Snow Alert | Condolences | Mazal Tov | Shabbaton | Abayudaya | Israel Education Day | Hanukkah|Comedy night with 45+ | In the Community | Scrip | On the Web site

So far we’ve already had over 2 feet, but it looks like it’s finally just about stopped.

If you didn’t already know, Religious School was canceled this morning; the Family Education programs for Gimel and Zayin families will be rescheduled. There will also be no religious school on Monday, December 8 (since classes have already been canceled for the Needham public schools).

Our Abayudaya program scheduled for Monday evening 12/8 has been postponed (see below), as our speaker is unable to make it to Boston, with Logan still closed.

We will be having our regular Monday morning minyan at 6:45 and eveing moinyan at 7:30. Please try to make it.

Stay warm, safe, and cozy, and enjoy the time with your families.

Our condolences go out to the following Temple members:

to Rob and Naomi Litrownik and their family on the passing yesterday of Rob’s father, Irving Litrownik. The funeral will be held in San Diego. The family will return to Needham and will observe shiva at their home on 35 Greenwood Avenue, welcoming visitors on Thursday, December 11, from 1–4 and from 7–9 with evening minyan at 7:30.

and to Jodi Traub and her family on the recent passing of Jodi’s grandmother, Sadye Feldman.

May the Divine Presence comfort them, among all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Mazal tov to Temple member Margot Strauss, who also maintains her membership at her shul where she lives in New Jersey, on receiving her local Hadassah chapter’s Hadassah Woman of the Year Award.

And mazal tov also to members Harvey and Leslie Shaff on the recent birth of a granddaughter Rebecca Hannah Shaff.

In spite of the snow, this year’s Shabbaton weekend was a marvelous success. The storm outside was no match for the warmth and enjoyment inside, as we were transported from blizzardy Boston to balmy Bombay. Our guest speaker Rahel Musleah was delightful and engaging, and surprisingly large crowds braved the elements to participate. Hizku uvurchu (the Sephardi equivalent of yasher koach) to the many people who worked so hard to make the weekend a big success.

Rabbi Howard Gorin has been on many a journey to Africa, to work with the Abayudaya, the Jews of Uganda. The inclement weather, however, has forced him to delay his journey to Boston. So the program which was scheduled for tomorrow night, December 8, at the Temple, has been postponed. We’ll let you know when we reschedule during better weather.

However, if you are interested, there is actually another program in the community on the Abayudaya, scheduled for the same evening! As part of its “Fresh Ink” Program, Hebrew College is sponsoring Rabbi Jeffrey Summit, Executive Director of the Hillel at Tufts University and ethnomusicologist, presenting “Abayudaya: The Music and Culture of the Jews of Uganda,” on Monday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Hebrew College. Admission is $5 in advance, $10 at the door. For more details, please visit the HC website at
http://www.hebrewcollege.edu/freshink.

Next Sunday, December 14, is our annual Israel Education Day. (Please Note: The Pulse flier that you probably just received within the past few days incorrectly lists the date as “Sunday, December 8, 2002”!)

Our religious school will meet as usual, but all classes will focus on the subject of Israel.

For parents of our 3rd and 7th grade students, representatives of the “Passport to Israel” Program wil be present.

The Men’s Club and Kesher Committee will sponsor a breakfast, beginning at 9:45 am (right after minyan). We will have a private screening of the film Relentless. This is an hour long controversial documentary film, which examines the history of the Middle East conflict (to see a trailer, go to the HonestReporting.com web site). Following the film, Rabbi Perkins will lead us in discussion. The cost of the breakfast and film is $6, payable at the door, however, reservations are recommended—please contact Steve Baum.

We are encourageing everyone to wear blue and white nest Sunday as a show of support and solidarity for Israel.

The Gift Shop is continuing its big pre-Hanukkah sale — 20% off selected items until Decmber 12! Also dreidels, candy, crafts, and more!

Our USY is sponsoring a Hanukkah gift sale for religious school students on December 10 and 14-17. USYers will be selling between classes and before and after school. Items for sale are inexpensive (between 25¢ and $3) and include toys, candy, and other small gifts that can be given as presents to friends and family. Proceeds will go to Tikkun Olam. For more information, contact USY co-presidents Leah Feldman or Becca Brenner.

Mark your calendars for the annual sisterhood Hanukkah Party for young families, Sunday, Decmber 21, from 3:30-5:00 pm. Click here for more info.

Mark your calendars for Saturday evening, January 17th. TA45+ has a block of tickets reserved for an evening with Dave Frishberg, pianist and humorist, and Joel Chasnoff, comedian, at the JCC, followed by a late supper after the performance. The cost is $31 per person. For further information or questions, email Sylvia Shuman or call at 781-449-0969. To reserve tickets, send a check to Eileen Ford, 108 Garden Street, Needham 02492.

The New England Anti-Defamation League is sponsoring “Silence is Not an Option! A Call to Conscience” on Wednesday, December 10 at 7:00 pm, at Kehillath Israel, 384 Harvard Street, Brookline. The featured speakers are Abraham Foxman, National Director of the ADL, and Father Robert Drinan, former Massachusetts Congressman. The program will include Jewish and non-Jewish community leaders. Temple Aliyah is one of the congregational sponsors.

The Temple Emeth Social Action Committee, in conjunction with American Friends of Libi (AFL), is sponsoring an evening devoted to saving the lives of Israeli soldiers.  The theme of the evening, “Put your money where their hearts are,” focuses on the life-saving benefits of ceramic bulletproof vests.  The program will be on Thursday, December 11 at 7:30 pm at Temple Emeth. For more information, contact LGrodman@yahoo.com or call 617-469-9400

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the Consulate General of Israel to New England and The American Society of the University of Haifa are co-sponsoring an exciting community wide event featuring well-known professors from the University of Haifa including Amatzia Baram, Yehuda Hayuth, Yael Metser, Ami Pedahzur, Arnon Soffer and Gabi Weinmann, entitled “Knowledge and Action: What You Can Do for Israel” on Sunday, December 14, from 11:30 am - 6:00 pm, at the Gann Academy—The New Jewish High School of Greater Boston, 333 Forest Street, Waltham. Click here for more information and to register online.

The Friends of the Israel Defense Forces cordially invite you to IDF Musical Ensemble in Concert, Sunday, December 21 at 4:30 pm at Congregation Kehillath Israel, 384 Harvard Street, Brookline. Tickets can be purchased via this link: www.israelsoldiers.org/BuyEvent.cfm?product_id=197; or for more information, please contact Adynna Samuel by email or at
508-663-1323.

JVS Career Moves Job Search And Career Transition Pilot Program: Massachusetts entered the economic recession earlier and emerged later than the rest of the U.S. We also experienced far greater job losses in Massachusetts, 5% unemployment compared to an average loss of 2% nationally. Technically Massachusetts’ economy is on the rebound. Unfortunately, so far it has been a jobless recovery. Many professionals, especially in high tech, marketing, and financial services (Career Moves’ client base) are experiencing prolonged unemployment and underemployment. These lengthy, jobless periods are creating serious economic hardships for professionals and their families. Despite Career Moves’ modest subsidized fees, an increasing number of our callers report that they cannot afford our job search and career counseling services. Sharing our concerns about unemployment in the local community, Combined Jewish Philanthropies has made it possible for JVS to design a pilot program to provide much needed assistance for unemployed and underemployed professionals in need. The program has two major components:
1. Individual and Small Group Services. At Career Moves’ Boston, Newton, and Stoughton sites, clients in the pilot program will receive a package of services for a fee of $50. Services will include the following: Intake and assessment; three to four small-group workshops; one to two individual meetings with a counselor; Success Team—a five-week, facilitated peer support group.
2. Individual follow-up session; one to two networking contacts from the Career Advisory Network (CAN); access to the Career Resource Library; and job leads and phone follow-up/consultation with Career Moves’ staff.
Criteria for participation: Career Moves plans to serve approximately 75 individuals in individual services. Criteria for acceptance include length of time unemployed, financial need, and the ability and willingness to engage in 20—25 hours of services within a two-month period. Clients are also expected to spend an equal number of hours in self-directed activities.
Contact: Judy Bottkol, Employment Specialist or Judy Sacks, Director of Career Moves at Jewish Vocational Service (617) 451-8147, ext. 3162 jbottkol@jvs-boston.org or jsacks@jvs-boston.org. Also, please visit us at www.jvsjobs.org.

We have instituted an expanded Scrip program here at Temlpe Aliyah. Purchase your “scrip” from many merchants at the Temple Office, and use it like cash or a credit card at those stores. These are things you buy anyway, so why not do a mitzvah and help us out at the same time?

More information on the program can be found here. We have also posted a list of merchants on the web site. Please print this out and mail or bring your list to the Temple office with your payment. Please note that we can not put this on your Temple bill, and we can not take on-line orders at this time.

We have updated the Rabbi’s biography page with some new information about awards and honors.

Coming up soon in our email: The TA trivia contest (with prizes)!

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