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Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation

Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation

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Upcoming Activities

Serenity Shabbat!

April 17, 2022 by Gillian Jackson

THIS SERVICE HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO APRIL 29TH AT 6:30

Many of us have been touched by addiction, either as a personal struggle or as a loved one of someone who lives with addiction. This special Shabbat service will focus on addiction awareness and the wisdom of Jewish tradition as it relates to the spiritual practice of recovery. Everyone is welcome, including members of the recovery community, friends and family who have been affected by a loved one’s addiction, and anyone interested in this unique spiritual experience. Hosted by the Lior Project, this service will be one of a series of addiction and recovery-focused events hosted by congregations throughout the Ann Arbor area.

Following the service, we will come together to enjoy a kosher for Passover vegetarian potluck! The service will be hybrid; to participate please sign up here.

2022-Shabbat-Services-Flyer-V5

Filed Under: Upcoming Activities Tagged With: recovery, serenity shabbt, shabbat

Meet Armin Langer

April 4, 2022 by Rena Basch

AARC hosted Armin Langer for the weekend of April 8 – 10 for a Shabbaton. Armin will graduate from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in May 2022 .  He also received a PhD in sociology from Humboldt University of Berlin in January 2022.  Since 2020, Armin has served as the student rabbi for Congregation Am Haskalah, a Reconstructionist synagogue in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania.  He was a visiting cantor for the Egalitarian Synagogue of Malmö, Sweden, from 2017 to 2020.  Armin previously led the Salaam-Shalom Initiative in Berlin, a Jewish-Muslim group combating antisemitism and Islamophobia together.

Resume

Shabbaton with AARC rabbi candidate Dr. Armin Langer took place
Friday, April 8 – Sunday, April 10

  • Kabbalat Shabbat Services – Video of (half of) Friday Night Shabbat Service or on YouTube.
  • Adult education session – Video of Adult Ed or on YouTube.
  • Shiur (Talmudic study session) on this week’s parashah – Video of Shiur or view on YouTube.

There will be a membership meeting on Tuesday, April 19 at 7 pm via Zoom to vote on extending an offer to Armin. RSVP here, and the Zoom link will be emailed to you.

Filed Under: Upcoming Activities

Passover 2022 Resources

April 2, 2022 by Gillian Jackson

Please enjoy this list of resources for your Passover holiday this year!

Restaurants Catering Passover Meals: 

Plum Market: Visit plummarket.com/springcatering to see their Passover Menu. 

Zola Bistro: Visit https://www.bistrozola.com/family-passover-celebration-menu/ to see their catered meal and seder plate. 

Zingermans Deli: Visit https://www.zingermanscatering.com/passover/#Passover-Menu to see Zingerman’s catered seder plate, seder meal for one, and seder meal for the family. 

Grocery Stores with Passover Supplies: 

Plum Market North and West has your regular Passover fare including matzoh, gefilte fish, and Manischewitz cookies in a can!

Kroger on Washtenaw has an online Passover selection you can find here.

Meijer locations in Ann Arbor are currently having a sale on many Kosher for Passover items. You can order these items online and pickup curbside!

Online Haggadah Resources: 

If you’re looking for something simple and ready-made, download this Zoom-gaddah, a ready-to-use Powerpoint Haggadah!

Clare Kinberg compiled an excellent list of creative themed Haggadot in 2018, and Avodah put together an extensive list of Haggadot and seder supplements for adults and kids; the list includes rituals and readings for COVID, immigrant rights, food justice, racial justice, gender justice, and more.

And of course we would be remiss to discuss Haggadot without mentioning our own Carol Levin’s beautiful family Haggadah. 

Go to Haggadot.com to customize your haggadah with meditations, skits, coloring pages and more! 

Or download one of their ready-to-print favorites 
Comedy Seder
Haggadah for Justice
Heroes Haggadah (NEW!)
Women’s Seder
Minimalist Haggadah

If you have some resources you would like to add to the list, please comment below!

Filed Under: Upcoming Activities Tagged With: hagaddah, Passover

Passover Plans 2022

March 31, 2022 by Gillian Jackson

Passover Seder Sign Up

One of the things that I love about our congregation is the way that opportunities are built in to be a part of a tight-knit community and make personal connections with people. One of the really special ways that we do this is to make sure that every member has a Seder table to join for the Passover holiday. Being invited to someone’s Seder table is a really meaningful opportunity to experience the Passover Seder through the perspective of another family. The way that everyone approaches the Seder is always different, getting to experience this can provide new insights and ways of looking at the Passover story.

How the process works is that two sign ups are created for people to offer seats at their Seder table and request seats at a seder table. Once that we have all of the information about available and needed seats, we will match families to each other and exchange contact information. If you are interested in participating, sign up here!

Serenity Shabbat

Fourth Friday Shabbat will fall during Passover this year. We will be having a Shabbat service and potluck that is focused on addiction awareness and the wisdom of Jewish tradition as it relates to the spiritual practice of recovery. Everyone is welcome, including members of the recovery community, friends and family who have been affected by a loved one’s addiction, and anyone interested in a meaningful spiritual experience. 

Mimouna Pizza Party Bonfire

We will also be hosting a Mimouna Pizza Party Bonfire at Jeff and Rena Basch’s house at the end of Passover. Mimouna is a Sephardic tradition that celebrates the end of Passover as well as the harvest. Learn more about Mimouna here. Its a really fun way to mark the end of the Passover holiday. Come enjoy pizza, donuts and other chametz at the end of Passover at Rena and Jeff Basch’s house. More details to come!

We hope that you will find an opportunity to connect with each other during the passover holiday this year. As always, let us know if you have any questions!

Filed Under: Upcoming Activities Tagged With: Mimouna, Passover

Opportunity for AARC co-sponsorship of refugee family

March 23, 2022 by Rena Basch

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.”  

Image from Antoine Merour

Filed Under: Tikkun Olam, Upcoming Activities

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

AARC Hybrid Zoom/In-Person Services Returns to the JCC!

February 18, 2022 by Gillian Jackson

It has been a long two years since we last held indoor services at the JCC, and the long awaited moment is here! We are excited to announce that we will be holding indoor hybrid online/in-person services beginning Friday, February 25th at 6:30! The in-person service will be held in the lounges at the Jewish Community Center of Ann Arbor. The Zoom link will be sent out via our weekly mailer or you can email us for the link.

The service will have an interactive Zoom offering for those who do not feel comfortable attending in person. This will allow online attendees to connect with each other via chat and submit names to be read out loud for Kaddish and Misheberah. We are asking folks to sign up to attend virtual services so we have an idea of who is coming for the first few services. To attend online, please sign up here.

There will be some changes to in-person services in the first few months. In order to maintain COVID safety, we will not be having a potluck after the service. There will be childcare but we will not be having pizza before services for the kids. One important new addition to services is that we ask that you please sign up in advance to attend. This way we can keep track of who is coming for contact tracing purposes. To attend in-person services, please sign up here.

Please email us if you have any questions about our upcoming hybrid services!

Please be sure to review our full Health and Safety Guidelines for indoor events below:

Health and Safety Expectations for In-Person Gatherings

Please also read the Brit Briyut:

Brit Briyut: A Covenant of Mutual Well-Being

Filed Under: Upcoming Activities Tagged With: hybrid shabbat

B’Yachad: Reconstructing Judaism’s 2022 Conference!

February 2, 2022 by Gillian Jackson

From Reconstructing Judaism’s Website:

“Join us from March 23 – 27, 2022 for B’Yachad: Reconstructing Judaism Together. Over these four days, both in person and virtually, we will learn from and with experts, scholars and lay leaders. We will engage in conversations, ask questions, and listen. We will pray together, sing together, dance together and celebrate all that we do every day in our communities to reconstruct Judaism. 

B’yachad will be an opportunity for you to reconnect with friends from conventions past and to form new friendships, as well as to deepen your sense of belonging to this community of communities.  If you choose to give your time, energy and resources to this gathering, we hope you will be transformed—perhaps by an encounter, a powerful teaching, or a song that touches your heart. You will leave with many takeaways — resources, some answers, and even more questions. We will know that we have been successful if you return home excited about all you experience and inspired to share what you learned here that can strengthen your own community.

Come back to this website often. Check out the schedule. Have you seen the information about Through A Reconstructionist Lens: An Adult B- / Re- Mitzvah program? It is not too late to participate – and plan to be with us in March 2022 as the program culminates and we celebrate some notable anniversaries.”

Filed Under: Upcoming Activities Tagged With: convention, Reconstructing Judaism

Other Worlds and Underworlds: A New Ta Shma Series

December 26, 2021 by Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner

By: Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner

Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner

Once upon a time there lived in the city of Worms a man called R. Bunem, who assisted in the burial of the dead. 

One day an old man died and, as usual, R. Bunem accompanied the body to the grave. The next morning, when R. Bunem went to the synagogue, he saw at the door a man dressed in a shroud and with a wreath round his head. R. Bunem was frightened, for he believed he was a demon and started to run away, but the man in the shroud said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, come here, do you not know me?’ 

R. Bunem replied: ‘Are you now the man I accompanied to the grave yesterday?’ Then R. Bunem said to him: ‘Why did you come here, and how are you getting along in the other world?’ 

He replied: ‘I am getting along very well, and am held in high esteem in Gan Eden…If you do not believe me, I will give you a sign which will convince you. When you put the shroud on me yesterday you tore one of my sleeves.’ 

Then R. Bunem said: ‘What does the wreath on your head mean?’ 

He said: ‘It is made of good herbs of Gan Eden and keeps the evil demons from doing me harm.’ Then he asked R. Bunem to mend his sleeve, for he said he was shamed of the other spirits, who had whole garments, while his were torn. Then the dead man disappeared.

This story comes from The Ma’Aseh Book, a Yiddish anthology of stories from Talmudic, Midrashic, and early medieval texts published in Basel, Switzerland in 1602. The Ma’Aseh Book contains a fraction of Judaism’s once well-known, now largely forgotten stories of heaven, hell, ghosts, demons, reincarnation, and resurrection. 

If you’d like to learn more about these hidden worlds, then our new Ta Shma series is for you! Starting on January 8th, join us on Second Saturdays for a taste of the fantastical with Ta Shma: Other Worlds and Underworlds:

January 8: The Soul

February 12: Resurrection, Reincarnation, and Olam Haba 

March 12: Heaven and Its Angels

April 9: Hell and Its Demons

May 14: Dybbuks, Ghosts, and Other Spirits

Filed Under: Upcoming Activities Tagged With: Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner, ta shma

December Adult Ed Series: Jewish End-Of-Life Perspectives

December 1, 2021 by Gillian Jackson

AARC and Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner are pleased to announce December’s two-part adult education series focused on Jewish perspectives on end-of-life care. Both sessions will be held over Zoom.

Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner

Curing, Caring, and End-Of-Life: The Jewish Perspective

Sunday December 12, 1-2:30 PM 

How does Judaism engage with the values of health, preserving life, minimizing pain, and a ‘good death’? When it comes to end-of-life, what values can guide us in making the hard decisions for our loved ones and ourselves? Join Rabbi Ora to explore the Jewish perspectives on these important issues.

This is Part 1 of a 2-part AARC Adult Ed series over Zoom. Register to attend and receive the Zoom link here.

Dr. Alan Molk

Saving Lives, Saving Dignity: An ER Doctor Shares His Insights On End-Of-Life Care

Sunday December 19, 1-2:30 PM

Join us in welcoming Dr. Alan Molk, an ER physician based in Phoenix, AZ. Naturally wired to “save lives no matter what,” Dr. Molk’s decades of experience in the ER, as well as his late mother’s journey with Alzheimer’s, convinced him that there are times when comfort care is more appropriate than aggressive care. Join us for a presentation by Dr. Molk based on his book, “Saving Lives, Saving Dignity: A Unique End-of-Life Perspective from Two Emergency Physicians,” followed by a discussion and opportunities for personal reflection.

This is Part 2 of a 2-part AARC Adult Ed series over Zoom. Register to attend and receive the Zoom link here.

We hope that you will join us for this important educational experience. Please email Gillian with any questions or concerns.

Filed Under: Community Learning, Upcoming Activities Tagged With: Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner

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Upcoming Events

  • 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, May 14, 2022 – HYBRID Second Saturday Shabbat Morning Service and Ta'Shma Come and Learn
  • 11:30 am – 12:30 pm, May 15, 2022 – AARC Book Group
  • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm, May 27, 2022 – Hybrid Fourth Friday Kabbalat Shabbat
  • 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, June 11, 2022 – HYBRID Second Saturday Shabbat Morning Service and Ta'Shma Come and Learn
  • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm, June 24, 2022 – Hybrid Fourth Friday Kabbalat Shabbat

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  • Jewish Perspectives on Abortion May 11, 2022
  • Planning for Shavuot May 1, 2022
  • A Joyous Mimouna! April 28, 2022
  • Serenity Shabbat! April 17, 2022
  • Meet Armin Langer April 4, 2022

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