Iyyar/Sivan 5776

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

June

• 2 Gun Violence Awareness Day
• 4 JLC Tikkun Olam – Tent City Supper
• 11 Havdalah
• 27 Super Supper

MAZEL TOV

To all of our graduates –

from College – Ben Talarico, Rachel Brown & Jacob Weiss

from High School – Mira RosenKotz, Tova Levine, Ellie Cowan

HAVDALAH

There will be a Havdalah at Robin & Mike’s house on Saturday, June 11th at 6:30. Vegetarian Potluck. It’s almost the solstice. Bring a midrash, poem or other writing/sharing on the theme of light.

Here are directions: Cross the Agate Pass Bridge and take the new right hand turn lane and go right on Suquamish Way. Follow Miller Bay Road until you get to Indianola Road. Take Indianola road until the end where there is the store and the dock.  Go Left on NE Shore Dr. We are 6/10 of a mile from the store, the third house after the 4th speed bump on the right, 9821 NE Shore Dr

NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY

June 2nd is National Gun Violence Awareness Day and we will be holding a Rally at Winslow Green

Here is the agenda:

5:00-6:00 pm – Gather on at the intersection of Winslow Way & Hwy 305 wearing orange
6:00-6:15 pm – Walk to and gather at Town Square
6:25 pm – Mayor Tollefson – city’s proclamation and words of support
6:30 pm – Rep. Drew Hansen – an update on state gun safety legislation and endorsement of I-1491
6:35 pm – Dinah Manoff, Moms Demand Action – accomplishments and ongoing work of Moms/Everytown
6:40 pm – Stacy Taylor, Moms Demand Action legislative local lead – I-1491
6:45 pm – moment of silence in honor of victims and survivors
6:50 pm – Ben Doerr, St. Paul de Vence, performs Mama
6:55 – Erin O’Hara, singer/songwriter, performs Voice of a Gun
7:00 – Rick Cortes, activist/songwriter, performs The River’s Peace

We would love support and don’t forget to WEAR ORANGE!!

Thanks,
Dinah Manoff Mortell

JLC – TIKKUN OLAM

Dinner for Tent City Community, Sat, 6-4-16  – a Call for Contributions
Saturday, 6/4/16 leaving on the 3:50 ferry

Interbay neighborhood, in Ballard 3234 17th Ave. West (on 17th W between W Dravus & W Bertona) Seattle, WA 98119

When the JLC first looked into bringing a hot meal to InterBay Tent City in Ballard, they had 30 people. The need for homes, even tents on concrete, has grown in the past couple of months, and now there are 50- 60 people living there. If you can sign up to make or buy some extra food in the doodle poll below, that would be great. We made 5 gal of chicken soup, but need much more.

If you can’t come, please get in touch with us or one of the drivers to deliver your food. If you can come, part of the event is having dinner together and connecting with the folks in Tent City.  It’s a friendly group, and by charter, clean and sober.  With soaring housing prices in Seattle, people who never expected are finding themselves out on the streets– a schande!

Please sign up on the Doodle:    http://doodle.com/poll/phdgmwres7v4r9chde55bpud/admin#table

Thanks so much for your support of this mitzvah!

ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES

Minutes from Annual/Visioning Meeting * May 15, 2016

PRU’S HOUSE ON HILLTOP was a great place for the meeting. We felt very comfortable and cozy on a cloudy, drizzly day.

PRESENT: Jeff Brown, Denise Brown, Terry Cowen, Steven Soltar, Paul Travis, Lisa Weiss, Randy Rotter, Araya Sol, Elliot Leiter, Renee Leiter, Cay Vandervelde, Eric Stevens, Dee Axelrod, Zann Jacobrown, Jessica Lange and Nina Rogozen

CULINARY DELIGHTS: The lox, cream cheese and bagels went fast. And thanks to others who brought luscious treats.

DANCING: We learned a fun Israeli dance taught by Jessica Lang and Lisa Weiss.

BUSINESS MEETING: We covered a great many topics and made some important decisions.

Budget Review and proposed budget (2016-2017) approval – Denise

Ruach Report – Nina

There is a slight increase in money for Ruach to pay for various professionals, including co-leaders working with Arik re: High Holiday High Holidays will be lay-led again this year.

The survey indicated a mix of preferences—lay-led, rabbi-led, and rabbi-led with intense integration of lay leaders. The link to the survey results is on the SH website.

It is too late in the season to obtain a rabbi to participate with lay leaders this year, but we can consider this for next year.

Jewish Learning Center – Araya, Lisa, Zann

JLC’s focus has been on shabbats, havdalahs and field trip adventures, with Jewish learning integrated into each event.

There are nine kids, four families involved.

Lisa made the good point that increased community involvement is welcome and that, as adults, we can take the place of grandparents that live far away or for children without these elders in their lives.

Adult Ed – Lisa

Torah study continues at Arthur and Dinah Mortell’s most Monday evenings from 7-8 p.m. It is always different and always enjoyed. The torah portion is the starting point, and discussions take off from there. The group studies ideas beyond Torah, e.g., the book they are reading now is Moses and Monotheism by Sigmund Freud.

Tikkun Olam – Nina (for Rachel who chairs the committee)

It is always a challenge because there is much repair needed in the world.

This year we donated a record breaking $1,951.63. Recipients included: (1) American Jewish World Service, (2) Memorial Scrolls Fund, (3) Southern Poverty Law Center, (4) New Israel Fund and (5) Unicef. Each group received an equal donation.

Community Presence – Lisa

We decided to put an ad in the Kitsap Islander again for six months ($600). Lisa will handle this.

Supper Super at Helpline (we participate once a month). The Torah group will help Denise with Super Supper this year.

Crop Walk – Denise needs someone to help her coordinate Crop Walk this year. It takes place in September, but planning starts before hand.

Adopt-a-Road – we don’t participate in this any longer, so our highway-side plaque has been taken down. Thanks to those who worked on this road clean up for many years.

Newsletter – Nina (for Rachel)

Please send in information to Rachel on time: events, photos, stories, etc. Send in all the details at that time whenever possible. It is much better when she can communicate all details, such as place, time, what to bring, etc.

Gabe Travis (who has done wonders with the SH website, has made it possible to upload photos to the website. Rachel vets them and posts them.

GUEST COLUMNS – anyone want to contribute a column? Let Rachel know.

Cemetery – Dee

We discussed the terms of the contract with Seabold Cemetery. They will make 30 adjacent plots available to Shir Hayam, who will purchase a portion of these upfront. There was overwhelming approval of going forward with this. There are a few more things to work out with the Seabold Cemetary folks and then we will send around an e-mail to explain it all to everyone.

High Holidays – Zann

All is off to a good start. Meetings are planned. All are welcome to learning sessions, even if you are not a co-leader. Tapes from sessions with Arik from last year are available via email. Some co-leaders are returning, some new ones are on board!

Election of coordinating committee for 2016 – 2017

Many thanks to Lisa Weiss who has been on the board since she was five years old. She has contributed much organization, insight and leadership that helps glue the group together. And thanks to Araya Sol for her great ideas during the past two years. Both will be missed.

Slate approved: (returning) Carol Shakow, Jessica Lang, Paul Travis, Nina Rogozen and (new) Cay Vandervelde.

There is room for more members – only a handful of meetings each year. Please consider joining the Coordinating Committee for a two-year term.

SMALL GROUP BREAKOUT SESSIONS: We met in groups of three to four and then returned with our ideas for discussion with the larger group. The following ideas were generated to increase Shir Hayam membership and participation.

• A Klezmer dance event
• Jewish cooking class
• Jewish movie night / discussion
• Teens: Select one or two (bar Mitzvah thru high school age) to plan and carry out an event to bring out others in the community. Allocate a budget to them +/- $500
• Jewish Festival with falafel, Judaica, music – community-wide
• Maccabi games
• More active welcoming committee – invite new family to a shabbos dinner (few families)
• Integrate new people into the group, not stick just to long-term relationships
• August Shir Hayam picnic
• 4^th of July booth—schmooz booth at 4th of July, film of Shir Hayam looping
• A late summer anchor event to draw new people into the High Holidays – perhaps that picnic above
• Help Jewish atheists feel welcome
• A regular Sat morning or evening Torah Service/discussion 1x month
• Develop a relationship with another place, e.g., Tent City in Seattle

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.