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Throughout the year, the members of our Congregational Choir grew closer and wanted to socialize outside of the synagogue. A potluck dinner was arranged and everyone had a wonderful time. After dinner, the choir enjoyed a brief Havdalah service.
The choir is getting excited about singing in this year’s Alternative High Holy Day services. If you would like to participate please contact Cantor Murley.
Check our more pictures at Rodeph Shalom’s facebook page.
Our rabbis joined the end of year celebration at the Buerger Early Learning Center wth Shabbat Blessings, which was almost as exciting as the fire engine, water ice and face painting.
Check out more pictures at Rodeph Shalom’s facebook page.
On June 23, the Young Friends of Rodeph Shalom hosted the Toast for Trees fundraiser to directly benefit the Buerger Early Learning Center, making it a better and greener place for kids to play. Trees will help soften the edges of the Synagogue, improving and beautifying the neighborhood. The tree planting will engage younger audiences in RS while managing stormwater, reducing heat island effect and greening the City.
The event was a lot of fun for all involved and included raffle prizes and samples from the Men of RS Brewing Club, Old City Coffee, Bird Song Wines, Y+B Wines, Philadelphia Brewing Company, Las Bugambilias, The Khyber Bar & Dos Segundos Restaurant.
Check out more pictures from the event at Rodeph Shalom’s Facebook page!
By Fred Strober, RS President
I’m the first to admit it: I have a horrible singing voice. It’s easier for me to carry a 100 pound sack of flour than it is to carry a tune. You may not want to be near me when I sing. Your first instinct may be to move a few feet away once I’ve started. Continue reading
By Fred Strober, RS President
The weekend of March 4th through 6th is an important one for Rodeph Shalom. It represents a critical point in the “Visioning Initiative” that your clergy and Board of Trustees initiated last fall to help determine—with your meaningful involvement—the future direction of our congregation. Our “guide” for the weekend will be Rabbi Larry Hoffman, a leading intellectual force behind many of the changes over the past decade which have kept the Reform movement relevant.
by Frederick D. Strober
Rodeph Shalom President
When I was 25, I wound up in a unique place, doing my best to help. In October, 1973, I visited Israel for the first time. I was staying with an aunt in Jerusalem, scheduled to return home after the High Holidays, and experiencing a Yom Kippur morning literally without a car on the road. Suddenly, sirens started wailing and cars quickly began to appear—at noon on Yom Kippur! The Yom Kippur War had begun and I got to see a country mobilize in a matter of hours. It was controlled chaos, and I was amazed how calm the Israelis stayed as hundreds of young men raced to collection points and sped away in army vehicles. It’s a day I’ll never forget.
The men were away at war and the kibbutzim needed workers to finish the harvest. Once the actual fighting ended, my plans laid aside, I headed to Kibbutz Kfar Giladi, in the far north, to do what I could to help.
Meditations for Each Night of Chanukah (If you have special readings or traditions for Chanukah, please share them with us.)
FREEDOM – – First Night: We kindle these Chanukah Lights in memory of the dedication and courage of the Maccabees. They willingly sacrificed their lives for the freedom to worship God as their hearts and minds dictated. As we kindle these candles, we rededicate ourselves to work for the equal rights of all people, and for the realization of a society of democracy and freedom.Continue reading
Mention the name Doris Garrett to any Rodeph Shalom long-time congregant and you will get the same reaction as that expressed by Ivan Gable upon hearing of her death on September 9, 2009:
“Doris Garrett epitomized Rodeph Shalom to many congregants over almost two generations. She was Rabbi Wice’s confidant and represented him ably whenever he was unavailable and a member needed help or advice. She helped prepare brides before their marriages in the sanctuary and was loved by hundreds, if not thousands, of members.”
By Catherine Fischer, Director of Programming and Membership
The Torah, our Jewish guide to living, teaches over and over again, more times than any other mitzvah (commandment), that we are supposed to welcome the stranger (aka a person whom we do not know). Being welcoming, showing compassion and doing acts of loving kindness are just some of the mitzvot that Jews are instructed to adhere to.
Congregation Rodeph Shalom works hard to live up to our obligation. Our rabbis, staff, president, lay leadership and every congregant of RS share in this responsibility. We work together to assess and reassess our efforts so that everyone who walks through our doors is personally welcomed. Our goal is that no one will ever come into this building and leave unnoticed and unappreciated.
As the High Holy Days approach, we carry our welcome with us. Many are used to buying High Holy Day tickets to attend services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. At Rodeph Shalom, we try to distill the notion of purchasing tickets as we don’t see that as the role of a synagogue. Rather, we invite our prospective members to come as our guests and become acquainted with our community. We hope that once they have a chance to get to know us and begin building relationships and memories here, they will want to be part of our community. Being part of a community is analogous to being part of a family. A family does not purchase tickets to attend Thanksgiving; however, there is a healthy give and take and a sense of responsibility that one has for another. Continue reading
By Jody Kidwell, Cantorial Soloist
Last Shabbat, Rodeph Shalom had some uninvited “guests” on the sidewalk. The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) of Topeka, Kansas came to Philadelphia to stage protests at the International Conference of Jewish Genealogy and Philadelphia Congregations. The WBC are NOT officially affiliated to mainstream Baptists; and many of their congregants are related to the leader Fred Phelps. The Anti-Defamation League warned us of their plans, and our Executive Director Roy Feinberg was ready with extra security.
So why were they protesting? Their news release claimed that the conference was “fag infested”, their signs declared that “God hates Israel”, “God hates Obama”, “America is doomed”, “Jews killed Jesus”, “Priests rape boys” – etc. etc. etc. The signs were disturbing, but one of the most disturbing sights was a child who appeared to be around 10 years old holding a sign of hate.
Progressive Judaism celebrates a ground-breaking success of Jewish pluralism and religious freedom in Israel
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