Pesach Shini (Second Passover) comes exactly one month after Passover. It is found in the Torah in Numbers 9:1 – 14. It’s historical purpose was to prove an opportunity to observe Passover for anyone who was unable to do so at the correct time due to ritual impurity or because they were too far away from Jerusalem to get there in time to offer the Passover sacrifice. In modern times the lesson of the holiday is SECOND CHANCES. Who doesn’t value a second chance? Nissan, the spring month in which Passover falls is one of the four new years in Jewish tradition. Spring is a wonderful time to think about giving ourselves a second chance. Maybe you handled something in your interfaith family in a way that you’re not thrilled with – a big holiday like Christmas or Passover, a minor holiday like Chanukah, or an interpersonal discussion like whether to explain Jesus to the kids – maybe you want a do-over. Let’s discuss that again honey, and this time I promise to listen better. Spring is a wonderful time to reconsider whether Christmas, Chanukah, Passover or Easter went well or not. Life isn’t fair; I think we all know this. But we do our best to be fair in our treatment of others. If you want to chat with me about how you managed, or want to change an element of your family life, give me a call. Now is a great time to try something new.
Celebrate Jewish Diversity this Coming Saturday Evening!
After a year of fabulous programs, articulate speakers, thoughtful teachers and WONDERFUL participants, we are holding a CELEBRATION with music, food, and family friendly activities. We’ll start at 6:30pm with some crafts and face painting; at 7pm we’ll move into the concert with Mark Levy to hear Jewish music from around the world. After the concert we’ll have a lovely spread of interesting food! It’s all free, but you MUST pre-register.
Sign up here and include your kids so I purchase enough food!
Do it now!!
Jewish Summer Camp for Multiracial Kids & White Kids Too!
If you haven’t signed the kids up for some Jewish summer camp, you better hop on it! One camp I want to let you all know about is Camp Be’chol Lashon. Be’chol Lashon wanted Jewish kids of color to experience being with A LOT of other kids like themselves. Diane Tobin, director of Be’chol Lashon told me that the camp is not for multiracial Jews only; they welcome all Jewish kids who want to come have fun. The camp runs from July 29 to Aug. 12, 2012. Take a look at this link.
EVENTS
Tot Shabbat (Los Altos)
Tot Shabbat Childcare (Redwood City)
Torah for Tots (Walnut Creek)
Lag B’Omer Celebration (Walnut Creek)
Celebrating Jewish Racial Diversity (Oakland)
400 Miles To Freedom: A Dangerous Journey Of Escape (San Francisco)
Making Room for Shabbat (Palo Alto)
Tikkun Leyl Shavuot (Berkeley)
Tikun Leil Shavuot 5772 (Palo Alto)
Jewish Heritage Night – Oakland A’s (Oakland)
Tot Shabbat
We are looking forward to celebrating Shabbat with you and your babies and tots this Friday at 5pm! We’ll sing, schmooze, bless, eat, and have a fabulous evening. You are then welcome to stay for our wonderful musical tizmoret service at 6:15 in the main sanctuary… but no pressure! Please RSVP to our education office: youthed@betham.org so we know how much food to order. And feel free to bring loved ones and friends along with you. The more the merrier!
Date: Friday, May 4
Time: 5pm
Place: Beth Am, 26790 Arastradero Rd., Los Altos Hills
www.betham.org
Tot Shabbat Childcare
Every Saturday, 9:00 a.m. thru the end of services, in the preschool wing you can put your child in Tot Shabbat Childcare. The Tot Shabbat program includes childcare, child-friendly activities and a Shabbat service geared for ages 2-5. There is no charge, and no prior registration required.
Date: Every Saturday, Sat. May 5
Time: 9am
Place: Beth Jacob, 1550 Alameda de las Pulgas, Redwood City
www.bethjacobrwc.org
Torah for Tots
This program combines music, art and movement, and the theme for May 6 is Israel. Parents and grandparents drop their tots off at 9:00am and then join them at 11:30am for an interactive program with Rabbi Jen.
Date: Sunday, May 6
Time: 9:00am
Place: B’nai Shalom, in rooms 3 and 4 in the preschool, 74 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek
www.bshalom.org
Lag B’Omer Celebration
Join us for a traditional Lag B’Omer bonfire for roasting potatoes and marshmallows. Flying Falafel will be serving some of the best falafel in the Bay Area while we listen to music and tell stories. After eating delectable s’mores, you can be one of the first to view and purchase unique Israeli art from the Safrai Gallery.
Date: Thursday, May 10
Time: 5:30pm-8:00pm
Place: B’nai Shalom, 74 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek
www.bshalom.org
Celebrating Jewish Racial Diversity
We have a fantastic year of programs about Jews of all colors, here and around the world. Are you a Jew of color? Are you in a multiracial family? Do you support Jewish diversity? Good! Join us for music, food, children’s activities and celebration!
Date: Saturday, May 12
Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm
Place: Temple Sinai, 2808 Summit St., Oakland
Free BUT YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER so we can get enough food!
400 Miles To Freedom: A Dangerous Journey Of Escape
In 1984, the Beta Israel, a secluded 2,500-year-old community of Jews in northern Ethiopia, began a secret and dangerous journey of escape. Avishai Mekonen, then 10 years old, was among them. In his film, 400 Miles to Freedom: A Dangerous Journey of Freedom, he breaks his 20-year silence about the kidnapping he endured during his community’s exodus to Israel and then on to the United States. Working with Be’chol Lashon, Avishai tells a story beyond his own, connecting his trek to other people affected by immigration and diaspora, and with other Jews of color around the world.
Date: Monday, May 14
Time: 7:00pm
Place: JCCSF, 3200 California St., SF
Cost: Tickets are $20 for the general public and $10 for students, but the special discount code of LASHON can be used for $10 general admission tickets. Their website is screwed up so go to this link and click on May 14 on the calendar on the right side to order your tickets.
Making Room for Shabbat
Join us for a very special Making Room for Shabbat featuring local and organic farm-fresh ingredients! Co-sponsored by Hazon, leading the New Jewish Food Movement.
Also, get a taste for some local (kosher and organic) Pinot Noir from congregant Len Lehman’s winery, Portola Vineyards (Don’t worry, we’ll have kid-friendly pasta as usual)
Learn more about sustainable eating in a Jewish context Outdoor service featuring Angela Gold on guitar, plus DIY Herb-planting project starting at 5:30, services at 6
Date: May 18
Time: 5:30pm
Place: Kol Emeth, 4175 Manuela Ave Palo Alto
$8 per person or $11 to have wine with your meal (please specify in RSVP)
RSVP by May 16th to ariana@kolemeth.org
Tikkun Leyl Shavuot
A unique community-wide celebration and night of learning, a spiritual journey bringing together Jews with varied perspectives and affiliations. Stay for an hour—or stay until dawn! We will be led in study by teachers from our diverse Bay Area Jewish community.
We would love you to join us for family programming in the early evening, featuring sessions for ages 2-12. We are also offering childcare and a sleeping room (for ages 2 and up) until the end of the Tikkun. Parents must provide bedding, stay on-site and pre-register.
Click to download the Tikkun 2012 Flyer. Join us in celebrating Shavuot!
Sat-Sun, May 26 – 27, Dusk ‘till Dawn, Free
JCC East Bay, Berkeley Branch
Contact: Lauren Greis
Email: tikkun@jcceastbay.org
Tikun Leil Shavuot 5772
Celebrate the holiday of receiving the torah by studying till the break of dawn.
Our panelists, Rabbis David Booth, Ari Cartun, Janet Marder, and Elisheva Salamo will endeavor to emulate Beit Hillel, discussing what concerns them about their own Jewish movement, and what they admire about Jewish denominations other than their own.
8:00pm Rabbinical Discussion: Elu V’Elu Divrei Elohim Chayim, These and Those are the Word of the Living God
9:15pm Shavuot Evening Service (Conservative, Liberal Reconstructionist & Meditative)
8:00pm-11:00pm Camp Shavuot
Date: Saturday, May 26
Time: 8:00pm – 8:00am
Place: Kol Emeth, 4175 Manuela Avenue, Palo Alto
www.kolemeth.org
Jewish Heritage Night – Oakland A’s
Watch the A’s battle the LA Dodgers for the second annual Jewish Heritage Night. All participants that purchase a special ticket for this event from the link below will receive special Plaza Infield seating, an exclusive Jewish Heritage giveaway item and a traditional Jewish food item served in the Westside Club. It is also Chevy Free Parking Tuesday so parking is free.
Date: Tuesday, June 19
Time: 7:05pm
Place: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland
For more info : Josh Feinberg, jfeinberg@oaklandathletics.com, 510.563.2205