| 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: December 17, 2008 Phone: 301-565-0719 Email: <mailto:DebraRuth@mac.com> Web site: www.aleph.org Dear All: Below is the December 2008 ALEPH News Service, a bit early because there is some wonderful information about Chanukah and Birkat HaHammah and I wanted you to have at least a few days to ponder. We are also so excited to be going annual with our Birthright trip. PLEASE get the word out about this amazing opportunity as soon as you can! Finally, we hope you run one or more of the following articles in your electronic or paper newsletters and look forward to hearing from you if you do. This release contains: 1. Announcing Summer ‘09 Taglit-birthright israel Trip with ALEPH 2. ALEPH Participates in Jewish Coalition Declaring 2009 the Year of the Sun 3. Jewish Renewal Rabbi to speak on a Framework for Ethical Eating 4. ALEPH Rabbinic Student part of new CD, STEP INTO SHABBAT Brachot v’hodaot, Deb ***************************************************************************** Announcing Summer ‘09 Taglit-birthright israel Trip with ALEPH Go to Israel for Free with ALEPH and Taglit-birthright israel! Experience Israel and Jewish Renewal like never before RENEWAL IN ISRAEL is a 10-day trip designed especially for ALEPH members and friends. Our plan is to go in July, and we will know the exact dates in late February. As with other Birthright trips we will pray at the Kotel, float in the Dead Sea, participate in a traditional Bedouin feast and tour Jerusalem. Our special focus will add visits with Israeli Jewish Renewal teachers and Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers, an ecstatic welcome of Shabbat, the mystical energy of Sfat, chanting, drumming and singing niggunim on the bus, ecological teachings and visits, rituals at the Holocaust Memorial Museum and at the Kotel, sunrise prayers at Massada and more. Israel Outdoors brings an active, engaged focus to the trip that will add memorable components like kayaking, water hiking and dancing on the Galilee. RENEWAL IN ISRAEL is truly a once in a life-time opportunity. First trip participant Amanda Feinstein said: “I secretly hoped I would encounter at least one life-altering moment that would bring me back to my heritage. I was not prepared to be having these experiences on a daily basis. Never before have I gone on a trip where all of my needs felt so met (except for sleep, of course). We were offered prayer and meditation services every morning, tons of exercise during the day, vegetarian food, wonderful leaders and 38 new friends. Although there were so many amazing and memorable moments on this trip, the most meaningful aspect of my experience has been finding a sense of belonging with the Jewish people for the FIRST time in my entire life. Thank you so much to all of the people who made this trip possible, for me and for all of us.” If you or someone you know is Jewish, 18-26, has graduated high school, has not been on an organized trip to Israel, fill out our showing of interest form: https://www.aleph.org/israeltrips.htm. You will need to register at www.israeloutdoors.com between February 19 and March 5 for the ALEPH Jewish Renewal trip. (Look in the drop down menu.) First come first served, so register on February 19 if you can! ******************************************************************************** ALEPH Participates in Jewish Coalition Declaring 2009 the Year of the Sun COEJL, the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life is leading a coalition of national Jewish organizations in the year-long promotion and celebration of Birkat HaHammah, the Blessing of the Sun. On Wednesday, April 8, 2009 the sun will returns to the same place, day of the week, and time of its creation according to the Talmud (Berakhot 59a). The 2009 commemoration, the 206th time Jews have marked this event, which cycles every 28 years. The purpose of this effort is twofold: to promote and celebrate Birkat HaHammah; and to build a contemporary awareness and advocacy of the need for clean, renewable energy into this rare celebration. The centerpiece of this national initiative is the Birkat Hahammah Covenant, where individuals are encouraged to sign up and commit themselves to three acts of celebration (blessing the sun), application (pursuing practical acts to reduce their carbon footprint) and donation (giving time or money to environmental efforts and organizations). Participants can sign on at www.blessthesun.org <http://www.blessthesun.org> In addition, the members of this coalition are creating several resources: * A BH siddur * A BH “massekhet”, that is, a compilation of texts from Jewish sources that speak about the sun * Curricular materials for various age groups * Celebrations for the day of April 8 itself * Materials to be used that evening, at the first seder, that speak of the liberating gift of the sun and its energies * Programs and projects to be undertaken now culminating around April 8 * A website that offers all the above plus basic information about the sun, energy consumption and conservation * Guides to creating local sundials * Invitation to sign onto a communal Covenant The first official act of the campaign is the recitation of a special Hanukkah blessing the first night of Hanukkah. We recommend that the first candle be lit from olive oil - the classic oil of the miracle in the original Hanukkah story. This oil also possesses the honey/yellow color of the sun, and when placed in a bowl with a wick floated in its midst, it becomes the symbol of the sun floating in the heavenly firmament. A description of this particular lighting and the accompanying prayer can be found at both the COEJL website (www.coejl.org) and the Birkat Hahammah website (www.blessthesun.org). The coalition also recommends the creation of a sundial (directions for their construction can be found at our www.blessthesun.org site under Programs). The permanence and beauty of the sundial will serve as an on-going reminder of our dependence on this constant, reliable, essential part of our lives. On April 8th itself, we are encouraging families, synagogues and JCCs to hold sunrise, or early morning, gatherings. Since this is the day of the first seder, these gatherings can both serve as a time to burn one's hametz, and as a time to celebrate the sun. Just as the burning of hametz symbolizes ridding one's home and spirit of all the puffiness that clogs our lives, so this year it can also serve as a reminder for us to pledge to live more simply, more attentively to our physical legacy, to the waste (or lack thereof) we leave behind us through our daily purchases, consumer habits and personal behavior. We also encourage people to include readings at their sederim that remind us of the need to heal our planet, liberate ourselves from dependence on harmful energy sources and move into a covenant with God and the earth to truly heal it, and ourselves at the same time. This coalition, which continues to grow, currently involves (among others): ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal Camp Isabella Friedman Canfei Nesharim COEJL of Southern Arizona COEJL of Southern California COEJL of Boston Conservative Movement’s Commission on Social Action and Public Policy Hazon JCC Association Jewish National Fund Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Kolot Teva For more information, contact Liore Milgrom-Elcott at liore@coejl.org or Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin at ncardin@comcast.net ***************************************************************************** Jewish Renewal Rabbi to speak on a Framework for Ethical Eating R. Elisheva Beyer, RN, MS, JD (who was certified as an eco-kashrut mashgiach by Reb Zalman in 2007 and is currently Chair of the Health Care Ethics Department at the University of Nevada, Reno) and Dr. Craig Klugman, PhD have written a paper, “Pass the Gefilte Fish: A Framework for Ethical Eating,” which will be presented to the Society of Jewish Ethics in Chicago, January 2009. The authors explain that eating is something most of us do daily and is a metaphor for how we interact with our environment. They further explain that eating practices in Western culture are typically a result of social class and several factors including cost, health, taste, convenience, social relationships, symbolism, variety, safety, waste, quality and ethics. Unfortunately, food choices are often made with little thought. According to former US Surgeon General Koop, “For the two out of three adults who do not smoke and do not drink excessively, one personal choice seems to influence long-term health prospects more than any other: what we eat.” Yet, little is written in the spiritual or ethical literature about food. The framework designed by R. Beyer and Dr. Klugman suggests guidelines for diverse groups while drawing on inspiration from Proverbs, Rebbe Nachman and others. It reflects the four-world paradigm found in Jewish mysticism: physical, socio-cultural, psychological and spiritual. The paper’s authors suggest that moral choices of how and what to eat should be based on an integrated approach of these four spheres, specifically looking towards the overall health of the individual and collective in a way that is designed to fit into the modern world. Furthermore, the authors assert that food choices should be made with a deliberate conscience toward the production, process, preparation, and consumption, despite social class. When one eats ethically, with kavanah of gratitude and joy, there is an integrated whole. On Nov. 21, 2008, R. Beyer was interviewed on public radio about ethical eating. You can listen to the link here: <http://publicbroadcasting.net/Kunr/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1421232> ********************************************************************************* ALEPH Rabbinic Student part of new CD, STEP INTO SHABBAT: A Joyful Friday Night Experience with Julie Geller and Friends Step Into Shabbat was created to help families create a joyful Friday night experience in their homes. The song introductions, the thoughtful combination of Hebrew and English throughout, and the wordless niggunim make it appropriate for families without strong Jewish backgrounds. The mix of traditional and original melodies and stellar storytelling makes it enjoyable for all. The combination of songs – from a Carlebach niggun to Ben-Tzion Shenker’s Eishet Chayil to the Hamotzi tune traditionally sung in Reform circles - transcends Jewish denominational boundaries. This CD was commissioned by Stepping Stones, an organization in the Denver-Boulder area that works with intermarried families. This project was generously funded by a grant from the Bronfman Youth Fellowship in Israel Alumni Venture Fund. ALEPH Rabbinic Student Ilan Glazer figures prominently in this CD as drummer and storyteller. CDs are available for purchase for $15.00 at <http://www.juliegeller.com> About Julie Geller: Julie received her B.A. at Harvard University. She studied at the New England Conservatory of Music with Hankus Netsky and Ran Blake and spent one year studying ethnomusicology at Bar Ilan University in Israel. She currently resides in Denver, where she is a professional singer and songwriter. Step Into Shabbat is her second album. This CD includes the following songs and stories: Nigun/Blessing over the Candles (J. Geller) Joyful Nigun (S. Carlebach) Shalom Aleichem (I. Goldfarb) Eishet Chayil (B.Z. Shenker) Blessing the Children (J. Geller) Hamotzi (Trad.) Story: The Sweetest Sound (folktale) Grace after Meals: Shir Hama’a lot (J. Geller) Grace after Meals: Birkat Hamazon (Trad.) Hinei Mah Tov (J. Geller) Story: The Nigun from Habonim (P. Schram) Bim Bam (Trad.) For more information contact: Julie Geller, Producer at juliegeller@yahoo.com, (303)-910-5909, www.juliegeller.com <http://www.juliegeller.com/> or Deb Dusansky, Educational Director, Boulder Stepping Stones, debkorny@comcast.net, (720) 628-6648 |