june 2006 ~ sivan - tammuz 5766

in this issue
-- Gifts of Light
-- News from Dor Hadash
-- eScrip and more...
-- Board News ~ President's Letter
-- Community Announcements
-- Etz Chaim ~Tree of Life
-- Jewish Family and Children's Services
-- Donations Make a Difference!
-- Newsletter Guidelines

Chevre and Friends...

Announcements:

No-Cost Fundraising Coordinator Needed. Help raise funds for Ner Shalom. No-cost fundraising programs include e-Scrip, Albertson's, Raley's, and Communitysmart. Help people easily sign up for these effortless contribution programs. Please phone Michelle Marks at 778-6346 to take on this coordinator position to make a big difference for our commmunity. Scroll down and see the eScrip and more...column below.

The 2/3 grade class at Dor Hadash prayer for peace:
Blessed be you, our G-d and G-d of our fathers and our mothers,
Please let there be no war.
Please stop cutting down the forests.
Let everyone be warmhearted.
Don't let any more animals become extinct.
Let all children of the world have warm beds and enough food to eat.
May we all learn to be generous with each other.
Amen

ADMINISTRATOR’S WISH LIST: Volunteers to clean the kitchen, including the refrigerator, kitchen sink and stove top.

RABBI ELISHEVA SALAMO is on sabbatical until September 1st. If you need to speak to a Rabbi with an urgent matter, you may phone Rabbi George Gittleman at Shomrei Torah at 578-551

Gifts of Light

MEMORIAL DONATIONS...
WARREN LEVIN, a donation in memory of Helen Levin
ARIANA ELSTER, a donation in memory of Hyman Elster
OFFERINGS...
MOLLI & JAMES NAGEL, a donation in honor of James’s grandmother, Gertrude Zaidlin and in honor of Suzy Raful
DR. LAWRENCE & CAROLYN ZAROFF, a donation in honor of Ariana Elster’s presidency
EVELYN SACKLER, a donation in honor of Rebecca Cohen’s Bat Mitzvah
SOPHIA SIMKOVER, a donation to Dor Hadash in honor of Joelle Hagen’s Confirmation
ERIC EHRMANN, a donation to the General Fund

THANK YOU TO...
BARBARA TOBIN & CASS SMITH for sponsoring the April 21st Oneg
MARY ANN MALINAK & ARTHUR MAGNUS and ROBYN LEVY for sponsoring the May 5th Oneg
SHARI BRENNER and NINA CARSON for sponsoring the May 19th Oneg

News from Dor Hadash

Shalom Chevre,
As I look over the past year at Dor Hadash, I think that we can agree that it has been an enjoyable and successful year. A few of the highlights were the re-creation of the Second Temple, our Tu B'shvat celebration and Tikkun Olam project with the Cotati Creek Critters, Purim and the play for the seniors, put on by the confirmation class, the Not In Our Town 7th grade pilot project, the Co-existence show and the art that our students created out of the inspirational poster ideas.
A new and important aspect of the school this year was the curriculum written by Rebbe Elisheva. This detailed curriculum taught the students both history and spirituality in a thoughtful and consistent manner from one week to the next. It gave a structure for our teachers to work within, while using their individual strengths to modify when they had their own creative ideas. This curriculum will be used year to year and the students will deepen their understanding as they go through each yearly cycle. Todah Rabah to the Rebbe for her devotion to this enormous task!!

In addition, the real work goes on each week in the classroom with our wonderful group of teachers. You will notice that wherever your child's Hebrew level was at the beginning of the year, that he/she has made a lot of progress in reading Hebrew. Of course, our fabulous Bar and Bat Mitzvahs that took place over the course of the year were inspirational for us as adults and for all the students in the school when they attended the ceremonies. I want to thank Karen Mitchell, Barkat Ferar, Debbie Fass, Devorah Blum, David Stolowitz, and Rebbe Elisheva for bringing their patience and wisdom into the classroom to nurture and teach our students. I also want to thank our madrichim - Gabe Adams, Tyler and Joelle Hagen, and Sophia Ferar. They are the ones who do everything that the teachers and I cannot keep up with-- like setting up chairs, putting away chairs, snack delivery and clean up, xeroxing, and on top of that, helping to teach in the classroom. New to the school this year was a tutoring program as part of the confirmation class. Thank you for your patience and help with tutoring students to Dylan Field, Joelle Hagen, Michelle Lazar, Audra Wingard, Blake Pepper-Tunick, Sahar Levy, Nalani Genser, Lyla Crawford-Levis, Corrie Koper, Haylee Winn, and Aiden Elster.

Todah Rabah to Margo Norman, who took on all the responsibility for snacks during the school year. And to Ariana Elster, our president, for her support of our school.

Todah Gadola (BIG thanks) to Liz Hagen, Michelle Marks and Claire MacElroy for your incredible persistence with helping on the Education Havurah and with the financial responsibilities, which are enormous.

And Todah Rabah to all the parents who helped in innumerable ways when I asked for volunteers for every event that took place at the school. These events could not have happened with out your support.

We raised a few hundred dollars with our tzedakah collections that either went to the Jewish Free Clinic, or to help with humanitarian efforts through the American Jewish World Service. Remember, if you save one life, it is as though you have saved the world.

We are already beginning to plan some exciting events for the 2006-2007 school year. We look forward to visiting with families from the Islamic Society in the fall. We will concentrate on preparing our students for a successful visit before this event, and we will encourage everyone's participation.

Our enrollment grew by 20% from last year to this year. Let's all try to bring friends, relatives, and acquaintances into Dor Hadash for next fall, so that the school can continue to thrive, build a larger community for our children, and bringing acts of loving kindness into the world - gimmilut hasadim.

Thank you for your support, and have a healthy and safe summer!!

L'hitraot,
Leslie

"The most direct means for attaching ourselves to G-d from this material world is through music and song. Even if you can't sing well, sing. Sing to yourself. Sing in the privacy of your own home. But sing."
Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav

eScrip and more..

Do you need new tires or more for your vehicle? If you do, than check out the participating merchants in the eScrip (two are Big O Tires and Pep Boys) www.eScrip.com and Communitysmart (such as McLea's Tire) www.communitysmart.com programs. All it takes is having work done at one of these merchants and then when you go to pay for it present your Communitysmart card or use your credit/debit card linked with eScrip. Its so easy to make your vehicle safe and provide a donation to your community.

eScrip shoppers please make sure you keep your credit/debit cards up to date. Just go on-line to www.eScrip.com and check out "my escrip" to see what your expiration dates and card numbers are on their records.

Oliver's and about 9 other markets belong to the Communitysmart Card program. Oliver's shoppers please note this major change!! To join this program you can: instantly join by asking for a card at Oliver's checkout counter; call COMMUNITYsmart at 568-4995 or go on-line to www.communitysmart.com. When you check out at one of the participating merchants, you slide your Communitysmart card just like a debit card to get credit for your transaction. This program requires that a certain minimum be spent but then we receive a greater rebate (for Oliver's you need to spend $25 for a rebate of 5%).

Albertson's shoppers can participate by connecting your blue and white Preferred Savers card to Ner Shalom by going to www.Albertsons. com or using a tan and white Community Partners card Michelle can provide you.

Raley's users just need to obtain a Raley's partner's card from Michelle and activate it through their website (Raleys.com). Using the card without activating it for Ner Shalom will leave those rebates in suspense.

Not sure where you stand with all these programs? Give Michelle Marks a call at 778-6346 or e-mail her at Steven.Marks@prodigy.net and let her help you make a difference today.

Board News ~ President's Letter

Dear Members and Friends of Ner Shalom,
Our Evening with Michael Krasny was a phenomenal success in many different ways.
First of all, Krasny - our featured speaker - was both informative and entertaining, often bringing the house down with laughter at his Jewish stories and jokes. Krasny put Jewish comics from Milton Berle and Eddie Cantor to Lenny Bruce and Jon Stewart in historical perspective and in sociological and political place.
Second, our profits from ticket sales and the silent auction netted us a whopping $11,000 that was divided between Ner Shalom and The Jewish Community Free Clinic. This guarantees that Ner Shalom's fiscal year ending this June 30 will end up in the black.

Third, the Jubilee Klezmer band treated us to great music before and during dinner. Our delicious food was catered by Rick Rozet of Savory Truffle Catering service.

This multi-faceted event could not have happened so successfully had it not been for a broad number of volunteers: Peggy Tourje (auction), Denise Meier (facilities), and Amy Levin Koman (graphics). Our great appreciation goes to all of those really big helpers: Devi Ati, Sally Churgel, Irma Cordova, Rozalia Dague, Johanna Edmunds, Steve Einstein, Karuna Gerstein, Marilyn Jaffe, Richard Koman, Jane Krensky, Archie Lewinstein, John Maas, Claudia Menendez, Alice Perlman, Ellen Solot, Carol Vanek, Dan Williamson.

Although not mentioned, many others helped in significant ways. Big thanks to all of you. We are most grateful to all of the guests who attended. Toda Raba.

Our most important Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, June 11, 10:30am to 12:30pm. We will elect new members to the Board, review our financial situation, and vision our future. PLEASE attend if you are a member of this congregation. This really is your chance to have a say in the leadership and future of your community. We’ll have some delicious food. Bring a good joke to tell. Contact Carol in the office if you need childcare. Please join us.

From your Board

Ariana Elster

OFFICERS OF THE BOARD

President - Ariana Elster 824-5609
e-mail: aelster@comcast.net

Vice President - Your name here

Secretary - Anna Ghandour 584-4829
e-mail: huskyanna@yahoo.com

Treasurer - Claire MacElroy 878-2572
e-mail: macelroy_home@sbcglobal.net

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Education - Liz Hagen 829-3031
e-mail: lizhagen@earthlink.net

Finance - Claire MacElroy 878-2572
e-mail: macelroy_home@sbcglobal.net

Religious Practices - Ari Kimiti Wang'oo 239- 9615
e-mail: kimitiwangoo@yahoo.com

Building Maintenance - Mark Cohen 792- 4368
e-mail: mcsax420@netscape.net

No-Cost Fundraising - Michelle Marks 778- 6346
e-mail: steven.marks@prodigy.net

Personnel - Anna Ghandour 584-4829
e-mail: huskyanna@yahoo.com

Membership - Sally Churgel 823-0541
e-mail: churgel@pacbell.net

Newsletter - Pam Pepper 588-8824
e-mail: twinsushilover27@yahoo.com

Publicity - your name here

Website - Anne Woods
e-mail: rainywoods@yahoo.com

Rabbi: Elisheva Sachs Salamo 664-8603

Dor Hadash Education Director: Leslie Gattmann
e-mail: lgatttmann@msn.com

Cantor: Bella Bogart

Office Manager: Carol Vanek 664-8622
e-mail: shalom@sonic.net
Office Hours: Tues.-Fri. 9:00 AM- 2:00 PM

Community Announcements

How can we defend Israel against hateful propaganda?
In the San Francisco Bay Area, many are working to sway public opinion against Israel. We cannot afford public opinion of Israel’s most important ally, the U.S., to become anti-Israel.
Some organizations in the Bay Area that spread anti- Israel propaganda are:
The International Solidarity Movement (ISM)
The Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA)
Al Awda
These organizations manipulate, omit, or lie about history, and play on people’s emotions (using children, as in MECA), in order to create sympathy for Palestinians, while making Israel the “bad guy.” They take their messages to the public at events such as anti-war marches, and hold public events featuring anti-Israel speakers.
Learn how to counter this influence. Dr. Mike Harris, a member of San Francisco Voice for Israel, a local grassroots Israel advocacy group, will give a presentation that will show you how we can effectively counter this type of Israel-bashing in the public arena.
When: Sunday, June 18, 7:30 P.M.
Where: Congregation Beth Ami, 4676 Mayette Ave., Santa Rosa, CA
Refreshments served
Contact: Rick Krigstein, phone (707) 586-9450
The Alliance for the Study of the Holocaust (ASH) & the SSU Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide are pleased to present
An Event Honoring Holocaust Survivors & Supporters of Holocaust Education
Sunday, Sept 17, 2006
3 to 5 p.m. - Congregation Ner Shalom
85 La Plaza in Cotati Please check our website for more information:www.nershalom.org

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation West Coast Region website: www.jrf.org/westcoast

Ongoing Toy and Book Drive for Jewish Community Free Clinic
Donations of gently used toys and/or books can be brought to Free Clinic on ongoing basis at 421 E. Cotati Avenue, Suite C, or call 792-1932.

Interested in an Interest-Free Loan?
The Hebrew Free Loan Association provides interest-free loans to Jewish residents in Northern California needing assistance with personal or financial matters. Types of loans include: Student, Emergency, Adoption, Personal, Business, First-time Home Buyer, Life Cycle, Debt Consolidation, Institutional (for Jewish communal agencies and synagogues) and Special Needs (for emotionally and physically challenged people).

Since 1897, the Hebrew Free Loan of San Francisco has provided vital assistance to more than 50,000 families. Each year, we help more than 350 people to reach their goals and pave their way towards financial security and future success.

We offer a helping hand, rather than a handout. Whether we're providing people a way out of their financial distress, or helping them to realize a lifelong dream, our recipients maintain dignity and self- sufficiency as they repay their interest-free loans.

If you, or someone you know, needs financial assistance and would like to apply for an interest- free loan, please contact us by phone (415-546- 9902) or e-mail info@hflasf.org.
Check out our website: www.hflasf.org.

ASK JCI & R
Q: We are planning a vacation to far-flung areas. We enjoy connecting with Jewish communities. Where can I find out the names of synagogues, Jewish sightseeing, and Kosher restaurants?

A: For all you wandering Jews out there: Whether you are traveling for fun or business, relocating, or just plain curious, Jewish communities and synagogues exist everywhere, from Australia to Zurich. Call us and we will share capsule histories and demographics. We can connect you with synagogues, food, Kosher restaurants, and historic sites. Cruising? We can tell you about Kosher cruises. Surfing? We share websites for the world Jewish traveler. Please let us know if you would like a free "Insider’s Guide to the Israel experience."

* Visit Israel in the Gardens, Sunday June 4

For more information about connecting to Jewish life, call JCI & R at 415/777-4545 or local toll-free 877- 777-JCIR (5247)
Jewish Community Information and Referral is a service of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and Sonoma counties. Visit our websites at: www.JewishNfo.org or bayarea.planitjewish.com

Etz Chaim ~Tree of Life

Etz Chaim - Tree of Life
Our Tree of Life in the Oneg room began as a way to thank those in our community who worked so hard to establish our permanent home in Cotati.
It will now be used to help Ner Shalom continue to flourish through the celebration of life events. A simcha leaf to honor a special life event and a pomegranate to commemorate the seeds of our community's hard work, our B'nai Mitzvahs, can be obtained through a donation of 10 Chai or $180 To mark your special occasion with a simcha leaf or pomegranate please contact the office.

Jewish Family and Children's Services

See our website www.nershalom.org/news/JFCS for programs and classes listed for June at JFCS in Sonoma County.
All low-cost/ no-cost JFCS and Parents Place programs listed on our website are non-sectarian and open to all members of the public.

Donations Make a Difference!

Donations to Ner Shalom Make A Difference!
*Building Repair Fund
*Dor Hadash School
*Etz Chaim (Tree of Life)
*General Fund
*Music Fund
*Rabbi's Discretionary Fund
*Teen Fund
*Tikkun Olam Fund
*Written Word/Torah Fund

Honor some one; remember an event or a special person. Donations (minimum of $6 {1/3 Chai} per listing) will be listed in the Gifts of Light section of the next newsletter. Send the donation to the office with the appropriate designation or call the office at 664-8622 for more information. Your generous support of Ner Shalom is greatly appreciated.

Memorialize the memory of a loved one with a Yahrzeit Plaque on our Wall of Remembrance. The cost of a plaque and inscription is $200 Please contact the office at 664-8622 for more information.

Newsletter Guidelines

*1. Deadline will be at 2:00p.m. on the first Friday of every month (unless arrangements have been made with the editor of the newsletter.)

*2. All submissions should be sent to the editor via e- mail with the subject heading: NL submission.

*3. Editor will change, edit, or delete any or all portions of submission(s) as deemed necessary without prior approval of the author.

*4. Editor is not responsible for retrieving submissions from other sources. It is the responsibility of the author to submit all necessary components to the editor by the deadline.