Greetings from Temple Beth El! Welcome to TBE s Spring and Summer 5779 Program Guide! The diverse array of programs and holiday celebrations that you will find in this booklet have been thoughtfully and collaboratively designed by our talented members and staff to ensure that people of all ages and backgrounds will find meaningful ways to learn, pray, celebrate, and find community at TBE. The guide is organized into five main sections: Holiday Services & Celebrations Spiritual Programs Adult Jewish Learning Special Events TBE Families Please take a look, mark your calendars, and reach out to us with any questions or feedback. Thank you for being part of this vibrant and joyful community! L shalom, Kate Shalvoy Executive Director Ongoing Programs Shabbat b Chutz Parashat HaShavua* - Monthly starting in May - Every Thursday Singing Shabbat* Rosh Chodesh Women s Group - 3rd Friday of Every Month - Monthly on Wednesdays Tot Shabbat SPACE* - 2nd Friday of Every Month - 1st & 3rd Saturday of Every Month Spirits and Spirits Book Club* - 2nd Thursday of Every Month - 1st Saturday of Every Month * MARCH 4 - A Taste of MCJL 20 - Purim All Over Portland 24 - Shalem: A Grief Cafe 24 - Song of Songs* MAY 2 - What Binds Us Together 5 - Humor and the Bible* 26 - Memorial Day Flag Placing 26 - Annual Brotherhood Brunch 27 - Memorial Day JULY 4 - Independence Day *New program Special Events Calendar *Start of a multi-session program APRIL 20/21 - Pesach Services 24 - TBE Kids Not A Seder 26 - Community Dinner 26/27 - Pesach Services JUNE 2 - Tikkun Olam Day 8/9 - Shavuot Services 9 - KBE Closing Ceremonies & Shavuot Cheesecake Social 15 - Portland Pride 23 - Annual Meeting AUGUST/SEPTEMBER Aug. 10 - Tisha b Av Sept. 8 - Parenting Workshop
HOLIDAY SERVICES & CELEBRATIONS PURIM Purim All Over Portland Wednesday, March 20th - 5:30 pm Temple Beth El, KBE, Shaarey Tphiloh, Levey Day School, Maine Craft Distilling and PJ Library present 3 different ways to celebrate the holiday of Purim with your community! Join Kadima Beth El, TBE s Family Engagement Committee, PJ Library and Levey Day School for a kids party and story time at TBE! Rabbi Shub and Congregation Shaarey Tphiloh will hold a Traditional Hebrew Reading in their shul featuring a keg courtesy of Bow St Beverage. Finally, Maine Craft Distilling will once again host our Raucous Reading and Purim Party featuring live music and MCD s delicious cocktails! PESACH Pesach Services - Starting at 9:30 am Saturday, April 20th Friday, April 26th Sunday, April 21st Saturday, April 27th Pesach Community Dinner Friday, April 26th Services at 5:30 pm - Dinner approx. 6:15 $18 for members / $25 for non-members ($54/$75 family max.) Join TBE for a Pesach Dinner on the final weekend of Passover. Pre-registration is required. SHAVUOT Sunday, June 9th - Holiday Services at 9:30 am KBE Closing Ceremonies and Cheesecake Social - approx. 12:45 pm Marking the receiving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, Shavuot is a holiday of special spiritual significance but best known for its rich tradition of rich dairy-based desserts. Join us and KBE students and families for holiday services followed by KBE Closing Ceremonies and a Cheesecake Social! Varieties of cheesecake and toppings (dairy and gluten free options too) will be available for all to enjoy! Monday, June 10th - Holiday Services at 9:30 am TISHA B AV Community Celebration and Reading of Eicha Saturday, August 10th - 9:00 pm Please join Temple Beth El and the Jewish community for a special observance of the Fast of Tisha B Av, the Ninth of Av, commemorating and mourning the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, with meditation, teaching, and chanting Eicha - the Book of Lamentations. All are welcome.
SPIRITUAL PROGRAMS Shabbat Niggun Friday: Mar.15, May 17, June 14, July 19, Aug 16-5:30 pm The primary purpose of prayer is not to make requests. The primary purpose is to praise, to sing, to chant. Because the essence of prayer is a song, and man cannot live without a song. -Abraham Joshua Heschel Join TBE for a spiritual, singing Kabbalat Shabbat one Friday of every month through the summer (exc. April) followed by Ma ariv. No experience required, no auditions necessary. All are welcome. Parashat HaShavua Thursdays starting March 7th at 11:30 am The Proper Cup - 500 Forest Ave Starting in February TBE leaders, thinkers, Rabbis, professionals, friends and colleagues will meet at the Proper Cup on Forest Ave (just around the corner from us) every Friday. Each week, a different volunteer leader will guide us through this week s Torah portion to discover deeper meaning together. Spirits and Spirits Thurs: Mar 14, Apr 11, May 9, June 13, July 11, Aug 8 5:30 pm We start as dust and end as dust, in between let s have a drink. -Yiddish Proverb. Rabbi Braun will be at Maine Craft Distilling (123 Washington Ave, Portland) on the second Thursday of every month for a casual evening of libation and conversations about life. People of all faiths and curiosities are welcome to join. No RSVP required. Rosh Chodesh Women s Group Wednesdays: March 13, April 10, May 15 6:30-8:00 pm $36 Members $54 non-members $10/session drop-in rate Since last fall, TBE s Rosh Chodesh group has been a safe space for the women of our community to come together and share their experiences, thoughts and feelings with each other. For the coming year, we renew our commitment to creating a sacred place for women of all experiences and backgrounds to explore tradition and identity.
SPIRITUAL PROGRAMS Shalem: A Grief Cafe Sunday: March 24-10:00 am Possible additional meetings may be scheduled. Check the weekly TBE-mail newsletter. When one experiences loss of any kind, it can often feel as if a piece of ourselves is lost as well. But our souls are always whole (Shalem) and it can take some work to feel complete once again. Starting in January, TBE will be offering a Grief Cafe; a place for open discussion on subjects of loss and grief for people of all ages and experiences. Led by Jean Berman, Interfaith Chaplain, and Elaine Kahaner, Clinical Psychologist and Pastoral Care Specialist, this is an open place for all to come together and find their missing pieces. Shabbat B Chutz (Outside) Saturday, May 4, June 8, July 13, August 3 and September 7 10:00am-12:00pm Free and Open to All Shabbat B Chutz is an outdoor davening alternative. All are welcome as we take a walk through nearby Jewell Falls to take in the beauty that surrounds us and connect with God and our environment. Shabbat B Chutz does not replace regular morning services which begin at 9:30 am on Saturday in our small chapel. Following the hike, we will return to Temple Beth El to rejoin our community to say Kiddush and have a nosh. Please make sure to bring the following: comfortable walking shoes, warm clothing, towel or blanket, water, tallit/kippa if desired. *In case of rain, Shabbat B Chutz will be B fnim (inside) as we will join the regular Shabbat morning service. SCHEDULE OF SERVICES All are welcome. Monday through Friday Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat service Saturday (Shabbat) and Jewish holidays Sunday Secular holidays 6:50 am 5:30 pm 9:30 am 9:00 am 8:30 am Be one in a Minyan Temple Beth El is incredibly fortunate to offer the only daily prayer service in Maine. Our goal is to have a minyan every day, and for that, we need you! Start your day with perspective and gratitude, and perform the mitzvah of being one in a minyan. Schedule 6:50 am - Monday-Friday 9:30 am - Saturday (Shabbat Services followed by Kiddush) 9:00 am - Sunday followed by Schmooze and Schmear (Bagels, Coffee and Snacks)
ADULT JEWISH LEARNING A Taste of the Maine Conference for Jewish Life: The Complications of Egalitariansim with Melanie Weiss March 4th 5:45 pm - Free, pre-registration requested Vena s Fizz House - 345 Fore St, Portland Join Melanie Weiss from the Center for Small Town Jewish Life as we look at the changing roles men and women have played -- and are currently playing -- in the American Jewish landscape, and how feminism has changed the Jewish world, creating both massive opportunities and new challenges. We ll put a special emphasis on the Conservative movement! The Song of Songs with Rabbi David Freidenreich Sundays, March 24, 31 and April 7 9:45 to 10:45 am - Free, pre-registration requested The Song of Songs is among the most beautiful and popular books of the Bible. We ll explore its passionate poetry, classic interpretations of the work as a love song between God and Israel, and various ways in which the Song of Songs continues to shape Jewish life and culture.
ADULT JEWISH LEARNING Humor and the Bible with Professor Sarah Emanuel May 5th and 19th 10:00 am - Free, pre-registration requested Explore the seriousness of humor and various biblical stories that implement humor as survival tactics against empire; consider how this might relate to today s political moment and the implementation of political satire. Sarah Emanuel, Ph.D. Faculty Fellow in Biblical Studies at Colby College An Adult Education Collaboration of the Jewish Community of Portland, Maine. TBE Library Book Club First Saturday of Every Month Following Kiddush - Approx. 1:00 pm TBE s library presents a monthly book club for all to enjoy. At the first meeting on April 6th we will discuss Dara Horn s Eternal Life - copies are available in the Library. Contact our librarian, Sandrea, at library@tbemaine.org for more information A new semester of course offerings will be announced in March 2019! Visit www.shalomme.com for more information Shalom Maine was founded by Temple Beth El, Congregation Bet Ha am, and the Jewish Community Alliance with community partnership from Etz Chaim Synagogue of Portland, Congregation Shaarey Tphiloh, and Congregation Etz Chaim of Biddeford.
SPECIAL EVENTS What Binds Us Together - Concert at Temple Beth El Presented by Oratorio Chorale and TBE s Emily Isaacson Thursday, May 2-7:00 pm Ticketed Event - Go to www.oratoriochorale.org Join Temple Beth El, Emily Isaacson and the Oratorio Chorale for a multimedia, interfaith concert featuring selected chanting of the Torah and Qur an with additional readings from the Torah. Musical settings by Giacomo Carissimi (1656), Benjamin Britten (1952), and Israeli composer Aharon Harlap (1979). The program will include an observance of Yom HaShoah and a post-concert Q&A and guided discussion with Rabbi Carolyn Braun and Muslim educator Reza Jalali. Memorial Day Flag Placing Sunday, May 26 Please join Jewish war veterans and volunteers as we visit Portland s Jewish cemeteries to place flags at the grave sites of our veterans. Many families have found this to be a touching hour or two of service to do together while honoring our Jewish servicemen. We will meet in the lobby at 9:00 am at Temple Beth El, rain or shine. Volunteers needed, please contact Sherri Quint at controller@tbemaine.org with any questions.
SPECIAL EVENTS Annual Brotherhood Brunch Sunday, May 26-10:00 am Free - RSVP required Each year Temple Beth El s Brotherhood (who, among other things, also bring you our daily morning minyan!) hosts a beautiful brunch and a featured speaker for the entire community. Stay tuned to the weekly TBE-mail for more details. Beautifying the Beth El Neighborhood Sunday, June 2nd - 10:00 am Join TBE s Tikkun Olam Committee and members of this year s B nai Mitzvah class for a fun morning of activities focused on bringing joy to our community. We ll clean up the woods next to the Temple, bake cookies and plant the seeds of Tikkun Olam for the coming year. Temple Beth El Annual Meeting Sunday, June 23rd - 10:00 am Free - RSVP requested The Temple Beth El Board of Directors invites the entire congregation to join together for brunch and presentations about the Temple in the last year. Meet your professional and lay-leaders and have your voice heard in the future of TBE in 2019
The Tot Spot This space was donated with love by Sharon and Chick Levine to help our littlest friends feel at home and welcomed as part of the TBE family. You can find it every weekend in the TBE Social Hall TBE FAMILIES SPACE: Shabbat Place for All Children to Enjoy 1st and 3rd Shabbat morning of every month 10:45-11:30 in the TBE library/youth lounge For children in grades K-4 (younger ages with parental guidance) Come join us for a volunteer-led, energetic Shabbat morning kids service! The kids will participate in a short prayer service and a discussion, skit, or game about the Torah portion. We conclude with a snack. Come five times and get a fun little prize. This program is co-sponsored by TBE and Shaarey Tphiloh. Tot Shabbat Second Friday of every month -5:30 pm Parents and kids ages 6 and under are warmly invited to join us for this fun, interactive monthly Family Kabbalat Shabbat service! 5:30pm: Schmooze and enjoy complimentary sandwiches on fresh Challah (with allergy alternatives upon request in advance) 6:00pm: Family service led by Debbie Kanter 6:30pm: Option to join the rest of the minyan for Kiddush and more snacks! Pesach Not-a-Seder Wednesday, April, 24th - 5:30 pm Passover is a time full of tradition and lots and lots of food. All the rules can be a hassle but we re here to show how easy and fun Passover can be for kids! Join TBE s Family Engagement Committee for an evening of Passover fun and food. KBE families and students are encouraged to stick around after Hebrew School.
Portland Pride Parade: Family Meetup and Picnic Saturday, June 15 11:45 am - Parade line up in Monument Square 1:00 pm - Picnic in Deering Oaks Park Pride Week is a time where people of every walk of life come together and celebrate the beautiful diversity of our community. Meet at Monument Square at 11:45am to march in the parade with Southern Maine s Jewish Community and/or join us for a family picnic and crafts at Deering Oaks Park at 1pm sponsored by TBE s Family Engagement Committee. We will have kid-friendly lunch items and blankets, or feel free to bring your own! All are welcome. TBE FAMILIES vnhse Preparing for the High Holidays: A Workshop for Parents Sunday, September 8-10:00 am RSVP requested Rabbi Carolyn Braun and Education Director Abby Halpern are teaming up to discuss the best ways to bring the joy and wonder of the holidays into the lives of your children. All families are welcome to this free program. BETH EL Inspiring Jewish Education Pre K-Kindergarten (Twice Monthly) Grades 1-2 Grades 3-6 7th Grade Hebrew High and Teen Classes Madrichim (Assistant Teachers) For more information: email at education@tbemaine.org
YOU ARE WELCOME HERE Egalitarian Welcoming Open Dues Rabbi Carolyn Braun 400 Deering Ave, Portland, ME 04103 www.tbemaine.org 207-774-2649 facebook.com/templebethelmaine