Staying Connected at RS
Having trouble connecting to Zoom? Contact Mindy Harris.
Click here to read the March/April eBulletin
Yesterday, in addition to being the fourth day of Passover, was International Transgender Day of Visibility. The confluence of these two sacred occasions this year is a powerful reminder for Jewish community. As we remember the Exodus and work towards our collective redemption, we know there are still so many in our society - especially the transgender members of our community - who still face a long journey on their path to full freedom and acceptance. Join us this Shabbat as we honor the transgender members of our community and mark International Transgender Day of Visibility.

-Rodeph Shalom Clergy
Upcoming Passover Opportunities to Engage
TONIGHT! Virtual Social Justice Seder hosted by pRiSm
Thursday, April 1 at 6:00pm
Take part in tonight's sixth night seder and reflect upon our moral obligation to fight for the liberation of all. pRiSm works to strengthen Jewish LGBTQIA+ life and identity at RS and in the world. pRiSm strives to create an inclusive congregation through education, advocacy, and celebration. Register here. Click here to join the Zoom.

Passover Festival Service with Yizkor
Saturday, April 3 at 10:45am
Join together virtually for the Passover Festival Morning Service. If you know someone in our congregation or their family who has lost a loved one to COVID-19, please send the names of those lost to Mindy Harris to be read at this service. Click here to join the Zoom.

ConnectRS: Help Wish Members a Happy Passover
Reach out to our community by making phone calls to RS members through April 2. Wish congregants a happy Passover, check in to see how they’re doing, and ask what they might need from our RS community. A script and information are provided. Contact Melissa Erlick.

Passover Resources
Click the links below for all things Passover and keep track of all Jewish holidays with this printable calendar.
Become Involved with Anti-Racism through POWER Interfaith Campaigns
Wednesday, April 7 at 7:30pm

Join us for presentations from two of our RS Anti-Racism work groups on their participation with POWER Interfaith of Philadelphia.

  • RS Criminal Justice Reform Group discusses its campaign, “Live Free,” addressing Police Accountability, Ending Gun Violence, Immigration, and Ending Mass Incarceration. Contact Deb Davies for information.

  • RS Education Justice Group addresses full, fair funding for all Philadelphia public schools and how to achieve this goal through group actions and in the upcoming primary election. Contact Gail 'Malka' Meister for information.

Click here to participate. Contact Mindy Harris for information.
Join Together for Virtual Shabbat & Torah Study
To enter the service, click the blue links below.
Friday evening Shabbat services are live streamed on the RS Facebook & YouTube.
Friday, April 2, 6:00pm
Honoring International Transgender Day of Visibility

In honor of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Cantor Glassman will give a
D'var Torah about her father, a Holocaust survivor, and her journey to Lithuania, to honor the memory of family lost in the Shoah.  
Saturday, April 3, 9:15am
Upcoming Connection Group Events
Saturday, April 3, 9:30am
Thursday, April 8, 7:00pm
Register here
The Weaponization of Discourse: Israel/Palestine, Antisemitism, and Free Speech on Campus with Prof. Kenneth Stern
Tuesday, April 20 at 7:00pm

Hear Kenneth S. Stern, Director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate at Bard College, and Joyce Ajlouny, General Secretary of the American Friends Service Committee, as they interrogate the potentials and limitations of a state-sponsored definition of antisemitism, looking particularly to college campuses to examine whether such definitions hinder free speech in the US and elsewhere.

Co-sponsored by Temple’s Feinstein Center for American Jewish History and Stockton University. Open to the public. Registration required here. 

Judaism is a religion that encourages dialogue and debates — l’shem shamayim (for the sake of heaven). In this spirit, we are excited to engage in this distinct learning opportunity.
Ask Your Senators to Protect LGBTQ People From Discrimination
The Equality Act (H.R. 5/S.393) recently passed the House of Representatives. Now, it is time for the Senate to guarantee federal civil rights protections to all LGBTQ people. Please urge the Senate to swiftly pass the Equality Act. 

Currently, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender non-conforming (LGBTQ) people face discrimination in a wide variety of areas. Aligned with our Reform Jewish values, The Equality Act will address discrimination against LGBTQ people by amending existing civil rights laws to include protections based on actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity.

Call your Senator's offices or The Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or call SAGE at (833) 774-0717 to get connected to your Senators automatically. Write your Senators or use the line on the The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism website to contact your Senators on the Equality Act.

Contact Chip Ellis and Heshie Zinman for information.
Breaking Bread on Broad Diaper Drive
Breaking Bread on Broad (BBoB) is the social justice program at RS that helps meet the needs of our severely food insecure neighbors for food, diapers, and menstrual supplies each Wednesday morning. The needs of our BBoB babies for nutrition, hygiene, and comfort are ongoing.

We are continuing the diaper drive using the Target gift registry and hope you will continue to donate diapers, wipes, and now baby formula. (If you use the gift registry and do not have a Target website user account, you will need to open an account to opt for automatic delivery to RS.) Contact bbob@rodephshalom.org if you have any questions.

We are grateful for your support of BBoB by helping to repair the world and caring for our neighbors. To volunteer, contact bbob@rodephshalom.org. 
Upcoming Virtual Opportunities to Engage
Click the blue links to join the Zoom

Thursday, April 1

Friday, April 2
4:30pm: Weekly Meditation; Computer password: 4ULVxX; Phone password: 060386
6:00pm: Shabbat Evening Service; Computer password: 8mBtzy; Phone password: 036011

Saturday, April 3
9:15am: Torah Study; Computer password: DS9zSM; Phone password: 564723
9:30am: Tot Shabbat; Computer password: Mc7Cyw ; Phone password: 578257
10:45am: Passover Festival Service with Yizkor; Computer & phone password: 570426

Sunday, April 4
Berkman Mercaz Limud not in session

Monday, April 5
8:00pm: Adult Beginner Hebrew

Tuesday, April 6
6:00pm: Torah Queeries; Computer password: jX7NEc; Phone password: 181922

Wednesday, April 7
7:00am: Volunteer for Breaking Bread on Broad; Contact bbob@rodephshalom.org
8:30am: Morning Minyan with Mourner's Kaddish; RSVP to Tomas Isakowitz for Zoom information
4:30pm: Midweek Hebrew
6:00pm: Introduction to Judaism

Thursday, April 8
7:00pm: pRiSm Book Club; Computer password: Z9Trj4; Phone password: 492497; Register here

Friday, April 9
4:30pm: Weekly Meditation; Computer password: 4ULVxX; Phone password: 060386
6:00pm: Shabbat Evening Service; Computer password: 8mBtzy; Phone password: 036011
7:30pm: Seasoned Solos Virtual Gathering; Computer password: u4U6Qg; Phone password: 780514

Saturday, April 10
9:15am: Torah Study; Parashat Sh'mini; Computer password: DS9zSM; Phone password: 564723
9:45am: Shabbat Morning Service; Bat Mitzvah of Gemma Leitzell; Computer password: Gemma; Phone password: 866550
11:00am: Shabbat Morning Service; Bat Mitzvah of Hannah Rubin; Computer password: Hannah; Phone password: 833779

Sunday, April 11
9:30am: Berkman Mercaz Limud in session
Help Each Other Get Vaccinated
To help fellow congregants get a ride to a vaccine appointment, secure groceries, or for help navigating the COVID-19 vaccination registration process online, sign up to be a volunteer and contact Melissa Erlick with your zip code.

Vaccine Information
For Philadelphia residents: Sign up here to reserve your place in line for the vaccine.

For Pennsylvania residents: For vaccine information, click here

For New Jersey residents: To complete your vaccine registration, click here. Learn more here.
Mazel Tov
  • Alex Bird Becker & Jeffrey Becker and Sherri & David Becker on the birth of their son and grandson, Miles Jonah

  • Arielle Krause & Adam Alterman ơn the birth of their daughter, Rosalie Galia
For Congregants Experiencing Financial Distress
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has created a Congregational Rabbis COVID-19 Emergency Fund to provide aid to our congregants and community members who are in need of financial assistance. This is to aid those suffering from the current pandemic. The funds are intended to help those in need of food, medical assistance, rent/mortgage payments and/or medical expenses. If you or a community member is in need of help, please contact one of our clergy or Jeff Katz.
In the Community
Lindy CineMondays Spring Series
Presented by the Gershman Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival (GPJFF)
Streaming Monday Nights, April 5 - May 10
GPJFF is excited to premiere six fantastic new Jewish films from across the globe that you can watch in the comfort of your own home! All Lindy CineMondays films are available to residents of PA, NJ, & DE, and have a flexible 7-day streaming period. All films are $15 and All-Access Passes are $60, including Young Friend sponsorships for as little as $30! For tickets and info, visit PJFF.org.

Parkinsingers Virtual Rehearsals
Mondays from 4:00-5:30pm
The Parkinsingers Choir unites people with Parkinson's Disease, care-partners, and friends in a community dedicated to making music of the highest quality in a welcoming environment. Contact Marjorie Samoff.

Red Cross Blood Drive in Our Neighborhood
For information on nearby blood drives, click here, and contact Kristin McKale with questions.
Congregation Rodeph Shalom | rodephshalom.org