| Jewish Programming at the JCC Depends on You |
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| All the great programs described in this newsletter depend on your support!
We hope you enjoy participating in Jewish life at the JCC. Most of our programs depend entirely or partly on donations. If you haven't yet made a gift to the JCC's Annual Campaign, please consider making a donation earmarked for Jewish programming.
When you give to Jewish programs, your donation is doubled because of a generous matching grant from the Koret Foundation.
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Hag Pesach Sameach
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Happy Passover,
from the Center for
Jewish Life and Learning
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| Reflections from the Rabbi | | |
Leaving our personal Egypt behind.
Joe was a 67 year old man from Florida. He was a religious man, always went to the synagogue on Shabbat and holidays, was scrupulous in his observance of Jewish ritual laws, careful about keeping kosher, and deeply generous to everyone and anyone in need. On his 67th birthday, he said to his wife Trudy, "Trudy my dear, my whole life I have been concerned with the needs of others. I have lived a life of Torah, Mitzvas, given to others, and worked for the community, so for my birthday this year I would like something just for me."
"Anything you want my love" said Trudy his wife.
"I want to go to Las Vegas" Joe said, and his wife Trudy said, "Of course." So Joe went ahead and made plans for a week in Vegas, just for himself. He went to the store to buy some casual clothes so that he didn't have to wear a black suit around town. He traded in his black hat for a baseball cap and trimmed his long beard, transforming himself into an average, middle-aged Las Vegas tourist. Looking in the mirror he said to himself, "Ah, now that feels better."
The day of his trip arrived and Joe couldn't have been more excited. As he arrived in Vegas he felt free for the first time in longer than he could remember. He walked through the airport terminal, out onto the street, and raised his hand to catch a cab. It was at that moment that Joe was hit by a car. Landing flat on his back, unable to move, he looked up to the sky and said, "God, how could you do this to me? I have been good, I have lived right, all I asked for was one week for myself."
All of a sudden Joe heard a voice from heaven, "Joe, my friend, so sorry, I didn't recognize you."
I share this joke with you because I think it says something very powerful to us about Passover and what it means to be free. What Joe was looking for was some freedom. Freedom from the shackles he felt bound by. Freedom from the obligations he felt weighing him down. And Joe thought that if he could escape for just a bit, he'd get a taste of what true freedom felt like. What Passover reminds us, however, is that freedom is realized not despite our Judaism, but through it.
May we all be blessed to celebrate the Passover holiday as truly free people. May we recognize the chains we continue to wear, the shackles the bind us, and the Pharoahs in our lives that hold us back, and then may we have the strength to leave them behind.
Happy Passover
Chag Kasher v'Sameach
Rabbi Joshua Fenton, Director
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| The Music Festival is Coming! | |
Silicon Valley Jewish Music Festival 
Sunday, May 22nd | 1:00pm-8:00pm.
FREE COMMUNITY WIDE EVENT!
The first annual Silicon Valley Jewish Music Festival is right around the corner. Join us for a sunny, fun-filled day on the APJCC lawn. Children's musicians Papa Hugs and The Macaroons will perform in the early afternoon followed by family musicians Elana Jagoda and Craig Taubman. In the evening, David Grisman and Andy Statman will play together for the first time in years, ending the festival with their acoustic, new-grass/klezmer sound. There will also be performances by local groups and popular song-leaders Eric Hunker and Zach Singer.
There will be food, art, and crafts for sale and plenty of activities for the whole family. So grab a blanket, your family, and your friends, and head out to the Silicon Valley Jewish Music Festival.
Click here to download the flyer.
Check out the festival website!
Have something to sell? If you want to be a vendor at the festival, or if you'd like to become a corporate sponsor, contact Jenessa at 408.357.7411 or jenessa@svjcc.org.
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| A Note to All CJLL Students | | All classes are canceled the weeks of April 18th and April 25th in observance of Passover. Classes will resume Monday, May 2nd. Have a very happy holiday!
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Art Exhibit: Jewish American Gangsters
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From Underdog to Underworld: Jewish American Gangsters and the American Dream
May 2nd to June 30th
The idea of a Jewish gangster may seem a contradiction and not exactly the dream a Jewish mother had for her son. But in the early half of the 1900's, for some this became their American dream. Come explore the often overlooked world of Jewish American gangsters. Pour over the skillfully crafted illustrations of the likes of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel created by Canadian based graphic designer Pat Hamou. Exhibition runs May 2nd ~ June 30th.
For further information please contact Lisa Ceile at 408.357.7492 or lisacg@svjcc.org.
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| Distinguished Speaker Series | |
All programs are held in the APJCC Auditorium. Tickets are $5 JCC members, $7 non-members. For more information, contact the JCC's Center for Jewish Life & Learning at cjll@svjcc.org or 408.357.7492.
Avivah Zornberg
Thursday, May 19th | 7:30pm
Dr. Aviva Zornberg is one of the world's greatest and most fascinating Jewish Bible scholars. She has taught and lectured in Israel, the U.S., Canada and Great Britain. Her books include The Beginning of Desire, The Particulars of Rapture, and The Murmuring Deep.
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| Join "Teva to You" | |
Teva to You! Join our JCC sponsored CSA and get fresh, local, organic produce delivered weekly from a local farm to you!  What is Teva To You? Teva is the Hebrew word for nature. Teva To You is a program that is designed to support small local farms and create a vibrant Jewish community by providing people with the opportunity to purchase and eat local, organic and sustainable produce and participate in educational programs that explore the intersection of food and Jewish tradition.
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. CSA members purchase their "shares" in advance and then pick up their produce once a week from the JCC during the growing season - March through November. To join, click here to download the application, and submit it along with your payment to the service desk at the JCC. You can also pick up a copy of the application at the JCC. For more information, click here or email tevatoyou@gmail.com. Be part of the community. Join Teva To You. |
| Activities for Seniors | | |
Senior Shabbat Lunch
Friday, May 13th | 12:00pm-2:00pm
Please join us for a Senior Shabbat lunch and entertainment on Friday, May 13th, from 12-2pm in the APJCC Auditorium. The entertainment will be a dance performance by the APJCC Dance Academy. The featured dancers will be Virginia Hess, Randy Hess, and plus some junior dancers: Jonathan, Jacob, Melissa, and Natasha. The fee is $5 for members and $7.50 for non-members. Please rsvp by May 6th. This lunch is sponsored in part by a generous donation from Ruth and Michael Fletcher.
Grandpals Shabbat: Dor L'Dor Fridays, 9:15-10:45am
Dates: 5/13, 5/27
Older adults, we need your wisdom and warmth to explore and impart our rich traditions to our preschool children. We will celebrate and discover together through examining Pirkei Avot (Teachings of Our Fathers), holiday celebrations, and Shabbat. Please join us for storytelling, art, and song to connect the generations. This program is presented in partnership with the APJCC Center for Jewish Life and Learning, the APJCC Preschool, and An Ethical Start®.
For more information, please contact the Center for Jewish Life and Learning at cjll@svjcc.org or 408.357.7492.
Senior Torah Study at Chai House
Instructor: Rabbi Joshua Fenton
First 3 Tuesdays each month at 3:30-4:30pm
FREE
On the first three Tuesdays of each month, join Rabbi Fenton at Chai House for a spirited discussion of the weekly Torah portion and upcoming holidays. For more info contact Chai House at 408.947.1818. Chai House is located at 814 Saint Elizabeth Drive, San Jose.
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| Classic Jewish Texts | | |
Study with Rabbi Joey Felsen of the
Jewish Study Network
Tuesdays, 9:30am-11:00am
Looking for serious study of classic Jewish texts? Join Rabbi Felsen as he guides students through the fundamental works of Maimonides, Luzzato, and other classic commentators. Texts and discussions in English. Registration not required. Visit the APJCC Center for Jewish Life and Learning website at www.SiliconValleyJCC.org/jplace or call the Center for Jewish Life and Learning at 408.357.7492 for more information. No class April 19th and April 26th. Classes resume on May 3rd.
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| Ongoing Classes from CJLL | |
FREE. No registration required; just drop in, anytime!
No classes the weeks of April 18th and April 25th. Classes will resume the week of May 3rd.
Mussar Schmooze
Wednesdays, 11:00am-12:15pm
Rabbi Joshua Fenton
Jewish Ethical Literature (Mussar) has been a guiding light to the Jewish people for centuries. Join us on Wednesdays as we explore right living, the ways in which study leads to practice, and the process of refining character. All texts will be provided in English and Hebrew.
Thursday Torah StudyThursdays, 12:30pm-1:30pm
Rabbi Joshua Fenton
In this class we will study the weekly Torah portion as understood by both classical and modern commentators. Commentary provided. Participants are asked to bring a Bible.
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