that you consider registering your store cards with escrip. Every time you make a purchase, you generate a percentage of your purchase for CBS.

SaveMart
If you shop at SaveMart, please register for a SHARES card. Forms are available in the foyer or call the CBS office and we will mail one to you.
If you have any questions on any of these programs, please call the CBS office at 571-6060.