VOS Member Contribution & Volunteer Opportunitestion & Volunteer Opportunites
VOS Member Contribution,Groups & Volunteer Opportunites
Thank you for thinking about volunteering with VOS! We are grateful for your participation toward community in reach and outreach. You can participate one time, or as often as you like. Like the movement of a butterfly’s wings, the Mitzvah you do with us makes a positive difference in the lives of many.
If you would like to help with any of our established committees and/or projects, please contact the listed representative for each offering.
VOS Volunteers doing Outreach ~ Someone's day will be brighter!
Meaningful Creative Projects!
Butterfly Project 
An Intermittent Project
We promote and support The Butterfly Project ("TBP") (https://thebutterflyprojectnow.org/), whose goal is to paint and display one butterfly for every child lost in the Holocaust. This hands-on group helps prepare butterfly kits for TBP and assists in growing our VOS butterfly display. If you would like to be notified of opportunities to help, please email Julie Goren.
Julie Goren
jgoren9048@gmail.com.
Crafters Club
Members can independently sew animal pillows for post op Shriner hospital patients and knit and crochet lap blankets for patients at a rehabilitation center in the West Valley. Each member delivers their goods to Jean Cord, Co-Chair.
Laurie Alban, Co-chair
Jean Cord, Co-chair
818-340-3394
Tribute Cards
Remember a friend extraordinarily by paying them tribute. The tribute will be listed in the VOS Outreach Newsletter, and a beautiful handcrafted tribute card will be mailed to the person receiving the honor. The Tribute card artwork is done by VOS member Betsy Shore. Please get in touch with Beverly to request a tribute card.
Beverly Nisenson, Tribute Coordinator
818-360-2597
Put a Mitzvah on Your Schedule!
Bereavement
The Valley Outreach Synagogue bereavement committee is available to families who are experiencing the loss of a loved one. Our goal is to help the family prepare the home on the day of the funeral and assist with the guests that go back to the shiva house after. Prior to the day of the funeral, I meet with the families so that we understand the needs and wants of the bereaved. The volunteers who join our committee are asked to spend a couple of hours to help receive the food and set it out. We help the family so they can engage with guests and needn’t worry about the food or other tasks, which we hope helps in some way making the family get through the difficult time for at least that day.
Marlene Frierson, Bereavement Chairperson
mmarni@juno.com
Feed the Hungry - Conejo Valley CURRENTLY NOT ACTIVE SINCE COVID
Please help us feed the hungry community in Conejo Valley! VOS brings lunches for the Harbor House Shelter community every other month. The community is in great need of our help during this time!
You can easily sign up to bring lunches to drop off, your food will go directly to those in need that very day!
Items to donate:
-Individual lunches in brown paper bags: Include in the lunch: peanut butter/jelly or either salami/ ham/turkey and cheese sandwich, granola bar, and chips.
-Any of the following snacks: raisins, cookies, nuts, or jerky.
-Feel free to bring extra snack bags if you have them
-Drinks: water bottles, milk boxes, juice boxes
-Fruits: bags of apples, pears, or oranges
Drop off for the specified day is from 4:00-4:30. There is no contact with other people, the table is outside of a church in Thousand Oaks, just drop off and go.
If you cannot drop them off at the specified time and place, please contact Dana Gelick to deliver your items for you.
Keep an eye out for the VOS monthly email blasts for “Feeding The Hungry”, and register to sign up on the signup genius provided in the email. The next feeding of the hungry is in the month of May. Thank you for supporting this important mitzvah!
Dana Gelick, Chairperson
Feed the Hungry, Conejo Valley
danagelick@sbcglobal.net
Feed The Hungry-East Valley CURRENTLY NOT ACTIVE SINCE COVID
San Fernando Valley Family Shelter-Northridge
The Feed the Hungry program is an outreach program that allows temple members to do a mitzvah in the community. The impact is enormous. The Family Shelter in Northridge houses families with school-aged children who are experiencing food and housing issues. Families live at the shelter and receive counseling, classes for the parents, and other support that will eventually lead to their living on their own and supporting their children. Once we are able to return to the shelter, we bring in dinner, plate the meals, and serve everyone. Best of all, we sit and enjoy the dinner together and schmooze and get to know one another.
Marlene Frierson, Chairperson
Feed the Hungry, East Valley
mmarni@juno.com
Membership Committee
What Does The Membership Team Do?
Our team supports VOS members and listens to the ideas of our members. We work together to create and strengthen our thriving, growing community:
- We welcome new members and help them get acquainted with the community
- We host the annual new member welcome reception
- We have a Membership Partner Program to learn from each other, and foster engagement and friendships with all our members
- We host outreach events during the year
- We greet the congregation at Shabbat service
We welcome your participation!
Annie Sperling, VP Membership
anniesperling279@gmail.com
Mitzvah Committee
Tikkun Olam – to repair a broken world – Is there any better way to help do that than by performing a Mitzvah – Acts of kindness, giving of yourself, reaching out in our communities and within the VOS family with little steps to help make the world a better place. Here are a few events that we have done, and hope to do again in the future:
- On Mitzvah Day, November of every year, we will be out in the community Walking Orphan Dogs, Singing at the Jewish Home, participating in a Blood Drive at VOS, and helping the Jewels program with many mitzvah projects for the community including writing notes to men and women in the service.
- SOVA food drives twice a year.
- Shoes that Fit, helps to provide shoes for elementary school children.
- Feed the Hungry at the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission.
We hope that you will come join the wonderful volunteers on the Mitzvah Committee!
Marlene Frierson, VP Mitzvah - mmarni@juno.com 818-606-4028
Operation Interdependence is a 501(c)(3) based in CO. We send notes, unused hotel toiletry items, candy, and other treats to our troops. We get requisitions from U.S. commanding officers throughout the world.
Want to get involved? VOS members and kids can write notes at home; donate candy or boxes of individual packs of hot chocolate, oatmeal, or granola bars; individually sealed packs of sticks of gum (popular item as it relieves stress); wrapped tea bags, packets of sugar. And we always need funds for mailing costs. These are tough times for everyone including our service people and they need our support.
Barbara Granowitz, OI Coordinator
818-912-6063
Tot Shabbat
Tot Shabbat is a special program for children, parents, and grandparents to experience Shabbat in a fun and exciting way. We teach the beauty of Judaism and Jewish pride in a warm and welcoming environment. Participants learn about the customs and traditions of Shabbat and enjoy celebrating the holiday with songs, art, stories, games, and music with Wendy on the guitar. Parents and grandparents enjoy a meaningful and memorable experience with their kids and grandkids and everyone is welcome to come. Visitors and volunteers are encouraged to attend and help the children with their art projects or just be there to observe and participate. Tot Shabbat takes place the hour before our services and we hope that everyone can join us for this special and unique program. Please contact Judy Gaffin if you would like to volunteer.
Share a Story with the Congregation!
Outreach Newsletter CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A VOLUNTEER TO LEARN HOW TO PRODUCE THE NEWSLETTER
The Outreach newsletter is delivered on the first of each month by email or in print by special request. Each month it reflects thoughts from our Clergy, community news, and upcoming events, and it recognizes contributions, tributes, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
We would welcome your story of interest. Please submit a story or news happening that would interest our community. The deadline for submission is the 20th of each month. Please contact Johanna Spira if you have an article that you would like to share with VOS congregants!
Johanna Spira
johspira@att.net or 818-882-6866
Help with our Biggest Fundraiser of the Year!
GALA event
The Valley Outreach Synagogue’s event to honor the outstanding volunteers for the year is presented at our annual GALA event. The event is also one of our major fundraising projects. Many volunteers are needed for planning, set up, phone calls/,emails, registration, marketing, auction, and many other activities that put together this fun and magnificent event. Please call to volunteer for this amazing event.
Denise Horowitz denise.horowitz@icloud.com 818-497-506
Help Us with the VOS High Holy Days!
High Holy Days
There are many parts to the puzzle that come together for our fabulous High Holy day services. Getting the services set up, seat assignments, ushers, providing books for the services, and much coordination working with religious practices and others involved.
Stan Taub
818-219-8282
High Holy Day Ushers
Volunteer ushers are needed for our High Holy Day Services. During these last couple of years, in addition, to assisting members in seating, Covid checking is part of the task.
Lenny Horowitz
213-200-1324
High Holy Days - Sova food collection
Stewart personally provides the truck and has the labor for the SOVA food collection at the High Holy Day site. Donations of food are definitely needed and can be brought to services at the day and times provided prior to services.
Stewart Epstein
818-266-9846
Adult Education Task Force
At VOS, we encourage lifelong learning in order to deepen knowledge of our Jewish tradition, increase self-awareness through a lens of Jewish values and strengthen spiritual connection. We offer a variety of classes and workshops based on our congregants’ interests. The Adult Education Task Force helps to schedule, implement and publicize programming.
Susi Weissman, Co-chair
Annie Sperling, Co-chair
AdultEducation@vosla.org
Education Intermittent volunteer Help Needed
Jewish education is a lifelong journey meant to inspire commitment, passion, and pride in being Jewish. VOS JEWELS education offers opportunities for people of all ages to find personal meaning, intellectual stimulation, and community connection through our rich Jewish heritage founded on Jewish wisdom and ethics, Hebrew literacy, and service. We are supported by a team of passionate lay leaders and committed volunteers. Please contact Carla Adivi if you would like to learn more about our education programs or opportunities to volunteer.
Carla Adivi, Director of Life Long Learning
cadivi@vosla.org
Event Sales Coordinator
The event sales coordinator is in charge of renting the temple for Bar and Bat Mitzvah Services, Parties, and Kiddush lunches. They handle all the paperwork and coordination with families for events taking place at VOS.
They are an overseer on the day of events. For example, a Saturday morning service arrival time is 8:00 am for families to start pictures at 8:30 am.
If needed, the event sales coordinator would provide assistance to the vendors for lunch or a party during setup. For evening events the coordinator arrives at 1:00 p.m. and stays until 11:30 p.m.
For a service, the event coordinator would open the doors and wait until the service is over to leave.
It is a one-person job. I would like someone to volunteer to be my backup event coordinator at events when I can’t be there. You must be able and willing to help with setting up a party.
These services are complementary to our members, and sometimes the member will provide a donation to the temple in appreciation.
Claudine Pelc, Event Sales Coordinator
clpelc@gmail.com
Mount Sinai - burial plot and services
This role is to communicate to congregants, that when choosing burial services, please mention VOS when meeting with the Mount Sinai salesperson. Upon purchase, the cemetery will donate a portion to the temple.
Bob Zonshine, VOS representative
bobzonshine@me.com or 818-438-6894
David Shanbrom, VOS representative
davidshanbrom@yahoo.com
VOS Security
How VOS determines our security needs are based on following the guidelines from the Community Security Initiative of the Jewish Federation. CSI provides training sessions which we are now requesting our office staff and teachers attend. VOS is secured with doors locked, except during Friday night services where we employ 2 licensed armed security guards. We are equipped with video surveillance. During the COVID pandemic, our task force set the rules and guidelines to be followed according to the CDC and City/County of Los Angeles guidelines. When children are present we have a licensed armed security guard.
Jackie Berg, Director of VOS Administration
VPAdmin@vosla.org
Sunshine Committee
Committee members are initially trained by Rabbi Sara to help cheer and comfort temple members with cards of support, sympathy, and phone calls.
Harvey and Sue Magidow, Co-chairs
805-750-0345
Yahrzeit board mangement
This is a one-person committee the job is to set up the biography for the interactive yahrzeit board in the lobby. It is a bio and 6 pictures. A member can donate to have a plaque in someone's memory or upgrade to the yahrzeit interactive board in someone's memory.
Karen Lavin, Yahrzeit Manager
KarenL@vosla.org
VOS Social Clubs, Find Your Match!
Brotherhood
We're a group of like-minded, career-focused family men who've chosen VOS as our synagogue. We get together multiple times per year in an effort to simply connect and foster relationships with our fellow members. There are no obligations to becoming part of the Brotherhood. All that is asked is that when you do come to an event, you have a good time.
Join the VOS Brotherhood!
Contact Adam Sussman, Brotherhood Coordinator
alsussman@gmail.com
Chavurah Coordinator
Participating in Chavurah is a wonderful way for members to be involved in synagogue life. It is an opportunity for building treasured friendships with other VOS members. The Chavurah Coordinator places applicants into a Chavurot and is the resource for newly formed chavurot, and acts as a liaison between a chavurah and the synagogue.
Anne Sperling, Chavurah Coordinator
anniesperling279@gmail.com
Men's Club
The men’s club is a group of 60+-year-old members of Valley Outreach Synagogue. Their main focus is supporting the synagogue financially and in any other way they can while building camaraderie and friendship among the members. They have an annual casual gala, hike together, and participate in community outreach. The group meets at 6:30 PM, the 1st Thursday of the month at the home of Bob Brandt….dinner included! Membership is always welcomed.
Bob Brandt, Men’s Club President
818-535-0067
Singles
The Singles program at VOS is a unique opportunity for singles to meet and get to know each other. We have plans to gather for social activities, fun small group outings, interactive game nights, parties, educational programs, and much more. The group is designed for 50+ and everyone is welcome, including non-temple members. Come meet your soulmate and be a part of a great group of friends. Volunteer opportunities are available for planning, program ideas, setup, and more. Please contact Wendy Levenson if you would like to be involved or volunteer for the VOS Singles.
Wendy Levenson, Singles Coordinator
wendylev@sbcglobal.net
Sisterhood
Our Sisterhood has wonderful monthly meetings and events. We welcome new members at any time of the year.
Judy Handelman, Sisterhood President
818-594-0450
