I'm #WearingOrange on June 2. Please join me.

I'm #WearingOrange on June 2. Please join me. 

If you believe we must do more to end gun violence, 

join us in wearing orange on June 2.

I am proud to participate in “Wear Orange” (WearOrange.org), a campaign to reduce gun violence in America. The campaign honors the 88 Americans whose lives are cut short by gun violence every day — and the countless survivors whose lives are forever altered by shootings each year – by designating June 2, 2015 as the first annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day. I'm asking you to do one simple thing: Wear Orange on June 2nd. The group of Chicago teens behind the Wear Orange campaign chose the color because hunters wear orange to announce themselves to other hunters when out in the woods. But they were also thinking of their friend Hadiya Pendleton, a 15 year old high school student who marched in President Obama’s 2nd inaugural parade in 2012 and was tragically shot and killed back in Chicago just a week later. This June 2nd would have been Hadiya’s 18th birthday; First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver the commencement address at what would have been Hadiya’s graduation ceremony on June 9th. To stand with this campaign, visit WearOrange.org and use the site’s pledge tool to change your social media profile picture or share why you’ll be #WearingOrange on June 2nd.

Mazal Tov to Judy Massarano, winner of the Helen Diller Family Award for Excellence in Jewish Education!

Mazal Tov to Judy Massarano, winner of the Helen Diller Family Award for Excellence in Jewish Education!   Dear Chevreh, Please join me in wishing Judy Massarano mazal tov upon being awarded the Helen Diller Family Award for Excellence in Jewish education! Judy shares her deep love of Torah and her many years as a Jewish educator with our Ketzev Hebrew School program, with our Netivot Shalom Preschool, with our recent Amitim for Grown-Ups Adult Bnot Mitzvah, and as a liasion and tutor for our Amitim Bnei Mitzvah Families and students.  (There will be a wider press release and story in J. Weekly next week, but we just couldn't wait to celebrate our friend and teacher!)   Established in January 2001, the Diller awards recognize and honor educators offering pre-collegiate programs in Jewish education who have made an extraordinary impact on the youth of our community. Judy has had all that and more at Netivot Shalom and far beyond. Mazal Tov to Judy, and to us all for being part of her Jewish community!    Shabbat Shalom! Rabbi Creditor ---------- netivotshalom.org

Wear Orange on June 2 in Memory of Hadiya Pendleton

If you believe we must do more to end gun violence, join us in wearing orange on June 2.

Dear Friends -- Our daughter, Hadiya, was the light of our life -- and she shined even brighter after performing with her marching band at President Obama's inauguration in 2013. We never imagined that one week later, she would be murdered with a gun -- shot at a park near her school in Chicago. Hadiya's high school classmates will be graduating next month. While Hadiya won't get to walk across that stage, her friends are all going to wear orange on June 2 in her honor -- and to inspire action to stop the gun violence that takes too many lives in this country. We're writing to ask for your help. Pledge to wear orange on June 2 and show that you're one of the millions of Americans who believes we must do more to end gun violence in our country. People from all over the country will come together online and in person to declare June 2 National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Hadiya's friends chose the color orange because it symbolizes the value of human life. Hunters wear orange to alert other hunters that they're there. It is a way to take care of their own life and the lives of others. For us, it also represents the enormous potential that is lost when a young person like Hadiya is killed. By wearing orange, we reaffirm the right of every American to live a life free from gun violence. This day is especially close to our hearts because June 2 would have also been Hadiya's 18th birthday. We'll be wearing orange to honor Hadiya and all the love and joy she brought to our community here in Chicago. Please join us in wearing orange for your loved ones, your city, and our country. Click below to automatically fill out your pledge, and you'll receive a reminder to wear orange on June 2 for National Gun Violence Awareness Day: http://act.everytown.org/sign/wear-orange Gun violence touches every corner of America. We don't have to live in a country where shootings happen every day. If we all stand up together and demand change, we will succeed. Thank you for being part of this movement with us. Sincerely, Nate and Cleo Pendleton

Coming up at CNS! Differing Abilities, Tikkun Leyl Shavuot, Jewish/Arab education, and more!

COMING UP   AT CNS! Join us for a parent workshop presented by CNS's own Debby Graudenz!  Differing Abilities: Supporting Lifelong Learning at Netivot Shalom Thursday, May 14 7-9 pm Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of the East Bay, PJLibrary, Congregation Netivot Shalom Preschool  and JCC East Bay. We all learn in different ways. Understanding who our children are, how they learn, and what we as parents can do to support them can help them become avid, successful, lifelong learners.   Click here to learn more. ______________________ Make a donation to Netivot Shalom!   netivotshalom.org Tikkun Leyl Shavuot  ! Saturday, May 23 - 24, 2015 6:00 pm - 7:00 am JCC of the East Bay Berkeley Branch 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley FREE and open to the public click here for more info Get ready for a unique community-wide celebration and night of learning; a spiritual journey bringing together people of all varied perspectives and affiliations. Stay for an hour-or stay until dawn! We will be led in study by teachers from our diverse Bay Area Jewish community. Childcare: We are offering childcare and a sleeping room (for ages 2 and up) until the end of the Tikkun. Parents must provide bedding, stay on-site, and pre-register online. Volunteer Request: We are looking for volunteers for this year's Tikkun Leyl Shavout! Whether you have volunteered in the past or are new to the Tikkun, there are so many opportunities, from food prep to greeting to clean up, at all times throughout the night. Please contact Lauren Greis at tikkun@jcceastbay.org.  Netivot Shalom hosts  2 Leaders of the  Hand in Hand Jewish/Arab Israeli School System  June 3, 7pm this program is a mitzvah project of the Amitim for Grown-Ups Adult Bnot Mitzvah class of 2015!  As Israelis struggle with growing challenges of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Jewish-Arab tensions within Israel, pioneering Jews and Arabs are addressing this conflict by creating integrated bilingual schools for their children and joint communities. Hand in Hand operates a growing network of Jewish-Arab schools and communities in Israel and, through this, is building shared society.  Speakers Rebecca Bardach and Mohamad Marzouk, both parents and senior staff members leading Hand in Hand's expansion, will share the story of Hand in Hand's values, practices and its vision for growth.. They will talk about the complicated social reality within which they operate and how Hand in Hand is proving the viability and scalability of Jews and Arabs living together. Rebecca Bardach was born and raised in Berkeley and her parents are CNS members Gene and Nancy Bardach.  to learn more, click here.

Every Leaf (a #poem)

Every Leaf
© Rabbi Menachem Creditor  

Screaming out their colors
never a chance to hide
the sublimation of nature
impossible, unthinkable.  

Every leaf calls out
its own prayer:
"Be like this!" 

But out-thinking nature, 
holding color back, 
not expressing that prayer, 
is why we aren't the same. 

Sunday, June 7 at 11am at @CNSBerkeley: Up A Tree Puppetry!

Up A Tree Puppetry

with amazing puppeteers

Peter Olson and Ilan Vitemberg, 

 will be at

Congregation Netivot Shalom Preschool on Sunday, June 7 at 11am

to present

Mitz Petel - The Puppet Show!

This beloved Israeli children's story will be presented in Hebrew ...

and yes, your CNS preschool child(ren) will understand!

MITZ PETEL, a mysterious character, lives in a house

on the edge of the woods with yellow curtains, green windows and red shutters.

Join Lion and Giraffe as they try to find out who Mitz Petel is.

On the way you will learn about playing, secrets and the power of friendships.

Invite your family, friends and neighbors!  Everyone Welcome! 

There is no charge for this event. 

Sponsored by The Israeli House and Congregation Netivot Shalom Preschool.

This production is part of