A Weekend with Deutsch Scholar-In
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CONGREGATION SHAARE EMETH The Bulletin January 2020 Tzedek Shabbat A Weekend with Deutsch Honoring MLK’s Legacy Scholar-in-Residence, FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 Rabbi Josh Weinberg 6 P.M. January 10 – 12, 2020 Spend the weekend learning with Rabbi Weinberg in advance of the U. S. election for the 38th World Zionist Congress elections! Rabbi Josh Weinberg is the Executive This year we remember the work Director of ARZA (the Association of of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by lifting up the voices of Reform Zionists of America), and Vice those who are working to combat President of the URJ for Israel and Reform Zionism. He has taught housing discrimination in St. Louis today. We are honored to welcome and lectured widely throughout Israel, the U.S. and Europe. Kalila Jackson of the Metropolitan He was ordained from the HUC-JIR Israeli Rabbinic Program St. Louis Equal Housing and in Jerusalem. Rabbi Weinberg is passionate about everything Opportunity Council as our Tzedek Speaker on this special Shabbat. connected to Israel, and hopes to strengthen the connection between the Reform movement and the Jewish State. Ms. Jackson is a native of St. Louis, and represents clients with fair housing complaints and other See page 5 for specific event details. legal issues as EHOC’s Staff Attorney. She earned her law degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and her undergraduate degree from Saint Louis University. Religious School “Day On” Before coming to EHOC, Kalila worked as an Associate Attorney MLK Program at a civil litigation firm, where SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 9 - 11 A.M. she represented individuals and businesses in a diverse range of Religious School families are invited to join together for this morning of learning, civil litigation matters, including conversation, and social action work. With a combination of hands-on projects, employment and housing engaging activities, community gathering, and age-appropriate discussions of discrimination. issues of diversity and justice, we will celebrate the life and work of Dr. King. Worship Schedule FRIDAY, JANUARY 3 SATURDAY, JANUARY 18 6 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat Service-Simchat Shabbat 9:30 a.m. Torah Study January Birthday Blessings and Activities for 11 a.m. Shabbat Morning Worship young children Ande McNew, daughter of Stacy and Joseph McNew becomes a Bat Mitzvah SATURDAY, JANUARY 4 9:30 a.m. Torah Study FRIDAY, JANUARY 24 11 a.m. Shabbat Morning Worship 6 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat Service Amira Jaghar, daughter of Ariane becomes a SATURDAY, JANUARY 25 Bat Mitzvah 9:30 a.m. Torah Study and Kaddish FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 FRIDAY, JANUARY 31 6 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat Service 6 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat Service, Simchat Shabbat SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 February Birthday Blessings and Activities for 9:30 a.m. Torah Study and Kaddish young children FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1 6 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat Service, Tzedek Shabbat 9:30 a.m. Torah Study and Kaddish Office Closing The office will be closed on Monday, January 20 in honor of Martin Luther King Day. The office will reopen on Tuesday, January 21. Camp and Israel Scholarships Congregation Shaare Emeth offers need-based scholarships to help our members attend URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI) overnight camp, teen Israel programs and Camp Emeth. Please contact Rosalie Stein for an application by email at rstein@ sestl.org or 569-0010. Deadlines – Israel Scholarships, February 7 GUCI Scholarships, February 14 Camp Emeth Scholarships, March 6 2 Counting Our Blessings Making Our Voice Heard f you don’t live in Israel, you delegates and meets in Jerusalem every five years. It enables don’t have a right to tell Israel delegates to exert ideological influence on both Israeli society “ what to do.” Such sentiments are and the global Jewish agenda, as well as allocate financial oftenI directed at Jews like us, living in the and other resources to various organizations – including the Diaspora, when we express our vision, Reform Movement – in Israel. beliefs, or aspirations for Israel, particularly when we may be critical of a particular The 38th World Zionist Congress will meet in Jerusalem from political action, policy or behavior of the October 20-23, 2020; the elections to determine the size of the government of the Jewish state. various delegations to the Congress are scheduled to be held from January 21 to March 11, 2020. Such attitudes are not only ironic; in my opinion, they are simply wrong. Throughout the long history of the Jewish A strong election turnout among North America’s Reform Jews, people, it has been the concern and support for Israel from the along with our supporters and allies will ensure that financial Jewish community global that has sustained Israe, and brought resources will continue to flow to our Israeli movement – Israel to the place of significance and power it holds today. including Reform congregations and institutions. It will also Jews who care about Israel have every right to express our allow us to fill leadership positions in some of Israel’s national opinions, our criticisms and our hopes for Israel. And those institutions, and only in this way can we continue to build a of us in the progressive, liberal, Jewish community of Jews democratic society in Israel that truly reflects the Jewish values around the world have a unique obligation to work to make we hold dear: pluralism, equality, economic justice, and peace. sure that Israel represents our values and our vision of peace, You can help by registering to vote and learning more. Come equality, and democracy. learn from and hear Rabbi Josh Weinberg, the Executive Director To this end, I want to make all of us aware of the of ARZA and Vice President of the URJ, when he visits our upcoming World Zionist Congress (WZC), which is the congregation January 10-12. It is time to make our voices heard. most representative body of the world Jewish community. James M. Bennett, Rabbi Established by Theodor Herzl in 1897, the WZC, also known [email protected] as the Parliament of the Jewish People, now comprises 500 3 From the President ver my many years of Temple membership and even more so over the last eight or nine years in which I have Obeen involved in Temple leadership, I have had many occasions to feel proud of Congregation Shaare Emeth. Surprise, I’m a raving fan. However, a few weeks ago, after attending an event at Shaare Emeth, I experienced a degree of pride and admiration that exceeded anything I had previously felt. On Sunday, November 24, Shaare Emeth hosted an event called Gathering for Gratitude - A Day of Giving Back. On this day, Shaare Emeth members assembled Thanksgiving meals for the homebound on behalf of The Visiting Nurses Association. Cheerful cards were made to accompany each meal. Donated gifts were wrapped for the children at Oak Hill Elementary School. Backpacks were filled with blankets, hats, gloves, and toiletries for those who find themselves living on the streets of St. Louis. “Shaare Emeth is a Cookies were baked for our local first responders. Weeks before the event, the call for volunteers went out. Our congregational community caring, giving, and immediately responded, filling all of the more than 120 spots available. Many more congregants quickly signed up to donate food, gift cards, toys, books, and clothing. generous community.” Others volunteered to deliver meals to our homebound members. On the day of the event, as volunteers started to arrive at Shaare Emeth, it occurred to me that during one of the busiest times of the year, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, our members weren’t thinking about themselves. They were thinking about others, about giving, about philanthropy. But what really warmed my heart was to see grandparents arriving hand-in-hand with their grandchildren, planting the seeds of Tzedakah (righteous giving) and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), in our next generation. And in the case of Arden Poger, it was our youth confidently educating a room full of volunteers on the mission of Winter Outreach, a volunteer organization determined to prevent homeless St. Louisans from dying on the frigid streets. As I watched this entire event unfold, I was bursting with pride. Shaare Emeth is a caring, giving, and generous community. On this day, we were true to our mission and core commitments. We gave Tzedakah, we practiced Tikkun Olam and yes, I know we created many raving fans of Congregation Shaare Emeth. This event would not have been possible without the hard work of many special staff members and volunteers. Thank you to Debbie Bram, Rabbi Goldstein, Rabbi Levine, Cantor Warner, Karen Lucy, Beth Kodner, Lucy Greenbaum, Robert Colton, The Poger Family, Lorry Blath, Holly and Sarah Goldblum, and Dr. Gary Ratkin. It’s a great time to be a member of the Shaare Emeth community. I wish you all the best in 2020. Mike Lefton, President 4 Scholar-in-Residence Deutsch Scholar-in-Residence: Rabbi Josh Weinberg January 10-12, 2020 Spend the weekend learning with Rabbi Weinberg in advance of the U. S. election for the 38th World Zionist Congress elections. Friday, January 10 6 p.m. Shabbat Service Living the Dream and Facing the Reality: Living Zionism Today. Rabbi Weinberg will share how the dream of Zionism meets the reality of Israel in the 21st century. Saturday, January 11 9 a.m. Bagels and Coffee 9:30 - 11 a.m. Can Israel be a Jewish Democratic State? What do our Texts Teach us? Using the weekly Torah portion and other text, Rabbi Weinberg will explore with us what Zionism is all about. RSVP appreciated at www.sestl.org/scholarinresidence Saturday, January 11 4 - 5:30 p.m.