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Support for Tree of Life Synagogue
Temple Friends,
Our hearts are heavy with sadness and shock as we mourn the victims of the mass shooting that occurred during Shabbat services at the Tree of Life Synagogue yesterday. As a way of offering some comfort and support to this Jewish community, we are asking our Temple members to send messages of comfort and/or to make donations to the victims’ families (https://www.gofundme.com/tree-of-life-synagogue-shooting), the Tree of Life Synagogue (https://www.tolols.org/), or HIAS (the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, a nonprofit humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance to refugees supported by the Tree of Life Synagogue, https://www.hias.org/).
Please send messages of comfort to rhjelmaas@gmail.com by November 1st. You may also bring cards and messages to Family Shabbat on November 2nd. Jill and Rachele will package the messages and send them along with a care basket to the Tree of Life Synagogue.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Rachele Hjelmaas, Social Action Vision Leader
Jill Musin, Caring Committee Team
Meals from the Heartland Food Packaging
Meals from the Heartland is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization made up of volunteers from businesses, schools, churches, and community organizations that package meals for delivery to malnourished people in Iowa, across the United States, and around the world. Our Temple Social Action group is looking for 7-10 volunteers to participate as a team in food packaging on Thursday, September 27 (6-8 pm) at this organization’s West Des Moines food packaging center, located at 357 Lincoln Street, West Des Moines. If interested, please contact Rachele at rhjelmaas@gmail.com or 515-419-5388 no later than September 25.
Habitat for Humanity Rock the Block Interfaith Event
Congregations and faith communities have been invited to join GDM Habitat’s 2018 InterFaith Rock the Block event. This interfaith community event will focus on repairs, maintenance, weatherization, beautification, safety, and accessibility projects at owner-occupied homes of qualified residents of the King-Irving and Mondamin Presidential neighborhoods in Des Moines.
We need Temple volunteers!! Shifts are available from 8am-4pm or 8am-noon October Wednesday 10 through Saturday, October 13. Volunteer for one shift or as many shifts as you can! Experience is appreciated but not necessary; Habitat teaches unskilled volunteers!! A special note: Rabbi Kaufman will be leading the opening prayer for this event on October 10. If you can help, please contact Rachele at at rhjelmaas@gmail.com or 515-419-5388 no later than October 1 for sign-up information.
Rabbi Kaufman’s Taste of Judaism Class Schedule
Taste of Judaism is an opportunity to learn about the basics of Judaism. We will briefly discuss the different kinds of Judaism, how Jews pray, life cycle events in the Jewish tradition and Jewish holidays. The last day of class, we will look at the holiday of Chanukah in detail. Whether you are just beginning to learn or want a refresher, we hope you will join us.
Oct 4 — Streams of Judaism in Perspective
Oct 11 — Jewish Textual Traditions
Oct 18 — Worship and Prayer
Oct 25 — Holidays
Nov 8 — Life Cycles
Nov 15 — Chanukah
All classes are 7:00-8:30 pm You need not be interested in conversion to attend the sessions.
5779 High Holiday Information
PARKING will be available on the north side of Grand Avenue, between Polk Blvd. and 55th Street, in addition to the east side of Country Club Drive and the south side of Shriver. The Temple’s semi-circle drive will be reserved for handicapped parking and the parking lot north of the building is for use by those unable to walk further distances. Representatives from the Des Moines Police Department will be on hand for any security needs and for traffic assistance.
FOOD FOR DMARC – As you leave the Temple on Rosh Hashanah, you will be given a grocery sack; please use it to bring back non-perishable food items for the Des Moines Area Religious Council’s Food Pantry on or before Yom Kippur. There will be a tent set up on the Temple’s front lawn for your donations. See list of most needed items included in this month’s Bulletin.
Yizkor Memorial Booklet – Our Yizkor Memorial Booklet is a long-standing tradition, honoring the memory of departed relatives and friends. In order for it to be prepared and ready for distribution on Yom Kippur, just prior to Yizkor services, we will need the information no later than September 4.
Any name may be memorialized by request. Names which appear on the Temple’s Memorial tablets, as well as those congregants and relatives of congregants, who have died since last Yom Kippur will automatically be listed in the booklet. If you would like the names of your loved ones included, please fill out the Yizkor Booklet Form and return it to the Temple Office. If you have any questions, please call the Temple office at (515) 279-4679. If you wish to arrange a perpetual memorial you can purchase a plaque to be mounted in the Memorial Rooml. (Please note that we cannot promise delivery by the 2018 holidays.)
Ushers Needed – As you know, the decorum at our High Holy Day Services is dependent upon an adequate corps of ushers. Please indicate on the form below your availability to serve as an usher at one or more services. We encourage families to usher as a group. Your prompt response will enable us to make up the schedules for the High Holy Days. With your cooperation, our services will be conducted in a dignified and meaningful fashion. Please fill out our Ushering Form and to indicate your availability and return it to the Temple Office by Tuesday, September 4. If you have any questions, please contact the Temple office (phone: 274-4679 or email: office@templebnaijeshurun.com).
Babysitting – It is important to us that everyone who wants to attend services can. We would like to offer babysitting as a way to help you and your family be a part of this very special and important time of the year. However, we do need to plan. If you will need babysitting, please fill our the Babysitting Form and send it to the Temple office by September 4. If you have questions, contact the Temple office.
Jeff Salkin – Scholar-in-Residence
Jeff Salkin – Scholar-in-Residence
Temple B’nai Jeshurun is pleased to welcome Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin as its scholar-in-residence during the weekend of August 24-26, 2018. Rabbi Salkin is recognized as one of the most thoughtful Jewish writers and teachers of his generation.
He has helped people of all ages find spiritual meaning in both the great and small moments in life. A noted author whose work has appeared in many publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, and the Congressional Record. Rabbi Salkin is editor of A Dream of Zion: American Jews Reflect on Why Israel Matters to Them; and author of Being God’s Partner: How to Find the Hidden Link Between Spirituality and Your Work; and Righteous Gentiles in the Hebrew Bible: Ancient Role Models for Sacred Relationships, among other books.
Friday night, August 24 – Following services and dinner
Israel without Apology – AKA, “The Jewish Boot Camp.” Are you equipped to have conversations about controversies related to Israel with family, friends, co-workers, and fellow students?
Saturday morning, August 25 – 9:00 a.m.
Rabbi Salkin will join us for Traditional Text study
Saturday morning, August 25 – 10:00 a.m. with Bagels and Cream Cheese
“Why Are We Reading This, Anyway?” For far too many people, the texts of Torah and the Jewish Bible are confusing. This does not have to be the case.We can create the Jewish future by making sure that we all find our place in the Torah – perhaps, in ways that we could not have imagined. This program is based on the book, Text Messages: A Torah Commentary For Teens, as well as The JPS B’nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary, but the message about the relevance of our texts and traditions is just as meaningful for adults.
Saturday night, August 25 – 7:00 p.m. – Beit Café with Snacks and Desserts
“Fixing The Broken Hallelujah.” The music of Leonard Cohen is rooted deeply in the Jewish tradition. How does his life and work bear testimony to Judaism and what Jews can say to the world today?
Join us for an evening of music and learning along with snacks and dessert.
Sunday morning, August 26 – 10:00 a.m.
“Judaism Beyond Slogans.” American Jews use a lot of buzz words to describe their social justice commitments – tikkun olam, God’s image, loving the stranger. But, what do those terms really mean? And, do they really imply only one point of view on those issues? A controversial talk, with a healthy dose of nuance.