Welcome to PJTC's one-stop-shop for community news, events, Jewish resources and Torah study discussion. Simply scroll down to see what's new! Want the newest news sent to you monthly? Join our mailing list using the links to the left. Stay connected...
What can...Read more...
Member Recognition Corner
Your fellow PJTC congregants wish to recognize:
Claire Gorfinkel: She is so dedicated and sincere in her reaching out to members such as myself who are disabled and are in need of personal connections. Claire is amazing in her sensitivity and responsiveness. Kristine Garroway for participating in February’s Rosh Chodesh as our guest speaker. Clearly, this was a topic that many of our members and guests found provocative given the...Read more...What Have We Learned About Aging? - Charles Brenner, PhD
Torah recounts extraordinary lifespans including some numbering in the hundreds of years. Our matriarch, Sarah, was also said to become a mother at the age of 90. Given that Rosh Hashona is celebrated as the birthday of the world and our Hebrew year says we are in 5782, few among us would look to scripture as a source of accurate information about geological or biological time. However, it is always interesting to consider our written...Read more...
B'nai Mitzvah - March 2022
March will be a special month for the families and friends of Marcus Goldman and Sam Bruck, who will become B'nai Mitzvah. Mazel tov! We look forward to celebrating with you.
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Social Justice Committee - March
Susan Auerbach and Linda Mazur were on hand near midnight on February 5th with welcome signs and flowers to greet the Afghan family of four with whom the PJTC Welcome Circle has been matched. A meal from Heidar Baba halal restaurant awaited them in the now fully furnished and supplied apartment in a convenient Pasadena location. Men’s Club and Sisterhood have been amazing partners in making...Read more...
Congregational Corner - March
Dear PJTC Congregants,
We've got a busy couple of months ahead!
We're going all out for Purim this year, with opportunities to connect for all ages, family constellations, and social distancing comfort levels. Check your emails for RSVP links.
We hope to deliver Sisterhood's Happy Purim goodies to every member household, with help from our religious school families. Make a note to be home on Tuesday evening, March 15 to...Read more...What is Hazak? Our Newest PJTC Social Group
This is personal for me. Not only have I, along with the rest of the world, been cooped up away from people due to the pandemic for two years, but I also recently joined the widow's ranks. During both of these passages, my synagogue has become a most important community. Lately, though, with the approaching reopening of stuff, I imagined that having a specific social group connected to my synagogue could be a welcome...Read more...
Torah Fund - March
Every year our Sisterhood Torah Fund Chair asks you for donations. And, every year someone asks the question “What is Torah Fund anyway?” First of all, let’s begin by telling you what Torah Fund is not. It is not a campaign to purchase Torahs!
So, what is it? Torah Fund is a national fundraising commitment of Conservative Sisterhoods across America to raise money...Read more...
Men’s Club - March Madness
Hello PJTC,
Men’s Club has two important announcements. First, our March Madness Basketball Pool is here!
Download any online bracket, pick the winners, submit your bracket to Steven Roth at nevetsmd@bellsouth.net or drop off at PJTC c/o Men’s Club before the first game, sit back and cheer for your teams. Prizes awarded to first, second and third place with a portion going to Men’s Club. Submit payment...Read more...
ROSH CHODESH - March
Please join us for Rosh Chodesh Adar II
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
7:30 PM
On Zoom
Marta Fuchs will be our guest Author/Filmmaker with her book and film:
"The Soldier's Uniform"
The film already has been accepted to several International Film Festivals! Books available.
Watch the film here: ...Read more...
jFED PLAYERS NEXT PRODUCTION
We are excited to announce that tickets
for the JFed Players’ Spring musical are available to purchase!
Grumpy Old Men, the Musical, opens on Saturday, March 26th, 8:00 pm,
at...Read more...
Torah Discussion Starter: Giving Because Your Heart Is Moved To Do So
In this week’s parashah, Terumah, God tells the Israelites, “Bring me gifts!” Ok, I’m paraphrasing a little bit and the context IS important (basically, God is telling the Israelites to build a house so that God...Read more...
NEW! Jewish Book Club
The Pirkei Avot Discussion Group is transitioning into a weekly Wednesday evening Jewish Book Club. Next up: discussions on Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' Z"l book, Judaism's Life-Changing Ideas.
Can Judaism's ideas really change your life? Find out with friends and community...Read more...
Congregational Corner
Dear Congregants,
All I can say is, “WOW!” As you know we turned Into the Mitzvah Day into an at-home event. Disappointing, and yet… we had 57 families sign up to receive an Into the Mitzvah Day kit! Through these kits, we engaged over 150 people in our community, from singles to multigenerational families. These kits had numerous projects, including no-sew blankets to comfort dogs at animal shelters; planting flowers,...Read more...
Sisterhood's Rosh Chodesh: Adar I
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
7:30 PM
We are excited to have Kristi Garroway, Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible at Hebrew Union College Los Angeles talk about "The Real Housewives of Ancient Israel."
This talk will explore a day in the life of an ancient Israelite women. Dr. Garroway will lead us on an exploration of what it meant to run an ancient household....Read more...
Men's Club - February
Hello PJTC,
Men’s Club finished up 2021 with a successful series of year end events including the PJTC New Member gathering where we provided the main course and chef’s to prepare it (utilizing the newly purchased barbecue and flat grill) the synagogue‘s Chanukah party (Krispy Kreme donuts for everyone) a Covid-19 update in partnership with Social Hall and Sisterhood and we just concluded another NFL football pool season...Read more...
Jewish Thought Special Contributor: Lori Skope
If God Is Anything Like Me: A Layman’s Look at Building the Mishkan
In Parashat Terumah, God instructs Moses to work with the Israelites to create a Mishkan, a sacred space for God to dwell among them. To date, it was only Moses who was able to be with God, so this was a BIG step in the relationship between God and the Jewish community as a whole. As I first learned the story of Terumah, I thought it was wonderful that God suggested...Read more...
B'nai Mitzvah - February
February is a big month for the Dickter family! Lea and Sam Dickter will be celebrating their B'nai Mitzvah together, making the occasion even sweeter for their family and loved ones. Mazel tov, Dickter family!
Lea Dickter
Lea Rachel Dickter, daughter of David and Jana Dickter, will be...Read more...
Thank You for Donations to Sisterhood
As you may know, Sisterhood has a variety of income sources. To name a few, membership dues, the New Year Greeting Book greetings and business ads, Tribute cards and Happy Purim Mishloach Manot greetings finance Sisterhood’s ability to support PJTC operating expenses, youth activities and local community needs. Additionally, we are always pleased to receive unsolicited donations...Read more...
Social Justice Committee
First: A HUGE THANK YOU to the PJTC community for the extraordinary outpouring of support in getting the process of welcoming an Afghan refugee family to Pasadena. PJTC’s application is the first to pass muster in the Los Angeles area. This rapid, successful completion of the complex task took research and strategizing by everyone in the core group coordinated by Susan Auerbach. We are looking for one or two...Read more...
Member Recognition
Your fellow PJTC congregants wish to recognize:
Louise Wannier for her long-time sponsorship of the deeply meaningful Shabbat meditation sessions with Rabbi Lisa Goldstein. Her great generosity sustains and strengthens our supportive and loving community of learners and seekers. We are ever grateful.
The following PJTC members who helped make this year's Into the Mitzvah Day a success:
Judy Callahan (representing PJTC...Read more...January Board Report
During its January 10 meeting, the board received an update on the Afghan refugee project from Susan Auerbach of the Social Justice Committee. She discussed efforts to furnish an apartment for the family, expected to arrive as soon as late January. She said that the team is looking for additional "core group" members as well as other volunteers, including those with skills in the areas of social work, Farsi language, and employment...Read more...
Safety & Security Task Force Update
Happy New Year! We hope this message finds everyone well. With the recent surge of Omicron cases, the Safety & Security Task Force met last night to update our policies based on the current findings:
A reminder to stay home if you are NOT feeling well. New masking requirements: Everyone ages 2+ must wear a surgical mask or N95/KN95. Cloth masks are no longer...Read more...Jewish Thought Special Contributor: Carl Selkin
We are lucky to not only have clergy who can wax philosophical and provoke new thoughts about our Jewish lives, but to also have many community members who have interesting ideas to share. Our goal is to highlight your peers each month by publishing articles written by them on our Flame news page. Our first contributor is Carl Selkin…
A Meditation on The Song of the Sea
I am troubled by the...Read more...
Torah Discussion Starter: Feeling Guilty?
There are a number of Torah passages that we wrestle with as modern Jews reading back on this ancient text and one of them is from this week’s parashah, Bo. After the 10 plagues, Pharaoh finally decides to let the Israelites go from slavery and tells them that they may take their livestock with them. Pharaoh also does something surprising and asks for the Israelites to bless him as they leave. At this moment, God...Read more...
Shabbat Shirah Special Guest
Please join us for a special Shabbat Shirah on Saturday, January 15th at 9:30am. Guest Cantor Diego Rubinsztein will share his voice to help us mark the occasion.
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Tikkun Olam: Into the Mitzvah Day AT HOME EDITION
Out of an abundance of caution and concern for our community's health and welfare, we have decided to turn our originally planned in-person Into the Mitzvah Day celebration into an at-home celebration of mitzvot and Tu B'Shvat.
Our "mitzvah team" is pulling together the fullest (and fully free) take-home kit of goodies we can imagine, so you can have a very special Into the Mitzvah...Read more...
B'nai Mitzvah - January
Mazel tov to the families of Dashiell Paper, Nora Carrier, and Charlie Bernstein on their upcoming January B'nai Mitzvah!
Dashiell Paper
Dashiell Paper will be called to the Torah as a a Bar Mitzvah on January 8, 2022. .Dashiell currently attends La Canada High School as an eighth grader. He has also...Read more...
Congregational Corner
A wonderful Hanukkah with your PJTC community! We had opportunities to celebrate whether in person or online, whether you preferred an intimate gathering or a big party.
Congregants hosted eight different Hanukkah parties in their backyards/courtyards in neighborhoods across the San Gabriel Valley. A follow up to our backyard Sukkot potlucks, this was a wonderful opportunity in groups averaging 15-20 people to get to know others in...Read more...
