The Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are over. On Friday evening, we begin the joyous festival of Sukkot, where Jews build sukkahs, or temporary shelters, that represent the huts of wandering in the desert. Sukkot gives families and guests the opportunity to be in nature while eating meals in the sukkah. In fact, the roof of the sukkah needs to allow enough space to see the stars. It is a holiday that allows us to think of dichotomies: exposure and shelter, rootlessness and home.
Like so many things in 2020, the celebration of Sukkot will be different this year. Because of Covid-19, people are not inviting friends and family to decorate and eat in their sukkahs. And those who celebrate, they can still celebrate in smaller, more intimate ways. It is an opportunity to use a laptop computer or a tablet to join with grandchildren in another part of the country and eat a meal together. Or to have conversations about what it means to be homeless, to truly have to live in a temporary shelter and not have the ability to protect your family from the weather. We can strategize and make plans on how to support those in our community who may be struggling, whether because of illness, property destruction, violence, unemployment, inequities, violence, or loneliness.
Even with Covid-19, we can take action and help to turn exposure into shelter, whether literally or metaphorically. Support the homeless by making a meal for the Beacon. Contact Paul at JSS if you can drive an older adult or a refugee, you can be a pen pal, or you are willing to teach someone how to use Zoom on their computer or smartphone. Or reach out to Becca if you can make phone calls to help JSS to find safe and affordable apartments for our most at risk clients. And of course, you can always donate here if you have the means to support financially the work of JSS.
Shabbat shalom and chag sameach.
Be well and be safe,
Dawn Berney
Executive Director
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Happy Hour with Bob, Paul and Friends
Thursday, October 8th at 3pm
Bob Fairman will be 93 years old this December. After an enjoyable career in retail advertising, working and living in Milwaukee, Bob describes himself as “recently retired.” Far from retiring, Bob got out his boom box, and on to Amazon to purchase wooden spoons to play along with some of his favorite tunes. He has been playing out in front of his apartment on Sheboygan Ave in Madison for all who come out or pass by. On Thursday, he’ll play along with a few Broadway hits: Cabaret, Hello Dolly, and 76 Trombones.
Fall is the time when we return to our Lechayim lunches and programs each year. I will miss inviting everyone, and seeing you all there. Hope that you can come to this program online and others that we will continue to have. We will have some time to kibbitz and talk about what all of you have been doing as well. I’d like to hear from all of you about how to better keep in touch and share some thoughts about how things are going for all of us.
Paul
Volunteer Engagement and Events Program Manager
Meeting ID: 812 1101 0081
By phone: (312) 626-6799
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Jewish Grief Support Group (virtual)
With Rabbi Renée Bauer and Nancy Feingold, MSSW
Tuesdays 4-5 PM: November 17, 24, December 1, 8, 15, 22 and January 5, 12
$54 fee for professional facilitation, readings and book* (No one will be turned away for inability to pay)
The loss of a loved one is both a universal human experience and a deeply personal one. People experience grief on many levels: physical, psychological, and spiritual. This 8-week group will support those on the journey of grieving with tools from the Jewish tradition. No matter how long since you lost your loved one(s), if you would like support from Jewish tradition, please join us.
*Fee includes copy of Mishkan Aveilut: Where Grief Resides, a book of readings, poems, and meditations edited by Rabbi Eric Weiss.
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Join JSS on Mondays for Schmoozing at 11am and
Yoga From A Chair with Betsy Haimson at 11:30am
Meeting ID: 406 575 567
Join by phone: (312) 626-6799, 406 575 567#
For questions, call Paul Borowsky at (608) 886-6777.
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Mark your calendar for JSS' Annual Meeting!
Monday, October 26, 2020 at 7pm via Zoom. The link to register will be sent the week prior to the meeting.
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Wish List
*We have a client who is in urgent need of an air purifier, as she has many health issues and her next door neighbor is a smoker. It could be any kind similar to PARTU HEPA Air Purifier or Germ Guardian True HEPA Filter Air Purifier.
*We are also looking for a treadmill for a client.
If you are able to donate any of these items please call Maya Garbuz at (608) 442-4085 or email maya@jssmadison.org.
Thank you!
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Missed reading our messages? Find them on our webpage.
To reach our office please call:
(608) 442-4081 *Please leave a message, we check the voicemail frequently
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Do you have a car you would like to get rid of???
Donate your car to JSS!
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JSS is Seeking Volunteer Drivers
We follow all Public Health guidelines. Please consider helping us to help others in these complicated times. We have older folks, those with disabilities, and particularly new arrivals to the US who could use some help. Email Paul Borowsky at paul@jssmadison.org or call him at (608)442-4083.
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FROM OUR PARTNERS AT HIAS:
NOW IS THE TIME TO SAVE THE U.S. REFUGEE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM
October 1 marks the beginning of the 2021 fiscal year, and until the Trump administration sets a Presidential Determination (PD), no refugees will be resettled in the United States. The PD establishes the number of refugees that may be admitted into the country for the next fiscal year.
The administration is required to consult with Congress before setting a PD, and so far they have failed to do that, although they have announced their intention to set the refugee admissions target at 15,000, another historic low.
Now is the time to take a stand with us and call on our government to restore the U.S. refugee program by setting the refugee admissions goal to its historic average of 95,000.
For more information about the administration's announcement about the Presidential Determination:
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Did you get your stimulus check?
It's not too late to get your Economic Impact Payment worth $1,200 or more.
Most people over 18 who make less than $99,000, got an Economic Impact Payment.
If you haven't seen your money, go to IRS.gov now and use the Get My Payment tool.
Getting your payment is easy. Simply file your tax return or use the Non-Filer Tool at IRS.gov.
- It's not taxable. You won't need to pay it back
- It won't impact your benefits, or immigration status.
- There is no late filing penalty if you don't owe taxes.
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Jewish Madison Community COVID-19 Resources
The Jewish Federation of Madison has created an online resource that posts ongoing information from all of our Madison Jewish organizations and synagogues, to provide you with a comprehensive listing for virtual worship services, Shabbat gatherings, holiday celebrations, classes, study and discussion groups, entertainment, activity resources, messages from our rabbis, support, resources available, and more - all in one place.
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JSS is proud to be a beneficiary agency of: |
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