Monthly Update - June 2023

HIGHLIGHTS FROM YESTERDAY'S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

We had an impressive update at yesterday's Annual Membership Meeting with record attendance and rave reviews afterwards. (See comments below.) If you missed it, you can see the highlights by clicking on the image below.

See who received Special Recognitions, and get a snapshot of reports from CJC's President, Rabbi, Treasurer and Committee Chairs. And don't miss the "Year-in-Review" video on page 7.

Six months ago, Reb Moshe planted an etrog seed and it's now thriving. In about seven years, it will start producing its own flowers and fruit! A year ago, Reb Moshe planted the kabbalistic "Four Worlds" model in our community and it has since taken root and is thriving. A seed he planted yesterday was the idea of "Active Visioning," which also received an enthusiastic response. (See below.)

"Active Visions" of what CJC can be/do. In 2023-24, CJC will (be):

• Activistic; Transformative (Chip Goldstein)
• Advocate - as an active verb; [We can] come home to ourselves (Diane Brosin)
• Carry out social action as a community, with people from all faith traditions (Vaughn Harrison)
• Create positive associations with Judaism for the next generation; protecting social justice values (Sophie Heiken)
• Engage together in traditional and soulful Shabbat services, making great music (Vaughn Harrison)
• Get together with other Jewish and Jewish-connected people on the Coastside (Vaughn Harrison)
• Interactive and interconnected (Gordon Lewin)
• [Create and foster] Jewish spaces to bring your whole self (Sharon Turner)
• Partner with other local organizations (Michal Abaonza)
• [Focus on] purpose, connection, social justice, and community (Gail Evenari)
• Share with my family what it means to be and live Jewish (Elysia Engelage)
• Sustain other members of CJC and the broader community (Hilary Rowen)
• Use the centuries of Jewish teachings in concrete ways for living a good life and being good people and community members (Todd Dubnicoff)

Comments from our members:

"Terrific meeting - well organized, concise, interesting; reflective not only of the past year but also envisioning evolution for the future. Loved the slide show and the reminder, both in pictures and in words, of all of the great events and activities during the past year.... It feels great to be...witnessing robust membership levels, increased engagement, and a positive financial picture.... Sharon, you 'done us proud' as my successor - congratulations for your many accomplishments at the helm!"

- Chip B. Goldstein, Immediate Past President

"Bob and I watched the Annual Meeting which was impressive. It was well organized and the presenters excellent. CJC members have done a lot together and in the community with relatively few members. What an accomplishment.... you will see more of us." - Ellen

"I thought it was great. I want to join, and I just walked with a friend of mine and she wants to join, too!...And I know someone else who is wanting to get more involved with CJC for connection and community...." - Janet

Below is an update for June from each of our four Chavurot, based on our Four Worlds progression: Family, Community, Adult Learning and Spirituality.

THE FAMILY CHAVURAH supports children & families, providing experiences and opportunities for Jewish learning and identity formation, fostering optimal conditions for their social, intellectual and spiritual development. Feel free to reach out to co-facilitators, Dr. Elysia Engelage or Lisa Weiss.

Are you receiving free books from PJ Library? If not, you should know that families raising kids from 0-8 yrs old with Judaism as part of their lives, are welcome to sign up. PJ Library will send you a free children's book every month. They welcome all Jewish families, whatever your background, knowledge, family make-up, or observance may be.

A program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library is made possible through partnerships with philanthropists and local Jewish organizations. They also offer activities for your family — because you’ve got to get out of the house and meet new people sometimes. For more info, click here.

What are you doing this summer? If you're looking for fun things to do with the kids, check out our nearby community partner, the Peninsula JCC. They offer a full range of family events and programs, like a Jewish Baby Network, a Tot Shabbat Picnic (June 16), camp, and more. Explore the meaning and fun behind our holidays, practice Jewish values through hands-on activities, and spend quality time together through meaningful Jewish experiences. All are welcome! For more info, click here.

Juneteenth is good thing for Jewish kids to know about: As Jews, we celebrate Passover to commemorate our freedom from slavery, while Juneteenth is celebrated to commemorate the ending of slavery in the US. It is a day, a week, and in some areas, a month marked with picnics, celebrations, and family gatherings. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Only when we are sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society. For a complete list of Bay Area Juneteenth festivals and happenings, click here.

Want to be informed of upcoming get-togethers? If you're not aready on our Family Chavurah WhatsApp group, email Elysia to be added and say "hi!"

THE COMMUNITY CHAVURAH supports both community-building within CJC and with the broader community through social justice activism and civic engagement. Feel free to reach out to co-facilitators Linda Goldstein or Chip Goldstein.

Our Annual Pride Shabbat is Friday, June 9, 7pm! This year, our Pride service will be in-person at the Coast Pride Center (711 Main Street in HMB), featuring CJC member Kerry Lobel along with other local LGBTQIA+ heroes, and special guest, ally, and fellow "member of the tribe" Captain Rebecca Albin of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. We have so much history to celebrate with Pride here on the Coastside, so come join us to show your support. There will also be a Zoom option in case you can't be there in-person. (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/862473039)

Half Moon Bay's Pride parade will take place next Sunday, June 11, 12:30pm. The parade will begin on Main Street at Filbert, followed by food, drinks, entertainment, and a family fun zone. For more info, click here.

More Affordable Housing is needed on the Coastside and you can help. Find out how at the next Coastside Faith In Action Zoom meeting on Thurs, June 8, 4:30 pm. We will fill you in on several happenings that will impact our future direction as an English-speaking group. ALAS also needs our help by participating in their monthly marches and attending/speaking at City Council and other meetings. For more info, email Linda Goldstein here.

Tell the Senate Appropriations Committee that California Climate Action Cannot Wait. As Californians, we know climate change is already here. What is needed is the courage and readiness to change, and the letting our policy makers know that we will not wait. Our current goal to reduce emissions by 40 percent by 2030 is not enough. It lags behind what science tells us is necessary, and it lags behind global leaders, like Denmark and the EU. With billions of dollars of state and federal dollars, now is the time to raise our ambitions. Tell our state leaders we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions sooner and faster by clicking here.

Is Reproductive Justice important to you? Join us for "Harnessing our United Strength: Mobilizing, Staying Informed, and Advocating for Reproductive Rights and Healthcare," a virtual forum on Weds, June 14, 4-5:30pm via Zoom. Learn from experts across the country about efforts to protect reproductive rights and hear from NCJW chapters about what they are doing to secure reproductive healthcare access and justice for all. Register here.

Want to take action locally? Our Social Justice partners at Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo are hosting a volunteer event on Weds, June 21, 7-8:30pm to supply and pack post-abortion care kits to be distributed to abortion clinics and reproductive care facilities in San Mateo and Half Moon Bay for people receiving abortions and other physically and emotionally difficult procedures. Even if you are not able to join us on June 21st, you can still contribute to this effort by donating supplies in advance. For more info and to RSVP, click here.

Movie night at the at the Odd Fellows, Sat, June 24, 7:30pm. The Iron Giant is a 1999 heartwarming animated science fiction film set during the Cold War. A young boy named Hogarth Hughes discovers and befriends a giant alien robot. When the extraterrestrial's presence unleashes a wave of Cold War paranoia that threatens to engulf the peaceful town of Rockwell, Maine, it inspires Hogarth to do whatever he can to save his pal.

THE ADULT LEARNING CHAVURAH

supports life-long learning through ongoing Mussar groups, a Holy Books Study Group, and other learning opportunities. Feel free to reach out to co-facilitators Vaughn Harrison or Laura Alster-Martin.

Tomorrow evening, Tues, June 6, 7pm, will be the first class in our new course: The Life & Legacy of Abraham Joshua Heschel. It's the next installment of our ongoing series called "Judaism's Greatest Ideas."

Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972) was a Polish-American rabbi and one of the leading Jewish theologians of the 20th century. As a professor of Jewish mysticism, he wrote a number of highly regarded books on Jewish philosophy and was a leader in the civil rights movement. We’ll take a closer look at his short but impactful book, The Sabbath, among his other works. For a 3-min video that summarizes his life & legacy, click here.

Our four-week course (June 6, 13, 20 & 27) will be co-facilitated by Reb Moshe and CJC member Harriet Zeiner. Tuition is $36, though it is free for CJC members. There will be an in-person as well as a Zoom option, so you can choose whichever works for you. For more info and to register, click here.

Have you been in one of our Coastside Mussar cohorts? If so, it's been over three months since our last Hillula, the quarterly gathering of all of our independent Mussar chavurot, which as last held on Feb 21. To give everyone at least a month to put it on their calendars, we are looking at Tues, July 11 at 7pm for our next Hillula. Check with your Mussar chavurah partners to see if they can make it and let us know. If you're not in a Mussar chavurah, you are still welcome to check it out. We meet to compare best practices and learn from each other. For more info and to RSVP, click here.

The CJC Book Club will meet next on Weds, Aug 2, 7pm to discuss The Lost Shtetl, by Max Gross. The book is available from our local libraries in print. It’s also available as an e-book and audio-book from the Jewish Community Library. The Book Club meets approximately once every two months at members’ homes and/or on Zoom. We read all kinds of books that are in some way related to Judaism, and ensure our books are available through the library. We schmooze, we nosh, we even discuss the book we all read! Most importantly, it's an opportunity for CJC members to get together to enjoy each others' company. For more info or to participate, email Vaughn.

The Jewish Community Library is a wonderful resource. From the “One Bay, One Book” program, to “Book Club in a Box”, and providing eBooks and audio books for free, they have supported our sharing of Jew-ish books.

THE SPIRITUALITY CHAVURAH supports the personal and communal interests of our members when it involves spirituality. Whether it's Shabbat and holiday rituals, workshops, or personal practices, we're here for you. Feel free to reach out to co-facilitators Reb Moshe or Lissin Lev Chaya.

Fri, June 23, 7pm - Kabbalat Shabbat service at Holy Family Church in Half Moon Bay. What did Heschel say about Shabbat? How can we practice that?

Forest Bathing as a Shabbat Activity, June 24, 11am.

The term Forest Bathing emerged in Japan in the 1980s. Researchers have since reported the physiological benefits of forest bathing, providing the science to support what we innately know: time spent immersed in nature is good for us. Many cultures have long recognized the importance of the natural world in relation to human health.

When the Spirituality Chavurah last met, the group agreed that being in nature, feeling close to the natural world, is in itself a spiritual experience.

"Forest bathing" can be as simple as walking in any natural environment and consciously connecting with what’s around you. In Jewish terms, that's what cultivating a Shabbat-state-of-mind is all about.

For a more structured experience, we will be led by an experienced guide, Gregg Berman, for a meditative two-hour forest excursion. Forest Bathing as a group will enable us to connect with each other and help foster another aspect of spirituality: community. You can read more about Gregg and what he does here. To RSVP, click here.

Recommended reading from CJC's Spirituality Chavurah:

I've Had 2 Near-Death Experiences. Here's What I Saw Before I Came Back To Life

by Deborah Prum

The author and her husband, Bruce, in Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1984, just a few months before their son was born and she experienced her first near-death experience.