Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, along with Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, American Friends of Peace Now, The Israel Policy Forum, and the Union for Reform Judaism, is supporting the letter to Secretary Condoleeza Rice being circulated by Representatives Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Charles Boustany (R-LA), commending her efforts to reinvigorate the Israeli-Palestinian peace process by convening an international conference this fall and calling for additional steps to ensure its success.

Learn more at http://jrf.org/annapolis_conference.

Each year the staff of The Forward chooses 50 individuals who are “making a difference in the way American Jews view the world and themselves” and embody “the spirit of Jewish action as it is emerging in America.” The list for 2007 includes four Reconstructionists who are making their mark in the areas of community, spiritual leadership, and ideas and activism:

Rabbi Steve Gutow, Executive Director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Ruth Messinger; Executive Director of the American Jewish World Service

Rabbi Toba Spitzer, president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and rabbi at JRF affiliate Dorshei Tzedek in Newton, Massachusetts

June Walker, president of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Read their profiles from The Forward at jrf.org/Recon_forward_50.

Make sure that your child has the summer of a lifetime at Camp JRF on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus in the Pocono Mountains. Register online at www.campjrf.org in the Parents section, or print the application and mail to our camp office.

For more information, call the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP-JRF (877-226-7573).

Camp JRF reminds everyone that applications for scholarship funds must be in by December 31. It's important to go ahead and apply to camp and pay the deposits prior to the scholarship deadline; if an applicant does not receive the amount of funding needed or desired, the deposits can be fully refunded.

Please call (877) 226-7573 or e-mail info@campjrf.org.

No'ar Hadash teens at the KotelJoin Reconstructionist teens from across North America for an amazing month of exploring Israel! Registration is now open for Summer 2008. The trip will run from July 6 – August 3, 2008 and is open to entering high school juniors. Last summer over 30 teen leaders took part in this life-changing encounter with the land and people of Israel. This could be your summer!

For more information visit www.noarhadash.org/israel or contact Jessica Shimberg at jshimberg@jrf.org or 215-885-5601 x 47.

The site soft-launched in June and has received more than 5,000 hits to date. Come see what all the excitement is about and learn how you can help your congregation and the Reconstructionist movement through planned giving.

Check out www.jrfplannedgiving.org today!

With great excitement we are opening Camp JRF on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus for week-end Shabbatonim/retreats. The beautiful facility in the Poconos will now be available for rental for our JRF congregations, Boards, religious schools, JRF Regional programs, teens, and the like.

For more information, please contact the Camp JRF office at 877-CAMP JRF (877-226-7573).

No'ar Hadash, the Reconstructionist youth movement, is excited to announce these upcoming events:

Western Region

Pacific Northwest Teen Kallah - Feb. 15 - 17
Olympia, WA

Midwest Region
Midwest Teen Kallah - Feb. 15 - 17
Grades 6-12
Camp Henry Horner in Ingleside, IL
Please register by February 1

Save the date for the North American Teen Kallah, April 11 - 13, 2008 in Philadelphia.

For more information, visit www.noarhadash.org, e-mail us at noarhadash@jrf.org, or call (215) 885-5601.

With the enthusiasm around JRF's Omer Learning Initiative, as well as the solid response of JRF congregations in the Climate Change Initiative, JRF is continues to deepen its greening work with member communities next year.

Our hope is to motivate and educate our congregations in sustainable practices, with the goal of reaching 100 percent participation in the years ahead, recognizing those JRF communities who excel at sustainable practices at the JRF Convention in Boston, 2008.

Learn about the Sustainable Synagogue Initiative on the JRF website's environment pages at jrf.org/green-call and jrf.org/climate.

For more information contact Rabbi Shawn Zevit, Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam, SZevit@jrf.org

On Saturday December 1, Temple Hillel B'nai Torah in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, will be hosting a benefit celebration in honor of the 20th anniversary of Rabbi Barbara Penzner's ordination. The evening will feature music with Jeff Klepper and remarks by Anita Diamant. We know there are some surprises in store at this event for Rabbi Penzner and wish her and the entire congregation a hearty mazal tov!

The Houston Reconstructionist Havurah has adopted the new name Kol HaLev, Voice of the Heart. The name was chosen because it captures the community's spirituality. As the congregation explains: "In ancient Hebrew the heart was thought to be the seat of reason, which also speaks well for the Reconstructionist tradition that takes an intellectual approach to examining traditional practices. We have also incorporated many Renewal practices, such as chanting, yoga and meditation, so this name combines many significant elements."

Temple Beth Sholom in Salem, Oregon, celebrated its 60th year as a congregation on October 27. Festivities included hors d'ouvres, wine, dessert and a Havdalah service. The featured speaker was Jordan Schnitzer, art collector and namesake of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon.

Chesapeake JRF Shabbaton
Friday December 14-Sunday December 16, 2007, Capital Camps, Waynesboro, PA

The theme of this year's Chesapeake Regional Shabbaton is Prayer, Spirituality and Expressions of Prayer through Reconstructionist Eyes. There will be adult, family and children’s programming and a concurrent No'ar Hadash Teen Kallah for students in grade 8 and above.

For more information, contact Jackie Land, JRF Chesapeake regional director, at jljrf@aol.com.

Registration Now Open for Western Region Gathering
Friday January 11-Sunday January 13, 2008, University Synagogue, Irvine, CA

JRF's Western Region is planning its biggest event ever! More than a Shabbaton, more than a Kallah, the gathering will be a weekend of celebrating Kehillah Shel Kehillot (Community of Communities). We will become a true community, as we study, nosh, network, enjoy intergenerational activities, hear from JRF speakers, share music and storytelling, practice tikkun olam and more.

For general information, contact Devorah Servi at dservi@jrf.org or (323) 933-7491.

Online registration is available at: jrf.org/western_gathering_08.

For information about the concurrent No'ar Hadash Teen Kallah for 8th-12th graders, contact Samantha Papurt at spapurt@jrf.org. Teen registration materials will be at www.noarhadash.org in the near future.

For underwriting and scholarship sponsorships, contact Mark Bregman at mark@bobsearch.com.

A JRF North American Leadership Workshop - Save the Date!
Congregational Growth: The Dynamics of Membership, Outreach and Financial Resources
Sunday, March 2, 2008, 9 A.M. - 4 P.M., at Ezra Habonim—The Niles Township Jewish Congregation, Skokie, IL

Come learn how to use a congregational systems approach to understand the dynamics of congregational growth. Gain important skills and ideas about how to effectively reach out to attract new members, reach in to strengthen already-existing members and volunteers, and how to creatively grow the congregation's financial resources.

All JRF affiliates are invited to send representatives to this special one-day workshop!

For information contact Julie Braman at jbraman@jrf.org or 215-885-5601.

New York-New Jersey Region Evening of Celebration
Tuesday, April 8, 2008, Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York, NY

South Pacific revival at Lincoln CenterThis year, the New York-New Jersey Region of JRF is taking its annual Evening of Celebration to the stage. We are planning a wonderful evening at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre where we'll be among the first groups to see South Pacific! The Evening of Celebration will honor Those Who Bring Joy and Creativity to Our Congregations.

Curtain 7:00 pm, Honoring & Dessert Reception to follow.

The Evening of Celebration supports and sustains the growth of the Reconstructionist movement and its congregations throughout North America.

Hiddur Presents Autumn Song: An Evening with Yiddish poet, singer and songwriter Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman
Thursday, December 13, 2007, 7:30 pm, Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel, 8339 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027

Hiddur: The Center for Aging and Judaism of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College along with The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation and other organizations in the community are sponsoring a dynamic multigenerational event: Autumn Song: Portrait of the Artist as an Older Woman, an evening with acclaimed Yiddish poet, singer and song writer, Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman.

This evening is free and open to adults of all ages. Reservations appreciated: e-mail hidur@rrc.edu call (215) 576-0800, ext. 152. For more information please visit Hiddur's web site at www.hiddur.org.