| 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!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Debra Kolodny, Executive Director, ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal DATE: September 29, 2008 Phone: 301-565-0719 Email: DebraRuth@mac.com Web site: www.aleph.org Dear All: Enclosed is the September 2008 ALEPH News Service. We hope you pass this along to your congregations and friends, and if you use any of it in your newsletter, we look forward to hearing from you. This release contains: 1. Registration is open for two 2009 ALEPH Offerings 2. German ALEPH Affiliate, Ohel Hachidusch, Holds Second European Congress in Lund 3. ALEPH Wisconsin Affiliate Shaarei Shamayim Moves to Accommodate Growth Blessings for a year of deep, meaningful and gratifying work, abundant joy and robust health, Debra Kolodny Executive Director ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal ************************************************************************************ Registration is open for two 2009 ALEPH Offerings ALEPH and Ruach Ha’Aretz are producing the first ALEPH Winter Retreat: Cultivating the Garden of our Souls: A Mid-Winter Celebration of Life, Love, Peace and Torah Jewish Renewalists looking for a meaningful retreat with some of the best teachers in the movement need look no further! Join ALEPH and four of its projects: CDEEP: The Center for Devotional, Energy and Ecstatic Practice, Sage-ing, Rodef Shalom and the Institute for Contemporary Midrash, along with Eshet Hazon Rabbi Hanna Tiferet Siegel for a week of immersion in deep spiritual practice, beautiful prayer and wonderful community. This first time event features five all day courses with master teachers in magical Albuquerque, New Mexico from February 2-8, 2009. Space is limited so register early! Go to www.ruachhaaretz.com <http://www.ruachhaaretz.com/> to register, and contact Rabbis Victor and Nadya Gross at info@ruachhaaretz.com with questions. ALEPH is sponsoring its second Jewish Renewal Pesach Pilgrimage from Monday, March 30th to Monday April 13th. Rabbi Marcia Prager, Hazan Jack Kessler and Rabbinic student Nachshon Da-vid Mahanymi will masterfully guide an adventure starting in Istanbul Turkey, one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities, and concluding at a star-lit Passover seder in Eretz Yisrael. Visit Sufi and Jewish Istanbul. Experience the Seder in a ‘Bedouin” tent that resembles the wandering tents of our ancestors. Davven Kabbalat Shabbat with Nava Tehila- the emerging Jewish Renewal community of Jerusalem. Participate in a tzedakah project of Table to Table, a volunteer organization supplying foods to tens of Israeli soup kitchens. Visit www.aleph.org <http://www.aleph.org/> for more information, including how to register. ************************************************************************************** German ALEPH Affiliate, Ohel Hachidusch, Holds Second European Congress in Lund Twenty five participants from across Europe participated in the second Ohel Hachidusch Congress from August 28 through the 31st. Members of the Jewish Center in Lund (JCL) welcomed the visitors heartily. Rabbi Shawn Zevit from Philadelphia, the Senior Consultant and Director of Outreach and External Affairs for the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation was the guest teacher at the Congress. He focused participants on how they could develop kehillot kedoshot: sacred leadership and democratic community-structures based in Jewish values. ALEPH rabbinical student Lynn Feinberg from Oslo taught Passages through Life and Death. Friday night’s traditional Kabbalat Shabbat service was led by Hazan Jalda Rebling from Berlin and Saturday’s creative morning service was led by Rabbi Shawn Zevit, Both were highlights of the conference. Shabbat Mincha and a seudah shlishit (third meal) brought many opportunities to learn, davven, sing and meet. Members of the JCL in Lund were inspired by the participatory prayers and services. Saturday evening’s Havdala, followed by a concert with Hazan Rebling and Rabbi Zevit was a special cultural event for the city of Lund. Part of the gathering involved participants sharing their personal experiences. Rabbi Elisa Klapheck and Renée Citroen from the Bejt Ha'chidusch in Amsterdam spoke of their work with a successful community for many years. Eva Ekselius spoke from the liberal community in Stockholm. Members of Bustan Shalom in Tübingen, a still developing community spoke of the challenges and opportunities they were facing as did members of the JCL, a community in transition. This creative exchange of experiences of chavurot and communities from different Europeen countries brought many new and interesting ideas. Rosh Chodesh Elul was a new beginning for all participants of the Congress. Many new ideas for the European network will enable the collaboration of the different communities. The Tent of Renewal is open for all Jews, their friends and their families. <http://www.ohel-hachidusch.org/> **************************************************************************** ALEPH Wisconsin Affiliate Shaarei Shamayim Moves to Accommodate Growth Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, Madison's Reconstructionist and Jewish Renewal Synagogue, announces its move to the First Unitarian Society's historic Frank Lloyd Wright building. Growth in membership led the Congregation to move from the building they shared with Prairie Unitarian Society for over 15 years. Beginning in September Shaarei Shamayim services will be held in the new, permanent worship space. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services will take place in the architecturally unique auditorium. Second day Rosh Hashanah services will, as usual, take place at the Gates of Heaven Synagogue in James Madison Park. Shaarei Shamayim's Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman states, "Our move offers our community a tremendous opportunity to grow and flourish. Our new location will strengthen our programs, provide a spiritually moving home for our services, and help us fulfill our mission to be a vibrant, inclusive Jewish community in Madison, Wisconsin." She adds, "We welcome Jews from around Wisconsin to join us for our services." Shaarei Shamayim was founded in 1989 by a small group of Jews living in Madison. They desired an alternative to the Reform and Conservative congregations in Madison and decided to affiliate with the Reconstructionist and Jewish Renewal movements. They are now over 100 households and have a lively Hebrew school of 45 children. One unique feature about Shaarei Shamayim is that it welcomes all Jews – free of charge – who wish to attend Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. From its inception its members believed that it should be a home for unaffiliated Jews, as well as Jews who were visiting Madison. They did not want to exclude anyone based on financial ability to pay for a ticket or Jews who were not sure they wanted to join a congregation. Part of its success in growth has been this welcoming attitude. To find out more go to: <http://www.shamayim.org/> or contact Cathy Kaplan, 238-5862 cathykaplan@sbcglobal.net |