News from the JRF

Camp JRF - filling up quickly!

31 teens will be visiting Israel this summer with No'ar Hadash.  From Agudas Achim, we have seven children registered for camp (and two families registered for family camp), one teen participating in the Israel program, and a large number of us planning to attend the convention...see below for more information.

 Have you checked out JRF's website -- www.jrf.org? 

Surf over to see news stories including Rabbi Kevin Hale's completion of a kosher, Reconstructionist Megillat Esther commissioned by Congregation Or Hadash in Pennsylvania (Rabbi Hale was a visiting scholar at Agudas Achim a few years ago), Divrei Torah (Torah commentaries) for every weekly Torah portion, Jewish holiday sermons, including Rabbi Elyse's Rosh Hashana sermon this past year on hospitality, and resources on everything Jewish, including (in time for Passover!) Multicultural Haroset Recipes.

NEWS FROM THE RECONSTRUCTIONIST WORLD

JRF has begun hosting a series of conference calls through the winter and spring for synagogue leaders from around the movement to discuss issues ranging from "Using the Web and Newsletters for Successful Community Building and Engagement" to creating environmentally friendly and sustainable synagogues.  Just last month, Rabbi Elyse was a featured presenter on one of these calls discussing how Growing Your Congregational Community isn’t only about numbers but is also about greater levels of engagement and dynamic change.

Speaking of environmentally friendly synagogues, the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation (JRC) of Evanston, IL, is in the process of receiving the highest rating from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program for the congregation's new building.  The "platinum" rating is for features such as using recycled concrete and sensor-controlled lighting. JRC's energy costs are projected to be about 45 percent less than a typical synagogue of the same size.

Don't forget to mark your calendars for next fall's JRF convention at the Boston Park Plaza, November 13-16!!

As the convention is in our backyard, I'm encouraging members to consider attending at least the Shabbat morning service.  Combining your voice with 500 others in a Reconstructionist setting is a rare opportunity.

A general call has been issued for workshop proposals, and our congregation has a lot to offer.  The theme is “Transformative Judaism for the 21st Century" addressing the questions: What exciting innovations are on the horizon for Jewish life in the 21st century? What are the most pressing issues facing our communities?

Proposals can address a broad range of topics, including but not limited to: Adult Education, Camping, Congregational Schools, Effective Models of Decision Making, Ethical Kashrut, Fundraising, Growth and Communal Transitions, Israel, Leadership Development,
Liturgy and Ritual, Planned Giving, Rabbi/Congregation Relations, Spirituality and Spiritual Practices, Strategic Planning, Sustainability, Text Study and Divrei Torah, The Arts in Jewish
Community, Tikkun Olam, and Youth.

To propose a workshop of 90 minutes in length, complete the online proposal form at www.jrf.org/convention or speak with Rabbi Elyse or David Nerenberg.

On-going....

1) We continue to follow up the Darfur rally on national coalitions and communication with our congregations. http://www2.jrf.org/to/darfur.php
 
2) We continue to respond to requests for sign-on's and support on a variety of social justice and relief effort campaigns.
 
3) We continue to receive responses to our fall Tikkun Olam survey and hope to hear from as many JRF congregations as we can by the end of this calendar year. The Omer study initiative was a direct result of what our member communities were most involved with in alleviating and repairing the suffering and inequity in our world. See http://omer.jrf.org/text-study/week1/1 
 
4) Check out Tikkun resources in our new JRF Resource Library http://www2.jrf.org/resources/jrf_resources.php?tid=3:6&show=#Tikkun%20Olam.