Quick link to registration materials: Click here.
Our season of repentance, introspection, and renewal -- the Days of Awe, Yamim Noraim -- approaches. This newsletter describes Adat Shalom's services and events over the coming High Holy Days. Important registration materials are enclosed, with a few important differences from previous years. Our community, staff, and volunteers need ample time to arrange for child care, children's programming, seating, security, break-the-fast, and other important aspects of this sacred season; therefore we are asking that all forms be postmarked and mailed in by no later than September 9, 2008AS SOON AS POSSIBLE-->. Please do not delay -- thank you.
| Day/Date | Time | Location | Services and Events |
| Sat, Sept. 20 | 9:00 PM | CBT | Selichot - music program & Service |
| Mom., Sept. 29 | 7:30 PM | WHS | Erev Rosh HaShana with Rabbi Fred and Jack Feder |
| Tues., Sept. 30 | 9:15 AM | WHS | Rosh HaShana, first day, main auditorium with Rabbi Fred, Jack Feder, and others |
| 10:00 AM | WHS | B’Yachad service – for Grades 4-7 & Families with Rabbi Kevin Bernstein Teen Service (both services will join the main service by noon for shofar) | |
| 9:45 AM-10:40 AM | WHS | Minyan Katan for Grades Pre-K through 1 - led by Sue Marx | |
| 10:50 AM-11:45 PM | WHS | Gesher Minyan for Grades 2 through 3 - led by Sue Marx | |
| 12:15 PM-1:15 PM | WHS | Youth Programming for Grades 4-6 Teen Programming | |
| 5:00 PM | Various | Tashlich Potlucks | |
| Wed., Oct. 1 | 9:30 AM | AS | Rosh HaShana, second day - with Rabbi Fred, Jack Feder, and others |
| 9:30 AM-10:30 AM | AS | Minyan Katan for Grades Pre-K through 1 - led by Sue Marx | |
| 10:40 AM-11:40 AM | AS | Gesher Minyan for Grades 2-3 – led by Sue Marx | |
| 11:15 AM-11:45 AM | AS | Grades 4 and up – Torah and Shofar, just for you | |
| 11:50 AM/12:15 PM | AS | Kids and families will join main sanctuary for Shofar Blowing | |
| 10:40 AM-11:40 AM | AS | Gesher Minyan for Grades 2 through 3 - led by Sue Marx | |
| 12:15 PM-1:00 PM | AS | Storytelling with Renee Brachfeld for kids (all ages) | |
| Sat, Oct. 4 | 9:30 AM | AS | Shabbat Shuvah Service (with Storahtelling and Rabbi Fred) |
| 1:15 PM | AS | Healing Service (after the Oneg) with Vicki Breman | |
| Wed., Oct. 8 | 7:00PM-9:30 PM | WHS | Kol Nidre with Rabbi Sid, Jack Feder and others (Fasting begins at 6:30) |
| Thurs., Oct. 9 | 9:15 AM | WHS | Yom Kippur morning Rabbi Fred and Jack Feder |
| 10:00 AM | WHS | B'Yachad service -- for Grades 4-7 & Families with Rabbi Kevin Bernstein Teen Service | |
| 10:00 AM-10:55 AM | WHS | Minyan Katan for Grades Pre- K through 1 - led by Sue Marx | |
| 11:15 AM-12:15 PM | WHS | Gesher Minyan for Grades 2 through 3 - led by Sue Marx | |
| 12:15 PM-1:15 PM | WHS | Youth Programming for Grades 4-6 Teen Programming | |
| 1:40 - 2:35 PM | WHS | Alternative ‘Multi-Media Martyrology,’ and Other Workshops | |
| 2:45 - 3:40 PM | WHS | Adult Education Programs and Discussions | |
| 3:55 PM | WHS | Mincha: Torah, Haftarah, D'var Torah; Mincha Meditations | |
| 5:10 PM | WHS | Yizkor | |
| 5:40 PM | WHS | Ne'ilah (sundown at 6:38 PM) | |
| 6:40 PM | WHS | Shofar, Havdalah, and Break-the-Fast (starting 10 min. later) |
| CBT | Congregation Bnai Tzedek, 10621 South Glen Road, Potomac, Maryland 20854 (Selichot only) | directions |
| WHS | Wheaton High School, 12601 Dalewood Drive Wheaton, Maryland | map and directions |
| AS | Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, 7801 Persimmon Tree Lane, Bethesda, MD | map and directions |
Our main services will once more be held in the Wheaton
High School auditorium on the first day of Rosh HaShanah (including
Erev) and throughout Yom Kippur (including Kol Nidre). B’Yachad, a
family-friendly learners’ service primarily for those in grades 4-7 and
their families, will again take place at 10am on Rosh HaShanah (day one
only) and Yom Kippur, in the Wheaton Cafeteria – led this year by the
talented Rabbi Kevin Bernstein. A special Teen Service will also be
available beginning at 10am; Youth and Teen programming will follow the
B’Yachad Service on both days. We again offer something for all ages –
just follow posted signs for the Gesher minyan, Minyan Katan, child
care, and other special services and events.
On the second day of Rosh HaShanah, services will be at Adat Shalom’s
building in Bethesda, 7727 Persimmon Tree Lane.
As if welcoming in the New Year isn’t enough, we’ll also
experience “Rosh Hashanah Around the World” in the main service, with
Cantor Jack and Rabbi Fred and a host of others (including former member
Helen Leneman’s musical midrash on the Hannah Haftarah, and Jack
offering a new Israeli “Unetaneh Tokef”). Before noon, when kids’
services have ended and everyone is in the auditorium, all ages will
join together in a rollicking “Shout Out to Yah”: back by popular
demand, a memorable, musical, high-energy introduction to the blowing of
the Shofar. As with last year, “we’re gonna have a blast…”
We come back home to Adat Shalom on Wednesday 10/01. The main service is more traditional than on Day One – “less talk, more davenin’.” Childcare is available for toddlers, and for pre-K through 3rd-graders before and after Sue Marx’s services. We are delighted to offer communal prayer opportunities that morning for all children grades pre-K and up (details in “Children’s Program,” page 5 & 6. Again, the childrens’ program brings kids into the sanctuary in time for the shofar service; before that, students in Grade 4 and up are invited to the library for a special Torah-and-Shofar program at 11:15. We welcome back Renee Brachfeld, nationally renowned storyteller and educator, to join with our Adat Shalom kids (12:15 PM – 1 PM).
Rabbi Kevin Bernstein – recent RRC graduate, family educator, superb singer, and great teacher -- will join us to lead this year’s B’Yachad service on day one of Rosh HaShanah and on Yom Kippur morning (both starting promptly at 10AM and wrapping up by 11:40AM). This is a learners’ minyan, geared especially but not exclusively for young people in grades 4 through 7, along with their friends, siblings, and parents. B’Yachad’s accessible approach to music, liturgy, and Torah gets learners acquainted with the High Holy Day liturgy and themes. Its very name, B’Yachad or “together,” speaks to the idea of young people davenning together with their parents and other adults. The intergenerational intention is for whole families to attend, and for people of different ages to worship, together. Parents and children, please do participate together.
Sue Marx will again lead our Minyan Katan and Gesher
Minyan on both days of Rosh HaShanah and on Yom Kippur. This short,
energetic service – primarily for children, plus parents and families if
they choose – incorporates song, prayer, and stories, tailored for each
age. Take note of service times on Page 1, which vary each holiday, for
these fabulous opportunities. It is not necessary for children to be
registered for the children’s program activities described below to
attend the Minyan Katan or Gesher Minyan services -- but unregistered
children must be accompanied by their parents. More information on
other aspects of our program for younger children
is under “Children’s Programs” below.
This year, Yom Kippur morning services will be led by
Rabbi Fred and Cantor Jack. The Day of Atonement will hit home with
words, melodies, and concepts which –as Emmanuel Levinas, whose ideas
will receive special treatment today, noted – sharpen our sense of
obligation to one another. We’ll break earlier than usual, with most of
the Martyrology moved to a multi-media stand-alone afternoon session,
focused on losses in Israel’s 1973 Yom Kippur War (via the aching
“Unetaneh Tokef” melody newly introduced this year), followed by various
adult education sessions and discussions.
This year, Yom Kippur morning services will be led by Rabbi Fred and Cantor Jack. The Day of Atonement will hit home with words, melodies, and concepts which –as Emmanuel Levinas, whose ideas will receive special treatment today, noted – sharpen our sense of obligation to one another. We’ll break earlier than usual, with most of the Martyrology moved to a multi-media stand-alone afternoon session, focused on losses in Israel’s 1973 Yom Kippur War (via the aching “Unetaneh Tokef” melody newly introduced this year), followed by various adult education sessions and discussions.
The mincha or afternoon service lets us take stock of the day that has nearly passed, again with an extended meditative section offered as an alternative to the traditional silent Amidah. This starts around 4:40 pm; no prior meditation experience is required. After Mincha comes Yizkor, the half-hour-long memorial service, to which all are invited, whether or not you are remembering any particular loved one. Then the dramatic concluding Ne’ilah service begins around 5:40 pm. As in years past, all children are invited to join us on the bimah near the end of Ne’ilah -- ideally wearing white (as all are invited to do throughout the day); ready to sing; and if you have one, with shofar in hand -- for Avinu Malkeinu and the final shofar blast.
As ever, the afternoon of Yom Kippur includes workshops,
led by community members and clergy, to enhance your High Holiday
experience. These will be held in classrooms at Wheaton High School
after the Musaf service, with detailed information to be announced and
posted that day. These sessions are an opportunity to meet in smaller
groups, for shorter and more interactive learning mid-day on Yom Kippur.
We will hold two rounds of Adult Ed programs between Musaf and Minhah:
from 1:40-2:35pm, and again from 2:45-3:40pm. Each round will include
at least one discussion group to stimulate the mind, plus something more
kinesthetic or reflective along the lines of meditation or stretching as
well.
During the first period (1:40-2:35), in the Sanctuary,
Rabbi Fred will lead an extended, multi-media Martyrology based on the
experience of a kibbutz which lost 11 members in the 1973 Yom Kippur
War. Out of this tragedy came the new, popular-throughout-Israel
melody for the classic piyut Unetanah Tokef which we use this High Holy
Day season. The sense of connection with our people across the sea
will be strengthened as we intersperse powerful clips from a film about
Bet HaShitah and Unetaneh Tokef with our own prayer and reflections;
other, simultaneous media-less workshops will take place, as
well.
During the second period (2:45-3:40), also in the Sanctuary, Rabbi Sid will lead his annual discussion based on his Kol Nidre sermon topic from the previous evening. Other workshops currently anticipated include Searching for Wholeness when the Vessels are Broken: A Hands-On Healing Experience for the Days of Awe with Daphne White, a stretching of our bodies with Hillary Blackton, and a thought-provoking discussion with Rabbi George.
Also, please mark your calendars for the following:
Opportunities for participation in our services abound.
Torah honors are being coordinated by a volunteer, Shelley Sadowsky. If
you would like an English reading, an aliyah, or other honor,
please contact Shelley at Shelley.sadowsky@kattenlaw.com
.
As with the last few
years, most of our High Holy Day services this year – Erev and first
day of Rosh HaShanah, Kol Nidre, and all of Yom Kippur day (everything
but the second day of Rosh HaShanah) – will be held at Wheaton High
School in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Wheaton
High School is at 1
From points South &
West: I-495 to Connecticut Ave., go four miles north on Connecticut,
turn right on Randolph. Then stay in the left lane; after two
long blocks, turn left onto Dalewood Drive. Wheaton High School
is at 12601, on the right.
From points
North & West: take Randolph Rd. and turn left on Dalewood Drive;
or take Viers Mill Rd. to Randolph, where you turn left and go one mile
until turning left again on Dalewood Drive.
From points East: take Georgia Ave. to Weller Road, heading
west for one-half mile. Turn left on Dean Road, proceeding for three
blocks, until it ends at Dalewood, directly in front of Wheaton HS.
REGISTRATION/RESERVATIONS
All
members of Adat Shalom are entitled to seats for themselves and their
children (under age 25). There is no charge for members' seats,
but you must have paid at least one-third of your current annual
dues and have no outstanding balance on the prior year's
account. If you have not received your dues statement by the time
you are ready to send in your registration for the High Holy Days, or
if you have extenuating circumstances, please contact our accounts manager,
Mike Goldsteen at 301/767-3333 x103. Seats for members' adult
children (ages 25-35) are available at a substantial discount (see Member's
Registration Form).
Adat
Shalom offers a children’s program with baby-sitting for toddlers
(generally ages 1-4, but use your judgment); an educational program
for young children in Kindergarten through Grade 3 including Minyan
Katan for children in Kindergarten and Grade 1 and Gesher Minyan
for children in grades 2 and 3. There is a B’Yachad service
which is geared toward those in grades 4-8 and their families, and a
Teen service. After the B’Yachad and the Teen services, special Youth
and Teen programming and a quiet room will be made available for our
youth and Teens. Parents
MUST register children in advance to allow for adequate staffing and
space.
Guests
of members, and non-members, are welcome to join us at services –
fees are listed on the registration forms. There are two registration
forms: one for members and their guests, and another for non-members.
Please fill out the appropriate form.
This pricing structure rewards those who are affiliated with a synagogue,
ours or another. Though it might seem preferable for synagogues
not to charge for the High Holy Days, the work of the Jewish community
goes on 24/7/365, supported willingly and generously by the dues and
contributions of members. Therefore we ask that guests and visitors
step forward, by making a contribution as indicated in the ticket pricing,
to aid and support the synagogue community that works so hard to provide
these and other services. We will, of course, make accomodations
for those with limited ability to contribute. (Call Sheila
Feldman @ 301/767-3333 x107 to request such accommodations).
The
High Holy Days are also a prime season for “shul shoppers,” those
who are seeking a spiritual home. Feel free to suggest Adat Shalom
to your friends who might be looking! For those who attend High
Holy Days and subsequently join Adat Shalom by the end of the (secular)
year, the price of High Holy Day seats can be applied toward the
first year’s membership dues. Also, these prices can be
adjusted for financial hardship; no one should be denied a spiritual
experience due to fiscal constraints. Call Sheila Feldman @ (301)
767-3333 x107 to request accommodations.
The DEADLINE
for registration is September 9th!!!!
All registration materials should be sent directly to: High Holy Days, Adat Shalom
Reconstructionist
Congregation, 7727 Persimmon Tree Lane,
Bethesda, Maryland 20817.
PLEASE NOTE: We are changing the method by which
we distribute High Holy Day tickets for members in good standing of Adat
Shalom. You are considered a member in good standing when you are
current in all of your financial obligations to the Adat Shalom
community. This includes paying your dues and building fund in full for
the prior fiscal year and paying one third of your dues and building
fund for the current fiscal year. Those who have made alternative
arrangements for their payment schedule are expected to fulfill that
obligation in accordance with those arrangements. Tickets will be mailed
for all adult members in good standing no later than September 15, 2008.
If you believe that you are a member in good standing
and have not received your tickets by September 20th, please contact our
Accounts Manager, Mike Goldsteen, at 301-767-3333 x103 so that he can
review the status of your account.
Please remember that although you will not need to send
in a registration form for member tickets to the High Holy Day services,
you will need to send in forms for guests, children's programming and
Break-the-Fast as needed. These forms will be mailed to you in the High
Holy Days information packet and will be available on line at
www.adatshalom.net.
People who show their tickets will be able to enter much
more quickly, so it will be to your and everyone’s benefit to bring your
tickets. Whoever does not bring a ticket must check in at the
registration desk. Again this year, we ask all Adat Shalom members to
please wear their name tags. Though you will receive tickets this
year, members who wear their name tags facilitate a sense of community,
while enhancing the efficiency and safety of our gathering. Guests and
non-members must bring the tickets they receive in the mail confirming
their registration; pre-printed name tags for guests and non-members
will be at the check-in table immediately outside the Wheaton High
School auditorium.
Adat
Shalom will again be using the excellent Kol Haneshema High Holy
Days machzor, published a few years ago by the Jewish Reconstructionist
Federation. All members need to
bring their own machzorim to services, including as many as you
have for the B’Yachad service. We will provide machzorim
for non-members. Because only a limited number of machzorim are available
for our guests, members who have yet to purchase machzorim should contact
the office at (301) 767-3333 x108 or clergyassistant@adatshalom.net,
as soon as possible. All worshippers are also strongly encouraged
to bring their own tallitot
and kippot to services -- remember that both men
and women are encouraged to wear both ritual items, and non-Jewish members
are invited to wear the kippah. Note too that Kol Nidre is one
of only two nights each year when the tallit is worn in the evening,
and throughout Yom Kippur white garments without leather are traditionally
worn.
During
the Days of Awe, and especially at the Yizkor service on Yom Kippur,
Jews remember family and friends who have passed away. It is customary
to make a contribution to tzedakah
(charity) in honor of those for whom we say Yizkor. One opportunity
for honoring the memory of loved ones is to include their names in our
annual Yizkor book, which also includes poems, readings, and original
artwork.
Please
offer the relevant information on the Yizkor form included in this packet,
and return the form along with your registration materials.
We must receive your registration form by
September 9th
to include your listing; forms received after that will not be processed
in time for the name/s to appear. A donation of $18-36 per line
is suggested. For Yizkor book questions, please contact Maureen
Schroeder at Adat Shalom (301)767-3333 x108 or clergyassistant@adatshalom.net.
As a reminder, Yizkor services will be held at about 5:35 pm on Yom
Kippur afternoon.
We
will continue our tradition of remaining together as a community for
break-the-fast. Our (milchig, or vegetarian-plus-fish)
meal will follow the Ne’ilah service at Wheaton High School, beginning
around 7:20 pm (well after sundown but still before the appearance of
three stars, which traditionally marks the end of a Holy Day). The
Break-the-Fast will feature the customary drinks, bagels, lox, salads,
and kugel, plus ample desserts for a sweet and happy New Year.
The price remains $27 for adults and children over age 12, and $9.00
for children ages 6 to 11. Children ages 5 and under eat free.
For Break-the-Fast questions, contact Maureen Schroeder at Adat Shalom,
(301) 767-3333 x108, or clergyassistant@adatshalom.net.
VOLUNTEERING: AVODAH
Voluntarism
is the foundation upon which the Adat Shalom community is built.
Volunteering for the High Holy Days is a special mitzvah, and
another way of actualizing our central value of Avodah (labor,
service, prayer). As little as one hour of service is helpful.
We have many opportunities for you to help in all aspects of the High
Holy Day season -- these include ushering, welcome greeters, break-the-fast,
and schlepping. Please share in this community event by completing
the Volunteer Sign-up Form and returning it with your registration materials.
If you would like more information, please contact Maureen Schroeder
at the Adat Shalom office, (301) 767-3333 x108, or clergyassistant@adatshalom.net
We will be closely
monitoring information that pertains to the safety and security of
worshippers on the High Holy Days. As in past years, we will hire
off-duty police officers to assist us in ensuring the safety of the Adat
Shalom community at Wheaton High School (and also at Adat Shalom on the
2nd day of Rosh Hashanah).
Please cooperate with us by bringing your
tickets (members, guests and non-members), wearing your name tags, and
entering the High School only through the designated entrance.
CHILDREN’S
PROGRAMS
Adat Shalom offers special programs for children during the High Holy Days. For a full description of youth and family worship opportunities and other service highlights, please see page 2.
Advance
registration for Rosh HaShanah (Day 1) and Yom Kippur
is essential, so that we can provide adequate staffing.
Please fill out and return the “Children's Program Registration
Form” with your other forms. Absolutely no registrations
received after September 9st
will be accepted! No walk-ins will be accepted
for these Children’s Programs. Please understand our need
to plan for appropriate set-up and staffing -- and please, respond quickly.
Supervised child-care will be provided for children ages one to four during the services on Erev Rosh HaShanah, Rosh HaShanah day one, Kol Nidre, and Yom Kippur day (refer to the Children’s Programming Registration From for start and end times). Please note that baby-sitting will not be provided for children under the age of one.
Parents should send their children with everything they
will need during these times, including toys, extra clothing, diapers,
wipes, etc. Please label everything with the child’s full name.
Parents should bring blankets or rugs to cover the hard floors. The
program will provide snacks, but children should bring lunch.
Children’s Programs return with a bang for 5769 with high quality and fun educational activities for Pre-K through Grade 3. Please refer to the Children’s Programming Registration Form for start and end times. Children are of course welcome into the main services at any time. Teachers assisted by madrichim (assistants) will provide a safe and nurturing environment. Supervised free play and snacks are included. Parents, please make sure to pack a lunch and weather-appropriate clothing for your child.
At the end of the B’Yachad service and the Teen Service
(see page 2 for details) on Rosh HaShanah , all are invited to join the
latter part of the ‘main’ service for the shofar blowing, timed so that
all can hear the shofar in the auditorium with the entire community.
Organized programming will be available for our Youth
(Grades 4-6) and teens following the B’Yachad and Teen Services from
12:15PM-1:15PM. In addition, a quiet room will be available for those
students who prefer to read or to participate in arts and crafts
activities. PLEASE see that our Youth and Teens either wear or bring
rubber-soled shoes as some activities may take place in the gym and
those with hard-soled shoes will not be permitted to join in.
SNACKS: Adat Shalom will provide snacks, but
children should bring their own lunch on Rosh HaShanah and (as
applicable for those whose children do eat then) Yom Kippur.
Children’s
Programs: Rosh HaShanah – Day 2
We will be coming back home to Adat Shalom for the second day of Rosh HaShanah, on Friday 9/14 at 9:30 AM.
Sue Marx will again lead our children in Grades K-1 (Minyan Katan) and 2-3 (Gesher Minyan) for meaningful and musical services; Grades 4 and up will participate in the main services until 11:15, when they can meet in the library for a brief age-appropriate discussion on the themes of Torah and Shofar services.
Later that morning, all children will be welcomed into the main services for the Shofar services, and then down to the multi-purpose room for storytelling with renowned local Jewish teacher and entertainer Renee Brachfeld.
Babysitting and childcare will be provided for children when they are not in services. All children in grades Pre-K and up will be expected to attend their age-appropriate services. Childcare will not be offered for those children who are supposed to be in a particular minyan during their minyan time.
The final service of the day, Ne’ilah, will be a time
for the whole community to reconvene and reconnect after the afternoon
learning sessions and services. All children in our community
(grades 3 and up) are encouraged to join in our Ne’ilah service. Wearing
white, as is traditional, they will be invited to the bimah for the
dramatic communal recitation of “Avinu Malkeinu”, remaining for the end
of the service with Havdalah and the shofar blasts.
For more
information about these programs, please contact the Torah School at
tsinfo@adatshalom.net.
SEASONAL
EVENTS Selichot, the annual service of preparation for the High
Holy Days, is on Saturday, September 20th. This year, Selichot will be
hosted by B’nai Tzedek in Potomac, with members and clergy of
Congregations Har Shalom, Adat Shalom, Beth Ami, B’nai Tzedek and Shaare
Torah all sharing in an evening of Jewish music and learning as a
warm-up to the season of Awe. Rabbi Fred will join the clergy of the
other congregations in leading a communal havdalah and worship service
and learning experience, culminating in a midnight recitation of the
central High Holy Day prayer, Avinu Malkenu. Members of all the
communities are encouraged to gather by 9:00pm for refreshments, music
and worship. Slichot “in consortium” is a real highlight, and an
indispensible opening to the penitential season. Selichot
Literally 'at' Adat Shalom, in our building, while most
of the community is at Wheaton High School. Adat Shalom has sponsored a
grant proposal by member Ellen Schein to establish our shul as a home
for the local Jewish Deaf community. Adat Shalom is very excited about
this process. Even before we learn whether we get the grant, we're
doing what we can to begin a partnership and to begin planting seeds.
On Erev Rosh Hashanah and again on Yom Kippur, we will open the doors of
7727 Persimmon Tree Lane for High Holy Day services conducted entirely
in American Sign Language. We want Adat Shalomers to know that this is
happening, spread the word to anyone who might be interested, and be
prepared to welcome a new group of folks into our building and our
community. Please contact Ellen Schein, amitamar@aol.com with any
questions.
In our tradition, people go to streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans on Rosh HaShanah to symbolically cast their sins into the water. This is an ancient ceremony that has become more popular in recent years because it also serves to remind us of the need to respect our natural waters and the life within them. Tashlich is traditionally held on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh HaShanah, therefore we will be having Tashlich on Thursday, September 13th at 5:00pm.
This year again, Adat Shalom plans to have multiple Tashlichs. All of these are informal events, so please dress casually. Tashlich will be followed by potluck dinners at the respective locations. Please bring a dairy or vegetarian dish for 8-12 people to share. Main dishes, side dishes, desserts and drinks are all welcome. We plan to have events in both Silver Spring and Bethesda and more.
MORE INFORMATION ON TASHLICH WILL BE AVAILABLE, THROUGH FLIERS
AND THE LISTSERVE,
AS THE DETAILS ARE CONFIRMED.
Celebrating Sukkot: Build
a Sukkah, Build Community
Once
again, the Adat Shalom community will celebrate the festival of Sukkot
(Otober 14 – October 20) with in-sukkah / at-home pot-lucks, organized
within Adat Shalom Villages (K'farim in Hebrew). The Villages
are Adat Shalom's effort to create and sustain neighborly connections
within our larger community. So, if you are planning to construct a sukkah
at your home, please also consider building neighborly spirit within
Adat Shalom by hosting members from your Village for a Sukkot celebration
on any of the following dates and times:
Friday, evening,
September 28 (dessert, or with dinner, too! – host’s choice)
Saturday evening, September 29 (for Havdalah and dessert, or with dinner,
too! -- host's choice)
Anytime on Sunday, September 30 (for brunch, lunch, mid-afternoon "nosh,"
or dinner -- also host's choice)
Stay
tuned for further communications about the Sukkot celebrations from
your Village captains. Meanwhile, please contact, Joan Kahn or Carolyn Projansky or your Village Captains, if you
are contemplating hosting. They will be thrilled to hear from you!
In
the sukkah you’ll surely need a lulav and an etrog,
the customary four species over which we say blessings while shaking
them in all directions. The deadline for orders is September
11th (a day before Rosh HaShanah),
without exception.
How to Order: Simply make out a check to Adat Shalom, with “Lulav” in the memo field, before September 11Th . Starter “children’s sets” cost $27 each; standard high quality sets, suitable for many good shakes, cost $35. Please send the check to Ruth Weissel, 11912 Jubal Early Court, Potomac, MD 20854. Checks must be received by September 11th in order for Ruth to process the order.
SOCIAL ACTION (TIKKUN
OLAM) AT ADAT SHALOM:
COMMIT TO MAKING THE WORLD
A BETTER PLACE
“The Blessed Holy One asks of Israel that by their deeds, they add
on to the written Torah -- since the deeds of the righteous
are Torah.”
-- S’fat Emet (R. Yehuda Leib Alter of Ger)
As
the High Holy Days approach, many of us become engaged in the process
of personal introspection – how can we become better people in the
New Year. The High Holy Days offer us an opportunity to consider
how we each can contribute personally to Tikkun Olam (repairing
the world). As Reconstructionist Jews, and as members of Adat
Shalom, we have an obligation to use our substantial resources and talents
to improve the lives of others in our greater Jewish and secular communities.
One important way to effect tikkun olam is to help meet the immediate
food, clothing and shelter needs of our neighbors in the D.C. Metropolitan
area. At the same time, the social action committee also provides
ways for Adat Shalom members to contribute to longer term (bigger picture)
social justice goals, including educational, environmental, interfaith,
national, and international efforts.
During
the coming year, we would like to expand and improve many of our existing
social action projects, including interfaith relations, environmental
programs (which includes the formation of a Community Supported Agriculture
Project (CSA) in 2007), and advocacy efforts. In order to do so, we
would like to encourage more families—including Torah School and Day
School kids, as well as post b’nai mitzvah youth—to participate
together in our activities. At the same time, several new programs have
been proposed or are evolving rapidly, and we’re looking for volunteers
to help make them a reality. In this mailing, you’ll find a
pledge form describing existing and proposed Social Action Projects
for 5767.
Please
complete the Adat Shalom Social Action pledge form and bring it to the
High Holyday Services, or, if you prefer, fax it (#301-767-3340) back
to Adat Shalom. Pledge forms will also be available at services.
For more information, please contact the Social Action Committee Chairs
Harriet Shugerman hshugerman@verizon.net) or Michael Fine (202-662-6909 / mfine@nxgglobal.com).
REMINDER:
One vital social action effort takes place during the High Holy Days
– KANS FOR KOL NIDRE:
On Kol Nidre night, bring a
grocery bag full of canned goods to services at Wheaton High School.
The food will be donated to the Manna Food Center, which distributes
food to those in need. Please do not bring unsecured grains,
peanut butter, or glass jars. For more information, please
contact Bob Lubran at kentlands115@hotmail.com).
ANY QUESTIONS?
Call Maureen Schroeder
at (301) 767-3333 x108 (clergyassistant@adatshalom.net),
or Eva Settle at (301) 767-3333
x106 (officeadmin@adatshalom.net)
. If no answer, leave a message, and your call will be answered
as quickly as possible.
Shanah Tovah u’Metukah -
A good
and sweet New Year!
Registration Materials
Registration form for members (or
click here for PDF version)
Registration form for non-members (or click here for PDF version)
Registration for children's programming(or click here for PDF version)
Yizkor
book (or click
here for PDF version)
Volunteer
form
Break-the-fast form (or click here for PDF version)
Social Action plege form (a PDF file)
Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation
7727 Persimmon Tree Lane
Bethesda, MD 20817
E-mail info@adatshalom.net
Phone: 301-767-3333 x106 | FAX: 301-767-3340
Shabbat Services: Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.
We are an affiliate of the Jewish
Reconstructionist Federation
and part of the Chesapeake Region of
the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (CRJRF)