May 2016
Nisan/Iyyar 5776
Call 206-567-9414 for event details or see our online calendar here.
May
- 13 JLC – Earth Day
- 15 Annual Meeting
- 21 JLC – Graduation and Lag b’Omer
- 30 Super Supper
June
- 27 Super Supper
COMMUNITY
Mishabeirach and good wishes to Araya Sol and Nina Rogozen for a full recovery from their recent surgeries.
ANNUAL MEETING
Shir Hayam Annual Meeting / Visioning Meeting May 15, 2016
This year’s meeting is going to be a blast! Bring your ideas for Shir Hayam & your dancing shoes !
LOCATION: We are meeting at PRU’S HOUSE, a wonderful house owned and leased by Bainbridge Island Metro Parks and Recreation. It sits upon a large, wide-open, grassy area in the Grand Forest called HILLTOP. There is a kitchen, but no stove.
TIME: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
ACCESS: Accessible by car; see directions below. (Hike up if you want to.)
BRING: The Coordinating Committee will be providing LOX (yes, really), bagels, cream cheese, fruit, coffee and tea. If you can, please bring a snack to share as well.
CHILD CARE: There is a separate room for young Shir Hayamers to play in, as well as the open field. Please let Nina know by May 7 if you will be needing child care so we can line up a teenager to babysit. (email Nina) Please include children’s ages in your email.
OLDER KIDS: All are welcome to participate in the dancing, meetings and discussions, or play in the field outside the house.
FLOW:
1. ISRAELI DANCING – with a teacher and demonstration assistants.
2. GENERAL BUSINESS MEETING – (committee reports, budget approval, election of new Coordinating Committee members).
3. SHORT BREAK – Eat some snacks! Maybe dance a little more.
4. DISCUSSION – Break into small groups of 3 – 5 to discuss a few topics. Then bring feedback to the whole group.
(a) What do you value most about being a Shir Hayam member; what brings you to Shir Hayam events/our community.
(b) Should we/how can we increase our community presence on Bainbridge Island and in North Kitsap.
(c) Brainstorm activities/events that would provide us with more social time together and bring more people to our wonderful Chavurah, e.g., movie nights, dance evenings, Sunday hikes, speakers.
DIRECTIONS TO PRU’S HOUSE
- From New Brooklyn Road, turn NORTH onto Mandus-Olsen Road.
- Follow Mandus-Olsen to the Grand Forest East trailhead / road. (It looks like a dead end but is just before Mandus-Olsen veers sharply to the left.)
- Continue (North) into the Grand Forest on the dirt access road—Access road is one lane so be prepared for oncoming traffic; use pull-outs. Follow access road & “Hilltop” signs to parking area at Barn.
- Park at barn & walk right, through the orchard to “Pru’s House” next door.
- TO EXIT: Exit Barn parking area via one-way loop, returning to road. Return to trailhead via same one-lane access road.
To see pictures of the house: http://www.biparks.org/biparks_site/facilities/prues-house.htm
We need everyone’s ideas. We hope to see you all there! The Coordinating Committee
RECENT PHOTOS
PURIM
JLC – Seder Plates
TIKKUN OLAM COMMITTEE 2016 DISTRIBUTIONS
This month we had our annual Tikkun Olam online meeting to divide up the money in the Tikkun Olam fund for distribution. Our budget was a record breaking $1951.63. Our choices for this year are:
Click on the links to learn more about each organization.
Next month your favorite charity can be in the spotlight! Send me some information and I will get it in the newsletter ~ Rachel
OUR TORAH
In response to a recent suggestion from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, we have updated our website to highlight our Torah and include more information about the Memorial Scrolls Trust and the history of our Torah – MST#511. Please take a look. https://shirhayam.org/ourtorah/
MEMBERSHIP & Tax Deductible Donations
All memberships & program fund contributions made in 2015 are tax deductible . Please send in yours to Chavurah Shir Hayam, PO Box 11492, Bainbridge Island WA 98110. Contact Denise Brown via Shir Hayam-contact us, her personal email, or 780-0931 if you need an application forwarded to you. Tax deductible donations can be made to the General Fund, School, Education Fund, Tikkun Olam, or other fund of your choice to honor an event, person, or as a remembrance. Make checks payable to Chavurat Shir Hayam.
LETTERS: Let’s end the threat of ‘lockdown’
Posted in the Kitsap Sun: April 22, 2016
Dinah Manoff, Bainbridge Island
Let’s end the threat of ‘lockdown’
Last week I received this text from my 14-year-old son: “There might be a guy with a gun at the high school, so we’re on lockdown right now.”
Police arrived, swept the high school campus and did not find a weapon. Our schools behaved admirably and efficiently, as did law enforcement.
However, we lived out that hour as if our worst fears had been confirmed. Many children were traumatized, and teachers and school staff broke down later with their families, after the danger passed.
This is the condition of our lives. Certainly not the way I grew up or most of you grew up. We had earthquake and fire drills, but lockdowns?
We are either moving toward a solution or away from a solution in terms of gun safety. In the last legislative session an Extreme Risk Protection Order bill was unable to move forward. Hundreds of us are now out collecting signatures to put Initiative 1491 on the November ballot. This bill would allow someone like me to petition a judge to have a firearm removed from a family member deemed a danger to themselves or others — like the gun that killed my brother Mike. Mike attempted suicide once. The second time he was successful.
When you see one of us on the ferry or at the farmers market with a petition in hand, please sign it. We are fighting for your rights and your safety. We are striving for common sense gun legislation to prevent suicide or homicide when there are clear warnings signs. So that one day “lockdown” will no longer be part of our children’s experience or vocabulary.
HAPPENING IN SEATTLE
Anne Frank: A history for today – ENDING THIS MONTH
Mar 6 – May 18, 2016 Holocaust Center for Humanity, 2045 2nd Ave, Seattle
Advance tickets required, online at HolocaustCenterSeattle.org. $10 general public. Free to members.
On March 6, the Henry and Sandra Friedman Holocaust Center for Humanity opened its first traveling exhibit, Anne Frank: A History for Today. The life story of Anne Frank is the centerpiece of this exhibition, reflecting world events prior to, during, and after Nazi control. The exhibit juxtaposes photographs of the Frank family with images of historical events at the time to show how persecuted people such as the Franks were affected by political decisions and the actions of individuals.
Today, children and their families continue to be victims of violence, war, and conflict. This exhibit allows visitors to consider the effects of prejudice, discrimination, hate, and violence. Through the story of Anne Frank, visitors are encouraged to examine their own attitudes towards others.
“Never more relevant than today, this exceptional exhibit resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds. Anne’s life story challenges us to think critically, engage with current events, and to take an active role in our communities and government,” said Ilana Cone Kennedy, Director of Education at the Holocaust Center for Humanity.
Anne Frank: A History for Today was developed by the Anne Frank House and is sponsored in North America by the Anne Frank Center USA. School groups are encouraged to schedule field trips now by emailing julia@HolocaustCenterSeattle.org or calling 206-582-3000.
https://holocaustcenterseattle.org/events/241-annefrank2016
Jconnect Israeli Cooking Class: Falafel
Sun, May 15, 12pm – 3pm PCC Greenlake Village 450 NE 71st, Seattle
We are celebrating Israeli food with this amazing cooking class. Join other Jconnectors as we learn how to make a Middle East favorite, falafel! Our wonderful guest chef is Ronit Gourarie. Ronit has been cooking her whole life and has been teaching at PCC since 2002. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition from Bastyr University. She has a passion for food and nutrition, with a special focus on how everyday eating impacts health and feelings of well-being.
This class is likely to sell out fast. If it sells out before we are able to close the event you will be notified and your money will be refunded. We can’t wait to cook with you!
$20 per person. https://www.jconnectseattle.org/events/israeli-cooking-class-falafel/
History Happy Hour: Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month
Tue, May 17, 4pm – 7pm WSJHS Exhibit Gallery, Lower Queen Anne
Join us for a happy hour event to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month in the new Washington State Jewish Historical Society exhibit gallery.
Editor Cynthia Flash Hemphill will speak about her new book, A Hug from Afar. Using long-lost letters written by a young Sephardic girl, A Hug From Afar chronicles one Seattle Jewish family’s dramatic journey of determination and perseverance to escape the Holocaust.
Refreshments will be provided. RSVP at link below required for admittance. Free for WSJHS members, $5 for nonmember.