USCJ eNews: The United Synagogue Electronic Bulletin
In This Issue:
Rally Against Genocide in Darfur - United Synagogue is joining with many other organizations to help stop what the United States government has declared to be genocide. We urge you to come to the rally in Washington on April 30. We also urge you to make your voice part of the Million Voices for Darfur campaign. Send a postcard to President Bush today.
Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Find Me A Seat - Project Reconnect, United Synagogue's alumni organization, is matching Conservative movement youth group graduates with family or community seders in Kol Dichfin - “All Who Are Hungry, Let Them Come And Eat."
- List of participating synagogues and more information
Advocacy Day - The United Synagogue and the Rabbinical Assembly are going to Washington, D.C., for Advocacy Day, May 23 to 25. Join us as we lobby our elected officials on issues important to us as Americans, as Jews, and as members of the Conservative movement.
Pesach trip - Pesach's a time to be at home with your family, but sometimes you and your family get the urge to have someone else change all the dishes. If that's your feeling this year, join us at the Ritz Carlton Grande Lake in Orlando, Florida, for Pesach.
Project Reconnect is Going to Israel in June - We invite all graduates of Conservative movement youth programs, no matter how long ago you graduated, along with your friends and all friends of the movement, to come with us. We'd love to have you join us on this unusual trip.
- Learn about Project Reconnect
- Highlights of the trip
- Registration form (scroll down to the bottom)
New Directors' Institute - The annual New Directors' Institute, where newly minted heads of religious schools spend five days in New York learning with expert educators and their peers and are provided with a mentor for the next year, meets from Monday, June 26, to Friday, June 30. Registration is limited. For information, call the Educator Department's Serene Victor at 617 964-6844 or email her at victor@uscj.org.
USY Offers Trips for Teens and Parents - USY once again offers an exciting opportunity for parents of USYers to experience Israel - to tour, study, and see Israel the USY way. Learn more about the Summer Parent Pilgrimage to Israel.
By mid-March, more than 700 USYers signed up for the 2006 summer program in Israel, but there are still a few spaces open in a few programs. Sign up now to be sure of finding your space in the summer of a lifetime!
Imun - Imun, the seminar leadership program for synagogue lay leaders, is designed to strengthen lay leaders' skills. Imun participants learn the basics of reading Torah, leading services, and presenting a d'var Torah. This year, Imun will be held at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires in Wingdale, New York, from August 6 to August 14. For more information, call Rabbi Paul Drazen at (212) 533-7800, ext. 2612, or email him at drazen@uscj.org.
United Synagogue’s Conservative Yeshiva Summer Program - The Conservative Yeshiva’s 2006 summer program provides studentsof all ages and backgrounds with the opportunity to study the classic texts and ideas of Judaism, including Talmud, Tanach, halacha, tefillah, and Jewish thought. The two three-week sessions are scheduled for July 2-July 20 and July 23-August 10; coursework does not repeat and students may attend either or both. For more information and an application email Yeshiva@uscj.org, call 011-972-2-622-3116, or click here for more information.
United Synagogue’s Conservative Yeshiva Year Program - The Conservative Yeshiva at the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism’s Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center offers Jews of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to study classic Jewish texts in a vibrant, open-minded, egalitarian community. Study can be full-time or part-time, on a short or long-term basis; some scholarships are available. For more information and an application, email Yeshiva@uscj.org, call 011-972-2-622-3116, or click here for more information.
Advocating for Darfur - This month, our interim director of social action and public policy, Lewis Grafman, talks about why it is important for us, as Conservative Jews, to take action to fight genocide in Darfur.
Technology at Schechter Schools - Many members of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association have incorporated cutting-edge technology into all aspects of their curricula. Read about those initiatives here.
Purim in Cleveland - More than 100 people, representing five of Cleveland's Conservative congregations and the city's Gross Schechter Day School, celebrated Purim together at Meal and Shpiel.
Jealous Husbands and Wild Wives in Washington - Teachers from the Conservative Yeshiva at the Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center taught a Day of Learning in Washington, DC, last month.
Schechter On Line - The Solomon Schechter Day School Association now has its own website. Check it out for the latest news about affiliated schools, as well as information about the overall education policy behind the movement.
USCJ Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center - If you are planning a trip to Israel, be sure to look to the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism's Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center for travel help, learning and volunteer opportunities, help in planning bar and bat mitzvah services and celebrations, learning and volunteer opportunities, accommodations, and more. Learn more about the center's programs and services.
If Pesach is coming this month, that means that Shavuot is not far behind.
United Synagogue's education department offers family activity guides for both these holidays, meant to be used both at home and in the classroom. Each guide is available directly from the education department; each is $25 prepaid. The cost includes permission to reprint and to add a congregation's name and logo. To order, call 212 533-7800, ext. 2500.
A new publication, A Code of Jewish Ethics, Volume 1: You Shall Be Holy, by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, is the initial volume of the first major code of Jewish ethics to be written in English. The book includes examples from the Torah, the Talmud, rabbinic commentaries, and contemporary sources, to illustrate how ethical teachings can affect our daily lives. $29.95.
The Shavuot Anthology by Philip Goodman uses biblical sources and other commentary to help the reader understand the holiday's meaning. $22.
The travel edition of Etz Hayim: A Torah Commentary, a 5 x 7 paperback, features all the material from the original except the essay. $30.
For more information, call United Synagogue's Book Service at 212-533-7800, ext. 2003, email booksvc@uscj.org, or go to www.uscj.org/booksvc.
- "Family Rhymes for Family Times" showcases Jewish family life, both at holiday times and during the rest of the year
- Take advantage of free Internet hosting services to affiliated synagogues, USY chapters and afternoon/day schools
- Get suggestions for building a Jewish home library; great ideas for gift giving as well!
Save the Date - Mark your calendars, update your PDAs, fill in your datebooks. United Synagogue’s next biennial convention will be held from Thursday, Nov. 29 - Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, at the new Rosen Shingle Creek Resort and Golf Club in Orlando, Florida. We look forward to seeing you there. The convention will be chaired by Carole Korowitz and co-chaired by Rochelle Baltuch.
- Read the Convention e-Newsletter for more information
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Rapaport House
155 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010
212.533.7800, ext. 2601
info@uscj.org
