TEC Times
A monthly calendar for the Temple Etz Chaim community March 2016 / 5776
Purim Celebrations Are you a Star Wars fan? Wanted to act but not sure you’re good enough? Trust me, you’re good enough for this! Be in a Temple-Wide Purimspiel! Come join our Temple Etz Chaim Purimspiel! We need actors, lots of actors: Adults, Kids, Wookiees, Jedi, Storm Troopers, Ewoks. No singing required! No experience required. Desire to have fun required. Rehearsal Dates: Sunday, March 6 & 13 4:00 pm at the Temple building Please contact Rabbi Alpert if you’d like to patriciate.
Purim Cocktail Party and Martini Shake-Off Saturday, March 19 7:00 pm at the home of Jayme Solomon-Zissu 6 Larkin Lane, Hopedale RSVP online at SignUpGenius. It’s our Second Annual Purim Cocktail Party and Martini Shake-Off! Come taste a variety of cocktails and vote on your favorite! The winner will take home a special trophy and have bragging rights! Let’s have some fun, food and drinks. Interested in being a participant in the Shake-Off? Contact Margot Rivelis.
Purim Dinner and Spiel
Wednesday, March 23 Dinner: 6:00 - 7:00 pm Spiel: 7:00 - 8:30 pm at Temple Building Everyone is invited to our Empire Deli dinner before we start reading about the evil Darth Haman. No charge for dinner, but a RSVP is a must. Please let us know by March 19th, so the Imperialists won't get upset. And if the force does move you to bring a sweet for Oneg, then obey the force you will. Come join us for our dinner and purimspiel. RSVP by March 19th to Jayme, Stewart or Adrianne for complimentary dinner.
May the ruach be with you.
Page 2
TEC Times
March 2016 / 5776
Upcoming Events TEC CommUnity-Wide Mishloach Manot Project By now you should have received your email about our Mishloach Manot fundraiser. For just $10.00 per recipient you can participate in the sending of a beautiful gift bag to anyone on our membership list. Every family on the list will receive one gift package along with a Purim card that lists all the people who participated in their package. You also have the opportunity to send to our entire congregation for only $200. That's over a $900 savings! The basket includes: Hamantashen: (Baked by The Muffin House of Medway) Granola Bar: (Gluten free) Hard Candies: (Gluten free, Organic, Kosher) Fruit Snacks: (Gluten free) Tea: (Gluten free, Kosher)
People of the Book, Kindle, iPad ... March 2, 9, 16, 30 7:30 - 9:00 pm at Temple Building
Always wanted to join a book group but didn’t have the time? This is for you.
Jews have been responsible for some of the greatest literature of the modern era, from Nobel Prize winners such as Saul Bellow and Isaac Bashevis Singer to Pulitzer Prize winners such as Philip Roth, Michael Chabon, and Geraldine Brooks. Contemporary Jewish writing continues to have a major impact today. Come join Rabbi Alpert as we look at some of the new Jewish voices in fiction. No advance preparation is required for the first class. RSVP to Rabbi Alpert.
British Beer Company Fundraiser
This is a wonderful fundraising opportunity to make connections within our own TEC community. Emails went out… if you missed it, please contact Jill Simms.or Margot Rivelis and we can email you your log-in information. Deadline is 6:00 pm on March 4th!
Community Shmooze Friday, March 11 Shmooze: 6:30 pm Services: 7:30 pm at Temple Building
Community Appetizers & Drinks Community shmoozes are focused on our community getting to know each other better and meeting prospective members! To make these shmoozes possible, we will need your help. Please go to Sign-Up Genius. Questions? Email Membership.
Women in History Shabbat Friday, March 18 7:30 pm at Temple Building Join Temple Etz Chaim Sisterhood as we have a special Erev Shabbat service honoring women in history. If you’d like to participate in this service, please contact our Sisterhood President, Jill Simms.
Come for dinner, stay for music all while supporting TEC!
Live Music: Michael Rivelis Date: Time: Music: Address:
Monday, March 7 5:00 - 10:00 pm 8:00 - 10:00 pm 280 Franklin Village Drive Stop and Shop Plaza, Franklin
British Beer Company in Franklin will donate 20% of your check to Temple Etz Chaim. Please click here for coupon and present at the time of payment to have 20% of your check’s value, excluding alcohol, tax and tip, donated to Temple Etz Chaim. Good for dine-in or take-out orders.
Sisterhood Soup, Salad and Soul Thursday, March 31 7:00 - 9:30 pm at Temple Building Come share the warmth of your sisters. Homemade soups and salad to soothe the soul, and some Social Action to promote Tikun Olam - Repairing The World. We will be assembling care packages for Serenity House - a Halfway house for women in recovery from chemical dependence. Learn more about the disease of addiction and ways that women are challenged in particular. RSVP by going to Sign-Up Genius.
Page 3
TEC Times
March 2016 / 5776
Upcoming Events Passover Wine Tasting
The Bible Doesn’t Say That
Sunday, April 10 1:00 - 4:00 pm Pour Richards Wine & Spirits 14 Grove St., Franklin Come on by Pour Richards at 14 Grove St in Franklin and sample some of the GOOD Kosher for Passover wines before buying them and bringing them home for your own Seder. The Temple will also get a percentages of all purchases, so let the spirits be with you and stock up on your favorites. Let your friends also know, because even their purchases will count! We will also be picking the lucky winner of the 50/50 drawing. Last year, the pot was almost $400 that got split 2 ways. The money raised went to help offset some of the cost to the Community Seder. Tickets will be available at the door, but if you would like to purchase tickets before this event, you can contact Jill Simms or Stewart Lipson for advance ticket sales... good luck and we hope to see you there
Monday, April 11 7:00 - 9:00 pm at First Universalist Society of Franklin 262 Chestnut St., Franklin Spend an evening with Dr. Joel M. Hoffman, author of the new book The Bible Doesn't Say That. Dr. Joel M. Hoffman focuses on bringing the Bible to life and is known for his "fresh insights and interpretations about religious life in the 21st century."
Tot Passover Model Seder Saturday, April 16 9:30 - 10:30 am at Temple Building 900 Washington St., Franklin Geared for Pre-School to second graders. Fun way to celebrate Passover Passover craft, stories, songs and snacks All Early Childhood Programs are free and open to members and non-members. For more information contact Dawn Doucette-Kaplan.
Mandarin Dinner Fundraiser Wednesday, April 20 5:00 - 9:00 pm Mandarin Milford 196 East Main St, Milford (across from Stop & Shop)
Eat, Drink and Raise Money! Come for dinner and drinks all while supporting Temple Etz Chaim
No coupon necessary! All sales that night will go to Temple Etz Chaim! Mandarin Milford will donate 20% of your check (including all drinks) to Temple Etz Chaim. Be sure to mention to your server you’re from TEC.
Dr. Hoffman is an Internationally Acclaimed Teacher, Author and Translator. He lectures across the globe on a wide variety of topics and is known for engaging popular and academic audiences alike. Come listen and learn with him. There is no fee to attend the event but donations are welcome. Co-sponsored by Temple Etz Chaim, First Universalist Society of Franklin, Franklin Federated Church, Franklin United Methodist Church, St. John's Episcopal Church, and St. Mary's Catholic Church.
Women’s Passover Seder Wednesday, April 27 6:00 pm at Temple Building 900 Washington St., Franklin Shake your tambourines as we celebrate Miriam's role in Jewish history as well as our own! Make your reservation now! Space is limited… $23.00 TEC Members and Sisterhood Members $30.00 Guests Please RSVP by April 4th by mailing payment to: TEC Sisterhood 900 Washington Street Franklin, MA 02038 For more information contact: Margot Rivelis Sponsored by Temple Etz Chaim Sisterhood
2nd Night Community Seder Saturday, April 23rd 6:30 pm Franklin Federated Church 171 Main Street, Franklin Early Bird Special: $30 per adult/$15 per child (age 4-10)
Cost after April 18th: $36 per adult/ $18 per child Everyone is invited to attend this interactive, family oriented traditional Seder. The Rabbi will lead our Seder as we read the haggadah, retell stories of our ancestors and enjoy a wonderful meal prepared special for us by Little White Market caterers.
Dinner: Chopped Liver Chicken Soup with Matzah Balls Brisket Vegetables Roasted Potatoes Dessert A vegan meal is also available (by special request) For more information or to RSVP please contact Adrianne Castro
Page 5
TEC Times
March 2016 / 5776
Temple Cookbook
Ongoing Events
Temple Cookbook... Needs your help! We are creating a cookbook that will be available for purchase for the Winter holiday season next year. To do this, we need your recipes. Imagine helping to build your new favorite cookbook and helping the Temple at the same time. Send your favorite recipes to Jayme Solomon-Zissu.
Erev Shabbat Service Schedule
Ink/Toner Cartridge Recycling Don’t throw away those empty ink and toner cartridges. Drop them off in the bin at temple or at religious school and let us recycle them. We earn $ for each recycled cartridge.
Amazon Smile Temple Etz Chaim is registered as an AmazonSmile charitable organization. AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support TEC every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to TEC. It's simple to do. When shopping on Amazon, go to smile.amazon.com and choose "Temple Etz Chaim" (of Franklin, MA) as your charitable organization. That's it! Whenever you shop, remember to do with a smile.
Donations If you’d like to make a donation in memory or honor of somebody or just to support us, please go to our online form.
Tiny Tots Playgroup March 6, April 3 10:00 - 11:30 am at Medway High School 88 Summer St., Medway Tiny tots is designed to help families with children birth through preschool make Jewish connections. Our gatherings are casual, our connections become strong. For more information, please contact Dawn Doucette-Kaplan.
Friday, March 4 at 7:00 pm at TEC Family Shabbat Service Saturday, March 5 at 9:30 am at TEC Tot Shabbat Service Friday, March 11 at 7:30 pm at TEC Erev Shabbat Service and Baby Naming Saturday, March 12 at 10:00 am at FUSF Shabbat Service and Brittany Silverman Bat Mitzvah Friday, March 18 at 7:30 pm at TEC Erev Shabbat Service Honoring Women in History Friday, March 25 at 7:30 pm at TEC Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, March 26 at 10:00 am at FUSF Shabbat Service and Simon Brooks Bar Mitzvah TEC: Temple Etz Chaim, 900 Washington St., Franklin FUSF: First Universalist Society, 262 Chestnut St., Franklin
B’Nei Mitzvah Saturday, March 12: Brittany Silverman Saturday, March 26: Simon Brooks 10:00 am at the First Universalist Society 262 Chestnut Street, Franklin The congregation is invited to worship as our B’Nei Mitzvah students are called to the Torah as Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Please join the families for Kiddush following the service.
Morning Torah Study Saturday, March 5, 12, 19, 26 8:30 am at the Temple Building Join the Rabbi for our weekly text study. No Hebrew needed. We’ll study text in English. Come when you can or come every Saturday. The door is open to open your mind!
Page 6
TEC Times
March 2016 / 5776
Page 7
TEC Times
March 2016 / 5776
Religious School Calendar 2016/5776 School is open every date listed, unless otherwise noted. Religious School Grades Pre K-7 Sunday- 9:00–11:30 am 3/6 3/13 3/20 3/27–No School 4/3 4/10 4/17–No School (Spring Break) 4/24 – No School (Passover) 5/1 5/8 5/15 5/22 – Last day of School
Hebrew School Grades 3-6 Wednesday- 4:00–5:30 pm 3/2 3/9 3/16 3/23 3/30 4/6 4/13 4/20– No School (Spring Break) 4/27– No School (Passover) 5/4 5/11 5/18– Last day of School
Academy (A); Confirmation (C); Post Confirmation (PC) - Grades 8-12 Tuesday- 6:30-8:30 pm 3/1 – A/C 3/8 – A/C/PC 3/15 – A/C 3/22 - A/C 3/29– A/C 4/5– A/C/PC 4/12 – A/C 4/19 – No School (Spring Break) 4/26 – No School (Passover) th 5/3 – A/C (7 grade) 5/10– A/C/PC 5/17– A/C – Last day of School
Please join us to honor our Confirmation Students Friday, June 10, 2016 Erev Shabbat and Confirmation @ 7:00pm at Franklin Federated Church
Family Shabbat Services 5776 Each month, there is a special “Family Shabbat” service designed specifically for families with children in our Religious School. This gives us an opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate Shabbat. They will feature friendly singing, age-appropriate readings, and birthday blessings. During some of these Family Shabbat Services, specific classes will participate in leading some of the prayers. We hope that your family will join us for all of these Family Shabbat Services, as they promise to be wonderful celebrations in our community. We would appreciate each family to bring a sweet for Oneg following the services. Date
Help Rabbi lead services
Time/ Location
Class Dinner
Bring Oneg or Lunch
Friday, Mar. 4, 2016
Kitah Daled-Hey (4th & 5th)
7:00pm @ TEC
4th/5th
ALL grades Oneg
Friday, April 15, 2016
Kitah Aleph-Bet (1st & 2nd)
7:00pm @ TBD
1st/2nd
ALL grades Oneg
Friday, May 6, 2016
Kitah Gimmel (3rd)
7:00pm @ TEC
3rd
ALL grades Oneg
Please join us to honor our Confirmation Students Friday, June 10, 2016 Erev Shabbat and Confirmation @ 7:00pm at Franklin Federated Church This service will honor our Confirmation students (10th graders) who elected to continue their Jewish education beyond religious school. They will help lead the Friday night service. During the service, the students confirm their sense of Jewish identity and their place in the Jewish community.
Page 8
TEC Times
Religious School Museum Expo
March 2016 / 5776
Page 9
TEC Times
Religious School Museum Expo
March 2016 / 5776
Page 10
TEC Times
March 2016 / 5776
Religious School Museum Expo
These are only a few of our talented religious school students work. Click here to visit our website and read about each grades project and see more photos.
Page 11
TEC Times
What are we blogging about? Rabbi Alpert
March 2016 / 5776
Stay Connected Temple Etz Chaim Website Temple Etz Chaim Facebook Temple Etz Chaim Sisterhood Facebook
Hana Berman: Director of Education
Temple Etz Chaim LinkedIn