Sukkot, a Hebrew word meaning “booths” or “huts,” refers to the Jewish festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest. It also commemorates the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert after the giving of the Torah atop Mt. Sinai. This year it begins at sunset on October 8th. Please join Temple Emanuel at 6:30 pm for Erev Sukkot Service!
For more information about the holiday, please visit http://www.reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays
Abraham’s Tent is a cooperative effort between Columbus House and congregations of faith in the Greater New Haven area. Represented by the Interfaith Cooperative Ministries, it began in 2009 when a city funded shelter remained closed for the winter due to lack of funds. From December to April Abraham’s tent provides safe shelter and food for 12 men whom are selected by Columbus House for this special project. Our responsibility is to feed the men a warm family style dinner, breakfast the next morning and a bagged lunch for them to take back to Columbus House where they will shower and get ready for their day. Temple Emanuel’s responsibility is for one week in February where we partner with Grace and St Peters Episcopal church in Hamden.
On behalf of Temple Emanuel, this project is spearheaded by Ronda Stiekman. She is always looking for fellow congregants willing to assist during this weeklong commitment. If you’d like to contribute your time and help prepare a meal, please contact Ronda at AT@TempleEmanuel-GNH.org
In September, members of Temple Emanuel joined the March Against Climate Change in New York with more than 750 businesses, unions, faith groups, schools, social justice groups, environmental groups. You can still add your voice to that call and take action to address climate change. An organizational meeting will be taking November 2nd at 10:00 in the Sanctuary to plan next steps.
For information contact Jean Silk at TikkunOlam@TempleEmanuel-GNH.
ATTENTION ALL TE GENTLEMEN. Michael Neufeld is organizing a Men’s Club which will be similar to Sisterhood in many respects, particularly the goal of fundraising for TE, but with its own flair and activities. Anyone who is interested in learning more is invited to join an organizational meeting to be held at TE on Sunday, October 19th, at 10:30 a.m. Michael is very excited about this endeavor and has received very positive feedback based on informal discussions with other members of the congregation.
Join us at TE on Friday, September 5 for our annual barbecue picnic and Shabbat Under the Stars! The festivities start at 4:30pm with a Fair for the kids with activity booths, 5:00 pm cookout, and 6:30 pm Shabbat under the stars service, followed by an Oneg in the Social Hall. Don’t miss this wonderful family gathering!
On September 21, 2014, heads of state from around the world met at the United Nations in New York to discuss climate change. TE members joined some 400,000 people from businesses, unions, faith groups, schools, social justice groups, and environmental groups in the People’s Climate March in New York City to demonstrate our belief that the world we want is within our reach: a world safe from the ravages of climate change.
The TE Tag Sale is almost here! Tag Sale hours on August 24 are 9:00 am-3:00 pm and there will be an early bird special from 8:00-9:00 am ($5 donation for early birds). The Tag Sale Team has everything ready and waiting for you so be sure to come by on Sunday and support TE! There is something for everyone so bring your family and friends! Have questions? Click here to contact Jake and Anna Zonderman.
In what has become a beautiful annual tradition at Temple Emanuel, we will be greeting Shabbat on our beautiful patio, surrounded by nature on our wonderful grounds. Bring your voices, your friends and your family for this not-to-be-missed Shabbat service! Please bring a lawn chair or a blanket.
Drop off items at TE beginning Sunday, July 20th or by appointment.Pick Up and Drop Off
You can begin dropping off items on Sunday, July 20. Stay tuned for a schedule of drop off times.
If you are unavailable during these times, need to drop off items before July 20, need assistance packing or preparing items for donation, or if your car is too small to transport the items you wish to donate, please make an appointment with the Tag Sale Team (see Contacting the Tag Sale Team for more information).
Donation Guidelines
1. All items must be in good condition. Please see specifications below. Items that do not meet these requirements will not be accepted.
Metal Minimal rust
No pitting or breaks
Wood Minimal gouging or water stains
Glass No cracks or breaks
Minimal scratches
Plastic No cracks or breaks
Electronics Must be in working condition
All batteries must removed (exception: phones)
Books Must have front and back covers
As few torn pages as possible
Minimal highlighting and underlining
Toys No dirty plush toys
No broken plastic toys
Furniture Minimal staining, wear and tear
No broken parts (arms, slats, legs, etc.)
Rugs and carpets must be clean and in lightly used condition
Kitchenware No cracked ceramics and minimal chipping
No rust
No missing screws, bolts, etc.
DVDs/VHSs Minimal scratching and wear
Must be in playable condition
2. The following items will NOT be accepted for donation:
Bathroom fixtures (sinks, toilets, etc.)
Bedding
Clothing
Full sized floor rugs or carpets
Mattresses
3. All fragile items must be packaged for transport before pick up / drop off. Bubble wrap, boxes and other packaging materials will not be provided for donations.
Contacting the Tag Sale Team
Have Questions? Need assistance? Want to join the tag sale team? Please contact Anna and Jacob Zonderman at TagSale@templeemanuel-gnh.org
I just returned from a long weekend in Washington, D.C. where I accompanied two TE teens (Noah Simon and Anne Ryack) who attended the L’taken seminar of the Religious Action Center (RAC) of the Reform Movement. They were part of a 12-strong group from New Haven area, bringing together teens from Temple Emanuel, Congregation Mishkan Israel and Temple Beth David. I have asked Noah and Anne to share some of their thoughts about the experience with you all, and they have provided a wonderful report below. All I can add is how much I was impressed with our kids, their incredible ability to discern important issues, their passion for justice and their grasp of what matters in this world. It made me truly proud of our kids and of the life lessons they are able to draw from their heritage and Jewish identity. My heart was filled with pride as I ‘kvelled’ at the way they presented themselves and the issues they felt passionate about: gun control, stem cell research, LGBT rights and protection for people with disabilities. The response of congressional staffers and Rep. Rosa DeLauro was a great testament to the work that went into the visits.
As part of the weekend, we got a chance to have Havdalah ceremony with 300 other Jewish teens, rabbis and educators at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In the heart of the capital, with the Lincoln Monument behind us and Washington Monument and the Capitol building ahead of us, we celebrated the end of Shabbat and the transition from sacred to ordinary. It was an amazing opportunity to acknowledge the blessings bestowed upon us all – a simple act, unthinkable in virtually any other place in the world. The words of Rabbi Michael Namath of the RAC rang so true that night, as he reminded us that while we work to make our country a better place, we show tremendous gratitude for all the wonderful freedoms and opportunities that we get to enjoy every single day.
The teenagers left Washington, D.C. with a renewed sense of commitment to making our country better for all its citizens. I leave humbled by their talents and their passion for justice – and awed by the Havdalah lights at the Lincoln Memorial… Until next year.
Rabbi Farbman
In our opinion, it is not unfair to be skeptical about the L’taken seminar when you are first told about it. It wasn’t until the program actually started that we realized the power that it can offer for us and for our Jewish peers. The program is run by the Religious Action Center, a Union of Reform Jews determined to fight for what they believe in, and incorporates numerous workshops to inform you about various issues such as gun violence prevention and LGBT equality while also connecting it to Jewish values. With all the new information you accumulate over the weekend, you have the opportunity to write a speech on a topic of your choice and walk up Capitol Hill to lobby about it. Even in our packed schedule, we still had time to go to the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of American, walk around Georgetown, see the MLK, Jr. Memorial, as well as have Havdallah at the Lincoln Memorial. And on top of that, we had the privilege of staying and hanging out with 10 other great kids and meeting a ton more. We highly encourage anybody that is thinking about taking the seminar when it is available to do so. It was an unexpected, though pleasant, surprise that turned out to be much more than just a trip to D.C. We were able to connect to our religion as well as learn about Congress. Learning all the Jewish perspectives on the different policies we thought we knew so well was a truly new and wonderful treat. But we both agree, meeting and bonding with hundreds of other Jewish teens was the greatest part of the trip and is something that we could do more often.
-Noah Simon and Anna Ryack
