Greenwich Reform Synagogue Newsletter
December 14, 2011                              Kislev 18 5772
In This Issue
Calendar
Torah Study
Happy Birthday
Tree of Life
Caring Community News
GRS Staff
Facebook
Join Our List
Shabbat Service
Celebrate Chanukah at GRS
ADL/GRS Guest Speaker
Sisterhood Outing
Sisterhood/Brotherhood Adult Beer Tasting
Family Service/Pot Luck Dinner
Tzedakah
Our Temple Family
Adult Ed
Around the Community
Calendar
calendar

Wednesday, Dec.14

4:15 pm - Hebrew School

 Book Fair

  

Thursday, Dec.15

10:30 am - Sisterhood Outing - Bruce Museum

  

7:30 pm - ADL/GRS Special Guest Speaker 

  

Friday, December 16

6:30 pm - Choir Shabbat Service led by Rabbi Rothman 

  

Saturday, Dec.17

8:00 pm - Brotherhood/ Sisterhood Adult Latke & Beer Tasting

  

Sunday, December 18

9:30 am - Religious School

 

9:30 am - 11:30 am - Adult Ed with Rabbi Rothman

Book Fair 

 

Tuesday, December 20

7:00 pm - Choir Rehearsal

1st Chanukah Candle

 

Wednesday, Dec. 21

4:15 pm - Hebrew School

 

7:30 pm - Board Meeting  

 

Friday, December 23

5:00 pm - Shabbat Service

 

Friday, December 30

5:00 pm - Shabbat Service

 

Dec. 24 - January 1

GRS OFFICES CLOSED


Torah Study
December 17, 2011

Vayeshev

(Genesis 37:1-40:23)

 

The Joseph narrative begins.  After annoying his brothers with his divine premonitions of being their ruler, Joseph is sold by them into slavery.  In a strange interlude, Tamar conceives twin sons by her father-in-law, Judah.  Meanwhile, Joseph prospers in Egypt until he is framed by Potiphar's wife and is thrown in jail.  While incarcerated, he correctly interprets the dreams of Pharoah's cupbearer and baker.  
bday
Happy Birthday to...
Russell Rosenband
Shane Heller
Dan Dobryn
Craig Elkind

 

 

Tree of Life
(Etz Chaim)
Tree of Life
Celebrate the birth of a child, the bar or bat mitzvah of a loved one, the wedding or anniversary of a cherished friend or family member, a graduation or a retirement through a permanent dedication on the GRS Tree of Life!  Click here  for more information and to place an order.
Caring Community News

The GRS Caring Community is underway.  With Ronnie Gurney and Eve Goldberg as co-chairs, committee members will be able to provide assistance to temple members in times of need and to celebrate with them in times of joy. If you know of an ill or hospitalized member, please contact the office at (203) 629-0018.

  

You can help us to help each other.  We encourage the participation of volunteers to keep in touch with our members through telephone calls, visits, by sending cards, etc... If you would like to be a part of this committee please contact Erin Thomas at

 
GRS Staff

Rabbi Andrew R. Sklarz, MA, MSW, RJE

 rabbisklarz@grs.org 

x223

 

Cantor Sabrina Lipton

sabrinalipton@grs.org x226

 

Stephanie Glaser

Executive Director

stephanieglaser@grs.org

x222

 

Lisa Gittelman Udi

Director of Education

lisargudi@grs.org

x227

 

Clarita Agulay

Bookkeeper

clarita@grs.org

x232

 

Erin Thomas

Administrative Assistant

Religious School Coordinator

erin@grs.org

x221

 

Peter Babivskiy

Caretaker


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Greetings!
Choir Shabbat Service
Friday, December 16, 6:30 pm
Please join us for a Choir Shabbat service, led by Rabbi Robert Rothman, Rabbi Emeritus, Community Synagogue of Rye.  The service will be followed by an Oneg Shabbat generously sponsored by Bill and Laura Grad. 
 
Celebrate Chanukah at GRS
 
Chanukah 2011 flyer
 
The Anti-Defamation League & GRS
Present Guest Speaker, Amy-Jill Levine,
Renowned Interfaith Scholar
Thursday, December 15, 7:30 pm
 

Avoiding False Witness: How Jews and

Christians Misunderstand Each Other

     

Amy-Jill Levine is co-editor of the highly acclaimed and best-selling new book The Jewish Annotated New Testament.  The New York Times calls it "an unusual scholarly experiment: an edition of the Christian holy book edited entirely by Jews." In a major feature story, the New York Times wrote, "This volume is thus for anybody interested in a [New Testament] more attuned to Jewish sources." The book is thus relevant for both Jews and Christians - for Jews to better understand the majority religion in America, and for Christians who want to understand about the Jewish background of the New Testament.    A self-described "Yankee Jewish feminist," Professor Levine's books include The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus and The Meaning of the Bible: What the Jewish Scriptures and the Christian Old Testament Can Teach Us.  Her co-editor for The Jewish Annotated New Testament is Marc Z. Brettler, the Dora Golding Professor of Biblical Studies at Brandies University.

 

 

Thursday, December 15, 2011

7:30 P.M.

Book signing to follow

 

Greenwich Reform Synagogue

257 Stanwich Road

Greenwich, CT 06830

 

Please RSVP to Linda at

lperez@adl.org or (203) 288-6500 ext. 302

 

 

Bruce Museum Sisterhood Outing
Thursday, December 15, 10:30 am - 1:00 pm
Bruce Museum logo

Please join the GRS Sisterhood for a delightful day of art, shopping and lunch!  We'll meet at the Bruce Museum at 10:30 for a docent-led tour of the Rembrandt, Impressionism, and jewelry exhibits, with time for some Chanukah shopping at the museum store, followed by lunch at the Boxcar Cantina.
 
Call the GRS office at 203-629-0018 to RSVP.  All are welcome!
 
 
Sisterhood/Brotherhood
Chanukah Adult Beer Tasting Celebration
Saturday, December 17, 8:00 pm
 

beer tastingPlease join the GRS Sisterhood and GRS Brotherhood for a Hanukkah Celebration, which will feature our second annual (NOW IT"S A TRADITION!!!) Beer Tasting. The Beer Tasting, will again be led by George Toper and will include a sampling of several Holiday & Winter Brews. George will again be leading a discussion where he will present fascinating information on each of the beers.

 

In addition, the timing is perfect, so we will be making the event a festive Hanukkah celebration. Latkes will be served. Perhaps there will even be a dreidel or two!!!

 

The event is open to all adults (over age 21) in the GRS Community - members, prospective members, staff, and religious school teachers and adult children.

 

There is no charge for this event, though we will be accepting voluntary contributions for the Serle Mosoff Adult Education Fund.

 

Please RSVP by December 14 to the GRS office (203) 629-0018 or email Erin at erin@grs.org. It's important to RSVP - we wouldn't want to run out of beer (or latkes)!!!

 
Family Shabbat Service & Pot-Luck Dinner
Friday, January 6, 6:30 pm

Potluck DinnerAs the first Shabbat of the month approaches, we would like to invite you to a Family Shabbat Service, followed by a pot-luck dinner.

If you would like to stay for dinner, please RSVP to Louise Salzer at salzerhouse@aol.com.

January birthdays will be called to the bimah for a special blessing.  
Tzedakah
Thank you for your generosity...

A special thank you to Stacy Gerber and Michael Dillinger of Total Party Concepts for donating beautiful balloons at last week's Chanukah dinner!

 

Building Fund

  • Bill & Laura Grad, in memory of Mel Slade 

Center for Young Families

  • Andrew & Karen Kahn
  • Natalia Rudkovskaya

Circle of Giving

  • Helen & Robert Stark
  • Gail Tomberg 

General Fund

  • Mickey Friedman, in honor of Rabbi Sklarz performing the wedding ceremony of Donna Pearlman & Mitch Manson 

Music Fund

  • Bill & Linda Young in memory of Mel Slade

Rabbi's Discretionary Fund

  • Dan Friedberg  

Serle Mosoff Adult Ed & Memorial Fund

  • Bill & Laura Grad

 

 

A contribution to GRS is a wonderful way to celebrate joyous events and commemorate meaningful occasions.  If you would like to make a contribution, please send your check to GRS, 257 Stanwich Rd., Greenwich, CT 06830.  For details on the giving opportunities available, please call the GRS office. 

 
Our Temple Family
Please welcome our newest members, Leila Buehler and her daughters, Hannah, Sara and Rebecca, of Cos Cob.
 
Adult Ed
Hebrew 101 - Thursday evenings  at 7:45 beginning Thursday, October 20 with Rabbi Andrew R. Sklarz, MSW.  An introduction to the Hebrew alphabet.  Students will develop the skills for reading prayer and the fundamentals of reading and writing modern Hebrew.  This course or equivalent background is required for those seeking conversion or Adult B'nai Mitzvah.  Temple members ($36) and non-members ($50) are welcome.  For registration and additional information, please contact Erin Thomas, erin@grs.org. 

 

Advanced Beginners Hebrew - Sunday mornings at 9:30 beginning Sunday, October 16 with Rabbi Andrew R. Sklarz, MSW.  Temple members and non-members welcome!  Members $36, non-members $50.  Please register by contacting Erin Thomas, erin@grs.org, so materials can be ordered prior to the program beginning.

 

Comparative Judaism with Rabbi Robert Rothman, Sunday mornings at 10:30 beginning Sunday, October 16.  Have you ever been confused about the different approaches to Judaism? In this course, we explore, compare and contrast the ideology and practices of the Orthodox, Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movements.

 

Around the Community

The Yeshiva Maccabeats 

Light up the second night of Chanukah, Wednesday, Dec. 21, at Community Synagogue of Rye for a Pizza & Latke Dinner (5:45-6:30pm) and The Yeshiva Maccabeats Concert  

(6:30-7:30pm). Dinner, $9/person, Concert tickets, $20/adult, $10/child (5-13 yrs.), free for kids under 5 years old. To  

purchase tickets go to www.csrmaccabeatsconcert.com 

   

UJA Federation of Greenwich is offering the following program:

A LOOK AT WHAT JEWISH WISDOM SAYS ABOUT WHEN IT'S

OK TO GET ANGRY AND WHEN IT'S NOT

December 13 @ 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Hyatt Regency,  

Greenwich, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. Admission: please bring  

a donation of a can of tuna fish or peanut butter for the  

JFS Kosher Food Pantry. For more information or to RSVP, call 203-552-1818, or email Alice@ujafedgreenwich.org  


JCC Greenwich is offering the following programs (For more information on any of the following, please visit
jccgreenwich.org):

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Times
Monday, March 12, 10:45 am -12:30 pm
Discovery Times Square, 226 W 44th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues) Time travel back to ancient Israel in this exhibit featuring the famed Dead Sea Scrolls and a stone from the Western Wall of the Second Temple, among some 500 never-before-seen artifacts from biblical times. In our wanderings, we'll experience the traditions, beliefs and iconic objects on display that impact world religions today. Co-sponsors: Greenwich Reform Synagogue, Chabad of Greenwich, Congregation Shir Ami and Temple Sholom.
$25. Limited space; RSVP required, at jccgreenwich.org 
or by sending check to JCC Greenwich, One Holly Hill Lane, Greenwich, CT 06830. (203) 552-1818.
 
JCC Greenwich
Basketball League

December 11 (3 - 4pm/4 - 5pm depending on age) @ Carmel Academy, 270 Lake Avenue, Greenwich. Open to all boys & girls, grades 1-8. Every registered player receives a FREE jersey and an award! No prior basketball experience is required.

The Paper Bag Players Presents: Amazing Amy

January 8 @ 1:00 PM - 2:30 PMFrom the creative team  

People magazine calls "unquestionably the leading U.S. Theater Company for kids" comes a musical extravaganza about  

Amazing Amy, a regular school girl who happens to be a  

super-hero. Five decades into thrilling young audiences with  

paper bag props, they'll have your 3-9-yr-olds giggling, oohing  

and roaring for more. Light lunch will be served.  

 
Night of Fun at the Bruce Museum

January 26 @ 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM. Sushi, Martinis, & Comedy

Laugh, Eat & Schmooze at this sophisticated night of fun!
Cover: $80 per person (also sponsored by UJA Federation of Greenwich).
 

  

Jewish Family Services of Greenwich is offering the following programs, support groups and volunteer opportunities (For  

more information or to register for any of the following, please  

visit www.jfsgreenwich.org or call 203-622-1881):  

 
JFS Programs

Ethics and Values of Jewish Celebrations

Interfaith Conversations 

Book Beat: A Woman's Night Out  

MEET & MINGLE: The Network for Jewish Singes (55+) 

Rosh Hodesh: It's a Girl Thing

A Moviegoer's Series  

 

JFS Counseling and Support Groups:
(Day and evening appointments; insurance and Medicare reimbursable; sliding scale fees. All support groups take place at JFS, $10 per session.  Counseling services are $150 per session.)

 

Broken Families, Broken Hearts 

Caregiver Support Group  Divorce Support Group  

Children (Grades 4-6) of Divorce Support Group  

Children of Divorce (Grades 7-9) Support Group    

Bereavement Support Group

 

JFS Volunteer Opportunities
Bikkur Cholim/Friendly Visitors/Grocery Shopper    
Greenwich Reform Synagogue
257 Stanwich Road
Greenwich, CT  06830
203-629-0018
203-629-0613 - fax

www.grs.org

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