Purim is coming!

Purim is Wednesday, March 7^th & 8^th!   

Everyone dresses up, rejoices, drinks, and enjoys themselves. It is an easy holiday to celebrate compared too many of the Jewish holidays. While we are enjoying our Purim celebration (and I hope to see you all there no matter your age – Purim is not just for kids.), remember that the laws include the giving of two Matanot – two gifts. First, everyone is obligated to give gifts to their friends. Mishloach Manot must include at least two types of ready to eat food items and must be presented to a least one friend. This is an easy way to thank those around you for simply being important in your life and include them in your Purim celebration. And second, everyone is obligated concerning Matanot Le'evyomin. Everyone must give a gift of money sufficient for one meal to at least 2 poor people. We will have a creative opportunity to perform this mitzvah at our celebration this year. 

Participate to the fullest this Purim. Dress in costume, eat Hammantaschen, attend a Purim carnival (BAUSY throws the best on in town!), hear the Megillah being read, join our community Seudah,  give Mishloach Manot and tzedekah to the poor.  

Pay it forward

Guest Post from Morah Alli

Have you seen Pay It Forward???   It's about a boy who is given an assignment from his social studies teacher.  He has to think of something to change the world and put it in effect.

I think of how my life could be a huge game of play it forward.  For the most part, there is an expectation of something in return.  I spend most of my days...working with teenagers.  In return, I get a paycheck, but some days...I get so much more.

"You reached your right hand out and saved me." has been this quote that does not leave my mind lately.  And while I often reach my hand out, today...I felt it.  Not me reaching out, but a student grabbing my hand and making his huge step forward.  He's becoming a Bar Mitzvah.  For some reason, Matt has always gravitated toward me.  He listens to me.  He trusts me.  He is willing to take on challenges with me.

Apparently Matt's Bar Mitzvah preparation has progressed, but emotionally, he has not found his confidence.  Today, my 4th grade class at B'nai Amoona had their Tefillin project celebration, and coincidentally, Matt was to participate in the same service.  As I watched him struggle to go into the crowded room, I sensed his apprehension.  When I sat down across the room from him, he smiled and immediately joined me.  Moments later, his mom asked if I would join him when he was called up to do his participation piece.  I agreed.  And...as I looked at Matt, I saw it.  His smile. 

While his hands shook at the Bimah...he followed in the prayerbook with his finger, he sang with me, and he made it!  And...while his hands were shaking, I thought "Why shouldn't he shake?  Why should he not fear this big step?  Why should he not tremble before GOD?  Is he showing what all of us secretly feel inside?" 

The honor of standing with Matt was overwhelming.  My cheeks hurt so much from smiling. It was the type of joy that everyone should have.  And...on March 3rd, I will watch, sing, stand, feel joy, and tremble before GOD with Matt as he becomes a Bar Mitzvah.

Tikkun Olam Day

Playing with the children at Gateway

Wow, what a Tikkun Olam day! Over 175 B’nai Amoona adults and children spent this past Sunday morning at Gateway180. Gateway180’s mission is to provide safe, nurturing emergency shelter services designed to get women, children and families into homes in 30-days or less. We have been partnering with Gateway180 since last year and have developed a really nice relationship. They love that we keep coming back. This past Sunday we scrubbed some rooms that needed to be cleaned, cooked lunch for the residents, cleaned up the grounds with our beautification committee, made over 100 sack lunches and bags of trail mix that Gateway can hand out to those in need, created a quilt as a gift to the shelter, and offered opportunities for our children and their children to get to know one another while enjoying art projects, board games, Israeli dancing and sports. 

Taking a snack break

Thank you so much to everyone who helped make the morning such a success. We had so many people attend, more than double last year. Next year we might need two sights for Tikkun Olam day.

We look forward to our next opportunity with Gateway180 when we welcome their children to our Purim carnival on March 11th. 

We had so many pictures of smiling children, here are a few 

Making PB & J sandwiches for sack lunches

Sports time for B'nai Amoona and Gateway children

Playing

Making a quilt for the wall at Gateway

Our Beautification Committee

The new chiefs

Grilled Cheese

Wedding

Yesterday we had a lovely wedding at Pardes. Rabbi Joe and Barbara Davidson (already married for 39 years) agreed to get married at yesterday's mock wedding. It was a lovely morning with singing, dancing and learning about the components of a traditional Jewish wedding. I loved watching our 9th & 10th grade students link arms and sing while our bride entered the room for the B'decken. When our 2nd and 3rd graders watched wide eyed as the couple walked down the isle. And when our 6th & 7th graders shouted Mazel Tov during the breaking of the glass.

It was a wonderful morning.  

Sollie Award

I was honored to join Judy and Lester Goldman at the United Synagogue Kallah last week in San Diego to accept our two Sollie awards. B'nai Amoona won an award in the area of inclusion for the great work our synagogue is doing to make sure that all members of our community feel included and welcome. Lester wrote the award mainly discussing the efforts the synagogue underwent this summer to redesign our bima as well as the work we do in all areas of our synagogue to make sure we are inclusive of all types of people. And I wrote an award discussing the on-going partnership we have developed with Gaeway180, mainly our MLK day of service last year and Purim carnival. I was honored that our program were one of ten chosen to present at the conference. We were in a class with many other inspiring and exciting programs happening in Conservative synagogues across the country.

I am still in awe that our design to add a tikkun olam component to the Washington DC trip has led to a better understanding in our community, specifically amongst the youth, about the poor in St Louis, has created a meaningful partnership between two good organizations which continues to grow and expand and exposes kids in St Louis to Judaism in a positive and powerful light.

When you reach out to do good in the world, you never know how far your reach is going to go. Yeshir koach to all the B'nai Amoona staff and youth who dreamed, encouraged, and made this all happen.

Jewish Websites

What is your favorite Jewish website?  There are so many great ones out there. There are technically useful ones like www.hebcal.com for when you need information about the Jewish calendar. There are educational ones like www.myjewishlearning.com for when you need some factual information. There are videos for the parsha on www.g-dcast.com. There is www.kveller.com, a twist on Jewish parenting. There is www.punktorah.org a website of Independent Jewish spiritual culture for those of us who are a bit more adventurous and cutting edge.  There are so many great Jewish websites.

I would love to hear about the websites you frequent, or wish you had time to frequent. It’s about time we updated our list of websites to the right. So share your resources either on the blog or on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=602586159 and ask your kids what their favorite Jewish websites are - they may visit some real gems!

Joyful Noise

In my September bulletin article I spoke about Joyful Noise. 

"I love the image joyful noise conjures, people joining together in a vibrant, loving, welcoming community to pray in a joyful, happy, noisy manner. I started to wonder what Joyful Noise during prayer would look like and sound like at B’nai Amoona?"

This Shabbat we are going to find out! This Saturday, Nov. 5th we are having a special Family Shabbat Service. There is no Pardes on Sunday so we are asking all families to join us. Rabbi Kaiman and I will be leading a special family service from 10:30-11:30 in the chapel which will be followed by the Consecration Ceremony in the main sanctuary to welcome our new students into their Jewish Educational Journey. 

Join us this Shabbat  &  make some Joyful noise!