• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation

Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation

  • Home
  • About
    • Overview
    • Rav Gavrielle Pescador
    • Our History
      • Photo Gallery
    • Our Values and Vision
    • LGBTQ Inclusive
    • Our Board
    • Our Sacred Objects
    • About Reconstructionist Judaism
    • Jewish Ann Arbor
  • Programs
    • Shabbat and Holidays
    • B’nei Mitzvah
    • Tikkun Olam
    • In the (Washtenaw Jewish) News
    • Health and Safety Expectations for In-Person Gatherings
    • Join our Mailing List
  • Religious School
    • About Beit Sefer
    • Teachers
    • Enrollment and Tuition
  • Blog
  • Calendar
  • Membership
    • Overview
    • Thinking about joining?
    • Renew your membership
    • Member Area
      • Overview
      • Get involved!
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
You are here: Home / Beit Sefer (Religious School) / Beit Sefer: Sharing Love Not Virus

Beit Sefer: Sharing Love Not Virus

June 2, 2021 by Clare Kinberg Leave a Comment

How do I “recap” this year of Beit Sefer?

Ahava means Love

Thirty Sunday mornings filled with love says it for me. Our Beit Sefer teachers Marcy Epstein, Aaron Jackson, Shani Samuels and myself showed up every week filled with love for Judaism, for the students, and for each other.

We started off the year in the first week of Elul with love of animals and we ended on Shavuot with love of Torah and blintzes, and in between we learned about and celebrated every Jewish holiday.

Rabbi Ora met with the students every month to introduce some of our most precious Hebrew blessings and prayers. Our virtual Family Shabbat in April was a lovely culmination of our tefilah (prayer) learning for the year.

With Shani, we learned to write Hebrew alef-bet on the Zoom whiteboard. Marcy invited her students’ families into the Zoom room, and Aaron showed up every week with both his kids, Noah and Ava, brightening up every Zoom.

I thought to recap this year, I’d share images of the love we shared.

Jack and Brenna shared the love but not the virus by going apple picking for Rosh Hashanah in their family pod.
Shani Samuel shared her love of Hebrew and of animals.
Kitanim teacher Marcy Epstein found all sorts of ways to share the love but not the virus including leaving notes on her door!
Aziza shows us loving the natural environment is a Jewish kind of love, too.
The Ullmann McLanes came early and stayed late with some family love to our final day of Beit Sefer.
For our final Beit Sefer session we saw each other in person!
A new family to share the love! Lisa Wexler and her son Dylan Schnorr met Beit Sefer families for the first time on our last day.
Our teens obviously know how to hold a physically distanced conversation! Sharing the love but not the virus.
Share

Filed Under: Beit Sefer (Religious School) Tagged With: Beit Sefer, community, jewish learning

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Join Our Mailing List

Sign up for our twice a week newsletter to get details on upcoming events and catch up on our latest news.

This field is required.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Upcoming Events

  • 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, May 18, 2025 – Beit Sefer
  • 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm, May 19, 2025 – Davening Team Song Circle
  • 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm, May 21, 2025 – Pop-in Teaching with the Rabbi on Zoom
  • 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, May 23, 2025 – Fourth Friday Kabbalat Shabbat
  • 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, May 25, 2025 – Beit Sefer

Latest News

  • 2025 AARC Retreat – Gratitude May 11, 2025
  • It’s Shabbat – come meditate May 7, 2025
  • Climate action tip from AARC: Use real dishes and silverware, in May 2025 Washtenaw Jewish News April 28, 2025
  • Weaving Sacred Sound into Jewish Worship, in the May 2025 Washtenaw Jewish News April 28, 2025
  • Building a Fence Around the Sacred April 14, 2025

Follow AARC

  • facebook
  • youtube

Footer

Affiliated with

Login (for members only)

Log in

Copyright © 2025 Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation