Posted by challahbackgirl on February 5, 2009
Food for the Body, Food for the Soul
Third Annual South Bay Jewish Community Night of Learning
Saturday, February 21st from 7:00pm-10:30pm
Join South Bay scholars, rabbis, and educators for the third annual South Bay Community Night of Learning. With over 20 presentations to choose from and over 2 hours of study, discussion, and schmoozing, this year’s Community Night of Learning is sure to be the biggest and best yet. Havdallah will kick the evening off at 7:00pm. The first classes begin at 7:25pm.
Refreshments served. Free child care available with reservation (space limited). This event is FREE to the public. Location: Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center (14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos). For more information, call 408.357.7413 or email: CJLL [at] svjcc.org.
See the listing of classes and community teachers, which include Rabbi Pressman and Rabbi Schonbrun of Congregation Beth David.
Posted in Community, Congregation Beth David, Culture, Events, Kosher Food, Learning, Orgs, Shuls | Tagged: Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center, Food for the Body, Food for the Soul, Rabbi Pressman, Rabbi Schonbrun, Third Annual South Bay Jewish Community Night of Learning | Leave a Comment »
Posted by challahbackgirl on December 31, 2008
The news from Israel and Gaza has been on many of our minds this week. Below is a statement released by United Synagogue about the current situation, As this secular New Year begins, we hope and pray for a day in which there will be peace between Israel and all of her neighbors.
Rabbi Daniel Pressman and Rabbi Aaron Schonbrun
United Synagogue Stands With Israel
DECEMBER 2008 – The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism supports Israel in its response to the unremitting violence directed toward its citizens from Gaza.
Although United Synagogue’s leaders realize that many Palestinian lives are at risk and grieve for them, and acknowledge with great sadness that some already have been lost, we see no other way for Israel to protect its citizens, who have been the targets of unremitting savage violence directed at them by Hamas. We feel great sadness for the people of Gaza, who have been betrayed by Hamas, which has brought them nothing but violence, starvation, and misery. Israel is doing what it must do — no civilized country can leave its citizens unprotected. The great irony of this attack coming from Gaza, from which Israel has tried to disengage since 2005, should not be lost on any observer.
We are heartened by the response of the United States, coming both from President George W. Bush’s administration and from President-elect Barack Obama. We pray that the violence soon will end and that the people of this battered region finally will find peace.
Posted in Israel, USCJ | Tagged: Israel, Rabbi Pressman, Rabbi Schonbrun, United Synagogue Stands With Israel | 1 Comment »
Posted by challahbackgirl on December 9, 2008
Explorations in Judaism with the Rabbis:
Hanukkah in the Original Context and in Modern America and Israel
Sunday, December 14, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm
We all have our own inner Hanukkah story, but what was the original context? And how has the significance of the festival changed over the years in different contexts? Come and learn about what has changed and what has remained constant. Join us as we discover the deeper meaning of Hanukkah for our lives. This session will be led by Rabbi Daniel Pressman.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: Adult Education, America, Congregation Beth David, Hanukkah, Israel, Judaism, Rabbi Pressman | Leave a Comment »
Posted by challahbackgirl on November 14, 2007
By Rabbi Aaron Schonbrun
Shalom everyone! Over these past High Holidays Rabbi Pressman and I spoke about the Conservative Movement’s initiative to start a conversation among our members about the role that “mitzvah” plays in our lives. While there is no question that striving to live a life of mitzvot has always been central to what it means to be a Jew, there is a great deal of question as to what the term “mitzvah” means, and what living a life of “mitzvah” actually looks like.
The basic question that underlies this entire discussion is this: What compels us, or keeps us from, “doing Jewish” in our lives; and what does it mean to live “Jewish” lives in the first place? As this is a forum for these types of discussions, I wanted to invite all of you to join in on this important conversation. The following are the questions that Chancellor Eisen created as a springboard for having this conversation:
Guiding Questions: What Mitzvoth Bind Us—and Why
From Dr. Arnold Eisen, Chancellor, Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Our relationship to mitzvah will likely be enhanced if we ask ourselves and one another these questions. Feel free to add any that you feel are important, but are not on the list.
1. What actions do you feel obliged to perform as a Jewish human being? Examples:
- Attendance at synagogue at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
- Giving tzedakah to Jewish or non-Jewish causes
- Fasting on Yom Kippur
- Taking action: Darfur, Israel, issues in your local community
- Support for Israel
2. Are these obligations—if you consider them such—of the same sort or a different sort than the following?
- Providing your children with the basic necessities and a good start on life
- Taking care of elderly parents
- Sharing household duties with your spouse or partner
- “Being there” for friends or siblings when they need you
3. What do you recognize as the source of authority of the mitzvot you perform? More than one answer may apply.
- God requires this of me
- Conscience tells me what a good human being should do
- Gratitude to God or for my life
- Obligation to carry on the tradition of my ancestors
- Obligation to care for the Jewish people, especially in the wake of the Holocaust
- Responsibilities to my community
- Love of this tradition
- “This is what Jews do”
4. Do you approach the Days of Awe with awe? With dread? With joy that it is this time of year once again, that you have the chance to hear these melodies chanted again? With gratitude that you get a chance to start over once again?
5. What mitzvot do you think are the ones most pressing for you personally to remember at this New Year? Which are most pressing for your community? Which are most pressing for our society as a whole?
For more details on the specifics of this issue, as well as both Rabbis’ personal take on this discussion, I invite you to look at the following websites:
I look forward to learning from your insights. If you have any questions, or comments, please feel free to e-mail me directly at: schonbrun[at]beth-david.org
Rabbi Aaron Schonbrun
Posted in CBDYAG, Congregation Beth David, Learning, Young Adults | Tagged: Chancellor, Conservative Judiasm, Dr. Arnold Eisen, Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Mitzvah, Rabbi Pressman, Rabbi Schonbrun | 2 Comments »
Posted by challahbackgirl on September 25, 2007
It was Tuesday night when I was at CBD for Cantor Levy’s concert, when Rabbi Pressman stopped me to tell me he was very impressed with the blog and he was going to quote it in his sermon on Yom Kippur. While complimented, I was a bit puzzled as to what he was going to quote.
I didn’t have to wonder too long, Friday night I found out, as I sat in Kehillah Ketana services, Rabbi Pressman gave his talk “Gadol Kavod Ha-Briyot: Refining our Souls on Yom Kippur” (PDF) about how we should treat one another. From Rabbi Joseph Telushkin to Star Trek references the sermon had it all, including the CBDYAG blog policy in it’s entirety. The next morning, he repeated his words in Kehillah Gedolah. Congregants have been complimenting me ever since. I must thank Oyster for co-writing the policy late one night. As Oyster said, “I’m used to things from the shul making it onto the blog, I’m not used to things from the blog making it into the shul.
You can find sermons from High Holidays at Beth David here.
Posted in CBDYAG, Congregation Beth David, Holidays, Learning, Young Adults | Tagged: High Holiday Sermons, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Rabbi Pressman, Star Trek, Yom Kippur Sermon | 1 Comment »
Join with the Saratoga Communities of Faith for a week full of service opportunities. You can see a full listing of the projects going on on the SaratogaServes.org website. There’s ways to help with the rotating shelter, blood drive, clothing drive, helping seniors, helping children and more.
