Sukkot

Hag sameach! Sukkot is referred to as Yom Simhateynu, so be happy!

A full schedule of services and programs for Sukkot can be found here.

Please note that Erev Sukkot maariv services on Wednesday night begin at 6:15 (not the usual 7:30 weekday minyan time), but that on the second (Thursday) night minyan is at 7:30. Shaharit on Thursday and Friday begin at 9:00 am. Anad as part of our service on Shabbat Hol HaMoed Sukkot, congregants be reading part of the Book of Kohelet. .

Sukkah Hop hosts for this Sunday (1:30-3:30 pm) include (all in Needham):
Laurie & Howard Hirsch - 21 Wyoming Ave
Lesli & Carter Reich - 136 Greendale Ave
Jonathan & Michele Wolfman - 31 Paine Rd
Aviva Jezer & Mark Bloostein - 6 Shady Lane
Naomi & Rob Litrownik - 35 Greendale Ave
Ellen Pulda & Gerry Sherman - 35 Bird St
Arlene & Haldon Bryer - 40 Oak Hill Rd
Carol & David Lintz - 40 Carleton Dr
Andrea & Doug Rae - 36 Gage Rd
Sara Shapiro & Rachel Yaroschuk - 73 Evelyn Rd

Tots Get ready to sing, dance, and march to celebrate Simchat Torah! The party for babies up to pre-schoolers will be on Sunday, October 10 from 10-11 am. More info and a registration form on the web site.

Learners’ Service
The first of 3 Adult Learners’ Services is scheduled for Saturday morning, Oct. 16 from 9:15-10:45a.m. for those wanting to learn more about the content and prayers of the Shabbat morning service. The opther dates are November 0 and December 18. These will be led by Rabbi Leslie Gordon. Feel free to join us to learn more about our liturgy in an iknformal, supportive group setting. No knowledge of Hebrew required. Everyone is welcome, and no pre-registration is reuired.

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Torah Cantillation Course (“Learn to Leyn”)
Cantor Gelman will be teaching a free 6 week course on Thursday evenings, October 28, November 4,11,18, December 2,9, from 7:45 – 9:00 pm, on Torah cantillation (“leyning” in Yiddish). Join our ever-growing group of Torah readers. This is especially recommended for those parents who have their children’s b’nai mitzvah coming up in the next year or so. More information and a registration form...

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Reading Tutors
Reading tutpors are needed for the Philbrick School in Roslindale. Tutor training will begin in October. There are several tutor training sites. Call Judy Varon for information - 781-444-3812 or go on line: www.jcrcboston.org/literacy

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Sisterhood Paid Up Supper October 20
Join the Sisterhood for its annual kick-off event, with dinner, cameraderie, and entertainment. Norm Morris and Ken Schlossberg will talk about “Ghetto Memories.” More details and registration form are here...

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Israeli Film - October 24
“Time of Favor” is the Winner of six Israeli Academy Awards, Including Best Picture. Co-sponsored by Temple Aliyah Adult Education and Kesher Committees, the film will be shown Sunday evening October 24 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $7.00 per person, including refreshments. For more information email Ronni Eisenberg, or check out the web page.

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Messages from Rabbi Perkins
Do you know any interfaith couples who are unaffiliated with a synagogue?  If so, you might suggest that they give me a call.  Interfaith couples may be wary of Conservative congregations, assuming that they will not be welcomed.  Thankfully, this is far from true here.  Our congregation has long sought to welcome intermmrried families who are striving to create Jewish homes and raise Jewish children. We have had many interfaith couples who have become part of our community over the years.  
You might also tell them about Creative Judaica Interfaith, a program of the JCCs of Greater Boston.  Josh Segal, the new Family Educator at the JCC, coordinates CJI, which strives to give participants the opportunity to discover Jewish traditions as they create their own family heirlooms in a safe, non-judgmental setting.  The first event of the year, focusing on tzedakah, will take place on Sunday, October 24 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Leventhal-Sidman JCC in Newton.  (Participants will have the opportunity to create their own tzedakah boxes.) If you would like to learn more about Creative Judaica Interfaith, please call Josh at 617-558-6444 or e-mail him at jsegal@jccgb.org.

Mental illness strikes one out of every four families and can bring with it tremendous stigma and pain.  A forum to discuss feelings can be very valuable.  REFUAH, a local Jewish educational, resource and advocacy organization established to help individuals and families deal with the frustration and sadness of having a loved one with mental illness, has organized a support group that will meet at Temple Beth Am in Randolph on Thursday evenings beginning on October 14th.  If you are interested, please contact Rabbi Perkins or Nancy Blake Lewis, Executive Director of REFUAH, at nblrefuah@aol.com, or go to their website at www.refuahboston.org.

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In the Community
Ambassador Dennis Ross, chief US negotiator of the Middle East peace process for more than 12 years, will give a community briefing at Temple Israel of Boston, 477 Longwood Avenue on Monday, October 11, 2004 at 7:30 pm. Ross will focus on his current book,The Missing Peace: The Inside Story of the Fight for Middle East Peace, which offers a comprehensive look at the peace process and his direct dealings with the negotiating parties. After the talk, Ambassador Ross will be on hand to sign copies of his book, which will be available for sale. This program is free and open to the community. It is co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council, Combined Jewish Philanthropies and Temple Israel of Boston. RSVP is required for this event. Contact Sheldon Goldberg at 617-457-8645 or e-mail sgoldberg@jcrcboston.org to let us know if you will be joining us.

The recent Hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne) have caused billions of dollars in damages.  Several of our Conservative congregations have suffered extensive damage due to the last two Hurricanes.  Both the Hurricanes themselves and the resulting tornadoes and flooding have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, which is not covered by insurance.  In some cases sanctuary windows were blown out allowing huge amounts of water to freely flow throughout the synagogue.  In addition, many individuals in our congregations have been temporarily unemployed due to the numerous business disruptions caused by the Hurricanes. the USCJ offices have received many phone calls from congregational leaders asking how they can help their sister congregations.  To help our Conservative Movement communities, United Synagogue has established a Hurricane Disaster Relief Fund.  We ask Conservative Jews to make a financial contribution that will help our communities affected by the Hurricanes. Credit card donations can be made online or by check can be made payable to “USCJ” and indicate in the memo section that the donation is for the Hurricane Disaster Relief Fund.  Checks should be mailed to:  USCJ Hurricane Disaster Relief Fund; 121 Congressional Lane; Suite 210; Rockville, MD 20852.  In order to reduce administrative costs we will not send acknowledgement of the donation unless required by law or requested by the donor.

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Auction
Please keep in mind the Temple Auction, our big fundraiser for the year, on Saturday night, November 6. If you can donate items or be a sponsor or help in any way, please let us know.

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On the Web Site

All five of Rabbi Perkins’s High Holiday sermons are up! “Getting Started” (Erev Rosh Hashanah), “Who is an Authentic Jew?” (Rosh Hashanah Day 1), “Israel: The Reality” (Rosh Hashanah Day 2), “To Tell The Truth” (Kol Nidre), and “Two Kinds of Hillel Sandwich” (Yom Kippur)

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