One of the biggest problems with Northern California is that it’s so prohibitively expensive to live here that no one has a vacation house I go stay at, so when I want to spend time in the high Sierras I have to find a place nearby for shabbos or drive 4 or 5 hours back home on erev shabbos, this all changed when I found the Chabad of Folsom. Folsom is at the far western slope of the Sierras along route 50 about 70 miles from Lake Tahoe and within minutes to world class mountain biking in Auburn, Pollock Pines and Nevada City – so naturally I’m grateful to the Grossbaums for welcoming me into their home.
It used to be that I took chabad for granted, I would call them up on road trips and mooch, sure I would throw them a bone – because quite frankly I think it’s rude to use chabad as a hotel and then not give them a donation, but I soon realized that staying at random chabad houses off the beaten path provided the chabad couple with much needed frum face to face time. You see, many chabad couples live so far flung that the only time they get to talk in frum-speak is when the mercaz hashluchim show up to call up the Jewish names in the phone book or when their siblings come for a visit.
I have no idea what to really write here, since it’s highly doubtful that any Jewish folks from Folsom or El Dorado county are even reading this…are they? Well if you happen to be Jewish and interested in learning more about your heritage, eating some darned good food and coming to the first timely chabad minyan I’ve ever been to, then go to the Folsom Chabad. (I say timely because Rabbo Yossi Grossbaum runs a tight ship, he starts at 10am whether or not they have a minyan and keep going until they do – I have sat painfully for hours with a near minyan while the rabbi went outside because apparently that’s how you coax people in attending minyan) Once a month they host a community dinner at their shul off East Bidwell Street and frequently have guests at their home.
All you Jewish women in the Folsom area should be sure check out their fundraising event on August 21st.
The Jewish Women’s Circle presents Celebrating the Jewish Woman in Fashion through the Decades. Buffet lunch and door prizes! Sunday, August 21st at 1:00 pm at the Hampton Inn and Suites 155 Placerville Road, Folsom 95630. Couvert: $25. Please RSVP by August 15th. Visit www.jewishfolsom.org/womenscircle or call 916 608 9811 x 102 to RSVP.
Find out more about chabad on 4torah.com
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