Calendar
| |
Wednesday, May 16
4:15 pm - Hebrew School
Thursday, May 17
7:45 pm - Hebrew 101
Friday, May 17
6:30 pm - Shabbat Service
April/May Anniversaries
House Band
Saturday, May 18
10:00 am - Cynthia Crispino Bat Mitzvah
Sunday, May 20
9:30 am - Hebrew 102
9:30 am - Religious School (last day)
MITZVAH DAY
Tuesday, May 22
7:00 pm - Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, May 24
7:45 pm - Hebrew 101
7:30 pm - Board Meeting
Friday, May 25
6:30 pm - Shavuot Shabbat Service
Monday, May 28
GRS OFFICES CLOSED IN OBSERVATION OF MEMORIAL DAY
Friday, June 1
6:30 pm - Shavuot/ Confirmation Shabbat Service
B'nai Shir
Friday, June 8
6:30 pm - Family Shabbat Service/Pot Luck Dinner
June Birthday Blessings
Saturday, June 9
10:00 am - Alexandra Reice Bat Mitzvah
Friday, June 15
6:30 pm - Shabbat Service
House Band
Saturday, June 16
10:00 am - Sylvia Probst Bat Mitzvah
Friday, June 22
6:30 pm - Choir Shabbat Service
June Anniversaries
Saturday, June 23
10:00 am - Andrew Liebers Bar Mitzvah
Monday, June 25
7:00 pm - Knit & Knosh - home of Ronnie Gurney
Wednesday, June 27
7:30 pm - Annual Meeting
Friday, June 29
6:30 pm - Shabbat Service
Saturday, June 30
10:00 am - Jonathan Rubins Bar Mitzvah
|
Torah Portion
May 19, 2012
| Behar-Bechukotai
(Leviticus 25:1-27:34)
Issues of the Sabbatical year dominate the portion. Also, God instructs Moses on the importance of helping the impoverished in the community. The Bechukotai portion is divided into two sections. First, God informs Moses about the rewards the Israelite people will receive if they follow God's commandments. Then, God relays the punishments the Israelite people will receive if they do not follow the laws. Leviticus concludes with the concept of Redemption.
|
Happy Birthday to...
| Elena Dobryn
Jonathan Perloe
Paige Birnbaum
Richard Franck
Stuart Wallenstein
Alessandra Cooper
Hannah Buehler
Isa Goldberg
|
Tree of Life
(Etz Chaim)
| 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
|
Ronnie Gurney and Eve Goldberg are co-chairs of this committee. 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 erin@grs.org.
|
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
|
| Facebook |  |
| Join Our List |  |
|
|
|
Choir Shabbat Service
Friday, May 18, 6:30 pm
|
| Please join us for a Choir Shabbat service, featuring the GRS House Band, followed by an Oneg Shabbat generously sponsored by the Crispino/Mittelman family in honor of Cynthia becoming a Bat Mitzvah.
April & May anniversaries will be given a special blessing and a champagne toast.
|
|
Give A Ride, Need A Ride
|
|  Are you in need of a ride to services? Or, would you be willing to give someone a ride to services? If your answer to one of these questions is 'YES', please contact Erin Thomas at 203-629-0018 or erin@grs.org. |
|
A Message from Rabbi Sklarz
|
|
End of Religious School 2011-2012
Dear Friends,
This week brings our 2011-2012 Religious and Hebrew School programs to a close. As with the end of each school year, I am feeling a host of bittersweet emotions; delight with all that has taken place and sadness as special friends prepare to leave GRS.
This year we will say L'hitra'ot - Au Revoir to some very dear friends, including TYGRS President Emma Freeman, our graduating seniors, and sh'lichim or emissaries, Aviram Spies and Liron Yamin. We will also say Shalom to a woman who has worn a great many hats in GRS during the past three years as 6th grade teacher, TYGRS Advisor, Hebrew School Coordinator and Assistant to Executive Director, Stephanie Glaser and myself, our beloved Erin Thomas.
We wish Erin only much happiness as she moves to New York to work at Central Synagogue and in her engagement to Chris Bouchard.
We are filled with joy with all that our dear friends have accomplished and brought to GRS and extend a hearty Mazal Tov as they embark upon the next chapters in their lives. Most of all, we need to rejoice over a wonderful year for our students, teachers and religious school aides, marked by learning, meaningful experiences, and of course, a great deal of fun. I personally thank each and every one of you for all you have shared with our GRS family.
Our school year will culminate with a day of mitzvot and celebration. From 9:30-10:45am parents are invited to join their children for Mitzvah Day, and at 10:45am, we will have an end-of-year assembly in which we will formally honor our teachers, school aides, and emissaries. The morning will conclude with a lunch for all catered by Whole Foods.
I look forward to celebrating with all!
Rabbi Andy
Rabbi Andrew R. Sklarz, MA, MSW, RJE
|
|
Important Update on the GRS
Future Building Plans
| | |
We are delighted to inform you that the contract with the Stanwich School has been signed, and all is on track for the closing on June 1, 2012. Our search teams are in full swing, both to find temporary and permanent locations for our synagogue, religious school, and the future GRS preschool. A number of options are under investigation, and although it's premature to share any details, it looks very promising. We don't want to miss any possibilities, so if you have any suggestions for a temporary space, please contact Helen Stark at 203-622-1732 or stark110@optonline.net; if you have any recommendations for purchase options, please contact Sandy Soule at 203-637-7642 or sandy.soule@gmail.com.
|
|
Tzedakah
| | |
Thank you for your generosity...
Circle of Giving
- Rabbi Andrew & Susan Sklarz, in honor of Daniella receiving the Dartmouth Book Award at Greenwich High School
Tree of Life
- JoAnn Messina, Cheryl & Curtis Probst, Jodi Rubins, and Kevin & Marcia Winpisinger, in honor of the 2012 Confirmation Class
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. |
Mitzvah Day
Sunday, May 20, 2012, 9:30 am
| |  |
|
B'nai Mitzvah Profile - Cynthia Crispino
Saturday, May 19, 2012
| | |
Cynthia Crispino, the daughter of Jan and Paul Crispino, attends Central Middle School and is in seventh grade. Her sister Jacqueline is 15 years old. Due to her interest in shopping, Cynthia chose shopping for seniors as her Mitzvah Project. She is always eager and buoyant when she steps into the supermarket every other week to buy the items on the list. Along with this, she volunteered at the Perrot Library for a "PJ Library" program, which she also enjoyed. She aspires to become a doctor when she is older. This is driven by her interest in both science and math. Cynthia especially has a passion for cooking. Other activities she enjoys include fashion, design, and reading. She also likes to travel and has been to many different places including Italy, Israel and The Netherlands. She plans to go to Greece and Spain this summer. A few of her proudest achievements are getting into advanced math in school and becoming a Bat Mitzvah.
|
|
Family Service & Pot Luck Dinner
Friday, June 8, 2012
| | |
Please join us for Family Shabbat Service, followed by a pot luck dinner and an Oneg Shabbat.
If you would like to stay for dinner, please RSVP to Louise Salzer at salzerhouse@aol.com.
June birthdays will be called to the bimah for a special blessing.
|
| Calling All Mah Jong Players! | | |
Wendy Moldovan-Wilensky and friends are organizing a Ladies Mah Jong players group. If you are interested in joining, please email her at wendy.e.moldovan@gmail.com to let her know of your availability (weekdays/ days/evenings) and whether you are an experienced or beginner player. They hope to play once a week on a regular basis. Meetings will be at her home or where ever there is a volunteered home. Please feel free to join them! They are starting this week for their first meeting.
|
|
Save the Date: Thursday, June 21, 7:00 pm
Interfaith Young Israeli Concert
|
|
Greenwich Reform Synagogue, The Sholom Center, JCC Greenwich, Congregation Shir Ami & the Greenwich Fellowship of Clergy are co-sponsoring an interfaith concert featuring young Israeli (Arab and Jewish) musicians in Greenwich, on behalf of the Polyphony Foundation.
The concert will take place at First Presbyterian Church at 7PM, followed by a reception at approximately 8:15PM.
This event is FREE and RSVP is required!
Polyphony's mission is to "build a strong and culturally diverse civil society by exposing Arab and Jewish youth living in Israel and in their communities to classical music and by inviting them to participate in music education and training. Polyphony's groundbreaking work has been recognized internationally, and it recently received the prestigious Yoko Ono Lennon Courage Award for the Arts."
|
|
Adult Ed
| |
Hebrew 101 - Thursday evenings at 7:45 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 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. 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
| |
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 Support Groups: (All groups $10 per session)
- Broken Families, Broken Hearts: Co-facilitated by Rabbi Andrew Sklarz, Greenwich Reform Synagogue, 6 Thursdays beginning 3/29, 11-12pm.
- Mother and Me: A Discussion Group for Adults: No matter what you do - you just can't get along with your mother? You try to be understanding and patient but something just goes off in your head and you can't control your emotions. Come share your experiences, explore what triggers your reactions, and learn how to deal with it. Tuesdays, 12:30-1:30pm beginning April 3
- Adult Divorce: Wednesdays, 5:30-6:45pm
- Children (Grades 4-6) of Divorce: Weds., 4:30-5:45pm
- Children (Grades 7-9) of Divorce: Tues., 4:30-5:45pm
- Bereavement: Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30am
JFS individual adult, teen, child and family Counseling:
$150 per session, Sliding scales always apply
JFS Volunteer OpportunitiesBikkur Cholim/Friendly Visitors/Grocery Shopper
|
|
|
