Looking Ahead
Here are a few upcoming events you might consider
participating in:
Shavuot Shabbat Service
Friday, June 2, 7:30 PM
Bagels and Books Sunday, June 11, 11:00
AM
For more information call our voice mail or visit
http://www.leyvhair.org
215-629-1995
Join Rabbi Julie and the Leyv Ha-Ir Tikkun Olam
Committee at the Philadelphia Interfaith Walk
for Peace and Reconciliation
Sunday, June 4, 12:30 p.m, starting at the Al-Aqsa
Mosque - 1501 Germantown Avenue. For more
information,
contact: 215-854-8038.
The Empty Synagogue
He plays to the empty synagogue
Lamenting the loss of its people
He plays to all the empty places
Where thousands had been before
(May 4, 1998 -- On watching Itzak Perlman [in the
video "In the Fiddler’s House"] playing the violin to an
empty synagogue in Cracow, Poland, whose members
had been murdered in the Shoah)
A sparrow left its perch
From the storm-struck tree
Then on my window sill
Sang its solo
For or from
These missing souls
I’ll never know
(April 7, 2006 -- While
watching the video again as a little sparrow came and
sat on my window sill
while Itzak and a pianist were playing in an empty
synagogue in Cracow)
-- Maria Mackey
Newsletter Design:
Ilene
Hass Creative Solutions for Business
Marketing
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My dear friends,
Being President of Leyv Ha-Ir is still such a new
experience for me with new challenges. During this
past month of events, rituals and services, I have
been very proud of our accomplishments as a
congregation. I have also noticed a recurring problem
in our community. People say and do things which
offend other people, and which do not reflect the
views of our community. These comments and
actions reflect very badly on our community and deter
possible new members from returning to our
community. I am assuring stakeholders in our
community that I have either asked representatives of
the congregation to address these comments or I have
done so myself. I think it is important to confront
negative speech in a productive way that does not
bring shame on the speaker. Still, our congregational
voice must be a positive one. I ask each member to
respectfully confront speech which is contrary to our
mission. In this spirit, I will dedicate a small part of
our annual meeting to discuss what our congregational
voice is, and how we preserve it.
On an equally important, although lighter, note, did
you know that you can use this or any other month's
e-newsletter as a marketing tool to help us attract
new members? When you open your copy, at the
almost very bottom left hand side is a blue link that
says "forward e-mail". Just click on that link and enter
the names and email addresses of anyone you think
would be interested in our community. You can enter
a comment such as "Please check us out. I think you
may like what we have to offer" or anything of your
choosing. Then click on the "submit" button. It's that
easy.
Thank you,
Michael Meketon, President
Leyv Ha-Ir ~ Heart of the City
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May 2006 Activities |
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Some of the events listed below have
flyers with more detailed 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.
May 3 WED
LHI Council Meeting
Ethical Society, 7:00 PM
Michael
May 6 SAT
Shabbat Services
Ethical Society, 10:00 AM
Lay led
May 7 SUN
Jewish Relief Agency
9:00 AM
Sibyl
May 12 FRI
Kabbalat Shabbat Services
Ethical Society, 7:30 PM
Rabbi Julie
May 14 SUN
Race for the Cure
Parkway, 8:30 AM
Susan Berger
May 17 WED
Prayer Class
Ethical Society, 7:00 PM
Rabbi Julie
May 20 SAT
Shabbat Services
Ethical Society, 10:00 AM
Lay led
May 21 SUN
LHI Annual Meeting
Penn Center House, 10:30 AM
May 24 WED
Prayer Class
Iris N.'s home, 7:00 PM
Iris N.
May 27 SAT
Shabbat Services
Ethical Society, 10:00 AM
Lay led
May 29 MON
Memorial Day
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 these events 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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Congregation Leyv Ha-Ir is sponsoring JRA on Sunday May 7 |
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Join the Kehillah of Center City and the Jewish Relief
Agency(JRA) to help feed those in need in our Center
City community! The JRA provides food once a month
to community members in need. The Kehillah of Center
City is partnering with JRA to provide a way for
residents of Center City to participate. Whether
you have a car or not, the community has organized a
way for you to: - Meet other Center City
folks;
- Learn about the history of and how to
prepare for this mitzvah with JRA co-founder, Rabbi
Menachem Schmidt;
- Help pack and deliver
food to our Center City residents;
All
ages are welcome to volunteer with us.
Time: 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM;
Meeting Place: Congregation B'nai
Abraham 527 Lombard Street
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Race for the Cure: The Leyv Ha-Ir Team |
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On Sunday, May 14, 2006 (Mother's Day morning), the
Third Annual LHI Team will meet at the team booth at
8-8:15AM, to the right of the Art Museum steps. Look
for team mates, wear your team shirts and bring your
team spirit. New LHI members and friends are
welcome. Call Susan Berger at 856-751-5574, or
email
her for registration information.
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Israel Independence Day Celebration in Center City |
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The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia invites
you to the May 21, 2006, Israel Independence Day
celebration — the largest Jewish Community event of
the year. Join us in demonstrating community support
for Israel and learn more about Israeli culture through
fun and educational activities for all ages. Admission is
free. The celebration will begin at 4 p.m. Highlights
include: - ShopRite "Taste of Israel" Pavilion
where you can enjoy cooking demonstrations and
sample delicious Israeli foods;
- music concerts
featuring Hasidic rock group Reva L'sheva and Yoni
Rechter, one of Israel's leading composers in
rock/pop;
- a fireworks display set to Israeli
music;
- and the Israel Festival -- featuring
Israeli dancing with RakDan, camel rides, arts and
crafts activities, delicious food, Bedouin tent, and the
Israeli marketplace.
Location: Eakins Oval and Benjamin
Franklin Parkway
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Psalm 151 |
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by Rabbi Julie
Our Prayer Class studied psalms last week, particularly
psalms 113 – 118 which are a special set of prayers
that are sung together throughout the year on
significant occasions. This set of psalms is known as
Hallel; Hallel is sung on the three pilgrimage festivals of
Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot, on Hanukkah, at the
New Moon, on Israeli Independence Day and at the
seder. The 150 psalms of Jewish tradition are
expressions of distress and thanksgiving, lament and
trust.
In Prayer Class we read the Hallel psalms out
loud and each person selected ten words or phrases
that spoke to them. Examples included, "From east to
west, sunrise to sunset..." "The Eternal One who is
their help and sheltering place," ""Open to me oh you
gateways of justice." We shared our selections with
each other, hearing the words of prayer through each
other’s ears. It was amazing to notice that each
person found different passages meaningful.
Then we constructed our own new psalm,
weaving together quotes from the Hallel psalms. This is
a traditional method of prayer-building: our ancestors
often took quotes from other holy sources and crafted
a new prayer. We named our creation "Psalm 151".
Here it is:
From my distress I cried out.
I who feel so destitute call out.
My strength, my song is Yah.
My love abounds, for God has heard my voice, my plea
for help.
The Compassionate One protects those in
confusion.
For God’s love overpowers us, something wonderful
before our very eyes.
Give thanks! I give thanks to You.
The stone rejected by the builders has become this
place’s founding stone.
Halleluyah.
Join us for the next Prayer Class, May 17, 7 p.m.
with Rabbi at our building.
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Spread the Word: Kids Torah Times at Leyv Ha-Ir |
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In response to requests from Center City families
with young children, on Sunday, April 23, Leyv
Ha-Ir~Heart of the City sponsored its first Torah Time
session for 2-4 year olds and their parents. Hosted by
members Kat Rosqueta and Michael Idinopulos, Torah
Time was a great success. Rabbi Julie led the group in
Henay Mah Tov and Halleluyah, children had a chance
to hold baby Moses and his basket, and we learned a
goodnight song (the Shemah) and a waking up song
(Modah Anee). Parents were enthusiastic about
further participation. Please help spread the word that
things are happening for very young people in the
heart of the city.
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