| Looking Ahead |
Education Series with Rabbi Julie
Rabbi will begin a 3-part program entitled " ". These will take place on October 13, November 17 and December 15 at 11:00 AM at the Kennedy House Community Room and will include brunch. More information is in an article in this newsletter. Retreat Weekend Mark your calendar NOW!! We will have a retreat weekend as in years past. March 7-8, 2014. Details to follow. See ya at the beach!
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Marking Lifecycle Events
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Please remember Congregation Leyv Ha-Ir~Heart of the City when you have any occasion to send a greeting card to someone.
While we are happy to receive contributions in any amount, for a minimum $10 contribution we will gladly send one of Marci Fleet's lovely art cards created for this purpose to the recipient of your choice.
Sue Frank will gladly send along either one of Marci's cards, or one she will customize based on your suggestions. Sue will also compose a note that carries your thought to the recipient.
Please use the
contribution form on our website, which contains the mailing address for your contribution, PO Box 15836, Philadelphia PA 19103. You can also
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| Contact Leyv Ha-Ir | |
Voice Mail:
215-629-1995
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Dear Friend of Leyv Ha-Ir ~ Heart of the City,
As we enter Leyv Ha-Ir's 24th year, we look forward to a year of spiritual growth, joy and learning. We hope you are a participant along with us. We wish you and your families a very happy, healthy and sweet new year! Bobbi, Roby, Myrna Schlanger, Iris N. and Sandy Your Executive Committee |
| LHI CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 2013 | | |
Wednesday, September 4, 7:30 PM, Erev Rosh Hashanah Service,
We will begin our High Holy Days with a service led by Rabbi Julie Greenberg, Cantorial Soloist Jessi Roemer and the Leyv Ha-Ir Choir. Further information is available in an article below.
Thursday, September 5, 10:00 AM, Rosh Hashanah Service
Come worship in the Jewish New Year with us. Further information is available in an article below.
Friday, September 6, 10:00 AM, Rosh Hashanah Service
We will have a complete second day Rosh Hashanah service. Further information is available in an article below.
Monday, September 9, 7:00 PM, Council Meeting
All members are invited to our Council meeting at Bobbi Cohen's home. Call 215.236.0689 for exact location.
Friday, September 13, 6:30 PM, Kol Nidre Service
Our Yom Kippur begins with this moving service. Further information is available in an article below.
Saturday, September 14, 10:00 AM, Yom Kippur Services and Break Fast
We will begin with the morning service, followed by Yizkor at approximately 1:00 PM. Following an afternoon break for discussion, study, reflection or rest, Rabbi Julie will lead a discussion about our social justice work at 4:00 PM. Services will continue at 5:30 PM with Mincha and Ne'ilah (Concluding service for Yom Kippur), Havdalah and a Community Break Fast. All are invited with advance registration requested. Further information is available in an article below.
Sunday, September 22, 2:00 - 4:30 PM, Sukkot Celebration
Join us at Sue Frank's backyard Sukkah as Rabbi Julie leads us in prayers and blessings over the lulav and etrog. (Don't know what they are? Come and find out.) Contact Sue at 215-732-9280 or suefrank4@gmail.com for her exact Fitler Square address. Please note that 2:00 - 4:30 PM this day will be the only time you can visit Sue's Sukkah!
Thursday, September 26, 7:30 PM, Simchat Torah Celebration
We'll celebrate the renewal of the cycle of Torah with Minyan Tikvah at the Ethical Society, 2nd floor Assembly Room. This is always a lively event, and your opportunity to dance with the Torah. Feel free to bring your preferred type of alcohol and/or a kosher dairy or parve snack.
Sunday, September 29, 11:00 AM, Rabbi Julie at Ethical Society
Rabbi Julie will speak at the Ethical Society's weekly platform about the work of POWER: Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild, a multi-faith social justice group focusing on quality education for all and on living wage jobs for Philadelphians.
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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.
Take a complete look at Congregation Leyv Ha-Ir upcoming activities.
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RABBI'S MESSAGE
| |  Dear Chevre, As we prepare for the Jewish New Year, many of us are engaging in the traditional process of cheshbon hanefesh - taking an inventory of the soul. We take our cars to the mechanic for tune ups, our bikes to the bike shop for tune ups and our selves to the doctor's office for tune ups. For the purpose of soul growth where do we go for tuning up? I hope the answer is, into Jewish spiritual community. The practice we are doing this year for cheshbon hanefesh is to review three areas of our lives for gaps between the way we want to live and the way we are actually living our lives. If you'd like to join in, take some time to reflect on: - Your Contact List or Rolodex
- Your check book or tax forms
- Your appointment book
Are you in right relationship with each of the people in your life or are there repairs to be made? Are you spending your money in line with your values or do you want to make changes in the coming year? And finally, are you allocating your time in ways that reflect your ideals or is there a different mix you'd like to seek? The New Year calls us to wake up to consciousness about how we live our lives. In spiritual community there is inspiration and support to do the self-scrutiny and re-orientation that allows us to step into the New Year with vigor, optimism and renewal. Looking forward to a great 5774 with you, Rabbi Julie
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HIGH HOLY DAY SERVICES
| |  Beginning September 4
PLEASE REGISTER NOW!
Please plan to be with us for High Holy Day services and our community break fast. As usual, we will be opening our doors to the larger community without a membership or ticket requirement, contributions strongly encouraged. Please read all of the details and register on our website here. You can also register by leaving us a voice message at 215.629.1995 including the services or events you will be attending, the number of people in your party and a telephone number or email address where you can be reached.
Rabbi Julie will be with us for all of the holiday services, and Jessi Roemer and the choir will provide spiritual support with their music.
As a reminder, we ask everyone (members included) to register for the services they will be attending. Others who register after 12:00 noon on Wednesday, September 4 will be asked to show photo ID upon arrival at the Ethical Society.
Volunteers are needed! To help with check in, please contact Sandy Brown or Myrna Schlanger. Helpers will be needed for set up and break down as well. Please contact Bobbi Cohen if you can help.
Parking information:
Parking permits will be available at the Ethical Society Building for limited on-street parking in specified locations. Discounted parking is available at: - EZ Park - 2101 Chestnut St. River West Condo Garage, $9 after 5 PM and weekends, $14 weekdays
- Central Parking - 2040 E. Rittenhouse St., $8 flat rate up to 12 hours, limited parking available
- Parkway Corporation - 1845 Walnut St., $13 flat rate up to 6 hours.
Bring your parking ticket to services to be stamped at the Ethical Society desk to receive the discount.
We look forward to seeing you for the holidays.
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POWER UPDATE
| |  Our Major Tikkun Olam Project
PHILADELPHIANS ORGANIZED TO
WITNESS, EMPOWER & REBUILD (POWER)
ALLIES (A LIVELY LIBRARY IN EVERY SCHOOL)
Saturday, August 17, four Leyv Ha-Ir members met with Rodeph Shalom members and the principal of Spring Garden School to look over the facilities. We were escorted down to the basement that houses the cafeteria - it was very clean but very dreary. Ideas of how to brighten the area was discussed. It was resolved that Rodeph Shalom and Leyv Ha-Ir will purchase small plants to place on each of the tables, paint the columns in bright colors and install curtains on the eight windows.
We then proceeded to the storage area to clean up, throw out and organize the area. It was very hard work but we accomplished the tasks at hand.
The principal informed us that they will be in need of persons to man the school phones from 11 AM to 1 PM every day in order to relieve the secretary. Once assigned, this person must go through a security check. Needless to say, this person must also have the ability to handle many calls, some stressful.
A Parent Night will take place Wednesday, September 25, from 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM. About 3-4 volunteers will be needed to arrive about 3 PM to sort out the clothing and keep the clothing neat during its distribution. Also needed are grocery bags on hand to distribute to the parents.
If you are interested in helping with the phones in the office and/or working at the Parent Night School Event on September 25, contact Beverly Hayden at hayden15@verizon.net.
 POWER'S NEXT ASSEMBLY MEETINGFall Leadership Assembly Monday, Sept. 16th, 7pm Bright Hope Baptist Church (POWER's newest member!) (In the Gymnasium) 1601 N. 12th Street (at corner of Cecil B. Moore & 12th) POWER EDUCATION UPDATEPOWER has been busy this summer working, with other organizations to secure additional funding for Philadelphia schools from the city and state. Since Dr. Hite announced that schools might not reopen on time without adequate funding, POWER has organized a rally and press conference in front of the Philadelphia School District building on Broad St. Parents from Spring Garden and Neibinger Schools spoke about the need to fund city schools. A large meeting was held at Mother Bethel AME church on the same issue.
Luckily, the State, City Council and Mayor Nutter came up with some additional funds which led Dr. Hite to announce that the public schools will be safe to reopen on time. The City Council and the Mayor are still at odds as to whether the appropriated extension of the 1% sales tax extension will go to the schools or be divided between the schools and the pension fund. Another point of contention involves Mayor Nutter's desire to borrow $50 million while Council would prefer the district to sell unused schools buildings, hoping to raise the necessary funds.
The school district is still looking to the Federation of Teachers to make large monetary concessions to fund the school district deficit. To date, the teachers' union has not completed contract negotiations. It seems unlikely, according to the union president, that such large concessions will be made.
Consequently, only a portion of those staff fired have been rehired. One secretary per school, some lunch aides and security staff, art and itinerant music, some vice-principals and some of the teachers have been reinstated. School sports has also been included. Without the 300+ million dollars that was requested by the school system, there will still be serious shortfalls and cutbacks.
POWER, along with PCCY, the Education Law Center and PA State Voices, realizes that this same scenario has happened year after year. To avoid this from occurring in the future, a long-range vision and a state-wide effort need to be developed. This involves trying to get a PA fair funding formula adopted that would insure that PA schools have adequate yearly funding. PA is only one of three states that does not have such a formula in place.
Polls indicate that PA voters, Democrats and Republicans, consider education the most important issue in the state. Voters are willing to pay more in taxes to provide quality education. In order to get such a fair funding formula on the ballot it will need to be supported by the next Democratic gubernatorial candidate. This makes the upcoming Democratic primary, May, 2014, critical. The Democratic candidate for governor in 2014 must make education funding a top priority.
POWER is aware that it is not enough to just involve Philadelphians. In order to win this fight it will be necessary for all districts along the Allentown to Philadelphia corridor to be involved. POWER's sister organization in Allentown, CUNA, has already been contacted. Philadelphia POWER clergy are already contacting their fellow clergy in other parts of the state to take up this fight. Last week, the Education Strategy committee of POWER voted unanimously to present the proposal to develop and support a fair funding formula for PA by 2014. This will be presented to the entire POWER community at its Leadership Assembly on Sept 16. It will be a massive effort and require all of our help. With such a formula in place, PA schools could, once again, be able to provide an equitable education for all its students.
Watch for further updates and meeting sites.
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FALL EDUCATION SERIES
| |  Led by Rabbi Julie
"Making Sense Out of What Does Not Makes Sense in the Bible"
Sunday mornings - 11:00 AM
Kennedy House Community Room
1901 JFK Blvd. 30th floor
Mark these dates down!
October 13
November 17
December 15
Snacks will be served, of course!
$10/members; $15 all others |
THIS IS WHAT 80 LOOKS LIKE!
| |  An Important Celebration
Please follow the link below to find out more about an awesome birthday celebration that is planned for two extraordinary leaders whose prophetic voices changed the world.
On the evening of Nov. 3, 2013 Gloria Steinem and Arthur Waskow will share reflections on what it means to be 80. I'll be there and I hope you will be too.
Rabbi Julie
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ISRAEL IS CALLING YOU
| |  Message from RRC
Join us for the first Reconstructionist Movement trip to Israel, May 14-21, 2014. Deepen your connection to Judaism as you experience life in Israel today. Learn from leading academics, Israeli thinkers, and political activists in a unique series of stimulating and provocative programs. Take your part in a progressive Jewish conversation-an intellectual, spiritual and political dialogue that will build your knowledge, challenge your perspectives, and broaden your understanding of Israel. Learn more at www.rrc.edu/Israeltrip.
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ONE BOOK ONE CONGREGATION (AND MORE) DISCUSSION
| |  Rabbi Julie Returns to Lead Us
Our annual "One Book" event was held in Laura Jacobs' lovely apartment. Rabbi Julie turned our thoughts to the New Year and led a discussion of UK former Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' book, The Dignity of Difference, about diversity as a Jewish value. Thanks to Myrna Schlanger for a tasty brunch.
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ANNUAL MINYAN IN NEW JERSEY
| |  Shabbat Service at Myrna Schlanger's
Our annual Minyan in New Jersey took place Saturday, August 3. Fifteen LHI members attended. Donna and Larry Finkelstein lead the service and the d'var torah discussion.
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SEPTEMBER MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
| |  Please join us in extending birthday wishes to these members:
September 5 - Iris Newman
September 11 - Beryl Kravetz |
SEPTEMBER YAHRZEITS
| | May These Souls be Bound in the Book of Eternal Light: 
Sylvia Goloff
Lee Schlanger
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LEYV HA-IR LISTSERV REMINDERS
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To Post a Message - just send an email to leyvhair@npogroups.org.
Leyv Ha-Ir Event Postings - will be posted by Beverly Hayden using the information on our web calendar.
Other Event Postings - You can post information about other events or information of interest by sending an email to leyvhair@npogroups.org.
Contact Beverly or Bobbi if there are questions about the listserv.
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