Community
Local Remembrance Ceremonies April 7 & 8
The Rev. Whitney Altopp (c) of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church is flanked by Cantor Deborah Katchko-Gray and Rabbi David Reiner of Congregation Shir Shalom of Westchester and Fairfield Counties. The three form the leadership of the Ridgefield Clergy Assocation.
Congregation Shir Shalom to Have Key Role in Back-to-Back Observances of ‘Yom HaShoah-Holocaust Remembrance Day’
Ridgefield, Conn. — Congregation Shir Shalom in Ridgefield will host the annual Yom HaShoah Holocaust Memorial Observance (online), with congregations from the Federation for Jewish Philanthropy of Upper Fairfield County, beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7, 2021.
The following day, Thursday, April 8, Shir Shalom will join with St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in a community interfaith ceremony for Yom HaShoah.
The annual Yom HaShoah observance marks the anniversary of concentration camps being liberated at the close of World War II.
“Recalling the Shoah (Holocaust) must be more than an exclusively Jewish practice,” said Rabbi David Reiner of Shir Shalom. “Resolving to end hatred, and taking up the call of ‘Never Again,’ must be shared by all peoples in every community.”
The brief Federation observance on April 7 will be led by Jewish clergy from the region. It will feature reflections by Aron Hirt-Manheimer, editor-at-large of the Union for Reform Judaism, on his experiences as the child of survivors, and their experiences during the Shoah.
Hirt-Manheimer is author of “Health and Hope: Lessons from My Parents, Who Survived the Holocaust” and “My Mother vs. the Angel of Death.”
For advance registration, contact rabbiassist@OurShirShalom.org.
The April 8 interfaith ceremony will be livestreamed, starting at 7 p.m., from St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 353 Main St, Ridgefield, Conn.
This service will be aired live over YouTube and Facebook. The links to the April 8 service are at ststephensridgefield.org/live-streaming-from-st-stephens/
and on their calendar under Ha’Shoa at ststephensridgefield.org/events.
Yom HaShoah (Hebrew for “Remembrance Day for the Holocaust and Heroism”) pays homage, with a memorial candle lighting, to the 11 million people of various faiths who were killed under the Nazi regime. The solemn commemoration takes place all over the world. Since 1951, it has been observed in Israel as a national holiday.
The Rev. Whitney Altopp, of the Ridgefield Clergy Association, said, “In addition to the 6 million Jews who were killed, there were 5 million other victims, largely people of conscience — people who recognized the wrongness of the Nazi regime, and knew that they couldn’t stay silent. We want to honor them all.”
MEDIA CONTACT FOR SHIR SHALOM: Bruce Apar – APAR PR – (914) 275-6887 – bruce@aparpr.co
Dr. Aliza Erber returns to Congregation Shir Shalom to talk about the Book of Genesis
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Dr. Aliza Erber returns to Congregation Shir Shalom to talk about the Book of Genesis
(via Zoom)
Rabbinic Pastor Dr. Erber will discuss different aspects of the Genesis narrative and why it is important, including the injustices within the book
Rabbinic Pastor Dr. Aliza Erber is a Holocaust Hidden Child
survivor. She was born in Holland during
WWII. Her family went into hiding, as did Rabbinic Pastor Dr. Erber. An infant towards the end
of the war, she survived being kept for almost two years in a bunker, underground, in the Dutch woods.
Sunday, October 25 at 3 PM
Zoom information to follow
Donation of $10 will be greatly appreciated
Let us know you are coming by emailing AdultProgramming@OurShirShalom.org
Can Robots be Jewish? Author Talks: Amy Schwartz
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Congregation Shir Shalom and Federation for Jewish Philanthropy of Upper Fairfield County
Present Author Talks
Sunday, November 22 at 3 pm
Amy Schwartz
“Can Robots be Jewish? and other pressing questions of modern life”
In “Can Robots be Jewish”, the rabbis’ responses span the range of modern Jewish thought and include Independent, Humanist, Jewish Renewal, Reconstructionist, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Sephardic, Chabad perspectives. Sometimes they agree – but not often. Argument is a Jewish pastime and even a form of worship; it’s been that way throughout the ages, ever since rabbis sat on dirt floors in Babylonia and disputed the words of the sages. As the old joke goes, ask two Jews a question, and you’ll get three opinions. With ten or more rabbis debating creative questions, you get all that, and more!
To register, please RSVP by email to: office@ourshirshalom.org
Zoom links will be provided
Every Quilt Tells a Story
Tamar Drucker, fiber artist extraordinaire, will bring her Jewish Israeli heritage inspired creations and describe her artistic process
Artist statement: | have always loved to dream and create artwork, so | am drawn to cutting and collaging fabrics, and then quilting. My inspirations come from books, classical music, traveling and taking photographs
Sunday, November 17 at 1:30 PM
Artistic snacks will be served
Suggested Donation $10
Let us know you are coming by emailing AdultProgramming@OurShirShalom.org
Syrian refugee to speak at synagogue’s Oct. 18 service
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Syrian Refugee to Speak at Synagogue’s Oct. 18 Service
Jewish Musician Beth Styles and ‘Pizza in the Hut’ Sukkot Celebration Also on Program
A refugee from Syria is the guest speaker Friday, Oct. 18, at the Sabbath service of Congregation Shir Shalom of Westchester and Fairfield Counties. Also scheduled is live music performed by refugees and immigrants.
The special service, known as “Welcome the Stranger” Shabbat, says Rabbi David Reiner, “is in partnership with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) and the North American Immigrant Justice Campaign sponsored by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.”
It will include music and prayers written by refugees and personal accounts from congregants, as well as prayers and reflections written by Shir Shalom’s religious school students as they learned about refugees.
The Shabbat program, from 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m., includes a separate music performance by composer and singer Beth Styles, whose music is “a soulful mix of Jewish gospel with deeply spiritual and lush melodies,” says Cantor Debbie Katchko-Gray. Ms. Styles, who is founder and music director of inspirational choir New World Chorus in Stamford, is producing a new CD of Jewish music.
To top off the evening, there is “Pizza in the Hut,” the temple’s annual Sukkot program for congregants of all ages. In addition to the food of choice, it features crafts activities.
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society “works around the world to protect refugees who have been forced to flee their homelands because of who they are, including ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities.”
The Religious Action Center’s Immigrant Justice Campaign “seeks to promote permanent protection, dignity and respect for all 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the USA.”
For more information: info@ourshirshalom.org; (203) 438-6589.
Supporting Israel on American College Campuses
Dalia Zahger, the founder of \”Students Supporting Israel\” at Columbia University, is an informed and passionate speaker. She speaks about efforts to combat the demonization of Israel on college campuses
Dalia grew up in Israel and served in the Israeli Defense Forces in field intelligence, both as a soldier and a commander. As she started her studying at Columbia University she experienced the anti-Israel sentiment on campuses and decided to take a stand.
Sunday, September 15 at 3 PM
Israeli & Middle Eastern Nosh will be served
Donation $10
Let us know you are coming by emailing AdultProgramming@OurShirShalom.org
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Shir Shalom Annual Mitzvah Day was a big success
Thanks to our Social Action Committee, and all the congregants and friends and family who attended this year’s Mitzvah Day and worked on a variety of projects to help organizations in our community:
Making blankets for Kids in Crisis, braiding dog toys for the SPCA, potting flowers for nursing homes, baking cookies for the homeless, and of course outdoor work and clean-up and so much more!
See for yourself our volunteers enthusiasm and energy!
Join Us for a Very Special Beatles Purim!
February 27, 2023 by Webmaster • Community
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Join Us for A Very Special Beatles Purim!
Celebrate Purim with our ECC and B’Yachad families.
Members of the community are all welcome!
Sunday, March 5th
10:00 am to 12:30 pm