Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation

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Looking for Hosts for New Year’s Lunch

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By Carol Lessure

After Rosh Hashanah morning services, we’d like to offer members and friends the chance to have lunch together at various locations.

You could “host” at a local restaurant or at your home.  Only have room for a couple of people? Don’t worry, no gathering is too small. If you are interested in hosting an event, just add your invite to this list by clicking on the bottom tabs to find an empty tab and filling in your info.

We’ll remind everyone where to find the list of hosts here on the blog and in the Monday Mailer, as well as at the High Holiday registration table.

Let’s revive this tradition from years past and keep the “hav” in the Havurah.

Shana Tova, Carol

And welcome to the Bramsons, too!

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Bramsons
Candace, Elliot, Eric

New AARC members Eric and Candace Bramson have lived in Ann Arbor over 20 years.  They met at the University of Michigan Ballroom Dance Club in the mid 90s, and still enjoy dancing today.

Eric is an engineer at Ford Motor Company and enjoys photography, biking and bird watching. Candace works for Pfizer doing clinical research and likes learning languages (currently studying French), biking, and running. Their son Elliot, who has attended the Beit Seifer for the last 3 years, is in 4th grade at Angell Elementary and loves legos, stuffed animals, and anything University of Michigan.

The Bramsons look forward to strengthening their connection to the Jewish community and becoming involved in the congregation’s celebrations and activities.

WELCOME!

Welcome the Angus family!

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Here’s how our new members, the Anguses introduce themselves:

We are the Angus family, Dale, Orna, Aden (12) and Sara (9). We met the Reconstructionist Hav in 2013. I (Orna) grew up in Ann Arbor. Dale grew up in Marysville, MI. We met when he attended EMU. We are an interfaith marriage.

We recently moved back to Dexter in 2010 to be closer to my parents. Dale works for Thule in Manufacturing Sales, and I work at Pittsfield Charter Township as the Deputy Treasurer.

Our children love sports and various activities. Aden enjoys playing basketball & golf, and Sara is a gymnast. They both enjoy school and spending time with friends. As a family we enjoy biking and kayaking in the local parks. We have two dogs Catcher, and Kelly they love to cuddle. The family favorite books & movie would be the Harry Potter Series.. Favorite Foods: (Dale) BBQ, (Orna) Italian, (Aden) BBQ or Buffalo wings, (Sara) Chinese Food.

Selichot and High Holiday Highlights

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As the moon of Elul begins to wane, the new year approaches. Rosh Hashanah begins at the new moon, awaiting the new light, just as the creation story does, in the potential of darkness and void.

We will begin to explore this theme and the liturgy of the season in our Selichot gathering, Saturday evening September 20th. We will meet at 7:30 for pot luck dessert and then continue with Havdalah and the ritual. The gathering will take place at 2960 Lakeview Drive, Ann Arbor. Positive RSVPs always appreciated for planning purposes to ravmichal@aarecon.org or 734 845 2361.

Other highlights of our high holidays together will include:

  • Personal reflections on the special themes of Rosh Hashanah.
  • Tashlich with pebbles for the health of our river and wildlife.
  • Song and study of the Akedah for the second day of Rosh Hashanah on Friday September 26th.
  • Fourth Friday/Shabbat Shuvah service Friday September 26th, featuring seasonal music and a d’var Torah on the Akedah.
  • Inclusion of the Yiskor liturgy in Yom Kippur morning services.
  • A full afternoon of movement, learning and remembering on Yom Kippur day.
  • Sukkot retreat at the Emrich Center in Brighton October 10-12.

As always. everyone is welcome to join AARC for all or part of our celebration/commemoration of these special days.

Welcome to Becky, Brian, Sam, and Joey!

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Our newest members are Becky and Brian Ball and their sons, Sam and Joey.

I asked Becky if she’d introduce her family to us, and she wrote this:

I was actually born and raised in Ann Arbor, but my husband is from Rhode Island (we met living in Los Angeles). We’ve been back in Ann Arbor for 12 years, but finally begun to look for a congregation to belong to. My husband teaches special education in Saline, and I teach social studies at Skyline in Ann Arbor (World History, World Humanities, Economics and Government). We are an interfaith family – I am Jewish while Brian was raised Catholic. I love quilting, kayaking and medieval history. My husband enjoys writing and gardening. Sam (8) and Joey (5) both went to preschool at the JCC, but both are now at Eberwhite Elementary. They are obsessed with legos and superheroes. We have four cats and are a vegetarian family. Our favorite movie is the original “Star Wars.” My favorite book is “The Lightbearer,” a novel about the Roman Empire. Brian’s favorite book is “The Great Gatsby.” We live in Scio Township between Ann Arbor and Dexter, and love the natural setting of wildlife and being near the river, but also being close to the libraries and museums of town.

Welcome to Becky and Brian!
Welcome to Becky and Brian!
Sam and Joey
And to Sam and Joey, too.

 

Join the Food, Land and Justice Bus Tour to Detroit

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[Members Idelle Hammond-Sass and Carole Caplan have been working with others in the community to organize a bus trip to Detroit and day of learning as part of the Food, Land and Justice grant. They pass along this note with details,  printable flyer and the link to purchase tickets.]
honeyAs part of a year of programing grounded in the Jewish practice of Shmita  you are invited to join with members of the Ann Arbor Jewish community for an exciting visit to Detroit on Sunday September 14, 2014.

So much is happening around the issues of food systems, security, accessibility and affordability in Detroit–let’s take the day to learn about it first-hand! After meeting at the Ann Arbor JCC, we will travel by bus to D-/town Farms, and learn how their work is making important healthy change both personally and communally.

We will then arrive at historic Eastern Market where we will hear from several speakers as to their important roles in the food movement. We will enjoy a healthy lunch and have time to shop the artisans’ market as well. We will study together, laugh together and then brainstorm how we might be part of this important movement moving forward.

Details of  the FOOD, LAND and JUSTICE trip to Detroit:

Space is limited—reserve yours today! Contact Carole Caplan (caplan.carole AT gmail.com), or Idelle Hammond-Sass (Hammond_sass AT msn.com) for more information.

This program is generously funded by a grant from the Jewish Federation of Ann Arbor.

Entering Elul – Participation and Creation

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It is Rosh Chodesh Elul, the beginning of the preparatory month leading towards Rosh Hashanah. Traditionally the time to begin serious reflection on the year that has passed in order to prepare for the one ahead.The month is ritualized with prayers of selichot/forgiveness and a blast of the shofar each day to help keep us aware and on track.

This year, we will be doing the alternative reading for Rosh Hashanah, the story of creation. Reflecting the tradition that  Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of creation, the passage is also is a reminder of the continual work of creation and re-creation, in the world and in our own lives.
In keeping with these themes of preparation and re-creation, I invite you each to consider two questions:
1. How might I contribute to our high holiday experience this year?
2. What do I want to create or re-introduce into my life in the coming year?
I doubt many of us will hear a shofar each day this month, but perhaps you can infuse your usual first morning sound – whether an alarm clock or the timer on your coffee maker – with a reminder of the holy time to come.

 

Read About Sholem Aleichem with the Book Group

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[Here’s a note from Jon Sweeney on the next meeting of the Congregation’s book club.]

By Jon Sweeney

The AARC Book Group meets again on Sunday, September 7, 7pm at the home of Greg Saltzman.

We are all reading The Worlds of Sholom Aleichem: The Remarkable Life and Afterlife of the Man Who Created Tevye, by Jeremy Dauber, a professor of Yiddish at Columbia University. Aleichem was a fascinating character, probably the most important Yiddish writer of the twentieth century, and there is much to discover beyond Fiddler!

Everyone and anyone is invited to join us. You are welcome to join for one meeting only or every time. No RSVP needed, but if you have any questions, feel free to contact jonsweeney AT gmail.com.

Also see:

A Blessing for New Website!

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Yashar koach to project coordinator Mark Schneyer, as well as Margo Schlanger and the rest of the website team, for a wonderful product and successful launch. May your efforts broaden our outreach and deepen our in-reach, enhance our presence in the world and our connections to one another, and provide years of information, education, rumination and registration.

In the words in the psalmist:

May the sweetness of the DIVINE ONE be upon us. The work of our hands establish for us; yes, the work of our hands – establish it!  (90:17)