• Rabbi Moskowitz
• Cantor Finnley
• Sharon Amster Brown, R.J.E.
• Stephen Bascove
• Board President Alan Lilien
• Hank Feldman , Foundation President

Kol Yisra'el

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July / August 2010

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B'nai Mitzvah

Hi! My name is Nina Epstein and on July 3, I will become a bat mitzvah in the Jewish community. I’ve been working on my mitzvah project at the temple by serving lunch at Sabbath Fellowship. The first Saturday of each month we meet at the synagogue after Torah center class and serve food and clean up.

I am really looking forward to attending 8th grade at the Orange County High School of the Arts. I will be attending the Integrated Arts Conservatory, studying singing, dancing, writing, film and all the other creative endeavors I love. I constantly write (mostly fantasy and adventure) and sing, as well as perform in a musical theater group called Myart. I love hanging out with my friends, publishing my books on www.bookemon.com and playing with my three dogs. I’ve had so much fun this year attending my friends’ B’nai Mitzvot and am looking forward to my turn!

My name is Jenna Martinez. I’m in going into the eighth grade at Stanford Middle School where I play flute and piccolo in the band. I especially like dance, drawing and crocheting. I love playing with my dogs. For my Bat Mitzvah project, I helped serve lunch at the senior Sabbath Fellowship lunches. I’m looking forward to my Bat Mitzvah on August 7.

By the time you read this, Devon will have graduated from Newcomb Middle School and about to enter the Oceanography program at Lakewood High.

Devon loves nature and has been an avid fisherman since he was 5 years old. He has been active in Boy Scouts for several years, earning his horseback riding, survival, fishing and boating badges, along with many others.

A happy, gentle and funny guy, Devon loves playing video games, music and socializing with groups of friends. He recently began physical training in order to get ‘buff’ before starting high school. He’s learning to golf and rides his skateboard regularly.

Devon loves learning about being Jewish, and this learning has had a big impact on him. Judaica classes at Temple Israel and spending several weeks each year at Camp Newman have ‘sealed the deal’ on his being proud to be a Jew and instilled a new understanding and passion for Israel.

Devon’s bar mitzvah project is very unusual. He set up a way to take photos at the Urban Drop-in Center at First Congregational Church, and has been taking pictures of the homeless, giving them the photos, or offering to mail them. Most of them have not had a photo taken in years, and many are having him send photos to loved ones who live far away or are incarcerated. One of them was a twelve-year-old boy who hadn’t seen his father in years because he is in jail. The experience of dealing one-to-one with these people has been profound, for not just Devon, but the whole family.

The first to became bar mitzvah in the family for many generations, Devon is excited about this transition and looking forward to entering the Madrichim program at Temple Israel.

My name is Benjamin Herr and will be a Bar Mitzvah on August 21. For my Mitzvah project I collected used baseball equipment donated by families and friends at ELB Pony Baseball league and resold it. All proceeds were donated to my friend and baseball team mate Dallas Humphrey and his family. Dallas is currently battling leukemia, and I was proud to be able to raise almost $1,000 to help Dallas and his family.

I have to admit, school is not my favorite way to spend my time but hanging with my friends and playing baseball and soccer are. These sports have taught me to be a team player, good sportsmanship and most importantly, I have made many great friends. I have been playing baseball since I was four and extremely proud of my accomplishments. When I am not playing sports, I enjoy riding my bike, playing video games, swimming, and just hanging with my friends.

Caring Community

If you are interested in being added to our volunteer list please contact: Cindy Gotz (562) 594-0350; cindygotz@verizon.net; Margaret Locke (562) 594-0416; mlocke4@gmail.com or Natalie Swit (562) 989-1282; nswit@gdslaw.net

*Caring Community’s mission continues to be to work with the Rabbi and the congregation to enhance our practical responses and our spiritual insights to both the realities of our human condition and the celebrations of human existence, to become a Kehillat Chesed, a holy community.

Caring Community Volunteer Form