Union Temple School of Religion E-letter

October 2003

Contents

Important October dates • Looking ahead  • From the principal • Family education programs • Red Cross babysitting course

Important October dates

Friday, October 3: Family service, 6:30 p.m., followed by a potluck dinner.

Sunday, October 5: Regular class schedule. (Choir will not meet.) Sukkah raising begins at 9 a.m. All adults and teens are invited to help.

Monday, October 6: Yom Kippur family service, 9 a.m. The student choir will participate - choir members should be at the temple by 8:30 a.m.

Saturday, October 11: Sukkot morning service and Sukkah decorating, 10:30 a.m. Everyone - children and parents alike - should bring at least one unopened can or box of food to deposit on the food basket up on the bimah at the beginning of the Torah service. During the service, children can make Sukkah decorations on the 4^th floor. Family kiddush and potluck luncheon after the service.

Sunday, October 12: Family Education Program, Part I – Jewish Awareness through Music. During the regular Sunday school hours, saxophonist/clarinetist Samuel Thomas will lead children and parents in an exploration of Jewish roots through music and discussion.

Friday, October 17: Giant family pot luck festival dinner at 6:00 p.m., followed at 7:30 p.m. by the evening service for Shabbat/Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah. The service includes the Parade of the Torahs and the consecration of new students.

Saturday, October 18: Festival morning service, 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, October 19: Family Education Program, Part II – Presentation by UAHC Eisner Camp at 10 a.m. This is an important presentation for all parents and children. Also: Religious School mezuzah ceremony and Jewish trivia game. The potluck picnic originally planned for this day has been cancelled.

Saturday, October 25: Bat Mitzvah, Emma Buchsbaum, 10:30 a.m.

Looking ahead to November

Saturday, November 1: Sixth grade visits CHIPS, the local soup kitchen, at 9 a.m. The visit is part of their social action project, which includes helping out at the temple’s food drive on November 23. After the CHIPS tour, students return to the temple to participate in the Shabbat service at 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, November 22: Union Temple’s first Judaic Book Fair will be open during Sunday school hours. Books on Jewish subjects for children of all ages will be available in time for Chanukah gifts. The fair, a new fundraiser for the Religious School and Preschool, runs from November 19 to 26. Hours during the week will be announced.

From the Principal

Shalom everyone… I hope that your New Year has gotten off to a good start and may you all be inscribed for a healthy, happy, and productive year. The religious school is off and running and there are many exciting and stimulating activities planned for the next several weeks. Your child may have told you about our conch shell/shofar blowing demonstration during tefilah. Although not a kosher shofar, the conch shell does produce quite a sound and certainly raises our spirits for the new year.

So far there have been two "words of the week" - Emet (truth) and B'rachot (blessings). Each week there will be a new Hebrew word of the week that your child can share with you at home. Ask your children what they learned in religious school each week. Learning can be a shared experience. Speaking of learning, each week's homework assignments should be written down. Make sure that your child comes home with his/her homework written down so that you are able to monitor their assignments.

Please make note of the upcoming important family education programs on October 12 and 19. On these two dates, there will be special activities that appeal to both the children and adults. There is more information about the programs below. On both days, bagels, juice, and coffee will be provided for the parents. – Les Krevsky

Family Education programs

On Sunday, October 12, saxophonist and clarinetist Samuel Thomas uses his musical virtuosity to engage participants in a whirlwind tour of the Jewish experience. This lively, entertaining program for both children and adults is not to be missed!

A representative from Camp Eisner will show a video and answer questions about the Eisner experience on Sunday, October 19. The day’s activities include a ceremony during which we will affix mezuzot to the doors in the Religious School. Parents and students will also laugh, learn and watch out for the daily dreidel in "Jewpardy," a Jewish trivia game.

Babysitting Course

Mark your calendars! Union Temple is offering an official Red Cross Babysitting Certification Course at the temple on Tuesday, November 11 (Veteran’s Day). This is an all-day course, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $55. Lunch and snacks are on the house. The class is for students from the ages of 11 to 15, and is open to non-members as well as members. More details will be announced soon.