Greenwich Reform Synagogue Newsletter

December 31, 2013 Tevet 28 , 5774

Facebook

Online Payments

GRS is pleased to offer our membership the option of making secure payments (via Authorize.net) of their membership dues, fees and school tuition. To begin CLICK HERE.

Check back as we enhance this service in the coming weeks to include donations to more GRS funds.

GRS Office Location

GRS' OFFICES ARE NOW LOCATED AT

1037 E. PUTNAM AVE., RIVERSIDE, CT

PLEASE CHECK OUR CALENDAR FOR DETAILS

SUNDAY RELIGIOUS SCHOOL AND ADULT ED CLASSES

WILL REMAIN AT

THE STANWICH ROAD LOCATION

HEBREW WILL BE TAUGHT AT OUR OFFICE LOCATION TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOONS

In This Issue

Facebook

Online Payments

Office Location

Calendar

Torah Portion of the Week

Happy Birthday

Tree of Life

Caring Community

GRS Staff

Join Our List

Family Shabbat Service

Tu b'Shevat Seder & Dinner

Holiday Happenings

Shabbat Service Locations

Warm Clothing Drive

Adult Ed

Tzedakah

Around the Community

Calendar

Wednesday, January 1
GRS OFFICE CLOSED
NO HEBREW SCHOOL

Thursday, January 2
NO HEBREW SCHOOL

Friday, January 3
6:30 pm - Family Shabbat Service & Dinner @ home of Rabbi & Susan Sklarz
B'nai Shir
January birthdays

Sunday, January 5
9:00 am - Breakfast
9:30 am - Religious School
9:45 am - Rabbi's Advanced Beginner's Hebrew Class
10:30 am - Rabbi Rothman Adult Ed Class

Tuesday, January 7
3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office

Wednesday, January 8
3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office

Thursday, January 9
3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office

Friday, January 10
6:30 pm - Tu b'Shevat Shabbat Seder @ St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Sunday, January 12
9:00 am - Breakfast
9:30 am - Religious School
9:45 am - Rabbi's Advanced Beginner's Hebrew Class
10:30 am - Rabbi Rothman Adult Ed Class

Tuesday, January 14
3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office

Wednesday, January 15
3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office

Thursday, January 16
3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office
7:30 pm - Executive Bd. Mtg.

Friday, January 17
6:30 pm - Choir Shabbat Service @ St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Sunday, January 19
NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
NO HEBREW 102
NO ADULT ED

Monday, January 20
GRS OFFICE CLOSED
Martin Luther King Day

Tuesday, January 21
3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office

Wednesday, January 22
3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office

Thursday, January 23
3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office
7:30 pm - Board Meeting

Friday, January 24
6:30 pm - Shabbat Service @ GRS office

Sunday, January 26
9:00 am - Breakfast
9:30 am - Religious School
9:45 am - Rabbi's Advanced Beginner's Hebrew Class
10:30 am - Rabbi Rothman's Adult Ed Class

Tuesday, January 28
3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office

Wednesday, January 29
3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office
4:30 pm - B'nai Mitzvah Workshop @ GRS office

Thursday, January 30
3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office
7:00 pm - Rabbi's Torah Study Class

Friday, January 31
6:30 pm - Grades 4-5 Shabbat Service @ St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Torah Portion
January 4, 2013

(Exodus 10:1-13:16)

Pharoah remains hard of heart, even after the eighth and ninth plagues. Moses then warns Pharoah of the slaying of the first born. God, through Moses and Aaron, instructs the Israelites to observe the first Passover Seder. God strikes down the first born of Egypt but passes over the marked Israelite dwellings. Finally, Pharoah relents, releasing the Israelites. The portion concludes with the laws of tefillin.

Happy Birthday to...

Sarah Stone
Caroline Schwarzman
Rachel Winpisinger
Taylor Brimberg

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

Committee members 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 Laura Seltzer at laura@grs.org.

GRS Staff

Rabbi Andrew R. Sklarz, MA, MSW, RJE

rabbisklarz@grs.org

Cantor Sabrina Lipton

sabrinalipton@grs.org

Stephanie Glaser

Executive Director

stephanieglaser@grs.org

Eliana Hall

Director of Education

eliana@grs.org

Clarita Agulay

Bookkeeper

clarita@grs.org

Laura Seltzer

Administrative Assistant

laura@grs.org

Peter Babivskiy

Caretaker

peter@grs.org

Join Our List

Celebrate the first Family Shabbat Service & Dinner of 2014! Friday, January 3, 2014, 6:30 pm The home of Rabbi & Susan Sklarz
Join us for a Family Shabbat Service, led by Rabbi Sklarz and Cantor Lipton, along with B'nai Shir, our Junior Choir. The service will be followed by dinner, the main course will be provided by GRS. CLICK HERE if you would like to attend and bring an appetizer, side dish, or dessert. *January birthdays will be given a special birthday blessing.

Tu b'Shevat Seder & Dinner Friday, January 10, 2014, 6:30 pm St. Paul's Episcopal Church 200 Riverside Avenue, Riverside, CT
Join us to celebrate the re-birth of Spring with a special family friendly seder & dinner. Together we will celebrate the bounty of the earth, with rituals and special foods native to Israel. All are welcome! To RSVP click here.

Holiday Happenings

Holiday Happenings is a monthly drop-off program for 3 and 4 year-olds on Sunday mornings from 9:30-11:30 am.

Children are immersed in a high energy learning environment, rich with the spirit of Judaism and community. Together, they will learn about their Jewish selves through song, dance, art, stories, fun, and friends!

Upcoming Dates:

January 12 - Tu b'Shvat (New Year of the Trees)

March 16- Purim

April 6 - Passover

May 4 - Israel Celebration

Participants need not be members of Greenwich Reform Synagogue to enroll:

Members-Free Non-members-$125

For more information or to enroll, please contact Eliana Hall at eliana@grs.org.

2013 Shabbat Service Locations
We want to thank you for your patience during this time of transition. To make things more convenient, CLICK HERE for the location of our upcoming services. However, as our calendar is always subject to last minute changes, it's always best to check the website or the newsletter.

Warm clothing drive
During the cold winter months, GRS is undertaking a warm coat drive for those in need. Please bring coats, sweaters and other warm clothing, as well as sheets, towels and blankets, in good condition to the GRS office which we will donate to Neighbor to Neighbor.

Adult Ed - Fall 2013

Beginning January 30th, Rabbi Sklarz will be offering a weekly Torah study - A Psycho-Spiritual Journey into the Torah, on Thursday evenings at 7 pm. Please contact Laura in the office if you are interested.

If there are those interested in a "lunch and learn," Torah study with Rabbi Sklarz, please contact Laura in the office.

Those who would like to register for Advanced Beginner's Hebrew, or interested in Beginner's Hebrew with Rabbi Sklarz Sunday's at 9:45am , please contact Laura at the GRS office.

Rabbi Robert Rothman, our Scholar in Residence, be leading a seminar on the Study of Jewish Contributions to Daughter Religions: Christianity and Islam. In addition, throughout the year, we will also discuss current issues impacting on Judaism, the holidays, and other subjects of interest to the group.

Rabbi Rothman, D.H.L., D.D., Ph.D., is the Rabbi Emeritus of Rye Community Synagogue. He is widely published and has been our Scholar in Residence for many years. He is a retired Navy Chaplain with the rank of commander. The Sunday Study Group meets during the second hour of Religious School throughout the year (10:30). While we generally have a topic for the year, each class is designed to be a stand-alone session, so come to as many as you are able. All are welcome.

Tzedakah
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, 1037 E. Putnam Ave., Riverside, CT 06878 or pay ONLINE. For details on the giving opportunities available, please call the GRS office.

Around the Community

Jewish Family Services of Greenwich offers support groups covering such things as divorce and bereavement; private counseling; activities for singles over 55; a women's book club; and much, much more. For details, visit www.jfsgreenwich.org, or call 203-622-1881.

The JCC of Greenwich and the Jewish Book Council invite your to a Comedy Night:

Thursday, January 9, 2014, 07:30pm at the Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich

Funny gals include Marion Grodin, author of

Standing Up: A Memoir of a Funny (Not Always) Life; Karen Bergreen, tired mom and author of Perfect Is Overrated; and Ophira Eisenberg, NPR host and author of Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy

For more information or to RSVP for this event, click here.