Page 3 - December 2018

Notes from Rabbi Dunsker Today, while I write this article, it is the day before Thanksgiving, and I am so very appreciative of you, my congregation. I have loved serving for these past ten years, and very much look forward to many, many more years with you. But I am so very thankful for this time away as well.
Folks keep asking me what I will be doing during my sabbatical. The short answer is everything and nothing. I have a giant stack of books I am looking forward to reading. I hope to get back to learning to play guitar with lots of time to actually practice. We are taking a family trip to London over New Year’s and hoping that Brexit doesn’t explode into something ugly while we’re there. I will be taking Sadie on her first trip to Israel with a stop on the way home in Paris for a few days. I’m looking forward to taking weekends as a family to explore the Pacific Northwest, which we haven’t had time for during the last ten years that we’ve lived here. I’m hoping to do some online studying, to enhance my rabbinic education, and bring that learning back to you when I return. I’m also looking forward to Netflixing all the movies I haven’t seen in the last few years. So really I’m doing a lot, and I’m doing all my favorite sitting around things as well.
While I’m away we have many wonderful volunteers who will be working hard to lead services. I hope you will support their work and dedication by attending. Sam has the office and all the things that go along with running the synagogue well in hand just as Amy has everything under control for the school. I will not be checking my temple email while I’m away. If you have an emergency that requires synagogue/rabbi attention, please call the office. My local rabbinic colleagues have very generously offered to fill in when necessary, and especially our new community rabbinic chaplain, Rabbi Barry C. He is new to town, so most of you probably have not met him yet, He is a Reform rabbi whose position here is supported by the Federation and Jewish Family Services, and his job is essentially to help out in many different areas
to cover Jewish community needs. He has generously offered to help us should we need rabbinic coverage while I am away. If you have need of these services, Sam can take care of organizing and getting in touch with Rabbi Cohen.
In the meantime, Chanukah is nearly here, and I plan to be at the Latke Fest. Our wonderful guests, Isaac and Rabbi Shawna Brynjegaard-Bialik, will be teaching us through story and illustration about Jewish superheroes and how you can tell if your favorite comic hero is Jewish. There is info elsewhere in the bulletin about what to bring as this is our best pot luck of the year, once again with our Men’s Club’s famous latkes.
I hope Thanksgiving was a meaningful and peaceful time for us all and may our Chanukah lights begin to grow the light in our world and banish the darkness of hate, fear, and all the ugliness we see around us. I look forward to seeing you all at Chanukah, and then when I return in March.
Amy’s comments
Please note these important dates for Religious and Hebrew School
Sunday, December 2: Religious School Family Day Chanukah Fair. Please plan on spending the morning with your child(ren).
•Sunday, December 16: Kitah Alef (grades K/1) Family Day. If you have a child in Kitah Alef, please plan to spend the morning with your child in their classroom.
• Sunday, December 16: The last day of Religious School in 2018.
• Sunday, January 6: Religious school resumes.
• Thursday, December 20: The last day of Hebrew
School in 2018.
• Thursday, January 10: Hebrew school resumes.
Have a wonderful winter break, and from my family to yours, I wish you all a Chanukah filled with light, family, and love.
L'shalom and Chag Urim Sameach,
Amy S
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Kislev / Tevet 5779 December 2018