May 24-25, 2008
Eretz Yisrael: Our Connection to the People and the Land
9:15 AM
CHILDCARE
KITAH BET/ROOM 8
Drop off your children ages 2 through 10 so you can attend an event. Children will join the Shabbat service in the sanctuary close to noon to sing Ein Keloheinu with the congregation.
9:30 AM
TRADITIONAL SHABBAT SERVICE WITH GUEST SPEAKER DEVI MARGOLIN
Being Pro Israel on Campus
SANCTUARY
Supporting Israel has become a challenge on college campuses, particularly in California. UC Davis college student and congregant Devi Margolin will share her experiences at Davis and her Junior Year abroad in Israel as well as discuss some of the dynamics facing Jewish youth on campus today. The talk will occur at approximately 11:00 a.m.
KIDDUSH LUNCH
Lunch Israeli Style
SOCIAL HALL
Join us for a delicious Israeli lunch prepared by congregant Mary Odenheimer. Pita, hummus, salads—you’ll feel like your spending Shabbat in Eretz Yisrael!
1 PM
BUILDING JERUSALEM ONE LEGO AT A TIME
SOCIAL HALL
The Old City of Jerusalem comes alive as we build the walls, the 8 gates to the city, the Kotel, and all the important elements that make up the old city. Participants will use their imagination in constructing each part of the model. The activity is appropriate for all ages, although the littlest ones may need parental supervision. Adults strongly encouraged to attend—you’ll be surprised how much fun you have!
INTRO TO CONVERSATIONAL HEBREW
LIBRARY
Learn how to introduce yourself, exchange greetings, and ask and answer questions about yourself. Bet Sefer teacher Leeor Frankel will help you develop some basic Hebrew skills.
WASSERMAN SPEAKER SERIES
Supported by a fund established in honor of the late Leo and Helen Wasserman, we are pleased to announce our Saturday morning speaker series for the coming year:
ISRAEL SPEAKER SERIES
This year we are featuring a series of speakers on Israel from across the political spectrum. Certainly, one can glean knowledge from any of these speakers, but attendance at all three will give a more complete picture of what’s going on in Israel.
Amy Friedkin, Past President of AIPAC
Saturday, October 6
Amy Friedkin served as the national president of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee from May 2002 until May 2004. She was the first woman to hold that post. Currently she serves as the national chair of the board of AIPAC. Amy meets regularly with our country’s leaders in Congress and in the White House to ensure that the U.S.-Israel friendship remains strong and secure. Amy travels to Israel frequently to meet with the prime minister, members of Knesset and IDF officials, and speaks to communities throughout the United States to convey AIPAC’s message. Amy is a native of Northern California where she raised her two sons and became a leader in every aspect of Jewish life in the Bay Area, including president of the Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay from 1988-1990. She was honored by the Jewish Women’s Archives and the Lions of Judah as one of 25 “exceptional contemporary women of achievement.” Long-time friend Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) said, “When Amy looks into the eyes of a legislator, they know she speaks from the heart. She has her facts straight. She has a deep commitment for Israel. It comes through. It’s contagious and very effective.”
David Pine, Americans for Peace Now
Saturday, October 27, 11 AM (approximately)
David Pine is the West Coast Director of Americans for Peace Now, the American branch of the Israeli movement Shalom Achshav. Shalom Achshav is both a grass-roots movement and a political party in Israel. Their platform calls for the “evacuation of settlements and the creation of a viable Palestinian State,” believing it is the only way to be “consistent” with Israel's long-term security needs and its Jewish and democratic values.”
Pastor Victor Styrsky, Christians United for Israel
Saturday, November 10, 11 AM (approximately)
Pastor Victor Styrsky is the California Director of CUFI, Christians United for Israel, a national grassroots movement focused on support for Israel in America. As it says on their website: “During the Holocaust, too many Christians were silent, and we were left to mourn the slaughter of 6 million Jews. Today, Christians must speak up and stand up for Israel… Our faith demands it. The times demand it. Silence is not an option. Pastor Styrsky is based in Sacramento and has a wife and a daughter. He also performs with a rock band called “The Wild Branches.”
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, “Kabbalah: A Love Story”
March 1, 11 AM (approximately)
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner is one of the most prolific rabbis of his generation. Through his lectures, articles and 15 books, he has helped shape the present agenda for per-sonal and institutional spiri-tual renewal. His most recent book, “Kabbalah: A Love Story” is his first novel, which he will be discussing in the context of general Jewish mysticism in spirituality. Rabbi Kushner is currently a scholar-in-residence at the Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco, and he also serves as Visiting Professor of Jewish Spirituality at the Graduate Theological University in Berkeley. Prior to this, he was Rabbi-in-Residence at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City where he taught spirituality and mysticism and mentored rabbinic students. Before that, he served for 28 years as the rabbi of Congregation Beth El in Sudbury, Massachusetts. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Cincinnati and was ordained rabbi from the Hebrew Union College in 1969. He and his wife, Karen, have three adult children.