E-KI

May 20, 2004         Issue 20

 

 

Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel

 

8339 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027   215.887.8700    

 

 

Torah Time Online

A Covenantal People—Parshat Bemidbar

Numbers 1

Hosea 2

            This week we begin the fourth book of the Torah, the Book of Numbers, or Bemidbar (“In the Wilderness”) in Hebrew.   The initial setting of the Book of Numbers is the “Wilderness of Sinai,” that is, the territory east of Mt. Sinai which the Exodus of the Hebrews will have to cross to reach the Promised Land.  Like a school field trip with many stops, Moses has to count and recount his people at different stages of the journey.  Having been trained as a shepherd, he understood that each of his “sheep” was important.

            The Book of Numbers report of the “exact” number of Hebrews of military age is surprising large.  Most likely, the tally depends on the translation of the term elef.   Elef is generally understood to mean “one thousand” but can also simply mean “a unit.”  Thus, Israel’s army is either 600,000 plus strong or, more likely, made up of  “600 units.” 

            In either event, the Exodus includes an impressive number of participants.  The idea of Israel being a populous people stretches all the way back to God’s promise of fecundity to Abraham at the very beginning of the Jewish people’s journey.  Now, after years of slavery and with the promise of a homeland in their sights, it seems Israel is the nation God envisioned for Abraham centuries earlier!

            Abraham, like Moses, had a covenant or a brit with God.  Abraham was promised a land and a nation.  Moses was given the terms of the covenant.  No idea is more central to Judaism than the idea of covenant, the proposition that the Jewish people in all the their generations (i.e., Keneseth Israel) stands in eternal relationship with God.  We are bound together, the Torah tells us, to one another, to our ancestors and to our God by our brit.  We are a covenantal people.

            Nowhere is the meaning of covenant in Jewish thought and literature made clearer than in the closing words of this week’s Haftarah from the Book of Hosea.   Hosea, an 8^th c. BCE prophet, understands Israel’s covenant in terms of the marriage covenant.  “I will espouse you forever,” the prophet represents God speaking to Israel, “I will espouse you with righteousness and justice, with goodness and mercy.”  If we fulfill our part of the covenant with equally fine intentions, then our partnership with our past, our Maker and ourselves will be complete.  We alone can determine what kind of “Jewish partners” we will be in the long history of our ancient covenant.

 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D.

 

UPCOMING MITZVAH DAY 2004

According to Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Union for Reform Judaism’s Religious Action Center, “It is not the study of Torah that is the essential thing, it is the doing of Torah. And, the doing of Torah means the doing of social justice. Tikkun olam, the creating of a better world, provides a powerful answer to the question of why be Jews."
            Mitzvah Day is our annual community day of service, allowing our congregation to fulfill the Jewish ideal of gemilut hasadim, doing good deeds of loving kindness. On Mitzvah Day, hundreds of our members come together to support non-profit agencies serving both our local and Jewish communities. Our congregation will participate in projects to spruce up KI. This year join us on Sunday, May 23^rd for a day of service.

The Day’s Schedule:

9:30—10:15 a.m. Religious School graduation

10:15—10:30 a.m. Mitzvah Day—Kick-off in the Sanctuary!

10:30 a.m.—5:00 p.m. Mitzvah Day activities

Projects – Sign up for as many as you want!!

10:30 a.m. to Noon

Religious School projects—each Religious School grade will be working together on a Mitzvah project from 10:30 a.m.—Noon.  Assist teachers and students with Mitzvah Day programming. Feel free to join your children! Then participate in the following activities:

KI Kitchen—Prepare food for hospices, homebound adults and homeless shelters.

Babysitting Services—Take care of babies and young children to allow parents to volunteer at other activities.

KI clean up/fix up—Assorted projects to maintain and improve KI.

Local Cleanup—Help KI clean our adopted stretch of Old York Road. Must be age 16 or older.

KI Garden—Help maintain our garden and do some planting.

KI Mitzvah Corps—Visit KI congregants in hospitals/nursing homes.

Jewish Relief Agency bringing food relief packages to needy Jewish families in the Philadelphia area.

HMS School For Cerebral Palsy—Visit with student residents.

8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Habitat for Humanity—Paint and finish the interior of a house (Please note this program is open only to those age 16+ and space is limited).

2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

KI Special Education—Assist with a project for developmentally disabled adults.

Deliveries—Drivers to drop off food, baskets, cards and projects to various agencies.

 

To register, please return the following to the Rabbinic Office:

 

Name:

Phone #:

E-mail:

Address:

First Choice

Second Choice

Third Choice

Would you be willing to be a site coordinator?

I would like to support Mitzvah Day with the following Donation. $_____________

Please make checks payable to KI and include them with your application.

 

Thank you!

 

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AT KI

 

Worship Opportunities

Services This Week, Friday, May 21 —Shabbat evening service at 8:00 p.m. in the Chapel.  Rabbi Peter Rigler’s sermon will be “Stand Up and Be Counted.”  Saturday, May 22—Shabbat morning services at 10:30 a.m. in the Chapel, when we will celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of Jennifer Leigh Silow, daughter of Deenie and Gary Silow; Junior Congregation at 10:30 a.m. in the Youth Lounge; Havdalah service at 5:30 p.m., when we will celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Michael Jacob Goldenberg, son of Nancy and David Goldenberg. 

Services In the Week Ahead, Friday, Tuesday, May 25—Consecration of Confirmands — service at 8:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary.  Wednesday, May 26—Shavuot service with Confirmation at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary.  Friday, May 28 —Shabbat evening service at 8:00 p.m. in the Chapel.  Rabbi Lance Sussman’s sermon will be “May God Bless You: Why We Need Ritual in our Lives.”  Saturday, May 29—Shabbat morning services at 10:30 a.m. in the Chapel. 

Upcoming Holidays

Shavuot—Please join the congregation at Shavuot Services on Wednesday, May 26 at 10:30 a.m.

Cultural Opportunities

Delaware Valley Zimriyah—Regional Jewish Choral Festival on Wednesday, June 2, at  7:30 p.m. at KI.  Admission is free.

Cultural Council 60+ - Natalie Pompilio, Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, Embedded in Iraq: The Capture of Sadam Hussein, Thursday, June 10, lunch at 11:30 a.m.  KI member luncheon fee is $7.00 with a reservation by June 3, $10.00 for guests and reservations after June 3.  Contact Doris Parker, 215-886-9267.

From Emigrant to Immigrant: Reflections on Coming and Becoming — Temple Judea Museum exhibition of original artwork and archival materials through June 30, 2004. 

Adult Education & Speakers

Adult Education – Book Discussion Group—Adult Education Brochure for more details.

Preschool and Religious School

Closing Community Time—On May 23, join us as we recognize our 6th Grade students who will be promoted to the Confirmation Academy.

Confirmation—Please join us on Shavuot eve for a service of consecration for our confirmands on Tuesday, May 25 at 8:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary, and on Wednesday, May 26, at 10:30 a.m. for the Confirmation service.

Preschool Mitzvah Crib—Please donate new baby and toddler supplies so we can help young families in need in our community.  Collection box in the preschool hallway through May 23 (Mitzvah Day).

Dorney Park Trip—Sunday, June 6, Family Day.  $35 includes transportation and entrance to the Park.  Bus leaves KI at 9 a.m. and return at 5 p.m.  For more information call the Religious School office.

Senior KIFTY Thousand-Bracelet Project—in memory of the victims of terror in Israel.  Bracelets available for $5 each at KIFTY Kafe and KIFTY Canteen.

Social Action Opportunities

Mitzvah Day—Sunday, May 23^rd, KI’s annual community day of service allowing our congregation to fulfill the Jewish ideal of gemilut hasadim, doing good deeds of loving kindness. You can sign up to help with Religious School projects, KI Kitchen, Local Clean Up, KI Garden, KI Mitzvah Corps, Jewish Relief Agency, Habitat for Humanity, HMS School for Cerebral Palsy, or KI Special Education.

Blood Drive—In the spirit of Tikkun Olam, KI will be sponsoring a Red Cross Blood Drive on Mitzvah Day, Sunday, May 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., to alleviate a severe blood shortage.  Call 215-887-8700 to make an appointment.  Walk-ins are welcome.  For further questions call the American Red Cross at 215-451-4326 or go online to www.pleasegiveblood.org

 ONE HOUR OF YOUR TIME AT THE MITZVAH DAY BLOOD DRIVE MEANS A LIFETIME TO A HOSPITAL PATIENT!

Social Action Committee— Do you care about social justice?  Join the Social Action Committee and help shape KI’s action in the community around us. If you have ideas on how we at KI can make a difference contact Rabbi Peter Rigler through the Rabbinic Office at 215-887-8702 or rabbipcr@kenesethisrael.org  

Greeting Cards Benefit Sefer Project – Need to send a greeting card?  Isabel Hirshberg, a first grader in our religious school, has won the Social Action Art Contest and designed a greeting card, available for $5 in the Administrative Office (Religious School Office on Sunday). Each card purchased represents a donation of one new book to the Sefer (Book) Project, which provides books to children in need.   You can also help the Sefer Project by donating new and gently used children’s books.

Ways To Get Involved

Annual Meeting of the Congregation—Sunday, June 13, at 10:00 a.m.  All members of KI are invited.

Annual Dinner & Installation Shabbat—Dinner, Shabbat services and Installation of Officers and Trustees of the Congregation and its constituent groups — on Friday, June 18, at 6:00 p.m.  Dinner is $37.50 per person.  Call Administrative Office for more information  (215) 887-8700.  Invitations were mailed. 

We Need You - The membership committee is embarking on an ambitious quest to recruit new members to join our K.I. family. We can’t do it without your help! It’s a great chance to share your love of K.I. with prospective members and meet current members as well. Contact Leza Raffel at (215) 884-6499 for further details.

K.I. Outreach Committee – Are you part of an interfaith couple?  Are you a Jew-by-choice?  Are you a Jew-by-birth interested in relearning Jewish traditions?  The K.I. Outreach Committee is interested in your participation and/or your input.  Contact Sharon Buckingham (215) 885-9429.

Shabbat Shalom Tablecloth – Join our growing list of congregants who have already added their names to our beautiful name-embroidered tablecloth.  ($25/one-line name).  For information, contact Babe Hernes (215) 379-5438 or Doris Parker (215) 886-9267.

Celebration Fund – Is there a special occasion occurring in the near future for you or a loved one?  A milestone birthday?  A special anniversary?  Birth of a child or grandchild?  Share your happiness with our congregational family.  Contributions to K.I.’s Celebration Fund underwrite our beautiful Oneg Shabbat.  Contact the Administrative Office, (215) 887-8700, for further details.

Sisterhood Gift Shop—Blowout Sale! -- All merchandise is on sale.  Visit us May 23 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to take advantage of these great prices!  Buy your Father’s Day, graduation and other holiday presents now.