IYAR / SIVAN 5783

ANNUAL MEETING !!

SAVE THE DATE!!

SHIR HAYAM’S ANNUAL MEETING

Sunday, May 28, 2023, 10:00 to 12:30 PM

We will gather on Zoom (no in-person meeting this year) to:

• Hear from our committees – their activities from this past year, as well as plans for next year.

• Vote on the budget for 2023-2024 and new Coordinating committee members.

Please come to participate and to support our very special community.

Agenda and review materials will be emailed to all members before the meeting.

An in-person Community Meeting is being planned – stay tuned for the date!

Your Coordinating Committee,

Cay Vandervelde, Paul Travis, Jill Onewein, Jon Garfunkel, Jane Greenberg

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RUACH

SHABBAT MEDITATION:

In the Zoom Room, Saturday, June 3, 9:00 – 9:30.

All are invited to participate in this great way to practice Shabbat.

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COMMUNITY NEWS:

Our deepest condolences to Renata Lac, Randy Rotter, and Max Rotter on the death of Renata’s beloved father, Anton, age 97, who resided in Florida. May all memories of him be a blessing to you, Renata.

Mazel Tov to Jane and Bob Greenberg on the Bar Mitzvah of their youngest grandson, in Colorado.

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TIKKUN OLAM:

The Tikun Olam Committe would like to thank the anonymous donor for their generous gift to Tikkun Olam.  That was a wonderful, generous, surprise.  We thank you and we know the organizations we give it to will appreciate this donation from our Chavurah .

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KUGS UPDATE:

The Kugellettes have been gathering at Linda Golden’s home to sing almost every Tuesday evening for the last few months.  We love gathering there to make music together.  Our group of singing women have been singing at Fieldstone Memory Care on Bainbridge for the last 3 months. The Kugs have been  practicing some oldies to sing for the residents there.  One resident just enjoyed our singing so much that she came up and joined us, keeping time by clapping her hands and swinging her body.  One resident who had been clapping, keeping time with our tunes, used to be a drummer in a band. Carol Shakow is now back on Bainbridge after spending the winter with her family on the East Coast. She’ll be using her wonderful musical talents by playing a grand piano  at Fieldstone.  We all will sing along with her piano and she may even play a classical number or two!

If you would like to sing some great oldies with us at Fieldstone, please contact Linda.

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IT’S JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH!

Bet you didn’t know that! Emily Alhaldeff at The Cholent newsletter did, and she has a few suggestions about how to celebrate it:

Tolliver Temple, the former site of Sephardic Bikur Holim, in the Central District. Photo: Joe Mabel “May is Jewish American Heritage Month. Missed the memo? I usually miss it too. Here are 10 ways to get your Jewish history appreciation on—this month and beyond: Attend a local Jewish community event. Check out the Federation’s calendar for tons of events around the Sound, like a concert with the Seattle Jewish Chorale or join other Jews for an urban hike with the Stroum JCC. May is looking more like Israel month, actually. Want to grapple with our relationship to the Holy Land? Sign up to hear from historian, activist and author Gil Troy at the StandWithUs NW reception May 23, or go deep at the inventive new Z3 initiative at the Stroum JCC on May 21. Support local Jewish history. Walk around the Central District and look for the stars of David in the architecture, especially at the Tolliver Temple (see above), a church that was the original home of Sephardic Bikur Holim. Tolliver Temple has been nominated for City of Seattle Landmark status and will undergo consideration on May 17 at 3:30. You can write a letter of support or attend the hearing and give public comment. Other landmarks include LANGSTON, originally the Bikur Cholim Ashkenazi synagogue, and the former Cherry Street Mosque, which was the Talmud Torah and now functions as an interfaith social justice center. Browse our amazing archives. Start with the Washington State Jewish Historical Society’s digital Jewish museum. Queue up an oral history, and learn about what life was like for Jews in Washington going back several generations. Learn about American Jewish history. Maybe this sounds obvious, but how much do you really know about Jewish history in this country? Start with George Washington’s letter to the Jews of Newport in 1790. Support Jewish food. This one shouldn’t be hard. From Eltana to Zylberschtein’s to Dingfelder’s to the new Ben & Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli, this is pretty low hanging fruit. Read a Jewish book. This is another pretty easy one. But I’m constantly amazed at how much I don’t know about Jewish history and I went to school for it. I truly think lack of historical knowledge is the biggest problem for American Jews. I recommend Dara Horn’s People Love Dead Jews and Bari Weiss’s How to Fight Anti-Semitism. Take on a new mitzvah. Whether you take mitzvah to mean commandment or good deed, try establishing a new one. Gossip less. Light Shabbat candles. Find out what Jewish Family Service needs help with. Something. Honor Shabbat. However that may be. Set aside dedicated technology-free time with family or friends. Share a meal. Talk. Study the parsha. Take a walk. Take a nap. Brunch and shopping can happen on Sunday. Your brain and nervous system will thank you. Be proud to be Jewish. We have a habit of keeping our heads down and even apologizing for our existence. Embrace your heritage and don’t let anyone make you check it at the door. Know your own story and practice your Jewish identity elevator pitch.” By Emily Alhadeff

FROM THE MEMORIAL SCROLLS TRUST:

Planning to visit London next year? Consider attending the 60th Anniversary of the Czech Scrolls (of which our own Torah is one) in London.

Westminster Synagogue & The Memorial Scrolls Trust invite you to join us as we celebrate The 60th Anniversary of the 1,564 Czech Scrolls Arriving at Westminster Synagogue.

The 1,564 Czech Scrolls arrived at Westminster Synagogue in February 1964. To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of their being saved from further loss under the communist regime, and the remarkable work of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, Westminster Synagogue will be hosting a Celebratory Service & Reception on Sunday 4th February 2024.

We hope you, together with your Czech Scroll, will be able to join us for this important milestone event as the Scrolls are reunited in Kent House once more.Please do let us know whether you can attend by clicking here.

As the service will also be streamed, kindly let us know if you would prefer to join in person or online.For those joining in person, we would be delighted to offer opportunities to connect further with our community over Shabbat , and we will be in touch nearer the time with more details, along with advice for those travelling with a Scroll.

If you have any questions about the weekend, please do not hesitate to be in touch.

Warm wishes,Rabbi Benji Stanley &Monica Lanyado, Chair of Scrolls 60th Team.