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.

Calendar

 

Wednesday, February 26

3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office

7:30 pm - Board Meeting

Thursday, February 27

3:30 pm - Hebrew School @ GRS office

NO RABBI'S TORAH STUDY CLASS

Friday, February 28

6:30 pm - Grades 2-3 Shabbat Service @ St. Paul's Episcopal Church 

Sunday, March 2

6:30 pm - Family Shabbat Service & Dinner @ Rabbi's house, birthdays, B'nai Shir 

Sunday, March 9

Torah Portion
March 1, 2014

Vayikrah

 (Leviticus 1:1-5:26)

The bookk of Leviticus opens with a description of the general categories of sacrifices.  Those mentioned are the whole burnt offering, the meal offering, the well-being offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering.  

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

Saying Farewell to A Giant of the Jewish World

Dear Friends,

During our junior year of college, while studying at Tel Aviv University, my girlfriend, who several years later became my wife, invited me to join her aunt and uncle for Shabbat dinner during their visit to Israel.  As excited as I was to meet her extended family, I was uncertain as to what to expect.   As a proud and devoted Reform Jew, I had encountered many from the Orthodox world who challenged my convictions, often in a less than respectful fashion.  I was concerned that our ideological positions could enter into our dinner discussion and create discomfort.  After living in Israel for nearly a year, and becoming quite cognizant of the blatant negative attitude towards liberal forms of Judaism, I had my reservations of how cozy our table talk might be.

The man I was to meet was Rabbi Joseph Ehrenkranz, rabbi of Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford for more than forty years, who turned out to be anything but a traditional orthodox rabbi.    An outspoken liberal, he made strides to unite the Jewish and Christian communities and touched so many people's lives along the way.  He met with Egyptian President Sadat upon his initiation of the Peace Pilgrimage to Cairo-Jerusalem.  In 1976, while visiting Russia, he conducted a Seder for Jewish refuseniks in Moscow, which included Anatoly Sharansky.  He was appointed as permanent representative to the United Nations NGO, representing the Synagogue Council of America, met with Pope John Paul II to begin a dialogue assessing Catholic-Jewish relations, and led study trips for Jews and Christians to promote understanding, in places as far-flung as Auschwitz and the Vatican.   He co-founded and served as director of The Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding at Sacred Heart University.

While I could go on and on about this man who I knew and learned so much from over many years, what is most notable is that his life's mission was to build bridges where they did not exist - to create peace and mutual understanding in arenas no one would have dreamt possible.   As Rabbi Ehrenkranz expressed, "The most important thing to us is world peace. You can't have it without religious peace.  And you can't have religious peace without religious dialogue." Indeed his compelling message creates a vision of courage, compassion and true leadership.  His life's goal was to make this a better world and he succeeded.   I was blessed to have developed a relationship with Rabbi Ehrenkranz, and will always treasure the memory of him bringing Susan and me together under the chuppah.

L'Shalom

Rabbi Andy

The Beatles' Purim at GRS! 

Friday, March 14, 2014 at 6:30 PM

First Congregational Church

Please join Rabbi Sklarz and the Greenwich Council Against Gun Violence at the Greenwich Rally to Support the Sandy Hook Ride on Washington at Town Hall onSaturday, March 8, 12:30-2:00pm to honor victims of gun violence and call attention to the need for federal gun safety legislation.

Last March Team 26 rode 400 miles from Sandy Hook to Washington, D.C. in memory of the 26 children and educators who were killed with an assault rifle at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Because Washington has taken no legislative action since the massacre, Team 26 is riding a second time. The Greenwich Council has formed its own Team Greenwich to ride alongside Team 26 from Ridgefield to Greenwich, demonstrating that the "Connecticut effect" is alive and well in Greenwich.

"In 2013 Connecticut passed tough common-sense gun regulations to make our communities safer. Now it's time for Washington to do the same," says Jonathan Perloe, a leader of the Greenwich Council and GRS member.

Scheduled speakers include Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congressman Jim Himes, CT Attorney General George Jepsen, Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei and Selectman Drew Marzullo. Joining our elected officials will be Rabbi Andrew R. Sklarz, Greenwich Reform Synagogue, and Reverend Maxwell Grant, Second Congregational Church.

In the case of inclement weather, the rally will be held inside Town Hall in the Town Hall Meeting Room.

For more information on this event, click here. 

Join the GRS Social Action committee on Saturday, March 1, at 5:30 pm at Inspirica. Volunteering is a great way for those teens who are looking for mitzvah projects or community service.  

Also, it's a great family-friendly activity for all ages. 

The following is needed for approximately 20 dinners:

• 2 main courses
• rice
• salad
• vegetables
• bread
• dessert
• beverages
• fresh fruit

To find out what food is still needed or if you would like to help in any way, please contact Joy Davis.

The caring members of our GRS Social Action Committee continually take on projects in order to help those in need, both within our larger community and around the globe.  For years GRS has been collecting and cooking food which the members of the Social Action Committee, and more recently, the students of Gen J, have been serving each month at Inspirica. However, our relationship has recently expanded...

GRS is now "in partnership with Inspirica." Inspirica provides a host of services for those who are, as the motto expresses, journeying from "homelessness to home."  Inspirica's beautiful, modern facility is located on nearby Franklin Street in Stamford, close to the Greenwich border. We are seeking volunteers, adults and mature teens, who can lend their skills in the following areas, including:

• tutoring
• babysitting
• offering children's recreational activities
• helping prepare those who endeavor to enter the job market
• in other various realms, including resume writing and interview skills.

Additionally, we warmly welcome those willing to share their unique ideas and talents in ways not aforementioned, to support those adults and children currently living at Inspirica.

 Our GRS Social Action Committee invites you to be a part of this important mitzvah. Please let us know your interest by contacting Laura in the GRS office.

In preparation for becoming a Bat Mitzvah, Nicole Bartholomew is partnering with an organization called Play It Forward, collecting gently used sports equipment for students who otherwise could not afford to play. There will be a collection box at the GRS office from now until April 4th. Nicole is collecting equipment for all sports, including but not limited to:

• soccer 
• hockey (except helmets)
• lacrosse (except helmets)
• tennis 
• golf
• roller blading 
• tennis

For more information, feel free to email Nicole.

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:

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.