A Hanukah celebation

Women of Temple Sinai have many opportunities to share fun activities together

Our  monthly board meeting on  December 14th  quickly spilled  into a party with delicious treats and a gift exchange with the  larger community of women at Beth’s beautiful hill home.

Great gifts came in small and large packages....
  
  Susan led a spirited sing a long and a great time was had by all in this kick off to the holiday season.

HOLIDAY CHEER AT THE FIRST PLACE DINNER

Mazel Tov to Cecille for organizing the many volunteers who helped cook and serve  about 100 former foster youth  from Alameda County, at the seventh annual holiday dinner for youth for First Place for Youth on December 17th. It was a  wonderful evening  and a bountiful feast.  While there were  fewer youth than  expected everyone who  came ate as much as he/she wanted, plus everyone had food to take home.  

We also gave food to First Place to be served at a community lunch taking place the next day.   

 The rest of the food was delivered by to Henry Robinson Center, an emergency shelter for families in downtown Oakland. 
All the delicious homemade food found its way to hungry people  that night. These people helped to create a warm holiday celebration for foster children in our community who otherwise would not get to enjoy a lovingly prepared homemade dinner.

Other who contributed food, time, or money to the dinner: Susan , Sherry,  Marty and Karen, Robert , Elaine , Sue , Leona , Aileen, Carole and Norm , Lisa  Lexi , Dawn,  Sara , Heidi, Jane, Edie , Richard, Audrey, Sherri , Pat , Carolyn , Ellen.  Betty Anne Marlene, Barbara and Bob, Sara , Laurie , Susan , MaryJane , Ellie , Flip, Gary , Leslie , Dana,  Liz, Helle , Katarina, Susan, Robin , Natalie, Marissa , Alex , Allyce,  Evelyn , Barby , Cathy , Caroline , Peggy , Kate.

 

NOTE:  First Place is a non-profit organization which helps young people who age out of foster care make the transition to adulthood.  It  provides support services to young people who find themselves on their own at age 18, when foster care provided by the state terminates.  Through First Place, young people receive education in economic literacy, help in finding jobs or continuing their education, and help in obtaining affordable housing and setting up a home. 

WTS in Toronto

Women of Temple Sinai in the Larger World  

Five WTS members, Myra , Sharon,  Ricki, Robin, and Peggy  had the extraordinary opportunity to head off to Toronto Canada for four days of inspirational exchanges for the 47^th Assembly   of Women of Reform Judaism. Between November 4^th to 8^th their days were packed with opportunities for connecting with women  from reform congregations across the united states and Canada, with a few other countries represented. A highlight was watching  Myra being installed onto the WFJ's International Board. These photos capture some of those special moments.  

 

 

A wonderful event at First Place for Youth

ON  December 17^th  about 200 former foster youth  from Alameda County will be attending the seventh annual holiday dinner for youth who have been mentored by First Place for Youth in Oakland.

 Robin describes the scene at the holiday meal from last  year: “ My kids helped me deliver a beautiful turkey for the  dinner.  It was a family affair.  My step-son drove us so that I could hold the Turkey, my son and step-daughter and father in-law came along for the ride.  When we arrived, the two younger kids carried the tray to the Peggy who was "wo-manning" the door.  We saw the turkey get carried into the meal.  My kids were quiet thrilled to have been part of helping out others with fewer advantages than they.  At dinner they remarked on how that was the "rose" for the day. “

 We hope that this event will become a rose in your year, as you volunteer to prepare food in you home, and drop it off warm and ready to serve.  Or help out in any other way you so we  can  once again feed and serve an abundant and nutritious meal of turkey and vegetables, with enough left overs that everyone can take home a second meal.

 Please contact Cecille_breakthefast@yahoo.com

OUR ECONOMY IS WARMING UP: ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SHOW UP!

STAY POSTED FOR INFORMATION ON THE CHANNAKAH  FAIRE.

DECEMBER 5TH AND 6TH 9-6

WONDERFUL GIFTS FOR ALL

AND 15% OF ALL SALES WILL GO TO WTS !

Blog Users Guide

The following is a guide to viewing and contributing to the "Women of Temple Sinai" blog.

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A GREAT new Fund Raising Opportunity:EcoMetro Guides

GREAT NEWS:  67 ECO METRO GUIDES HAVE BEEN SOLD!

BE SURE TO ORDER NOW FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!

Don't miss the chance to pick up  one of the  EcoMetro Guides that we are selling to raise money for our initiatives and programs, such as the Women’s Seder, WTS Sisterhood Shabbat, and other programs during the year! 

In case you don't know about this EcoMetro Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource – a coupon book, a directory, a source of ideas and inspiration. The new edition of EcoMetro Guide has over 300 coupons and resources for exploring our community and supporting local, sustainable businesses. Find hundreds of dollars in everyday savings with offers for Farmer Joe’s, AC Transit, Goodwill, Chabot Space and Science Center, REI, ACE Hardware, Pharmaca and many, many more!  To see a complete list please visit: www.ecometro.com.  Remember, EcoMetro Guide has something for everyone!  It makes a great gift so pick up copies for yourself, family, friends, clients, service people, Chanukah gifts, etc.

 The books are sold for $20 and WTS keeps up to 50% per book!  WTS’s goal is to sell 200 books. 

To make your purchase, visit the WTS table at Temple Sinai upcoming events, or contact Keira Williams (thermalhill@gmail.com, 510 387 8003) or Sue Bachman, memasue@sbcglobal.net, 510 531 2018. 

 

Tips from Our Caregiving and Receiving Experts

If you are 40 or your parents are 70 it’s time to start talking!

Last week, October 18th, the members of the panel on Caregiving and Receiving, sponsored by the Women of Temple Sinai (WTS), provided valuable information that everyone will need at one time or another. 

Those who are long distance caregivers can call upon the Jewish Organizations where their loved ones live for referrals including mediation for those siblings who have differing views about the care needed.  There are also valuable web sites one can consult.

 It is extremely helpful to keep two copies of a personal health journal – one at the home of the person needing assistance and one at the home of the contact person.  The easily found brightly colored folders should contain all the health information that a physician would need in an emergency situation.  Linda Garvin provides a list of important health information on her free web site, www.healthmanagerbayarea.com. Click on Case Management and scroll down to Great Tips for keeping a health journal.

Ada Burko, from the Suse Moyal Center for Older Adult Services of the Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) explained the many services the agency provides such as information and referral, counseling, care management, and pre-planning assistance. This is a wonderful place to begin when faced with helping someone. The professional staff knows the Bay Area community and all that is available. Their website is www.jfcs-eastbay.org.

Jane Malmgren from Home Instead Senior Care stressed the importance of communication between seniors and their children. She called the conversation about future plans in case of illness or infirmity, The 70-40 Rule, in which parents begin a discussion with their adult children about end of life issues and the 40-70 Rule where the adult children initiate a conversation with their parents about aging and how they feel about their future. If you are 40 or your parents are 70 it’s time to start talking. 

Jane Malmgren’s website is: www.homeinstead.com/272

Dan Fendel explained how Temple Sinai’s Caring Community functions and what it provides our congregants.  When someone needs emergency help such as meals, care giver relief, or other short term need, contact the clergy who will notify a member of the Caring Community. Someone in your neighborhood will contact you and organize assistance.  The Caring Community also sends out congratulatory and condolence cards.

 If you would like to be a part of the Caring Community, please call Dan l or Sue .Some useful websites: 

National Family Caregivers Association www.thefamilycaregiver.org; phone (800) 896-3650.

Family Caregiver Alliance www.caregiver.org, phone (415) 434-3388

 http://www.ehow.com/how_5362584_treat-yoga-tai-chi-pilates.html

 http://www.ehow.com/how_5488005_reduce-chances-denied-insurance-claim.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_5490773_identify-produce-buy-organic.html

 http://www.ehow.com/how_5483494_organize-health-journal-aging-parents.html

 http://www.ehow.com/how_5487701_improve-sleep-ten-easy-steps.html

 http://www.ehow.com/how_5464552_prevent-medication-errors-elderly.html

 

 

What happens with your membership dues?

Did you know that your WTS membership dues help fund the training of our women Rabbis and Cantor, as well as funding many other women initiated projects? Seventeen dollars of your dues goes towards Women of Reform Judaism, our umbrella organization. Denny Norris of WRJ writes: Through our membership dues we affirm that we stand together in support of the work begun by our sisters almost 100 years ago. With our contributions to the YES Fund we make sure that programs that improve Jewish life thrive. And, with the resolutions we will pass at assembly in Toronto, we continue to be a force for social justice, from support issues of women, children and youth, education, and social justice across North America, in Israel, and around the world. Collectively, we can accomplish much more than one sisterhood can on its own. We are truly "stronger together." 

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about joining WTS, please contact  Ely Nehrbecki at ecnehrebecki@gmail.com 

Our New Model of Leadership

Temple Sinai is blessed by the number of women we have on our Bimah, including our two Rabbis, our Cantor, and a number of board members. Among the women sitting on the Bimah during this year’s High Holiday service were also Diane and Robin , the co-liaisons between Women of Temple Sinai and the Temple Board of Directors. Robin and Diane are not to be mistaken for presidents or co-presidents, since a year ago WTS abandoned these titles for a new model and now offers a unique opportunity for collaborative leadership where all its board members can have their time on the Bimah.A little more about our model. Arlene writes: “we realized that women in today's world are working hard outside and inside their homes.  They don't have a lot of time to do volunteer work but they also want to be part of a community of women.  This model allows everyone to be part of the leadership without feeling overwhelmed.” So in this nonhierarchical world of sisterhood it could have been any one of us on  the Bimah.  

WTS provides us with the sense of belonging to a larger community of women, where we  participate in rituals together,  work towards improving  the world around us and also have the opportunity for lots of fun  social activities . This blog is being created with the hope that it will allow us the chance  to  share the experience of  these many activities. 

Highlights from the TEA-Mothers and Daughters

Among the fifty  guests at the WTS Opening Tea on October 4th was mother and daughter Rena and Nara .  Nara had her Bat Mitzvah at Temple Sinai in 1993, then went  through confirmation and graduation, and is now living in San Francisco.   She was delighted when her mother handed over her winning number for a  raffle prize. Nara chose  a beatifully designed   shirt. 

More photos from WTS Tea

. Fifty Women of Temple Sinai members, with their friends, mothers and daughters, along with Rabbis Chester and Mates-Muchin, attended   the Opening Tea and Board Installation. The Newton/Seale Conference Room on the Merrit Campus, with its amazing Bay view, was an inspirational backdrop for MJ Ryan’s equally inspirational talk on surviving changes we didn’t ask for. Todah Rabah to Melissa  for all the hard work and care she put into organizing this celebration of sisterhood across the generations. Thanks also go to Sharon  and all those who baked delicious treats for this event. 

WTS Opening Tea - Multigenerational...

Board Members at Summer Forward

Barbara leads us in brainstorming 

Women of Temple Sinai Answer the Question “What do you do ANYWAY???”

   WTS kicked off the year with the Summer Forward retreat, held at Ricki's  beautiful Orinda home on August 30^th. Throughout this carefully organized and energizing day long event, twenty WTS members laughed, played, brainstormed, ate, spoke and listened as their collaborative leadership model of working together unfolded.  For new board members (including this correspondent to Sinai bulletin) the question: what do you do anyway?  was self-evident. You show up at an event like this, you are heartily welcomed, and you have a job. Everyone counts here. WTS does not fit the stereotypes some may have of a stogy or exclusive club for women who do not work.  Instead, very evident at the Summer Forward event was the fact that WTS is a body of women who have grown like the largest oak trees of Oakland, with very deep roots, and branches reaching  in all directions.  Just like these magnificent trees they offer a place of belonging. They are also movers and shakers, who wear multiple hats, and serve as the backbone of our community in so many ways we may take forgranted. They are part of a body of women who have had a very long history (115 years, to be exact) of being the most important social, critical issues and fund raising sources for the Temple Sinai community.  They address our most relevant contemporary concerns and are intimately linked with the international umbrella women’s group Women of Reform Judaism, that has been the advance guard over many decades of critical issues that the Reform movement has adapted.

This year’s retreat made it clear  that  WTS continues to provide a  stable base for nurturing a sense of community in the midst of all the changes in the world around us.  At the same time,  with communication and PR break out sessions led by Barbara  and Robin , there was  much talk at the retreat about tackling the   challenges of re-defining ourselves and getting the word out to the larger community about who we really are and what we really  do. The Forward Looking message this year is JOIN US. Be counted among the ranks of woman and this model of working together to  get  the job done, without giving the job a title, without naming  a president. WTS exists for YOU and does what you need it to do.   Even if you are a   woman whose life leaves little room for extra work or a new circle of friends, you can be certain that  the membership dues that you pay to join  WTS  will make a difference as they  go towards projects in our  larger community.