Elul 5775/Tishrei 5776

Call 206-567-9414 for event details or see our online calendar here.

September

• 13 Erev Rosh Hashanah – Service & Dessert Pot Luck
• 14 Rosh Hashanah – Service, Learning, Tashlich
• 17 CROP Hunger Walk Restaurant Day
• 20 Shofar Workshop
• 22 Kol Nidre – Service
• 23 Yom Kippur – Service, Meditation, Yizkor, Bibliodrama, Break-the-Fast Potluck
• 27 Simchat Torah
• 27 CROP Hunger Walk
• 28 Super Supper

October

• 10 Bar Mitzvah – Elijah Stone
• 26 Super Supper

 

 

CONDOLENCES

Our condolences to Jessica Hanford, Dana, and Jonathan on the loss of Jessica’s father in New York this past week.

 

 

HIGH HOLIDAYS

This year’s theme: Hashlamah

Each year, our Shir Hayam High Holiday mailing includes some information about the year’s theme. Written by the Rabbi we hire to lead services, it gets us thinking about our own experience, and shows the Rabbi’s intentions for leading us along the pathway of these very Holy Days. The theme ideas presented here, for this year, are from the 11 Shir Hayam members who have been studying and planning for months to lead our group through superb lay-led High Holiday services this fall.

One researched source defines Hashlamah this way: Hashlamah correlates with shalom (peace) and shlemut (completeness). When a person is fully present (shalem) and equanimous (hashlamah) with what is happening in their mind and body at any given moment, only then does God’s peace (shalom) appear.

Hashlamah is an overarching theme that encompasses and encourages many concepts, such as:

Wholeness; reconciliation; new beginnings.
Forgiveness—an alternative to holding on to negativity.
A new understanding of one’s eventual death.
Tying up loose ends; a clean slate—taking responsibility for hurts to others and oneself.

The theme of Hashlamah is a jumping off point—a springboard from which to consider many issues related to the High Holidays and ourselves, internally and in our relationships with others. Some good beginning questions to consider include:

How do we become complete? How do we become whole?
How do we reconcile inner conflicts?
How do we reconcile with each other and the larger world? And with God?
From Gen. 33:44, 11): “How do we at least move in the direction of reconciliation between desire and responsibility, judgment and compassion, God and humankind, nature and artifice, [Black] people and white people, Esau and Jacob?”

 

 

 

 

TIKKUN OLAM – CROP Hunger Walk

In 2000, I was recruited by our small spiritual group to manage the annual Cropwalk fundraiser. Being new to the group, I thought it a simple task to take on and get involved. I’ve now been at it for 15 years & was “promoted” to treasure last year.

In 2000, I was recruited by our small chavurat to manage the annual BI/NK Cropwalk fundraiser. Being new to the group, I thought it a simple task to take on and get involved. I’ve now been at it for 15 years & was “promoted” to treasure last year. We can credit Rachel K. for being involved since the first BI/NK walk back in the early nineties.

Aside from the two of us, the chavurat has had only five other members solicit pledges these past fifteen years. For this year’s Cropwalk scheduled for Sunday, September 27^th, I propose that anyone (not including Rachel!) who raises $50* from a non-member, I will match that $50 (and that $50 will be matched for a total of $150; ultimately that $150 will be matched by our BI/NK anonymous donor for a grand total of $300 going to Cropwalk. Anyone up for the challenge? (* I can’t afford more than $50 per solicitor, so that’s the limit! That doesn’t mean you should stop there.) I have gotten anywhere from $100 to $400 each year from friends & neighbors; I think one or more of you could as well.

Our small community ranked #16 out of 1,300 walks last year. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised for this walk stays here locally; 20% to Helpline House and 5% to Fishline in North Kitsap. The remainder 75% goes to “Tools of Hope” that empowers people to meet their own needs – from seeds and tools, to wells and water systems, to technical training and micro-enterprise loans.

Please contact Denise Brown, mailings@shirhayam.org, or 780-0931

CROP Hunger Walk Restaurant Day, Thursday, September 17

This all day event brings in well over $1,000 annually to BI/NK Cropwalk. Expect to receive an email with the participating restaurants listed, and plan on a day of not cooking! Don’t forget to mention to your host/server/barista/bartender/cook why you are there. If any of you are a regular at Emmy’s, for sure let her know. She has been generous throughout the years, but thinks that no one comes there because of Restaurant Day.

 

 

JLC

JLC (Jewish Learning Center) for our youth ages 0 to 18 will be starting up this year in October, after the High Holidays. Like last year, our gatherings will include a warm all-ages, family style experience, often including creative play, stories, nature time and sharing a meal.   Stay tuned for more. Stay tuned for more information. If you are not already on the JLC mailing list and are interested in JLC, please send contact us: https://shirhayam.org/contact-us/

In the meantime, Mira Rosenkotz will be directing this year’s bibliodrama on Yom Kippur Day (Sept. 23). All actors (including youth-at-heart) are welcome to participate.  If you’re interested in participating, please contact Lisa or Mira.

And we are working on putting together a Shofar workshop, tentatively scheduled for September 20 in the later afternoon, and will put out an email when we have specifics.

 

 

BAR MITZVAH INVITATION

Dear Shir Hayam community,

If you have any stamina left after the holidays this year, please consider coming to Elijah’s bar mitzvah on October 10th.  For details, please rsvp:  http://evite.me/N8tKn9Ttnd

Lilach, Elijah, and the Stone family

 

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

We need some help for erecting the Sukkah on Sunday, September 27 before our Sukkah/Simchat Torah celebrations at 4 p.m. at the Rosenkotz’s.  If you could come early to help David, that would be much appreciated.  Please contact David to arrange a good time to meet for set-up at 206.842.5013.

A New Representative Needed for the Interfaith Council on BI:  This is good work with a very diverse, interesting, and committed group of folks.  Meetings are on the first Thursday of every month with dinner or snacks and discussion at 6:30 and meeting at 7 p.m. for about a 2 hour session.  If you are interested in representing our chavurah or sharing this role, please contact me; I’ve really enjoyed this work, as did Rachel before me.  Call Sharon Rutzick at 206.842.8453 or email me at srutzick1@comcast.net.

 

 

JFS

Shards of Light, Seattle’s Jewish Family Service 1892 – 2012

The chavurat recently received a copy of this publication http://www.bookpublishersnetwork.com/shards-light. Please contact Denise Brown, mailings @shirhayam.org or 780-0931 if you are interested in borrowing it to read.