Summer Members Meeting
(aka President's Barbeque)

Sunday, August 23, 5:00-8:00 pm

Come celebrate summer while it lasts, catch up with old friends and make new acquaintances. Join Haverim and Rabbi Audrey Marcus-Berkman at the annual President's Barbecue.

Members are encouraged to invite friends who would like to learn more about Shir Hadash.

Location: (at member home; call for location)

We'll supply kosher meat and vegetarian patties with rolls and condiments.

Food Assignments (all dishes are pareve)
A-D Please bring cold beverages
E-K Please bring salads
L-R Please bring side dishes
S-Z Please bring desserts or fruit

From the Rabbi

Shalom Haverim,

As we approach the dawn of a new year, we turn our thoughts to renewal, and the opportunity in this most sacred season of the Jewish year, for “teshuvah.” “Teshuvah” is most often translated as “repentance,” but it literally means “returning” or, simply, “turning.” During the month of Elul, which begins on August 21 and ends the day before Rosh Hashanah, we prepare for the High Holidays, the Yamim Noraim (literally: Days of Awe), by taking stock of the year that has passed. We do this by turning inward (or re-turning to our truest selves) to ask ourselves some serious questions, so that we can be ready to realize the incredible potential for renewal as the Jewish year ends and a new one begins.

Our primary question for ourselves as we look at the past year is not “where have I been” or “what have I been?” but who have I been? Have I been living the life that best reflects my neshama, my soul, my abilities, my dreams, my hopes? Who have I been in my relationships with my loved ones? In my relationship to acquaintances? To strangers? In my relationship to the earth itself? To ask these questions we must turn inward and look deeply and honestly at ourselves, but in doing so, and in considering who we would like to be in the year ahead, we are also turning outward toward other people—toward our loved ones, toward the world itself and all that is in it. Most importantly, after spending time during the month of Elul to take stock, to do heshbon hanefesh (literally: an accounting of myself/my soul), we come together as a community to express through song, through prayer, through reading and studying our sacred texts, our fervent hope that we will be granted another year to try to live as our best selves, to live and love as authentically and deeply as we possibly can. So, on Rosh Hashanah and then on Yom Kippur we will turn outward toward one another and then, as our voices rise as one, we will turn together toward the source of all life, the mystery that is beyond creation, that is beyond our understanding, and yet to which we are accountable; that stands for all that is good and holy.

From the President

Shir Hadash is a Reconstructionist Havurah that is member-led and we have a part-time rabbi. For us this is the best of both worlds. Rabbi Audrey Marcus-Berkman actively participates in ritual and educational events. She leads two Shabbat services a month and plays a leading role in High Holiday services. Based on a member survey sent out in the spring, her single most popular activity last year was her pre-service study sessions. The topics varied. She elaborated on the weekly Torah portion, delved into other books of the Tanakh such as Song of Songs or Psalms, and introduced topics such as miracles in Jewish tradition. Other contributions included discussions of major Jewish thinkers such as Abraham Joshua Heschel, and modern Hebrew poetry. Rabbi Audrey also actively pursued opportunities for Shir Hadash to participate in activities with other Jewish congregations. One result was joint Selihot and Shavuot services with the two other Reconstructionist congregations in the area.