Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation

Gillian Jackson

Yom Kippur Workshops 2023

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On (non)chosenness

Why did Mordecai M. Kaplan decide to eliminate the chosen people concept from Judaism when he reconstructed Judaism as an evolving religious civilization, what was the response at the time (1945), and what are the implications for us today if we accept Kaplan’s rejection of chosenness? Deborah Dash-Moore will lead a discussion of this historical and timely topic.

September 25, 2:15-3:30pm

Safe space

We will once again offer a room for people who want to share what is coming up for them on Yom Kippur this year. Done 12-step style (an uninterrupted time to share with minimal feedback offered), we ask only that you plan to arrive on time, stay for the whole time, and respect confidentiality. Deb K. has led this event in the past, but is open to someone else leading instead or co-leading with her.

September 25, 2:15-3:30pm

A modern telling of the book of Jonah:

Rav Gabrielle will introduce us to a short play, Jonah: A Dramatic Midrash, by Mark Nazimova, that can be performed as a “table reading” – i.e., no props, unless someone has a giant whale belly to contribute! We will use the reading as a point of departure for discussion. WE WOULD STILL LIKE SOMEONE TO FACILITATE THIS WORKSHOP; no directorial experience is required.

September 25, 3:45-5:15pm

Singing Together

Members of the Davening Team will be at hand to sing us through the afternoon. Join when you are able to sing together. This group will meet outside if weather permits.

September 25, 3:45-5:15pm

High Holidays Call For Volunteers and Participation!

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By Deb Kraus

Long before the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation became a congregation, we were a very participatory and leaderless Havurah.  And as we entered our own rabbinic era, it was with the mindset that we would continue to be participatory, not only singing along, creating music and reading poetry, but in creating ritual and kavannot (intentions for prayers).

In the past year when we once again didn’t have our own rabbi to rely on, we all stepped up in amazing and fascinating ways, and as we enter into this new period with Rav Gavrielle at the helm, we are committed to continuing to offer opportunities for many voices, not only leader voices, to be heard.

I am once again recruiting volunteers for this year’s High Holiday services.  The slots range from candle lighting and ark openings/closings to reading pre-picked out poetry to writing your own drash for a part of the service.  

When people don’t volunteer I tend to choose people I know, which is a large percentage of the kahal, but by no means all of it.  So, before I go and do that, and risk leaving great people out, I want to put out this call for volunteers.  What I am hoping for is to hear from the people who don’t generally volunteer!  Almost all the opportunities can be shared with others, like a partner or a friend, or some sort of affinity group, like maybe your mishpacha.

SO here goes!

First, here is the call for kavannot/drashes:

  • The shofar service on Rosh Hashanah is made up of three sections:  Malchuyot (kingship/majesty), Zichronot (remembrance) and Shofarot (awakenings).  We want a drash for at least the Malchuyot section and would consider one for each other other two.  These are short, no more than 3 minutes (Other than our Yizkor service, this is where I have learned more about people in our congregation than just about anywhere else.  You get to tell a short story about something very meaningful to you).
  • On Yom Kippur day, Rav Gabrielle would like someone to share on the topic of “Gratitude In a difficult time.”  This can be a personal difficult time or ,you know, just the apocalyptic one we are living in.  Up to you.

Second, I need lots and lots of readers for poetry.  If you want to do this, send me the following info:

  • When you will for sure be at services
  • Do you want to read something more political?  More emotional?  More edgy?  More intellectual?  More meditative?  We even have an almost irreverent one on Kol Nidrei….

Third, here are the opportunities for other honors:

  • Candle lighting for Erev Rosh Hashanah
  • Candle lighting for Erev Yom Kippur
  • Lighting of memorial candle for Yom Kippur (if you have had a significant loss this year, this might feel like the place for you)
  • Ark openings for Rosh Hashanah day (2 in total)
  • Ark opening for Kol Nidrei (also if you want to hold the torah during the singing of the prayer, LMK)
  • Ark openings for Yom Kippur day (one still unassigned)
  • Ark openings for Neillah
  • Hagba (lifting torah) and G’lilah (dressing torah) for both RH and YK days
  • For havdallah at the end of Nei’llah, we need three volunteers, one to hold the candle, one to hold/pass the spices and one to raise the kiddish cup.  

Fourth, does anyone want to lead an afternoon workshop on Yom Kippur on the topic of Jonah?  This is what is the traditional haftarah for mincha, the afternoon service, and every now and then we like to revisit and reconstruct it.  If not Jonah, does anyone want to present on something else?  Keep in mind that we want to stay in a contemplative space, wrestling with a topic but not with each other.

Last, if anyone (who already knows how) wants to read 4 lines of Torah on Rosh Hashanah, because things are broken up differently due to it being on Shabbat, there is one portion unclaimed.  It’s part of what I do on non-Shabbats, so I can do it, but I thought I’d offer it up to someone else.

I seriously think that’s it.  I hope so anyway.  

If you are interested in one of these honors, please do let me know.  Each week I will let you know what’s still open, but wouldn’t it be less tedious for all of us if everyone volunteered by next MONDAY, August 28?  Please contact me via email at drdebkraus@gmail.com.

In addition to opportunities for service participation, we have a big signup sheet for behind the scenes helpers and greeters. We need everyone to sign up for at least one slot to make the High Holidays a success! Sign up Here!

Thanks in advance!

High Holidays 2023 at the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation!

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High Holidays Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation Shofar

Looking for a place to celebrate the High Holidays? Join the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation for services that honor tradition while exploring new and meaningful Jewish paths. Our musical and participatory services will be led by Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador, accompanied by a musical collective of AARC musicians and vocalists. 

High Holiday services at the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation are well known for providing a warm and inviting environment that welcomes everyone from all walks of life.

This year, we are offering 2 points of access for our services: In person, and online.

Our High Holiday services are open, ticketless, and available to all. All Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur services can be accessed online on our YouTube Page. Both in person and online services will be available to members and non-members.

All attendees, whether members or non-members, attending in person or online, must register in advance. Please visit our website to register.

Unless otherwise noted, all in-person services are held at the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Road.

We are committed to providing a heartfelt and meaningful prayer experience that is accessible to everyone. If an accommodation would make our services more accessible to you, please email us. We look forward to spending this sacred time with you; if you have any questions or concerns, please email us! 

Plans for our highly anticipated Yom Kippur workshops are in the works. If you have an idea for a workshop that you would like to lead or an idea for a workshop that you would like someone else to lead, let us know!

High Holidays Schedule

WhenWhatTime and Details
Fri, Sept. 15Erev Rosh Hashanah7:00 – 8:30 pm
Sat,  Sept. 16Rosh Hashanah Day 1 services10 am – 12:45 pm
Children’s Service10:30 – 11:30 am
Sat., Sept. 16Tashlich (In Person Only)4:30 pm. Gather at JCC and walk to Mallet’s Creek
Sun., Sept. 24Kol Nidrei7:00 pm gathering and candle-lighting. At 7:00 sharp, Kol Nidrei begins
Mon., Sept. 25Yom Kippur Morning 10 am – 12:30 pm
Children’s Service10:30 – 11:30 am
Workshop #12:15- 3:30 
Workshop #23:45-5:15 
Yizkor 5:45 – 7:15 pm A non-traditional service offering a guided meditation for connecting with departed loved ones as well as offering mourners the opportunity to share some reflections.
Ne’ilah and Final Shofar7:30-8:30 pm
Break FastAfter Final Shofar Please RSVP  by Sept. 5th using the Sign up for Break Fast button on the right. More info

Looking ahead to new opportunities at AARC

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As we welcomed Gabrielle Pescador as our new Rabbi this past month, AARC leadership is looking to support her and our congregation administratively.  Our beloved member and current Events and Communications Coordinator, Gillian Jackson, has let leadership know that she wishes to continue to work with us part-time over the next 9 – 10 months as she pursues a Master in Social Work and suggests that we bring on support to train with her during the high holidays and the following months. 

For this reason, we are now looking to hire a part-time support person to work alongside her this fall and take on some administrative support on behalf of our Beit Sefer. 

We invite you to spread the word about this part-time job opportunity to your networks in the greater Jewish Ann Arbor area. With an initial estimated 4 hours a week and the potential for much more as Gillian moves into her new career, this position could be ideal for someone looking to get back into the workforce or supplement their income during evenings and weekends. 

The job posting is listed on Indeed HERE.  

As always, please let us know if you have any questions.

Here are a few photos of past AARC events.

Elul Workshops

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August 17, August 24th, August 31st, 7:00-8:15pm at the JCC of Ann Arbor

Sign up to Attend Here!

At-ONE-ment:  a journey that ripples inward and outward

During the month of Elul, there are traditional religious practices to help prepare the soul for entering the intense period of the High Holy Days.  Some communities say selichot (special penitential prayers) throughout the month and listen to the blast of the shofar each day.  Many do an abbreviated selichot practice and just recite Ashrei, Psalm 27 and the 13 Attributes of Compassion.  

During Elul there is also opportunity to focus on the process of cheshbon hanefesh, of taking stock of our lives, in order to deepen our capacity to do teshuvah, to align our hearts and actions with God and our essential goodness.   

To facilitate the journey of cheshbon hanefesh, we will have 3 weekly workshops, beginning on Rosh Chodesh Elul.  In the first session, we will explore our relationship to faith by creating a personal credo by reconstructing the 13 Principles of Faith of Maimonides.  In the second session, we will tend the fire of LOVE by exploring middot (soul traits) and other tools and approaches to help us become more expansive and generous in the way we relate to ourselves and others.  In the final session we will look at a Jewish bedtime practice designed to help us stretch, develop and strengthen our forgiveness muscles.     

In alignment with tradition, we will conclude each session with blasts from the shofar to open us to new possibilities for the new year.   

I look forward to learning together and from one another, heart-to-heart and soul-to-soul.  

L’shalom,

Rav Gabrielle

Preparations During The Month of Elul
What is Elul?
Selichot: Prayers of Repentance

Elul Music:

Elul Nigun by Eitan Katz: https://youtu.be/9S6-7RxVw0Y

Makom Bina by Devorah Sacks-Mintz: https://youtu.be/RorTgwYagt4 

Achat Shaalti by Chava Mirel: https://youtu.be/olqBdmrwkhQ 

Looking Forward with JCOR

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By: Jeff Basch and Alice Mishkin

Jewish Congregations Organized for Resettlement (JCOR), the all-volunteer Jewish community collaboration that includes our Congregation—in partnership with Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County—is excited to report that our very successful and fulfilling first year will be complete the middle of August! 

And now JCOR is planning to co-sponsor with JFS a new refugee family.  To make this possible, JCOR must raise approximately $7,000 initially to get the new family settled in, with a goal of $20,000 for the full year to underwrite the co-sponsorship obligations.  Generous donors made it possible for JCOR to help the current family.  Our incoming refugee family needs that same help now.  Federation provides fiduciary services to JCOR, and donations to JCOR can be made on their secure website.

Two additional opportunities to lend support are coming up fairly soon.  On September 10 at JCC’s Apples & Honey, the Kona Ice truck will donate a portion of their sales to JCOR.  On October 22, the community is invited to JCOR’s “Folk with a Klezmer Accent” fundraising concert featuring well-known local talent.

As individuals and as a Congregation we can help support the aspirations of the next refugee family.  Please consider adding JCOR to our synagogue and your household charitable-giving allocations.  Contact JCOR at jcorannarbor@gmail.com if you have or know of affordable housing that will be available by early fall; or if you or someone you know can communicate in Spanish or French, Tigrinya or Kituba, Farsi or Dari, Arabic, Ukrainian, or another language. 

Please consider joining JCOR’s all-volunteer corps.  This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to seek to better the world, to express Tikkun Olam in ways that our interests and skills guide us to.  Information about the teams and a volunteer sign-up form are available at JCORAnnArbor.org.  

And, finally, we want to share a brief update on JCOR’s Colombian refugee family who arrived in Ann Arbor in mid-August 2022.  Now, twelve months in, both parents are fully employed, both children have completed their first year of school in the United States in good form and planning for the first day of classes in late-August. The father has earned a driver’s license, and the family has purchased a (used) car, which saves $700/month that previously paid for contracted transportation to and from work.  The family has completed their first year in the U.S.—both financially and operationally independent. 

About JCOR: Jewish Congregations Organized for Resettlement is a participant in JFS’ refugee Co-Sponsorship Program. JCOR member congregations are Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan, Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation, Beth Israel Congregation, Jewish Cultural Society, Pardes Hannah, and Temple Beth Emeth, with administrative assistance from the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor.  JCOR’s goal is to help refugee newcomers become our independent neighbors over the course of their first year

Welcoming Our New Rabbi and Closing The Book On A Year Of Lay Leadership

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Have you ever heard the adage, ‘you can’t tell how strong the tea is until you put it in hot water?’ As you probably surmised, this saying refers to how we learn what our strengths are when we are put in challenging situations. To say that we have tested our strength in this way over the last few years is an understatement! But I am happy to report that this congregation is made of some pretty strong tea. Some crucial ingredients of this tea are relationship, resilience, commitment and communal joy. For example, we managed to hold Shabbat services all year without interruption with the leadership of our community! As we welcome our new Rabbi to her first service this weekend, we can reflect on the joyous times that we spent together during our year of lay leadership and be proud that we are welcoming her into a strong and resilient community.

Take a look at this slide show highlighting the wonderful year, if we can have this much fun without a Rabbi- we are in for a great year ahead with Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador!

Night of Learning for Shavuot
Mimouna Seder with Beit Sefer
Music Accompaniment by the ‘Ravening Team’
Sukkot Campout and Shmita Work Day at The Farm on Jennings
End of Summer Potluck Picnic at Bandemere Park
Zeitouna Film Event
Community End Of Passover Cookout
End Of Summer Potluck Picnic at Bandemere Park
Apples and Honey
Passover Shpiel Led by Etta!
Dylan’s Bar Mitzvah Led by Etta!
Brenna’s Bat Mitzvah Led by Deb Kraus

Join AARC for Tisha B’av with Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador!

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By Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador

Tisha B’av, Wednesday July 26th, 8pm-9:15pm, Hybrid at the JCC of Ann Arbor and Zoom.

Tisha B’av, the ninth day of the month of Av, marks a day of communal mourning in the Jewish calendar. The holiday is most noted for commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem (586 B.C.E. and 70 C.E. respectively). According to the chronology of the Talmudic rabbis, many catastrophic events during the biblical period occurred on the 9th of Av, including the shattering of the 10 commandments and the worshipping of the golden calf.  The rabbis in later periods made connections between Tisha B’av and the expulsions of the Jews from England and Spain, as well as other disasters.  

Tisha B’av observances include fasting and abstaining from activities of pleasure and comfort such as washing, sexual activity, using perfume and make up, and wearing leather.  On the Eve of Tisha B’av people gather in the synagogue to hear the chanting of Eicha (The Book of Lamentations) and kinot (mournful liturgical poems).  The lights of the synagogue are dimmed and many people sit on the floor or on low stools as expressions of mourning.   People also have a second opportunity to hear the chanting of Eicha during the morning service the next day.  

Eicha is one of the five megillot (scrolls), which is part of the section of the Tanach called Writings. Eicha laments the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem and the exile of the tribe of Judah.  Attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, Eicha is an intensely poetic exploration of the suffering of a personified Jerusalem and its former inhabitants. 

The Talmudic rabbis attribute the destruction of the Second Temple to “sinat chinam,” baseless hatred among Jews, highlighting the importance of following mitzvot concerning our interactions with and obligations toward others, “mitzvot beyn adam lachavero.”  Torah teaches us to love our neighbors and it also teaches us not to hate them, harbor resentment or hold a grudge (Leviticus 19:17-18). 

On Tisha B’av, AARC will gather to observe the holiday in a lamenting circle, to hold one another as we sit with our grief and share what is troubling us about the world today.  Tisha B’av is not a day to come up with solutions or be called to action.  It is a day to grieve collectively and lament; it is a day to listen from the heart and chant niggunim from Eicha, our ancient text of deep sorrow.   As a ritual of communal mourning, Tisha B’av reminds us that we do not need to grieve by ourselves.  We are not alone; we have one another.

Links:  

The Observance of Tisha B’Av
The Book of Eicha: Faith in a Whirlwind

Niggun from Eicha 3:22, https://youtu.be/7HD6WmUHIUo

Eli Tziyon, Ashkenazi Liturgical Poem for Tisha B’av, https://youtu.be/w1_8fMwQNIY 

Contemporary Kinah, “Kinah L’khurban Gan Eden,” by Richard Kaplan, an Eco-Lament (lyrics below), http://www.neohasid.org/audio/khurban.mp3 

Exploring Rosh Chodesh

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During our Shabbaton weekend with Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador, she referenced a Rosh Chodesh circle that she has been hosting with Pardes Hannah over the last few years. Rosh Chodesh is a Jewish practice that was not part of my upbringing so I thought I’d do a little research and share it with you!

What is Rosh Chodesh?

Rosh Chodesh is translated as ‘Head of the Month.’ It is an ancient holiday that originated in Exodus marked by the appearance of the New Moon. The holiday was practiced before a formalized calendar was established by confirming the new moon each month. Once a monthly calendar was created, Rosh Chodesh was observed on the Saturday before the new moon by reciting the Birkat Hakodesh after the Saturday morning Torah reading. Some also add extra Rosh Chodesh prayers to the Amidah, Kaddish, and morning prayers.

Feminist History of Rosh Chodesh

Historically women were able to abstain from physical work on Rosh Chodesh. Some believe this was because women refused to give their Jewelry for the formation of the golden calf. Others believe the waning and waxing moon hold significance for a women’s menstrual cycle and the Rosh Chodesh observance is tied to this. In the early 70s groups of women began starting a new kind of Rosh Chodesh circle. In Peninah Adelman’s Miriam’s Well: Rituals for Jewish Women Around the Year, she offers program ideas for groups who wish to build on the Rosh Chodesh tradition as a time for community building and bonding for Jewish women.  Most Rosh Chodesh circle’s organize around mutual interest and ritual practice. Exploring and redefining the relationship between the feminine, the moon, and sisterhood has been a foundation for a myriad of Rosh Chodesh women’s groups over the last few decades.

Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador’s Rosh Chodesh Circle

Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador began a Rosh Chodesh circle through Pardes Hannah while she was studying for her Rabbinic program. Her circles focus around a central theme or teaching connected to the Torah portion for that week. Rabbi Gabrielle is interested exploring Rosh Chodesh as an opportunity to practice Torah reading for our community and deepening our Torah practice. If you are interested in exploring Rosh Chodesh with Rabbi Gabrielle, stay tuned for her upcoming Rosh Chodesh offerings!

Dylan Schnorr’s Dvar Torah

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Shabbat Shalom! My Torah portion is from the book of Numbers. At this point, the Israelites are wandering in the desert. Before this time, the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. They were beaten and made to do harsh physical labor.  Moses then led the Israelites to freedom with the help of God, who rained plagues on Pharaoh which, in the end, forced him to release the Israelites. They fled into the desert and had to leave with their bread unleavened because they were in such a hurry. 

This is the Passover story, the one that most of us are familiar with. My Torah portion takes place after the Israelites have escaped from Egypt. While wandering in the desert, the Israelites eventually ran out of food. When they complained about how they would starve in the desert, God decided to give them Manna. The Torah says that Manna would collect on the ground like dew or frost, and would melt away when the sun heated up. The people would collect it and make bread, and they would have to eat this bread that same day because it would spoil by the next. This made them uncertain about when they would get food. But the Israelites now complained about the Manna, saying that they wanted meat. God then decided to teach them a lesson.  He rained quails on top of them. In the Torah it says that even the people who gathered the least had 10 homers of quail, which is equivalent to 475 pounds, or about 1900 birds. When the people who were complaining ate the meat, they were struck with a deadly plague that killed them. 

My speech today could be about their ingratitude: the Israelites were being ungrateful for the Manna that God gave them. They were getting food from heaven, but they were complaining about not having meat. But I noticed something else in the story about Manna that made me want to talk about a different topic.  This is what the Torah says (and I quote): “The Israelites felt a craving for real food. They wept and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish that we used to eat freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. Now our throats are shriveled. There is nothing at all! Nothing but the manna to look to!” 

In my opinion their complaining wasn’t just an example of ingratitude. I think it was also because of nostalgia. They were thinking that maybe Egypt wasn’t all that bad.  When they were in Egypt, they would get small worthless fish that the fishermen would throw to them for helping with the nets. But they looked back on it, remembering only times when they got what they wanted, or when they were happy. Perhaps there were things to miss about their time in Egypt, like sometimes getting rewards for their labor, or being able to eat meat. But those times were few and far between, and those small benefits didn’t compare to freedom.  

I think the Israelites were experiencing powerful nostalgia about having left Egypt. In the Oxford dictionary, nostalgia is defined as a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past. Nostalgia can change your views of the past, especially when the present is so insecure.  I believe the reason that they were yearning for the past was because the present time they were in wasn’t easy, so it made the time before seem better than it was. Life in the desert was incredibly hard and, on top of that, they didn’t really know where they were going and when they would get there. Maybe they missed their small freedoms, like routine, or being in one place. It is possible that in this moment, they looked back and Egypt looked better.

I‘d like to talk today about  how nostalgia can affect us. I think that nostalgia has two sides, a good one and a bad one. On the good side, nostalgia can help in preserving older things, older ways of doing things, like a bar mitzvah, and keeping ways of life that are healthy for you. For example, running because you want the same physical body that you had when you were younger, or going on a diet for the same reason.  Nostalgia can also help you to remember people or events that are dear to you – things you can see in photographs or in memorials, and those memories can motivate you to do similar or better things yourself.

But nostalgia can also have a bad side. It can cause you to hurt yourself trying to do things you could do before, like trying to lift too much weight when working out.  In a broader sense, nostalgia can hurt other people when you try to restore something from the past that might not have been as good as you remember. 

We know that nostalgia can be very intense. It can distort your view of your current situation, or it might change how you look at the thing you’re feeling nostalgic for. Maybe you can even feel nostalgic for slavery, a time that you probably had a bad experience in because the time you are in now is unpredictable, with you uncertain about what will happen next.

I have experienced this type of nostalgia as well. When I was younger, I lived in Massachusetts. I really enjoyed my life there, but eventually we moved here in 2019. The first couple years were rough, I had to deal with COVID shortly after moving. I hadn’t adjusted completely to Michigan, so I missed Massachusetts so much more. I eventually got over it, but I still sometimes look back fondly. Now I’ll be going to a completely new high school next year. This may be challenging, but like the Israelites, I have to focus on the future, not just the past, and keep moving forward.

Something I gained from this Torah portion is that nostalgia can have a big impact, both good or bad, and your perspective on the past can change without you knowing it.  When you remember something, it isn’t always exactly as you thought it was. Human memories can easily be seen in a rosy light.  This is something that the Israelites had to struggle with in the desert.  One way for the Israelites to deal with this nostalgia was to try to remember their goals, and to focus on the future, not the past. Their lives in the desert might be very painful for them.  But, in the long run, it would bring freedom and a better life to their children and grandchildren.  Even when they were nostalgic about Egypt, most of the Israelites went on.  They didn’t get trapped by their memories.  Instead they kept going. This was a good decision, because if they had gone back or stayed in the desert, they would have made no progress. I guess what I’m trying to say is, the Israelites could progress only moving forward and not overly thinking about the past.

Can you think of any  time in your life where you have experienced nostalgia about something that you remember  more fondly than it really was? How might that have affected the way you moved into the future?  

So for me, that is a lesson that my Torah portion teaches.  We shouldn’t forget our past, but we should also look to the future. Thank you