Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation

Gillian Jackson

Shavuot 5781: A Vibrant, Joyful, and Educational Holiday!

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Photo Credit: Clare Kinberg. Clare produced over 100 Blitzes for the Beit Sefer Blintz Picnic!!!

70 Faces of Justice: A Community Shavuot Celebration

Members from Washtenaw and Ingham county Jewish congregations gathered Sunday evening for a stimulating evening of learning on Jewish approaches to justice.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Eli Savit, Washtenaw County Prosecutor. Mr. Savit offered a fascinating perspective, redefining how we pursue justice work within the legal system. Savit compared re-writing existing unjust laws to the early rabbis’ re-interpretation of the biblical commandment to kill one’s own ‘rebellious son’ (ben sorer u’moreh). The early rabbis made the discernment process for execution so long and convoluted that no one could possibly meet the standards to carry out the law. Savit likened this process to such contemporary issues as choosing not to prosecute young offenders for smaller crimes and implementing a restorative justice program for larger crimes.

Savit’s lecture led to the conclusion that the criminal justice system is influenced by larger systems of injustice in our society. Not only do we need to re-think how we prosecute crimes, but must also increase funding for education and health care–the lack of which can contribute to violence within our society. The thought-provoking lecture led to a vibrant Q and A with Mr. Savit.

Following the keynote address, attendees were sent into breakout rooms for ‘Speed Cheesecaking’ to discuss issues important to them and get to know members of other congregations. Many attendees commented that they appreciated the opportunity to get to know more people within the larger Jewish community.

The evening carried on with three consecutive study sessions where attendees could choose from discussions led by area rabbis on topics as diverse as LBGTQIA advocacy, kabbalah, gender, and social justice. Rabbi Ora led two sessions; ‘When a Pauper Takes the Bimah: The Revolutionary Message of Lecha Dodi,’ and ‘Nothing But Niggunim!’

The event was a success and everyone agreed we will carry on the tradition for years to come!

Beit Sefer Shavuot Picnic

Photo Credit: Clare Kinberg. Getting ready to make Blintzes on her special heirloom Blintz pan!

For Shavuot this year, Beit Sefer director Clare Kinberg organized a COVID-safe outdoor picnic for the end of the year Beit Sefer gathering. The event was hosted at the home of Beit Sefer teacher Aaron Jackson. Families were treated to freshly made blintzes, lovingly prepared by Clare Kinberg.

This was the first time since the pandemic began that most of the Beit Sefer students had been together as a group! They had so much fun catching up and playing on the playground together. Yasher koach to the Beit Sefer teachers and especially Clare for organizing this event and providing such a stimulating year of learning for our Beit Sefer students.

Resources for Learning More About Reconstructionist Judaism

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How does Reconstructionist Judaism define itself? We are a movement that draws on Jewish history, ritual, and practice to build meaningful and meaning-filled communities. We strive to be inclusive, casting a wide net to draw in previously marginalized Jews and provide them a home to practice Judaism in ways that feel relevant and comfortable.

To learn more about our diverse community, a good place to start is the online home of Reconstructionist Judaism, reconstructingjudaism.org. We have also gathered additional resources below; please comment on this blog if you have any questions or comments.

Resources for engaging with Reconstructionist thought, belief, and ritual:

Hashivenu podcast: A podcast full of Jewish teachings on individual and collective resilience and renewal. The podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism, the central organizing arm of the Reconstructionist movement.

Evolve: An online platform with conversation-sparking essays from thought-provoking Reconstructionist rabbis, leaders and creators. Explore essays on key social, ethical, and political topics, as well as curricula, sermon sparks and videos that apply the best Jewish thinking to contemporary questions.

Ritualwell: A website that offers thousands of curated rituals for every moment in a Jewish life, from birth to death, celebration to loss to spiritual renewal, and everything in between. Ritualwell is an example of how we can create meaningful rituals that are relevant to us as modern Jews. This is a great place to start if you are looking for ways to mark a special life event — and you’re invited to contribute your own ritual creations, as well!

Books/articles for learning more about Recon:

Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach: A great introductory text that offers a brief history of the Reconstructionist movement, as well as what makes the movement unique in its approaches to God, Jewish chosenness, prayer, and contemporary social issues. An accessible and important read.

A Guide to Jewish Practice, Volumes 1-3: This comprehensive series provides a guide to Reconstructionist Jewish thought and its take on contemporary ethical issues, the Jewish calendar year, and the Jewish life cycle.

The Radical American Judaism of Mordechai M. Kaplan: This book focuses on Mordecai M. Kaplan, the founder of the Reconstructionist movement. Drawing on Kaplan’s 27-volume diary, author Mel Scult describes the development of Kaplan’s radical theology in dialogue with the thinkers and writers who mattered to him most, from Spinoza to Emerson and from Ahad Ha-Am to Abraham Joshua Heschel.

Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan as an American Thinker: This article is quick read that how Reconstrucionist Judaism was shaped by and shaped in turn liberal American Judaism.

We hope that you enjoy these resources!

Preparing For Shavuot

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The Evolution of Tikkun Leil Shavuot and Details About Community Shavuot 2021

Shavuot is an ancient holiday that has blossomed in recent years as a celebration of Jewish learning. But how exactly did we arrive at the modern manifestation of Shavuot, and what significance does this day hold for us as Reconstructionist Jews?

The biblical origins of Shavuot lie in the agricultural celebration of the first wheat harvest after Passover. Ancient Jews would bring their freshly-baked bread to the temple and partake in a celebration of freedom and bounty. However, in post-Temple Judaic practice, Shavuot shifted into a celebration of the giving of Torah to Moses at Sinai. This shift happened around the 1st century CE, when the early rabbis noticed that the receiving of Torah on Sinai coincided with the exact date of Shavuot. By linking Shavuot to this event, the holiday regained relevance in the Jewish calendar.

The celebration of receiving the Torah evolved over the years. In early days the holiday centered around Torah as divine revelation, but soon expanded into an exploration of halakha (Jewish law) and midrash (stories). Around the 16th century, mystics and Kabbalists expanded the holiday’s celebration into an entire night of study, called Tikkun Leil Shavuot (preparation for a night of study). In the early 20th century, the tradition of eating dairy (in particular cheesecake!) was born out of the symbolism of Torah as milk and honey. Consuming these foods was thought to be a symbol of receiving Torah.

Into the 21st century, the study of Torah on Shavuot has taken on new meaning as the definition of Torah itself has expanded to encompass the whole of Jewish tradition. The Reconstructionist tradition has embraced Shavuot as a time to study what it means to be Jewish and explore how Jewish values can inform contemporary social issues. Reconstructing the revelation of Torah at Sinai, we ourselves are experiencing the revelation of knowledge from our community, our rabbis, and each other during this engaging evening of study!

On Sunday May 16th at 7:30pm, AARC will join congregations in Washtenaw county and beyond to celebrate Shavuot. The event will feature a night of study featuring a keynote address by Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney Eli Savit. The evening will host multiple learning sessions, including text study, embodied movement, and creative cooking. BYOC (Bring Your Own Cheesecake) and prepare for a night of learning and connecting to our Jewish community. The zoom link will be sent out in our mailer the Tuesday prior to the event. If you do not receive our mailers and would like to come, please email us! We hope to see you there!

May is Open House Month at AARC!

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Although our doors are always open, we make a special effort once a year to reach out to the community and share what makes our congregation special. If you would like to participate in any of this month’s events and do not subscribe to our mailer, please email our event coordinator.

Second Saturday Shabbat, Saturday May 8, 10 AM. The Second Saturday Shabbat morning includes ‘Ta’Shma Come and Learn’ at 10 am. Ta’Shma is a monthly learning opportunity that is participatory and based on Jewish texts. For more information about Ta’Shma, check out Clare Kinberg’s blog. Our Shabbat services (beginning at 10:30 am) are inclusive and participatory. We spend an hour and a half singing, praying, learning with Rabbi Ora, and participating in community discussion. Please join us!

What IS Reconstructionist Judaism? Wednesday May 12, 7:30 PM. Join Rabbi Ora for a conversation about the history and values of Reconstructionist Judaism. If you have a friend that has been curious about our congregation, please invite them to this event! Sign up here to participate. To learn more about the Reconstructionist movement, visit the website, or watch the video below:

70 Faces of Justice: A Community Shavuot Celebration. Sunday May 16, 7:30 PM. Join area rabbis and lay leaders for a Zoom Tikkun Leil Shavuot. Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney Eli Savit will kick off the evening with a keynote address, then choose from multiple learning sessions, including text study, embodied movement, and creative cooking. BYOC (Bring Your Own Cheesecake) and prepare for a night of learning and connecting to our Jewish community. Co-sponsored by the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation, Beth Israel Congregation, Congregation Kehillat Israel, Pardes Hannah, Temple Beth Emeth, and the University of Michigan Hillel.

Fourth Friday Kabbalat Shabbat: Friday, May 28, 6:30 PM. Our 1.5 hour Fourth Friday services are joyful, participatory, and filled with music! Following services, breakout rooms are opened for new and old friends to shmooze. For this Open House Shabbat, we will pair visitors with existing members so everyone can get a chance to get to know one another. We hope that you will join us.

PLEASE NOTE: WE DO NOT POST ZOOM LINKS ON OUR WEBSITE FOR SECURITY. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND ANY OF THIS MONTH’S EVENTS AND ARE NOT ON OUR MAILING LIST, PLEASE EMAIL AARCGILLIAN@GMAIL.COM.

Choosing a Judaism of Joy

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By Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner

This article was written for the May 2021 edition of the Washtenaw Jewish News

On May 16th, Jews around the world will celebrate Shavuot, the holiday that commemorates our receiving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.

Why did I write ‘our,’ rather than ‘their’? Because tradition teaches (Shevuot 39a) that when the Torah was given, every Jew was standing at Sinai, including the souls of all Jews (and converts to Judaism) who would ever be born.

The idea that every soul was present at Sinai means that each one of us has a natural connection to God, Torah, and every other Jew that ever lived. This is a powerful birthright. But it might also be felt as a burden.

A burden in what way? Well, I’ve had countless conversations with Jews across the denominational spectrum who insist that they’re ‘not a good Jew,’ meaning not knowledgeable enough, or not committed enough, or not connected enough. Weighted down with overblown expectations of what it looks like to be ‘a good Jew’ and shame for not meeting those expectations, it’s no surprise that for many, Judaism can feel like an albatross.

And ours isn’t the first generation to feel this way. According to one midrash (Shabbat 88a), during revelation, God held a mountain over the Israelites’ heads and threatened: “Either accept the Torah or this shall be your burial place!” From the very beginning, we have some interpreting our religion as coercive and burdensome. But that’s not the only way.

In Reconstructionist Judaism, we understand that wrestling with God and our received tradition is part and parcel of being Jewish. It can be generative and joyful, especially when done in the company of fellow seekers. Reconstructionist Judaism also teaches that the past has a vote but not a veto. As the living embodiment of Judaism, we get to discern which aspects of Judaism support our moral vision for ourselves and for the world. We get to choose what kind of relationship to have to commandments, culture, history, and communities.

This perspective is also rooted in our tradition. Even as one midrash imagines God holding the mountain over our heads as a threat, another describes the mountain as a magnificent chuppah for the wedding between Israel and God (Mechilta Bachodesh 3).

This is the story I prefer: That being Jewish is a choice we make to be in relationship. It’s a choice that we get to affirm daily, weekly, monthly. It’s a choice that makes room for joy. And we are encouraged to come to the relationship with the fullness of who we are and who we are striving to become.

May is Open House Month at the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation. We welcome all visitors to our Zoom Shabbat services and programs, including Wednesday May 12th’s “What IS Reconstructionist Judaism: A Discussion with Rabbi Ora,” at 7:30 pm. To register, email aarcgillian@gmail.com; learn more at www.aarecon.org.

Come Kvell With Us at Family Shabbat!

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Oy, I’m Kvelling! AARC’s Beit Sefer students have been working very hard to prepare their contributions to this year’s student-led Kabbalat Shabbat Service. So do yourself a toyve and bring the whole mishpocha to services on Friday April 23rd, 6:30-7:30 pm, and watch these kids shine!

With the help of Rabbi Ora and our wonderful Beit Sefer teachers, each class will be responsible for leading the congregation in the evening’s songs and prayers. Everyone is welcome, and the extended family of Beit Sefer student’s are encouraged to attend! If you are not on our mailing list, please email aarcgillian@gmail.com for the Zoom link. We hope to see you Friday, April 23rd at 6:30pm!

Passover Recap 5781!

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A Month of Passover Workshops

By Gillian Jackson

Our congregation came prepared this year to make the best of the second Passover holiday during the pandemic. It was a true community effort, with a month of member-led enlightening workshops scheduled in an effort to support a meaningful holiday.

The month started off with a create-your-own-Haggadah workshop with Debbie Zivan and Deb Kraus. Once everyone had a chance to start building their own Haggadah, Sharon Haar and Patti Smith led a class that provided useful tips for navigating Zoom seders. Leading up to Passover, Idelle Hammond-Sass and Carol Levin led congregants in a reflection on the idea of dayenu, or ‘enoughness,’ using art-making as a tool of exploration. Days before Passover, Rabbi Ora taught participants about the meaning and ritual for getting rid of chametz, with a special pizza-making workshop following the lesson. The holiday wrapped up with a ‘Songs of Freedom’ musical hour with Laurie White and Paul Resnick.

It is a blessing that our congregation was able to make use of the myriad talents that our membership embodies. Thank you so much to all of our Passover volunteer workshop leaders. Our community is grateful to you!

Beit Sefer’s Locally Sourced Seder Plate Symbol Search

By Clare Kinberg, director of the Beit Sefer
Photo of locally-sourced seder plate items: Photo Credit Clare Kinberg

Our AARC Beit Sefer students learned this year that the symbols on a seder plate, plus the matzah and grape juice/wine, are not only props to assist the drama of telling the story of the Exodus. Like everything we eat and use, the seder plate symbols come from somewhere and are made by someone. They symbols themselves can express our values such as regard for the environment. Combining this value with the school’s effort to get the kids outside, I devised a “Locally-Sourced Seder Symbol Search.” The requirement was for each seder plate symbol to be made in Michigan, and we succeeded: 

  • Matzah: Homemade by Rosh Clare from whole wheat flour grown in Grand Traverse and milled at Zingerman’s Bakehouse
  • Horseradish: Grown at The Farm on Jennings and dug by the Ullmann/McLane family.
  • Apples for Charoset: Grown organically in Michigan contributed by Moreh Mirel.
  • Eggs: Lain in Ann Arbor on the Brenden and Diana Hayden Farms, and picked up by Brenna and Jack.
  • Sparkling White Grape Juice: Produced and bottled in Paw Paw, and contributed by the Spindler/Nelson family.
  • Greens and Parsley: Grown in Michigan and contributed by the Ball, Dieve, and Levin/Passey families.
  • For the shankbone, I introduced my own tradition of using a Hamsa, the Jewish and Muslim hand of protection.

Upcoming Events in April

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As the days get longer and warmer and we welcome spring, we have many opportunities to gather together. We hope that you will be able to join us for this month’s events!

Purim music

Songs of Freedom: Sunday April 4, 4-5:30 PM. We’ll close out our holiday of liberation singing classic freedom songs together, led by musicians Laurie White and Paul Resnick. To participate, sign up here.

Second Saturday Shabbat Morning Service. Saturday April 10, 10:30 AM. Ta’Shma Come and Learn 10 AM.

Monthly book club

AARC Community Book Club: Sunday April 11, 1-2:30 PM. Rabbi Ora will lead a discussion of Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, a compassionate and compelling book about unfair treatment by the American criminal justice system of those who are impoverished or Black.

EKAR Farms Shmita Series: Creating Justice for Immigrants: April 18, 12-1 PM. Sarah Jackson, Executive Director of Casa De Paz and Rosa Sabido, founder of Rosa Belongs Here speak about food justice in relation to immigration rights. To learn more and sign up for this months events, see the EKAR farms website.

Fourth Friday Shabbat: April 23, 6:30 PM. Come connect with community, rest, recharge, rejuvenate. Everyone welcome. Shabbat musical service with Rabbi Ora. Email aarcgillian@gmail.com for the zoom link.

Virtual Tour of Jerusalem’s Silwan/City of David with Emek Shaveh: Sunday April 25, 12:30-1:30 PM. When thinking about the political issues of Israel-Palestine, we may not think about the way politicized archaeology plays a role in the shifting of facts and narratives around land, history, and access. Join Emek Shaveh for a virtual tour of Silwan/City of David, an area of Jerusalem where this matter is at the forefront. The program includes a virtual tour from archaeologist Yonathan Mizrahi, as well as time Q+A. Zoom link will be sent out the week prior to the event on our mailer.

We hope to see you at one of this month’s exciting events!

Take Part in a Socially Distanced or Virtual Afikomen Hunt This Weekend!

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There are two opportunities for a fun addition to the Afikomen Hunt portion of your Seder this weekend! If you are having a virtual Seder and would like to engage your guests with a ‘virtual’ Afikomen hunt, we have a hid an Afikomen on our website!

The Afikomen hidden on the website will look like the image below. Comment at the bottom of the blog if you found it!

If you would like to get outside with your guests this weekend, AARC has partnered with other area congregations to host a geo-cache outdoor Afikomen Hunt.

If you take part in either Afikomen Hunt, tell us how it went in the comments below!

Local and Online Resources for Passover

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A Photo from Leora Druckman’s Virtual Seder Last Year.

This time around for our ‘virtual’ seders, we have compiled a list of COVID-safe options for catered meals, curbside pickup grocery, and online haggadot. Enjoy the list and if you have any suggestions, please add them in the comments!

Restaurants Catering Passover Meals:

Plum Market: Visit plummarket.com/springcatering to see their Passover Menu.

Zola Bistro: Visit https://www.bistrozola.com/family-passover-celebration-menu/ to see their catered meal and seder plate.

Zingermans Deli: Visit https://www.zingermanscatering.com/passover/#Passover-Menu to see Zingerman’s catered seder plate, seder meal for one, and seder meal for the family.

Cornman Farms: Visit https://shop.zingermanscornmanfarms.com to see their catered meal for two.

Grocery Stores with Passover Supplies:

Plum Market North and West has your regular Passover fare including matzoh, gefilte fish, and Manischewitz cookies in a can!

Kroger on Washtenaw has an online Passover selection you can find here.

Meijer locations in Ann Arbor are currently having a sale on many Kosher for Passover items. You can order these items online and pickup curbside!

Online Haggadah Resources:

If you’re looking for something simple and ready-made, download this Zoom-gaddah, a ready-to-use Powerpoint Haggadah!

Haggadot.com has an online tutorial and many resources for creating your own Haggadah online.

Clare Kinberg compiled an excellent list of creative themed Haggadot in 2018, and Avodah put together an extensive list of Haggadot and seder supplements for adults and kids; the list includes rituals and readings for COVID, immigrant rights, food justice, racial justice, gender justice, and more.

And of course we would be remiss to discuss Haggadot without mentioning our own Carol Levin’s beautiful family Haggadah.

If you have some resources you would like to add to the list, please comment below!