Come for the food

Dear Haverim:

*Tomorrow, Saturday, August 31, 12 noon.  If you needed yet another incentive to come to Shabbat services tomorrow, please attend a festive Kiddush lunch, sponsored by Judy and Jeff Lewis, Frances and Steven Klein, and Ruth Greenberg, in celebration of the Lewis’ and Klein’s respective wedding anniversaries.  Todah and Mazel Tov!

Shabbat shalom and l’shana tovah tikateyvu,

Rabbi Michael

Shabbat Under-the-Stars to MLK to Kosher Wine Tasting to Selichot

Dear Haverim:

*TONIGHT, Friday, August 30, 6 p.m. FREE BBQ Shabbat dinner, JCC Picnic Grounds, followed by 6:30 p.m., family-friendly, musical Shabbat Under the Stars service (incl. Debbie Nachlis on her 12-string guitar), and special August Anniversary Blessing, topped with parve anniversary cupcakes, and an interactive Sedra Scenes Torah Skit. NOTE: NO Friday services at CBS this evening.

*Saturday, August 31,9:30 a.m. Shabbat Services (10:15 a.m. Torah service) @ CBS.  Dvar Torah: Nitzavim-Vayelech: Standing at Sinai-Standing in DC 50 Years Ago -- The language of inclusivity.  I will be making some Torah-based comparisons between the parshat ha shevuah and Dr. King’s path-breaking speech.  I will be asking, “where were you when Dr. King addressed 250,000 gathered at the Lincoln Monument on August 28, 1963, and how did the speech impact you?” (At 5 ½ months old, I was in my crib, so I hope to learn much from you).

8:30 p.m.-Havdalah and Guided kosher wine-tasting, courtesy of Bob and Annette Aerenson and our friends at Fairfax Liquors.

10 p.m.-Selichot Service, featuring Cantor Elisa & Choir.

*Sunday, September 1, 9 a.m. Morning Minyan. 

1:00 p.m. AKSE-CBS Pre-High Holy Day Cemetery Visit & Service, Jewish Community Cemetery on Foulk Road.

*Monday, September 2, 9 a.m. Labor Day Service (note special late time in consideration of Federal Holiday).

(Note: High Holy Day services begin with Erev Rosh Hashana, Wednesday night, September 4^th, 8 p.m.)

Shabbat Shalom and L’Shana Tovah Tikateyvu!

Rabbi Michael

From Civil Rights Stories to YOUR Story: Celebrating Anniversaries

Dear Haverim,

*Tomorrow, Friday,August 23, 6:30 p.m., Kabbalat Shabbat (6 p.m. Happy Hour).  Dvar Torah: 50th Anniversary of March on Washington: Jewish Involvement in Civil Rights.  We will also be celebrating ALL August anniversaries with a blessing and champagne/sparkling grape juice toast during Kiddush. We will have a second all-August anniversary celebration next Friday during our last, family-friendly, musical Shabbat Under the Stars in the JCC Picnic Grove, including a free bbq Shabbat dinner and parve celebratory cupcakes.

*Saturday, August 24^th, 9:30 a.m., Shabbat services (10:15 a.m. Torah service).  Dvar Torah: Ki Tavo: Sharing your History. We are influenced by our back stories.  They influence how we behave today.  We will begin with the text My father was a wandering Aramean, from the this week’s Torah reading. From there we will talk about the power of stories, aggadot,  in the Jewish faith. Come prepared to share a pivotal short story from you own life and how it has shaped your behavior.

Shabbat shalom!

Rabbi Michael

Peace Talks to Yoga

Dear Haverim,

·        Tomorrow night, Friday, August 16, 6:30 p.m., Kabbalat Shabbat (6 p.m. Happy Hour).  Sermon topic: Israel-Palestine Peace Talks: Reasons for Hope or Ma Nish Tana Ha Lilah Ha Zeh?

·        Saturday, August 17

-8:45 a.m. Beth Shal-OM YOGA

-9:30 a.m. Services

-10:15 a.m. Torah reading

Dvar Torah: Ki Teitzeh: Tsa’ar Ba’alei Hayim Legislation. This is another in our interactive summer series sermons.  We will explore the Human-Animal Bond. Please come armed with your most moving, James Herriotesque family dog or cat stories (you can bring the actual family pet on the Sunday when we read Parshat Noah in early October).

We will be celebrating President Ralph and First Lady Jill Downard’s wedding anniversary with a Kiddush lunch which they are sponsoring.

Shabbat shalom!

Rabbi Michael

Let's take it outside!

Dear Haverim:


Wilmington, Delaware

Weather channel report for 6:30 p.m. tonight:

Temp: 79 degrees.

Humidity: 49%

Wind: NW at 3 mph.

We are doing services in our CBS Garden this evening. This weather may never come again! We will be serving wine and cheese starting at 6 p.m. The guitar is tuned. I found a nice piece of Israeli music to teach you. You can even bring the wine and cheese to your seats for services.

See you soon.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Michael

Musical Shabbat to Reward & Punishment-an interactive sermon

Dear Haverim:

*THIS Friday, July 28, Kabbalat Shabbat services, 6:30 p.m. (Happy Hour 6 p.m.) Theme: A Taste of Ramah. I will be playing guitar, encouraging singing, and in lieu of a sermon, I will be delivering a DEUTERONOMY RAP, composed by one of my fellow teachers from the Va’ad Chinuch. We will be joined by Arielle, one of the Israeli shelichim serving as counselors at the JCC Summer Camp. Come give her a proper Beth Shalom Welcome!

*Saturday, July 29, 9:30 a.m. Shabbat services (10:15 a.m. Torah service). I will be leading services, chanting Torah, chanting Haftarah, giving the sermon and washing up the dishes. Aside from toasting the birth of Prince George (Jewish on his mother’s side? Most say no, but what a story), I will be delivering an interactive sermon: Parashat Ekev: So How is this Reward & Punishment Business Working Out in YOUR Life? I will walk you through the basics of Deuteronomic Theology, and then ask you to share insights from your life as to how you have experienced reward and punishment at play in your own personal stories.

I will also begin to share some juicy details regarding High Holy Days, including celebs who have decided to spend Rosh Hashana at Congregation Beth Shalom.

Shabbat shalom!

Rabbi Michael

Camp Ramah Posting

Dear Haverim:
      There was a large storm up here at Camp Ramah in the Poconos which took out the Internet and phones. So I'm hunting and pecking on my Not-so-Smart Phone, with auto mis-Correct, to get a Rabbi Michael's Musings out to you as there is SO much going on that I want you to attend! And in spite of the storm, I am coming away from Ramah so inspired!
*TONIGHT, Friday, July 12, LATE 8 pm Second Friday Night Service. We are blessed to have Dr. Stuart Siegell with us. His topic: "From Shtetl to Lower East Side." He'll address how Jewish life experience in Eastern Europe led to mass immigration to the "Goldene Medina." Marv and Sue Cytron will sponsor the oneg in celebration of their 57 th wedding anniversary. Mazel tov!!
*Saturday, July 13, 9:30 a.m. Cantor Elisa leads a beautiful Shabbat service with her beautiful voice-come join her and sing along.
*Sunday, July 14, 9 a.m. Minyan @ CBS followed by CBS-AKSE softball @ the JCC .
*Monday, July 15. 8 p.m. Erev Tisha B'Av services. I'M BACK and eager to greet you all in a candle-lit chapel, as we remember the destructions of the 1st & 2nd Temples, with the hauntingly beautiful melodies of איכה (the Book of Lamentations) chanted by our Cantor and fellow congregants.
*Tuesday, July 16, 9 a.m. Note later start for minyan. Please encourage your kids on summer break to come too! After Tisha B'Av services, inspired by my Ramah experience, I'm going to lead us through an interactive text study, comparing suffering in Job with Lamentations.
12 noon. I will be screening a movie, open to all (don't bring your bag lunch) which will take the text study and interpret it through popular culture (this is very Ramah-esque) You can skip the text study and just come for the noon-time film. I will then debrief the film using themes from Tisha b'Av. By the time I'm done, most of your fast will be completed!
I miss you all very much, although  last night's Camp Ramah veggie grilled BBQ dinner, served al fresco, in honor of the 9 meatless days before Tisha B'Av was truly inspired! But great kosher food and a beautiful natural environment with enthusiastic Conservative Movement kids can't hold a candle to you, my very own Congregation Beth Shalom happy campers! Come visit with me this coming Monday night at 8 p.m. I'll be looking for you :-)
שבת שלום!
Rabbi Michael (from Camp Ramah)
Sent from my iPhone