Ohavay Zion Synagogue Bulletin 2048 Edgewater Court Lexington, Kentucky 40502 859-266-8050 Elul 5777/Tishri 5778 September 2017 http://www.ozs.org HIGH HOLY DAYS AT OZS Schedule of Worship Services and Holiday Programs 5778 SELICHOT YOM KIPPUR September 16, Saturday September 29, Friday Interfaith Dialogue on Forgiveness 7:30pm Kol Nidre Right at 7:00pm Havdalah, Ice Cream & Sweep 8:30pm Babysitting (upon request) 6 :45pm to 9:15pm Selichot Service 9:00pm September 30, Saturday Morning Service 9:15am ROSH HA-SHANAH Yizkor About 12:00pm September 20, Wednesday Babysitting 10:00am to 1:00pm Evening Service 6:00pm to 6:30pm Family Holiday Service (toddler –Kindergarten) 11:00am to 11:30am st th Junior Cong/ Activities (1 – 7 Grade) 10:30am to 12:30pm September 21, Thursday Morning Service 9:15am Study Session (following break) 5:00pm Tashlikh (following end of service) 1:30pm Minha 5:45pm N’ila 7:00pm Babysitting 10:00am to 1:00pm Ma’ariv, Havdala, and Break Fast 8:00pm Family Holiday Service (toddler –Kindergarten) 11:00am to 11:30am Junior Cong/ Activities (1st – 7th Grade) 10:30am to 12:30pm SUKKOT September 21, Thursday October 5, Thursday Evening Service Lead by our Students 6:00pm Festival Morning Service 9:30am October 6, Friday September 22, Friday Festival Morning Service 7:30am Morning Service 9:15am PIZZA IN THE HUT October 6, Friday 5:30PM SHABBAT SHUVAH September 23, Saturday SH’MINI ATZERET Shabbat Morning Service 9:30am October 12, Thursday Festival Morning Service 9:30AM Yizkor approx. 11:30AM 4th Annual Harriet Cooper Blood Drive September 24, Sunday 9:00-1:00pm SIMCHAT TORAH October 13, Friday Festival Morning Service 7:30am KEVER AVOT SERVICE September 24, Sunday October 13, Friday (at Lexington Cemetery w/TAI) 1:00pm Simchat Torah Celebration 5:30pm FROM THE RABBI Welcome to 5778! Saying welcome, greeting guests, helping people to feel accepted and embraced is an important mitzvah in Judaism. It is called Hachnasat Orchim. One of the best places to see this mitzvah in action is where the Torah describes Abraham sitting at the entrance of his tent, waiting to receive guests. When a few wanderers appear on the horizon, he runs out to greet them, and welcomes them into his tent, offering them food and drink. The members of his family work together to make sure the guests’ needs are taken care of. And when the guests finally need to leave, he walks with them for a bit to give them a proper good-bye. Just as Abraham and his family welcomed guests, so too can we make others feel welcome. It is a Jewish tradition to go out to greet guests, and when they need to depart, to walk with them for a bit as they begin their journey home. It is also a great mitzvah to welcome folks into our synagogue. When we come to shul, and see that someone is new, it is an important mitzvah to welcome them in. OZS often has guests on Shabbos, and certainly we have folks join us for services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We can follow the way of Abraham and welcome them in. This next month, in addition to welcoming folks into our synagogue, into our home, and into a new year, we also have the merit of welcoming a refugee family from the Congo. Our Social Action Committee has been working with Kentucky Refugee Ministries, and we are blessed to help welcome a family into Lexington, KY, USA. The family includes two adults and five children (two boys and three daughters, spanning the ages of 5 to 16). While it is a mitzvah in itself to make sure the family has its needs taken care of and to help them adjust to our culture and language, it is an example of hiddur mitzvah (an even higher level of observing this mitzvah) to really make them feel welcome. A kind word, a smile, a sense of embrace can help make the difference. This year, let us following the example of Abraham and warmly welcome our guests. Let us heed the rabbinic sage Shammai who taught us that we should receive each person warmly and with kind face. Let us enter this new year with the feeling of welcoming and embrace. May we all be blessed with a good and sweet new year! Rabbi Moshe Smolkin Shabbat Services: September 2016 September 2 September 1 September 8 Shabbat - 9:30AM September 9 Kabbalat Shabbat w/ Welcome Back Tailgate Ki Tetze Shabbat - 9:30AM Stewart Home Birthday Aliyah 5:30PM Ki Tavo Kiddush honor Leon Cooper September 16 September 15 September 22 September 23 Shabbat - 9:30AM Kids Shabbat 5:30PM Shabbat at Home w/ Shabbat Shuvah - 9:30AM Nitzavim-Vayelech Interfaith Discussion-7:30PM Family & Friends Ha’azinu Selichot Service-8:30PM September 29 September 30 Shabbat at Home w/ Shabbat - 9:30AM Family & Friends Yizkor Yom Kippur PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE When I finished my term as OZS President four years ago, I thought that at some point I might like to do it again. I didn’t think, however, that it would be so soon! Nonetheless, I am delighted and honored to be President again, and look forward to working with the Officers and Trustees, and with the entire congregation, to make sure that OZS continues to flourish, and to be the kind of warm, welcoming synagogue that we all want. I would like to thank the outgoing officers and trustees, Shirley Bryan, Mike Ades, David Feinberg, Simone Salomon, and Ronit Eres, for their contributions over the past years. I would also like to express my appreciation to those board members and trustees who continue in their posts, and those newly elected earlier this summer. Their willingness to serve, and dedication to OZS are inspiring, and I look forward to working with them, and of course with Rabbi Smolkin and our staff, this year and in the future. This past weekend, at our Annual Meeting, which included the installation of officers and trustees, we also announced winners of our biannual awards, to individuals, mostly not members of the Board, who have made extraordinary contributions to our congregation over the past two years (or, in many cases, much longer): President’s Award: Mike Ades Kathy Kroot Service Award: Brian Derer, for his work on the backpacking project providing food for needy children at Mary Todd Elementary School Education Award: Liza Goldenberg, teacher of the b’nai mitzvah religious school class Sisterhood Award: Shirley Bryan Tallit Award: Sue Ezrine and Nancy Hoffman, for many years of organizing the High Holy Day observances I look forward to seeing everybody later this month during the High Holy Days. Le-shana tova Tikatevu ve-Techatemu - May you be written and inscribed for a good year! Jon Glixon OZS Annual Meeting Social Action Committee 9/5 Interested in meeting/working with OZS’ incoming refugee family? Come to our Congolese Cultural Training, on Tuesday, September 5th, from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm. If you want to volunteer but have not submitted an application, time is running out! Please email or call Dominique ([email protected] or 229-5790). Congregants are not allowed to work with refugees without submitting an application and background check OZS Men’s Club sponsors a Welcome Back! 9/8 KABBALAT SHABBAT TAILGATE Friday, Sept 8, 5:30PM in the OZS parking lot. Hot dogs & vegetarian option will be served, and we’ll have water, iced tea & lemonade. If you desire something more “tailgate-ish”, it’s OK to BYOB. A non-dairy potluck side dish to share will be much appreciated. Wear your school colors, bring your lawn chairs and enjoy a fun Shabbat “kickoff”! To ensure enough food, please RSVP with your food preference to the OZS office at [email protected] by Tuesday, Sept 5. Backpacking for God’s Pantry 9/10 Our first packing for this school year will be at OZS on Sunday morning, September 10th at 10:30. Ohavay Zion participates in packing and delivering bags of food items provided by God's Pantry Food Bank for Mary Todd Elementary students. We fill and deliver approximately 280 bags every month throughout the school year. For more information contact Brian Derer OZS Board Meeting 9/12 Tuesday, September 12 at 7:30PM in the OZS Library Kids Shabbat 9/15 Join us for this month’s Kids’ Shabbat service on September 15 at 5:30pm. Newcomers and friends are always welcome! For more information or to RSVP, email Dominique. Social Action Committee (SAC) 9/17 Social Action Committee meeting at OZS on Sunday, September 17th, from 10:30—12:00PM. We will be finalizing our volunteer assignments. For more information contact Dominique Olbert. OZS Youth Group Kick-off Event 9/17 Sunday, September 17th, 12PM-3:30PM. OZS Youth Group (Grades 5th-12th) begin their 5778 Kick-off with lunch at OZS then apple picking at Evans Orchard in Georgetown. $15 includes Harvest Festival Activities. To RSVP, contact Heidi and Matt Simons at [email protected] or cal 859-433-1991 4th Annual Harriet Cooper Blood Drive 9/24 In memory of Harriet Rudman Cooper on Sunday, September 24 from 9:00AM-1:00PM. A Bloodmobile will be in OZS Parking Lot. Please reserve your time by contacting Sue Ezrine at [email protected] and allow about 1 hour for screening and donating. Religious School Family Apple Picking 9/24 Sunday, September 24th, 1:00PM at Erkert-Boyd’s Orchard. Join PJ Library and TAI in preparing for the new year with family apple picking! Together we’ll pick apples and enjoy each other’s company and the fun activities offered.