Membership Packet
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Beth Shalom Synagogue 5827 North Trenholm Road * Columbia, SC 29206 * (803) 782-2500 Welcome to Beth Shalom! We are glad to hear of your interest in our community. “Beth Shalom” means House of Peace, and we hope this is a place where you can find peace, healing, inspiration and community, and grow in your love of yiddishkeit and your service of the divine. We are an inclusive and joyous spiritual community where tradition lives and thrives. At Beth Shalom, we offer more than just services. We offer Torah, joyous study of our traditional texts as a lifelong pathway to spiritual growth. We offer “gemilut hesed,” opportunities to do mitzvot together both for the Jewish commu- nity and for the greater world. And we offer community. I would be glad to speak with you more about your Jewish interests and passions, to offer any help or guidance which you would need, or simply to chat and get to know you. My door is always open. Sincerely, Rabbi David B. Siff BETH SHALOM SYNAGOGUE 5827 N. Trenholm Rd. Columbia, SC 29206 (803) 782-2500 RABBI: David Siff DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION: Rebecca Pinsker RESIDENT SCHOLAR: Dr. Leon Spotts PRESIDENT: Dr. Lilly Filler WEB SITE: www.BethShalomColumbia.org Welcome to Beth Shalom Synagogue! Beth Shalom "House of Peace" is affiliated with the Conservative branch of American Judaism. Our worship service is conducted mostly in Hebrew with English translation available on every page of the prayer book and Chumash (Bible). The Shabbat (Sabbath) evening and morning services in which we participate is a tradition that dates back well over 2000 years and is conducted in synagogues worldwide. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah A Bar/Bat Mitzvah is an important cultural and religious event in the life of a Jewish boy or girl, marking the time when he/she makes the transition to a young adult member of the Jewish community. Becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah is a call to responsibility. Kippot (head covering) and Tallit (prayer shawls) You may wonder why so many Jewish men in the synagogue wear a prayer shawl (tallit), with long fringes. That's because of G-d's command in Num- bers 15:37-41: The Lord said to Moses as follows: “Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner... Thus you shall be reminded to observe all my com- mandments and to be holy to your G-d." The wearing of the Tallit is op- tional for women. When entering the sanctuary, all men and boys are re- quired to wear a head covering or Kippah. This is a Jewish tradition and a sign of respect for G-d. Women are only required to wear a head covering when called to the Bema (the raised platform in front of the synagogue). The Sanctuary As you sit in the main sanctuary, look straight ahead. The raised platform, or stage in front of the synagogue is called a bimah. Located in the middle of the bimah is the Holy Ark containing the Torah (Scroll of the Law), in which is written the Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses. Our synagogue has more than one Torah scroll, but it should be noted that all are identical; in content, writing (orthography), and length, and are always produced by specially-trained scribes. The scribe may require about a year to write a Torah scroll. All writing is copied from an existing scroll, and each word is pronounced aloud by the scribe before copying it. There can be no mis- takes. If an error is made the entire sheet of parchment is set aside and bur- ied. There is no punctuation and there are no vowels in the Torah. Aside from the beautiful manner in which the Hebrew text is written, there is no decoration or pictorial art in a Torah scroll. Reading from the Torah is the central element around which the Sabbath morning liturgy is built. The Torah Service Hebrew is read from right to left, so the reading of the prayer book also moves in that direction. This portion of the service centers on the chanting of the text from the Torah and a text from the Prophets (Haftorah). The Torah contains the first five books of the Hebrew Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Torah de- scribes the origins of the Jewish people. Embodied in this history are the laws by which we are expected to live. Each week the Torah is removed and a designated portion is read. After the Torah has been removed from the Ark, it is carried around the sanctuary so that congregants may touch is as a sign of love and respect. The congrega- tion always rises when the Ark is opened out of respect for the word of G-d contained in the Torah. The Ark is located on the eastern wall of the syna- gogue, facing Jerusalem, the site of the ancient Temple. The Torah scrolls are velvet or satin covered and are adorned with silver ornaments. Hanging above the Ark is an ornate lamp called the "Ner Tamid" or Eternal Light. It is continually lit to remind us of the constant watchfulness of G-d. The service is divided into three main parts: Shacharit Service: This service includes introductory prayers, psalms, affirmation of faith and silent devotions. The Torah Service: This begins with the opening of the Ark and removal of the Torah Scrolls. The Torah will be carried around the sanctuary for all to see and touch. The scroll is then opened and the weekly portion read. The weekly Torah portion has been sub-divided into small sections. For each section we call upon an honored adult who thanks G-d for the spiritual privilege of reciting a blessing over the Torah. This honor is called an Ali- yah. Every Shabbat at least seven Jews beyond Bar or Bat Mitzvah age are called to the bema to recite a blessing over the Torah (Aliyah). Then the weekly Haftorah portion will be read along with introductory and conclud- ing blessings. The Haftorah is the lesson from the Prophets. The Torah and Haftorah portions can be found in Hebrew and English in the larger Chu- mashim, or Bibles. The Musaf Service: This relatively short service contains concluding prayers and hymns. After blessing over the wine and challah (ceremonial bread), please join us for kiddush luncheon in the social hall. Thank you for joining us and we wish you a Shabbat Shalom (Sabbath of Peace). Schedule of Services Shabbat evening services Friday - 6:30 p.m. Shabbat morning services Saturday - 9:45 a.m. Minyan Monday-Thursday - 6:15 p.m. E-mail Addresses: Rabbi David Siff: [email protected] Rebecca Pinsker: [email protected] Dr. Leon Spotts: [email protected] Tonya Dotson: [email protected] Sara Simmons: [email protected] Web Site: www.BethShalomColumbia.org Beth Shalom Synagogue RESOURCES & PROGRAMS Junior Congregation Contact: Rebecca Pinsker, Director of Education Learning your prayers and learning how to pray are two completely different skill sets! Families and students join together the first two Shabbatot a month to learn how to pray and create a dialogue with G‐d. Kadima & USY Contact: Rebecca Pinsker, Director of Education We may be small but we are mighty! Get together with other your other Jewish friends and not only have fun but do mitzvot at the same time! Join us for loads of fun. Family Shabbat This monthly program features a family oriented Friday night service followed by a Shabbat dinner including food and special programming for children. Interfaith / Intermarriage Contact: Matt Gottlieb, 528‐7312 Do you or will you have a non‐Jewish family member or spouse? This does not exclude anyone from being involved or welcome at Beth Shalom. We offer programming and support to assist in the inclusion of all family members wanting to be involved members of the community. Even if you just have a question we are there for you. Daily Worship We join together as a community for daily worship (minyan) Monday through Thursday at 6:15 p.m. Tikkun Olam Contact: Sue Berkowitz, 256‐0109 Adult Education Academy Contact: Rebecca Pinsker, Director of Education Lean in an innovative environment that encourages questions. Academy leaning happens three times a year, Fall, Winter, and Spring with course offerings of two‐55 minute classes each hour from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Thursday evenings. Music & Choir Contact: Dr. Michal Rubin, 738‐0267 Beth Shalom is in the midst of a "musical" journey, enriching our services with music and song with an emphasis on congregational singing. Sound files are sent to the community with new melodies; groups of "singers" prepare for the High Holy Days, encouraging singing in the kahal (congregation); our services are led by lay leaders; the Torah and Haftarah are chanted by lay readers; As a new congregant, we would like to extend our invitation to you to join the ranks of singers, Torah readers, and prayer leaders. Hesed Outreach Contact: Doris Frank, 699‐1464 Caring for Our Members Our compassion for our Beth Shalom community finds its expression in the physical world through bikur cholim, visiting the sick, and nichum avelim, comforting the mourner. Both these mitzvot fall within gemilut chesed, acts of loving kindness performed in emulation of God's devine kindness and love, without the expectation of reward or acknowledgment. The relationships created by these acts hold the potential for spiritual experiences, enriching the giver as well as receiver.