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
(703) 624-0897