Nov 14, 2018 | Uncategorized
Dear Temple Adat Elohim Family,
Over the last few days we have been making calls to every member to check on your safety and well-being. Thankfully it appears so far that we are all safe, though we are still assessing the extent of damage to members’ homes. While we continue to make calls, we invite you to reach out to us at the main temple number (805-497-7101) if you have suffered losses and need help. All calls are being forwarded to our staff off site.
If You Need Fire Recovery Assistance
Our community cares about each other. We are compiling a list of goods and services, such as cleanup and childcare help, that TAE members are willing to offer each other during this difficult time. Please click here to offer your support or request support.
Also, here are a few other resources available to any who need fire recovery support, with more to come in future updates:
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- Counseling, Legal Services, Free Loans: Call the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles Emergency Hotline at 323-761-8100 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. A dedicated professional will connect you with social services, as well as legal and financial assistance. You can also meet with a professional in person Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Federation’s Valley offices, 19710 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills.
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- Clothing and Other Household Items: Community members have collected clothing, bedding, baby items (diapers, wipes, etc.), toys and household items. Please stop by 950 Hampshire Rd #104, Westlake Village, to pick up what you need. You may be asked to provide proof of residency.
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- Cleanup Help: Our neighbors at the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints have kindly offered the services of some of their older teenage members to assist with property clean-up. Please contact Angela Rockwood at 805-418-0699 or angelarock@yahoo.com to request help.
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- Gift Cards for Groceries, Restaurants, and More: Temples from around the country–many of which have been through other natural disasters– have reached out to offer gift cards for groceries, restaurants and more. Please contact the temple office at 805-497-7101 for information about this support.
Other Ways You Can Offer Help
If you would like to donate money to help fire victims, here are three options:
- Temple Adat Elohim has established a disaster fund for our members who have suffered losses in their homes. Please click here to donate.
- The Jewish Federation has set up a fund to help families and local Jewish institutions burned by the fires to rebuild. Click here to donate.
- The Ventura County Community Foundation is collecting funds for victims of both the Borderline shooting and the fires. 100% of all funds that are donated will go to victims. Click here to donate.
Mudslide Protection
We will continue to share additional resources as they become available. Please call the main temple number at 805-497-7101 with any questions.
Click here for TAE’s Fire Updates
Together we will rebuild our community.
Barry Diamond
David Shukiar
Aliza Goland
Marcy Goldberg
Donna Becker
Sandy Greenstein
Nov 14, 2018 | Fire Updates
Dear Temple Adat Elohim Family,
Yesterday our leadership team was finally able to walk the TAE campus with environmental specialists to conduct comprehensive interior and exterior inspections of each of the buildings. As shared before, our buildings did not suffer any structural damage, but there has been extensive smoke damage. The temple will need a deep cleaning and this has already started. However, to protect the health and safety of our members and staff, our campus will remain closed until Monday, November 26. There will be NO services, preschool, religious school, youth group or other classes and meetings on campus during this time. In addition, the Holiday Boutique scheduled for November 18 will be rescheduled to another time.
As the cleaning team ramps up its work, we may find that it is necessary to keep parts of the campus closed beyond Nov. 26. We are working to prioritize the clean up to expedite fully opening our campus.
Gathering Together to Support Each Other
This is hard news after we have already been through a lot in the last week. Community is everything during hard times. We want to be here for you to offer love and support. Please join us for stories, hugs and prayers this Thursday evening, November 15, from 6-8 p.m. at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, 3955 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Westlake Village. TAE has reserved the patio outside and the pizza and soda are on us.
New Locations for Many Activities and Events
Temple staff are working very hard to find alternative locations for as many programs and events as possible. Here are some of the arrangements that have already been made:
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- Friday night Shabbat Family Services November 16: Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Ascension Lutheran Church, we will gather together for prayer at 6:30 p.m. Friday November 16 in the gym at their facility, 1600 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. Ascension Lutheran has been inspected by professionals and is safe to occupy. Temple Beth Torah in Ventura has kindly offered to provide refreshments for the oneg after. For those who are unable to join us in person, our services will be broadcast live again as they were last week on Facebook. Click on https://www.facebook.com/TempleAdatElohim/ to participate in services virtually. Our Junior Cantors and Shirei Elohim, as many as are able to join us, will be participating in this service.
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- Tot Shabbat November 17: Because our little ones–and their parents!–need some “normal” and a chance to be together now, we will hold an outdoor Tot Shabbat at 10 a.m. Saturday, November 17, at Conejo Creek North Park, 1379 E. Janss Road. The Silly Cantor and Rabbi Diamond will be at the playground nearest the lake to sing and share stories with you; look for the TAE flag. Donna, Doreen and our wonderful teachers will be joining us.
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- Saturday Morning Talmud and Torah Study November 17: The Elman family has kindly offered to host Talmud and Torah study with Rabbi Diamond on Saturday, November 17. Talmud study will start at 8 a.m. and Torah study will start at 8:45 a.m. Their address is 3216 N. Blue Ridge Court, Westlake Village. Thank you Elmans!
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- Preschool November 19-21: Donna is working to confirm relocating the ECC to Temple Etz Chaim. There will be a separate communication to our ECC families with the details.
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- Religious School November 18-25: Classes on November 18 are cancelled. Our religious school was already scheduled to be closed during the week of November 19 because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
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- MAETY/JAETY activity November 18: The Fire Glass Chanukah dish event has been moved to the Fire Glass Studio at 8475 Canoga Ave., Canoga Park and will now be held from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, November 18. This is open to all 4th through 8th graders and their parents. Please RSVP by November 15. Contact Gigi Dictor (gigidictor@gmail.com) to reserve a spot or request further information including cost.
We will provide an update about the preschool tomorrow. Also look for another message to follow soon with information about fire recovery resources and ways we can help each other during this difficult time. In the meantime, please call the main temple number at 805-497-7101 with any questions; all calls are being forwarded to staff off site.
Our entire team sends you love.
L’shalom,
Barry Diamond
David Shukiar
Aliza Goland
Marcy Goldberg
Donna Becker
Sandy Greenstein
Nov 13, 2018 | Fire Updates
Dear Temple Adat Elohim Family,
Our hearts are with each of you as our area begins to recover from the devastating fires this past weekend. We know that some of you suffered losses, and we grieve with you. We hold you in love as we all start to heal from this disaster.
TAE staff are forever grateful to the first responders who ensured that our buildings did not suffer any structural damage — and to Temple Judea for taking in our Torahs — but we do have some clean-up to do. We continue to assess the remediation steps needed to ensure all congregants’ health and safety and therefore at this time we have decided to close the campus at least through the afternoon of Friday, November 16. There will be:
- No preschool through Friday, November 16
- No religious school for 7th-10th graders tonight (November 13)
- No religious school for 4th-7th graders tomorrow, November 14
- No women’s Torah study on November 15
- No other meetings or classes on campus through November 16
A decision has not yet been made about Shabbat services on Friday evening but we will livestream them again this week regardless of their location and will send out information about how to join the broadcast later in the week.
As we had previously shared, if you or your loved ones need fire recovery information, services, or assistance of any kind, you may call the Los Angeles Jewish Federation’s Emergency Hotline at (323) 761-8100 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. You can also obtain assistance from:
Jewish Free Loan
Jewish Family Services
Bet Tzedek Legal Services
Some of you may be struggling with how to talk about the fires with your children. Some helpful resources include:
We will continue to provide updates about when the campus will reopen and other recovery resources as they become available. In the meantime, we wish you peace.
Rabbi Barry Diamond
Cantor David Shukiar
Executive Director Aliza Goland
Board President Sandy Greenstein
Early Childhood Center Director Donna Becker,
Religious School Director Marcy Goldberg
Nov 12, 2018 | Fire Updates
| Dear Temple Adat Elohim Family,
We know nearly all of you have been affected by the fires in our area and we hold you in our hearts at this trying time. If you or your family need assistance finding temporary housing or other services, please call the Jewish Federation’s Emergency Hotline at 323-761-8100 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m
If you need spiritual support, please call the temple office at 805-497-7101 and choose option 4 during the “welcome message” to be given the phone number of the clergy on call and either Rabbi Diamond or Cantor Shukiar will assist you right away.
Though evacuation orders have been lifted for Thousand Oaks (at this writing), we know that many of our members and staff remain under mandatory evacuation orders, therefore our campus will remain closed a bit longer.
There will be
· no preschool tomorrow, November 13th;
· no Religious School for 7th-10th graders tomorrow, November 13th;
· no Religious School for 4th-7th graders on Wednesday, November 14th;
· no women’s Torah study on Thursday, November 15th.
· All meetings and classes scheduled for Tuesday, November 13th are cancelled.
We will continue to update you on the status of classes and meetings.
For additional updates, please check the:
· TAE Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TempleAdatElohim/
· ECC Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TempleAdatElohimEarlyChildhoodCenter/
Wishing safety to all,
Rabbi Barry Diamond
Cantor David Shukiar
Aliza Goland, Executive Director |
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Nov 11, 2018 | Fire Updates
| Dear Temple Adat Elohim Family,
We hope and pray that all of you are safe from harm’s way.
TAE campus unharmed
While we are grateful that our campus remains relatively unharmed by the fires, we are so heart-broken at the enormous amount of loss surrounding us and vow to stand with our neighbors as they rebuild their homes and their lives.
TAE campus closure thru Nov 12th.
With the uncertain fire conditions facing us over the next several days, we are taking the prudent step of closing the campus effective immediately and continuing through the Veteran’s Day holiday Monday November 12th. All scheduled events and activities scheduled to take place on the campus are hereby cancelled during this period, and we expect to reopen Tuesday November 13th.
Share your story and status
We want to know how the fires are affecting you.
Please let us know where you are staying or what you need as a result of the fires.
If you would like to help those affected by the fires, please let us know as well.
Please send all your comments to Fires@AdatElohim.com
Over the next days and weeks, we will be posting opportunities to help our friends and neighbors.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Barry Diamond
Cantor David Shukiar
Sandy Greenstein |
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