Am Kolel Inclusive News

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1 S h a b b a t S e r v i c e S c h e d u l e Unless otherwise indicated services will be led by Rabbi David Shneyer. Services begin at 10 am followed by a potluck vegetarian/dairy lunch. Contact Paige Jacobson to help with set-up & clean-up paige.s.jacobson@gmail.com Saturday, September 19 Saturday, September 26 Saturday, October 3 Saturday, October 10 (Guest Leader) Saturday, October 17 Shabbat in the Park Montrose Park, Rockville Saturday, October 24 Open Shabbes Saturday, October 31 Saturday, November 7 Saturday, November 14 Saturday, November 21 Open Shabbes Saturday, November 28 Saturday, December 6 Location TBD Saturday, December 12 Open Shabbes Jewish Renewal Weekend Saturday, December 19 Saturday, December 26 Dear Friends, W ith staff transitions, financial challenges and a small tornado we have managed to keep our cool and have begun to steer a new course for Am Kolel and our Sanctuary Renewal and Retreat Center. Your encouragement and support has helped so much. We welcome, once again, Andres and Michaela, and Misty, their sweet dog, to Sanctuary. Andres, who is from Bogota, Colombia, from a family of conversos that kept their Jewish identity through the centuries, is our new property manager and principal Sanctuary host. We are also fortunate that he has a background in marketing and graphics arts. His wife, Michaela, is a graduate of Kehila Chadasha and works with Latin youth and their families in Montgomery County. Gilah Rosner, who served our community for eight and a half years as retreat manager, continues to reside in the area and will be helping us with special programs throughout the year. We are most grateful to her. We also look forward to our renewed Sanctuary Committee headed up by Abby Rosen and Rhonda Gordon with new members De Herman, Monique Eliezer and Karen Brachman. While there will be a special focus on Sanctuary this year as a center for Transformative Judaism, eco spirituality and Ecumenism, we are also launching several new initiatives in the lower part of the county where most of you live. With a grant from the Marinus and Minna B. Koster Foundation we will be offering monthly singalongs and gatherings dedicated to East European Jewish Music and Poetry. Part of the grant is for the purpose of training teenage musicians in the art of the klezmer and klezmer music. Two special trips are in the works. One is a return to Yogaville for a weekend of Yoga and Kabbalah at the Satchadananda Ashram. The other is our second dual narrative tour and mission to Israel and the West Bank with members of Kehila Chadasha. We look forward this year to partnering with other communities and welcome your input and involvement. We would like to grow our membership and participation, but this needs your help. May you be blessed with a healthy, sweet and fulfilling new year. L'Shanah Tovah Tikateyvu v'teykhateymu. Reb David Fall Tishri/Heshvan/Kislev/Tevet Am Kolel Inclusive News Darnestown Road, Beallsville, MD FROM REB DAVID INSIDE THIS ISSUE: P g # About Am Kolel 2 Rabbinic Services 3 Chesed Committee 3 Staff List 3 Adult Education - Fall 2015 Membership Information Garden of Remembrance Tree of Life 4 Lomir Ale Zingen 5 Tzedakah 5 Retreats Open to the Public Jewish Renewal Weekend 6 6 Sukkot Festival 7 Guide to the Godly Arts New Residents Welcome Andres, Michaela and Misty to Sanctuary. 8 : Unitarian Church, 9601, Bethesda, MD (lower level) Open Shabbes/Jewish Renewal Weekends: Am Kolel s Sanctuary Retreat Center, Darnestown Road, Beallsville, MD 20839

2 THE PILLARS & BRANCHES OF AM KOLEL Page 2 Fall Am Kolel, A Renewal Community Am Kolel is an independent Jewish community dedicated to Jewish renewal by addressing spiritual needs in a welcoming, inclusive manner and responding to social issues facing society with a progressive Jewish voice. Am Kolel means "an inclusive people." We celebrate the spiritual warmth of Judaism in a form that is joyful and personal. We reflect the ideals and principles of the Jewish Renewal Movement. Am Kolel strives to fulfill these principles through four branches: Am Kolel, the Havurah: We are a community where our members find fellowship, guidance and support for all life cycle events, birth through death. We celebrate Shabbat and holidays. We also offer opportunities for learning and community service/tikkun Olam. Am Kolel, the Resource Center: As a Resource Center for our members and for the larger community, Am Kolel provides programs and guidance to individuals and institutions, both Jewish and non-jewish, in the greater Washington DC area. We house a library of over 2,000 volumes and some 50 educational DVDs & videos. Members and those taking classes from us are welcome to borrow these resources. Am Kolel, the Renewal Center: As a Renewal Center, we are devoted to the revitalization of Judaism and the Jewish community. We offer opportunities for individuals to rediscover and discover a Judaism that is spiritually and socially meaningful; a Judaism that speaks to the heart and also to the issues we face in our daily lives; a Judaism that is compassionate towards others and towards this earth. At the core of our philosophy of Jewish renewal is our commitment to Torah (learning, growing in wisdom), Avodah (service to God), and Gimilut Chasadim (acts of loving kidness) and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). Am Kolel, the Retreat Center: Am Kolel Sanctuary is a spiritual retreat center in Western Montgomery County, Maryland. It is a place of natural beauty and serenity where individuals and groups can experience rest, relaxation and renewal. As an ecumenical retreat center, Sanctuary is used by groups and organizations from many faiths and service orientations, as well as by Am Kolel for monthly Shabbat services, Jewish Renewal weekends and other special holiday celebrations. Sanctuary is also a perfect venue for life cycle celebrations and family gatherings. Am Kolel programs build upon our three pillars: Torah, Avodah and G milut Chasadim/Tikkun Olam. TORAH Learning, Growing in Wisdom Adult Learning Jewish Renewal Weekends Martin Buber Summer Youth Kibbutz Guest Speakers and Performers Library Lunch & Learn AVODAH Sacred Service Shabbat Services Holiday Celebrations High Holidays G MILUT CHASADIM/ TIKKUN OLAM Acts of Loving Kindness/ Repairing the World Gene Lipman Acre Plus Chanukah Celebration & Human Rights Concert Supporting groups engaged in Social and Environmental issues.

3 Page 3 Fall PROGRAMS & SERVICES Am Kolel Adult Education With Reb David Fall 2015 Finding Meaning in Life: Jewish Spiritual Teachings Throughout the Ages Dates: Monday evenings, September 28, October 12, 19, 26; November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 ; December 7, 14, 21 Location: the Revitz House, 6111 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD Tuition: Free to full members of Am Kolel, Kehila Chadasha and residents of Revitz House. Non-Members & Associate Am Kolel Members $95 (Couples $150) 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM September 28 October 12, 19, 26 November 2, 9, 16, 23 and December 7, 14, 21 Introduction in Sukkah, the Book of Ecclesiastes Selections from the Hebrew Bible Writings from the Rabbinic Medieval Periods New Jewish Poetry &Liturgy Deadline to register is October 5. to register, please visit our web site at or admin@am-kolel.org. Rabbinic Services The fees for Rabbi David Shneyer s services for Life Cycle events and other needs, as of September 2013 are: Am Kolel Full Members Others Baby Naming $250 $400 Funeral $550 $700 Additional Shiva $80 $120 Unveiling $150 $250 B nai Mitzvah Weddings Call the Office Call the Office House Dedication $150 $250 Pastoral Counseling/ Spiritual Guidance/hr Conversion Preparation/hr $85 $95 $85 $95 Am Kolel is blessed to have a Chesed Committee to respond to the needs of our members in times of loss and need. Chesed means caring and loving kindness. Please call upon the Chesed Committee, chaired by Carol Perone, if you would like a visit when recovering from an illness or surgery. Let us know if you are about to have surgery. Also, if there is loss in your family let us know. We are about doing Mitzvot and can't do mitzvot if we do not know the need. To reach the Chesed Committee please call the office first to let Reb David know. Am Kolel Darnestown Road Beallsville, MD (fax) info@am-kolel.org Founder and Director Rabbi David Shneyer Board of Trustees Ira Levine President and Chairman Shelley Sturman Vice President Carol Perone Secretary Fran McMahon Treasurer Florence Winnik At-Large Sandy Hoffman At-Large Annette Jolles At-Large Staff Deborah Schuman Wohl Business Manager Andres Aparicio Property Manager Cyndi Leitner Administrative Assistant Aaron Shneyer Heartbeat Liaison Ann Bradbury Librarian Judy Stone Web Master Judaic Consultants Rabbi David Kuperman, PhD Rabbi Gilah Langner Janeane Marks, Melavah Rukhanit Other Programs & Services Takoma Park Children s Minyan. Meets at Seeker s Church in Takoma Park. Families with young children meet one Friday night per month. Childrensminyan.weebly.com Martin Buber Youth Kibbutz. Program for 2016 being developed. Sanctuary Bookstore & the Bernard & Rae Alice Cohen Library. De Herman, Rabbinic Pastor Gilah Rosner, PhD Am Kolel, Inc. is a non-profit, 501 (c)3 tax-exempt organization

4 Am Kolel Inclusive News Page 4 MEMBERSHIP Full Member Benefits High Holiday tickets for September 2016 (2 each for a household membership / 1 each for individual membership) Initial consultation with Rabbi David Shneyer for all lifecycle concerns Eligible for subsidies to Jewish Renewal conferences and retreats One free Open Shabbes stay at Sanctuary Reduced fees for classes, seminars, concerts and retreats (amount of discount dependent of event) Weekly e-letter and up-to-date information Discounts at the Am Kolel Bookstore Reduced fees for lifecycle events Voting privileges Associate Member Benefits Invitations to all Am Kolel programs. Weekly e-letter and up-to-date information Initial consultation with Rabbi David Shneyer for all lifecycle concerns You can register for membership at our website Am Kolel Pardes at Garden of Remembrance Am Kolel established our Pardes in the Garden of Remembrance Gan Zikaron Memorial Park as a cemetery for Am Kolel members and their families. More information is available in the LifeCycle section of our website at or call Debbie Wohl at To Honor and Remember Am Kolel s Tree of Life In our Sternbach Bet Midrash and Chapel is a beautiful Tree of Life with many silver and gold leaves dedicated to members and family members. A silver leaf is $500, a gold leaf is $1000. Leaves can be purchased by visiting our web site at USEFUL LINKS Am Kolel Sanctuary Retreat Center Martin Buber Youth Kibbutz Jewish Folk Arts Festival org Aleph Chesapeake Climate Action Network Heartbeat Jerusalem JStreet JConnect Jerusalem Peace Makers Jewish United for Justice Kehila Chadasha Meaningful Life Center Montgomery Countryside Alliance T ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights Seeds of Peace Shalom D.C.

5 Am Kolel Inclusive News Page 5 With a grant from the Marinus and Mina B. Koster Foundation, devoted to the perpetuation of East European Jewish Culture, Am Kolel is offering Lomir Ale Zingen, Let Us All Sing!, monthly singalongs. These intimate gatherings will also include Yiddish poetry in the original and in translation. The grant also provides seed monies for a klezmer workshop for youth, a CD of D.C. area singers of Yiddishe Lider and also planning for a future Yiddish Culture Festival. Am Kolel founded the Great Yiddish Writers Festivals in the early 1980's. The time is ripe for a focus on this unique cultural heritage and treasure. Co- sponsors are welcome. Fall Schedule for Lomir Ale Zingen: October 22, Thursday Evening, 7:30-9:00 PM Reb David and Diane, hosts, 1719 Wilmart Street, Rockville November 22, Sunday afternoon, 2:00-3:30 PM Revitz House Dining Room, 6111 Montrose Rd., Rockville December 13, Sunday evening, Hanukah, 7 PM Hosts: Esther Siegel and Michael Tabor, 706 Elm St., TPK A Word from Am Kolel s Business Manager What a difference a year makes! This Shmita year has been a year of renewal and transition for Am Kolel, primarily at the Sanctuary Retreat Center. I have acclimated myself to the business of the Am Kolel community and of Sanctuary Retreat Center. We are currently on a sound financial footing. Business systems have been upgraded in the office and we will be introducing a new website through ShulCloud which each Am Kolel member will be able to customize with family information and yahrzeit reminders; there will be a fully integrated congregational calendar, membership directory and expanded event listings; and a fully integrated payment system for events, membership and donations, including recurring payments. The site will also be able to generate donation letters and end-of -year itemized tax statements. You will be receiving your membership renewal information shortly. Your membership renewals, along with your continuing support during the Annual Appeals in December and June, help assure that the Am Kolel community remains financially strong. This coming year we will be expanding our Donor options to include Bequests and Beneficiary Designations. Look for more details about both of these programs in the coming months. May you all have a sweet and healthy New Year! L'Shanah Tova Tikatevu. Debbie Wohl Am Kolel depends upon the generosity of our members and friends. Below you will see opportunities for supporting our unique work in the community Donations can be made securely on-line by visiting Please contact the office for information Operating/Program Fund Capital/Building Fund Tzedakah/Social Justice Fund - Tikkun Olam Fund Gene Lipman Acre Plus Israel/Middle East Peace Fund Rabbi s Discretionary Fund Sue Roemer Endowment Fund Heartbeat

6 Page 6 Fall GREAT JEWISH EVENTS AT SANCTUARY THIS FALL! October 4 Sukkot Festival & Planting! See page 7. October 11 Sanctuary Bike Ride. 2pm-5pm. October 24 & November 21 Open Shabbes at Sanctuary: Join Reb David and friends for a joyous, musical Shabbat! Saturday 10 AM - morning service followed by Veggie/Dairy Potluck Kiddush Lunch. Afternoon hike weather permitting. December 6 Fall clean-up day at Sanctuary. Leaf raking followed by hot cider and light refreshments. Contact Andres at andres@am-kolel.org. December Jewish Renewal Weekend with Reb Simcha Raphael. See Below SANCTUARY RETREAT CENTER IS FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT AND USE We are blessed to own this property in the Agricultural Reserve. You and your friends are welcome to use our facility and take advantage of the many opportunities this special part of the county offers. If you wish to do a picnic or use the amenities at Sanctuary, please give us a few days notice. Contact Andres at andres@am-kolel.org. Among the offerings are: We have for your use: Bikes Canoes and kayaks Volley Ball Picnic Areas Hiking Trails Campfire areas Meditation Gardens Labyrinth Nearby: Alpaca Ranch Rocky Point Creamery Monocacy Aqueduct C&O Canal Towpath Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard Rocklands Farm Winery Historic Poolesville White s Ferry DECEMBER 28, JANUARY 17, Week Jewish Meditation Retreat with Rabbi Jeff Roth. Contact: brian@awakenedheartproject.org A Jewish Renewal Shabbaton with Reb Simcha Raphael From Darkness to Light - Kabbalah and Practical Wisdom for End-of-Life Transitions Rosh Hodesh Hanukah December 11-13, 2015 Sanctuary Retreat and Renewal Center Darnestown Road Beallsville, Maryland Register and pay online at am-kolel.org or call Lodging is limited.

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8 AM KOLEL Guide to the Godly Arts Fall 2015 Date Event Location Sunday, September 27 6:00 pm Sukkot Celebration For Am Kolel Members Only Potluck Vegetarian Dinner in the Sukkah followed by Simchat Beit HaSho eivah Reb David and Diane s House Saturday, October 3 13:30pm Kiddush in Sukkah TBD Monday, October 5 7:00 pm Simchat Torah Reb David and members of the Fabrangen Fiddlers lead this joyful celebration. Sixth & I October 22 November 22& December 13 Lomir Ale Zingen, Let Us All Sing! Monthly sing alongs see page 5 for details TBD Saturday, November 21 Jewish Folk Arts Festival Concert Location TBD Sunday, December 6 Hanukah Party Location TBD Wednesday, December 9 Hanukah Human Rights Concert More information to come. Location TBD Dec Jewish Renewal Weekend From Darkness to Light Kabbalah and Practical Wisdom for End-of-Life Transitions with Reb Simcha Raphael, Ph.D. Sanctuary More details on these and other events are available on our website Up-to-date information is just a click away!