In case you missed all this great news last week, we are sending it out again with a minor but important correction!
Enjoy the recap of our Welcome/Installations Event
Included in this newsletter you'll find:
~ Photos and video from our August 4th Installations.
~ Thank you letters from Cantor Abramson and Rabbi Emerita Axe
~ Membership drive August goals!
~ Beach Shabbat Picnic August 16th
~ High Holiday Registration Forms now available!
To get a taste of the warm, intimate and fun
Welcome/Installations celebration on August 4th
enjoy the pictures below and this video clip of Oseh Shalom
To see additional photos of our meaningful and memorable event
visit our website gallery
Welcome and Installations
A thank you note from Cantor Abramson
Please accept my most sincere thanks for the beautiful installation service. I am honored to begin my new role as Spiritual Leader of Congregation Shir Ami. Special thanks to Barry Stein for opening up his lovely home. It was a beautiful day to gather and celebrate this new chapter in the life of Shir Ami. Our entire family thanks you for planning such a meaningful ritual of installation. Jonathan and Eli enjoyed meeting everyone and Eli didn't want to leave! We all feel lucky to have found a new spiritual home for our family.
I was deeply touched by the gift of the tallit. I will wear it with deep love and admiration for all of you.
Wishing you all the best for a relaxing rest of summer.
Warmly,
Cantor Jill Abramson
A thank you note from Rabbi Emerita Axe
Dear Precious Members of Shir Ami,
As I continue to settle Harold and me into our new home and transition to the role of caregiver for him while seeking the services that will increase the quality of life for both of us, it is profoundly comforting to know that our Shir Ami Family is supportive of this very challenging time for us. Thank you thank you thank for the magical service of installation. As those who were there know, I was moved to tears as the past presidents blessed me under the tallit you commissioned for me when I was ordained as a rabbi, and with the presentation of a JNF Certificate representing an orchard of fifteen trees planted in Israel in my honor.
I am so proud of you for all your efforts and devotion in forging a future for Shir Ami. I know that you are in loving and caring hands with Cantor Jill Abramson. She brings a depth of wisdom and compassion to everything she does and I am delighted to pass the torch of leadership to such a worthy successor as I embrace my new role as Rabbi Emerita.
 It’s hard to imagine an end to the lazy hazy days of summer, but thinking ahead to the fall holy days, I pray that the New Year 5780 will bring to each of you a year of joy and fulfillment, health and peace.
Blessings from our home to yours –
Rabbi Emerita Axe
Thank you to all of you who have already sent in your membership forms!!!
OUR MEMBERSHIP DRIVE CONTINUES THROUGH AUGUST
Being a Member of Shir Ami, allows you to enjoy and help shape our unique community and to support it to thrive, while also being inspired and supported by what we have to offer you!
2019 Membership Form
Please click here to download the form from our website.
We are delighted to see interest in membership from new, returning and continuing members! In July we reached over 50% of our registration goals. We hope to get to 100% by the end of August! Thanks for your help.

Important Form Instructions:
Step 1: Save pdf first on your computer, then open it, fill it out and click save again.
Step 2: Email your filled out and saved form to us OR print it out and mail it to us.
(our contact info is below & on the forms)
2019 ~ 5780
We look forward to seeing you at the High Holy Day Services this year.
Thank you to our very own eagle eyes - Ray Marschall - for noticing that the chart below had the right dates but wrong month for Yom Kippur. It said September when it should have said October. We appreciate your pointing that out so we could make that important correction!
Last chance to RSVP for our August 16th
Beach Shabbat / picnic and Baby Naming!
from 5:30 - 8 PM
Shabbat at Tod's Point
On Friday August 16th we will join together for our annual, delightful Beach Shabbat Services at Tod's Point. Our tradition is to have a picnic dinner from 5:30 - 6:30 (everyone brings their own food & drinks) followed by a service with a lot of singing & ending with watching the sun set around 7:45 PM.

This will be Cantor Abramson's first Shabbat Service at Shir Ami as our official Cantor/Spiritual Leader. Let's introduce her to Tod's Point and help make this a very special Shabbat to start off our new chapter.

As a special bonus we will have the pleasure of enjoying a baby naming!
Please join us for the Hebrew naming of Eloise Mila Garcin, daughter of Jen and Brandon Garcin, granddaughter of Peggy & Jerry Sturman, Jane Garcin and Martin Cooperman. Eloise was born on September 10, 2018 and will be named by Cantor Abramson at our Tod's Point Beach Service on August 16th, 2019.
2019 - 20 Shabbat and Holiday Service Calendar

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Living and Learning Programs
Learn more about our exciting classes and discussion groups being offered at Shir Ami and led by Cantor Abramson starting in October after High Holidays!
Some upcoming dates to add to your calendar

If you have any questions please email us at ShirAmi.info@gmail.com
  • Membership Drive continues through August - Help us out by responding asap!
  • Friday August 16th Beach picnic dinner and Shabbat at Tod's Point with our new Spiritual Leader, Cantor Jill Abramson. (rsvp above)
  • Saturday, September 14th, Havdalah Service at the Ross's house led by Cantor Abramson.

HIGH HOLIDAY REGISTRATION FORMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
  • Important Dates for High Holiday all held at Round Hill Community Church in Greenwich
Sunday Sept 29th - Rosh HaShana Eve 7- 9 PM
Monday Sept 30th - Rosh HaShana Morning 10 - 12:30 and Luncheon
Tuesday Oct 8th - Yom Kippur Eve - Kol Nidrei 7-9 PM
Wednesday Oct 9 th - Yom Kippur Morning 10 - 12:30
Interlude - Meditative sharing 1-2 PM
Afternoon-Yizkor-Closing 2:30 - 5:30 followed by a short BreakFast
A message from the Board Presidents
We are truly honored to have been officially installed as Co- Presidents as the very first act of our newly installed Spiritual Leader/ Cantor Jill Abramson. We are very excited to work with her as she begins her leadership at Shir Ami. There are so many exciting things ahead!

Our July Membership Drive has gone very well - we've reached about 60% of our goal in just 4 weeks. We are so pleased that we have a combination of new, returning, and continuing members who have already sent in their membership forms. We will begin to reach out with phone calls over the next few weeks to those we haven't heard from yet.

Our next Board Meeting will be on Wednesday August 21st 7:30 PM. Location TBD.
We will be reaching out to those who identified on their membership forms that they are interested in being part of a committee and eager to work closely with us and the other Board Officers - Joel (treasurer) and Marie (secretary). Please let us know if you are interested in being actively involved in shaping this new and exciting year. You may reach out to us via email at shirami.info@gmail.com.

We hope to see you at our Beach Shabbat on August 16th!

Sincerely,

Jenny Lake and Susan Nisinzweig
Co-Presidents of Shir Ami
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For more information about Membership, Shabbat services
and other events contact us at
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING CONTACT INFORMATION

Shir Ami Phone number : (203) 900-7976
Shir Ami Email Address: shirami.info@gmail.com

Mailing Address:
 Congregation Shir Ami
 1273 E. Putnam Ave
 PO BOX #312
 Riverside, CT 06878-9998