Ma Nishma - JRF News

Ma Nishma JRF News for May 2009

Lisa Tuttle — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:56:54 -0400

May 2009 / Iyar - Sivan 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

PEARL 2009: Navigating Difficult Times
The 2009 National Tribute to Honor Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat
2009 JRF Omer Study and Action Initiative - April-June 2009/5769
Come to the JRF’s New Online Bookstore – www.jrfbookstore.org
Special Offers from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press
JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative
JRF West Mini Camp - "Next Generation" Retreat for Reconstructionist Youth
Camp JRF Seeks Talented Staff for Summer 2009
Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events
Save the Date for the RENA Summer Institute - July 17-19
Harmoniyah 2nd Biennial Retreat - October 29 - November 1

REGIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

Going Out On The Town…With JRF! -- Midwest FUNdraiser 2009
JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

PEARL 2009: Navigating Difficult Times

Following a successful inaugural year, JRF’s free PEARL (Providing Education and Resources for Leadership) distance-learning classes will once again provide relevant information and strategies beneficial to congregational leaders and staff. In the context of the present economic crisis, expert speakers will partner with JRF staff and lay leaders with the objectives to keep congregations and havurot strong; grow leadership; and continue critical tikkun olam work.

Each class will meet for 1 ¼ hour either by conference call or webinar and is supported by downloadable resources or previous PEARL audio files. Some classes delve deeper into previously presented topics. These 2.0 and 3.0 listings may ask you to read or listen to downloadable resources and send questions/comments in advance of the class.

Plan to Take Part in These Upcoming Sessions:

Seven Strategies for Successful Organizational Change
May 5 @ 12:00 pm with Rabbi Hayim Herring

Facebook, Twitter and the Revolution of Social Media
May 12 @ 12:00 pm with Rabbi Shai Gluskin

Sustainable Synagogues 3.0
May 14 @ 12:00 pm with Rabbi Shawn Zevit

Cultivating New Leaders for Your Congregation
May 19 @ 12:00 pm with Carol Feder

Values-Based Budgeting
May 21 @ 8:00 pm with Rabbi David Teutsch

CBCO-Congregation Based Community Organizing
Jun 4 @ 12:00 pm with Rachel Feldman (JFSJ)

Growing the Soul of Your Community
Jun 11 @ 12:00 pm with Rabbi Shawn Zevit

Get all the details, including upcoming class descriptions and online registration information at www.jrf.org/pearl.

The 2009 National Tribute to Honor Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat

This year JRF is delighted to be honoring Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat for his outstanding work and his unending efforts to develop strongly-identified Reconstructionist Jewish youth.

Rabbi Jeff exemplifies the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt: “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” He connects our young people with experiences that foster within them a curiosity and appreciation for their Judaism. As the founding director of Camp JRF, he established an experiential Jewish education curriculum based on Reconstructionism’s “Values of Spiritual Peoplehood” that makes Judaism fun and resonates with our youth. Rabbi Jeff was instrumental in helping to establish Camp JRF as one of the “Top Ten” Jewish overnight camps in the United States.

We hope you will join us in this wonderful opportunity by placing a heartfelt message to Rabbi Jeff in the National Tribute Journal. Rabbi Jeff has done so much to enrich our movement and ensure its vitality for the future. We have been having a wonderful time honoring him throughout this year.

If you would like to place a personal message or ad in the JRF National Tribute Journal honoring Rabbi Jeff, please fill out and mail back the Tribute Journal form. Ads will be accepted through May 19th. For more information, contact Marla Friedenberg at mfriedenberg@jrf.org or 215-885-5601, ext. 28.

2009 JRF Omer Study and Action Initiative - April-June 2009/5769

"Justice, justice you shall pursue." (Deut. 16:20)

“A theology which is not a plan of social action is merely a way of preaching and praying. It is a menu without the dinner.” (Mordecai Kaplan, Not So Random Thoughts)

Thanks to all of you who have been helping to promote the various JRF and other national/international initiatives happening this Pesach and beyond. Our Omer Initiative this year is focused on partnership activities, additional PEARL tikkun olam calls and program/ritual resources. Please keep drawing people's attention to these initiatives, and where you can let us know what they are up to so we can highlight local/regional activities on our webpages.

Come to the JRF’s New Online Bookstore – www.jrfbookstore.org!

Ready to grow your Reconstructionist book shelf? JRF’s new online bookstore -– www.jrfbookstore.org -- features the full catalogue of JRF’s Reconstructionist Press, plus CDs, Camp JRF apparel and more. JRF affiliate congregations and members can get a 20% discount on most products. Call 1-877-JRF-PUBS to get your discount code.

The site will always be changing, so be sure to check back often. You can still order everything by phone by calling 1-877-JRF-PUBS.

Special Offers from JRF's Reconstructionist Press

The Reconstructionist Press is offering two new package deals for a limited time. Order online at www.jrfbookstore.org or call 1-877-JRF-PUBS.

Children’s Siddur Package

The Reconstructionist Press is offering savings on our Transliterated and Non-transliterated versions of Siddur Kol Ha No’ar: The Voice of Children Siddur for Shabbat. The siddurim are constructed to appeal to children’s religious curiosity and engage them in worship. They are filled with Joani Rothenberg’s beautiful illustrations.

Ycan order online or by phone and receive 2 Transliterated and 1 Non-transliterated Children's Siddur, plus a copy of Rabbi Harold Kushner’s acclaimed When Children Ask About God. (Total value: $85.00)

Children' Siddur Package: $54.00 — includes S & H

These siddurim make wonderful gifts!

Mordecai Kaplan Two-Pack

Building your Reconstructionist library? Order now to receive Kaplan's forecast The Future of the American Jew plus Not So Random Thoughts, Kaplan's "witty and profound observation on society, religion and Jewish life". (Total value: $32.95 without discount)

Kaplan Package: $25.00 -- includes S & H

Kol Haneshamah: Shabbat Vehagim is Back in Stock -- Order Now!

Order the newly reprinted Kol Haneshamah: Shabbat Vehagim Prayerbook for Sabbath and Festivals.

Price: $32
Member Price: $26.50
S&H: $6 for the first book, $1 each additional

Order online or call 1-877-JRF-PUBS.

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

With the enthusiasm around JRF’s Omer Learning Initiative, as well as the solid response of JRF congregations in the Climate Change Initiative, JRF is continues to deepen its greening work with member communities next year. Our hope is to motivate and educate our congregations in sustainable practices, with the goal of reaching 100 percent participation in the years ahead.

A full listing of the 7 weeks of teaching packets from the JRF Omer Initiative is available at www.jrf.org/omer and the three related Tikkun Olam conference calls held as part of this year's PEARL initiative, available at www.jrf.org/PEARL-resources.

Please refer to the following additional links to find specific resources for tikkun olam:

Get all the details on JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative.

For more information contact Rabbi Shawn Zevit, director of outreach and tikkun olam, SZevit@jrf.org.

JRF West Mini Camp - "Next Generation” Retreat for Reconstructionist Youth

JRF West Mini Camp, Malibu, California – 3rd through 7th Grades - June 30-July 5

From June 30-July 5 JRF West Mini Camp will partner with the outstanding facilities and staff of Camp JCA Shalom in the beautiful mountains of Malibu. Under the direction of Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, Founding Director of Camp JRF, a taste of Reconstructionist Camping will come to the JRF Western Region with our exciting experiential educational programs and specialty areas such as challenge course, sports, environmental education, music, dance, ceramics, soccer and horseback riding. This program is open to all our Western Region JRFers from 3rd-7th grades. Registration is open now until May 1. Download the JRF West Mini Camp brochure and registration form.

Camp JRF Seeks Talented Staff for Summer 2009

Staff applications are being accepted for a Sports Director, Community Life Specialist and a for few more female Madrihim (counselors).

The role of the Community Life Specialist is to support the staff regarding concerns with campers that may arise during the summer. This individual is expected to visit the eidot (units) throughout the day to observe camper interactions and to work closely with the Camp Director to take notice of particular campers with special needs. Extensive experience working with children is essential; camp experience and a degree in social work, psychology, or a related field are preferred. Recent graduates or someone with more experience are preferred, but we would be willing to take an exemplary graduate student who has already successfully completed at least their first year in an MSW or psychology program. The dates of employment are June 16th through August 18th, and the salary depends on resume, experience and interview. The Community Life Specialist who worked for us during the 2007 and 2008 summer seasons would be happy to talk to any interested applicants regarding this position.

The Sports Director oversees the athletic component of our camp program. The Sports Director must have extensive teaching experience and a high level of proficiency in this specialty, preferably in a number of sports. S/he must be able to integrate recreational activities and healthy competition with a clear sense of safety and Jewish values. S/he is responsible for ensuring that all equipment and facilities are used safely and remain in good repair. This position is open to college graduates and older.

Madrihim live in cabins with the campers. They are involved in every aspect of camp, providing the best possible camping experience for their campers. As responsible, mature young adults, madrihim serve as role models for the campers in how to lead a healthy, Reconstructionist life. In addition to living in a cabin and, along with a co-counselor, being primarily responsible for the participation and well-being of the 10-12 campers in that cabin, counselors may also specialize in a program area (e.g., sports, education, challenge course, art, etc.). When applying, individuals should request program areas in which they have some expertise (additional training will be provided during Staff Orientation). Applicants will be hired as general counselors; placement into appropriate eidot (units) and specialty areas will take place approximately a month prior to the summer. Graduating high school seniors and older are eligible for this position.

If you know a talented young person looking for a rewarding summer leadership experience, have him or her download the staff application in the Staff section at www.campjrf.org or call Julia Tauber, Camp JRF's Assistant Director for Program, at 877-CAMP-JRF, ext. 32.

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Planning an annual Shabbaton or retreat? Consider holding it at Camp JRF on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus. This beautiful facility in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains is now available for rental for our JRF congregations, boards, religious schools, JRF regional programs, teens, and the like.

For more information, please contact the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP JRF (877-226-7573).

Summer Institute for RENA Educators - July 17-19, 2009

The RENA Summer Institute will take place July 17th – 19th at Camp JRF. It’s a wonderful opportunity for Reconstructionist Educators to come together for a fun and education-packed weekend at Camp JRF this summer. RENA (Reconstructionist Educators of North America) has expanded the professional development opportunities offered during the Summer Institute as a result of the demise of CAJE and hopes you will come be a part of the experience.

We will celebrate Shabbat with the Camp JRF community and be able to observe the creative learning that takes place at camp, while also spending quality time in our own workshops and discussions about 1) Integrating Jewish Content into Experiential Activities, 2) Best Practices in Shabbat Programming for Congregational Schools, 3) Translating Camp-Style Education into Congregation School Education and 4) The Relationship Between RENA and JRF.

There will also be opportunities to meet and learn with Rabbi Isaac Saposnik, Director of Camp JRF and No’ar Hadash and other key camp staff, Rabbi Erin Hirsh, JRF Director of Education, and Cindy Shulak-Rome, Chair of the JRF Education Committee-in-formation. It’s never too late to join RENA! If you join now, you only have to pay half price for the remainder of the year ($27). There is NO registration fee for the Summer Institute.

If you plan to come or are considering doing so, please contact Kim Bodemer principal@agudasma.org or Rabbi Erin Hirsh at ehirsh@jrf.org. A complete schedule and hotel information can be downloaded at www.jrf.org/rena-summer-institute.

Harmoniyah 2nd Biennial Retreat October 29 - November 1, 2009

SAVE THE DATE!! - HARMONIYAH 2ND BIENNIAL RETREAT
Thursday, October 29 - Sunday, November 1, 2009
in Bethesda, Maryland (just outside Washington, DC)

Experience a wonderful opportunity for learning, professional development, spiritual growth, lots of music-making and seeing old and new friends in the JRF world.

This year’s retreat is hosted by Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, Maryland. Stay tuned for more info.

Harmoniyah is the music network of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation. It is a group of talented musicians, both professional and volunteer, who serve JRF congregations in a myriad of musical and spiritual ways.

REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS

Going Out On The Town…With JRF! -- Midwest FUNdraiser 2009

This year, JRF is nationally honoring Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, founding Director of Camp JRF and No’ar Hadash – the Reconstructionist youth movement.

Please purchase a tribute to Rabbi Jeff and/or your favorite Midwest Region honoree and plan on joining us at the last of our upcoming FUNdraiser events:

Thursday, May 7, 7:30 pm – Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! Chase Bank Auditorium at Chase Tower 10 South Dearborn Street, Chicago – chat with the hosts and panelists after the show.

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel - June 23 - July 7, 2009
Led by Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and and Dawn Weiner-Kaplow of Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue, Northbrook, Illinois

Come to Israel to discover your Jewish historical and spiritual roots in the land and its people. Starting and ending in Jerusalem, we will track Jewish civilization from Biblical days to the bustling and exciting modern State of Israel. Our tour will explore Israeli society, culture, art, technology, spirituality, politics and more.

Get all the details and download the flyer at www.jrf.org/midwest-israel-trip.

To register or receive more information, contact Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue at 847- 498-8218 or info@shir-hadash.org.

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

The Bet Am Shalom Theater Project will perform an original work entitled "Deja Vu" on Saturday, May 2 at 8:45 pm, and Sunday, May 3 at 1:30pm. "Deja Vu" is a musical play of epic dimensions spanning thousands of years from Abraham to present day as told by a writer visiting Israel. The book, music and lyrics were written by a group of creative and talented members of Bet Am Shalom, R. Vincent Park, Ilene Semiatin, Richard Woodrow, Merrill Rotter and Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller. Admission is $25. For reservations, please call the synagogue office at (914) 946-8851.

Congregation Dorshei Tzedek in West Newton, MA, had a wonderful first-ever interfaith service-learning trip this past February to New Orleans. Fourteen CDT members—adults, teens, and young adults—and 15 members of another congregation were hosted by Trinity Christian Community (TCC), a community-based service group that has been helping with rebuilding and overseeing volunteers around the city. One of the speakers the group met gave them this challenge: What would it mean to see their service trip not as charity, but as an act of solidarity with those for whom they were working? Rabbi Toba Spitzer reflects that for many on the trip there was a sincere sense of receiving more than they gave, and that “to truly be in solidarity, we need to be engaged in a larger project of transformation, for our own sakes as well as for the sake of those victimized by Katrina and by racism and economic oppression more generally.”

Kehilat HaNahar, the “Little Shul by the River, in New Hope, PA, held a Mussar Retreat (Shabbaton), the weekend of April 24-26, facilitated by Alan Morinis of The Mussar Institute. Who would not want to be more patient, show more gratitude, or get a better handle on our anger, all in a manner that brings us closer to our true good character and nature -- in ways that enhance, not interfere with, our daily interactions and activities? The Shabbaton was open to anyone from any walk of life who is seeking a way to enhance his or her spiritual practice. This program was funded in part by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

Mishkan Shalom in Philadelphia held its “One Book Mishkan” weekend program: “Peacebuilding in the Holy Land” on April 24 and 25 with Scholar-in-Residence Yehezkel Landau, Faculty Associate in Interfaith Relations at Hartford Seminary and Co-Founder of Open House Center for Jewish-Arab Coexistence. Professor Landau discussed the weekend's theme, “Healing the Holy Land: Interreligious Peacebuilding in Israel & Palestine” and shared the story of The Lemon Tree and answered questions. At Shabbat services Saturday morning, Professor Landau spoke about “Biblical Resources for Peacebuilding: Lessons from Genesis." The program was co-sponsored by the Library & Israel Committees of Mishkan Shalom & The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

Or Hadash in Fort Washington, PA, hosted two special events the weekend of April 24 and 25th. On Friday April 24, Professor Lani Raider, Associate Professor at the Culinary Institute of America, spoke on “Eating Deliciously and with Conscience: How We Can Support the Environment with Our Food Choices". The food choices we make now are more important than ever before. Eating is not a neutral act; our food consumption reflects and impacts much more than merely the calories needed to sustain life—it is a gateway to our past, our present and our future. Professor Raider has worked as a teacher, caterer and food researcher in the U.S. and Israel, and on faculty at The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York. On Saturday evening, the shul hosted a coffeehouse benefitting Habitat for Humanity, with entertainment provided by Or Hadash congregants and guest artists.

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

www.jrf.org

Download this issue of Ma Nishma as an MS Word document, for easier cut/paste into synagogue newsletters.

Ma Nishma JRF News for April 2009

Lisa Tuttle — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:25:17 -0400

Dear Ma Nishma Subscriber,

I'm happy to deliver to your e-mail doorstep the latest issue of Ma Nishma ("What's Happening?"), featuring news and events from JRF. Now everyone can subscribe to Ma Nishma. Register at the JRF website at http://jrf.org/user/register then click "Manage your JRF e-newsletter subscriptions" at the top left of the home page to subscribe.

Newsletter editors and webmasters: Please reprint stories and announcements from this issue for a JRF News page in your congregational newsletter and on your website.

Those who send Weekly Update e-mails: Please disseminate Ma Nishma along with your regular posting.

Download this issue of Ma Nishma as an MS Word document, for easier cut/paste into synagogue newsletters.

Please forward this to anyone you think would enjoy reading Ma Nishma.

L'shalom,

Lisa Kelvin Tuttle
Editor, Ma Nishma / JRF Senior Communications Consultant

April 2009 / Nisan - Iyar 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

PEARL 2009: Navigating Difficult Times
The 2009 National Tribute to Honor Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat
Save the Date for the 2010 JRF Biennial Convention!
Come to the JRF’s New Online Bookstore – www.jrfbookstore.org
Special Offers from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press
JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative
"Next Generation" Retreats for Reconstructionist Youth
News from Camp JRF for Summer 2009
No'ar Hadash North American Teen Kallah - April 17-19
Harmoniyah 2nd Biennial Retreat - October 29 - November 1

REGIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

JRF NY/NJ Region Evening of Celebration and Theatre - Thursday April 2
Going Out On The Town…With JRF! -- Midwest FUNdraiser 2009
JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

PARTNER INITIATIVES

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun - Tuesday April 8
JRF Support of Immigration Reform: Progress by Pesach 2009 Initiative
JRF Supports 2009 JCPA Child Nutrition Seder

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

PEARL 2009: Navigating Difficult Times

Get all the details, including upcoming class descriptions and online registration information at www.jrf.org/pearl.

The 2009 National Tribute to Honor Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat

This year the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (JRF) is delighted to be honoring Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat for his outstanding work and his unending efforts to develop strongly-identified Reconstructionist Jewish youth.

Rabbi Jeff exemplifies the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt: “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” His exciting, hands-on approach to Jewish education and captivating style of teaching (not to mention his unparalleled warmth, humor and joie de vivre) have helped build a generation of Reconstructionist youth with strong Jewish identities. These young people are becoming leaders in their congregations, on their college campuses, and in life.

Rabbi Jeff connects our young people with experiences that foster within them a curiosity and appreciation for their Judaism. As the founding director of Camp JRF, he established an experiential Jewish education curriculum based on Reconstructionism’s “Values of Spiritual Peoplehood” that makes Judaism fun and resonates with our youth. Rabbi Jeff was instrumental in helping to establish Camp JRF as one of the “Top Ten” Jewish overnight camps in the United States.

In his new position as Director of Special Initiatives, Rabbi Jeff is taking his show on the road to JRF congregations across the country, supporting and furthering JRF’s strategic vision for developing the Next Generation of Reconstructionist youth and the future of Reconstructionist Judaism. Programs he is piloting include experiential learning a la Camp JRF in our congregational schools; along with Education Directors in our Western region he is creating Reconstructionist camping experiences and retreats; summer Family Camp at Camp JRF; service learning events for parents and teens, and more.

We hope you will join us in this wonderful opportunity by contributing to the National Journal and placing a heartfelt tribute message to Rabbi Jeff who has done so much to enrich our movement and ensure its vitality for the future.

You may indicate how you wish to be part of this special dedication at the online JRF Donor Page. Your generous contributions and tributes will be recognized in the National Tribute Journal to be published online in late Spring 2009.

If you would like to place a personal message or ad in the JRF National Tribute Journal honoring Rabbi Jeff, please contact Marla Friedenberg at mfriedenberg@jrf.org or 215-885-5601, ext. 28.

Save the Date for the 2010 JRF Biennial Convention!

Hyatt Regency Newport Beach
Mark your calendar for November 11-14, 2010 for the 2010 JRF Convention — the largest gathering of Reconstructionists and likeminded friends in North America. Our biennial will take place at the stylish Hyatt Regency in sunny Newport Beach, California. Plan to join us for four informative and uplifting days as we engage with experts and emerging leaders in the Jewish world. Experience a joyful, meaningful Shabbat together with lively, inspiring services and opportunities for Torah study, networking, and a wealth of Jewish learning.

Want to get a taste? See all the great programming from the 2008 JRF Convention.

Come to the JRF’s New Online Bookstore – www.jrfbookstore.org!

The site will always be changing, so be sure to check back often. You can still order everything by phone by calling 1-877-JRF-PUBS.

Special Offers from JRF's Reconstructionist Press

HARDCOVER HAGGADAH PASSOVER SALE!
Offer available from March 18th until the last day of Passover, April 16th.

With every purchase of the 10th Anniversary hardcover A Night of Questions: A Passover Haggadah (discounted sale price $54.00), you will receive a FREE COPY of our A Night of Questions CD, featuring music by Shabbat Unplugged ($20 list price value). Simply order a copy of the hardcover Haggadah online and we will add the CD to your purchase right before we ship. The Haggadah and CD would be a perfect gift for your Seder hosts.

This is a limited time offer. Take advantage of it online at www.jrfbookstore.org, or call 877-JRF-PUBS and reference this offer.

NEW PRINTING KOL HANESHAMA: SHABBAT VEHAGIM
Reconstructionist Press is in the middle of reprinting Kol Haneshama: Shabbat Vehagim Sabbath and Festival Prayer Book, available for preorder now and in stock mid-April. To reserve copies, call the Press and preorder as soon as possible by calling Hattie at 1-877-JRF-PUBS. She’ll be happy to put your name down on the reserved list!

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

Please refer to the following additional links to find specific resources for tikkun olam:

Get all the details on JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative.

For more information contact Rabbi Shawn Zevit, director of outreach and tikkun olam, SZevit@jrf.org.

“Next Generation” Retreats for Reconstructionist Youth

From Camp to Shuls – 5th and 6th Grade Shabbaton – April 17-19

On April 17-19, 5th and 6th graders from more than five JRF congregations will come together at Camp JRF: The Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus. Under the direction of RENA leaders Kim Bodemer, Lori Rubin and Nancy Hersh, and Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, our Shabbaton will take some of the exciting Camp JRF programs and bring them to our schools and shules. Springtime in the Poconos has never been so much fun.

JRF Southern California Retreat Program – 5th and 6th Grade Retreat - April 24-26

The JRF western Region will again sponsor a Shabbaton partnered with Camp JCA Shalom in the Malibu Mountains for five JRF congregation of Southern California for 5th and 6th graders. At this retreat, to be held April 24-26, many of the popular programs will be adapted from those experienced at Camp JRF and from the 5th and 6th grade retreat of RENA held the previous week at the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus.

JRF West Mini Camp, Malibu, California – 3rd through 7th Grades - June 30-July 5

News from Camp JRF for Summer 2009

Camp JRF is Filling Up - Register Now!

More than 325 campers are already registered for the summer of a lifetime at Camp JRF! Some units are full and are now taking waiting lists, so sign up today to save ensure a spot for your child. Watch the Camp JRF video and download the 2009 brochure and registration forms on the web at www.campjrf.org or call us at 877-CAMP-JRF.

Camp JRF Launches Bonim Summer Leadership Program for Entering High School Seniors

Bonim is a new program geared towards preparing entering twelfth graders for leadership roles in camp and beyond. During the first session, participants will learn what it takes to make camp run, to work as a counselor, and to facilitate programming across camp. Those teens who stay for the entire summer will have the opportunity to do significant hands-on tikkun olam work in the community and will begin to make the transition from camper to staff member in real and meaningful ways. With a small group of participants and a highly experienced staff, Bonim is sure to be a defining experience for all. Bonim will engage entering high school seniors in a significant leadership development experience that allows participants opportunities not only to learn but also plenty of chances to put that learning into practice.

The program is in two parts:

During the first session, participants will spend their morning participating in a havaya (our experiential educational programming) and will then work in one of the behind-the-scenes areas of camp (kitchen, maintenance, office, etc). The afternoon will be spent apprenticing in a program area (general counseling, aquatics, sports, art, drama, etc.) and then in a debriefing session that will allow for ongoing learning and growth from the apprenticeship. Evenings will be spent as a unit participating in some of the fun of camp during evening programs created specifically for this group.
During the second session, mornings will be spent working in a camper unit or program area (putting the skills learned in the first session apprenticeship to good use). During the afternoons, the group will go out into the community to do significant hands-on tikkun olam work. Evenings will continue to be spent as a unit.

Our hope is that teens will join us for the entire summer (June 30 - August 16); participating in both sessions will allow the most opportunities for growth, learning, and an incomparable capstone experience to years as a camper, not to mention incredible preparation for following summers as a staff member. If teens are unable to commit to the entire summer, they may join us for the first session only. (It is not possible to come only for the second session.) In recognition of the work Bonim participants will do on behalf of camp, we have worked to keep tuition for this program as low as possible. For those who participate successfully in both sessions, we will provide a small stipend as an additional “thank you” for a job well done.

We are excited to be offering this new program this summer – we hope that having a relatively small cohort will allow for a close-knit group that can truly see how its work in all areas of camp can really have an impact on the way camp runs.

For more information, visit www.jrf.org or call 877-CAMP-JRF.

Camp JRF Seeks a Sports Director

Staff applications are being accepted for a Sports Director to design and oversee Camp JRF's sports programming this summer. If you know an athletically talented young person looking for a rewarding summer leadership experience, have him or her read the job description and download the staff application in the Staff section at www.jrf.org or call Julia Tauber, Camp JRF's Assistant Director, at 877-CAMP-JRF, ext. 32.

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

For more information, please contact the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP JRF (877-226-7573).

Reconstructionist Teen Weekend! The No’ar Hadash North American Teen Kallah April 17-19

On April 17 - 19, 8th - 12th graders from JRF congregations across North America will have the opportunity to attend the exciting No’ar Hadash North American Teen Kallah. The weekend is a great opportunity for teens to meet other Reconstructionist teens, have fun, take part in experiential Jewish learning, sing and dance together, hang out, and be part of our exciting and growing youth movement.

To register or to check out pictures from past kallot log on to www.noarhadash.org. If you have any questions please contact No’ar Hadash Program Coordinator Alanna Sklover at ASklover@jrf.org or 215-885-5601, ext. 26. We can’t wait to see you!

Harmoniyah 2nd Biennial Retreat October 29 - November 1, 2009

SAVE THE DATE!! - HARMONIYAH 2ND BIENNIAL RETREAT
Thursday, October 29 - Sunday, November 1, 2009
in Bethesda, Maryland (just outside Washington, DC)

Experience a wonderful opportunity for learning, professional development, spiritual growth, lots of music-making and seeing old and new friends in the JRF world.

This year’s retreat is hosted by Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, Maryland. Stay tuned for more info.

REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS

JRF New York/New Jersey Region Evening of Celebration and Theatre – Thursday, April 2, 2009

Plan to join us on Thursday, April 2nd for the JRF’s New York/New Jersey region Evening of Celebration in support of Reconstructionist Judaism, our congregations and the JRF.
Keruv / Next Generation Awards and Theatre
Next Generation honoree Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, Founding Director of Camp JRF and No'ar Hadash - the Reconstructionist Youth Movement
Geoffrey Chinn, z"l, SAJ, Chair, 2009 Evening of Celebration

Plans are underway for another amazing evening of theater as the New York/New Jersey region gathers to see the Broadway revival of the classic American musical West Side Story!

This year’s event honors those who are dedicated to outreach, with the Keruv for an Inclusive Community award. There will be a special Keruv/Next Generation tribute to Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, Founding Director of Camp JRF and No’ar Hadash—the Reconstructionist youth movement. The awards reception and a light supper, beginning at 6:15 pm, precede the show, curtain at 8:00 pm.

The tale of Romeo and Juliet is transported to the turbulent streets of New York City in the 1950s as star-crossed lovers are caught between rival street gangs. Directed by the show’s librettist, Arthur Laurents, the show features Leonard Bernstein's and Stephen Sondheim’s legendary score.

For more information contact Melanie Schneider, Director NY/NJ Region at 212-870-2483 or mschneider@jrf.org.

Going Out On The Town…With JRF! -- Midwest FUNdraiser 2009

This year, JRF is nationally honoring Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, founding Director of Camp JRF and No’ar Hadash – the Reconstructionist youth movement.

Please purchase a tribute to Rabbi Jeff and/or your favorite Midwest Region honoree and plan on joining us at these upcoming FUNdraiser events:

Sunday, April 19, 5 pm – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Marriott Lincolnshire Resort, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, IL

Thursday, May 7, 7:30 pm – Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! Chase Bank Auditorium at Chase Tower 10 South Dearborn Street, Chicago – chat with the hosts and panelists after the show.

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel - June 23 - July 7, 2009
Led by Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and and Dawn Weiner-Kaplow of Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue, Northbrook, Illinois

Get all the details and download the flyer at www.jrf.org/midwest-israel-trip.

To register or receive more information, contact Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue at 847- 498-8218 or info@shir-hadash.org.

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

North American Solar and Renewable Energy Campaign in the Jewish Community - Events throughout North American and Israel

The year 5769 (2008-2009) will be the little known Jewish year of “Birkat HaHammah” the “blessing of the sun.” Every 28 years, the ancient rabbis demarked a time in the Jewish calendar that celebrates the ceremonial return of the sun to its original place in the cosmos during creation.

JRF is part of a national coalition that will use this rare event to focus on solar power and energy stewardship.

See www.jrf.org/birkat-hahammah.

JRF Support of Immigration Reform: Progress by Pesach 2009 Initiative

Progress by Pesach is the national Jewish campaign to encourage the new administration and congress to choose humanitarian immigration reform over the failed policy of exclusively relying on raids and enforcement tactics as a means of controlling immigration.

Passover is a time when we celebrate our freedom from bondage and remember when we were strangers in a strange land. Connecting our history to the struggles of immigrants today is the inspiration behind Progress by Pesach.

Read "A Faith Leaders’ Statement on Immigration" supported by the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, 2008, at http://www.jrf.org/Immigration.

JRF Supports 2009 JCPA Child Nutrition Seder

For Passover in 2009, the JCPA is offering a phenomenal mobilizing event through which JRF communities, congregations from every Jewish stream and local JCRCs can engage community members in meaningful anti-poverty advocacy: The Child Nutrition Seder.

If you have any questions on the Child Nutrition Reauthorization and mobilizing your community around the legislation, please contact Melissa Boteach at mboteach@thejcpa.org. If you have any questions on implementing the Seder in your community and/or how to best partner with your local Jewish Community Relations Council, please contact Becky Eisen at beisen@thejcpa.org.

Get all the details at www.jrf.org/Child-Nutrition-Seder.

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

Bet Am Shalom in White Plains, New York, invites one and all to the Bet Am Shalom Theater Project, an original work entitled "Deja Vu" on Saturday, April 25 and May 2 at 8:45 pm, and Sunday, April 26 and May 3 at 1:30 pm. "Deja Vu" is a musical play of epic dimensions spanning thousands of years from Abraham to present day as told by a writer visiting Israel. The book, music and lyrics were written by a group of creative and talented members of Bet Am Shalom, R. Vincent Park, Ilene Semiatin, Richard Woodrow, Merrill Rotter and Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller. Admission is $25. For reservations, please call the synagogue office at (914) 946-8851.

At Congregation Bet Haverim in Atlanta, Georgia, "the rabbi opens his table so you can help fill the tables of others." Bet Haverim's second night CBH Community Seder will celebrate the festival of Passover with Social Action and Song. Thanks to the generosity of a few anonymous donors and Rabbi Josh Lesser, the cost of the Seder will be the price of a mitzvah. One of the primary texts in the Passover Haggadah is "Let all who are hungry come and eat" - for the CBH Seder, participants are asked to bring a gift card from a grocery store in lieu of payment. This way all engaged in feeding the community during this challenging economic time. Being held at the beautiful Historic Kirkwood Library (106 Kirkwood Road, Atlanta, GA) on Thursday, April 9, the “Pass it Forward for Passover” Seder will begin at 6:30 pm. While open to the public, seating is limited, and advance reservations are required. Gift cards will be collected at the door for admission. Each participant is asked to donate a $10 – $50 dollar gift card. All RSVPs should be made to RSVP@cbhatlanta.org or by calling 404.315.6446

B’nai Havurah in Denver, Colorado, is planning for its Taste of Summer Institute, April 3 and 4, with a special Friday night dinner and musical service for the whole family starting with a half-hour of schmoozing at 5:15 and including musical Kabbalat Shabbat service with Susan Spero. Shabbat morning musical services - when Hal and Carla feature the music of Shlomo Carlebach! Babysitting provided for both events. Free! Come and enjoy. B’nai Havurah’s Summer Institute at Snow Mountain Ranch is May 15-17!

The women of Kehillat Israel in Pacific Palisades, California, will celebrate Pesach together at their Women’s Seder on Wednesday April 15. The gathering, with the theme "Sharing Seder, Sisterhood and Inspiring Books" will be led by Rabbi Sheryl Lewart with music by Julie Silver. Everyone in attendance is asked to bring a book that has inspired her that can be donated to women who are in need of hope and guidance. Come share your inspiration. 6:00-6:30 pm hors d’oeuvres in the foyer; 6:30 pm sharp Seder begins. Cost:$80 per person; $40 young women ages 12-18. RSVP by April 1. For more information please contact Cindy Freedland at (310) 454-3075.

On April 24-26, Kehilat HaNahar, the “Little Shul by the River," in New Hope, Pennsylvania, will hold a Mussar Retreat (Shabbaton), facilitated by Alan Morinis of The Mussar Institute. Who would not want to be more patient, show more gratitude, or get a better handle on our anger, all in a manner that brings us closer to our true good character and nature -- in ways that enhance, not interfere with, our daily interactions and activities? The Shabbaton is open to anyone from any walk of life who is seeking a way to enhance his or her spiritual practice. Friday night and Saturday morning services are open to everyone at no cost. Cost for participating in the workshops and meals during the course of the weekend: $60 for KHN members, $75 for non-members. For more information about Mussar and Alan Morinis, please visit the Mussar Institute website at mussarinstitute.org. To register, call Kehilat HaNahar at 215-862-1912 or Sharon Schwartz at 215-345-4217 by April 1. This program is funded in part by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

Rabbi Arnold Rachlis of University Synagoge in Irvine, California, was honored with an invitation to deliver the invocation at President Obama's appearance at the Orange County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, March 18. Read Rabbi Rachlis’s invocation and connect to a CNN I-report interview that followed the meeting plus additional coverage.

Ma Nishma JRF News for March 2009

Lisa Tuttle — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:45:17 -0500

Dear Ma Nishma Subscriber,

I'm happy to deliver to your e-mail doorstep the latest issue of Ma Nishma ("What's Happening?"), featuring news and events from JRF. Now everyone can subscribe to Ma Nishma. Register at the JRF website at http://jrf.org/user/register then click "Manage your JRF e-newsletter subscriptions" at the top left of the home page to subscribe.

Newsletter editors and webmasters: Please reprint stories and announcements from this issue for a JRF News page in your congregational newsletter and on your website.

Those who send Weekly Update e-mails: Please disseminate Ma Nishma along with your regular posting.

Download this issue of Ma Nishma as an MS Word document, for easier cut/paste into synagogue newsletters.

Please forward this to anyone you think would enjoy reading Ma Nishma.

L'shalom,

Lisa Kelvin Tuttle
Editor, Ma Nishma / JRF Senior Communications Consultant

March 2009 / Adar - Nisan 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

JRF Remembers Cantor Susan Wehle

Register for the Dynamics of Growth Workshop, Sunday March 29 at Beth Israel, Media, PA

What's Up From JRF’s Reconstructionist Press

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

News from Camp JRF for Summer 2009

No'ar Hadash North American Teen Kallah - April 17-19

REGIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

JRF Chesapeake Region Annual Celebration - Sunday March 22

JRF NY/NJ Region Evening of Celebration and Theatre - Thursday April 2

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

PARTNER INITIATIVES

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun - Tuesday April 8

JRF Support of Immigration Reform: Progress by Pesach 2009 Initiative

JRF Supports 2009 JCPA Child Nutrition Seder

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

JRF Remembers Cantor Susan Wehle

Cantor Susan Wehle, zl.With the deepest sadness, we want to let you know of the tragic death of Cantor Susan Wehle, who was among those who died in the plane crash of Continental Flight 3407 on Thursday evening, February 12. Susan was a dearly beloved cantor in the Buffalo area, where she previously served JRF congregation Temple Sinai in Amherst, NY for nine years, working alongside Rabbi Jamie Arnold. She was currently serving as cantor at Temple Beth Am, where she had worked for the last seven years.

Susan is remembered with tremendous love, devotion, affection and beauty by those across the country who knew her and have been sharing their sadness and remembrances following her untimely death. As Temple Sinai President, Adrienne Crandall, said “Susan was a part of so many organizations and groups. Everyone knew her. She was very well respected, loved and very devoted to her music.”

Our collective hearts beat as one in sympathy with Susan’s two sons, her family, friends and colleagues, the communities of Temple Sinai and Temple Beth Am and with all those in the Buffalo area who lost loved ones in this tragic accident. Condolences may be sent to Temple Sinai, 50 Alberta Drive, Amherst, NY 14226 and Temple Beth Am, 4660 Sheridan Drive, Williamsville, NY 14221.

Those who knew Susan are invited to share your memories of her by writing a comment to this story, and to pay your respects at www.respectance.com/Susan_Wehle.

Register for the JRF Leadership Workshop on Congregational Growth

The Dynamics of Growth: Membership, Outreach, and Financial Resources
Sunday, March 29, 2009, 1 pm to 6 pm at Beth Israel, Media, PA
Tuition: $45

All JRF affiliates are invited to send representatives to this special one-day leadership workshop with Rabbi Shawn Zevit, JRF Director of Outreach & External Affairs/Tikkun Olam, Marla Friedenberg, Assistant Director of Development, and other experts in the field.

Goals and Benefits

Learn how to use a congregational systems approach to understand the dynamics of congregational growth.

Discover how a congregation’s stage of development relates to issues of membership and financial resources.

Come away with important skills and ideas about how to effectively reach out to attract new members, reach in to strengthen existing members and volunteers, and to creatively grow the congregation's financial resources, qualitatively and quantitatively.

This workshop will benefit congregational presidents, Board members, chairs and members of membership, programming, and development committees, treasurers, planned giving and capital campaign advocates, rabbis, cantors, senior administrators, educational and program directors, up-and-coming leaders, and all concerned with congregational growth and development.

Check for updates at www.jrf.org/growth-workshop.

What’s Up from the Reconstructionist Press

JRF's Reconstructionist Press is in the middle of reprinting Kol Haneshamah: Shabbat Vehagim Sabbath and Festival Prayer Book and our Kol Haneshamah: Nashir Unevareh Songs and Grace After Meals bentchers and we expect both of these popular titles to be available soon.

We are also in the middle of negotiating our reprint of the Kol Haneshamah: Mahzor Leyamim Nora'im Prayerbook for the Days of Awe, so if you know your synagogue needs to reserve copies, call the Press and preorder today. If you’d like to preorder, please call 1-877-JRF-PUBS and speak to Hattie. She’ll be happy to put your name down on the reserved list!

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

With the enthusiasm around JRF’s Omer Learning Initiative, as well as the solid response of JRF congregations in the Climate Change Initiative, JRF is continues to deepen its greening work with member communities next year. Our hope is to motivate and educate our congregations in sustainable practices, with the goal of reaching 100 percent participation in the years ahead.

A full listing of the 7 weeks of teaching packets from the JRF Omer Initiative is available at www.jrf.org/omer and the three related Tikkun Olam conference calls held as part of this year's PEARL initiative, available at www.jrf.org/PEARL-resources.

Please refer to the following additional links to find specific resources for tikkun olam:

Tikkun Olam Resources Library: www.jrf.org/resources-library

Tikkun resources outside JRF: www.jrf.org/tikkun-olam-issues

Anti-hunger and poverty: www.jrf.org/hunger

Sustainability and the Environment: www.jrf.org/Sustainable_Synagogue_Resources

Service Learning: www.jrf.org/service-learning

Ending Genocide in Darfur: www.jrf.org/darfur

Information on JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative can be found on the JRF website’s environment pages at www.jrf.org/Sustainable_Synagogue_Resources.

For more information contact Rabbi Shawn Zevit, director of outreach and tikkun olam, SZevit@jrf.org.

News from Camp JRF for Summer 2009

Camp JRF is Filling Up - Register Now!

More than 325 campers are already registered for the summer of a lifetime at Camp JRF! Some units are full and are now taking waiting lists, so sign up today to save ensure a spot for your child. Watch the Camp JRF video and download the 2009 brochure and registration forms on the web at www.campjrf.org or call us at 877-CAMP-JRF.

Camp JRF Launches Bonim Summer Leadership Program for Entering High School Seniors

Bonim is a new program geared towards preparing entering twelfth graders for leadership roles in camp and beyond. During the first session, participants will learn what it takes to make camp run, to work as a counselor, and to facilitate programming across camp. Those teens who stay for the entire summer will have the opportunity to do significant hands-on tikkun olam work in the community and will begin to make the transition from camper to staff member in real and meaningful ways. With a small group of participants and a highly experienced staff, Bonim is sure to be a defining experience for all. Bonim will engage entering high school seniors in a significant leadership development experience that allows participants opportunities not only to learn but also plenty of chances to put that learning into practice.

The program is in two parts:

During the first session, participants will spend their morning participating in a havaya (our experiential educational programming) and will then work in one of the behind-the-scenes areas of camp (kitchen, maintenance, office, etc). The afternoon will be spent apprenticing in a program area (general counseling, aquatics, sports, art, drama, etc.) and then in a debriefing session that will allow for ongoing learning and growth from the apprenticeship. Evenings will be spent as a unit participating in some of the fun of camp during evening programs created specifically for this group.

During the second session, mornings will be spent working in a camper unit or program area (putting the skills learned in the first session apprenticeship to good use). During the afternoons, the group will go out into the community to do significant hands-on tikkun olam work. Evenings will continue to be spent as a unit.

Our hope is that teens will join us for the entire summer (June 30 - August 16); participating in both sessions will allow the most opportunities for growth, learning, and an incomparable capstone experience to years as a camper, not to mention incredible preparation for following summers as a staff member. If teens are unable to commit to the entire summer, they may join us for the first session only. (It is not possible to come only for the second session.) In recognition of the work Bonim participants will do on behalf of camp, we have worked to keep tuition for this program as low as possible. For those who participate successfully in both sessions, we will provide a small stipend as an additional “thank you” for a job well done.

We are excited to be offering this new program this summer – we hope that having a relatively small cohort will allow for a close-knit group that can truly see how its work in all areas of camp can really have an impact on the way camp runs.

For more information, visit www.jrf.org or call 877-CAMP-JRF.

Camp JRF Seeks Talented Staff

Staff applications are being accepted for counselors, program specialists, and support staff. If you know a talented young person looking for a rewarding summer leadership experience, have him or her download the staff application in the Staff section at www.jrf.org or call Julia Tauber, Camp JRF's Assistant Director, at 877-CAMP-JRF, ext. 32.

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Planning an annual Shabbaton or retreat? Consider holding it at Camp JRF on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus. This beautiful facility in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains is now available for rental for our JRF congregations, boards, religious schools, JRF regional programs, teens, and the like.

For more information, please contact the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP JRF (877-226-7573).

Reconstructionist Teen Weekend! The No’ar Hadash North American Teen Kallah April 17-19

On April 17 - 19, 8th - 12th graders from JRF congregations across North America will have the opportunity to attend the exciting No’ar Hadash North American Teen Kallah. The weekend is a great opportunity for teens to meet other Reconstructionist teens, have fun, take part in experiential Jewish learning, sing and dance together, hang out, and be part of our exciting and growing youth movement.

To register or to check out pictures from past kallot log on to www.noarhadash.org. If you have any questions please contact No’ar Hadash Program Coordinator Alanna Sklover at ASklover@jrf.org or 215-885-5601, ext. 26. We can’t wait to see you!

REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS

JRF Chesapeake Annual Celebration – Sunday, March 22, 2009

Historic Savage MillPlan to join us on Sunday, March 22nd for the JRF’s Chesapeake Annual Celebration in support of Reconstructionist Judaism, our congregations and the JRF.
Tzadik Award and Ira & Judith Eisenstein Service Award
Special honoree Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, Founding Director of Youth and Camping - Yehudit Award for Leadership and Creativity

The Chesapeake region's Afternoon of Honor and Celebration will take place this year at Savage Mill, a 19th century textile mill between Baltimore, Maryland and Washington DC, at 4:00 pm on Sunday, March 22nd, 2009. Special honorees will be Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, Founding Director of Youth and Camping, Avi West, and campers and staff from the Chesapeake Region.

Our Afternoon of Honor this year is honoring Master Educators, and we are thrilled to be honoring Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, the founding Director of Camp JRF, with the Yehudit Award for Leadership and Creativity. As part of our event we will also be doing a special tribute for all campers and staff from Chesapeake JRF that have attended Camp JRF since its' inception in 2002. There will be a special fee structure for campers, and more information will follow as soon as it is finalized.

In addition to honoring Rabbi Jeff and campers, we will also be honoring Avi West, our teacher, consultant and friend with the Tzadik Award, and we will be honoring representatives from each congregation with Ira and Judith Eisenstein Service Award. Please plan to attend this great event, and plan to put tributes in the Regional Tribute Journal for the Regional honorees and the National Tribute Journal for Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat to show your support for our honorees and the movement.

JRF New York/New Jersey Region Evening of Celebration and Theatre – Thursday, April 2, 2009

Plan to join us on Thursday, April 2nd for the JRF’s New York/New Jersey region Evening of Celebration in support of Reconstructionist Judaism, our congregations and the JRF.
Keruv / Next Generation Awards and Theatre
Special honoree Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, Founding Director of Youth and Camping
Geoffrey Chinn, SAJ, Chair, 2009 Evening of Celebration

Plans are underway for another amazing evening of theater as the New York/New Jersey region gathers to see the Broadway revival of the classic American musical West Side Story!

This year’s event honors those who are dedicated to outreach, with the Keruv for an Inclusive Community award. There will be a special Keruv/Next Generation tribute to Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, Founding Director of Camp JRF and No’ar Hadash—the Reconstructionist youth movement. The awards reception and a light supper, beginning at 6:15 pm, precede the show, curtain at 8:00 pm.

The tale of Romeo and Juliet is transported to the turbulent streets of New York City in the 1950s as star-crossed lovers are caught between rival street gangs. Directed by the show’s librettist, Arthur Laurents, the show features Leonard Bernstein's and Stephen Sondheim’s legendary score.

For more information contact Melanie Schneider, Director NY/NJ Region at 212-870-2483 or mschneider@jrf.org.

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel - June 23 - July 7, 2009
Led by Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and and Dawn Weiner-Kaplow of Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue, Northbrook, Illinois

Come to Israel to discover your Jewish historical and spiritual roots in the land and its people. Starting and ending in Jerusalem, we will track Jewish civilization from Biblical days to the bustling and exciting modern State of Israel. Our tour will explore Israeli society, culture, art, technology, spirituality, politics and more.

Get all the details and download the flyer at www.jrf.org/midwest-israel-trip.

To register or receive more information, contact Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue at 847- 498-8218 or info@shir-hadash.org.

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

North American Solar and Renewable Energy Campaign in the Jewish Community - Events throughout North American and Israel

The year 5769 (2008-2009) will be the little known Jewish year of “Birkat HaHammah” the “blessing of the sun.” Every 28 years, the ancient rabbis demarked a time in the Jewish calendar that celebrates the ceremonial return of the sun to its original place in the cosmos during creation.

JRF is part of a national coalition that will use this rare event to focus on solar power and energy stewardship.

See www.jrf.org/birkat-hahammah.

JRF Support of Immigration Reform: Progress by Pesach 2009 Initiative

Progress by Pesach is the national Jewish campaign to encourage the new administration and congress to choose humanitarian immigration reform over the failed policy of exclusively relying on raids and enforcement tactics as a means of controlling immigration.

Passover is a time when we celebrate our freedom from bondage and remember when we were strangers in a strange land. Connecting our history to the struggles of immigrants today is the inspiration behind Progress by Pesach.

Read "A Faith Leaders’ Statement on Immigration" supported by the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, 2008, at http://www.jrf.org/Immigration.

JRF Supports 2009 JCPA Child Nutrition Seder

For Passover in 2009, the JCPA is offering a phenomenal mobilizing event through which JRF communities, congregations from every Jewish stream and local JCRCs can engage community members in meaningful anti-poverty advocacy: The Child Nutrition Seder.

If you have any questions on the Child Nutrition Reauthorization and mobilizing your community around the legislation, please contact Melissa Boteach at mboteach@thejcpa.org. If you have any questions on implementing the Seder in your community and/or how to best partner with your local Jewish Community Relations Council, please contact Becky Eisen at beisen@thejcpa.org.

Get all the details at www.jrf.org/Child-Nutrition-Seder.

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

JRF is proud to announce that the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation (JRC) in Evanston, Ill. has been awarded First Place (tie) in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency's Greenie Beanie Awards, a special competition in honor of Tu B’Shevat. And on February 6-7, at JRC's Tu B'Shevat Seder & Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat, the congregation was presented with the Shalom Center's Green Menorah Award. Starting with nothing more than a commitment to define themselves as stewards of the Earth and to take seriously the Jewish value of bal tashchit (do not waste), members of the shul's board passed a unanimous statement declaring their intention to build as green as 'feasible' as they planned for their new communal home. In 2008, this 475-member congregation became the first house of worship to secure a Platinum LEED certification, widely seen as the most difficult and expense "green" standard. To learn how JRC is leading the way in “Sustainable Judaism for the 21st Century visit www.jrf.org/climate and www.jrc-evanston.org.

Members of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, Maryland, will once again be participating in Sukkot in Spring, a volunteer home repair program sponsored by Yachad, the Jewish Housing and Community Development organization of Greater Washington. Last April, guided by two professional contractors, members of Adat Shalom as well, they built a sidewalk, a new deck, hung doors and did other necessary repairs to the dwelling of a low-income homeowner who couldn’t afford to pay for such essential work. Each April, about twenty congregations and other Jewish groups sponsor or co-sponsor the renovation of a house. Adat Shalom members, especially those who volunteer, also contribute funds to pay for supplies, appliances and the technical work that amateurs aren’t able to perform. Adat Shalom is one of Yachad’s most active! Learn more at www.jrf.org/adat-shalom-yachad.

Many exciting things are going on at Bet Am Shalom Synagogue in White Plains, New York. The synagogue's Social Action Committee invites all to our Annual Benefit Concert featuring Doug Mishkin, a singer-songwriter in the tradition of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger on Saturday, March 7 at 8:00pm. All proceeds from the concert will be donated to the "Children's Center for Learning" and the "Midnight Run". Tickets in advance are $25/adults, $10/children (grade 12 and under). At the door tickets will be $30. Refreshments will be served.

The celebration of Rabbi Lester Bronstein and Cantor Schiller's 20th Anniversary at Bet Am Shalom Synagogue continues with a Scholar-in-Residence weekend, March 13 - 15. Rabbi Arthur Green will teach "Inside and Outside: Working on the Inner and Outer Jewish Mensch". The full schedule of lectures and events are on the congregation’s website, www.betamshalom.org. Reservations are requested at some of the events, but all are welcome to join!

The Bet Am Shalom Theater Project will be performing an original work entitled "Deja Vu" on Saturday, April 25 and May 2 at 8:45pm, and Sunday, April 26 and May 3 at 1:30pm. "Deja Vu" is a musical play of epic dimensions spanning thousands of years from Abraham to present day as told by a writer visiting Israel. The book, music and lyrics were written by a group of creative and talented members of Bet Am Shalom, R. Vincent Park, Ilene Semiatin, Richard Woodrow, Merrill Rotter and Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller. Admission is $25. For all events, call the synagogue office at (914) 946-8851.

Temple Beth Sholom in Salem, Oregon, is celebrating member Ellen Eisenberg, author of a new book that has been recognized as a Finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in the category of American Jewish Studies. Ellen is a Dwight & Margaret Lear Professor of American History at Willamette University. Her book, The First to Cry Down Injustice?: Western Jews and Japanese Removal During WWII (Lexington Press, 2008) explores the range of responses from Jews in the Pacific West to the removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. To see a full list of winners and finalists, visit http://www.jewishbookcouncil.org. Kol HaKavod!

Also at Temple Beth Sholom is an historic exhibit of handcrafted dolls that were once part of "Dolls for Democracy," a national outreach program of the B'nai B'rith Women, launched in the 1950s to promote tolerance and understanding of other cultures, religions, and ethnicities. Each doll (meticulously recreated in period dress) represents a historical figure who had a significant effect on the world. Dolls include Martin Luther King Jr., Ann Frank, Helen Keller, Jackie Robinson, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Hidden away for years, the dolls were discovered in a closet at the congregation’s previous home in northeast Salem. Three Temple Beth Sholom members -- Evelyn Rubel, Marilyn Johnston, and Helen Cowan – have fond recollections of taking part in this program, and Evelyn has put together a scrap book to share the dolls’ story with visitors. Come learn about this little slice of Jewish American history!

Congregation Beth Israel of Media, PA, is hosting a series of lectures on tikkun olam by respected local leaders on the front lines of social services, environmentalism, and fighting hunger and poverty. Each lecture will be associated with a regular Shabbat service and the general public is warmly invited to attend. The series, entitled “Messages from the Front,” kicks off on Friday, February 20 with Shabbat Services at 8 pm and a presentation by Karen Reever of the Philadelphia Jewish Family and Children’s Services, speaking on the spectrum of services for mature individuals, and how people can connect to these services as a participant, volunteer or supporter. On Saturday, March 21, following Shabbat services that begin at 9:45AM, the annual Raz Lecture welcomes Rabbi Larry Troster, who will explore the Jewish texts and traditions that support the environmental movement. Rabbi Troster works with Greenfaith, the New Jersey interfaith coalition for the environment. Rabbi Troster’s presentation will start after a luncheon scheduled for 12:45 pm. The series continues on Friday, March 27, during the 8:00 pm Shabbat service, when Rabbi Shawn Zevit, JRF Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam, addresses his work fighting poverty and hunger. Rabbi Zevit will also survey the roots of Jewish approaches to social justice and explore current tikkun olam efforts by the JRF. Congregation Beth Israel is located at 542 South New Middletown Road. For more information, contact the synagogue office at (610) 566-4645 or info@bethisraelmedia.org.

Members of Temple Beth Or of Miami will experience a day of history and interfaith dialogue on a Black Miami History Tour, Sunday, March 22. The tour, led by congregant Marvin Dunn, will include stops in historic Coconut Grove, the heart of Miami's Bahamian community, Overtown, formerly called Colored Town and the black entertainment center of the South in the 20s and 30s. It will also include a riding tour of Liberty City including the site of the catastrophic race riot of 1980. Participants will travel by chartered bus and will leave from Temple Beth Or at 9:00 am and return to the shul at approximately 4:00 pm. The cost for the tour will be $20.00. During a catered lunch with members of St. Johns Baptist Church in Overtown, Rabbi Marc Kram will engage the group in dialogue and will invite several members of that church to join the tour as guests of Beth Or. Come on board for a fun and educational day. For more information, contact the synagogue office at 305-235-1419.

Temple Bnai Israel of Willimantic, Connecticut invites you to its 100th Anniversary Gala Celebration on March 21, 2009. The festivities begin at 7:00 pm with a Havdalah service and 7:30 program with music and dancing with the Wholesale Klezmer Band. Come enjoy hors d'oeuvres, desserts, wine, a historical presentation and general merry making! For more information, contact Tierney Tully at 860-423-3743 or office@templebnaiisrael.org.

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

Download this issue of Ma Nishma in MS Word.

JRF News - Ma Nishma for February 2009

Lisa Tuttle — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:58:30 -0500

Dear Ma Nishma Subscriber,

I'm happy to deliver to your e-mail doorstep the latest issue of Ma Nishma ("What's Happening?"), featuring news and events from JRF. Now everyone can subscribe to Ma Nishma. Register at the JRF website at http://jrf.org/user/register then click "Manage your JRF e-newsletter subscriptions" at the top left of the home page to subscribe.

Newsletter editors and webmasters: Please reprint stories and announcements from this issue for a JRF News page in your congregational newsletter and on your website.

Those who send Weekly Update e-mails: Please disseminate Ma Nishma along with your regular posting.

Download this issue of Ma Nishma as an MS Word document, for easier cut/paste into synagogue newsletters.

Please forward this to anyone you think would enjoy reading Ma Nishma.

L'shalom,

Lisa Kelvin Tuttle
JRF Communications Director

February 2009 / Shevat - Adar 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

JRF Statement and Resources in Response to Events in the Middle East

JRF to Launch TEL Post B’nai Mitzvah Program in Fall 2009

Dynamics of Growth Workshop, Sunday March 29 at Beth Israel, Media, PA

JRF’s 42nd Convention Forum in Action: “Strengthening and Transforming Congregations”

What's Up From JRF’s Reconstructionist Press

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

News from Camp JRF for Summer 2009

Calling all Reconstructionist Teens: No’ar Hadash Events

REGIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

JRF Chesapeake Region Afternoon of Honor and Celebration - Sunday March 22

JRF NY/NJ Region Evening of Celebration and Theatre - Thursday April 2

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

PARTNER INITIATIVES

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun - Tuesday April 8

JRF Supports 2009 JCPA Child Nutrition Seder

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

JRF Statement and Resources in Response to Events in the Middle East

Statement from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation [January 16, 2009]

"We are deeply saddened that violence has once again engulfed Israelis and Palestinians. We share in the fear and loss experienced by Israelis caught in rocket fire from Hamas and are also concerned with the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We stand with the people of Israel in this time of crisis and support the right of Israel to do everything necessary to protect its population. We support all efforts to negotiate a meaningful, lasting resolution of the current conflict that will provide true security for Israel’s citizens. We decry criticisms of Israel that devolve into hate speech and anti-Semitic attacks on the Jewish people and on Israel’s right to exist.

While the ultimate resolution of the current conflict depends on the decisions of Israel and of Hamas, this crisis is an opportunity to become educated about the history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict; to work to maintain open and respectful debate of the issues; and to support humanitarian efforts that aid victims on both sides – Israeli citizens living in communities in the south and the civilians of Gaza caught in the cross fire. Our thoughts are also with IDF soldiers risking their lives for Israel.

We reaffirm our call for a just and lasting peace that will protect Israel’s right to a secure existence and that will also fulfill the national aspirations of the Palestinian people."

JRF has added a diverse array of resources to the rich collection of materials relating to Israel already on the website. We hope these resources will assist in understanding the issues and in promoting dialogue within your communities.

Access the statement and resource list at www.jrf.org/statement-and-resources.

JRF to Launch TEL Post B'nai Mitzvah Program in Fall 2009

JRF is proud to announce that it will launch the TEL Post B’nai Mitzvah Program in the fall of 2009. Tel is the Hebrew word for an archeological hill, and JRF is using the word as an acronym for Teens: Experience and Learning. JRF seeks to create a true tel experience for our teens based on the opportunity to dig through first-hand “life-centered” experiences and sift out new, meaningful educational gleanings that are personally relevant to their lives.

The TEL program was created in response to the need expressed by Reconstructionist Education Directors for effective post b’nai mitzvah programming. It is framed and anchored by two kallot (retreats) at Camp JRF. In between the kallot, eight two-hour havayot (experiential learning opportunities) will be held in each community, based on the effective havaya model of Camp JRF.

Get the details at www.jrf.org/tel-post-bnai-mitzvah.

The JRF is grateful to the Schocken Foundation for making this program possible and would welcome further financial support. If you or someone you know is interested in more information about supporting the TEL program, please contact Marla Friedenberg, JRF Development Associate.

JRF Leadership Workshop on Congregational Growth

The Dynamics of Growth: Membership, Outreach, and Financial Resources
Sunday, March 29, 2009 — 1 pm to 6 pm
Beth Israel, Media, PA

All JRF affiliates are invited to send representatives to this special one-day leadership workshop with Rabbi Shawn Zevit, JRF Director of Outreach & External Affairs/Tikkun Olam, Marla Friedenberg, Assistant Director of Development, and other experts in the field.

Goals and Benefits

Learn how to use a congregational systems approach to understand the dynamics of congregational growth.

Discover how a congregation’s stage of development relates to issues of membership and financial resources.

Come away with important skills and ideas about how to effectively reach out to attract new members, reach in to strengthen existing members and volunteers, and to creatively grow the congregation's financial resources, qualitatively and quantitatively.

This workshop will benefit congregational presidents, Board members, chairs and members of membership, programming, and development committees, treasurers, planned giving and capital campaign advocates, rabbis, cantors, senior administrators, educational and program directors, up-and-coming leaders, and all concerned with congregational growth and development.

Check for updates at www.jrf.org/growth-workshop.

JRF Convention Forum: Rabbi Elliott Tepperman on "Strengthening and Transforming Congregational Life"

An opening forum at the 42nd JRF Convention entitled Strengthening and Transforming Congregational Life explored dynamics of change, growth, and the innovative approaches congregations across the country are using to meet the needs and interests of a new generation of Jews. Panelists Rabbi Hayim Herring, Amy L. Sales and Rabbi Elliott Tepperman discussed the perennial challenges of meaningful and vibrant community-of –the-whole while responding to diverse interests and needs.

An article by Rabbi Elliott Tepperman originally appeared in The Rainbow, the monthly newsletter of JRF affiliate Bnai Keshet in Montclair, NJ:

“At the recent convention of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, I was asked to participate in one of the Opening Forum discussions. The topic was “Strengthening and Transforming Congregational Life.” Hayim Herring, Executive Director, STAR, and Amy Sales, Director of the Fisher-Bernstein Institute for Jewish Philanthropy and Leadership at Brandeis University, also spoke. I want to share the thoughts I presented to the convention with you who have been my teachers and fellow explorers in the work of congregational transformation.” Read more and download the article at www.jrf.org/transforming-congregations.

What’s Up from the Reconstructionist Press

Having sold through our stock of two of our most popular prayerbooks from our Kol Haneshamah prayer book series, we are excited about our next printing! We will begin taking preorders soon, so if you would like to get on the list of those interested in purchasing the Mahzor Leyamim Nora'im Prayerbook for the Days of Awe and Shabbat Vehagim Sabbath and Festival prayerbook while they are hot off the press, please give the Reconstructionist Press a call at 1-877-JRF-PUBS.

Meanwhile, we are very close to launching out brand new Reconstructionist Press Webstore! The store will allow our customers to be able to scroll through our titles and purchase them online, just as they would on Amazon.com or another online retailer. Look for the webstore link on JRF’s main page in the coming weeks.

The Reconstructionist Press wishes all of its customers a Happy New Year and looks forward to the excitement that the year will bring!

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

With the enthusiasm around JRF’s Omer Learning Initiative, as well as the solid response of JRF congregations in the Climate Change Initiative, JRF is continues to deepen its greening work with member communities next year. Our hope is to motivate and educate our congregations in sustainable practices, with the goal of reaching 100 percent participation in the years ahead.

A full listing of the 7 weeks of teaching packets from the JRF Omer Initiative is available at www.jrf.org/omer and the three related Tikkun Olam conference calls held as part of this year's PEARL initiative, available at www.jrf.org/PEARL-resources.

Please refer to the following additional links to find specific resources for tikkun olam:

Tikkun Olam Resources Library: www.jrf.org/resources-library

Tikkun resources outside JRF: www.jrf.org/tikkun-olam-issues

Anti-hunger and poverty: www.jrf.org/hunger

Sustainability and the Environment: www.jrf.org/Sustainable_Synagogue_Resources

Service Learning: www.jrf.org/service-learning

Ending Genocide in Darfur: www.jrf.org/darfur

Information on JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative can be found on the JRF website’s environment pages at www.jrf.org/Sustainable_Synagogue_Resources.

News from Camp JRF for Summer 2009

Camp JRF Launches Bonim Summer Leadership Program for Entering High School Seniors

Bonim is a new program geared towards preparing entering twelfth graders for leadership roles in camp and beyond. During the first session, participants will learn what it takes to make camp run, to work as a counselor, and to facilitate programming across camp. Those teens who stay for the entire summer will have the opportunity to do significant hands-on tikkun olam work in the community and will begin to make the transition from camper to staff member in real and meaningful ways. With a small group of participants and a highly experienced staff, Bonim is sure to be a defining experience for all. Bonim will engage entering high school seniors in a significant leadership development experience that allows participants opportunities not only to learn but also plenty of chances to put that learning into practice.

The program is in two parts:

During the first session, participants will spend their morning participating in a havaya (our experiential educational programming) and will then work in one of the behind-the-scenes areas of camp (kitchen, maintenance, office, etc). The afternoon will be spent apprenticing in a program area (general counseling, aquatics, sports, art, drama, etc.) and then in a debriefing session that will allow for ongoing learning and growth from the apprenticeship. Evenings will be spent as a unit participating in some of the fun of camp during evening programs created specifically for this group.

During the second session, mornings will be spent working in a camper unit or program area (putting the skills learned in the first session apprenticeship to good use). During the afternoons, the group will go out into the community to do significant hands-on tikkun olam work. Evenings will continue to be spent as a unit.

Our hope is that teens will join us for the entire summer (June 30 - August 16); participating in both sessions will allow the most opportunities for growth, learning, and an incomparable capstone experience to years as a camper, not to mention incredible preparation for following summers as a staff member. If teens are unable to commit to the entire summer, they may join us for the first session only. (It is not possible to come only for the second session.) In recognition of the work Bonim participants will do on behalf of camp, we have worked to keep tuition for this program as low as possible. For those who participate successfully in both sessions, we will provide a small stipend as an additional “thank you” for a job well done.

We are excited to be offering this new program this summer – we hope that having a relatively small cohort will allow for a close-knit group that can truly see how its work in all areas of camp can really have an impact on the way camp runs.

For more information, visit www.jrf.org or call 877-CAMP-JRF.

Camp JRF is Filling Up - Register Now!

There are just a few spots left in our oldest age group, Harim (9th-10th graders). Watch the Camp JRF Video and download the 2009 brochure and registration forms on the Web at www.jrf.org or call us at 877-CAMP-JRF.

Camp JRF Seeks Talented Staff

Staff applications are being accepted for counselors, program specialists, and support staff. If you know a talented young person looking for a rewarding summer leadership experience, have him or her download the staff application in the Staff section at www.jrf.org or call Julia Tauber, Camp JRF's Assistant Director, at 877-CAMP-JRF, ext. 32.

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Planning an annual Shabbaton or retreat? Consider holding it at Camp JRF on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus. This beautiful facility in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains is now available for rental for our JRF congregations, boards, religious schools, JRF regional programs, teens, and the like.

For more information, please contact the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP JRF (877-226-7573).

Calling all Reconstructionist Teens: No’ar Hadash Events for 8th-12th Graders

SAVE THE DATES:

NYC Mini Kallah – Jan 24-25 at West End Synagogue, New York, NY. This event, co-sponsored by West End Synagogue, The Society for the Advancement of Judaism, and Bet Am Shalom, is a sleepover for teens in grades 8-12 from Reconstructionist congregations all over the east coast and beyond, featuring:
o Havdallah and ‘camp fire’ style song session
o Concert and dance party for all ages, followed by an exclusive teen-only set
o Late night movies and games
o A special NYC outing, including the top-notch NYC pizza
o Catching up with old friends and making new ones
o Our team of dedicated Reconstructionist youth advisors including Education directors and teachers from JRF congregations, local youth workers, and Camp JRF Counselors

Midwest Youth Kallah - February 13-15 at Camp Henry Horner, Ingleside, IL

North American Teen Kallah - April 17-19, Chicago, IL

For more information on the NYC Mini Kallah, please contact Sarah Chandler, West End Synagogue Education Director. Download and complete the registration form at www.jrf.org/nyc-mini-kallah and mail them to West End Synagogue.

To register for the Midwest Youth Kallah or the North American Teen Kallah or to check out pictures from past kallot log on to www.noarhadash.org. If you have any questions please contact No’ar Hadash Program Coordinator Alanna Sklover. We can’t wait to see you!

REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS

Save the Date! JRF Chesapeake Annual Celebration – Sunday, March 22, 2009

Historic Savage MillPlan to join us on Sunday, March 22nd for the JRF’s Chesapeake Annual Celebration in support of Reconstructionist Judaism, our congregations and the JRF.
Tzadik Award and Ira & Judith Eisenstein Service Award
Special honoree Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, Founding Director of Youth and Camping - Yehudit Award for Leadership and Creativity

The Chesapeake region's Afternoon of Honor and Celebration will take place this year at Savage Mill, a 19th century textile mill between Baltimore, Maryland and Washington DC, at 4:00 pm on Sunday, March 22nd, 2009. Special honorees will be Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, Founding Director of Youth and Camping, Avi West, and campers and staff from the Chesapeake Region.

Our Afternoon of Honor this year is honoring Master Educators, and we are thrilled to be honoring Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, the founding Director of Camp JRF, with the Yehudit Award for Leadership and Creativity. As part of our event we will also be doing a special tribute for all campers and staff from Chesapeake JRF that have attended Camp JRF since its' inception in 2002. There will be a special fee structure for campers, and more information will follow as soon as it is finalized.

In addition to honoring Rabbi Jeff and campers, we will also be honoring Avi West, our teacher, consultant and friend with the Tzadik Award, and we will be honoring representatives from each congregation with Ira and Judith Eisenstein Service Award. Please plan to attend this great event, and plan to put tributes in the Regional Tribute Journal for the Regional honorees and the National Tribute Journal for Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat to show your support for our honorees and the movement. Watch for invitations in early February!

Save the Date! NY/NJ Evening of Celebration and Theatre – Thursday, April 2, 2009

Plan to join us on Thursday, April 2nd for the JRF’s New York/New Jersey region Evening of Celebration in support of Reconstructionist Judaism, our congregations and the JRF.
Keruv / Next Generation Awards and Theatre
Special honoree Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, Founding Director of Youth and Camping
Geoffrey Chinn, SAJ, Chair, 2009 Evening of Celebration

Plans are underway for another amazing evening of theater as the New York/New Jersey region gathers to see the Broadway revival of the classic American musical West Side Story!

This year’s event honors those who are dedicated to outreach, with the Keruv for an Inclusive Community award. There will be a special Keruv/Next Generation tribute to Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, Founding Director of Camp JRF and No’ar Hadash—the Reconstructionist youth movement. The awards reception and a light supper, beginning at 6:15 pm, precede the show, curtain at 8:00 pm.

The tale of Romeo and Juliet is transported to the turbulent streets of New York City in the 1950s as star-crossed lovers are caught between rival street gangs. Directed by the show’s librettist, Arthur Laurents, the show features Leonard Bernstein's and Stephen Sondheim’s legendary score.

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel - June 23 - July 7, 2009
Led by Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and and Dawn Weiner-Kaplow of Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue, Northbrook, Illinois

Come to Israel to discover your Jewish historical and spiritual roots in the land and its people. Starting and ending in Jerusalem, we will track Jewish civilization from Biblical days to the bustling and exciting modern State of Israel. Our tour will explore Israeli society, culture, art, technology, spirituality, politics and more.

Get all the details and download the flyer at www.jrf.org/midwest-israel-trip.

To register or receive more information, contact Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue at 847- 498-8218 or info@shir-hadash.org.

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

North American Solar and Renewable Energy Campaign in the Jewish Community - Events throughout North American and Israel

The year 5769 (2008-2009) will be the little known Jewish year of “Birkat HaHammah” the “blessing of the sun.” Every 28 years, the ancient rabbis demarked a time in the Jewish calendar that celebrates the ceremonial return of the sun to its original place in the cosmos during creation.

JRF is part of a national coalition that will use this rare event to focus on solar power and energy stewardship.

See www.jrf.org/birkat-hahammah.

JRF Supports 2009 JCPA Child Nutrition Seder

For Passover in 2009, the JCPA is offering a phenomenal mobilizing event through which JRF communities, congregations from every Jewish stream and local JCRCs can engage community members in meaningful anti-poverty advocacy: The Child Nutrition Seder.

If you have any questions on the Child Nutrition Reauthorization and mobilizing your community around the legislation, please contact Melissa Boteach at mboteach@thejcpa.org. If you have any questions on implementing the Seder in your community and/or how to best partner with your local Jewish Community Relations Council, please contact Becky Eisen at beisen@thejcpa.org.

Get all the details at www.jrf.org/Child-Nutrition-Seder.

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

The Chapel Hill Kehillah of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was honored recently by the Jewish Funds for Justice for starting a new Congregation Based Community Organizing initiative in Chapel Hill, using its power to create social change and act responsibly on behalf of the community. Chapel Hill Kehillah is a founding member of the Orange County Organizing Committee, which launched a new platform last month. Drawing 300 leaders from 23 faith-based members, they laid out their new action agenda which addressed the need for change in North Carolina in affordable housing, living wages, environmental justice, education, healthcare, and quality of life for immigrant families. Ye’asher koach! Read the story at www.jrf.org/cbco.

Religious school students at University Synagogue in Irvine, California, went to the mall on Sunday, December 8 with cash in their pockets. They were headed for the Mitzvah Mall, set up in the synagogue's social hall! Thirteen seventh graders had set up booths where they were hawking their wares: opportunities for the other children in the school program to donate to the nonprofit organizations where each seventh grader has been volunteering. The charitable opportunities on display included homeless shelters, a program to save the manatees, Heritage Pointe, an organization dedicated to distributing eyeglasses around the world, and programs to help the disabled. At the front of the Mall, a cashier offered change to the younger students, so that they could distribute their donation money to the different charities that caught their interest. Teaching the younger children about their mitzvah projects was its own learning experience for the seventh graders. All in all the two-hour Mitzvah Mall raised $725 from the other religious school students. The seventh grade students will work with their organizations throughout the year leading up to their Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

The affiliation of San Francisco’s Or Shalom Jewish Community with the Reconstructionist movement has been met with movement-wide joy and it’s time to hear about it! Or Shalom invites one and all to a Reconstructionist Welcome Shabbat, a special Friday evening service on Friday, February 6 at 7 pm, where the congregation will be officially welcomed by the JRF Western regional director, Rabbi Jane Rachel Litman, to learn together a little more about what it means to be San Francisco’s first and only Reconstructionist congregation. Learn about them at www.orshalom.org.

On Saturday, February 7 at 7 pm Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, Maryland will hold its “Midwinter's Night Gala: Jewish Music and All That Jazz,” featuring nationally acclaimed pianist Jon Simon, Hazzan Rachel Hersh Epstein, and The Jazz Project. The concert will be followed by a dessert and wine reception. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. For more information visit www.adatshalom.net.

Keddem Congregation, in Palo Alto, California, will welcome its new rabbi, Elisheva Salamo, at an installation ceremony on Tu B'Shevat, February 8. Just as planting a new tree is a hopeful act with long-term aspirations, Keddem hopes that Rabbi Salamo will put down roots in their community and that they will have a long and fruitful relationship. Rabbi Salamo is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and served for many years as the congregational rabbi of Congregation Ner Shalom, in Cotati, California. She aspires to enliven the spiritual life of Keddem, to cultivate its sense of community, and to reach out to the younger generation at Keddem. JRF members and friends are invited to attend the installation at Keddem’s congregational home at Kehillah Jewish High School, 3900 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA; details at info@keddem.org.

Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington, PA, is looking forward to its annual Dickstein Scholar in Residence Program the weekend of February 20 and 21. This year's program features Dr. Rumee Ahmed, Assistant Professor of Religion and Middle Eastern and Islamic Civilizations at Colgate University, and Dr. Ayesha Chaudhry, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at New York University. Friday night's lecture, "Approaching Contemporary Islam" will situate modern Muslim conceptions of Islam and its place in the world in the context of the last three hundred years to provide a backdrop for deeper conversations about Muslims and Islam today. The talk will be preceded by community Shabbat services and followed by oneg. Saturday morning at 9 AM, all are invited for an expanded Torah study, "Reading Difficult Jewish and Muslim Texts," where a passage from the week’s Torah portion will be explored in comparison with analogous passages from the Qur’an as participants strive to make spiritual meaning of difficult sacred texts. RSVP for bagels and coffee provided at no charge. On Saturday evening at 6:30 pm, come for dinner ($20 per person), and then take part in "Intimate Conversations: An Insider’s View of Living as a Muslim in 21st Century America." Participants will sit down for an intimate conversation with Professors Ahmed and Chaudhry to hear their perspectives on issues of concern to Muslims both as they look inward to their own community and outward to the larger community. Rabbi Joshua Waxman will guide the group through a series of topics including perspectives on the Other, attitudes toward violence, and the position of women in Muslim society. Learn the complexity and nuance of Muslim views on these and other pressing issues, with plenty of time for questions and exchange of views. This is an extraordinary opportunity to gain an insider’s perspective on these rich and vital issues. RSVP is required for the optional 6:30 dinner; there is no charge to attend the discussion at 7:30. For more information or to RSVP please contact Laurie Albert, at 215-283-0276 or office@orhadash.com.

Members of Temple Beth Or of Miami will experience a day of history and interfaith dialogue on a Black Miami History Tour, Sunday, March 22. The tour, led by congregant Marvin Dunn, will include stops in historic Coconut Grove, the heart of Miami's Bahamian community, Overtown, formerly called Colored Town and
the black entertainment center of the South in the 20s and 30s. It will also include a riding tour of Liberty City including the site of the catastrophic race riot of 1980. Participants will travel by chartered bus and will leave from Temple Beth Or at 9:00 am and return to the shul at approximately 4:00 pm. The cost for the tour will be $20.00. During a catered lunch with members of St. Johns Baptist Church in Overtown, Rabbi Marc Kram will engage the group in dialogue and will invite several members of that church to join us on the tour as guests of Beth Or. Come on board for a fun and educational day. Choice of lunch entrée ($15.00, paid in advance) must be ordered by February 15. For more information, contact the synagogue office at 305-235-1419.

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle today.

Download this issue of Ma Nishma in MS Word.

Ma Nishma - JRF News for January 2009

Lisa Tuttle — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:03:17 -0500

Dear Ma Nishma Subscriber,

I'm happy to deliver to your e-mail doorstep the latest issue of Ma Nishma ("What's Happening?"), featuring news and events from JRF. Now everyone can subscribe to Ma Nishma. Register at the JRF website at http://jrf.org/user/register then click "Manage your JRF e-newsletter subscriptions" at the top left of the home page to subscribe.

Newsletter editors and webmasters: Please reprint stories and announcements from this issue for a JRF News page in your congregational newsletter and on your website.

Those who send Weekly Update e-mails: Please disseminate Ma Nishma along with your regular posting.

Please forward this to anyone you think would enjoy reading Ma Nishma.

Download this issue of Ma Nishma as an MS Word document, for easier cut/paste into synagogue newsletters.

L'shalom,

Lisa Kelvin Tuttle
JRF Communications Director

January 2009 / Tevet - Shevat 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

NATIONAL and REGIONAL JRF NEWS

Experience JRF's 42nd Convention - Tikkun Olam Forum Audio

JRF Welcomes Dan Cedarbaum as Director of Movement Growth Initiatives and Special Projects

Security Resources for JRF Congregations and Havurot

Special Offers from JRF's Reconstructionist Press

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

Dynamics of Growth workshop, Sunday March 29 at Beth Israel, Media, PA

Camp JRF Summer 2009 Registration Now Open!

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Calling all Reconstructionist Teens: No’ar Hadash Events

Save the date for the Chesapeake Afternoon of Honor and Celebration

Save the date for the NY/NJ Evening of Celebration and Theatre

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

NEWS OF INTEREST TO RECONSTRUCTIONISTS

Reconstructionist Leaders Call for U.S. Leadership for Mid-East Peace

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

NATIONAL and REGIONAL JRF NEWS

Experience the JRF's 42nd Convention - Opening Forum "Tikkun Olam: Maximizing the Reconstructionist Impact"

Listen online or download the audios from this Forum / Read Rabbi Fred Scherlinder-Dobb's notes!

Also, listen to audio of the Convention’s opening plenary, Jewish Identity, Community and Leadership: A Dialogue Between the Generations.

Reconstructionists take very seriously the Torah’s mandate to engage in acts of kindness and repair of the world – defending human rights, working for social and economic justice, protecting and healing the environment, and leading and
partnering with organizations devoted to these issues on a local and global scale. We are a small movement with an enormous reach and our members want to know where and how to best focus their efforts and to have access to approaches that will help them make the biggest difference.

At a popular opening forum at the JRF Convention, entitled Tikkun Olam: Maximizing the Reconstructionist Impact, Rabbis Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Toba Spitzer, and Brant Rosen discussed Reconstructionist approaches to tikkun olam which have the potential to build our movement while building up the world. Topics included values-based decision making or "Reconstructionist process"; congregation-based community organizing; the synergy between service and advocacy; congregational covenants; and coalitions both within the Jewish community and in the wider world. The session was moderated by Valerie Kaplan, chair of the JRF board's External Affiliations committee, with closing responses from Rabbi Shawn Zevit, JRF Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam.

Check for more Convention stories at www.jrf.org.

JRF Welcomes Dan Cedarbaum as Director of Movement Growth Initiatives and Special Projects

We are pleased to announce that Daniel Cedarbaum has dramatically changed his relationship to the JRF this fall – stepping down from his volunteer leadership positions and assuming an important role as a full-time member of the professional staff of the JRF. Dan is now the JRF’s Director of Movement Growth Initiatives
and Special Projects.

The centerpiece of Dan’s work will be to build on the innovative work that he began last year in Brooklyn – an initiative in movement growth that is intended to lead to a Reconstructionist presence where there is none currently, but to do so in a creative way. The Brooklyn initiative may result in the seeding of a Reconstructionist synagogue that will eventually be the subject of the wonderful work of our Outreach and Affiliations staff and committee, but it might well lead to the creation of a non-traditional institution or set of programs in response to contemporary realities.

Dan will start a similar initiative in Chicago and support efforts to do the same in the Los Angeles area. We expect that, before long, similar work will be undertaken in the Washington, D.C. area and, over time, in Montreal, Toronto, and other areas. A hallmark of this work will be to enlist some of our strongest congregations as collaborators in growing and strengthening the Reconstructionist presence in their locales.

The work Dan will be doing represents a very significant initiative on the part of JRF – to experiment with new models of outreach and community that, like Reconstructionism itself, involves finding creative ways to build on the past, respect the accomplishments of the present, and adapt to a changing environment.

We expect this work to lead to new insights about building community that will benefit participants, but also benefit our existing congregations, and, indeed, will have relevance to other sectors of Jewish life. Dan’s willingness to devote himself professionally to this enterprise is a tribute to its importance.

Dan can be reached at the JRF’s new Chicago area office:

Daniel G. Cedarbaum
1574 Ashland Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
847-492-5200
dcedarbaum@jrf.org

Security Resources for JRF Congregations and Havurot

This update follows an exclusive conference call that took place on December 17 for JRF congregations with Paul Goldenberg, Executive Director of the Secure Community Network (SCN).

The recent tragic events in Mumbai are a reminder that Jewish institutions are regarded as attractive targets by terrorist groups. It is also known that during times of political transition there is a need for heightened national security. In light of this unfortunate reality, Dr. Carl Sheingold, JRF’s Executive Vice President, attended a high-level security briefing organized by the Secure Community Network (SCN) in New York, and scheduled an exclusive conference call for JRF congregations with Paul Goldenberg, Executive Director of SCN.

As per the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies: “AT THIS TIME, there is no intelligence asserting any operational specificity concerning a planned attack against the homeland or Jewish interests.” But the key message is that planning is essential. Doing a vulnerability assessment, developing crisis communication plans and other planning actions cannot be undertaken in the midst of a crisis.

To support the efforts of our congregations and havurot, JRF is a member of SCN on your behalf. We invite you to access the following valuable resources and to check back, as new resources may be available following the conference call:

Crisis Communication Plan Non-Profit Toolkit – This document, produced by the Colorado Non-Profit Association, will help you get off to a good start in creating a crisis communications plan.

Table Top Exercises: Testing Your Emergency Plans - This is a PowerPoint presentation explaining how table-top training exercises may be utilized at your synagogue or havurah. SCN can either offer support in your own development of this exercise
or can recommend a third-party firm to develop and facilitate these exercises closely with you.

SCN Security Reminder: Period of Hightened Concern - This is a security announcement released by SCN following the Mumbai terror attacks.

Learn more at www.jrf.org/security.

Special Offers from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press

A NIGHT OF QUESTIONS: A PASSOVER HAGGADAH
LIMITED EDITION 10th ANNIVERSARY HARDCOVER EDITION
Rabbi Michael Strassfeld and Rabbi Joy Levitt, Eds.
Illustrated in full color by Jeffrey Schrier

The Reconstructionist Press unveiled a commemorative 10th Anniversary hardcover edition of A Night of Questions, the Reconstructionist Passover Haggadah, at the 42nd JRF Convention in Boston this November. This 10” x 10” hardcover gift edition contains all of artist Jeffrey Schrier’s magnificent original artwork from the softcover edition plus a new section, “The Seder as a Spiritual Practice” by Rabbi Michael Strassfeld.

Savings on all orders: JRF is offering a 35% savings off the $72 list price on all orders: Final cost is $54 each.

Make a difference: 1% of all proceeds will be donated to Hurricane relief efforts.

Orders will be shipped after January 1st.

SIDDUR KOL HANO’AR: THE VOICE OF CHILDREN
Transliterated edition available now!
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso and Rabbi Jeffrey Schein
Illustrated in full color by Joani Rothenberg

This beautiful hardcover Shabbat prayer book for children ages 5-9 makes a wonderful gift for the whole family to share at home. $28/$23.80 for JRF members. Consider adding a set of matching note cards for a lovely gift set for just $5 more!

To order, call JRF’s Reconstructionist Press at 877-JRF-PUBS.

ONLINE STORE COMING IN JANUARY! JRF’s Reconstructionist Press will soon offer one-stop shopping for books, resource guides, CDs, Camp JRF apparel and memorabilia, gift certificates and more.

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

With the enthusiasm around JRF’s Omer Learning Initiative, as well as the solid response of JRF congregations in the Climate Change Initiative, JRF is continues to deepen its greening work with member communities next year. Our hope is to motivate and educate our congregations in sustainable practices, with the goal of reaching 100 percent participation in the years ahead.

A full listing of the 7 weeks of teaching packets from the JRF Omer Initiative is available at www.jrf.org/omer and the three related Tikkun Olam conference calls held as part of this year's PEARL initiative, available at www.jrf.org/PEARL-resources.

Please refer to the following additional links to find specific resources for tikkun olam:

Tikkun Olam Resources Library: http://jrf.org/resources-library

Tikkun resources outside JRF: http://jrf.org/tikkun-olam-issues

Anti-hunger and poverty: http://jrf.org/hunger

Sustainability and Environment: http://jrf.org/climate

Service Learning: http://jrf.org/service-learning

Ending Genocide in Darfur: http://jrf.org/darfur

Information on JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative can be found on the JRF website’s environment pages at www4.jrf.org/green-call and www4.jrf.org/climate.

For more information contact Rabbi Shawn Zevit, director of outreach and tikkun olam, SZevit@jrf.org.

JRF Leadership Workshop on Congregational Growth

“The Dynamics of Congregational Growth: Membership, Outreach, and Financial Resources"
Sunday, March 29, 2009, 1 pm to 6 pm, at Beth Israel Congregation, Media, PA

All JRF affiliates are invited to send representatives to this special one-day leadership workshop with Rabbi Shawn Zevit, Director of Outreach & External Affairs/Tikkun Olam, Marla Friedenberg, Assistant Director of Development, and other experts in the field.

Goals and Benefits

Learn how to use a congregational systems approach to understand the dynamics of congregational growth.

Discover how a congregation’s stage of development relates to issues of membership and financial resources.

Come away with important skills and ideas about how to effectively reach out to attract new members, reach in to strengthen existing members and volunteers, and to creatively grow the congregation's financial resources, qualitatively and quantitatively.

This workshop will benefit all those working on congregational growth and development, including board members, membership and development committees, treasurers, planned giving and capital campaign advocates, senior administrators, and education and program directors.

Check for updates at www.jrf.org/growth-workshop.

Register Now for Camp JRF Summer 2009

Make sure that your child has the summer of a lifetime at Camp JRF on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus in the Pocono Mountains.

Here’s how to register: Go to www.campjrf.org and either register online or print the application and mail to our camp office.

For more information, please contact the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP-JRF (877-226-7573).

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Planning an annual Shabbaton or retreat? Consider holding it at Camp JRF on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus. This beautiful facility in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains is now available for rental for our JRF congregations, boards, religious schools, JRF regional programs, teens, and the like.

For more information, please contact the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP JRF (877-226-7573).

Calling all Reconstructionist Teens: No’ar Hadash Events for 8th-12th Graders

SAVE THE DATES:

Western Teen Kallah - January 9-11 at BB Camp, Portland, OR

Midwest Youth Kallah - February 13-15 at Camp Henry Horner, Ingleside, IL

North American Teen Kallah - April 17-19, Chicago, IL

and also . . .

No'ar Hadash Goes to Panim el Panim - March 15-18 in Washington, DC.

The Panim el Panim seminar brings together diverse groups of 10th-12th grade students from around the country to explore public policy and social activism through a Jewish lens. Details to follow!

To register for the Eastern Teen Kallah or to check out pictures from past kallot log on to www.noarhadash.org. If you have any questions please contact No’ar Hadash Program Coordinator Alanna Sklover at ASklover@jrf.org or 215-885-5601, ext. 26. We can’t wait to see you!

Save the Date! JRF Chesapeake Afternoon of Honor and Celebration – Sunday, March 22, 2009

Historic Savage MillPlan to join us on Sunday, March 22nd for the JRF’s Chesapeake region Afternoon of Honor and Celebration in support of Reconstructionist Judaism, our congregations and the JRF.
Tzadik Award and Ira & Judith Eisenstein Service Award
Special honoree Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, Founding Director of Youth and Camping - Yehudit Award for Leadership and Creativity

The Chesapeake region's Afternoon of Honor and Celebration will take place this year at Savage Mill, a 19th century textile mill between Baltimore, Maryland and Washington DC, at 4:00 pm on Sunday, March 22nd, 2009. Special honorees will be Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, Founding Director of Youth and Camping, Avi West, and campers and staff from the Chesapeake Region.

Our Afternoon of Honor this year is honoring Master Educators, and we are thrilled to be honoring Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, the founding Director of Camp JRF, with the Yehudit Award for Leadership and Creativity. As part of our event we will also be doing a special tribute for all campers and staff from Chesapeake JRF that have attended Camp JRF since its' inception in 2002. There will be a special fee structure for campers, and more information will follow as soon as it is finalized.

In addition to honoring Rabbi Jeff and campers, we will also be honoring Avi West, our teacher, consultant and friend with the Tzadik Award, and we will be honoring representatives from each congregation with Ira and Judith Eisenstein Service Award. Please plan to attend this great event, and plan to put tributes in the Regional Tribute Journal for the Regional honorees and the National Tribute Journal for Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat to show your support for our honorees and the movement. Watch for invitations in early February!

Save the Date! NY/NJ Evening of Celebration and Theatre – Thursday, April 2, 2009

Plan to join us on Thursday, April 2nd for the JRF’s New York/New Jersey region Evening of Celebration in support of Reconstructionist Judaism, our congregations and the JRF.
Keruv / Next Generation Awards and Theatre
Special honoree Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, Founding Director of Youth and Camping
Geoffrey Chinn, SAJ, Chair, 2009 Evening of Celebration

Plans are underway for another amazing evening of theater as the New York/New Jersey region gathers to see the Broadway revival of the classic American musical West Side Story!

This year’s event honors those who are dedicated to outreach, with the Keruv for an Inclusive Community award. There will be a special Keruv/Next Generation tribute to Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, Founding Director of Camp JRF and No’ar Hadash—the Reconstructionist youth movement. The awards reception and a light supper, beginning at 6:15 pm, precede the show, curtain at 8:00 pm.

The tale of Romeo and Juliet is transported to the turbulent streets of New York City in the 1950s as star-crossed lovers are caught between rival street gangs. Directed by the show’s librettist, Arthur Laurents, the show features Leonard Bernstein's and Stephen Sondheim’s legendary score.

For more information contact Melanie Schneider, Director NY/NJ Region at 212-870-2483 or mschneider@jrf.org.

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel - June 23 - July 7, 2009
Led by Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and and Dawn Weiner-Kaplow of Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue, Northbrook, Illinois

Come to Israel to discover your Jewish historical and spiritual roots in the land and its people. Starting and ending in Jerusalem, we will track Jewish civilization from Biblical days to the bustling and exciting modern State of Israel. Our tour will explore Israeli society, culture, art, technology, spirituality, politics and more.

Get all the details and download the flyer at www.jrf.org/midwest-israel-trip.

To register or receive more information, contact Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue at 847- 498-8218 or info@shir-hadash.org.

NEWS OF INTEREST TO RECONSTRUCTIONISTS

Reconstructionist Leaders Endorse Interfaith Statement and Letter to President-Elect Obama Calling for Urgent U.S. Leadership for Mid-East Peace

In December 2008, Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders, including heads of more than 25 national organizations issued a consensus statement, "A Window of Hope for the Peace of Jerusalem," calling for urgent U.S. leadership for peace in the Middle East.

Among the endorsers of the statement were Dr. Carl A. Sheingold, JRF Executive Vice President, Rabbi Toba Spitzer, President, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, Rabbi Brant Rosen, Immediate Past President, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, and Rabbi Amy Small, Past President, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association. These Reconstructionist leaders signed on to this initiative personally, not as officially representing their organizations.

In the letter to President-Elect Obama, the religious leaders urged him to make Arab-Israeli-Palestinian peace an urgent priority of U.S. policy from the start of his Presidency. They assured him that substantial majorities in synagogues, churches and mosques across the country would support active U.S. leadership for peace.

Learn more about the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East at www.jrf.org/nili.

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

North American Solar and Renewable Energy Campaign in the Jewish Community - Events throughout North American and Israel

The year 5769 (2008-2009) will be the little known Jewish year of “Birkat HaHammah” the “blessing of the sun.” Every 28 years, the ancient rabbis demarked a time in the Jewish calendar that celebrates the ceremonial return of the sun to its original place in the cosmos during creation.

JRF is part of a national coalition that will use this rare event to focus on solar power and energy stewardship.
See www.blessthesun.org as it goes live!

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

Join the Columbia Jewish Congregation, in Columbia, Maryland, will honor Cantor Jan Morrison for her continual service to CJC and the community on Sunday, December 21 at 6:30 p.m. with a buffet dinner and entertainment. $54 per person/$450 for a table of ten. RSVP to Miriam by December 15, 410-730-6044 or miriam@columbiajewish.org.

Members of the Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore (RSNS), in Plandome, New York, have been devoting time and energy on Monday afternoons in the clothing closet of the Mary Brennan Soup Kitchen run by the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN), helping organize, sort and hang clothing for guests to have on another day. All are invited to participate in this mitzvah.

Volunteers from Kehillath Shalom, in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, are making a difference for homeless men in their community at a shelter run by the Huntington Interfaith Homeless Initiative, providing food and service on the second Wednesday of each month. The project, which runs through March, also helps guests with laundry and overnight hospitality.

The Keddem Congregation in Palo Alto, California will welcome its new rabbi, Elisheva Salamo, at an installation ceremony on Tu B'Shevat, February 8, 2009. Just as planting a new tree is a hopeful act with long-term aspirations, Keddem hopes that Rabbi Salamo will put down roots in their community and that they will have a long and fruitful relationship. JRF members and friends are invited to attend. Details at info@keddem.org.

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

Ma Nishma - JRF News for December 2008

Lisa Tuttle — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:28:09 -0500

Dear Ma Nishma Subscriber,

I'm happy to deliver to your e-mail doorstep the latest issue of Ma Nishma ("What's Happening?"), featuring news and events from JRF.

Now everyone can subscribe to Ma Nishma. Register at the JRF website at http://jrf.org/user/register then click "Manage your JRF e-newsletter subscriptions" at the top left of the home page to subscribe.

Newsletter editors and webmasters: Please reprint stories and announcements from this issue for a JRF News page in your congregational newsletter and on your website.

Those who send Weekly Update e-mails: Please disseminate Ma Nishma along with your regular posting.

Please forward this to anyone you think would enjoy reading Ma Nishma.

Download this issue of Ma Nishma as an MS Word document, for easier cut/paste into synagogue newsletters.

L'shalom,

Lisa Kelvin Tuttle
JRF Communications Director

December 2008 / Kislev - Tevet 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

Reconstructionist Movement Tackles 21st Century Judaism at JRF's 42nd Convention

JRF Expresses Sorrow, Stands in Solidarity with Victims of Mumbai Terror Attacks

Reconstructionist Movement Issues Joint Statement on Same-Sex Marriage Bans

JRF Hires Rabbi Jane Rachel Litman as New Western Region Director

Special Offers from JRF's Reconstructionist Press

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative: Communities Recognized

Save the Date for North American Workshop on Congregational Growth

Camp JRF Summer 2009 Registration Now Open!

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Calling all Reconstructionist Teens: No’ar Hadash Events

Join Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat at University Synagogue's Recon Salon

Reconstructionist Composers Celebrated in Washington DC Concert

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

Congregational news / Kol HaKavod!

NATIONAL and REGIONAL JRF NEWS

Reconstructionist Movement Tackles 21st Century Judaism at JRF 42nd Convention

Reconstructionist Movement Tackles 21st Century Judaism at JRF's 42nd Convention

This is the first of what will be many reports sharing highlights of the 42nd JRF Convention that took place in Boston November 13-16, 2008.

From left, Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, Rabbi David Teutsch, Sarah Liebman and Zachary TeutschAs the Jewish Reconstructionist movement enters its sixth decade as a major force in Jewish life, JRF dedicated its 2008 biennial convention in Boston to exploring the theme "Transformative Judaism for the 21st Century."

Listen online or download the audio to this session.

Following a two-year strategic planning process launched at the JRF biennial in 2006, the JRF board ratified a plan whose strategic priorities were reflected at this year’s convention. One of these priorities, the “next generation,” took center stage and was explored in a variety of ways throughout the four-day event and included the many college students and young adults in attendance. Participants engaged in dialogue with a diverse group of experts about the important role the Reconstructionist movement is playing through its innovations in Jewish education, Jewish camp, and all aspects of Jewish communal life.

The convention’s opening plenary, entitled "Jewish Identity, Community and Leadership: A Dialogue Between the Generations," looked at similarities and differences between the Havurah movement of the 1960s and ‘70s and a recent phenomenon of small, independent minyanim and Jewish programming collectives currently on the rise. It also explored why the younger generation is choosing, by and large, not to affiliate with traditional synagogues and how the organized movements can respond to current trends. Two of the four panelists, Rabbi Michael Strassfeld and Rabbi David Teutsch, were early shapers of the Havurah movement and are now serving as leaders of the Reconstructionist movement and two, Sarah Liebman and Zachary Teutsch, are Jewish leaders in their 20s involved today in creating and participating in these "emerging communities" and new, innovative organizations. Contemporary Judaism owes much to the Havurah movement and its “do-it-yourself” spirit, evident in the new wave of independent minyanim. The creative approaches witnessed in both of these trends, and exemplified by the Havurah movement’s broadly popular guide A Jewish Catalog, have much in common with Reconstructionism.

Read the full story at www.jrf.org/convention-snapshot

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Mourns Loss of Life, Stands in Solidarity with Victims of Mumbai Terror Attacks

In response to the terror attacks in Mumbai, India, Robert Barkin, President of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, and Carl A. Sheingold, JRF’s Executive Vice President, issued the following statement:

We join communities around the world in mourning along with the people of India following the senseless terror attacks in Mumbai this week. We stand in solidarity with them and our hearts go out to the families and friends of all those killed and wounded.

The taking of any life is a great tragedy, yet for us as American Jews, the targeting of Westerners, particularly Jews, Americans, and Britons, is particularly painful. We are deeply saddened by the reprehensible targeted attack on Chabad Lubavitch of Mumbai that took the lives of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, Rivka Holtzberg and three others engaging in Jewish life with them. We hold in our hearts the Holtzbergs’ young son Moshe who will grow up without his remarkable parents, and we mourn all the children who were orphaned by the attacks.

We pray for peace and a time when terror is abandoned as a means to achieve political ends, and we pray that safety and security are restored in Mumbai without further loss of life.

May the memories of those whose lives were lost ever be for a blessing.

Reconstructionist Movement Issues Joint Statement on Same-Sex Marriage Bans

Following the passing of a resolution by the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation’s national board, a joint statement condemning reversals in same-sex marriage legislation was issued by the three arms of the Reconstructionist movement and presented at a public session at the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation’s biennial convention in Boston.

Read the full statement, attached to this issue of Ma Nishma. It is also posted on the JRF website, where you can learn more about JRF’s work in the area of social justice, at www.jrf.org/inclusion.

JRF Hires New Western Region Director

Rabbi Jane Rachel LitmanRabbi Jane Rachel Litman has been hired to serve as the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation's Western Region Director. She is the first rabbi to hold the position since 1996. Rabbi Litman was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1989. During her student years, she was an intern in Los Angeles organizing Reconstructionist havurot in the San Fernando Valley. One of those havurot recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary. Since graduation, Rabbi Litman has served four California synagogues ranging in size from eighty to two thousand families. She also taught at California State University Northridge and Loyola Marymount.

Her particular field of interest is moral education for diverse families. She is the editor, with Rabbi Debra Orenstein, of the award winning Lifecycles anthology. Her recent work on gender expression appears in New Jewish Feminism by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein. Rabbi Litman is active in social justice work. In addition to her new position at JRF, she is the Rabbinic Co-chair of the Northern California Progressive Jewish Alliance and sits on the executive board of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice.

Rabbi Litman, who began her work with JRF in November, expressed excitement about her new position with the Reconstructionist movement. "Reconstructionist congregations and havurot tend to be mission-driven and care deeply about the values that inform their affiliation" she said. "It is very fulfilling as a rabbi to be working with people who care about Jewish ethics and traditions."

Rabbi Litman resides in the San Francisco Bay area, home to two Reconstructionist congregations that have recently affiliated with the Reconstructionist movement -- Or Shalom Jewish Community in San Francisco, and Or Zarua Havurah in Berkeley, as well as Keddem Congregation in Palo Alto and Ner Shalom in Cotati.

Special Offers from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press

A NIGHT OF QUESTIONS: A PASSOVER HAGGADAH
LIMITED EDITION 10th ANNIVERSARY HARDCOVER EDITION
Rabbi Michael Strassfeld and Rabbi Joy Levitt, Eds.
Illustrated in full color by Jeffrey Schrier

The Reconstructionist Press unveiled a commemorative 10th Anniversary hardcover edition of A Night of Questions, the Reconstructionist Passover Haggadah, at the 42nd JRF Convention in Boston this November. This 10” x 10” hardcover gift edition contains all of artist Jeffrey Schrier’s magnificent original artwork from the softcover edition plus a new section, “The Seder as a Spiritual Practice” by Rabbi Michael Strassfeld.

Savings on all orders: JRF is offering a 35% savings off the $72 list price on all orders: Final cost is $54 each.

Make a difference: 1% of all proceeds will be donated to Hurricane relief efforts.

Orders will be shipped after January 1st.

SIDDUR KOL HANO’AR: THE VOICE OF CHILDREN
Transliterated edition available now!
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso and Rabbi Jeffrey Schein
Illustrated in full color by Joani Rothenberg

This beautiful hardcover Shabbat prayer book for children ages 5-9 makes a wonderful gift for the whole family to share at home. $28/$23.80 for JRF members. Consider adding a set of matching note cards for a lovely gift set for just $5 more!

To order, call JRF’s Reconstructionist Press at 877-JRF-PUBS.

ONLINE STORE COMING SOON! JRF’s Reconstructionist Press will soon offer one-stop shopping for books, resource guides, CDs, Camp JRF apparel and memorabilia, gift certificates and more.

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

With the enthusiasm around JRF’s Omer Learning Initiative, as well as the solid response of JRF congregations in the Climate Change Initiative, JRF is continues to deepen its greening work with member communities next year. Our hope is to motivate and educate our congregations in sustainable practices, with the goal of reaching 100 percent participation in the years ahead.

At the JRF Convention in Boston, 2008, we recognized fifteen JRF communities and individuals that excel at sustainable practices. They are:

1. Adat Shalom, Bethesda, MD - For community-supported agriculture (CSA) work with local farms and general environmental programming

2. Beit Tikvah, Baltimore, MD - For sponsoring the Baltimore Jewish Environmental Conference and participate in the newly formed Baltimore Environmental Network of Synagogues

3. Bnai Keshet, Montclair, NJ - For their Synagogue Greening Initiative, education curriculum and honoree of Greenfaith with coalition of local houses of worship

4. Congregation Bet Haverim, Atlanta, GA - For their Hannukah for a Brighter Future energy initiative

5. Darchei Noam, Toronto, Ontario, Canada - For their Environmental Principles of Capital Campaign

6. Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation, Evanston, IL - For being the "Greenest Synagogue in North America" — earning LEED Platinum status from the U.S. Green Building Council, and for ongoing policies to celebrate Jewish life and function in the building

7. Kehillat Israel, Pacific Palisades, CA - For Mitzvot for Sustainable Living

8. Shir Hadash, Milwaukee, WI - For their Year of the Environment initiative

9. Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore, Plandome, NY - For their Synagogue Greening Initiative and save-the-rain campaign

10. Temple Bet Hatfiloh, Olympia, WA - For thier Buying Local and local farm initiative

11. West End Synagogue, New York, NY - For their Brit Adamah Congregational Covenant and Educational Environmental Program

12. Reconstructionist Rabbinical College - Green Committee - For their ongoing work in energy conservation and sustainable practices at RRC

13. Camp JRF: The Aaron & Marjorie Ziegelman Campus - For recycling, composting and food waste reduction efforts with campers

14. Rabbi Michael Cohen - For work in Israel and the Arava Institute

15. Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb - Honorable mention for his life-long efforts at living and leading efforts towards Judaism and Sustainable practices

A full listing of the 7 weeks of teaching packets from the JRF Omer Initiative is available at www.jrf.org/omer and the three related Tikkun Olam conference calls held as part of this year's PEARL initiative, available at www.jrf.org/PEARL-resources.

Please refer to the following additional links to find specific resources for tikkun olam:

Tikkun Olam Resources Library: http://jrf.org/resources-library

Tikkun resources outside JRF: http://jrf.org/tikkun-olam-issues

Anti-hunger and poverty: http://jrf.org/hunger

Sustainability and Environment: http://jrf.org/climate

Service Learning: http://jrf.org/service-learning

Ending Genocide in Darfur: http://jrf.org/darfur

Information on JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative can be found on the JRF website’s environment pages at www4.jrf.org/green-call and www4.jrf.org/climate.

For more information contact Rabbi Shawn Zevit, director of outreach and tikkun olam, SZevit@jrf.org.

Save the Date for North American Leadership Workshop on Congregational Growth

JRF North American Leadership Workshop: The Dynamics of Growth
Sunday, March 29, 2009 — 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Beth Israel, Media, PA

All JRF affiliates are invited to send representatives to this special one-day leadership workshop with Rabbi Shawn Zevit, JRF Director of Outreach & External Affairs/Tikkun Olam and other experts in the field.

Goals and Benefits:

Learn how to use a congregational systems approach to understand the dynamics of congregational growth.

Discover how a congregation’s stage of development relates to issues of membership and financial resources.

Come away with important skills and ideas about how to effectively reach out to attract new members, reach in to strengthen existing members and volunteers, and to creatively grow the congregation's financial resources, qualitatively and quantitatively.

This workshop will benefit congregational presidents, board members, chairs and members of membership, programming, and development committees, treasurers, planned giving and capital campaign advocates, rabbis, cantors, senior administrators, educational and program directors, up-and-coming leaders, and all concerned with congregational growth and development.

Check for updates at www.jrf.org/dynamics-of-growth-workshop

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Planning an annual Shabbaton or retreat? Consider holding it at Camp JRF on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus. This beautiful facility in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains is now available for rental for our JRF congregations, boards, religious schools, JRF regional programs, teens, and the like.

For more information, please contact the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP JRF (877-226-7573).

Calling all Reconstructionist Teens: No’ar Hadash Events for 8th-12th Graders

SAVE THE DATES:

Western Teen Kallah - January 9-11 at BB Camp, Portland, OR

Midwest Youth Kallah - February 13-15 at Camp Henry Horner, Ingleside, IL

North American Teen Kallah - April 17-19, Location TBD

and also . . .

No'ar Hadash Goes to Panim el Panim - March 15-18 in Washington, DC.

The Panim el Panim seminar brings together diverse groups of 10th-12th grade students from around the country to explore public policy and social activism through a Jewish lens. Details to follow!

To register for the Eastern Teen Kallah or to check out pictures from past kallot log on to www.noarhadash.org. If you have any questions please contact No’ar Hadash Program Coordinator Alanna Sklover at ASklover@jrf.org or 215-885-5601, ext. 26. We can’t wait to see you!

Join Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat at University Synagogue's Recon Salon

Recon Salon - An Evening of Intellectual, Spiritual and Emotional Camaraderie in Dialogue About the Future of Our Youth
University Synagogue, 3400 Michelson Drive, Irvine, CA 92612
6:00 pm, Wednesday December 10th, 2008, 14 Kislev, 5769

Come join University Synagogue members in stimulating new thinking about Reconstructionist youth programming and camping. This salon will focus on how we, as a community, can effectively engage our children in Jewish life through meaningful and fun experiences, and successfully connect them to their rich heritage and culture. The Reconstructionist Movement is committed to high quality, innovative youth programming in our geographic region. This is an opportunity to learn about exciting new initiatives and give input to the Movement’s national leadership as they plan for the future for our children.

Refreshments will be served, and the event will end in time for a 7:30 speaker presentation that evening.

RSVP to Mark Bregman, JRF Western Region President and University Synagogue member at 949-440-6855 or mark@bobsearch.com.

Reconstructionist Composers Celebrated in Washington DC Concert

The work of Jewish Reconstructionist composers will be performed at "No Rock Like You: Songs for the Jewish Soul." This concert, produced by the organization Shalshelet, will be at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13 at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in downtown Washington, or at workshops the day after. The concert will feature inspiring new works—pop and classical to Latin and klezmer— performed by gifted soloists, a full choir, drums and more. Free creative workshops for music lovers, musicians, and composers will take place on Sunday, Dec. 14, also at Sixth & I. Visit www.shalshelet.org for details and tickets.

Participants include Manel Frau-Cortes, Cantor Marcelo Gindlin, Mark Glicksman, Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael, and Rabbi Shawn Zevit. Learn about these talented Reconstructionists at www.jrf.org/reconstructionists-at-shalshelet

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

North American Solar and Renewable Energy Campaign in the Jewish Community - Events throughout North American and Israel

The year 5769 (2008-2009) will be the little known Jewish year of “Birkat HaHammah” the “blessing of the sun.” Every 28 years, the ancient rabbis demarked a time in the Jewish calendar that celebrates the ceremonial return of the sun to its original place in the cosmos during creation.

JRF is part of a national coalition that will use this rare event to focus on solar power and energy stewardship.

See www.blessthesun.org as it goes live!

Congregational News / Kol HaKavod!

Members of Bet Am Shalom in White Plains, NY will gather on Sunday, December 14 at 9 am for a Family Chanukah gathering in the attempt to build the world's largest Lego Chanukiyah! The congregation is also gearing up for auditions for the Bet Am Shalom theatre project Déjà Vu, an original musical theatre creation of Biblical dimensions that spans thousands of years from Abraham, Sarah and Hagar to present day Israel.

Students in the congregational school at Bnai Keshet in Montclair, New Jersey, got a lesson about fair trade at an Interfaith Alternative Gift Fair. The children learned about fair trade items and food which are made and grown mostly by small women’s cooperatives from around the world, and had an opportunity to make purchases which support fair trade and sustainable development as well as the work of local organizations.

The Tikkun Olam committee of Congregation Bet Haverim in Atlanta, Georgia, asks the question "How little could you live on?" At the Kabbalat Shabbat service on Friday, December 5 will be a special program on the Living Wage Campaign. This interfaith alliance, of which Bet Haverim is a member, hopes to raise the salaries of the lowest-paid workers in Georgia, many of whom are not covered by the federal minimum wage law. To help understand the significance of the choices workers must make, congregants have been invited to jot down ahead of time their own “subsistence” budget for a month, including just the necessities they must pay for and to bring it to the December 5 service. Want to figure out how little YOU could live on? Visit www.jrf.org/living-wage.

Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis, Indiana, is collecting “Books for the Souls, Sandals for the Soles.” Congregants are invited to donate new children’s books in Spanish, flip-flops for children and adults, and school supplies to take along on the congregation’s December 21-28 humanitarian service trip to Guatemala this winter.

Keddem Congregation in Palo Alto, California, will welcome its new rabbi, Elisheva Salamo, at an installation ceremony on Tu B'Shevat, February 8, 2009. Just as planting a new tree is a hopeful act with long-term aspirations, Keddem hopes that Rabbi Salamo will put down roots in their community and that they will have a long and fruitful relationship. JRF members and friends are invited to attend. Details at info@keddem.org.

At Temple Beth Shalom in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Jon Brandow was the recipient of the 2008 Josh Jacobson Memorial Award, which was presented at the Temple’s 37th Charter Celebration on Saturday, November 1st. Jon has been a teacher in the Temple Beth Shalom religious school, guided a Jewish issues class for teens, tutored B’nai Mitzvot students and headed the remodeling of the congregation’s sanctuary. Josh Jacobson, for whom the award was named, was a charter member who cared deeply about the Temple and its future.

On November 23rd, members of Temple Bnai Israel in Willimantic, Connecticut, joined together with neighbors of all faiths for a Thanksgiving service and a “Walk for Warmth” to raise money for the Windham Area Interfaith Ministry’s Energy Assistance Program that assists people who cannot get assistance anywhere else.

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

Ma Nishma - JRF News for November 2008

Lisa Tuttle — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:27:48 -0400

Dear Ma Nishma Subscriber,

I'm happy to deliver to your e-mail doorstep the latest issue of Ma Nishma ("What's Happening?"), featuring news and events from JRF.

Now everyone can subscribe to Ma Nishma. Register at the JRF website at http://jrf.org/user/register then click "Manage your JRF e-newsletter subscriptions" at the top left of the home page to subscribe.

Newsletter editors and webmasters: Please reprint stories and announcements from this issue for a JRF News page in your congregational newsletter and on your website.

Those who send Weekly Update e-mails: Please disseminate Ma Nishma along with your regular posting.

Please forward this to anyone you think would enjoy reading Ma Nishma.

Download this issue of Ma Nishma as an MS Word document, for easier cut/paste into

synagogue newsletters.

L'shalom,

Lisa Kelvin Tuttle
JRF Communications Director

November 2008 / Heshvan - Kislev 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

Register NOW for the 42nd JRF Convention - Boston, Nov. 13-16

Breaking News from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press: Limited 10th Anniversary Edition of A Night of Questions Haggadah

Camp JRF Summer 2009 Registration Now Open!

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Calling all Reconstructionist Teens: No’ar Hadash Events

Heshvan is Jewish Social Action Month

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

Tents of Hope for Darfur Event, November 7-9

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

Marketing Your Congregational Message

Save the Date: RRC 40th Anniversary Celebration – December 7

Congregational news / Kol HaKavod!

NATIONAL and REGIONAL JRF NEWS

Register NOW for the 42nd JRF Convention
Nov. 13-16, 2008 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel

“Transformative Judaism for the 21st

Century”

We are fast approaching the largest gathering of Reconstructionists in North America for four enriching days of learning, building connections, and sharing best practices to strengthen and grow our Reconstructionist communities and ourselves.

Make the decision to come to Boston for a fantastic experience of Reconstructionist community.

CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS

A Plenary Session on Identity, Community and Leadership is a dialogue between the generations — those involved today in creating "emerging communities" and those who were shapers of the Havurah movement in the '60s and '70s, now serving as leaders of the Reconstructionist Movement. [If you're reading this electronically, click on presenters' names throughout to read their bios.] Participants will include Rabbi David Teutsch, Zachary Teutsch, Rabbi Michael Strassfeld and Sarah Liebman.

Four special Forums will immediately follow the opening plenary, giving us an opportunity to explore the themes raised as we engage in conversations with leaders in their fields:

Building the Jewish Identity of the Next Generation with Cindy Shulak-Rome, Jerry Silverman, and Jonathan Woocher

Strengthening and Transforming Congregational Life with Rabbi Hayim Herring, Amy L. Sales, and Rabbi Elliott Tepperman

Rethinking the Role of Movements in the 21st Century with Rabbi Joy Levitt, Rabbi Sid Schwarz, and Dr. Carl Sheingold

What is the Forefront of Tikkun Olam? with Rabbi Brant Rosen, Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, and Rabbi Toba Spitzer

Jonathan Sarna, the foremost expert on American Jewish history, will join us on Thursday evening

with a talk entitled American Judaism at a Crossroads: A Perspective on Reconstructionism from a Jewish Historian. Read the September 5 interview with Dr. Sarna in the Forward.

Noah Feldman, recently named by New York Magazine as one of "the influentials" in ideas, will be our special guest speaker during Friday’s Reconstructionist community plenum luncheon. Feldman's expertise is on the relationship between law and religion in the West and Middle East. Read Constitutionalism in the Muslim World: A Conversation with Noah Feldman from America.gov.

Shabbat services as you've never experienced them before, filled with ruach (spirit) and kavannah (intention), will bring us together as an extended Reconstructionist family.

Beit Midrash sessions on Shabbat afternoon include informal text study, creative exploration of Reconstructionist liturgy, and a celebration of the arts.

A special screening of Praying with Lior, an award-winning film by Ilana Trachtman. The film celebrates the Reconstructionist Bar Mitzvah of Lior Liebling, who has Down Syndrome, and explores themes of disability and spirituality.

Networking opportunities throughout Convention will facilitate connections between our communities, such as break-out sessions, affinity group meetings, and receptions. Come and contribute your questions and your congregation’s best practices to the conversations!

Harmoniyah--the Reconstructionist Music Network and RENA (Reconstructionist

Educators of North America) will be participating in our Convention again this year.

Visit sights of Jewish interest in Boston or participate in a tikkun olam service opportunity on Sunday.

And much more!

Register now and save $75! Get all the details and register at www.jrf.org/convention.

Breaking News from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press: Limited 10th Anniversary Hardcover Edition Passover Haggadah

The Reconstructionist Press is excited to unveil a commemorative 10th Anniversary hardcover edition of A Night of Questions, the Reconstructionist Passover Haggadah, at the 42nd JRF Convention in Boston this November.

This 10” x 10” hardcover gift edition contains all of artist Jeffrey Schrier’s magnificent original artwork from the softcover edition plus a new section, “The Seder as a Spiritual Practice” by Rabbi Michael Strassfeld.

Author/editors Rabbi Joy Levitt and Rabbi Michael Strassfeld will be personally signing copies at Convention. In honor of this special edition, 1% of proceeds will be donated to Hurricane Relief efforts.

Savings on all orders: JRF is offering a 35% savings off the $72 list price on all orders: Final cost is $54 each.

Advance Orders: Only 1,000 copies will be printed. You may place an advance order from November 1st through Convention. Pre-orders will be shipped after January 1st.

JRF Convention Special: Purchase 2 Haggadot signed by the authors for $100.

Order A Night of Questions commemorative edition by mail with a check payable to Jewish Reconstructionist Federation and send to JRF, Beit Devora, 101 Greenwood Avenue, Suite 430, Jenkintown, PA 19046, or order by credit card by calling 877-JRF-PUBS.

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Planning an annual Shabbaton or retreat? Consider holding it at Camp JRF on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus. This beautiful facility in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains is now available for rental for our JRF congregations, boards, religious schools, JRF regional programs, teens, and the like.

For more information, please contact the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP JRF (877-226-7573).

Calling all Reconstructionist Teens: No’ar Hadash Events for 8th-12th Graders

SAVE THE DATES:

Western Teen Kallah - January 9-11 at BB Camp, Portland, OR

Midwest Youth Kallah - February 13-15 at Camp Henry Horner, Ingleside, IL

North American Teen Kallah - April 17-19, Location TBD

and also . . .

No'ar Hadash Goes to Panim el Panim - March 15-18 in Washington, DC.

The Panim el Panim seminar brings together diverse groups of 10th-12th grade students from around the country to explore public policy and social activism through a Jewish lens. Details to follow!

To register for the Eastern Teen Kallah or to check out pictures from past kallot log on to www.noarhadash.org. If you have any questions please contact No’ar Hadash Program Coordinator Alanna Sklover at ASklover@jrf.org or 215-885-5601, ext. 26. We can’t wait to see you!

Heshvan is Jewish Social Action Month

The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation is once again enthusiastically joining Jewish communities, organizations and individuals from around the world in celebrating a month of social action and Jewish unity. The Hebrew month of Heshvan – which in 2008/5769 will be from October 30-November 27, 2008 – has been declared Jewish Social Action Month (JSAM).

Whether you call it Tikkun Olam, social action, chesed - Join thousands of Jewish organizations and individuals around the world of all backgrounds and affiliations for a month of unity through social action. Volunteer with children, rally for Darfur, clean up a river, feed the homeless, raise money for Sderot, paint a mural – or do whatever you are passionate about. Watch the JSAM video on You Tube!

Jewish Social Action Month is an initiative of KolDor, a global network of young Jewish leaders and socialaction.com.

For more information visit www.Cheshvan.org

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

With the enthusiasm around JRF’s Omer Learning Initiative, as well as the solid response of JRF congregations in the Climate Change Initiative, JRF is continues to deepen its greening work with member communities next year. Our hope is to motivate and educate our congregations in sustainable practices, with the goal of reaching 100 percent participation in the years ahead, recognizing those JRF communities who excel at sustainable practices at the JRF Convention in Boston, 2008.

A full listing of the 7 weeks of teaching packets is available at www.jrf.org/omer and the three related Tikkun Olam conference calls held as part of this year's
PEARL initiative, available at www.jrf.org/PEARL-resources.

Please refer to the following additional links to find specific resources for tikkun olam:

Tikkun Olam Resources Library: http://jrf.org/resources-library

Tikkun resources outside JRF: http://jrf.org/tikkun-olam-issues

Anti-hunger and poverty: http://jrf.org/hunger

Sustainability and Environment: http://jrf.org/climate

Service Learning: http://jrf.org/service-learning

Ending Genocide in Darfur: http://jrf.org/darfur

Information on JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative can be found on the JRF website’s environment pages at www4.jrf.org/green-call and www4.jrf.org/climate.

For more information contact Rabbi Shawn Zevit, director of outreach and tikkun olam, SZevit@jrf.org.

Tents of Hope for Darfur Event – November 7-9

The mission of the Tents of Hope project is to support a one-year process in which people respond as communities to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan by creating tents that are both unique works of art and ongoing focal points within communities for learning about, assisting and establishing relationships with the people of Sudan.

The tents are not answers in themselves. Rather, they are points of entry for more concrete forms of Darfur advocacy. Since the launch of Tents of hope in 2004, the American Jewish World Service, the Save Darfur Coalition (of which JRF and the RRA are members) and other faith and non-profit groups have joined as participating organizations.

The structure of the Tents of Hope project is decentralized and temporary. It is a one-year project in which local communities are responsible for taking the initiative to shape the project both through the creation of the tents as works of art and the use of the tents as focal points for education, advocacy and fundraising for humanitarian assistance. National coordination is focused on giving support to these local efforts in such areas as the project website and the national event in Washington, DC, November 7-9, 2008.

For more information and to register for the Tents of hope event in Washington go www.tentsofhope.org/index.html
Also see http://www.jrf.org/darfur

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

North American Solar and Renewable Energy Campaign in the Jewish Community

The year 5769 (2008-2009) will be the little known Jewish year of “Birkat HaHammah” the “blessing of the sun.” Every 28 years, the ancient rabbis demarked a time in the Jewish calendar that celebrates the ceremonial return of the sun to its original place in the cosmos during creation.

JRF is part of a national coalition that will use this rare event to focus on solar power and energy stewardship.

See www.blessthesun.org as it goes live!

Marketing Your Congregational Message

Thursday, November 6th, 2008, 6:00 - 8:45 pm.

Congregations in the New York-New Jersey region will meet to consider what makes them unique, and will learn how to communicate this message to the greater community. Participants will discuss marketing strategies tailored to different audiences.

For more information contact hgreenstein@jrf.org

Save the Date for RRC’s 40th Anniversary Celebration

RRC at 40 – Building the Future - Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 12 pm

2008 Annual Event honoring Howard and Maureen Blitman. Event Chairs: Harry and Karen Waizer, Jesse and Maris Krasnow Honorary Chairs: Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman, Rabbi Lester Bronstein and Cantor Benjie Schiller.

Bet Am Shalom Synagogue, 295 Soundview Avenue, White Plains, NY 10606.

For more information contact Nancy Bernstein at 215-576-0800, ext 143 or at nbernstein@rrc.edu.

Congregational News / Kol HaKavod!

Shir Hadash in Northbrook, IL, is planning its 3rd annual Yom Tikkun Olam (Day to Repair the World) for November 2, 2008. This congregation wide event, with activities organized throughout the day and around the area, benefits children, the environment, the elderly, poverty, animals, people who protect us and people with special needs. For details, contact the synagogue office at 847-498-8218.

Mishkan Shalom in Philadelphia invites members of Reconstructionist congregations in the Mid-Atlantic region to take part in Jewish, Alive and American. The course officially began on Wednesday, October 29, and is still accepting participants. Jewish, Alive and American (J,A&A) is an immersion course in Judaism and in the experience of being Jewish in the 21st century. Join an exciting introduction to Jewish holidays, history, traditions, ideas, traditional texts, and contemporary Jewish life experience. For 30 weeks, students will question, challenge, and open up to the complexity of Jewish life in today’s world. This class is open to anyone who wants to engage in a full year-long course of study and experience. J,A&A is for those who are not Jewish and would like to learn more about Judaism or who are considering becoming Jewish, for those who are Jewish and would like to feel more secure in their Jewish knowledge, and for anyone who just wants to know more about Judaism. This class is being taught by Rabbi Linda Holtzman, Rabbi Yael Levy, and Gabriel Kaplan-Mayer. Mishkan Shalom is in Manayunk at 4101 Freeland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA.

Join Beth Israel Congregation in Media, PA on Saturday, November 15, 7:30 pm, as Cantor Emil Skobeloff and his musical group Or Chadash present the premier performance of their award winning CD, "And Sarah Danced" at Beth Israel. The public is warmly invited to attend. “And Sarah Danced” features a wide gamut of American musical styles, set to liturgical texts. Cantor Skobeloff’s music has been reviewed as “thoroughly American in concept, that takes the listener on a walk through fifty-plus years of American popular styles.” The CD has been designated as an “Editor’s Choice” on CDBaby.com. Tickets for the concert are available by calling the Beth Israel office at (610) 566-4645 or online at http://congregation-beth-israel-of-media1.ticketleap.com. Beth Israel is at 542 South New Middletown Road (RT 352 South), Media, PA 19063.

On November 16 from 10 am to noon, Mishkan Shalom welcomes all to attend Part II of a special adult education course "Cleansing Diets Following Fasts" facilitated by Nancy Post, Ph.D., M.Ac. This class will cover how to let fasting springboard into healthier eating.

To register for either of these classes call the Mishkan Shalom office at 215-508-0226, ext. "0".

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

Ma Nishma - JRF News for October 2008

Lisa Tuttle — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:28:25 -0400

Dear Ma Nishma Subscriber,

I'm happy to deliver to your e-mail doorstep the latest issue of Ma Nishma ("What's Happening?"), featuring news and events from JRF.

Now everyone can subscribe to Ma Nishma. Register at the JRF website at http://jrf.org/user/register then click "Manage your JRF e-newsletter subscriptions" at the top left of the home page to subscribe.

Newsletter editors and webmasters: Please reprint stories and announcements from this issue for a JRF News page in your congregational newsletter and on your website.

Those who send Weekly Update e-mails: Please disseminate Ma Nishma along with your regular posting.

Please forward this to anyone you think would enjoy reading Ma Nishma.

Download this issue of Ma Nishma as an MS Word document, for easier cut/paste into

synagogue newsletters.

L'shalom,

Lisa Kelvin Tuttle
JRF Communications Director

October 2008 / Tishri - Heshvan 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

Registration Now Open for the 42nd JRF Convention - Boston, Nov. 13-16

Place a Greeting or Ad in the Convention Program Guide

Shabbat and Havdallah Portions of Shabbat Prayerbook Now in Braille

Save the Date: JRF Gala Honoring Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, May 31, 2009

Special Offers from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press

Calling all Reconstructionist Teens: No’ar Hadash Events

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

Get Out the Vote: Why American Jews Must Vote

Tents of Hope for Darfur Event, November 7-9

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

NY/NJ Region High Holiday “Open Seats” Campaign

Join JRF in Brooklyn for Havdalah and Slichot

Effective Leadership: Essential Practices for Board Members, A Leadership Orientation

Marketing Your Congregational Message

Southern California Congregational School Retreats

Save the Date: RRC 40th Anniversary Celebration – December 7

Congregational news / Kol HaKavod!

NATIONAL and REGIONAL JRF NEWS

Register for the 42nd JRF Convention
Nov. 13-16, 2008 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel

“Transformative Judaism for the 21st Century”

Join the largest gathering of Reconstructionists in North America for four enriching days of learning, building connections, and sharing best practices to strengthen and grow our Reconstructionist communities and ourselves.

CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS

A Plenary Session on Identity, Community and Leadership is a dialogue between the generations — those involved today in creating "emerging communities" and those who were shapers of the Havurah movement in the '60s and '70s, now serving as leaders of the Reconstructionist Movement. [If you're reading this electronically, click on presenters' names throughout to read their bios.] Participants will include Rabbi David Teutsch, Zachary Teutsch, Rabbi Michael Strassfeld and Sarah Liebman.

Four special Forums will immediately follow the opening plenary, giving us an opportunity to explore the themes raised as we engage in conversations with leaders in their fields:

Building the Jewish Identity of the Next Generation with Cindy Shulak-Rome, Jerry Silverman, and Jonathan Woocher

Strengthening and Transforming Congregational Life with Rabbi Hayim Herring, Amy L. Sales, and Rabbi Elliott Tepperman

Rethinking the Role of Movements in the 21st Century with Rabbi Joy Levitt, Rabbi Sid Schwarz, and Dr. Carl Sheingold

What is the Forefront of Tikkun Olam? with Rabbi Brant Rosen, Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, and Rabbi Toba Spitzer

Jonathan Sarna, the foremost expert on American Jewish history, will join us on Thursday evening with a talk entitled American Judaism at a Crossroads: A Perspective on Reconstructionism from a Jewish Historian. Read the September 5 interview with Dr. Sarna in the Forward.

Noah Feldman, recently named by New York Magazine as one of "the influentials" in ideas, will be our special guest speaker during Shabbat lunch. Feldman's expertise is on the relationship between law and religion in the West and Middle East.

Shabbat services as you've never experienced them before, filled with ruach (spirit) and kavannah (intention), will bring us together as an extended Reconstructionist family.

Beit Midrash sessions on Shabbat afternoon include informal text study, creative exploration of Reconstructionist liturgy, and a celebration of the arts.

A special screening of Praying with Lior, an award-winning film by Ilana Trachtman. The film celebrates the Reconstructionist Bar Mitzvah of Lior Liebling, who has Down Syndrome, and explores themes of disability and spirituality.

Networking opportunities throughout Convention will facilitate connections between our communities, such as break-out sessions, affinity group meetings, and receptions. Come and contribute your questions and your congregation’s best practices to the conversations!

Harmoniyah--the Reconstructionist Music Network and RENA (Reconstructionist Educators of North America) will be participating in our Convention again this year.

Visit sights of Jewish interest in Boston or participate in a tikkun olam service opportunity on Sunday.

And much more!

Get all the details and register now at www.jrf.org/convention.

Place a Greeting or Ad in the Convention Program Guide

Honor your rabbi, fellow congregant, or loved one or promote your business by placing a personal greeting or professional/business advertisement in the Program Guide for the upcoming 42nd JRF Convention. Options include:

Business card (allowable text space 3.5” w x 2” h): $180

Quarter page (allowable text space 3.25” w x 4.5” h): $250

Half page (allowable text space 7.5” w x 4.5” h): $500

Full-page (allowable text space 7.5” w x 10” h): $1,000

To place your greeting or ad or for more information please contact Marla Friedenberg at 215-885-5601, ext 28 or mfriedenberg@jrf.org.

Shabbat and Havdallah Portions of Kol Haneshamah Shabbat Vehagim Prayerbook Now Available in Braille

Since its publication in 1994, Kol Haneshamah Shabbat Vehagim, the Reconstructionist Shabbat and Festival Prayerbook, has been used by thousands and thousands of Reconstructionist and non-Reconstructionist Jews for worship, prayer, and study in the synagogue and at home.

Shortly after the publication of the prayerbook, Braille Hebrew translator Caryn Navy and John Riehl, president of JRF's Chesapeake Region, began the arduous, complex, and ultimately rewarding task of taking an electronic version of the prayerbook and creating a Braille version which would be fully usable and accessible to visually-impaired Jews. The Reconstructionist movement fully supported this work, as did the Jewish Braille Institute (JBI International), which enthusiastically agreed to make copies of the prayerbook available to anyone requesting a copy, at no charge, once a "blind-user-friendly" version of the prayerbook had been produced.

In December, 2006, we announced that the Erev Shabbat portion of Shabbat Vehagim was available in Braille from the Jewish Braille Institute. Since that time, Caryn and John have continued their work on producing a fully accessible Braille prayerbook. Now, at last, the complete English and Hebrew text of all of the Shabbat and Havdallah Services (pages 1-527) are available in Braille at no charge from JBI International. The Erev Shabbat service is in Volumes 1 and 2; Shabbat Morning, Afternoon and Havdallah services are in Volumes 3 through 6.

To obtain all or a portion of the six volumes, at no charge, please call Pearl Lam at JBI at 800-433-1531 or e-mail Pearl at plibrary@jbilibrary.org.

Save the Date for a JRF Gala Honoring Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat

Join us on Sunday May 31st, 2009 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan as we gather to celebrate Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, innovative congregational rabbi and Founding Director of Camp JRF and No'ar Hadash, for his unique contributions to the Reconstructionist movement and learn of his exciting present and future work building the next generation of Reconstructionist youth. This will be an all-out gala event you will not want to miss.

Everyone will be offered the opportunity to place a personal greeting in honor of Jeff in the tribute journal for this occasion. More details will be available soon.

Special Offers from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press

MAHZOR LEYAMIM NORA’IM
1250 pages, hardcover $42.00 ($33.60)

The Reconstructionist Kol Haneshamah Mahzor Leyamim Nora’im (prayer book for the Days of Awe) is an inclusive, comprehensive volume for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services; one that is rooted in the traditional Hebrew liturgy, yet fully contemporary. Some of the most prominent features of this volume are:

All readings appear within the text, simplifying the selection of material for services.

Constructed with a special strong, reinforced library quality binding.

Printed on very thin, lightweight opaque paper.

A new section, Kabbalat Hashanah, has been created to begin the erev Rosh Hashanah service.

For Rosh Hashanah, the Mahzor can be used for a traditional shofar service and full Musaf, or combining the two in several different ways.

On Yom Kippur, the Musaf service and Martyrology are integrated with the Avodah service creating a powerful, seamless whole.

SIDDUR KOL HANO’AR: THE VOICE OF CHILDREN
Transliterated edition available now!
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso and Rabbi Jeffrey Schein
Illustrated in full color by Joani Rothenberg

This beautiful hardcover Shabbat prayer book for children ages 5-9 makes a wonderful gift for the whole family to share at home. $28/$23.80 for JRF members. Consider adding a set of matching note cards for a lovely gift set for just $5 more!

MOADIM LE’LIMUD – SEASONS FOR LEARNING:
MISHNAH ON THE HOLIDAYS OF THE YEAR
Rabbi Gail Diamond
Participants’ Text (Parts I & II) - 33 pages, softcover $12.50
Facilitator’s Guide – 62 pages, softcover $12.50

The Reconstructionist Press is proud to introduce Moadim Le’Limud – Seasons for Learning: Mishnah on the Holidays of the Year. This exciting new course, written by Rabbi Gail Diamond, gives students an introduction to the Mishnah while expanding their knowledge of the laws and customs of various holidays of the Jewish year. The lessons are designed to be suitable for students of all backgrounds. Some of the most prominent features of this volume are:

Two ways for facilitators to use the curriculum: Over several sessions taught over a period of two to three months, concentrating on learning Mishnah on the holidays of the year; or presented seasonally over the course of a whole year, ideally beginning in Elul, timing each lesson for two to four weeks before the holiday discussed.

Participants’ Text contains texts to be studied at each lesson along with some of the questions for discussion.

Facilitators’ Guide has goals for each section and an expanded selection of discussion questions for each section.

Part I, comprising the first half of these wonderful lessons, will be ready in time for Rosh Hashanah for communities that would like to present the course
alongside the High Holy Days. Part II will be ready in late fall – in plenty of time for the spring holidays, and will automatically be sent upon publication.

JRF DIARY FOR 5769 / 2008-2009
Available now! $8.25 (U.S.)

Comprehensive calendar for the Jewish and secular year, including explanations of all Jewish holidays and important shabbatot

Ample space to jot down appointments, with blank pages for notes and addresses

Current listing of all JRF synagogues and havurot

The platform and program of the Reconstructionist movement

Order by mail with a check payable to JRF and send to JRF, Beit Devora, 101 Greenwood Avenue, Suite 430, Jenkintown, PA 19046, or order by credit card by calling 877-JRF-PUBS. This unique, pocket-size Jewish calendar makes a great gift so order while supplies last!

The Reconstructionist Press is looking forward to seeing you at the 42nd JRF Convention in Boston this November—come to our table and see the new commemorative 10th Anniversary edition of A Night of Questions Reconstructionist Haggadah available for the first time there!

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Planning an annual Shabbaton or retreat? Consider holding it at Camp JRF on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus. This beautiful facility in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains is now available for rental for our JRF congregations, boards, religious schools, JRF regional programs, teens, and the like.

For more information, please contact the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP JRF (877-226-7573).

Calling all Reconstructionist Teens: No’ar Hadash Events for 8th-12th Graders

Get excited for fun, friends, singing, hanging out, and so much more at the No’ar Hadash Eastern Teen Kallah, October 24-26 at Camp JRF in South Sterling, PA.

This event is open to 8th-12th graders from Florida all the way up to Montreal, so if you’re on the East coast, this is the Kallah for you! To register for the Eastern Teen Kallah or to check out pictures from past kallot log on to www.noarhadash.org. If you have any questions please contact No’ar Hadash Program Coordinator Alanna Sklover at ASklover@jrf.org or 215-885-5601, ext. 26. We can’t wait to see you there!

SAVE THE DATES:

Eastern Teen Kallah - October 24-26 at Camp JRF, South Sterling, PA

Western Teen Kallah - January 9-11 at BB Camp, Portland, OR

Midwest Youth Kallah - February 13-15 at Camp Henry Horner, Ingleside, IL

North American Teen Kallah - April 17-19, Location TBD

and also . . .

No'ar Hadash Goes to Panim el Panim - March 15-18 in Washington, DC.

The Panim el Panim seminar brings together diverse groups of 10th-12th grade students from around the country to explore public policy and social activism through a Jewish lens. Details to follow!

Applications and information are coming soon at www.noarhadash.org.

JRF Southern California Congregational School Retreats

At Camp JCA Shalom in Malibu, CA, October 24-26

A special retreat facilitated by Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, JRF’s Founding Director of Camp JRF and No’ar Hadash, will take place the weekend of October 24-26 for all 7th graders from the five Reconstructionist congregations in Southern California: Kehillat Israel of Pacific Palisades, Malibu Jewish Center, Temple Shalom of the South Bay, University Synagogue in Irvine, and Dor Hadash of San Diego. Retreats for students in grades 3 through 6 will follow in the spring, and a Tikkun Olam project for 8th through 12th graders is scheduled for May, 2009.

For more information contact Rabbi Eisenstat at 215-885-5601, ext 22 or jeisenstat@jrf.org.

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

With the enthusiasm around JRF’s Omer Learning Initiative, as well as the solid response of JRF congregations in the Climate Change Initiative, JRF is continues to deepen its greening work with member communities next year. Our hope is to motivate and educate our congregations in sustainable practices, with the goal of reaching 100 percent participation in the years ahead, recognizing those JRF communities who excel at sustainable practices at the JRF Convention in Boston, 2008.

A full listing of the 7 weeks of teaching packets is available at www.jrf.org/omer and the three related Tikkun Olam conference calls held as part of this year's
PEARL initiative, available at www.jrf.org/PEARL-resources.

Please refer to the following additional links to find specific resources for tikkun olam:

Tikkun Olam Resources Library: http://jrf.org/resources-library

Tikkun resources outside JRF: http://jrf.org/tikkun-olam-issues

Anti-hunger and poverty: http://jrf.org/hunger

Sustainability and Environment: http://jrf.org/climate

Service Learning: http://jrf.org/service-learning

Ending Genocide in Darfur: http://jrf.org/darfur

Information on JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative can be found on the JRF website’s environment pages at www4.jrf.org/green-call and www4.jrf.org/climate.

For more information contact Rabbi Shawn Zevit, director of outreach and tikkun olam, SZevit@jrf.org.

Get Out the Vote: Why American Jews Must Vote

Rabbi Yitzhak taught, "A ruler is not to be appointed unless the community is first consulted.” —Talmud, B’rachot 55a

A crucial election day is only months away. At stake are vital political, economic and moral issues of concern to all Americans, in addition to issues of special concern to American Jews.

During the next four years, there will be important debates about the way our government does business. Legislation on significant issues such as health care, foreign aid, civil rights and support for Israel is likely to be considered by the next Congress and Administration. In addition, over the next four years, the President and Senate will confirm judges who will make crucial decisions affecting our lives. With the stakes so high, we must work to reverse the trend toward declining percentages of voters.

As Jews and American citizens we have an obligation to participate in the elections to ensure that our country's policies at the local, state and national levels reflect our commitment to social justice. Every vote counts and plays a defining role in setting policy agendas. It is our civic duty to register promptly, educate ourselves about the critical issues and VOTE!

The Get Out the Vote 2008 Guide provides you with tools, resources and information to help your congregation or community plan a successful voter enngagement effort in advance of Election Day. This guide was designed for use by Jewish congregations and communal organizations wishing to conduct their own voter registration drives. We also encourage participation in voter registration drives in the general community. The same procedures and materials that are suggested here for use in the Jewish community can be adapted for voter registration use in the broader community.

The Guide was prepared by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism for the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation and the larger Jewish community.

Download the Get Out The Vote Guide free of charge at www.jrf.org/get-out-the-vote-2008.

Tents of Hope for Darfur Event – November 7-9

The mission of the Tents of Hope project is to support a one-year process in which people respond as communities to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan by creating tents that are both unique works of art and ongoing focal points within communities for learning about, assisting and establishing relationships with the people of Sudan.

The tents are not answers in themselves. Rather, they are points of entry for more concrete forms of Darfur advocacy. Since the launch of Tents of hope in 2004, the American Jewish World Service, the Save Darfur Coalition (of which JRF and the RRA are members) and other faith and non-profit groups have joined as participating organizations.

The structure of the Tents of Hope project is decentralized and temporary. It is a one-year project in which local communities are responsible for taking the initiative to shape the project both through the creation of the tents as works of art and the use of the tents as focal points for education, advocacy and fundraising for humanitarian assistance. National coordination is focused on giving support to these local efforts in such areas as the project website and the national event in Washington, DC, November 7-9, 2008.

For more information and to register for the Tents of hope event in Washington go to www.tentsofhope.org/index.html
Also see http://www.jrf.org/darfur

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

North American Solar and Renewable Energy Campaign in the Jewish Community

The year 5769 (2008-2009) will be the little known Jewish year of “Birkat HaHammah” the “blessing of the sun.” Every 28 years, the ancient rabbis demarked a time in the Jewish calendar that celebrates the ceremonial return of the sun to its original place in the cosmos during creation.

JRF is part of a national coalition that will use this rare event to focus on solar power and energy stewardship.

See www.blessthesun.org as it goes live!

NY/NJ Region Unites in an Effort to Reach Out to Unaffiliated Over the High Holidays with the "Open Seats" Campaign

As part of the Kehillah Kedoshah Synagogue Outreach and Growth initiative, the synagogues of JRF's NY/NJ region have launched the "High Holiday Open Seats Campaign" to let the unaffiliated know they are welcome at our synagogues. Through "Open Seats" each synagogue in the region has set aside a designated number of seats for non-members and posted information about their High Holiday services on the website www.highholidayopenseats.com.

The website is being advertised by a regional press-release blitz and through the purchase of domain names and key words on all major search engines. We are excited about our new and unprecedented initiative and will report back about the results.

For more information about Open Seats, please contact Hannah Greenstein, Outreach Coordinator for JRF Metropolitan NY/NJ Region at hgreenstein@jrf.org or at 212-870-2484.

Join JRF in Brooklyn for Havdalah and Selichot

At the Hannah Senesh Community Day School, 342 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231. Saturday evening, September 20, 2008, 7 pm

We bid farewell to Shabbat and welcome the High Holiday season with a family-oriented Havdalah ceremony and Selichot (forgiveness) service, both filled with soulful music. The evening, facilitated by Reconstructionist Rabbi Rachel Gartner, cantor and local Jewish music sensation Galeet Dardashti, and Reconstructionist student rabbi Ezra Weinberg. The Selichot service will begin at 9 pm, preceded by refreshments.

You can get a taste of Galeet Dardashti’s music at http://divahn.com. For directions to the school, go to www.hannahsenesh.org/templates/page_2.asp?docid=566.

For more information contact Dan Cedarbaum at dcedarbaum@jrf.org or 847-492-5200. If you cannot come to this event but would like to be on our e-mail list for future events in Brooklyn, please let Dan know. Share the news with your friends and family in Brooklyn!

Active Leadership: Essential Practices for Board Members, A Leadership Orientation

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008, 5:30 - 8:45 pm - Plan to come as a board group!

At the start of the program year, this program will provide a rich leadership exchange with material for new and returning synagogue board members. Models for decision making, effective meetings, leadership development, program evaluation and assessment, volunteer engagement, financial fitness, staff and clergy professional relationships, will all be on the agenda. Rabbi Shawn Zevit, Senior Congregational Consultant and Director of Tikkun Olam and Outreach, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, will lead the session.

The program will be held on Thursday, October 23rd, 5:30pm - 8:45pm at the JRF NY/NJ offices, 475 Riverside Drive, NYC. Complimentary parking is provided.

Board members are encouraged to come as teams from their congregations. Registration is required. Please contact mschneider@jrf.org.

Marketing Your Congregational Message

Thursday, November 6th, 2008, 6:00 - 8:45 pm.

Congregations in the New York-New Jersey region will meet to consider what makes them unique, and will learn how to communicate this message to the greater community. Participants will discuss marketing strategies tailored to different audiences.

For more information contact hgreenstein@jrf.org

Save the Date for RRC’s 40th Anniversary Celebration

RRC at 40 – Building the Future - Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 12 pm

2008 Annual Event honoring Howard and Maureen Blitman
Event Chairs: Harry and Karen Waizer, Jesse and Maris Krasnow
Honorary Chairs: Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman, Rabbi Lester Bronstein and Cantor Benjie Schiller
Bet Am Shalom Synagogue, 295 Soundview Avenue, White Plains, NY 10606

For more information contact Nancy Bernstein at 215-576-0800, ext 143 or at nbernstein@rrc.edu.

Congregational News / Kol HaKavod!

In preparation for the High Holy Days, Mishkan Shalom in Philadelphia invites members of Reconstructionist congregations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and their friends to attend a special adult education course "Fasting and Cleansing Your Diet" facilitated by Nancy Post, Ph.D., M.Ac. Fasting is an essential part of spiritual development, intended to purify the body, allowing non-material concerns to emerge. In the best sense, “we rise from the earth to meet the consciousness of the heavens,” yet many people who fast are plagued with headaches, nausea and dizziness, rather than enjoying an ascendant moment. This two-part class will cover how to prepare for and break fasts, and how to let fasting springboard into healthier eating. Part 1, Sunday September 28 from 10 am to noon; Part 2, November 16 from 10 am to noon; at Mishkan Shalom, 4101 Freeland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19141. Get all the details at www.jrf.org/mishkan-fasting-course. To register call the Mishkan Shalom office at 215-508-0226, ext. "0".

Vicki Wilson of Kehillath Shalom in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, is one of this year’s recipients of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Vicki has been teaching at Kehillath Shalom for over 10 years. She is the head teacher, and family educator. Vicki teaches from pre K–seventh grade. According to Dahlia Rosenthal, Education Director, Vicki is a kind and nurturing teacher whose dedication to the children and their families is embodied in her teaching. Vicki also teaches English in middle school in the Huntington school district. We wish her much success. Ye’asher koach and mazal tov!

On Sunday, September 21, from 9am to 12:15 pm, Bet Am Shalom Synagogue is holding its first ever "Torah Fest", an intergenerational learning experience. Two special guests are coming: Torah scribe, Rabbi Gedalia Druin, who will repair the BAS Torahs and teach congregants the process so they can help with the repairs; and Professor Michael Fishbane, Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Chicago, who will speak about "The Canonization of the Tanakh-- What Got In, What Didn't Make the Cut and Why?" There will be learning for all ages including a class on Torah music taught by Cantor Benjie Schiller, a Torah text study class by Roz Schulman and a lesson on Aliyah etiquette. And there will be fun activities for children such as Torah personalities to meet, a quiz show and a trip to Mount Sinai. All will enjoy some foods of the Torah. The program was conceived and organized by the BAS Ritual Committee, Visioning Committee and Hebrew School Board.

On Saturday November 8, Mishkan Shalom in Philadelphia will celebrate the one-year anniversary of senior Rabbi Linda Holtzman with a community installation ceremony and a festive evening of cabaret. Merriment and surprises are in store! For more details, contact the synagogue office at 215-508-0226.

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

Ma Nishma - JRF News for September 2008

Lisa Tuttle — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:41:07 -0400

Dear Ma Nishma Subscriber,

I'm happy to deliver to your e-mail doorstep the latest issue of Ma Nishma ("What's Happening?"), featuring news and events from JRF.

Now everyone can subscribe to Ma Nishma. Register at the JRF website at http://jrf.org/user/register then click "Manage your JRF e-newsletter subscriptions" at the top left of the home page to subscribe.

Newsletter editors and webmasters: Please reprint stories and announcements from this issue for a JRF News page in your congregational newsletter and on your website.

Those who send Weekly Update e-mails: Please disseminate Ma Nishma along with your regular posting.

Please forward this to anyone you think would enjoy reading Ma Nishma.

Download this issue of Ma Nishma as an MS Word document, for easier cut/paste into synagogue newsletters.

L'shalom,

Lisa Kelvin Tuttle
JRF Communications Director

September 2008 / Elul 5768

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

Registration Now Open for the 42nd JRF Convention - Boston, Nov. 13-16

Meet our Newest Affiliate: Or Shalom in San Francisco!

JRF Congregations Welcome New Reconstructionist Rabbis

JRF and RENA at CAJE33

JRF Launches Web-Based Reconstructionist Curriculum Resource Finder

Special Offers from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

Get Out the Vote: Why American Jews Must Vote

Fighting Poverty With Faith: A Week of Action

Join JRF in Brooklyn for Havdalah and Slichot

Effective Leadership: Essential Practices for Board Members, A Leadership Orientation

Marketing Your Congregational Message

Congregational news

NATIONAL and REGIONAL JRF NEWS

Register for the 42nd JRF Convention
Nov. 13-16, 2008 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel

“Transformative Judaism for the 21st Century”

Join the largest gathering of Reconstructionists in North America for four enriching days of learning, building connections, and sharing best practices to strengthen and grow our Reconstructionist communities and ourselves.

CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS

A Plenary Session on Identity, Community and Leadership is a dialogue between the generations — those involved today in creating "emerging communities" and those who were shapers of the Havurah movement in the '60s and '70s, now serving as leaders of the Reconstructionist Movement. [If you're reading this electronically, click on presenters' names throughout to read their bios.] Participants will include Rabbi David Teutsch, Zachary Teutsch, Rabbi Michael Strassfeld and Sarah Liebman.

Four special Forums will immediately follow the opening plenary, giving us an opportunity to explore the themes raised as we engage in conversations with leaders in their fields:

Building the Jewish Identity of the Next Generation with Cindy Shulak-Rome, Jerry Silverman, and Jonathan Woocher

Strengthening and Transforming Congregational Life with Rabbi Hayim Herring, Amy L. Sales, and Rabbi Elliott Tepperman

Rethinking the Role of Movements in the 21st Century with Rabbi Joy Levitt, Rabbi Sid Schwarz, and Dr. Carl Sheingold

What is the Forefront of Tikkun Olam? with Rabbi Brant Rosen, Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, and Rabbi Toba Spitzer

Jonathan Sarna, the foremost expert on American Jewish history, will join us on Thursday evening with a talk entitled American Judaism at a Crossroads: A Perspective on Reconstructionism from a Jewish Historian.

Noah Feldman, recently named by New York Magazine as one of "the influentials" in ideas, will be our special guest speaker during Shabbat lunch. Feldman's expertise is on the relationship between law and religion in the West and Middle East.

Shabbat services as you've never experienced them before, filled with ruach (spirit) and kavannah (intention), will bring us together as an extended Reconstructionist family.

Beit Midrash sessions on Shabbat afternoon include informal text study, creative exploration of Reconstructionist liturgy, and a celebration of the arts.

A special screening of Praying with Lior, an award-winning film by Ilana Trachtman. The film celebrates the Reconstructionist Bar Mitzvah of Lior Liebling, who has Down Syndrome, and explores themes of disability and spirituality.

Networking opportunities throughout Convention will facilitate connections between our communities, such as break-out sessions, affinity group meetings, and receptions. Come and contribute your questions and your congregation’s best practices to the conversations!
Harmoniyah--the Reconstructionist Music Network and RENA (Reconstructionist Educators of North America) will be participating in our Convention again this year.

Visit sights of Jewish interest in Boston or participate in a tikkun olam service opportunity on Sunday.

And much more!

Get all the details and register now at www.jrf.org/convention.

Meet our Newest Affiliate: Or Shalom in San Francisco!

The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation is delighted to welcome Or Shalom Jewish Community of San Francisco, California, as its newest member community and the fourth in the greater San Francisco area. Or Shalom represents the first affiliate in the city of San Francisco itself for our movement, adding to Keddem Congregation in Palo Alto; Or Zaruah Havurah in Berkeley; and Ner Tamid in Cotati.

The congregation, founded in 1989, describes itself as "an active community of progressive Jews and non-Jews, diverse yet united in the effort to improve ourselves and mend our world through: limud (Jewish learning), gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness), avodah (Jewish spiritual practice), and tikkun olam (social action). We share a commitment to deep mutual acceptance, the spirit of questioning, and a dynamic balance between tradition and innovation that makes our Judaism alive and relevant."

Rabbi Katie Mizrahi (RRC '05), Or Shalom's rabbi since early 2007, said "Joining the Reconstructionist movement will connnect San Francisco's Jews with Reconstructionism's progressive social action platform and warm inclusive community—a perfect fit for San Francisco. Or Shalom is proud and excited to be embarking on our partnership with the JRF and we embrace this step forward with joy."

Learn more about Or Shalom at www.orshalom.org.

JRF Congregations Welcome New Reconstructionist Rabbis

Seven JRF conregations--five on the East coast, two on the West--have new full-time rabbis and all of them are graduates of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, including four from RRC's class of 2008. Rabbi Donna Kirshbaum and Rabbi Benjamin Weiner will also serve their congregations as Education Directors.

Temple Beth Sholom in Salem, Oregon, welcomes Rabbi James Greene (RRC '08).

String of Pearls in Princeton, New Jersey welcomes Rabbi Donna Kirshbaum (RRC '08).

Bnai Keshet in Montclair, New Jersey, welcomes Rabbi Darby Jared Leigh (RRC '08) as Assistant Rabbi, working alongside Rabbi Elliott Tepperman.

Mishkan Ha’Am - The Westchester-Riverdale Reconstructionist Group in Yonkers, New York, welcomes Rabbi Benjamin Weiner (RRC '08).

Temple Sinai in Amherst, New York, welcomes Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein (RRC '04).

Tzedek v’Shalom in Newtown, Pennsylvania, welcomes Rabbi Anna Rosenfield (RRC '06).

Keddem Synagogue in Palo Alto, California, welcomes Rabbi Elisheva Salamo (RRC '97).

Read about these exceptional Reconstructionist rabbis and the congregations they serve at www.jrf.org/congs-welcome-rabbis.

JRF and RENA at CAJE33

On August 10th, more than 50 Reconstructionist educators and rabbis gathered on the campus of the University of Vermont in Burlington to participate at CAJE33 -- the 33rd annual Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education, sponsored by the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education. They were part of a group of approximately 1,500 of their colleagues, from all denominations of Judaism, who came from all over North America as well as from Israel and other countries to learn about the best practices and latest trends and innovations in Jewish education.

Reconstructionists led study tracks and individual workshops and were part of the evening entertainment. Reconstructionist Educators of North America (RENA) sponsored a reception for all the Reconstructionists at the convention. This was an opportunity to connect with old friends and meet new ones within our movement. RENA also collaborated with NATE (Reform educators) and the JEA (Conservative educators) on a poster session where 16 congregational schools (including 4 Reconstructionist schools) were selected to feature a Best Practices program within their schools.

The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation and the Reconstructionist Press had a table where Reconstructionist resources could be purchased and connections made with JRF staff. The Reconstructionist presence at CAJE33 became a venue for many conference participants to ask questions and learn about the Reconstructionist movement. Attendees from all denominations stopped by to say they love using our publications, such as the Kol Hano’ar children’s siddur and A Night of Questions Haggadah. Read the story below to learn about the Reconstructionist Curriculum Resource Finder—a new online resource for educators launched at the conference!

JRF Launches Reconstructionist Curriculum Resource Finder

A Jewish educational survey conducted among the Reconstructionist congregations with congregational schools revealed a strong need by educators for easy access to Jewish Reconstructionist educational materials. Many of the schools reported that their curriculum changes on a regular basis and they need an evolving resource that also reflects the continuing changes in Jewish education.

To meet this need, JRF has developed an innovative educational project for Reconstructionist congregational schools: The web-based Reconstructionist Curriculum Resource Finder (www.curriculum.jrf.org) is an interactive online tool intended to serve teachers, parents, and education directors. It provides a menu of suggested textbooks, story books, and eventually lesson plans, linking directly to the publishers, on each of the major topics taught in our schools. Each topic is subdivided according to Reconstructionist educational goals. The Camp JRF curriculum will be integrated as well.

The first stage of the project, sponsored by a lead grant from Congregation Kehillat Israel in Pacific Palisades, CA, is intended to show how the resource will meet the needs of the more than 100 Reconstructionist congregations that need help identifying appropriate curriculum resources.

In developing this project, coordinators Rabbi Erin Hirsh, JRF Director of Education, and Lori Rubin, Co-chair of the Reconstructionist Educators of North America (RENA), have gone “out of the box” to develop a program which will have immediate impact as the new academic year begins. Visitors to the Reconstructionist Curriculum Resource Finder are encouraged to blog about each and every resource, sharing “best practices” in utilizing the resources for similar-size congregations, and providing data that can be used for project evaluation and improvement as the project expands. Visitors are also able to upload their own or favorite resources to help the project evolve.

The impact this project can have on Reconstructionist Jewish education is profound.

This exciting tool for Reconstructionist educators made its debut this August at the CAJE 33 Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education at the University of Vermont.

In order to help us maximize the value of this resource, we invite Reconstructionist rabbis and educators to log on and comment on as many as possible of the entries with which they are familiar or have strong opinions. We also invite the posting of resources that have not yet been included.

Visit www.curriculum.jrf.org now! For further information, please contact Rabbi Erin Hirsh, Director of Education at 215-885-5601 x 16 or via email at ehirsh@jrf.org.

Special Offers from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press

Do you have your own Mahzor for the High Holidays and does the congregation own enough? Our beautiful Mahzor Leyamim Nora’im (prayer book for the Days of Awe), part of the Kol Haneshamah Prayer Book Series, is now available for purchase in time for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Have you experienced Siddur Kol Hano’ar, the wonderful, colorful Shabbat siddur for children? Whether for your synagogue, for friends and family, or for your own home, it makes a great gift!

The new Moadim Le’Limud – Seasons for Learning: Mishnah on the Holidays of the Year is an exciting new way to learn about the Mishnah while deepening knowledge of the laws and customs of Jewish holidays.

And now you can have all the Jewish holidays and important contact information at your fingertips with the pocket sizeJRF Diary for 5769 / 2008-2009.

Here are the details on all these fantastic offerings:

MAHZOR LEYAMIM NORA’IM
1250 pages, hardcover $42.00 ($33.60)

The Reconstructionist Kol Haneshamah Mahzor Leyamim Nora’im (prayer book for the Days of Awe) is an inclusive, comprehensive volume for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services; one that is rooted in the traditional Hebrew liturgy, yet fully contemporary. Some of the most prominent features of this volume are:

All readings appear within the text, simplifying the selection of material for services.

Constructed with a special strong, reinforced library quality binding.

Printed on very thin, lightweight opaque paper.

A new section, Kabbalat Hashanah, has been created to begin the erev Rosh Hashanah service.

For Rosh Hashanah, the Mahzor can be used for a traditional shofar service and full Musaf, or combining the two in several different ways.

On Yom Kippur, the Musaf service and Martyrology are integrated with the Avodah service creating a powerful, seamless whole.

SIDDUR KOL HANO’AR: THE VOICE OF CHILDREN
Transliterated edition available now!
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso and Rabbi Jeffrey Schein
Illustrated in full color by Joani Rothenberg

This beautiful hardcover Shabbat prayer book for children ages 5-9 makes a wonderful gift for the whole family to share at home. $28/$23.80 for JRF members. Consider adding a set of matching note cards for a lovely gift set for just $5 more!

MOADIM LE’LIMUD – SEASONS FOR LEARNING:
MISHNAH ON THE HOLIDAYS OF THE YEAR
Rabbi Gail Diamond
Participants’ Text (Parts I & II) - 33 pages, softcover $12.50
Facilitator’s Guide – 62 pages, softcover $12.50

The Reconstructionist Press is proud to introduce Moadim Le’Limud – Seasons for Learning: Mishnah on the Holidays of the Year. This exciting new course, written by Rabbi Gail Diamond, gives students an introduction to the Mishnah while expanding their knowledge of the laws and customs of various holidays of the Jewish year. The lessons are designed to be suitable for students of all backgrounds. Some of the most prominent features of this volume are:

Two ways for facilitators to use the curriculum: Over several sessions taught over a period of two to three months, concentrating on learning Mishnah on the holidays of the year; or presented seasonally over the course of a whole year, ideally beginning in Elul, timing each lesson for two to four weeks before the holiday discussed.

Participants’ Text contains texts to be studied at each lesson along with some of the questions for discussion.

Facilitators’ Guide has goals for each section and an expanded selection of discussion questions for each section.

Part I, comprising the first half of these wonderful lessons, will be ready in time for Rosh Hashanah for communities that would like to present the course alongside the High Holy Days. Part II will be ready in late fall – in plenty of time for the spring holidays, and will automatically be sent upon publication.

JRF DIARY FOR 5769 / 2008-2009
Available now! $8.25 (U.S.)

Comprehensive calendar for the Jewish and secular year, including explanations of all Jewish holidays and important shabbatot

Ample space to jot down appointments, with blank pages for notes and addresses

Current listing of all JRF synagogues and havurot

The platform and program of the Reconstructionist movement

Order by mail with a check payable to JRF and send to JRF, Beit Devora, 101 Greenwood Avenue, Suite 430, Jenkintown, PA 19046, or order by credit card by calling 877-JRF-PUBS. This unique, pocket-size Jewish calendar makes a great gift so order while supplies last!

The Reconstructionist Press is looking forward to seeing you at the 42nd JRF Convention in Boston this November—come to our table and see the new commemorative 10th Anniversary edition of A Night of Questions Reconstructionist Haggadah available for the first time there!

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Planning an annual Shabbaton or retreat? Consider holding it at Camp JRF on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus. This beautiful facility in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains is now available for rental for our JRF congregations, boards, religious schools, JRF regional programs, teens, and the like.

For more information, please contact the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP JRF (877-226-7573).

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

With the enthusiasm around JRF’s Omer Learning Initiative, as well as the solid response of JRF congregations in the Climate Change Initiative, JRF is continues to deepen its greening work with member communities next year. Our hope is to motivate and educate our congregations in sustainable practices, with the goal of reaching 100 percent participation in the years ahead, recognizing those JRF communities who excel at sustainable practices at the JRF Convention in Boston, 2008.

A full listing of the 7 weeks of teaching packets is available at www.jrf.org/omer and the three related Tikkun Olam conference calls held as part of this year's PEARL initiative, available at www.jrf.org/PEARL-resources.

Please refer to the following additional links to find specific resources for tikkun olam:

Tikkun Olam Resources Library: http://jrf.org/resources-library

Tikkun resources outside JRF: http://jrf.org/tikkun-olam-issues

Anti-hunger and poverty: http://jrf.org/hunger

Sustainability and Environment: http://jrf.org/climate

Service Learning: http://jrf.org/service-learning

Ending Genocide in Darfur: http://jrf.org/darfur

Information on JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative can be found on the JRF website’s environment pages at www4.jrf.org/green-call and www4.jrf.org/climate.

For more information contact Rabbi Shawn Zevit, director of outreach and tikkun olam, SZevit@jrf.org.

Get Out the Vote: Why American Jews Must Vote

Rabbi Yitzhak taught, "A ruler is not to be appointed unless the community is first consulted.” —Talmud, B’rachot 55a

A crucial election day is only months away. At stake are vital political, economic and moral issues of concern to all Americans, in addition to issues of special concern to American Jews.

During the next four years, there will be important debates about the way our government does business. Legislation on significant issues such as health care, foreign aid, civil rights and support for Israel is likely to be considered by the next Congress and Administration. In addition, over the next four years, the President and Senate will confirm judges who will make crucial decisions affecting our lives. With the stakes so high, we must work to reverse the trend toward declining percentages of voters.

As Jews and American citizens we have an obligation to participate in the elections to ensure that our country's policies at the local, state and national levels reflect our commitment to social justice. Every vote counts and plays a defining role in setting policy agendas. It is our civic duty to register promptly, educate ourselves about the critical issues and VOTE!
The Get Out the Vote 2008 Guide provides you with tools, resources and information to help your congregation or community plan a successful voter engagement effort in advance of Election Day. This guide was designed for use by Jewish congregations and communal organizations wishing to conduct their own voter registration drives. We also encourage participation in voter registration drives in the general community. The same procedures and materials that are suggested here for use in the Jewish community can be adapted for voter registration use in the broader community.

The Guide was prepared by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism for the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation and the larger Jewish community.

Download the Get Out The Vote Guide free of charge at www.jrf.org/get-out-the-vote-2008.

Fighting Poverty with Faith: A Week of Action

JRF endorses and joins national interfaith coalition "Fighting Poverty With Faith: A Week of Action", September 10-16, 2008

WHAT WILL THE CANDIDATES DO IN THEIR FIRST 100 DAYS
TO ADDRESS POVERTY AND OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA?

From September 10-16, 2008 people of faith across the country will be mobilizing their communities to ask their local, state and national candidates what they will do to address the pressing issues of poverty and opportunity in America in their first 100 days in office.

In communities across the country, people of faith will be calling and writing the candidates, holding forums to discuss these issues with civic and political leadership, engaging in interfaith community service to aid those in need in their communities, and otherwise highlighting the need for increased leadership on these issues.

By acting during this time, you can be a part of a national interfaith movement to build the political and public will to address poverty in America.

Join Us! Learn more at www.fightingpovertywithfaith.com, www.spotlightonpoverty.org and www.jrf.org/hunger, where you can find resources on how to participate and find events near you!

NY/NJ Region Unites in an Effort to Reach Out to Unaffiliated Over the High Holidays

As part of the Kehillah Kedoshah Synagogue Outreach and Growth initiative, the synagogues of JRF's NY/NJ region have launched the "High Holiday Open Seats Campaign" to let the unaffiliated know they are welcome at our synagogues. Through "Open Seats" each synagogue in the region has set aside a designated number of seats for non-members and posted information about their High Holiday services on the website www.highholidayopenseats.com.

The website is being advertised by a regional press-release blitz and through the purchase of domain names and key words on all major search engines. We are excited about our new and unprecedented initiative and will report back about the results.

For more information about Open Seats, please contact Hannah Greenstein, Outreach Coordinator for JRF Metropolitan NY/NJ Region at hgreenstein@jrf.org or at 212-870-2484.

Join JRF in Brooklyn for Havdalah and Selichot

Saturday evening, September 20, 2008, 7 pm.

Please join us in Brooklyn as we bid farewell to Shabbat and welcome the High Holiday season with a family-oriented Havdalah ceremony followed by a Selichot (forgiveness) service filled with beautiful music. Location and other information coming soon. Share the news with your friends and family in Brooklyn!

Contact mschneider@jrf.org or dan@cedarbaum.net.

Active Leadership: Essential Practices for Board Members, A Leadership Orientation

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008, 5:30 - 8:45 pm.

At the start of the program year, this orientation seminar for congregational leaders will provide a rich leadership exchange with material for new and returning synagogue board members. Rabbi Shawn Zevit, Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam/Congregational Consultant, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation will lead the session.

For more information contact mschneider@jrf.org.

Marketing Your Congregational Message

Thursday, November 6th, 2008, 6:00 - 8:45 pm.

Congregations in the New York-New Jersey region will meet to consider what makes them unique, and will learn how to communicate this message to the greater community. Participants will discuss marketing strategies tailored to different audiences.

For more information contact hgreenstein@jrf.org

B’nai Tikvah Dedication Celebration

[In photo, from left to right, Rabbi Bruce Adler, incoming President David Fine, Rabbi Donna Adler, outgoing President Q Benedikt]

On August 17, Congregation B’nai Tikvah, the Jewish Reconstructionist Center of Southwestern Ohio, celebrated the official dedication of its new building along with its 10th anniversary. The opening included music, dancing and refreshments as well as information on B'nai Tikvah and Reconstructionist Judaism. "The opportunity to be part of the synagogue building process is a rare opportunity. The chance to do this with a group that truly makes a difference in the community makes it even more special," noted outgoing president Q Benedikt. "Our members' hard work running this historic undertaking and the awareness that every person counts makes B'nai Tikvah a very exciting and appealing congregation." Kol Hakavod!

Kol HaLev Marches Torah to New Home

On August 31st, members of Kol HaLev in Cleveland will be marching with their Torah to their new home at the Ratner School, where the entire Kol HaLev Community will come together for a brief ceremony to celebrate a new chapter in its history. At the meeting of the Kol HaLev board where the vote to partner with the Ratner School was unanimous, Rabbi Steve Segar called this "an historic moment for Kol HaLev" and led all those present in singing the shehecheyanu. Barry Epstein expressed the board’s gratitude to the members of the space committee: Alan Lipson, Barbara Epstein, Allen Binstock, Sue Pelleg and Rabbi Steve for their hard work and dedication.

For more information call the synagogue office at 216-320-1498 or visit www.kolhalev.net.

Oseh Shalom to Honor Cantor

On Saturday, September 6, Congregation Oseh Shalom in Laurel, MD, will honor Cantor Charlie Bernhardt for 25 years as their cantor with a very special concert at the synagogue. The concert will feature Cantor Jan Morrison, Rabbi David Shneyer and Alan Oresky from Fabrengen fiddlers, the DC Labor Chorus, Joe Jencks and Cantor Charlie himself. It is an evening not to be missed. The concert will be appropriate for all ages. Download the event flier at www.jrf.org/cantor-charlie-gala and help spread the word!

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the synagogue at 301-498-5151 and visit www.oseh-shalom.org.

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

Ma Nishma - JRF News for May/June 2008

Lisa Tuttle — Mon, 19 May 2008 08:25:19 -0400

Dear Ma Nishma Subscriber,

I'm happy to deliver to your email doorstep the latest issue of Ma Nishma ("What's Happening?"), featuring news and events from JRF.

Now everyone can subscribe to Ma Nishma. Register at the JRF website at http://jrf.org/user/register then click "Manage your JRF e-newsletter subscriptions" at the top left of the home page to subscribe.

Newsletter editors and webmasters: Please reprint stories and announcements from this issue for a JRF News page in your congregational newsletter and on your website.

Those who send a Weekly Update e-mails: Please disseminate Ma Nishma along with your regular posting.

Feel free to forward this to anyone you think would enjoy reading Ma Nishma.

Download this issue of Ma Nishma as an MS Word document, for easier cut/paste into synagogue newsletters.

L'shalom,

Lisa Kelvin Tuttle
JRF Communications Director

May-June 2008 / Nisan - Sivan 5768

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

National and Regional JRF News

JRF Welcomes Temple Shalom of the South Bay

JRF Leadership Institute: Strengthening Rabbi-President Teams

JRF Signs Letter to United Methodist Church

Experience Camp JRF Family Camp!

Tikkun JRF Teen-Parent Week of Service

Announcing … The Challenge for Camp JRF

Join 42nd JRF Convention on Nov. 13-16 in Boston

Special Offers from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Register for the No’ar Hadash Israel Experience

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

Make a Difference for Myanmar Cyclone Victims

Share Shabbat in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, on May 30

Congregational News

RSNS Celebrating Its 50th Anniversary Year

Oseh Shalom to Host Shabbat Iyyun

Beth Israel Honors Tina Johnson of Chester

Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller Concert

Mishkan Ha’am Celebrates 10th year

Rabbi Susan Falk Joins Kehilat Shalom of NJ

Rabbi Sarah Rubin Joins Congregation Ahavas Achim of NH

Kol HaKavod!

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL JRF NEWS

JRF Welcomes Newest Affiliate: Temple Shalom of the South Bay

JRF is delighted to welcome Temple Shalom of the South Bay as its newest member community, and the 12th Reconstructionist-affiliated congregation in California, serving Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, Calif., and the outer lying South Bay region. With the spirited leadership of student rabbi Lori Schneide, the 70-household congregation is excited about joining the Reconstructionist movement.

The story of the congregation’s founding began with the question, “If you build it – will they come?” asked by three friends, Lani Zaun, Roz Bliss and Shereen Lavi one cold winter afternoon in December of 2004. The women, each with very diverse Jewish backgrounds and experiences, started sharing their ideas and dreams for the South Bay Jewish community.

By the winter of 2005, their community had outgrown the founders’ homes and each put in money to rent a facility to have services. By October of that year, the religious school opened with an astounding 108 students, held at the St. Cross Church in Hermosa Beach where they continue to sublet space.

Please join us in greeting members of this dynamic, thriving community at the JRF Convention this November!

Learn more about our newest JRF congregation at www.shalomsb.org.

JRF Leadership Institute: Strengthening Rabbi-President Teams

For three enriching days, May 4-6, rabbi-president pairs from Reconstructionist congregations across North America took part in the JRF Leadership Institute for Rabbis and Presidents. The seminar, utilizing a systems approach to help congregational rabbis and their presidents maximize their effectiveness as a leadership team, was facilitated by JRF Executive Vice President Dr. Carl A. Sheingold, and Esther Perel, a therapist and author whose innovative strategies and models for leadership have won her an international clientele of nonprofit organizations, foundations, schools, community groups and corporations.

Participating congregations included: Adat Shalom in Bethesda, Md.; Oseh Shalom in Laurel, Md.; Congregation Beth Hatikvah in Summit, N.J.; Temple Beth Hatfiloh in Olympia, Wash.; B'nai Havurah in Denver; Congregation Kehilat Shalom in Belle Mead, N.J.; Congregation Agudas Achim, in Attleboro, Mass.; and Kehillat Israel in Lansing, Mich.

JRF Signs Multi-Agency Letter to United Methodist Church

Twenty one Jewish agencies, including JRF, have joined together in a letter of thanks to the United Methodist Church for sincere strides made in areas of concern to the Jewish community, including Jewish-Christian relations, and peace and reconciliation in the Middle East. The recent work with the church is an example of one of the many coalitions and cross-agency initiatives for which JRF represents our member communities.

Read the full letter at www.jrf.org/umc-thank-you.

Experience Camp JRF Family Camp!

When: 5 pm on Wednesday, Aug. 13 - Noon on Sunday, Aug. 17
Where: Camp JRF, South Sterling, Pa.

Experience as a family the joy, fun and community of Reconstructionist camping this summer at Camp JRF Family Camp. There’s something for everyone: activities for adults, teens, children and families!

Participants in Family Camp will enjoy all of JRF’s camp facilities and staff, including professional Jewish educators, rabbis, musicians, art and sports instructors, counselors, and our fantastic food.

Register now at www.jrf.org/family-camp. Space is limited! For more information contact info@campjrf.org or call 1-877-226-7573.

Tikkun JRF Teen-Parent Week of Service

Post-B’nai Mitzvah teens and their parents are invited to share a week working together to make a difference. Tikkun JRF is a tikkun olam project for teams of post-B’nai Mitzvah teens and parents, Aug. 10-15, at Camp JRF in South Sterling, Pa.

Space is limited! Enrollment is currently open for 20-30 adult and teen pairs, post-B’nai Mitzvah ages 13+ (teams may include one or two parents). You will live for a week in active, participatory community, connecting to local communities and providing much needed support and building work. We welcome your diverse skills and talents, including: carpentry, painting, meal planning, photography, team playing. Worker bees, educators, musicians and all others are welcome!

Download the registration form online at www.jrf.org/tikkun-JRF. To learn more, contact Eve Maslin at (215) 885-5601 or e-mail emaslin@jrf.org. For project information, contact Clifford Goldsmith at (617) 965-7323 or e-mail clifgold@hotmail.com.

Announcing The Challenge for Camp JRF

Camp JRF has set a goal to raise $1 million over the next 12 months as part of its new The Challenge for Camp JRF fundraising campaign. The first $500,000 contributed will be matched dollar-for-dollar, thanks to the auspices of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Gottesman Family.

The campaign has been organized by Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, director of Camp JRF; David Nerenberg, president of the Jewish Reconstructionist Camping Corp.; and Archie Gottesman, chairman of the Camp Capital Campaign.

Program guidelines for The Challenge include:

Minimum gift of $3,600 payable over three years (first gift installment payable within two months of the pledge commitment);

Gifts from both new and previous donors to Camp JRF are eligible;

Gifts can be used for scholarship, annual, capital, or endowment needs;

Challenge concludes Dec. 31.

For further information, please contact Marla Friedenberg, Camp JRF development associate, at (215) 885-5601, ext. 28 or mfriedenberg@jrf.org.

Join 42nd JRF Convention on Nov. 13-16 in Boston

“Transformative Judaism for the 21st Century”

What exciting innovations are on the horizon for Jewish life in the 21st century?

What are the most pressing issues facing our Reconstructionist communities?

Are you seeking new ideas and solutions? Do you have ideas to share?

Hundreds of Reconstructionists and likeminded friends will gather at the 42nd Convention of the JRF to learn, dialogue, and celebrate Shabbat together in beautiful, historic Boston, at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

Hear from leaders across the spectrum of Judaism, including Jonathan Sarna, Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, Dr. David Teutsch, Jonathan Woocher, Jerry Silverman, Amy Sales, Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Rabbi Hayim Herring, Rabbi Sid Schwarz and Rabbi Joy Levitt.

Workshops at convention will address a broad range of topics, including:

Arts and Spirituality

Congregational Schools

Effective Decision Making Models

Fundraising

Growth and Finance

Israel

Leadership

Next Generation

Sustainability

Text Study and Divrei Torah

Tikkun Olam

More details soon at www.jrf.org/convention.

Special Offers from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press

It is traditional to study the Megillat Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) during Passover, and JRF’s Reconstructionist Press is delighted to announce a newly revised edition of Etz Hayim We: Megillat Shir HaShirim, just in time for Pesach.

And have you experienced Siddur Kol Hano’ar, the wonderful, colorful Shabbat siddur for children? Whether for your synagogue, for friends and family, or for your own home, it makes a great gift!

ETZ HAYIM WE: MEGILLAT SHIR HASHIRIM (SONG OF SONGS; REVISED EDITION)
Rabbi Jeffrey Schein, Project Director
Rabbi Erin Hirsh, Curriculum Writer
This richly detailed, hands-on resource for Reconstructionist teen and adult exploration of Song of Songs during spring is chock full of innovative approaches to biblical study, and particularly the themes of divine and human love. Spiral-bound soft cover, 100 pp., $15 each.

SIDDUR KOL HANO’AR: THE VOICE OF CHILDREN
Transliterated edition available now!
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso and Rabbi Jeffrey Schein
Illustrated in full color by Joani Rothenberg

This beautiful hardcover Shabbat prayer book for children ages 5-9 makes a wonderful gift for the whole family to share at home. $28/$23.80 for JRF members. Consider adding a set of matching note cards for a lovely gift set for just $5 more!

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Planning an annual Shabbaton or retreat? Consider holding it at Camp JRF on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus. This beautiful facility in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains is now available for rental for our JRF congregations, boards, religious schools, JRF regional programs, teens, and the like.

For more information, please contact the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP JRF (877-226-7573).

No’ar Hadash Israel Experience – Make a Difference!

This summer over 30 Reconstructionist teens from across North America will share an amazing month exploring Israel together. Your donation can help defray the cost for this year’s participants and will make a difference for next year’s group.

Please visit www.jrf.org and click on the Donate Now button. Please consider either making your donation to the Leonard and Phyllis Friend Memorial Scholarship Fund or the general scholarship fund for No’ar Hadash.

For more information visit www.noarhadash.org/israel or contact Jessica Shimberg at jshimberg@jrf.org or (215) 885-5601 x 47.

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

With the enthusiasm around JRF’s Omer Learning Initiative, as well as the solid response of JRF congregations in the Climate Change Initiative, JRF is continues to deepen its greening work with member communities next year.

Our hope is to motivate and educate our congregations in sustainable practices, with the goal of reaching 100 percent participation in the years ahead, recognizing those JRF communities who excel at sustainable practices at the JRF Convention in Boston this November.

Information on the Sustainable Synagogue Initiative can be found on the JRF website’s environment pages at www4.jrf.org/green-call and www4.jrf.org/climate.

For more information contact Rabbi Shawn Zevit, director of outreach and tikkun olam, SZevit@jrf.org.

Make a Difference for Myanmar Cyclone Victims

JRF is an ongoing coalition member of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief (JCDR) during times of natural disaster and human suffering in the world.

As UJC’s overseas partner, the JDC has opened an emergency mailbox to raise relief funds for victims of Cyclone Nargis, which devastated portions of Myanmar (formerly Burma) on May 3.

Read the JCDR Myanmar Cyclone Situation Report at www.jrf.org/myanmar-cyclone-relief, and click on the map of Cyclone Nargis’s path to donate. Funds are being collected for nonsectarian aid for the several hundred thousand cyclone victims left without shelter and safe drinking water.

Congregations may download Web banners, found in UJC’s central library, for use on their Web sites to help support the JDC efforts. For more information on the Web tools, contact UJC’s Andy Neusner at andy.neusner@ujc.org.

Come Share Shabbat in Prospect Park, Brooklyn!

When: Friday, May 30, 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Grecian Shelter in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY
Please join the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation as we welcome Shabbat in Prospect Park with song, stories, and a catered community dinner. Children of all ages are welcome. The evening will be led by Rabbi Shoshana Leis (RRC ’05) and Avi Fox-Rosen.

Make your e-reservation today at www.jrf.org/prospect-park-shabbat. In case of questionable or inclement weather, call JRF NY/NJ at (212) 870-2483 for alternate plans.

For more information, contact:
Melanie Schneider - jrfny@aol.com
Jayne Roberman - jrforensic@optonline.net
Dan Cedarbaum - dan@cedarbaum.net

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS

RSNS Celebrating 50th Anniversary Year

The Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore (RSNS) is commemorating its 50th anniversary year with an exciting roster of special events. On May 9, the congregation enjoyed a special musical evening with the RSNS choir, featuring two compositions by Judith Kaplan Eisenstein, daughter of Reconstructionism’s founder Mordecai Kaplan and wife of Ira Eisenstein – RSNS’s first rabbi.

The celebration continues through the fall with a program June 13 with:

Rabbi Richard Hirsh, executive director of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, addressing the topic “Reconstructionist Judaism: Its Evolution in the Past 50 Years”;
Rabbi Shawn Zevit, JRF’s director of outreach and tikkun olam, on Oct. 10, speaking on “Reconstructionism and Social Justice”;
a special Shabbat service Nov. 11 with Rabbi Jodie Siff and Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer, who both grew up with the congregation;
a gala dinner dance Nov. 2;
and a culminating event on Nov. 7 dedicated to programs for families.

To learn more, visit www.rsns.org.

Oseh Shalom to Host Shabbat Iyyun

What: “Faith-based Initiatives and the Perils of Government Funding”
When: Friday, May 23, 8 p.m.
Where: Oseh Shalom, 7515 Olive Branch Way, Laurel, Md.
This special evening at Oseh Shalom is third in a series featuring intellectual inquiry woven into the Friday evening service.

Featured speakers from The Interfaith Alliance (TIA) are Ari Geller, director of communications; and Preet Singh, deputy director of public policy. TIA is a nonpartisan organization whose goal is to promote the positive and healing role of religion in public life. The speakers will address the complex and timely issues surrounding faith-based initiatives or charitable choice proposals – legal, ethical and practical ways for faith organizations and government to work together to remedy societal ills.

Services and presentation will run from 8 - 9 p.m. An Oneg/dessert and discussion to follow. For additional information and directions, call (301) 498-5151 or www.oseh-shalom.org.

Beth Israel Honors Co-op Leader of Chester, Pa.

Tina Johnson of Chester has won Congregation Beth Israel’s 2008 Friend of the Community Award. She is being recognized for her vision, creativity and tireless efforts to bring healthy and affordable food to the residents of Chester, Pa.

Working for the Tibetan government in-exile while only 27 years old, Johnson thought she could make a difference for those in poverty and hunger. Little did she know that her calling would bring her 7,500 miles east to Chester – a short drive from where she grew up. And while the landscape has changed, the drive to train and inspire others to create their own sustainable community and defeat hunger is still her passion.

The Friend of the Community Award is given each year by the congregation to celebrate the efforts of volunteers and activists who have made a vital difference in the quality of life in Delaware County. The recipients of the award can be of any faith, but all exemplify the Jewish tradition of Tikkun Olam, or “repairing the world” through charity, volunteerism and dedication to improving the lives of others.

Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller in Concert on May 18

Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller performed her own compositions at a gala concert at Bet Am Shalom Synagogue in White Plains, NY, on May 18. In addition to serving Bet Am Shalom as chazan, Cantor Schiller is a professor of cantorial arts at the Hebrew Union College. She is a nationally known composer and a frequently featured soprano soloist with the Zamir Chorales of New York and Boston, the Western Wind Ensemble and Sine Nomine.

Mishkan Ha’am Celebrated 10th year

On March 9, Mishkan Ha’am of New York celebrated its 10-year anniversary. With a membership expanding from Riverdale through Westchester’s Rivertowns, the community has grown to include Shabbat services for all areas, a Hebrew school, adult-ed program, social action activities and innovating programming (including yoga and meditation).

For more information, visit www.mishkanhaam.org or call (914) 478-4996.

Rabbi Susan Falk Joins Kehilat Shalom of NJ

Congregation Kehilat Shalom of Belle Mead, NJ, officially installed Rabbi Susan Falk at a ceremony on April 25. The service featured Rabbi Jacob Staub of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, as well as the Kol Ahava and Children’s Choir.

Rabbi Falk was appointed to the pulpit of Congregation Kehilat Shalom (formerly the Jewish Community Center of Belle Mead) last August after an extensive search by an internal search committee.

A native of Bergen County, Rabbi Falk received a bachelor’s in English literature from Barnard College, and her rabbinical degree from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2005. She worked previously as hospice director for the Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia.

For more information about the community, visit www.ksnj.org or call the temple office at (908) 359-0420.

Rabbi Sarah Rubin Joins Congregation Ahavas Achim of NH

Congregation Ahavas Achim in Keene, NH, officially installed Rabbi Sarah Niebuhr Rubin at a “very special Shabbat Simcha” held April 25.

Rabbi Rubin, a Seattle native, earned a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University and a master’s from Indiana University, both in anthropology. She excavated archaeological sites in Ohio, Israel and Turkey, and has taught courses in religion at Temple University and in biology and anthropology at Indiana University, where she received a Teaching Excellence Recognition Award. She was ordained as a rabbi in 2007 at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

While at RRC, Rubin was president of the Reconstructionist Student Association. She also worked as a student rabbi, a hospital chaplain, an education resource specialist and a rabbinic intern at a community residence for seniors.

For more information about Congregation Ahavas Achim, visit www.keene-synagogue.org or call the temple office at (603) 352-6747.

Kol Hakavod!

Abbey Alpern of congregation Adat Shalom in Bethesda was featured recently in The Gazette for her creative work collecting recycled material and making unique pieces of art that include sculptures and masks. She sometimes enlists fellow Adat Shalom members to help collect the materials.

Bet Am Shalom synagogue in White Plains, NY, is happy to announce its participation in Tuv Ha’Aretz – a Community Supported Agriculture program launched in partnership with Hazon, a Jewish environmental organization. Tuv Ha’Aretz (which means both “good for the land” and “good from the land”) aims to promote agricultural sustainability by supporting local, organic farmers. The congregation held a Meet the Farmer Night on March 10 to introduce the program to congregants.

Congregation Or Hadash, in the Philadelphia suburb Fort Washington, unveiled a unique Megillat Esther on March 16, commissioned from a scribe and incorporating drawings made by students in its religious school. The sofer, Reconstructionist Rabbi Kevin Hale, used a computer program to graft the children’s images onto fine rice paper that was then affixed to parchment. Hale, who lives in Leeds, Mass., taught a crash course in scroll writing for the kids, as part of the special event.

Darchei Noam of Toronto has moved into its new two-story building. For 15 years, the congregation had rented space at the local B’nai Brith headquarters. The official move was celebrated on Jan. 27, when the 300 members of the congregation, led by Rabbi Tina Grimberg, carried the Torah in a procession from their old address to the new synagogue.

Ye’asher koach to Kehillath Shalom of Cold Spring Harbor, NY, for its work with Project H.O.P.E. (Home Ownership Program for Everyone) to provide low-cost loans to buy and rehabilitate one to four family homes in Huntington, Long Island. After three years of planning, demolition, new house plans, and applying for permits, construction was started on an H.O.P.E. house funded in part through congregants’ contributions.

Temple Beth Hatfiloh of Olympia, Wash., has completed its $13.5 million renovation. The building, purchased in 2003, is now 18,000 square feet and includes seismic and accessibility upgrades; and added office, classroom and meeting space. A dedication celebration for the new wing is planned for June 22.

The members of Temple Beth Israel of Eugene, Ore., are not only counting the Omer—they are also counting the days to the dedication of their new building. On June 8, the final day of the Omer, the congregation will joyfully escort its Torah scrolls from their old home on Portland Street to their new synagogue at 29th and University. All are invited to share memories, blessings, and good wishes.

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

Ma Nishma - JRF News

Ma Nishma JRF News for May 2009

May 2009 / Iyar - Sivan 5769 Ma Nishma News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation In This Issue

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS PEARL 2009: Navigating Difficult Times

The 2009 National Tribute to Honor Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat

2009 JRF Omer Study and Action Initiative - April-June 2009/5769

Come to the JRF’s New Online Bookstore – www.jrfbookstore.org!

Special Offers from JRF's Reconstructionist Press

Children’s Siddur Package

Mordecai Kaplan Two-Pack

Kol Haneshamah: Shabbat Vehagim is Back in Stock -- Order Now!

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

JRF West Mini Camp - "Next Generation” Retreat for Reconstructionist Youth

Camp JRF Seeks Talented Staff for Summer 2009

Camp JRF is Available for Your Special Events

Summer Institute for RENA Educators - July 17-19, 2009

Harmoniyah 2nd Biennial Retreat October 29 - November 1, 2009

REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS

Going Out On The Town…With JRF! -- Midwest FUNdraiser 2009

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

Tell us about it! JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation! Contact Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today. www.jrf.org

Ma Nishma JRF News for April 2009

April 2009 / Nisan - Iyar 5769 Ma Nishma News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation In This Issue

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS PEARL 2009: Navigating Difficult Times

The 2009 National Tribute to Honor Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat

Save the Date for the 2010 JRF Biennial Convention!

Come to the JRF’s New Online Bookstore – www.jrfbookstore.org!

Special Offers from JRF's Reconstructionist Press

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

“Next Generation” Retreats for Reconstructionist Youth

News from Camp JRF for Summer 2009

Reconstructionist Teen Weekend! The No’ar Hadash North American Teen Kallah April 17-19

Harmoniyah 2nd Biennial Retreat October 29 - November 1, 2009

REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS JRF New York/New Jersey Region Evening of Celebration and Theatre – Thursday, April 2, 2009

Going Out On The Town…With JRF! -- Midwest FUNdraiser 2009

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

JRF Support of Immigration Reform: Progress by Pesach 2009 Initiative

JRF Supports 2009 JCPA Child Nutrition Seder

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

Ma Nishma JRF News for March 2009

March 2009 / Adar - Nisan 5769 Ma Nishma News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation In This Issue

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS JRF Remembers Cantor Susan Wehle

Register for the JRF Leadership Workshop on Congregational Growth

What’s Up from the Reconstructionist Press

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

News from Camp JRF for Summer 2009

Reconstructionist Teen Weekend! The No’ar Hadash North American Teen Kallah April 17-19

REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS JRF Chesapeake Annual Celebration – Sunday, March 22, 2009

JRF New York/New Jersey Region Evening of Celebration and Theatre – Thursday, April 2, 2009

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

JRF Support of Immigration Reform: Progress by Pesach 2009 Initiative

JRF Supports 2009 JCPA Child Nutrition Seder

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

Tell us about it! JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation! Contact Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

JRF News - Ma Nishma for February 2009

February 2009 / Shevat - Adar 5769 Ma Nishma News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation In This Issue

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS JRF Statement and Resources in Response to Events in the Middle East

JRF to Launch TEL Post B'nai Mitzvah Program in Fall 2009

JRF Leadership Workshop on Congregational Growth

JRF Convention Forum: Rabbi Elliott Tepperman on "Strengthening and Transforming Congregational Life"

What’s Up from the Reconstructionist Press

JRF’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative

News from Camp JRF for Summer 2009

Calling all Reconstructionist Teens: No’ar Hadash Events for 8th-12th Graders

REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS Save the Date! JRF Chesapeake Annual Celebration – Sunday, March 22, 2009

Save the Date! NY/NJ Evening of Celebration and Theatre – Thursday, April 2, 2009

JRF Midwest Region Family Journey to Israel in Summer 2009

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

JRF Supports 2009 JCPA Child Nutrition Seder

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS / KOL HaKAVOD!

Tell us about it! JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation! Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle today.

Ma Nishma - JRF News for January 2009

January 2009 / Tevet - Shevat 5769 Ma Nishma News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

NATIONAL and REGIONAL JRF NEWS Experience the JRF's 42nd Convention - Opening Forum "Tikkun Olam: Maximizing the Reconstructionist Impact"

JRF Welcomes Dan Cedarbaum as Director of Movement Growth Initiatives and Special Projects

Security Resources for JRF Congregations and Havurot

Special Offers from JRF’s Reconstructionist Press

May 2009 / Iyar - Sivan 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

PEARL 2009: Navigating Difficult Times

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

www.jrf.org

April 2009 / Nisan - Iyar 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

PEARL 2009: Navigating Difficult Times

REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS

JRF New York/New Jersey Region Evening of Celebration and Theatre – Thursday, April 2, 2009

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

March 2009 / Adar - Nisan 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

JRF Remembers Cantor Susan Wehle

REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS

JRF Chesapeake Annual Celebration – Sunday, March 22, 2009

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

February 2009 / Shevat - Adar 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

In This Issue

NATIONAL JRF NEWS & EVENTS

JRF Statement and Resources in Response to Events in the Middle East

REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS

Save the Date! JRF Chesapeake Annual Celebration – Sunday, March 22, 2009

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES

Birkat HaHammah - The Blessing of the Sun, April 8, 2009

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle today.

January 2009 / Tevet - Shevat 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

NATIONAL and REGIONAL JRF NEWS

Experience the JRF's 42nd Convention - Opening Forum "Tikkun Olam: Maximizing the Reconstructionist Impact"

NEWS OF INTEREST TO RECONSTRUCTIONISTS

Reconstructionist Leaders Endorse Interfaith Statement and Letter to President-Elect Obama Calling for Urgent U.S. Leadership for Mid-East Peace

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

December 2008 / Kislev - Tevet 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

NATIONAL and REGIONAL JRF NEWS

Reconstructionist Movement Tackles 21st Century Judaism at JRF 42nd Convention

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

November 2008 / Heshvan - Kislev 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

NATIONAL and REGIONAL JRF NEWS

Register NOW for the 42nd JRF Convention
Nov. 13-16, 2008 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel

“Transformative Judaism for the 21st

Century”

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

October 2008 / Tishri - Heshvan 5769

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

NATIONAL and REGIONAL JRF NEWS

Register for the 42nd JRF Convention
Nov. 13-16, 2008 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel

“Transformative Judaism for the 21st Century”

Tell us about it!

JRF wants to hear about news and upcoming events at your congregation!

Contact Communications Director Lisa Tuttle at ltuttle@jrf.org today.

September 2008 / Elul 5768

Ma Nishma
News from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

NATIONAL and REGIONAL JRF NEWS

Register for the 42nd JRF Convention
Nov. 13-16, 2008 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel

“Transformative Judaism for the 21st Century”