Greenwich Reform Synagogue Newsletter

Rabbi Sklarz, Educational Director, Eliana Hall, and the Confirmation Academy

in front of Central Synagogue during Sunday's exploration of Jewish New York

May 14, 2014 Iyar 14, 5774

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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

Shabbat Service

Rabbi's Message

Generation J

Bar Mitzvah Profile

Special Adult Ed Program

Shavuot/Confirmation Shabbat Service

Adult Ed Trip

Family Shabbat Service

Annual Meeting

Social Action Shabbat Service

Exploring the Torah

Sounds of the Shabbat Blessings

Social Action

Tzedakah

Shabbat Service Locations

Around the Community

Calendar

Wednesday, May 14

3:30 pm - Hebrew School at GRS office

Thursday, May 15

3:30 pm - Hebrew School at GRS office

7:00 pm - Rabbi Torah Study Class

Friday, May 16

6:30 pm - Shabbat Service @ Round Hill Community Church

Saturday, May 17

3:00 pm - Spencer Pierce Bar Mitzvah

Round Hill Community Church

Sunday, May 18

9:00 am - breakfast

9:30 am - Religious School

9:30 am - Adult Ed Seminar led by Marvin Berenblum

Tuesday, May 20

7:00 pm - Choir rehearsal

Thursday, May 22

7:30 pm - Executive Board Meeting

Friday, May 23

6:30 pm - Shabbat Service in GRS office

Monday, May 26

Memorial Day, GRS office closed

Tuesday, May 27

7:00 pm - Choir rehearsal

Wednesday, May 28

7:30 pm - Board Mtg.

Thursday, May 29

7:00 pm - Rabbi Torah Study Class

Friday, May 30

6:30 pm - Shavuot/ Confirmation Service at First Congregational Church, Old Greenwich

Saturday, May 31

10:00 am - Bar Mitzvah Rafer Friedman

Tuesday, June 3

7:00 pm - Choir Rehearsal

Friday, June 6

6:30 pm - Family Shabbat Service & Dinner at Rabbi's home

Tuesday, June 10

7:00 pm - Choir rehearsal

Friday, June 13

6:30 pm - Shabbat Service @ the GRS Office

Tuesday, June 17

4:30 pm - Benjamin Wolff's Bar Mitzvah rehearsal

7:00 pm - Choir rehearsal

Wednesday, June 18

7:30 pm - Annual Meeting

Friday, June 20

6:30 pm - Shabbat service at Round Hill Community Church, Anniversary blessings

Saturday, June 21

9:00 am - Benjamin Wolff's Bar Mitzvah

Tuesday, June 24

7:00 pm - Choir rehearsal

Friday, June 27

6:30 pm - Social Action Shabbat Service @ the home of Bob & Helen Stark

Torah Portion
May 17, 2014

Bechukotai

(Leviticus 26:3-27:34)

This portion is divided

into two sections. First, God informs Moses

about the rewards the Israelite people will receive if they follow God's commandments. Then, God relays the punishments the Israelite people will

receive if they do not follow the laws. Leviticus

concludes with the concept of Redemption.

Happy Birthday to...

Jonathan Perloe
Paige Birnbaum
Richard Franck
Stuart Wallenstein

Tree of Life
(Etz Chaim)

Celebrate the birth of a child, the Bar or Bat mitzvah ceremony 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

Custodian

peter@grs.org

Join Our List

Shabbat Service Friday, May 16, 2014, 6:30 pm Round Hill Community Church
Please join Rabbi Sklarz and Cantor Lipton for a Shabbat Service, followed by an Oneg Shabbat sponsored by the Pierce family in honor of Spencer becoming a Bar Mitzvah.

Message from the Rabbi

What a Day We Had!

Dear Friends,

On Sunday, as the temperature rose to nearly eighty degrees and not a cloud was seen in the sky, students from our GRS Confirmation Academy along with their parents joined together for our New York City "Uptown" trip. Our day began at the historic Central Synagogue as we viewed the magnificent Moorish structure built in 1872, designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1975. Subsequently, our group lunched at a nearby Moroccan restaurant enjoying authentic Middle Eastern cuisine.

Our next stop was to New York's oldest synagogue, Temple Emanu-El, on the heart of Fifth Avenue. Indeed both Temple Emanu-El and Central Synagogue are exquisite structures which share a host of stories of the rich, interesting and proud histories of the New York Reform Jewish experience.

With the weather in our favor, a number of us joined for a forty-five block walk to our next stop, the Jewish Museum. Housed in the former home of Felix Warburg, the museum boasts a collection of artifacts and replicas which tell the long and enduring story of our people's history.

Our wonderful time together culminated with a leisurely Chinese dinner as we debriefed about our experiences of the day.

As many of you know, I am always eager to take groups for an excursion. Should you have any interest in points we have traveled in the past, or have any ideas for the future, please do not hesitate to let me know.

L'Shalom,

Rabbi Andy

Rabbi Andrew R. Sklarz, MSW

Generation J

This week we began our Sunday morning with the story of Ruth. It turns out that Ruth and Naomi had a family a lot like the modern Jewish families of today! Some people in their family were Jewish, and some were not. Some had a lot of money and lived in a big house, while others did not. Their family had people who lived far away, just like some of our relatives, and their families had sad times and happy times, just like ours, too. What brought this family together was love and kindness. Ruth, Naomi and Boaz also relied on Torah to help them make decisions about how to treat one another. How does Torah help you make decisions in your daily lives?

Bar Mitzvah Profile
Spencer Pierce
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Round Hill Community Church

Spencer Pierce is the son of Barbara and James Pierce and brother of Sage (17). Spencer is a 7^th grader at Greenwich Country Day. For his mitzvah project, Spencer is working with Pitch in for Baseball, a charitable organization that collects gently used baseball equipment and donates to children in impoverished communities in over 250 cities in the USA and over 70 countries worldwide. Spencer will be donating all of his own old equipment as well as asking for donations and setting up an area for contributions at school, as well as via the Greenwich Junior Babe Ruth League.

Spencer's favorite interests are baseball and basketball. His proudest achievement is hitting four home runs in one week during the national invitational youth baseball tournament last summer at Cooperstown Dreams Park in Cooperstown, NY.

Special Adult Education Program
Sunday, May 18, 2014, 9:30-11:30 am
at the GRS Religious School (Stanwich School)

Greenwich Reform Synagogue's Adult Education Program is excited to announce a VERY SPECIAL EVENT in light of the growing extremist threats. Ahmad El Assaad and Abir El Assaad, the founders of "Saving the Next Generation" Mostapha Gharib (an SNG scholarship student in the US) and Marv Berenblum will be making a presentation:

Fighting Extremism in the Middle East Region - How Saving the Next Generation is Inculcating Human Values and Respect for People Regardless of Religion, Nationality, Ethnicity or Gender

The Presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.

A light breakfast will be served. The El Assaads are founders of Saving the Next Generation, a secular, non-sectarian foundation which works with underserved young people in the Middle East between the ages of 10 and 22, regardless of religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity or nationality, to eliminate extremism. SNG promotes a culture of life, liberty, peace and opportunity by encouraging and fostering young people through education, diversity and human values while inspiring acceptance of and respect for each other's differences. SNG achieves this transformation through a series of fun-packed co-educational weekend camps, instructive day trips and by providing scholarships for talented students to leading universities, both regionally and internationally.You can learn more about SNG and its mission by visiting their website,

http://savingnextgeneration.org/home.html

The Seminar is open to the GRS Community and to the General Public. It is especially appropriate for families with children ages 10 and over.

Shavuot/Confirmation Shabbat Service Friday, May 30, 6:30 pm First Congregational Church
Please join Rabbi Sklarz and Cantor Lipton for a Shavuot/Confirmation Service. The service will be followed by an Oneg Shabbat.

Adult Education Trip
Sunday, June 1, 2014 at the
NYC Tenement Museum & Eldridge Temple

Join the Adult Education committee on Sunday, June 1 for a special trip to visit two Jewish NYC landmarks.

11:30 am - Lower East Side Tenement Museum, located at 103 Orchard Street. $25/adult, $20/senior.

http://www.tenement.org/

3:00 pm - the Museum at Eldridge Street, located at 12 Eldrige Street. $10/adult, $8/student & senior.

http://www.eldridgestreet.org/

There will be a carpool to and from the museums. The group will leave the GRS office at 10 am. There is wheelchair access at each museum.

Tickets are limited so please contact Laura in the office to reserve your space ASAP. Payment can be made by sending a check made out to GRS at 1037 E. Putnam Avenue, Riverside, CT 06878.

Family Shabbat Service & Dinner Friday, June 6, 6:30 pm The home of Rabbi & Susan Sklarz
Join us at the home of Rabbi Andy and Sue Sklarz for our Family Shabbat (Shavuot themed) service and dinner. The main course will be provided by GRS; please CLICK HERE if you will be attending and let us know if you will be bringing an appetizer, side dish, or dessert. Those born in the month of June will receive a special blessing.This will be our last Family Service/Dinner until the fall.

Save the Date: Wednesday, June 18, 7:30 pm GRS Annual Meeting
TO ALL GRS CONGREGANTS: On behalf of the Board of Trustees, you are invited to attend the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Congregation of Greenwich Reform Synagogue. Location to be determined.

Social Action Shabbat Service Friday, June 27, 6:30 at the home of Helen & Bob Stark
Please join us for a special service as we celebrate the GRS family's commitment to social action. Details to follow.

Exploring the Torah
Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM
at the GRS Office
(Last class - May 15)

Whether you are brand new to Jewish text or have studied it from childhood, the Torah always has something powerful, compelling, and new to say to each one of us at every juncture of our lives.

Regardless of your background, journey with us into the "classic of classics," as we explore the teachings and traditions which have been passed down from Sinai to the present day.

As a rabbi and clinical social worker, Rabbi Andrew R. Sklarz, spiritual leader of GRS, brings a unique and engaging approach to text study.

No previous Jewish study experience required for this free program. Weekly walk-ins are always welcome!

Please contact Laura to register.

Enjoy the Sounds of the Shabbat blessings and melodies on www.grs.org
Have you ever wanted to learn the Shabbat blessings and melodies, so that you can join us in the celebration of Shabbat? It's as easy as clicking here to listen to Cantor Sabrina, accompanied by GRS pianist and choir director David Johnson, as recorded by congregant and videographer, Michael Chait.

Be Part of GRS' New and Important Social Action Committee Initiative!

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.

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.

Items below can be utilized in each of the ongoing donation programs:

New twin bed sheet sets, twin blankets, bath towels, washcloths
Personal hygiene items for men, women and children-Full size shampoos, soaps, conditioners, razors and deodorant
Frangrance free liquid laundy detergent
Disposable diapers - all sizes (newborn to training pants)
Baby wipes
Non-Perishable food

Additionally, we are looking for volunteers to donate and serve food the first Saturday of each month to Inspirica's Women's Shelter. To find out what is needed, you can contact the GRS Office or sign up at Shabbat Services. Forms will be on the Oneg Shabbat table or on each chair.

Tzedakah

Thank you for your generous contribution...

General Fund

Cheryl & Curtis Probst, in memory of Vera Toper
Helen Jacobsen, in memory of Vera Toper

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.

2014 Shabbat Service Locations All services begin at 6:30 pm unless otherwise noted
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.

Around the Community

Exciting News: Jewish Family Services of Greenwich is bringing its support group counseling program straight into your home via the Online Support Group Project (OSGP). Whether in person or online, support groups help participants gain sustenance and strength, feel less lonely and isolated, reduce distress, and improve coping skills.

Four different online support groups are being offered: bereavement, caregivers, new mothers, and for those who are chronically ill. JFS will provide confidential and secure video-conferencing services through its exclusive partnership with Vidyo, Inc.. As always, JFS support groups are facilitated by licensed, experienced social workers and confidentiality is strictly maintained. After an initial private assessment, participants will be given explicit instructions on how to enter the online support group. All one needs is access to the internet.

Surviving and Succeeding as a Stepmother

Facilitated by Linda Schlapfer, LMFT

WHEN: 5/21, 5/28, & 6/4

TIME: 12:15pm - 1:15pm

WHERE: JFS of Greenwich, One Holly Hill Lane

FEE: $120 for the group, sliding scale fees available

Contact Tatiana for more information.

For more information about JFS, please visit the Support Group page on the new JFS website www.jfsgreenwich.org, or call 203-622-1881.

Other events:

Babies and Bagels A New Program For Moms and Their Babies

Date:Saturday, May 17, 2013, 10:00am - 11:00am

Location : Classic Kids Photography, 54 Greenwich Avenue

Meet moms and babies for a nosh one Friday a month. Chat informally and compare notes over bagels and schmear before hearing the latest from experts in pediatric medicine, dentistry, yoga, music and nutrition. Pre-school age siblings will be invited for playtime and activities to selected sessions which will be announced in advance. A touch of Jewish tradition will enrich your whole family.

May 17

June 21st

July 19th

August TBD