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Looking Ahead
Thursday, April 9
Our Second
Night Annual Community Seder. Back to the
Philadelphian, 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue, by
popular demand. A flyer will be mailed out
early in March with full details.
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 evylhi@hotmail.com, if you'd
like to
have an acknowledgement card sent.
Thank you.
SCHMAI LECHAIM
by Roy Shenberg
They say:
If you hold a seashell up to your ear You can
hear the sea.
But what about the seashell?
What does it hear ? You?
The river that runs through you?
To my way of thinking the seashell
Is just a great big ear,
Listening, ----
Absorbing the sounds of your soul.
Currents of events, Songs of life experienced
Past and present,
Shores reached and breached
Dreams dashed upon the shore
And the seashell murmurs in your ear:
Sing along, Be not afraid.
Sing like a lion. Go to where you were meant
to go.
Go with the flow.
Maybe it hears The running waters of The
Sea of Reeds
From which flowed your ancestors Searching
for a different dream in a new home.
Maybe it hears the cry Of the baby Moses
Floating adrift in the rushes?
And the joyous cry of rescue.
Maybe it hears the song of a ship
With a broken compass
Lost in the sea
Tossed by the sea
That sounds like this:
I'm a ship in a rough sea
Won't you tender me in?
I've lost my direction
Won't you tender me in?
I need a safe haven From which to begin.
Won't you tender me in?
Newsletter Design and eMail Marketing:
Ilene
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Friends,
The month of Adar is the thank G-d I'm
still standing month. In Adar, we
celebrate Purim and we anticipate Passover.
These holidays celebrate
historical attempts to subjugate or eliminate
us. In both instances we overcame great
obstacles to rescue ourselves.
Doesn't March in Philadelphia feel that
way too? We are on the verge of
having survived winter. No falls, or even if
we fell, no broken bones. Even if
we broke bones, we're still here. We're
tired, but the days are getting
longer. The sun is getting brighter.
American culture is experiencing a winter
right now. Many of us have lost
significant portions of our long term
savings. Business is slow. We have had
to change our plans for work and retirement.
We've fallen. This month, in
our Jewish ritual cycle, we can anticipate
picking ourselves up and dusting
ourselves off. Thank G-d we're still standing.
Michael Meketon, President
Leyv Ha-Ir ~ Heart of the City
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| SAVE THE DATE: Friday Services, March 20, 2009 |
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I am pleased to inform you that the
Assistant Director of the ADL, Sophie
Dornstreich, will speak on: The New
Anti-Semitism. This is a very timely subject
indeed. A recent Sunday Inquirer had an
article about rising antisemitism both here
and in Europe. Foreign Policy magazine editor
was quoted "The year 2008 will be remembered
as the year when the financial systems went
down. The year 2009 will be remembered as the
year when the political systems go down.
Many governments will struggle to retain
control and some will resort to age-old
techniques such as blaming The Other." Many
times The Other is often "The Jew."
For years in the US there have been
anti-Semitic/anti-Zionist propaganda
throughout academia.
Come hear our speaker relate the new trend
in anti-Semitism and how to respond to it.
NOTE EARLY TIME: 7:00 pm
There will be a delicious Oneg following
the presentation.
Joan Goldberg, Education Co-Chair
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March 2009 Activities
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Sun - Mar 01 - 2009,
11:00 AM
Bagels & books
Join us for brunch and a discussion of the
novel "Who By Fire" led by its author, Diana
Spechler, in the home of Joanne Perilstein,
1901 Walnut Street, #16F. Donation of $7.
Thu - Mar 05 - 2009,
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Council Meeting
All members are welcome at our Council
Meetings at the Ethical Society, 1906 S.
Rittenhouse Square.
Sat - Mar 07 - 2009,
10:00 AM
Shabbat Morning Service
Lay-led
Our first-of-the-month lay-led Shabbat
morning service will be at the Ethical
Society, 1906 S. Rittenhouse Sqare. Join us
afterwards for kiddush and a pot-luck
veggie/dairy lunch.
Sun - Mar 8 - 2009,
4:00 PM
Purim Party
Come hear the story of Purim with Queen
Esther, Mordechai, King Ahasuerus and that
other guy. We'll provide costumes or wear
your own. Hazzan Jack Kessler will be with us.
We'll be at the William Penn House, 1919
Chestnut Street, Community Room.
Fri - Mar 20 - 2009,
7:00 PM
Kabbalat Shabbat Service with
Rabbi Julie
Join us as we welcome the Sabbath Bride at
the Ethical Society, 1906 S. Rittenhouse
Square. Rabbi Julie will be leading the
service. Aftwards, an ADL speaker on
"Anti-Semitism Today." Starting time will be
7 PM.
Fri - Mar 27 - 2009,
7:00 PM
We're joining the Center City
Kehillah's Friday night dinners throughout
Center City.
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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Message from Rabbi Julie
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Dear Chevre, Are you familiar with the
beautiful words of this Psalm?
As a deer yearns for water,
so I yearn
for You, O God.
My whole being thirsts for God,
for
the living God.
When shall I come and see
the presence
of God?
Psalm 42 Based on translation by Robert
Alter
Our yearnings have a God message that begs
for attention. What do you yearn for? To be
of service? To love? To share art? To make a
difference? What is the message of your soul?
Listening, sometimes in silent
contemplation, sometimes in reflective
dialogue, sometimes in journal writing,
sometimes in a Torah service, opens up the
quest to explore the thirst of this psalm.
These are all forms of prayer, all ways of
connecting with what is of Greatest Value. By
paying attention, we also sort out what are
addictive cravings that distract us from
deeper truths.
Where in your life do you yearn for the
water of God and how do you respond to your
yearning?
Many blessings,
Rabbi Julie
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Read more from Rabbi Julie |
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| LHI Shabbaton, January 31, 2009 in Fairmount Park |
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Every year since 1997, in the midst of
winter, our synagogue has a retreat, either a
long weekend away from the city, or - as this
year for the third time - a day in Fairmount
Park. How lovely is it when the LHI family
comes together to pray, to read torah, to
socialize, to eat, to walk outside, to learn
something new, to say Shamanu to each others
lives!
Rabbi Julie led the Shabbat Service and
sensitized us to hear our own Pharaoh's heart
in need of understanding. Jessie Roemer sang
with and for us with guitar; her "O say
Shalom" lingers in our ears. Betsy Teutsch,
of well-known art work in our prayer books
and her tambourines, led a discussion about
Simplicity as a Jewish Path (Google it, if
you missed the hand-out. Or her
www.moneychangesthings.blogspot.com for loads
of ideas and practicalities regarding how to
free-cycle, get off magazines listings,
micro-financing, socially responsible
investing). If anything, we came away with
quality, not quantity gives meaning to our
lives. Some of us are now starting a group to
De-Clutter our spaces!
As usual good camaraderie and bonding
flavored this retreat!
Article submitted by Roby Jacobs
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| 4th Annual GJC Women's Clothing Swap |
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Germantown
Jewish Center is holding it's 4th
Annual Women's Clothing Swap, Sunday March 29
from 11AM - 3PM.
Admission is a $20 contribution to Darfur
Alert Coalitiion. Women can contribute as
many clothes as you like AND take home as
many as you want. Unwanted clothing will be
donated to PlanetAid.
Bring you suits, dresses, slacks, jeans,
skirts, blouses, tops, athletic apparel,
maternity apparel, coats, shoes, purses and
accessories to the GJC Marcus Auditorium.
Gently or never-worn women's apparel may be
dropped off in advance, beginning Sunday,
March 22.
For more information or to volunteer,
contact Genie Ravital at 215.844.8036 or
geniebud@gmail.com
The event will be held at the Germantown
Jewish Center Marcus Auditorium, 400 West
Ellet Street, West Mount Airy, Philadelphia,
PA 19119. For driving directions, please call
215.844.1507 box 5. The facility is handicap
accessible from the parking lot entrance.
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| Reserve NOW for our Community Seder - April 9, 2009 |
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Please join us for our Annual Second Night
Community Seder
Led by Rabbi Julie Greenberg, Singer Jessi
Roemer and
the Leyv Ha-Ir Choir.
RESERVATIONS AND PAYMENT MUST BE
RECEIVED BY TUESDAY, MARCH 31.
Thursday, April 9, 2009, 6 PM
Community Room, the Philadelphian
2401 Pennsylvania Avenue
MEMBERS AND GUESTS, $55
CHILDREN 3-10, $15
AFTER MARCH 31 - $60
Send check to Congregation Leyv Ha-Ir
P.O. Box 15836
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Indicate your Entree Fish or Vegetarian
Download
our Community Seder reservation form
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| Honor Tu B'shvat with A Tree Purchase! |
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Friends, Our Tikkun Olam / Repair of the
World committee is requesting
that people buy trees in honor of Tu B'shvat.
John Mason has donation
forms for the Jewish National Fund and for
Olive Trees for Peace (a
project of Rabbis for Human Rights.) Please
help green the earth in
honor of the Jewish Earth Day. And if you'd
like to mention someone
being remembered or honored by your tree,
please let the editor know
and we'll put it in the newsletter.
Trees were bought in memory of Ros
Meketon, z'l
- Rabbi Julie
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