Yotam Zach Speaks, Inspires at Agudath Israel

On Tuesday, September 15, the CAI Men's Club and Israel Program Committee welcomed speaker Yotam Zach, 23, to Caldwell. Yotam is the 2009-2010 Youth Shaliach (emissary) from Israel.

Yotam took the audience through a very thorough but inspiring timeline that began all the way back in 1936 when his grandparents fled an oppressive Iraq and post-war Europe respectively. He spoke of growing up in the Tel Aviv suburb of Azur where his parents held high ranking civic titles.

Yotam spent much of his lecture talking about the public relations and physical wars that were fought in the Gaza strip during his days of military service. Two of the most challenging but impactful experiences were having to remove Jews from Gaza during disengagement and battling Kazam rocket-launchers during the incursion. But the P.R. war seems to have been one of the toughest things Yotam had to deal with. Friends would call him on his cell phone to verify and refute disparaging reports about the Israeli military seen on international media.

Towards the end of the presentation, Yotam encouraged the audience to write letters of hope for POW Gilad Shalit and talked about reactions from the death of IDF pilot Assaf Ramon.

Yotam will be spending the year engaging with Jewish communities of all ages in the Metrowest area and Rutgers University. We highly recommend having him speak to your group. You'll get some great stories about what it's like growing up in Israel and you'll be able to connect with a young Israeli who genuinely wants bring a bit of the Holy Land to the States. For more information contact Men's Club President Adam Shandler at adshandler@gmail.com.

Thanks to Yotam for giving us a strong start to the Men's Club 2009-10 programming calendar, and to Randi Brokman for suggesting this terrific speaker. (At right, Yotam Zach, center, poses with, from left, Men's Club VP Marty Schenker, Israel Committee Co-President Harvey Hershkowitz, Men's Club President Adam Shandler and Israel Committee Co-President Lee Gladstein.)

Happy Pesach from the Men's Club!

The Men's Club of Congregation Agudath Israel wishes you and your family and happy and meaningful Passover! Let the Feast of Freedom remind us all that oppression of any kind to any people is unjust and will not be tolerated.

In every generation each person should feel as though she or he were redeemed from Egypt, as it is said: 'You shall tell your children on that day saying, It is because of what Adonai did for me when I went free out of Egypt. For the Holy One redeemed not only our ancestors; God redeemed us with them.'" - The Hagaddah

Yom HaShoah Candle Packing Night

Members of the CAI Men's Club rolled up their sleeves and took part in an important annual Mitzvah project: Yom HaShoah Candle Packing. On Tuesday night, March 31st the club assembled shipping boxes, filled them with the symbolic yellow candles and labeled them for timely shipment. The team soldiered through some ornery cardboard boxes and the black shmutz that colored our hands by the end of the night.

The candles, which are sent to every member of the synagogue, are to be lit on Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, to keep alive the memory of the six million Jews who perished in Nazi death camps during World War II. Members are asked to make a small donation back to the CAI Men's Club for this worthy program.

In spite of the solemnity of the candles and what they represent, the Men's Club celebrated life tonight. We worked to the 60's and 70's tunes of VP Marty Schenker's iPod and yapped with anticipation of the upcoming Mets and Yankees' baseball seasons.

Gary Kabler (pictured, far right) did a tremendous job as always chairing this high visibility event. Thanks to all who came out to make this project a success: Steve Jacobs, Marty Schenker, Mark Roth, Alan Gerberg, Steve Eitman, Jay Baranker, Mitch Gladstein, Michael Simon and Adam Shandler.

World Wide Wrap, Sunday, February 1st

Join Jews around the world as we all share in one of our people’s great annual traditions. Learn how to put on tefillin and understand its significance and history. Don’t know how? Don’t worry! Seasoned veterans will be there to assist. Sandwich wraps (what else?) will be served to participants. The CAI Men's Club hosts this even at Agudath Israel the morning of Super Bowl Sunday, February 1, 10 am. Harvey Hershkowitz is available for more details: HSHINC@aol.com