First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who attended the Annual Membership Meeting last Sunday (and a special thanks for all those who provided refreshments for the meeting). We had a great turnout and welcomed new members to the Board. Together we will be spending the summer planning more ways to bring the community together, get our message out to the wider community, and plan more in-person events now that we are emerging from the worst of Covid. But before we get to all that, we must of course celebrate another of those great Hallmark style holidays: Father’s Day! This Sunday is the time to dote on our wonderful dads and all they do for our families and community. Like Mother’s Day before it, this is a day specifically set aside for these wonderful parents even though we should be celebrating their contributions and exploits every day! And just like Mother’s Day, the themes of Father’s Day echo throughout Judaism and the Torah. From the first father Adam through the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to the kings of ancient Israel, all the way to the modern era, the perplexities of achievements of fatherhood are given much attention in Jewish custom. And as shown many times in the Tanach, though fathers are not perfect and can mess up many times throughout their lives, they still provide a critical role in forging the bonds that keep families and communities together. So for at least this one day, let us treat our dads like they can do no wrong!
Coming up on June 27, we have our annual trip to the Oakland Coliseum to watch the A’s play their Jewish Heritage Month game! If you would like to join us, please contact our office manager Brandy for information about tickets. We encourage as many of our members to come as we can to show our support for our hometown team! Some of you may have seen that there was a “reverse boycott” among A’s fans a few nights ago and the Coliseum was packed with supporters demanding the team stay in the city. Temple Beth Hillel can do its part to further this movement and keep the tradition of the Jewish Heritage Month game alive!
Also, next month Temple Beth Hillel will be hosting a booth at the El Cerrito 4th of July festival on Tuesday, July 4. Larry has a sign up sheet for those who would like to volunteer their time to help spread the word about our congregation. Please email me or Larry if you would like to help out. In addition, on July 8 there will be a free showing of “A Room With a View” by the Actor’s Ensemble at Berkeley’s John Hinkel Park at 6:00 p.m. To sign on for the carpool or with questions, email Jane Kemp at jckemp5674@gmail.com. And on July 29 at 4:00 p.m. we will host our Movie Night Potluck, with our own Michael Cohen providing background, trivia, and other fun facts about the movie. There will be plenty of snacks and popcorn!
Finally, the next Shabbat Service will be held this Friday, June 16, at 7:30 p.m., and we will have Torah Study on Saturday at 10:15 a.m. Thanks 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 B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel
From the Presidents – June 15, 2023
June 15, 2023 by tbhrich • president
Hello Everyone!
First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who attended the Annual Membership Meeting last Sunday (and a special thanks for all those who provided refreshments for the meeting). We had a great turnout and welcomed new members to the Board. Together we will be spending the summer planning more ways to bring the community together, get our message out to the wider community, and plan more in-person events now that we are emerging from the worst of Covid. But before we get to all that, we must of course celebrate another of those great Hallmark style holidays: Father’s Day! This Sunday is the time to dote on our wonderful dads and all they do for our families and community. Like Mother’s Day before it, this is a day specifically set aside for these wonderful parents even though we should be celebrating their contributions and exploits every day! And just like Mother’s Day, the themes of Father’s Day echo throughout Judaism and the Torah. From the first father Adam through the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to the kings of ancient Israel, all the way to the modern era, the perplexities of achievements of fatherhood are given much attention in Jewish custom. And as shown many times in the Tanach, though fathers are not perfect and can mess up many times throughout their lives, they still provide a critical role in forging the bonds that keep families and communities together. So for at least this one day, let us treat our dads like they can do no wrong!
Coming up on June 27, we have our annual trip to the Oakland Coliseum to watch the A’s play their Jewish Heritage Month game! If you would like to join us, please contact our office manager Brandy for information about tickets. We encourage as many of our members to come as we can to show our support for our hometown team! Some of you may have seen that there was a “reverse boycott” among A’s fans a few nights ago and the Coliseum was packed with supporters demanding the team stay in the city. Temple Beth Hillel can do its part to further this movement and keep the tradition of the Jewish Heritage Month game alive!
Also, next month Temple Beth Hillel will be hosting a booth at the El Cerrito 4th of July festival on Tuesday, July 4. Larry has a sign up sheet for those who would like to volunteer their time to help spread the word about our congregation. Please email me or Larry if you would like to help out. In addition, on July 8 there will be a free showing of “A Room With a View” by the Actor’s Ensemble at Berkeley’s John Hinkel Park at 6:00 p.m. To sign on for the carpool or with questions, email Jane Kemp at jckemp5674@gmail.com. And on July 29 at 4:00 p.m. we will host our Movie Night Potluck, with our own Michael Cohen providing background, trivia, and other fun facts about the movie. There will be plenty of snacks and popcorn!
Finally, the next Shabbat Service will be held this Friday, June 16, at 7:30 p.m., and we will have Torah Study on Saturday at 10:15 a.m. Thanks 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 B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel