Our annual Paid-Up Brunch is this Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. in the Social Hall. This event is always lots of fun and is a way for Sisterhood to say thank-you to our loyal Members and Friends for your support and commitment. IF YOU HAVEN’T REJOINED SISTERHOOD YET, NOW IS THE TIME! YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS EVENT AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET IN IS TO BE A PAID-UP MEMBER OR FRIEND (hence the name of the event – lol). . Please be sure to RSVP to Joann Averill at DRJSAVERILL@YAHOO.COM or Tammy Singer at tsinger630@gmail.com  Reservation deadline is November 5, 2019. 

And, as November sneaks up on us, don’t forget our Interfaith Panel on Thursday, November 21, 2019 at 7 pm in the Social Hall. We will have speakers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon), Hindu and Sikh faiths present to share their experiences and the challenges of practicing their beliefs in our society. The evening will be hosted by our own Rabbi Kalfus, and should prove to be very enlightening.

And then, for a little shopping therapy. Our annual Holiday Boutique is happening on November 24, 2019. Doors open for shoppers at 10 a.m. The vendors on hand have something for everyone … there will be jewelry, bedding, clothing, food products, accessories, children’s items, Judaica and tons more. Don’t forget our Bake Sale, and the Judaica Shop will be open with special items on hand. Stock up for Chanukah and special occasions for the coming year and you won’t be sorry.

PLEASE NOTE: Volunteers are needed at the Holiday Boutique for the Bake Sale and Cashiering. If you wish to volunteer please sign up on Sign-Up Genius through the following link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0545a5ac23abfe3-holiday
​

Wasn’t Sukkot wonderful? Many thanks to Jo and Jim Schwartz for opening their home to us again this year for our annual Sukkot event. Additional thanks to Efrat Yakobi and Karen Jaye for planning such a fun time, and to Roseanna Sculler for providing the lulav and etrog.

November is fast approaching and we have several fun and inspiring events in store for Sisterhood. First up is our Paid-Up Brunch. This is our annual event where we acknowledge all our Members and Friends who help make our Sisterhood what it is. The date is November 10, 2019 at 10 a.m. in the Social Hall. Your membership is your entry to this event. Click here to view the flyer.
 
Our regular November meeting is on the 21st at 7pm in the Social Hall. The topic is Interfaith Conversations. We will have speakers from three different faiths who will share the philosophies of their faiths and how they are similar and different from our own. The evening will be hosted by our own Rabbi Kalfus. Click here to view the flyer.

And our last event of November is probably the biggest of all! The Holiday Boutique is back on November 24, 2019.  Shopping doors open at 10 a.m. – bring your friends, family and your disposable income. Click here to view the Holiday Boutique flyer.

Spotlight on Sisterhood
This month let’s get to know Cheryl Hatkoff. Cheryl recently took over the job of Extended Kiddush Chair following the untimely passing of Sharon Janis. We are incredibly grateful for her willingness to step up. But that is what our Sisterhood members do. We step up where needed, and Cheryl is a great example of that commitment and dedication. She initially joined Sisterhood to make friends and support TAS functions, and she has certainly done that.

Cheryl is no stranger to involvement. Not only are she and her husband Brian very involved in Temple matters, Cheryl has previously served on the Sisterhood Board in chairing the Mother/Daughter Tea, and has been involved in Camperships and VP of Education.

The Hatkoffs have been members of TAS for 33 years and have been incredibly active members of TAS as a whole, Sisterhood and MoTAS. They have three children: Daniel, age 35 who lives in Brazil; Esther, age 32 who works in post-production; and Lewis who is 30, a videographer, and the only married one of the bunch.

When she is not travelling with her husband, or hanging out at TAS, Cheryl enjoys mah jongg, water aerobics, dancing of all kinds including competitions, and musical theater.

We are extremely grateful to have Cheryl as in integral part of our Sisterhood community!

We would like to start out this email with a warm "so glad you're feeling better" to Rabbi Kalfus, who was back leading Torah Study this morning!

We also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our clergy for wonderful and inspiring High Holiday Services, with a special acknowledgement to Rabbi Dalia Samansky and Cantor Ken Cohen for jumping in at the last moment to make Yom Kippur services so special despite the absence of Rabbi Kalfus.

Can you believe we are half-way through October? Sisterhood had an amazing September with our fabulous program of Jewish Storytelling led by Phyllis Meyers on September 19 and our Emergency Kit making on September 22. By the way, for those of you who were unable to make your own emergency kit, we do have several fully packed kits in the Gift Shop available for purchase. Please stop in and take a look.
Our next event is our annual Sukkot meeting is THIS THURSDAY, October 17, 2019, 7pm at the home of Jo and Jim Schwartz. If you have not yet RSVP’d please confirm with Efrat that you will be attending. Email her at efratyg@yahoo.com. Please be sure to bring either an appetizer or a dessert. This event is always a highlight of the year, and is a favorite with many of our members. No cost to Members or Friends, $5 for guests. It’s also a great time to renew your membership if you haven’t done so already.

Upcoming Events
11/10/19 – 10am – Social Hall -- Sisterhood Paid-Up Brunch – your membership is your entry fee for food, fun and friendship
11/21/19 – 7pm, Social Hall -- General Meeting – Interfaith Panel
11/24/19 – 10am – Social Hall – Holiday Boutique – shop shop shop

Spotlight on our Board
This week we would like to introduce you to Tove Aitchison. Tove is our current recording secretary. She and her husband Robert are relatively new faces around TAS, having joined the Temple just about a year ago. Tove and Robert have two sons: David age 25 and Jordan, age 21.  Tove works full time as a science teacher, and in her spare time she is a master gardener, enjoys reading, jewelry making and playing the harp.
We are thrilled to have Tove on the Board, as she represents a new voice and fresh ideas that help keep our Sisterhood growing. Thank you, Tove, for jumping into Sisterhood and TAS life feet first!

​Sisterhood sends Rabbi Kalfus our best wishes for an easy recovery. We hope he is feeling 100% very soon. We also thank Rabbi Dalia and Cantor Ken for going above and beyond for our holiday services.

If you wish to send a get well tribute to Rabbi Kalfus, please contact Mel Birken at momel1@gmail.com and she will be happy to send one for a donation of $4.

We are coming up on a busy time for Sisterhood and TAS. Please be sure to put the following events on your calendar:

Thursday, September 19, 2019 is our first general meeting of the new year. The evening promises to be very special as we will hear from our own Phyllis Meyers, a Jewish educator as well as a teacher of special education, and the lovely wife of Rabbi Kalfus, when she leads us in a session on Jewish story-telling. The evening starts at 7 pm in the Social Hall.

Sunday, September 22, 2019 at 1 pm in the Social Hall we will be getting together to make our own emergency kits. Cost is $25 per kit for Members and Friends of Sisterhood, $35 for guests. Please bring your own backpack or other bags to hold all your emergency supplies, and we will provide the supplies. Make one for each of your family members, or for anyone else you choose. Please RSVP to Phyllis Bigelson at phyllis@bigelsoncpa.com and let her know how many kits you want to make. Payment can be made at the door.

Thursday, October 17, 2019 is our annual Sukkot celebration at the home of Jo and Jim Schwartz. Attendance is free to Members and Friends of Sisterhood, $5 for guests. This is one of our favorite annual events, and this year promises to be no exception. 

Spotlight on Sisterhood
For this week’s Spotlight on Sisterhood, we would like to introduce you to Joann Averill.

Joann is currently serving as co-Membership Vice President, and is in her second year in that position. She previously served as recording secretary. She joined Sisterhood two years ago looking for friendship and activities and, as she put it because “volunteering makes me happy.”

When her work schedule permits (she is a pharmacist and often on call), Joann can be found subbing as an Oneg Hostess, working the Mah Jongg tournament, or serving on one committee or another to help bring our extra programs to light.

Her hobbies include knitting, travelling and reading. She also makes jewelry and will be a vendor at the Holiday Boutique this year, so be sure and stop by to say hello and check out her beautiful creations.

Joann is a warm and caring individual, who never fails to help when she can. Our Sisterhood is truly blessed to have her on the Executive Board. 

By now you should have received your electronic membership packet, which includes our schedule of events and membership application. If you have not rejoined Sisterhood for this year, please be sure to do so. As you know, spouses and other non-Temple members can also be a part of Sisterhood by joining as Friends. For any questions, please contact Joann Averill (drjsaverill@yahoo.com) or Tammy Singer at tsinger630@gmail.com.  The membership application can also be found on our website at www.tassisterhood.org. Join Sisterhood and get free or discounted admission to all of our events!

UPCOMING EVENTS 

• Please join us on Thursday, September 19, 2019 for an evening hosted by Phyllis Meyers about The Ancient Art of Jewish Storytelling. We will be meeting at 7pm in the Social Hall. The evening is free to all Sisterhood members and friends; $5 to Guests.
• Sunday, September 22, 2019 is our Emergency Kit Making day. We will meet in the Social Hall from 1-3pm. Cost for each kit is $25 for all Sisterhood Members and Friends; $35 for guests. Please bring a backpack and we will supply items to help you fill it up. Questions? Feel free to contact Phyllis Bigelson at phyllis@bigelsoncpa.com, Alyce Schultz-Rosza at 818-787-9058, or Donna Zero at dzagendas@aol.com.

SPOTLIGHT ON SISTERHOOD MEMBERS               
This year we are trying something a little different. Each week we will spotlight a member of Sisterhood to help us all get to know one another a bit better.  This week, please get to know:
Robyn Blachman
For those of you who do not know Robyn, she is a true representative of Sisterhood. Robyn is currently our Sisterhood Treasurer, but in her 20 years of commitment she has served as Membership Vice President, Programming Vice-President, Education Vice-President and is a Past President as well. Perhaps her greatest claim to fame is that she has chaired, organized and produced our annual Holiday Boutique for more years than we can count.

Robyn is married to Joe, who himself is a past president of MoTas, and they have one son, Robert (age 28). Robert recently became engaged and a wedding is being planned for January 2021.

Meeting new people and having somewhere to volunteer her time, were the reasons Robyn got involved in Sisterhood. She stays involved because of the connections she has made, the ability to be creative in planning events, the joy she gets in organizing, planning and volunteering and the personal support she has found.

If you have not met Robyn yet, go up and introduce yourself. Go up and chat with her about mah jongg, theater, travel or TAS. Almost anyone can point her out to you, and she is welcoming and friendly. Robyn can probably answer any questions you have, and she is a great person to get to know.

Things are really starting to heat up at TAS. Religious School started on Sunday, August 18, and Sisterhood was there in full glory promoting registration, camperships and lulav and etrog.sales. If you have not yet renewed your Sisterhood Membership, you may do so online at he Sisterhood website: tassisterhood.org.  You will also be receiving an electronic packet with Membership materials shortly.  

The High Holidays are not far away, and Sukkot is right afterward. If you are interested in purchasing Lulav and Etrog for your own Sukkah, please contact Roseanna Sculler at rsculler@gmail.com to place your order. Details can be found on the Sisterhood website.

Our first event of the new year is set for September 19, 2019 in the Social Hall. It is a program lead by Phyllis Meyer, regarding Jewish storytelling, and proves to be an enjoyable event. Right after that, on September 22, 2019 is an opportunity to make your own earthquake kit. Just bring a backpack, and for a small fee, we will provide all of the other items you will want to have on hand in case a major earthquake strikes, as well as an informational session on what to do in the event of such an occurrence.

BUT - even before all of that, on September 1, 2019, our own Jackie Zev and her amazing husband Marc are hosting a fundraiser for Sisterhood at their home. They are presenting a dinner and concert entitled:
                                                 He Said, She Sang 
featuring award winning author and storyteller Alex Stein, and award winning songwriter and vocalist Amy Engelhardt (www.AmyEngelhardt.com). Here are the specifics:

Date: Sep 1, 2019 – The Sunday of Labor Day Weekend. The performance starts at 7pm.
Cost for the show: $20 - 100% will go to the performers

If you plan on coming to the concert and wish to eat at a convenient location, you can come by at 5:30pm for an amazing homemade (by Marc) Taco Bar
Cost for dinner and the show: $36 - 100% of the additional $16 for the dinner will go to TAS Sisterhood!  (Sorry, dinner without the concert is not available.)
Location: 10701 Baile Ave. Chatsworth
RSVP: Send an email to tas.jackiez@gmail.com or call 818-832-9099. Please, no walk-ins, seating is limited
 ** Marc will make an effort to accommodate all of your eating proclivities and allergies, but you must let us know about them by August 23. 
______________________________

Today's bio of an incredible Jewish woman is (of course) about: Amy Engelhardt. The Zevs know Amy because from 1998-2011 Amy was the sole female member of Grammy-nominated, genre-busting, amazing, a capella singing group The Bobs. But this is only one of a long list of her accomplishments (not all of which are listed here!)

As Mother Superior of the (satanic) Chattering Order of St. Beryl in Amazon Prime’s GOOD OMENS promo campaign, Amy recently led a gaggle of rock-belting nuns invading the series premieres in London, New York, and South by Southwest. Other vocal credits include the films Jurassic World, Real Steel and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes as well as live appearances. As a composer/lyricist, Amy made her Off-Broadway debut in 2017 with BASTARD JONES, an Off-Broadway Alliance Best New Musical nominee. 
 
She sings, she composes both music and lyrics, she has created a game show, she co-founded the LA Berklee Songwriters Forum. And, interestingly, she is the only honorary female member of the Vienna Boys Choir.