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March 22nd 2014 - 20th of Adar II, 5774
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Candlelighting - 7:07 pm
Havdalah - 8:10 pm
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PURIM A SMASH HIT!
BETH JACOB PRODUCTION BOOKED FOR 5775 RETURN ENGAGEMENT!
  Wasn't that chandelier in the sanctuary just perfect? The "show sign" outside the building as you walked in? AND the Purim Schpiel??? Heartfelt acting, soulful singing and who will ever forget how good Brian Milberg looked in a black wig and dress? And those candidates for queen? (Who was that woman whose talent was getting volunteers? - We were rooting for her!) Writer/director/singer-dancer Shira Schwartz -what would we do without her?!
AND Barry Golob's show posters!! LOVED THEM!
A million thanks to our amazing Rabbis, our super-talented staff and soooo many Beth Jacobites who read Megillah, baked and delivered hamataschen, performed in the schpiel, helped with the food and ran wine and chocolates sales at the Purim Carnival! AND Steve Rosenthal - may he live and be well and cook and bake for decades to come - worked his you-know-what off making food for Saturday night and then pizzas and vegetarian sloppy joes for the food tables at the Carnival.
AND our BJUSY teenagers - gave our community the gift of a fab Purim Carnival! It's a beautiful thing, indeed - to see succeeding generations of our teens "paying it forward" to future Kadimaniks and USYers.
A special shout out to the dramatically versatile K'tanim parents who performed a most charming Purim schpiel for the little ones on Sunday morning with Sara Lynn Newberger reading select portions of the Megillah. The atmosphere was sweet and warm - a real delight.
A huge TODAH RABAH to ALL - from planners to performers to pew-sitters to dancing fools at the post Megillah-reading party. Really, where else in town can you party down with women prison inmates, a frum pipe-smoking Irishman and a Snow White dwarf?
On a more personal note, we found that wearing wigs and long eyelashes really added to the spiritual depth of the holiday.
Your loyal co-co prezzes,
Rosanne Zaidenweber and Beth Friend
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This Weekend!
 This shabbat, join us for three opportunities to meet and learn from Demetrios (D. Marcos) Vital, a candidate for our Congregational Educator position for the coming year.
- Saturday afternoon: USY and Kadima Seudah Shlishit
6:30 pm at the Gewirtz Home in Mendota Heights
The search committee will be evaluating candidates for our educator position based on the work of our Kehillat Shabbat focus groups in the fall. A successful candidate will be creative and compelling, will connect well with people of all ages, and will impart a richness of Jewish experience and learning. After Shabbat, please feel free to share any feedback with David Itzkowitz, search committee chair: daviditzkowitz@gmail.com.
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March 22, 12:45 pm
"Is Jewish Pluralism Really Possible?"
  A discussion featuring Roberta Rosenthal Kwall, Professor of Law and Director, DePaul University College of Law Center for Jewish Law and Judaic Studies, and Adena Berkowitz, Scholar-in-Residence and co- founder of Kol HaNeshamah NYC, an outreach congregation dedicated to re-energizing the spiritual life of both affiliated and not yet affiliated Jews, and advisory member of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance (JOFA).
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Monthly Shabbat Potluck Dinner
at Beth Jacob
Fri., March 21st
6:00 pm: Lively, Songful Kabbalat Shabbat Services
7:00 pm: Vegetarian Potluck Shabbat Dinner
This week, featuring z'mirot!
If you can't make it across the river at rush hour (especially with little kids) you can still enjoy Shabbat with your Beth Jacob community. Please contact Amy Rogovin at Amy@Rogov.in or 612-867-2792 to coordinate food.
Brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Kesher committee.
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This Saturday After Kiddush!
Be challenged, have fun, laugh, eat treats and play your favorite game; fun for the entire family!
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With Rabbi Lynn Liberman
Shabbat mornings, 9:15-10 AM
March 22;
Join Rabbi Lynn Liberman to discuss the weekly Torah portion through the lens of thought-provoking commentaries.
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Daven and Dine
Friday, March 28
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 Empty nesters - Single or partnered adults without children
- Widows/widowers
- Folks who are divorced
- Anyone who might enjoy an opportunity to spend Friday night together furthering the building of community!
On March 28, Rabbi Allen and Phyllis will be hosting the first DAVEN AND DINE; an opportunity to bring people together not around age, or marital status, but around people who are interested in building community, renewing relationships or creating new connections. THIS FIRST DAVEN AND DINE IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 30 people who sign up. RSVP at Daven2Dine@beth-jacob.org on a first come basis.
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 Shabbat, March 29
12:45 pm
"Raise the Wage"
The Social Justice Committee is bringing two speakers to help us understand the importance of the bill to raise the minimum.
 Debbie Belfry, Board Member of VEAP (Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People), the largest food shelf in the state, will tell us the stories about the lives of a few of her clients as they try to keep body and soul together on minimum wage.
Suzanne Bern, a small business owner, who has elected to pay her employees $10.00 per hour plus health and social security, despite the $6.15 minimum. Suzanne will tell us why she has made this choice and how it affects her business.
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Beth Jacob Educator Search
 Over the next few months, Beth Jacob will be searching for a dynamic Jewish educator to take the lead in further strengthening and expanding our programs in youth and family learning. Although the exact parameters of the job will be tailored to the particular strengths of the successful candidate, we will be looking for someone to re-envision, lead and implement our youth Shabbat and holidays morning programming; to engage families with children in innovative models of family learning; to be involved with the supervision of our youth leaders; and to work with our educational partner organizations to integrate our youths' formal and informal learning contexts.
We will be searching both through formal and informal channels. If you know anyone who might be suitable for this position, please feel free to pass their names along to David Itzkowitz, who is chairing the search: daviditzkowitz@gmail.com.
Job Description
We will be updating you all on the search as it progresses.
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Rabbi Amy Eilberg at BJC
Post-Kiddush Session at Beth Jacob
April 19th
The Ways of Peace:
Bringing Peace into our Difficult Conversations
 How do we respond to the Psalmist's command that we "Seek peace and pursue it"? Rabbi Amy Eilberg will teach an experiential session demonstrating ways to practice the Jewish value of peace in the midst of difficult conversations in our lives.
Workshop for Beth Jacob
Sunday, April 20th, 10 AM-Noon
Practicing the Ways of Peace
 Drawing on the ancient Jewish system of Mussar, Rabbi Amy Eilberg will teach on some of the middot or soul traits that are essential to pursuing peace in our personal and communal lives and in our engagement with the world. This session will include study and guidance on regular personal practice to strengthen the spiritual muscles needed by seekers of peace. |
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Beth Jacob Info:
Calendar
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In This Issue:
(Click Link to Jump
Directly to Article)
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10:45 - 11:30 am Minyan Katan is a joyful, playful shabbat morning service for kids birth-kindergarten with their grownups. All are welcome! 1st & 3rd Sat. of the Month Next Meetings: April 5, 19 _________________________________ Click link above for more info! |
Kehillat
Shabbat
This is an "A" week for Kehillat Shabbat Madrichim.
_________________________________ Click link above for more info! |
 Don't forget about the Wine and Chocolate sale! Chocolate Deadline TODAY 3/20!
Wine Deadline Next Friday, 3/28
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Girl Scout Cookie Shabbat
Please help our Beth Jacob girls who are Girl Scouts to sponsor a delicious Kiddush! Order cookies from Frances Fischer, who will make sure to distribute the orders to all of our Beth Jacob Scouts. Save some for yourself, and donate some boxes to Beth Jacob for our April 5 dessert table.
If you have a Girl Scout in your family and Frances hasn't already contacted you, please let her know you'd like to participate!
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 Adult Jewish Learning
 Monday Night Talmud Class With Rabbi Allen
7:00 Pre-learning Schmooze and Munch
7:15 Class Begins
Study the words and thoughts of Rabbinic tradition as a living text in our modern world.  Parashat HaShavuah: Tuesday Afternoons With Rabbi Allen - 4-5:00 pm Study of this week's Torah portion.
 Bracha and Bagel: Wednesday Mornings With Rabbi Kippley-Ogman after Minyan Our learning chug (circle) meets for half an hour over breakfast, digging into rabbinic text related to the cycle of the Jewish year.
Jew in the Pew: Saturday Mornings With Rabbi Lynn Liberman - 9:15-10 am
March 22; April 5, 26; May 10, 31
Join Rabbi Lynn Liberman to discuss the weekly Torah portion through the lens of thought-provoking commentaries.
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For our full Community Events calendar, click here |
Jewish Community Planning Process Listening Session Data and Findings Available
The Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul has completed community Listening Sessions, the first phase of the comprehensive planning study designed to understand and address our community's needs over the next 10 to 20 years. The next phase is now underway, in which community leadership will choose key issues for further research and action recommendations. The data and findings from the Listening Sessions are available on the Federation website at The information available on the website includes an executive summary that explains the purpose, methodology, results and next steps of this project. It also includes detailed data on what participants identify as benefits to living in the St. Paul Jewish community and what they see as concerns.
The Jewish Community Planning Process is a project of the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul, and is guided by a leadership team consisting of area rabbis, agency executives and lay leaders.
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