A Taste of Torah
Emor
Leviticus 21:1-24:23

Toward the beginning of the movie “Dead Poet’s Society,” Professor John Keating (Robin Williams) welcomes his students to a class on English poetry.  Whereas previous teachers at the prep school where the film is set have adopted a fairly staid reading of the poetry, Keating encourages students to stand up, move around, and try to evoke the myriad emotions espoused by the poems.  This is illustrated as Keating prompts all of his students to recite a passage from Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself”— “I sound my barbaric YAWP over the roofs of the world.”

The scene marks a turning point in the film.  Students who have previously been quiet and reserved are encouraged to “YAWP” at the top of their lungs.  They are shown a picture of Whitman and asked to envision what he had in mind when he composed the verse.  Surely, Keating argues, such a wild-looking individual intended for his poems to be recited with energy and enthusiasm, not read placidly as an academic exercise.

Keating’s approach to poetry gives his students a voice.  His teaching style encourages them to speak out, to sound their own “barbaric YAWPs.”  Indeed, it is the boys who are quietest at the outset of the film who enjoy the most growth over the course of the story.

The name of Torah portion for this week, Emor, literally translates as the imperative, “speak.”  In context, Moses is being told to speak to the Israelite community about the festival calendar.  But in a broader sense, the command connotes a recognition of the responsibility we all have to speak up, to make our voices heard.  This has long been a value of Judaism, particularly of Reform Judaism: to lift up the downtrodden, to support the oppressed, to not stand idle while a neighbor bleeds.

When we hear this command, “Emor,” how will we respond?  I hope that we will heed the advice of Professor John Keating: “Carpe Diem.  Seize the day…Make your lives extraordinary.”

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alan S. Cook

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.

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.
Contact Rabbi Septimus for more info: dseptimus@tdhs-nw.org

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

Temple De Hirsch Sinai and Masjid Ar-Rahmah (MAPS) present
Moses/Musa …A Tale of Two Faiths
Friday, May 22nd, 2009 TDHS • Bellevue
6:00pm Rock Shabbat Service
7:15pm Pot Luck Dinner
7:45pm Pannel Discussion
Join with members of Temple De Hirsch Sinai & Masjid Ar-Rahmah (MAPS - the Muslim Association of Puget Sound) for an interfaith discussion of Jewish and Muslim views of Moses.

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.

John Muir School's Tools Project 
More than 60% of the children at John Muir Elementary qualify for free lunch; many more are from families with limited means. In friendship with the school, TDHS would like to provide John Muir's 320 students with the backpacks and school supplies they will need to begin the 2009-2010 school year. For about $40 each -- the cost of a backpack and a few core supplies -- the TDHS community can make a big difference for these students, most whose families have substantial economic challenges.

If you would like to help, you will be matched with a child, from Kindergarten to 5th grade. Please email Kim Alben (kimfuqua@gmail.com) and/or Gayle Carrol (g.carrol@hotmail.com) to get started, or select the name tag of a child from the TDHS lobby in either Seattle or Bellevue. If you prefer shopping online, we have provided links to packs and supplies from Amazon.com, here and on the Temple website (www.tdhs-nw.org, just to make it easy. TDHS receives a rebate when you shop with Amazon.com through these links, but you may shop wherever you like!

Your generosity will greatly help the families with children at the school and is an opportunity to apply the principle of Tikkun Olamin another way. Following are backpack ideas and the core supplies requested. See the TDHS website for details.

1) Backpack -- book bag durability, solid colors
2) Pencils – box of 12
3) Crayons -- box of 24
4) Large glue stick
5) Dry erase markers – 4 pack
6) 2 Pink Pearl erasers

The deadline is June 30. Please deliver packs and supplies to Temple offices. Thank you so much for being a part of this effort for the students of John Muir Elementary! To learn more about TDHS’s ongoing relationship with John Muir Elementary, click here.

TIKKUN OLAM
Repairing the World – One Mitzvah at a Time

Donate to Treehouse for Kids – May Mitzvah-of-the-Month Project
During May we are collecting children’s gently used shorts and shirts to support Treehouse for Kids http://www.treehouse4kids.org/. Treehouse helps thousands of foster children in our own community by providing clothing and other services.

Right now Treehouse is looking for summertime clothing for children of all ages through high school. Please bring donations to Temple throughout the month of May, where there will be specially marked boxes in the Lobby at both locations. If you have questions, please contact Laura Brenner at alurabr@hotmail.com.

Volunteers Needed for Tent City – Sunday May 31st
Want to volunteer and make a difference with your family or friends (teens and up) on Sunday, May 31st? We will be making and serving a meal to about 100 homeless people at Tent City 4, located at St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Redmond. This is an important chance to help the homeless who are struggling, right in our own backyard. Please contact Lori Riskin at 425-391-0280 or riskin5@comcast.net to sign up. Only a few hours of your time is needed, and you will be helping so many.

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.

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.

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. Click here for more information

Celebrating New Connections!
Jewish Single Parent Family Retreat
Sunday, June 14, 2009
9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Workshops, children’s activities and time relaxing together in a warm, supportive atmosphere out at beautiful Rattlesnake Lake.
Pre-registration is required.  Contact  Marjorie Schnyder at (206) 861-3146 or familylife@jfsseattle.org.

EULALA ALBERTA-MARIE DUESING KLENMAN. Beloved spouse of the late Phillip Harold Klenman; beloved mother of Liahna Klenman Armstrong and the late Avalon Klenman; beloved grandmother of Matthew Phillip Armstrong; beloved brother of the late William Duesing.

RICHARD M. STERN. Beloved spouse of the late Belle May Stern; beloved father of Cheryl and Robert Seltzer and the late Edward W. Stern; beloved grandfather of Daniel Stern and Bill Pusztai; Deborah Stern-Silver and David Silver; Nomi Seltzer, Anna Seltzer and Jeffrey Wilson; beloved great grandfather of Eliana and Rebecca Stern-Silver; beloved father-in-law of Jennifer Stern.

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 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

Friday, May 15
6:00 PM/ Bellevue
3rd Shabbat
6:00 PM/ Seattle
Classic Shabbat Service

Saturday, May 16
9:30 AM/ Seattle
Torah & T’fillah Together
10:30 AM/ Seattle
Shacharit
NO BELLEVUE AM SERVICE
5:00 PM/ Bellevue
Havdalah

Click here for our complete Shabbat Schedule

1511 E. Pike St.
Seattle, WA 98122

3850 156th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98006

206-323-8486

info@tdhs-nw.org
www.tdhs-nw.org