Volunteer with the Hand Up Food Pantry
The Hand Up Food Pantry at JFS feeds hundreds of homeless and hungry individuals and families each month. You can help alleviate hunger by conducting a food drive in your school, business, group, or congregation! We’ll provide you with everything you need, including flyers and food bins. Volunteers are also needed in the pantry to sort through donations, stock the shelves, and assemble food bags for distribution. Two Sundays a month, volunteers are invited to participate in military food distributions. Click here to view the complete list of opportunities and start your Hand Up volunteer application.  

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IN 6 FUN SESSIONS...

• Participate in a Hand Up Food Pantry distribution and other service projects
• Learn about food insecurity and hunger in San Diego 
• Learn about issues of gender equality Earn volunteer service hours
• Get to know JFS Teen Leaders and learn more about getting involved in JFS Teen Leadership Programs

Registration: $75
Deadline to register is Thursday, February 8. Register>>

JFS Employment and Career Services

Career Kick-start 
March 6, 9, 13, 15, 2018 | 9:00am-12:00pm

Jewish Family Service
JOAN & IRWIN JACOBS CAMPUS
Turk Family Center
8804 Balboa Avenue
San Diego 92123

Do you feel stuck in your job search? Are you ready to take the steps to move into the career you’ve always wanted? Do you want professional career guidance to get you started? Kick your job search into high gear with JFS Employment & Career Services' intensive, two-week course designed for people actively looking for employment. Register>>

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Jewish Holiday Spotlight: Purim

Be Happy ... It’s Adar!

Purim is coming on February 28th - March 1st. Have Fun and Do Good!

Here are the 4 Mitzvot (Commandments) for celebrating Purim:

Hear the Megillah
Go to your favorite Temple/Synagogue/Shul/ to hear the Megillah – The Story of Esther.  Purim reenacts the story of Esther and Mordechai. When the name of “Hamen” is read make noise so it can’t be heard.

IDEA:  Purim allows us to struggle with evil and with what it takes to defeat evil.

Celebrate
Attend a Purim Carnival at a local religious school.  Most likely the carnival is open to all parents and children who want to celebrate Purim, even if they aren’t members. Costumes are usually fun and optional. Play Purim games and enjoy Purim treats.

IDEA:  Purim is, more than anything, a celebration. 

Give gifts of food to friends (Shalah Manot)
Parents and children can decorate containers and place goodies in them like apples, nuts, hamentaschen, candy, pretzels, and raisins which they deliver to friends.

IDEA: Purim is about remembering friends.  

Give gifts to the needy (Matanot L’evyonim)
Collect or purchase small toiletries (such as shampoo, soap, conditioner, body gel, toothpaste, women’s products, lotions, shaving supplies) and bag them for distribution to a shelter.

IDEA:  Purim is about remembering the needy.

Be sure to try our fun and easy Hamantashen cooking project!  

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February 3, 2018
Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day 
This very special day was created out of sheer winter boredom in the 1960s. A mom in Rochester, NY. decided it was time to give her kids something to look forward to, other than another day of gray skies and snowfall. So, she created this day with her two young boys.

February 4, 2018 | 10:00am-12:00pm
Passover Seder Workshop - Tifereth Israel Synagogue 
The most widely celebrated Jewish holiday can often seem to be the most intimidating. How often do you think: “I couldn’t host a Seder! Oy, what would I cook? Guest, I’m really good at being a guest. I don’t own a Seder plate. Where would I even begin to lead a Seder?” Well, get ready to leave the excuses behind and become empowered to take the lead! Whether it’s a small intimate Seder or you’re hosting many. Whether you’re a gourmet cook or you’re going potluck. Whether you’ve conducted a Seder or it’s your first time at bat. Let’s take the guess work out of it and make it accessible and joyous for all. Religious Life VP, Debbie Mishek, will lead this complimentary workshop. Everyone is invited.  Please let us know you’ll join us by emailing program@tiferethisrael.com or call the office.

February 4, 2018 
Super Bowl Sunday 
Put your diet on hold, it’s time for chips and guac. Super Bowl Sunday is practically a national holiday in the United States: whether you like the game, the commercials or parties, there is something for everyone. 

February 8-18, 2018 
San Diego Jewish Film Festival – JCC/CJC 
Now in its 28th year, the San Diego Jewish Film Festival has become one of the largest and most highly acclaimed Jewish Film Festivals in the country. Today, with more than 17,000 ticket holders, SDJFF is the most widely attended annual Jewish cultural event in San Diego. The 11-day Festival features over 80 screenings of international films at five theatre venues: the Edwards Mira Mesa Stadium 18, Edwards San Marcos 18, The Lot in La Jolla, Wavelength Brewing Company and the Garfield Theatre at the JCC. Click here for more information

February 9-11, 2018  
Scholar-in-Residence Program: Daniel Matt - Temple Emanu-El  
Daniel Matt is one of the foremost scholars of Kabbalah. After living in Jerusalem for four years, Dr. Matt returned to the East Bay where he continues to work on the immense project of translating andannotating Sefer ha-Zohar, the masterpiece of Kabbalah. The weekend’s theme will be: From Kabbalah to the Big Bang: Ancient Wisdom and Contemporary Spirituality. Click here to register.

Feburary 17, 2018  
Random Acts of Kindness Day 
Almost any kind deed will do. And, we highly recommend you perform kind acts on as many people as you can. This is a favorite day of many people and groups. People like the idea of showing a little kindness to others. It’s a fun and good thing to do. And, they like being on the receiving end of this day as well. It makes both the giver and the receiver feel good.

February 17-18, 2018  
San Diego Pet Expo 2018 
The San Diego Pet Expo is a woofing, chirping, and meowing good time for the whole family! Four-legged friends can receive spa treatments from local groomers, sample delicious treats, and try on the latest in furry fashions; their humans will enjoy interacting with top trainers and learning pet-care tips from animal welfare organizations. There will also be an agility demonstration, pet talent and costume shows, and an exciting pet/owner look-alike contest! The highlight of the event is definitely the adoptable animals showcased by area non-profit rescue groups-- who knows, you may just come home with a new family member!

February 26, 2018 | 6:00-8:00pm
Community Hamantaschen Bake 
Shabbat San Diego and partners are excited to bring together the San Diego Jewish Community for a delicious evening of making traditional hamantaschen cookies in celebration of Purim. This event will be held at Congregation Beth Israel and is open to the community. A fee of $10.00 will make around 6-8 hamantaschen and the dough will be 100% kosher. To register click here.

February 28, 2018 | 7:00pm
Purim Spiel and Service – Temple Adat Shalom
Celebrate Purim with Temple Adat Shalom! This year's spiel spoofs the wizarding world of Harry Potter, entitled "Mordy Plotkin and the Wizards of Shushan." The production will star a cast of congregants singing and dancing to all of the favorite magical melodies, such as "Do You Believe in Magic?" "Magical Mystery Tour" "This Magic Moment" and many more. Don't miss the fun! Click here for more information.

Every Sunday - House of Israel – FREE!
Visit this showcase of Israeli culture, history, and innovation in the heart of Balboa Park. Click here for more information.

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Fun Purim Cooking Project 

Purim is here--that means costumes, giving to charity, sending gifts to friends, and, hamantaschen! If you've never made them before, hamantaschen are triangular cookies that are traditionally eaten on Purim. These treats are usually filled with jams, poppy seeds, or, in modern interpretations, chocolate hazelnut spread. 

Easy Hamantashen Recipe: 
Makes about three dozen. 

• 4 eggs 
• 1 cup of oil 
• 1 1/4 cups of sugar 
• 2 teaspoon of vanilla 
• 3 teaspons of baking powder 
• 5 1/2 to 6 cups of flour 
• 1-2 small jars of filling (apricot, prune or cherry preserves, poppy seed filling, etc.)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix together eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Add baking powder and flour. Knead until smooth. Roll out very thin (1/8 inch if you can) on a floured board. Cut out circles with a drinking glass. Put a dollop of filling in the center of each circle. Fold in three sides over the filling to make a triangle with filling showing in the center. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes on a greased cookie sheet.It is recommended that you dip your finger in water and using it to gently moisten the rim of the dough circles before you fold them—it helps them stick or keep their form.

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