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Upcoming at the JCC - Registration Required for each

May 1st: Yom HaAtzmaut

May 19th: Myles Rosenblum: A Lone Soldier's Journey

Yom HaAtzmaut Art Contest

Submissions due by May 1st

Send Submissions to Rebeccas@jafi.org

David Alper's ceramics & Gary Kodner's paintings are on exhibit at B'nai Amoona through November 30th.

A few of the many ways you can help those suffering the devastation caused by the fires in Los Angeles:
USCJ: https://crm.uscj.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=12
Pasadena:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/la-fires-the-impacted-black-community-urgently-needs-help
Habitat for Humanity:  https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/9HPZYw?vid=1h6w5j
The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation:  https://supportlafd.org/

Submit Simchas to the Jewish Light

The Jewish Light would like to feature your Simcha in their Simcha section (for free) but needs your help. To submit yours, go to https://stljewishlight.org/simchas

Supporting Israel

Resources for Families

Resources for Adults

8 Stories of Bravery - This “In Their Light” kit contains eight inspiring stories of courage and heroism shown by men and women during the early events of October 7 in the face of terrorism by Hamas. Sometimes their acts of bravery saw them being injured, or losing their lives. The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror has been supporting bereaved families and families of the injured. The sorrow and grief are unbearable, but through the depths of such darkness, countless stories of valor shine.
Visit the Federation website for more Israel events and resources.
Federation Events page
Trusted Israeli news sources include Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post
Learn more about the blue ribbons for solidarity.
Kol Rinah has a basket of blue ribbons for our members to wear in solidarity for the safe return of everyone who has been taken hostage by the terrorist group Hamas. Stacey has attached ribbons on the birch trees in front of our building.
Pizza4moms is collecting donations to support Israel and the IDF through meals.

More From Rabbi Arnow

The Al-Shifa hospital has certainly been in the news, and it raises the question of what we can and should believe in the PR war that is part of this conflict. Yehuda Kurtzer interviews Tal Becker, a veteran of peace negotiations and an expert on the laws of war. I still find myself thinking about one of the last things Becker says in the podcast, "that being pro-Israel now means that your default posture is not to assume the worst about Israel." Listen to it here, and you can also find all the podcasts I mention wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify, etc.)
A different wrestling with this same question comes from Jay Michaelson in the Forward.
I've found hearing Palestinian voices important during this time. This podcast, Plain English with Derek Thompson, where he interviews Sally Abed, gave a different perspective on how Israelis and Palestinians really could come to a lasting peace.
This Substack newsletter by Micah L. Sifry also talks about Sally Abed, along with Alon-Lee Green, who are two of the leaders of Standing Together, the largest Jewish-Palestinian-Arab social movement in Israel.
Ezra Klein's conversation with the prophetic Rabbi Sharon Brous of LA's Ikar. It's worth a listen.
Every Shabbat morning, we are reciting a Prayer for the State of Israel, a Prayer for Israel Defense Forces Soldiers, and a Prayer for Hostages.

Wed, April 30 2025
2 Iyyar 5785

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