We hope that this pre-Shabbat message finds you all enriched by a meaningful Thanksgiving experience. The fact that we, as Americans, dedicate special time every year to reflect on our ample blessings enhances our daily Jewish practice expressing thanks to our Creator multiple times a day for things that are so easily taken for granted. CLICK HERE to see some of the morning blessings of gratitude recited daily in the Jewish tradition. They can be very centering before launching into our hectic daily schedules and routines.
Our pre-Thanksgiving packing event on Wednesday afternoon, November 24 was a perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. 32 people were present to prepare 50 backpacks of Love and 1000 snack kits. Leah and Noah Lederman brought friends from TVT to help our terrific team of volunteers and the synergy was inspiring. It was a lifting, multigenerational event that brought together people from our community who never may have met. We hope to do something like this next year on the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving, so save the date 😊.
Thank you to all those who have already made financial contributions toward our Backpacks of Love and Care project. We are still in need and happily accepting donations to adopt backpacks and snack kits. If you would like to join this community expression of lovingkindness, CLICK HERE. Thank you in advance for sharing your generous hearts with our unsheltered neighbors. At this time of year when we are called to focus on pause our ample blessings (that include having food and protective shelter), this kind of outreach is especially poignant.
If you are interested in volunteering to help us on Friday, December 3 from 9 -11am to do some more packing, please sign up here.
Finally - we want to wish everyone a happy and meaningful Hanukkah celebration. The fact that the first candle will be lit this coming Sunday night reminds us of the unusual calendar confluence in 2013 when Hanukkah began the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. That Thanksgivukkah was a once-in-a-lifetime memory.
We hope you will be able to join us for one or more of the community Hanukkah celebrations listed below in our calendar of upcoming events.
Modim anachnu lifnei Adonai... We are grateful to God for all the miracles, great and small, that have allowed us to reach this special moment that calls us to appreciate and share our countless blessings.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Marcia Tilchin and the Collaborative Team
Friday, November 26 at 6:00pm (PST) FRIDAY NIGHT BY CANDLELIGHT
Rabbi Marcia Tilchin leads a Friday night service with special guest. Join on Zoomor Facebook.
Saturday, November 27 at 2:00pm (PST) TWELVE STEPS & TORAH Shabbat afternoon Torah study informed by the wisdom of Twelve Step recovery. Join us on Zoom. For more information and to be added to the Twelve Steps & Torah email list, click here.
HAVDALAH TOGETHER Saturday, November 27 at 6:00pm (PST) Jackie Menter, Director of the Orange County Jewish Coalition for Refugees, joined by OCJCR board members, will provide an overview of Operation Allies Welcome and the opportunities and challenges in helping resettle over 60,000 Afghan evacuees. Join on Zoom or Facebook.
Monday, November 29h at 9:30am (PST) ADVANCED LEARNING INSTITUTE Please sign-up to attend our exciting four-week course with Hazzan and Ph.D candidate, Matt Austerklein, "Innovative Disruptions in Jewish Music" offered in partnership with the Cantors Assembly and Ivrim: Jews Without Borders. To learn more, register, and view the recording of last week's class click here. November 15, 22, 29 and December 6.
Friday, December 3rd at 9:00am VOLUNTEER TO FILL BACKPACKS OF LOVE AND CARE Volunteer with us at City Net in Anaheim next week to fill backpacks with winter clothing and food kits to be distributed to our unsheltered neighbors. Click here to donate in support of this project and/or to sign up to volunteer.
SAVE THE DATES & RSVP FOR THESE DECEMBER PROGRAMS
Wednesday, December 1 at 7:00pm (PST)
ALI EVENING CLASS: REMIX JUDAISM Join us to learn with author and professor Roberta Kwall, author of Remix Judaism: Preserving Tradition in a Diverse World. This class will focus on Jewish marriage and transmission of tradition by parents and grandparents. Join on Zoom here.
Friday, December 3rd at 6:00pm SHABBAT BY THE SHORE & TEMPLE ISAIAH CELEBRATE HANUKKAH JCoOC joins Temple Isaiah for our next Shabbat potluck dinner in Newport Beach. Services will begin at 6:00pm led by Rabbi Marcia Tilchin and Scott Spitzer, followed by a vegetarian/dairy potluck dinner. Register hereto attend in person.
Saturday, December 4th at 6:30pm (PST) NEW MOON UNION AND HAVDALAH TOGETHER December's New Moon Union program with Kohenet Rachel Kann or Realize Paradise falls on Saturday evening in conjunction with Havdalah Together. This month special guest Kohenet Kezirah Lesser joins. Learn more and find the Zoom link here.
Saturday, December 11 at 6:00pm (PST) HAVDALAH TOGETHER Author, Joel Porema joins us at Heritage Pointe to speak about his new book,My Name is Staszek Surdel: The Improbable Holocaust Survival of Nathan Poremba, the Last Jew of Wieliczka. Join us in person or virtually. Click here for more information and Zoom link. Click here to RSVP if you will attend in person.
Sunday, December 12 at 10am (PST) LET'S GET REEL PRESENTS 40 NICKELS Our next Let's Get Reel program - in partnership with the OC Jewish Coalition for Refugees - will feature 40 Nickels. Still on the film festival circuit, this movie has not yet been released to most audiences. We will present the short film on Zoom followed by a conversation with Director, Yasmin Goremberg. Read more.Register in advance here.
Saturday, December 18 at 6:15 MUSIC, MEMORY & PROMISE BENEFIT CONCERT JCoOC, in partnership with Chamber Music OC and Violins of Hope LA presents Music, Memory, and Promise: A Benefit Concertson Dec.18th. Proceeds from the performance will benefit JCoOC's Jewish community arts partnerships and initiatives and CMOC's Irv Weinstein Scholarship Memorial Fund. To learn more and reserve tickets, please click here. performances can also be enjoyed virtually.
TheJewish Collaborative of Orange County is a creative, collaborative, and compassionate community mosaic dedicated to innovating and supporting local and national programming that enriches the landscape of Jewish life and encouraging individuals and families to connect their passions and purpose with Judaism.
Jewish Collaborative of Orange County 2200 San Joaquin Hills Rd. Newport Beach, CA 92660
