• 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

Purim

The Purim Fun Continues!

March 14, 2024 by Gillian Jackson

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.

Filed Under: Upcoming Activities Tagged With: Purim

The Jewish Leap Year And The Coming of Spring

February 28, 2024 by Gillian Jackson

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.

Filed Under: Community Learning Tagged With: Adar II, Leap Year, Purim

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

February 22, 2024 by Gillian Jackson

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!!

Filed Under: Upcoming Activities Tagged With: Purim

Purim 2023: Join Us For Purim Fun!

March 2, 2023 by Gillian Jackson

March 6th, 5:30pm–7:30pm at the JCC of Ann Arbor and Online Via Zoom

Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me…It’s Purim!

Hosted by Peter Chagall (not Peter Sagal), the Megillah reading will be woven between bursts of Jewish-themed trivia and antics in the style of NPR’s famous news quiz. 

Don’t forget to get festive! Come in costume and bring your graggers- you can dress up as anything, or just come as you are!

The Purim Spiel will be followed by a Pizza and Hamantaschen Oneg. If you feel inspired, feel free to bring a veggie dinner dish or a beverage! 

There’ll be lots of all-ages fun: facepainting, festive games, a very contemporary Purimspiel, music from Twas Brillig and the Mazel Tovs (with AARC’s own Daniel Pesach!), triangular potluck, and….

Our annual HAMANTASCHEN CONTEST! There’s no need to register! Just bring 6-12 of your best sweet, savory, or original hamantashen on the plates, and our panel of judges will do the rest! And yes, there are prizes for the winners! 

Beit Sefer will also be sharing delicious and lovingly prepared mishloach manot to our seniors at the party– we can deliver these to your homes in Ann Arbor! Please let Marcy know you’d like one by emailing dr_marcy@hotmail.com.

Filed Under: Upcoming Activities Tagged With: Purim

Purim 2022 Recap!

March 17, 2022 by Gillian Jackson

What a joyous occasion to spend the evening together celebrating Purim! It was exactly two years ago that we last celebrated purim together in person. Enjoy these photos from Jen Swanson of the evening!

Photo Beit Sefer in their theatrical reading of Chapter 7! Photo Credit: Jen Swanson
Mollie reading Chapter 7 and a good view of our sound table! Photo Credit: Jen Swanson
Rabbi Ora performing her annual upside down Megillah Reading in Hebrew!
Josh and Aziza planning their Charades performance!

Filed Under: Event writeups Tagged With: Purim

Purim 2022!

March 6, 2022 by Gillian Jackson

Its a big exciting year for Purim! It feels like a landmark, because Purim 2020 was the last in person event that we held before the COVID-19 pandemic. I am so glad that we are able to host a full slate of hybrid Purim events this year. I hope that you will be able to join us in person or online!

Our Last in person Event before the pandemic!

Hybrid Purim Service

Our hybrid service will take place Wednesday, March 16th, 6:00-8:00 pm at the JCC of Ann Arbor. You may participate in person, or via zoom. Our theme this year will be Game Night! Dress up as your favorite board game character, video game character, game show personality, athlete etc. We will have a Megillah reading, followed by a congregation wide game night! We are asking everyone to register for both online and in person events. Sign up for in person services here. Sign up for online services here.

Megillah Readers Needed! Email us if you’d like to read an chapter in English for Purim! We read an abbreviated version so teens and adults are welcome!! Email Rabbi Ora if you are interested. 

Hamantaschen Workshop with Laurie and Etta, March 13th, 2:00 pm.

Last year’s Hamantaschen Workshop! Etta Set up a kitchen workspace-cam!

Join Laurie White and Etta Heisler on Zoom to hone your hamantaschen-making skills. Check your mailers for the zoom link!

Laurie’s Hamantaschen Recipe

Rich Pastry Hamantaschen recipe
RICH PASTRY HAMANTASCHEN
2 C. all-purpose flour1/2 C. sugar2 t. baking powder1 C. butter (or margarine)2 eggsGrated rind of 1 orange1/2 C. finely ground walnuts2 T. brandy
1) Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.2) Add the eggs3) Add the remaining ingredients and work with your hands until the mixture forms a ball,  Add more flour if the dough seems to sticky to handle.  Wrap and refrigerate over night.4) Roll out to 1/8-inch thickness on a well-floured board or pastry cloth.  Cut 3’ or 4’ diameter circles, using a cookie cutter or drinking glass.5) Using filling of your choice*, mix filling well.  Drop a teaspoon into the center of each circle, and fold dough to form triangular pockets (You can put a bit of water around the edge to help with sealing. Pinch edges together firmly).
Bake in pre-heated 350 F. oven for 20-30 minutes, until pastries are golden brown.  
Makes 2 1/2 – 3 dozen.

* I like prune jam (2. c.) with the grated rind of a lemon, 1 t. orange juice, 1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts, 1 t. cinnamon (1/4 t. nutmeg):  apricot jam (and add cinnamon and nuts) or poppyseed filling (I usually add yellow raisins, cinnamon and lemon to the commercially prepared version)

Mohn (rhymes with fun) is both the German and Yiddish word for poppy seeds.  Tasch (rhymes with gosh) is the word for purse or pocket.Mohntaschen were a pocket-like pastry filled with poppy seeds and popular with German Jews and non-Jews in the late Middle Ages.   A dish eaten by Jews has always been more satisfying if there exists some connection between it and the history of the Jewish people, so it became “Hamantaschen” and designated as a treat at Purim.As an extra justification for adopting mohntaschen for the traditional Purim pastry, it has been suggested that poppy seeds were a symbol of manna, the food G-d gave to the Jews wandering in Egypt, and also one of the few foods Esther would have eaten in the Court of Ahasuerus since she would have been observing the Jewish dietary laws.

Etta’s Hamantaschen Recipe see the original and more on Etta’s website!

This recipe was originally published by my maternal grandmother, or Savta as I called her, in a recipe booklet called “Dinner and Other Winners” that I think must have been a fundraiser for Hadassah or some such organization. It is an objectively perfect and unequivically delicious. Other hamentaschen are great, but you don’t need em if you have these. Sweet enough for dessert, fruity enough to call it breakfast, they go from dusk to dawn and back again, just like the holiday.

If you don’t know what hamentashen are, google it and educate yourself. Or not, and just eat the cookies.

Here’s What You Need

For the filling:

  • 2.5 pounds Lekvar Prune Jelly (I have never found this so I just use dried prunes at the same weight with a bit of water as needed)
  • 1/2 pound ground walnuts (you can leave these out if you have to do nut free)
  • 1/2 pound seedless white raisins
  • 1/2 pound strawberry preserves (jam is fine)
  • 1/2 pound jar apricot preserves (or jam)
  • grated rind of one lemon
  • breadcrumbs to make the mixture firm (I never add these)

For the dough:

  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup oil (I use safflower)
  • 1/2 cup water

Here’s What To Do

  1. Combine all the dry dough ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, oil, and water.
  3. Bring the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients, working the mixture until you have a soft dough.
  4. Gradually add additional flour as needed to make the dough stiff (but not so dry as to crack).
  5. Knead on a floured board (or counter) until smooth and pliable.
  6. Refridgerate for two hours or over night.
  7. To make the filling, just combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree until they are all mixed together and finely ground. Add water if you think it should be looser. Add breadcrumbs if you want it thicker. Store in fridge if not using immediately.
  8. Once chilled, roll out dough on a floured board (or counter) to 1/4″ thickness. 
  9. Cut circles. (You will need to do at least 3-4″ diameter, 4 is probably better than 3. I use a biscuit cutter, but you could also use a large tomato can that has been emptied and cleaned, or some similar object.)
  10. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each circle.
  11. Using your finger or a small pastry brush, brush a thin coating of water around the outer edge of the circle, as if you were adding a rim to a plate.
  12. Pick any two, equidistant points and fold to the middle, pinching tightly to close, but not so tight as to break the dough. Continue pinching down the seam til you make a corner. 
  13. Now, fold up the other side and pinch in two directions to make two more corners. 
  14. This should make total sense to you by now and if you are confused, you have failed. PSYCH. Watch the tutorial, or make up your own shape.
  15. The important thing is to make sure you have a good seal on all the seams, and that you can see some of the filling peeking through without it totally exploding out of the cookie.
  16. Place folded cookies on a cookie sheet, 1″ apart. Bake 15-17 minutes at 350 degrees or until the bottoms are light brown.

Filed Under: Upcoming Activities Tagged With: hamentashen, Purim, recipes

Hamantaschen Reflections From Past and Present

February 22, 2021 by Gillian Jackson

By Gillian Jackson and Carol Lessure

Spending time in the kitchen making food together is one of those particular situations that no matter who you are with, good conversation and connection are surely to come. Some of my fondest memories are of time spent in the kitchen with loved ones. Last weekend’s Hamantaschen workshop did not disappoint! Etta Heisler and Laurie White provided some invaluable tips and techniques to help their fellow bakers perfect their Hamantaschen craft. In addition to their priceless anecdotes, members were given the opportunity to simply spend time together in the kitchen, and what a privilege this seems to be during this time of isolation!

Carol Lessure wrote a lovely reflection on the community that is built around times in the kitchen in ‘normal times.’ Enjoy!

AARC has always enjoyed silly, fun times during Purim. We have had many a Megillah reading, and lots of spiels, tons of costumes and of course yummy food enjoyed together.  Last year, we had two face to face celebrations – crazy right?  

When Gillian reached out to me about a Hamantaschen-baking workshop online, it reminded me of the many years that the Lessure Engelbert family hosted Hav families and friends to bake cookies in our home. 

It all started with a call for homemade Hamantaschen for dessert at a catered luncheon followed by a Purim spiel a decade ago. Then, the Beit Sefer requested some to fill Mishloach Manot. I thought it would be more fun to tackle the big baking task together. What followed was a 7-year tradition of baking cookies at our home. At first, the little ones needed lots of supervision and quickly tired of the task; a few years later and the tweens took over and the adults could visit over coffee and snacks. Then families with younger ones came over and the teenagers showed them how to do it.  

We figured out that people just liked hanging out – so we started popping pizzas into the oven after the cookies baked. Each family would bring a side dish to share for dinner. Our boys were happy to host and soon the tweens and teens would gravitate downstairs for Wii games while adults hung out on the main floor.

One year, I woke up with a fever and chills. I kept to our bedroom and the cookie-baking went on without me. It is truly a testament to our community spirit that not only did the cookies get made, but our guests left the main floor and kitchen cleaner and tidier than they found it! Not only that, but no one came down with whatever I had.  Obviously, this happened long before we’d heard of COVID-19. 

We thought it would be fun to share these memories and some vintage photos – may we be together again next year!

Carol’s “Best Hamantachen” (recipe is from Leva Lessure – aka Carol’s mom). Published in “Nobody Cooks Like Jewish Women” – NCJW National Capitol Area Section, 1992:

1 cup shortening (butter, margarine)

3 eggs (or make flax “eggs” with 1 tablespoon of fresh ground flax with 3 tablespoons of water for each egg you are substituting)

1 cup sugar

           Cream sugar and butter together, add eggs one at a time

1 tsp of vanilla

3 tablespoons of honey (or agave for the vegans)

2 tablespoons of orange juice

              Add these ingredients and mix well

4 cups flour

3 tsp of baking powder

½ tsp of salt

              Sift the dry ingredients together – esp. baking powder so it doesn’t clump

              Slowly add in dry ingredients into the blended wet ones

Once all the ingredients are well blended, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Take out only a small amount at a time and keep dough refrigerated – it will become very sticky when warm and difficult to roll and cut.

Cut two inch circles with a juice glass or cookie cutter, add a small spoonful of filling in the center and pinch the sides to form a triangle – leave a hole in the middle so that filling can be seen.

Baked on greased cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes until edges begin to brown. Cool for 5-10 minutes because filling stays hot longer than the cookies.

We prefer Solo brand fillings: Poppyseed, Prune and Apricot are traditional in our family. Cherry, chocolate and sweet cream cheese are good too!

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: community, Hamantaschen, Purim, recipes

Get Ready for Purim 2020: Make Some Noise!

February 25, 2020 by Gillian Jackson Leave a Comment

Written by: Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner

Purim is a story of revolution and social transformation. The megillah recounts how two Jews worked within an oppressive system to allow victims of persecution to rise up, defend themselves, and claim their rights.

One of these Jews was called Esther; the other was Mordechai. Both of them were inspiring (and not-uncomplicated) ancient radicals. 

So who are our modern-day Esthers and Mordechais? 

On Monday, March 9 at 7 pm, we’ll celebrate Purim 2020: Make Some Noise. In addition to megillah-reading, noshing, laughing, and noise-making, we’re planning a Moth-style storytelling moment, and asking YOU to tell us a (1-minute) tale of when YOU took a stand, made some noise, got the attention of people in power, or nudged a community one step closer to justice. 

Give us a forshbeis (a nibble/appetizer) of your story in the comments below! 

***

Looking forward to celebrating Purim 2020: Make Some Noise with AARC? We’re looking forward to celebrating with YOU! Sign up here to read a chapter of the megillah in English, bring hamantaschen, or contribute to our dessert potluck.

How else can you prepare for Purim 2020: Make Some Noise?

  • learn more about Purim-as-revolution
  • prepare a costume on the themes of Speaking Truth to Power, Which Jew Are You, or Big-Topsy-Turvy 
  • craft your most creative noisemaker
  • start thinking of yourself as your own personal Purim hero!

Filed Under: Upcoming Activities Tagged With: Purim

AARC’s Megillah Ark

April 4, 2019 by Gillian Jackson

The Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation is proud to present one of our hand-crafted sacred objects, a Megillah Ark created by Alan Haber, with components crafted by Idelle Hammond-Sass. The Ark is a beautiful piece of artistry specifically designed to shelter a hand-illustrated scroll of the Book of Esther or Megillat Esther. For more on the Scroll of Esther acquired in 2016, see Barbara Boyk Rust’s blog post. Please enjoy this description of the symbolic elements of Ark in the artist’s own words:

I made it like a city within which to live and be safe, with 6 walls to hold the story. Each of the wall boards has two tenons like the boards of the tabernacle. In the front are the city gates, Boaz and Joachim. In the back is a dark post, ready also to serve as gallows. The wall boards on each side of the gate have the smile of Vashti, in the grain, through which the story unrolls.

The story scroll is held tied between 2 pieces of rosewood attached to a piece of white holly wood, which serves as the handle to draw the story out between the city gates, though the smile of Vashti. The gate is closed, with the story inside, and latched  by a piece of ebony wood, tied with a blue thread. When the gate is unlatched, the ebony latch bolt is inserted and held at the top of the gallows post and the blue thread serves as the rope and noose. The crown of Esther is on top of the central post holding the scroll, and is turned to unroll the story, and turned back to re-roll. Mordecai sits at the base of the city gate and aligns Esther when the story is returned to within the city and the latch retied. The city walls and earth below and roof above are all of cherry wood … surely a favorite of Esther, without ointments and oils.

– Alan Haber, 2019

According to Idelle Hammond-Sass, the scroll was designed by an Israeli woman artist she saw at the Janice Charach Epstein Gallery. Says Idelle:

Barbara Boyk-Rust and I purchased it, hoping to have a housing created for it. It is color-offset, richly decorated and signed.
We arranged to collaborate with Alan and I made a brass Crown etched with the Hebrew for Megillat Esther, which fits the fulcrum of the turning for the scroll. It has designs pulled from the scroll itself. Barbara and I also visited the Megillah container Alan made for Beth Israel and helped to fund the project.

Idelle Hammond-Sass, 2019

Filed Under: Sacred Objects, Simchas Tagged With: Purim, Sacred Objects, scroll of esther

Purim Fun at AARC

March 26, 2019 by Gillian Jackson

AARC’s Purim celebration last Friday was a blast! Rabbi Ora, dressed at Mr. Rogers, opened services with an original composition that welcomed us to Purim; it was set to the tune of “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” In addition to our regular Shabbat songs, our abbreviated Shabbat service included many silly lyrical compositions written by Rabbi Ora, who astounds and amazes us every Purim! See her upside-down Megillah reading from last year!

Alan Haber and Idelle Hammond-Sass display AARC’s newest sacred object, a handmade Megillah ark to hold the Megillah scroll.

Alan Haber revealed the handmade Megillah ark that he constructed to hold the beautiful Megillah scroll acquired by Barbara Boyk Rust and Idelle Hammond-Sass.

Members Rebecca Ball, Dina Kurz and Debbie Field dressed as their personal hero, Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

For this year’s costume theme, members dressed up at their personal heroes. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsbergs was a hero in triplicate!

Purim costume parade.

After services, we enjoyed a delicious potluck followed by a performance by Beit Sefer students, a costume parade, and dancing!

Stacy Dieve (a.k.a. Albert Einstein) reads from the Megillah.
Dina Kurz (a.k.a. Ruth Bader Ginsberg) reads from the Megillah.
Dave Nelson reads from the Megillah.

Filed Under: Event writeups Tagged With: Purim

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Go to Next Page »

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