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Support KI |
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Shop at Amazon.com and benefit KI |
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see Cultural Opportunities
or go directly to our website
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Radio Broadcast |
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Live on the air!! WNWR 1540 AM
Shabbat Morning Service
10:00 a.m.
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Rabbi Sussman Interviewed for PBS |
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Series on religion hosted by Dennis Wholey
"I Believe" |
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July 3, 2008 - Volume V No. 27
E-KI deadline THURSDAY 7/10 at noon.
BUILDING CLOSED FRIDAY JULY 4 UNTIL 7:15
PM SERVICE
HAPPY 4TH!!
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TORAH TIME ONLINE
"Who has need for any of those rituals," I often
hear people ask. "We don't do that, we are Reform,"
others proudly proclaim. Ritual behavior that
demands time and attention to detail has often been
pushed aside in our modern, busy, rational everyday
lives. For many people this works just fine.
I was looking at year-end evaluations, for example,
and a child in our school wrote that you sit shiva
when someone dies for that day and the next day. The
teacher had noted that the answer was incorrect. But
I wondered, was it? This was probably that child's
experience of shiva.
This week in our Torah portion we read a few unique
rituals of the slaughtering of a red heifer as
purification from sin, and rules after someone has
been in contact with a dead person as well as other
purity laws. These rules may seem foreign and
strange to most of us. Even observant Jews might not
be familiar with the rituals. But the approach to
ritual is something many of us can understand.
Recently I have spoken with a number of congregants
who have experienced devastating losses. They speak
of the endless days where they go from one activity
to the other, passing through the motions of life,
waiting for time to pass until they will once again
be able to sleep through the night, or feel normal
again. Who among us has not experienced such a loss?
Who among us has not felt that agony, wishing there
was something someone could do, something we could
do to lessen the pain?
It is in this time that I, as a Rabbi, think back to
some of our ancient and timeless rituals. Things
like saying prayers or psalms every day, rituals
such as a weekly trip to synagogue to say Kaddish,
or a commitment to visiting the sick, helping the
elderly, doing something for someone else. Each one
of these rituals can add meaning and structure to an
otherwise difficult day-to- day existence. The
problem with rituals is they cannot be approached
rationally and their usefulness cannot be evaluated
free from the emotions that accompany the need for
the ritual.
It is hard to read our sacred scripture and really
understand what it must have been like for our
ancestors. As with everything in life, we must be
careful not to judge, since we do not stand in their
shoes. What we must do is to seek to understand, and
to find out what we can learn from the sacred
memories they have left us.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Stacy E. Rigler |
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Worship and Study Activities
THIS WEEK - Friday, July 4 - American
Jewish Shabbat Service at 7:15 p.m. Saturday,
July 5 - Torah Study Havurah at 9:00 a.m.;
Morning Service at 10:30 a.m.
IN THE WEEK AHEAD - Friday, July 11
Evening Service at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, July 12
- Torah Study Havurah at 9:00 a.m.; Morning Service
at 10:30 a.m.
COMING UP - Saturday, July 19 - Rydal
Park Service at 2:00 p.m. Friday, July 25 -
Informal Shabbat Service at 5:45 p.m. Members
Barbecue at 6:30 p.m. **If you know someone who
might be interested in membership, please invite
them. Special 50% off first year dues for 55 and
older who have not been KI members for at least five
years. ** Evening Service at 8:00 p.m. Rabbi Sussman
will speak: "Industrializing Hate: Henry Ford and
the Jews." Friday, August 8 - Tot Shabbat at
6:00 p.m.; Tot Shabbat Dinner at 6:30 p.m.; Evening
Service at 8:00 p.m. will include observance of
Tisha B'Av. Friday, August 15 Evening Service
at 8:00 p.m. Rabbi Sussman will speak: "The Rule of
Justice and Right: Woodrow Wilson and the Jews."
KI USHER CORPS - Are you past the age of
Bar/Bat Mitzvah? Great! Please join KI's Usher
Corps. We always need able, conscientious men and
women to usher at Friday Evening and Shabbat Morning
Services. If you are interested in ushering or have
ushered in the past and want to be on the list for
assignments, please
contact Nathan Zinberg at 215-884-5050.
The most recent Shabbat evening sermon is again
available on-line. |
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Preschool and Religious School Activities
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL REGISTRATION CARDS DUE -
Your registration cards are due now. Please get them
in!!
COMING THIS FALL - TIE DYE IS BACK!! - Click
here for information.
Find out more about our Religious School
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Cultural Opportunities
MITZVAHS AND MUSEOLOGY: THE 2008 KI CONFIRMATION
ACADEMY EXHIBITION - June 8 through July 31 at
the Temple Judea Museum. "Controversy and Judaism"
curated by Josh Roeser, Ben Gastfriend, Mike Janas
and Matt Goldberg. "Handcrafted Jewish Objects"
curated by Matt Pepper, Julian Plotnick. "Changing
Perception: Jewish Fashion Then and Now" curated by
Samantha Mikels, Rebekah Thomas and Tara Cherwony.
"Music of the Collection" curated by Ethan Weiss and
Adam Saruya.
CHELTENHAM YOUTH ORCHESTRA - Concert on
Thursday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. at KI. Click
here for more info. This is the orchestra that
has been rehearsing in K/G late each afternoon for
the past few weeks. Come and enjoy the results!
A MOSQUE, A SHUL AND A HINDU SHRINE - One-day
bus trip led by Rabbi Sussman on Thursday, August 7,
to visit the Eldrige Street Synagogue, Islamic
Cultural Center, and the Ganesh Hindu Temple.
Reservations by check only. $60/person (KI members)
$75/person (non-members). Information (215)
887-8702. Maximum 45.
VISIT THE KI/WRJ GIFT SHOP - Lap robes
now 10% off. We accept VISA and MasterCard. Free
Gift Wrapping! Summer hours by appointment: Contact
Marlene Baker at (215) 368-8025.
Find out more about cultural opportunities at KI
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Social Action Opportunities
LOCAL RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES -
1:30 to 7:30 p.m. on:
July 8th at Adath Jeshurun
Aug 6th at Beth Sholom
Aug 7th at Beth Am
Aug 13th at Keneseth Israel
Appointments are encouraged, but not required.
Please contact
Nancy Taylor from the American Red Cross at 215-
348-9271 for information or to sign up.
RED CROSS PLATELET DONATION - Sunday, July
13, at Adath Jeshurun. Platelet donation takes
approximately two hours. For more information or for
an appointment, contact
Nancy Taylor of the Red Cross at 215-348-9271.
DO A MITZVAH - Help the Jewish Relief Agency
at their warehouse (10980 Dutton Road, Philadelphia)
assemble and deliver food packages to people in
need. Special Summer Schedule: Sunday, July
13th,10:00 a.m.: pack and deliver (bagels & coffee
for volunteers). Monday, July 14th, 4:00 to 8:00
p.m.: deliver only (pizza for volunteers). For more
information, contact Amy Krulik, JRA Executive
Director at 610-660-0190, or Rabbi Stacy Rigler at
215-887- 8704.
DONATIONS TO HELP MIDWEST FLOOD VICTIMS -
Send
contributions to Union for Reform Judaism
Donations, URJ Disaster Relief Fund, 633 Third
Avenue, New York, NY 10017
CLOTHING DRIVE BENEFITS CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA
FOUNDATION - Bring gently used clothing and
shoes to the collection bin along KI's driveway.
Proceeds will go towards improving the quality of
life of children afflicted with this dreaded
disease. For more information, visit their
website.
UNPLUG IT!! Help the Environment - Make an
effort to unplug battery chargers when not in use,
turn home office equipment off from a power strip,
and turn lights and ceiling fans off when no one is
in the room. Many products use energy even when
turned off, if they are still plugged in. Small
trickles of energy use in your home can drain your
wallet, as well as waste our natural resources.
COOKING FOR SHARING IS CARING - Help
assemble meals in the K/G kitchen for clients of the
Klein Branch JCC from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on
Tuesday, TBA. Information: Gladys Segal (215)
635-5815.
JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICE -
Volunteer
training and
opportunities, including possible mitzvah
projects. |
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Adult Education
ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES - Watch for new
brochure at the end of the summer.
NEWS FROM THE MEYERS
LIBRARY
WIRELESS INTERNET ZONE! Bring your laptop,
enjoy a cup of gourmet coffee, and explore a current
best seller. Make the KI Library your home away from
home.
AUDIO BOOKS - Click
here for a list of our audio books.
Library hours for July Wednesday 10:00 a.m. -
4:00 p.m.; Friday before and after services. (You
can also visit the bookcarts at the Oneg.) For a
complete list of new books, click
here. Note: To reserve a copy of the latest
contemporary fiction/non-fiction, please see a
library staff member or call 215-887- 8700, Ext.
122. |
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Announcements
DOMESTIC INFANT OPEN ADOPTION MEETING -
Wednesday, July 9, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at
Chestnut Hill Library, 8711 Germantown Avenue,
Philadelphia. RSVP to
Shlomit Twersky at 215.934.5551, ext. 314.
"WHY ME: SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONAL ISSUES THAT
OFTEN ACCOMPANY A DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST CANCER" -
Thursday, July 10 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at a
private home on the Main Line. Co-facilitated by
Rabbi Elisa Goldberg, Director of the Joan Grossman
Center for Chaplaincy and Healing, and Gari Julius
Weilbacher, breast cancer survivor and life coach.
Presented by Yad b'Yad, (Hand in Hand), a program of
Jewish Family and Children's Service (JFCS) of
Greater Philadelphia. Part of an ongoing series of
workshops being sponsored by Jewish Family and
Children's Service and funded by the Philadelphia
Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation on topics
of interest and concern to women living with breast
cancer. Registration required. RSVP to
Lonnie Beer at 215.635.8909, ext. 118.
SUNDAY SOCCER LEAGUE - Click on the Kehillah
link below left.
KEHILLAH OF OLD YORK ROAD - Visit the
Kehillah
website for current happenings. Click
here for current programs. |
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Contact Us
ELKINS PARK CAMPUS
8339 OLD YORK ROAD · ELKINS PARK, PA 19027
(215)887-8700 · FAX: (215) 887- 1070
BLUE BELL CAMPUS
1802 SKIPPACK PIKE · BLUE BELL, PA 19422
(484) 674-8700
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This E-KI Update can be
emailed to you weekly. Email your request to:
contact@kenesethisrael.org
We are happy to add non-members to this list as well!
Note: Announcements for E-KI Must be in to the Rabbi’s office, 215-887-8702, by TUESday at 12pm
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