Events, Notes & News

* * * UPCOMING EVENTS * * *

Darfur Crisis to be Recalled at
Yom HaShoah Service on Friday, May 2

Join us on Friday, May 2 for our service in memory of victims of the Holocaust.  The service will feature guest speaker, Scott Warren, the Director of STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition, and a junior at Brown University.  Originally from San Diego, California, Scott has lived in many different countries in Africa and Latin America, including Argentina, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic. He graduated from high school in Quito, Ecuador.

Scott helped found the now very active STAND chapter at Brown and helped lead the movements to get Brown, and subsequently the City of Providence and State of Rhode Island to divest from Sudan. He has been featured in the Associated Press, the Providence Journal, CNN International, the Boston Globe, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Scott previously served as the Communications Coordinator for STAND. STAND currently encompasses over 700 high school and college chapters throughout the country dedicated to ending and preventing genocide.

The evening is part of our Friday B’Yachad event, and will begin at 5:45 pm with a family service, followed by a catered community dinner at 6:30 and the Erev Shabbat Service at 7:30 pm.

Congregation Agudas Achim will be remembering victims of the Holocaust at our Yom HaShoah service on Friday, May 2.  If you would like to add the names of loved ones or family members who perished to a list that will be read, please send an email to Rabbi Elyse at rabbi@agudasma.org.

Our next Family Service will be also held on night at 5:45 pm as part of our Friday B’Yachad and Yom Hashoah events. For our youngest members and their families (grade 3 and under), the Family Service precedes the Community Dinner during Shabbat B’Yachad Fridays.  Come and share singing, stories, and prayers at this special time.

AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY
ABOUT ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN PEACE ACTIVISTS
TO SCREEN AT JCC ON MAY 4

Encounter Point, the award-winning feature documentary about ordinary heroes in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, will play at the Jewish Community Center of RI (JCC), 401 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence, on Sunday, May 4, at 3 pm.  The showing is sponsored by the RI chapter of Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, and is free and open to the public.  The film is an hour and a half long and will be followed by a brief discussion.

Brit Tzedek is a national organization with over 38,000 members in 39 chapters, whose mission is to educate and mobilize American Jews in support of a negotiated two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Encounter Point follows a former Israeli settler, a Palestinian ex-prisoner, a bereaved Israeli mother and a wounded Palestinian bereaved brother who risk their lives and public standing to promote a nonviolent end to the conflict.  These civic leaders navigate suicide bombings and checkpoints to confront militancy on both sides, the wounded and apathetic masses.  The film explores what drives them and thousands of other like-minded civilians to overcome anger and grief to work for grassroots solutions. It is a film about the everyday heroes in our midst. 

Encounter Point won the 2006 San Francisco International Film Festival “Audience Award for Best Documentary;” played opening night at the 2006 Vancouver Film Festival; ranked among the top-five picks at the 2006 Hot Docs Film Festival; and has been an “Official Selection” at numerous film festivals around the world, including the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival.

OUR 4th ANNUAL MITZVAH MORNING
SUNDAY MAY 4th

It will be here before you know it!  Our 4th Annual Mitzvah Morning is Sunday May 4th.  Visit http://www.agudasma.org/mitzvah_morning.shtml for more details!  Or contact Donna Cohen Avery  508 241 0837 or email Donna at d.ca@verizon.net.

EMUNOTES CONCERT FOR ISRAEL'S INDEPENDENCE DAY
MAY 7, 7:30 PM
FEATURING CHILDREN OF THE EMANAH CENTER IN AFULA,ISRAEL

On Wednesday, May 7th at 7:30 pm, the Jewish Community Center of Rhode Island, located at 401 Elmgrove Avenue in Providence, will welcome the Emunotes. The Emunotes are a talented singing group of 23 young girls aged 10-15, from the Emunah Sarah Herzog Family & Children's Center in Israel. They will be performing in celebration of Israel's 60th year of Independence.

The Emunotes, residents of our sister city Afula, sing—in Hebrew and English—a combination of contemporary Israeli music, traditional Israeli and Jewish music, and children's songs. The performance will be followed by Israeli dancing and refreshments.

The Sarah Herzog Emunah Children's Center in Afula is a safe haven for over 100 at risk children from the age of 6 to 18. Referred to the Center by child services, these children have suffered trauma for a variety of reasons, often leaving them with deep emotional wounds at a very tender age.  The Center serves to help heal those wounds.

Please join us to celebrate and support these young girls and this important moment in Israel's history. For more information about this community concert, please contact Sue Suls at 401.861.8800 or ssuls@jccri.org.

JUST IN TIME FOR MOTHERS’ DAY

For the 2nd year in a row, the school committee, in cooperation with Attleboro Farms, will be selling plants on Mitzvah Morning, Sunday, May 4, from 8 am—2 pm.  In response to your requests, this year we are offering a new, mid-priced alternative:  petunias (sun) or impatiens (shade) in a 10" basket for $17.   Our other plants include a foil-covered potted geranium for $6 (2 for $10), and a beautiful hanging petunia for $27.00. These plants can be used for landscaping or in a container.  As we did last year, we will take orders on Mitzvah Morning and deliver the plants at the synagogue on Wednesday May 7th between 4 pm and 7 pm.  Please support the school by purchasing a plant.  We look forward to seeing you there!  Contact Stuart Freiman at 401-475-0080 or s2man@aol.com if you have any questions. 

PARENTS' NIGHT OUT, SATURDAY, MAY 25, 6 - 10 PM
SPONSORED BY AGUDAS ACHIM'S YOUTH GROUP ACHIM vACHIYOT

Parents, drop off your kids at the synagogue for a few hours where they’ll have fun playing with their friends.  We’ll have lots of fun activities for them and you can get out and have fun yourself!  Ages: 4 to 10 years old; Cost: $15 for the first child, $5 for each additional child from the same family.

Fill out the flier enclosed in this newsletter and return as soon as possible.  Space is limited!  Any questions, please email or call Amy Bono, the youth group advisor, at abono@meditech.com or 508-699-8636.

Join Our Innovative Team of Educators

Congregation Agudas Achim's award winning school is seeking creative individuals who love Judaism and are committed to Jewish learning.  Currently one lower school position, Sundays 9-12 and one upper school position, Mondays and Wednesdays 4-6 are available.  Compensation includes salary, tuition discount, and on-going professional development.  Please contact Kim Bodemer, Education Director, for more information, 508-222-2243, principal@agaudasma.org

****KESHER PROGRAM****
Kesher Social Worker at Agudas Achim

Here at Agudas Achim we know that many of our congregants and family members find themselves in need of support during life transitions and crises.  The Kesher Program is a partnership between Agudas Achim, Jewish Family Service, and the Jewish Federation of RI to provide an onsite social worker to assist members of the congregation during these times.  Nicole Jellinek, LICSW is available to meet with congregants, provide consultation, short-term counseling, information and referrals and guide you to the resources available.  THIS IS DONE ON A CONFIDENTIAL BASIS.  You may contact Nicole directly at (508) 212-9243.

Support group for Caregivers

The support group for Caregivers of Aging and Ailing Parents will meet again on April 8 from 7-8 pm at the temple.  Please call Nicole Jellinek LICSW, who facilitates the group, at 508-212-9243 for more information or to RSVP

Results from the Kesher Survey - Winter 2008
Nicole Jellinek LICSW

As you know, Congregation Agudas Achim, in partnership with the Jewish Family Services of Rhode Island and the Jewish Federation of RI has initiated a pilot program called "The Kesher Initiative" to provide access to social services and counseling resources to our members.  In the first six months of the program we have provided services through luncheons for our older members, a support group for those caring for aging family members and direct support to many congregants on a variety of topics.

In March, we conducted a survey to get a better sense of our collective needs and interests.   We are grateful for the responses we received and, in abbreviated form, share them here: 

Respondents suggested that we focus our immediate planning on addressing the following issues in one-time workshop format: aging, stress management, women’s issues, therapeutic yoga, estate planning, multi-faith family issues, depression, spirituality with your child, spirituality, coping with illness/cancer, and end-of-life issues (including care taking and dementia).  These workshops will be facilitated either by members of the Jewish Family Service staff, Rabbi Elyse or myself.

In answer to a question about how the Kesher program could be helpful to members of the community, the majority of people said they felt they might request help with referral to a therapist.  I have developed a network of local therapists who are currently taking referrals.  I am also available to help in other ways: to provide counseling for congregants on a short-term basis; for ADD/ADHD support services and for information on testing, counseling, coaching or parenting help; for help with aging issues and decisions about moving parents from independent living; for assistance with accessing social services, e.g. meals, rides, home health services; and to provide home visits to those who are ill or need support.

If you didn’t have a chance to respond to the survey and would like to do so, go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=6jQ2D5q6YamrVSRBrVm1ng_3d_3d.  If you don’t have access to the Internet, please call me directly at 508-212-9243, and I can provide a copy for you to fill out.   As always, feel free to call me with any questions or concerns.  I can be reached confidentially at 508-212-9243.

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Save the planet while supporting your shul!

Agudas Achim canvas shopping bags are available for purchase for $5 each.  All proceeds support our synagogue.  Bags are great for groceries, or Hebrew School books!

www.goodsearch.com

A link has been added on our website to a search engine called goodsearch.com.  It's an engine powered by Yahoo! and dedicated to raising money for charities.  Every time you use the search engine and designate Agudas Achim as your charity, goodsearch donates a few cents to us.  They estimate that if each member of a 100 member organization does 2 searches per day for a year, goodsearch will donate $730 to the organization.  So next time you’re online, don’t google…Goodsearch!  And remember to designate Agudas Achim of Attleboro as your charity of choice.

SHAW’S RECEIPT REWARDS PROGRAM

Everybody has to shop for food, but what if food shopping meant you could also help raise money for the synagogue?   Now you can!  Shaw’s Receipt Rewards Program is a fundraiser that returns 1% of purchases* to our organization!
Please help by sending or bringing all your Shaw’s receipts to the synagogue.  For every $5000 in receipts we submit, we will receive a $50 rebate check.  There is an envelope on the bulletin board in the hall that says SHAWS on it.  Help us fill it up!  (*Some items are excluded from this program, including but not limited to tax, postage stamps, money orders, lottery tickets, gift cards, phone cards, prescriptions, photo processing, milk, tobacco and other items prohibited by law.)   If you have any questions, please e-mail Susan Lougee at sslougee@comcast.net. 

GIFT CENTS PROGRAM NEEDS YOUR PARTICIPATION

Agudas Achim has earned over $2200 from the Gift Cents program since our participation began in December 2005.  But we can earn much, much more if more members would participate.

This is a painless way to make money for the synagogue while you shop!  Purchase and use gift cards instead of cash for your regular purchases, and Agudas Achim receives a percentage of every purchase without costing you an extra cent!  It’s not just for gifts – purchase cards for your regular grocery shopping, clothing, pharmacy, and eating out.  Gift cards are available for most of your regular monthly purchases.  You can find the forms on the synagogue website (www.agudasma.org) that list all the eligible stores.

Send your paperwork and check to the synagogue office by the 15th of any month.  Gift Cards will arrive by end of the same month.   If you have any questions, Susan Lougee would be happy to answer them.  Contact her at 508-695-1930 or sslougee@comcast.net.

SAVE THE DATES!

Friday, June 13, 2008 – Join us for hors d’oeuvres, Kabbalat Shabbat services followed by a catered dinner, dessert and schmooze session.
Saturday, June 14, 2008 – Shabbat morning services honoring long time members of Agudas Achim followed by a catered Israeli lunch
Saturday, June 14, 2008 – Join us for an old-fashioned synagogue BLOCK PARTY featuring: games, face painting, music, potluck dinner, outdoor Havdalah followed by an outdoor movie.
To volunteer to help organize the block party, please contact the synagogue office 508-222-2243 or office@agudasma.org.

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