Weekly Messenger April 30 – May 6 11 Iyar – 17 Iyar Rabbi Dan Shevitz  rabbi@mishkon.org This Shabbat, Saturday, May 1, at Mishkon Follow Us on Facebook Family Shabbat! 10:30 a.m. to Noon Mishkon Website Donate Here Sephardic Simcha Kiddush for April and May! Noon “The night was created for Torah study.” Talmud, Eruvin 65a Upcoming Events Wednesday, April 29 12:30 – 3 p.m. Career Counseling with Liz Mohler Saturday, May 2 10:30 a.m. - Noon Family Shabbat See more here. Noon Simcha Kiddush Menu includes borekas, Moroccan cigars, Sephardic brisket, fijones, Sephardic eggs, chicken nuggets, and dried fruit, all prepared beautifully and authentically by Cynthia Hasday. Healing Through Music with Jeff Prince! 1 to 2 p.m. Shiru L’Adonai: Sing a New Song Unto God – Finding Your Inner Voice, a part of the Jewish Wisdom & Wellness Festival Birthday and Anniversary Celebration 1 – 2 p.m. Jeff Prince’s Singing Shiur for the Jewish Wisdom & Wellness Festival. See more here. May 4 – 8 Teacher Appreciation Week Saturday, May 9 11:00 a.m. Learner's Service with Rabbinic Intern Jeremy Szczepanski 1:30 p.m. "Interning with Our Intern" with Jeremy Szczepanski, An AKCESS Event Career Counselor: Liz Mohler Attention, Job Seekers! The Ezra Network is here to help. Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) Los Angeles <http://www.jvsla.org/> Helping Nepal Here is a list of organizations collecting funds for relief of the victims of the earthquake in Nepal. Please be generous ̶ and prompt. American Jewish World Service: https://secure.ajws.org AmeriCares: www.americares.org International Medical Corps: www.internationalmedicalcorps.org Unicef: www.unicef.org Habitat for Humanity International: www.habitat.org The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee: www.jdc.org Oxfam: www.oxfamamerica.org Red Cross: www.redcross.org United Nations World Food Program: www.wfp.org Save the Children: www.savethechildren.org The Jewish Federations of North America: https://securefedweb.jewishfederations.org/page/contribute/nepal-relief-fund SOS: Children’s Villages International: www.sos-childrensvillages.org Sincerely, Rabbi Dan Social Worker Available: Melissa Pottash Please contact mpottash@jfsla.org for more information. Who Is Our Rabbi? Rabbi Dan Shevitz Two Earthquakes. One Solution: Compassion By Rabbi Dan Do you remember the prayer of the High Priest, which we recall each Yom Kippur in the Avoda service? After he offered a personal prayer for the welfare of the nation, he added: “And for the residents of the Sharon he added, ‘May it be God’s will that their homes do not become their graves.’” rabbi@mishkon.org Who Are Our Board Members? President: Melissa Tarsky Vice President: Itai Klein Vice President: Lonnie Friedman Secretary: Dayna Greenspan Treasurer: Marvin J. Wolf Board Members: Phil Bell Carol Felixson Jeff Fleck Cindy Goldstein Judy Gordon Rena Panush Michele Prince Whom Do We Contact to Get Involved? Adult Education: Phil Bell shalvah@aol.com Building & Grounds: Stacy Feinberg stacy@cypressllp.com The Sharon is the coastal region of Israel, roughly from Tel Aviv to Haifa. In late antiquity, it was prone to earthquakes (I don’t know if it still is). The High Priest knew how precarious was life, and how in a moment our tranquil homes can become rubble, or worse. This week, there are two earthquakes that demand our prayerful attention. The first is Nepal; the death toll is still climbing, and the injured, dispossessed and bereft are countless. The victims had no hand in their tragedy except to suffer it. They did no wrong; they did not receive their desserts. Many lay buried under the destruction, and many have not been found. The other earthquake is in Baltimore. Here, it is entirely of our own doing. Police violence against minorities, and the unexplained and suspicious death of a young man in police custody have rightly led the community to protest. But that protest quickly degenerated into violence, looting, and mayhem. Again innocents will suffer under the rubble of indignities and mob fury. There is little short of prayer that can protect us from natural disasters but much we can do to avoid the convulsions of institutionalized arrogance and unchecked rage. As we reach for our checkbooks or on-line equivalent modes of contribution, let’s also check our own community, neighborhood, and city, turn down the angry rhetoric and turn up the compassion, so that our homes do not become our graves. Wave of Gratitude Special thanks to all of our volunteers! “Let your heart rejoice in beautifying a mitzvah.” Kala Rabati 4 We would also like to thank our recent donors: Susan Fox Horn Marcia and Bruce Mathason Melissa and Brian Tarsky Save the Date Monday, May 11, 2 p.m. How to Land a Job in Entertainment Fundraising: Ben Singer bsinger@ushv.com Saturday, May 16, 1:30 p.m. "The Neshamah (Soul) and End-of-Life Issues in Judaism" Kiddush: Sunday, May 17, 10 a.m. Annual Congregational Meeting Andy Bender andy@andrewbender.com Membership & Book Club: Rena Panush rapan18@gmail.com Communications: Marvin Wolf marvinjwolf@gmail.com Social Action: Aliza Wine winealiza@gmail.com Tephila: Jeff Gornbein gornbein@ucla.edu Hazak: Marilyn Lewitt marlew311@verizon.net Messenger & Galim: Lisa Anne Klein office@miskon.org Office & Mailing Address: 201 Hampton Drive Sanctuary: 206 Main Street Venice, CA 90291 office@mishkon.org Office (310) 392 – 3029 Fax (310) 392 – 0420 Tuesday, May 26, 7:30 p.m. Barbara’s Book Club Sunday, June 7, 10 a.m. Community Art Show Friday, June 12, 6 p.m. Our Musical Shabbat Sunday, June 14, 10:30 a.m. Yiddish Collage Services at a Glance Friday 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Evening Services Saturday 9:30 a.m. – Noon Shabbat Morning Services Shabbat Coordinator: Rena Panush Parashat HaShavua: Candle Lighting Aharay Time: 7:20 p.m. Mot-Kedoshim This Family Shabbat’s April and May Sephardic Simcha Kiddush is graciously prepared by Cynthia Hasday in memory of the 27 Nisan yahrzeit of her beloved father, Mordechai Hasday, and generously sponsored in honor of the anniversaries of Jeff Gornbein and Fredricka Martin Russell Schwartz and Susan Goland Nathan Newman and Alicia Brown Jessica and Michael Hochman Sara and Raymond Goldstein Adrienne and Selwyn Enzer Rena and Richard Panush in celebration of the birthdays of Benjamin Goldstein Michael Kunstler Nathan Newman Susan Fox Horn Elizabeth Tarsky Melissa Tarsky Makayla Jones Carol Felixson Gerson Safran Michelle Geil Joan Harelik Rena Panush Ira Schreck Zach Jones Joy Jones and in loving memory of the yahrzeits of Peter Kunstler’s parents, Mike and Eliane, (also on behalf of his brothers, Cliff and Daniel). Celebration & Prayer Birthdays Ari Friedman Loetitia Loberman Nathan Newman Jack Goldberg Carol Felixson Zach Jones Gerald Katzman Roberta Tishman Nancy Cowen Anniversaries Nicole & Robin Saacks Mi Shebeirach Ruth bat Chana David ben Ruth Don Morris’ dear friend Lynn Wolfe If you would like to make a donation in honor of anybody on this week’s list, please Click Here to Donate