Reconstructing Judaism
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An initiative of Reconstructing Judaism focused on online learning opportunities about Jewish topics that affect our daily lives. Yu can study with rabbis and teachers, as well as participate in rich discourse, create rituals, and connect with others wanting to do the same!
Letter from the RJ President
May 8, 2020
Dear Folks,
I hope that this email finds you and all your dear ones well. I’m writing with another update on some of the ways that we continue to provide resources and support at this challenging time.
Last month, we all celebrated Passover differently than ever before. In the lead-up to seder, we produced numerous resources for people to share Passover together over distance, among their family members and loved ones, and across the entire Reconstructionist community. We have been gratified by the popularity and impact of these resources.
- On March 30, we launched Passover Connect on Facebook for people to share what the holiday means to them. We invited people to post whatever they liked — memories, recipes, traditions, photos, videos, music, etc. During Passover, more than 400 members offered up 1,700 posts, comments and reactions.
- On March 31, we launched the Virtual Passover Box, which provided supplemental resources for seder. The 16-webpage feature garnered almost 17,000 pageviews. It also gained attention in the Jewish media, where it was featured by The New York Jewish Week, Jewish Exponent (Philadelphia) and eJewish Philanthropy.
- On April 1, we made A Night of Questions, the Reconstructionist haggadah, freely available for download as a PDF. More than 2,700 people downloaded it for their virtual sedarim. We are grateful to the editors, Rabbis Joy Levitt and Michael Strassfeld, for agreeing to make this valued resource available in this way.
Beyond Passover, we are generating a variety of resources for this time.
- Since March 13, we have been sending out a Virtual Shabbat Box, a gathering of curated multisensory resources to enhance Shabbat observance. As of today, May 8, it has gained almost 9,000 unique pageviews.
- On March 24, we launched Recon Connect, a daily guide to live online events happening across the Reconstructionist movement. Anyone can choose which events they want to attend and click a link to register. Recon Connect had more than 1,500 unique pageviews.
- Our extraordinary website, Ritualwell, continues to create and curate rich resources around the pandemic. There are now more than 80 original pandemic-related rituals, poems and reflections gathered together on the site. The site has had an increase of 15,000 views per month since the pandemic began. Ritualwell has also been offering a powerful series of writing workshops during the Omer that has attracted more than 600 participants.
- Havaya@Home, an initiative of our summer camping programs, has offered an array of programs since mid-March, many of them designed to get kids up and moving during the shutdown.
- Hashivenu: Jewish Teachings on Resilience has released several more episodes featuring pandemic-related discussions:
- Spiritual Leadership in Times of Crisis with guest Rabbi Joshua Lesser
- Including Everyone with guest Jay Ruderman
- Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations also released a new podcast episode: Confronting Anti-Semitism and Racism with guest Rabbi Mordechai Liebling
- Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Ph.D., penned this reflection, “Daf Yomi while sheltering in place,” published by Jewish News Syndicate
- I was interviewed by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz in his web-based Valley Bet Midrash
We also re-imagined one of our most important face-to-face events, the Chesapeake region’s Annual Celebration and Day of Learning, which has been held for 28 years. We shifted what is normally a five-hour event into a series of live online events. We held the first event, a celebration of the honorees, on April 19. More than 160 people attended via Zoom and Facebook Live. The learning sessions are scheduled for Sundays through the end of May. If you would like a flavor of the April 19 event, including a video of the proceedings and the packed tribute journal, please click here. The learning events are open to everyone, and you are welcome to review the offerings and register here.
We are also doing a tremendous amount of network weaving. Our Thriving Communities department is working with congregational leaders and is also convening regular meetings of affinity groups — congregational presidents, executive directors, educators — to discuss various pertinent topics. They are also working in collaboration with the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association to begin to imagine the High Holidays. The Reconstructionist plenum met last Sunday, with representatives from more than 50 Reconstructionist congregations, and shared ideas and best practices that they are finding most helpful at this time.
We are also in the planning stages for a movement-wide virtual celebration of Shavuot, “Celebrating @ Sinai.” The program will begin with a song fest welcoming the holiday and candle-lighting at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 28, and will continue with a tikkun leyl Shavuot, a full night of teaching, learning, movement and musical offerings that will go through the night, until Friday morning, May 29, at 7:30 a.m. PDT. Reconstructionist communities and individuals can join in a Zoom webinar or our Facebook livestream for as much or as little as they would like. Rabbis Michael Strassfeld, Sandy Sasso, Sid Schwarz, Arthur Waskow and poet Marsha Falk are among the folks who have already committed to teach. To register, please click here.
Many of our modalities have changed, but we continue to fulfill our core mission to cultivate and support Jewish living, learning and leadership for a changing world. I look forward to updating you again in the next few weeks as we continue to respond in creative and meaningful ways to our changing world.
Shabbat shalom and take good care!
Deborah
Rabbi Deborah Waxman | President
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
deborah@reconstructingjudaism.org
215.576.0800 ext. 129
Reconstructing Judaism | Deeply Rooted. Boldly Relevant.
ReconstructingJudaism.org
Thu, March 4 2021
20 Adar 5781
Upcoming Events
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Thursday ,
MarMarch 4 , 2021
Thursday, Mar 4th 7:00p to 8:00p
Would you like to improve your ability to speak conversational Hebrew? Can you already read Hebrew but don't always know what you're reading? Did you take Hebrew lessons ages ago or did you participate in an Ulpan experience in Israel but have forgotten all you learned? Would you like to laugh and learn with fellow Havurahniks? Come join Racheli Ross as she continues a beginning Hebrew class in which the focus is on functional Hebrew conversations and vocabulary development. Thursdays, 7-8:00 pm, with an optional 8-8:30 practice session, starting on January 14, and continuing until March 18. This will be in Zoom Room Heh. -
Thursday ,
MarMarch 4 , 2021
Thursday, Mar 4th 7:00p to 9:00p
Have you thought about trying to write prose? Do you want to try with others? This year’s Havurah Adult Writers Workshop (for Non-Writers!) begins January 14 and continues for the next 7 Thursdays, through March 4. The workshop is for anyone who wants to explore prose writing – and is NOT a published writer or working on a big writing project. The focus is memoir writing generated through reflection, engaging prompts, discussion and feedback. While the Jewish experience often comes up in memoir writing in a Jewish community, our focus is the writer’s personal exploration from any perspective. Participants develop one piece from the workshop and may choose to read at a culminating Friday Oneg Reading for the Havurah community. Led by David Kertzner. Group size limited to 8. -
Thursday ,
MarMarch 4 , 2021
Thursday, Mar 4th 7:00p to 9:00p
Have you ever wanted to explore stories in Torah and use the writing process to personally understand the significance of Torah stories in your life? Join a small group of Havurahniks to delve into Torah using the writing process to explore and record our journey. Each evening will include a summary of that week's Torah portion and pearls from commentary. We will then begin two free-writes from prompts from the portion. All that is required is a journal. There is an optional opportunity to choose one portion to study, summarize and use to create writing prompts. Facilitated by Harriet Cooke and Jenni Besen. Harriet trained and led groups with Portland's Write Around Portland, then led an eight-year writing group on Torah. 10-person maximum. -
Friday ,
MarMarch 5 , 2021
Friday, Mar 5th 7:00p to 8:00p
Havurah Shalom will participate in HIAS’ Refugee Shabbat, during which Jews in the United States and around the world will take action for refugees and asylum seekers. Please join Rabbi Benjamin, Leah Shoshanna and community members for services on Friday, March 5 at 7 pm as we integrate themes of refugees and asylum seekers into the readings, prayers and music of our service, and learn how we can take action. -
Saturday ,
MarMarch 6 , 2021
Shabbat, Mar 6th 10:00a to 11:30a
Join us for an uplifting morning service. For the time being, all services will take place on Zoom in Room Aleph. Please contact the office to connect: info@havurahshalom.org. -
Saturday ,
MarMarch 6 , 2021
Shabbat, Mar 6th 3:00p to 5:15p
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Saturday ,
MarMarch 6 , 2021
Shabbat, Mar 6th 5:00p to 5:15p
Join Shabbat School for a community celebration of Havdallah, led by Leah Shoshanah, Rabbi Benjamin and Deborah Eisenbach-Budner in Room Aleph. -
Saturday ,
MarMarch 6 , 2021
Shabbat, Mar 6th 5:30p to 8:30p
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Saturday ,
MarMarch 6 , 2021
Motzei Shabbat, Mar 6th 8:30p to 9:30p
A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff, the acclaimed one-woman show by Alicia Jo Rabins, has been adapted into a film, to be featured in Portland International Film Festival. Join us as Havurah Shalom hosts the Jewish community in a talk-back and Q&A with Alicia Jo and her director, Alicia J. Rose! To participate, purchase a ticket through PIFF for virtual viewing. The film will be available to you Friday, March 5, to Sunday, March 14. Consider watching it individually or in a group you organize at 7 pm on March 6, then join our Havurah-hosted Zoom Room at 8:30 pm for the talkback. RSVP below. Zoom join info will be included in your confirmation email. Questions? Email info@havurahshalom.org. -
Sunday ,
MarMarch 7 , 2021
Sunday, Mar 7th 11:00a to 2:00p
Free with registration—This year’s program has shifted to a webinar format with Scholar in Residence Stav Meishar. The true stories of Jewish circus artists between the world wars are told with sensitivity and humor by Stav Meishar, a circus artist and academic. The lecture is based on over seven years of extensive research and combines photos from personal albums, recorded testimonies, and personal stories. Additionally, Meishar will present excerpts from her show "The Escape Act", based on one of the stories she uncovered–that of a Jewish acrobat who survived the Holocaust hiding in a German circus. Stav Meishar is a theatre maker, multidisciplinary performer, academic researcher and educator, working across circus, theatre, and contemporary performance. Register for Weekend in Quest at OJMCHE website. Within 24 hours after registering, participants will be sent a list of links to background articles and information to review prior to the program. 2021 Weekend in Quest is a free virtual program that honors the roots of the program as a Shabbaton Study Weekend.