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Temple E-Tidings for April 30, 2009 04-30-2009
Temple E-Tidings
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| A Taste of Torah: Tetzaveh |
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A Taste of Torah:
'Aharei-Mot: Leviticus 16:1 - 18:30
Kedoshim: Leviticus 19:1 - 20:27
Parashat Kedoshim
Holiness is one of those "fuzzy" terms, having similar but often varied meanings for different people. In our tradition, "kadosh" connotes a sense of something separate, something set aside for special purpose. Chapter 19 in Leviticus contains the "Holiness Code"--essentially a basic minimum requirement for menschlikeit--for being a good person. But this directive towards decency is couched within a definitive Jewish context.
The chapter begins with God asking the Jewish people to pursue the quality of holiness because it provides a way to identify with God through embodying an element of the divine. Yet this simplistic command is mystifying and overwhelming. How can we possibly reflect even a spark of divinity, let alone understand precisely what it is to be holy? The Torah does not wait to offer answer. The ensuing list of ways to promote justice, sustain the poor and even to control our impulses towards vengeance provide real-world ways to imbue our world with holiness, and thus with the divine. The section ends with the sum total of this list and a distillation of the entire Torah's precepts: Love your neighbor as yourself. We are holy like God when we seek to protect the well-being and secure the dignity of another. What could be easier, yet more profound?
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Daniel A. Weiner
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| From the Rabbi! |
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We didn't have any ask the rabbi questions this week, so we posted s snipped from Rabbi Weiner's Blog: www.goodgodforus.com.
Here Comes the Sun
April 12th, 2009
It’s a good time to be in Phoenix. Not just for the reasons obvious to a Seattlite enduring the worst winter in a generation, culminating in a dark and slushy April 1st (who’s the fool?). But for a confluence of events that seem more fated and salient as they become clear.
This morning, while Jews the world over slave over hot pots of boiling balls (the matzah variety…this isn’t Festival Fear Factor) and steaming pans of disintegrating brisket in preparation for tonight’s Passover Seder, members of the tribe of a more traditionalist bent arose early to observe a once-in-a-generation ceremony with echoes of a pre-monotheistic paganism. Birkat Hachama, the Blessing of the Sun, occurring once every 28 years, marks the beginning of solar cycles determined by ancient calculation. This probable pagan vestige gets jewed up sufficiently through a tradition that mythologizes the sun’s position on this day to be identical to what it was during Ma’aseh Bereshit--the acts of Creation.
What this celebration lacks in physical and astronomical coherence it makes up for in exotic allure and metaphoric inspiration. Scholar Jonathan Sarna was dead on in assessing the power of this mystery ritual for Jews beyond the usual Orthodox suspects. For many Jews, especially the marginal and the seeking, it is the perennial commemorations, scarcely observed, that often attract the faux and infrequently faithful more than the regular observances demanding ongoing commitment.... read more 
Got Questions? Ask the Rabbi
If you have any questions about the Torah, Talmud or any queston regarding Jewish tradition, thought or history email them to us at the E-Tidings: asktherabbi@tdhs-nw.org and we'll publish them here and on our website! Think of some questions and send them in.Click to read an archive of Ask the Rabbi Questions |
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| Upcoming Temple Events |
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The Alfred and Tillie Shemanski Institute for
Christian and Jewish Understanding
with Temple De Hirsch Sinai invite you to the 29th Annual Clergy Institute with
Rabbi Daniel Weiner
God in the None Zone: Faith and Freedom in the Sound
Join a gathering of spiritual leaders and concerned laity looking for ways to reach unaffilated spiritual seekers.
Thursday, May 7th, 2009 at
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Temple De Hirsch Sinai, Seattle - Please enter at 1441 16th Ave
Contact us at 206.315.7471
Temple De Hirsch Sinai Annual Congretational Meeting
& Election of Officers & Trustiess/Bylaws Amedments
Sunday, May 17, 2009
10:30 am
Seattle ~ 1441 16th Avenue
Make your voice heard at this important meeting for Temple members. Approve bylaws and elect Temple officials. Click here for the agenda & Bylaws Amendments
Tikkun Leil Shavuot
A Night to celebrate and study Torah!
May 28th, Seattle Foyer
1441 16th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
- 8 pm- 12 am TDHS Seattle Foyer
- 8:00 – 8:50 pm Spirit on the Screen
- 9:00 – 9:50 pm The Bible Doesn’t Tell Me So: A Beginner’s Look at Midrash
- 10:00 - 10:50 pm Imagine a World Without Torah
- 11:00 – 11:50 pm When I Pray I… What is the efficacy of prayer? Click here for more information.
Join with the Tribe and Rabbi Weiner for a Book Signing & Reading of Good God!
Join Rabbi Daniel Weiner and the Tribe for a speical reading and signing at Elliott Bay Book Co. One of Seattle’s great bookstores. The discussion will continue with post event drinks at a to be determined location.
Thursday, May 7th at 7:30pm
Elliot Bay Book Co.
101 S Main St
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 624-6600?
elliottbaybook.com
Family Shabbat Service and Potluck
Saturday, May 9th, Bellevue, at 10:30 am
Come with the family and your friends for a participatory Shabbat! Bagels and Cream Cheese Provided
Please bring by last name:
- A-F: Salad
- G-M: Fruit (or other side dish)
- N-S: Dessert
- T-Z: Drinks
Contact Rabbi Septimus for more info: dseptimus@tdhs-nw.org
Flags for Veterans at Hills of Eternity Cemetery for Memorial Day
If any of your friends or relatives are US Military Veterans and are buried at the Hills of Eternity Cemetery they are eligible for a complimentary US flag for their grave site for Memorial Day. Please contact Bob Shay at 206-478-0505 or via email at rshay@qwest.net to participate or for more information. |
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| Tikkun Olam and Volunteering at Temple |
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TIKKUN OLAM
Repairing the World – One Mitzvah at a Time
Treehouse for Kids
Summer’s coming! Let’s make sure every child gets to spend the warm summer days in shorts and tee-shirts. During May we are collecting our children’s outgrown shorts and shirts in support of Treehouse for Kids http://www.treehouse4kids.org/ . Since 1988, Treehouse has provided foster kids with clothing and tools to succeed in their lives. Treehouse has six core programs – Tutoring, Educational Advocacy, Coaching-to-College, Little Wishes, Summer Camp and the Warehouse – that give foster children a real childhood as well as hope for the future. Last year alone, more than 4300 kids used the Treehouse services.
Right now Treehouse is looking for summertime clothing for children of all ages through high school. There will be collection bins in the Sunday school and in the lobbies of both campuses.
If you’d like to do more, you can help us help Treehouse by offering to help take the clothing we collect to their warehouse - contact Laura Brenner at 206-331-0111, throughout May.
Want to feel more connected at Temple? Consider joining our growing Tikkun Olam Group. We’d love to have you join us - whether you’re interested in helping out with a small, one-time project, or in a more long-term way. Please contact Catherine Gonchar at (206) 323-8486, ext. 7309, or send an email to tikkunolam@tdhs-nw.org for more information. |
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| In the Community |
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Looking for help with employment in this tough time? Join The Greater Seattle Jewish Business Network and learn ways to find jobs and make the job you have better!
The Greater Seattle Jewish Business Network is primarily a resource for Jewish business executives, professionals and skilled workers. This is your place to network with reliable people in their businesses as well as a means of communications for Jewish professionals to find meaningful employment. The GSJBN will also function as a resource center where members can assist each other on any type of business issue that they encounter.
Upcoming Meetings:
May 13 at Herzl Ner Tamid on Mercer Island (Link | Map)
Maria Masala, who founded Elevating Your Business, a consulting company that has helped thousands of high-achieving professional service businesses increase their companies’ profitability, performance, and value, will be discussing: Keep Your Rear in Gear During Tough Times, Stress-Reduction Strategies That Work. Click here to download the flier.
Click here for more information on the Seattle Jewish Business Network.
14th Annual Jewish Film Festival
April 23, 2009 - May 3, 2009
The annual Seattle Jewish Film Festival (SJFF) is an 10-day international cinematic exploration and celebration of Jewish life, culture, identity and history.. Click here for more information.
34th Annual Stroum Lectures in Jewish Studies 2009
Sunday May 17, 2009 to Thursday May 21, 2009
All lectures are held in 220 Kane Hall, UW Seattle Campus
Encounters with the Past: Remembering the ‘Bygone’ in Israeli Culture:
Professor Yael Zerubavel
Director, The Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life Professor of Jewish Studies and History
Rutgers University
Sunday, May 17 - Bridges to Antiquity
Begins at 6:30 p.m.
Please join us for a kosher dessert reception honoring Mrs. Althea Stroum and celebrating the naming of the Samuel & Althea Stroum Jewish Studies Program following the first lecture. RSVP requested for only the first lecture because of the special nature of this event.
206-543-4370; jsis@u.washington.edu
Tuesday, May 19 - Mirrors of Galut (Exile) in the Homeland
lecture begins at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 21 - When the New Becomes Old
lecture begins at 7:30 p.m.
Questions: 206-543-0138; jewishst@u.washington.edu
Click here for more information
The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby & Toddler Sleep
Elizabeth Pantley
Tuesday, June 2nd, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Swedish Medical Center, Glaser Auditorium
Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door
Tickets can be purchased at http://www.parentmap.com/birthways or call 800-838-3006.
Elizabeth Pantley's successful solution has been tested and proven effective by scores of mothers and their babies from across the World. The No-Cry Sleep Solution offers clearly explained, step-by-step ideas that steer your little ones toward a good night's sleep--all with no crying.
SAVE THE DATE FOR “MINDING THE STORE”!
Who’s Minding the Store? Celebrating 150 years of Jewish Business and Commerce
“Who’s Minding the Store: 150 Years of Jewish Business and Commerce in Washington” will have its grand premier at Congregation Ezra Bessaroth from 11:00 to 4:00 on Sunday, June 7, 2009. Please join us for a day of history, refreshments, and nostalgia as you tour this outstanding exhibit.
Tickets are $18.00 each. To make sure that you don’t miss this wonderful occasion, make your reservation now by calling Lori at (206) 774-2277. More details on the project are also available on the Society’s Web site at http://www.wsjhs.org/
Click here for more information
Check out some of these Great JFS Programs:
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| In Memoriam |
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ETHEL SONDIN. Beloved spouse of the late Henry Sondin; beloved daughter of the Late David H. and Gertrude Lanes; beloved mother of Haidee Neiman and the Late David M. Sondin; beloved grandmother of Monica and Jeffrey Neiman.
ARCHIE LIPPMAN. Beloved spouse of Miriam Lippman; beloved father of Alan and Kimberley Lippman, Ann and Dylan (DIE LYNN) Cepeda; beloved grandfather of Arianna Garella and Sophia Lippman.
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| TGIS Shabbat Schedule |
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Thank God It's Shabbat!
Worship with us at any of our Shabbat Services. The following is the schedule for Shabbat Services for the next two weeks.
Friday, May 1
6:00 PM/ Bellevue
Shabbat Unplugged
6:00 PM/ Seattle
Kabbalat Shabbat
Saturday, May 2
9:30 AM/ Seattle
Torah & T’fillah Together
10:30 AM/ Seattle
Shacharit
10:30 AM/ Bellevue
Shacharit
5:00 PM/ Bellevue
Havdalah
Friday, May 8
NO BELLEVUE PM SERVICE
6:00 PM/ Seattle
Rock Shabbat
Saturday, May 9
9:30 AM/ Seattle
Torah & T’fillah Together
10:30 AM/ Seattle
Shacharit
10:30 AM/ Bellevue
Shacharit
5:00 PM/ Bellevue
Havdalah
Click here for our complete Shabbat Schedule |
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TDHS Officials
Daniel Weiner,
Senior Rabbi
Alan S. Cook,
Associate Rabbi
Daniel A. Septimus, Assistant Rabbi
Lawrence N. Broder,
Executive Director
Ken Schlegel,
Associate Executive Director
Allan Geller,
Director of Education
Laurel Abrams,
Jennifer Rosen Meade
Preschool Director
OFFICERS
Karen Dixon,
President
Gail Alexander,
President-Elect
Jody Bellar,
Vice President
Keith Degginger,
Vice President
Kim Greenhall
Vice President
Gail Mautner
Vice President
Pam Schwartz
Secretary
Neil Weinstein, CPA
Treasurer
Immediate Past President,
H.L. (Skip) Kotkins, Jr.
TRUSTEES: Alex Alben, Robert Albert, Alan Bender, Linda Bledsoe,
Marianne Bundren,
Rebecca Buxbaum, David Caesar,
Harry Caraco,
Beth Featherstone, Catherine Gonchar, Jerry Gronfein,
Myles Kahn,
Jan Levy,
Laurie Minsk, Vicki Robbins, Debbie Rosemont, Ari Schur,
John Siegler,
Phillip Swan,
Jeff Teper,
Jacquie Wiviott
Senior Rabbis – Retired
Theodore Joseph (z’l) 1899-1906
Samuel Koch (z’l) 1906-1942
Raphael H. Levine (z’l) 1942-1970
Earl S. Starr 1970-2001
Associate Rabbi - Retired
Stanley Meisels 1988-1994 |
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