kol shalom for members and friends of Mishkan Shalom September 2013-Elul/Tishri 5774 Inside this Issue Welcoming our Rabbi ............page 1 .......................... Rabbi's Letter page 2 .................. Jewish Mindfulness page 4 .......... Congregational School page 5 .................... President's Letter page 6 .................................... Adult Ed page 8 .......................... Celebrations page 10 ..................................... Library page 11 ........................................ Poem page 12 Avodah .....................................page 13 B'nai Mitzvah ..........................page 15 ...................... Shalom Center page 17 ...................................... Yahrzeits page 18 ....................... Acts of Caring page 19 Yamim Nora'im .......................page 20 ............................................. T'filot page 21 Mishkan Shalom joyfully welcomes Rabbi Shawn Israel Zevit, http://www.rabbizevit.com, as its new lead rabbi. Rabbi Shawn, originally from Canada, lived in Philadelphia from 1993-2008—until his recent return from Cleveland, Ohio, where he has lived with his partner, Rabbi Simcha Zevit and step-son Noah. Rabbi Shawn is a member of the Board of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, a consultant, liturgist and recording artist with five CDs of original music, founding member of the Philadelphia-based Shabbat Unplugged, a community organizer, faculty and Associate Director of the ALEPH Hashpaah (Spiritual Direction) Training Program, Co-Director of the Davvenen Leaders Training Institute, editor and author of Brother Keepers: New Essays in Jewish Masculinity, Offerings of the Heart: Money and Values in Faith Community and numerous other articles and publications. A condensed schedule for the Nora'im Yamim services is published in the K ol Shalom. For more detailed information, please consult your recent mailing. We wish Rabbi Shawn great simḥa in his new position and extend hopes of a Happy New Year to you all. Shawn Zevit, New Lead Rabbi, Conducts High Holy Day Services Mak'helat Michael, the Mishkan Shalom Community Choir will have its first practice on Tuesday, September 17, from 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. in the Chapel under the new directorship of Miriam Davidson. Miriam is the Artistic Director of Anna Crusis Women's Choir, the longest running feminist choir in the country, a contemporary folk performer, songwriter, instrumentalist, arranger and church choir director. Her professional performing career began in 1995 in the grassroots folk-indie movement, where she co-founded the singer- songwriter duo, Wishing Chair. Wishing Chair has toured extensively throughout the US and over the years she has honed her singing, songwriting, arranging, producing, instrumentalist and managerial skills. Wishing Chair has garnered many awards from both the folk and LGBTQ community. With Wishing Chair, Miriam has recorded eight CDs, several of which have won national awards. In 2008, Miriam began her choral directing career as the Music Director of the Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in South Carolina, and after moving to Philadelphia 2010, became choral director for the Unitarian Congregation of West Chester, PA. She also directs the National Women's Music Festival Chorus. Miriam served as associate director and head of the songwriting department for the National Guitar Workshop in New Milford, CT Choir Begins New Year with New Director Miriam Davidson continued on page 4
Transcript
kol shalomfor membersand friendsof Mishkan Shalom
September 2013-Elul/Tishri 5774
Inside this Issue
Welcoming our Rabbi ............ page 1
..........................Rabbi's Letter page 2
..................Jewish Mindfulness page 4
..........Congregational School page 5
....................President's Letter page 6
....................................Adult Ed page 8
Mishkan Shalom joyfully welcomes Rabbi Shawn Israel Zevit, http://www.rabbizevit.com, as its new lead rabbi. Rabbi Shawn, originally from Canada, lived in Philadelphia from 1993-2008—until his recent return from Cleveland, Ohio, where he has lived with his partner, Rabbi Simcha Zevit and step-son Noah. Rabbi Shawn is a member of the Board of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, a consultant, liturgist and recording artist with five CDs of original music, founding member of the Philadelphia-based Shabbat Unplugged, a community organizer, faculty and Associate Director of the ALEPH Hashpaah (Spiritual Direction) Training Program, Co-Director of the Davvenen Leaders Training Institute, editor and author of Brother Keepers: New Essays in Jewish Masculinity, Offerings of the Heart: Money and Values in Faith Community and numerous other articles and publications. A condensed schedule for the Nora'im Yamim services is published in the Kol Shalom. For more detailed information, please consult your recent mailing. We wish Rabbi Shawn great simḥa in his new position and extend hopes of a Happy New Year to you all.
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Shawn Zevit, New Lead Rabbi,Conducts High Holy Day Services
Mak'helat Michael, the Mishkan Shalom Community Choir will have its first practice on Tuesday, September 17, from 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. in the Chapel under the new directorship of Miriam Davidson.
Miriam is the Artistic Director of Anna Crusis Women's Choir, the longest running feminist choir in the country, a contemporary folk performer, songwriter, instrumentalist, arranger and church choir director. Her professional performing career began in 1995 in the grassroots folk-indie movement, where she co-founded the singer-songwriter duo, Wishing Chair. Wishing Chair has toured extensively throughout the US and over the years she has honed her singing, songwriting, arranging, producing, instrumentalist and managerial skills. Wishing Chair has garnered many awards from both the folk and LGBTQ community. With Wishing Chair, Miriam has recorded eight CDs, several of which have won national awards.
In 2008, Miriam began her choral directing career as the Music Director of the Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in South Carolina, and after moving to Philadelphia 2010, became choral director for the Unitarian Congregation of West Chester, PA. She also directs the National Women's Music Festival Chorus.
Miriam served as associate director and head of the songwriting department for the National Guitar Workshop in New Milford, CT
Choir Begins New Year with New DirectorMiriam Davidson
Dear Hevre (Friends),I am so excited and feel blessed to be serving as your new lead rabbi. I am familiar with Mishkan Shalom and know some of you through my many years living in Philadelphia, where I moved in 1993 from Toronto, Canada, to begin my rabbinic training at RRC. I also know
some of you as my friends and colleagues in the community, consulting to your leadership as the former Director of Congregational Services and Tikkun Olam for our movement, and participating in inspiring Mishkan programs over the years. I have been delighted to meet others of you during the candidacy process and since then, and look forward to getting to know all of you in the course of Holy Days and months ahead.
In my many years representing the Reconstructionist Movement over the years, I often cited the Mishkan Statement of Principles based on Avodah, Torah, and G'milut Ḥasadim as exemplary, and many communities within and beyond our movement have been inspired to do likewise by our example. In addition our core values that include a focus on Israel and Israel-Palestine, the city of Philadelphia, a commitment to diversity, LGBTQ inclusivity, welcoming intermarried and multicultural households, and our Community Process are values that speak deeply to me and drew me here.I offer gratitude and honor the contributions of my predecessors, founding and Emeritus Rabbi Brian Walt, Rabbi Jeff Sultar and Rabbi Linda Holtzman. I look forward to growing with you in my spiritual leadership as I, and we as a clergy, staff and lay leader team, serve and engage our community in the healing and rebuilding ahead. I want to thank the Search Committee, co-chaired by Margaret Lenzi and Steve Jones, and our passionate and tireless Board, led by David Piver, our President, for the exemplary search and interview process they conducted and with your support as a community, offering me the position as your lead rabbi. I am also excited by the opportunity to work with my friend and inspiring colleague of many years, Rabbi Yael Levy, as well as Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, Rivka Jarosh, Maria Paranzino and our newest staff member, Gari Weilbacher, who are also part of the staff and leadership team. Many of us have also worked together other in various capacities over the years.
One of my goals this first year is to create more connectivity, collaboration and cross-pollination
between our wonderful staff, lay leaders, educators and volunteers, both inter-personally and programmatically. Along with expanding new and returning membership possibilities, I would like to see us increase levels of participation in and leadership of our programs, Shabbat services and Shabbat experience, and integrated social justice work through our membership in POWER and my participation in their clergy group,as well as reinvigorating sustainability consciousness and action at Mishkan Shalom.
I have been met with enthusiasm and excitement by many who are also wishing to attract new members and engage in the welfare of the broader Jewish and Philadelphia community.
I am aware of the many challenges of the last few years and the work that lies ahead for us to re-balance, re-envision and renew our communal covenant. As with every transition, there can be joy in newfound capabilities, creative potential and possibilities, as well as distress and stress around change, real and perceived loss, and uncertainty about the future. It takes healing, deep listening and relationship building based on middot kedoshot (sacred values and actions) to lift principles off the page and embody, or re-integrate them into day to day lived socially conscious and activist spiritual life.
Some of these deep Jewish values can be found in a variety of our existing policies and practices:· Kavannah, mindfulness and attention to our thoughts
and actions;· Rachmanut, compassion for each other and our
families· Kedushah, holiness;· Kehillah, community;· Haḥnast Orhim, welcoming guests;· Tikkun Olam, repair of the world;· Tzedakah, righteousness and sharing resources;· Bal Tashḥit, avoiding waste and destruction
(Stewardship)As our Torah calls out to us in Exodus, Chapter 25:
“V'asu li mikdash v'shaḥanti b'toḥam,” build me a sanctuary and I will dwell in them (not in "it"). We must claim and nurture these middot, and others including: ahavah (love), kavod (respect), and toḥeḥah (behavioral course correction), if we are to reclaim a synergy and integrated approach to living our foundational Statement of Principles as a vibrant spiritual activist community. (see http://mishkan.org/principles.html).
We are not only coming together in a time of rabbinic and communal transition. We are coming
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together as a faith community in the midst of a larger Jewish and cultural sea change, and during the most profound individual and collective soul searching time of the Jewish year. We will have the opportunity to explore how we as a sacred collective can realize our potential as we listen deeply to the call of the moment and answer “Hineni”.
The word Hineni, –meaning “Here I am!”– is spoken in Torah as the response to a Divine call. It is not only a matter of "getting present" so-to-speak. It is a call to consciousness and conscience. We prepare ourselves to take action, to engage in the world in the myriad of social, environmental, economic, and spiritual issues of our time, while at the same time engaging in the spiritual practices, community organizing and lifelong learning that keep us grounded and ideally provide a foundation of compassion and commitment to take the inner journey and external issues of our day. I am very excited and hopeful about where we will journey together, building on the strengths of the past, healing and rebuilding where we need to, and re-energizing and re-visioning our direction forward.
The work that is called for is the work of the High Holy Days: Teshuvah, Tefillah Tzedakah, self-Repair, Vulnerability and Honest Connection with Divinity in the World and loving acts that restore justice. The work starts right here, starts right now, with us, with me, within. The world within and the world outside of our experience are not separate. You cannot frack the planet and remain un-shattered within the deep aquifers of the soul. We, as the sacred community of Mishkan, know well what the ancient Jewish call of tikkun means– Hanefesh v'Olam. We must cultivate a life of prayerful consciousness and we must, as Heschel reminds us, pray with our feet as well. Change is a natural process in any living relationship. Like personal and organizational development, the way we approach change, and the value system we uphold in keeping compassionately in connection with each other will have a great impact on how and whether differences, fears, hopes and expectations are acknowledged and integrated. There are always growth pains. As Rabbi Rami Shapiro states in his book Minyan (p. 187):
If you are serious about your spiritual practice you will recognize community and synagogue to be a testing ground for your maturation. Can you maintain clarity of focus and gentleness of spirit in the face of political hassles and hostilities? It is a good measure of your spiritual development.
We all try to do a lot with a little. Our potential has only begun to be realized. I believe we have the opportunity to reclaim, renew and create afresh a dynamic, active and activist sacred community, a true kehillah kedoshah. As Dr. David Teutsch wrote in “Creating a Community of Commitment” Reconstructionism Today, Spring, 1996:
We can create communities of commitment. Becoming a Kehillah Kedoshah, a holy community is an aspiration that can deepen and brighten our lives. If we want greater meaning in…life; if we want it to provide the type of guidance that we know we really need; if we want to be attractive to future generations; if we want to be authentic in our own time and in the light of generations that have gone before us, then it is time to think about the steps we want to take on the journey toward holiness, and toward mutual commitment of community. Those are the echoes I hope we hear whenever we hear the extraordinary Biblical pronouncement, “You shall be holy for I your God am holy..”
My heartfelt prayer for all of us is that the journey we are taking together will help us lay the foundation for a year in which we become more of who we can be, engage the world as emissaries for social change and social justice, heal the hurts in ourselves and those we have contributed to in others, and find in this loving community, God's presence in our lives and in the world around us.
Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan teaches us that God is the Process that makes for our ultimate self/communal realization. I can think of no other community where I would rather lead and co-create a dynamic Judaism that is committed to that Process. Shanah Tovah U'Mitukah, a very sweet and transformative New Year.(For more information about Rabbi Shawn see http://mishkan.org/rabbi-shawn-zevit-liturgist-singer-writer-teacher-advisor-to-jewish-communities)
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Dear Friends,The Psalmist calls out: Sing a new song, Sing a song of well being,Sing a song of joy. 8
Psalm 33:3
This is my intention and this is my prayer.
As we welcome 5774 together, may we open ourselves to the joy and possibilities of a new beginning. May we renew our connections with each other with love and generosity. May we make a commitment to see and call out the best in each other. May we look upon each other with kindness and compassion. May we appreciate each other's efforts. May we be slow to anger and quick to forgive.
And may we remember that each of us is doing the best we can in each moment—as my teacher Sylvia Boorstein says—if we could be doing better in each moment, of course we would be.
It is with heart felt devotion and enthusiasm that I look forward to this New Year. I am very excited to be working with Rabbi Shawn Zevitt. His spirit soars with music, intention and prayer and I am very excited about
the gifts he is bringing to the community. Shawn and I are having a wonderful time preparing for the High Holy Days and I am trusting that these experiences will create a fertile and joy filled foundation for all that will come to be. It is also wonderful to welcome Gari Weilbacher to the Mishkan staff. Gari brings clarity, vision, openness, humor and a deep understanding of organizational dynamics. Her gifts will lift us up and help show us the way forward.
As we enter this New Year, may we acknowledge the pain and hurts of the year that has been and encourage each other to seek reconnection and understanding. For the way in which I have missed the mark and caused pain and contention I ask for forgiveness and will seek to make amends.
This is a new year, a new beginning. So much is possible, so much that together we can build, create and be.
May we sing a new song.A song of well-being,A song of joy.
Shana Tovah—A new year of good health and peace
Shalom, Rabbi Yael
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for thirteen years where she helped to develop instructional books for their summer music program. During that time she acted as an editor, transcriber, music engraver and layout editor. She has written two books for Alfred Publishing: Songwriting for Beginners, co-authored with Kiya Heartwood, and Teach Yourself to Play Accordion as part of their very popular ‘Teach Yourself ’ series.
Miriam grew up in the Philly area where she got her musical chops from her musician mom and cantor dad, Charles and Frances Davidson.
Miriam is thrilled to be associated with the fabulous family of singers at Mishkan and invites all who are interested in singing to come join Mak'helat Micha'el. No experience is necessary and all are welcome. Email Miriam at [email protected].
Dear Mishkan Shalom Community, L'shanah Tovah and welcome back to another year at our synagogue. The synagogue is busy with the holidays. We are excited about welcoming Rabbi Shawn and Gari to our staff and feel good about the changes for our new year. We, at the school, are
looking forward to a new year with a few changes. Our first day will be on Sunday, September 15. We will be going back to our old time of 9:30:00-12:00 p.m. on Sundays. Our first Wednesday will be on September 18 and we will continue to meet at 6:15 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Our school is starting out a little smaller. This year will be the first year that we have combined classes and will put the fourth and fifth grades together. Other than that, we will have our wonderful faculty returning. Gabrielle Kaplan Mayer will continue as Gan, Aleph and Bet (K,1,2) teacher on Sunday mornings. Julia Weekes will continue as Gimel (3rd grade) teacher. David Acker has taken on the Dalet/Hay class (4th/ 5th). We have redesigned our curriculum for that group so that it meets the need of a combined class. I will return to teaching the Vav class (6th grade). Ariel Zazlav, who had the Vav class last year, has agreed to take on the Zayin class this year (7th grade) I will write, in other articles, about our curricula.
I am very excited to tell you about some special activities starting this year. First of all, one of our most
active school parents, Lisa Moss, has taken on organizing a Flea Market at Mishkan Shalom on September 22, from 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Mishkan members are welcome to sell with our Mishkan table or to set up their own tables. The Flea Market is open to the whole neighborhood and beyond and everyone is welcome to come and buy. This will be a fundraiser for the school basically. But ultimately it will help the synagogue to see the school fully funded.
A special activity especially for children will also begin this year. We will be starting a social group for children 8-12 years old. The idea of the group is for kids to have more opportunity to get to know each other. In the Mishkan tradition, every other month will be a Tikkun Olam activity and every other month will be a social activity. Our first activity will be on Oct. 27, where will have a picnic and sports activities at Blue Bell park from 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.. The students there will find a name for this group. We will be connecting with other congregations during the year to do these fun activities and to get to know other children in the Philadelphia area. I hope all your kids will join us.
Finally, many of the adults, parents and visitors have enjoyed our assemblies. We will be returning to once a month whole school assemblies and once a month by age assemblies. I will also include the time of assemblies in the calendar of the Kol Shalom.
I am looking forward to seeing everyone during the holidays. Anyone that has a school related question is welcome to call me at 610.247.6312. Ḥag Sameaḥ and welcome to a new year.
Rivka Jarosh
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Many Accomplishments in the Past YearBearing Fruit and Celebrations for the High Holy Days
Mishkan Shalom starts the New Year with much to be hopeful about, much to give us pause and fill us with
gratitude. We have taken huge strides in the implementation of the turn-around proposal for Mishkan—a new lead rabbi with very strong organizational skills, a relentless mentor to other congregations through the U.S., proven wisdom as a leader in the Reconstructionist Movement through his writings, teaching and musicality, and a soulful, tender, kind and utterly delightful man.
Shawn Israel Zevit is an awesome soul and a tremendous asset to Mishkan Shalom. We have new extraordinary rabbinic leadership. Rabbi Shawn led Shabbat Services on August 3, as the new lead rabbi, with a standing room only celebration joined by many former and new members. That night at Ellen and Abby's home, the preliminary welcoming celebration continued with music, treats and a very soulful Havdalah Service.
Plans are in the works for a community-wide installation celebration next spring to welcome Rabbi Shawn formally and to celebrate the new covenant of leadership drafted into the very fabric of our contract with Rabbi Shawn and available on the Mishkan website for review and comment. Please contact Ellen Tichenor ([email protected]) to participate in the installation planning festivities. Please also call or email Rabbi Shawn to meet and welcome him and to be met and greeted by our extraordinarily wise and insightful new lead rabbi. One of our main goals for the year ahead is to grow the membership numbers which have been dwindling in the past few years. This challenge presents the opportunity to all current members to reach out to former members and to prospective new members and invite them into the comfort of Mishkan Shalom and the new ambiance we are developing. With these collaborative efforts we will realize our shared dream of a vibrant sacred community with soulful nourishing prayer, celebrations and exceptional works in the community of repair of
the world. It can only be enjoyed and created with the participation of our membership and the enthusiastic growth of membership by inviting and welcoming others into the tent.
We have entered into a new covenant with Rabbi Yael as well, as part of the design of revitalization of Mishkan Shalom and the plan that included rabbinical support services. Rabbi Yael, amongst her other rabbinical support activities, will be leading two decidedly Reconstructionist “Mindfulness Shabbatot:” jointly sponsored by Mishkan Shalom and A Way In (AWI). The synergy of the A Way In activities at Mishkan Shalom is on target to bring more vibrancy to our services throughout the year. Please join me in expressing gratitude to Rabbi Yael for her visionary work at Mishkan and nationally expanding work with AWI. Her leadership in this burgeoning movement brings great energy and promise into the mix of wonderful activities in the coming year.
We hired and have begun working with Gari Weilbacher, our new Development and Communications Coordinator, another of the goals the community spoke to and the Board listened to and which is turning into a wonder hire already. Gari will be working half-time and doing activities that lead to increased visibility and growth of the Mishkan membership. Check out her website for one dynamic communicator or contact her at [email protected] for opportunities collaborating with Gari to get more involved in supporting Mishkan's efforts to develop and communicate who we are and grow our membership and thus our vitality.
We have achieved substantial cost reductions that strengthen the financial health of the community for the coming years. Through the tireless work of Doron Henkin , our treasurer, our mortgage has been renegotiated at an annual savings of tens of thousands of dollars. Reach out to Doron to lend support and be of collaborative service to the community in contributing to activities that enhance the financial vitality of Mishkan Shalom further.
The new slate of Board members, including Steve Perkiss and John Schapiro, was adopted last night as well. Dayanu! Rotating off the Board are Janet Garrison, Lisagail Zeitlin and Jean Brody, who each served with great distinction and dedication to the community. Yea! Please thank them for their service!
It is an exciting and rejuvenating time at Mishkan Shalom. It has been a year of searching of the congregation's soul through many activities. This has included a plethora of activities throughout the community since the current board began its cycle of open, creative
leadership. This board is comprised of an exceptionally dedicated and talented team conjured into being through last year's recognition that we have serious financial issues and that we are a spiritual community worth dedicating resources and considerable efforts to rectifying. The first action of the Board was to resolve the contract negotiations with Rabbi Linda and provide her with the much deserved complete support and vote of confidence that this board believed was in the best interest of Mishkan Shalom. This included finding additional funds from the Board, not from the Mishkan budget, to pay the full salary to Rabbi Linda as reflecting the full confidence and full faith deserved after prior years in which she was paid less than a full time salary for the full time efforts Rabbi Linda nonetheless brought to her position as Senior Rabbi. In recognition of her generosity and love for the community, this board wanted to be sure that Rabbi Linda knew that she had the full Board support. Three main goals were identified as critical objectives for the year including growth of the membership, increasing participation of the existing membership and securing financial enhancement of the financial footing of Mishkan Shalom. The Board has come to embody the excitement, dedication and the belief in the principals of Mishkan Shalom and has been pursuing and supporting actions to achieve these goals in a timely manner. Based on our budget realities, many Board meetings, meetings with the rabbis and much research, and based on several community meetings and innumerable conversations with membership, the board formulated a staffing structure which we believe best addresses these needs based on our actual available resources. The staffing structure, and the impact on our current rabbis, was discussed amongst the community for much of the March 6, 2013,
community meeting and was given a vote of confidence by a substantial majority of the community attending the community meeting. It was a very special meeting! Rabbi Mordechai Liebling offered an opening prayer reminding us that we are a Mishkan of Peace, Mishkan of Shalom. His call for "peace in the Mishkan" set the intention to listen kindly and to speak with each other in deep awareness of the Shalom. As we sat in a circle, as a community, we both expressed sadness for the changes of rabbinic leadership such a proposal would require if adopted, and to also inspire one another in a spirit of peace to embrace an exciting new future together. The circle literally embodied a new shape for our community. The circle expressed the dynamic of the board genuinely being a manifestation and collaborative efforts of Mishkan Shalom. Many voices were passionately shared as we listened with open hearts and open minds to the voices of grief, hope and wisdom woven together as the sacred loving community we are and to rejoice in being in sacred community. Many elders and leaders of the community spoke for unity and trust in the community process that the board and community has engaged in over the past year coming out of the turn around committee work. We paused, as a community, just before the sacred act of voting was to be shared. We breathed and listened within to the many points of view that were shared in the past years and poignantly, in the circle that evening. Rabbi Arthur Waskow, just prior to the call for the community vote, reminded us that we are deeply connected by the drawing in and the letting out of our collective breathing. His was a mystic's reminder that we are all connected, that the leadership elected to examine and make recommendations regarding our situation had done so in the utmost of good faith, integrity, transparency and with as full participation of the community as possible. Though alas imperfect, certainly sufficient. In the end, the opportunity to depart from the Mishkan Shalom pattern of cleaving was largely embraced with loving kindness, generosity, respect and empathy and the new staffing structure was adopted. In addition, the community voted to approve the amendments to our by-laws that can be obtained from the office. The exciting work now continues to implement the staffing structure that the community has affirmed as we move further along in the journey of
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We are also blessed with Ellen Tichenor as the new Vice president. She has brought enormous energy into the community by stepping forward and with her partner Abby, a past present, we get even more energy and wisdom onto the Board. (Think: Hillary and the Bill bonus in 1016!) Steve Jones and Lynne Iser are serving out the second year of their two-year term this year. Steve will remain in the Spiritual Life Chair and Lynne will shift to the Tikkun Olam Chair from her amazing work this on the Buildings Chair.
The remainder of the Board has renewed for another two-year tern, for a total of three years of service!!! This continuity is a blessing to the community and comprised of extremely dedicated and talented members of the Mishkan community. You will be hearing from each Board member in following issues of the Kol Shalom detailing the accomplishments from the past year and the goals for the coming year, including opportunities to plug in and deepen your time together with other Mishkan brothers and sisters. That so many of the Board have volunteered to extend their terms speaks to the fun
and fulfillment we are moving in how we are working together and what we are doing in service to the community. Hindi has a word Seva, which means “achieving enlightenment or awakening through the path of service.” It entails engaging in service in such a way, and avoiding engaging in service burnout, so that the experience of service is nourishing to your own soul and psyche. Possible. Really.
And from this overflowing cup of newly accessible good fortune, so many ways to explore again with the unique community our passion and commitment to creating a vibrant Reconstructionist spirit-filled incarnation of a Jewish progressive community for Tikkun Hanefesh v'Olam—Repair of our Souls and of the World.
In humble gratitude and with abiding love, I hope that during these upcoming High Holy Days we will see you step in and claim your space in our community and feed your soul through finding a place or places at Mishkan to more deeply engage your gifts and energies.
David Piver, Mishkan Shalom PresidentCall me (610) 405-8257) with your ideas and needs…
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Learning for Life: Adult Ed at Mishkan ShalomBy Anndee Hochman
The Days of Awe come early this year, jolting us out of summer and toward a season of reflection, harvest and transformation. Soon the leaves will turn, and we will turn, too, away from the past year's regrets and missteps and toward the changed selves and world we imagine.
It's a perfect time to learn something new—to check out a workshop on soul collage, tote your guitar to a Mishkan slow jam, learn about Jewish prayer with Rabbi Shawn, practice mindfulness with your teen or work (why not?) toward that adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Beginning in September, Mishkan's Adult Education committee has a cornucopia of offerings to nourish mind, body and spirit—from ongoing workshops such as “Finding the Voice Within” (see below) to a one-time session on Jewish genealogy. Details and registration info are on the website (www.mishkan.org) and in the enclosed Adult Ed booklet, along with full class descriptions and instructor bios.
Finding the Voice Within:A Musical Approach to Spiritual Direction
Life today is overwhelming; we often feel disconnected from ourselves and from community. But tapping our inner creativity can help us become aware of our lives in new ways—especially when now, more than ever, we need creative, inspired, and collaborative answers to individual and communal problems.
Mishkan Shalom is offering an experience designed to help us support one another in finding those creative and inspired answers: a monthly spiritual direction group, led by psychologist and spiritual director Meredith Barber and music therapist Julie Lipson.
Group spiritual direction is a contemplative practice in which members listen closely to one another. In our group, after each participant makes a verbal offering, we will use music to mirror back the essence of what we heard, rather than responding to one another with words.
It is said that when we create, we are being like God, the Great Creator. When we join our voices together, in the service of making something from our brokenness, we heal ourselves and each other. The group will emphasize authentic expression within the
music, as well as personal and communal connection. There will be no emphasis on performance or “talent.” Absolutely NO musical experience, creative talent, or knowledge of Hebrew is necessary.
To foster continuity and predictability, we ask that people commit to attending all nine sessions (Wednesdays 6:15 p.m. – 8 p.m.: October 30, November 20, December 18, and 29, February 19, March 19, April 30, May 21 and June 11).
More Where That Came From:Adult Ed Highlights
Even though Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are so early this year, you still have time to ready yourself. Check out the one-session Preparing Your Body & Mind for Fasting (Wednesdays,
September 11, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.) Because you're never too old to come of age, consider the Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class, (Sundays 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. beginning September 22) for adults who want to hone their Hebrew, deepen their understanding of prayer and learn to chant from the Torah.
Join Rabbi Shawn for Soul Expressions: The Deep Meaning and Spiritual Practice of Jewish Prayer (four Sunday mornings starting September 29) or try your hand at Mah Jongg for Beginners, one of last year's most popular classes (5 Thursdays starting October 3).
Learn to create one-of-a-kind collaged cards that tell the story of your life in a SoulCollage® workshop (Sunday, October 6) or find out about great-great-grandpa Shlomo in Digging Your Roots: A Hands-on Genealogy Workshop (Wednesday, Ocober. 9) led by a member of Philadelphia's Jewish Genealogical Society.
If you'd rather “read” a tree than the paper that comes from it, join Walk the Talk: Knowing Nature Through a Jewish Lens (Sunday, October 12), the first in a series of seasonal walks through the Wissahickon woods.
A brand-new intergenerational workshop, Mindfulness for Teens & Their Grown-Ups, taught by Rabbi Yael, will help you breathe, focus and calm the stress that comes at all stages of life. This will
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be offered as a hoog (elective) in Hebrew School starting in November.
Finally, rock the solstice with A Long Winter's Night Slow Jam (December 21). Bring your instruments, your voices and your friends to close out the calendar year on an exuberant note.
Offering our Hearts, Praying with Our Feet:The Deep Meaning, Structure and Spiritual Practice of Jewish Prayer
Join Rabbi Shawn in an adventure in Jewish prayer and prayerful spiritual practice. Our class will be an inviting space for you to discover the deep structure of Jewish prayer, and the range of prayer themes and meaning, both historic and current expressions. Through study of the Kol Haneshamah Shabbat Veḥagim prayer book and other sources, interactive exercises, and prayer practices we will explore how the practice of Jewish prayer can speak to us on a personal internal level (tikkun hanefesh), as well as activate us to engage in tikkun olam in the world, all while we activate the body, touch the heart, engage the mind and nourish spiritual growth.
This four session class will occur monthly with the goal of giving participants greater understanding and connection to Jewish forms of "offerings from our heart" that will support individual spiritual life between sessions as well as make Shabbat tefillah/davvenen (communal prayer) more accessible and personally meaningful.You will be provided with mini-booklets for the
session, and if you are interested I encourage you to purchase and read, and Reb Marcia Prager's, "The Path of Blessing" (http://www.amazon.com/The-Path-Blessing-Marcia-Prager/dp/1580231489 and listen to audio excerpts at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en6RKiqU8is), as well as Rabbi Mike Commins "Making Prayer Real" (which I am a contributor to), Larry Hoffman's, "The Art of Public Prayer", and "My People's Prayer Book" series and all terrific additions to your spiritual resource shelf. (http://jewishlights.com/page/category/prayer)You can also listen to a program I developed on
prayer from a Reconstructionist point of view.http://www.jewishrecon.org/Liturgy-Prayer
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Mah Jongg at Mishkan!
Beginner's Class: This ancient Chinese tile game involves skill, concentration and luck. Learn the rules of the game and winning strategies then play! A great class for new players and those needing a refresher course. Hands-on instruction while you play. Taught by Leah Feigenbaum – Mah-Jongg Enthusiast and Player for over 30 years. Classes begin Thursday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to
9:00 p.m. at Mishkan Shalom. 5 classes beginning Thursday, October 3-November 7. (The class will decide if they want to skip 10/31 due to Halloween) Members $65; Non-members $75. We need a minimum of 8 people to run the class, so register early by contacting the office at [email protected] or 215.508.0226 x0. **Graduates from this class are welcome to join the ongoing Mishkan Mah Jongg Group, which meets the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at the Synagogue. (Cost: $5. All proceeds go to Mishkan.)
Kol Shalom is published monthly, September through June.Eileen Levinson, editor; Adam Wenocur, layout; Maria Paranzino, distribution.E-mail articles and notices for Kol Shalom to [email protected] for copy and advertising forKol Shalom is the 15th of each month.Call the Mishkan office for more information.A style sheet is available from Eileen.
Did you know that the Celebrations! program is beginning its fourth year at Mishkan Shalom? Every month, Rabbi Michelle Greenfield (our head teacher) and I (Celebrations! Program Coordinator) welcome approximately ten families who have a child with some kind of special needs. Our families gather for a warm and welcoming Shabbat service, in which all children get to strum Rabbi Michelle's guitar and also help to lead prayers as they are able. Our service is designed to be developmentally-appropriate and engaging for children who struggle with attention and sensory issues, such as sensitivity to sound.
After services, we enjoy Kiddush together and then break into groups in which parents and children can learn together. “Typically” developing siblings are always included. Our wonderful Mishkan teen helpers~Emma Holyst, Tamar Reisner-Stehman, Elianna Lopez, Allie Bruckner Lipshutz and Eden Astorino volunteer their time each month to help Michelle and me set up, clean up and assist the children as needed.
It is hard to capture on paper what Celebrations! means to all of us families who participate. It is a place where we have formed a community of support, encouraging our children and each other. It is place where being at synagogue is easy and accessible.
Celebrations! works on a “reverse inclusion” model. This means that we have designed the program to support the children's learning needs and styles, but we welcome all children and adults to join our community. For example, Rabbi Michael Ramberg and Ali Michael, with their daughter Tina (and now with son Sami) join in Celebrations! whenever they are able–even though
Tina is a typically developing child. It is just a warm, accepting child-friendly Shabbat experience that they can enjoy as a family. Whether you are a single adult or a parent, please contact me if you are interested in coming to experience Celebrations!~we welcome you.
This year, Michelle and I have made Celebrations! an independent program. This means that Mishkan is not contributing to our salaries and we are committed to raising the funds that we need to run the program on our own. We had a very successful summer fundraiser and are so grateful to all of you who have supported our program. For those who have not had a chance yet to give and would like to, you can always make a donation via a check or online.
Celebrations! has also created a group called “Mitzvah Menshes” for young adults (ages 18-30) with special needs . This group has begun with four wonderful Mishkan members~Nathan Horwitz, Helen Kuhlam-Rosen, Lior Liebling and Claire Needleman~who meet every month for dinner, havdalah and a social action project. They have baked dog biscuits for animals at the ASPCA, made beautiful flower pots for nursing home residents and will be working on a special recycling campaign to be announced next month. These wonderful young adults welcome new members~so if you know of any people who might be a good fit for this group, please let me know.
Michelle and I have created a comprehensive Celebrations! curriculum so that other communities can easily replicate our program. So far, celebrations! programs are running in four other synagogues besides Mishkan. As we work to spread our mission of creating inclusive family Shabbat and holiday programs across the country, we are so proud to call Mishkan Shalom our home.
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Teen Program UpdateBy Gabby Kaplan-Mayer
Mishkan teens are ready to start another great year of fun, learning and service to our community. This year's programs include:• Teen Group/Seminar: We have integrated this
learning and social group, which will be lead by Gabby and Rabbi Shawn. We are going to study and take action on the themes that the Mishkan community will be focusing on this year in terms of Tikkun Olam.
• Food for Thought: Mishkan teens learn to cook while learning about Jewish culture and community. We cook for people who are ill, in need or going
through a life cycle transition. So many teens have signed up that we will have two Food for Thought groups this year!
• Walking the Walk: Mishkan teens (grades 9-12) will once again have the opportunity to learn about other faiths through a dialogue with teens from different churches and mosques in the city. Mentors Harold and Natalie Gorvine and Lisagail Zeitlin will help to facilitate this program.And new this year–open to all Mishkan teens~is a
Saturday night social program with teens from GJC, Or Hadash and FolkShul. We'll meet four times during the year for activities like bowling, movie and coffee house night. More teens=More fun.
Join us this year as we read Helene Wecker's exceptional debut novel blending mythical beings from Jewish and Arab folklore with historical fiction to illuminate our own human nature. The magical Arab myth of the Jinni – creature of fire – and the Jewish myth of the Golem – formed from earth – is not a parable of Jewish/Arab conflict but of what it means to be human. The struggle to assert reason over emotion is played out as these mythical creatures interact with the citizens of New York's Lower East Side and Little Syria, circa 1899.
A copy of the book will be available to circulate. Please borrow it, enjoy it and return it, within three weeks, so others will have their chance to check it out.
Over the course of the year, we'll explore themes of Jewish folklore, correspondences between Arab/Muslim and Jewish culture, interfaith experiences and the common ground of our shared humanity. Watch this space for program schedule announcements, including the fall date for our ever-popular “Saturday Night at the Movies” when we'll screen Paul Wegener's 1920 silent film classic, The Golem.
We're excited to partner, once again, with the city-wide Jewish community's nationally-recognized One Book, One Jewish Community program, in which synagogues and other Jewish organizations from across the region invite each other to programs centered on a book of Jewish interest. We'll let you know the title of the city-wide selection, and details on the opening
OBOJC program, in next month's column.As always, we ask you to be our partners in keeping the Library well-functioning for all: Please be sure to remove papers and other materials after meetings and classes; close windows and turn off the air conditioner
when you leave; and contact us if you have book donations to be sure we can accommodate them.
We warmly welcome anyone interested in joining our lively Library Committee, as we plan another wonderful program year and maintain our excellent collection. If you'd like to explore possibilities for connecting with our One Book program or working in the Library, be in touch at [email protected] or call Lillian Sigal, Chair at (610) 642-2376. See you in the Library!
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Psalm 27 Words & Music: Shawn Israel Zevit, c 1994Inspired by the psalmistwww.cdbaby.com/cd/zevit1 You are my Light and my SalvationOf whom shall I fear!You are the Stronghold of my lifeOf whom shall I be afraid!I will look to YouBe strong in hopeI will look to YouMy GOD When pressures and perspective of a cynical lifeThreaten to bring me downI ride the wave of undying faithAnd its lies that finally drownFor one thing I ask, for one thing I longTo build Your house with my lifeTo see the beauty in every soulAnd the light in every night Hear me, Dear One, when I cry aloudHave mercy and answer meMy heart won't rest it shouts, "Seek My Face"And then your soul will be freeThough the world as we know it might crumble downI know You won't forsake meLead me on the path of a righteous lifeAnd I know I shall surely see that You are my Light and my SalvationOf whom shall I fear!You are the Stronghold of my lifeOf whom shall I be afraid!I will look to YouBe strong in hopeI will long for YouWait for YouTill eternity with YouOh, my GOD
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New Season, New Year, New Rabbi, New Possibilities...How About a New Role for You?
From the deep reflection and quiet joys of the Yamim Nora'im, ushering in the New Year 5774, through the unreservedly joyful days of Sukkot through Simḥat Torah – Z'man Simḥateinu, the “Season of our Rejoicing” – we are blessed with many opportunities to re-connect with each other and to re-engage in the activities of our community. How much more joyful will that process be as we each meet and get to know our new Rabbi, Shawn Zevit, and envision together the future of our
beloved community?Your presence, your participation, your stepping-up
into leadership, your joining a committee, your volunteering for a task are all ways to contribute to the well-being of Mishkan Shalom. However you choose to engage, we welcome and appreciate the gifts you bring to our Mishkan.
If you're not sure what's right for you – or the right person to ask – ask me! I'm here to help connect you to others in the community who share your interests. If you'd like to help others connect to roles that will best suit them, consider joining our Leadership Development Committee.
HOW ABOUT A NEW ROLE FOR YOU FOR THE NEW YEAR?
CHECK OUT THE ENCLOSED FLYER FOR
AVODAH OPPORTUNITIES
APPRECIATIONSOFFER YOUR APPRECIATIONS & SUPPORT
TO OUTGOING, INCOMING & RETURNING BOARD MEMBERS
President: David Piver Vice-President: Ellen Tichenor Secretary/Communications: Sharon Gornstein Treasurer: Doron Henkin Building & Site: Steve Perkiss Development: John Schapiro Education: Andrew Soloway Membership & Community: Karen Smith Spiritual Life: Steve Jones Strategic Planning: Barry Dornfeld Tikkun Olam: Lynne Iser
If you haven't yet had a chance to thank Jean Brody and Lisagail Zeitlin for their dedicated Board Service, as they rotate off the Board, make a point to do so when you see them next! And, if you haven't had a chance to welcome and congratulate Steve Perkiss, John Schapiro and Ellen Tichenor for stepping-up into their new Board positions, don't forget to thank them and wish them well! We're blessed that such a talented group of
individuals, including all of our returning Board Members, are offering their time and talents to lead our community in this year of wonderful opportunity. Let's match our grateful appreciation with our support for their efforts. As we greet our fellow members who have chosen to serve on our Board of Directors, let them know how you can help them in the days and months ahead:
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membership karen smith
Committee Involvement is the Best Way to Make Mishkan Shalom YoursThis isn't just a pitch; it is a fact. When I came back to Mishkan Shalom after an 8-year absence, I knew I didn't want to feel like I was on the sidelines. Re-entering lay leadership helped me meet tons of new people, become familiar with how things operated, and learn about the issues facing the community. There are lots of different levels of involvement, and some of them only take a couple hours every month or a few hours for a small hand-full of months. There is a lot that can happen in meetings, or by phone, or even just by email. Really…there is something for everyone.
We are looking to help all our members feel more connected and at home. Contact me if you are interested in being on a team to help us brainstorm how to do this. I am the Board Member newly assigned to Membership and Community and would love to hear from you, at [email protected]
New Community Team Forming and looking for members:
Contributors to this issue include:Gene Bishop, Miriam Davidson, Anndee Hochman,Rivka Jarosh, Gabby Kaplan-Mayer, Margaret Lenzi, Eileen Levinson, Yael Levy, Maria Paranzino, David Piver, Sharon Rhode, Karen Smith, Ariel Weiss and Shawn Zevit
Jacob Sternberg-Sher will wear Silver Lake on his shoulders. When Jacob is called to the Torah for the first time, he'll be wearing a tallis he painted in shades of lush green and watery blue, the landscape of Silver Lake, Vermont, where his family
retreats each summer.He'd decorated t-shirts with waterproof markers
before, but the tallis—created in a Hebrew School hoog—was the first time he'd painted on fabric. “On the whole, I'm pretty happy with it,” he said.
Jacob, a 7th-grader at Germantown Friends School, brings that same modesty and understatement to all of his Bar Mitzvah preparation, a process that seemed “like something off in the distance” until a year or two ago. “At the beginning of sixth grade, I thought, ‘Wow, this is really going to happen.’ It's a lot to do. But I was also excited. It felt special to me.”
After a year of studying prayers, trop and his parasha, Jacob can look back at his progress. “When I used to go to a cousin's Bar Mitzvah, I'd look at the Torah and think, ‘What?’ Now it makes sense, and I can read it—at least, some parts of it.”
Jacob's will chant parashat Ha'azinu (Deut. 32:1-52), which includes Moses' final words to the Israelites before they enter the promised land. Since his Bar Mitzvah is on Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, Jacob plans to connect his parasha with the Jewish calendar.
“Moses is telling the Jews what they've done wrong and what they should do better. That's what you tell yourself [during the High Holidays].” The speech also reminded Jacob of ethical wills, the written documents some people create for themselves or for family members to chronicle their lives' turning points, truths or lessons. “I'm going to ask people if Moses' past experiences changed what he put in his ethical will”
and encourage congregants to ask the same question of themselves.
Over the summer, Jacob plunged into his tikkun olam project with both hands—literally. He volunteered at the Weavers Way farm, devoting a few hours a week to weeding, harvesting, washing, weighing and boxing produce. “It gives me a feeling for what it's like to be a farmer. I used to think it was all nice and easy, but it's not.” The work—along with viewing the documentary Food, Inc.—has also helped him understand the value of small farms and the hazards of mass-produced food.
That's not all he's gleaned from a year of Bar Mitzvah preparation. “I've learned how much I can learn,” he said. “And that it's an important part of the learning process to struggle with something and overcome it.” He's less shy about public speaking than he used to be. “And I feel like I understand why we say all these prayers better than I did before. I'm looking forward to finishing everything and knowing I've done a pretty good job.”
Mireilla (Raia) SternSeptember 28
In the time it takes Mireilla (Raia) Stern to chant her parasha, Bereshit (Gen. 1:1-6:8), the world will be created. Again.
Raia chose the date for her Bat Mitzvah because of the Torah portion; she wanted to delve into the Jewish creation story and compare it with the creation stories—Egyptian and Greek—that she'd learned about in school. She was curious about why people invent creation stories in the first place.
“I think it gives you a sense of security. There will always be things we don't know, but it's nice to put a beginning and ending point to your knowledge—like the way fairy tales and legends always begin ‘once upon a time’ and end with ‘the end.’”
Raia's tikkun olam project also involves creation: spinning words and ideas into reality. She's interested in food—summer activities included a stint making
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chocolate mousse, filet mignon and sushi at Philadelphia's Restaurant School camp—and in doing good. What if customers at local restaurants could indicate on their bills that they'd like to give a portion of the meal cost to a charity—Meals on Wheels or another organization? What if those restaurants offered a special dish—the “charity burger” or “charity milkshake”—whose profits would all go to the same cause?
Raia's created a power point presentation of her idea, which she plans to show to a local restaurant owner for feedback. She'd like to start small, with cafés in Chestnut Hill, then perhaps expand the project to Center City or West Philadelphia restaurants. She also plans to volunteer at a soup kitchen, both before and after her Bat Mitzvah.
In the meantime, she's focused on the bat mitzvah learning she's carefully outlined in a notebook, with questions, notes and homework for each tutoring
session. “I've learned that it pays to be productive and use your time for practicing wisely. The notes help a lot. And I've learned that time can go really fast.” Raia, who began Mishkan's Hebrew School in 5th grade after spending the previous summer learning the alef-bet on her own, has quickly become a confident and fluent reader of Hebrew.
“I took an elective on trop, so it was a lot easier to learn. And I pick up melodies pretty fast.”
It was her idea to join Mishkan, to become Bat Mitzvah. “It's a good experience. You feel very accomplished, coming toward the end: Wow, I learned all these prayers and my parasha! It will be nice to have all my family and friends there supporting me. I'm looking forward to singing the prayers; I can kind of relax and just sing. I'm looking forward to all of it, my d'var Torah as well. It's fun to engage people in those deep thoughts.”
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Shevet Aḥim Gam Yaḥad:Sitting in Togetherness
Join Rabbi Shawn for a Meal! In the coming weeks you will receive some emails
and calls about joining Rabbi Shawn and a few of your fellow Mishkan Shalom members for a Shabbat dinner, or lunch, or weekday holiday meal. Rabbi Shawn wants a
chance to break bread with our members as he gets to know us. We are thinking about setting up some groups by affinity and some by location, but either way, want to make sure everyone has a chance to help us welcome our new rabbi into our Kehilah.
If you would like to host a meal, please let us know. You can just offer up yourselves as hosts, or you can let us know your guest list! Contact Karen Smith at [email protected]
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Oprah Winfrey Brings Together Gloria Steinem and Arthur Waskow for a Glorious Celebration at Mishkan ShalomBy Margaret Lenzi
Gloria Steinem and Rabbi Arthur Waskow turn 80 and want to share their lives of activism with you. And it will be right here at Mishkan Shalom. Join us for this Shalom Center Event “This is What 80 Looks Like” on Sunday, November 3–start with dinner at 5:00 p.m. and then stay for the honor event from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Be part of the celebration! Reserve your seats at www.theshalomcenter.org/80.So what is the connection between Gloria Steinem and Reb Arthur? Ms. Steinem was
on Oprah last year. Oprah asked her to describe a transformative moment in her life. And Gloria answered: “There was this moment at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968. I was a young reporter,
and I was also handing out literature about the farm workers in California. But Mayor Daley was oppressive, many of the people were nasty, and the whole thing was so disheartening. I turned to someone who was a delegate and said that maybe I should just give up.”
“And he turned to me and said, ‘You must keep going! What you are doing, it's really important!’" “His name was Arthur Waskow, and I've never seen him since. But I have remembered, when I'm feeling the
times are dark.”After this national broadcast, Reb Arthur reconnected with Gloria Steinem and had a wonderful two-hour
conversation in her home and realized they were both turning 80 at about the same time. Reb Arthur says the deepest meaning of the story is, “You never know! You never know what heart-felt word
will strengthen someone, you never know what action will turn out to be the pebble cast into the pond that makes the ripples that go out to heal the world.”
For decades, Gloria and Arthur have devoted their lives to pursuing justice, equality and peace in their own ways. Now we have a unique opportunity to honor two great activists who have helped to transform our society.
Dine with Gloria Steinem, Arthur Waskow, and a host of others supporting spirit-centered social activism and the Shalom Center. Dinner tickets are $180/seat until October 1 and include the Honor Event described just below. Pre-registration required - seats are limited. November 3,
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Attend and participate in an Honor Event after Dinner. It will include a conversational interview of Gloria and Arthur, musical performance, delicious desserts, and several special guests. There will be a joint performance of our very own Mishkan Shalom choir with Anna Crusis choir under musical director Miriam Davidson. Capella Jewish women's group Miraj will get our spirits rising. Letty Cottin Potegrin, co-founder of Ms. Magazine and a well-known author, will introduce Ms.Steinem. Tickets for the Honor Event alone are $50, or $25 for students or disemployed (those who are jobless or underemployed). Reservations recommended. November 3, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
So what does 80 look like? Please join us and find out on November 3, as we celebrate two great leaders in the progressive movement these many years.
For more info, contact [email protected] or go to www.theshalomcenter.org/80
We extend a hearty mazel tov! to Jacob Sternberg-Sher and Mireilla (Raia) Stern and their parents as they celebrate becoming B'nai Mitzvah.
We also extend a hearty mazel tov to our families with births and marriages this past summer:
We share nachas with religious schoolteacher Andrew Bleckner and his wife on the birth of their daughter Amelia; and with Rabbi Michael Ramberg and Allison Michael on the birth of their son Sami. Also mazel tov to Irv Ackelsberg and Pat Urevick (parents) and Marilyn Ackelsberg (grandmother) on the marriage of Louis Urevick-Ackelsberg to Caitlyn Roman; to Lance and Mary Laver on the marriage of son Nathan Laver to Michelle Lewis; and to Carol Towarnicky and Ron Goldwyn on the marriage of son Nick Goldwyn to Jennifer Russell. Mazel tov to all!
We extend condolences to Barbara Gold (and husband Steve) on the death of her father-in-law Leonard Gold. May Barbara and her family be comforted among all the mourners of Zion, Jersualem, and all humanity and may Len's memory be for a blessing in their lives.
This month we send our ongoing love, support, and prayers for healing to Mishkan members Jonah Meadows Adels, Gabe Meadows Adels, Robin Berenholz ,Gene Bishop, Bernice Bricklin, Mark Goodman, Jane Hinkle, Sue Jacobs, Jay Kravitz , Denise Kulp, Robin Leidner, Eileen Levinson, Sue Stehman, and Zea Piver.
We are keeping Jeannette Tumolo (sister of Sue Stehman), Pat Lynn (partner of Barrie Levin), Arnold Schein (father of Susan Schein), Laikee Zelitch (mother of Simone Zelitch), Debra Ellen Coran (cousin of Beth Joy Rosenwald), Sarah Bradley (mother of David Bradley), Debra Singer (sister of
Karen Singer), Patrick Windle (brother of Susan Windle), Sal Berenholz (father of Robin Berenholz), Jackie Berman-Gorvine (daughter-in-law of Natalie & Harold Gorvine), Lorna Michaelson (mother-in-law of Joe Brenman), and Julie Post (sister of Nancy Post), in our prayers as well. May they all experience a refuah sheleimah (full healing). Acts of Caring is a Yahoo Group listserve that lets all of us in the Mishkan Shalom community learn about significant events in the lives of our members. In this way, we can reach out to one another in times of grief, illness, and joy. To reach us simply email : [email protected].
HINENI–HERE I AM If you have life circumstances that would be helped by
short-term emotional support and/or help with concrete tasks please contact Lisa Mervis and Sharon Sigal at [email protected] or please phone Sharon at 610 574.1705 or 610.649.0274.
We will reach out to the community and coordinate help with needs such as transportation to doctor appointments, meals, errands, as well as visits.
Joining Acts of Caring is easy: simply go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/actsofcaring and if you are a new user, click on "sign up" at the top. If you want to change the email address at which you receive Acts of Caring, you can do this by editing your profile. Need help? Contact Gene Bishop or Ariel Weiss at [email protected]
Got Nachas? Sharing your good news is a marvelous way to connect our community! Please send all lifecycle events you would like to be posted to our email address: [email protected].. Please notify us if you want a name added to, or removed from, our “Ongoing love, support, and prayers of healing…” list.
acts of caring (g'milut ḥasadim)
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yamim nora'imMishkan Shalom invites you to Yamim Noraim services for the New Year 5774
“Turning (t'shuvah), prayer (t'filah), and acts of justice (tz'dakah) have the power to change our lives”
SATURDAY August 31- 9:00 p.m. at Mishkan Shalom
S'lichot (Forgiveness)• 9:00 p.m. – Service of Healing and Forgiveness
WEDNESDAYSeptember 4 – 7:30 p.m. at Mishkan Shalom
Erev Rosh HaShanah • 7:30 p.m. – Evening service
THURSDAY September 5 -9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.* at Haverford School
Rosh HaShanah first day • 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.– Shaharit (morning) service • 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. - Torah service, sermon, shofar and musaf• 3:30 p.m. – Tashlich in Valley Green across from the Valley Green Inn
FRIDAY September 6 -9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Mishkan Shalom
Rosh HaShanah second day • 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: A Way In Mindfulness Service
SATURDAY September 7 -9 :00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Mishkan Shalom
Shabbat Shuvah: The Shabbat of Return• 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Teshuvah study with Rabbi Shawn Zevit • 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. - Shabbat service led by Rabbi Shawn Zevit and
Rabbi Linda Holtzman; Jacob Sternberg-Sher will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah.
FRIDAY September 13 -6:00 p.m. * at Haverford School
Kol Nidre: Yom Kippur Eve• 6:00 p.m. - Community gathers to write cards for Al Het (the past year's
misdeeds) and place objects on the memorial altar• 6:30 p.m. - Kol Nidre Service
SATURDAYSeptember 14 -9:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.* at Haverford School
Yom Kippur Services• 9:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.– service using Kol Haneshamah Mahzor with Rabbi
Shawn Zevit and Mishkan leaders • 9:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.– A Way In Mindfulness service with Rabbis Yael Levy,
Margot Stein and Myriam Klotz• 11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. – Torah service, sermon, discussion, haftarah, Musaf• 1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. – Avodah service led by Wendy Galson & Susan
Rosh Hashanah Second Day • 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Children's services (5-12 year olds)
CHILDCARE for Members & Non-Members: This year Mishkan will not be charging for High Holiday Childcare. Instead, anyone who would like to put their child(ren) in the childcare co-op will need to sign up as a childcare cooperator, for a shift (or find someone to sign-up for a shift in their place). There will be 2 childcare cooperators assigned to each time slot. Crafts/ games will be provided however it would be great for
cooperators to plan an activity (a book, art project, story, dance) for their shift as well, being mindful that there may be anywhere from 1 to 10 children signed up for any period. Please note that Childcare will only be available on Rosh Hashanah Day 1 from 9:00 a.m. -1:15 p.m. and on Yom Kippur from 9:00 a.m.-2:15. (See High Holy Day handout for more information.)
On three things the word rests:On Study, Prayer, and Acts of Caring
Mishkan Shalom is an affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federationwww.jrf.org
t'filot
4101 Freeland AvenuePhiladelphia, PA 19128Email: [email protected]: 215.508.0226Fax: 215.508.0932www.mishkan.org
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Wednesday, September 18, 6:15 p.m. – Decorate the Mishkan Sukkah with our congregational school, followed by 7:15 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Erev Sukkot Service
Thursday, September 19, 10:00 a.m. - noon – Sukkot Morning Service led by Rabbi Yael and Rabbi Shawn and guests
Friday, September 20, 6:30 p.m. -10:00 p.m. – Celebrations! Kabbalat Shabbat Service in the Sukkah with Rabbi Shawn and Rabbi Michelle
Saturday, September 21, 9:00 a.m. – Sukkot Torah study, followed by Shabbat Sukkot Service at 10:00 a.m. wiqth Rabbi Shawn
Tuesday, September 24, 8:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m. – Sukkot Mindfulness Sit led byRabbi Yael
Wednesday, September 25, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. – Hoshannah Rabbah celebration- study, song, meditation and bagels in the Sukkah with Rabbi Shawn
Wednesday, September 25, 6:15 p.m. - Simḥat Torah Service – Come celebrate with all ages as we sing and dance as we unroll the entire Torah in celebration of all we have learned through the preceding holidays, and in our Jewish life-long learning. We will read the last section of the Torah and begin the beginning again, with the addition of music, connecting with the message Torah has for you this year and much more! If you have a line or two of Torah from your own Bar or Bat Mitzvah we will also weave you into the celebration.
Thursday, September 26, 10:00 a.m. - Shemini Atzeret/Simḥat Torah – shaharit (morning) service in partnership with Dorshei Derekh Reconstructionist Minyan at Germantown Jewish Center 400 W. Ellet St., Philadelphia PA 19119, led by Rabbi Shawn Zevit
Saturday, September 28, 10:00 a.m. – Shabbat Service. Mireilla (Raia) Stern will be called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah.
