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Pardes Levavot

Pardes Levavot, “Orchard of Hearts,” was formed in the spirit of creating conscious holy community. Our name expresses the spiritual blossoming of each individual heart within an inspiring and nurturing orchard.

For information on our congregation please call (303) 563-2110 and leave a message or send email to info@pardeslevavot.org. To join our congregation, please print a copy of our membership form, fill it out, and send it to our Synagogue.


Pardes Levavot gratefully acknowledges Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado for their support of our Circle of Family Education program. Thank you!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                      

CONTACT:        Debra Kolodny, Executive Director, ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal
DATE:               April 30, 2008        
Phone:             301-565-0719
Email:               DebraRuth@mac.com <mailto:DebraRuth@mac.com>
Web site:         www.aleph.org

Dear Friends:

Below is the May 2008 ALEPH News Service. We hope you run one or more of the following articles and look forward to hearing from you if you do. This release contains:

1.   Jewish Renewal Rabbinic Association has concerns about JNF-US “Blueprint Negev”

2.   Third Women’s Shabbat in Norway led by ALEPH Ordained Cantor and Rabbinic          
      Student

3.   ALEPH announces 2009 Kallah!

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like additional information.

Brachot,

Debra Kolodny
ALEPH Executive Director

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Jewish Renewal Rabbinical Association Has Concerns about JNF-US “Blueprint Negev”

OHALAH, the Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal has recently adopted a resolution urging the Jewish National Fund - US and its partners in Israel to be more cognizant of the social and environmental impact of the JNF project, “Blueprint Negev.”  OHALAH represents close to 200 rabbis and cantors from around the globe who are affiliated with many denominations of Judaism. It works under the auspices of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal.

Blueprint Negev, whose stated goal is to “make the desert bloom,” is designed to bring a quarter million new residents to existing towns and new settlements in the Negev. In its current form, it lacks sufficient provision for the needs of the Bedouin who live there and, according to environmental groups, may also harm the fragile ecology of the region. (See “Assault on the Negev <http://www.neohasid.org/negev/jnf_negev_assault> ” from The Jerusalem Report.) OHALAH was alerted to the cause for concern initially through the work of Rabbi David Seidenberg (see <http://www.savethenegev.org/> ), environmentalist Daniel Orenstein, and Bustan, the Regional Council of Unrecognized (Bedouin) Villages.

During a recent visit to the Negev, the immediate Past President of OHALAH, Rabbi David Shneyer had an opportunity to discuss these concerns with organizers and residents in the Beersheva region. Rabbi Shneyer’s discussions in Israel followed discussions in the United States between JNF leadership and OHALAH, which have proven to be substantive, cordial, and fruitful. “JNF leadership has been responsive to our concerns,” says Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, President of OHALAH, noting that the resolution has also been endorsed by the Board of ALEPH. It reads as follows:

We, the members of OHALAH, the Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal:

1.  Commend the Jewish National Fund in the United States (JNF-US) and Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael (KKL) for their devotion to the Jewish people and the State of Israel and for its many projects to restore and honor the Land.

2.  Urge that JNF-US inform potential donors about the distinctions between giving to Blueprint Negev and giving to KKL, and about the fact that Blueprint Negev is the JNF-US name for the development projects in the Negev run by different organizations.

3.  Urge that JNF-US, KKL and its associate bodies throughout the world advocate for a change in Israeli law to ensure the social and political rights of the Bedouin population and the status of unrecognized villages and to recognize the moral responsibility to others dwelling amongst us demanded by our tradition, e.g., to refrain from destroying Bedouin communities to make room for new Jewish towns.

4.  Urge that JNF-US refrain from publicizing, promoting, or funding any project involving the demolition of any Bedouin home or community.

5. Urge that JNF-US or its agents involved in Blueprint Negev provide studies demonstrating that all environmental concerns have been satisfactorily reviewed from the perspectives of sustainability and social impact by KKL’s Sustainability Committee and by other relevant review boards, and that any studies that have been previously completed or will be completed be made public.

6. Urge that JNF-US direct Tnuat Or to make full disclosure of all its activities and allocations on the JNF-US and KKL web sites. We also urge that JNF-US effect the removal of all language from its promotional materials or the promotional materials of its affiliates that treats the Bedouin as a threat or speaks negatively about the Bedouin, especially from the material of Tnuat Or.

While traveling in Israel, Russell F. Robinson, Chief Executive Officer, Jewish National Fund emailed the following to OHALAH’s Administrative Director, Rabbi Pamela Frydman Baugh:  

“The Jewish National Fund appreciates the attention OHALAH is devoting to development of the Negev. Together we share a passion for the future of the Land and People of Israel.

JNF partners with many organizations to realize our objectives for the future. We have always appreciated different perspectives and expertise and are open to bringing concerned and contributing partners to the table. All of the Negev's residents - Jews and Bedouin alike – deserve more than statements and press releases. They deserve tangible, real solutions.

Our single goal has always been caring for the land of Israel and as the Jewish National Fund we invite donors to designate their contributions to any of the Blueprint Negev projects.”

Rabbis Mintz and Frydman Baugh will meet with JNF leaders to continue the discussions begun by Rabbis Seidenberg and Shneyer about ways the JNF and OHALAH can work together to identify the tangible, real solutions to which Mr. Robinson refers. Those wanting to follow the story should look for an article in the May 30th issue of J, Jewish News Weekly of Northern California available on line at http://www.jweekly.com/

For more information concerning OHALAH and our JNF resolution, please contact Rabbi Yocheved Mintz at dtOHALAH@aol.com <mailto:dtOHALAH@aol.com>  

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Third Women’s Shabbat in Norway led by ALEPH Ordained Cantor and Rabbinic Student

>From Friday, May 30 until Sunday, June 1, Cantor Jalda Rebling and Rabbinic Student Lynn Claire Feinberg will lead a women’s retreat at the Jewish community of Oslo Holiday house at Skui, half an hour drive out of Oslo. Participants will delve deeply into the Torah portion of the week: Bamidbar – In the wilderness. The portion raises wonderful questions for and about women: Who is being counted? Where are the women in the story? What place and what role do women have in our core narratives and how can we make them relevant for us today?

In addition to exploring the text of the Torah, the participants will learn how to use the counting of the Omer to explore themselves and the world around them. From Saturday evening until early Sunday morning participants will share stories and songs before ending Shabbat with a Havdalah ceremony. Marianne Hinsch and Sylvie Lindeman will share the story of “The Seven Beggers” by the Hasidic Rabbi Nachman.

The group will use a first of its kind siddur created by Lynn that is fully transliterated and translated into Norwegian and English for all of the services.

With her many years of experience as a Jewish storyteller, singer, actress and teacher of Jewish culture, Cantor Rebling brings a wide knowledge that makes Judaism come alive. She is a founder of the European Jewish Network, Ohel Hachidusch; <http://www.ohel-hachidusch.org/> , an organization for those seeking Jewish experiences and learning beyond what traditional communities offer. She is presently the spiritual leader of the Ohel Hachidush community in Berlin.

 Lynn Claire Feinberg from Oslo is an historian of religion specializing in Women and Judaism. She is also trained as an astrologer. She teaches on a variety of Jewish themes including Kabbalah. She has completed a two-year program in davvening leadership and has a certificate as an Eco-kosher Masgiach (overseer of kashrut) and is currently training to become a Mashpiah Ruchanit – a Jewish Spiritual Director.

Both Lynn and Jalda are members of Ohalah, www.ohalah.org, an organization for Rabbis and Cantors associated with ALEPH.

For more information about the weekend contact Lynn at: lynn.claire@gmail.com

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ALEPH announces 2009 Kallah

Living in the Light of G!d: Making Every Day Holy
June 29 -- July 5, 2009
Ohio Wesleyan University, Columbus, OH

The biennial ALEPH Kallah is the cornerstone event of the Jewish Renewal Movement, inspiring hundreds of Jews from diverse backgrounds to learn, pray, celebrate and deepen their experience of Judaism.

This year's gathering will take place at Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU), lovely campus with historic buildings, park like green expanses and a wonderful sustainable, local and organic conscious food service. It is small and compact making it easy to get around. It is just outside of Columbus OH, and driving distance from Cleveland (2 hrs), Chicago (5 1/2 hrs), and Philadelphia (7 1/2 hrs)

Past Kallot have drawn as many as 900 people from all over the world, including hundreds of rabbis, teachers, performers, artists and leaders offering a wide range of courses and programs.  

ALEPH Executive Director Debra Kolodny said, “Kallah Coordinator Sally Plone did an amazing job finding Ohio Wesleyan for our Midwest gathering. In addition to the basics of sufficient lodging and classrooms we try to find a site that is close to a major airport with a inviting environment.  Of course the food service must be willing to kasher the kitchen. Finding a site that has expertise in attending to major components of our eco-kosher agenda has been close to impossible, but Sally did it!  We are off to a great start for Kallah 2009 and we hope to see all of you there!”

RFPs for classes, workshops, etc. will be coming out by September -- keep your eye on our website www.aleph.org/kallah.htm if you want to teach a class or a workshop.  If you are interested in helping plan, contact Sally at kallahajr@rcn.com. The planning committee will be forming this fall.