Welcome to Your TI Times 

Weekly Communication of the Temple Israel Family

What' s Happening as of Thursday, August 7, 2008 

Request for Help  

Temple Israel Clean Up Day

Temple Israel of Alameda Foundation

This Weeks Torah Portion

Cantors' Chanters

Coming Events

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This Week's Torah Portion

Summary of Parasha Devarim.  Devarim 1:1-3:22  

“The are the words (devarim) that Moses addressed to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan ”[1:1]  So starts the fifth and final book of Moses, recording his final speeches to the Israelites and his death.  First is a summary of their travels.  “It was the fortieth year… Moses undertook to expound this Teaching (et-hatorah).  He said:  

“The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying: You have stayed long enough at this mountain.  Start out…”[1:3-7]  “Thereupon I said to you, “I cannot bear the burden of you by myself…  How can I bear unaided the trouble of you, and the burden, and the bickering!”[1:9-12]   and so Moses sets up the magisterial system.  

They traveled to Kadesh-barnea, “I said to you, ‘Go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.  Fear not, and be not dismayed.”[1:20-21]  “Then all of you came back to me and said, ‘Let us send men ahead to reconnoiter the land”[1:22]  This leads to the Israelites saying , “We saw there a people stronger and taller than we, large cities with walls sky high, and even Anakites.”[ 1:28 ]  

Moses says that he tried to reassure them “you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man caries his son, all the way that you traveled until you came to this place.”[ 1:31 ]  But, “When the LORD heard your loud complaint, He was angry.  He vowed: Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land… none except Caleb.”[ 1:35 -36]  “Because of you the LORD was incensed with me too, and He said: You shall not enter it either.  Joshua son of Nun… shall enter it”[ 1:37 -38]  

“Thus, after you had remained at Kadesh all that long time, we marched back into the wilderness”[ 1:46 -2:1]  Moses tells how the Israelites were commanded to pass peacefully through the lands of the descendents of Esau and Lot .  Then there is an aside- “It was formerly inhabited by the Emim… as tall as the Anakites.  Similarly, Seir was formerly inhabited by the Horites; but the descendents of Esau dispossessed them, wiping them out and settling in their place, just as Israel did (!) in the land they were to possess”[2:10-12]  

“The time that we spent in travel from Kadesh-banea until we crossed the wadi Zered was thirty-eight years, until that whole generation of warriors had perished from the camp”[2:14]  They pass peacefully through Moab and by the Ammonites then “Up!  Set out across the wadi Arnon!  See, I give into your power Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon… This day I begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under heaven”[ 2:24 -25]  They defeat Sihon and Og, king of Bashan .  

“I also charged Joshua at the time, saying, “You have seen with your own eyes all that the LORD your God had done to these two kings; so shall the LORD do to all the kingdoms into which you shall cross over.  Do not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who will battle for you.”[3:21-22]  

The Haftarah this week is Isaiah 1:1-27.  Isaiah prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and this Shabbat is Shabbat Hazon, the Shabbat before Tish’a B’Av which marks that destruction.  “What need have I of all your sacrifices? Says the LORD.  I am sated with burnt offerings of rams, and suet of fatlings, and blood of bulls; and I have no delight in lambs and he-goats.[ 1:11 ]  “Though you pray at length, I will not listen.  Your hands are stained with crime- Wash yourself clean; Put away your evil doings away from My sight.  Cease to do evil; Learn to do good.  Devote yourself to justice; Aid the wronged.  Uphold the rights of the orphan; defend the cause of the widow.  Come, let us reach an understanding- Says the LORD.”[1:15-18]  

Commentaries on this portion may be found at:  

http://urj.org/torah/

http://www.jafi.org.il/education/torani/nehama/dvarim.html

http://www.jtsa.edu/Conservative_Judaism/JTS_Torah_Commentary.xml  

The Torah text may be found at:

http://www.jtsa.edu/PreBuilt/ParashahArchives/jpstext/devarim.shtml

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Can You Help?

I am looking for a place to stay in Alameda, for a room to rent in Alameda or nearby. I am looking for a possibility of either renting a room with a family/individual, or to stay with somebody who would want to help in this way, when on my side I can be helping with cleaning/cooking/looking after the house/ help looking after elderly/children/ teaching Hebrew. I am 28 years old, speak Hebrew, Russian, English, some German. I have experience working as a nurse, tutor (English and Hebrew) , translator & administrative assistant.

Alina Tsvet

If interested, send an email to alinajerusalem@yahoo.com

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Temple Israel Annual Cleanup Day 

September 21^st  

Come join us on Sunday, September 21st as we clean up the Temple and Temple grounds in preparation for the High Holy Days.  

Work will include pruning and weeding, window washing, repainting the TI sign, cleaning out gutters and downspouts, and other items that are in need of attention. We also wecome suggestions for projects.  

We will begin at 10am and expect to finish by 2 pm. All ages are welcome and in order to properly plan the day we would appreciate an RSVP to wzensius@sbcglobal.net.

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Cantor's Chanters

Join the Cantor's Chanters!  The 4th Friday of every month we read 3 Aliyot from the Torah.  Volunteer to be one of these special readers and you are a member of the club.  Just tell the Cantor and she will provide you with all that you need to begin your membership.

Levels of membership:

Sign up now for your Aliyah!

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Temple Israel of Alameda Foundation

The Foundation is happy to report that its contribution to the 2008-2009 Temple budget will be $15,000. The Foundation grant is equivalent to seven new families joining the Temple without any cost for services to those families.   

It is clear that continued growth of the Foundation's assets is crucial to the financial stability of the congregation.  We need more congregants to include the Temple Foundation in their estate planning.  Many of you will say that your means are not great enough for estate planning, but that may not be true.  If you own a house in northern California , your estate is large enough to need estate planning.  If every congregant left the Foundation 1% of their estates, the Temple would become financially stable.  1% should not adversely affect your heirs and will save estate taxes.   

If your heirs are financially self-sufficient, more of your assets might easily be used for philanthropy.  If your assets are more substantial, you might want to consider other estate planning choices which will have positive tax benefits for you now, e.g., gifts of appreciated stocks or property, charitable lead trust, or charitable remainder trusts.  You can also name the Temple Foundation as full or partial beneficiary on life insurance policies or retirement accounts.  Naming the Foundation beneficiary of an IRA might reduce the size of one’s estate so that it is below the taxable limit.  

The Foundation was established in 1995 with a $10,000 bequest from the estate of Diana Garfinkle, one of the original founding members of our congregation.  Our assets have grown to $299,554, and we have contributed $52,500 to the Temple annual budgets between 2002 and 2008.  This year’s grant raises that figure to $67,500.  As the Foundation grows with future bequests, the amount granted to the General Fund will grow proportionately.  

The Foundation Board has prepared an information sheet with suggested wording to add the Foundation to your will or trust; it also contains the relevant identification information.  It is available here or at the Temple office.  We encourage you to speak with your financial and legal advisors to work out estate planning solutions which will benefit you as well as the Temple .    We know that many of us are at the limit of spending for our current life styles or fear we may outlive our resources.  We are asking you to consider a donation from our assets when you no longer need them.

Information Sheet

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TI Times Email Address

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