Double Chai Celebration: A Weekend Honoring our Rabbis
Find a Rabbi, Make a Friend (Pirke Avot 1:6)
We invite you to join us for a weekend honoring Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz and Rabbi Judy Shanks for their 36 combined years (double chai) leading, teaching and guiding our community.
Women’s Intergenerational Dessert Seder
Monday, March 15 7:00 p.m. in the Social Hall
Please join the Women of Isaiah, Rabbi Shanks, Rabbi Forrest and Susan Epstein. There is no charge to attend this event, Please RSVP and include the names of any of the friends, sisters, daughters, or mothers you plan to bring, or if you have any questions about attending the Seder, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
If you are able to, please bring a kosher for Passover dessert and/or the Seder items that are needed. If you are able to loan any items for each table (Seder plate, matzo cover, and/or Miriam’s Cup) for this Seder, please bring them to the Temple office by Friday, March 12 or to the temple kitchen ON Sunday, March 14 between 9AM and 1PM. All Seder table items food items MUST be received by Sunday, March 14 by 1PM. Desserts may be dropped off on Sunday as well or bring plated with you to the Seder.
If you are coming solo and would like to get connected to other Women of Isaiah, please let us know by emailing Lauri Granoff at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) in addition to your RSVP.
We are offering babysitting for those who need it for the evening. Please indicate in your RSVP if you will need care and we will confirm with you closer to the date.
Anshei Isaiah’s Men’s Retreat - Recharge Your Batteries
Friday - Sunday, March 19 - 21
Westminster Retreat Center in Alamo
Rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit…and be ready to master the new year. A man’s spiritual foundation can be a critical component of his personal success. For many or our members, the men’s retreat is the most enriching Jewish experience of the year and the raison d’etre of Anshei Isaiah. The retreat connects the spiritual to the personal in a uniquely masculine-and uniquely Jewish-way. The weekend includes Shabbat minyan, Torah study, hiking to connect with nature and solitude, the camaraderie of shared meals, the intellectual exercise of philosophical and ethical discussions and time for rest and renewal. Poker and ad hoc jam sessions follow havdallah on Saturday night. We will gather at the Westminster Center (Alamo) from Erev Shabbat on Friday, March 19th through breakfast on Sunday, March 21st.
Once again this year, for first-timers we are lowering the price to $200 (includes all meals through Sunday breakfast, snacks and room). Everyone else—$240. RSVP to Nadav Rave and he will send you the Tzedakah (justice/charity) discussion article.
Cost should not get in the way of your attending. Confidential partial scholarships are available merely by contacting either Nadav Rave [(925) 385 0853, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)], or Rabbi Roberto Graetz [283-8575, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)].
RSVP or for more information: Nadav Rave at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (925) 385 0853
Make checks payable to Anshei Isaiah with “Men’s Retreat” in the memo-line. Send checks to:
Anshei Isaiah
P.O. Box 371
Lafayette, CA 94549-0371
3rd Shabbat: Eat, Pray, Learn in March with Storyteller Joel ben Izzy
Friday, March 19th, 6:00 Oneg, 6:30 Service
EAT
Join us before services at 6:00 in the Sanctuary lobby for a “Happy 1/2 Hour” of cocktails, mocktails and appetizers.
PRAY
Services are a come-as-you-are, inter-generational experience. Worship begins at 6:30 with families praying together. Then students in K-6th grade depart the sanctuary with one of our rabbis for age-appropriate prayer and programming. This gives parents an opportunity to have a meaningful and reflective worship experience. Special guest, internationally acclaimed storyteller, Joel ben Izzy will be featured. The service will also feature our Mizmor Band, a first-rate ensemble of congregants, and a D’var Torah, a teaching on the Torah portion from one of our rabbis. The mood is rhythmic and soulful as the band plays us through Shabbat. The kids join us again after Kaddish and we close the service together with rousing singing. Meet and Greet with Rabbi Lee Bycel follows services. Childcare is available during the service for pre-school aged children at $10 per family.
LEARN
Following services adults can “Meet and Greet” over a catered dinner and speaker. Dinner is $20 per person. RSVPs for dinner are due to Mary Anne Winig, Adult Programming Coordinator at (925) 283-8575 ext. 301 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) by the Wednesday before 3rd Shabbat. For more information, including the upcoming speaker visit the Meet and Greet page.
Ganeinu: Parenting My Jewish Baby - New Session Begins
Friday, March 12
Attention parents and grandparents of toddlers and infants! Temple Isaiah is proud to offer a Friday morning facilitated parenting group for parents/caregivers and their toddlers (12-24 months) and infants (0-12 months). Play, sing, create art, and celebrate Shabbat and holidays with your child and others. Toddler group meets from 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and the infant group joins in and meets from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. For more information or to sign up, please email facilitator Josie Levi at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), call 925-284-8453 or visit our website.
Experiencing the Exodus: A Study of the Haggadah with Rabbi Alissa Forrest
Sundays, March 14, 21, 11:15 - 12:15
$10/members; $25/non-members
The Mishnah states “In every generation a person is obligated to see her/himself as if s/he actually came out of Egypt.” How is the Exodus from Egypt told and passed from one generation to the next? The Haggadah does not simply pass on history in the form of facts, dates and routes traveled. Nor does it tell a simple story in the style of a fable or tall tale. In order to answer this question, we will explore the Haggadah through three lenses: laws of the Passover Seder, the sacred narrative of the Exodus experience, and ritual process and methodology of the Haggadah. This class will be a great way to prepare for your Passover Seders this year. Visit our website to register online.
Cancer Support Group
Monday, March 15, 5:30 p.m. Visit the Cancer Support Group webpage for more information.
Meet & Greet Shabbat Dinner with Rabbi Lee Bycel
Friday, March 19th following services
Following the 6:30 3rd Shabbat service on the third Friday night of the month adults can “Meet & Greet” over a catered dinner and speaker. Rabbi Lee Bycel, will explain why, “In the turbulent world of 2010: There are many Reasons to be Hopeful” Dinner is $20 per person. RSVPs for dinner are due to Mary Anne Winig by the Wednesday before. For more information contact Mary Anne Winig, Adult Programming Coordinator at (925) 283-8575 ext. 301 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
P’tach Libeynu: Support Group for Family Members of Adults with Mental Illness
On the 4th Monday of the month, 6:00 p.m.
Next meeting: Monday, March 22, 6:00 p.m.
Do you have an adult loved one with a severe mental illness? P’tach Libeynu is launching a social sharing support group for family members. This support group will meet on an ongoing basis on the third Monday of each month. For information and registration contact Karen Cohen at (925) 945-7272 or by email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
New Havurot Now Forming
A Havurah is a group of people from within the larger Temple community who gather together to form an extended ‘family’. Members decide together on activities and how often to meet. Havurot (plural for Havurah) may celebrate holidays and life cycle events, learn more about Jewish topics of interest, and perform mitzvot together.
Havurah events can be social, service-oriented, spiritual, study-based, or a combination of activities. Groups meet regularly in members’ homes (often monthly) or at other places such as the Temple, movies, museums, parks, etc. Members usually form lasting bonds by creating a caring and close community within Temple Isaiah. People within the Havurah become extended families. Some havurot at Temple Isaiah have been meeting together for over 30 years, sharing the significant moments of life.
Would you like to join a Havurah? New groups are now forming.
Click here to download the Havurah interest form. Return it to our office to get started.
Temple Isaiah’s Softball Teams
Did you know that Temple Isaiah has two softball teams, Isaiah Blue and Isaiah Red, that play in the Walnut Creek Adult Softball League at Heather Farms in Walnut Creek? Our season runs from early April to late July. We start practicing in early March. Our games are competitive so prior baseball or softball experience is recommended. It’s a great way to get some exercise and meet other Temple members. Please contact Seth Moldoff at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (925) 299 8905 for more information.
It’s Never Too Late…To Join Women of Isaiah!
Our activities, events and projects are year round, and new members are always welcome. We offer many different opportunities to socialize, celebrate and study together and to contribute to the well-being of our congregation. Your membership dues of $36 make it possible for us to support many important projects at Temple Isaiah, in our community, and nationally. You can download a membership form from our website http://www.temple-isaiah.org/women-isaiah/membership or contact information is available through the Temple office 925-283-8575 or through the Members Only section of the website.
Camp Kefli Registration Now Open Online!
August 9-13 & 16-20
For two weeks in late August, each morning is filled with the dynamic spirit of Temple Isaiah’s Camp Kefli. At Kefli, the day begins with excitement and anticipation. The Camp Kefli staff leads a wide range of programs that are appropriate to each age group from Kindergarten through 8th grade, filling our two one-week sessions with fun. Visit our website for all the details including our schedule of activities & online registration.
Crown and Mystical Kabbalah
4 sessions: Wednesdays, February 24 - March 17
7:00 - 8:30 p.m. in the Adult Lounge
$55/members; $65/non-members
Explore the history of Jewish mysticism, including an intensive look at the great thirteenth century classic of Kabbalah, the Zohar.Visit our website for a complete course description and online registration.
Donate Coffee and Supplies for Our Veterans
The Veterans outpatient clinic in Martinez holds a Coffee Social for veterans every week and they could use our assistance. Help the nearly 100 veterans who take part in this social by donating regular coffee, sugar packets and artificial sweetner packets, non-dairy creamer and regular hot/cold cups. Collection bins are located in the lobby outside the sanctuary, the first floor of the school building and in the office. Show our vets that you care by donating an item or two. Let’s show our appreciation to these brave men and women with some coffee comfort. Questions? Call Michele Holtz (phone number and email address are available in the Temple directory).
Talmud Study with Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz
Thursdays at 12:00 p.m. in the Oneg Room
Visit the Talmud Study page for more information.
Video Tour of the New Temple Isaiah Website
Temple Isaiah's Communications Director, Deb Phillips, takes you on a tour of Temple Isaiah's new website. This 15-minute tour covers site navigation and site highlights...
Oh No! No Oneg Sponsor? You Can Help!
We are always in need of families or havurot to sponsor our Shabbat evening Onegs. You’re encouraged to sponsor by baking delicious treats for the congregation, or, you can sponsor a standard catered Oneg for $250, or a larger catered Oneg for $350. Want more information? Contact Howard Bostian at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (925) 283-8575.