1. 在PTA/UPTC里面，会IT，设计并群发email通知的职位最缺人。这个职位不需要白天去开会，适合双职工家庭。
2. PTA 的executive board 要求每个月能有一次参加例会，可能是早上或者晚上，每个学校不同。还要求一年花至少4-8个小时做具体工作。如果想加入executive board,但不知道自己在里面做什么具体工作，可以每年四五月份写email 给PTA president, 就说你想serve on executive board, 让他们帮你安排具体职位。
3. PTA的executive VP 除了在executive board 上的责任，还会要校长和老师开会。如果是president 会议还会更多。这些会需要围绕着老师和校长的schedule来定时间，一般在白天，所以需要家长时间flexible。
4. 每个学校的book fair基本是最大的活动，也是最大的筹款活动。看到筹集的款项用在了孩子和学校身上，会有巨大的成就感。book fair 时间固定，作为co-chair 开book fair的时候需要至少两整天在学校，在开始之前两天至少需要2个半天，提早几星期还有几次准备会议和工作要做。Baker 有本book fair bible 可以借来参考，按照上面一步步完成，应该不会有错。
5. Stem nights, Bingo nights 花的时间要比book fair少很多，适合没有很多时间的家长。
6. 各种event和会议一定要多参加，老师和校长看到家长，都会感到非常欣慰，觉得自己的努力受到了家长的尊重。在会议上，不一定都要发言，英语不好也没关系，关键在于去了，听了，参与了。
7. South High 的各种晚上的workshop都配有translator, ELL meeting 也是，直接去就行。
8. Shared Decision Committee是个非常好的与老师和校长直接交流的渠道。每个学校开会时间在学校的calendar上，网站上就有。
9. Staff Appreciation Luncheon需要大家多参与，这是一个对老师表示感谢的机会，亚裔家长尤其要多参加，让大家感受到对老师的尊重。英语不好也没关系，可以负责分饭:)
10. 低年级的孩子们和喜欢在学校里看到爸爸妈妈，希望大家能多参加学校各种活动和会议，给孩子树立一个为社区和学校服务的榜样
-----By Kevin Sun
http://ep.worldjournal.com/NY/2018-07-24/C04
7月15日周日下午，大颈华人协会（GNCA）和大颈犹太教会 TIGN（Temple Israel of Great Neck ）进行了以美食文化为主的联谊活动。
本次活动在大颈教育局董事瑞贝卡（Rebecca Sassuni）家举行。民以食为天，美食是不同种族交流的天然纽带。TIGN的拉比 (Rabbi) 和瑞贝卡现场做了两三个犹太传统佳肴，并且讲解了这几道传统美食背后的宗教背景。大颈华人协会的几位成员也大展身手。由于犹太人的饮食禁忌，并不能按照中国人的烹饪习俗，几位厨师花了心思准备食材，迎接挑战并出色的完成了任务。曾倪崇君女士的蒸、炒青菜，杨婉蓉女士的炒饭， 还有王璟女士展示水饺制作过程，大家一起动手现场包水饺，事实证明手艺都不错，没有煮破的。
本次活动在友好的气氛中进行，受到所有人都的好评。大家对彼此的饮食文化都比较感兴趣。 在展示的过程中还会讲一些和食物相关的历史文化背景。 波斯食物是民主的，旨在为大型团体提供家庭风味的食物，犹太人和中华文化有比较相似的地方：很注重家庭观念，和谐美满。
在享受美食的同时，大家还进行了对社区建设的友好交流，热烈讨论怎样共同一起办好大颈社区等等。很多文化本来就是相通的，求同存异，了解才不会误解。
大家都表示，以后这样的相似的活动也可以多一些，今后还可以邀请不同文化背景的人来参加，来带动社区不同族裔的居民之间相互了解。
活动花絮：
在介绍水饺制作过程中，我们还介绍了为什么北京人讲究“短饺子常面”. 对于远方客人或者家人 到来时候我们吃面(特指吃面条)， 因为面条很长， 希望他们能停留很长时间。走的时候一起包饺子 吃饺子。预示下次的相逢很快能到来(短饺子).
为了增加气氛， 我们还特意清洗了一枚硬币包到了一个“幸运饺”里面。 很快有个老爷爷就吃到了。我们恭喜他的同时， 他还兴致勃勃得问 “我的幸运能有多久呢？” 胡萝卜素馅饺子虽然很多人一起包， 橘红色的馅从外面也能看得到。卖相非常好。
有个老奶奶还开玩笑说， 现在她的简历上又可以增加一项， 会包饺子了。大家吃着传统中国美食饺子， 非常开心。
Sharing Culture Through Cooking
By Jacqueline Harounian
The kitchen is the heart of any home. When you have three chefs in the kitchen
-- all experts in preparing their respective cultural cuisines -- then you have a delicious outcome that is full of friendship, connection, and soul.
On July 15, 2018, Rebecca Sassouni hosted a very meaningful gathering on behalf of Temple Israel of Great Neck (TIGN). For one hour, a group of thirty attendees prepared a four course meal, with each course led by one chef: Sassouni prepared a Persian dish of Green Dill Rice with Tahdig; Rabbi Daniel Schweber of TIGN prepared Eastern European Matzo Ball Soup and Challah rolls; and a trio of women, Jing Wang, Else Yung and Alice Ngai Tsang prepared Chinese vegetable dumplings and vegetable rice. Desserts were also multicultural and included Persian chick pea cookies, noghl (sugared almond slivers) , faloodeh (Persian lemon iced sorbet) and Rugelach.
The guests at the event included TIGN synagogue members, as well as members of Great Neck’s Chinese community who came as part of the Great Neck Chinese Association (GNCA). In addition to the cultural groups represented at the event, including Persian, Jewish and Chinese, several attendees also had connections to Great Neck Public Schools, including Sassouni , a school Trustee and Kevin Sun, UPTC.
The first cooking demonstration was by Sassouni, who warmly greeted her guests and showed them how to prepare the dish with layers of basmati rice, caramelized onions, lima beans and cardamom. She explained that Persian food is democratic, and designed to feed large groups and served family style. Great Neck is home to a number of Persian restaurants, which attract appreciative diners from all over Long Island and NYC. One of the most beloved dishes is the crispy crust at the bottom of the rice pot, prepared with with turmeric, oil and potatoes, called tahdig . At the July 15 event, Persian and Chinese attendees connected over the shared appreciation for rice dishes. Kevin Sun remarked, “We have crispy rice in Chinese cooking too! It is very popular with children.” Sassouni agreed: “Tahdig is a delicacy in our cooking too! Many a tooth have been lost because of love of crispy rice.”
As to the overall message of cooking together as a community in her own kitchen, Sassouni said this: "It is often noted that the demographics of Great Neck are changing, but what often goes unsaid is that there are so many opportunities for us to reach out to one another, learn from one another, and welcome the changes.
As a first generation American of Persian and Jewish heritage, I spent many of my formative years feeling like an outsider from American culture. It is only now, as an adult, that I appreciate there are many, many ways to be an American. The more I get to know my Chinese American friends, the more I realize we have in common: concern for our families, education, and yes, great food!"
When it was his turn, Chef Rabbi Daniel Schweber of TIGN led the demonstration for preparing of Matzo Ball soup and Challah bread, which are mainstays of Eastern European Jewish cuisine. He explained that he truly loves to cook for his family, including his wife and two daughters, and he is often called upon to feed them because of his wife’s career as a physician. He explained that although the Sassouni home, the ingredients and utensils used were strictly kosher, he was not going to cover all of the rules of keeping kosher (“kashrut”) due to time restrictions. “Kosher rules are for holiness, not to separate Jews from non-Jews. In this small gathering with GNCA, we can connect more easily. We can share our hearts and souls together.” He added: “In a few days, the Jewish people will mourn the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, which led to 2000 years of exile. Jews have always had to wrestle with the question of how to assimilate in their new countries, but at the same time, to preserve their heritage. This is something we have in common with the other cultural groups that are new in Great Neck.”
The third cuisine that was featured was Chinese vegetarian dumplings and rice, prepared by Wang, Yung and Tsang. These women spent hours expertly preparing the ingredients in Sassouni’s kitchen, after they were monitored for kashrut. Wang demonstrated the technique of folding the dumplings, which were filled with shitake mushrooms and carrots. Toby Katz, a TIGN Trustee from Manhasset remarked: “That’s so similar to how we make Jewish kreplach!” Wang explained the significance of dumplings and noodles in her family. “When I arrive at my mother’s house for a visit, she makes long noodles, in the hopes that my stay will be long. When it is time to leave, she makes dumplings, because they are short.” There were many questions from the attendees about the ingredients and different types of dumplings. Wang offered to distribute printed copies of her Chinese recipes to the attendees. Great Neck is home to a number of popular Asian restaurants, including a kosher Chinese restaurant.
Before the meal was eaten, Rabbi Schweber led the group in a Hebrew recitation of the Hamotzi, the blessing over the Challah bread. Saying a blessing or “Grace” before eating is a common custom bridging many cultures.
Rebecca Sassouni graciously hosted at her beautiful her home and garden for the TIGN cultural exchange event. This was the fourth cultural collaboration between TIGN and GNCA, and the first event in a private home.
The Great Neck Cultural Exchange
During the past year, the Great Neck Cultural Exchange between TIGN and GNCA has had four well attended events. Prior events were an outing at Steppingstone Park in August, 2017, a bowling event in November, 2017, and an ice skating event at Parkwood in March, 2018. The fourth event, on July 15 at Sassouni’s house was the first one held in a private home.
According to Dr. Andi Katz, a TIGN Trustee who attended the bowling event, “Over 100 people attended from all the communities in Great Neck and we had some competitions going. It was multi-generational, with grandparents and grandchildren. A 92 year old woman was one of the bowlers!” Virtually everyone I spoke to about the group’s events was enthusiastic about the connections made among the members. Friendships and mutual understanding have grown. Plans are underway for future events that will bridge Great Neck’s diverse communities. To find out more, email:
Rebecca Chu was among the smiling attendees at the cooking event. Chu took many photos and shared it with others. She spoke for herself and others when she stated: “I am sure we all learned a lot from each other, how to make food and the history behind it. You can feel people's interest, appreciation and the friendly atmosphere. Thank you again!”
