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lag baomer, havdalah, and campout

5/24/2022

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Dear friends
It's taken me a day or so, but I've now since reeled from an incredible weekend at TNS and out at the property.  We really had so much going on - it was as beautiful as our TNS community continually proves to be.  Thank you all for who took part, and we certainly missed any of you who couldn't make it!  I hope all who have been sick regain health quickly!  

Truly a boisterous TODAH RABAH to Ari, Darren, Lazer and Ruthie Leva. They put heart, soul and work into this weekend and  our gratitude is real. So much so that families who often don’t camp are now ready to do so next time!!!! It’s because they further opened our eyes to the beauty of our property and what it and family connections offer. 

Before the campout, we started last Shabbat with our Woman of Valor service led by yours truly.  Many shared stories of mothers, grandmothers, and other inspirational females in their lives.  At TNS we celebrate our female daven leaders, and are even so thoughtful as to give them flowers....


Saturday continued with a sweet baby naming for Simone (Eliana) Rutherford followed by dinner, Havdalah, and a bonfire.  Community, college students, and TNS families all took part.  Todah Rabah to the Rutherford family for the kiddush dinner and then to the Levas who really put together a beautiful campout experience.  We had a few families, plus a girls and boys tent.  First-time campers LOVED it!  Stay tuned for more opportunities....


The feeling was so great around the bonfire that the next morning for Hebrew school we enjoyed Torah Talk out there too.  The kids may have melted while I was trying to teach about Lag Baomer and the parsha, but I think they got a few nuggets of information :)

Otherwise, our teachers focused on Hebrew review and lessons, and our kids showed just how much have seeped into their brains during kids service.  It's been wonderful hearing them belt out L'cha Dodi, Sim Shalom, and Adon Olam.  I hope they all carry on sweet memories of such times....(at least associate M&Ms with them).

Lastly, please note we do NOT have Hebrew school next Sunday.  And here's the plan for the beginning of June, which includes our last school session of the year:
  • Wednesday, June 1 - Rosh Chodesh gathering (6pm) at Sycamore Springs.  Please text me (805-295-0890) if you can make it out on a weeknight. 
  • Friday, June 3 - Tot and Family Shabbat, 6pm.  Led by Rabbi Micah Hyman
  • Sunday, June 5 - Last day of school and Shavuot!  TNS will host a Shavuot service starting at 930am in the sanctuary, which includes Hallel and Yizkor. School starts  at the same time in the Klein Community Room for Torah talk.  We will end the day with teacher appreciation and ice cream sundaes!  We also have 2 birthdays to celebrate that day (Simon and Eliana).
Though it seems far off, I do have registration open already for our 2022-2023 school year. We’ll start school after Labor Day in September. Please go ahead and fill in the form when you’re ready - I’m sure it will another great year of learning and celebrating Jewish life together. 

In the meantime, see you over the coming weeks. 

Best
Lauren
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Community session - israel

5/17/2022

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What a beautiful, engaging, and fun session on Israel we had as a Community School yesterday at CBD.  This was our last one of the year, and I will be touching base with all of you to hear your thoughts on these all-area school sessions - to understand their successes and areas of growth.

Thank you to the teachers, Rabbi Matt, cantor Mark, and Tali Freed (Israeli dancing lead) for making it so successful.  Between the conversations and understandings of Israeli geography, history, and reason for existence, I think we did it with honor for our children and parents.  Also a thank you to Maxi and Sharon for helping with yesterday's Israeli shuk, where the kids enjoyed special Israeli snacks!  Also thanks to Amber for making our Kotels where the kids put in special notes after singing Hatikva.
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Coming Up this Shabbat!
We have such a full weekend at TNS - and I love how beautiful it is that we share this community together!  Here's the rundown....please come for some or all of it!
  • Friday, 6:15pm - Shabbat services led by Lauren (me).  We're starting a new TNS tradition - honoring our female daven leaders with Women of Valor nights.  We want to celebrate how TNS celebrates egalitarian Judaism, promotes female leadership, and expresses this through our tradition.  We will recite the Eshet Chayil (Woman of Valor proverb) for all the deserving women in our lives.
  • Saturday, 3-5pm - set up tent/campout if you are camping out!  Contact Ari Leva if you need anything!  ( arielleoleva@gmail.com)
  • Saturday, 5:30pm - Baby naming for Simone Rutherford (Shermin and Erik's daughter) followed by dinner kiddush.  All this will take place INSIDE TNS
  • Post-baby naming - Havdalah, bonfire with smores, and campout at Makom!  Such a fun experience for everyone.  I do have our TNS teens willing to be counselors for the boys and girls if you want to leave your olders to camp out for the night. You need to let me know!  OK to come for just Havdalah/bonfire too, but camping encouraged :)
After this next weekend, we will only have one more Sunday school session on June 5.  I'll be in touch with those details soon.  Also, I'll be sending out 2022-23 registration paperwork in the next week or so.  Thank you all for your participation, support, and engagement this year - it's been a wonderful ride!!!

Til soon (this Shabbat)
Lauren

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Yom haem sameach

5/12/2022

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Hello!
You may have all just seen my update for the May 21 Campout, so I will start with that before TNS school news:
  • Start time has been updated to arrive at 530....and for a TNS simcha!  There will be a Shabbat baby naming inside the synagogue for Shermin and Eric Rutherford's second daughter, followed by a special kiddush for all to enjoy.
  • Following the celebration, we will move on to the Makom to set up camp for all staying the night, host Havdalah, light the post-Lag B'Omer bonfire, cook up s'mores, and sing some songs.  
  • If you plan to stay the night, be in touch with Ari Leva (arielleoleva@gmail.com)!  She can help out with camping gear, etc.  Also, we are working on the possibility of hiring our TNS teachers to manage two older kids' tents....more to come on that, and let me know if you'd be interested in letting your kid(s) stay the night with a "counselor."
  • The Levas are hosting a pancake breakfast the next morning.   All kids in TNS school will go straight to Hebrew school from the Makom!
OK - so now for TNS school news reviews and updates....
Yesterday honored Mother's Day - teaching the kids how to say "Yom HaEm Sameach," and we took out our Chumashim to read in this past week's parsha, the very first commandment repeated in Kedoshim is to honor one's mother and father!  We read the "Woman of Valor" proverb (in the Sim Shalom Siddur, page 310), and reviewed the Hebrew words for members of our mishpacha (our family).  Here's a picture of yesterday's guests during Torah Talk - Ima (mom), Abba (dad), Yalda/Bat (female child/daughter), Yeled/Ben (male child/son), and Tinok (baby) - please try to review this with your kids! - 
A big Todah Rabah to our newest student and Israeli guest, Assaf, who is living here in SLO for a short period of time, but will be a part of our TNS family until he returns to Israel.  He speaks only Hebrew, so he is sharing his vocabulary with fellow kids and learning how we express Judaism here in America.  Please introduce yourselves to his parents Idit and Baruch if you have the chance.

Class time focused on Hebrew terms, Israel, and Kavod, or respect.  Individual Hebrew review continued with Binah and Malca.  We also had a beautiful kiddush snack hosted by the Hartless-Romero's and leftover cake from our TNS New Member Family Shabbat this last Friday (thanks to Dinah)!  The kids all shared one thing they were grateful for to eat the cake....the majority of them said MOM!

Upcoming TNS School Dates and Reminders:
  • May 15 - Community School Day on Israel at Congregation Beth David
    • Our focus for our last Community School Day together is Israel - please note it's at CBD from 930-1130
    • PARENTS - Please plan to stay!!!  The first half hour will be in the sanctuary with Rabbis Micah and Matt with songs, stories, and more.  Then as the kids go to their classes, Rabbi Micah will host a parent talk entitled "Love with All Your Heart - Talking about Israel like Thanksgiving Dinner"  - Rabbi Micah will lead you through a conversation to have with your children on the modern politics of Israel, how to embrace it together, and how to navigate current media headlines.
    • After class/parent time, the program continues with an Israeli "shuk" and Israeli dancing, followed by a teaching and singing of Hatikvah
  • May 20 - Lauren leading Friday night Shabbat Services - as a Woman of Valor
  • May 21 - Baby Naming, Havdalah, and Campout
  • May 22 - Regular TNS School Day
  • May 29 - NO TNS SCHOOL
  • June 1 - Rosh Chodesh at Sycamore Springs (stay tuned for exact time)
  • June 5 - Last Day of TNS School and Shavuot (more details to come)
As always, feel free to be in touch with me by phone or text.  I appreciate all of you who have messaged me when you know you cannot attend school, or any of the other gatherings we have going on.  Please know you ALL are always welcome at everything TNS, always part of the mishpacha, and I'm always here for you as you need.

Til soon,
Lauren

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It's May

5/3/2022

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​Happiest of Mays, everyone!
I can't help myself - it's always been my favorite month, and it makes me happy hearing either The Temptations or Stevie Wonder croon about sunshine and love in the month of May.  But, I'm biased....it's my birthday month, and Israel's too!  Of course I'm focused on the latter here, but feel free to text a yom huledet sameach on cinco de mayo :).


So Rabbi Micah led a spirited session to start the kids off yesterday tying together Yom HaShoah just commemorated and Yom HaAtzamaut to celebrate on Thursday.  He allowed space for questions, took the kids on an imaginary tour of Israel, and ended with Hatikva.  Kids service and class time reinforced learning about Israel and singing its song of hope.  Below are a smattering of Hatikvah videos to play at home.  Below that - a picture of (my) Isaac as part of the Youth Symphony playing Hatikvah at Congregation Beth David for a Holocaust Remembrance Service led by Rabbi Micah.  Please try to take a moment this Thursday with your family to sing, discuss, tell stories, and answer questions.  As we all know, Israel is beautifully complicated - as are all things so authentically Jewish.
  • Here's one from Jews around the world (it's from Israel's 70th), but it has Ukraine, South Africa, Brazil, Sweden, Germany, USA, and so many more - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viu48BxOBnA
  • And for you historians/schmaltzy folks (like me) - here's from Israel's 30th with "Bahhbra Streisand" and Golda Meir (it's just so good) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uPHaioopKM (and since I'm at it, here's another Barbra iteration - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLB_mtoEZWY)
  • Here's a version with the cantor of the IDF at the March of the Living commemoration, which I really want to highlight after Phylissa's account of her time on it and explaining the experience to our school - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-_5C-SVlZE
  • Just a few more....one with a Brazilian singer and French violinist - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eFTViybuTI, an Israeli orchestrated one with sign language - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMwSlp7I7IQ (Naftali Bennet cameo), and a grandiose one from Jerusalem - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrXz8KT0duU


And, here are a few snapshots of our classes - the oldest focused on an in-depth talk on Israel, the middle on the idea of Kavod, or respect, and our youngest on the letter "samech" and more on Israel.  


Please know we do have school this Sunday, May 8 on Mother's Day.  PLEASE text me (805-295-0890) if you cannot attend, but know we will focus on family and Kavod (respect). There is MUCH more to come on learning about Israel at our Community Session on May 15.  Please let me know if you can help out with that day or at least make sure to stay for the parent talk led by Rabbi Micah - it will be at Congregation Beth David.

I know that's a lot to read through and link to, but, here's a few reminders, since we have so much going on this month!  
  • Friday, May 6 - Family/Tot Shabbat Service AND new TNS Member Dinner.  Come for a lovely night with Rabbi Micah leading the service part and our TNS family honoring new members with a special Shabbat dinner at the synagogue.  Evite at http://evite.me/6hZh4jZN2c.  
  • Sunday, May 15 - Community School Session - Israel.  Our final session that combines all area Hebrew schools will be at CBD and focus on lessons celebrating the modern state of Israel.  We will need parent help -managing our "shuk" and participating in Rabbi Micah's talk. 
  • Saturday, May 21 - Lag B'omer Havdalah and Family Campout! - come for dinner and Havdalah, stay for the campout!  Hosted by the Leva Family - see all details, including camping gear needs on our Evite at  http://evite.me/6HYrb3gYyd.  
Finally, this is our last full month of TNS school (excluding Memorial Day weekend).  Our last official day is June 5 -  I can't believe it!  So, registration forms will come out soon for 2022-23, as will invitations for feedback from this year, and to help for next year.  I'm also meeting with our teachers to work on how we can improve our experience, and already, we're excited to focus on more Hebrew letter writing.  I truly am so appreciative of the team who has contributed this year, and cannot wait to launch the way we will embrace next year.

In the meantime, have a great week, yom huledet sameach Israel, and I hope to see many of you this Shabbat at our Family Service.
Lauren

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    Religious School Director, Lauren Bandari

    Mom, educator, Jewish community advocate, Lauren Bandari, has the privilege of running the TNS religious school.  She is passionate about teaching and connecting our kids, solidifying a strong sense of Jewish identity, and finding joy in our beautiful traditions.

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