M'KOR MAIL
March 21, 2018
"Perhaps the festival of Pesach requires the most extensive preparation because so does liberation. Lest we think that slavery only comes in some obvious form of chains and Pharaohs, Pesach asks us to see the most common element of our life, bread, as enslavement. It suggests that while slavery can be found everywhere and in everything, perhaps most of all it is found in the routine of the everyday. Slavery can be found in the rote repetition of activities that leads us to sleepwalk through existence. Once Pesach is over, we go back to eating bread. Our goal is not to reject bread but to renew our priorities, to provide greater appreciation for what we have and to remind us of all that we have yet to accomplish. Pesach begins the cycle of the festival year as it comes to shake us out of our smugness and to remind us that the God of Israel calls us to work for the liberation of all people, including ourselves."  [Michael Strassfeld]

This Shabbat (the Shabbat preceding Pesach) is known as Shabbat HaGadol ("The Great Sabbath"), which derives its name from the importance of the approaching festival and from the Haftarah selection for this week that ends with an allusion to "The Great Day of the Lord." It is a fitting name for this Shabbat, as we have much to celebrate!

Friday evening, our Kabbalat Shabbat service begins at 6:30 pm. We will be blessing our 10th Graders as they, along with Merle Steinberg, Adam Roth, and Drew Molotsky will be leaving for our annual Confirmation Class trip to Israel. And we will also share in a special blessing for all those with March birthdays.
 
Shabbat morning, I will be leading Torah Study beginning at 9:00 am, followed at 10:30 am by our Spice Up Your Judaism session, led by Scott Kushner. Also at 10:30 am, Cantor Hochman and I will lead our Shabbat morning service in the Sanctuary, during which we will celebrate the B'nai Mitzvah of Ravi and Lee Bloom. And, at 5:45 pm, we will lead our Shabbat afternoon service in the Sanctuary, as we celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Daniel Maurer.
 
This Saturday is also the "March For Our Lives" in Washington D.C., and many other major cities around the country, to demand that lives and safety become a priority and that we work to end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools. M'kor Shalom and Adath Emanu-El will be sharing a bus heading down to the D.C. March. If you would like to take the bus, please CLICK HERE to register. If you are planning to march locally in Philadelphia, and would like to be connected with other M'kor Shalom marchers, please contact our Social Action chairperson, Kim Coffina. And if you would like more information on marches supported by Reform Judaism's Religious Action Center, CLICK HERE.
 
Just a reminder, there is no Shabbat evening service next Friday night (March 30), as it is the first night of Pesach. If you are in need of a place to go for seder, or if you have an open seat (or two) at your holiday table, please let the main office know, so we can try our best to ensure everyone has a place to go for Pesach.
 
L'shalom,
 
Rabbi Jennifer L. Frenkel



If you wish to have a Mi Shebeirach said during our Shabbat services, please let us know by noon each Friday so we can give the names to the rabbis.
In This Message
WE CELEBRATE
The B'nai of
Ravi Bloom & Lee Bloom
sons of Craig & Jayne Bloom
grandsons of Fradele Feld

Daniel Maurer 
son of Jonathon & Lauren Maurer
grandson of Kenneth & Margery Maurer

WE REMEMBER 
Marvin Albert 
father of Shari Dickstein 
THE WEEK AHEAD
 
Friday, March 23
Achim Softball Registration Deadline
6:30 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service (Sanctuary)
Join us for pre-service refreshments starting at 6:00 pm.
Blessing for our Confirmation Class Israel Trip travelers.
We celebrate March birthdays.

Saturday, March 24          
March For Our Lives (Washington D.C., Philadelphia & more)
9:00 am
Torah Study, led by Rabbi Frenkel (Chapel)
10:30 am
Spice Up Your Judaism, led by Scott Kushner (Social Hall)
10:30 am
Shabbat Morning Service (Sanctuary)
B'nai Mitzvah of Ravi Bloom & Lee Bloom
5:45 pm Shabbat Afternoon Service (Sanctuary)
Bar Mitzvah of  Daniel Maurer 

Sunday, March 25
9:00 am - 1:00 pm Passover Shuk (Main Office Lobby)

Tuesday, March 27
12:30 pm Daytimers Lunch & A Movie (Off-site)
6:00-9:00 pm
Passover Shuk (Main Office Lobby)
7:30 pm
Social Action Committee Meeting (Boardroom) 
 
Wednesday, March 28       
9:00 am - 1:00 pm Passover Shuk (School Lobby)
10:30 am "...And The Walls Came Tumbling Down" led by Yossi Afek (Chapel)
7:30 pm Board of Trustees Meeting (Oneg Room)  


Friday, March 30     
Passover - First Seder
Office Close at 1:00 pm
No Kabbalat Shabbat Service; contact the main office if you wish to be paired with other congregants for a seder. 
UPCOMING EVENTS
Please click on each event name for more information or to register for that event.

...And The Walls Came Tumbling Down, led by Yossi Afek
Wednesdays, March 28 and April 4, 10:30 am

GIft Shop Spring/Passover Clearance Sale
Through Friday, March 30
- Select items 36% off!
ShopRite Scrip will be available for purchase.

Passover - First Seder: Friday, March 30
Our Shabbat service will NOT be held.
Need a place to go for a Passover seder? Have an extra seat at your table? Contact the synagogue office at 856-424-4220 to be matched with fellow congregants.

Spring Break Puppet Show
Wednesday, April 4, 10:15 am

Alex & the Kaleidoscope
Sunday, April 8, 2:00 pm

Scholar-in-Residence Weekend: Eat, Learn, Sing! with Rabbi Kenneth Kanter
Friday & Saturday, April 13 & 14

Gift of Life Donor Dash
Sunday, April 15

Mega 50/50 Raffle - Win up to $12,000!
Drawing: Wednesday, May 16
(during Annual Congregational Meeting)

M'kor Or "Source of Light" Evening of Honors
Sunday, June 3, 5:00 pm

Celebrate four of M'kor Shalom's shining lights. Performance by Nefesh Mountain. Sponsorships & Tribute Book opportunities now available. 
For late-breaking news, please visit our website at www.mkorshalom.org.

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Michelle Bross
Executive Director
Congregation M'kor Shalom
850 Evesham Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
(856) 424-4220
(856) 424-2890 (fax)
ExecutiveDirector@mkorshalom.org