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."
TURNING THE MITZVAH OF MEMORY INTO COMPASSION IN ACTION
This weekend is Shabbat Shekalim – the first of four special Shabbatot prior to Passover (this year beginning Friday night, April 15) reminding us of the ancient Israelite practice to contribute an annual shekel-per-adult that was used for necessary repairs and upgrades to the city of Jerusalem and the Temple proper in preparation for the mega Passover pilgrimage about to ensue. Fun fact: This mandated practice is one of several historical precedents for our current April 15 tax deadline.
Shabbat Zachor falls on the Saturday prior to Purim. In preparation for reading about Haman’s baseless hatred of the Jews in Megillat Esther, we chant from a second Torah scroll about the tribe of Amalek and their brutal treatment of the Israelites soon after our release from Egyptian bondage.
Shabbat HaHodesh falls on the Saturday prior to Rosh HodeshNisan, considered the birth month of the Israelite nation, giving it a special status as the first month of the year.
Finally, the Saturday before Passover is Shabbat Hagadol – the great Sabbath heralding Passover which is the defining story of our peoplehood.
Alas, the Temple in Jerusalem is no more, and for many assimilated Jews, Passover has lost its potency. Shabbat Zachor, on the other hand, holds eternal relevance. At this moment in time, when antisemitic incidences are escalating in America to a degree never before experienced by Baby Boomers and their progeny, we must all have a heightened appreciation for this message.
There are Haman-like characters all over the world, and Jews are not the only victims. I am no expert in geopolitics, but I can say that what Putin is doing to the Ukraine is not motivated by a desire to create a safer, healthier world or to better humankind. A democratically elected government will topple, and many innocent civilians and soldiers will be senselessly killed because of one man’s greed and thirst for power. We are watching baseless hatred acted out in real time. Haman is alive and well.
The organized, compassionate Jewish world has gone into high gear to be of service to the Ukranian people that includes roughly 45,000 self-identified Jews and hundreds of thousands more with Jewish ancestry. Click on the links below to learn about ways you can offer immediate help through HIAS and Jewish Federations of North America.
To learn about Ukraine’s current Jewish population and how this crisis stands to impact that fragile community, CLICK HERE.
The biblical mandate for every Jewish person to always remember our collective history as victims of tyrants so that we can fight back when we see it happening around us is one of Torah’s most visionary commandments.
Tragically, the time, again is NOW!
Shabbat Shalom u’mevorakh, Rabbi Marcia Tilchin
Friday, February 25 at 6:00pm Pacific FRIDAY NIGHT BY CANDLELIGHT
Join Rabbi Tilchin and Cantor Zev Brooks for in-person and live-streamed services at Temple Beth Emet. Watch the livestream here. Attend in person: 1770 W. Cerritos Ave., Anaheim. Vaccinations and masks required and social distancing will be observed.
Saturday, February 26 at 2:00pm Pacific 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 26 at 7:00pm Pacific CHAMBER MUSIC OC CONCERT World-renowned guzheng musician Bei Bei Monter is featured in this exclusive interview with live audience. Hear about Bei Bei's fascinating background, prolific career, and learn about this one-of-a-kind instrument. Purchase tickets here.
Monday, February 28 at 9:30am Pacific ADVANCED LEARNING INSTITUTE Join Cantor Matt Austerklein's A Jewish Guide to the Orchestra, part four: Percussion - Miriam's Drum and the Transformative Beats of Jewish Music. 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 and view the previous week's classes click here.
Tuesday, March 1 at 9am Pacific SPECIAL ALI CLASS: BOOK OF ESTHER Bible Scholar Bex Rosenblatt leads an exploration of the Book of Esther, just in time for Purim. Please note this Advanced Learning Institute 2-part class will take place on Tuesday mornings March 1st and 8th. Learn more and register here.
Thursday, March 3 at 4:45pm Pacific
REALIZE ROSH HODESH Kohenet Rachel Kann, founder of Realize Paradise, offers a Rosh Hodesh experience for all to enjoy. In this creative online space, Rachel will nurture our imaginations as we dance in the shadows and energies of monthly new moons celebrated according to the Jewish calendar. More information and Zoom link here.
Sunday through Thursday 6:00pm Pacific 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.
SAVE THESE DATES
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.
Wednesday, March 16 at 7:15pm Pacific A POSITIVELY PLAYFUL PURIM JCoOC brings together ten SoCal communities to celebrate Purim virtually with a shared Megillah reading interspersed with song parodies from the 1960s. Costumes encourage. No RSVP required. Join on Zoom or Facebook. To view all of JCoOC's Purim activities, click here.Order delicious Hamantaschen through The Blessed Braid: (714) 587-2850.
Thursdays at 5:00pm beginning March 24 FOUNDATIONAL JEWISH KNOWLEDGE FOR ADULT LEARNERS The next Pathways Into Judaism series begins March 24. This 18-week course is designed for those looking to explore and/or enrich their knowledge about what Judaism has to offer as a spiritual path, evolving culture, and sacred way of life. The course will be taught by Rabbi Marcia Tilchin and Cantor Caitlin Bromberg. Learn more and register.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Sunday, March 6, 2022 • 8:00 AM OC JEWISH ENVIRONMENTAL BIKE RIDE Join the Jewish Collaborative’s team for the Hazon OC Ride supporting environmental education and action in our community. Can’t join us in person? You can still participate through JCoOC's Move on Your Own Anywhere Option! Tell your friends and help us support this existential cause. In-person options include an 8 am bike ride (10, 18, 36 and 50 mile routes) and 9 am spin class. Learn more. To become a JCoOC MOYO Team Member, click here.
MARCH 16 AND MARCH 21 JCoOC is a proud member of HOAG's Faith Community Nursing program. We invite you to join their virtual conference focusing on healing and wholeness two years after the onset of a world pandemic. This two-day seminar will offer tools to help navigate our ongoing emotional, spiritual, and physical recovery.
March 20 at 4:00pm in Tustin Save the date for Two Peoples in One Land.Click here to learn more about this grassroots, transformative initiative. Seating is limited. Register 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
Mondays
9:30 am PT | 12:30 am ET
June 30 | July 7, 14, 21 and 28 | August 4, 11, 18 and Register here
Over the past two centuries, the Jewish people have undergone unprecedented change—politically, socially, and spiritually. This 8-week course explores how Jews have confronted the challenges and opportunities of modernity and how leading thinkers have responded with innovation, resistance, reinterpretation, and renewal
Weekly presentations with Jews United for Democracy and Justice
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.
Each challah is an edible work of art, baked fresh and hand-braided especially for you! Choose from raisin, traditional, sesame seed and poppy seed. For more information, visit theblessedbraid.com.
JCoOC is an exempt organization in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code EIN: 36-4844121
