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| october / tishrei 2006 september / elul 2006 august / av 2006 july / tamuz 2006 october / tishrei 2006 september / elul 2006 august / av 2006 july / tamuz 2006 june / sivan 2006 may / iyar 2006 april / nisan 2006 march / adar 2006 february / shevat 2006 |
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 Av/ August 2006 |
| The New Month Europe's events Membership News from Community folks (happenings, questions, etc...) If you have information that you would like to go in the September Newsletter,please e-mail it to me before the 22nd. laura@eurojews.org Welcome: We are in the thick of Summer and I'm putting together this newsletter from the porch of my Aunt Brenda Seligman in Poughkeepsie, NY USA (about 1.5hrs north of NYC). I'm spending a wonderful time here and just got back from a peaceful Rosh Chodesh AV gathering with her group. I get the oppertunity to be a part of it about once a year when I'm back in the states for part of the summer. It was really nice to enjoy the opening of the month by being a partisipent. I'm usually hosting a Rosh Chodesh event, this was special to just get right into it and relax. Shalom, Ashe, Shanti, Shalom, Pokoj, Pace, Peace, Laura The New Month The month of AV :happy and sad, good and bad, white and black...it is sort of a yin and yang month. Let us think about what brings us peace and what causes us anger and the balance of all that. For if we are balanced and peaceful, we will bring peace to our friends our neighbors, our community and our hurting world. * Zodiac Sign of the Month * The Zodiac Sign of the Month is the Lion. It is quite possible and likely that this is related to the verse in Eichah, "He is a lurking bear to me, *a lion in hiding*." It seems that in the past, to some extent, Hashem has stood aside in this month, and let the "wild animals" of history have their way with us, to teach us where we would be without His protection. We pray for the time that those "wild animals" will be chased away, or their natures will be changed, as foretold by Yeshayahu, "The wolf will live with the sheep, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and a calf, a *young lion* and a young sheep will walk together, and a young child will lead them. A cow and a bear will graze and their young will lie down together; and *the lion, like cattle, will eat hay*. A nursing child will play by a viper's hole; and a newly weaned child will stretch his hand towards an adder's lair. They will neither injure nor destroy in all of my holy mountain; for the earth will be as filled with knowledge of Hashem as water covering the sea bed." (Yeshayahu 11:6-9) http://www.ou.org/chagim/roshchodesh/av/av.htm#zodiac EuroJews News/ Events Members' Forum (see the link from http://www.eurojews.org/members.html)...a virtual space for our community to gather - room for online discussion, fun, announcements, recipes, learning - something we have been hoping to create for a long time is now finally with us! If there are any problems viewing the site please contact makopolok(at)rediffmail.com <http://www.eurojews.org/newsletters/makopolok%28at%29rediffmail.com> To ensure a safe space for all of this, we are restricting it to members of EuroJews only. If you haven't paid your 20 euros, you are still welcome to sign up for a month "trial", and we hope that you will join EuroJews within that month. As you know, the money is used to support our activities, including to help increase attendance at our events - a small price to pay for a worthy cause! If you would like to join EuroJews please contact beatrice(at)eurojews.org" also see membership below. - Nathan Chanukah in Paris! "The next EuroJews trip will be Chanukah in Paris, on the weekend of December 15th-18th 2006. It should be a very exciting event - book your flights now! Paris is, of course, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and it also has a rich Jewish life and heritage. We are coordinating with local synagogues and a liberal young adults group, and are hoping to light our Chanukah candles on the Eiffel Tower (or in other romantic spots)! If you would like to come, please let Nathan (nathan@eurojews.org) know - the sooner the better. And if you would like to be part of the group planning and organising the event, that would also be fantastic - please get in touch!" Membership If you would like to be a member of EuroJews please send and e-mail to Beatrice Richman <beatricerichman(at)hotmail.com> You will get this on-line newsletter, discounts on events and other great things! *If you would like to receive a reminder link to our monthly newsletter, please send an email to the following address, within the brackets: [eurojews-subscribe(at)eurojews.org News from Community folks (happenings, questions, etc...) * Some Thoughts from Nathan. I am writing this from Osnabruck in Germany where I am a participant in the 38th International Jewish-Christian Bible Week (http://www.haus-ohrbeck.de/index.php). It is really the first time I have participated in formal interfaith dialogue, and although it has been serious we do joke around a bit too. The topic is the Book of Ruth, the Megilla that we read at Shavuot, but has a different place in Christian usage, where the genealogy (from Perez through Ruth to David and onwards...) has a very different reality. Today was the first day, and in our study group the discussion became most animated over how we should name "God". It is a debate we have had in progressive Judaism, for example modern prayer books often omit words like "Lord" for being non-gender sensitive, preferring "the Eternal" (der Ewige in German). "Father" becomes "Parent", and "King" "Sovereign". Here, in a group with both Catholic and Prostestant priests, an Evangelical Deaconess and a Benedictine Monk, it has been eye-opening to hear the different opinions about what we can and cannot use. For one person "God is God", but for another this is problematic, especially in a Christian-Jewish dialogic space...well, I for one look forward to more debates tomorrow! Of course our thoughts are with the situation in Israel, and we pray for a peaceful solution to the current conflict. * from Laura, For my 30th b-day I created my own Mikveh immersion that took place in a lake outside of Warsaw, PL in the country side. Jordan Namerow and Olga Chwascinska helped me make the ritual possible. It was most moving and a first for me. I'd love to share more about it if you are interested, just send me an e-mail laura@handinhandarts.com * The Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) is the public and legal advocacy arm of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism. IRAC's mission is to advance religious freedom and pluralism, tolerance, social justice and civil liberties in Israel, based on the belief that these values are intrinsic to and stem from a liberal understanding of Judaism. Since its establishment in 1987, IRAC has been a leader in the struggle for freedom of religion and conscience in Israel. E-mail: joel@irac.org Telephone: +972 (0)2 625 6261 Website: http://www.rac.org/irac donate to IRAC's Emergency Campaign * From: bet-debora@hagalil.com Subject: *bet debora in budapest * Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 22:30:40 +0200 >Diversities - Bet Debora in Budapest >Preliminary Program >4th Conference of the European Jewish Women, Activists, Academics, and Rabbis >23-27 August, 2006 - Central European University, 1051-Budapest Nádor 9) > * *Visit our website:**_www.liberaljudaism.org_* <http://www.liberaljudaism.org/> *‘tent’in nottingham* *tent’ in birmingham* friday 4 august at 7 pm at the friends meeting house, george road, birmingham service and dinner out contact: anna on 07817 207625 or _a.gerrard@liberaljudaism.org_ <mailto:a.gerrard@liberaljudaism.org> *DATES FOR YOUR DIARY* *‘tent’ at the montagu centre* friday 11 august at 7pm at the montgu centre, 21 maple street w1t 4be service followed by dinner at local restaurant *‘tent’ in leicester* friday 11 august at 8 pm at leicester progressive jewish congregation, 24 avenue road, leicester le2 3ea service followed by chat and nibbles contact: anna on 07817 207625 or _a.gerrard@liberaljudaism.org_ <mailto:a.gerrard@liberaljudaism.org> >www.esztertaska.eu *calling all young jewish actors 20-35!!!* *fancy taking part in a jewish show at the edinburgh festival next year?* npls spectrum is a theatre group based at northwood & pinner liberal synagogue. they have their 7^th musical ‘*/mum’s chicken soup’/* fully*//* written to take to the edinburgh festival in august 2007. the show contains jazzy songs and a very comical script. you do not need to be a professional actor – all you need is a reasonable singing voice, confidence and enthusiasm! rehearsals will start in late 2006. for full details contact matthew burman on _mburman@hotmail.com_ <mailto:mburman@hotmail.com> he’s looking forward to hearing from you! to hear about all our events through email contact: aaron at _a.goldstein@liberaljudaism.org_ <mailto:a.goldstein@liberaljudaism.org> mobile: 07764 192696 or monique on _m.blake@liberaljudaism.org_ <mailto:m.blake@liberaljudaism.org> for full listings of ‘tent’ ideas café and other endorsed events, please see our website _www.liberaljudaism.org_ <http://www.liberaljudaism.org/>. *Monique Blake* *Outreach & Projects Administrator* *Liberal Judaism* The Montagu Centre 21 Maple Street London W1T 4BE T: 020 7631-9826 E: _m.blake@liberaljudaism.org_ <mailto:e.museri@liberaljudaism.org> * _EuroJews CD_'s on-sale now in some of your communities! The cost is about?10 Eu each. Contact Nathan if you would like more info! * Listen, I'm organizing this _International Queer Shabbaton_. It's gonna be a wonderful weekend full of workshops, events, lectures, performances and loads of nesjomma and food: www.queershabbaton.org <http://www.queershabbaton.org/>. Right now, we are doing the PR and really need people to spread the word worldwide. Thanks so much, Gideon Querido van Frank. * _EuroJews Late Bar/Bat Mitzvah Project _Have you had a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah Or are you one of many EuroJews who, for one reason or another, missed out It is never too late. We are planning an intensive learning programme leading, if appropriate, to a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony. Please get in touch if you are interested in this, either as a student or as a teacher. Contact: Nathan * EuroJews _Jewish/Moslem Dialogue Project._ Fed up with negative and stereotypical journalism, from all sides. Anyone interested in participating in a EuroJews/Moslems interfaith project should get in touch - let's break down some barriers. Contact: Nathan * eurojewsboston.org - check them out <mailto:e.museri@liberaljudaism.org> |