In This Issue
Donate to Haiti
Artist as Scholar Series Conference Call
Iran's Nuclear Threat
Green Speak
USCJ Web Hosting System
AIPAC Policy Conference
Tu Bishevat Ideas
Mikveh Conference
METNY has moved
SAVE THE DATE

METNY Synagogue Leadership Conference

 

Wednesday, March 17

 6pm 


Israel Center of
Conservative Judaism (ICCJ)
Fresh Meadows, NY 

 

More information to follow.

Follow METNY on the Web!
 
 
Twitter
@CharlieSavenor
 
Become a fan of
METNY USCJ on Facebook! 
Publicize your event on the METNY Community Calendar. Please email

Jordana Bickel at

[email protected] to have your event posted.
Click here to view the calendar.

 Assisting Haiti
 
There are many efforts in the US to aid victims of the terrible earthquake in Haiti.  United Synagogue has a Disaster Relief Fund set up for those who wish to help earthquake victims. The URL for on-line donations is: www.uscj.org/donate/relief.  
 
There are no Reform or Conservative synagogues in Haiti, nor is there any Chabad presence.  The JDC reports that there are 7 Jews in Haiti and they have all been accounted for. 
 
Websites/Phone Numbers for Additional Information:
 
  • number for state department 1-888-407-4747looking for assistance to find relatives
  • whitehouse.gov (lead banner on front page) has links to Center for International Disaster Information, USAID and InterAction
  • Interaction Website:  http://www.interaction.org/crisis-list/earthquake-haiti, InterAction is the largest coalition of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focused on the world's poor and most vulnerable people.
  • Center for International Disaster Information: www.cidi.org or 703-276-1914- if you have donations, go to this website
  • American Jewish World Service at www.ajws.org
 
Finally, to donate towards relief efforts, you can text "HAITI" to "90999" and $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross. This will be charged to your cell phone bill.
 
 
 

Artist as Scholar Series: A New Lunchtime Torah Talk (Conference Call)

 

METNY USCJ is excited to provide you with a new lens through which to study Torah.  On Tuesday, January 19th, we will be hosting an interactive conference call from 1-1:30pm. During the phone call author Miki Raver will present "Listen to Her Voice: Listening to the Inner Voices of the Women in the Torah."

Shabbat Shirah, which will be celebrated on January 30th, features in the Torah portion and Haftarah voices of prominent Jewish women.  In Parshat Beshallach, Miriam takes a timbrel in hand and leads the women in song and dance.  In the Haftarah, the Judge Deborah leads the Jewish people to victory. The Songs of Miriam and Deborah celebrate divine salvation for Israel.

Miki will offer a D'var Torah connected to these special biblical moments and reflect upon the spiritual importance of women in the Tanakh. Miki will then lead us in a meditation, and then we will conclude with questions and an exchange of ideas.

To be part of this exciting 30 minute learning opportunity, please RSVP to [email protected].  You will then receive a conference call number.

In order to maximize this learning opportunity, we recommend that you review Exodus, Chapter 15, and Judges, Chapter 5.

If you have questions to pose to Miki Raver please email Rabbi Paulette Posner, METNY's Director of Education, at [email protected]

We look forward to sharing words of Torah.  This Torah Talk is presented by METNY - USCJ and is available to all.  Feel free to publicize!
 
Miki Raver was born in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Theatre Arts.  Listen To Her Voice , Women of the Hebrew Bible was published by Chronicle Books in 1998.  Miki currently leads Listen to Her Voice Women's Circles, a one-day workshop connecting women with the foremothers and the Divine Feminine.  Learn more about our artist as scholar at http://listentohervoice.com/

 

We are all very much aware of the threat that a nuclear Iran poses to the world and the importance of publicizing our opposition to Iran's nuclear aspirations. Those attending USCJ's recent biennial heard both Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren and Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice president of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, speak of the dangers of a nuclear Iran. We were asked to mobilize as a community and do whatever we can to help prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, in partnership with the Israeli Consulate, is offering its member congregations a special opportunity to purchase large vinyl "NO NUKES FOR IRAN" banners that are 3 feet by 6 feet in size and suitable for displaying outdoors or indoors.  To order and view the banner go to:   
http://www.nonukesforiran.org/products/.
   The first 100 USCJ congregations that order the banners using our promotional code "uscj-banner" will pay a subsidized price of only $36 per banner. The regular price is $80 per banner.   

 

To order the banner, click the blue "Add to Cart" icon under banners and posters      A "View Cart" box will appear in the upper right hand corner of your screen (make sure you enter the number of banners you wish to order).  Click the blue checkout icon to continue and enter the credit card information.  When done, click "agree and continue", and on the next page on the left side under additional options, where it says "Use a coupon", enter uscj-banner (make sure you enter a dash between uscj and banner) and then click onto the apply box. 

 

Please make note of this special opportunity provided by United Synagogue to our member congregations and order your banner early to avail your congregation of the discount.

 

We encourage you to display the "No Nukes for Iran Banner" in a highly visible location to send a powerful message across your community and beyond. "No Nukes for Iran " magnets may also be ordered on this site.

 

Please contact Faye Gingold [email protected] if you have any questions.

 

 

                                           

 

Green Speak: Communicating Your Green Efforts Successfully

 

For greening task force leaders and marketing and communications professionals.

 

"Wow! I'm impressed." That's the response you want to hear from your clients, staff, and donors when they hear about your commitment to purchasing environmentally friendly products, reducing waste, increasing energy efficiency, or educating your participants about sustainability. Your motivation for going green may be the health and safety of your clients, meeting the expectations of donors, instilling pride in your staff, or simply aligning your agency's business practices with its values. Whatever your reason for going green, you will get the most benefit from your efforts if you can tell a compelling story about it. At this seminar, you will learn how to effectively communicate your agency's efforts and achievements and reap the rewards of your investment in going green.

 

At our seminar you will learn:

         How to get clients, staff, and donors on board and eager to be headed in an exciting new direction

         How to identify the different audiences that need to understand your "going green" initiative, and how to effectively and powerfully communicate it to each of them

        The key messages you need to convey - Where and how to place your green messages to assure that you deliver them in eco-friendly ways

         How to market green without using precious greenbacks

 

Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2010, 8:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. (please note correct time)

 

A light breakfast will be served from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m., and the program begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.

Cost: Free. To register now, go to www.ujafedny.org/greenefforts.

 

Instructor: Gail Hyman provides marketing counsel to Jewish organizations working toward the fulfillment of their green agendas. She has assisted COEJL in its work to create sustainable Jewish communities. Prior to launching her consulting practice dedicated to helping nonprofits energize their communication efforts with new media tools and approaches, Gail served as the chief marketing and communications officer at United Jewish Communities and at UJA-Federation of New York. She authored Judaism 2.0: Identity, Philanthropy and the New Media, and she posts a weekly marketing blog on eJewish Philanthropy.

Workshop Location: UJA-Federation of New York, 130 East 59th Street (between Park and Lexington avenues), New York City

 

Already registered: American Jewish Committee, Beth Abraham Health Services, B'nai Jeshurun, BJE-SAJES/Nassau Queens Ctr., Congregation Or Zarua, Council of Jewish Organizations of Flatbush, Eden Village Camp, Educational Alliance, Foundation for Jewish Camp, JCC of Staten Island/Main, JCH of Bensonhurst, Jewish National Fund, Ramapo for Children, Richard G. Rosenthal Jewish Community Center, Riverdale YM-YWHA, Sephardic Community Center, Sid Jacobson JCC, Surprise Lake Camp, Temple Israel of Great Neck, Temple Israel/Manhattan., Teva Learning Center, UJA-Federation of New York

 

  

                                   USCJ's WEB HOSTING SYSTEM (uscjhost.net)

 

Our FREE advanced Internet hosting platform is available to affiliated congregations and day schools.

 

Each USCJ affiliated synagogue or day school is entitled to its own web hosting account with a control panel (web interface). This web hosting account will be a part of USCJ's shared web hosting system which will allow the webmaster to receive direct support from USCJ and its internet service partners. The organizational web hosting account can be created when the president or executive director sends his or her approval to USCJ. An e-mail message confirming the account setup informati on will be sent to the person indicated as the point of contact. It takes just a few minutes to setup the account.

 

For more information on creating a web hosting account send email to webmaster@uscj.org
 
                                                 
 

To sign up for the upcoming AIPAC Policy Conference click here. Please contact Gaye Freese

Associate Director of National Events at 202-639-5223 or [email protected].

 

 

Want to host your own Tu Bishvat Seder?

You can download the Hazon Tu Bishvat Seder manual. The manual provides instructions, guidelines and tips on running your own seder.

You can download a draft copy of Hazon's Tu Bishvat Seder Haggadah. The document has been formatted to print to a double sided folded booklet.

                         

The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism is co-sponsoring the international Mikveh Conference, "Gathering the Waters" to be held in Boston, October 10-12, 2010. We encourage you to attend this exciting event.

Mayyim Hayyim Community Mikveh and Education Center is hosting the conference, which will provide an in-depth exploration of the contemporary mikveh in theory and practice. Internationally renowned scholars, clergy, and educators will teach about immersion as a powerful tool for spiritual renewal, marking life transitions, and observing mitzvot.  

Panels and workshops will provide skill development in the following areas:

  • Honoring Conversion and Affirmation
  • Exploring Contemporary Understanding of Niddah (Monthly Immersion)
  • Marking Life Transitions with Ritual Immersion
  • Facilitating Mikveh Guide (Attendant) Training
  • Teaching About Mikveh for Students of All Ages
  • Creating or Enhancing a Mikveh in Your Community

Get more information at: http://www.mayyimhayyim.org/Resources/Conference-2010 or contact Amy Chartock, National Programs Director at [email protected] or 617-244-1836 x 203.

 

METNY USCJ has Moved!

Our new address is 820 2nd Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10017

METNY's contact information is will remain the same -
Phone - 212-533-0800
Fax - 212-533-0400
 
We look forward to hearing from you!