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Adat Ari El Bulletin
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
If you are not already receiving it, make sure you sign up for the weekly “This Week @ Adat”
email, which is sent out every Friday. The email includes important information about service
times and upcoming events, 1as well as rabbinic commentary about the weekly Torah portion.
Email Dean Thomson at dthomson@adatariel.org to stay connected.
Adat Ari El Bulletin
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
President’s
Message
Rabbi’s Message
From the mouths of babes...
By Bennett Spiegel
In Genesis 28, Jacob flees from his home and his brother,
Esau’s, murderous desire. Under the ruse of looking for a
wife from the old country, Jacob escapes as he sets out to
join his uncle Lavan in faraway Haran. Laying his head
down in the wilderness as the sun sets, Jacob dreams. In this dream he sees
a vision of a ladder—planted on earth and reaching the heavens—and God
stands at the top of the ladder and assures Jacob that God will be with him
and return him safely home. Jacob awakens and claims, “Wow! God was in
this place, and I didn’t know it.”
A few weeks ago I studied this section of the Torah with the 6th graders from
our Day School.
I asked, “What is this place? What is the place in which Jacob surprisingly
finds God?” In the course of a fun, lively, and profound conversation, our
children discussed three answers.
The first answer offered was the most straightforward: the land itself—
through his dream Jacob realizes that the land is filled with God’s presence,
with holiness.
The next suggestion was that “this place” was the space between Jacob and
Esau, and even though Jacob had horribly wronged Esau, God could still be
found between them. When I pressed the students, they said though he had
acted immorally, holiness was not lost to Jacob—God was not lost to him—
he just had to change his behavior.
Finally I shared what my own teacher—Rabbi Gordon Tucker—taught me:
since Jacob’s connection with God occurred in a dream, and dreams occur in
our minds, God could be found there, too.
So over the course of our learning, the Day School 6 graders concluded that
“this place” in which Jacob found God could be in the land, between him
and his brother, and even within himself.
th
As impressed as I was with their answers and the discussion, I was even more
touched when I asked them which interpretation was correct; they responded immediately, “All of them.” We decided that depending on where one is
in one’s life at any given moment, one might sense holiness in the earth, in
oneself, or between people—which is to say, God can be found everywhere,
it just depends on us.
As the expression goes, from the mouths of babes.
HOUSES NEEDED!
AAE USY is hosting the 2013 Far West USY Senior
Kinnus December 6th- 8th,
and we need home hospitality for 75-100 high school
seniors from across the Region for the weekend!
USYers will need a place to sleep, 2 dairy breakfasts,
1 dairy dinner, and transportation to and from AAE.
Please contact Julee Levine to volunteer your home. jsnitzer@adatariel.org
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“Help! I need somebody. Help!
Not just anybody. Help! You
know I need someone. Help!”
You all probably know the rest of the lyrics to this
classic Beatles hit song. I suspect that this song was a
hit, not just because of the great music it exemplifies,
but because it enabled us all to sing out loud a call
for help. Even if we didn’t need help at the moment,
even if it was just the lyrics to a catchy tune, this
song resonated with millions of us. For me, this song
normalized the notion that at one time or another
each one of us will need help from someone else,
and it made it okay to ask for that help. That was a
pretty good message from those four young lads from
Liverpool.
Fast forward roughly 50 years to our own community at Adat Ari El here and now in 2013, with 2014
quickly approaching. At one time or another, most,
if not all, of us will need help from somebody. Our
needs will vary from person to person and from time
to time, and we may not be sure how to find the
help we need. That’s where our new Ezra Network
program sponsored by The Jewish Federation and
the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles
comes in.
Whether you need assistance coping with grief over
the loss of a loved one, caring for an elderly family
member, or are facing job loss and unemployment,
there is help. If you are in need of short-term counseling, assistance with accessing government benefits,
or are facing the loss of your home, there is help.
If you need to access resources to help you obtain
vocational training or legal services, or are facing
some other challenge that you cannot or should not
manage alone, there is help.
Help is here in the form of our newly-arrived social
worker, Elizabeth Chalme, MSW, of Jewish Family
Service of Los Angeles. Elizabeth is now seeing participants free of charge and on a confidential basis, in the
Bride’s Room of our Main Sanctuary building. She is
here at Adat Ari El on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and
will typically have hours of availability from 8:30 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. She will also be available Mondays and
Thursdays at Temple Israel of Hollywood. Elizabeth’s
telephone number is (818) 397-2886. If you need
help, let Elizabeth answer your call!
My best wishes to all for a happy and healthy secular
new year.
Adat Ari El Bulletin
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
AVODAT:
A New program for
9th and 10th graders
The Trana & Ronald Confirmation/Seminar Institute now offers a new program for our 9th and
10th grade students called AVODAT. Coming from
Avodah (work) and Adat, this program introduces our
students to significant social issues in our immediate
community and invites them to explore the Jewish
response, the secular response, and to volunteer at local agencies where these issues are being tackled head
on. In addition, our students will also be able to meet
with individuals who have received services from these
agencies at one time or another.
This year our students will be working with PATH
(People Assisting The Homeless), Beit T’Shuvah,
Hope Mill, Homeboy Industries, Hope of the Valley
Mission, and the Valley Friendship Circle. The first
AVODAT experience on November 3rd took our
group to PATH in Silverlake, where they prepared
and served dinner for a group of residents and then
toured the facility and learned about the many ways
in which PATH provides customized supportive
services for people in need.
Happenings in the Early Childhood Center
From Room 7—The Rainbow Room
The Adat Ari El Rose Engel Early Childhood Center (ECC) inspires
students to challenge themselves, discover the world of people and ideas,
and experience the joy of learning. Every day, this philosophy of education through child-teacher negotiated exploration can be seen in each
classroom—where questions lead to hands-on discovery through art,
literature, singing, and more.
One such example occurred in Deby and Martine’s class. In discussion of
the class’ name, the children described what they saw in a rainbow, including the shapes, colors, and how a rainbow comes to be. Building off their
love of colors, they experimented with a bright yellow paint jar. One
student described the yellow as “mustard.” However, when the teachers
added white to the paint, the ideas flourished, and one child exclaimed, “it
looks like cheese,” and continued on to say “they look different, one looks
light.” From this notion, the class began to discover that there can be more
than one color of yellow, and they named the differences “shades.”
The discovery continued through the book White Rabbit’s Color Book by
Alan Baker, in which a rabbit finds himself rolling through various primary colors and coming out with completely different colors. The children practiced their own experiments by mixing colors like the White
Rabbit and excitedly announcing, “blue and yellow will make green,”
and “pink and yellow gets more pink.”
By acting on the children’s curiosity and
encouraging them to try new things, life
becomes even more interesting, meaningful, and fun—just like all of the good
things under a rainbow.
For more information about this program, please
contact Julee Levine, Director of Youth Education &
Programs.
COMING IN
FEBRUARY…
Work Clothing Drive to
benefit Homeboy Industries
We will be collecting
men’s and women’s clothing that would be suitable
for job interviews and for
the workplace:
Collared Shirts
Dress Pants
(not cargo pants or jeans)
Dress Shoes
Sweaters
Dresses
Skirts
For more information, contact Julee
Levine, Director of Youth Education
& Programs.
From Room 8—The River Room
Our value word this month is Relationships or in Hebrew, Keh’sharim. This
word was introduced to the children during our morning meeting. The
River Room has welcomed both new and old friends and teachers as the
new school year has unfolded. Every day new relationships are developing
within the River Room and with other Pre-K classrooms. What better way
to experience new relationships but a visit from our buddies. We were all
so excited when we had a chance to meet our 4th grade buddies on Monday, October 14. First the children were introduced to one another. Some
of them felt comfortable drawing inside the classroom and showing their
buddies around, while others played ball or enjoyed the climbing equipment
outside. We have placed our buddy pictures on our Relationship board.
Their relationships continued to flourish at our next Buddy Day in November. A fun time was had by all. Please be sure to come by and take a peek!
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Adat Ari El Bulletin
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
Na’Amat
Adat Ari El Labowe Family Day School
Has Raised $577,000 Toward Its
Generations LA Goals!
Ruth and Mike Devine are being
honored by Na’Amat at their Distinguished Community Leader
Luncheon on December 15th.
Many of us read the Pew Research Study on Jewish Life in America
and are concerned about the next generation of Jewish children.
One way to ensure a strong Jewish community for decades to come
is Jewish day school education. With one daughter in 2nd grade and
another starting kindergarten next year, I know the value of a strong
Jewish education. That’s why I’m so proud that the Adat Ari El
Labowe Family Day School was chosen as one of seven Jewish day
schools in Los Angeles to participate in Generations LA, a collaborative effort to build day school endowments. We are working with
the Builders of Jewish Education, the Partnership for Excellence
in Jewish Education, and the Avi Chai Foundation as part of the
Generations LA program to build our Day School endowment.
In addition to holding down a
demanding job with L. A. Family
Housing, Ruth is the Chair of
our Abraham’s Tent social action
committee. She is a past recipient of the Kol Ishah award from our
Sisterhood. Mike is a Director of Information Technology for a
multinational company and helped rebuild homes after Hurricane
Katrina as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. Ruth and Mike
have one daughter, Johannah, who is in the 6th grade of the JLC.
The congregation, clergy, and staff of Adat Ari El join with the
San Fernando Valley Council Na’Amat USA in honoring you,
Ruth and Mike. We are grateful that your energy and your commitment are being recognized, and we count ourselves blessed
that you are part of our community.
What does this mean to Adat Ari El? More than $50,000 in tuition assistance for the three-year program, training for Day School
staff and lay leaders, and perhaps most importantly, an additional
one-to-four match from the Simha and Sara Lainer Day School
Endowment Fund Matching Program for every dollar we raise.
Mazal Tov to Dr. Marc Bresler
What does this mean to you? The opportunity to ensure that all
children who wish to attend the Labowe Family Day School can
afford to do so.
Longtime Adat Ari El member Dr. Marc
Bresler recently received an Outstanding
Physician Award in Support Services from
Southern California Permanente Medical Group for his career-long work as a
family practitioner, teacher in the family
practice residency program, hospitalist, and
long-term care physician. Marc trained
at Kaiser Sunset and has spent his entire career as a Kaiser physician. He feels fortunate to have been able to follow his passion for
delivering the highest standard of care in an organization in which
doctors control how medical care is delivered. “I am so glad I had
the foresight to choose managed care for my career, because I knew
I did not want to run a business; all I have ever cared about is doing what is best for my patients.”
We have set a goal to raise $840,000 by August 2014, and so far
we have raised $577,000 for our endowment. Please consider
joining us in this important effort of supporting our Adat Ari El
Labowe Family Day School via the Generations LA Program.
You will see your gift support the Jewish and general education
of young students today and tomorrow.
Two Types of Giving Opportunities:
Outright Gifts of Cash and Stock: You can make a tax-deductible
gift of cash or stock that can be paid all at once or over a few years.
These gifts benefit our Adat Ari El Labowe Family Day School now.
Planned Giving: You can remember our Day School in your will,
trust, or estate plan. You can make our Day School the owner of a life
insurance policy and enjoy the tax benefits. You can reduce your tax
liability by establishing a charitable remainder trust to transfer appreciated real estate to our Day School. (Of course, you should consult your
legal and financial advisors when considering planned giving options.)
Thank you to all the volunteers and participants who helped
make Mitzvah Day a wonderful success! Without all of you, there
can be no Mitzvah Day! We hope you will continue to keep that
great momentum going by volunteering this holiday season. To
help make it easy, here are some ideas…
Please join us in supporting Jewish Education,
and contact Jerry Krautman, Director of Development, at (818) 766-9426, ext. 257, or via email at
JKrautman@adatariel.org.
The 11th (or 12th!) Annual Big Sunday Holiday
Volunteering and Giving Opportunities List is
online at www.bigsunday.org, with at least 100
great ways that you can help during the holidays!
Matt Scelza, Development Vice President
Volunteer for Union Station’s
Christmas Dinner in the Park, December 25th
from 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. A $10 donation per
person is requested. Registration opens December 1st. Go to www.unionstationhs.org.
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Adat Ari El Bulletin
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
Benjamin Dylan Meiri
son of Keren and Gal Meiri; brother of Dorel,
Leeyam and Jonathan Meiri
Anatoly Berkovich
husband of Svetlana Berkovich; father of Alexander (Regina)
Berkovich and Ilya Berkovich; grandfather of 3
Ruth Sax
wife of Lawrence Sax; mother and mother-in-law of Robert
and Kathryn Sax, Gail and Michel Trocme and Toby and
Jensen Caughlin; grandmother of Zora and Ira Trocme
Ignax Grosz
father of Suzy (Max) Wozniak and Eva (Steven) Weisz;
grandfather of Malinda (Jason) Marcus, Ariel Weisz,
Arlyne (Jared) Katz and Benji Weisz; great-grandfather of
Sara and Noah Marcus, Aliza, Joshua and Eliana Katz
Lilly Feig
mother of Sylvia (Nathan) Pollack, Pamela (Lorraine) Feig
and Eric (Monique) Feig; grandmother of Judah, Samara and
Lucette Feig, Adam (Frumi) Pollack and David (Elana) Pollack;
great-grandmother of 12
Bernice Getzug
mother of Dr. Sheldon (Gloria) Getzug and Sandra Young;
grandmother of Steve (Tzivia Schwartz Getzug) Getzug,
Terri Getzug, Jennie (Lionel) Glancy, Roger (Cheryl) Bloxberg
and David (Lisa) Woo-Bloxberg; grandmother of Jacob,
Micah and Noa Getzug and 9 others
Diana Cohen
sister of Mirtha Cohen Walsh and Sergio (Barbara) Cohen;
aunt of Deborah (Jeff) Deane, Kenneth (Ruth) Kazenelson and
Elliott Cohen; great-aunt of Joshua and Aaron Deane
Sol Chase
husband of Fay Chase; father of Irving (Nancy) Chase, Felicia
(Michael) Zeff and Rosalind (David) Shapiro; grandfather of
Matthew (Amy) Shapiro, Rebecca Zeff, Ryan Chase, Brandon
Zeff, Blair Murav and Catie Chase; great-grandfather of
Vivienne Shapiro and Max Murav
Diane Adler
mother of Michael (Brenda Fabe) Adler and Carolyn Adler;
grandmother of Jeremy (Susan Smith) Adler and Rachel
(Jonah King) Adler
Rena Goldsmith
wife of Fred Goldsmith; mother of Dr. Jeffrey (Michelle)
Goldsmith and Michael (Lori) Goldsmith; grandmother of
Ella Rose, Layla Carly, Reigh and Gavin
Eva Florsheim
mother of 3 daughters; 5 wonderful grandchildren;
4 wonderful great-grandchildren
Philip Spivack
father of Gary (Linda) Spivack and Don Spivack;
grandfather of Allison and Abby z’l Spivack
Shirlea Alber
mother of Jon (Paul) Alberon; grandmother of Sam, Kim
and Ted Alberon
Roni Sigal Jacobs
daughter of Aviva and Stu Jacobs; sister of Elinoa Jacobs;
granddaughter of Joyce Levine, Orry and Sheila Jacobs; niece
of Natania Levine
Jack McLellan Slater
son of Leah Rosenblum Slater and Morgan Slater; brother of
Liam Edward Slater; grandson of Gail Rosenblum; greatgrandson of Stella Rosenblum and Norma Neiman
Miles Edison Baumwirt
son of Dr. Beth Rosenblum and Jason Baumwirt; brother
of Zoe Rose Baumwirt; grandson of Gail Rosenblum, Judy
Baumwirt and Steven Baumwirt; great-grandson of Stella
Rosenblum and Norma Neiman
Asher Pearce Hurwitz
son of Ariella Kaplan Hurwitz and Brian Hurwitz; grandson
of Suzanna and Avram “Butch” Kaplan, Dianne Hurwitz and
Elliott Hurwitz
Jack Reuven Rothblum
son of Dr. Erica and Daniel Rothblum; brother of Maya Sarah
Rothblum; grandson of Lois and Rabbi Moshe Rothblum, Beth
Kroner; nephew of Melissa and David Rothblum, Bailey Kroner
First Ramah Retreat!
October 18-20, 2013
The Marilynn and Kenneth Friedman Family Jewish Learning
Community Fall Shabbat Retreat took place at beautiful Camp
Ramah a few weeks ago.
In this stunning setting nestled in the hills of Ojai, our 4th through
6th grade students bonded while they celebrated Shabbat, ate,
relaxed, and learned together in a warm Jewish community. All
weekend, we considered how each of us is created in God’s image.
The retreat began on Friday afternoon and ended Sunday
morning. On Saturday, we offered a wide range of programs,
as students were invited to explore new ways of connecting to
prayer: some davened in nature, some meditated, and others
experimented with dramatic interpretation.
We are already looking forward to our Family Shabbaton/
Retreat, January 17-19, 2014! Hope to see you there!
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Adat Ari El Bulletin
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
Education
Adat Ari El Day School
12020 Burbank Blvd
Valley Village, CA 91607
Grades K-6
Accredited by:
CAIS, WASC, BJE, Solomon Schechter
Day School Association
For More Info
WEBSITE: www.aaedayschool.org
PHONE NUMBER: 818.766.4992
http://www.facebook.com/AAEDaySchool
http://twitter.com/AAEDaySchool
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Adat Ari El Bulletin
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
The Rose and Edward Engel Music Commission
and the Nita and Jack Corinblit Endowment for the Arts present:
2013-2014
20th Annual
Engel Chamber Music Concert
featuring
The Thies Piano Trio
Robert Thies, piano; Roberto Cani, violin;
Andrew Shulman, cello
performing
Beethoven: Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 70, No. 2
Brahms: Trio in C Major, Op. 87
January 5, 2014, at 2:00 p.m.
David Familian Chapel
Free to the public, reservations required
Go to the calendar at www.adatariel.org
For information, please contact Dean Thomson at (818) 766-9426 x209
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Adat Ari El Bulletin
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
Join Rabbi Silver and Cantor Aranoff for a new departure a celebration of Havdalah in a fun, musical,
relaxed atmosphere.
Saturday, December 14th
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Join us for team games*, singing and pizza, ending with a
tuneful Havdalah service, s’mores and Israeli dancing
(Parents- bring your own Kosher Wine)
*Wear warm clothes you can run in!
For more information, please contact our co-chairs: Bari Goldman (818) 764-1061,
Sharon Lieblein (818) 779-1006 or Sally Greene (818) 990-2099
Shabbat Mishpacha - Saturday, December 14, 2013
RSVP by going to the Adat Ari El calendar at www.adatariel.org OR
by check, payable to Adat Ari El, and turned in to Dean in the Admin Office
Name: _____________________________
Phone: ____________________
# of Adult Meals: __________ @ $10:00 = _______
# of Children older than 2: __________ @ $7:00 = _______
# of Children younger than 2: __________ Free of Charge
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Adat Ari El Bulletin
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
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Adat Ari El Bulletin
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
'HFHPEHU‡30
Adat Ari El!
7LFNHWV3HU3HUVRQ
3DWURQ3DFNDJHIRUDIDPLO\RI
An extraordinary, inspirational, and moving
concert experience with one of the most
celebrated artists in Jewish Music!
Presented by: Adat Ari El
For more information please
call Dean at 818-766-9426 x209 or visit
www.adatariel.org
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Adat Ari El Bulletin
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
EDEN
CEMETERY
SPACES
AVAILABLE
Adat Ari El has spaces available
in a special section
at reduced member rates.
Current prices will not last long.
If you are interested
in purchasing space(s),
please contact:
Ernie Goodman
at (818) 788-1420
or
Alan Altschul
at (818) 522-6081
Your lifestyle continues here.
Fine, Fun & Fabulous Invitations
Receive 20% off your order, every time.
CALL TODAY FOR A PERSONAL TOUR
AND COMPLIMENTARY LUNCH.
818.245.5832
INDEPENDENT & ASSISTED SENIOR LIVING RESIDENCES
5450 Vesper Avenue, Sherman Oaks, CA 91411
SRGseniorliving.com
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11
Adat Ari El Bulletin
Kislev/Tevet 5774 • December 2013
PERIODICALS
Postmaster: Please send address changes to:
12020 Burbank Boulevard
Valley Village, California 91607-2198
(818) 766-9426 Fax (818) 505-9223
Published Monthly During the School Year
Design by Galileo Graphics
Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe Bernhard
Assistant Rabbi Deborah Silver
Rabbi Emeritus Moshe J. Rothblum
Cantor Ira S. Bigeleisen
Associate Cantor Judy Dubin Aranoff
Rabbi Aaron M. Wise
Cantor Allan Michelson
Bennett Spiegel, President
Joanne Klein, Executive Director
Adat Ari El is affiliated with
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Adat Ari El is on the Internet...
our website address is:
www.adatariel.org.
Rabbi Bernhard’s address is:
RabbiJJB@adatariel.org.
The Bulletin (USPS 661-900) is published monthly by
Adat Ari El, located at 12020 Burbank Blvd., Valley Village, CA 91607-2198.
Phone: (818) 766-9426, ext. 220 Fax (818) 505-9223 email: RabbiJJB@adatariel.org.
Adat Ari El is a non-profit organization
Total requested circulation averages 850 copies monthly
Periodicals paid at North Hollywood, CA
POSTMASTER – Send address changes to:
Adat Ari El, 12020 Burbank Blvd., Valley Village, CA 91607-2198
Friday, December 6, 2013
6:00 p.m................................. Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, December 20, 2013
6:00 p.m................................. Kabbalat Shabbat
Candle Lighting - 4:26 p.m
Candle Lighting - 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
9:30 a.m......................... David Familian Chapel
Parsha & Torah reading:..................... Vayigash;
Genesis 44:18-45:27
Darshan:.................................Wayne Schulman
Saturday, December 21, 2013
9:30 a.m......................... David Familian Chapel
Parsha & Torah reading:....................... Shemot:
Exodus 1:1-2:25
Darshanit:....................................... Rabbi Silver
Friday, December 13, 2013
6:00 p.m................................. Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, December 27, 2013
6:00 p.m................................. Kabbalat Shabbat
Candle Lighting - 4:27 p.m.
Candle Lighting - 4:34 p.m.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
9:30 a.m......................... David Familian Chapel
Parsha & Torah reading:.........................Vayehi:
Genesis 47:28-48:22
Darshan:................................... Rabbi Bernhard
Saturday, December 28, 2013
9:30 a.m......................... David Familian Chapel
Parsha & Torah reading:.........................Vayera;
Exodus 6:2-7:7
Darshan:...........................................Robert Sax
Daily Minyan
Deiber Chapel
Mornings
Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m.
Sundays & Holidays 9:00 a.m.
12
Shabbat Mishpacha, a family
service designed for anyone who
wants to eat dinner and celebrate
Shabbat in a fun, musical, relaxed
family atmosphere, will be held
on December 14th (Havdalah
service) 4:00 p.m. with outdoor
activities, pizza, s’mores, and
Israeli dancing.
Tot Shabbat @ Adat for ECCaged children will be held at
9:30 a.m. on December 7th,
beginning with 9:30 a.m.–
10:15 a.m. services in the David
Familian Chapel and concluding
with snack and play time from
10:15 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Evenings
Sunday - Thursday at 7:00 p.m.