December 6, 2002
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Chanukah!
Hope all is well with you all!
Good news:
Brian Wolf is engaged!
Carla Levant is engaged!
and Sara Pappelbaum gave birth to twins!
I just returned from our preschool Chanukah show.......Sooo adorable!
T'was fun to see all the grandparents kvelling.........and of course all the offsprings of Madrichim .........Alison Fisher, Brad Fisher, Michael Trimble, Shoshana Feher, Erica Bennett, Jennifer Berton and Dan Schlafman......Dana Jacobs is one of the preschool teachers and so is Andrea Snoyman's mom. Tammy Vener is the Early Childhood Director......Susie Levine was also in attendence with her adorable new baby........Such fun!!
Let's seeeeeee........A few weeks ago I caught up with Beth and David Summers who were visiting our new Temple......
Don't forget to click......on our webpage!
Check out the photo section!
Rick is doing an amazing job!
Send him pictures!
Love,
Eemah
Enjoy the following:
EEMAH,
WELL ITS FINALLY GOING TO HAPPEN. RICK PROPOSED TO ME ON THANKSGIVING WITH
ALL OF THE FAMILY PRESENT! I AM SO HAPPY. WE ARE MOVING QUICKLY AND THE
WEDDING IS PLANNED FOR MAY 30TH. I JUST HAD TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS WITH YOU.
I LOVE YOU LOTS AND I WILL TALK TO YOU SOON
CARLA
Hi everyone,
Just wanted to let you all know that Josh's article, "Global Drug-Resistance Patterns and the Management of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Immigrants to the United States," comes out tomorrow in the New England Journal of Medicine! The Associated Press interviewed Kamran (one of the co-authors) for an hour today, so look in your local papers tomorrow for the story. (We have no idea if anyone will pick it up, of course!) Kamran will also be interviewed on Canadian TV tonight!
Just wanted to spread the exciting news!
Love,
Erin (Graff)
It's wonderful to hear from you and get all the news. By the way, it's better to use jjgass@post.harvard.edu as my e-mail, because that address is set to forward messages automatically to whatever happens to be my current e-mail account; that way, if we change ISPs, you won't lose me.
I thought you might like to see Oma with her great-grandchildren (this was before Corey's son was born), so I've attached a photo, plus more current ones of the three kids. Their names are (deep breath): Anne-Sophie Nathanie Gass van Wingerden; Rosamond Claire Koppel van Wingerden; and Cottrell Matthijs Kenamore van Wingerden. Fifi and Roro are 4-year-old identical twins, and Cot is almost 20 months old. Rosamond's third name, Koppel, is in honor of Oma and her older sister Emmie (who died this year); their maiden name was Koppel. Emmie was a wonderful person, the wife of a rabbi and mainstay of her community, who was very kind to Sophie and me when I was in Berkeley for graduate school and law school.
Give my best to Lani and anyone else you run across.
J. J. Gass
Hi Helene and David, Thanks for the newsy e mail. Glad to know all is going well for you and your family. I'm sure you're enjoying grandparenthood. Nothing like it, especially in the early years and watching the amazing and seemingly quick changes in development.
If you have a chance, take a look at www.Merel.us Its my son, Dan's web site with a whole Joke section and a big spread on my CD, Standing Ovation. Lots of fun.
Best regards, Shelly (Merel)
'Kvell Time: Harry's 6th grade secular teacher awarded him her first ever "top banana" award for teaching not only her, but his class about Judiasm in a respectful -to- other- religions way. His teacher is Mormon, and they were studying ancient Rome and reading the Bronze Bow(great book about the times/religious actions\). She was so complementary to his ability to teach without prejudice to other's belief systems and was mostly impressed by his confidence in who he was as a Jew. Of course, this comes on the tail of his having you as a teacher for religious school.....
Can anyone top this? Harry and I figured out that you, Eemah will have a Foster/Silberman child in a class until 2008! Check this out!
2002-Mady Foster Bersin-5th Grade
2003-Harry Foster-7th Grade/Laurel Silberman 5th Grade
2004-Mady Bersin-7th Grade/Amalia Bersin-5th Grade
2005-Laurel Silberman-7th Grade/Alena Silberman-5th Grade
2006-Amalia Bersin-7th Grade
2007-Alena Silberman-7th Grade
So if you're thinking of changing your teaching commitments in the next 5 years, FORGET IT!! Our kids are counting on you!! So am I!!
Karen Foster Silberman
Letters to God, written by children:
Dear God:
I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on
Tuesday. That was cool.
Dear God:
I want to be just like my Daddy when I get big, but not with so much hair
all over.
Dear God:
Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don't you
just keep the ones you have.
Dear God:
Maybe Cain and Abel would not have killed each other so much if they had
their own rooms. That's what my Mom did for me and my brother.
Dear God:
If you watch me in church on Sunday, I'll show you my new shoes.
Dear God:
I bet it is very hard for you to love all of everybody in the world. There
are only 4 people in our family and I'm having a hard time loving all of
them.
Dear God:
In school they told us what you do. Who does it when you're on vacation?
Dear God:
Are you really invisible or is it just a trick?
Dear God:
Is it true my father won't get in Heaven if he uses his bowling words in the
house?
Dear God:
Did you mean for the Giraffe to look like that or was it an accident?
Dear God:
Who draws the lines around the countries?
Dear God:
I went to this wedding and they kissed right in the church. Is that okay?
Dear God:
Did you really mean "do unto others as they do unto you?" because if you
did, then I'm gonna get my brother good.
Dear God:
Thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy.
Dear God:
Please send me a pony. I never asked for anything before. You can look it
up.
Dear God:
You don't have to worry about me, I always look both ways.
Dear God:
I think about you sometimes, even when I'm not praying.
Dear God:
Of all the people who work for you, I like Noah and David the best.
Dear God:
My brother told me about being born but it doesn't sound right. They're just
kidding, aren't they?
Dear God:
I would like to live 900 years just like the guy in the Bible.
Dear God:
We read Thomas Edison made light. But in Sunday School they said you did it.
So, I bet he stole your idea.
Corny, but cute . . .
1) Evidence has been found that William Tell and his family were avid
bowlers. However, all the league records were unfortunately destroyed in a
fire. Thus we'll never know for whom the Tells bowled.
2) A man rushed into the doctor's office and shouted, "Doctor! I think
I'mshrinking!" The doctor calmly responded, "Now, settle down. I'm busy.
You'll just have to be a little patient."
3) A marine biologist developed a race of genetically engineered dolphins
that could live forever if they were fed a steady diet of seagulls. One
day his supply of the birds ran out, so he had to go out and trap some more.
On the way back, he spied two lions asleep on the road. Afraid to wake them,
he gingerly stepped over them. Immediately, he was arrested and charged with
transporting gulls across sedate lions for immortal porpoises.
4) A skeptical anthropologist was cataloging South American folk remedies
with the assistance of a tribal brujo who indicated that the leaves of a
particular fern were a sure cure for any case of constipation. When the
anthropologist expressed his doubts, the brujo looked him in the eye and
said, "Let me tell you, with fronds like these, who needs enemas?"
5) Back in the 1800s the Tates Watch Company of Massachusetts wanted to
produce other products and, since they already made the cases for pocket
watches, decided to market compasses for the pioneers traveling west. It
turned out that although their watches were of finest quality, their
compasses were so bad that people often ended up in Canada or Mexico
rather than California. This, of course, is the origin of the expression, "He
who has a Tates is lost!"
6) A thief broke into the local police station and stole all the bathroom
fixtures. A spokesperson was quoted as saying, "We have absolutely nothing
to go on."
7) An Indian chief was feeling very sick, so he summoned the medicine
man. After a brief examination, the medicine man took out a long, thin strip of
elk hide and gave it to the chief, instructing him to bite off, chew and
swallow one inch of the leather every day. After a month, the medicine man
returned to see how the chief was feeling. The chief shrugged and said,
"The thong is ended, but the malady lingers on."
8) A famous Viking explorer returned home from a voyage and found his
name missing from the town register. His wife insisted on complaining to the
local civic official who apologized profusely saying, "I must have taken Leif
off my census."
9) There were three Indian squaws. One slept on a deer skin, one slept on
an elk skin and the third slept on a hippopotamus skin. All three became
pregnant and the first two each had a baby boy. The one who slept on the
hippopotamus skin had twin boys This goes to prove that the squaw of the
hippopotamus is equal to the sons of the squaws of the other two hides.
10) By the way, I know the guy who wrote these 9 puns. He entered them and
one other in a contest. He figured with 10 entries he couldn't lose. As
they were reading the list of winners he was really hoping one of his puns
would win, but unfortunately, no pun in ten did.
Corny, but cute . . .
1) Evidence has been found that William Tell and his family were avid
bowlers. However, all the league records were unfortunately destroyed in a
fire. Thus we'll never know for whom the Tells bowled.
2) A man rushed into the doctor's office and shouted, "Doctor! I think
I'mshrinking!" The doctor calmly responded, "Now, settle down. I'm busy.
You'll just have to be a little patient."
3) A marine biologist developed a race of genetically engineered dolphins
that could live forever if they were fed a steady diet of seagulls. One
day his supply of the birds ran out, so he had to go out and trap some more.
On the way back, he spied two lions asleep on the road. Afraid to wake them,
he gingerly stepped over them. Immediately, he was arrested and charged with
transporting gulls across sedate lions for immortal porpoises.
4) A skeptical anthropologist was cataloging South American folk remedies
with the assistance of a tribal brujo who indicated that the leaves of a
particular fern were a sure cure for any case of constipation. When the
anthropologist expressed his doubts, the brujo looked him in the eye and
said, "Let me tell you, with fronds like these, who needs enemas?"
5) Back in the 1800s the Tates Watch Company of Massachusetts wanted to
produce other products and, since they already made the cases for pocket
watches, decided to market compasses for the pioneers traveling west. It
turned out that although their watches were of finest quality, their
compasses were so bad that people often ended up in Canada or Mexico
rather than California. This, of course, is the origin of the expression, "He
who has a Tates is lost!"
6) A thief broke into the local police station and stole all the bathroom
fixtures. A spokesperson was quoted as saying, "We have absolutely nothing
to go on."
7) An Indian chief was feeling very sick, so he summoned the medicine
man. After a brief examination, the medicine man took out a long, thin strip of
elk hide and gave it to the chief, instructing him to bite off, chew and
swallow one inch of the leather every day. After a month, the medicine man
returned to see how the chief was feeling. The chief shrugged and said,
"The thong is ended, but the malady lingers on."
8) A famous Viking explorer returned home from a voyage and found his
name missing from the town register. His wife insisted on complaining to the
local civic official who apologized profusely saying, "I must have taken Leif
off my census."
9) There were three Indian squaws. One slept on a deer skin, one slept on
an elk skin and the third slept on a hippopotamus skin. All three became
pregnant and the first two each had a baby boy. The one who slept on the
hippopotamus skin had twin boys This goes to prove that the squaw of the
hippopotamus is equal to the sons of the squaws of the other two hides.
10) By the way, I know the guy who wrote these 9 puns. He entered them and
one other in a contest. He figured with 10 entries he couldn't lose. As
they were reading the list of winners he was really hoping one of his puns
would win, but unfortunately, no pun in ten did.
December 14, 2002
Shabbat Shalom!
This has been an exciting week!
Our site for our San Diego Jewish Community Camp and Retreat Center will be going into escrow!
Lots of wonderful people have been involved in finding, fundraising, "due diligencing" and finally being ready to purchase this fabulous site near Idlewild!
Our own Todd Kobernick has been a moving force in this project! ...and among those on the committee who have a Beth Israel \Madrichim connection are Lee Finkel's mom, Laura, Rick and Jeff Galinsons' folks and grandparents, Jonny Schuster's folks and grandparents, Jennifer Makoff's dad, Louie Vener, Mitch Berner and me.
Ed Samiljan is the one who found the property and heads the whole exciting project......
The contest to name the facility ends at the end of December. Ideas for names should be submitted to the San Diego
Heritage newspaper.
Please let us know if you would like to become involved!
On a sad note.........
David and I were at a funeral for Ernie Morrison yesterday.....father of Scott, Gary and David...Cantor Merel led the service....Ernie was very active at the Temple when we first became involved.......Parents of the Laurie, Naomi and Daniel Kroll, Ann, Diane and Trisanne Rosenberg, Karen Levy, Barry and Joel Gendelman, Goldspan, Genine and Loren Shenkman, Deborah, Mark, Saul, and Sari Pinto, Frances, Carrie, Madeline and Laura Gotkowitz were there.....
We are off to Los Angeles tomorrow to see David's brother, Joe and his wife Barbara.....Joe is now a major number one bad guy on the Sunday night show Alias....He is head of the "Alliance."
Keep in touch!
Have a good week!
Love,
Eemah
ENJOY!
Hi Eemah!
Thanks for sending me your wonderful, newsy email--which, by the way reads like a who's who of the SD Jewish B'nai Mitzvah Inc. I also learned some interesting things about who is where in the world--Speaking of world--isn't is a small one--you taught me and now you are teaching hebrew to another Eemah, Terri! What is even more fun is that I am also an Eemah--not in the literal sense, mind you, but that is my name to my Best Friend's son, Trevor--so I am helping with motherhood, and I have the best of it all! It seems you are happy and well, and doing what you love best, teaching and being with kids! I am also in the teaching game, although public education is becoming a fairly challenging place to educate these days! I am teaching part time, and administrating part time, as an ELD Coordinator (ELD=ESL) I too am teaching in another language, Spanish, and am enjoying making a difference in the lives of kids in Vista who might not have had a ch! ance due to communication barriers.
Enough chit chat--take care and I hope your Hanukkah was wonderful!
Take care,
Jacquie
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eemah!
Hey! How are you? I am not sure how I got on your e-mail list, but its Jacky Gerson. I hope you had a great Channukah and all is well. I have been away at school for almost a year, but I will be back in a couple of weeks and I hope to see you at the temple.
Always,
Jacky Gerson
Eemah!
Thank you for the announcement. I'm sorry that word travels faster than my
emails and I didn't get the chance to write you first. It's true, I'm
engaged to Erin Cohan. We'll be married in April in DC and are very happy
and excited.
Brian (Wolf)
By the time the Lord made women, he was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An Angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?". And the Lord answered and said, "Have you seen the spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,have 200 movable parts, all replaceable, run on black coffee and leftovers,have a lap that can hold three children at one time , have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart, and have six pairs of hands."
The Angel was astounded the requirements for this one. "Six pairs of hands! No Way!", "And that's just on the standard model?" the Angel asked. The Angel tried to stop the Lord. "This is too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."
But I can't!", the Lord protested, "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hr days.
The Angel moved closer and touched the woman, "but you have made her so soft, Lord." "She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."
"Will she be able to think?", asked the Angel. The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason, and negotiate."
The Angel then notice something and reached out and touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak with this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."
"That's not a leak," the Lord objected, "that's a tear!" "What's the tear for?" the Angel asked. The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her
loneliness, her grief, and her pride."
The Angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything, for women are truly amazing."
Women have strengths that amaze men. They carry hardships, the carry burdens but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in. They stand up for injustice. They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth
or a new marriage. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They have sorrow at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart. Women come in all sizes, in all colors and shapes. They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world spin! They bring joy and hope. They give compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have a lot to say and a lot to give.
They are amazing, you are amazing.
