Come listen to our own local musicians, support our own artists. An adult evening with friends, food, entertainment & art!
Saturday, February 21, 2015, 7:30 – 10 PM
Coffee and Desserts (BYOB)
Music stirs our souls in a way that words often cannot, activating emotions within us that we did not know existed… Music is such a strong presence in Temple Emanuel worship style that it is almost unimaginable without it! Yet music in worship (especially instrumental music) has a complicated history in Judaism. Following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE the rabbis placed a ban on the use of music in general, and especially in worship, as a sign of mourning. It is not hard to imagine that having witnessed the devastation, the last thing they wanted to do is sing…
From the very beginning, the Reform Movement insisted on bringing the music back to worship, back to the synagogue, back to Shabbat. Music and joy were always part of Judaism and now they were making a comeback! Synagogues installed pipe organs and commissioned talented and popular composers of the time to write music settings for service in the synagogue, giving us the profoundly inspiring music of Lewandowski, Bloch, Sulzer and many others. The music they wrote for the services was spiritual and uplifting. It was also very modern and reflective of the 19th century popular music styles.
As the popular music styles changed in the second half of the 20th century, a new kind of music entered the world of the synagogue worship. The pipe organs were joined (and often replaced) by guitars and electric pianos. Temple Emanuel, founded in 1962, is a true ‘child’ of that era – from the very beginning, our services were accompanied by guitar music, with the entire congregation singing along, rather than relying on a powerful pipe organ and a professional cantor or choir to provide music for the worship experience. In fact, it is probably safe to argue that music has been one of the main defining features of the new congregation, as well as many others that appeared in the 1960s and 1970s around the country.
The music of Debbie Friedman had defined that generation – and after some four decades it continues to touch the souls of so many Jews all around the world. But it’s not only her music and her talent that has completely transformed the music in the synagogue – Debbie, along with Jeff Klepper and a few others, had ignited the spark of creativity in generations of young Jews. She inspired them, she nurtured them, she challenged them – and they have completely transformed Jewish worship and Jewish music. Every year since Debbie’s untimely passing in 2011 we gather for a Debbie Friedman memorial concert around her yahrzeit. We sing and we play and we honor her legacy. This year please join me and the TE band as we honor Debbie’s legacy with our annual concert as part of the “Taste of Honey”, a community-wide celebration of Jewish learning at the JCC on January 31st at 7pm. I can think of no better way to honor her legacy than to share our gift of music with the wider community.
Temple Emanuel was abuzz with activity on Sunday, December 14th. Our religious school children and parents enjoyed an asephah filled with Chanukah songs and learning, followed by an adult study of the origins of Chanukah story with Rabbi Farbman, while the children went back to school for an hour. Then we gathered back together with other members of the congregation for a snack and to pack over 100 gift baskets filled with books, toys, art supplies, hats, scarves and gloves as well as baby items. These baskets will be distributed by ‘r kids Family Center, Fair Haven Community Health Center, Cornell Scott Hill Health Center and Jewish Family Services. Many members contributed items for the baskets, and there was a wonderful feeling of cooperation and giving in the social hall. Hopefully we have touched the lives of a number of children with these baskets. Thanks to all who participated!
Matt McDermott, CONECT’s lead organizer, will return to TE on Sunday, Dec 21st at 10 am, to engage in a deeper conversation about Tikkun Olam with TE members, following his very engaging talk at TE on Friday, Dec 12.
CONECT (Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut) is a non-partisan, multi-faith organization of 27 congregations in Southern CT that through building grass-roots relational culture fosters a powerful civic moral voice to affect change in the areas of social and economic justice and for the common good.
The Territory is an intimate look into the lives of Israelis from the former Soviet Union who made their new home in the West Bank settlements. While some residents move to the settlements looking for cheaper housing, others are motivated by Zionist ideology; and all are influenced by their past experience of being an oppressed minority in the Soviet Union.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/50307975
Dmitriy Khavin began his film career at the Odessa Film Studios in Ukraine. Since 1992 he has lived in the US, where he works as a director, editor and cinematographer. Dmitriy will join us for discussion of the film and share his insights as part of the screening.
On January 16, 2015 at 7:30 PM the entire Temple Emanuel community will join Temple Beth David and Congregation Mishkan Israel for a very special MLK service. Congregation Mishkan Israel will begin the celebration of its 175th anniversary with the MLK, Jr service. This year our guest will be Rabbi David Saperstein, the Director of the Religious Action Center in Washington, DC. He was recently nominated as the US Ambassador-at-large for Religious Freedom and awaits Senate confirmation.
We hope you can join us for this very special Interfaith service, bringing together members of our three congregations, as well as spiritual leaders of many local faith communities.
The service will take place at Congregation Mishkan Israel, 785 Ridge Rd, Hamden, CT.
Citrus Here Earlier!!! New Deadline for orders: December 8, for December 21st delivery.
Bring a burst of sunshine into your winter! The TE citrus sale is back!
If you received the traditional ‘citrus envelope’ you can make your order and return the form with your check to the Temple office, or you can save yourself a stamp and place your order right here!
We look forward to joining with all houses of worship in the Town of Orange for our annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, November 23 at 7:00 pm. This year the service will be hosted by the Church of the Good Shepherd, 680 Racebrook Road in Orange.
Earlier this year Rabbi Mark Winer, TE’s first Rabbi, was awarded an MBE (Member of British Empire) in London for his interfaith work. We are delighted to welcome him back and to congratulate him on this high and well-deserved honor.
(You can read an article about Rabbi Winer and the Honor he received here. )
You and your family are invited to a Shabbat dinner at 6:00 PM on Friday, November 21, 2014. Enjoy a terrific classic Shabbat chicken dinner with scrumptious sides and salad. Challah of course! Vegetarian options available.
Come & delight in learning to prepare delectable foods from Chef Jawahar [Jack] Doraiswamy’s native India, and then happily partake in a full, three course Indian meal.
Take home the recipes for all dishes & packets of spices used, so you can impress family & friends for your next home-cooked dinner.
Join the TE community, along with friends, for this special, first-of-a-kind event! Seating is limited, so make your reservations now!
Friends & family from the larger community are welcome & encouraged.
