Join Rabbi Pollack each Friday at Greenwood House for a Shabbat Service with the residents. The brief service is meaningful to the residents, many of whom are still members of our Congregation. They enjoy visiting with their fellow Har Sinai members.
Lunch and Learn
Tuesdays at 12 noon
This year, we will be studying one of the most extraordinary, but little known, moral and ethical disciples in Judaism…Musar. We will be using the book Everyday Holiness by Alan Morinis. Morinis, director and founder of the Mussar Institute, summarizes the practice of Mussar in the phrase, “tikkun ha’middot ha’nafesh,” improving or remedying the traits of the soul, while emphasizing that it is not self-help. Rather, it means “working on yourself, but not for the sake of yourself... but to bring the soul to wholeness and holiness.” Each of us is born with an inner soul that is irrevocably pure, but the outer layers constantly engage in the age-old struggle between good and evil. By determining our soul curriculum, or “issues that repeatedly challenge [us],” we can strengthen our souls and therefore every aspect of our lives. Specifically, he addresses 18 soul traits: humility, patience, gratitude, compassion, order, equanimity, honor, simplicity, enthusiasm, silence, generosity, truth, moderation, loving-kindness, responsibility, trust, faith and yirah (a combination of fear and awe, without a true English counterpart). These discussions might change your life. (You bring lunch; we provide beverages and desserts.)
Home Study Group
Wednesday, November 9, at 7:00 pm
(Hosted by Anne Blume & Bobbie Kimmelman at Har Sinai Temple)
Wednesday, December 14, at 7:00 pm
(Hosted by Nanette & Stan Haberman at their home in Ewing)
The Home Study Group, which meets in either Congregants’ homes OR at the Temple on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, has been a staple of Har Sinai for over forty years and has proven to be one of the most enduring adult education experiences in Temple life. Please join us for fascinating discussions of current events with a Jewish twist. The topics range from politics to legal or ethical issues that affect our daily lives. There is never a dull moment as we try to give contemporary news stories perspective and meaning. To RSVP for November,call the Temple office;for the December meeting,call the Habermans at 609-883-0724.
VERY Extreme Torah Study
Saturdays from 9:30 am - 10:30 am
(except December 3rd and December 10th)
There is no Torah Study group of this kind anywhere. This year we are studying one of the most controversial books ever written in the past 10 years. Richard Elliott Friedman’s The Hidden Book in the Bible may be the most important literary discovery of our century.Or it may be a load of guano.The Hidden Book makes the audacious claim that its author has discovered a secret structure of meaning in the holy texts of Christianity and Judaism. Bucking more than a century of biblical textual criticism, Friedman claims that one author, probably a lay person, wrote many of the most familiar stories in the Hebrew Bible (including the stories of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and David) as one unified text.The Hidden Book’s introduction defends this thesis with close readings of the patterns of punctuation,word choice,sentence structure,and allusion used in these stories; the remainder of the book is a reconstruction of what Friedman says is the original, foundational text at the heart of the Bible. This is a discussion group not to be missed.
Rosh Chodesh Group Meeting
Monday, December 5
Dinner at 6:30 pm
Discussion Begins at 7:30 pm
At Har Sinai Temple
What is a Rosh Chodesh group? Let’s say you’re a woman who‘s got that “spark.” You’ve heard about Rosh Chodesh groups and you wonder what it would be like to be in such a group. Or, you feel you’d like to talk to other Jewish women on a regular basis. Or, perhaps you are looking for an outlet for your spiritual needs. Or, you grew up in a Jewish environment where women’s participation was minimal and you’ve always yearned to find out more and do more. If any of this sounds familiar, than please join us when we get together and share thoughts and feelings with other women. The range of ideas for programs is virtually limitless. They can include life cycle celebrations, observance of Jewish holidays, traditional and creative prayer, study of Jewish texts, artistic pursuits, learning new Jewish skills, and discussion about a variety of shared experiences. Start the journey toward learning, spiritual growth and fun with other Har Sinai Temple women. To join the group, please call the Temple office.
