|
|
Home Contact Us Directions To Temple Cemetery Religious Services Celebrate Shabbat Notices, announcements Shabbat Resources Calendar Upcoming Events Meetings JRF News Outside the synagogue Rabbi Dvar Torah Rabbi's Message Message Archive Ask the Rabbi In the Community Tikkun Olam/Social Action Help our community Kesher - Social Worker Photos/Video Study Adult Education Book Discussion Hebrew School About our School Class projects Kids Page Teens Teen Blog Synagogue Board Committees Letters from Board Remarks of members Reflections Fundraising Policies Kashrut Membership Reconstructionism Links |
Shabbat & Holiday Services Friday, Feb 5 Saturday, Feb 6 Friday, Feb 12 Saturday, Feb 13 Friday, Feb 19 Saturday, Feb 20 Friday, Feb 26 Saturday, Feb 27
Oneg Sponsors are Now Listed Online If you’ve been wondering what date you are sponsoring Oneg, or want to see what dates are still open, you can now look it up online. From the Agudas Achim home page (www.agudasma.org), just click on Calendar (on the left) for a month-by-month view of synagogue events and Oneg sponsors. If you need to change your date, or want to sign up to sponsor oneg, please contact Tamara Gruber at tamara@redgiantconsulting.com or 401-475-8674. Remember, it’s a mitzvah! First Saturdays at Nine: Morning Blessings in Meditative Motion Starting on Saturday, February 6, we will welcome the first Shabbat morning of the month with a meditative version of Birchot HaShachar. Drawing on the teachings of Rabbi Marcia Prager in her book, The Path of Blessing, Rosanna Wertheimer invites you to share in an embodied practice that highlights the opening words of the blessings through melody, movement, and breath. Our hour will give us plenty of time for blessings, silence, and sharing in Shabbat spaciousness. Saturdays, 9-10 am
Young Family Program, Sunday, February 7 Are you looking for a creative outlet to connect with other families of young children in a Jewish environment? Congregation Agudas Achim is sponsoring a Young Family Program on Sunday February 7, 2010 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Children under five and their parents are invited for a morning of stories, singing, and crafts. Snacks will be provided, and childcare will be available to allow parents to meet one another and discuss the upcoming programs the synagogue will be offering for their children. Call the synagogue office at 508-222-2243 to rsvp or email office@agudasma.org. Purim is Coming! Potluck dinner
Contact Erin Price, 508-337-9444 or emprice2006@msn.com SAVE THE DATE For the 13th year, Congregation Agudas Achim will participate in Shabbat Across America on Friday, March 5th. Agudas Achim will be one of hundreds of synagogues across the continent that will simultaneously open their doors to practicing and non-practicing Jews alike so they may join together to experience the joy of a traditional Shabbat service and a festive meal. Hundreds of thousands of people have participated in Shabbat Across America/Canada already and we are looking forward to continuing our outreach this year. Do you know anyone who might want to learn more about Jewish traditions or our congregation? Now’s your opportunity to introduce them to the beauty of Shabbat by extending an invitation to celebrate Shabbat Across America at Agudas Achim. If you would like to have the office mail an invitation to someone, please pass along the name and address to the synagogue office at office@agudasma.org or 508-222-2243. Volunteers Needed for Interfaith Passover Seder On Sunday, March 21, 2010 we will host an interfaith Passover Seder at the synagogue. We are looking for volunteers who can help with cooking and serving the meal during the Seder. Since the Seder is prior to Passover the cooking can be done at home or at the synagogue. We are planning on serving a Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup, Meatless Stuffed Cabbage, and Gefilte fish. Please contact Joel Kravetz at: Phone or Fax 781-344-0252, or email Jemeljr@verizon.net Celebrate Shabbat Our award winning Shabbat B’Yachad (Shabbat Together) programming resumes on Saturday, February 13 at 9:00 a.m. Our Shabbat B’Yachad initiative, funded in part by the Legacy Heritage Foundation, helps bring our school community together with the general synagogue community for a morning of learning, praying and fun. Electives start at 9 a.m. and services begin at 10 followed by a community potluck lunch. See the flier in this newsletter for all the details. Shabbat B’Yachad Our next Shabbat B’Yachad Friday will take place on February 5. Family services, geared toward our youngest members and their families, will start at 5:45 pm. A catered dinner follows at 6:30 ($15/adult; $5/child, 5-12; $35 family cap). Erev Shabbat Services are at 7:30 pm. February’s dinner menu is “Eastern Night” with an Asian Medley Salad of field greens, wonton strips, red peppers, onions and cucumbers with an Asian sesame vinaigrette (served on the side); Garam Marsala with Eggplant and Lentils served with Basmati Rice & Nan; and Chickpea, Spring Pea & Sweet Potato Curry served with Basmati & Nan. Reservations MUST be received by Monday, February 1: office@agudasma.org or call 508-222-2243. Shabbat B’Yachad @ HOME This program matches congregants who share a common interest, diet, family circumstance, geographical location, etc. to experience Shabbat in the comfort of someone’s home. Shabbat Boxes with all you need to make a wonderful, freilach (joyful) Shabbat evening are provided. Sign-up to be a Shabbat host or a guest. Contact Rabbi Elyse. “Ask the Rabbi” "Ask the Rabbi" will appear as long as questions are asked. Please send your questions via email to rabbi@agudasma.org or drop a note in the envelope on the rabbi's office door. All questioners’ identities will remain confidential. Prayer Services at Agudas Achim As a Reconstructionist congregation with members of diverse backgrounds, our worship services are eclectic and varied. We aim to make our services accessible to newcomers while maintaining a healthy respect and love of tradition. While most of our songs and prayers are in Hebrew, our prayer book, Kol HaNeshemah, contains many translations, transliterations, explanations and commentary. Service leaders often offer their own interpretations or understandings of prayers to bring out their relevancy to our modern lives. We use a variety of melodies from many sources: Reform camp melodies, Hasidic chants, and traditional “nusach.” In response to recent feedback as well as ongoing questions, we have begun a new labeling system for our service styles. We hope to clarify our intentions and enable you to choose the service style that is most comfortable for you. Of course, everyone is welcome to our services at all times. Please check our newsletter or website for schedules and dates. All services are followed by an Oneg Shabbat (on Fridays) or Kiddush (on Saturdays) to which all are invited. Friday Services Friday Family Shabbat Service 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. In the Round , 7:30 pm, meets most Friday nights This is our “regular” service to welcome Shabbat with singing, meditation, silence and prayer. Our chairs are arranged in a circle and the leader sits among the community. While the leader may offer a short teaching or d’var torah, this service emphasizes ending the workweek and preparing the mind, body and spirit to enter Shabbat, the day of rest. Traditional style, 7:30 pm, meets once per month This service has more of the flavor and feel of a traditional Conservative or Reform service. The chairs are arranged in rows. The prayer leader [PC1]leads from the front of the room and offers a more formal sermon/teaching on these evenings. Saturday Services Shabbat services, 10:00 am, most Saturdays Our Shabbat morning service is often described as informal, interactive, and participatory. While we go through the prayer service, we may stop to discuss an interesting reading or point of liturgy. Instructions or comments are added throughout the service and the Torah reading is always followed by a lively discussion of the week’s portion. All are encouraged to add their voices and participate regardless of background and familiarity with the liturgy. Shabbat B’Yachad Saturday, 9:00 am, once per month Our award winning intergenerational Shabbat program includes an array of programming for all ages. The morning begins at 9:00 am with electives for children, adults or both. Electives may include yoga, meditation, drumming, a nature walk, singing, Torah discussion, games or schmoozing in the kitchen. At 10:00 am, services begin in three locations: adults meet in the sanctuary while children meet in two classrooms for age appropriate services of their own. At 11:00 all return to the sanctuary for a community-wide Torah service and intergenerational learning and singing. The entire morning ends with a potluck lunch at 12:15. Bar/Bat Mitzvah Services, 10:00 am, as scheduled throughout the year B’nai Mitzvah services at Congregation Agudas Achim are a community event and all are welcome. Because of the relative size of the crowds, we sit in rows and the service is led from the bimah. Family members and friends of the bar or bat mitzvah often participate and take honors in the service. However, since we believe that children become Bar or Bat Mitzvah within the context of our community, this is by no means a private event – all are welcome! Our b’nai mitzvah families are delighted to have you join with them in worship and celebration. Celebrate Shabbat! |
© Copyright
Congregation Agudas Achim ~ All rights reserved |
