Sukkot Part II: Simchas Torah!

Our celebration of this holiday season continues with a Simchas Torah service Thursday night at 7 at the temple, 956 J Street in Crescent City. We will read both the end and the beginning of the Torah scroll, dance, sing, eat and have fun. Please join us.

I hope everyone is enjoying their "Season of Our Joy." Our temple community worshiped at our Shabbat Sukkot service last Friday. At Torah study Saturday, we looked at Ecclesiastes (Kohelet in Hebrew), which is read at this season. Sunday, eight of us gathered for an impromptu picnic in beautiful weather at Loeb Park, near Brookings. The two pictures above are from our picnic.

Friday night is Shabbat once again, Parshat B'reishit, beginning the post- holiday cycle with Genesis 1. Judi Lewis is leading services at 7 PM at the temple.

Torah study begins anew Saturday from 10-12 at the temple with Genesis 1- 6:9. God creates the world, then thinks maybe creating humanity wasn't such a good idea, after all. If you haven't been to Torah study, this would be a good time to start. This is also the 48th anniversary of my bar mitzvah.

We note with sympathy the passing of Barbara Schwartz, sister of Howard Lenhoff.
Thanks to Robin W. Olson and her son, Evan M. Olson, for a donation to the temple in memory of Stuart E. Hample.

Barry Wendell
President
Temple Beth Shalom

Sukkot Update

Happy Sukkot to everyone! We will have a picnic - more a "bring a sandwich" then a potluck- at Loeb Park in Brookings on Sunday afternoon from 1-3. This is a very informal social gathering, a chance to be outdoors during this week-long festival with friends from Beth Shalom. If it is raining, the event will be canceled.

Loeb Park is 8 miles east of US 101 on North Bank Rd. (north bank of the Chetco River), east of Brookings-Harbor.

On a more religious level, we will include Sukkot prayers with Friday night services at 7 PM at the temple, 956 J St in Crescent City. A lulav and etrog will be available.

We will conclude this year's Torah study with the last two sections of Deuteronomy from 10-12 Saturday morning at the temple. Next week, we start back at the beginning with Genesis 1:1.

Barry Wendell

This Week at Beth Shalom

Condolences to Rabbi Joseph Hample, who led our Yom Kippur services yesterday morning. His father, Stuart Hample, died in New York City this morning. There will be a shiva minyan Tuesday at 7 PM at the home of Rabbi Hample and Barry Wendell in Seawood Village in Crescent City. Call Judi Lewis at 707-460-3005 for details.

Sukkot, the seven or eight day harvest festival begins Wednesday night. We will have a Shabbat Sukkot service this Friday at 7 at the temple, 956 J St in Crescent City.

Torah study continues Saturday from 10 AM to noon at the temple. We will read the end of Deuteronomy in celebration of Simchat Torah ( technically Wednesday or Thursday night next week), and also look at Ecclesiastes, which is traditionally read at this season.

We are still looking at the possibility of an event Sunday for Sukkot, maybe a potluck outdoors.
We will update the blog and e-mails later in the week.

Sukkot is z'man simchateinu, a time of happiness and joy after the tension of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. I wish everyone a joyous Sukkot holiday.

Barry Wendell
President
Beth Shalom

Yom Kippur at Beth Shalom

We will observe Yom Kippur this Friday night, beginning at 7. Cantorial soloist Barry Wendell (that's me!) is leading the service. Services for Yom Kippur continue Saturday morning at 10. The service will last until approximately 12:30. Rabbi Joseph Hample, the chaplain at Pelican Bay and a Beth Shalom member, will lead the morning service.

Please let me know by responding here, or writing to us at Beth Shalom, PO Box 1557, Crescent City, CA 95531, if you would like an aliyah for the Torah service Saturday or if you want to open the ark or read something in English in either service. Feel free also to write a dues check to the temple and send it to the PO Box.

Our services are open to everyone.

Rabbi Joe and I, and our board members Barbara Johnston and Judi Lewis wish you a meaningful holiday and hope to see you this weekend.

Barry Wendell
President
Beth Shalom

High Holy Day Update

High Holy Day services are coming up this week. Beth Shalom's Rosh Hashana services will be held on the second day of Rosh Hashana. We will have an evening service Thursday, September 9 at 7 PM and a morning service Friday, September 10 at 9 AM. These services will be led by our own Rabbi Les Scharnberg, and will be at the temple, 956 J Street in Crescent City.

Our Holy Days continue with Shabbat Shuvah services, the sabbath between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur at 7 PM Friday night at the temple.

Our Torah study group will meet Saturday from 10-12 at the temple. We will look at Ha'azinu, Deuteronomy 32. This is Moses' final song to the Israelites.

Yom Kippur services will be Friday night, September 17 at 7. I will lead the evening service, which includes the Kol Nidre prayer. The morning service begins Saturday at 10 AM, and will be led by Rabbi Joseph Hample, the Jewish chaplain at Pelican Bay State Prison.

If you would like to participate in the services with an aliyah or an English reading, please send a note to me at delnortebethshalom@gmail.com.

We would appreciate dues for the holidays and the coming year. We don't turn anyone away from services, including High Holy Day services, but we are asking for a donation of $360 per family. Please e-mail Barbara Johnston or Judi Lewis if you have questions. Barbara can be reached at chicdrpsy@yahoo.com, Judi's e-mail is judiwlewis@charter.net. Checks can be mailed to us at PO Box 1557, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Thanks to Vivien for calling the temple membership about our holiday schedule.

Judi, Barbara and I , your Board of Directors, wish everyone a healthy and prosperous 5771. We hope to greet you at services during this season.

Barry Wendell
President, Temple Beth Shalom

This Week at Beth Shalom

We will gather Friday night to greet shabbat at 7 PM at the temple, 956 J St in Crescent City. I will lead services.

Torah study continues at the temple Saturday from 10 AM until noon. The parsha is a double, Nitzavim and Vayelech, Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30. Moses says " I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life-if you and your offspring would live-" (Deut. 30:19).

Hebrew class continues Sundays at 11 AM at the new location in Brookings. Sarah and Morris are the teachers. Call Vivien at 541- 412- 7105 for more information.

High Holy Day services are coming up. Rosh Hashana services will be led on the second day by Rabbi Les Scharnberg. We will have an evening service Thursday, September 9 at 7 PM and a morning service September 10 at 9 AM. Rabbi Joseph Hample will lead Yom Kippur services Saturday morning, September 18. I will lead a Kol Nidre service Friday night September 17 as a volunteer.

If you would like to participate in the services with an aliyah or an English reading, please send a note to me at delnortebethshalom@gmail.com.

We would appreciate dues for the holidays and the coming year. We don't turn anyone away from services, including High Holy Day services, but we are asking for a donation of $360 per family. Please e-mail Barbara Johnson or Judi Lewis if you have questions. Barbara can be reached at chicdrpsy@yahoo.com, Judi's e-mail is judiwlewis@charter.net. Checks can be mailed to us at PO Box 1557, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Congratulations to Harley Munger and his crew on the completion of the new harbor scene mural at the Municipal Pool, and the front page article and picture in the Daily Triplicate.


Best wishes for this upcoming Labor Day weekend.

Barry Wendell
President
Beth Shalom