Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation
By Kevin Norris
A big thank you to the many members who contributed to help the AARC team donate over $2,000 (and still counting) to support refugees and other immigrants through Jewish Family Services’ “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” fundraiser. Not only did we overachieve our “chai” goal of $1,800, a group of us was able to come together with other supporters and new American families to celebrate our success and our ongoing commitment through a fun walk around Burns Park.
By Kevin Norris
AARC is offering an opportunity for members to put our money (and our feet) where our values are. By sponsoring a team for Walk a Mile in My Shoes, we are raising funds and awareness for immigrant support projects provided by Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County. JFS has helped resettle refugees of all religious backgrounds from literally hundreds of countries. However, cuts in federal funding and divisive rhetoric have now left these neighbors vulnerable and isolated. Please join the many AARC members who are giving and walking for and with them on Sunday, September 28, 2025, from 2:00–5:00 p.m. at Burns Park Elementary in Ann Arbor. We’ve set a “chai” fundraising goal for AARC’s support of JFS, so please contribute what you can. Every dollar helps someone in need.
Walk a Mile in My Shoes 2025 is both a fundraiser and a show of personal support. Walking side by side, we affirm: we see you, we welcome you, and we will walk with you as you begin again. In this High Holy Day season, when we pledge ourselves anew to acts of tzedakah, participation is an opportunity to make our commitments tangible. Together, we can bridge the gap for those who need us most.
Funds raised will sustain Jewish Family Services’ essential work: arrival assistance and placement, health and behavioral health services, youth and women’s empowerment programs, nutrition support, job readiness, and entrepreneurial training. JFS continues walking with families long after the initial resettlement period, helping them establish stability and thrive in their new home. In addition to supporting recent immigrants, JFS provides comprehensive services to the aging in our community through its Wise programs, and the Nourish food pantry. Nourish combats hunger not only with conventional groceries and produce, but also culturally specific (e.g., halal, kosher) and medically customized (e.g., allergy friendly, gluten free, low sodium) options. In short, it’s a great organization that we can trust with our support.
That arc of the moral universe won’t bend itself. What better way to step into 5786 than by showing up for people in need? Join us, give what you can, and walk with us, and let’s begin the year with footsteps of solidarity.
Give and join the team to walk here. If you have questions, contact Kevin Norris.
This Q&A with Erica Ackerman was written for the April 2025 Washtenaw Jewish News, as part of climate outreach coordinated by A2J Climate Circle initiative.
A member of the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation, Erica is a climate activist who serves on the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club Huron Valley Group.
Erica, tell us about the origins of your climate activism
I became a climate activist leading up to the 2008 election. Working with the groups “Obama for America” and then “Organizing for Action,” I developed presentations to raise climate change awareness. We coordinated climate change symposiums in Dexter, Jackson, Canton, and Ypsilanti.
How did you become a leader with the Sierra Club?
In 2018, longtime Washtenaw County activist Dan Ezekiel asked me to run for the Sierra Club of Huron Valley executive committee, and I was honored to step up. At the time, funding for climate initiatives in the city of Ann Arbor was in doubt. The Sierra Club mobilized our community to attend city council meetings and to make their voices heard. These efforts were impactful, and in 2019 the Ann Arbor city council passed the A2ZERO plan. A key goal of A2ZERO is to realize community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030.
Have Jewish values played a part in your climate activism work?
Yes, for me it all seems integral; Jewish values lead to wanting to protect our environment, and advocating for the earth leads to appreciation of Jewish values, especially around Tikkun Olam (repairing the world).
Regarding activism in the Jewish community, prompted by our rabbi, I recently participated in lobbying through Jewish Earth Alliance, where we pushed our US Senators to defend our progress on climate action.
Advice for others who want to get involved?
The Sierra Club could definitely use more people who are active and interested in taking action. Start by attending the monthly Sierra Club program meetings, held on the third Tuesday of the month, 6pm to 7:30pm, in-person at the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library. The programs offer a mix of nature talks and environmental activism.
In addition, Sierra Club Executive Committee meetings are open to the public. They are held on Zoom, the first Thursday of every month at 7pm. If you are interested in the Sierra Club Executive Committee Zoom link, text me (Erica) at 734-330-0163.
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:
Second, I need lots and lots of readers for poetry. If you want to do this, send me the following info:
Third, here are the opportunities for other honors:
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!
As Keshet’s opening Pride Month page says, ‘Welcome, You Are a Blessing!’ Happy Pride to the AARC LGBTQ community and its allies! Pride Month reminds us of the importance of welcoming everyone to the table and celebrating all that they are. This month also gives us the opportunity to shine a light on the LGBTQ community, advocate for them, and honor them. Jewish tradition specifically teaches that the infinite variety and diversity of humanity is a mark of Divine artistry and creativity (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5). So we honor you, our LGBTQ community and celebrate you during this very special month!
If you would like to get out and celebrate Pride Month, check out the following events here:
Keshet has a calendar of in person and online Jewish Pride Events.
There are pride events happening all month in Ann Arbor, see the full calendar here!
Here are some resources on some interesting Jewish Perspectives on Pride:
Isaac Meadow, of the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation, will present a humanitarian aid benefit concert for Ukraine on Thursday, June 15, at Zion Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor, at 6:00 p.m. The concert will feature music by multiple composers, played upon the piano and the organ in the church’s main sanctuary. Admission will be by free-will donation.
The concert will be performed as a “mitzvah project” ― a community service associated with Isaac’s Bar Mitzvah. Isaac was inspired to take on this particular effort by the confluence of compassion, love of music, and familial ties to Ukraine.
At the age of five, when Isaac first received money as a present, he wanted to give it away to a beggar he met in the streets. In the following years, he has remained empathetic to people in distress, particularly the homeless. When Isaac started following the news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he knew he wanted to act. “I was horrified,” he said, “particularly by the violence against children ― children being killed, or forced from their homes.” A benefit concert, he thought, might be a way for him to raise money to help.
Isaac has a long-standing love of music. He has studied the piano since the age of five under the tutelage of Renée Robbins, and recently has started to study the organ with Carol Muehlig. He is looking forward to an intensive organ study at Interlochen fine arts camp later this summer. He has played piano for the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation’s High Holidays services, and looks forward to serving the congregation musically again in the future. The concert will feature pieces that Isaac has learned especially for the occasion, as well as several pieces that he has been playing for longer. The concert will also include a brief demonstration of the types of sounds and musical techniques achievable on the piano and organ.
Isaac’s family has a current connection to Ukraine because Isaac’s grandmother befriended Vladimir Sayenko, now a Ukrainian lawyer, when he was studying at the University of Michigan in 1993 and 1994. Sayenko later hosted Isaac’s grandmother, and mother on a visit to Goroshina (alternatively, Horoshyne), the Ukrainian village Isaac’s great-great-grandfather fled in the early 1900s to come to the United States.
All proceeds will go to “Breathe” (Ukrainian: “Dyhai”), a charity originally founded in 2020 to provide equipment for hospitals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Sayenko is an associate of one of Breathe’s founders, Isaac looks forward to keeping a close conversation going about the charity, and to seeing the good that the benefit concert proceeds will be able to accomplish. Thus far, Breathe has provided supplies to Ukrainian hospitals, winter clothing for the elderly, and electronic chargers and other equipment to families, for lighting, communication and for continuing children’s education in the wake of wartime disruptions. Isaac said, “It’s really good to be able to help people – even from so far away!”
Most of our family histories include stories of caring people who stepped up to help our great-grandparents, grandparents, or parents resettle in this country. Today we are challenged to step up and help another generation of refugees.
You have seen the news: The United States initially expected to admit 125,000 refugees this year. Then 80,000 more arrived from Afghanistan. Now, an additional 100,000 Ukrainian refugees are expected.
Jewish Family Services (JFS) is working tirelessly to do its share here in Washtenaw County and is requesting OUR help.
To this end, representatives from Beth Israel Congregation, Temple Beth Emeth, the Jewish Cultural Society, the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation, Pardes Hannah, and the Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan have come together to form Jewish Congregations Organized for Resettlement (JCOR), whose purpose is to support resettlement of a refugee family. Also, the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor will provide fiduciary oversight for all funds donated and disbursed in support of this purpose. And now we need YOU!
Volunteers are needed for committees that will work in partnership with JFS staff to help refugee family members reestablish their independent lives here and orient to American culture. With training from JFS staff, we will do this by helping refugees with: housing, transportation, and employment; healthcare and financial planning; and childcare, schooling, and adult ESL classes as necessary. We also need a cadre of on-call volunteers to help with short-notice critical needs, like last-minute transportation or child care coverage.
Altogether, we are seeking 30 to 50 volunteers, who can be available up to three hours per week during the first two months after the family’s arrival. The time commitments will decrease gradually as the family members become more independent during their first year in the United States.
Of course, we need help with fundraising. JFS recommends collecting $7,000 to $20,000 over the course of the family’s first year. Of this, $4,000 should be available upon the family’s arrival to help cover initial costs.
No one congregation will be singularly responsible or individually committed to provide a specific number of volunteers or a specific amount of funding. But we believe that collectively our Jewish Community can make a difference for our new arrivals and help JFS meet its decades-long dedication to resettlement.
Click here to access JCOR’s on-line volunteer sign-up form, where you will find more information about the volunteer committees and choose the one in which your expertise, your experience, and your passion for Tikkun Olam will have the greatest impact.
Additionally, all JCOR volunteers will complete the JFS volunteer form which will facilitate the required background check for all JCOR volunteers. Please complete the JFS form now.
Click here to access the secure Federation/JCOR donation website.
Thank you! The family members we help resettle today will be the grandparents of tomorrow. As a volunteer in this effort, YOU will make a difference to their future generations!
For more information, please contact our AARC lead on JCOR: Alice Mishkin at alice.mishkin@gmail.com
Co-Sponsorship Program for resettlement and support of refugees – initial call for AARC volunteer(s)!
We have the opportunity to participate with Beth Israel Congregation (BIC), Temple Beth Emeth, Jewish Cultural Society (JCS) and Pardes Hannah to sponsor a refugee family through Jewish Family Services’ (JFS) Co-Sponsorship Program.
JFS was established to support community resettlement efforts, and since 1993 they have resettled more than 1,000 refugees and other types of immigrants from all over the world. JFS is the only resettlement agency in Washtenaw County. It is one of very few resettlement agencies that provide a continuum of services from pre-arrival all the way through naturalization. The JFS services are holistic and focused on addressing all critical needs and long-term success of each client.
The Co-Sponsorship Program matches community sponsor groups with newly arriving Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders, refugees, and humanitarian parolees. Community sponsor groups will provide resettlement services in partnership with JFS with the goal of establishing a robust community of volunteers and a mechanism for refugees to develop long-term (12-month) supportive co-sponsor relationships.
Committed co-sponsoring groups will provide reception and placement services to new arrivals, which include: securing and furnishing housing, welcoming families upon arrival and ensuring basic needs, finding employment, conducting cultural orientation, and more. Upwards of 30 volunteers will be needed for the first 2 months of the family’s arrival.
Organizing for this co-sponsorship is just beginning, and at this time we are looking for one or two AARC members to serve on the initial organizing committee. If you are interested in serving as a point person for AARC, please contact Rena Basch (rena.h.basch@gmail.com). Also, please note if you are interested but not able to serve on this initial organizing committee there will be many other ways to get involved, many support committees and volunteer roles to fill.
Today the words of the Haggadah are as poignant and vital as ever. “In every generation, a person is obligated to see themselves as though they came forth from Egypt.”
“Mitzvah comes from the root word tzavta, which means connection. There are 613 mitzvot, and therefore, 613 way to connect to G-d.”
– Rabbi Zushe Greenberg
I appreciate this definition of mitzvah, which goes beyond doing a good deed or following a commandment, and adds connection as an essential ingredient. The AARC Mitzvah Corps strives to create for its members a feeling of connection and support that can then be brought forward to meet the needs of members of the congregation with compassionate caring. Towards that end, we hold quarterly meetings that begin with a personal sharing of a blessing and a challenge since we last met. In this way we have supported each other through health challenges, losses, changes in career or living situations, family stresses. Through that feeling of being connected it is easy to feel moved to connect to others when they are in need. Connection is the heart and soul of our mission – “to mobilize support when needed” and our vision – “to create a non-judgmental community in which it is natural to ask for and receive help.”
Much of what we have mobilized to do has been to help individual members in need. This has encompassed needs that arise from joy – setting up the worship and celebration areas for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, and needs that arise from sorrow – helping the bereaved host a Shiva. We have organized meal chains for families bringing home a newborn and for individuals moving through significant illness. We have provided rides to medical appointments, and organized daily support calls during these times of increased isolation created by the pandemic.
Currently, we are interested in receiving input from the community on several important factors as we move forward into 2022. We have created a survey that will take just a few moments of your time so that you can tell us what you might be available to offer, what you might use the offerings of the Mitzvah Corps for, and whether you want to join us. Please help us out by going to either of these links:
https://forms.gle/QgFCfDuVUYrc5kGV6
Thanks for your time and support,
Anita Rubin-Meiller, Mike Ehmann, Caroline Richardson, Sharon Haar, and Idelle Hammond-Sass
Often times the long list of social justice issues that need addressing seem like an insurmountable mountain to climb. But when social justice movements converge, it provides unique opportunities for us to collaborate and scale these high peaks of injustice together. Racial justice and environmental justice are not mutually exclusive; in truth, you can not have one without the other. The intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Tu B’Shvat are full of meaning and lessons to be learned if we study them together on this double holiday!
This Tu B’Shvat Seder written by Rabbi Arthur Waskow provides a wonderful opportunity to explore this relationship. This Seder explores climate change, our communal responsibilities to each other, the battles over fossil fuel pipelines running through native communities, and more. If you are planning a Tu B’Shvat seder this year, it is worth a look! Rabbi Waskow says, “But there is a life-giving way, a sacred way, a way of love: At the same moment when we honor the rebirth of trees, the rebirth of the Tree of Life, we honor the birthday of Martin Luther King and the rebirth of the energy he symbolized.”
Hazon has made a few Tu B’Shvat Haggadahs that provide interesting insight for us this year. Here is a family Tu B’Shvat Seder. This Seder asks meaningful questions that families can discuss together and provides a shopping list for ritual objects that you will need! This Hazon Seder from 2019 would be a good one to use this year because the holiday coincided with MLK Day that year as well; it focuses on the moral imperatives of our time as a segue into the double holiday.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is often used to beautify communal spaces. It is not uncommon to find people cleaning parks or rivers on MLK Day. Combining a social justice environmental project is a great opportunity to celebrate MLK’s legacy of taking action to make our world a better place and celebrating nature and trees for Tu B’Shvat. Here are some service opportunities in our area that speak to these double meanings:
I hope that your MLK Day and Tu B’Shvat is full of meaning and purpose this year. If you take part in any of the activities shared here, please take a picture and share with us!!
