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CONGREGATION AM HAYAM

4839 Market Street, Unit C, Ventura, Ca. 93003 Phone (805) 644-2899 Fax (805) 644-2887

Website: www.AmHayam.com

From The Rabbi’s Study— May 2017

From the Rabbi’s Study

Shavuot: The Responsibility of Our Gift

We are accustomed to calling the next major pilgrimage festival (Chag Ha-) Shavuot, "(The Pilgrim-age of) Weeks," since it falls seven weeks after the first day of Passover). However, the Torah knows it by two additional names:

(1) Chag Ha-Katzir ("The Harvest Pilgrimage"), because it came at the time of year when the work of harvesting the year's produce was beginning; and

(2) Yom Ha-Bikkurim ("The Day of First Fruits"), because it was the occasion on which the first yields of the major crops were set aside to be brought on a pilgrimage to the Holy Temple in Jerusa-lem and presented to the priests with a declaration of acknowledgment to God.

The Shavuot season was actually inaugurated on the second day of Passover, with the offering at the Temple of a token amount of the early barley harvest and the launching of the seven-week count. When many more crops had begun to ripen seven weeks later, the farmer's obligation to of-fer the first fruits took effect. This ritual (beautifully and movingly spelled out in Deuteronomy 26) was clearly meant as a timely reminder that we are neither outright owners of our land, nor as self-sufficient as we might suppose. Yes, we may be blessed with some control over the means of pro-duction (back then, the land). And we may work long, hard hours to produce the income that we en-joy. But precisely at the time in the cycle of production when a person's mastery over her or his re-sources and destiny were liable to loom large in self-satisfaction, the ancient Israelite was asked to make a journey (in both space and time) in order to give up the first of the year's produce. Most im-portant, the gift was accompanied by an acknowledgment:

My ancestor was a fugitive Aramean...who went down to Egypt...the Egyptians dealt harshly with us...The Eternal freed us from Egypt... wherefore I now bring the first fruits of the soil which You, O Eternal, have given me" (Deut. 26:5-10).

The land is a gift, its ability to produce life and sustenance is a gift, and our own freedom, strength, resilience, and intelligence to bend the world's resources to our benefit are gifts as well, gifts that need (ritualized) acknowledgement The ancient model befits all times, all communities, all genera-tions.

But there's more. The Torah (in Leviticus 23), in the very midst of laying out the ritual requirements associated with the celebration of Shavuot, added the following exhortation:

continued

HAMIGDALOR

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Now most of the traditional commentators were puzzled by this verse. It seemed redundant—Leviticus 19 had already given this command practically verbatim. It also seems out of place in an enumeration of ritual/sacrificial observances. An astute and far-reaching solution was offered by Nahmanides (Moses ben Nahman, 1194-1270, Gerona). He noted, as did we above, that the rituals of this festival included those relating to the produce of the field (such as the offering of the early bar-ley grain and the offering of the first fruits of each crop). The concern of the Torah, Nahmanides con-tends, was that one might conclude that since those ritual obligations had already been fulfilled from the harvest, no further obligations--such as those relating to the poor—are necessary, as if the field and its produce were now fully redeemed. Therefore, the apparent redundancy in the midst of the ritual obligations comes to remind us that although we may feel virtuous as a result of having proper-ly acknowledged Divine favor and gifts through the harvest offerings, our own piety can never be a substitute for the ultimate point of religion, which is care and concern for God's creatures. The corner of the field, and the gleanings, must still be left for those in need, as at least minimal but significant steps that then become constant reminders of the need around as, as the poor and needy will con-stantly be located on our own property by our own invitation. Their presence will, perhaps, spur us on to do further acts of kindness toward the poor and needy.

Judaism was—and is—eternally concerned that human nature will cause those of us who are well off to say My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me (Deut. 8:17). The rituals of Shavuot forced the beneficiaries of the blessings of affluence to acknowledge the true source of those gifts. But more than that: Shavuot came with a profound ethical reminder that those gifts are rarely, if ever, earned before the fact, since they are largely the result of chance and inher-itance. They can be earned only after the fact, by proving ourselves to be good stewards of the wealth with which we have been entrusted. And that we can do in only one way—by never forgetting God's less fortunate children, especially our own neighbors, and by using our resources to lift them up. That is "the kind of festival that G!d has chosen" (Isaiah 58:6-8).

May you all have a Hag Sameiach, a joyous Shavuot celebration.

May we all acknowledge our gifts.

May we demonstrate that awareness through acts of love and kindness.

Amen.

Rabbi J.B. Sacks

Message from Brenda Rich

JUNE publication will have my message

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ADULT EDUCATION PRESENTS SIGNIFICANT BOOK CLUB

Six Days of War by Michael Oren

Though it lasted for only six tense days in June, the 1967 Arab-Israeli war never really ended.

Every crisis that has ripped through this region in the ensuing decades, from the Yom Kippur War

of 1973 to the ongoing intifada, is a direct consequence of those six days of fighting. Michael B.

Oren’s magnificent Six Days of War, an internationally acclaimed bestseller, is the first compre-

hensive account of this epoch-making event.

Writing with a novelist’s command of narrative and a historian’s grasp of fact and motive, Oren

reconstructs both the lightning-fast action on the battlefields and the political shocks that

electrified the world. Extraordinary personalities—Moshe Dayan and Gamal Abdul Nasser,

Lyndon Johnson and Alexei Kosygin—rose and toppled from power as a result of this war;

borders were redrawn; daring strategies brilliantly succeeded or disastrously failed in a matter

of hours. And the balance of power changed—in the Middle East and in the world. A towering

work of history and an enthralling human narrative, Six Days of War is the most important

book on the Middle East conflict to appear in a generation.

In My Brother's Image by Eugene Pogany is the extraordinary story of Eugene Pogany's father

and uncle-identical twin brothers born in Hungary of Jewish parents but raised as devout Catholic

converts until the Second World War unraveled their family. In eloquent prose, Pogany portrays

how the Holocaust destroyed the brothers' close childhood bond: his father, a survivor of a Nazi

internment camp, denounced Christianity and returned to the Judaism of his birth, while his uncle,

who found shelter in an Italian monastic community during the war, became a Catholic priest.

Even after emigrating to America the brothers remained estranged, each believing the other a

traitor to their family's faith. This tragic memoir is a rich, moving family portrait as well as an ob-

jective historical account of the rupture between Jews and Catholics.

The discussion will take place on Sunday May 21, 2017 ,at 1 pm

For questions or more information, please contact Fran Lande, Adult Education Vice President at fblande@gmail.com

The books can be bought at Amazon.com using Amazon smile

to support CAH or at Barnes and Noble or other book sellers.

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Tree Planted In Israel May 2017

To: Jerry Cordova

In memory of beloved son Craig

From: Ruthy Resnick

To: Mort Resnick

Thank you for presiding over minyan

From: Jerry Cordova

Tribute Cards

Mitzi Schwarz,

wishing her a speedy

and complete recovery,

from

Rabbi J.B. Sacks

and the

Congregation of Am HaYam

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CHAVURAH INTEREST

The Membership Committee is sending you this form to discover if you have an interest in joining a

Chavurah. A Chavurah is a small group of families, couples or individuals who share common inter-

ests and desires. These groups meet together, usually monthly, to study, socialize, cook, camp, or

participate in any other activities. Each group sets their own schedule and plans their own activities.

A Chavurah is a wonderful way to build and nurture strong friendships within our Congregation Am

HaYam family extending beyond the schedule of community services and events

After receiving back this questionnaire, an organizational meeting will be set to get everyone together

to make further plans.

Name(s)________________________________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________________________________

Phone #______________________________________ Email______________________________

Name and age of other members in your household______________________________________

Please circle age group you prefer: 30 -39 40-59 Over 60

Please circle the situation that best applies to you and your family:

Single Adult Adults Only Family (events with children) Other___________________

What type of events do you expect from a Chavurah (e.g. Judaic Studies; Social Activities; Sporting

events; Discussion groups; Jewish cooking; Book groups; Theater groups, other Interests?)

Please fill out this form and return it to: Brenda Rich; 4030 Nice Court; Oxnard, CA 93035

FORM AVAILABLE DIGITALLY AT www.amhayam.com

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Mondays with Mort

During the month of May there will be sessions of Mondays With Mort at CAH at 10:30 AM on every Monday except on Monday, May 8th and on Monday, May 29th. Everyone is welcome to attend as we continue the book of Leviticus (Vayikra).

Question of the Month:

Which Yom Tov was taken away from men and given to women?

The answers can be found at http://www.mondayswithmort.com/doyouknow.htm, Also be sure to check out the entire Mondays with Mort web site at http://www.mondayswithmort.com and the CAH web site at www.amhayam.com .

There will not be sessions of MWM May 8 and May 29

Mort

Remember!!!!!!

SCRIP = GIFT CARDS

Purchasing “scrip” means

buying gift cards!!

CAH can meet all your needs:

Markets; Restaurants; Dept. Stores;

Entertainment; Gas Cards; Brent’s Deli;

Ventura Kosher Market and more

Contact Brenda Rich @ Brenda.bashful16@gmail.com

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WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE

Dear Am HaYam family,

By this time, our 3rd and final lecture in our Spring series has occurred. Thanks

to a small crew of devoted volunteers, we have provided the community-at-large

with a program that provided inspiring, insightful and fresh content. Now our

efforts will be focused on the balance of CAH fund-raising that is vitally needed.

We invite you to write to Andrea Massion, chair of Ways and Means, with any con-

tacts or ideas, and if you have knowledge of GRANT opportunities, please let her

know at almassion@sbcglobal.net.

Thanks again to Luner Productions of Ventura County for generously providing

ALL our production equipment as a donation, including set-ups and re-

turns. Thanks to Reardon Mortuary for their very generous donation.

We, the committee, appreciate you.

Sincerely,

The Ways and Means Committee

CAH

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May Birthdays

If your birthday or anniversary is not acknowledged please email me at

bfrosen@gmail.com

May Anniversaries

NO ANNIVERSARIES

Bob Packer 2 Ann Jacobs 13

Ricardo Kozak 14 Steven Goch 17

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Food Share Collection

Food Share – The Good News and the BETTER News

The good news is Food Share came and emptied an entire barrel of

non-perishable food donated by members of CAH. The BETTER news

is that the barrel is again empty, sitting in the lobby, and waiting for

more of your donations! Please take a paper bag and return it full

of non-perishable foodstuffs to help the one in six people of Ventura

County who are food insecure. Let this be your first Mitzvah of the New

Year!

A Community of Caring

We are a family, and sometimes our members need to know there are

people who are concerned about them. If you or someone you know in

the CAH family is ill, bereaved or in need of consolation, condolence or

acknowledgement of a happy event, please contact Brenda Rich so she

can alert our volunteers who will reach out to offer a caring voice or

helping hand.

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Get Well

Bob Packer

Sheila Myles

Fran Lande

Gail Packer

Miriam Rubinstein

Irv Jacobs

Dawn Kennedy

Elaine Hanig

Jerry Davis

Maurice Kozak

Arnie Rich

Nancy Stein

Donna Gustafson

Jerry Cordova

Judith Jacobson

Mitzi Schwarz

ATTENTION ALL JEWISH WAR VETERANS MEMBERS

JWV Post 602

meets in the Veterans Administration Clinic,

Recreation Building 22, 16111 Plummer Street, North Hills, CA.

They meet the 1st Sunday of each month, at 10:00 am and all Jewish Veterans are wel-

come to attend.

Please join us there.

Ann Jacobs

Norma Van Riper

Rachel Kozak

Mort Resnick

Dianne Ruthman

Fred Rosen

Ann Sperber

Herb Stein

Kenny Halpern

Roz Resnick

Lee Rothschild

Beth Morales

Betty Abramson

Jill Ackart

Evan Karash

Bruce Irvine

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*Inscribed on Memorial Wall

May 5

Morris Friedman, Father of Harold Friedman

Sara Goch, Wife of Stephen Goch

*Bertha Gustafson, Mother inlaw of Donna Gustafson

*Sam Rich, Father of Arnold Rich

*Sol Wayne, Father of Ann Sperber

May 19

*William Halpern, Father of Kenneth Halpern

Frank Harary, Father of Marty Harary

*Aaron Resnick, Father in law of Ruth Resnick

*Aaron Resnick, Father of Mort Resnick

YAHRZEIT

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May 2017—Nissan/Iyar 5777

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6

No

Mondays With Mort

Happy Birthday

Bob Packer

7:22p Candle lighting

Services 8 p m

Israel Shabbat

celebration

Services 10 am

Shabbat Ends

8:31p

Israel Shabbat

celebration

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

NO Mondays With Mort

7:28p Candle

lighting

Happy Birthday

Ann Jacobs

Shabbat Ends

8:36p

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Happy Birthday

Ricardo Kozak

MOTHER’S DAY

Mondays With Mort .

10:30 am

Ways & means 6:30pm

Membership meeting Rich’s Home 7:00pm

Happy Birthday

Steven Goch

7:33p Candle

lighting

Services 8 p m

Services 10 am

Shabbat Ends

8:41p

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Ritual Meeting

10:00 AM Board Meeting

11:am

Book Club @

Arnie & Brenda

Rich’s Home

1PM

Mondays With Mort

10:30 am

Ways and Means

6:30 pm at CAH

7:38p Candle

lighting

Shabbat Ends

8:46p

28 29 30 31 NO Mondays

With Mort

MEMORIAL DAY

Erev Shavuot

7:30PM –

9:30PM

@at CAH

STUDY

SESSION

First Day

Shavuot

Services

10 AM

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Rabbi J. B. Sacks

rabbijb@aol.com———phone#323-387-0096

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT Brenda Rich

brenda.bashful16@gmail.com

phone#-805-469-0268

VICE-PRESIDENT—

TRIBUTES- Lois Lebman

SECRETARY - Donna Gustafson

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY-Ruth Resnick

WAYS & MEANS VP - Andrea Massion

MEMBERSHIP VP - Miriam Mack

RITUAL VP - Roz Resnick

RITUAL VP Emeritus—Milt Rothschild

HOUSING VP - Neal Abramson

IMMEDIATE PAST PRES - Brenda Rich

ADULT EDUCATION VP - Fran Lande

DIRECTORS—Marc Goldman, , Elaine Hanig,

Janice Aharon-Ezer, Rick Newberger

PAST PRESIDENTS

Mort Resnick

Arnie Fingerhut

Jerry Ruthman z'l

Peter Shack z'l

Brenda Rich

OUR VOLUNTEERS

Kiddushim - Brenda Rich

Oneg Shabbat -Fil Barton

Librarian -- Donna Gustafson

Programming

Tributes — Lois Lebman

Telephone

Purchasing — Ruth Resnick

Yahrzeits — Bev Rosen

Migdalor— Bev Rosen

Sunshine

Webmaster

Publicity