Congregation Hakafa Newsletter September 2016 Av/Elul 5776 D'varim
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Congregation Hakafa Newsletter September 2016 Av/Elul 5776 BRUCE ELDER, RABBI ROBERT J. MARX, RABBI EMERITUS D’varim New Friends “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other gold.” I remember that old ditty from my camp days. I won’t reveal how long ago that was, but believe me it was long ago. Ruth and I have had quite a few Hakafa visitors come up to see us here in Saugatuck this summer. I hesitate telling you who they are for fear of incriminating them, or of arousing jealousy in those of you who have not traveled up here to visit with us. Suffice it to say, these visits are invariably a blessing (particularly when they are accompanied by a Danish coffee cake sprinkled with pecans—well, to be truthful, too often they stuff them with unpleasant almond paste—but I digress). Truth of the matter is, we enjoy seeing old friends, and hope you will continue your visits (with or without the coffee cake-----but, preferably with). This invitation brings with it pleasant memories. It also creates a note of sadness. I spoke with Rabbi Elder today, and the conversation reminded me of all the exciting things that are happening at Hakafa. As my enthusiasm mounted, so did my depression. I don’t know Hakafa anymore. I don’t know the officers. I don’t even know a majority of the members. Understand what this means. I am not trying to make anyone feel guilty. I am simply affirming what time and distance have ordained; namely, that I have been away a long time, and that separation erodes friendship. But separation also enriches memory. My Hakafa memories are very vivid. And I miss our congregation so very much. And now, more than ever, I wish I could see and get to know more of the people who have joined Rabbi Elder in our great Hakafa experiment. In so many ways Hakafa is a miracle. After all, how many congregations of any faith have survived—and flourished—without succumbing to the siren lure of brick and mortar—(and parking lot and building fund)? Our area here in Western Michigan is not without its Jews. Saugatuck used to be a viper’s nest of anti-Semitism. Not anymore. There are a lot of artists here; not to mention gays and lesbians. There are Episcopalians and Congregationalists, and unembarrassed atheists. And, yes, there are Jews here, too, though not enough yet to launch a building fund drive. The town is also fairly congenial to my liberal political instincts (in sharp contrast to many of our surrounding communities). The point of all this is this: We hunger for community; for a Jewish community. This is not written in the spirit of exclusiveness or exceptionalism. No. We love our community and we love its diversity. Still we who are Jewish need one another. A group of us gather together here at our home to worship and to discuss Torah. We call our congregation Yad Mordechai. (To understand the meaning of Yad Mordechai, you’ll have to come up and see me.) We don’t gather every week, but we do so when we can. And it means so very much to all of us. We repeat the familiar prayers. We argue about the meaning of the weekly Torah portion. And then we adjourn to our kitchen-- and we eat. I never fully appreciated how integral the oneg Shabbat was to the whole religious experience until I encountered Shabbat at Yad Mordechai. These words help me confront my mood—which, of late, has been so nostalgic. Hakafa members, you don’t know how blessed you are. You are blessed by being part of a marvelous innovative community. You are blessed by the leadership of a loving and courageous rabbi. And you are blessed by your very closeness to one another—a closeness which is so much more than merely physical. Cherish that blessing. I do. An addendum: Our Saugatuck congregation has a marvelous diverse membership. One of our regulars was born and raised in Copenhagen. And he is a professional baker….He has yet to bake me a Danish—with pecans. –Rabbi Robert J. Marx 2 The Circle September 2016 Prayer and Celebration Shabbat Morning Minyan Friday Night Services Please join us on Saturday, September 10 at the home of Leanne Star (314 Park Avenue, The congregation is cordially invited to attend services at the Wilmette) at 8:30 a.m. for our September Shabbat Winnetka Community House (unless noted) on the following morning minyan. This hour-long service and study evenings: is a wonderful opportunity to enhance your celebration of Shabbat. People of all ages are September 2 Shabbat R’eih encouraged and welcome to join us. 7:30 p.m. Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17 Haftarah: Isaiah 54:11 – 55:1 Sunrise Minyan September 9 Shabbat Shof’tim 7:30 p.m. Torah Portion: Deutoronomy 16:18 -21:19 Are you an early riser? Are you looking for a Haftarah: Isaiah 51:12 – 52:12 different way to welcome both the morning sun and Morissa Lambert will speak on her experience of the High Holiday season? Join us (weather becoming a bat mitzvah in Lostice, Czech permitting) on Saturday morning, September 24 Republic this past August. at 6:00 a.m. at Elder Lane Beach (Sheridan Road at Elder Lane in Winnetka) as we gather at dawn to September 16 Shabbat Ki Teitzei pray, sing, and watch the sunrise together. We will 7:30 p.m. Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 21:10 - 25:19 conclude by 6:40 a.m. when the sun rises. Please Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1 - 10 contact Rabbi Elder ([email protected] or 847-266- 8854) with questions. September 23 Shabbat Ki Tavo 7:30 p.m. Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8 Haftarah: Isaiah 60:1 – 22 Oneg Hosts Needed September 30 Shabbat Nitzavim 7:30 p.m. Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 29:9-39:20 We are looking for hosts for Friday evening Haftarah: Isaiah 61:10 – 63:9 onegs beginning September 23. Hosting a Friday evening oneg is a wonderful way to help support Hakafa and is also a nice way to celebrate a bar/bat mitzvah, birthday, anniversary, or other Shabbat in the Home: special occasion with the congregation. Many Hosts Needed for November 4 people honor the memory of a loved one on his/her yahrzeit by hosting an oneg. Shabbat in the Home takes place one Friday evening each year. Fifteen or more Hakafa families host a potluck Shabbat If you would like to host an oneg, please contact our Volunteer Oneg Coordinator, Sally Nador dinner, and every congregation member is invited to dine ([email protected] or 847-727-4357), to and share the evening at one of the homes. In response to reserve a date or sign-up at this link: requests to hold this special evening when the weather is better and earlier in the year so that newer members can http://tinyurl.com/oneg-host make connections sooner, we have moved it to November. Additionally, because the Winnetka Community House will not be available to us on November 4, that seemed like the Live Streaming of Shabbat Services perfect date for Shabbat in the Home. If you are unable to make it to Friday night services, But, it can only work if we get enough hosts. If you are but would like to participate from your home, you willing to open up your home to other Hakafa members for a may now live stream them through our website. Go potluck dinner on Friday, November 4, 2016 please contact to hakafa.org and click on the “Listen Now” icon on Debbie Fogel ([email protected] or 312-576-6775) or the left side of the screen for instructions. You may sign-up at this link: http://tinyurl.com/shabbat-in-the-home also view archived events using this link. We hope to get enough volunteer hosts and hope you will join us as we celebrate Shabbat, share a delicious meal, Please note: For optimal audio output, you must enjoy interesting conversation, meet new friends, and have the volume turned up on both your computer reconnect with old ones! and on the live stream screen itself. 3 The Circle September 2016 Prayer and Celebration (continued) Share Your Holidays On occasion, there are Hakafa members who would like to share holidays with fellow congregants and do not have the opportunity to do so. If you would like to host a fellow congregant for a holiday meal, or if you need or want a place to go for the holidays, please contact Sylvia Dresser (847-945-6095). Member News Message from the President In July, you should have received your Hakafa membership renewal form. Please know that, this year, the standard dues amount does not cover the full budget of the congregation, but we did not want to raise the standard dues level more than $50 over last year. We have been seeing an overall decline in the amount of dues collected as a percentage of total budget. This is by no means a crisis, rather a trend we are watching carefully. The congregation has reserves to make up for an off year but, as you can appreciate, we're reticent to use them. As you fill out your forms, I ask that you please consider the value, past present and future, of Congregation Hakafa to you and your family. Whether you give at the standard, adjusted or enhanced level, any additional dollars you can give are greatly appreciated.