January, 2026 Megillah
WITH LOVE
It’s December 24th as I write, erev Christmas. I’ve been away a couple days, drove home from the Bay Area last night into a crazy storm. Lots of wind and rain, way more as the night wore on. I was awakened over and over by big clonks of stuff falling on my roof. Yikes!
Woke up this morning while it was still dark. It stayed dark inside my house because, naturally, the power had gone out. It was chilly besides. I’d better light myself a fire. I went to poke around and see if I have some kindling, and—holy moley!—there was a fire laid in my fireplace, all ready for me to light. I knew immediately who the culprit was because she was feeding my cats while I was away (and also because she frequently surprises me in this fabulous way…).
Then I scouted around for something to eat and I found a little bag on my counter with a delicious ginger muffin therein, decorated with a big “M” in icing. It’s left over from an impromptu birthday party the other night that my friend somehow pulled out of her hat on a moment’s notice. Oh, and some fancy tea sachets that I admired at her house, which her daughter bagged up to send home with me along with the muffin. Then I got a text from other friends up the road: “Come up. We have coffee.” I walked in their house, and they yelled from upstairs, “Take what’s left in the pot—we’ve already got ours.” I headed up to their bedroom with my cuppa, and one of them handed me a piece of toast besides.
On my way home later, after some schmoozing, as I turned onto G Road (the little dirt road where I live), I saw three of my neighbors standing in the road chatting. I stopped and rolled down my window to hear them ask, “Is your place okay? We’re walking around checking to see if everyone is okay after the storm. Your house looked fine. But we didn’t do a really close check. We’re sorry!” Another neighbor drove out while we were standing there and she stopped to say, “I’m on my way to town now. Need anything?”
I needed to go home to write my Megillah column, which of course I have left to the last minute, but there was still no power and the battery in my laptop was run down. Oh no! But wait, I have this wonderful little battery pack that can not only jump a car, but also charge a computer (and it’s a flashlight besides). It evokes a sweet memory: another local friend had invited me some months ago to join his visiting family for dinner. When I went to leave, my electric car was dead, but he had one of these cool little chargers. He gave me a jump. The next day I bought one of these little gizmos, which I am using now to power up my computer so I can write about my morning.
This little account is about ambient kindness. It covers about four hours of a very average day. Much of the time, I’m caught up with bigger things (that reminds me of the Borsht Belt gag that Mickey used to like to recite: “I handle all the important issues in our family, like trade with China and whether we should bomb Iran. My wife deals with the little stuff, like where we’ll live and whether we’ll have kids…” or something like that.). As a result, I don’t always notice the atmosphere of “little” generosity and support that makes life actually livable. Better than livable—joyful and sustaining. But today, I’m feeling it.
I find myself thinking about the gorgeous poem by Naomi Shihab Nye: “Gate A-4.” It’s more of a story than a poem. The poet is waiting for a flight, which has been delayed, and encounters an older woman also at the gate, weeping hysterically. She is wearing traditional Palestinian dress. Airport workers are scurrying around, asking, “Does anyone speak Arabic here?” Shihab Nye does. She talks to the woman, who is afraid her son won’t be at the other end to meet her. She thinks the flight was canceled. The poet pulls out her phone and calls the son. They chat in Arabic. She puts the mother on. They find that they have shared acquaintances in the West Bank. Other phone calls are made to friends and relatives, and so on. The mother is now reassured and smiling. She pulls out a bag of homemade cookies and hands them around to other passengers. All accept and are dusted in powdered sugar. Now everyone at the gate is chatting. The poem ends like this:
I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and I thought, this
is the world I want to live in. The shared world. Not a single person in that
gate—once the crying of confusion stopped—seemed apprehensive about
any other person. They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women, too.
This can still happen anywhere. Not everything is lost.
I want to live in this world too. And I do! With and because of all of you.
DOF CHODSHI: MONTHLY PA(I)GE
(This is a reprint of a message from Rabbi Paige that was emailed to the whole community on December 2, 2025)
When I first moved to the redwoods seven years ago, I felt so at home that I realized I had never fully felt the sense of home before. When I then moved to this neck of the redwoods, to Mendocino, nearly five years ago, that feeling only further deepened. I thought, “Wow, I want to live here forever.” As the Yiddish proverb goes, Der mentsh tracht, un Gott lacht: “We plan and God laughs.”
As the years have passed by, while having the absolute honor and pleasure of getting to be a rabbi of our inspiring, earthy, free-spirited, connected MCJ community, I also had the honor and pleasure of falling in love with Ben and getting married! It’s a little “early” to be so publicly sharing this, but we are over the moon to say that we are pregnant! B’Ezrat HaShem, “with Divine help,” we will be having a baby this summer!
With Ben’s job increasingly requiring him to be in-person in San Francisco, we have decided that what’s best for our growing family is to relocate to the redwoods of Marin. It feels heartbreaking to leave our unique community and all the sacred relationships I have formed with so many of you. I wish we could stay, but we know this is what’s right for us at this time. I have learned so much from each and every one of you and look up to you all more than you could know.
From planting trees on Tu BShvat to our Philosophy Circle, to helping weave in the younger generations—small children to high schoolers to Millennials—I have been so grateful for your openness to my creatively experimenting with our Jewish ways of praying and gathering. On the flip side, from the Women’s Retreat to the Sin Buffet to the pond mikvah, I have been so inspired by all the longstanding MCJC traditions that you have welcomed me into. Those traditions, and so many others, make this community so profoundly special that I know I will never find another one quite like it.
I would be remiss not to dedicate a whole paragraph of this letter to Rabbi Margaret. I know you know how blessed you are to have had such a wise, compassionate, spiritually tapped-in rabbi for the past four decades. I could not have dreamed of having such a mentor to learn from and work with for the first chapter of my rabbinate, and I will forever be the rabbi I am thanks to her. Leaving her guidance and accompaniment is indubitably one of the hardest parts of this move. Thank you for all, Margaret, from the bottom of my heart.
I also want to thank the MCJC Board, both for offering this position to me and for all the work they do in general. Raven, Alix, Susan, Marnie, Donna, Nina, Joy, and Neal, thank you, thank you, thank you. I love spending time with you during our monthly Board Meetings and am so inspired by all the time and energy you each choose to give to our community. It would not thrive as it does without you. Thank you for taking a chance on me! There are tears streaming down my face as I write this, but I have full trust in the Divine Flow of Life. I so look forward to visiting you all over the years to come ♡
with gratitude, love, & awe,
paige
TU B’SHEVAT
The holy festival of Tu B’Shevat—the New Year of the Trees—falls this year on Sunday evening, February 1st. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for further information.
SHABBAT MORNING SERVICES
A full Shabbat service is led by community members, with singing, chanting and silence, Torah teaching and reading, blessings for healing and peace, and time for mourners to say Kaddish. The teachers for January are listed below. We have hybrid services, so come to the shul or Zoom in from 10:30 AM until about 12:30 PM. Zoom address below.
| 1/03/26 |
Vayechi |
Margaret Holub |
| 1/10/26 |
Shemot |
Margaret Holub |
| 1/17/26 |
Vaera |
Raven Deerwater |
| 1/24/26 |
Bo |
Mina Cohen |
| 1/31/26 |
Beschalach |
Andrea Luna |
If you would like to give a Torah teaching during Shabbat services, or want more information about what’s involved, please contact Raven Deerwater at raven@taxpractitioner.com or (707) 813-7951.
ZOOM ADDRESS
We are using the Zoom address below for many MCJC events. Password is shalom. Disregard the numeric passcode at the bottom of the invitation unless you’re dialing in on a landline. If you have questions or problems, contact susan.tubbesing@gmail.com.
Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7071836183?pwd=NzFaTkpjOXVYMDNnNnprOXlnZjVhQT09
Meeting ID: 707 183 6183
Passcode: shalom
Numeric Passcode: 776001
KABBALAT SHABBAT
On Friday, January 16th we will gather at the home of Bob and Julie Melendi in South Caspar at 6:00 PM. Call them at (972) 351-1057 to let them know you are coming and get directions. Following a short service, we will share a vegetarian potluck.
Our February hosts will be Joan and Paul Katzeff. We are looking for hosts for the summer (June, July, and August). If you feel like hosting a gathering, please contact Mina at (707) 937-1319 or mcohen@mcn.org.
THE QUILT!
Margaret sends huge thanks to everyone who contributed artistry and love to her Double Chai quilt! And special thanks to Estreilla, who sewed it together and finished it in such a charming way. It’s hanging in Margaret’s house, where it radiates love and fun and friendship.
AUCTION SPECIALS
There are a few classes and experiences from last November’s online auction that have room for more participants. The first offering is a Hatha Yoga class at the shul on Sunday, January 11th, from 2-4 PM. The class will have a strong emphasis on body conditioning and breath awareness. $30 per person.
On Saturday, January 24th, from 3 to 5 PM, attendees can sing and eat by a bonfire on Big River Beach. Sharman will make delicious treats and Joel will provide guitar strumming. $25 per person. In February, local poet Maureen Epstein will host a Nature Poetry workshop on Saturday the 7th at her home in Surfwood. $35.
More details can be seen, and payments made, online at Auctria (https://event.auctria.com/a65e47c6-4bb9-41bf-954c-389d1bd5de5b/ab9f2f9045da444b9fc745b4313e6594). Or send a check to MCJC at the Little River address; indicate on the check what class you are choosing. All proceeds go to MCJC.
REBBE NACHMAN’S STORIES
The Rabbi Nachman class will meet twice in January: on the 8th and 29th, 5:30 to 7:00 PM at the shul. We have been delving into some of the great and mysterious tales told by Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav, enjoying their wild plots and trying to suss out what they teach us about the nature of the world, of history, and of God. There is some continuity to the classes, but you are welcome to come to any of them even if you can’t make it to every session. Please contact Margaret with any questions (at mholub@mcn.org).
JUSTICE GROUP
Let's start the New Year with a wish list of monthly topics for our meetings. Come and be part of the planning process. Get an update on the Citizenship Scholarship Project and check out the goals and needs for the upcoming year. The Garden Project has updates and invites to share. Dream of getting your hands in the dirt? You've come to the right project. Need to know if there are others who wish, hope, and work for a better year ahead? Then come and join us in snacking, praying, singing, sharing our cares, concerns, and vision with each other. Hope to see you on Monday, January 26th at 5:30 PM in the shul. For information or to receive Justice Group announcements, contact Donna Medley at dmthebeez9@gmail.com. Or check the e-list: groups.google.com/g/mcjc-justice.
PHILOSOPHY CIRCLE
The monthly Philosophy Circle started by Rabbi Paige will continue, led now by Rabbi Margaret. We will meet as ever on the first Wednesday of the month: this month on January 7, 5:00 to 6:30 at the shul. Paige created this delightful format, in which there is a theme and a couple of passages from Jewish sources. And we just mull and converse. All are welcome. No experts, no conclusive answers. Our theme for the January circle will (probably) be POWER.
NOW MORE THAN EVER
The Fort Bragg Food Bank has a pressing need for food and cash. Across the country, food banks and pantries have seen historic levels of demand since SNAP benefits were cut off during the government shutdown. And millions of Americans may be on the verge of losing them for the second time as the Department of Agriculture threatens to withhold SNAP funding from states that do not hand over personal data on the program’s users to the federal government. There is a container at the kitchen door of the shul for shelf-stable food and supply donations to the food bank. Or you can take your items to them at their location on North Franklin in Fort Bragg. Make financial contributions to them on their website (https://www.mendofood.org/campaign/fort-bragg-food-bank).
BIRTHDAYS
Please reach out to the celebrants noted below and spread love. If you would like your natal day listed, email rabbipaige@gmail.com with your birth date. (We list the day, but not the year, and your name will be featured only during your birthday month.) Below are the January birthdays:
1/18 Tracy Salkowitz, 1/19 Martin Luther King, 1/26 Julie Melendi
HERE FOR YOU
Rabbis Margaret & Paige want to remind you all that we’re always available for you in any way we can be! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of them to go on a walk or have tea with you.
WINTER GARDEN VOLUNTEER DAYS
At some point in the soggy future we will prepare the plot of our new native plant garden. We’ll be trimming plants, laying down cardboard for weed suppression, and doing light cleanup to launch this exciting project. For this work, we need lots of large flat cardboard. Please help us collect it from shops and leave it flattened along the north side of the shul in late January, or bring it with you on the volunteer days.
Volunteer dates/times have been postponed from January to February, dates to be determined. Watch the weekly announcements. Bring if you have them: garden gloves, hand pruners, shovel or trowel, sturdy shoes (waterproof, ideally), and cardboard. Snacks will be provided. Once the work is scheduled, plan to come enjoy fresh air and the fun of helping start something new.
ELDERS’ CONVERSATION
The elders meet to reflect and connect every second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 3:00 to 4:30 PM on Zoom. This month we will meet on January 13th and 27th. The group selects the next theme for conversation at the end of each meeting. New topics come up all the time, and we keep an ongoing list to choose from. Recently we “refreshed” our running list. Some of our current possibilities include loneliness, communication, what gets you up in the morning, how to manage without a car, play, fear of dementia, and more. We run the gamut from practical concerns to the very meaning of life. People of all ages are most welcome.
THE ART OF RESISTANCE
If you’re traveling to the Big Apple in the new year, be sure to visit a new exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in lower Manhattan. Art of Freedom: The Life & Work of Arthur Szyk opened on December 7th, and the survey of Szyk’s anti-fascist work is on view until July 26, 2026. At the core of his work lies a strong belief in the power of visual expression to confront atrocity and promote freedom in all its forms (religious, national, cultural, and political), not just for Jews but for all people.
Szyk’s scathing portrayals of the Nazis and their allies were recognized as aiding the American war effort. In 1941, Putnam’s published a collection of his drawings called The New Order. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote in her My Day column that Szyk’s work “Fights the war against Hitlerism as truly as any of us who cannot actually be on the fighting fronts today.”
Born to a Jewish family in Łódź in 1894, Szyk showed creative talent from an early age. At 15, he moved to Paris to study art. With a cohort of fellow Polish-Jewish artists and writers, he made a formative visit to Palestine in 1914, deepening his connection to Judaism. Szyk’s life and work were shaped by exile and migration. Propelled both by the rising threat of Nazism and the international recognition of his art, Szyk and his wife Julia left continental Europe in 1940 for London, Canada, New York, and ultimately New Canaan, Connecticut. Throughout this journey, he never wavered in his commitment: “There is no use painting flowers and landscapes anymore. Art must be mobilized, like everything else.”
For more information about the museum and its programs, visit their website:
BOOK GROUP
On January 19th at 2:00 PM the book group will discuss Thirteen Days in September by Lawrence Wright. In September of 1978, three world leaders—Menachem Begin, prime minister of Israel; Anwar Sadat, president of Egypt; and US President Jimmy Carter—met at Camp David to negotiate a peace agreement between the two Middle East nations. During the 13-day conference, Begin and Sadat got into screaming matches and had to be physically separated; both attempted to walk away multiple times. Yet, by the end, a treaty had been forged—one that has quietly stood for more than three decades, proving that peace in the Middle East is possible. Wright combines politics, scripture, and the participants’ personal histories into a compelling narrative of the fragile peace process.
Begin was an Orthodox Jew whose parents had perished in the Holocaust. Sadat was a pious Muslim inspired since boyhood by stories of martyrdom. Carter, who knew the Bible by heart, was driven by his own faith to pursue a treaty, even as his advisers warned him of the public cost. This timely book provides an inside look at how peace is made between passionate foes. If you are not currently in the Book Group, please contact Fran Schwartz for the Zoom invitation at franbschwartz@gmail.com. Books are at Gallery Bookshop.
MCJC BOARD MEETING
The MCJC board will meet on Wednesday, January 14th at 5:30 PM on Zoom. If you wish to attend part of the meeting, please contact Susan Tubbesing for the Zoom address at (707) 962-0565, or susan.tubbesing@gmail.com.
THANKS TO THE MAILERS
Nina Ravitz and Terry Clark prepared the last Megillah of 2025 for mailing. Because of Terry’s new role as newsletter Circulation Manager, he and Nina got stuck with the prepping job over Thanksgiving. If you would like to get stuck with that task, and reap the associated spiritual benefits, and earn the respect of your peers, please contact Terry (paintedpony64@yahoo.com) or Sarah Nathe (at 962-0565 or sarah.nathe@gmail.com).
MEGILLAH SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Mendocino Megillah is published monthly as an emailed PDF and an online version. The online Megillah is posted on the newsletter page of the MCJC website: www.mcjc.org/newsletter. Any information on changes in email address or in email notifications should be sent to Sarah Nathe at sarah.nathe@gmail.com. If you choose not to be a contributing member of MCJC, we request a $54 annual fee for the Megillah.
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING DONORS
Donna Weintraub, Sally & Lee Welty, Myra Beals, Margaret Fox-Kump, Bob Evans, Sharon Shapiro, Meryl Rafferty, Steven & Kelly Kalus, Susan Hofberg, Ronnie James, Esther Faber, Dorothy Salant, Devorah Rossman, Laura Goldman & Dennak Murphy, Tracy Salkowitz & Rick Edwards, Kath Disney Nilson, Miles & Yarrow Rubin, Kathy Sarin & Steve Schoolman, Lisa Fredrickson, Eva-Strauss Rosen, Lorry Lepaule, Elias Steinbuck, Barbara & Michael Newmark, Susan Archuletta, Roslyn & Bruce Moore
Helen Sizemore in memory of Ted Sizemore
Ronnie Kemper to the Bikkur Cholim Fund
EDITORIAL POLICY
The Mendocino Megillah is published monthly, except for August. The deadline for article submission is the 20th of the month before publication. The editor will include all appropriate material, space permitting, with the exception of copyrighted material lacking the permission of the author. Divergent opinions are welcome. Material printed in the Megillah does not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the MCJC Board of Directors.
Please Support Our Generous Underwriters
Albion Doors and Windows: Thousands of recycled windows, French doors, thermal windows, entry doors, new & used. Leaded glass, arches & unique styles. Liquidation prices at (707) 937-0078 in Albion. www.knobsession.com
Karen Camille Bowers Studio: Painting workshops and studio gallery. Website: karenbowersstudio.com Email: karenbowersu2@gmail.com Tel: (707) 684-0656.
Frankie's Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor: Homemade pizzas, Cowlick's ice cream, and other yummy things to nosh on. Beer and wine available. Open every day but Monday from 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm at 44951 Ukiah Street, Mendocino, (707) 937-2436. www.frankiesmendocino.com
Out of this World: Telescopes, binoculars, & science toys. 45100 Main Street, Box 1010, Mendocino. (707) 937-3335. www.OutofThisWorldShop.com. Serving all your interplanetary needs since 1988.
Mendo Digital: Get found online and grow your business with search engine optimization (SEO), customer-focused writing, and an attractive website that adapts to viewers’ devices. Free 30-minute consultation with Marinela Miclea. Visit https://mendo-digital.com
Thanksgiving Coffee Company: Artisan roasted on the Mendocino Coast since 1972. A B Corporation featuring a wide variety of certified organic, shade grown coffee & fair trade coffees. (800) 462-1999. Learn more and buy coffee at www.thanksgivingcoffee.com.
Yogajoy classes on zoom with Helen Jacobs. Gentle yoga to improve flexibility and strength and reduce stress. Contact Helen at hjacobs@mcn.org or (707) 367-3498.
MCJC underwriters increase their businesses’ visibility to over 350 subscribers and improve their presence on the web. $150/year.
| Chevra Kadisha |
Clare Bercot Zwerling |
956-571-0945 |
clarebercot@icloud.com |
| Cemetary |
Donna Montag |
707-877-3243 |
montag@mcn.org |
| Outreach (new to the community), Finance Committee, Announcements |
Susan Tubbesing* |
707-962-0565
|
susan.tubbesing@gmail.com |
| Justice Committee |
Donna Medley* |
707-962-9493 |
dmthebeez9@gmail.com
|
| Women's retreat, Annual dinner |
Harriet Bye |
707-937-3622 |
bysawyer@mcn.org
|
| Kabbalat Shabbat Coordinator |
Mina Cohen |
707-367-3390 | mcohen@mcn.org |
| Volunteer Coordinator |
Joy Lancaster* |
||
| Building Maintenance |
Marnie Press* |
707-937-1905 | marniepress@gmail.com |
| Treasurer, Finance Committee |
Raven Deerwater* |
707-964-8333 | raven@taxpractitioner.com |
| Landscaping, Library |
Nina Ravitz* |
||
| Secretary, Finance Committee |
Alix Sabin* |
415-238-1342 | |
| Communications |
Neal Davis* |
neal@group5media.com | |
| Yahrzeit Notifications |
Bonnie Mahoney |
631-466-0156 | bonniemahoney2015@gmail.com |
| Book Group, Bikkur Cholim |
Fran Schwartz |
707-937-1352 | franbschwartz@gmail.com |
| Web dude |
Gus Mayeno |
webmaster@mcjc.org | |
| Megillah Editor, Name & Address & Subscription changes |
Sarah Nathe |
707-962-0565 |
sarah.nathe@gmail.com |
| Circulation Manager |
Terry Clark |
paintedpony64@yahoo.com | |
| Rabbi |
Margaret Holub |
707-734-0311 | mholub@mcn.org |
