Looking Ahead
Please note that we are holding a special
Children's High Holy Day service on September
13th and September 22nd, 9AM at the Ethical
Society at 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square.
Leader of the Family Torah group, Jessi
Roemer, will be conducting the services.
Get ready for Mitzvah Mania day, October
21st! Begin collecting personal hygiene
items (trial size soaps, shampoos, combs,
etc.) to pack kits for the homeless. Bring
these items to our events at Ethical Society
or contact Evy Simon, 215-561-7474.
Collecting books for Books Through Bars
program. Bring books to our events at Ethical
Society. Appropriate books are on Books
Through Bars Website
Marking Life Cycle Events
Making a financial contribution to
Congregation Leyv
Ha-Ir is a great way to mark special life events,
simchas, yahrzeits, etc. We are happy to send an
acknowledgement of your contribution to a
designee
of your choice. Contributions can be sent to our
regular P.O. Box address, or contact Evy
Simon, at
215-561-7474 or [email protected], if you'd
like to
have an acknowledgement card sent.
Thank you.
Dad's True-Bond Wondrous Glue �Roy
Shenberg 2007
1.
Just a kid's model airplane
But I dreamed that I could fly it
Far from my sick bed
Down to Timbukto
2.
I flew from Rome to Lapland
'Till one day the plane flew from my hand
It crashed against the wall
I cried: "It's broke up, just like me!"
3.
Dad said "Don't you cry, son
My special glue will fix it
Then he fixed my plane to fly again
With his True-bond Wondrous, Glue
4.
Now that I'm grown I miss him
Precious moments when we bonded then
I often wondered what it was
So special 'bout his glue?
CHORUS
Dad's True-bond Wondrous Glue
He can fix anything with it
Make it just like new
He can mend a broken heart
Or a dream that fell apart
All he needs is his loving hands
And Dad's True-bond Wondrous Glue
6.
I guess the little kid still in me
Needs a caring dad to bond with
Someone to make me feel whole again
When I'm feeling small and blue
So dad if you're listening
Thanks for your heart and loving hands
And for leaving me the secret of
Your True-bond Wondrous Glue
CHORUS
Dad's True-Bond Wondrous glue
It can mend a broken heart;
Or a dream that fell apart,
And the special ingredients
Of Dad's True Bond Wondrous Glue
Are the Dads that have the time and love
for you.
The House of Healing by the Shore
�Maria Mackey 1989
In the sunbeam
Through the window
Dust motes lift
And glide
Distant seagulls
Over a shimmering sea
Newsletter Design:
Ilene
Hass Creative Solutions for Business
Marketing
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Dear Friends and Members of Leyv Ha-Ir ~ Heart of the City,
In addition to the spiritual and
liturgical content of High Holy
Days, I am asking you to attend to the social
or civilizational experiences you
have at synagogue this year. It is not by
coincidence that many of the
prayers we recite this time of year are in
the first person plural. We have
sinned (more aptly missed the mark). We
cannot enter into this level of
spirituality until we build a community.
As a child attending High Holy Day
services at my parents' synagogue I
noticed that there were talkers and shushers.
The talkers talked
and the shushers shushed. Being a fairly
uptight kid, I aligned myself morally with
the shushers. This is serious stuff! We are
here to take an inventory
of our past year, to assess our life and to
identify areas of growth and
change. How can I do that if you are talking
all through the services?
I transitioned from a shusher to a talker
twenty-five holiday
seasons ago when I returned from college for
the first time. Upon losing the
luxury of regular contact, catching up became
as important to me as the service.
In our Leyv Ha-Ir ~ Heart of the City
community, over three quarters
of the High Holy Day attendees are welcomed
guests rather than members.
This means that there is greater challenge
when it comes to building community
for the purpose of this first- person-plural
communal introspection. Can we
honestly account for the way in which we have
fallen short collectively if we
do not know each other?
Therefore, I am asking you to use Rosh
Hashanah, just as
productively as a talker as you do as a
shusher. If we are going to be ready for the
Yom Kippur spiritual marathon, we need to get
to know each other on Rosh Hashanah.
So please, when you arrive at services,
look around and see if you can find
anyone you know. Philadelphia is not that
big, you will not be surprised to
find someone you know. Greet them
demonstratively, with a loud
hello and a hug - it will encourage others.
Next, over the evening and two
mornings of Rosh Hashanah services, meet at
least five new people. Go up to
strangers and say, "Hi, my name is Seymour
(might not be your real name), L'shanah
tovah - To a good year." One of these five
strangers should look different
to you - more observant, less observant -
older, younger - you get my
point. Make a date to see someone next week
at Yom Kippur. Finally, if you enjoy
worshiping with us, bring family or friends.
In this way, when the book is sealed, we
will be together, in relationship,
doing what we must to make this new year the
best it can be.
L'Shanah Tovah,
Michael Meketon, President
Leyv Ha-Ir ~ Heart of the City
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September 2007 Activities
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September 1 SATURDAY Shabbat
Services Ethical Society
10:00 AM Lay-led
September 5 WEDNESDAY Council
Meeting Ethical Society
7:00 PM Michael
September 8
SATURDAY Selichot Ethical
Society 8:30 PM
ROSH HASHANAH SERVICES:**
Wednesday, September 12 Erev Rosh
Hashanah 7:30 PM Ethical
Society 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square
Thursday, September 13 Rosh Hashanah
Children's Service* 9:00 AM Ethical
Society 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square.
Thursday, September 13 Rosh Hashanah
First Day Morning Service: 10:00 AM
Ethical Society 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square
Thursday, September 13 Tashlich
(sponsored by Kehillah of Center City)
4:00 PM Schuylkill River at Walnut Street
Friday, September 14 Rosh Hashanah
Second Day Morning Service 10:00
AM Ethical Society 1906 S. Rittenhouse
Square
YOM KIPPUR SERVICES:**
Friday, September 21 Kol Nidre:
6:30 PM
Ethical Society 1906 S. Rittenhouse
Square
Saturday, September 22 Yom Kippur
Children's Service 9:00 AM Ethical
Society 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square*
Saturday, September 22 Yom Kippur
Morning
Service 10:00 AM Yizkor Service:
approximately 1:00 PM Break/Study Session:
2:30 PM Mincha/Neilah: 5:30 PM Break
Fast: 7:45 PM Ethical Society 1906 S.
Rittenhouse Square
*Children's Services, led by Jessi Roemer,
are for 3 - 8 year olds accompanied by one or
both parents.
**Make reservations today to attend High
Holiday Services with Congregation Leyv
Ha-Ir! For Security purposes, reservations
are necessary. Call 215-629-1995 or
[email protected]
September 26 WEDNESDAY Erev
Sukkot Roof of Penn Center House
following services in Bev's apartment
Call voice mail at 215-629-1995 for more
information 7:30
PM
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 Congregation Leyv Ha-Ir activities for the upcoming two months. |
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Reminder - Yizkor Book deadline |
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September 5 is the deadline to submit your
contributions and names to be included in our
Yizkor Book for Yom Kippur. If you need a
form, please contact Bobbi Cohen at
[email protected] or 215.236.0689.
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Family Torah Group and High Holy Day Children's Services |
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Families are cordially invited to attend
High Holy
Day Children's Services, led by our fabulous
Family
Torah Group leader, Jessi Roemer. Jessi will
bring her
blend of song, story, and interactive games
to a half-hour of
developmentally-appropriate programming
designed for
children ages 3-8. Services will take place
at the
Ethical Society on Rittenhouse Square (1906 S.
Rittenhouse Square, 2nd floor) at the
following times:
Rosh Hashanah: Thursday, September 13,
9:00 am
Yom Kippur: Saturday, September 22, 9:00 am
For security purposes and for information
about
parking, please register at www.leyvhair.org
or call
215-629-1995. You are, of course, welcome to
attend
the "grown-up" services with your children
immediately
following Jessi's program.
Our next scheduled Family Torah Group
meetings will be held
in Center City on October 14 and November 11
in Center City
at 10 AM. Please call 215-629-1995 for more
information.
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Ethics Workshops (Legally Speaking) |
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Karen Zeitz, Esq., a Leyv Ha-Ir member and
Estate Attorney, offers 2 workshops, both
held at the Philadelphia City Institute, 19th
& Locust Streets, from 6:15-7:45PM.
THIS IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - BRING FRIENDS!
Wednesday, October 10th:
ETHICAL WILLS: LEAVING YOUR OWN UNIQUE
LEGACY
Learn about Ethical Wills, why people
write them, to whom, and their oral and
textual history. We will read examples of
ethical wills and spend a portion of the
workshop drafting our own. Even if you do
not have children or property, find out the
value of writing an ethical will and how you
can leave your own unique legacy.
Wednesday, October 24th:
CHARITABLE BEQUESTS: LEAVING THE WORLD A
BETTER PLACE
You don't have to be a millionaire to
leave money or assets to a charity or
non-profit in your will. We will read some
of the Biblical text regarding "giving" as
well as the basic tax advantages to your
family and estate.
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Successful Book Through Bars Program Renews This Year |
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Please help those prisoners who are
starving for books expand their worlds
through words again. Many see education as
their opportunity to find employment upon
discharge. Last year's Books Through Bars
(BTB) program and volume of books collected
were successful way beyond our dreams! This
year, we will continue this worthy mitzvah
and declare Sukkot services as the
Books-thru-Bars Collection time. Please
look for suitable books in your homes (see
below) and put them aside to bring to Sukkot
services at on Wednesday, September 26 at
7:30 PM at the Penn Center House, 1900 JFK
Blvd. Furthermore, we plan to request
donated books at other congregation events,
as well as in the monthly newsletter. So,
stay tuned.
In addition to donating books, several
volunteers have particularly enjoyed going to
BTB headquarters, reading the prisoners'
letters, matching their requests with donated
books from BTB's extensive library, and
packing the books. Therefore, Bev Hayden has
assured me that, after the Holidays, she will
help round up a group of volunteers to go to
Headquarters soon.
BTB's website
http://www.booksthroughbars.org/ indicates
the books they want. Please follow their
guidelines:
Dictionaries in English or a foreign
language
GED & ESL study guides
Books in Spanish
Yoga and Meditation
Drawing & Painting
High School Textbooks (all subjects)
College Textbooks (intro level)
Business
Spanish, Arabic & Swahili textbooks
Mexican & Puerto Rican History
African & African American History & Fiction
Drug & Alcohol Addiction Recovery
They do NOT need hard cover fiction,
out-of-date textbooks, or books in poor
condition. Paperbacks are preferred.
I know you will be moved when you read the
prisoners' letters of need and gratitude.
Please listen at High Holiday Services for
our announcements about Books Thru Bars
Collection Time at Sukkot services. Thank you
in advance for your participation and
generous contributions.
Margie Wiener
Tikkun Olam Chair
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