Israel and the European Union

Israel and the European Union With Ravit Baer, Israel s Deputy Consul General to the Pacific Northwest Sunday, September 18, 9:30 am Despite Brexit, the European Union (EU) will remain an important trade and diplomatic partner for Israel. Israel is the only non-european associate to Horizon 2020, a program that funds research and development. These types of relationships are important during diplomatic turmoil or periods of instability. Ravit Baer has had direct experience in the relationship between Israel and the EU. Prior to her appointment to the Bay Area, she served for five years at the Department for Multilateral European Organization at the Europe Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She was responsible for coordinating the implementation of the European Neighborhood Policy in Israel. Baer will speak about the role of the EU and Israel s relationship with it. Exploring the World of Judaism is a program of Congregation Shir Hadash and Jewish LearningWorks and is supported in part by the Newton and Rochelle Becker Charitable Trust. WHAT S INSIDE From Rabbi Aron 2 About the New Notes 3 New Adjunct Rabbi 3 Services at a Glance 3 Book Discussion 6 Sisterhood Kick-Off 6 Shir Kids Social Group 6 New Member Orientation 6 S lichot: Trial of Eve 7 Shabbat Shuvah & Tashlich 7 www.shirhadash.org 408 358 1751 VOLUME 38, ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 2016 AV ELUL 5776

FROM RABBI MELANIE ARON The Challenge of Communication And God said, Go and tell this people: Yes, you hear, but you don t understand. You certainly see, but you don t get the point! (Isaiah 6:9) we are concerned both with the timeliness and the impact of our message. Though written centuries before the age of tweets and Instagram, the Torah takes seriously the challenge of communication. When called to be a prophet, Isaiah is warned that his words will fall on deaf ears, and that it will be many years until his message gets through to the people of Israel. In personal conversation I am sure each of us has had the experience of being misunderstood, perhaps even feeling shocked when someone construes our words in ways we had never considered. There are also times when important messages don t get through. In the days before cell phones, meeting someone could be complicated. You might find yourself at a street corner or airport waiting for a friend, only to learn later that they had called to say that they were delayed, but you had already left. At Shir Hadash we are concerned both with the timeliness and the impact of our message. For that reason we are launching the redesign of the Notes that you see here. Returning to a once-a-month schedule will allow us to get you the information you need when it s most useful to you. This new format with its livelier presentation will encourage you to turn the pages, and let your eye be caught by something new and different. External factors, the when and how, are only part of communication. Whether a message really gets through depends on other things as well. We make judgements about who is communicating with us: are they trustworthy, likely to be sharing something that matters to us? What s going on in our lives at that moment matters as well. Are we experiencing such an overload, that we can t even absorb information about what would make our lives easier? We are told that God purposely waited until three months after the Exodus to give the Ten Commandments. Taking the Israelites out of Egypt gave God credibility, but waiting three months allowed them to recover from that trauma enough to receive new information. Josephus, the famous Jewish historian, noted that speech was often more effectual than arms. But for our words to matter they must be the right message from the right person delivered at the right moment. As the new year approaches, may we be wise with our words, kind and caring in our speech, ever conscious of the power we hold, for as King Solomon reflected, Life and death are in the hands of the tongue. (Proverbs 18:21) 2 CONGREGATION SHIR HADASH

ABOUT THE NEW DESIGN Notes, the Rest, and In Tune Over the past year, our communications committee has been reviewing how we communicate with our members with the goal of making our communications timely, relevant, and informative. This has resulted in several changes. First, we are excited about what you are holding in your hands. This new, full-color, version of the Notes represents many months of planning. The Notes will now come out monthly, arriving on your doorstep on the first of the month with eight pages of information about upcoming events, programs, and services. Second is our new monthly email, the Rest (of the Notes). The Rest will contain information about upcoming celebrations like Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, weddings and more. It will also contain other good and welfare information along with a listing of all of the donations that have been made to the synagogue in the previous month. Finally, our weekly email, now called In Tune, will continue to give you information about upcoming programs, services, and community events. Advertising will be included here rather than in the Notes. If you have a small business or other enterprise and would like to take advantage of our new digital ads, please contact Nadine in the office (office@shirhadash.org). If you do not currently receive our weekly email, then you are not on our mailing list. Subscribe to the Rest and In Tune at www.shirhadash.org, or contact Nadine. We hope that you enjoy these new publications. If you have suggestions for improvements, please email Richard Muirhead (board-communications@shirhadash.org). Shabbat Services with Rabbi Oren Postrel Friday, September 23, 8:00 pm We are delighted that Rabbi Oren Postrel will join our team as our Adjunct Rabbi. Rabbi Postrel will be in residence one Shabbat a month, leading services, conducting Torah study and working with B nai Mitzvah students. Rabbi Postrel was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1993 and holds a Master s Degree in Hebrew Letters and a B. A. from U. C. Berkeley. He spent much of his childhood at Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco and at Swig Camp in Saratoga (now merged with Camp Newman in Santa Rosa). Currently Rabbi Postrel teaches at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette. We are delighted to welcome Rabbi Postrel to our team and look forward to learning from him in the coming year. Services at a Glance Fri., Sept. 2 8:00 pm Labor in the Pulpit Shabbat Service Sat., Sept. 3 10:30 am B not Mitzvah Service Fri., Sept. 9 Sat., Sept. 10 10:30 am Fri., Sept. 16 Sat., Sept. 17 10:30 am Fri., Sept. 23 Sat., Sept. 24 10:30 am 7:00 pm Family Shabbat Service w/songleader Angela B nai Mitzvah Service 8:00 pm Legacy Shabbat Service with Silicon Valley Hillel Informal Shabbat Service: Elul Preparations 8:00 pm Shabbat Service: Meet Rabbi Postrel Informal Shabbat Service 8:00 pm The Trial of Eve, followed by S lichot Service Fri., Sept. 30 8:00 pm Shabbat Service w/ Torah Reading SEPTEMBER 2016 NOTES 3

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 28 Av 5776 1 2 Shabbat Reeh 3 8:00p Shabbat Service: Labor in 10:30a B not Mitzvah Service: Ella the Pulpit Skinner & Sophia Hayman SEPTEMBER Please visit www.shirhadash.org for the full calendar. ROSH HODESH ELUL 4 LABOR DAY 5 ECC & Office Closed 6 7:15p Choir Rehearsal 8:00 Confirmation Class Parents Meeting 7 11:30a Retirees Lunch n Learn 8 10:00a Alzheimers Caregivers Support Group 7:00p Family Shabbat Service 9 Shabbat Shofetim 10 10:30a B nai Mitzvah Service: Benjamin Meister & Ben Stone 11 9:00a Breakfast before Religious School 9:30 Religious School 10:00 Men s Club Board Meeting 10:00 SHOC Meeting 11:00 Confirmation Class 12 7:30 Membership Committee Meeting 6:30 Hebrew High 6:30 Jews Around the World (Grades 11 & 12) 7:00 Secular Jewish Salon 7:15 Choir Rehearsal 13 14 15 16 8:00p Legacy Shabbat Service with Silicon Valley Hillel Shabbat Ki Tetze 17 10:30a Informal Shabbat Service: Elul Preparations 6:00p It s Shir Kids Movie Night 2:00p Sisterhood Wine Tasting 18 9:30a EWJ: Israel and the EU, with Ravit Baer 9:30 Religious School 19 12:30p Shir Fun Committee Meeting 4:00 Hebrew School 6:30 Hebrew High 7:15 Choir Rehearsal 20 7:30p Board Meeting 21 22 23 8:00p Shabbat Service: Meet Rabbi Postrel Shabbat Ki Tavo 24 9:00a B nai Mitzvah Family Group (Jan. June 2017) 10:30 Informal Shabbat Service 8:00p S lichot Program: The Trial of Eve 10:00 S lichot Service 25 9:30a Religious School 9:30 New Member Orientation 11:00 Confirmation Class 26 6:30 Hebrew High 7:15 Choir Rehearsal 27 28 29 30 8:00p Shabbat Service with Torah Reading SAVE THE DATE Sunday, October 23 Simchat Torah 12:00p Continuing the Conversation on Clutter 4 CONGREGATION SHIR HADASH SEPTEMBER 2016 NOTES 5

BOOK DISCUSSION NEW CHILDREN S SOCIAL GROUP Born to Kvetch, by Michael Wex It s Shir Kids Sunday, October 9, 10:45 am Throughout history, Jews around the world have had plenty of reasons to lament. Rich in color, expressiveness, and complexity, Yiddish, with its wonderful phrases and idioms, impeccably reflects the mind-set that has enabled the Jews of Europe to survive a millennium of unrelenting persecution and enables them to kvetch about it! Saturday, September 17, 6:00 pm Oneg room Come check out our first event Movie night featuring Zootopia!!! Shir Kids is a new social group for children ages kindergarten through second grade, and their parents. Our events provide opportunities for kids and parents to make new friends. All programming is open to the community, so please feel free to bring your friends and neighbors! Pizza and popcorn for the kids, and wine and beer on the patio for the adults! We look forward to seeing all of you there! RSVP (it s free) on the website. A native of Lethbridge, Alberta, Michael Wex has worked in virtually every area of contemporary Yiddish. His songs have been recorded by bands such as 2007 Grammy winners the Klezmatics. Loaner books from the Jewish Community Library can be picked up at the Shir Hadash office six weeks before the Book Group meeting. SISTERHOOD 2016 17 KICK-OFF EVENT Winery Outing Sunday, September 11, 2:00 pm Join the women of Congregation Shir Hadash for an afternoon of schmoozing, fun in the sun, and wine tasting at Picchetti Winery in the beautiful Saratoga hills. Picchetti Winery, started in the 1890s, is one of the oldest wineries in California. Meet at Shir Hadash at 1:30 pm to carpool, or meet us there at 2:00 pm. Bring picnic snacks to enjoy while taking in the view from Picchetti s patio. Cost: $15/person for wine tasting, paid directly to winery the day of. Significant others welcome. 6 C O N G R E G AT I O N S H I R H A DA S H New Member Orientation Sunday, September 25, 9:30 11:30 am Join us on for a sampling of all that makes Shir Hadash a vibrant community. Meet and schmooze with fellow new members over coffee and bagels. Explore the meaning of your Jewish identity with Rabbi Aron and get more comfortable with services with Cantor Felder-Levy. Sara Ellman, V. P. of Education, will answer questions about our religious school. Kibbitz with current Board members about why Shir Hadash is important in their lives. RSVP to Trista Bernstein at trista.bernstein@gmail.com.

S LICHOT PROGRAM The Trial of Eve: A Courtroom Biblio-Drama September 24, 8:00 pm, followed by S lichot Service at 10:00 pm You are called to Jury Duty! Eve, from the Garden of Eden, is on trial. Judge Jerry Nadler will preside over this complicated case. Eve s defense team includes Alison Brunner, Alan Lagod, and Mark Fredkin. They insist their client was entrapped. Prosecutors Judith Sklar, Susan Levin, and Jim McMannus believe they can prove guilt beyond a doubt. The witness list includes Adam and the Serpent. Will God also be called as a witness? Join Carol Gustein, Bill Kaplan, Naomi Parker, Trista Bernstein, and others, as we come to closure on this important case. All those present will be assigned to a jury and have a chance to adjudicate this monumental trial. The program is free and all are welcome to attend. The S lichot service is less than an hour and sets the tone for the days to come, inspiring us to begin the process of internal review and repair. Jewish tradition teaches that our sins are not forgiven on Yom Kippur unless we have first made peace with one another. Join us in these special moments, which will inspire us to seek forgiveness and reconciliation and to offer them in return. Shabbat Shuvah: The Sabbath of Return Friday, October 7, 8:00 pm With the help of the Shir Hadash Organizing Committee (SHOC), this year we will address the issue of gun violence. SHOC has received national recognition for its work by the Women of Reform Judaism (Sisterhood). Irena Olender will present highlights of that work during the Oneg. Tashlich: Casting Away Our Sins Saturday, October 8, 10:30 am Vasona Lake County Park, Circle Group, Los Gatos With guitar and spirited singing we celebrate Shabbat in the beauty of nature. There will be a special story time during the service for young children paralleling a period of study and discussion for adults. At the water s edge we will gather to cast our sins into the depths. Following the Tashlich (casting off) ceremony, we will join together for a potluck brunch. Make your reservation online. Bring beach chairs and blankets for more comfortable seating. SEPTEMBER 2016 NOTES 7

Congregation Shir Hadash 20 Cherry Blossom Lane Los Gatos, CA 95032 4637 High Holidays 5777 Because of construction activity at Sacred Heart Church, this year we will hold services at a new location for Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur. We are pleased to announce that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Allendale Ave., in Saratoga (right next to West Valley College), will be our host this year. Our staff have visited the church and found it to be a great fit for our needs. The main services, youth and religious school programs will take place at the church. More information about all of the facets of the holiday will be in the High Holiday packets that are already on their way to your homes. Please mark these dates on your calendar: S lichot..................... Sunday, September 24 Erev Rosh HaShanah........... Sunday, October 2 Rosh HaShanah............... Monday, October 3 Erev Shabbat Shuvah.......... Friday, October 7 Shabbat Shuvah.............. Saturday, October 8 Kol Nidre................... Tuesday, October 11 Yom Kippur.................. Wednesday, October 12 Erev Sukkot & Consecration..... Sunday, October 16 Erev Simchat Torah............ Sunday, October 23 Simchat Torah Yizkor Service.... Monday, October 24 The Shir Hadash Memorial Garden is a peaceful space to visit and remember loved ones who have passed on. Our next Yizkor Service in the Memorial Garden is October 24. To have the name of a family member or friend added to the Memorial wall, please contact Nadine Toby at nadine@shirhadash.org or (408) 358 1751 x5 by September 12.