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Adult Ed. II 7:30 PM, also January 24 & 31

Jewish Life & Thought in the 1st & 2nd Centuries

The Jewish Annotated New Testament, under the general editorship of Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler, an international team of scholars introduces and annotates the Gospels from Jewish per-spectives. They show how Jewish practices and writings, particularly the Greek translation of the He-brew Bible, influenced the New Testament writers. In addition, there are thirty essays on historical and religious topics – Divine Beings, Jesus in Jewish thought, Parables and Midrash, Mysticism, Jewish Family Life, Messianic Movements, Dead Sea Scrolls, etc.

Our class will focus on three of the essays. We will choose from the following: Jewish Movements at the Time, Afterlife and Resurrec-tion, Jewish Miracle Workers, Origins of the Synagogue or Divine Beings.

Please let us know if you plan to attend so that we can prepare enough materials on hand. (You need not purchase the book.)

Materials will be handed out

Rabbi Arthur Schwartz 631-271-1037

SCHMOOZEFEST

January 2012

Tevet/Shevat 5772

According to JRF Rabbis Shawn Zevit and Yohanna Kinberg, ―planning is one of the most important functions in synagogue life and yet it is one that is rarely addressed in a systematic way that promotes community building. The planning process is the framework within which policies are formed, budget and fundraising goals are set, and staff needs are projected. Planning focuses on the kinds of programs and services the congregation will be called upon to provide in the fu-ture.‖ Planning begins with developing both mission and vision statements for the congregation.

A congregation‘s vision of itself is not the same as its mission statement. A mission statement is a general statement of purpose at a particular time, whereas a congregation‘s vision focuses on the future aspirations of the syna-gogue. A mission statement explains WHY the congregation ex-ists while the vision talks about WHERE the congregation wants to go in the future. Mission is present-oriented; vision is future-oriented. Vision is a necessary precondition for strategic planning. It is the sense of destination shared by the people who care most about the synagogue‘s future, its members.

As the first step towards re-envisioning Kehillath Shalom in order to meet the needs of our heterogeneous community, mem-bers of the synagogue worked on, and the congregation adopted, a new Mission Statement in 2010. This Mission Statement describes our basic synagogue philosophy and values as well as the goals of our participatory, egalitarian, Reconstructionist congregation.

With this Mission Statement in place, we are now ready to begin the process of creating a Vision Statement and working out specific plans to help us fulfill our synagogue mission. We need to create a plan that will help us decide what policies are needed and what activities and services are required in order to meet the needs and aspirations of all our congregants.

Although we have gotten ideas about some members‘ visions through responses to the Survey and Questionnaire that we sent out, we would like to hear specific ideas from as many members as possible as we plan for the future of our synagogue community. We need to know what function you would like Kehillath Shalom to play in your life and in the lives of your family members. In other words, what religious, spiritual, social, and personal needs would you want to have met by belonging to our shul? If those needs are not being met now, what specific activities would help to meet these needs? What is your vision for Kehillath Shalom?

JOIN US on 1/22 as we share our ideas and plan the future of our congregation. Babysitting will be provided.

RSVP to me so we can plan for babysitters, refreshments etc.

Evelyn Botkin

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MISSION STATEMENT   Our name, Kehillath Shalom, means Community of Peace.

A) We are a fully participatory, egalitarian, Reconstructionist Congregation, dedicated to the pursuit of a meaningful approach to contemporary Jewish life. Arising out of our diverse experiences of the divine, we share a commitment to cultivating our inner lives, and working together to help repair the world in which we live. Both as individuals and in community, we strive to deepen our Jewish spirituality and to help one another develop meaningful ways to explore and express ourselves. We are committed to maintaining a warm and supportive environment within which we can all find courage, strength and joy through our interactions with one another.

B) We are inclusive and welcome members of diverse backgrounds, lifestyles, levels of knowledge and observance of Judaism. We value our heritage and Jewish tradition and share a history of questioning tradition, where need be, as we search for new practices to enhance our Jewish lives. Our doors are open to those who share our commitments.                          

C) In partnership with our clergy and other synagogue staff, we strive for an atmosphere of meaningful spirituality, vibrant study and creative worship and we aim to instill our Jewish values into every aspect of synagogue life. We encourage all members to play an active role as we join together to explore and define the unique path of this Congregation and we ask each to contribute his or her interests, talents and skills to our efforts.

D) We are committed to social action as a way of putting our Jewish spirituality into practice. As individuals and as a community, we dedicate ourselves to the task of Tikkun Olam.             

E) We believe, and aim to teach our children, that it is our responsibility as Jews to help heal the pain and suffering that we see all around us, and to work towards preserving the health of the global ecosystem upon which all life depends. We hope to help our children appreciate their Jewish heritage and to encourage them to love learning and to find meaning and joy in our tradition.

F) As members of two civilizations, we are committed to both the United States and the State of Israel. We recognize Israel’s importance to the cultural, spiritual and physical survival of the Jewish people, and we support and encourage it to flourish as a home for all Jews based on a foundation of justice and equality for all its citizens.            

G) We seek to partner with other members of the Jewish community as well as other faith communities in our attempts to create a more just and peaceful world.

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A series of Forums and Discussions

She is Small, Threatened, but Strong:

Dynamics of the Middle East and Israel*

1. Overview of the current threats to the Jewish state.

Friday, January 6, 2012 following Services at 7:30 PM

2. “The New Middle East”-update and report from Israel

Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 11:15 following Services at 10:00 AM

3. Iran Part 1: Present and future threats from Iran

Friday, March 2, 2012 following Services at 7:30 PM

4. Israel’s internal threats

Friday, May 4, 2012 following Services at 7:30 PM

5. Iran Part 2: All the options on the table - how to stop Iran?

When: TBD

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58  Goose Hill Road, Cold Spring Harbor
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631-367-4589