There will be No Study Group Meeting on Friday, January 29

Last week we concluded our discussion of Michael Stanislawski’s Zionism: A Short Introduction.  In considering developments in Zionism in the last decade of the twentieth century and the first decades of the twenty-first century, we focused especially on Israel’s economic growth since 1990s (with lots of help from Tom Glaser, one of our participants).  After briefly discussing the many splits between various factions (both Zionist and non-Zionist), we turned our attention to UN resolutions that ”Zionism is racism” and the rescinding of such resolutions.  Our discussion included looking at how anti-Zionist arguments could sometimes serve as masks for anti-Semitism, and how proponents of Zionist ideals could still argue against policies of the Israeli government (occupation and new settlements).   I think it’s safe to say that many of us came away feeling as though we had a better understanding of Zionism (in its many iterations), but we also acknowledged that we had barely scratched the surface of this complex topic.

 After taking a Friday off for good behavior, our group will return on February 5 to a new subject for study–

The Book of Esther

This romantic, patriotic, and comic tale commemorates the delivery of the Persian Jewish community from possible annihilation during the 5^th century BCE.  We’ll be studying it for three Fridays in February leading up to the festival of Purim, celebrated this year on February 24 and 25.   Our focus will be on the many ways that the Book of Esther (which can be found in any standard Bible; we welcome a variety of translations) might be interpreted and its relevance to us in the 21^st Century.  Because our time is limited, we encourage participants to read the Book of Esther in its entirety–the whole megillah–prior to our first discussion on February 5 (it’s less than 15 pages).

Our informal discussion group is held online every Friday from 12-1.  All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. If you have questions, or would like the Zoom link, please contact Jay Jacoby at  jbjacoby@uncc.edu.

With services unavoidably cancelled, the Ritual Committee is working hard to find ways we can support each other as a community when we can’t be together in person. It’s very distressing to be unable to say Kaddish for a loved one, or to contemplate not sharing a Seder meal with friends and family. We’d like to share with you some plans we have for filling these gaps in our lives.

Please join us for Kabbalat Shabbat services via Zoom.  As long as at least 10 adults log in, we’ll be able to say Kaddish, so please consider attending, even if you’re not a Friday night regular.

You can join the service by going to Our Virtual Community here, then scroll down and click on the blue Kabbalat Shabbat Service button.

If you’d like to borrow a siddur for use at home while services are cancelled, we’ll be happy to lend you one!  Please contact the office for details.

Join Justin Goldstein for an hour of Torah study and discussion of the week’s Torah portion.

All are welcome, link to join the Zoom meeting here.

Just as healthy foods nourish us through the blood stream, so Jewish meditation nourishes our “soul stream.” Meditation can be transformative, taking us from the intellectual awareness of ourselves to a deeper spiritual practice that links us to Judaism in the most profound way. Each mitzvah, holy day and cycle of life has its own rhythm, nuance, taste and character. Jewish meditation is a practice of infusing their essence into our daily spiritual lives.

Ready to give it a try? Join us via Zoom (every Sunday from 2:30pm – 4pm. No previous meditation experience necessary.  This opportunity is free and open to all. Please contact Linda Wolf at linda@networktype.com for the online meeting information.

Anti-Semitism, White Supremacy and Racism 
Wednesday, February 3, 7:00pm

All are invited to a Zoom discussion moderated by Deborah Miles.  Please read Eric K. Ward’s article before the discussion.  Zoom link to join discussion here.

There will be No Study Group Meeting on Friday, January 29

Last week we concluded our discussion of Michael Stanislawski’s Zionism: A Short Introduction.  In considering developments in Zionism in the last decade of the twentieth century and the first decades of the twenty-first century, we focused especially on Israel’s economic growth since 1990s (with lots of help from Tom Glaser, one of our participants).  After briefly discussing the many splits between various factions (both Zionist and non-Zionist), we turned our attention to UN resolutions that ”Zionism is racism” and the rescinding of such resolutions.  Our discussion included looking at how anti-Zionist arguments could sometimes serve as masks for anti-Semitism, and how proponents of Zionist ideals could still argue against policies of the Israeli government (occupation and new settlements).   I think it’s safe to say that many of us came away feeling as though we had a better understanding of Zionism (in its many iterations), but we also acknowledged that we had barely scratched the surface of this complex topic.

 After taking a Friday off for good behavior, our group will return on February 5 to a new subject for study–

The Book of Esther

This romantic, patriotic, and comic tale commemorates the delivery of the Persian Jewish community from possible annihilation during the 5^th century BCE.  We’ll be studying it for three Fridays in February leading up to the festival of Purim, celebrated this year on February 24 and 25.   Our focus will be on the many ways that the Book of Esther (which can be found in any standard Bible; we welcome a variety of translations) might be interpreted and its relevance to us in the 21^st Century.  Because our time is limited, we encourage participants to read the Book of Esther in its entirety–the whole megillah–prior to our first discussion on February 5 (it’s less than 15 pages).

Our informal discussion group is held online every Friday from 12-1.  All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. If you have questions, or would like the Zoom link, please contact Jay Jacoby at  jbjacoby@uncc.edu.