Weekly Newsletters and Special Announcements

July 29, 2022 | Rosh Hodesh Av 5782 | Parashat Matot-Masei

Enjoy Torah Sparks: Creative commentaries on the weekly Torah and Haftarah readings written by Conservative Yeshiva faculty.

Tickets to see the Israel Philharmonic perform in Orange County go on sale August 1st. Click here to learn more.

Dear Friends, 
 
Today is the new moon of Av, a mini-holiday of sorts, as are all roshei hodesh. The first day of the new moon is a time for both celebration and trepidation as we marvel at the moon’s dependable cycles of diminished to full to diminished – a pattern that mirrors our emotional lives and world trends.   
 
Rosh Hodesh Av is a paradox, precisely because we use this day (the 1st of Av) as a threshold to deepen the practices of mourning invoked to help us prepare for the 9th of Av that will be observed next Saturday night and Sunday, August 6th and 7th. On the 9th of Av we allow ourselves to grieve for destruction and losses of the past and present.  
We chanted Hallel this morning, but perhaps not with the vigor and joy that is invested in other Rosh Hodesh observances. The customs that people adopt in varying measure during the three weeks leading up to Tisha b’Av  grow in intensity over the course of 21 days.  

Standard Eastern European custom restricts the extent to which one may cut hair, shave or listen to music, though communities and individuals vary their levels of observance of these customs. Jewish marriages and other optional major celebrations are traditionally not allowed during the Three Weeks, since the joy of such events would conflict with the expected mood of mourning during this time. Holding a brit milah on the 8th day after a male birth is, of course, an exception. 

Many observant Jews refrain from eating meat during the Nine Days, from the first of the month of Av until midday of the day after the fast of  Ninth of Av, based on the tradition that the Temple burned until that time. 

As the actual day of Tisha b’Av progresses, we are mandated to resume a posture of hope and a commitment to rebuild as we prepare to venture on our journey toward Rosh Hashanah and our annual celebration of re-creation. 

When Tisha b’Av coincides with Shabbat, as it does this year, we refrain from engaging in the mourning rituals that we have been anticipating and, in fact, embrace Shabbat fully as a day of rest, repose and joy. Through this we understand that our commitment to honoring memory and loss should never impede our motivation to appreciate holy moments and opportunities to commune with a God that is manifest, even in the worst of times, through the gift of Shabbat. 

Please plan on joining us for some or all of these community Tisha b’Av programs that will be taking place next Saturday night and Sunday. As Jews, we are called to find comfort through shared experience both in times of joy and sorrow. It is our blessing. 
 
Shabbat Shalom and Hodesh Tov, 
Rabbi Marcia Tilchin 

Friday, July 29 at 6:00pm
FRIDAY NIGHT BY CANDLELIGHT
JCoOC invites you to join Eric Dangott and our friends at Temple Isaiah online for a Shabbat Shmooze at 6:00pm and Shabbat services at 6:30pm (PT). Click here to join on Zoom.

Saturday, July 30th at 9:30am

MINYAN AM EHAD
JCoOC joins Temple Beth Emet for their weekly Shabbat morning services and lunch. All are welcome to participate in person at TBE:

1770 West Cerritos Ave in Anaheim, or join via livestream.

Saturday, July 30 at 2pm
TWELVE STEPS AND 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.

Please note we are using a NEW ZOOM LINK.

August 1 & 8 at 9:30am
ADVANCED LEARNING INSTITUTE
As we prepare to observe the 9th of Av on August 6th and 7th, Rabbi David Lazar leads us in an exploration of four pressing social justice issues tearing at the fabric of our country. Read more and register here. To watch to last Monday's class click here.

Saturday & Sunday August 6th & 7th
TISHA b'AV
Several communities are coming together to observe Tisha b'Av, the day of collective mourning that charts our journey toward the New Year. Many programs and services to choose from. All available in person or online. Click here for details.
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Friday, August 12 at 6:00pm
SHABBAT BY THE SHORE
Cantorial soloist, Susan Lipson, joins us for our August Shabbat By The Shore program at a private home in San Juan Capistrano. Register to attend in-person and learn more here. Kabbalat Shabbat services will be followed by a potluck vegetarian dinner. Online participants can join on Zoom or Facebook.

Beginning September 1st
ONLINE JEWISH BEREAVEMENT GROUP
The next 8-week cohort of JCoOC's online bereavement group begins on Thursday, September 1. Group meetings are two Thursdays a month at 6pm. Meetings are faciliated by a professional grief counselor.  Learn more and pre-register here.
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Sunday through Thursday at 6:00pm
OC EGAL NIGHTLY MINYAN
If you are looking for a place to say Mourner's Kaddish, observe 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.

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UPCOMING JCoOC EVENTS

The August 3rd LGBTQ+ training for Jewish professionals will be led by JQ staff. This program is sponsored by JCoOC. No cost to attend. Lunch is included. Learn more and register here.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

OCJCR's community-wide annual Tisha b'Av program takes place Sunday August 7th, 3:00pm at Temple Beth El.

Special guests include a Ukrainian refugee and Ben Naté, Community Outreach Specialist of the Office of Community Awareness, Response, and Engagement (CARE) from the office of the Attorney General of the State of California. This program will be held outdoors and will also be livestreamed. For more information and to register please visit,  https://tinyurl.com/OCJCRTBA22.

Driving Out Darkness is a one-day, immersive learning experience for leaders in Orange County’s civic, governmental, non-profit, religious, educational, media and law enforcement sectors. We will explore past and current manifestations of antisemitism and their relationship to other forms of hate, gain valuable tools and uncover strategies for countering rising levels of hate in our community, and expand our networks for greater effectiveness in our shared efforts.
Learn more and register here.

Thursday, November 3 at 8pm

ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC
Tickets go on sale August 1 for the Israel Philaharmonic Orchestra performance in Orange County on November 3rd at 8:00pm at the Renée & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. The concert will feature and all-Prokofiev program.

Click the image to the left to view the full size flyer. Click here to read more and purchase tickets.

The Jewish 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.