It might be a cold and (hopefully) wet August, but there will be much to do. There certainly won’t be time to hibernate.
Firstly, there is Limmud where everyone can participate for a weekend of fun, learning and re-acquainting with like-minded community members. To cater for the out-of-towners who attend Limmud the following week is the annual Ot Azey immersion class of three days held at the Sea Point branch of CJSA. Don’t miss this fantastic course which caters for beginners, intermediate and advanced Yiddish speakers — it is fun filled and educational and, of course, the meals are plentiful and delicious.
The next week brings the Biennial CJSA Seminar which is going to be really special — the theme is Making the right choices for living the life you want to live and we can assure you that the line-up of presenters is top notch and each presenter will give you the tools to make life even more memorable and worthwhile. Our new Lifestyle Group met for the first time and enjoyed a delicious supper prepared by Hadassah at Marais Road Shul. We were privileged to have had Premier Helen Zille at these evenings and she addressed the guests between courses giving everyone food for thought and graciously answering questions.
We will be hosting our second Lifestyle Evening in August with Rodney Mazinter as guest speaker. We are aiming at the younger senior — the person who is able to make his/her own way to the venue. Someone who would like to make new acquaintances, have stimulating conversation and enjoy varied activities. We are looking at getting groups to visit art galleries or special shows or any suggestions that might come our way which would encourage new membership and support of CJSA. Lifestyle evenings will be hosted bi-monthly.
August is the month that we honour all women. Beryl Eichenberger is addressing all our groups encouraging them to participate in a group sewing project. Members can assist with the project by making yo-yo’s or Suffolk puffs. Once these material circles have completed, they will be sewn together and displayed as a mural at the Artscape. The fabric is a beautiful South African made cotton, so the finished product will certainly be spectacular.
Our caring drivers are always available to lift members who require transport. Please note that it does become a problem when members who do drive request that the driver fetch them. If the driver has to pick up 13 people, it certainly shortens the length of time that members can spend enjoying the outing. We are asking those who still use their own cars to be mindful of this and meet at the centre so that everyone can enjoy the outing and we don’t spend nearly an hour picking up and dropping off each time.
Stay warm and be water wise!
Diana Sochen, Executive Director
