From The President

Greetings to our CBS family,

October was filled with so many wonderful events and the momentum will not stop as we enter into our Fall and Winter seasons. Our Succot and Simchat Torah Sunday events were very well attended as we joined the religious school for a lunch under the sukkah and we unrolled an entire Torah and danced around the shul over and over again on Simchat Torah!

The simchas continued as we celebrated the Bat Mitvah of Erin Redding and the Bar Mitzvah of Andrew Gonsalves. Mazel Tov to both of you for an excellent job and for the study and work you put in through the years to make your "coming of age" celebration more meaningful.

November will also be filled with another simcha as we celebrate the installation of Rabbi Moldo as our newest religious leader. His friend and colleague, Rabbi Danny Horwitz, will be leading the installation on November 6 and will lead an adult education class Saturday night on Kabbalah and Mysticism. Please mark your calendars and join us for dinner on Friday night, kiddush luncheon on Shabbat afternoon, and the class on Saturday night.

As we enter into the holiday season, I would like to remind you of a few other events. On Monday, November 23rd, CBS will host the 14th annual Inter-Religious Thanksgiving Service. I have attended this event the past few years as a member of our choir and thoroughly enjoyed the music of other religious groups from the Modesto area. If you have never attended, it is definitely something you should not miss, especially since we will be hosting the event.

Our congregational meeting is December 6 and the USY group will be serving a spaghetti dinner and bingo for prizes beforehand to help raise money to subsidize their trip to the International Convention in Chicago in December.

And on December 12, 2009 we will have our 4th annual Latkas and Vodkas, the best party in town! The food and entertainment can't be beat and we urge you to get your tickets soon; to make it easier for you, you can order them online with your credit card by going to the following website: brownpapertickets.com/event88139 (or call 1-800-838-3006).

Finally, we will again host a First Responder dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for the police, sheriff, fire department, and ambulance drivers who must work on those days to keep us safe. We will also be delivering meals to homebound elderly who do not receive delivered meals on the holiday and have no family members. Our first meeting will be November 8, 10:15 a.m., at the synagogue. If you are interested in helping in any way, whether it be donating your time to cook, serve, drive, or with a monetary contribution for the meal, please e-mail me at gandelmanj@aol.com.

As Jews, we have an obligation to perform Tikun Olam, Tzedakkah, and G'emilut Chassadim, repair the world, justice, and acts of loving kindness. During the coming months there will be many opportunities for each of us to fulfill this obligation in many ways. As our "new year" has just begun, I encourage all of you to look deep inside yourselves and make a commitment to observing these Mitzvot at home, at the synagogue, or in our greater Modesto community.

Religious School News

Greetings! Over the next few months I will be including notes from our teachers. This month, I would like to formally introduce Nir Vegvizer, our newest addition to the CBS Religious School.

Nir joined us in August after moving to the region from Chicago where he taught 5-12 graders in few congregations (B'nai Tikvah, Moria, Am Chai, Beth Judea, Merkaz Ivrit) in Chicago land for the last 7 years. Nir was also a youth advisor with USY and taught conversational Hebrew in an Ulpan in Chicago for few years. His enthusiasm and dedication are contagious and our students are truly benefiting from his knowledge and skill. I anticipate the occasion when you can all meet him personally. Enjoy....

-- Todd Aaronson, Religious School Director

Dear Parents of CBS:

This is the first letter I am sending you this year so I would like to start by wishing you all a Shana Tovah and Chag Sameach. It was a great pleasure meeting most of you on our first school day and over the high holydays.

Our class, your children, had started the year on the right foot! They are already studying the Torah service and on their way to master the T'filot (prayers) in our curriculum.

We have been learning about the high Holidays and the meanings behind a lot of our rituals. The students have been learning Hebrew vocabulary and we are discussing current events and history of Israel.

We had a great time in decorating, eating and learning in the Sukah and mostly in our Simchat Torah celebration! We were parading the Torah and circling around the sanctuary while singing and dancing! If you missed it, make sure to be there next year!

I have no doubt that this is going to be a GREAT year, full of learning and fun experiences, both for the students and me.

In order to make it the best Hebrew school experience for your children, it is important for students to attend both days of Hebrew school/Sunday school and to show up on time. We are laying the foundation to their reading skills, Bar and Bat Mitzvah studying and strengthening their Jewish Identity! Do not let your child fall behind!

Please look for the note I will be sending home soon with your kids. It is a Hebrew reading log. I will be asking students to read 10 minutes a day and have you sign for their time. Please make sure they read! It is an important part of their learning! We will make sure to involve the families of our school more and more during the year!

Please contact me via email at any time with any questions or concerns (Hebrew1on1@yahoo.com).

B'vracha, With Blessings,

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