Rabbi’s Column . We’re going to dedicate a Ner Tamid at the end of this month. It was designed by us but hand-made in Israel reflecting our name and the congregation’s musical emphasis. I’d post a picture, but we want the reveal on June 23 to be our first view of this artistic endeavor! The Eternal Light is often associated with the menorah, the seven-branched lamp stand which was part of the Bet HaMikdash – the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The rabbis interpreted the Ner Tamid as a symbol of God’s eternal presence in the world. Originally the Ner Tamid was an oil lamp. Ours will be a battery powered bulb. It’s supposed to be “eternal” but how long the batteries last will determine that. Obviously, we have been able to manage without a Ner Tamid this long, so what will this light add to our lives? The light shines above the ark, repository of the Torah scrolls. The Hebrew root for both the Torah and the Ner Tamid is “or.” Interestingly, both the Hebrew words of parent (Hor’rah) and teacher (Mo’rah) also contain that same root for “light.” Meaning that illumination comes from many different sources. We as a people are supposed to be an “Or La’goyim”–a light unto the nations. Perhaps we, as individuals, can serve that same purpose, reminded to do so by the Ner Tamid. Life can be trying, but it is at those times that we must be on our best behavior. In moments of impatience, or anger, or frustration – these are when we must remember that light shining above the ark. And become that light. Rabbi David Vorspan

Shabbat services at de Toledo High School Saturday, June `9 - 10:30 am Birthday Shabbat Saturday, June 23 - 10:30 am Anniversary Shabbat Ner Tamid dedication (See article on page 2) Kiddush lunch for Ethyl Granik’s 90th birthday --------------------------------------------- Walk Around Lake Balboa Sunday, June 3, 9:00 am Our Walk this year raises money for the Painted Turtle Camp for seriously ill children. Call Sheilah Hart at (818) 884-2342. See article on page 4 and flyer. --------------------------------------------- The Story of the Jews Sunday, June 10 2:00 pm at the Vorspans’

This is the fourth afternoon of a five part series originally shown on PBS created by Professor Simon Schama. This segment portrays how the Jews of eastern Europe made their mark in the modern world. Rabbi Vorspan will lead a discussion following the video. See the article on page 7 and see the flyer to register.

Shir Notes The Official Newsletter of Congregation Shir Ami Volume 16, Number 6, June 2018. Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Events of the Month

Visit our website: www.shirami.com

Featured articles inside

Dedication of Our New Ner Tamid and Parochet at Shabbat Service June 23 by Sherry Dollins - page 2

Biography of the Month: Sandy Koufax by Stan Schroeder - page 5

Jewish World Watch Walk to End Genocide by Rae Wazana - page 6

The Story of the Jews [4], Sunday, June 10 by Stan Schroeder - page 7

Operation Gratitude - Father’s Day by Charlene Kazel - page 8

Dedication of Our New Ner Tamid and Parochet at Shabbat Service June 23 by Sherry Dollins Our congregation is fortunate to have two new ritual items to enhance our Shabbat services. At her Tribute Luncheon, our rebbetzin, Bonnie Vosrpan, presented the congregation with a gift of a beautiful hand-made parochet that she created for our ARK, which was installed several months ago. Additionally, as a result of a very successful fundraising campaign, we were able to have a ritual designer in Israel create a lovely battery operated Ner Tamid that represents our musical heritage. Our member, Jerry Gort, has installed the new Ner Tamid on our Ark. On June 23rd, we will be dedicating these two new enhancements to our Shabbat sanctuary and we invite you to join us for this special celebration. A special Kiddush will be part of the commemoration. We are lucky to have wonderful, big-hearted members and a caring and talented rebbetzin who contribute so generously to our congregation. Please join us for this very special occasion.

President’s Report Shalom, June is here and like kids all over the country can hardly wait until school is out, we are waiting for Schul to be “out” as we look forward to our annual two-month hiatus in July and August. Not so fast, though. We have a lot to accomplish this June. We have two more Saturday morning Shabbat services and one more Torah/Shabbat Study Session. Our Shabbat services will still be held at De Toledo High School, but we still don’t know exactly where, so keep alert. And we should all be looking forward to the last Shabbat service of June when we will be unveiling our new Ner Tamid. But that doesn’t mean we’ll be standing idly by, waiting for our vacation. Not so! We will be having our annual “Walk Around Lake Balboa.” This year, we walk to benefit the Painted Turtle Camp which provides a fun-filled free camping experience to kids with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. We will have our annual “Class Photo” and then we put ourselves into orbit around Lake Balboa. Take advantage of July and August, so you can return tanned, rested, and ready to begin another year of Shabbat Services. And we promise to let you know in what room they will be held, really. As always, if you have any questions or want to provide your input, please feel free to email me at JDPistol@aol.com.

Thank you. Jordan Pistol, President

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Congregational News Get well wishes rafuah schleimah to: Cantor Roger Goodman Fran Kobulnick Paullette Pistol May they be blessed with a complete recovery in body and spirit.

Mailbox Dearest Friends, On behalf of the women and children victims we serve at JFS{Hope, I would like to thank you all so very much for your generous contribution of Target Gift Cards to our program. Your generosity of spirit and commitment to our work continues to be outstanding and we’re deeply grateful and appreciative to you all. The gift cards will be distributed to the women and they will be so thrilled having a special outing with their children to indulge in a little “something” for themselves. You have no idea how deeply our clients appreciate the “kindness of strangers”….folks they’ll never get to meet or thank in person. So please accept my gratitude and rest assured your gifts will be a great Mother’s Day treat!! The staff joins me in wishing all the Moms in the synagogue a very Happy Mother’s Day with deep thanks for thinking of our special folks. Take good care and have a healthy, happy summer. Warmly, Kitty Glass, Community Outreach Coordinator

Congregation Shir Ami Tribute Cards Thanks to Phyllis Schroeder for sending your cards celebrating simchas and conveying your get- well and condolence messages. She is creative with individualized, artistic cards that include a message and color graphics. Call her at (818) 718-7466. Minimum donation of $5 per card is appreciated.

Yahrzeits

Lynn Cherney for Dora Cherney Harvey Cohen for Sally Cohen Fran Feinman for Stephen Feinman and Myrna Gold Jacquie Gordon for Marshall Gordon Philip Hockmeyer for Joseph Hockmeyer Sylvia Hockmeyer for Joseph Hockmeyer Andrea and Leon Nachenberg for Milton Stover Ann and Seymour Potell for Libby Blankstein Ed Schackman for Mark David Schackman Sally Shane Irving Strassner for Ann Perelmutter Bonnie and Rabbi Vorspan for Max Vorspan and Sandy Vorspan Phyllis and Stan Schroeder for Albert Kaufman

Birthdays

Ellen Fremed Yael and Gavi Sela (14) (by Bonnie and Rabbi Vorspan) Linda Tapper (70) Ben Vorspan (by Bonnie and Rabbi Vorspan) Shaina Vorspan (35) (by Bonnie and Rabbi Vorspan) Phyllis Schroeder Anniversaries

Shaina and Aaron Brenner (4th) (by Bonnie and Rabbi Vorspan) Alisha and Ehud Sela (17th) (by Bonnie and Rabbi Vorspan) Ben and Elana Vorspan (11th) (by Bonnie and Rabbi Vorspan) Rabbi David and Bonnie Vorspan (47th) Other

Owen and Bette Delman in fond memory of Esther Perez Jerry Gort in memory of Esther Perez Jerry Gort in honor of Harvey Cohen's 96th birthday Phyllis and Stan Schroeder in honor of Harvey Cohen's 96th birthday Bonnie and Rabbi Vorspan for Yael and Gavi Sela's graduation from Heschel Day School

Birthdays & Anniversaries Birthdays Wayne Geffen................................ Sondra Licht................................... Gary Finlay..................................... Stan Rosenbluth............................. Irwin Koransky................................ Jay Cohen...................................... Helga Unkeless.............................. David Lipman................................. Gale Cohen.................................... Heather Hyman.............................. Ethel Granik................................... Fran Feinman................................ Ed Schackman............................... Barbara Hattem.............................. Al Siebler........................................ Phyllis Feldman-Schroeder............ Stan Goodman............................... Charlene Kazel.............................. Judy Eisikowitz..............................

Anniversaries Bette and Owen Delman................ Marcie and Steve Spetner.............. Becky and Gary Finlay................... Paula and Paul Frankel.................. Karen and Fenton Harvey.............. Sherry and Lee Dollins................... Cheryl and William Niesen............ Maralyn and Paul Soifer................. Clara and Stan Rosenbluth............ Lorraine and Dan Simansky........... Susan and David Lipman............... Sima and Steve Schuster...............

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DONATIONS Congregation Shir Ami wishes to acknowledge the following donations:

6/3 6/6 6/10 6/14 6/15 6/26 6/26 6/29 7/1 7/1 7/7 7/12 7/15 7/22 7/22 7/27 7/27 7/29 7/30

6/7 54th 6/10 39th 6/13 19th 6/16 28th 6/24 34th 6/25 51st 6/28 48th 6/28 49th 7/6 66th 7/10 53rd 7/12 48th 7/15 51st

$

Our Condolences We regret to inform the congre- gational family of the passing of: Patricia Williams, stepmother of our Secretary Karen Benson. May God comfort Karen and her family at this time of their bereavement.

Our Committee is accepting orders for Mitzvah tee shirts similar to the originals. They are white with blue lettering and will have the Shir Ami logo on the front and the definition of mitzvah on the back. They come in sizes S through 4XL and priced at $18. Call Claire Silverman at (747) 237-7130 to place an order or for more information. Mazel tov to our graduates this season, and those celebrating birthdays with us. May you live to be 120 years old in good health, and continue doing our mitzvah projects with us! And Happy Father’s Day to our dads, granddads, and great granddads. Thank you again for your kindness and thoughtfulness during a very difficult year for me. Shalom, Fran Kobulnick, Social Action Vice President

Social Action Committee

Thanks to our mitzvah doers who donated 50 Target $10 gift cards for the women and children for Mother’s Day to the JFS domestic violence shelters we help sponsor .I know the women and children appreciated our generosity. See the thank you letter from Kitty Glass, Outreach Coordinator at JFS Hope (formerly known as Domestic Violence) on page 2. Our Committee went to West Valley Healthcare on Friday, May 18 for our annual Mothers/Fathers Day Shabbat celebration. The residents were happy to see us and participate in the Shabbat blessings. One of the resident’s husband explained Shavout, the holiday that started the next night. Claire Silverman led everyone in our usual sing-along with her guitar, and our Committee served refreshments and gave residents a personal gift. Our visits there started about 15 years ago when Barbara Tober invited us to visit her father. Linda Tapper’s father was also a resident there. There is not a better feeling than knowing you have brought happiness and kindness to others. We invite you to join us on our next visit at Chanukkah. A special mazel tov to Team Congregation Shir Ami, chaired by Rae Wazana and Fiona Taylor for our annual Jewish World Watch Walk to End Genocide on May 6,. Rabbi and Bonnie Vorspan led our team of 22 participants who raised over $1500 this year. Certainly a job well done by Shir Ami, the little temple that could and does! See article on page 6. Our annual charity fundraising Walk Around Lake Balboa and brunch will be Sunday morning, June 3, with registration starting at 8:30. This year we are walking for the Painted Turtle Camp. Our chair is Sheilah Hart, who volunteers at this camp for children with life threatening illnesses who go the camp at no cost. We will have a guest speaker who will explain the amazing activities at the camp. See the flyer for further information and registration. Wear your Mitzvah tee shirt and bring food for SOVA to the Walk. There are sit-down activities for those who don’t walk. Our SOVA barrels are at de Toledo High School for services and events. There is a High Holy Day SOVA flyer in this issue. Our special get-well wishes go to Cantor Roger Goodman who is in our thoughts and prayers.

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Becky Finlay, Ellie Zatz, Laura Simon, Rae Wazana, Claire Silverman, and Neal Tober

Resident’s husband and Claire

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Biography of the Month: Sandy Koufax by Stan Schroeder (first published August, 2009) Sandy Koufax was born Sanford Braun December 30, 1935, to Jack and Evelyn Braun in Brooklyn, NY. His parents divorced when he was three years old. Six years later Evelyn married Irving Koufax, and gave her son her new name. Koufax attended Brooklyn's Lafay- ette High School [where he was a classmate of late menber Esther Perez], where he was better known for basketball than for baseball. At the time, school sports were not available because New York's teachers were refusing to supervise extracurricular activities without monetary compensation. As an alternative, Koufax started playing basketball for a local Jewish Community Center team. Eventually, Lafayette had a basketball team; Koufax became team captain in his senior year, and ranked second in his division in scoring. In 1951, at the age of 15, Koufax also joined a local youth baseball league known as the "Ice Cream League." He started out as a left-handed catcher, before moving to first base. While playing first base for Lafayette’s baseball team, a teammate’s father, and coach in another youth league, recruited Koufax to pitch for his team. Following high school graduation, Koufax attended the University of Cincinnati on a basketball scholar-ship. In the spring he also pitched for the varsity baseball team. He had tryouts with the New York Giants and the Pittsburg Pirates before his Ebbetts Field tryout with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Dodger scout Al Campanis had heard of Koufax from the owner of a local sporting goods store. Campanis assumed the hitter's stance while Koufax started throwing. He later said, "There are two times in my life the hair on my arms has stood up: The first time I saw the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the first time I saw Sandy Koufax throw a fastball." Manager Walter Alston, who was watching the tryout, signed Koufax for a $6,000 salary and a $14,000 bonus. Koufax planned to use the signing bonus as tuition to finish his university education, if his baseball career failed. Because the bonus was more than $4,000, the Dodgers couldn’t send Koufax to the minors for two years. To make room for him, the Dodgers optioned their future manager, Tommy Lasorda, to the Montreal Royals of the International League.

During his first years with the Dodgers, starting in 1955, Koufax was very erratic and pitched only sparingly. During the fall, he enrolled in the Columbia University School of General Studies, which offered night classes in architecture. The Dodgers won the World Series that year for their first title in franchise history, but Koufax did not appear in the series. After the final out of Game Seven, Koufax drove to Columbia to attend class. To prepare for the 1957 season, the Dodgers sent Koufax to Puerto Rico to play winter ball. On May 15, the restriction on sending Koufax down to the minors was lifted. Alston gave him a chance to justify his place on the major league roster by giving him the next day's start. Facing the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Koufax struck out 13 while pitching his first complete game in almost two years. On September 29, Koufax became the last man ever to pitch for the Brooklyn Dodgers before their move to Los Angeles, by throwing an inning of relief in the final game of the season. Over the next three seasons, Koufax was in and out of the Dodger starting rotation because of injuries. In 1959, the Dodgers won a close pennant race against the Braves and the Giants, then played the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. Alston gave Koufax the start in the fifth game, at the Los Angeles Coliseum in front of 92,706 fans. Koufax allowed only one run in seven innings, but lost the 1–0 game when Nellie Fox scored on a double play. Returning to Chicago, the Dodgers won the sixth game and the Series. At the end of the 1960 season Koufax considered quitting baseball. However, he had worked out more during the off-season and showed up in better shape for 1961 spring training. Advice from catcher Norm Sherry (Fairfax High graduate) was also helpful in improving his control. The 1962 move from the Coliseum to Dodger Stadium was friendly to pitchers. From 1961 to 1966 Koufax became the dominant pitcher in baseball. He made the All-Star team all six years, won the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher three times, the World Series MVP in ‘63 and ‘65, and the National League MVP in ‘63 and he pitched a perfect game on September 9, 1965. He had four no-hit games and a 129 - 47 win/loss record. But he is perhaps best known for his decision not to pitch in Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur. The Dodgers went on to beat the Minnesota Twins, with Koufax pitching a shutout in Game 7 on two-days rest. Sandy Koufax retired after the 1966 season to avoid further injury to his arm. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972, the youngest player to be so honored.

page 6 June 2018 Jewish World Watch Walk to End Genocide by Rae Wazana Congregation Shir Ami did it again! We joined with several other synagogues and organizations in the annual Jewish World Watch Walk to End Genocide which took place on Sunday, May 6th in Thousand Oaks at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. Our Shir Ami Walk Team had an amazing number of participants this year – 23 people in all! We raised more than $1500 for Jewish World Watch’s projects this year thanks to our Walk Team and generous support from many Shir Ami members. At the pre-Walk activities, we were so proud to see the two beautiful “Quilts of Caring” which were completed by Bonnie Vorspan. These were displayed for all to see. We also got to learn more about perma-gardening and drilling of new water wells in refugee camp areas in parts of Africa. Our awesome Team members this year were: Rabbi David and Bonnie Vorspan, Fiona Taylor, Stan Goodman, Jerry and Pat Michaelson, Judy Eisikowitz, Claire and Lew Silverman, Paula and Lou Loomis, Neal Tober, Mike Easley, Linda Hallowell, Jordan Pistol, Stan Schroeder, Charlene Kazel, Becky Finlay, Karen Benson, Robin and Alan Burman, and Rae Wazana. Also registered were Joan Easley, Phyllis Schroeder, and Barbary Behr. Because of these amazing people, we truly “walked the Walk” and did not stand idly by. Thank you, everyone, for helping us help JWW to have such an amazing event! Editor’s note: Rae Wazana received a special award from Jewish World Watch for her outstanding service to the organization. See pictures from the Walk on this page.

2018 Shir Ami Jewish World Watch Walk team

Mike Easley at Walk Help Desk

Led by Rabbi and Bonnie Vorspan and Judy Eisikowitz

Rabbi and Bonnie with Quilt

Rae receiving award from Amy Cecil

Walkers Stan Schroeder, Pat Michaelson, Becky Finlay, Linda Hallowell, and Mike Easley

page 7 June 2018 Schama talks about the turning points of the drama with living witnesses like Aviva Rahamim who as a 14 year old walked across the Sudanese desert to try and reach Israel; Yakub Odeh, the Palestinian whose village was destroyed in the war of 1948, and Levana Shamir whose family members were imprisoned in Egypt at the same time. He debates the meaning of new archaeological discoveries of the Biblical period with Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University, the Dead Sea Scrolls with their chief curator Pnina Shor; the character of the Talmud with Leon Wieseltier, literary editor of the New Republic, the photographic record of Israel’s history with Micha Bar Am; German cultural treasures from Enlightenment Germany, and the music of Felix Mendelssohn with the critic Norman Lebrecht.

The series, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC fall 2013 was acclaimed in the British press as “an astonishing achievement, a TV landmark, idiosyncratic, accessible but always authoritative.” It includes new archaeological research which is transforming our understanding of the earliest world of the Jews, and highlights evidence from the visual arts – synagogue mosaics, spectacularly illustrated Bibles; the brilliantly colorful decoration of synagogues (contrary to impressions of a monochrome religion) as well as the glorious music which carried Jewish traditions through the centuries.

Whether he is amidst the stones of 11th century Judea, the exuberantly decorated cemeteries of Ukrainian hasidic rabbis, the parlors of Moses Mendelssohn’s Berlin or the streets of immigrant New York, Schama brings together memory and actuality, past and present, sorrows and celebrations, vindications and challenges and makes felt the beating pulse of an epic of endurance that has been like no other; a story which belongs to everyone. [end of documentary website] This episode, entitled Over the Rainbow, describes Jewish life in Lithuania (where Simon Schama’s mother’s family lived) and Poland, home to the largest Jewish communities prior to World War II. These Jews made their mark on the modern world. We get a glimpse of the lost world of the Shtetl, towns and villages across Central and Eastern Europe, virtually destroyed during the Holocaust.

See the flyer hor information about our presentation of this epic series. You may also call me at (818) 718-7466 if you have any questions.

The Story of the Jews [4], Sunday, June 10 by Stan Schroeder Rabbi Vorspan will offer the fourth of a five part video series at his home Sunday, June 10 at 2:00 pm. We will watch the video and then he will lead a discussion of our unique heritage. The series is free to members, but you must register in advance as seating is limited. See the flyer to register. The following is from the documentary website.

Prize winning author of fifteen books and Emmy-Award winner Simon Schama brings to life Jewish history and experience in a new five-part documentary series The Story of the Jews with Simon Schama. The five-hour series follows Schama – who has written and presented 50 documentaries on art, literature and history and is a Contributing Editor of the Financial Times, as he travels from Russia and the Ukraine to Egypt, Israel and Spain, exploring the imprint that Jewish culture has made on the world and the drama of suffering, resilience and rebirth that has gone with it.

The series is at the same time, a personal journey for Schama who has been immersed in Jewish history since his postwar childhood; a meditation on its dramatic trajectory, and a macro- history of a people whose mark on the world has been out of all proportion to its modest numbers.“If you were to remove from our collective history” said Schama, “the contribution Jews have made to human culture, our world would be almost unrecognizable. There would be no monotheism, no written Bible, and our sense of modernity would be completely different. So the history of the Jews is everyone’s history too and what I hope people will take away from the series is that sense of connection: a weave of cultural strands over the millennia, some brilliant, some dark, but resolving into a fabric of thrilling, sometimes tragic, often exalted creativity.”

The Story of the Jews draws on primary sources which include the Elephantine papyri, a collection of 5th century BCE manuscripts illuminating the life of a town of Jewish soldiers and their families in ancient Egypt; the astonishing trove of documents – the Cairo Geniza – recording the world of the medieval Jews of the Mediterranean and Near East; the records of disputations between Christians and Jews in Spain, correspondence between the leader of the Arab revolt during the First World War, Emir Feisal and the leader of the Zionist movement Chaim Weizmann.

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waste of time and we didn’t learn anything. But I fought back and went to my mother to get all the permission slips signed for P.E, GAC, GAA, and drill team and all the trips we took. So now it’s time for you to write a story about your father to pass down to your children and grand-children so that they can cling to their invisible and visible threads. Remember all the good times and make many more happy memories. Happy Father’s Day This ends my article for June and may everyone enjoy their summer vacations. But keep Operation Gratitude in mind. Please continue to collect books and cards, or go on line to see what else is needed. I will be happy to accept whatever you can give me at our last service in June. Have a wonderful summer—everyone be well. Ritual Committee Last month of Shabbat services was our last in our sanctuary/classroom/library near the main lobby of de Toledo High School..It has indeed been an ideal Shabbat environment for our Congregation.the last three years. However de Toledo has other plans for that room. Our new Shabbat service sanctuary will be in the Farber Room located in the building to the south. It is accessed by going through the main lobby and the plaza beyond. It is large enough that we will be able to set up for our service in the front and our kiddush in the back. Those who attended our recent Breakfast with thr Rabbi will remember the room. It goes without saying that Rabbi and Bonnie Vorspan have made our services beautiful, inspir-ational, and fun. This is a good time to acknowledge and thank those who have made our Contemporary family atmosphere services possible. Claire Silverman and Sheilah Hart have coordinated the kiddush, assisted by Jacquie Gordon, Rae and Armand Wazana, and Judy Eisikowitz. Phyllis Schroeder and Jerry Gort have provided the coffee. Claire and Phyllis have also provided refreshments for our Shabbar/Torah study sessions at Northridge Mobile Home Park. I look forward to another successful year.in our Shir Ami home. Join us and see what I mean. Stan Schroeder, Ritual Vice President

Operation Gratitude - Father’s Day by Charlene Kazel Last month for Mother’s Day I wrote about the invisible threads that bind the stories we pass from one generation to the next.

So now it’s Father’s Day, the other side of the coin, and my father was a very different person. He saved money and in those days you paid cash for a car, furniture, clothes, etc., no credit cards. I think it was a slower paced, easier, and better life.

My father could fix anything and taught me a lot; how to use tools, be comfortable with them and very handy. He could fix a car. In those days all you had to do was lift the hood, replace the spark plugs and change the oil, which he taught my children to do, because I don’t do cars or electricity.

My mother loved music and we were always singing. But my father could hear a piece of music on the radio (and this was before T.V.) could not read a note and never had a lesson, but could play by ear using both hands and it was was perfect. When he was a child he was given a violin but he took it apart to see where the music came from.

Remember the radio program Art Linkletter’s House Party? Well scouts would go around from school to school and pick someone to be on the show. From my grammar school, Alta Loma in L.A., they chose me.

When I got home and told my parents, my father told me “If they ask you what your father does, you tell them I’m a cranium specialist” which I did and Art Linkletter’s reply was” Oh your father is a doctor.” My answer was “No, he’s a barber”. Well, that got a lot of laughs.

My father was a cosmetologist (barber and beautician) and during the war he worked in a defense plant where he lost some of his hearing because no protective measures were taken then. Because he was asthmatic he couldn’t be drafted, so he worked in barber shops around L.A.’s Union Station or wherever he was needed. He gave shaves and haircuts for two bits and that was his contribution to the war effort. My mother baked cookies and sent them to my uncles and my father gave me money to buy war bonds at school. It seems to me that we took dimes to buy them, if I remember correctly.

The one thing my father wasn’t into was sports. He didn’t think we needed P.E. in school and that it was a

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TREE OF LIFE

This beautiful Tree of Life, with leaves priced at $100 and rocks at $250 (one remaining), makes a perfect way to celebrate family occasions and support Congregation Shir Ami. The Tree is on a rosewood background and consists of gold-colored leaves and rocks. It is displayed at all Congregation Shir Ami services and events. For more information or to place an order, call Helga Unkeless at (818) 340-5751.

Congregation Shir Ami Memorial Board

If you would like to honor the memory of your loved ones by dedicating plaques on our new Memorial Board, please call Helha Unkeless at (818) 340-5751 so she may mail you an order form. The cost of each plaque is $36. Each plaque may contain up to three lines of engraving: English name, Hebrew name, and the years of birth and death. Both of our Memorial Boards are displayed at all our services.

Editor’s note:

Helga Unkeless sent me this picture May 21 of her and Stan and Clara Rosenbluth. Clara was our President and Treasurer and Stan served on the Board for several years. The Rosenbluths moved to Arroyo Grande to be near family and enjoy visitors and staying in touch. Their address, phone, and email are in our roster. Stan Schroeder

Shop at Ralphs - Earn Money for Shir Ami by Maralyn Soifer Here is an easy way to earn money for our Temple. We are now officially a Ralphs’ community agency. All you have to do is follow these simple instructions to help earn money for Congregation Shir Ami. 1. If you don’t have a Ralph’s rewards card already,

go to the store or go to website www.ralphs.com and select Order a Ralphs reward card.

2. Once you have your card, go to the website: www.ralphs.com and select Create an account

3. If you have an account, your email address is your account ID. If you forgot your password, select Forgot your password? and you will receive an email with instructions to reset it. Follow the instructions to enter your email address and create a new password.

4. If you already have a Ralph’s reward card and an account, you will see Account Summary when you login. You can change to our Temple by clicking on Edit within Community Rewards.

Congregation Shir Ami P.O. Box 6353 Woodland Hills, CA 91365

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You can do a search for Congregation Shir Ami by putting in the number 92785. Our congrega-tion will pop up and click on the button next to the name. Click on the button that saves the changes.

5. You should also check the bottom of your receipt when you shop. It should say “At your request, Ralph’s is donating to CONGREGATION SHIR AMI”.

6. If all else fails, call me in the evening at (818) 704-0306. I’ll be happy to walk you through it.

7. Start Shopping! Make sure that the clerk swipes your card each time you shop. Verify that your receipt shows a contribution to Congregation Shir Ami at the bottom. Important Note: All participants must confirm their selection annually starting in September. On or after September 1, sign into your account and reconfirm Community Rewards selection.

Sunday, June 10 at 2:00 pm 4th Episode of The Story of the Jews

Five part PBS documentary created by Simon Schama

Congregation Shir Ami presents Rabbi David Vorspan hosting and discussing this award winning series in his home “theater” at 22320 Philiprimm St. in Woodland Hills. It is free to our members on a “first come, first serve” basis. This episode Over the Raibow dsecribes early 20th century Eastern Europe.

Simon Schama presents this epic series exploring the extraordinary story of the Jewish experience from ancient times to the present day. Both deeply historical and utterly contemporary, this is a compelling film about distinctiveness and difference, separation and isolation, tolerance and prejudice. It is also a celebration of the ways in which Jewish thought, imagination, and achievement have transformed the world for us all.

Simon Michael Schama, CBE is an English historian specializing in art history, Dutch history, and French history. He is a University Professor of History and Art History at Columbia University, New York. He has won several awards for his varied historical books and productions.

You can register by email to stan101@pacbell.net or phone Stan at (818) 718-7466 or mail the tearoff below to Congregation Shir Ami, PO Box 6353, Woodland Hills, CA 91365. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Please reserve ____ places for 4th Episode: The Story of the Jews Sunday, June 10 at 2:00 pm. Name: ___________________________ Phone: ___________

Minimum donation: $10 per person, NO MAXIMUM! Following the walk, a brunch will be provided by our Social Action Committee near the lake. Please bring vegetarian salad, side dish, or dessert to share, and remember to wear your Mitzvah Patrol shirt.

Also please bring non-perishable and non-breakable food for SOVA.

The Painted Turtle Camp started in 2004 and has provided a fun- filled free camping experience to over 53,000 kids with chronic and life threatening illnesses. 100 % of our donations will go to this worthy organization.

Let’s go for a walk around Lake Balboa!

Join Congregation Shir Ami’s Social Action Committee on Sunday, June 3rd at 9:00 am. Registration required starting at 8:30 am

All proceeds go to Painted Turtle Camp for special children

Sit-down activities are available for those who don’t walk. Call Sheilah Hart at (818) 884-2342 or her cell at (818) 389-0639. Sign up by returning this tear-off with your check for $10 (or more) per person to Congregation Shir Ami, P.O. Box 6353, Woodland Hills, CA 91365. Make check payable to Congregation Shir Ami. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Donation $_________ Walker Names: Brunch (y/n) 1. ______________________ 2. ______________________ 3. ______________________ 4. ______________________

Donation Amount: $10 [ ] $18 [ ] $36 [ ] $72 [ ] Other [ ] Phone no. ______________ In honor/memory of _____________________ Number of participants _______ I will bring: Salad [ ] Dessert [ ] Side dish [ ]

No sessions scheduled. “Around the Rabbi’s Tisch” at the Vorspans’

This popular Shir Ami educational series has concluded the second half of its 5778 season. Come join us after Sukkot to start the 5779 season for our Thursday evening weekly discussion of Rabbi Vorspan’s selected topics of Jewish interest. We discuss Jewish texts and current events as they relate to Jewish values and our lives as Jews. This is a unique opportunity to learn and share in an informal format around the Vorspans’ dining room table. .

Saturday June 2, 10:30 am: Torah/Shabbat Study at Northridge Mobile Home Park rec room Stan Schroeder leads a Shabbat study session one Saturday morning a month at Northridge Mobile Home Park (19120 Nordhoff St.). We discuss the weekly Torah portion, the Shabbat prayers that are included in our Contemporary service, and various subjects relevant to Conservative Judaism. The Torah reading will be Beha’alotecha (Numbers 8:1 - 12:16). It includes stories of the Jews in the wilderness featuring Moses and Miriam. We are commanded “la asok b’divrei torah” (to engage in the study of Torah). Join us and fulfill the mitzvah. Call Stan at (818) 718-7466 for more information.

High Holiday Food DriveSeptember 9th – 19th, 2018

29 Elul 5778 – 10 Tishrei 5779

Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles { SOVA depends on your donations to meet the ongoing hunger crisis in our community. Donations directly benefit the nearly 9,000 people who visit our pantries each month – people of all ages, races and religions. Please be as generous as you can be – the need has never been greater. Listed below are our greatest needs.

We also welcome other non-perishable foods, personal hygiene items and children’s books including:

For more information, please visit www.jfsla.org/SOVA or call Kathi Dawidowicz at (818) 988-7682 ext. 120

Dry BeansDry PastaDry Milk

100% JuiceOatmeal

Tomato SauceCanned Beans

Canned VegetablesCanned FruitCanned Pasta

Cooking OilKosher FoodsDiapers/Wipes

SoapShampoo/Conditioner

RazorsDeodorant

LotionToothpaste

Toothbrushes

Canned Tuna/FishCanned Meats

(beef stew, chili w/meat, chicken etc.)

Canned or Dry SoupWhole Grain Cereal

Peanut ButterRice

Please avoid glass jars and expired, opened or perishable foods.