Enjoy Torah Sparks - creative commentaries on the weekly Torah and Haftarah readings written by Conservative Yeshiva faculty.
Click hereto enjoy this week's segment of JFOC's series
"סיפרי עמינו": Stories of Our People."
Dear Friends,
In this week's parashah, T'tzavveh, we continue to receive instructions about the creation of the mishkan and all the accoutrements that go with the theater of bringing us closer to God in sacred space. One focus this week is on bigdei kodesh - sacred priestly vestments (elaborate ritual costume) for Aaron and his sons.
Just as these holy servants were empowered to serve God by their clothing, so too prayer is empowered and emboldened by the music through which it is delivered.
This weekend JCoOC will be joining Kol Tefilla - an annual program hosted by USCJand Temple Beth Am in L.A. dedicated to exposing congregational leaders from all over the country to successful models of traditional prayer innovation.
All services will be led collaboratively by gifted spiritual leaders from around the country who are shaping Jewish prayerful expression in our time. Services will be available on Youtube for everyone to enjoy. Times listed are PST and all links are accessible through Temmple Beth Am's website www.tbala.org.
Saturday morning 9:15am-noon - Shabbat Hafukha (literally "upside down Shabbat") - beginning with Musaf and ending with a song-filled Psukei d'zimra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITjWd3PGF_s
May the music in our hearts always bring us closer to the Divine.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Marcia Tilchin
Friday, February 11 at 5:15 pm (PDT) FRIDAY NIGHT BY CANDLELIGHT JCoOC joins Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles for Shabbat Sovev, part of their Kol Tefilla Shabbaton. Join the livestream here. TempleBeth Am is hosting this fourth annual weekend of learning and prayer. View the schedule here.
Saturday, February 12 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.
Saturday, February 12 at 6:45 pm (PDT) KOL TEFILLA CONCERT All are welcome to attend the Kol Tefilla concert featuring: Chava Mirel, Elana Arian, Deborah Sacks-Mintz, Rabbis Yosef Goldman, Ariel Root Wolpe, Josh Warshawsky and Micah Shapiro. Don't miss out!
Monday, February 14 at 9:30am (PST) ADVANCED LEARNING INSTITUTE Join Cantor Matt Austerklein's A Jewish Guide to the Orchestra, part two: Woodwinds -- Joy, Grief, and Shepherding. This series covers the four major sections of the symphony orchestra looking back at their antecedents in the Bible and across thousands of years of Jewish culture. To learn more, view last week's class, and register click here.
Sunday through Thursday 6:00 (PST) OC EGAL NIGHTLY MINYAN If you are looking for a place to say Mourner's Kaddish, oberserve a yahrzeit, or participate in an evening minyan, OC Egal meets online five nights a week. Click here to receive the private Zoom link. All are welcome.
Sunday, March 6 at 8:00am HAZON OC BIKE RIDE JCoOC is a proud partner of Hazon's first OC Bike Ride supporting environmental education and sustainability efforts in Jewish communities throughout North America and Israel. To learn more, register, or become a team captain click here.
The Jewish Collaborative of Orange County is grateful to sponsor the OC Collaborative HIAS Welcome Circle. Circle members include: Sam Balchowsky, Marlene Burnett, Rudi Berkelhammer, Gail Dratch, Pamela Kause, Barbara Rosen, and others. HIAS Welcome Circle teams sponsor and provide guidance to an Afghan family who was evacuated during the airlift out of Kabul in August, 2021. Our Afghan family will soon be resettled in Orange County. Click here to learn more and add your support.
Donations of any amount will be a great help toward reaching our minimum goal of $20,000 and are greatly appreciated. Thank you for participating with us in the special mitzvah of Welcoming the Stranger.
SAVE THESE DATES
Friday, February 18th at 6:00pm (PST) FRIDAY NIGHT BY CANDLELIGHT Reach across the aisle to join Rabbi Marcia Tilchin and Jason Feddy for JCoOC's inaugural"All the Presidents Shabbes," featuring musical favorites of past presidents and a special D'var Torah offered by presidential scholar, Dr. Scott Spitzer. Join on Zoom or Facebook.
Saturday, February 19 at 6pm (PST) HAVDALAH TOGETHER Meet the organizers of OC's first Hazon Bike Ride, dedicated to raising awareness and support for Jewish Environmental Justice Work nationwide and in Israel. Susan and Robert will be joined by a Hazon representative who will share the organization's vision and answer questions. Join on Zoom or Facebook.
Mondays in March at 9:30am (PDT) ADVANCED LEARNING INSTITUTE Professor and Shakespeare scholar, Julia Lupton, leads a three-part series, Shakespeare and Hebrew Wisdom Literature on March 7, 14, and 21. Click here to learn more and register. Join on Zoom or Facebook.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Tuesday, February 22 at 7:30pm
L'DOR V'DOR: AN ORIGINAL PLAY Lauren Simon's new play, L'Dor v'Dor is part of a trilogy exploring assimilation, identity, race, and religion in a contemporary American families. Rabbi Marcia tilchin will help facilitate a post-play conversation on themes raised in the performance. Purchase tickets here.
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
November 10,17,24 and December 1
Mondays - 9:30 am PT | 12:30 pm ET Register here
When you think about biblical women, what images and words come to mind? Temptress? Victim? Women subjugated by husbands or fathers? Close textual reading reveals that these stereotypes are incongruous with the actual lived experiences of female characters in TaNaKh. In this course we will gain some new insights into the extraordinary women that populate the pages of our Holy Scriptures.
Dror Israel: Educating for Hope and Healing in Times of War
Wednesday, November 12 at 7:00pm
Sivan Bamberger, International Development Director for Dror Israel
Hosted at a private home in Orange RSVP HERE
Bringing Heaven Down To Earth: Integrating High Holy Day Wisdom into Everyday Life
Grounded in the Jewish prophetic value of Pikuach Nefesh, JQ offers free virtual monthly and drop-in support groups for LGBTQ+ Jews and allies. Learn more
ExploringJudaism.org is about embracing the beauty and complexity of Judaism and our personal search for meaning and learning. No matter who you are or your experience in Judaism there is something to learn and explore.
JCoOC is an exempt organization in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code EIN: 36-4844121
