18 minute read
SYNAGOGUES
By Ramona L. Brand
Director of Youth Learning
Religious School Opening Day Sunday, Sept. 13
Opening Day Car-nival filled with Smiles
On Sunday, Sept. 13, we warmly welcomed our students to the start of the school year with a fun-filled Car-nival. “Welcome Back TBE Students” proclaimed the large colorful sign that greeted families as they came up the driveway to the school building!
Kids popped out of cars, had their pictures taken, and then back in again as families proceeded from station-to-station through the school parking lot. After receiving bags filled with school supplies and Rosh Hashana goodies, students played games, won candy, made a New Year’s video, heard the Shofar and received lots happy “air hugs” from all the teachers!
What a joyful way to begin our school year.
October School Calendar:
Sundays, Oct. 18 and 25
Wednesdays, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28
Confirmation class meets: Oct. 18 and 25
Sukkot and Simchat Torah Family Programs
Recommended for families with children from small infants to Grade 3
Sukkot:
Sunday, Oct. 4. 9 - 10:15 a.m.
Sukkot Family Program: Sukkah of Peace – celebrate the bounty of Sukkot with stories, songs, and activities and make-along Sukkah decorations. Special guest Sandy Ryder of Wild Swan Theater brings Jewish stories to life through drama.
Simchat Torah:
Sunday, Oct. 11, 9:30 - 10 a.m. (precedes the Temple’s Simchat Torah service)
Come dressed as a Torah, make an edible Torah, or bring your own soft Torah and join us for a celebration including stories, songs and dancing. A special Tot-Kafah will take place!
Temple Beth-El membership is not required to attend our Family services and programs. For zoom link information, email r.brand@bethelrichmond.org
Tot Shabbat Returns Saturday Nov. 7
Open to the entire community. For families with children from small infants to age 5.
Families can enjoy a Shabbat service geared for young children and filled with music, stories, movement and more. A musical, meaningful service designed for wiggles.
Theme: Being Thankful
Time: 9-10 a.m. Location: Wherever you are!
For Zoom Link and Password information, email r.brand@bethelrichmond.org 2020-2021 Dates: Nov. 7 / Dec. 5 / Jan. 2/ Feb. 6/ Mar. 6/ April 10/ May 1
Registration for the 2020-2021 Religious School year is still open!
For Grade Pre-K through 10: Our innovative and child-centered approach to Jewish learning provides a dynamic environment where Jewish education is joyous, fun, inspiring and spiritual.
Skill level Hebrew enables students to learn at an independent pace and move comfortably toward mastery. Our creative program incorporates electives, hands-on learning, and interactive education. Classes are currently virtual with once a month in-person, outdoor grade level classes being held.
We are adhering to strict COVID-19 health and safety standards.
General school schedule: Grades: Pre-K – 2 / Sundays 9 am- noon; Grades: 3-7/ Sundays 9 a. m. - noon and Wednesdays 4:15 p.m. – 6:14 p.m.
Interested in learning more about our school? Contact r.brand@bethelrichmond.org • Temple Membership is not required for families with students in grades Pre-K through 2nd grade and 8th-10th. • For online registration, visit: https://www.bethelrichmond.org/school
As these pictures show, there was lots of “Car-nival fun” at Beth-El on Sept. 13. Beth-El
Photos.
Rabbi Dennis Beck-Berman blows the Shofar.
Contributed Photo
Fall is always busy with the High Holidays at Congregation Brith Achim; this pandemic-hampered year is no exception.
We held distanced services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in September, including pre-recorded musical performances from congregants both locally and from across the country.
Every congregant was sent a High Holiday package, with services enhanced by the ubiquitous ownership of “shofarot” among our members with children!
The High Holidays were complimented by our distanced Shabbat services and video-conferenced Thursday night Torah studies, keeping us spiritually active and Kabalistically enlightened.
Men’s Club and Sisterhood have also been busy. In September, Sisterhood published the annual Memorial Book and Men’s Club’s president, David Goldstein, gave a Zoom talk on “Practical Computer Security.”
October continues the cluster of important celebrations with Sukkot (and meals at Rabbi Beck-Berman’s Sukkah) and Simchat Torah. With any luck and the pandemic subsiding, we will be in the Shul waiving “lulavim” and rerolling Torah scrolls as a congregation!
For more details or to register for any of these events, please call the Synagogue oce at (804) 732- 3968 or email brithachim@aol.com.
May your new year be blessed!
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Jewish Heritage Library - Or Atid students can visit the virtual library to explore their Jewish heritage, reading
stories about Jewish culture and discovering Jewish tradition. Contributed Photo Or Atid Religious School news
By Alison Litvin
Education Coordinator
Engaging distance learning starts Oct. 4
This October, the Kornblau Religious School starts the school year virtually.
Distance learning o ers several challenges, and the school’s dedicated sta has been collaborating for several months to provide a meaningful classroom experience for all students.
Beginning Sunday, Oct. 4, students and teachers will meet each Sunday morning on Zoom. During these weekly live sessions, sta are leading interactive lessons to engage students through Zoom’s features.
Each week, teachers screen-share to display their virtual classroom tailored for each unit. Inspired by the point-and-click adventure game, these virtual classrooms serve as a visual aide for each session.
By giving students remote-control access, each class is able to navigate the virtual classroom together to fully explore their lesson. Focusing on interaction and movement, class activities provide learners the chance to connect with each other over games and thoughtful discussion.
Students and sta alike enjoy the opportunity to stretch with Alef-Bet Yoga and move around-the-house with scavenger hunts, building community through the screen to make the most of virtual learning.
After each session, sta upload their virtual classrooms online for family access. Students and parents are able to review and practice each lesson at their own pace, as needed. In addition to all classroom materials being posted online, sta are sharing resources for families looking to extend their learning beyond the classroom.
Whether making up for a missed class or squeezing in Hebrew practice during the week, the virtual classroom helps keep Or Atid families and sta connected.
This year’s classroom may be virtual, but that doesn’t stop our sta or students from discovering new ways to interact with Jewish holidays and traditions, Israeli culture, Hebrew and Tefi llah, and the weekly Parsha.
For more information about the school, and to learn about our approach to distance learning, please contact Education Coordinator Alison Litvin, at relschool@oratid. org, or call Congregation Or Atid at (804) 740 - 4747.
Brachot Board - Shechehiyanu - Or Atid students can refer back and review the blessings they’ve studied on the virtual Brachot Board
Or Atid happenings
Thank you to our Or Atid community and guests for participating in our High Holy Days Services; Shana Tova!
Our mixture of interactive, live streaming, and limited in-person events were enjoyed by all. We look forward to the New Year, and all that it brings as we continue to navigate our current situation.
We are rounding out this High Holy season with some fun events for Sukkot and Simchat Torah. Join us for a virtual Sukkah hop and a service including the Lulov & Eskro.
We are also planning a Simchat Torah virtual parade with our Helen and Sam Kornblau Religious School. Be on the lookout for details on the website www.oratid.org and through our Facebook page.
The Or Atid Book Club has been enjoying its virtual meetings. In September the Book Club had an engaging discussion about the historical fi ction “The Song of the Jade Lily” by Kirsty Manning. We learned about a topic many were unaware of - the lives of Jewish refugees who fl ed to Shanghai during World War II.
We look forward to an indepth discussion later this month about the novel, “The Physician.” This is the fi rst book in New York Times–bestselling author Noah Gordon’s Dr. Robert Cole trilogy.
For information about Or Atid, please contact the o ce at (804)740-4747.
Shana Tova to all!
Or Ami happenings in October
On Friday, Oct. 2, Or Ami has a special Zoom service prepared for Sukkot, featuring a virtual Sukkah you help decorate (you have to come -- if only to see how we’ll pull this o ).
Then, on Friday, Oct. 9, we will have a Simchat Torahthemed Shabbat service with a virtual tour of the Torah scroll. If you would like the Zoom links for these holiday services, please email Maria (o ce@or-ami.com).
Friday Shabbot services are virtual on our Facebook page from 7:30-8:30 p.m., and Zoom Torah study is on Saturdays beginning at 2:15 p.m. and ending at 3:45 p.m. A photo from Or Ami virtual Rosh Hashanah Family service, Again, please contact Maria (o ce@or-am.com) for a link. from the Lego story about celebrating Rosh Hashanah. Rabbi Sunday, Oct. 11, is Opening Day of Religious School. Ahuva Zaches created these tableaus for the children’s serWe o er an inspirational and educational program online vice. until we can be sure that it is safe for all students and sta to gather in person again. biblical heroes. Along with learning about these Jewish he
This year, students in the K-8 program will be learning roes, our students will have time for fun social connections about Jewish heroes from biblical times to the present day, and meaningful prayer experiences designed to support including scientists, athletes, activists, and trailblazers of students’ mental and spiritual health -- especially during diverse Jewish backgrounds. these challenging times.
Our Torah Tots preschool program will be focusing on Religious School registration is still open. To register your child(ren), please visit https://or-ami.com/registration/.
Readers can see a recap of the meaningful services from Or Ami’s High Holy Days on YouTube at: (https://or-ami.com/high-holy-days/)
Our usual busy social schedule is curtailed for now, but our Book Club still meets, and what a lot of fun we have.
On Monday, Oct. 5, our Zoom meeting will discuss “Spies of No Country” by Matt Friedman, and on Nov. 2, “Lost Girls of Paris” by Pam Jeno , will be our topic.
For more information on any of our programs, or to obtain links to Zoom events, please contact our o ce at (804) 272-0017 or o ce@or-ami.com.
Want to know more? Contact us at Belong@Or-Ami.com or check us out at www.Or-Ami.com. You can follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OrAmi-Richmond, or catch us on Twitter@oramirichmond. All inquiries are welcome.
Refugees need your help
By Marilyn Breslow
Our world has contracted, yet turmoil and repression continue in this time of the pandemic. In Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan, innocent people are forced to abandon all they know for safety.
Here in Richmond, many are traumatized and destabilized by an invisible threat; imagine this with the exponential fear of grievous bodily harm.
The U.S. refugee resettlement program was eviscerated in the past few years. Our government reneged on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by reducing the numbers of refugees o ered resettlement and turning away those seeking asylum. The U.S. also reduced its fi nancial support of humanitarian aid, destabilizing economies and making life much more tenuous, especially in overcrowded, squalid camps.
The United Nations High Commission on refugees reports there are now 79.5 million refugees, asylum seekers, and internally-displaced persons worldwide. Most seek safety in neighboring countries. Only 107,000 refugees were resettled in third countries (countries o ering permanent resettlement) last year, close to what the U.S. used to resettle before the current administration slashed admissions to 18,000 in 2020.
If you would like to learn more about refugee resettlement and how
to advocate for change,Congregation Or gregants or friends) would like to hear more Ami o ers speakers knowledgeable in refuin a zoom meeting, please contact: gee resettlement policy, and experienced in Social_Action@or-ami.com. refugee life abroad and here, and how to be Or Ami is the recipient of a mini-grant of help. from the Kraus Foundation through the
Richmond refugee resettlement agenReligious Action Center for Reform Judacies welcomed close to 300 newcomers to ism. The money will be used for materials the metro area in 2019 and close to 200 this to teach English. Our partner is ReEstablish year. These recent arrivals are seeking to Richmond, whose sta provides orientation rebuild their lives. They seek work and to and training to match refugees with volunsend their children to school. teers.
Learning English is a high priority. DeThe Torah instructs us 36 times to care spite the di culty, their need persists, and for the stranger; this is an opportunity to exthere are ways to get involved and o er a tend the welcome in trying times. neighborly welcome – even from a distance.
If your congregation (or a group of con October 2020 . Tishrei/Cheshvan 5781 | the Reflector | 17
A “young man” walks up a driveway to drop o an At-Home High Holy Day Kit on the door
step of a Beth Ahabah family. Contributed Photos
Coping and Innovating
Everyone and every organization has faced endless challenges in the last six months: staying home, staying well, caring for the ill, working from home, working at work! And learning how to Zoom, coping with distance learning.
Our Synagogues faced the challenge of how to be a congregation when congregating was both unwise and dangerous. Periodic congregational calls, switching all meetings to Zoom, livestreaming services were some solutions.
Congregation Beth Ahabah convened an ad hoc Health and Safety Committee to develop safe practices, rules, and guidelines. In August, the congregation began having small outdoor socially-distanced service projects (with proper masks and gloves), like our annual pre-High Holy Day Hebrew Cemetery Clean-Up. The top of our parking garage became an open-air cinema for teens to watch the debut of Disney’s “Mulan,” each with a lawn chair in a socially-distanced chalked circle.
To make the celebration of High Holy Days as “normal” as possible, High Holy Day Prayer Books were made available for Drive-By pick-up. Congregants could also drop-o donations for our annual FEED MORE food drive at that time or
on several other scheduled days.
The week before Rosh Hashanah, sta , led by Programming Manager Allie Vornholt, prepared hundreds of At-Home High Holy Day Kits containing apples, honey, candles, spices, service programs, and even a do-ityourself Tashlisch service complete with dissolvable paper for writing one’s sins on.
A small army of board members and volunteers delivered a kit to the doorstep of each local member, out of town members received a similar kit in the mail.
The High Holy Day are not over yet, everyone is invited to join us for a Virtual Shabbat Service Celebrating Sukkot Friday, Oct. 2 at 6:15 p.m. and a Virtual Shabbat Service Celebrating Simchat Torah featuring Klezmer Band My Son the Doctor, Friday, Oct. 9, 6:15 p.m. Both will stream publicly on our YouTube Channel --
CongregationBethAhabahRichmondVA
Hundreds of At-Home High Holy Day Kits were prepared by Beth Ahabah sta for congregants with apples, honey, candles and more. These were delivered to the doorsteps of members.
High Holiday Prayer Books are packaged in plastic and ready for pickup by congregants.
Sukkot: Festival of (Voting) Booths . Synagogue Happenings
As the Jewish community prepares for to help clarify the variety of voting opportulater than Nov. 3. However, all voters using A time to concede, and a time to celethe festival of Sukkot, beginning at sunnities o ered in 2020: this method are encouraged to mail their abbrate; a time to join together, and a time to down on Oct. 2, and as we build our temHow to Vote in the November 3 Elecsentee ballots early. dance; porary booths, our Sukkahs, let us be mindtion: See www.vote.org/absentee-ballot-deadlines for A time to seek information about canful of the importance of entering the voting 1) Vote Early & In-Person: more information. didates and ballot measures, and a time to booth as well. • All registered voters may cast early, in3) Vote at the Polls: make decisions; A time to hold onto convic
The Brit Olam (Social Justice) Commitperson ballots at their local registrar’s o ce • All registered voters may cast their vote tions, and a time to recognize and respect the tee of Congregation Beth Ahabah is working or designated satellite location from Sept. 18 at the polls on Nov. 3 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. perspective of others; in conjunction with the Union for Reform to Oct. 31. Alternative Kohelet on Voting: A time to disagree, and a time to agree; Judaism’s Religious Action Center (RAC) 2) Vote by Absentee Ballot: By Rabbis Randi Nagel, Scott Nagel, and Sue a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 2020 civic engagement campaign, “Every • All registered voters may apply to vote abShankman A time to heal, and a time to come toVoice, Every Vote,” to encourage all citizens sentee through their local registrar’s o ce or To everything there is a season, and a gether; to exercise their fundamental right to vote. by visiting the Virginia Department of Electime to every purpose under the heaven: A time for opposing views, and a time for
With a non-partisan goal of encouraging tions website at https://vote.elections.virginA time to register to vote, and a time to peace. voter participation in the Jewish community, ia.gov. The deadline to request an absentee help others register to vote; For more information about this civic this committee is striving to empower, motiballot is Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. A time to vote absentee, and a time to engagement campaign, visit https://rac.org/ vate and support all citizens to enable their • Absentee ballots may be returned in the pledge to vote; take-action/congregations-communities/rac-civicparticipation in this cornerstone of democfollowing ways: 1) Deliver to your local regA time to discuss issues and time to share ideas; engagement-campaign-2020. You may also conracy. Given the health and safety concerns istrar’s o ce or designated drop-o locations A time to talk and a time to listen; tact Beth Ahabah “Every Voice, Every Vote” arising from the global pandemic of COVno later than Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. 2) Deliver via A time to persuade, and a time to refrain project leader, Judi Brown, at ID-19, the following information is provided U.S. Postal Service with a postmark dated no from persuasion; jmb131@gmail.com.
BAMA Job Description
The Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives (BAMA) collects, preserves, and exhibits materials related to Jewish history and culture – with particular emphasis on Richmond, Virginia. The museum maintains the records and objects generated by Kahal Kadosh (K.K.) Beth Shalome and its successor K.K. Beth Ahabah. It also collects materials of Jewish organizations, businesses, and individuals throughout the Richmond community. The museum is a 501(c)3, operates under its own board of trustees, and has a sta of three part-time employees. Position Title: Administrative Assistant/Docent This is a part-time position, 25 hours per week. Sunday work is required.
Duties:
• Greet visitors and talk about museum; answer phone • Perform general o ce duties including bill-paying, purchasing, recording donations and preparing fi nancial statements • Work with the Board’s Collections and Acquisitions Committee to accession materials • Enter records into card catalogs and records management systems • Manage small gift shop • Assist with research • Perform other related duties as assigned
Qualifi cations:
• Bachelor’s degree • Excellent organizational skills • Familiarity with Microsoft O ce • Ability to work in a small team in close quarters • Ability to lift 25 pounds • Knowledge of Richmond history is preferred • Knowledge of Judaism is preferred To Apply: Please send a resume and cover letter to William B. Obrochta, executive director, Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives, 1109 W. Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23220.
Bed & Breakfast
615 S. Main Street • Blackstone, VA 23824 434-292-3199 or 800-509-3567 www.greyswaninn.com I info@greyswaninn.com October 2020 . Tishrei/Cheshvan 5781 | the Reflector | 19
