Eyes on Wise 4.27.18

Loving Zion
by Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback
It was right before Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, about seven years ago when my family and I were living in Jerusalem. My youngest daughter, noticing the Israeli flags everywhere, turned to me and said, “Abba – Israel really loves Israel!”
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Mazal Tov to our Incoming 2018-19 Board of Directors and Kol HaKavod to our Outgoing Board and President
Thank you to the hundreds of members who have made their voices heard and voted in our recent elections for new representatives to our Board of Directors. Your support and involvement is what makes our Stephen Wise Temple and Schools community able to make meaning and change the world. After tallying our ballots, we are excited to congratulate our incoming President Janine Kolodny, who has previously served as a Vice President of Development and a member of the Executive Committee, as well as being part of numerous other committees in her tenure as a Wise member. We also wish to extend our congratulations to our newly-elected and reelected 2018-19 Board and Executive Committee members: Nasi Bamshad, Susan Berger, Steve Bram, Michelle Farhadi, Alexsondra “Alex” Shore Fixmer, Phillip Koosed, Chet Kronenberg, Farnaz Neman, Alex Neymark, Ira Pianko, Jeffrey Resnick, Jeremy Rosen, Victor Svilik, and Lori Tyberg.

We wish to express our deepest gratitude to the following Board members completing their terms at the end of June. Our community is stronger due to your commitment and service. Heartfelt thanks to Nancy Emmanuel, Larry Gotlieb, Sid Marantz, Ed Nahmias, and Sussan Shore.

On Friday, June 8 at our 6:15 Shabbat service, we will install our 2018-19 Board and show our great appreciation for outgoing President Steve Fishman upon completing his two years of outstanding service to the Wise community. It will also be our great pleasure to say thank you to all of our outgoing Board members. Please join us for this very special evening that celebrates those in our community who give so much of their time, energy, and dedication.

And of course, thank you to our 2017-18 Nominating Committee for all of their effort and professionalism throughout this process.

READ ABOUT OUR NEWLY-ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS

This Week’s Torah Portion: Ahare-Mot-Kedoshim

FRIDAY, APRIL 27
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Services | Sanctuary
Led by Rabbi Ron Stern and Raymond Zachary

SATURDAY, APRIL 28
Shabbat Morning Services | Plotkin Chapel
Led by Rabbi Ron Stern and Raymond Zachary
9 a.m. Torah Study
10 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service

NEXT WEEK:

FRIDAY, MAY 4
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Services | Sanctuary
Led by Rabbi David Woznica and Cantor Emma Lutz

SATURDAY, MAY 5
Shabbat Morning Services | Plotkin Chapel
Led by Rabbi Josh Knobel and Cantor Emma Lutz
9 a.m. Torah Study
10 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service

10 a.m. Tot Shabbat Service | Witzman Court
Led by Rabbi Josh Knobel and Rabbi Sari Laufer
RSVP HERE

Yom Hamoreh Celebration: Former Wise School Teachers Invited!
Friday, May 4 at 1 p.m.
Wise School will celebrate Yom Hamoreh on Friday, May 4^th, by inviting past teachers back to Wise School to honor them for all of their hard work and dedication. Our students will begin the day with an assembly, followed by a luncheon for the past and current educators. If you are a former Wise School teacher, please call our office at 310.889.2300 to learn more!

Alumni Family Day
Sunday, May 6
11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Alumni students, parents, and their families are invited to celebrate a family friendly afternoon at Wise School as we celebrate 40 year of Wise and Coach Starr’s 40 years of teaching. Event is free.
RSVP HERE

Mother’s Day Baskets Toiletry Drive
Collection until Wednesday, May 9
Packaging on Thursday, May 10
The Wise Parents Association Tikkun Olam Committee is collecting toiletries and personal care items to make gift baskets that will be donated to local and well-deserving mothers in need in time for Mother’s Day. Please collect new, unused travel-size toiletry items such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, body or hand lotion, shaving cream, deodorant, basic cosmetics, small brushes or combs, hair bands, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouthwash. Kindly drop off your donations in the Temple Administration office by Wednesday, May 9. We hope you can join us Thursday, May 10 to help assemble these baskets together as a community with our children! Please do your part to truly make it a happy Mother’s Day for these women. For more information, contact Jennifer Smith at [email protected].

Center for Jewish Life presents
Jewish Spirituality & Mindfulness: Accessing Deeper Consciousness, Meaning and Joy through the Lessons of Our Tradition
Starts Next Week
with Cantor Emma Lutz
May 8 | 6:30 p.m.
“Spirituality” has been a buzzword in the American lexicon for a number of years, but the Jewish spiritual tradition runs thousands of years deep.  Though the texts of our tradition, we will gain a deeper understanding of what the Jewish sages about attaining a deeper sense of spirituality and mindfulness in our everyday lives.
REGISTER HERE

Wise Years Hits the Road: The Nethercutt Collection
Thursday, May 10 at 9 a.m.
Come along on our first ever Wise Years field trip featuring a 2-hour guided tour of The Nethercutt Collection. We will see antique, vintage and classic automobiles, perfectly restored and displayed in 2 showrooms. We’ll also hear the world’s finest collection of mechanical musical instruments and an amazing Wurlitzer pipe organ. Admission and parking are free, but reservations are required and Wise Years has made them for you. We will depart from Stephen Wise Temple by bus at 9 a.m. and return at 12:30 p.m. for lunch and a film in the afternoon. Advance registration is required.
If you prefer not to go to The Nethercutt you may spend the morning playing cards and board games in our Games Lounge at Wise. 
REGISTER HERE

Center for Jewish Life presents
Reform Judaism: An Exploration of our Role and our Future 
Thursday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Many of the greatest contributions of Reform Judaism also present its greatest challenges. It seeks to be innovative while at the same time embracing tradition. It casts a wide tent while at the same time seeking to have core beliefs. It allows for personal autonomy while at the same time desiring a community based on shared values. It holds the Torah as sacred while concurrently not holding all its teachings to be binding.
LEARN MORE

Soulful Shabbat and Confirmation: Celebrating Our Graduating Seniors
Friday, May 18
Services: 6:15 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 p.m.
Celebrate the graduating seniors in our Wise family with a Soulful Shabbat service, presentations by our Confirmands, and special blessings for any of our departing seniors. Our entire community is invited to dinner after services to help congratulate our Confirmands and graduating class. NOTE: Special service time of 6:15 p.m.
REGISTER FOR DINNER 

The BFOR Study: Genetic Research to Save Lives
Wise is partnering with the BFOR (BRCA Founder Outreach) Study to help get the word out about some important genetic research happening in Los Angeles and other major cities around the U.S. Women and men with a BRCA gene mutation have a greater risk of developing several types of cancer, including breast, ovary, prostate and other cancers. Individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry are ten times as likely to carry a BRCA mutation as the general population. Most carriers do not even know they are at risk. Genetic testing is performed using a simple blood sample.
LEARN MORE AND PARTICIPATE

We reach out as a community and offer our support and deepest sympathy to those among us who are mourning the loss of a loved one.

Robin and Mark Blau on the loss of Robin’s mother, and Adam, Jason, and Emily on the loss of their grandmother, Beatrice Levine.

Debby Edelson on the loss of her husband Charles Edelsohn.

Do you have a milestone birthday or anniversary approaching? We’d like to celebrate your special day on the bima during Friday evening Shabbat Services! Invite your family, join your Wise community, make it a “shehechianu moment” – a time to give thanks for life, health, and the blessings that enable you to reach this great moment in your life. Let us know by emailing Arlene Spiegelman or calling 310.889.2272 and she’ll make sure to schedule a date that works for you. We’d love to share your celebration!
 

Wishing you a future filled with joy and blessings.
Mazal tov to:

Randi and Eric Gordon on the birth of their granddaughter Chase Eva Witjas to proud parents Danielle Gordon and Matthew Witjas.

We honor people through charitable giving.
 

RABBIS’ DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN HONOR OF:

Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, by Ramin Younessi

William Gysi Sinclair, by Patty Linden and Fred Gysi

IN MEMORY OF:

Joan Blum-Feldman, by Bill Feldman

Merle S. Glick, by The Glick and Sheerin Family

CANTORS’ DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN MEMORY OF:

Lola Gross and Mollie Jones, by Sally and Donald Jones and family

AFSANEH YOUSEFZADEH MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
IN MEMORY OF:

Gene Salzman, by Linda and David Salzman

SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND
IN MEMORY OF:

Melvyn Bemel, by Terrie and Richard Baumann

Jacqueline Pearlson, by Nina Leung and Bryan Leung

WISE SCHOOL GENERATIONS ENDOWMENT
IN HONOR OF:

the marriage of Allison Berns, daughter of Penny and Mark Berns to Michael Cohen, by Deena and Ed Nahmias

IN MEMORY OF:

Harriett Joffee, by Nancy Levin

HOMES FOR HEROES
IN HONOR OF:

Irv Ginsburg on his 90th birthday, by Sally and Marty Levine

IN MEMORY OF:

Ann Cohen and Jerry Gruenberg, by Karen and Allan Entous

WISE HEARTS FUND
IN HONOR OF:

the Bat Mitzvah of Lily Turndorf, by Karen Rosenthal, Arlene Levy, Carrie Adelman, Toby Schwartz, Amy, Joel, Samantha, and Morgan Segall, Elaine Skolnick, Emerson Stein, Lara Tochner, Catherine Fern, Sherry and Fred Fern, and Miki and Michael Chase

IN MEMORY OF:

Annie Livingstone, by Sunny Caine

RABBI ZELDIN RABBINIC CHAIR FUND
IN MEMORY OF:

Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin, by Fran Morris-Rosman and Richard Rosman

YAHRZEIT FUND
IN MEMORY OF:

Hildegard Pinkus, by Frank Pinkus

Allen Miller, by his family

Birdie Alpert, by Karen and Allan Entous

Nejatollah Kohansedgh, by Stephanie and Sol Cohensedgh and family

Stella Reiss, by Diana Gingell

Claire Barton, by Ann and Alan Barton

I.Oscar Makowsky, by Louise, Gene, and Ivana Bramson

Ben Siragusa, by Renee and Bob Siragusa
 

Lunch Volunteers at LA Family Housing:
Janis Berkman
Cheryl Craig
Ilene & Harry Jacobs
Diane Kabat
Sally Levine
Freda Moscowitz
Sheila Rosenberg
Shirley Sniderman
Joan Spiegel
Lana Sternberg

Nosh Volunteer:
Susan Firestone

Gift Shop Volunteers:
Terrie Baumann
Rochelle Fox
Lori Rubin
Carol Sookman

Do you want to reach us? 
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LET US KNOW

Would you like to get involved? Check out upcoming Temple and School events. 
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