Are You Interested in Joining a Havurah with Other Temple Members?

In the fall of 2010, a survey was sent to the Temple Shir Tikvah community to ask about your interest in joining a havurah. Havurot themes can be as varied as an interest in outdoor activities, or a desire of families with similar aged kids getting together to share Shabbat dinners. In response to the survey and after many months of planning on the part of the Havurah Advisory Team (HAT), the Temple launched 5 havurot as a way for members to form stronger bonds within our Temple community.

Many Temple members have asked if it is still possible to join a havurah, so the HAT is now reaching out to the community to determine the level of interest in forming more of them in the fall of 2011. If you are interested, please fill out this questionnaire with your interests and return it to the Havurah Committee by August 1, 2011. The HAT will review all the surveys and be back in touch about possibilities for new havurot in the fall.

We plan to honor the current havurot members at the September 16, 2011 Shabbat Service. You will have a chance to meet some of the members, hear how their havurot are going, and ask some questions — so please plan to join us! Questions?

Genesis Initiative Update

Living Jewish in a Non-Jewish World

Sunday morning, January 9, 2011 from 9:45–11:15 AM at Temple Shir Tikvah. What are your holiday/public life challenges? Do you struggle internally with these dilemmas? Join us as we share a framework for thinking about these issues and practice using it.

How do you handle the work meeting scheduled on a Jewish Holiday? How does your workplace handle it? How do respond when your child is invited to a birthday party on Rosh Hashanah? Do you struggle internally with these dilemmas? Do you struggle with what to do about them more publicly? The same issue or situation can be viewed differently by members of the same congregation.

It is not always easy to speak up when these situations arise. It is not easy to know how and when to respond.
At a Genesis Shlichut event in October we started the conversation by sharing our stories. Some of the concerns we heard were:

• Events conflicting with Jewish holiday observance such as work meetings, town events, town meetings, rehearsals for plays or dance recitals, first/second day of school, MCAS testing, town sports events, SATs.


• Required participation in Christmas related public events for students who are part of certain school related performing groups.


• Negative comments related to Jewish customs heard in school or work situations

This is a chance to continue the dialog. Join us as we grapple individually and collectively with these questions:

• How can I handle conflicts between Jewish practice and the demands of the non-Jewish world—in my workplace, in my town, in my child’s school?


• What are my options for publicly responding to these challenges, for influencing policy or educating town and school officials?


• Who can I turn to for advice and/or support when I feel like I am the only one struggling.
  
  

Genesis Shlichut — outreach
Our mission: addressing issues of religious pluralism at tst-shlichut@googlegroups.com.

February 14, 2010 Update

Mission Statement for Gesher sub-group:

"Gesher," named after the Hebrew word for "bridge," will provide helpful ways for Shir Tikvah members and their families to connect on a wide range of practical, personal, and professional issues. Gesher will provide opportunities for members to give back by connecting them with members who need help, advice, or skills.

December 20, 2009

As a result of the November 1, 2009 Genesis Assembly, 25 new leaders stepped up to become part of one of the 3 initiatives (see below) discussed that morning. These new leaders met in December, 2009 to start formulating a vision, action steps, and time line. We continue to invite your active participation to make these initiatives a reality. Our combined efforts will make Shir Tikvah an even stronger community!
 

If you were unable to attend the Leaders' meeting but would like to get involved in one of the initiatives described below, it’s not too late. Contact: Tikkun Olam Committee.

The three initiatives related to the theme of "community support in complex times" are:

1. Havurot/Affinity Groups

Forming small groups that meet on a regular basis to support a sense of community and develop deeper connections within Shir Tikvah. View our Havurot Guidelines.

A havurah (from the root of the Hebrew word for "friend") is a small group of people or families — generally around 12 — who join together to share activities and form deeper bonds of friendship around a shared common theme.

To join a havurah, take our survey Havurah Survey 2011. Contact Havurah@shir-tikvah.org with questions.

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2. Gesher/Resource Networking

Building a network of advice and services to support each other through difficult time.

Join the TST Gesher Group to Connect with Other Members! Do you want a way to connect with many other Shir Tikvah members easily and quickly? The TST Gesher Group is setting up a Google Group for that exact reason! Learn more.

• Subscribe to offer or ask for rides to Temple services and events.
• Subscribe to find a good babysitter/plumber/sukkah builder.
• Subscribe if you need a used bike, perennial plants, or help building a shed.
• Subscribe to find others interested in a bike ride this weekend.


1. To subscribe, send an email to: TSTGESHER+subscribe@googlegroups.com.
2. Once you're approved, reach out to community members by simply sending an email to TSTGESHER+subscribe@googlegroups.com.

3. Shlichut/Advocating for Our Families in Our Communities

Responding, and teaching our children to respond, to issues that arise around the gap between our Jewish practices and the demands of the larger communities.