September, 2026 Megillah
WITH LOVE
I’ve always been drawn to the idea of pilgrimage. Some years ago a friend of mine walked I forget how many hundreds of miles of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. I remember her, for months before she departed, breaking in her boots in long walks. Then she was off for her pilgrimage. I remember her descriptions when she got home: the little “passport” the walkers carried that was stamped with an image of a scallop shell (the symbol of Saint James) at hostels along the way; being sidelined for a day or two by deep blisters; and just miles and miles of walking, through fields and villages, scenery the same sometimes for days, then changing, flat stretches and hilly areas; meeting other pilgrims along the way, connecting for a bit and then walking on. I kind of remember her description of arriving at the town of Santiago de Compostela and the church that was the destination. But the destination was, in my memory of the retelling, a bit of an anticlimax—or at least not the point of her Camino experience.
How was this long hike different from any other long hike through the countryside? There are (or so I read in tour catalogues) all kinds of pretty walks one can take through the rural stretches of Europe. I have to imagine that there are at least two important ways that a hike is different from a pilgrimage. First, generations of pilgrims have walked this particular path over the centuries, and we have some access to their thoughts and their ways as we walk in their footsteps. Second, my friend, and thousands of other pilgrims like her, undertake this particular journey with intention: to be with their own souls, to expand their consciousness, to pray, to change, to experience the Divine.
I think of the High Holy Days in a similar way. Like the Camino, they are a long hike. One comes to way stations along the path: the Elul shofar, Selichot, Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah. You can, as it were, get your passport stamped at each stop. There are hours and days in between each stopping place. Parts of the walk are a stroll, other sections arduous. There is boredom. There is hunger. There are scenic stretches. There are moments of incomparable beauty. There are probably some places that rub us raw. The end is powerful and beautiful and ecstatic—at least in part because we have walked so far to get there.
The path of the High Holy Days has been walked by, maybe, 150 generations before us—three, maybe four or five, right here in MCJC. The trail is shaped by the feet of all those ancestors. We can hear their voices in the melodies we sing and the words we recite, see the marks they have left for us to find. At the same time we are each our own selves, in our own particular moment in life, with our own yearnings and needs, in families and communities and a world which are in their own moment, with their own yearnings and needs.
When I lead a regular Shabbat morning service, I sit with the rest of the minyan, facing the same direction. But during the High Holy Day services, mostly because it is easier for people to hear me, I stand up in front facing everyone. It is incredibly intense and beautiful to look at all of you for many hours and days at a time, and also sometimes kind of overwhelming. I see so much in your faces and postures as we walk together through the Days: joy, duty, pleasure, impatience, endurance, bliss, confusion, annoyance, enthusiasm, boredom, hurt, deep stillness. (I’m sure I miss a lot too!) So much is going on for each of us in these seemingly unchanging stretches.
The High Holy Days are a path we have been given by our ancestors for our own repair, for return, for lifting up. And likewise for our world, for its repair, return and uplift. I hope for each of us—whether we walk a few minutes of the path this year or the entire long stretch—that we feel the wisdom of our elders and ancestors guiding us. That we step in with our own heartfelt intentions. And that these intentions are in good measure fulfilled.
I love the High Holy Days so much, and I love walking them with you more than I can possibly say. Beloved fellow pilgrims, I can hardly wait to meet you at the trailhead and to set out together into 5787! L’shana tovah.
MORNING SHOFAR AND PSALM 27
Jump onto the MCJC zoom link every morning except Shabbat at exactly 9:00 for a quick burst of the seasonal psalm and the sounding of the shofar. The whole sheBANG takes five minutes. It’s a beautiful little wake-up call during these Days of Awe. We will continue the daily shofar and psalm until Friday, October 2nd. Shemini Atzeret begins that evening.
KEVER AVOT GATHERING
It is customary, during the month of Elul, or during the Ten Days, to visit the graves of loved ones who are no longer alive, to pray there for the deceased and for the longings of our own hearts. We will gather at the Jewish Cemetery in Mendocino on Thursday, September 17th, at 4:00 PM to visit with our friends and family members who are buried there and to pray together. It is a beautiful practice to visit their graves. Many of us have loved ones who are buried elsewhere, so we could go to the edge of the ocean or to a particular tree and spend some time with the soul of your loved one who is no longer alive.
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 September are listed below. We have hybrid services, so come to the shul or Zoom in from 10:30 AM until about 12:30 PM. The Zoom address is below.
| 9/05/26 |
Nitzavim-Vayeilech |
Lew Mermelstein |
| 9/12/26 |
Rosh Hashana |
High Holiday Service |
| 9/19/26 |
Ha'Azinu |
Hunter Rook |
| 9/26/26 |
Sukkot |
Margaret Holub |
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
This month’s Kabbalat Shabbat will be in Rabbi Holub’s sukkah on Albion Ridge on Friday, September 25th at 6:00 PM. Please contact her to RSVP and get directions at 734-0311 or mholub@mcn.org.
On October 23rd we will gather at the home of Bonnie Mahoney in Fort Bragg.
If you would like to host a future gathering, please contact Mina at (707) 937-1319 or mcohen@mcn.org.
HIGH HOLY DAY SCHEDULE 5787
L'Shana Tova! We wish you and your loved ones and our world a very happy and healthy new year. We will gather in our shul for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but many services will also be accessible on the MCJC zoom link.
Selichot service — Saturday, September 5th, 8 - 9:00 PM at the shul (not on zoom). A short, candle-lit service of inner preparation for the New Year;
Rosh Hashanah women’s mikveh — Friday, September 11th, meet at 10 AM in Albion. The mikveh, a prayerful ritual immersion in "living water,” is a beautiful traditional way to enter the Holy Days. All women are invited to attend. RSVP to Nina at ninabo@mcn.org;
Erev Rosh Hashanah service — Friday, September 11th, 7:30 - 9:30 PM at the shul/on zoom;
Rosh Hashanah morning service — Saturday, September 12th, 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM at the shul/on zoom;
Rosh Hashanah potluck lunch following the morning service at the shul (not on zoom). Please bring a cold dish to serve 8-10 people, with a list of ingredients. You can leave food in the shul kitchen. If you are visiting from elsewhere, feel no need to bring food. Dishes and beverages will be provided.
Rosh Hashanah afternoon teachings and singing — 3:00 - 4:30 PM at the shul/on zoom;
Shofar service, sin buffet and tashlich — Sunday, September 13th, 1:00 - 3:00 PM at Caspar Beach; followed immediately by the punny bonfire. It is a traditional to eat foods that make puns on the themes of the High Holidays, for example, squash to squash the Evil Inclination or pickles to avoid getting into pickles in the year to come. Bring punny (or even un-punny) foods to share.
Kever Avot -- September 17th, at 4:00 PM, in the Jewish cemetery in Mendocino.
Kol Nidre service — Sunday, September 20th, 7:30 PM at the shul/on zoom;
Yom Kippur day service — Monday, September 21st, 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM at the shul/on zoom.
Yizkor and Neilah — Monday, September 21st, 4:30 PM to sundown at the shul and on zoom. If you would like to add names to our community yizkor list, please contact Donna Montag at montag@mcn.org(or by phone at 707-877-3243, but e-mail preferred) before Yom Kippur. If you have ever given a name to be read, it will still be on the community list.
Community Kiddush at the shul will follow. Break-the-fast potlucks will be hosted by community members, and all are welcome to partake together at the conclusion of Yom Kippur. We are particularly looking for hosts near Mendocino and Fort Bragg. If you would like to host a gathering, please contact Donna Montag at montag@mcn.org. Names of hosts and directions will be provided on Yom Kippur.
Sukkot begins at sundown on Friday, September 25th and concludes at sundown on Friday, October 2nd. All are invited to Margaret’s sukkah for the first night/ Kabbalat Shabbat/potluck dinner on Friday, September 25th at 6:00 PM. Details to come on building the shul sukkah and for gatherings in other people’s sukkahs during the festival.
General Information:
We encourage you to come for as many or as few of the High Holy Day services as you like. Please do not hesitate to enter while services are underway or to leave when you need to.
We suggest a contribution of $200 for each adult who is not already a supporting member of MCJC. Please send a check to P.O. Box 291, Little River, CA 95456, or contribute via Zeffy at the MCJC website: www.mcjc.org. As always, no one will be turned away for lack of funds. It is traditional not to handle or discuss money on the holidays. If you have any financial questions now, please call Raven Deerwater, our treasurer, at 707-937-1099.
Volunteers are needed to help make our High Holy Days sweet and memorable for everyone. There are many ways to participate (setting up, cleaning up, prepping for Kiddush). We will give clear directions to all volunteers. Please contact Joy at ajoylancaster@gmail.com.
Any other High Holy Day-related questions can be answered by Marnie Press at marniepress@gmail.com or Nina Ravitz at ninabo@mcn.org
Shana Tova U’Metukah…a happy and sweet year to all!
PHILOSOPHY CIRCLE
Our little monthly feast of thinking about interesting things returns to its proper place on the calendar: the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Which is to say, September 2nd. Each month, following the template created by Rabbi Paige, we look at a couple of very short Jewish teachings on a philosophical theme and chat with each other about the topic at hand. This month, in keeping with the season, we will discuss forgiveness.
JUSTICE GROUP
The Justices meet on the last Monday of each month at the shul, from 5:30 to 7:00 PM, in person only. The September meeting, on the 28th, will invite us to look at our work to address racism while suggesting ways to help us do that. Sharing their experience, skills and commitment are our very own community members, Rebecca and Raven Deerwater. They have been involved both as participants and facilitators with a national organization, Copper to Gold, and its transformational approach to race amity. They will discuss and show a video on the program of Copper to Gold, where closed groups are set up to develop intimacy and trust for discussing issues of race, sharing personal experiences, and improving interracial relations. It is their intention to begin a cohort here on the Mendocino Coast. Please join us to explore this area of Justice-making. With a question or for more information, contact Donna Medley at dmthebeez9@gmail.com.
BIRTHDAYS
Please reach out to the celebrants noted below and spread love. If you would like your natal day listed, email sarah.nathe@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 September birthdays:
9/3 Dobby Sommer, 9/11 Elizabeth Lev, 9/16 Judith Aftergut, 9/18 Esther Faber
HOUSE CONCERT
Support our immigrant friends and neighbors and help pay the dramatically increased fees the federal government is now charging them.
MUSIC BY Bluegrass legend Dan Crary, with Morgan Daniel & Byron Greene
On Sunday, October 11th from 2:00-4:00 PM, at a home in the Fort Bragg area, there will be great music, drinks and snacks. The suggested donation is $40. All proceeds go to Nuestra Alianza de Willits, the nonprofit organization working with the immigrant community in Mendocino County.
Seating is limited and reservations are required. To hold your seat, please email Rebecca at deer@mcn.org
ELDERS’ CONVERSATION
The Elders’ Conversation meets every second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 3:00 to 4:30 on zoom. The upcoming dates are September 8th and 22nd. If you have questions, please contact Joy Lancaster or Margaret (mholub@mcn.org or ajoylancaster@gmail.com).
BOOK GROUP
The readers will meet September 14th at 2:00 PM on Zoom to discuss Song of Hartgrove Hall by Natasha Solomons. Solomons’ fourth novel moves between the 1940s and ‘50s and the early 2000s. In the present, septuagenarian Harry Fox-Talbot, a celebrated conductor and composer, is mourning the death of his wife, Edie. Back in 1946, as he returned from boarding school and his two older brothers, Jack and George, from World War II, their father, the General, was contemplating demolition of their English country house, Hartgrove Hall. The house was severely dilapidated after several decades of neglect and recent use as a billet for troops. The three sons resolved to save Hartgrove by farming the land, and the General gave them one year to succeed. The plan was complicated by Harry’s non-rustic musical ambitions and the fact that Edie Rose, a Jewish songstress known for her stirring wartime ballads, has arrived and Jack, the sole heir to Hartgrove, has taken up with her. As Harry says, “It’s a terrible thing to covet your brother’s girl.” If you are not currently in the Book Group, please contact Fran Schwartz for the Zoom invitation at franbschwartz@gmail.com. The book is at Gallery Bookshop.
Memory and Resilience: YIVO’s Collections at 100
In honor of its centennial, the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research announced the opening of three landmark exhibitions that illuminate the stories preserved in its renowned collections at its Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street, New York City). If you’re headed east in the new year, check out the shows that celebrate the dedication that has built the world’s foremost archive of Eastern European Jewish life.
Hail to the Zamlers
YIVO’s archive stands as a testament to generations of scholars, connoisseurs, and everyday Jews who worked to preserve the 1,000-year-old culture of Ashkenazi Jewry. This exhibition honors the zamlers (collectors) who gathered the books, documents, art and ephemera that now form YIVO’s extraordinary holdings. Featuring over 70 artifacts across six thematic sections, the exhibit allows visitors to journey through the evolution of Yiddish literature, the performing and visual arts, immigration, the Jewish labor movement, and the story of YIVO itself.
Saving Jewish Treasures in Nazi-Occupied Vilna
During the Holocaust, a courageous group of Jewish poets and scholars risked everything to preserve their cultural heritage. These forced laborers were conscripted by the Nazis to sort and pack rare Jewish cultural treasures for shipment to Germany. Known as the “Paper Brigade,” these men and women smuggled rare books and manuscripts from the YIVO building to the Vilna ghetto—hiding and burying them in hopes they would survive the war. This exhibition showcases the cultural treasures they saved and honors the resistance of the heroes who preserved their culture against all odds.
Rare Books from the Ashes of Vilna
The Strashun Library, founded in 1892, was the first Jewish public library in the world, open to scholars, students, and interested readers. Built on the collection of renowned scholar and bibliophile Rabbi Matisyahu Strashun in the “Jerusalem of Lithuania,” the library housed over 35,000 volumes and became a beacon of Jewish learning until its looting by the Nazis during World War II. Some of the saved books had been hidden in the Vilna ghetto, but many others were seized by the Nazis and shipped to Germany. Fortunately, a significant portion made their way to YIVO in New York after the war.
In 2022, YIVO completed the digitization of these materials as part of a Vilna Online Collections project. Now they are freely available online. Visitors are able to engage with YIVO’s history and collections through Bloomberg Connects, a free arts and culture app. For those unable to visit in person, the digital experience is also accessible at yivo.org/bloombergconnects. For a detailed listing of collections in the YIVO Archives, see the online guide (https://yivoarchives.yivo.org/). Information on YIVO’s archival collections is also searchable in the YIVO catalogue (https://yivoarchives.yivo.org/index.php?p=pages/about_guide).
MCJC BOARD MEETING
The MCJC board will meet on Wednesday, September 9th at 5:30 PM on Zoom. If you wish to attend part of the meetings, please contact Susan Tubbesing for the Zoom address at (707) 962-0565, or susan.tubbesing@gmail.com.
THANKS TO THE MAILERS
Julie and Bob Melendi, and their daughter Amy Easton, prepared the last Megillah for mailing. It was a family affair. If you have family members visiting, this is the perfect project for you. Even if you don’t have visitors, this is fun and productive. If you want to be productive, contact Sarah Nathe (at 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.
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.
TODAH RABAH
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING DONORS:
Donna Weintraub, Myra Beals, Sally & Lee Welty, Kelly & Steve Kalus, Anne O’Leary, Rachele & Zach Hayward, Ronnie James, Laura Goldman & Dennak Murphy, Meadow, Tracy Salkowitz & Rick Edwards, Roberta & David Belson, Kath Disney Nilson, Bob Evans, Donna Weintraub, Margaret Fox-Kump, Fran Schwartz, Suzanne Lampert, Francesca Bikel, Robert & Marcia Popper, Elise Cox, Donna Feiner, Pia Chamberlain, Benna Kolinsky & Daniel Mandelbaum, Donna & David Neumark, Clare Bercot Zwerling, Sydelle Lapidus, Josh & Carolyn Latkin, Alix Sabin & Nancy Drooker.
Dan Azar in memory of Lisa Calvarese Azar
Helen Sizemore in memory of Tal Sizemore
Marilyn Rose in memory of James Blackstock
Richad Louis Miller in honor of Edward Isaac Miller; Richard Louis Miller to the Citizenship Scholarship Project in honor of the Miller Family: Sarana, Evacheska, and Aaron
Please Support Our Generous Underwriters
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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 11:00 am - 8:00 pm at 44951 Ukiah Street, Mendocino, (707) 937-2436. www.frankiesmendocino.com.
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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.
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| 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, Security |
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* |
707-813-7951 | 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 |
