From The President

It seems impossible that December is already upon us. Just yesterday we were celebrating Passover. Yes, time does fly as we get older.

There are many things happening in our congregation this month.  Consecration of our religious school students happens on December 5th; the AIPAC luncheon at noon, drop in and decorate cookies also at noon, and then our congregational meeting at 7 p.m. on December 7; member recognition of Scott Biewer on December 12; Latkes and Vodkas on December 13; our congregational Chanukah party on December 21, at 5 p.m.; USY International Convention December 21-25; Chanukah from December 21-28, and our dinner to feed First Responders on December 24-25.  Whew!

When I was growing up in Sacramento (Citrus Heights) my siblings and I always happened to be the only Jewish children in our classes, probably similar to what many Jewish children experience in Modesto.  My father used to invite all our friends over and tell them the story of Chanukah.  At the end of the "lesson" our friends would come away wishing they too were Jewish so they could get a "present a night" for 8 days.  Even though my father tried to explain that it was not a "Jewish Christmas" that seemed to be the lesson learned by our friends.

Later, as we got older, our teachers would ask us to present a story to the class about Chanukah.  I remember bringing dreidels and Chanukah gelt and teaching my classmates how to play dreidel, the Jewish gambling game.  Years later, as my siblings began their own families, they got more elaborate, making potato latkes and sharing them with their childrens' classes.

Chanukah is a great holiday to teach our friends, our children's friends, and ourselves not only about Chanukah, but also about the similarities and the universal messages of many religious groups at this time of year, the message of Peace, Hope and Giving.  It is the time of year, beginning with Thanksgiving, when we take stock of our lives and are thankful for what we have and most of us probably realize we have enough--or maybe too much--and it is a time to give of that abundance to those who have less.

I've always explained to my friends that Chanukah is not a major holiday, or at least not the major gift-giving holiday.  That should be reserved for Purim, in my humble belief.  Coming soon after the High Holidays we should learn from our past the reason we celebrate Chanukah.  A group of observant Jews, the Maccabees, were moved to remind our wayward brothers that they had forgotten the teachings of our fathers and were taking on the ways of the Greeks.  Yes, Jews killed Jews, which is sometimes actually allowed in the Torah, but what the Maccabees did was to lead our people back to observe our commandments.

Today, we can learn from the Maccabees and turn this holiday season back into one of giving.  We can give of our knowledge through educating ourselves and our friends.  We can give of ourselves in volunteering for those less fortunate.  We can give of our abundance to those who live in their cars or on the streets or under the outside roofs of churches and synagogues.  Let's make this holiday into one that will make our community a better place to live, the true meaning of Tikun Olam.

I hope many of you will help us make Christmas Eve and Christmas Day a day to remember for the First Responders of our community, as we open our doors on those dates to give these workers a warm, delicious holiday meal.  Please see the article elsewhere in the Bulletin on how you can help.

Wishing you all a warm, peaceful, and giving holiday season.

Religious School News

It is that time of year again; holidays, parties, vacation, plays, shopping--you name it!  It is a busy time of year for all of us.  Even our teaching staff and synagogue staff is busy with preparations for this month; Latkes and Vodkas, Chanukah, night of 100 Menorahs, Consecration on December 5th, and we're trying to plan a holiday Tzadakah project.

At the same time, we're all being "hit up" for donations to a myriad of very good organizations that provide services to those less fortunate.  So, we promise not to hit you up for cash.

But, what we do want is your time and energy.  There are a few programs here at CBS and the religious school we could use your help with.  Namely, they are:  fund-raisers (a great film festival is being planned!), clean up, library assistance, and a host/hostess for our weekly bagels and schmooze.

We need your help, physically, not monetarily.  Over the next month, we'll be contacting you to participate in one of our committees that benefit the religious school.  We want to provide the best experience possible and to do so we really need your help.

So, rather than take too much of your time here, you can count on our follow-up to ask for your participation with one of our committees.

Happy Chanukah and Happy New Year!

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