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Be Number 100!
Renew or Join Romemu NOW.
99
families have so far renewed their memberships for 2020 or joined Romemu for the first time. Welcome! We are so thrilled and grateful to have you as members.
Who is going to be number 100?
If you have NOT yet signed up this year, please do so NOW, and support us on the way to becoming a community
750 members-strong
. Whether you feel at home when you are at Romemu, or feel like you are at Romemu when you are at home, join us, as always, in joyful prayer and community.
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This Shabbat at Romemu
All Services & Programming will be available via Zoom and/or Facebook Live
Please scroll down for access information or
click here
.
Friday, May 29
9:30 AM
Shavuot Services
| 5:00 PM
Sha'Baby |
6:00 PM
Shabbat Blessings with Friends |
6:30 PM
Kabbalat Shabbat Services
Saturday, May 30
9:00 AM
Open Book
Torah Study |
10:00 AM
Shavuot
Shabbat Morning Services |
10:15 AM
Seekers Family Shabbat
Couldn't make services last week?
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Hashkiveinu
by the Romemu Choir
"Spread over us your sukkah and shelter in place"
Comfort in song, together.Listen to the voices of Romemu!
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Here For You in this Uncertain Time
Do you need help with grocery/meal/errand help? Can you offer to help with that?
Are you or a family member sick and want to be listed on our public
refuah shleyma (healing) list at services? Are you or a family member sick and want private support/prayer from clergy?
Support Group for Romemu Health Care Providers and their Loved Ones
Next Session 5/31!
Sundays, 5:00 - 6:15 PM
We are living through an unprecedented time of medical and psychological crises as we battle the COVID-19 virus. At the front line of this effort are you, our health care professionals. You care for us all under conditions of enormous stress and risk. Join Romemu members licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Diane Burhenne and Rabbi Elyse Frishman for this private support group, designed to offer care for the caregivers and their loved ones during this challenging time.
To register and receive the Zoom link please send an email to either:
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ROMEMU EMERGENCY FUND
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While most of our services and programs are free of charge as we have moved online, the overall needs of the community have increased dramatically. We still need your help to sustain those who make our services, programs, pastoral care, and community outreach possible. If you can,
please consider making a tax-deductible contribution
to help support our clergy, staff, musicians, and contract workers during this difficult time.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE
!
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"Embracing the Wilderness" Last Week's Sermon
from Rabbi David Ingber
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Rabbi Ingber begins his sermon with a confession: he doesn't enjoy camping. He admits that on camping trips he misses his creature comforts, especially at this moment of crisis. Nevertheless, he goes on an 8-day camping trip with his eldest son, to explore an unfamiliar terrain, in the hope that being in a place of radical difference and unknowing would produce something new in him, something that he hadn't been able to produce in the familiarity and comfort of daily routine. The portion of
Bamidbar
(In the Wilderness) and the commentary of the ancient rabbis, shed light on the power of entering the wilderness. Tradition says that there is a quality called
hefker
unique to the wilderness, which means making oneself ownerless so that one can receive Torah.
Hefker
is when someone says,
I don't own this.
It means to relinquish possessiveness, to give up the ways one usually feels self-possessed. It is in this ownerless place that Torah is revealed. Listen to Rabbi Ingber's sermon to hear more about what it means to make oneself truly ownerless and thereby receive Torah.
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Learn & Pray With Romemu’s Yeshiva | Experiential, Transformative Study, Prayer, and Practice Opportunities -
June 1-19
- Our free public programs include morning sits, prayer, and evening lectures. (Registration required to access zoom links).
- Seven options for electives such as "Jewish Spiritual Practices" with Rav James Jacobson-Maisels on Tuesdays, "Avodah Shebalev (Service of the Heart): Jewish Prayer and Liturgy" with Rabba Dorothy Richman on Wednesdays, and "Devotional Song" with Rabbi Mira Rivera on Fridays. Registration deadline for electives: Monday, June 1
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Pre-Tikkun Gathering
Thursday May 28, 2020 - 8:00 – 9:15PM
Romemu Pre-Tikkun Gathering with Rabbi Mira Rivera, Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses & Jerry Korman.
Join us for an intimate gathering of Romemu members featuring chanting, story-telling, Torah study and sephirotic wisdoms. Enjoy some soulful time in Romemu community before we spend the night with the larger Jewish community.
Romemu & the Jewish Emergent Network Present:
Thursday May 28, 2020 at 10:00 PM EST - Friday, May 29, 2020 at 8:00 PM EST
Join Romemu and our brother/sister communities including IKAR in LA, Lab Shul in NYC, the Kitchn in SF, and Sixth & I in Washington DC among others for a night of Shavuot learning with some of Judaism's most inspiring teachers including our very own Rabbi David, Rabbi Mira &
H
azzan Basya.
Click here
for the Facebook Event.
Romemu & the JCC Manhattan
(The Paul Feig z"l Tikkun Leil Shavuot)
Thursday May 28, 2020 at 9:00pm - Friday, May 29, 2020 at 5:00am
It’s Shavuot, and it’s time to study all night! This year, Romemu is teaming up with the JCC Manhattan for a night of revelatory learning with teachers from across the spectrum of Jewish Life. Join us for Torah study, film, music, dance, yoga, virtual cheesecake and more in celebration of Shavuot. Zoom in for an hour, 3 hours or stay the night.
Bargaining with God with Rabbi Mira Rivera
Bargaining with parents, guardians, and teachers is something that we have done all our lives. If you do X, then I will do Y. And who has not bargained with G!d in Covid-19 times? If You keep my beloved alive, if You restore me in health, if I get to keep my job, then I will (fill in the blank). What does calling the Divine to task with chutzpah and compassion look like in our biblical, rabbinical, kabbalistic, and modern texts?
Click here
to register and for the latest schedule of teachings including our very own Rabbi Mira!
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Hasidic Masters Series: R’ Tzadok Ha’Kohen from Lublin
5/29 at 1:00 PM for Shavuot
Join Rabbi Ingber as he teaches from the writings of the great Hasidic teachers. We will explore the writings of each master for a month at a time. This month we learn directly from the writings of one of the greatest and most prolific teachers, Rabbi Zadok Rabinowitz, known as the greatest student of the Ishbitzer Rebbe.
Spiritual Resources for Traveling through the Wilderness | Yoga through the Omer
5/29, 2:00 -2:45 PM
Ahmed Soliman (
www.yogisoli.com
) will serve as our guide in the practice of yoga. In these immersive sessions, participants will explore embodied practice as a grounding spiritual tool for finding their way through the current wilderness of confusion as we together travel from the freedom of Passover to the revelation of the upcoming holiday of Shavuot. This yoga practice will be a gentle flow with an emphasis on exploring the kabbalistic significance of this period through our bodies. Bring a yoga mat if you have one. Props will be specified at the beginning of each session.
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June Virtual Campus Schedule
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PRAYER
Morning Minyan with Rabbi Mira Rivera
There will be no Morning Minyan on 5/29.
Mon. - Fri. 7:30-8:30 AM with Mourners Kaddish at 8:15
Sunday 8:30-9:30 AM with Mourners Kaddish 9:15 AM
Start the day in prayer with Rabbi Mira Rivera and community. Plug into the power of a morning practice to stay centered during uncertain times.
Shabbat Blessings with Friends (with Romemu Community Members)!
Fridays, 6:00-6:20 PM
With much love, we invite us all to welcome Shabbat together with kindling of lights, Kiddush, sweet song and breath of light. Have your candles and kiddish cup ready — or share ours virtually. Looking forward to celebrating together! Led by and for Romemu members.
Kabbalat Shabbat Services
Fridays, 6:30-8:30 PM
These inclusive Friday night Shabbat services unite the traditional and the eclectic, and integrate music, chanting, meditation, and movement to nourish the body, mind, and soul.
Click here
t
o access the siddur.
Shabbat Morning Services
Saturdays, 10:00-12:30 PM
Our Saturday morning services, combine soulful, dynamic prayer and a rich, imaginative Torah service that brings the weekly wisdom to life
.
Click here
to access the siddur.
Ravayah: Havdalah Ecstatic Dance
Next Session 6/6!
Saturdays, 8:30-10:00 PM
"It’s truly the highlight of my week. It’s these spots of joy that carry me through." -Romemu Member about Ravayah
Join us every new moon and full moon, for Havdalah (the Jewish ritual marking the end of Shabbat and the beginning of a new week) led by Hazzan Basya Schechter & special guests. From 9-10pm, Kohenet Aliza Rivka aka DJ Shechina will guide us in an ecstatic dance. No prior dance/movement experience is necessary.
Click here to register
Zoom link provided upon registration.
Suggested Donation is $18 to help keep Romemu events sustainable, but no one will be turned away for opting out of this. All are welcome.
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LEARNING
Hasidic Masters Series: R’ Tzadok Ha’Kohen from Lublin
Please Note: New Times!
Join Rabbi Ingber as he teaches from the writings of the great Hasidic teachers. We will explore the writings of each master for a month at a time. This month we learn directly from the writings of one of the greatest and most prolific teachers, Rabbi Zadok Rabinowitz, known as the greatest student of the Ishbitzer Rebbe.
Falling in Love with the Beloved
Next Session 6/7!
Sundays (Select Dates) | Cohort 1, 3:00-6:00 PM | Cohort 2, 5:00 - 8:00 PM
Come join the great legacy of mystics as we open to loving the Beloved! We are called to love God with all our heart, soul and strength. How do we open to this deep command and begin to taste the Divine Nectar of this transformational relationship? In this experiential class we hold sacred space for intimate sharing, deep listening, journaling, artmaking, meditation and reflection. Each participant will receive their own pasuk (verse of Torah) to live with as intimate friend and teacher for the year. This class meets once a month for the whole year. All are welcome.
With Nili Weissman
Israel Lit
Final Session 6/18!
Thursdays, Select Dates, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
In this book group, we will engage with Israeli literature in English translation. Together we will explore themes of identity, spirituality and community in Hebrew novels, memoirs and short stories by both contemporary Jewish-Israeli and Arab-Israeli authors. In addition to some of the most famous authors, we will showcase Israeli writers who are not yet well known in the United States. Participants will read the selections in advance and then join Ronnie, a professor of literature, and Rhonna, a translator of Hebrew novels, who will share their insights and reflections and facilitate the group’s discussion in a relaxed, open-minded and respectful environment.With Ronnie Scharfman and Rhonna Rogol.
Books we will read include: The Liar by Ayelet Gundar Goshen; About the Night by Anat Talshi; Pain by Zeruyah Shalev; Days of Peace by Rachel Shihor; Feathers by Haim Be’er; The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem.
The Sky Within
Final Session 6/25!
Thursdays, Select Dates, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
This class brings together the teachings of Rosh Chodesh, Astrology and Mussar. Participants work directly with their own astrological charts and are encouraged to set intentions to maximize the potent new moon period. Text study, journal writing, and work in groups and chevruta (partnerships) are also encouraged. Each class begins with a sharing of our Mussar practice with the prior month’s middah (trait). This is a drop in class.
With Alina Bloomgarden and Caren Fried
Please email
skyinthewell@gmail.com
to register. Include your birthdate, time and location to have your chart prepared for class.
Open Book Torah Study
Saturdays, 9:00-10:00 AM
Prepare for a deeper, more resonant Torah service by dipping into sacred text study before services begin. Participants will study the parsha (Torah portion) of the week, with commentary, poetry, Hasidic wisdom and more.
With Rabbi Mira Rivera.
Click here
to access Open Book Source Sheets.
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YOUTH & FAMILY
For a complete listing of Romemu's Youth & Family online programs
click here.
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Sha’Baby: Children’s Service with Tkiya
Fridays, 5:00-5:45 PM
Infants, toddlers, parents and grandparents are all welcome to join us for this wonderful way to introduce your little ones to Shabbat. Sha'Baby engages your child’s special energy through song, prayer, dance, and laughter. Facilitated by Carla Friend of Tkiya.
Seekers Family Shabbat
Join us for this final family service of the year!
Saturday, 5/30 10:15 AM
10:15-11:15 AM - All Ages Family Service with Rabbi Elster & Carla Friend
11:15 AM-12:00 PM - Parent Torah Study with Rabbi Elster
11:15 AM-12:00 PM - Torah Study for children ages 5-13 with Lauren Jacobs
12:00-12:15 PM - Kiddush
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Interested in Booking a B Mitzvah with Romemu?
At Romemu, we offer a program of study and exploration that creates a meaningful journey for the student and family. We are now booking for 2021 & 2022.
To learn more about our program or to choose your date,
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Strangers No More Monthly Discussion
Monthly on Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 PM
Are you an interfaith couple wrestling with how you will get married, raise children and celebrate holidays? Interested in Judaism or Romemu but grew up in another tradition? Identify as Jewish but still feel “a stranger” at times in Jewish settings? If you answered “yes” any of these questions, come and join a wonderfully diverse part of the Romemu community for our monthly discussion series – a safe, non-judgmental setting to explore together. Newcomers expected and welcomed. This session is part of a series that meets the first Wednesday of each month. While attendance at every session is not a requirement, we hope you will attend as many as you can!
Email Rev. Eleanor Harrison Bregman to register at
eleanor@romemu.org
. Zoom link shared upon registration.
Care for the Soul with Rev. Eleanor Harrison Bregman
Care for the Soul will not take place on 5/30.
Fridays, 2:00-3:00 PM
How are you doing in these times? Framed by spiritual readings, poetry, reflections and meditations. Join this virtual sharing circle designed to nurture the soul and help us stay connected during uncertain times.
Community Check-In, with Romemu Staff & Clergy
M-Th Weekdays, 5-5:40 PM
Now more than ever, we need a spiritual connection and community. Even with physical separation, we can gather and check-in with one another. Bring a candle, bring your presence, bring your voice and your listening. We will start promptly at 5:00 pm and go until 5:40. Come early to shmooze and hangout, and receive support with your technology. Led by Romemu Staff & Clergy.
"
Romemu's 5 o'clock check-ins have become an oasis for my soul. It's a place where I can bring all of me, and where I feel not only supported but nourished. I highly recommend these half-hours to anyone who wants to take a break from the stresses of the day and feel the comfort of our loving, spiritual community." - Romemu Member
12-Step Inspired Group at Romemu
If you are a member of any 12-step program and part of the Romemu community, we invite you to a Jewish,12-step inspired recovery meeting. For more information and for meeting dates and locations, please contact
romemu12steppers@gmail.com
.
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WHAT MATTERS IS THERE FOR YOU….
What Matters: Caring Conversations About End of Life
is an initiative in the Jewish community of New York that highlights the importance of advance care planning. The COVID-19 crisis has brought this process to our doorsteps. If you would like help in developing an advance care plan, Romemu has trained and certified facilitators to help you with this.
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Thank you to our Holy Callers!
Volunteer to Reach Out & (Virtually) Touch Someone
We want to check in with each one of you, one-on-one, to see how you are doing, listen to how you are feeling, ask for what you need, and accept what you can offer to others.
A huge “Thank You” to all our amazing, holy callers, and to our Yad B’Yad membership and
H
esed committee leaders for organizing. We need more volunteers. To help call those in need, or to offer assistance in other ways, sign up by
CLICKING HERE or email
miriam@romemu.org
.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care is a model of spiritual and emotional support in which clergy members support people in their pain, loss, and anxiety, as well as in their joys and blessings. It’s a holistic approach that focuses on guiding, supporting, healing and empowering people to draw upon spiritual resources. It is not psychotherapy and clergy may refer individuals to therapists. Sessions last for 45-50 minutes, are usually limited to three consecutive sessions, and are intended for Romemu members only. Since our clergy acts as a team, any one of our pastoral clergy may meet with you. Please note, the clergy meets weekly as a team to confidentially discuss pastoral cases. Although you will only be meeting with one member of the team, you will have the benefit of the expertise of the whole pastoral team to support you.
For pastoral emergencies, such as a death in the family, please email
emergencies@romemu.org
or call (212) 580-4294, press 1, and leave a message.
H
esed Care
During this time we know that there are many needs in our community - spiritual, emotional and physical. We also know that we have many resources amongst us and that while we might not be physically able to gather, we are still “stronger together.”
With that as our principle, the Romemu clergy team partners with community volunteers on the Hesed Committee to provide essential services to community members in need. Such support may include assistance ordering food online or by phone, picking up and delivering medications, and helping obtain any other essential items that cannot be ordered online or delivered by the vendor.
The Hesed Committee relies on community members offering their time and attention to help. During this intense time, we lots of people to volunteer… in fact, everyone who can.
Please sign up as a volunteer (no specific commitment or skills required) by emailing
hesed@romemu.org
.
A huge “Thank You” to all our amazing, holy callers, and to our Yad B’Yad membership and Hesed committee leaders!
Resources
COVID-19: The Risks- Know Them - Avoid Them
https://erinbromage.wixsite.com/covid19/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them
PAUSE (Shelter in Place): What does it mean?
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-main.page
Food Resources:
Individuals who experience food insecurity may need to prepare for quarantine or shutdowns. They should consider going to a digital pantry or ordering food to be delivered. Education is also important – you do not need to be a citizen to receive services at a food bank.
HFLS Interest-Free Bridge Loans:
Hebrew Free Loan Society is offering interest-free bridge loans for anyone affected by the coronavirus who lives in the five boroughs of New York City, in Westchester County, or on Long Island. Interest-free loans of $2,000-$5,000 are available for purposes including (but not limited to) lost wages due to being unable to go to work, childcare costs due to school closures, small business losses, canceled study abroad programs, related medical costs. Find more information
here
and please share with anyone in your communities who may be affected.
Your Money: A Hub for Help During the Coronavirus Crisis
If your income has fallen or been cut off completely, we’re here to help. This guide will connect you to the basic information you’ll need to get through this, including on government benefits, free services and financial strategies.
Virtual Resources for Families:
In an effort to support families with young children who are quarantined or selecting to do less socializing through playdates or community classes, UJA-Federation of NY, PJ Library, the Foundation for Jewish Camp and The Jewish Education Project have come together to aggregate a collection of high-quality Jewish activities and content that families can engage in together at home:
https://pjlibrary.org/familyactivities
Remote Learning Device from NYC The Department of Education |
Click here
Stress Reduction:
The Institute for Jewish Spirituality is offering opportunities for anyone who is looking for some moments of calm, centeredness, and clarity. In addition to the free resources available, individuals can access online courses at a discounted rate with code UJA-NY. You can find more information here:
https://www.jewishspirituality.org/get-started/resources-for-challenging-times/
Information and Links to Other Resources
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How to Access Romemu Online
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FACEBOOK LIVE:
You DO NOT need a Facebook account to view our
Facebook page
. Each video will go live at the noted time on the schedule below and will save once it has finished streaming, so you can watch it as many times as you want after it has finished.
ZOOM CONFERENCING:
Click on the link listed under each program under each program to join. You do not need a Zoom account to participate through phone, however, if you would like to participate via computer you must first
download
the Zoom app. For more information on getting Zoom started,
CLICK HERE
.
LIVESTREAM: We have moved to Facebook Live and Zoom conferencing. We are no longer using LiveStream.
Please make sure that you’re set up on these platforms so you can take advantage of everything possible. If you need help accessing, installing or understanding any of these technologies and would a Romemu volunteer to guide you, please contact
miriam@romemu.org
.
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Support our clergy, staff and contract workers during this difficult time by making a donation. Please
click here
to make your gift today.
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Romemu | (212) 580-4294 | romemu.org
The Romemu Campus
| Corner of 105 St. & Amsterdam Ave.
Romemu Center
| 176 West 105 Street
Romemu @ West End Presbyterian Church
| 165 West 105 Street
et
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