A recap of the 70th Annual Membership Meeting, plus news of import on the education front.
Shalom fellow members!
I hope all of you are doing well.
If asked to summarize last month’s weekend of celebration to commemorate our 70th anniversary, I could reply in Robert-speak – for those not in the know, that’s husband Robert -- with a long, detailed, play-by-play description of what transpired. Instead, let me respond with what I think are three well-chosen, descriptive words: inspiring, enlightening, and incandescent.
Inspiring, because to kick-off our Friday, May 19 Shabbat services – very well attended, with some 120 people present -- we honored both Rabbis and Presidents from our past who collectively made immeasurable contributions to our congregation’s development and growth.
Here’s a photo that captures the moment, with many of our past Presidents, our Rabbi Emeritus Lee Bycel, Rabbi Niles, and yours truly at the Bima:
Enlightening, because on Saturday evening, our past-President, anniversary event chair, and host for the evening, Ellyn Elson, took us on a nostalgia tour of our shared 70-year history, with a presentation populated by photos that brought back memories for the congregants of longstanding who attended – there were many in the audience -- while filling in the blanks for others who are new to CBS.
Incandescent, because Saturday’s silent auction, Ellyn’s presentation, and the event as a whole serving as both reminiscence of the past and reconnection with the present, meant an evening of unbridled fun for the 135 people who were there to celebrate. Here are a few photos of those in attendance, of our brilliant event-planning committee --kudos to them for doing a job beyond extraordinary -- plus the familiar faces of Harriet Spitz and daughter Lisa, along with Judy Nystrom and Anne Percelay:
Oh, and did I mention the dancing? Yes, there was dancing! Here’s a photo of a group doing the Horah, and that’s Rachel Freidman and her brother Harris Nussbaum cutting a rug, proving joy has no expiration date:
By the way, there are still a few auction items still available, so if you still have this on hand, check last Friday’s newsletter to see what’s available, or email Maxine Miluso at maxine@napanuts.com for a list and details. Who doesn’t want to do a “sommelier wine and cheese pairing,” or “mahjongg and snacks?”
Lastly, for some 70 families that came out Sunday for family day, it too was equally fun and festive, with games, activities, and, yayyyy (!), a pizza truck. Here are a couple of photos from the day; in case you’re wondering, that’s Richard Pastcan and Howard Eisenstark pretending to be kids:
Okay, I admit this ran a bit longer than three words, but if you weren’t able to attend, I wanted to give you a sense of what you missed. Lastly, I would be remiss if I neglect to mention our Summer Salon Series, beginning July 13 with “Dating in the 21st Century,” continuing with July 15 on “An Evening of Jewish Music,” followed by “Why we love stuff” on July 16, ending August 17 with “An Atheist Meets the Rabbi." All of these will prove to be enormously informative, enriching, and not-to-be-missed, so I urge you to sign up to participate. Details and registration are on our website:https://www.cbsnapa.org/form/salon_series_NCTC.
That’s it for now; I hope to see you sooner than this, but if I don’t, then certainly at our L’chaim Food and Wine Festival, happening Sunday, August 27, from 3:30 to 7:00 pm, at CIA Copia. Last year’s event was nothing short of amazing; this one promises to be even better!
B’ Shalom, Roberta
Congregation Beth Shalom Napa Valley 1455 Elm Street Napa, CA 94559
