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Author: trivalleyculturaljews
From our friends at MCC East Bay in Pleasanton:
Here we go again
As the news of Omicron spreads, even alone in my house, I can hear the head-banging and the groans from all over the world. Not again! I thought we were done with this! I can’t do this any more! It has to stop! No no no no nonononooooooo!
Well, it’s yes yes yes. It is happening again, the same thing, yet one more time.
Kinda like being Jewish. We know all about doing the same thing over and over again. Our holidays with their standard readings and songs. Our seder – the same every year, down to the menu. Our Rosh Hashanah resolutions and our Yom Kippur regrets.
And don’t forget that in religious congregations, the Torah is read over and over, every year, with the same Haftarah readings attached, all in the same melody.
The challenge is to find something different every year, to make the holiday or the reading say something about our present times, to learn something new, to find another way of looking at something we see over and over again.
That’s the challenge we find now. We have to accept that COVID has come for us yet again and we have to use this as an opportunity re-examine our responses. What did we learn during the Alpha and Delta surges that we can use this time? What’s different about this wave? How are we different this time? How are the people around us different? What choices can we look at anew? What techniques can we use against the tendency to despair? In short, how can we make this Jewish?
JFI Short Film of the Month
Eight Nights
After years as a struggling actor, Daniel was cast to play a part in Conan O’Brien’s “human-centipede-menorah.” His bizarre experience evolved from one of shame into a deepening connection with his personal heritage, a reckoning with the choices he’d made, and ultimately a desire to tell the story of EIGHT NIGHTS. This is a film about our deep connection to the people we love. At a time when we couldn’t see some of those whom we love most, the making of this film felt even more poignant.
Contains depictions of violence and humiliation. Parental discretion advised.
Hanukkah Celebration
Hanukkah 2021 was another adventure! Many thanks to the Mogilefskys for hosting our outdoor gathering. Everyone enjoyed their climbing wall and hammock, as well as meeting their gorgeous pets. We lit our giant Menorah, as is our custom, played dreidel, and had a Hanukkah trivia guessing game with gelt prizes. Although no latkes were cooked communally this year, jelly donuts or sufganiyot, were available as take-home treats. As always, we found another way to welcome the light into our lives and into the world. Pictures can be found (and uploaded!) here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/RB32f6Wv9oSD9u7u7
Poster from Bend the Arc
As we light our candles this Chanukah season, here’s a printable poster from Bend the Arc to remind us that their flames lead us towards a more just and equitable future.
JFI Short Film of the Month
8 Nights of Christmas
Elise, a young Jewish girl, struggles to find meaning in her traditional Hanukkah celebration in a world centered around Christmas festivities.
To view the film and an interview with the director, please visit: https://sfjewishfilm.medium.com/
Eden Area Interfaith Annual Meeting
Dear friends,
Please join us for the Eden Area Interfaith Council’s Annual Meeting for 2021. The theme is “Renewal” – as we’ve been thinking about how caterpillars cocoon for a while before transforming into butterflies, and thinking about how we are coming through the pandemic, hopefully transforming ourselves and our communities for the better.
Please feel free to share with other friends but don’t post the Zoom information on a public-facing website, as we would like to avoid zoom-bombers.
https://zoom.us/j/97037590551?pwd=QkZ1Y1JIRURpZ29YRVRvcHV4RkhjQT09
Hanukkah Celebration
Join us outside to celebrate the Festival of Lights on November 28 at 10:30am (address to follow in evite). Come for games, music, and a short secular, humanistic ceremony. Jelly donuts and gelt will be available to take home. Masks are required for all in person attendants. Zoom details to follow in evite for remote attendance.
Date: Sunday, November 28
Time: 10:30am
Cost: Free to members; suggested donation $10/non-member
Questions? Contact culturaljews@gmail.com or 925-399-8029.
A climate call-to-action from the TVCJ board
Khevre,
The end of October is a crucial time in the fight to steer humanity off a path of self-destruction.
- Humanity’s current course will soon lock in at least 3 degrees Celsius of climate warming (about 5 and half degrees Fahrenheit). One study calculates economic impacts of $551 trillion if the world warms by 3.7C. That is more money than exists on earth. By taking dramatic action to tackle the problem, we may still be able to limit warming to 1.5C. The damages are calculated to be 10x less at that level but still cost $54 trillion. (reference)
- These dollar amounts alone do not convey the devastating impacts ahead for humanity if we do not take immediate, disruptive action.The difference between 1.5C and 3C of warming will determine whether an additional 300 million people living in coastal regions are displaced from their homes, and whether some cities are merely damaged or lost completely, including New York and Miami (reference). Those numbers determine how we will all be impacted by fires, flooding, storms, and food and supply chain disruption no matter where we live.
- To meet the magnitude of this crisis, the Build Back Better bill under negotiation in Congress originally proposed critical policy changes and spending (merely!) $3.5T (over 10 years, or $350B/year), paid for completely by taxes on corporations and the wealthy. The subset of changes dedicated specifically to climate action are widely supported and may be enough to put us on the path to 1.5C. $350 billion a year would be a small amount to pay for an enormous boost to the viability of our civilization, alongside other changes with broad appeal to the public. (reference)
- Whatever that top-line number ends up being after negotiations are complete, the critical factor is that a focus on climate action remains central, and that our strongest policy changes start NOW… Despite the popular desire for this plan to succeed, the entire bill is under threat by the 52 Senators who are refusing to take the action needed, including two Democrats and all Republicans.
There are elements here that are touchstones of Jewish history: Refugees. Social justice. Tikkun olam… The climate crisis needs every Jewish voice speaking out and demanding a commitment to action. We have three calls to action for TVCJ members today:
- Please make one call to Congress: https://call4climate.com/
It doesn’t matter that we live in a blue state with Democratic Senators. They must hear our voices to know how strongly they must fight against those who would stop, delay, or water down climate action. Senator Diane Feinstein in particular has been cavalier about climate action, and claims it’s because she never hears from her constituents about it. We must change that! - Please consider the Youth vs Apocalypse Climate Event on Friday, October 29th, and future events.
Our kids have the most to gain or lose in the climate fight, and it’s not too early for them to get involved in demanding a better future. Talk to your kids about the youth-led movement, and support them if they want to participate. If you’d like to coordinate with other people from TVCJ who will attend the mural-painting and march in San Francisco on October 29th, mail culturaljews+oct292021@gmail.com. - Please consider “liking” the Facebook profile for Dayenu.
The TVCJ Board is working to coordinate more closely with other Jewish organizations for climate action through Dayenu. Increasing their Facebook presence helps further that goal.