Religious Life and Other Activities
Enhancing, teaching, and encouraging the religious life of our members is the core mission of Ahavas Israel. Our Religious Life Committee creates a wide variety of religious programming that involves the Congregation in active participation and facilitates religious practices of the Synagogue. Shabbat morning, with a “Schmooze 'n Schmear” breakfast, services with a monthly speaker series, and a Torah study group after Kiddush has something for everyone - social, educational, religious, and food! Other Religious Life social activities help us celebrate Shabbat dinners and holidays parties together with our congregational friends. Our activities committee plans movie nights, trips out of town, and other social get-togethers for adults, families, and youth.
|
|
 Family Pre-Shabbat Happy Hour/Kabbalat Shabbat
The religious Life committee is hosting Pre-Shabbat Family Happy Hours (music, drinks, hors d’euvres; and snacks and drinks for the kids) on the third Shabbat of each month -
June 21
July 19
August 16
At 7:00 p.m., followed by Kabbalat Shabbat at 7:45 p.m. To sponsor a happy hour ($54), contact the synagogue office. |
|
Attention: Is there anyone in the congregation who has experience with the National Registry of Historic Places, Heritage Hill Historical District or the registration of historically significant buildings?
If so, or if you are interested in learning more about such programs and projects, please contact Bill Lewis at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call him at 616-340-8782.
|
|
|
|
 Services are held every Shabbat and on all Festivals. Join us for a warm, participatory service that includes a great deal of singing.
- Shabbat mornings (Saturdays) - 9:30 a.m.
- Kabbalat Shabbat, third Friday of the month - June, July and August
- Wednesday mornings - 7:30 a.m.
- Thursday mornings - 7:15 a.m.
|
|
Shabbat Morning Schmooze 'n Shmear:
Hosts Laurie Williams and the De Jager family along with the Religious Life Committee invite to come to shul just a little bit early to enjoy coffee and a bagel before coming into the service. Breakfast will be available from 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Located in the Meeting Room or the Library - look for the sign :)
|
|
Kohen/Levi Policy Change:
The Religious Life Committee has revised its Kohen/Levi aliyah policy.
The majority of rabbinic opinions say that the requirement to give the first aliyah to a Kohen and the second aliyah to a Levi is Rabbinic, not Biblical, in origin. The justification for reserving these aliyot for Kohen/Levi was Mipnei darchei shalom, for the sake of community peace. Its purpose was to give proper respect to a group of people who had a great deal of responsibility and honor in Biblical times, but lost much of it following the destruction of the Temple.
Mipnei darchei shalom is a sociological norm and as such it changes with time and circumstances. In certain congregations and situations the limitations and restrictions created by maintaining the Kohen, Levi, yisrael procedure, tend to interfere with communal harmony, rather than add to it. Where a Rabbi feels that a congregation or service would better be served by calling people up to the Torah as rishon, sheni, shlishi, it is entirely permissible to do so.
Therefore, the Religious Life Committee has adopted the following practice:
- The first two Aliyot (rishon and shayni) Aliyot may be offered to any Jew of post Bar/Bat Mitzvah age even if a Kohen or Levi is present. Non Kohen/Levi honorees may be reassured that this is “kosher.”
- If a Kohen or Levi is offered an aliyah and will accept only if called up in the customary position this request will be honored. Their names will be so designated in the usher book. Otherwise a Kohen or Levi may take any aliyah.
|
|
|
Celebrate a simha or honor a loved one by underwriting a standard Shabbat kiddush or Sanctuary Shabbat kiddush. Cost is $54 for a regular Shabbat Kiddush or $72 for a Sanctuary Shabbat Kiddush (first Shabbat of the month) paid to Congregation Ahavas Israel. Underwriting will be acknowledged in the weekly Shabbat announcements. Please remember that no special food requests are permitted. However, you may provide a certified kosher cake to mark the occasion. Reserve your date by calling the synagogue office. Additional questions should be directed to Karen Reifler, 975-9577. |
|
Join us in our beautiful main Sanctuary on the first Shabbat each month for “Sanctuary Shabbat.” In addition to honoring those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries during the month, we will have a special speaker, lecture or discussion. To learn more about the Sanctuary Shabbat speaker series, follow this link. You can find a list of the upcoming Sanctuary Shabbat speakers here.
Have suggestions for speakers or ideas for topics? Please let Rabbi Krishef know!
Rabbi Krishef is looking for Sanctuary Shabbat speakers for the rest of 2013. We would love to hear from our members - any topics you think would be of interest to your fellow Ahavas Israel congregants, your spiritual path that led you here, or certainly words of Torah. The only requirement is the ability to speak loudly and clearly! Please contact Rabbi Krishef at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or 616-949-2840
|
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 2 |
Religious Life
