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November 2024 President's Letter

Dear Havurah Members,

Thank you to all the volunteers who made our Yizkor Service and Break the Fast Dinner such a wonderful evening! A special thank you goes to Maxine Drapkin, Wendy Linow and Ricki Weintraub for leading the lovely Yizkor Sevice, Wendy Linow for creating the beautiful service booklet, and Jan Grinel and Helene Laefer for coordinating our Break the Fast Dinner.

Coming up

November and December are busy months for Havurah! 

Our quarterly Membership Meeting & Election for the 2025 Leadership Team takes place on Wednesday, November 6th at 6:30 pm. Check-in begins at 6:00 pm. Light refreshments, water, decaf coffee, and tea will be served. Feel free to bring your other beverage of choice. During the meeting, members will vote to approve the minutes from our September meeting, and the slate of candidates for the 2025 Leadership Team:

President.....................................Debbie Blonder

Vice-President.............................Wendy Linow

Vice-President.............................Mitchell Stein

Treasurer......................................Alan Alterbaum

Secretary......................................Lenore Delman

At-Large Leader: Events*.............Jan Grinel

At-Large Leader: Membership......Carol Levey

At-Large Leader: Programs...........Ricki Weintraub

*Helene Laefer will be partnering with Jan Grinel to plan Events

Following the meeting, Havurah First Gentleman, Brian Blonder, will present, “Mahjong-From Courtesan Houses to the Catskills-And Beyond,” reviewing the fascinating history of the game, Mahjong, and its influence on American culture. Learn about its sinful origins in China to its introduction into the U.S. He will discuss its explosive growth in popularity in the U.S during the 1920’s, and how Jewish women volunteers utilized Mahjong to help support Jewish communities.

Following the presentation, there will be a prize drawing for a China Tango Gift Card.

 

Our Shabbat Dinner on Friday, November 22nd at 6:00 pm will be catered by Bell’s BBQ, featuring our “Miner’s Special Menu:”

  • Panned-BBQ Brisket and Sliced Chicken
  • Shoveled-BBQ Baked Beans
  • Axed-Coleslaw
  • Smelted-Mashed Buttered Yams
  • Tooled-Challah
  • Struck it Rich-Dessert

After dinner, Havurah’s resident genealogist, Hart Hoffman, will present, “Why Did so Many Jews go to Leadville, Colorado? How German Jews Changed the Way America Shopped.” Hart will take you on the journey she took to find her ancestor, David May, founder of the May Department Stores. The evening will take place in the Rocky Mountain High Saloon, perhaps better known as the Morris/Nelson/Penn rooms at Independence Center. The cost is $22 for Members and $26 for guests.

The RSVP Deadline for the Shabbat Dinner is Friday, November 8th at NOON.

 

Next up will be our annual Chanukah Gala on Saturday, December 21st in the Anthem Center Ballroom. We’ll have a sumptuous buffet catered by Yorktown Grill, dancing to the music of Cool Change, keepsake photos, and each attendee will receive five raffle tickets for our fabulous raffle baskets and “last chance prizes.” The menu and RSVP details will be coming soon.

 

We will hold our annual Christmas Day Dine Out for lunch at China Tango on Wednesday, December 25th. We are not accepting reservations yet. Watch for an email the first week in December.  This event fills very quickly.

 

Our final function for 2024 will be our Menorah Lighting at 4:30 pm on Thursday, December 26th in the Independence Center Courtyard. Following the candle blessings, we will move into the Morris/Nelson/Penn Rooms for donuts (jelly and plain) and warm beverages. There is no cost, and no RSVP is required. We encourage you to bring any local or visiting grandchildren to this event! We’ll have dreidels and the dreidel game rules on the tables (bring your own pennies to play). We also encourage people to bring Menorahs to decorate the tables. I love seeing the incredibly variety of styles our members have. I collect them, so I bring several.

Save the date for another Shabbat Dinner on January 24, 2025. Details will be sent in December.

Dues

It’s that time of year again—time to submit your dues for 2025. The cost remains $15 per person for 2025. If you joined after September 1st, you are already paid through 2025. To renew your Havurah membership, please make your check out to Sun City Anthem Community Association, Inc., and place in the Havurah mailbox at Anthem Center. We will also have a table at the Club Fair at Anthem Center on Saturday, December 7th from 9:00-noon. We will be at table #4, along the left wall when you enter the ballroom. Your dues must be current in order to attend Havurah functions at the member price, and vote at our meetings.

Thank you to our Support Volunteers!

We rely on a number of people who help “behind the scenes.” We could not function without their assistance. I would like to thank:

  • Maxine Drapkin, who has stepped forward as our Hospitality Coordinator for 2025.
  • Pepe Kahn, Rhonda Begun, and Linda Shapiro, who will work together to coordinate “Dine Outs.”
  • Marnee Foldoe, who will continue as our Spirit Magazine article author. 
  • Ary Mirochnik, who will continue assisting the club with the website, graphics, and our other technical needs.
  • Marilyn Lerner, who will continue as Chair of the Care Committee.
  • Lenore Delman and Marilyn Lerner, who will continue as Volunteer Coordinators.
  • Ellen Goodside, who will lead our Sunshine Committee, with the assistance of Tina Freedman.
  • Joni Wingenbach, who will be shadowing Lenore Delman this year and be back-up Secretary.
  • Barbara Miller and Marnee Foldoe, who will be our Social Solos Ambassadors in 2025.
  • Barbara Miller, again, for Chairing the Sunshine Committee for the last few years.
  • Ami Lichtman, who populated our website calendar this year.
  • Our Event and Program committee members who worked all year long to provide wonderful ideas for our Havurah functions.

And thank you to all the volunteers who help us setup, check people in, serve, and cleanup at our functions!

Please reach out to me if you have questions, concerns, or ideas. Any complaints should be addressed to me.  We can't make everyone happy all the time, but we try our best!

Regards,

Debbie

debbieblonder@icloud.com

Shabbat Dinner & Program-Friday, November 22 at 6:00

When:   Friday, November 22nd at 6:00 pm (Check-in begins at 5:30)
Where:  Rocky Mountain High Saloon (Independence Center)
Cost:     $22 Members/$26 Guests

RSVP: The deadline to RSVP is Friday, November 8th at 12:00 noon.  

Your check can be placed in the Havurah Mailbox located across from the Fitness desk at Anthem Center. Make checks payable to Sun City Anthem Community Association, Inc. In the memo line, write "Havurah Shabbat." Reservations for tables of 8 can be made by placing checks in the same envelope and completing the RSVP sheet attached. We are unable to accommodate larger tables. Please indicate whether you would like to sit at a singles table. 

Click HERE or the document link below for details.

Document

Shabbat Dinner and Trip to the Mining Town 2024-11-22 v06.pdf

Wednesday, November 6th Havurah Membership Meeting Agenda and Slate of Candidates for 2025 Leadership Team

Below is the Agenda & 2025 Leadership Team Election Slate for our November 6th Membership meeting. Check-in begins at 6:00 pm. 

 

Sun City Anthem Havurah

Membership Meeting & Election Agenda

Wednesday, November 6th, at 6:30 p.m.

Morris/Nelson/Penn Rooms at Independence Center

 

  1. Call to Order (Debbie Blonder)

  2. Pledge to the Flag 

  3. President’s comments (Debbie Blonder)

  4. Approval of Minutes from September 19th Meeting (Lenore Delman)

    To see the minutes from our September 19th meeting, click HERE.

  5. Volunteers for November 22nd Shabbat Dinner (Marilyn Lerner, Lenore Delman)

  6. Treasurer’s Report (Pepe Kahn)

  7. Membership Report (Ricki Weintraub, Carol Levey)

  8. Event Report (Jan Grinel)

  9. Program Report (TBD)

  10. Election of 2025 Leadership Team (Barbara Miller)

    President.......................................Debbie Blonder
    Vice-President...............................Wendy Linow
    Vice-President...............................Mitchell Stein
    Treasurer........................................Alan Alterbaum
    Secretary........................................Lenore Delman
    At-Large Leader: Events*...............Jan Grinel 
    At-Large Leader: Membership........Carol Levey
    At-Large Leader: Programs............Ricki Weintraub
           *Helene Laefer will be partnering with Jan Grinel to plan Havurah Events

  11. Closing Remarks (Debbie Blonder)

  12. Adjourn Meeting (Debbie Blonder)

Program after meeting 

“Mahjong-From Courtesan Houses to the Catskills-And Beyond”

Presented by Brian Blonder

A door prize drawing will take place after the presentation

 

“Enrolling” for a meeting or event (This is the word for signing up)

 

  1. Login to your Havurah account.
  2. Go to EVENTS and then choose CALENDAR from the dropdown menu.
  3. Click on the event you want to sign up for.
  4. Click the green ENROLL button on the SESSION you want to enroll in. (If registration has not opened yet, you cannot sign up).

You will receive an email confirmation that you are enrolled, and a reminder 24 hours prior.

Need to cancel something you enrolled for? No problem. Log in, go to that event, and click on DROP. You will receive an email that you dropped.

If you have any trouble with the website, contact Debbie Blonder for assistance at debbieblonder@icloud.com.

 

Welcome to Havurah Club

Havurah, or friendship group, at Sun City Anthem, Henderson, Nevada, was formed in 2002 as a means for Jewish residents and others, new to the community or established, to meet, socialize and ease the transition from their prior locations.  We often tell new members to think of us as their “new family.”  This is achieved by organizing a variety of social, cultural, educational and recreational events throughout the year.

The SCA Havurah welcomes all SCA residents to join and participate in its activities.

All members and prospective members please watch this film about our club by Anthem's top videographer, Ary Mirochnik.

October 2024 President’s Letter

Greetings Havurah Members,

We were so disappointed that our Membership Meeting on 9/11 had to be rescheduled. I know it was short notice rescheduling it for the following week, but had we not, we would not have been able to fit it in for a very long time. Our speaker, Katrina Huddleston, from Jewish Nevada was very engaging, and the audience had great questions.

I would like to thank all the volunteers that stepped up to make phone calls to our members for Rosh Hashanah. I know I enjoy getting my call every year! For our newest members that joined in the last couple weeks, I’ll be making that call to you shortly, as you were not yet on the roster when our amazing Care Committee Chair, Marilyn Lerner, got the roster.

Next up is our Yizkor Service on Saturday, October 12th, at 6:00 pm in Freedom Hall, led by Maxine Drapkin, Wendy Linow, and Ricki Weintraub. Reservations have closed for the Break the Fast Dinner that follows the Yizkor Service. To be added to the waitlist, or if you find you cannot attend even though you made a reservation, contact me at debbieblonder@icloud.com. We can only offer refunds for cancellations if we have someone to take your place. We have already committed our number of attendees to the caterer.

Dine Outs are back! Our next one will be at Tuscany Grill on Monday, October 28th at 6:00 pm. To do the type we have done in the past, it was over $50 per person, so we are trying a different approach this time. We are limited to 25 attendees for this. You can either opt for the Monday Night Prime Rib Special, for $32.95 plus tax and tip, or the second option is to order off the menu. The restaurant needs to know in advance how many people wish to order the Prime Rib special. It is CRITICAL that you follow the RSVP instructions carefully. I suspect it will fill up very quickly. Thanks to Rhonda Begun for arranging this!

Have you ever thought about what the next step is when you are tired of maintaining a home? Carnegie Heights has invited Havurah Members for a gathering on Tuesday, October 29th at 3:30 pm to hear about what they offer. They will provide appetizers and beverages for up to 40 attendees. They will give a brief talk, answer your questions, and you can take an optional tour. I took the tour, and it was quite nice. There are quite a few former SCA residents there, and there is a fairly large Jewish contingent. Details on how to RSVP will be coming to your email in the next few days.

November is a busy month for Havurah! Our Quarterly Membership Meeting and Election for the 2025 Leadership Team is on Wednesday, November 6th. I am pleased to report that our slate is full, thanks to the efforts of Barbara Miller and Lois Ripes, our Election Committee. Following the meeting and election, Havurah’s “First Gentleman,” Brian Blonder (my hubby), will present “Mahjong - From Courtesan Houses to the Catskills – And Beyond”, reviewing the fascinating history of the game, Mahjong, and its influence on American culture. Learn about its sinful origins in China to its introduction into the U.S. He will discuss its explosive growth in popularity in the U.S. during the 1920’s, and how Jewish women volunteers utilized Mahjong to help support Jewish communities. Following Brian’s presentation, we will have a door prize drawing for a China Tango Gift card!

Our Shabbat Dinner on Friday, November 22nd will be catered by Bell’s BBQ, featuring our “Miner’s Special Menu:”

  • Panned - BBQ Brisket and Chicken

  • Shoveled - BBQ Baked Beans 

  • Axed - Coleslaw 

  • Smelted – Buttered Mashed Yams 

  • Tooled - Challah 

  • Struck it Rich -Dessert

After dinner, Havurah’s resident genealogist, Hart Hoffman, will present “Why did so many Jews go to Leadville, Colorado? How German Jews changed the way America shopped.” Hart will take you on the journey she took to find her ancestor, David May, founder of The May Department Stores. It all started up in the thin air of the breathtakingly beautiful scenery of Leadville, Colorado, where at 12,250 feet in the Colorado Rockies, so many German Jews made their fortunes. The evening will take place in the Rocky Mountain High Saloon, also known as the Morris/Nelson/Penn Rooms at Independence Center. Hart and Jan Grinel have planned a fabulous evening you won’t want to miss! The invitation is coming soon.

Finally, below is an event I thought might interest our members:

Midbar Kodesh Temple, Jewish Nevada, ADL, Congregation Ner Tamid, Temple Sinai, The Board of Rabbis of Southern Nevada, Temple Beth Sholom, and Hadassah of Southern Nevada present

  • October 7: Marking One Year

  • Date: Monday 10/7 | 7 PM

  • Location: Midbar Kodesh Temple

1940 Paseo Verde Parkway

Keynote by Elliott Malamet

"October 7: A Year and a Lifetime Later"

 

Dr. Elliott Malamet taught English literature, as well as Jewish Ethics and Jewish Thought, for 20 years in Canadian universities before making Aliyah with his family in 2013. He was also the co-founder of Torah in Motion, an organization that explored the interface between religion and modernity and created conferences and symposia, bringing together the best speakers in the Jewish world to dialogue on cutting edge topics. He lectured in Israeli literature for several years at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and now teaches Jewish Ethics and Philosophy at Yeshivat Machanaim, the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem, the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, as well as various other institutions in Jerusalem and abroad. Dr. Malamet is consulted globally on issues related to Jewish education and is one of the premiere discussion moderators in the Jewish world today, having conducted/moderated over 100 interviews/panel discussions with leading Jewish luminaries, including the Honorable Irwin Cotler; Sherri Mandell; Melanie Phillips; R. Shlomo Riskin; R. Jonathan Sacks z”l; Bret Stephens; R. Joseph Telushkin; R. Abraham Twersky z”l; Prof. Michael Walzer and Dr. Avivah Zornberg.

You must register HERE.

Wishing you a healthy and happy new year!

Debbie

debbieblonder@icloud.com

(703) 624-0897

Setting up your Havurah Website account

1)     Click on login, then FORGOT MY PASSWORD. (If you share an email account with your spouse/partner, you each must set up your own login using your SCA ID #, not your e-mail address; your password setup links will still be sent to your email).

2)     Go to your email inbox and find the email just sent from the Havurah Club. There will be a link for you to click on that will bring you back to the website set up a password.

3)     Set up your password of choice and click SAVE.

Don’t worry if you forget your password. You can repeat this process any time you forget.

 

Coming to America

HERE is a link to the presentation by Havurah members Ary and Anna Mirochnik at our November 3 General Meeting. 

The Mirochniks told their story of living conditions in Kiev; being Jewish in that part of the world years after World War II; their difficult journey to the U.S. and their accomplishments as U.S. citizens.