February 2021

February 1, 2021 Rachel

Shevat/Adar 5781

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February (all virtual Zoom Room gatherings)

6 Shabbat Morning Meditation
7 Memorial Scrolls Trust Presentation
8 Kugelettes
20 Coordinating Committee Meeting
22 Kugelettes
27 Purim Party

March (all virtual Zoom Room gatherings)

6 Shabbat Morning Meditation
8 Kugelettes
19 Shabbat
22 Kugelettes
27 First Night of Passover

COMMUNITY

A huge Mazal Tov to Janet and Jerry Hanrahan on the birth of their new granddaughter, Carter, to son Justin and Hope in Boulder, Colorado on Thanksgiving day. All the joy on her wonderful arrival and beginnings.

Double Mazal Tovs to the Vandervelde-Stern household onsome upcoming, major adventures, starting this February. Cay will begin her new job with FEMA this week and, amazingly, will be based at home. Nathan, on the other hand, will be moving across the country to Towson, Maryland to begin a new job there focusing on physical therapy for runners. We wish them both all the best – Nathan in his new home, and in both of their new, challenging endeavors.

Yesher Koach to Carol Rappaport in her volunteer efforts helping Kitsap residents get their COVID vaccinations.

MEDITATION SHABBAT

Dick and Linda will once again lead us in meditation Saturday, February 6th 9-9:30 am.

It is a wonderful, intimate gathering and a lovely way to start your morning & your month. In the Shir Hayam Zoom Room.

CULTURAL EVENTS

Join us for a presentation about the Memorial Scrolls Trust (MST) and the history of our Shir Hayam Torah by MST Trustee and US representative Lois Roman. Sunday, February 7th at 10 am in the Shir Hayam Zoom Room.

The Memorial Scrolls Trust is a London based nonprofit dedicated to the preserving the legacy of 1,564 Torahs taken from from synagogues in Bohemia and Moravia during the Shoah. Our Torah has been on loan to us from MST since 1990.

PURIM

Zooming into Purim February 27th at 4 pm.

We are planning for Purim and it takes us all to throw a proper party!

We are looking for folks to help perform the megillah, perhaps sing a tune, play an instrument to entertain us and poets to recite their Purim themed poems for the occasion. (Perhaps bowing down to false idols is a pertinent topic for some of you). Contact ruach@shirhayam.org to volunteer.

Even if you are just planning on attending, think about wearing a hat or crown to celebrate!

TIKKUN OLAM

How fortunate we, the community of Shir Hayam, are to be able to support worthy local nonprofits who are doing so much for so many people during this time.

With 5% of our annual budget dedicated to Tikkun Olam plus all the donations to the Tikkun Olam Fund this year, we had $1,000 to distribute. The Tikkun Olam Committee voted to divide the funds between the following organizations:

Fishline – https://fishlinehelps.org/
- Fishline serves the North Kitsap Community by providing food, emergency services and resources to transform lives. Our vision is a community where a safety net exists for all people, which includes adequate food, shelter, healthcare and employment.
Jewish Family Service of Seattle – https://www.jfsseattle.org/
- Services. JFS, located in Seattle, has been providing a wide range of social services for both the Jewish and non-Jewish community since 1892. The mission statement is succinct “JFS helps vulnerable individuals and families in the Puget Sound region achieve well-being, health and stability.” Their programs include counseling and addiction service, emergency housing support, older adult services, (including meal delivery) outreach and education, refugee support and services, and support living services for people with disabilities. They also have a support program called Project Dvorah for victims of domestic violence as well as running the Polack Food Bank. They were also instrumental in responding to the food insecurity of students and veterans who attend Seattle Central CC by helping establish and stock a campus food pantry. For the newly arrived immigrant, JFS works with HIAS to resettle immigrants assigned by the US Dept. of State. In addition to the required 90-day resettlement services, JFS continues to support its immigrant clientele by providing assistance in their applications for low-cost housing, translation services for school, medical and legal needs, assistance with citizenship applications, classes, and support and referral services. They employ members of the immigrant’s ethnic community to work with them on their integration needs. In addition to mental health services for people with cognitive disabilities, they work with members of the Seattle rabbinic community to provide holiday activities and services catering to those with special needs. They were plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Trump administration ‘s ban on the reunification of families of already arrived refugees who were caught up in the Muslim ban. A link to their website describes their winning suit. https://www.jfsseattle.org/press-publications/settlement/
Bremerton Foodline – https://www.bremertonfoodline.org/
- This is the only non religious-affiliated Foodbank in Bremerton, serving primarily people who live within the Bremerton School District, as well as folks attending Olympic College, work in Bremerton, or are homeless. They now serve about 600 families (about 1800 people – including 415 new households), providing 3-4 days of nutritious groceries for each person in each household, per month. In addition, people may come in weekly for government-supplied commodities such as dairy, eggs, meat, and fish products. A week’s worth of bag lunches for school-age children is also available (60% of children in this school district live below the poverty level). The Foodline does all this with great flexibility, being sure that as few barriers as possible arise for people seeking food assistance.

In addition, the money that was budgeted for Super Suppers this year will be donated to Kingston Cares (https://kingstoncares.org/) since Super Suppers are suspended due to the pandemic. Kingston Cares give out free boxed dinners twice a month. For the March 12^th distribution, we have the chance to send two volunteers to help to hand out dinners and manage traffic as the diners pick up their meals from 4:15 to 5:30. Kol Shalom is donating their Super Supper funds & sending 2 volunteers, too.

Keep safe and keep on giving, The Tikkun Olam Committee

COORDINATING COMMITTEE

Shir Hayam’s Coordinating Committee (CC) met January 17, 2021. Among the topics covered:

A financial review of the preceding year’s financial records will be completed prior to May 15, as specified by SH’s updated bylaw 6.3. The Coordinating Committee will designate one person within the Chavurah to review the financial records with the Treasurer.
The Community Presence Committee (CPC) demonstrated how a proposed Shir Hayam Wiki could work.
Further discussion of what defines membership in Shir Hayam and what definition of “member” will qualify one to access the proposed members-only website/Wiki area. Possible extension of membership from 1 to 2 years.
As part of the drive to build membership SH will create a video library of Yiddish folktales and stories read by SH members. The recordings will be available to the community at large.
SH will stage a Purim talent show.
Shir Hayam will continue to track antisemitism and other topics of interest to the larger Jewish community.

Upcoming CC meetings

February 20th at 10 am and tentatively April 4th at 10 am in the Shir Hayam Zoom Room – Shir Hayam members are welcome to attend.

2/20/2021 agenda

Action Item Review
Jewish Community Watch Report (if needed)
Governance Document Update Plan
Financial Guidelines Scope
Member Categories/Definition Input results
Annual Mtg Prep (5 committees total over next few meetings)
CPC Status – current/planned 2020-2021 & budget request/plans 2021-2022

Around the Virtual World

Open My Heart: Living Jewish Prayer.

Each Monday and Friday, a different teacher will offer a new short prayer-practice, inviting you to join them. From one episode to the next, the practice, and the voices will be different. No one presenter, and no one prayer, will necessarily work for everyone. But our hope (and expectation) is that over time, joining in these prayers will lead you to find your own authentic and meaningful prayer practice and open your heart to prayer. Hosted by Rabbi Jonathan Slater, Senior Program Director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Listen to our most recent episode below, or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.jewishspirituality.org/go-deeper/prayer-project/open-my-heart/

Finding Our Voices: Laughing at the Dark

Presented by Jewish Family Service. At face value, the story of Esther, the centerpiece of the Purim holiday, is no laughing matter. There is trauma or the threat of trauma on just about every scale you can imagine. Far from being a funny story to tuck children up with, at a closer reveal, the tale intricately describes scenes of immense loss, heartbreak, violence and death. Hardly a rip-roaring comedy then. And yet, for centuries, this is exactly what has happened when the Megillah, the Scroll of Esther, is unfurled: Children appear in fancy dress, the atmosphere is carnival-esque, feasting, drinking and merriment abound. Why? In our learning together, we will explore Jewish teachings about how especially at this time, when the world’s traumas can destroy happiness—and lead to deep sorrow, confusion, and fear, the response from the tradition is precisely to laugh and celebrate together. Laughter can give power back to those who experience the trauma. It can allow them to say to their trauma: ‘You don’t get to oppress me, you don’t get to destroy me; I am still alive, I can still laugh…” Thursday, February 11 Noon – 1:00 pm Please register here. We hope to see you there! Your Presenters: Beth Huppin (Jewish Family Service) & Rabbi Samuel Klein (Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle), featuring musical artist Chava Mirel.