Dear Temple Isaiah Community, On Tikkun in the Community day, all of Temple Isaiah will reach out with willing hands and giving hearts to help our community. Come join fellow congregants as we work together on community service projects across the East Bay. Tikkun in the Community is for all Temple Isaiah members, from the youngest religious school students to senior citizens; from active teens to busy adults. There’s something for everyone! Please read the project activity descriptions in this booklet and choose three projects that excite you, in order of preference. Complete the enclosed registration form and return it to the Temple. Or, you can save postage and sign up for projects via the Temple Isaiah website, right here on this site, or use the mailing you received (or download a copy here. Please note that registration via the website is limited to Temple Isaiah members only. Please also remember these important details: All children must be accompanied by an adult. The details of a particular project may change based on the current needs of the benefiting organization. Check the website for the most up-to-date project descriptions. A few activities may be added after the publication of this brochure, so please check the website for additional activities. Once you’ve registered you should hear from your project coordinator no later than September 30th. Assignments are on a first-come, first-served basis (unless otherwise indicated), so the sooner you return your form or sign up online, the better your chances of getting your first choice! For more details about a particular project, please contact the project coordinator listed. For general information, please call one of us, your Tikkun in the Community Co-Chairs. Whether you participate in an activity related to children and education, adults and the elderly, the homeless and needy, advocacy, or health and healing, there’s sure to be something for you. Trust us; you won’t want to miss this gratifying experience! Anita Weil and Nadav Rave (Phone numbers and email addresses are available from the Members Only online directory)

Schedule

Registration Instructions

We believe that Jewish learning is a lifelong endeavor, that education is at the core of what it means to be a Jew.  We therefore offer opportunities for Jewish learning to people of all ages, at all stages of life.  Whether you have been involved in Jewish education for many years, or you are brand new to Jewish learning, we welcome you to a new and exciting year of education at Temple Isaiah.

We invite you to explore our website to learn about the variety of educational opportunities available at Temple Isaiah.  We offer Jewish learning for young children, kids and families, teens, and adults.  We also encourage you to learn more about the Temple Isaiah library, which has an abundance of resources available at your fingertips.

Our Sages teach us that when two or more people sit together and engage in the study of Torah, the Shechinah (Divine Presence) dwells among them (Pirkei Avot 3:2).  Through our experiences of Jewish learning at Temple Isaiah, may each of us – child and adult alike – come to sense God’s presence dwelling in our midst.

Our program seeks to give all of our children and their families a living experience of the Jewish tradition and to enable all members of our community to be a part of contemporary Jewish life.  We aim to connect our children and their families with the ongoing creative life of the Jewish people.  We aspire to provide our students with the tools to understand the Jewish past while being inspired and empowered to create a Jewish life that is committed to Tikkun Olam.  The philosophy and atmosphere of our Religious School calls for our teachers to instill in our students a love of the Jewish tradition and the study of Torah, along with an openness to the questioning that our tradition encourages.  Overall our goal for our children, our families, and all members of our community is to be challenged, exhilarated, and energized by the power of Jewish ideas and traditions.

Coming soon - an all-new version of the WOI pages!

Expected to launch in August 2008, the new Women of Isaiah website will include up-to-date information on all of the activities and functions of WOI, as well as photos and audio/video clips from past events.  The new site will include a calendar specifically for WOI events as well as resource pages on Jewish holidays and other topics of educational interest to our community.

Watch for announcements in late summer when we launch this new website.

Spring Youth Group Events

Simcha(5th and 6th graders): It’s time for the last Simcha event of the year! Come one, come all as we hop on that fun Simcha bus to Great America. Rides, rides, and more rides. We’ll spend the day riding our way through one of the best theme parks in northern California! Saturday, May 16th. 12:45PM – 8:00PM. CLICK HERE for the flyer!

Anachnu(7th and 8th graders): We’ll be back next year with more amazing events!

LAFTY (9th-12th graders):Come with LAFTY on an all-night, end of year blowout extravaganza! We’ll hit up the Bay Area like you’ve never seen, traveling all over the place and stopping at tons of cool places. Sunday, May 24th – Monday, May 25th from 8PM to 8AM. $75 before May 21st! CLICK HERE for the flier.

LAFTY’s Elections for the 2009-2010 School Year are coming! Sunday, May 31st. Be sure to be there to help pick next year’s LAFTY leaders. Have a flair for leadership? Contact Dan Lange to talk about running for a position!

Code of Conduct and Emergency Forms
Simcha Form
Anachnu Form
Lafty Form

Access to one year’s worth of back issues of the Ruach is available here.

Temple Isaiah’s youth group events provide an enjoyable, enriching and safe environment for all participants. They include a wide variety of social and adventure-oriented activities with a Jewish infusion. Our intention is to allow young people to socialize, take responsibility for themselves and each other, and have new experiences within a Jewish peer community that emphasizes social action and ethical decision-making.  For more information about any of our youth groups call 284-9191 and ask for Dan Lange.

Coordinator: Dan Lange
Sunday Teachers
Steve Steinberg, Jerry Frantz & Sarah Pierce
 
The seventh grade curriculum at Temple Isaiah consists of five components: the Parent/Clergy Sessions, the Weekday Hebrew School, the Sunday Mitzvah Corps,  the Seventh Grade Fund, and the youth group, Anachnu.  Deb Phillips is our seventh grade coordinator and should be contacted if there are any questions.

THE PARENT/CLERGY SUNDAY SESSIONS are designed so that the B’nai Mitzvah process includes the parents and creates a close community of families who are going through the same lifecycle event. The program encourages parents and their 7th grader to discuss the meaning of becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah, engage in dialogue about the nature of prayer and Mitzvot, and delve into the levels of Torah interpretation.  The parent component of the 7th grade consists of four Sunday sessions during Religious School on October 7th, 14, 21 and 28.  Rabbi Shanks, Rabbi Graetz, Rabbi Forrest, and Cantor Korn will be involved in teaching these sessions. At least one parent is required to attend these sessions with his/her 7th grader.

THE WEEKDAY HEBREW SCHOOL component has three objectives: in preparation for becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah, the students will engage in the study of the Torah portion of the week, and do a weekly Prayer Service. The service is led by Cantor Korn and consists of the central prayers in the Shabbat morning service, and discussions of their meanings.  Class discussions will also include how the mitzvot are derived from the Torah text, and how they are relevant to our world today. 

THE SUNDAY MITZVAH CORPS will go offsite every other week and give students the opportunity to engage in social action projects throughout the Bay Area. Before going on a particular community service project, the students will study the specific mitzvah that they will be fulfilling.

THE SEVENTH GRADE FUND is an exciting program that helps Temple Isaiah’s students actively learn about philanthropy and take part in Tikkun Olam through Tzedakah.  The Fund was initiated by the Seventh Grade class of 19981999, when students agreed to forego buying each other Bar and Bat Mitzvah gifts.  Instead, each family chose to donate the money that would have been spent on these gifts into the Fund.  With matching grants from individuals and foundations, the class established itself as a charitable foundation.  The class then engaged in a shortterm grantgiving cycle, which included learning about philanthropy, choosing an issue, researching potential grant recipients, and distributing all of the collected money to social service organizations.  Each seventh grade class has an opportunity to discuss and vote on its participation in this voluntary program at the beginning of the seventh grade year.

OUR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE YOUTH GROUP, Anachnu, adds an informal component to our students’ Jewish experience. We seek to create a supportive community of adolescents who are committed to each other, the Temple community, and the Jewish tradition. All students in the Seventh Grade will be receiving mailings about all of the Anachnu programs. Please see the Youth Groups section on page 21-22 of this brochure for additional information.

SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS AND PARENTS,  begin the year with a “Getting to Know You Havdalah and Potluck Dinner” on Saturday, September 8th from 5:30-7:30 at the Abeles’s house at 3947 Happy Valley Road in Lafayette.  On this occasion, our 7th grade families will have a chance to meet our new Rabbi Alissa Forrest, our 7th Grade Coordinator and weekday teacher, Deb Phillips, and our wonderful team of Sunday seventh grade teachers.  Please R.S.V.P. to the Education Office if you can not come at 925-284-9191.

Teacher: Genia Ruzer
The sixth graders meet once during the week and one session on Sunday.  The Judaic curriculum is divided into two semesters.  The first semester focuses on Jewish lifecycle events and Jewish values exemplified by historic “Jewish heroes”.  During the second semester the students will be investigating a family hero.  The “historical heroes” project will culminate in our Heroes Café on April 13. The family heroes project will culminate in a “Family Reunion” on May 14th.  Students will present stories, recipes, artifacts, and pictures that tell the narrative of their family hero.

Hebrew studies focus on understanding basic Shabbat Tefillot with a concentration on prayers that the students will lead during the Friday evening and Saturday morning services when they become Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Our clergy is continuing the parent mentoring program with meetings scheduled for October 11 and November 27.  In addition, our Rabbis and Cantor will be involved in a Shabbat morning learners’ minyan on November 3 and a Friday night and Saturday “Shabbaton” study on February 29 and March 1.

6th graders are also invited to jopin the Simcha our 5th and 6th grade youth group.  Watch out for flyers about this year’s kick off event!!

6th grade calendar of important dates and meetings 2007

6th grade essay winner

Saturday Morning Service Worksheet

6th Grade examples heroes

Yom Hashoah Speaker

Shabbaton_2009.pdf

Teacher: Charna Schakow
The fifth graders come to Religious School once during the week and one session on Sunday. The students study the sweep of Jewish history in America and then going back in time to review the travels of Abraham and Sarah, their children and grandchildren up to the creation of the modern state of Israel. Fifth Grade families will go on a tour of Jewish Gold Rush country on October 28 with Charna as their guide.  After learning about the local travels of the Jewish people the students will be looking at the four major routes taken after the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 C.E.  The four routes correspond to the four major “edot” (geo-ethnic groups of the Jewish people): Sephardi, Mizrachi, Ashkenazi, and Romani.  The Jewish holidays will be experienced in the style of Spanish, Yemenite, Polish, and Ethiopian Jewish groups.  The year will include an Ashkenazi style “Shabbat Seder” on February 8; and a Sephardic “Crypto-Seder” on April 12 at 4:30 PM.

5th grade Hebrew studies will focus on the mastering the tefillot of the Shabbat evening Service.  The students will be learning the basic “roots” (“shorashim”) of the Hebrew language that are used most frequently in Jewish religious texts.
Our Rabbis and Cantor will be mentoring the 5th grade parents.  Each family will have a meeting with one of the Rabbis or Cantor during the Fall and will have group sessions together on November 14th and January 22nd at 7:30 pm.
5th graders are also invited to join the Simcha our 5th and 6th grade youth group.  Watch out for flyers about this year’s kick off event!!

Teacher: Sharon Graetz

The fourth graders attend class twice per week, once during the week and on Sunday morning.  The children will take a close look at the Exodus story, and the narratives about the creation of the Jewish people.  The exploration of each story will involve close reading of the text, discussion, searching for significant words, figuring out the lesson and it’s relevance for us today.  Students will create their own midrashic (interpretive) version of life before and after the people entered the Promised Land.  The year’s Torah study will end with a Torah Fair in which the students will share what they have learned.

The Holiday curriculum is focused on teaching the history and traditions connected with each holiday.  We want the students to see themselves as an important link in a long chain of holiday traditions. 

In Hebrew studies, fourth graders will review the letters and vowels and then go on to read simple Hebrew stories and prayers.  The fourth graders will also begin looking at the basic Hebrew roots (shorashim) found most frequently in Jewish texts.

Teacher:  Erin Bloom
Our third graders come to Isaiah twice per week, once during the week and on Sunday morning.  The students will begin an indepth study of the Torah by closely reading the book of Genesis. Their study will consist of discussions of the plot, character and motivation, and the Jewish values inherent in the text. Parents and third graders will write questions about each of the stories which they will share with the rest of the class.  The culmination of the third graders’ Torah Study will be putting together their questions and comments in a bound Torah book.

Our third graders will learn how to decode Hebrew and will develop a basic Hebrew vocabulary.  In addition they will be learning simple prayers and blessings with a focus on the Friday evening service.

Teacher: Leah Kleinman
The 2nd grade curriculum’s main focus is the study of the Synagogue as a Jewish community home.  The students will become synagogue detectives and explore the parts of the sanctuary, the different people what work in the synagogue, and the various types of events and holiday celebrations that take place there.  The 2nd graders will have the privilege of taking a virtual trip to Israel.  They will create passports, take an airplane to Israel (from the Temple Isaiah Airport), and explore Jerusalem, a kibbutz, Masada, and Eilat.  The Hebrew curriculum will focus on key Hebrew Synagogue words and their initial letters, and the students will learn some key modern Hebrew vocabulary words before embarking on their trip to Israel.

2nd grade families are invited to a Shabbat Dinner and service especially for them on November 16th at 6:00.  We’ll have dinner in the adult lounge and have an appropriate singing and storytelling service immediately following

Teacher: Aya Gonen
The curriculum of the first grade focuses on the Jewish home.  The students will create their own miniature Jewish homes and will make small ritual objects to add to them as they learn about the holiday and Shabbat home celebrations.  There will be family programs which are designed to provide families with the tools they need to bring Jewish ritual into their homes.  Throughout their study of the Jewish home the first graders will explore key Hebrew vocabulary words and their initial letters.  Jewish holidays will be experienced through ritual, stories, and special projects. 

Kindergarten and first grade families are invited to a Shabbat Dinner and service especially for them on October 19th at 6:00.  We’ll have dinner in the adult lounge and have an appropriate singing and storytelling service immediately following

Kindergarten
Teacher: TBA
The celebration of Shabbat is a focal point of the kindergarten year.  Kindergartners will create their own Shabbat ritual objects and learn the songs and blessings used during home celebrations.  Students and parents will be taken through a “mock Shabbat” of blessings and songs, preparing them to participate in Friday night and Havdalah home rituals.  The students will be introduced to key Hebrew Shabbat and holiday vocabulary words and the letters with which they begin, through hands-on exploration. 

Family sessions are designed to help families incorporate Judaism into their lives.  Kindergartners and new students are formally welcomed to the world of Jewish study at the Consecration that takes places during the Simchat Torah Service on October 5th.  At this service our Kindergartners will be given a miniature Sefer Torah. 

Kindergarten and first grade families are invited to a Shabbat Dinner and service especially for them on October 19th at 6:00.  We’ll have dinner in the adult lounge and have an appropriate singing and storytelling service immediately following

Our New Social Hall is the Perfect Choice for Your Next Celebration

Whether your Simcha celebration is an anniversary or retirement party, Bar or Bat Mitzvah, wedding or other special occasion, Temple Isaiah provides the ambiance, beauty and professional experience with every detail to make your event truly memorable.

Temple Isaiah offers a compelling alternative to dark, windowless hotel ballrooms or restaurant venues. Our spacious new ballroom has vaulted ceilings and tall windows, adding beauty to any celebration.

Temple Isaiah’s new, fully equipped modern kitchen can handle all types of catering requirements.*

Seating is available in flexible table configurations to accommodate up to 300 people. We also provide an attractive, in-laid dance floor for your convenience.

Carefully designed to incorporate outdoor beauty with a bright and airy indoor space, Temple Isaiah’s synagogue and social hall enhance our guest’s enjoyment while celebrating any special occasion.

From our hilltop setting, the outdoor courtyard areas offer views of the Lafayette Reservoir. These areas may be used for photo sessions, small receptions, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

To discuss your event, reserve a date or tour the facility, please call:

Michael Liepman, Executive Director: 925.283.8575

*Temple Isaiah observes the dietary laws of Biblical Kashrut which prohibits all pork and shellfish, as well as the serving of dairy and meat products in the same course. Dairy substitutes are available.

Men’s Retreat—March 14th, 2008—Join Us in Alamo

As this January Ruach appears, we’re turning the corner into a new (secular) year.  I hope all of you, your loved ones and friends made it through the winter break without any broken bones (if any snow has materialized) or auto accidents.  I would like to warmly thank Harry Strout and Michael Swernoff for leading our two December events: Bowling Night (12/3) and our main contribution to Winter Nights (“graveyard shift”), respectively.  I also take this opportunity to welcome new members Michael Brent, Gary Cohn, Morris Collen, Michael Drumm, Bruce Farber, Steve Gordon, Marvin Jasper, Jon Kalan, Mike Prilutsky and Arthur Scharlach. 

Take a close look at the Men’s Retreat.  You should know that the retreat is the raison d’etre of Anshei Isaiah—which only got started because we wanted to replicate the feeling of our retreat on a more frequent basis throughout the year.  The retreat will run from Erev Shabbat on Friday, March 14th through breakfast on Sunday, March 16th, at the Westminster Center in Alamo.  For men that are new to the temple or Anshei Isaiah, the retreat is a remarkable Jewish experience that brings us closer to our faith and our temple brothers including Rabbi Graetz, Cantor Korn and Joel Siegel.  The retreat makes it easy to enter Shabbat time and stay there throughout the day, with a Shabbat minyan, Torah study, hiking, nap, horseshoe, eating, discussion, havdallah….and maybe some poker (after havdallah—of course!). 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with any questions or comments on any aspect of Anshei Isaiah.  Are you getting the e-newsletter?  What do you think of the programming?  I sometimes hear that guys are afraid to join because they don’t want to be “roped in” to a long-term commitment.  That’s understandable; we do want you to be involved.  Truth be told, some guys come to one event per year, some to eight.  For most of us, our lives are more scheduled and hectic than we would like them to be, and we can’t do it all.  If you don’t want to join right now, come to an event anyway—we’d love to see you there.  See you at Yoshi’s on the 27th!

L’shalom v’l’hitraot.

Feel free to contact me at Pete at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

—Pete Bluford

If you know of a Temple member who is ill or in the hospital, call the Temple and give us the information. That way the Rabbis can visit, and Angel Network can provide support. Don’t assume that we know—we will only know if you tell us!
Do you sometimes need a ride to services?

Are you willing to drive fellow congregants to services on occasion? Call Mary Anne (283-8575) to sign up. The Angel Network will match drivers with those in need of an occasional ride. 

Listed below are five main areas of focus with the ongoing volunteer opportunities. We encourage you to get involved with Social Action and help make a difference. For each contact listed below, please use the Members Only membership database call the Temple office for phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses.

Temple Isaiah’s committees lead the Temple’s activities and efforts in everything from social action to the Temple grounds, from education to religious practices, from personnel and leadership development to Isaiah’s relationship with the land of Israel. Follow the “Read More” link below for an overview of all of Temple Isaiah’s committees and the current committee chairs and co-chairs.

Mission Statement

The Library at Temple Isaiah supports the ongoing pursuit of Jewish learning for all members of our community and the surrounding Jewish community in a welcoming atmosphere with a broad range of Judaic books, media and educational materials.

Library Hours and Information

Our professional librarian, on hand during hours of opening, will be happy to assist you. Gan Ilan children are invited to regular pre-school storytimes with the librarian; and Religious School teachers may schedule storytime with the librarian for Primary School age children. Volunteers may open the Library at additional times for your convenience.

Summer Hours begin May 19, 2009:

• Tue - 8:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Thu - 8:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Fri - 12 noon - 5:00 p.m.

If you plan to come especially to visit the Library, please telephone to verify hours: 925-283-8575, ext. 322. Voicemail is available.

Looking for Good Jewish books? If you find one via Google Book Search, call the Temple Library. We probably have it.

     

Goals

• To educate students in philanthropy and to teach about the power of educated charitable giving.
• To emphasize the value of Tzedakah as an integral part of adult Jewish life.
• To provide a meaningful alternative to the materialism that is often a large part of the B’nai Mitzvah experience in contemporary America.
• To relieve some pressure on families by agreeing voluntarily and collectively that donations to the Seventh Grade Fund will replace customary gifts to B’nai Mitzvah.
• To provide targeted financial gifts to advance the cause of one or more charitable service organizations.
• To foster a sense of responsibility and effectiveness within the Seventh Grade Community by giving them the power to make positive change in the world.

Sept. 25, 2009

Time TBA

Offsite in San Francisco in the Mission District.

Your WOI hostesses will be Lynn Gitomer and Lynn Epstein. Donation is $36 per person. Limited to 20 participants.

Join Women of Isaiah for a fun, unique day in the city, as we visit San Francisco’s Mission District, where we take a private walking tour of the beautiful outdoor murals. Bring your cameras! We’ll pause at a neighborhood cafe, sample amazing ice cream flavors at a little shop around the corner, and enjoy a delicious lunch at a local taqueria.  Save the date: Sept. 25th, 2009.  Your WOI hostesses will be Lynn Gitomer and Lynn Epstein. Donation is $36 per person. Limited to 20 participants.

Aug. 31, 2009

9:00 AM

Gan Ilan Classrooms in the Talmud Torah Center

Aug. 31, 2009

9:00 AM

Talmud Torah Center

Aug. 29, 2009

7 pm

Offsite at the home of Sue Adler-Bresser and David Bressler

Space is limited, so RSVP soon! Please make checks payable to: Temple Isaiah attn: Luau, and send to 3800 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA. Please include your email address for directions. Any questions? Contact Sherry Rowen at (925) 736-4420.

Dinner & Entertainment: $50.00 per person.
 
Join us for a celebration of summer at the home of Sue Adler-Bressler & David Bressler.
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors:  Suzanna & Steve Maron, Erin & Michael Bloom, Cynthia & Paul Menaker, Sherry & Harvey Rowen, Jill & David Douglas, Lise Wollenberg & Adam Zoger, Betsy Pottruck, Melisa & Larry Jakubowitz, Francie & Guy Louie.

Aug. 29, 2009

10:30 AM

Sanctuary

August 27, 2009

5:30 pm Pre-game party;
7:15 pm Baseball.

Giants Ballpark offsite

Tickets are $20/ea.
All temple members are welcome. For more information or to RSVP: Adam Portner at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)