Touching your heart and engaging your mind
Jewish Life in Northern Nevada
Mishpachah Family Workshop
Young families came together for our Mishpachah Family Workshop on 11/24/2024 for a hands-on experiential celebration of Shabbat led by Rabbi Katz, with the assistance of Leslie Golberg and Yudi Nadler
The morning began with Rabbi Katz reading the families the story of the brothers 'Bim and Bom'. A very cute story - highly recommended!
Materials to make candlestick holders were provided to each child/family and it was wonderful to see how differently they each turned out.
To experience Shabbat we said blessings over the candles, grape juice and challah. Of course the juice and challah were tasted and babka was added for a Shabbat sweet.
Following that, as a way to end our Shabbat celebration, Havdalah was explained and blessings over grape juice, spices (freshly ground and put into individual bags) and the Havdalah candle were said.
Each child took home a ‘Shabbat bag’ filled with candles, the
candlestick holders, a Kiddush Cup, a bag of spices and a Havdalah
candle to encourage weekly celebrations at home.
Colorful handouts with the blessings were given to the parents to take with them.
We are looking forward to our Purim workshop next month.
Hanukkah Holiday Bazaar and Craft Fair
Our second annual Holiday Bazaar was a success! Thanks to the amazing Jan Carver and her skills at organizing, securing raffle prizes, enlisting vendors and rounding up volunteers, we had a great day. We made a very nice profit, which will enable us to grow the event next year — more vendors, more food items and wider advertising.
Profits are nice, but even more rewarding for Jan and the team of volunteers was the number of congregants who came to support us, about half of our congregation. We all had a wonderful time socializing with our friends, our vendors and the shoppers.
Much thanks go to Jan’s team of volunteers — Pam Brandman, Sue Edmondson, Florence Gold, Iris Frank, Judy Hirsch, Sue Liebman, Yudi Nadler and Idora Silver — not to mention others who also helped set up — Steve Carver, John Duerson, Steve Hirsch, Zena Lamp and Buff and Leonard Levine. John Duerson put everything back together on Monday, a huge task for which we’re extremely grateful.
Vendors were happy as well. Four already signed up for next year, set for November 2, 2025.
Watch for more programs. And volunteers are always welcome!
עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי
Am Yisrael Chai
Cars lined Manzanita Lane for the mile between Lakeside Drive and Plumas; the parking lot at Temple Emanu-El overflowed when hundreds came to support Israel and the Jewish community on Tuesday, October 10th. Representatives from every branch of government, from federal to State, to local and law enforcement, vowed to support Israel’s right to defend itself and to keep the Jewish community safe. Reno Police Chief Katherine Nance urged us to continue to gather for services and events, and promised extra patrols of Reno’s synagogues. RPD presence at the vigil was unmistakable, with cruisers along the street and in the parking lot.
Prayers and song were offered by Rabbi Benjamin Katz, Rabbi Richard Leibovitz, Zel Copeland and Mara Langer. Speakers included Stefanie Tuzman, President and CEO of Jewish Nevada (by video), and Marc Picker, Northern Nevada Council Chair. A video update by Israel Bachar, General Consul of Israel, detailed the current situation in Israel. At the end of the vigil, candles were lit in remembrance of the Jewish victims of the Hamas attacks and the devastation in Israel.
Mara Langer, both a congregant of Temple Emanu-El and Jewish Nevada’s Director Community Engagement for Northern Nevada organized the entire event. Thanks go to her and Jewish Nevada for making the event possible, and to Temple Emanu-El for hosting it. Thanks are also owed to the speakers — Nevada’s Chief of Staff Ben Kieckhefer representing Governor Lombardo, Molly Rose Lewis representing Senator Jackie Rosen, State Assemblywoman Angie Taylor, Reno Police Chief Katherine Nance, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam, Temple Emanu-El President Alan Liebman — the attendance of Commissioner Clara Andriola, and the support of Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto.