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Seeing Ourselves in the Story: Racial Injustice and the Radical Potential of Passover

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Seeing Ourselves in the Story: Racial Injustice and the Radical Potential of Passover April 2012 | Vol. 25, No. 8 | Nissan-Iyar 5772 Poverty and Racism: The Religious Mandate to Alleviate Suffering Issue Services in April Seeing Ourselves in the Story: Racial Injustice and the Radical Potential of Passover Shacharit Morning Minyan Thursdays at 7:45 a.m. hir Tikvah welcomes Unwanted Claims: The Politics of April 5, 12, 19, 26 Professor Joe Soss for Participation in the U.S. Welfare the sixth annual Robert Saturday, April 7 System (2000), co-editor of Race Tot Shabbat, 9:30 A.M. SN. Schlesinger Memorial and the Politics of Welfare Reform Led by Rabbi Simon & Wendy Goldberg Lecture on Saturday, April (2003), co-editor of Remaking Shabbat Services, 10:30 a.m. Led by Rabbi Latz & Wendy Goldberg 7, at 10:30 am. America: Democracy and Public Soss is the inaugural Policy in an Age of Inequality Friday, April 13 Shabbat Services, 8:00 p.m. Cowles Chair for the (2007), and author or co-author Led by Rabbi Latz & Steve Greenberg Study of Public Service of numerous scholarly articles. at the University of Friday, April 20 Soss’ lecture is titled “Seeing Shabbat Live! Services, 6:30 p.m. Minnesota, where he Ourselves in the Story: Racial Led by Rabbi Simon & holds faculty positions in the Hubert H. Shabbat Live Ensemble Injustice and the Radical Potential of Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, the Saturday, April 21 Department of Political Science, and the Passover.” The Robert N. Schlesinger Shabbat Services, 10:30 A.M. Memorial Lecture was established Led by Rabbi Simon & Rachel Lipkin Department of Sociology. His research and teaching explore the interplay of in memory of Robert Schlesinger, Friday, April 27 democratic politics, socio-economic a founding member of Shir Tikvah Shabbat Services, 8:00 p.m. Led by Rabbi Latz & Wendy Goldberg inequalities, and public policy. who served the congregation on the original Steering Committee and Board Soss is particularly interested in the Saturday, April 28 of Directors. He was an enthusiastic Shabbat Services, 10:30 a.m. political sources and consequences of Led by Rabbi Latz & Jane Newman supporter of Shir Tikvah until his Bar Mitzvah of David Heinrich policies that govern social marginality and shape life conditions for socially premature death from ALS (also known marginal groups. as Lou Gehrig’s disease) at age 59. His most recent book is Disciplining The annual lecture is sponsored by the Poor: Neoliberal Paternalism and the his family—widow, Lisa, and adult Persistent Power of Race (University children David, Suzanna, and Jacob— of Chicago Press, 2011), co-authored in loving memory, with gratitude MAY with Richard C. Fording and Sanford and appreciation to the Shir Tikvah F. Schram. He is also the author of community. 25 On behalf of the Rabbis, Staff, and Board, we wish you a Mark your calendar! Congregational Dinner HAPPY AND HEALTHY PASSOVER and Annual Meeting Friday, May 25, 6:00 p.m. “Let all who are hungry come and eat.” –The Haggadah committees gathered together to Our stories From our Senior Rabbi... discuss funding our congregation in e Jewish people love our triumph, violence the most ethical, sustainable, and fair stories: Those in the Torah, and generosity, way possible. like Passover, that speak retribution and • Our high-school students, under Wof freedom and redemption; those redemption. the leadership of Rabbi Simon, such as Esther and the observance of • More than Molly Hazelton, and Amira Cohen, Purim, that call for joy as a response 40 participants made manifest the Purim mitzvah to fear; and those we tell in our lives: gathered (commandment) to care for the Stories of family, love, hope, and for “Radical poor by collecting personal hygiene promise. Amazement” to reflect on Judaism items for homeless youth, while Here are a few of our stories from the through a spiritual lens, to re-imagine Shir Tikvah members joined with past month. creative responses to the great moral Jewish Community Action to put and theological questions of our an end to predatory lending and • At the Jewish community gathering to defeat the homophobic anti- generation. home foreclosures on Minneapolis’ Northside. marriage amendment on March 4, • One Thursday morning at the end of almost 800 people—more than 100 February, a recent Jew-by-choice lead • One Friday in March, half a dozen of them members of Shir Tikvah!— our minyan service, taught Torah, and people joined with Sara Lahyani, our illuminated the power of stories invited participants to reflect on life’s office manager, to bake hamentaschen. to transform our hearts and lives, deeper spiritual purpose. This is our Shir Tikvah story: Many to encourage people to vote no on • The first weekend in March, 15 diverse people engaged in building November 6, to speak proudly from middle-school students went to Jewish life, creating a spiritual our tradition about how and why this OSRUI for their first Junior Youth world, building our holy synagogue amendment violates our core Jewish Group conclave, and regaled us with community. values of human dignity and justice. stories of new friendship, deeper For the stories we have told, those we • On Purim, Wendy Goldberg connections to Judaism, and a drive have yet to tell, and those we’ll tell in coordinated more than 70 Shir Tikvah for robust engagement at Shir Tikvah. the days to come, I wish you and your members who participated in the • One Sunday afternoon in February, loved ones a meaningful Passover. Cinemegillah, telling the ancient story more than 25 members of the Finance, of Esther—a story of suffering and Membership, and Development From our Director of Lifelong Learning... Learning through holy conversations Children were racing between classrooms, parents were innovative and flexible learning models gathered sharing stories, and teachers and teen ozrim were in rhythm with Jewish holidays.” busy coordinating workshops and activities. The month of March also included The Shir Tikvah building was abuzz with energy and our Teacher Appreciation Shabbat, excitement as the program gave way to a delicious Persian a service celebrating learning at Shir feast (created by Office Manager Sara Lahyani and David Tikvah. Prior to services, teachers and Raskas) followed by the multi-generational Cinemegillah, their families were treated to a Shabbat a retelling of the Purim story in numerous film genres. dinner, in gratitude of their hard work Toiletries were collected, fulfilling the mitzvah of Matanot and dedication to our students and the congregation. L’Evyonim (gifts for people in need). During the service, the teachers took part in a special chain As one member said, “Our ability to bring families and of tradition with the Torah scrolls and received a blessing. community together is a blessing and a gift!” In April, Religious School and Hebrew School students Purim marked the third of a three-part series of family will mark the spring festival of Passover with many holiday celebrations that took place this year at Shir Tikvah. learning opportunities, including a chance for some of On the Wednesdays of Sukkot, Simchat Torah, and Purim, our youngest students to perfect the Four Questions. With the children enrolled in Hebrew School, and other school- “Holy Conversations” at the core of our vision for lifelong aged children, gathered with their families for engaging, learning, there will be many opportunities for questions age-appropriate, holiday-specific events designed to fulfill and conversation in the a piece of the Lifelong Learning vision, to “encounter month ahead. 2 From our President... he past few months heard Rabbis Latz and Simon, creating and maintaining a have been extremely many and Wendy Goldberg, vibrant community. full and joyous great were part of the program, These are some highlights Tat Shir Tikvah, and we ideas on which was inspirational of recent events at Shir should all be proud of our moving for all in attendance. magnificent congregation. Shir Tikvah. Many of you Just a few days after February began with Tikvah are actively engaged in that we had Purim our impressive Shabbat forward congregational events Shirah service, when we as a leader in the Jewish Services—Shir Tikvah and were present at these heard beautiful gospel community, while being style. More than 70 people events. participated in the shpiel, music that raised the a place for meaningful Others are not as involved spirits of everyone in the prayer, music, education, an outrageously funny at the synagogue right overflowing sanctuary. and personal connections depiction of the story of Esther, told through now. If you haven’t been to The following weekend we for our membership. different Hollywood a Shabbat Service, joined a had a marvelous turnout In early March, scores genres. committee, or been in the for the Visioning Shabbat, of Shir Tikvah members building during Shabbat And on March 14, Rabbi demonstrating what an turned out for the March or on a Sunday morning engaged community we 4 event at Adath Jeshurun Sharon Brous, founder lately, I encourage you to have, and how many to work with other Jews in of IKAR and named by come see all that is going people in our congregation the Twin Cities to defeat Newsweek as one of the on in our community. want to see Shir Tikvah the Marriage Amendment 50 most-influential rabbis, continue to flourish. We this fall. Our leaders, led us in a discussion on Jane Binder Visioning Update It has been more than a month since our Visioning Shabbat, and the congregation has been moving forward on the themes that emerged from that weekend. A group of Board members and Visioning Shabbat planners met on the Sunday morning following the Visioning Shabbat to recap what we learned and to begin planning next steps.
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