Davening Out of the Box Informative Meeting This Weekend
Following Service this coming Shabbat, August 17 (around 12:30 pm), we invite you to join with B'nai Amoona congregants Dr. David Kantor and Abby Kelman as they facilitate a discussion regarding Davening Out of the Box, our new initiative to bring alternative experiences of spiritual enrichment to all of us and our community. This budding effort was introduced to us during the weekend we had with Rabbi Sid Schwarz as part of the very timely Gallant Motivational & Inspirational Weekend Series.
Anyone interested in the collaboration and planning of Davening Out of the Box is invited to join us again the following day, August 18 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm in Banquet Hall Gimmel. Topics to be discussed include alternative Services in the new Guller Chapel, Niggun collectives, Jewish Wisdom collectives, Jewish mindfulness groups, yoga and more.
Capital Campaign
Act now... Make a difference... Every dollar counts! Join the many B’nai Amoona families who are already helping to secure "Our Future…ATIDEYNU - עתידנו" - for generations to come.
Avraham Yizhak (Arthur) Green was the founding Dean and is currently rector of the Rabbinical School and Irving Brudnick Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Religion at Hebrew College. He is Professor Emeritus at Brandeis University, where he occupied the distinguished Philip W. Lown Professorship of Jewish Thought. He is both a historian of Jewish religion and a theologian; his work seeks to form a bridge between these two distinct fields of endeavor. He defines himself as a Neo-Hasidic Jew and Rabbi. Dr. Green is author of over a dozen books. Among his scholarly works are Tormented Master: A Life of Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav and Keter: The Crown of God in Early Jewish Mysticism.
We hope you will also join us on September 20, 2019 for a festive complimentary dinner. We kindly request that you RSVP by clicking HERE.
Did you receive your High Holy Day Bulletin? In it, you will find helpful and exciting information regarding High Holy Days at B'nai Amoona. You can also find our HHD schedule and details by clicking the image above. You can download and print a copy of our HHD Bulletin by clicking HERE.
Sisterhood - High Holy Day Memorial Book
By now you should have received a letter regarding the Yizkor Memorial Book. Your response and check should be sent to: Robin Shulman, c/o Congregation B'nai Amoona 324 S. Mason Road, St. Louis, MO 63141
In preparation for the High Holy Days, Rabbi Rose recommends reading Beyond Survival: How Judaism Can Thrive in the 21st Century by Rabbi Terry Bookman.
Please contact Amy Mauping to purchase at 314-576-9990 x131 or amy@bnaiamoona.com . The cost is $22 - cash or checks made payable to the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund.
Torah Fund 5780 - Wear Your Pin During High Holy Days
The 5780 (2019-2020) Torah Fund pin depicts a heart surrounded by three circles, one larger than the next. This symbolizes the heart of kindness, which Jews enact in ever-widening realms of generosity: from family, to community, to larger world: from North America, to Israel, to the world; or from sisterhood, to region, to the larger world of Women’s League of Conservative Judaism. And as it is said in Psalm 89, may we build a world of kindness.
To donate, please mail payment to: Andrea Cantor 12510 Conway Holmes Ct. St. Louis, MO 63141 Please make checks payable to “TorahFund”. Cash or check only, please.
Torah Fund Co-Chairs: Mercedes Gelman, mercegelman@gmail.com & Lori Sheinbein, davidandlori@gmail.com Sisterhood President: Rachel Taxman, rdtaxman@gmail.com Torah Fund Treasurer: Andrea Cantor, andreabrentcantor@yahoo.com
Have you picked up your Memorial Plaque?
Our beautiful new Memorial Hall, which will be located on the south side of the Sanctuary building near Moses, is currently under construction. All plaques purchased in the past are being recreated and will be placed in the new Memorial Hall. If you would like to pick up any of your plaques that were in our desacralized Memorial Hall, please pick them up from Gail Armstrong by the end of August. Questions?
Contact Gail at 314-576-9990 x126 or gail@bnaiamoona.com.
Intergenerational Service Machzorim
A wonderful anonymous donor has provided prayer books for our all new Intergenerational services and we are giving families the opportunity to have a bookplate placed in the books as a legacy contribution. The bookplates can be customized to honor or remember a loved one, represent families, or for whatever gift moves your heart. The bookplates can be ordered in advance for a minimum donation of $36 (or any additional multiple of $18). Please contact Gail Armstrong directly so a bookplate may be specially created and placed in the books in advance of our services – gail@bnaiamoona.com or 314-576-9990 x126. Bookplates may be ordered up to Monday, September 23.
Adult Education
BA Sisterhood's Summer Wednesday Morning Continuing Education Series facilitated by Rabbi Neal Rose Wednesdays, June 12 - August 21, 9:45 - 11:30 am in Banquet Hall - Gimmel Mysticism, Madonna and Modernity: A Study in Modern Day Kabbalists and Mysticism $18 for Sisterhood and Men's Club members and $36 for non-members Additional $24 book fee: The Kabbalah Reader: A Source of Visionary Judaism by Edward Hoffman Books can be purchased from Amy Maupin in the Rabbinic Suite. Please make checks payable to Rabbi Rose's Discretionary Account. Please call Barb Hoffman at 314-691-0435 or email Mzbarb50850@aol.com for more information Click here to register.
For more information and a full list of our Adult Education classes and programs, please click HERE to be directed to our Adult Education page.
Pre-Register your Pre K-12th Grader for Activities & Programming
We are asking ALL families with children in PreK - 12th grade to complete the form below. Please fill out the form, regardless of whether you are registering your child(ren) for the Meyer Kranzberg Learning Center (MKLC).
To ensure accuracy, you will need to be logged in to complete this form. Your username is your email on file. If you are unsure of your email on file or need help logging in, please contact Tanya at tanya@bnaiamoona.com .
All students in 9th - 12th grade are invited to celebrate the start of a new year in BAUSY by joining us for our Luau-Themed Kick Off Party. This event is complimentary, but we kindly ask that you RSVP to idena@bnaiamoona.com. Please let us know if your child will be eating a meat or vegetarian dinner option.
MKLC
We can’t wait for MKLC to begin for our Pre-K- 8th Grade Students on September 8th!
Don’t forget to CLICK on the Registration form above to sign up for classes now! Contact Liessa Alperin at liessa@bnaiamoona.com for more information!
College Connect
We want to connect with our college students via Facebook, Skype, and special packages to help them keep their Jewish identity away from home. Please share your student(s’) information with us (even if it hasn’t changed) so we know where they are and can update our lists for goodies throughout the year.
Click HERE to fill out our online form or email the information to Jeanne Gaska at jeanne@bnaiamoona.com
A special thank you to the Rabbi Bernard Lipnick Foundation for the Conservative Movement for sponsoring this initiative!
B'nai Mitzvah Project Help Needed
Help Eddie Ciemnoczolowski with his Mitzvah Project: Sweet New Year Care Packages for Deployed U.S. Jewish Troops Eddie has a goal to send 72 packages to arrive by Rosh Hashanah. There is a collection box in the lobby by the Main Sanctuary and the list of needs is posted. Thank you for helping Eddie to achieve his goal of 72 care packages.
BA is Heading to Morocco *Almost Full! Only a Few Spots Remain!*
We invite you to be a part of Sisterhood! 2019 - 2020 Membership sign-up is LIVE and online.
Come be a part of the group!
Click HERE to join online OR you may mail in your membership payment OR call the B'nai Amoona office.
Our Next Rosh Chodesh Circle You are invited to join with B'nai Amoona Sisterhood to celebrate Rosh Chodesh Elul with Lynnsie Balk Kantor to prepare our hearts, minds, and souls for the High Holy Days on Wednesday, September 4 at 7:00 pm in the Banquet Hall. Please click HEREto RSVP.
Book Club B'nai Amoona's Sisterhood has a Book Club that we share with Kol Rinah's Sisterhood. Meetings are on the 4th Thursday of each month at the St. Louis County Library Headquarters on Lindbergh Blvd (across from Plaza Frontenac) from 10:00 - 11:30 am. New members are always welcome! You do not need to attend every month, just come when you can, nor is it required that you have read (or finished reading) the book selection for the month!
Aug 22 - The Wartime Sisters: A Novel by Lynda Cohen Loigman Sept 26 - The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
For more information on the Book Group or author events, please call Enid Weisberg-Frank at 314-576-2864.
Chef Jon Hoffman Teaches a Cooking Class For Crown Center Residents
Last week I had the pleasure of teaching a cooking class for residents at the Crown Center. The staff and residents have spent the summer nurturing and keeping a garden. We decided to use items from their garden to prepare quick and easy recipes that feature summer flavors and aromas. Together we prepared tomato caprese salad, pan roasted eggplant and squash with fresh oregano and Parmesan cheese, and a lemon dill cucumber salad. To round out our time together, I prepared a watermelon and passion fruit summer ade that was a hit for the participants. A special thank you to Amy Neuman for helping to organize the class for everyone. I can't wait for another chance to cook with my friends at the Crown Center.
Order Your "Beeshul BeCool" Cookbook Today!
Proceeds benefit the Karen Chod Memorial Camp Assistance Fund.
In Our BA Community
WE MOURN THE PASSING OF...
Sheilah Bidnick Katz; wife of David Katz (Z"L), sister of Helyn (Morris, Z"L) Kevrick, sister-in-law of Norma (Melvin, Z"L) Singer; aunt of Howard (Pam) Appelman and Susan (Steven) Drapekin.
In the Jewish Community
Additional Volunteer Opportunities at Covenant Place Next week, the last of 102 senior residents will move into the new Covenant Place II! We are still in need of volunteers to help pack and unpack the residents along their move. We have added additional volunteer time slots -- both weekdays and weekends, mornings and afternoons. We have also added a volunteer opportunity to help residents hang artwork in their new homes. We are in the final stretch; thank you for helping us make it to the finish line!
How to navigate the site: 1. Under the Volunteering box, click on “Opportunities-Help Wanted.” 2. Sign into the system with your phone number. Click on “add yourself” to input your name and contact information, if you are not already in the system. 3. Click on the month that you want to volunteer to find available dates, times, and roles.
Calling All Writers, Illustrators & Thinkers
www.thenewjewishthinker.org is a developing ezine looking for volunteers to write, illustrate, and share ideals. This online publication has a Jewish theme in its expression. Contact Berta Hyken, the volunteer coordinator at hyken.bb@gmail.com if you are interested in joining The New Jewish Thinker.
Seeking Community Gatekeepers
Jewish Family & Children’s Service is seeking “community connectors” to serve as Gatekeepers for vulnerable seniors. A Gatekeeper helps keep an eye out for relatives, neighbors, or friends who may be struggling with the challenges of aging. The JF&CS team will reach out to and work with these identified seniors one-on-one to develop a plan that helps them maintain independence, confidence, and a sense of connection to the local community. If you are interested in learning more about how you can serve as a gatekeeper, or if know of someone who could benefit from senior support, please reach out to Ken Schwartz at 314-812-9320 or kschwartz@jfcs-stl.org .
Congregation B’nai Amoona 324 South Mason Rd St. Louis, MO 63141 314-576-9990 www.bnaiamoona.com
