November, 2025 Megillah
WITH LOVE
It seems in some ways like we have entered a strange land, as Americans, as Jews and friends of Jews, as humans. The supplies we’ve long carried in our backpacks to keep us going need to be unpacked and given a good look-over. Some tattered equipment needs to be repaired. Other pieces may need to be disassembled and recycled. Or pitched entirely. And we may need to pick up and learn to use some new tools.
Many years ago now I had the opportunity to give a talk about being a Jew and a feminist. In it I shared a metaphor that I continue to think about today. Being Jewish, I said then, meant that I received a nakhalah—an inheritance, as is said in the Shabbat kiddush. A few years before I gave that talk I had in fact received an inheritance: a box of beaded and trimmed cashmere sweaters from my grandmother. I adored the sweaters (oh that I hadn’t worn them to shreds over the ensuing decades!), but I didn’t dress the way my grandmother did. I was likely to be seen around town in a pair of grey sweatpants, Birkenstocks, and a fancy cashmere sweater.
To be Jewish (whether by heredity or by choice) is to receive an inheritance. Imagine a UPS truck pulling up to your driveway and unloading a huge stack of boxes sent to you by your ancestors. Day after day you open the boxes and lift out the objects inside. Some are immediately fabulous, like the cashmere sweaters, or Shabbat or Bob Dylan or matzah with butter and salt. Maybe you use them exactly as your ancestors did. Or maybe you employ them in ways that earlier generations wouldn’t have imagined (or approved of, like my cashmere couture). Other items in the boxes are intriguing, but maybe you don’t really quite know what to do with them, like tefillin or fasting on 17 Tammuz. Others do not seem so desirable (I won’t name what some of these might be for me; perhaps an item or two come to your mind…). So you fold them up and put them away, or maybe even toss them out, never to unfold again.
In my own case I don’t think I utterly discarded very much from the boxes as I unpacked them. But I put a lot of pieces in deep storage. Some I just didn’t understand. Others honestly repelled me. Some I tried to take a good look at, maybe find some online instructions for how to use them. Some I just tucked away and more or less forgot about.
One of the latter for me is belief in, study of, invocation of a messiah. There is a complicated textual history of messianism in Judaism. There are ideas of a messiah who will redeem the Jewish people from historical predicaments. The prophet Isaiah (45:1) calls the Persian king Cyrus a messiah on account of his role in returning the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. Many centuries later Shabtai Tzvi declared himself the messiah before later rejecting Judaism entirely and leaving much of the Eastern European Jewish world in anguished disarray. Half a millennium after that, some followers of the late Lubavicher Rebbe consider him to be the Messiah. There are also more apocalyptic ideas of an individual who will usher in a final era of peace and plenty, ending history as we know it. The Reform movement posits a future “messianic era.” And there are lots of other references, teachings, songs and prayers about a messiah as well.
For me these narratives don’t feel especially compelling. For one thing I have always thought of history overall as getting neither better nor worse. Over any period of history there will be places in which there is immense suffering and injustice; there will be other places of peace and wellbeing. Some days, weeks and years may be generally better or worse than others, and some places may have disproportionate fortune, either favorable or unfavorable. But I just can’t quite believe in the idea of history as a whole moving toward some unified end (though with environmental destruction escalating as it is, this belief of mine calls for some re-examining, I’m afraid). Even more than that, I think of existence, and history within it, as being extremely complex, maybe even fractal in its intricacy. The history of one dinner table, one classroom, one friendship may be as up-and-down, as peaceful and war-ful as a nation or a continent. So the idea that at a specific moment a specific messiah is going to appear and sew it all up neatly, well, that just doesn’t move me much.
What is starting to call my name from one of those boxes deep-sixed in my attic is a more general capacity to imagine things getting better. The great organizer Saul Alinsky once made a list of traits he considered necessary for a successful organizer. One of these is “a bit of a blurred vision of a better world.” That’s not necessarily so much a prediction about the future as it is an act of imagination.
I’m starting to pay more attention to aleinu, the prayer at the end of the morning and evening service that describes a certain vision of a perfected world:
We therefore put our hope in You, Adonai our God, to soon behold the glory of Your might in banishing idolatry from the earth, and the false gods will be utterly exterminated to perfect the world as the kingdom of Shadai. And all humankind will invoke Your Name, to turn back to You, all the wicked of the earth.
I wouldn’t put it quite that way, but I am starting to feel the medicine that comes of imagining positive change. For me that change doesn’t have to—and indeed seems vanishingly unlikely to—come all at once. Somewhere a classroom or a dinner table or a couple of friends will get happier and safer. It’s important to remember that this can happen.
Some of that positive change will happen because we and others lean in and work to bring the change about. But I tend to think—this is that “bit of a blurred vision”—that sometimes change happens because there are realms of goodness and generosity beyond human effort. Because the universe is large and complex, beyond even what humans pour into the world, for good and for ill. This is a kind of faith, a kind of spiritual perspective. Jews and others have held this kind of perspective in times and places I hope none of us ever have to encounter.
This is a piece of the inheritance that I am very hesitantly and curiously beginning to unwrap. And this leads me to want to explore the 13 tales of Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav with you. Several of these tales entertain the possibility of a messiah in the most mysterious and playful ways. See the announcement below. I hope you will join me.
DOF CHODSHI: MONTHLY PA(I)GE
The past two mornings, I have woken up filled with detailed memories of my dreams. Both night’s dreams have been about one of my dear local friends here. While still half asleep, I have texted her a voice note, recalling to her the fascinating intricacies within my dreams. Both mornings, she has sent shocked replies—astonished by the significant alignments in my dreams with real dynamics in her life right now that I had no conscious knowledge of. The overlaps are very striking. I have no doubt many of you have experienced similar phenomena.
At other points throughout my life, I have had illogical feelings about certain things happening in the future; then, after some time has passed, they do indeed happen. I love hearing about people’s experiences with déjà vu, ghosts, and unexplainable intuition. In rabbinical school, I remember learning about Pargod פרגוד, the mystical “veil of illusion.” Scientists say we only understand 5% of the universe. So what’s behind the veil? What’s the other 95% of dark matter made of?
I think this is what our current Hebrew month of Cheshvan is about. After the most holiday-filled month of Tishrei, we have the only holiday-free month of the year, to process, decompress, and integrate. Is there a notion from Rabbi Margaret’s sermon still lingering with you? Was there a particular prayer that deeply resonated, opening you up? Is there a melody still reverberating through you? If so, there’s a purpose to it. We don’t pray or observe holidays with the intention of feeling and being exactly the same afterward as we were beforehand. Ritual opens something, deepens something, connects something. That’s my rationale for my current dream experience, for feeling “tapped in.”
If you attended Kabbalat Shabbat in Rabbi Margaret’s Sukkah, you heard her reference my Sukkot terminology that when we flip the etrog over after reciting the bracha (blessing), we “turn it on.” This embodied tradition of flipping the etrog and shaking the lulav in six directions feels to me to be one of the most witchy, magical rituals in Judaism. The lulav becomes our magic wand, casting a spell. The etrog is the key we turn to activate it. That portal remains open for the entire week of Sukkot, until we close it by pulling the willow branch out of our magic wand/lulav. On Hoshana Raba we beat willows on the earth, praying for rain, the other most mystical ritual in Judaism. So, if we’ve just spent nearly a month fully engaged in these prayers and spells, how could we not be so tapped in?
Thus, we have this month of Cheshvan to be still and dwell in the aftermath of our prayers. What intuitive pangs have you felt lately? What is behind the veil of illusion? What are you tapped in to?
REBBE NACHMAN’S SONG OF REDEMPTION
In the latter part of his life (between 1806 and 1810), Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav told (or “revealed”) 13 tales of consummate mystery. Contemporary writers have compared these tales to those of Franz Kafka and even the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh. Thirty-six years ago a group of MCJC folks met weekly for several years to read the 13 tales in minute detail. It was a formative experience for us at the time. Now we will return to the tales with the perspective of another generation-plus of life and history to see how they speak to us now.
We will revel in several of them, looking especially at themes of redemption and messianism. We will meet in person at the shul on Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:00 PM (no zoom). Because of Margaret’s bumpy schedule over the next two months, the dates will be as follows: November 6th and 20th, December 18th, January 8th and 29th, February 12th and 26th.
Please let Margaret know if you plan to participate (at mholub@mcn.org). We will be using Nahman of Bratslav: The Tales, translated by Arnold Band, Paulist Press, 1978. New or used copies of the book are available from Amazon; the book can also be downloaded gratis or for a small donation from the Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/thetales0000nahm).
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 November are listed below. We have hybrid services, so come to the shul or Zoom in from 10:30 AM until about 12:30 PM.
| 11/01/25 |
Lech-Lacha |
Andrea Luna |
| 11/08/25 |
Vayera |
Margaret Holub |
| 11/15/25 |
Chayei Sara |
Raven Deerwater |
| 11/22/25 |
Toldot |
Margaret Holub |
| 11/29/25 |
Vayetzei |
Lew Mermelstein |
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) 937-1099.
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, November 21st, we will gather at the home of Leslie Krongold and Jessica Nussbaum in Surfwood. To get directions and RSVP, please call them at 707-937-7005 or 510-599-8147. After a short service, we will share a vegetarian potluck.
In December, we will be at the home of Harriet Bye and Larry Sawyer in Albion. We are in need of hosts in 2026 for every month after January. If you feel like hosting a gathering, please contact Mina at (707) 937-1319 or mcohen@mcn.org.
JUSTICE GROUP
The Justices will meet on the last Monday of the month, November 24th, at the shul (in-person only) from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. Find out what's happening with our Native Plant Garden. Hear how Justices are helping the Mendocino Rapid Response Network and the Accompaniment Group. Think about joining others in hosting home fundraisers for the Citizenship Scholarship Project. And remember our new agenda item: One Small Thing. Write down one small thing you did during the month to create justice and peace in our world. Fold it (origami not required) and add it to our Pickle Jar of Peace. Watch it grow. Know you can make a difference. For information or to receive Justice Group announcements, contact Donna Medley at dmthebeez9@gmail.com.
LET’S THINK ABOUT THIS
It turns out that we can never stop thinking, so, contrary to what was written in last month’s Megillah, the philosophers will not take November off. We will gather in the shul on Wednesday, the 5th at 5:00 PM to chat about something interesting.
HAVDALAH AND MUSICAL JAM SESH
Please join us on Saturday, November 15th at 6:30 pm for a Havdalah potluck and some music at the home of Joel and Malik Ginsberg on Middle Ridge Road in Albion. Please RSVP to joelginsberg@gmail.com for directions. The space is small, so they may need to limit attendees. Singers and instrumentalists are invited to bring their games!
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 November birthdays:
11/6 Ruby Gold, 11/9 Ben Lowenstein, 11/17 Aviv Kleinman, 11/27 Jon Goodstein
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.
HARVEST DINNER AT THE LEDFORD HOUSE
THE ANNUAL MCJC DINNER ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025 IS SOLD OUT, BUT THE ONLINE AUCTION IS OPEN TO EVERYONE!
This year’s fall fundraiser includes both a silent auction for those in attendance at the dinner, and an online auction for anyone who wants to support MCJC. There will be different items—wine, food, travel packages, art, and fun personal experiences—on offer in each of the auctions.
Visit the online auction site (https://fundraiser.supportMCJCFALL) at any time from now until November 16th at 9:00 PM PST. It is not necessary to register in order to view the items, but if you wish to bid, register with a desktop computer, iPad, or smartphone.
Watch for more information in the twice-weekly announcements from Susan Tubbesing.
TO PLANT A GARDEN IS TO BELIEVE IN TOMORROW
The MCJC Garden Group is meeting up for a luncheon at Adina Merenlender’s home/native plant garden in Elk on Sunday, November 16th at 1:00 PM, rain or shine. This is an opportunity for the Garden Group and anyone interested in joining to connect, share ideas, and plan next steps for creating a garden that supports native plants and offers space for reflection, learning, art, and community. A vegetarian luncheon will be provided. For directions, please RSVP to adinainelk@gmail.com (write “MCJC garden” in the subject line) or call/text (707) 489-4362.
ELDERS’ CONVERSATION
The Elders continue to meet and explore everything about growing older every second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 3:00 to 4:30 PM on zoom. November dates will be the 11th and 25th. People of all ages are most welcome. We pick our topic at the end of the prior meeting and it is shared before the meeting in the MCJC announcements sent out by Susan Tubbesing.
YOU HAVE A TALENT WORTH SHARING!
The Matanah is on a break for the next couple of months. The organizers are looking for people to share their talents and avocations with the community. Doing so will fulfill you, bring everyone closer together, and spread joy. Please contact Leslie Krongold at elkrong @yahoo.com if you are interested.
BOOK GROUP
The constant readers will meet on zoom on Monday, November 17th at 1:30 PM (a bit earlier than usual) to discuss COLOR ME IN by Natasha Diaz. Growing up in an affluent suburb of New York City, 16-year old Nevaeh Levitz never thought much about her biracial roots. When her Black mom and Jewish dad split up, she relocates to her mom's family home in Harlem and is forced to confront her identity for the first time. Nevaeh wants to get to know her extended family, but because she inadvertently passes as white, her cousin thinks she's too privileged, pampered, and selfish to relate to the injustices African Americans face on a daily basis.
In the meantime, Nevaeh's dad decides that she should have a belated bat mitzvah instead of a sweet sixteen, which guarantees social humiliation at her posh private school. But rather than take a stand, Nevaeh does what she's always done when life gets complicated: she stays silent. Only when Nevaeh stumbles upon a secret from her mom's past, finds herself falling in love, and sees firsthand the prejudice her family faces does she begin to realize she has her own voice. 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, November 12th 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
Roslyn and Bruce Moore prepared the last Megillah for mailing. They’ve done it so often over the years that they don’t need directions anymore. You could be a seasoned mailer like that some day if you start now. Please contact Sarah 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
Lynne Spillinger, Elise Cox, Holly Tannen, Merry Winslow, Helen Sizemore, Theresa Glasner Morales, Susan Hofberg, Donna Weintraub, Sally & Lee Welty, Scott & Tracey Green, Myra Beals, Esther Faber, Joy Lancaster & Marty Freedman, Clare Bercot Zwerling, Fanshan Faber, Esther Erlich & Neal Davis, Susie Lampert, Danny Mandelbaum & Benna Kolinsky, Tracy Salkowitz & Rick Edwards, Bob Evans, Josh & Carolyn Latkin, Laura Goldman & Dennak Murphy, Mary Fineman, John Allison & Rebecca Picard, Ronnie James, Phyllis Binder, Jeff Zolitor & Audrey Wells.
Marsha Epstein in honor of Aviyah Farkas.
Eugene Temkin in honor of Abba.
Ellen Saxe & Ronnie Karish in honor of the marriage of Rabbi Paige & Ben Lowenstein, in honor of the marriage of Reesha Katcher & Aviv Kleinman, and in memory of Janet Berenson.
Ronite Gluck to the Women’s Retreat in loving memory of Rafael Gluck.
Aviv Kleinman & Reesha Katcher in honor of their wedding, and also yizkor tzedakah for Sheindel Feiga bat Nachman and Beila Itta bat Avraham.
Mina Cohen & Jeffrey Berenson in appreciation for the support and care that MCJC gave the Berenson family upon the death of their sister, Janet
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.
Rainsong Shoes: Shoes & accessories for men & women. (707) 937-1710 or www.rainsongshoes.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.
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* |
510-703-9955 | martyjoy@sbcglobal.net |
| 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* |
707-357-6462 | ninabo@mcn.org |
| Secretary, Finance Committee |
Alix Sabin* |
415-238-1342 | alixsabin@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 |
| Rabbi |
Margaret Holub |
707-734-0311 | mholub@mcn.org |
| Rabbi |
Paige Lincenberg |
rabbipaige@gmail.com |
