First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who came to the Jewish Heritage Night this past weekend at the Coliseum. Even though the A’s ended up losing, it was still an exciting game and will be remembered as the final Jewish Heritage Night at the Coliseum in Oakland.
Incredibly, August has arrived and that means it is time to think about the end of vacation trips and the beginning of school for our little ones. As we know, Judaism highly values education both as a means to understand Torah and as a basis for developing the next generation. The very act of B’nai Mitzvah is not only reading from the Torah but engaging and understanding the text of the portion and what it means. For that reason, it is always important for our community never to forget the importance of teachers, students, and support staff in all of our schools. Just this week, one of the nominees for President underscored that importance because, even though she ultimately did not pick the Jewish governor of Pennsylvania, Kamala Harris did select as her VP nominee the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, who happens to be a former public school teacher. Education can never be taken for granted. Therefore, this year, when school begins, we can all make a pledge to go the extra mile for our children’s teachers and their classrooms by providing as many of the supplies they requested as possible. The well educated youth of today is the productive generation of tomorrow.
On a related note, our Religious School will be starting again on August 25, just a few short weeks away. The teachers and staff are preparing to welcome the kids back to school and we are in need of volunteers to help get the classrooms ready. Accordingly, this Sunday, August 11, we will be hosting another volunteer classroom readiness event. Please come and assist the teachers in making the opening of Religious School for the coming year an unforgettable experience for the Religious School families! Equally important, the previous day, August 10, TBH will be hosting a movie night at 4:00 p.m. We will be showing “Young Frankenstein” with insightful commentary from our own Michael Cohen. There will also be pizza and snacks for everyone who attends. Please contact Jane Kemp to RSVP.
Also, on September 8th Temple Beth Hillel will be hosting a booth at the Solano Stroll in Albany and Berkeley. We and the rest of the Board will be volunteering to help spread the word about our wonderful community, and we encourage all members who are able to do so as well. Larry will be sending out sign-up sheets as we get closer to the event.
The Rabbi Search Committee continues in its efforts to search for a new rabbi for next year. We will start submitting announcements and accepting job applications later this year, with interviews scheduled for the fall and winter. The Board now plans to have a new rabbi selected by the spring of 2025, just before Rabbi Dean’s retirement. We will provide more updates as we start to hear from our candidates.
Finally, the next Shabbat Service will be held on Friday, August 16, at 7:30 p.m., hosted as always by our own Rabbi Dean and Cantor Marney. Family shabbats will resume in September. Torah Study will take place Saturdays at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom. And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services once the kids come back for their classes in August. Thank you everyone!
If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel
~ Anna and David, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel
From the Presidents – August 9, 2024
August 9, 2024 by tbhrich • president
Hello Everyone!
First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who came to the Jewish Heritage Night this past weekend at the Coliseum. Even though the A’s ended up losing, it was still an exciting game and will be remembered as the final Jewish Heritage Night at the Coliseum in Oakland.
Incredibly, August has arrived and that means it is time to think about the end of vacation trips and the beginning of school for our little ones. As we know, Judaism highly values education both as a means to understand Torah and as a basis for developing the next generation. The very act of B’nai Mitzvah is not only reading from the Torah but engaging and understanding the text of the portion and what it means. For that reason, it is always important for our community never to forget the importance of teachers, students, and support staff in all of our schools. Just this week, one of the nominees for President underscored that importance because, even though she ultimately did not pick the Jewish governor of Pennsylvania, Kamala Harris did select as her VP nominee the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, who happens to be a former public school teacher. Education can never be taken for granted. Therefore, this year, when school begins, we can all make a pledge to go the extra mile for our children’s teachers and their classrooms by providing as many of the supplies they requested as possible. The well educated youth of today is the productive generation of tomorrow.
On a related note, our Religious School will be starting again on August 25, just a few short weeks away. The teachers and staff are preparing to welcome the kids back to school and we are in need of volunteers to help get the classrooms ready. Accordingly, this Sunday, August 11, we will be hosting another volunteer classroom readiness event. Please come and assist the teachers in making the opening of Religious School for the coming year an unforgettable experience for the Religious School families! Equally important, the previous day, August 10, TBH will be hosting a movie night at 4:00 p.m. We will be showing “Young Frankenstein” with insightful commentary from our own Michael Cohen. There will also be pizza and snacks for everyone who attends. Please contact Jane Kemp to RSVP.
Also, on September 8th Temple Beth Hillel will be hosting a booth at the Solano Stroll in Albany and Berkeley. We and the rest of the Board will be volunteering to help spread the word about our wonderful community, and we encourage all members who are able to do so as well. Larry will be sending out sign-up sheets as we get closer to the event.
The Rabbi Search Committee continues in its efforts to search for a new rabbi for next year. We will start submitting announcements and accepting job applications later this year, with interviews scheduled for the fall and winter. The Board now plans to have a new rabbi selected by the spring of 2025, just before Rabbi Dean’s retirement. We will provide more updates as we start to hear from our candidates.
Finally, the next Shabbat Service will be held on Friday, August 16, at 7:30 p.m., hosted as always by our own Rabbi Dean and Cantor Marney. Family shabbats will resume in September. Torah Study will take place Saturdays at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom. And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services once the kids come back for their classes in August. Thank you everyone!
If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel
~ Anna and David, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel