From the Presidents – December 29, 2022

       Happy Almost New Year!

We hope y’all had a wonderful Hannukah season!  Hopefully all the kiddos have started to calm down a little bit from the sugar rushes, toy rushes, dreidel games, etc.  And kudos to all the parents who spent the last week assembling various toys for the benefit of their kids (they will thank you… eventually).   Incredibly, this is our last message for the secular year.  When we return, it will be 2023, with the start and the hope for a brand new year.  And for this year, just for fun, on Saturday sit back and think that the entire world will be in different years all day.  Just as different parts of the world are in different times and even days each 24 hour cycle, this is the one time of the year when people all over the world get to ring in the new year at different times of the day.  Starting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and moving west, we here in California will still be in 2022 when most of the rest of the world will already be in 2023.  So in a way, the future will already be here!  Just something fun to think about for the conclusion of this holiday season.         

      After the new year, when the Religious School restarts, the teachers and parents will be putting in new sand and mulch for the playground.  We and the teachers will be deeply grateful for anyone who can volunteer to help make the playground even better for the kids.  We will start the project around 12:30 p.m. on January 8 when religious school ends.

We also have plenty of other major holidays to celebrate, including Tu’Bshvat, Purim and Passover.  You can help make a difference by volunteering to help with the Purim Carnival and Passover Seder.  Assisting with any of these events allows us to connect with the community, perform a mitzvah, and make the Temple Beth Hillel experience even better.  In addition, please consider joining the Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors next year.  Our Board is always on the lookout for members who have ideas for the future of the temple and the ability to carry out that vision.  And as we have discovered, serving on the Board makes us appreciate how much Temple Beth Hillel means to us and our children.  You can reach out to us or any Board member if you are interested.

       Finally,  Torah study will be held on Saturday at 10:15 a.m., and will be on Zoom only.  Our next Shabbat service will be held on January 6 and those who wish to join Tefillah services at the Religious School are welcome starting on January 8 at 9:30 a.m.  Thanks everyone and have a wonderful rest of the secular year!

  

 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