We’ll get the evening started with healthy snacks and have time just to get to know each other better. At 6:30 p.m. we’ll begin our family-friendly Kabbalat Shabbat Service. We’ll acknowledge those celebrating birthdays in June and a story will be shared. This is a perfect way for your family to begin Shabbat.

The first Friday of each month is Simcha Shabbat, an opportunity to celebrate children’s birthdays with a special blessing. We also love to hear about other joyous occasions: births, engagements, new homes, graduations and more. The evening begins with an informal gathering at 6:00 p.m. followed by an abbreviated family-friendly service at 6:30 p.m. and ends with a celebratory Oneg Shabbat, usually featuring a special treat.

If you would like to help contribute to the Kiddush for that evening, we ask that you make a minimum $18 donation. Your contribution will be acknowledged. Please contact Linda Marus at (619) 697-6001 ext. 103 or by email at office@tiferethisrael.com.

*In honor of the Biblical heroine Ruth
please bring a can of barley soup or a bag of barley to donate to our food bank!

• 8:00 p.m. – Shavuot Ma’ariv service
• 8:30 p.m. – “A Look at the Book of Ruth and the Ten Commandments via Handmade Midrash”
  with Rabbi Martin Lawson
  In this unique hands-on interactive session Rabbi Martin Lawson will inspire participants to reflect on Biblical passages and express their thoughts and feelings in artistic renderings. No previous experience or artistic ability necessary! Rabbi Lawson is the Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Emanu-El.
• 9:30 p.m. – “A Primer on Islam” with Jean-Jacques (J.J.) Surbeck
  Popular San Diego educator and lecturer J. J. Surbeck returns to Tifereth Israel Synagogue to inform us on the basic tenets of Islam. His topics will include Muhammed, the Quran, the fundamentals of Islam, the relationship of Islam to other religions, and many additional topics. J. J. Surbeck is the founder and Executive Director of T.E.A.M., “Training and Education About the Middle East.” Learn more about T.E.A.M on their website.
• 10:30 p.m. – Cheesecake Break!
• 11:00 p.m. – “The Many Faces of Moses” with Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
  The Torah teaches that there never was a prophet similar to Moses in all of Jewish history. But who exactly was Moses? Was he meek and humble? Audacious? Fearful? Brave? Was he the willing or reluctant leader of his people? In this session we will explore the many varied and fascinating facets of Moses’ personality. Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal is the Rabbi of Tifereth Israel Synagogue.

Shavuot Candlelightings and Services:

• Tuesday, May 14th, Candlelighting 7:21 p.m.

First Day Shavuot services:

• Wednesday, May 15th, 9:15 a.m., Candlelighting 8:21 p.m.

Second Day Shavuot services:

• Thursday, May 16th, 9:15 a.m. Yizkor-Memorial service, the Book of Ruth is read.

We are pleased to invite all family, friends, congregants, and community members to the Dinner, Dance, and Silent Auction!

May 19th, from 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Bust a move with your favorite preschooler!

Bring your crew to the most happening spot in town – STUDIO SILVER.

Break out your dancing shoes ‘cuz it will be time to hit the floor with your “peeps”. We will feature a rockstar DJ spinning the oldies to today’s Top 40 and everyone will enjoy an all you can eat pasta dinner and the dessert bar will dazzle your palette. Everyone, including parents, are asked to dress up as your favorite rock star or band. Prizes for best costumes will be awarded!

But wait, there’s more! Come bid at our Silent Auction. Items include a week of Silverman Camp, reserved parking space for a year at Tifereth Israel, museum and theater tickets, beauty baskets, restaurant gift cards, jewelry, children’s activity vouchers, a week of Playball Camp, and much more.

Cost: $18 per adult and $10 per child (ages 18 months -12 years old). Tickets may be purchased here.

After Tuesday, May 14th at 1:00 p.m. tickets will be available at the door for $5 more per ticket.

Proceeds go towards hiring specialists in music, yoga, Playball, and special guests.

If you have questions, please email Silverman Preschool at pssec@tiferethisrael.com or (619) 697-1948.

Tot Shabbat:

This is a delightful opportunity for preschool age children to become familiar with the sights, sounds and even the flavors of Shabbat. Led on a rotation basis by members of Silverman Preschool’s warm and talented staff, participants will enjoy stories, songs and engaging activities to create a very special experience. We have these wonderful leaders schedule for the months to come:

• Amy Stanley, May 11

Parents are welcome to stay or may join the congregation at Shabbat services in our Sanctuary. For those little ones under 18 months, we do ask that an accompanying adult be present. Tot Shabbat is held in our Preschool area.

Junior Congregation:

Becky Henning will lead our Junior Congregation for children in grades K-6. The morning’s activities will include the Torah service, an explanation of the weekly parasha and more. In addition to her creativity and enthusiasm, Becky always has special treats to make the learning sweet. Junior Congregation will meet in the Goodman Chapel. Click here for a complete list and explanation of the educational topics. 

Both programs begin at 10:30 a.m. and run through noon. Mark your calendars now for the following Saturdays:

• May 11

Parents are invited to stay and enjoy our Midrash Shabbat Lunch and Learn following the programs. Childcare is available during the learning session. Learn more about Midrash Shabbat now.

Childcare is available every Saturday morning that does not host Tot Shabbat and Junior Congregation, during services, beginning at 10:30 a.m. until the conclusion of the service. And, as always, children are welcomed and encouraged to attend all Shabbat and holiday services.

Junior Congregation topics for this year:

September 8 – Ki Tavo – This Torah portion talks about the tithes that farmers 
brought once they were farming on the land of Israel. Our play will
 replicate the tithing ceremony. We will end our play singing “Eretz Zavat 
Khalav” and look for the words “Shma Yisrael” in the Torah scroll, all
 found in this week’s Torah portion. We will also quickly discuss the words 
“Slikha” and “Selikhot” in preparation for the High Holidays.

October 13 – Bereshit – Our first Torah portion of the Jewish year is the the 
first portion of the Five Books of Moses. Thus our play will recreate the
 creation of the world as described in Genesis 1. Our Torah scroll word
 search will concentrate on finding the word “Tov” (good) as God describes His creations, and on finding the numbers of the days.

November 10 – Chayei Sarah – The “life of Sarah,” actually begins with the 
death of Sarah at the ripe old age of 127. Our play continues with
Abraham’s search for a nice wife for his son Isaac. Our Torah scroll word
 search will focus on the word for camel and on numbers, especially ones
 with the word one hundred in them. At the end of the Torah portion Abraham
 dies at the age of 175.

December 8 – VaYeishev – In this Torah portion we learn why Joseph’s brothers
 were so angry with him and so jealous of him. Our play will focus on
 Joseph’s famous “tunic,” the special gift given to him by his father.
 Ultimately, this Torah portion explains how we ended up slaves in Egypt.
 There will also be a special Chanukah treat on this day, the eve of the
 start of Chanukah.

January 12 – VaEira – The confrontation between Moses and Pharoh begins this
 Torah portion. With this story as the background, we will discuss important
 questions such as what it means to have your “heart hardened,” and whether
 Pharaoh had a choice in the matter of  letting the Children of Israel go.
 We will look for the word “ro’eh” (“see”) in the Torah scroll and for frogs 
in the Chapel.

February 9 – Mishpatim/Shabat Shkalim – Now that the Children of Israel are out
 of Egypt and have received the Ten Commandments, God instructs them (and
 us) further with many more Mishpatim or “rules.” We will have three 
mini-plays to teach us three of these rules. We will also count how many
 times the word “loh” (“no” or “don’t”) appears in this portion of the Torah
 scroll.

March 9 – VaYakhel/Pekudei – In this week’s Torah portion Moses and the
 Children of Israel begin the arduous work of building the Mishkan, the 
Tabernacle, a tent that served as a symbol of God’s presence, as the
 Children of Israel wandered through the desert. We will play a game of
 charades to help us “build” the Tabernacle.

April 13 - Tazria/metzorah – This is probably the grossest Torah portion of the 
year. Our play will show how the Children of Israel dealt with a certain 
sickness called Tsara’at. This sickness could infect both people and their
 houses. Although, by the time of the Rabbis, we no longer knew what this
 sickness was exactly, the Rabbi’s never missed an opportunity to teach us 
how to behave better. Find out what it is that the Rabbis thought we could 
do better, and enjoy a special “gushing” treat.







May 11 - Bamidbar – This Torah portion counts the Children of Israel by tribe 
and tells us how they encamped around the Tabernacle. It may not seem like
 this could be a fun play, but with waving flags for each tribe and lots of
 kids, how could it not be fun? Our play will also show us what the Levite’s 
duties were since they stayed at camp to take care of the Mishkan while the
 other tribes went to battle to fight the enemies of the Children of Israel. 
Our Torah scroll word search will search for tribe names.

Childcare is available every Saturday morning beginning at 10:30 a.m. until the conclusion of the service when Tot Shabbat and Junior Congregation are not in session. And, as always, children are welcomed and encouraged to attend all Shabbat and holiday services.

This month, join Michelle and Eden as they expand upon the previous class theme of formulas and give you another easy-to-put-together idea for creating a quick scrapbook that will even encourage your child to learn their letters. Check out the benefits of creating an ABC album for your child that not only preserves the memories, but becomes and educational tool! Participation in a previous session is not needed. Following, it’s an open crop for all level scrap bookers until noon.  

Scrapbooking is huge. Last year, the business of selling supplies for scrappers to preserve their family photos and special memories totaled two and a half billion dollars. They can’t all be wrong!

Check back to see the feedback on this new offering. You’ll also get information from Michelle Gurr Barbour on what took place during the previous session and what you’ll have to look forward to at future gatherings.

This is part of a continuing series of events we hope you will enjoy that touch on the details of everyday life. If you have a suggestion for topics we might cover, contact Beth Klareich at (619) 697-6001 ext. 108 or by email at program@tiferethisrael.com.

Whether your night is just getting started, or you’re finishing up for the evening, join us for a

NightCap!
Saturday, April 20th, at 8:30 p.m.

We will be gathering together to foster relationships new and older, and we’ll enjoy a dessert and coffee bar and wine, all while shmoozing in a café-like atmosphere.

This event is for adults 21 and older and open to all so bring some friends — membership not required! Purchase your tickets online by April 18th for $7. Tickets at the door are $10.

USY will be offering a movie night for 2nd through 7th graders until 10:00 p.m. Reservations can be made online when you purchase your tickets for the event. The movie night is for children of café attendees only.

A Continuous Program

Jackie Gadd welcomes you whether you are experienced in yoga or never owned a mat. Jackie creates eclectic classes that incorporate a variety of yoga styles.

Classes will be held on

• Every other Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m.
• Tuesday evenings beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Click here to see the current dates scheduled.

Each class will be 75 minutes. At a cost of $80, participants may buy a package of eight classes, to be used any time over a four-month period from the purchase date. Cost for drop-ins will be $12. Packages can be purchased online, in the office, or by phoning (619) 697-6001. Students are asked to bring their own yoga mat and a water bottle.

Jackie says

The beauty of yoga is that people come to practice for many reasons – stretching, strengthening, and flexibility – but always gain so much more. From the first practice, you can experience energetic, muscular, mental, and emotional shifts.

Everyone can do yoga, no matter what the fitness level, size, shape, age, or ability. I firmly believe and teach that ‘Yoga is for every body!’

Our Yoga Schedule:

Tuesday mornings at 9:30 a.m.:

• May 28
• June 11

Tuesday evenings at 7:30 p.m.:

• May 21, 28
• June 4, 11

About Jackie:

I have been a yoga enthusiast and practitioner for over eight years, and went into the practice to help heal my body during a time of physical and emotional illness. For me, practicing and teaching yoga is a lifestyle and lifetime commitment to bring the joy of yoga to every person that I can.

For children my style incorporates music, books, and crafts into yoga-oriented play, where I help them learn how to energize and calm with breath.

For adults I utilize an eclectic hatha yoga blend of styles, from Iyengar and Anusara to Restorative and Vinyasa, to exercise the body and help calm the mind. An emphasis on yogic breathing with instruction in pranayama techniques, discussion of pose alignment for best practice, and plenty of time in savasana round out the class experience.

I have multiple accreditations in children’s yoga, a 200-hour RYT from Himalayan tradition-based Yoga Well Center of San Diego, and my RPYT from Becalmed Yoga.

My personal experiences with injury and illness have helped me to understand the needs of students that may hesitate to do yoga due to condition, injury, flexibility, or age. Because I firmly believe that yoga is for EVERY body, I strive to design classes to suit all students’ needs, and offer modifications for EVERY ability level.

Whether you are experienced in yoga, or never owned a mat, I welcome you into my class and pledge to provide a yoga experience that will help you be more present, more confident, and enjoy greater health.

Visit Jackie’s website at byomyoga.blogspot.com.

What? No Midrash Shabbat?
Saturday, June 8th

Due to the graduation service of our students from Abraham Ratner Torah School, we will not hold a Midrash Shabbat in June. Everyone is invited to a service that will be followed by an extended Kiddush honoring our graduates.

Learn more about our Midrash Shabbat program here.

Be sure to join us for a weekend of extraordinary events that will leave you energized and excited about our shared Jewish future. Make your reservations for all the events online or phone the office at (619) 697-6001.

Building Good Tents

Create a Welcoming Sacred Community
Friday, April 26th at 6:15 p.m.

Shaping a synagogue of relationships begins with a warm embrace at our front door. How can we build a sacred community that embraces the spirituality of welcoming?

Join us for Shabbat Dinner, following services, catered by In Good Taste Catering. Dinner will feature Mahi Mahi with sundried tomato butter and herbs, Ratatouille, Yukon Gold spears, Spinach and orange salad and dessert. Children, through age 12, will enjoy a special menu. Paid dinner reservations are required by April 22nd. The cost of dinner is adults $16; kids 6-12 years $8; children 3-5 years $5 and there is no charge for children under 3.

The Seven Questions You’re Asked in Heaven

Reviewing and Renewing Your Life on Earth
Saturday, April 27th at 9:15 a.m.

Following the Kiddush luncheon. Through the centuries, rabbis have imagined that when we get to heaven, we will be asked questions about how we lived our lives on earth. We will study seven of them, along with funny and touching stories about how to answer. There is no charge for the luncheon but your RSVP is appreciated.

Childcare - Beginning at 10:00 a.m. childcare will be available during the service. Following lunch, childcare will also be offered during Dr. Wolfson’s presentation.

Chevrat Bonim
Evening of Conversation

Members and friends of Tifereth Israel Synagogue who have included a gift to the synagogue’s Endowment Fund in their estate planning, will engage in a conversation with Dr. Wolfson on Relational Judaism.

Ron’s newest book outlines how to transform Jewish institutions from a transactional to a relational community. Let’s talk about how to build a Jewish future of meaning and purpose, belonging and blessing.

Want to be a Jewish Superhero!?

Sunday, April 28th at 9:30 a.m.

Learn how to “be like God” in this fun and meaningful morning of family education. This morning is especially for parents of Silverman Preschool and Abraham Ratner Torah School. In addition, our older students will have some time with Dr. Wolfson. Childcare will be available for those who reserve by April 22nd.

Make your reservations now for all of the weekend’s events. 

Abraham and Anne Ratner Scholar-in-Residence Weekend

More than thirty years ago, Abraham and Anne Ratner, of blessed memory, established our Abraham and Anne Ratner Scholar-in-Residence Weekend.

The Ratners’ devotion to Jewish education is evidenced not only by their endowment of this weekend, but by their support of many worthy Jewish and communal organizations and charities in San Diego and throughout the world.

May their memories continue to serve as blessings.

Dr. Ron Wolfson, our Scholar-in-Residence

Ron Wolfson is a visionary Jewish educator whose enthusiasm for bringing Judaism alive in homes and synagogues has shaped his work in the community. He is the author most recently of Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community. Additional titles by Ron include Be Like God: God’s To-Do List for Kids; The Seven Questions You’re Asked in Heaven: Reviewing and Renewing Your Life on Earth; The Spirituality of Welcoming: How to Transform Your Congregation Into a Sacred Community; and God’s To-Do List: 103 Ways to Be an Angel and Do God’s Work on Earth. A pioneer in the field of Jewish family education, Ron has authored The Art of Jewish Living series for Jewish Lights Publishing as well as A Time to Mourn, A Time to Comfort, a guide to Jewish bereavement. Ron continues his work in family education as a faculty member of Shevet: Jewish Family Education Exchange.

Ron is currently the Fingerhut Professor of Education at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles Where he has been a member of the faculty since 1975. He has also served as Dean of the Fingerhut School of Education, Vice President and Founding Director of the Whizin Center for the Jewish Future and the Whizin Institute for Jewish Family Life. The book, First Fruit: A Whizin Anthology of Jewish Family Education, which he co-edited with Adrianne Bank, won the 1999 Jewish Book Award.

Ron’s interest in synagogues dates back to his involvement in Beth El, a Conservative congregation in his home town of Omaha, Nebraska. Over the years, he has visited hundreds of synagogues across North America as a consultant, teacher and scholar in residence widely recognized for his passionate, insightful and often humorous presentations. Ron is a cofounder with Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman of Synagogue 2000 and currently serves as Co-President of Synagogue 3000, a catalyst for excellence, empowering congregations and communities to create synagogues that are sacred and vital centers of Jewish life.

Dr. Wolfson’s books can be found and purchased through Jewish Lights Publishing. 

CONFIRMED Thursday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m.

It’s not a “bromance,” just a night out with the guys. BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse (La Mesa) will be our starting point for a pizza buffet teamed up with some great beer. Afterwards, we’re going across the parking lot to Reading Cinema in Grossmont Center for our feature film, 42: The True Story of an American Legend.

The film is opening in time to commemorate the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson Day—April 15, the date of his first game as a Brooklyn Dodger.

In a Game Divided by Color,
He Made Us See Greatness

Hero is a word we hear often in sports, but heroism is not always about achievements on the field of play. “42″ tells the story of two men—the great Jackie Robinson and legendary Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey—whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball.

In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team, breaking Major League Baseball’s infamous color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press and even other players. Facing unabashed racism from every side, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in kind, knowing that any incident could destroy his and Rickey’s hopes. Instead, Number 42 let his talent on the field do the talking—ultimately winning over fans and his teammates, silencing his critics, and paving the way for others to follow.

In 1997, Major League Baseball retired the number 42 for all teams, making it the first number in sports to be universally retired. The only exception is April 15th—Jackie Robinson Day—commemorating the date of his first game as a Brooklyn Dodger. On that day alone, players from every team proudly wear Number 42 to honor the man who altered the course of history.

Although our early bird pricing has ended there’s still time to join us. The cost of the event is $35. Make reservations now or phone the office at (619) 697-6001. Your payment will secure your space. Your ticket includes one beer. Additional drinks may be purchased on your own.

Learn more about the movie on the official website.