Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation

Gillian Jackson

Creating a Culture of Holiness

by

By: Anita Rubin-Meiller

I was blessed to attend Rav Gavrielle’s Rosh Chodesh service on Friday morning,
June 7 th and felt moved to write this short blog in case it might wake up the desire
for others to join the next month’s gathering.


In his book, “Me, Myself and God”, Rabbi Jeff Roth states that “creating a culture
of holiness is what will deliver us…it is within a culture of holiness that we all can
gain the wisdom and support to open our hearts”. With her wise and
compassionate presence, our Rabbi, is giving us yet another opportunity to
experience connection within the community in a way that accomplishes this.

Although we were on zoom, and not in person, the intimacy of our connection
could be felt as we were invited to pray the Shacharit service together and
welcome the New Moon of Sivan. The service had all the elements of meaning
and beauty that Rav Gavrielle creates in our monthly Shabbat services. We
chanted, we shared gratitudes, we offered healing prayer and observed Kaddish.
We also learned about the significance of the new month we had just entered and
how it aligned with this week’s torah portion, BaMidbar, as the Israelites created
camp at the base of Mount Sinai, preparing to receive the torah on the sixth day
of Sivan, now celebrated as Shavout.


Daily prayer- morning, afternoon, and evening- is a central aspect of traditional
Jewish practice, but my guess is that few of us engage with our Judaism in this
way. The root of the Hebrew word for prayer, tefillah, has multiple meanings
including, to judge, clarify, and decide. A definition of prayer that follows from
this is “the soul’s yearning to define what truly matters…”(Siddur Avodas HaLev) I
found the opportunity to have this space of communal prayer and ritual
observance beneficial for aligning my heart and mind in calm and gratitude before
stepping into the tasks and activities of the day. I look forward to gathering again
in this way.

AARC To Participate in a Community Wide Tikkun Leil Shavuot

by

Join AARC and the Wider Jewish Community For A Night of Learning at Temple Beth Emeth

Tuesday, June 11, 2024 • 5 Sivan 5784, 8:30 PM – 4:00AM

AARC is very excited to announce that our congregation will be participating in a community wide Tikkun Leil Shavuot gathering. Rabbis from the Ann Arbor and surrounding area will be sharing teachings including our own Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador. There will also be teachings from community members, if you would like to offer a teaching you can sign up by following the QR code on the flier below. The night will be split up into one-hour sessions on a variety of Jewish topics. Kosher refreshments will be served. You can stay as long or as little as you like.

Rav Gavrielle will be offering a teaching during Session 1: Spiritual Mapping in Tanakh. In this session we will explore parallels between the spiritual mapping of Ezekiel’s vision of the Divine Chariot (Ezekiel 1:1-28, 3:12) and the mapping of the encampment of the tribes of Israel in the desert (Numbers 2:1-34). Participants will be invited to imagine and reflect on how such parallels can inspire and deepen spiritual practice.

Registration is requested below.

Lecture Happening This Sunday with Rabbi Julia Watts Belser!

by

Moses:  Provocations from a Disabled Prophet”

May 5, 2024 – Join us on Zoom for a Presentation and Torah Study which will be led by Rabbi Julia Watts Belser –  “Moses:  Provocations from a Disabled Prophet”

Register Here

When God sends Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery, the prophet famously says no.  Why?  Moses describes himself as “slow of speech and slow of tongue”—in other words, as a man with a speech disability.  While some commentators treat Moses’ disability as a spiritual impediment, this talk and text study brings Moses’ story into conversation with the life experiences and activism of contemporary disability communities.  We’ll grapple with spiritual and political questions about access and equity, invisibility and silence, as well as practices for transforming social inequality and shame to illuminate the provocative power of spiritual leadership that centers disability wisdom.

Rabbi Julia Watts Belser (she/her) is a scholar, spiritual teacher, and longtime activist for disability, LGBTQ, and gender justice. She is a professor of Jewish Studies in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Georgetown University and core faculty in Georgetown’s Disability Studies Program. She’s also an avid wheelchair hiker, a devoted gardener, and a lover of wild places.  Her latest book is Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole.

Big News! AARC Will Now Offer A Children’s Service During Fourth Friday Shabbat!

by

We are so excited to announce that AARC will now be offering an interactive children’s Shabbat Service during our normal Fourth Friday Shabbat Service. Families are invited to arrive at 6:30 and join the congregation for candle lighting and MaTovu. After the opening prayers, children will join Shani Samuels and Josephine Speyer in the childcare area to attend a special abbreviated children’s Shabbat service. Following the service, children can enjoy free play until it is time to re-join the congregation for the priestly blessing and potluck.

During the children’s service Shani and Josephine will lead the children in traditional shabbat prayers such as Shalom Aleichem, Lecha Dodi, Maariv Aravim, Ahavat Olam, Shema, V’ahavta, MiChamocha, V’shamru, Oseh Shalom. This new addition to the AARC service offerings is the outcome of Josephine’s B’nei Mitzvah project. We are very proud of Josephine and can not wait to welcome her to the bima in June!

If you have any questions about this month’s Shabbat service, please email Gillian at aarcgillian@gmail.com, we can’t wait to see you there!

Celebration of Rabbi Gabrielle’s Ordination and Installation

by

The community is invited to join the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation (AARC) in welcoming, installing and celebrating Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador at our Second Saturday Shabbat Morning services on Saturday, April 13 at 10 am. The morning torah service and Installation will be followed by a catered Mediterranean kiddush meal at 12 noon.  Please RSVP here to attend.

Rabbi Gabrielle trained at the ALEPH Alliance for Jewish Renewal as both a rabbi and cantor, completing the double track last year. She was ordained in January 2024. Rabbi Gabrielle started as AARC’s rabbi in July 2023, seamlessly integrating into leading the congregation. Her spirituality, musicality and commitment to helping people find meaning in Jewish life are a perfect fit for AARC. 

Music has always been an integral part of our community, and Rabbi Gabrielle brings something new to that tradition – her harp!  Around the time she began her rabbinic training she also started playing the harp and gradually included the instrument while leading services. She considers the harp an instrument of healing because of its soothing sound quality and biblical resonance, and uses it as a tool for heart opening and easing the pathway to religious experience. Learn more about Gabrielle and her path to becoming a rabbi and cantor here. 

Please be sure to RSVP to join AARC as we celebrate the ordination and installation of our musical Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador on Saturday, April 13th at 10 am.  Donations in honor of Rabbi Gabrielle are welcome. 

Passover 2024!

by

Passover Seder Sign Up

One of the things that I love about our congregation is the way that opportunities are built in to be a part of a tight-knit community and make personal connections with people. One of the really special ways that we do this is to make sure that every member has a Seder table to join for the Passover holiday. Being invited to someone’s Seder table is a really meaningful opportunity to experience the Passover Seder through the perspective of another family. The way that everyone approaches the Seder is always different, getting to experience this can provide new insights and ways of looking at the Passover story. 

How the process works is that two sign ups are created for people to offer seats at their Seder table and request seats at a seder table. Once that we have all of the information about available and needed seats, we will match families to each other and exchange contact information. If you are interested in participating, sign up here!

Fourth Friday During Passover

Fourth Friday Shabbat will be held during Passover this year. This will be a wonderful opportunity to share our favorite Passover foods potluck style and celebrate the holiday together in community. More details to come!

The Purim Fun Continues!

by

This week Rabbi Gabrielle and Idelle Hammond-Sass led a wonderful Purim Torah study and Jewish Studio Art Process. Participants learned about creative Rabbinic commentary on the Purim story and discussed their own understandings of Purim. Afterwards, participants set intentions then created art together. After creating, participants wrote about their art then shared their creations!

Hamantaschen Making with Carol and Jon

Saturday , March 16, 4:00ish – 6:00ish. Carol and Jon will be hosting a Hamantaschen Baking Party at their home. If you plan to attend please email Carol.

AARC Purim Schpiel and Purim Party

Join us Saturday Evening for a Purim/Havdalah Service and Potluck, March 23rd 6pm-9pm, at the JCC of Ann Arbor and Zoom. Join us for merriment, a Purim shpiel, potluck meal (vegetarian, nut free). Come dressed up in your finest Purim costumes or grab one of our masks and greggors on your way in!

Community Purim Party

Community Purim Event, March 24th, 10:30am-12:30pm. This will be a co-Sponsored event by HDS, the JCC, AARC and other local Jewish Orgs. Details on the flier below.

The Jewish Leap Year And The Coming of Spring

by

This year is a special event in the Jewish calendar, it is a leap year in the Hebrew calendar as well as the Gregorian calendar. The Jewish leap year occurs in 7 of the 19 years in the calendar cycle, or about once every 3 years. In the Jewish leap years we add in an extra month called Adar II. In non-leap years we only have one month of Adar. The leap years ensure that the Jewish holidays fall in their appropriate or respective seasons.

Adar II has been known to be a month of joy, primarily because the month always includes Purim but also because it brings in Spring for the northern hemisphere. According to the Talmud, ‘When Adar enters, joy increases.’

Another way the leap year has been conceptualized is to consider that we have the ability to alter our world and our experience when regularity challenges us. If the norm creates a disruption, we have the ability to make changes for the better. This can be related to the Purim story, to a leap year, or life in general.

What are you going to do with your extra day (or extra month!) this leap year? We look forward to celebrating Purim together in a few weeks and bringing in the Spring season together in community.

A Full Schedule of Wonderful Events For the Month of March!

by

Believe it or not March is around the corner with hints of Spring, Purim, and more! We hope that you will join us for some or all of this month’s events!

AARC Book Group, March 10. The next two AARC book group meetings will be on Sunday, March 10, and on Saturday, May 11. The meeting will start with a lunch at Greg Saltzman’s and Audrey Newell’s house (near the JCC) from 12 noon – 1 PM. Then, there will be a hybrid in-person/Zoom book discussion from 1-2 PM. Please RSVP to Greg at gsaltzman@albion.edu if you want to attend the lunch or get the Zoom link. On Sunday, March 10, AARC member Deborah Dash Moore will discuss her book, Jewish New York: The Remarkable Story of a City and a People 
Second Saturday Morning Shabbat Service, March 9th 10:30am-noon. Hybrid at the JCC of Ann Arbor and Zoom. Meditation, prayer, discussion, community. Everyone is welcome! Zoom link will be sent out the week before the event. 
Rosh Chodesh Adar II, Sunday March 10th at 9 am on Zoom. Join Rav Gabrielle for Rosh Chodesh prayers, zoom link will be sent out the week before the event. 
Pop in Study Session with Rav Gavrielle on Zoom, March 13th, 7 pm-8:30pm at the JCC of Ann Arbor. Join Rav Gabrielle and Idelle Hammond Sass for a Purim text study, journaling & art making and possibly mask making!
You are all invited to join us for Hamantaschen baking Saturday afternoon, March 16, 2024  from 4:00ish – 6:00ish.  We are happy to have you drop in for part or stay for a potluck dinner & socializing after cookie baking is done. Bring your rolling pin, and a side dish, snack or drink to share.  We’ll sample our baking efforts and have coffee and tea for the grown-ups as well. 
Invite a friend!  This event and our Purim celebration are great, family friendly events. Be sure to let the organizers know that you are coming by emailing Carol.
Typically, we rotate in bakers and makers with lots of playing for the children and socializing for the grown-ups in between. Can’t make it? Feel free to bake your own to share. If you can provide gluten free and dairy free options, let Gillian know.  We will provide lots of dough & nut free fillings (but if you have a fav filling please bring it in case I don’t have it). 
Saturday Evening Purim/Havdalah Service and Potluck, March 23rd 6pm-9pm, at the JCC of Ann Arbor and Zoom. Join us for merriment, a Purim shpiel, potluck meal (vegetarian, nut free). Come dressed up in your finest Purim costumes or grab one of our masks and greggors on your way in!
Community Purim Event, March 24th, details TBD. This will be a co-Sponsored event by HDS, the JCC, AARC and other local Jewish Orgs. Save the Date!!

Celebrating LGBTQ Love This Valentines Day with AARC <3

by

For this month’s Zoom Pop-In Study with Rav Gabrielle, AARC members participated in a torah study about LGBTQ love. AARC has made a commitment to be a welcoming and inviting Jewish congregation for all people. As part of this commitment, AARC tries to bring everyone into the big tent of our community and celebrate them. We celebrate our LGBTQ members this Valentines Day and every day! To get a little snapshot of this week’s teaching, you can read Rav Gabrielle’s summary below.

Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador writes:

According to ultra-orthodox Rabbi Mike Moskowitz (Scholar-in-Residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the world’s largest LGBT synagogue), when we study Torah, we don’t respond to the text but to people. No person is hypothetical.  Torah is for everyone.

Some highlights from our pop in study session:

We studied the Deuteronomy 22:5 about the prohibition against a man dressing like a woman and woman dressing like a man:  “A woman must not put on man’s apparel, nor shall a man wear women’s clothing; for whoever does these things is a to’eva to God.”  (To’eva is commonly translated as abhorrent or an abomination, although there is dispute amongst the rabbis of the mishnaic period on the true meaning of the word).

 Rabbi Mike Moskowitz has a fresh perspective on this verse.   He understands it as “the very source that not only permits transgender Jews to wear clothing that supports their gender identity, but also arguably obligates them in doing so.”  He asserts that with identity comes responsibility.   In other words, we are obliged to be ourselves and to not pretend or hide our true nature and because of that we are also obliged to provide sanctuary and be allies of LGBTQ folks in our communities. 

(Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, “I’m a Boy and These Are My Clothes”, https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/im-a-boy-and-these-are-my-clothes/ )

Rabbi Alyson Solomon of Temple Beth Israel Eugene says that Rabbi Moskowitz’s framing of Torah is aligned with the message of Deuteronomy 22:8, of our obligation to create safe spaces and prevent harm:  “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone should fall from it.” 

Our tradition teaches us that we are all created in b’tzelem Elohim, in the mysterious multi-faceted image of God. If we hide our uniqueness or force others to do the same, then we are causing pain and suffering to ourselves and others.  We read the 2 verses mentioned above before the High Holy Days in parshat Ki Teitzei, a parsha that includes many other mitzvot that are designed to prevent us from causing harm and to help us become more empathetic and compassionate human beings.

We hope that you enjoy this tidbit from this month’s Pop In teaching with Rav Gabrielle and can join us next month, details will be sent out in the weekly mailer!