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May 22, 2020
Please check our current newsletter for additional information about these and other events, or call AJ's main office for information.
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IMPORTANT: If part of this column is cut off (for instance, only half of the Service Schedule is showing), it is because your email application can't display an email of this size. Scroll to the bottom of the email and click on "Show entire message."
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Please note: Due to coronavirus, the synagogue building will be closed until further notice. Until then, all services will be held virtually through Zoom. See below for the links. (All of the COVID-19-related information in this weekly email is
here.)
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| Dear Friends.... |
As we head into Memorial Day Weekend, our thoughts turn to those who gave their lives for our country. As we remember them, I am reminded of the beautiful words:
And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Praying for a Shabbat and weekend filled with peace and good health for all. Shabbat Shalom.
Warmly,
Judy
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 Kabbalat Shabbat with Strings Attached
Friday, May 22 (Tonight!) |
Unplug from a busy week with an acoustic Shabbat service led by Hazzan Howard Glantz with familiar tunes that will put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. For all ages, from babies to bubbies. Bring your friends for this relaxed, casual, and enjoyable service! 6:15 PM
We look forward to seeing you there!
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AJ Trivia Night!
Sunday, May 24 |
Join us for a fun-filled, family friendly trivia night! Fantastic prizes and interesting tidbits guaranteed! The event will begin at 7:30 after evening minyan on Sunday, May 24.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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AJMA Hearing Men's Voices Zoom Get-Together
Wednesday, May 27, from 8:00 PM to 9:15 PM |
Let's assemble and share some upbeat stories. We've all had our lives turned upside down to one extent or another since March of this year. It would be easy to list the negative aspects of our lives and the lives of our families and others. Instead, let's share some positive personal stories taking place during these challenging times.
We have a Zoom session scheduled for Wednesday evening, from 8:00 to 9:15 PM, on May 27. For practical reasons, we are limiting the number of participants to 25 attendees.
Thanks to Ted Radinsky for coming up with the concept and and thanks to Judy Izes and Scott Minkoff for technical assistance.
Please RSVP to Ed Moses at
[email protected] if you wish to join this activity. Ed will let you know if there are slots available and if so, will send you the link for the zoom session at least a few days before May 27.
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Tikkun Leyl Shavuot
Thursday, May 28, beginning at 7:30 PM, on Zoom |
The Kehillah of Old York Road has lots of things planned for Shavuot! The evening will begin at 7:30 PM with services led by Hazzan Glantz, followed by Tikkun Leyl Shavuot and a night of study.
Learning sessions will begin after services, in half-hour intervals. For more information, use the links below.
***For security reasons, please don't share the Zoom links in any of these documents beyond friends and family, and please don't post them on Facebook.***
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Drive-In Havdalah Under the Stars!
Saturday, June 6, at 8:00 PM, at AJ! |
Shake, Rock, and Roll on over for an inspirational Havdalah service, followed by Hairspray at the AJ Drive-In. Don't forget to wear your poodle skirt! There will be a prize for the best 50s hairdo! Goodie bags will be provided. Please bring your own beverages.
Reservations must be made by Sunday, May 31st. Space is LIMITED because of social distancing. To RSVP, contact Merril Stup at
[email protected] or 215.782.3735.
Mincha/Maariv at 8:10 PM; Havdalah at 9:10 PM.
(Rain date: Saturday, June 13)
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Save the Date: AJ Annual Meeting
Monday, June 8, via Zoom |
Save the date for our Annual Meeting, Monday, June 8. We'll be sending out more information next week.
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Bi-Weekly Healing Services
Monday evenings at 5:00 PM |
This week's healing service was well-attended and we've decided to offer a healing service, led by Hazzan Glantz, every other Monday night. The next healing service will be on Monday, June 1.
Why attend a healing service?
Some folks attend a healing service for themselves. Others may be motivated to be present for a loved one who is suffering. For some, wounds and ailments are visible and more obvious, but many people hurt and suffer from pain that cannot be so easily seen. The healing service has the potential to help participants seeking to find balance or solace or spirituality within.
Unlike a standard prayer service, there is no set structure that has been handed down through the generations. Although there will be a 'seder', an order to things, there is no haggadah that guides us in our choices. I like to include music, brief meditations, a ritual washing of hands, prayers that are both communal and personal, aloud and in silence. The service includes healing prayers that may be familiar, steeped in our ancient liturgy as well as more contemporary and current inclusions. Toward the end of our (approximately 45-minute) time and space, I warmly offer participants the option of sharing something brief about their experience.
We will end with a reminder that what has been shared in this service is private and confidential and that this promise is upon all of us to keep for each other.
Here is the Zoom info:
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Ongoing Virtual Events
All events, except where noted, will use this Zoom link:
By phone: Please dial 929.436.2866 or 301.715.8592.
Meeting ID#:
109428724
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On Tuesdays and Thursdays
Adult
Ed with Rav Shai: Introduction to Judaism
Continuing on Tuesday and Thursday nights
, at 7:45 PM, Rav Shai will teach a 24-part
Introduction to Judaism.
Zoom information:
By phone: Please dial 929.436.2866 or 301.715.8592.
Meeting ID#: 969452689
On Thursdays
Learn from Alef with Hazzan Glantz.*
Maximum class size is four; first registered, first served. Hazzan will gladly add times as needed.
Learn to read in Hebrew starting with the Alef-Bet. Prerequisite: Only the desire to be able to read the letters and vowels from the Hebrew texts. 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Talmud Class with Hazzan Glantz.* Hazzan will share what he is learning in Talmud Class. No prerequisites, geared toward adults. 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
On Fridays
Mesibat Shabbat with Hazzan Glantz.
Geared toward preschool age, but likely fun for 1st and 2nd graders too. All ages welcome. 9:30 AM
Preregistration for these classes is appreciated; just send an email to
[email protected].
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| Do You Know a Graduate? |
During Shabbat services on Saturday, June 13, we will be honoring all our graduates...high school, college, and post-graduate. Please let us know of any family members who have graduations coming up so that we can include them. Send an email to [email protected].
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| New: AJ Acts Webpage |
During this time when so many people need help, AJ's Social Action Committee, AJ Acts, has provided a preliminary list of local and national organizations who can use your help. See their new webpage at
www.CongregationAJ.org/community/AJ_Acts.
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Six-Week Adult Education Class with Rav Shai:
"Medieval Judaisms and Modern Denominations"
POSTPONED!
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Rav Shai has decided that it makes sense to hold off on the re-start of this series, until we have a better sense of when we can meet at AJ, together. Stay tuned!
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Two Great Opportunities for High School Students!
JTS JustCity and CityStage: Transformational Summer Programs for High School Students
The pre-college summer institutes of JTS,
JustCity and CityStage, hold transformational summer programs for high school students. This summer, they are offering an online course entitled "Justice and Art in Moments of Crisis" from June 28 through July 12.
Course Description:
Explore the intersection of Judaism and justice,
earning 1 college credit. As part of this online program, you'll let your creative juices flow and produce your own works of art, while building friendships with teens from across the country.
Schedule:
Monday-Friday:
1:00 p.PM -- 2:30 PM ET: Judaism & Justice Deep Dive
3:00 PM -- 4:30 PM ET: Creative Arts Workshop
8:00 PM -- 9:00 PM ET: Community Time: Learning from each other and guests from the field
Shabbat and Sunday programming, too!
Cost:
$500
You can download a flyer here. You can learn more about the program and register here.
Hartman Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Thought Leaders: Together@Home
Another program for teens is the Hartman Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Thought Leaders: Together@Home. This program is for graduating current seniors and rising juniors and rising seniors. It will be a four-week exploration of Jewish peoplehood, at-homeness, and contemporary challenges facing North American Jewish identity for high school students.
The Jewish people are facing important questions about citizenship, nationalism, democracy and the societies in which we live. COVID-19 has already reshaped our attitudes about collective community and what it means to be 'at-home,' and is raising issues of theology, spirituality, and social responsibility.
Join this national cohort of exceptional high school students and meet virtually with top Hartman scholars like Tal Becker, Elana Stein Hain, Yehuda Kurtzer, and Mijal Bitton to grapple with these issues through interactive webinars, study groups, and intimate discussions for a month-long exploration of Jewish peoplehood, at-homeness, and the contemporary challenges facing North American Jewish identity in this moment.
Please click here for more information.
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| Let Hazzan Glantz Help You Celebrate! |
Do you know someone who is having a birthday and could use help celebrating? If so, contact Hazzan Glantz at
[email protected] and he'll record a birthday song for your child or relative!
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Sunday, May 24: Limmud eFestival.
Limmud eFestival features the most interesting, inspiring and important Jewish ideas today. Connect with Jewish community, cultivate your curiosity and expand your horizons, all from the comfort of your home. Here is some information from your friends at Limmud eFestival.
Learn with Mayim Bialik, producer Howard Rosenman; Superman writer Brian Bendis; AZ State Representative Alma Hernandez; Author Ariel Burger; Musician Josh Warshawsky; former Watergate Prosecutor and Legal Analyst Jill Wine-Banks; scholars from Hartman, Pardes and Hadar; and dozens more!
Enjoy leading educators, thought-leaders and change-makers teaching about the most interesting Jewish ideas today. Connect with Jewish community, cultivate your curiosity and expand your horizons, all virtually.
You can get more info from our standalone email about this event
here or at the Limmud eFestival website
here
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Through Thursday, May 28: The Great Big Jewish Food Fest: Looking for something fun to do from the comfort of your kitchen? The Great Big Jewish Food Fest is a collaboration among folks in the culinary and Jewish communities who saw a unique opportunity to enrich the Jewish food space during this unique and challenging time. We sent out a detailed email yesterday regarding this online event. You can see that email here.
Tuesday, June 2: Jewish Population Study | Community Townhall Meetings.
The 2019 Community Portrait Jewish Population Study provides a wealth of information to allow our communities to better understand the basic socio-economic, demographic and public health trends across the region's Jewish population. There are many interesting findings from the study about each of our unique communities within the Greater Philadelphia area.
Federation invites you to join them for virtual Town Hall Meetings to learn more about each of these communities. The time options for the Old York Road Corridor are below; a Jewish Federation representative will present the same information at both times. Each presentation will be tailored to that specific region and followed by a Q & A session. You are welcome to register for as many sessions as you'd like to attend.
Old York Road Corridor | Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Register for the afternoon 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Register for the evening 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
If you have questions about these Zoom webinars or would like to submit a question in advance of a webinar, please contact [email protected].
Sunday Afternoons: The Bible Players. Looking for a Family-Friendly Event?
The Bible Players present "Live and Inside," a streaming improv comedy event, every Sunday at 4:00 PM. You can get more info about these events on their
Facebook page
, and about The Bible Players, in general, on their
website
.
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| AJ's Virtual Services |
Through the Zoom platform, congregants can attend services virtually. You can find information about how to use the system
here
.
We have two links for AJ's servic
es:
For Saturday evening services:
By computer:
https://zoom.us/j/933131679
By phone: Please dial 929.436.2866 or 301.715.8592.
Meeting ID#: 933131679
For all other services (Sunday through Friday morning and evening services, and Shabbat services):
By computer:
https://zoom.us/j/109428724
By phone: Please dial 929.436.2866 or 301.715.8592.
Meeting ID#: 109428724
You can find
PDFs of Seder
Avodah
here.
Please note:
To avoid the possibility that any of our services will be interrupted by hackers or other unwelcome interlopers ("Zoombombing"), we are making a couple of changes in how we use Zoom. There will now be a virtual waiting room and the host will welcome each guest into the meeting. You may want to call or log in a few minutes ahead of the start time so that the host has time to welcome each guest. There will also be a co-host assigned so that any interlopers can be removed from the service quickly.
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| Changes at AJ Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) |
This is a reminder that we have added a page to the AJ website that explains our actions and policies for dealing with the virus to date.
Here is the direct link to the COVID-19 page on the AJ website:
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Needed! Homemade Masks for Einstein Patients
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The City of Philadelphia has a significant number of new COVID-19 cases & hospitalizations continue to rise. Inner city neighborhoods are being hit harder by this highly communicable disease. Masks help stop the spread. Einstein is in need of hand-crafted masks to give to our patients to help keep others safe and preserve medical grade masks for staff. Can you help?
You can download the instructions
here
. Your support would be much appreciated!
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| Are You Suffering From Loneliness? |
The social distancing required to defeat the coronavirus has upended our lives. We have been separated from family, friends, and coworkers. If you are experiencing loneliness or know of someone who is, please let us know how we can help
. You can reach Rav Shai at 215.992.4112 or [email protected], or Hazzan Glantz at 215.439.5033 or [email protected].
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| Update Regarding the AJ Website |
Some congregants have inquired about
the words "Log In" that appear in the upper right corner. The ability to log in to the website is a feature that is not activated, and can only be used by the site administrator at this time. The congregation will be advised if this feature is activated in the future.
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| Kosher Meals from Betty the Caterer |
Betty the Caterer is offering kosher meals for pickup at MBIEE. The menu for May is
here. The menu for May 28 through June 11 is
here. And they have just created offerings for weekend meals called "Weekend in a Box" and you can find the flyer
here. You can find out more about Betty the Caterer
here.
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| Jewish Federation Needs You! |
The Jewish Federation's Emergency Fund is currently raising money for food, counseling, and other basic necessities for our Jewish social safety-net agencies. We anticipate that the funds will go to additional needs as they arise, and as funds are raised. Jewish Federation is uniquely situated to assess the needs, raise money, and distribute funds quickly, as the needs change. All of our Jewish safety-net agencies serve both Jews and non-Jews throughout Greater Philadelphia. Please consider making a donation to Jewish Federation's COVID-19 Emergency Fund.
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| Helpful Resources |
Looking for things to do while you "Stay at Home"? Here is a
link to a number of resources our Director of Programming, Ilana McAfoos, has compiled. You can also find it on the
COVID-19 page on the AJ website.
US Senator for Pennsylvania Bob Casey has links to a wide range of resources that can help you, your family, and your community navigate the challenges of this difficult time. They include easy-to-understand descriptions of provisions from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act just passed by Congress. You can find those links here.
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| Donations and Notification Cards |
We want to let you know that all donations are being processed but until the AJ building is opened again, we will be delayed in sending out cards. We appreciate your continuing donations.
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KleinLife: Montgomery County
Programs for Seniors at AJ
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KleinLife will be closed until further notice.
KleinLife: Montgomery County Dr. Gabriel z"l and Alma Elias Center operates at AJ on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 9:45 AM to 2:00 PM, in the Braemer Auditorium. Anyone 60 and older is invited to join us. The program is free of charge but space is limited. Please call to sign up! For more information, contact Gail Korostoff at 215.635.5244 or
[email protected]. You can download the current newsletter with programs and activities
here and a general flyer
here.
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| In Case You Missed It... |
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Below are some stories that were in previous weekly emails. We still think they are important enough to include for those who missed them or didn't need the info at the time they were originally published!
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Eradicating D
omestic Abuse
is a J
ewish R
esponsibility.
15-20%
of all Jewish households experience some form of abuse or violence and Jewish survivors stay in abusive relationships twice as long as the national average.
If you are concerned about your safety or the safety of a loved one, please contact us at
[email protected]
to talk with one of our intake volunteers.
Dinah is a comprehensive legal services center providing low-cost and pro bono legal representation to survivors of domestic abuse in the Jewish Community of Greater Philadelphia. By partnering with existing Jewish social service providers, Dinah
combats intimate partner violence through advocacy, education and representation.
Visit dinahphilly.org for more information.
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Lunch and Learn Noontime Torah Now Being Held at AJ
CANCELED until further notice.
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Feed your soul at Noontime Torah!
The Rabbinical Assembly-Mid-Atlantic Region invites you to join us weekly at noon for the study of Torah on Tuesdays at AJ from noon to 1:00 PM. A Rabbi and other like-minded individuals await you to engage in exciting discussion and thoughtful analysis of the weekly Torah portion or other stimulating topic. Each class is self-contained so you can plug in at any given week, in any given location.
Join Us and Grow!
Bring your dairy or pareve lunch and a Bible, drinks will be provided. All are welcome. Classes are not held on major Jewish holidays. For more information, call at any of the locations for details or the main coordinating office of Rabbi Gary Charlestein (610.239.6003).
You can also attend Noontime Torah in Center City at the Offices of Cozen & O'Conner on Tuesdays from noon to 1:00 PM, or in Plymouth Meeting/Norristown at the Offices of Premier Dental Products on Wednesdays from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM. Download a flyer for more info.
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Laurel House Shelter Needs Your Donations!
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AJ Caring Community
Committee
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We all experience times of need. For many of us, family and friends step in to provide support. For others, those resources are less present, less apparent and asking for help can be embarrassing and complicated. This is where the AJ Caring Community Committee (AJCCC) comes in with varying levels of support, anything from a phone call to a meal.
Should you know of someone who has such a need or if you find yourself in a difficult situation please get in touch with us. You can leave a message with Beryl (215.635.6611) in the office, or with Rav Shai at [email protected] or Naomi Atkins, the chair of the AJCCC at [email protected].
Your AJ family is here to help you.
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College Connection
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We Would Like to Connect with Your College Student!
Surprise your college student with a taste of home! College students enrolled in the AJ College Connection Program will receive the monthly AJ News and enjoy holiday packages sent to school. Children of member families only. Please send the following information to Sandra Goldberg at [email protected] or call the synagogue office at 215.635.6611: Student Name, School Address, Student Email Address, Parent Email Address and Expected Year of Graduation. This program is enthusiastically sponsored by AJWA Sisterhood.
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