Saturday is Jews’ Next Dor Shabbat

Spend Shabbat with the CBD community, as Jews’ Next Dor, Congregation Beth David’s Young Adult Group leads Shabbat morning services, and sponsors lunch this week. Come support Jews’ Next Dor, and schmooze over lunch. It’s our first ever Jews’ Next Dor Shabbat. All Congregation Beth David Shabbat services are open to all. Congregation Beth David is a Conservatice Synagogue associated with USCJ.

Facebook event

The Candles that Keep on Giving & Judaica Gift Shop 20% Off Sale

Safed Haukkah Candles

Today’s the day, the “double mitzvah” candles are on sale at Congregation Beth David from 9am-2pm. They are candles made in Safed, Israel that are being sold by Congregation Beth David’s Religious School’s Myuhad/Special Needs Program. The program caters to Jewish special needs children around the South Bay. These candles will do a third mitzvah when you use them for Shabbat, Hanukkah, or Havdalah. You can even make their miztvah power go further, by donating them, to JFS for their Hanukkah packages for seniors this Hanukkah. There’s a drop of box right at Beth David for these, so you won’t need to make special trip to drop the donation off. See the details on that Seasonal Mitzvah below. While you’re at Beth David this morning or early afternoon, getting your Mitzvah candles (samples pictured here, others available as well), don’t forget to stop into Sisterhood’s gift shop to enjoy 20% sale, they’s love for everything to go, to clear out inventory. They’ve got various judaica items, from tallits to kiddush cups, and candle holders for your newly purchases candles.  Today’s the day to get up, and do some good. Have a simcha to attend? Get a gift now, at 20% and not have to worry about it. Of course this sale is just in time for Hanukkah too. Refreshments will also be for sale. Open to the community.

Oh one more mitzvah for this morning, make this an even more productive trip to Beth David, by bringing a new toy, game or book, for ages 0-17 for Jews’ Next Dor & SVYAD’s annual Toy Drive which ends on Monday, December 8th at 5pm. Donations of bows and ribbon accepted as well.

Judaica Gift Shop Bazaar / Safed Candle Fundraiser

Sunday, December 7, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, Congregation Beth David, 19700 Prospect Road, Saratoga, Ca

Safed Shabbat Candles

As promised here the info on the JFS Hanukkah mitzvah project:

Jewish Family Services of the Silicon Valley

Candles, Dreidels and Gelt for Seniors!!

Hanukkah Mitzvah project:

JFS will be assembling your donated Hanukkah candles, dreidels, and Chocolate Gelt into gift bags for our seniors.

November 24-December 15

Drop of locations can be found at Congregation Beth David, 19700  Prospect Road, Saratoga, Ca or JFS, 14855 Oka Road, Suite 202, Los Gatos, Ca

Questions? Contact Michele 357-7453 or michelem@jfssv.org

Poland awards dozens for saving Jews during WWII

From the JewishGen blog and AP

Dozens of Poles were awarded medals Monday for risking their lives during World War II to save Jews from the Holocaust.President Lech Kaczynski awarded state medals — many posthumously — to around 70 people from across Poland. First lady Maria Kaczynska presented them to the people or their relatives in a gala ceremony at Warsaw’s National Theater.

Among those awarded was Zofia Brusikiewicz, 81, whose parents hid 13 Jews in an apartment in Warsaw and Irena Gut-Opdyke, whose dramatic story is narrated in a one-act play, “Irena’s Vow,” that opened Off Broadway in September.

Gut-Opdyke hid 12 Jews in the basement of an SS officer’s house, where she served as a housekeeper. She died, aged 85, in 2003 in New York, where her family recently received her medal.

Poland was the only country under Nazi occupation where helping Jews was punished with summary execution of the entire family.

Most of the recipients are already among the 6,000 Poles holding the title of the Righteous Among the Nations from Israel’s Yad Vashem. They were largely found thanks to testimony deposited with the institute.

About 3.5 million Jews, or 10 percent of the country’s population, lived in Poland before World War II. Most were killed in death camps, like Auschwitz-Birkenau, that the Nazis built when they occupied Poland between 1939 and 1945.

Around 200,000 survived, but many left for Israel or other countries amid anti-Semitic purges of the 1960s. Jewish life is being slowly rekindled since Poland shed communism in 1989. (Source: AP)

Click here for the entire article

“Chicken” and Apple Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 head lettuce (preferably red lettuce)
2 vine ripened tomatoes (could try using cherry or grape tomatoes too) – if in season use heirloom tomatoes, or mix red and yellow tomatoes
3 oz olive oil (good stuff)
1-2 TBSP cooking vegetable oil (canola?) for frying the fake chicken strips
1 oz balsamic vinegar
1 large carrot
1/2 cucumber
1 pack imitation chicken strips
1 TBSP honey
1/2 lemon
1 large firm-sweet apple – recommend honey-crisp or fuji
1/4 cup walnuts
Spices: Salt, pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning

4th Annual Passover in the Aisles: Get Your Passover Shopping Done with Friendly Smiles

Don’t worry that you haven’t gotten your Passover shopping done yet, even if the Matzah was out before Purim. You can start your shopping today, during the 4th annual Passover in the Aisles.

At the 3rd annual Passover in the Aisles by Congregation Beth David you’d only find the friendly faces of CBD members at 1 store. Now in it’s 4th year, Passover in the Aisles is expanding.

Today, Sunday, April 6, 2008, they will be at Lucky @ El Paseo de Saratoga Shopping Center from Noon – 6:00 pm. This store has a large Kosher for Passover section as well as Kosher meat. In fact they love to accommodate Jews who keep kosher year round; keeping two Aisles+ stocked with Kosher items year round. Please let them know we appreciate it, and shop at their store.

Next Sunday, April 13, for the first time you’ll find them at Safeway @ Loehmans Plaza (1601 Hollenbeck, Sunnyvale) from Noon – 6:00 pm.

While you’re getting your items for Passover, don’t forget to pick up the ingredients for your Matzah dish to enter our Matzah Cookoff. Even if you won’t be at the Matzah Cookoff we’d love for you to send in your Kosher recipes for our recipe exchange.

Here’s what the Beth David website says:

Passover in the Aisles
Sunday, April 6 & April 13, Noon – 6:00 pm

Happy Passover from Congregation Beth David! We are pleased to host our 4th annual “Passover in the Aisles.” Look for us at the CBD table inside the following supermarkets:

Sunday, April 6 (Noon – 6:00 pm)
Lucky @ El Paseo de Saratoga Shopping Center

Sunday, April 13 (Noon – 6:00 pm)
Safeway @ Loehmans Plaza (1601 Hollenbeck, Sunnyvale)

Stop by and say hello to our mentors as we hand out goodies and bring the joy of Passover to the greater Jewish community! There will also be a PRIZE GIVEAWAY, so be sure to enter our raffle!!

Don’t forget to visit my post from last passover with ways to personalize your passover seder.