MARK YOUR CALENDARS! High Holy Day Highlights The High Holy Days are a special time of year for any synagogue. We pray and reflect on the deep and meaningful themes of teshuvah (repentance), community and personal introspection, and self-improvement. In addition, it is the time of year where the entire community is physically present, adding to the sense of gravitas and connection. You should have already received your High Holy Day mailing and tickets via US mail. Here are the important dates: S lichot WHAT S INSIDE From Rabbi PJ Schwartz 2 Sat., Sept. 16: Program ( Turning Points ) and Labor in the Pulpit 3 Rosh HaShanah & Yom Kippur S lichot 3 Wed., Sept. 20: Erev Rosh HaShanah Book Group 6 Thu., Sept. 21: Rosh HaShanah Fri., Sept. 29: Kol Nidre Retirees Lunch n Learn 6 Sat., Sept. 30: Yom Kippur Family Shabbat Dinner 6 Sukkot & Simchat Torah Installation of Rabbi Schwartz 6 Wed., Oct. 4: Consecration The World of Sephardic Jewry 7 Thu., Oct. 5: Sukkot ; visit to our CSA farm Fri., Oct. 6: Family Shabbat Dinner and Shir Kids: Slides & Sangria 7 Sat., Oct. 7: Sukkot Breakfast and Tot Shabbat in the Sukkah; Sukkot Havdalah and Happy Hour Shabbat Shuvah 7 Listening Campaign 8 Sun., Oct. 8: GLBTQ, Allies, Family, and Friends Dinner in the Sukkah Mon., Oct. 9: Taste of Judaism in the Sukkah Tue., Oct. 10: Retirees Lunch n Learn Program in the Sukkah; Youth Group Dinner Wed., Oct. 11: Torah and Thai Dinner; Simchat Torah Celebration Thu., Oct. 12: Simchat Torah Yizkor We will need schach (bamboo or other clean clippings) for the top of the sukkah. If you can provide any, please contact Melissa at the temple office. www.shirhadash.org 408 358 1751 VOLUmE 39, ISSUE 1 SEPTEmbER 2017 ELUL 5777 TISHREI 5778
FROM RABBI PJ SCHWARTZ Exploring Opportunities for Personal Growth I am writing this article at the end of my first month as your new Rabbi Educator. These weeks have been filled with opportunities to meet with many of you and to prepare for the upcoming school year. While I may be your Rabbi Educator, I also know that you are my best teachers, and I value all that we will learn together. I am excited to be part of a congregation that considers its members as family, and look forward to learning and growing with you. I am honored to be part of your lives, and for you to entrust me with shaping the next generation. As your Rabbi Educator, I will be working closely with our lay leadership and senior staff in maintaining excellence in our formal and informal education programs. I will also share the bimah with Rabbi Aron and Cantor Felder-Levy for Shabbat services, and hope to reach all facets of our congregation, both young and young at heart. As we enter the month of Elul, we turn inward and reflect upon the past year, explore opportunities for personal growth, and work towards renewing our souls and spirits. I am so grateful for the four years I was Assistant Rabbi at Temple Israel in Westport, CT, but am even more grateful that I can take what I learned there and share it with you. While I may be your Rabbi Educator, I also know that you are my best teachers, and I value all that we will learn together. My wife Michelle and I are quickly feeling settled here at Congregation Shir Hadash and in the Silicon Valley. We know that we have found a true home here. Michelle and I hope to see you for my installation during the Shabbat service on Friday, September 15, at 7:30 pm, when we will formally become part of the Congregation Shir Hadash family. Rabbi Michael Friedman, Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel in Westport, CT, will be joining Rabbi Aron, Cantor Felder-Levy, and me on the bimah for this special service. May the coming year be one full of love, laughter, and community. And please call me Rabbi PJ! 2 CONGREGATION SHIR HADASH NOTES
LABOR IN THE PULPIT Shabbat with Guest Speaker Ben Field Friday, September 1, 7:30 pm THE HIGH HOLY DAY SEASON BEGINS! Congregation Shir Hadash will be participating in the 17th Annual Labor in the Pulpit program with guest speaker Ben Field, Executive Officer of the South Bay Labor Council. Ben will be speaking about the presidency and the constitution. The Labor in the Pulpit program is an interfaith effort to highlight and support low-wage workers struggles for justice. Shir Hadash joins with hundreds of other congregations across the country in speaking of these issues from the pulpit/bimah. Our speaker, Ben Field, is a temple member, and spent part of last summer in Israel on a trip for Progressive Leaders sponsored by AIPAC. He was elected to the post of Executive Officer of the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council in December 2012. The SBLC represents 91 local unions, which constitute most of the Labor Movement in Silicon Valley. Prior to joining the Labor Council, Ben served as a Deputy District Attorney in Santa Clara County for fifteen years. He is also an adjunct professor at San Jose State University, where he has taught courses on the U.S. presidency, constitutional law, judicial politics, law and society, and political history. Ben is an avid runner, having competed in several 100 mile races, and he plays the harmonica in a garage band known as The Retribution Blues Band. s at a Glance Fri., Sept. 1 7:30 pm Shabbat : Labor in the Pulpit Sat., Sept. 2 10:30 am Bar Mitzvah : Zachary Zinman Fri., Sept. 8 7:00 pm Family Shabbat Sat., Sept. 9 10:30 am Bat Mitzvah : Lily Mintz Fri., Sept. 15 7:30 pm Shabbat : Rabbi Schwartz Installation Sat., Sept. 16 10:30 am Informal Shabbat 8:00 pm S lichot Program & Wed., Sept. 20 8:00 pm Rosh Hashanah Evening S lichot Saturday, September 16 Program at 8:00 pm, at 10:00 pm In Ashkenazi Jewish practice S lichot occurs on the Saturday evening just before Rosh HaShanah. Prayers are read and meditations considered as individuals are encouraged to reflect on the past year and the changes they wish to make in the upcoming one. Join us as we consider turning points in our lives, through three examples from contemporary film. The program is free and all are welcome to attend. The 8:00 pm program is followed by coffee, tea and honey cake at 9:30 and the S lichot service from 10-10:50pm. This year we will be introducing a new prayer book for S lichot, Mishkan HaLev. Full of beautiful readings, poetry, meditations and commentary, it will help ready the heart and mind to enter the High Holy Day season. Thu., Sept. 21 Fri., Sept. 22 Sat., Sept. 23 Sun., Sept. 24 Fri., Sept. 29 Sat., Sept. 30 10:00 am Rosh Hashanah Morning 3:30 pm Rosh Hashanah Family 7:30 pm Shabbat Shuvah 10:30 am Shabbat Shuvah & Tashlich at Almaden Lake Park 1:00 pm Kever Avot 8:00 pm Kol Nidre 10:00 am Yom Kippur Morning 3:00 pm Yom Kippur Afternoon 3:30 pm Yom Kippur Family S epte m b er 2 0 1 7 3
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SEPTEMBER Please visit www.shirhadash.org for the full calendar. 7:30p Shabbat : Labor in the Pulpit 7:30 Erev Shabbat Babysitting 1 Shabbat Ki Teitzei 10:30a Bar Mitzvah : Zachary Zinman 2 3 LABOR DAY Office & ECC Closed 4 5 6 7 10:00a Alzheimer s Caregivers Support Group 8 Shabbat Ki Tavo 9:00a B nai Mitzvah Preparation Group 10:30 Bat Mitzvah : Lily Mintz 9 7:15p High Holy Days Choir 6:00p Family Shabbat Dinner 7:00 Family Shabbat 7:00 Erev Shabbat Babysitting 10 9:00a Men s Club Bagel Breakfast 9:30 First Day of Religious School 10:30 Grief Discussion (at JFS) 10:45 Book Group: Diary of the Fall 12:00p Continuing the Conversation on Clutter 10:30a Chair Yoga 11 12 11:30a Retirees Lunch n Learn 6:30 Hebrew High School 7:15 High Holy Days Choir 6:30p Sanctuary Task Force 7:30 Board Meeting 13 14 15 9:30a Caring Committee Meeting 10:15 Memoir Writing Workshop 7:30p Shabbat : Rabbi Schwartz Installation 7:30 Erev Shabbat Babysitting Shabbat Nitzavim/Vayeilech 10:30a Informal Shabbat 16 S LICHOT 8:00p S lichot Program: Turning Points 9:30 Choir Call 10:00 S lichot 9:30a Religious School 9:30 The World of Sephardic Jewry 17 12:00p Shofar Workshop 12:15 Shir Kids: Slides and Sangria 10:30a Chair Yoga 18 6:30 Hebrew High School 7:00 Finance Committee 7:15 High Holy Days Choir 19 Office Closes at Noon EREV ROSH HASHANAH 8:00 Rosh HaShanah Evening 20 ROSH HASHANAH Office & ECC Closed 9:00a Choir Call 10:00 Rosh HaShanah Morning 3:30p Rosh HaShanah Family 21 ROSH HASHANAH II Office & ECC Closed 7:30p Shabbat Shuvah 7:30 Erev Shabbat Babysitting 22 Shabbat Haazinu 10:30a Shabbat Shuvah Morning & Tashlich at Almaden Lake Park 23 9:30a Religious School 10:00 SHOC Meeting 24 10:30a Chair Yoga 25 26 27 28 Office Closes at Noon 29 30 YOM KIPPUR 10:00a Yom Kippur Morning EREV YOM KIPPUR 1:00p Kever Avot (at the cemeteries) 6:30 Hebrew High School 7:15 High Holidays Choir 7:30p Sanctuary Task Force 8:00p Kol Nidre 3:00p Yom Kippur Afternoon 3:30 Yom Kippur Family 4 CONGREGATION SHIR HADASH NOTES SEPTEMBER 2017 5
BOOK GROUP Diary of the Fall, by Michel Laub Sunday, September 10, 10:45 am At the narrator s elite Jewish school in a posh suburb of Porte Alegre, a cruel prank leaves the only Catholic student there terribly injured. Years later, he relives the episode as he examines the mistakes of his past and struggles for forgiveness. His father, who has Alzheimer s, obsessively records every memory that comes to mind, and his grandfather, who survived Auschwitz, fills notebook after notebook with the false memories of someone desperate to forget. This powerful novel, centered on guilt and the complicated legacy of history, asks provocative questions about what it means to be Jewish in the twenty-first century. Enthusiastic readers gather four or five times a year at Congregation Shir Hadash to discuss Jewish books. Please join us for a lively discussion it is open to the public. RETIREES LUNCH N LEARN High Holy Day Music Tour Tuesday, September 12, 11:30 am Ever wonder where Kol Nidre came from? Why is the Avinu Malkeinu that we use so popular? What are the musical themes that are repeated throughout the High Holy Days? Join Cantor Felder-Levy as she discusses the ins and outs of the High Holy Day music. Cantor Felder-Levy holds a BS in Music Education from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, and a Masters of Sacred Music from Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion, where she wrote a thesis on Jewish composer Max Janowski. Join our retirees group for a monthly lecture, discussion, performance, or film. For the program and a light lunch a nominal donation of $5 per person is requested. Family Shabbat Dinner Friday, September 8, 6:00 pm Join us for our first Shabbat dinner of the new year, featuring a home-cooked meal. Details and RSVP at www.shirhadash.org. A NEW CHAPTER Installation of Rabbi Educator PJ Schwartz Friday, September 15, 7:30 pm An installation of a rabbi in our time is an occasion to proclaim to the community that we are welcoming a new leader, a person who has spent years learning our texts and customs, and a person who can help guide us in our spiritual lives. There is a two way brit (contract), or acknowledgement, that the community embraces the rabbi, and that the rabbi embraces the community. Join us in this special shabbat service as Rabbi PJ Schwartz is formally installed as the new Rabbi Educator of Congregation Shir Hadash. A festive Oneg will follow the service. Rabbi Schwartz is very excited to be in Northern California and to be joining our team of clergy and senior management. He invests heavily in creating relationships with members of the congregation, including adults and children. He is a team player who will contribute heartily to our community through his leadership of our Religious School and other rabbinic duties which will include periodically leading worship services, visiting members for pastoral care, and staff leadership for select committees. Along with his strong educational background, Rabbi Schwartz also brings a youthful energy and creative approach with which to engage our religious school students. He and his wife, Michelle, are very excited to become a part of the Shir Hadash community. We look forward to a long and rewarding partnership together. 6 CONGREGATION SHIR HADASH NOTES
EXPLORING THE WORLD OF JUDAISM The World of Sephardic Jewry, with Professor Alma Heckman Sunday, September 17, 9:30 am Say old country and you might think of Tevye and his milk pail. But that is hardly a complete picture of Jewry outside and before America came to be. The Jewish story of North Africa, Syria, Yemen, Turkey, Iran and Iraq is an amazing and multi-faceted landscape consisting of the Sephardi (Spanish) and Mizrachi (Eastern) communities. Professor Heckman will give a general introduction to both, with a special focus on the Jews of North Africa. Alma Rachel Heckman is Assistant Professor of History and Jewish Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She specializes in modern Jewish history of North Africa and the Middle East, with an interest in citizenship, the politics of belonging, transnationalism and empire. She is currently at work on a book manuscript tentatively entitled Radical Nationalists: Moroccan Jewish Communists, 1925 1975. SHIR KIDS KICK-OFF EVENT Slides & Sangria Sunday, September 17, 12:15 pm If you ve been to a Shir Kids event in the past you know that it is Sheer Fun! Join us for our Shir Kids kick-off event this year, and get to know other families with children in grades K 2. Enjoy sipping some delicious and refreshing sangria while the kids enjoy super slides and other fun activities. Lunch will be available as well! A UNIQUE ROSH HASHANAH RITUAL Shabbat Shuvah at Almaden Lake Saturday, September 23, 10:30 am New location: South Point Area, Almaden Lake Park, just south of Blossom Hill Road on Almaden Expressway. On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, before sunset, Jews traditionally proceed to a body of running water, and symbolically cast off (tashlich) their sins. The ceremony includes reading the last verses from the prophet Micah (7:19), God will take us back in love; God will cover up our iniquities. You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. While the rabbis of old were fearful that this practice could lead to superstition rather than the true work of repentance, modern day Jews have found significant meaning in concluding their Rosh Hashanah prayers and meditation with this physical act of casting bread crumbs off into the waters. Join us as we celebrate Shabbat in the beauty of nature. The service will include story time for young children while the adults study. Together we will walk to the water s edge to cast our sins into the depths. A potluck brunch under the shade of trees follows the service. You may want to bring beach chairs and blankets for more comfortable seating. Please register on the temple website and bring a dish to serve 8-10 others, according to your last name: A H: Salad I L: Dessert or Fruit M T: Main Dish U Z: Beverages S epte m b er 2 0 1 7 7
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CAMPBELL, CA PERMIT NO. 7153 Congregation Shir Hadash 20 Cherry Blossom Lane Los Gatos, CA 95032 4637 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Eco-friendly paper YOU SPOKE, WE LISTENED! Listening Campaign Next Steps The SHOC (Shir Hadash Organizing Committee) has concluded the formal listening portion of our Listening Campaign. The goals of this campaign were many - to strengthen our community, to strengthen our organizing and civil dialog skills, and to inform SHOC about future campaigns. The listening meetings were held in March and April, and the final report was presented to both SHOC and the Board in June and July. There was excellent participation 122 congregants, 14 facilitators, and 19 meetings. Four questions were discussed, prompting discussion on congregants concerns for themselves, their families, and the larger community. The resulting data showed that our community overall has very common concerns. Among those were immigration, healthcare, and hate (hate/tolerance/ safety/security). In the area of immigration, SHOC is already moving forward with the Sanctuary project, and a task force led by Mark Allen is busy preparing for a guest. Two other small committees were formed to look further into the areas of healthcare and hate. The committees will be undertaking a preliminary research phase to assess the potential impact a Shir Hadash campaign could achieve in each area. They will report back to SHOC at our next meeting on September 24, at 10:00 am. Based on the findings, SHOC will determine which of the two projects to continue further research. If you would like to help in the initial research leading up to the September 24 meeting, please contact Debbie Coutant (debbie.coutant@gmail.com). If you are interested in hearing the reports and helping determine next steps, the September 22 meeting is open to all.