Looking Ahead
Here are a few upcoming events you might consider
participating in:
Fundraiser for Gershman Y, Saturday Evening,
April 8, 2006. Arlo Guthrie in performance. Tickets
$35 - $50 Reception before concert, $150
Community Passover Seder, April 13th.,
Reservations A Must. Reservation information is in the
mail or available via
this link.
Bagels and Books
April 30.
Race for the Cure May 14
For more information call our voice mail
215-629-1995
Homeless and Hungry, a poem
He posts himself at
the front of the store
and holds a sign
Homeless and hungry
please help
I talk to him
put some money in the cup
(for coffee)
and tell him
"I wish you the best"
"Thanks man"
from his mouth
is my receipt
Sometimes he wears a beard
Sometimes an army cap
When did he go in?
Viet Nam?
Persian Gulf?
Or somewhere in between?
I had my times
when I thought I would
lose my job
and my home
and my mind
that guy with the sign
in front of the store
could have been me
He is me.
--John Mason
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An Invitation to Learn Hebrew
Have you ever sat in a Jewish prayer service and felt a
little left out because you don’t know what the
Hebrew words mean? Most congregants don’t
understand every word and yet many find comfort and
value in listening to the beauty of the Hebrew
language. But wouldn’t it be great to crack the code
and go deeper into the prayers?
Leyv Ha-Ir~Heart of the City invites you to join in a
Hebrew learning adventure. The course of study will
involve goal setting, independent work, support from a
learning partner and from the Rabbi and step by step
success. The first goal is for students to learn the
aleph-bet, the Hebrew alphabet. There are 22
consonants plus some vowels. No need to worry about
uppercase and lowercase because Hebrew only has
one case.
Each student receives a programmed text book. It
teaches a lesson, gives you exercises and then gives
you the answer. This way you don’t have to shlep out
to a class on a weekend or at night. You can do your
learning in whatever place and at whatever time works
best for you. There’s no pressure – this is about
learning in a way that works for you. You will have
regular check-ins with your learning partner and with
the Rabbi. There is no charge for this adventure in
learning.
So far, fifteen students are participating. If you are
interested, now is the time to start. Our first goal is to
have mastered the aleph-bet by the High Holy Days.
More advanced students are encouraged to join a
center city Gratz class one evening a week. Please
give me a call at 215-843-9592 if you’d like support for
lifelong Jewish learning.
Rabbi Julie Greenberg
Leyv Ha-Ir ~ Heart of the
City
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March 2006 Activities |
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Some of the events listed below have
flyers with more detaied information about each
activity. You can view these fliers as .pdf
files and print them. The events with associated flyers
are underlined with clickable hyperlinks to the
associated flyers.
Wednesday, March 1 Council Meeting,
Michael
Ethical Society, 7:00 PM
Friday, March 3
Shabbat Services,
Rabbi Julie
Ethical Society, 7:30 AM
Saturday, March 4 Shabbat Services,
Lay-led
Ethical Society, 10:00 AM
Tuesday, March
7 Ma'ariv Meditation,
Rabbi Myriam
Ethical Society, 7:00 PM
Monday, March
13 Purim,
Rabbi Julie
Ethical Society, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, March 15
Prayer Class, Iris N.
Ethical Society, 7:00 PM
Saturday, March 18 Shabbat Services,
Lay-led
Ethical Society, 10:00 AM
Wednesday, March
22 Passover
Sing-along
Rabbi Julie
Ethical Society, 7:30 PM
Saturday, March 25 Shabbat Services,
Lay-led
10:00 AM
Saturday, March 25 JRF Mid-Atlantic
Region Evening of Celebration
Honoring Sibyl Cohen
Mishkan Shalom, 7:30 PM
Price $90 per person, or discounted price of $810
for a table of 10 people. Contact Evy for discounted
reservations.
Sunday, March
26 Rosh Hodesh
Home, 4:00 PM Joan Goldberg
As part of the Kehillah of Center City we
are invited to attend all of the events that are
sponsored by the Kehillah and our larger community.
To learn more about Super Sunday now rescheduled
for March 12th; the Night of Jewish Learning:
Shabbat, March 2nd; Jewish Relief Agency (JRA)
program; Challah Delivery Program; and more, Check
out the link to Center City Kehillah.
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Click here for a complete look at activities for the next two months... |
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Celebrate with Us: "Sing-along Songs for Seder" evening |
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Cantor Jack Kessler (well known musician, singer,
and teacher) will entertain and teach us new and old
songs that we can bring to our Seders. Our Rabbi Julie
Greenberg will talk with us on "Spritual Preparations for
Passover" as well as provide an opportunity for
consultation with her on finding or making a meaningful
Seder.
Wednesday, March 22, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Ethical Society Building, 1906 S. Rittenhouse Squeare,
This event is being made possible by a grant from
the Kehillah of Center City, a project of the Jewish
Federation of Greater Philadelphia in cooperation with
the Jewish Outreach Partnership
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Retreat 2006: Another Winner! by Joanne Perilstein |
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Ten years ago we began, with some fear and
trembling, and excitement to go off to the shore in
February to Ocean City to laugh learn, pray and enjoy
each other’s company. Each year has a theme and
this year it was: Life’s Journey: Lessons Learned.
Saturday afternoon our perennial workshop leader, Iris
Cutler led a program in which many of us recalled and
discussed lives and the lessons we have learned.
Although Iris thought she would need to present a
guided meditation to spur our memories and prompt
discussion, we were comfortable and willing to discuss
our lives without need of any prompting. We learned
more about ourselves and each other. As usual,
Beverly Hayden and her committee did a fine job of
planning, executing and hopefully enjoying the
weekend. Festivities began with dinner on Friday
evening after most of us had checked in. There was
delicious vegetarian food topped off by a tasty
dessert. Food has rarely been missing at our retreats.
Following the dinner, services were led by Iris
Newman. Later on, we viewed the documentary
starring none other than our Karen Zeitz. A longer
movie entitled "Paper Clips", was presented, which
described the efforts of a small town in Tennessee to
recall the six million Jews lost in the Holocaust; it
moved all who viewed it. Saturday morning Rabbi Julie
led the service which included study of the text. After
dinner we had a comedy night that was enjoyed by all
in attendance. Sunday morning we had a special
workshop on creating scrap books. As usual we had a
farewell ceremony in the sand facing the ocean.
Evy Simon was placed in charge of complaints. My
prime complaint: The time passed much, much too
quickly! Lesson Learned: Leyv Ha-Ir presents
enjoyable, enriching retreats! Just ask our first
timer, new member Myra Caplan!
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Random Acts of Loving Kindness to Perform for Leyv Ha-Ir by Karen Zeitz, Past President |
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Try one a week, month or year:
- Call a new member and introduce yourself.
- Invite a new or "old" member out to coffee, tea or
Shabbos dinner.
- Set up or clean up, even if it is someone else’s
"job".
- Call an old member you haven’t seen in a
while.
- Sit next to someone you don’t know at a service
or event.
- Be in the "Purim-spiel".
- Come to Council at least once a year (meetings
are the first Wednesday of each month).
- Write an article for our monthly eNewsletter.
- Bring flowers to services, just because it will add
beauty.
- Invite a friend (or 2 or 3) to a service or
event.
- Celebrate your birthday or special event by
providing an Oneg at Friday/Saturday service.
- If you’ve never been to a Saturday lay-led
service, or Spirituality Group or Rosh Chodesh, try
one.
- Get on a committee for the Retreat, Tu B’shevat,
Passover--pick your favorite.
- Hug the President!!!
- Discover where your passion/expertise intersects
with the needs of LHI’s community,
and perform that service, especially if it means
creating something new.**
"The only ones among you who will be really
happy
are those
who will have sought and found how to serve." **
ALBERT SCHWEITZER
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