Kahal B'raira - Congregation for Humanistic Judaism

2011-2012 Calendar

We welcome you to Kahal B'raira! Visitors are welcome to attend most programs and services. For information about our adult programs, click here; for Sunday School info, click here. A very few events are for KB members only, and are noted below.

If you would like your children to visit the Sunday School, please send email at least three days ahead of time to our Sunday School Principal, Sandra Mayo.

Key

Sunday School and Adult Programs

Holiday Services

Congregation Activities

Committee Meetings

Special Events

September 2011

Date	Time	Location	Program Information
Saturday September 17	5:30 pm	the home of David Ossam and Karen Marans in Wellesley	Family Pot Luck Start the KB year off with a family potluck! RSVP, for what to bring and directions, to either Karen or David.
Sunday September 18	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #1/Sunday School We will begin with Sunday School opening ceremonies, and will take time to welcome new members and welcome back returning members. Visitors welcome
Wednesday September 28	7:30 pm	First Parish UU Church 630 Mass Ave, Arlington	Rosh Hashana Evening Adult/Teen Service Member reflection: "Curry in the Matzah Balls: The Value of Multi-Cultural Education" Visitors welcome Donations requested
Thursday September 29	10:00 am	First Parish UU Church 630 Mass Ave, Arlington	Rosh Hashana Morning Family Service Member Reflection: "Honoring Your Own Identity in the New Year" Visitors welcome Donations requested

October 2011

Date	Time	Location	Program Information
Sunday October 2	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #2/Sunday School KB Young Adults Taking on Their World Hear from our KB graduates who were able to live the principles of tikkun olam. A panel of young adults, graduates of our Sunday school, will speak about service projects they have completed around the globe, sharing their thoughts, impressions and lessons they learned. This summer, Emma Craig worked with the Children’s Preventative Health Program teaching basic health classes in Guatamala. Julia Rubin spent a semester in the Dominican Republic, where she interned for an organization that does in-home rehabilitation for children with disabilities, as well as investigated how the stigma of disability affects these children and their families. Nina Eichner helped run a leadership development program and an anti-bullying project for vulnerable inner city students in London schools. Jessye Moss served with Ameri Corp working in an AIDS clinic in Washington, D.C. This will be an exciting presentation that is sure to engender lots of questions and discussion. Please join us for this kvell-worthy program. Visitors welcome
Sunday October 2	noon	Gaining Ground organic farm in Concord	Family Farm Day Following our Sunday service, we'll go to Gaining Ground, an organic farm in Concord that donates all of its produce to local food pantries. Children are welcome. For information, please contact Lauren Kopans.
Friday October 7	7:30 pm	First Parish UU Church 630 Mass Ave, Arlington	Yom Kippur Evening Adult/Teen Service Member reflections: "Generational Forgiveness" Visitors welcome Donations requested
Saturday October 8	10:00 am	First Parish UU Church 630 Mass Ave, Arlington	Yom Kippur Morning Family Service Member reflection: "Disconnected: A Yom Kippur call to listen up and appreciate the moments of human connection within our lives." Visitors welcome Donations requested
Saturday October 8	noon	First Parish UU Church 630 Mass Ave, Arlington	Yom Kippur Day Adult/Teen Service Member Reflection: "What Happened to Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac? A High Holiday Re-Examination of Genesis Chapter 2ø1 and the Questions It Raises About the Roles We Play in Our Modern Lives" Childcare is available by advance reservation, call 617-628-3986. Visitors welcome Donations requested
Saturday October 8	3:30 pm	the home of Carol Higgins, Lunenburg	Yom Kippur Adult/Teen Break-Fast The event is open only to members of KB. Due to the limited parking space, it is recommended that car pools be utilized as much as possible. We look forward to seeing adults and your teenage children. A pot-luck dinner will follow the service. Please RSVP to Linda Brion-Meisels (or sign up at KB), and indicate how many are coming and what food you are bringing. Members only
Saturday October 8	2:30 pm	the home of Ellen Richstone, 67 Bullard Rd, Weston	Yom Kippur Family Break-Fast There will be a short family service followed by a pot-luck dinner. All are invited, including non-members. This is a great way for guests of all ages to meet other KB members in an informal setting. It is especially nice for families with children too young to sit through a more structured service. Please RSVP to Sharon Salwen and indicate how many people are attending and what food you are bringing. Visitors welcome
Sunday October 16	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #3/Sunday School Ernestine Rose – Humanistic Jewish Role Model of the Year Ernestine Rose, chosen as this year’s Humanistic Jewish Role Model of the Year by the Society of Humanistic Judaism, was unique among the founders of the women’s rights movement. As a Polish immigrant of Jewish background, her compelling oratory linked three reform movements: women’s rights, abolition of slavery, and religious freethought. Rose served as a significant mentor for both Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Our speaker, Professor Paula Doress-Worters, who founded the Ernestine Rose Society at Brandeis University, has authored Mistress of Herself, a collection of the speeches and letters of Ernestine L. Rose, along with a perspective on the life of an inspiring, courageous, and controversial founding leader of the first wave of feminism. Professor Doress-Worters will share her expertise and insights on Rose with us. Visitors welcome
Sunday October 16	9-noon	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Sunday School Open House Children from pre-school to 7th grade and their parents are invited to an open house. Visit children's classes and the adult program. Meet the principal and teachers. Learn about our bar/bat mitzvah program and teen activities. For more information and to RSVP, please call 617-969-4596.
Sunday October 16	12:30pm, following the Sunday morning activities	The back yard of our meeting place, 765 Concord Ave	Sukkot Celebration Bring your lunch and picnic in a Sukkah that you help to construct and decorate. KB will provide beverages and dessert so that we will all have the opportunity to follow the holiday tradition of eating in a Sukkah. There will be crafts, music, story telling and a short service explaining the Sukkot tradition. Visitors welcome
Friday October 21	7:30 pm	765 Concord Ave Cambridge	Shabbat Service Join us for a short service, reflection, and refreshments. A great way to begin the weekend!
Saturday October 29		the home of Paula Wolk and PAM Spierings in Newton	Adult/Teen Pot Luck Enjoy lively conversation with other KB members in a friendly, informal setting. For directions and to RSVP, please contact Paula.

November 2011

Date	Time	Location	Program Information
Sunday November 6	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #4/Sunday School View from the Desk of the Letters Editor Ever wonder just what does it take to get your letter to the editor published in The Boston Globe? It helps to be enraged, but not unhinged; articulate, but not long-winded. A good letter can say more in 200 words than a week's worth of coverage. Sometimes a letter can even make front-page news. KB’s very own Matt Bernstein, the Globe's letters editor since 2006, talks about the process of selecting letters for publication, looks back at a sample of "greatest hits," and discusses the importance of showcasing readers' opinions in an increasingly crowded online sphere. Visitors welcome
Sunday November 6	12-2 pm	The music room of 765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class This class is the second part of our 2-session bnai mitzvah classes. While the first class is an introduction to the bnai mitzvah process and helps families think about what is most important to them and what they might want in a bar-bat mitzvah, this second class is more about the nuts and bolts of preparing for and planning this life cycle event. It includes handouts, tips, and includes time to exchange thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and resources. Typically people who are about a year away from a bar-bat mitzvah attend this class, although it is open to any KB member regardless of their child's age or where they are in the process. There is no charge for the class, but pre-registration is required; email Renee Lubowich. Lunch will be provided. We will arrange childcare for younger children upon request. Registration deadline is November 1. Members only
Sunday November 6	7:30 pm	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Meet Kahal B'raira Humanistic Judaism is a philosophy that combines rational thinking with a celebration of Jewish culture and identity. Please join us for this evening of presentation and discussion to learn more about Humanistic Judaism and Congregation Kahal B'raira. Please RSVP to Shari Gelber.
Friday November 18	7:30 pm	765 Concord Ave Cambridge	Shabbat Service Rabbi Miriam Jerris from the Society for Humanistic Judaism will be with us.
Saturday November 19	6:30 pm	the home of Shari and Richard Gelber in Newton	Adult/Teen Potluck Enjoy lively conversation with other KB members in a friendly, informal setting. There will be an opportunity to speak informally with Rabbi Miriam Jerris. RSVPs required. Contact Shari at shari@jimmy.harvard.edu or 617-969-459 to organize meal contributions and get directions.
Sunday November 20	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #5/Sunday School Rabbi Miriam Jerris from the Society for Humanistic Judaism will speak to us on issues and growth in humanistic Jewish groups throughout North America. Visitors welcome

December 2011

Date	Time	Location	Program Information
Sunday December 4	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #6/Sunday School Being proactive and not reactive—thinking about end of life issues Please join us for a facilitated, informative session, led by Marjie Sokoll, to hear about the current societal and religious trends in end of life and mourning practices. Learn about how and why religious rituals are changing, and explore which customs and rituals feel most relevant and meaningful to you. Our speaker, Marjorie Sokoll. M.Ed. is the Director of Jewish Life and Healing at Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Boston (JF&CS) and the founder and director of JF&CS Jewish Healing Connections. The mission of Jewish Healing Connections is to help ensure that people feel a sense of connection when facing the challenges of illness, loss, or isolation by offering spiritual and communal supports to provide hope, comfort, and wholeness guided by Jewish tradition. Visitors welcome
Saturday December 10	6 pm	the home of Ellen Forman and Phil Katz in Newton	Family Potluck Enjoy lively conversation with other KB members in a friendly, informal setting. For directions and to RSVP, please contact Phil.
Sunday December 18	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #7/Sunday School Jewish Cabaret We certainly know the word ‘cabaret’ and associate it mainly with the musical and movie “Cabaret”. Kander and Ebb, who wrote the music and lyrics for that production, gave us a taste of cabaret music in pre-WWII Europe. The reality of Cabaret in Weimar Germany and beyond was much more layered and diverse than what was portrayed in the movie. But what was “Jewish Cabaret”? What makes it Jewish and how was it different from the larger genre of Cabaret? Was it the performers and composers? The audiences? The themes? Mezzo Sopranto Lynn Torgove will give a presentation on the development of Jewish Cabaret Music, and address these questions and others. The presentation will be enhanced by live musical examples. Lynn will sing, accompanied by Osnat Netzer on the keyboard. In this musical discussion, we will examine the larger genre of cabaret and discover with our ears, some of the important components of Jewish Cabaret. Visitors welcome
Sunday December 18	12:30 pm	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Hanukkah Celebration A family-oriented celebration for children and adults, including a service, holiday nosh with plenty of latkes, great games, music, and lots of fun! Please bring a potluck dessert and a menorah. $5/person, $10 max per family. Please RSVP to Cheryl Meadow so we know how much food to get. Visitors welcome

January 2012

Date	Time	Location	Program Information
Friday - Sunday January 6-8		Purity Spring Resort/Ski Area East Madison, NH [get resort info or ski info]	KB Weekend Getaway An informal, fun, and popular weekend for both adults and families. Only a limited number of slots are available, so please reserve a space as early as possible.
Sunday January 15	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #8/Sunday School Israel as an Inclusive Society: Reasons for Hope and Causes for Concern A discussion led by New England NIF Regional Director Stephane Acel-Green Israel’s 1.37 million Arab citizens vote, pay taxes and speak Hebrew, yet suffer pervasive discrimination, unequal allocation of resources and violation of their legal rights. Housing, education, and income all substantially lag that of the Jewish majority. Many are concerned about prospects for integrating Arab-Israelis into mainstream society after sixty-three years of inequality. And yet, there is much cause for hope. Arabs joined Jews in this past summer’s tent city protests. Recent opinion surveys show that 74% of Israeli Jews acknowledge the fact that Arab citizens suffer discrimination and almost 40% of these Jews are ready for a program to reduce gaps, even if this requires paying a personal price. Another survey of Arab-Israelis indicated pride over their Israeli citizenship. Stephane will lead a discussion about the data and conflicting trends with an emphasis on NIF’s work to promote the values enshrined in Israel’s Declaration of Independence of “complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.” Stephane Acel-Green is New England Regional Director for the New Israel Fund. Before joining NIF, Stephane was the executive director or Ameinu: Liberal Values, Progressive Israel, where he advocated for the Middle-East peace process in conjunction with Israeli, Palestinian, and American officials. The New Israel Fund, a partnership of Israelis and supporters of Israel worldwide, is the leading organization committed to equality and democracy for all Israelis. Visitors welcome
Sunday January 29	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	All Congregation Day Adults and children will spend the morning together. The day will begin with a poetry service, followed by a pot-luck brunch. There will then be a variety of activities for all to engage in. Visitors welcome

February 2012

Date	Time	Location	Program Information
Saturday February 11	6:30 pm	the home of Phyllis and Barry Jaffee in Westborough	Adult/Teen Pot Luck Enjoy lively conversation with other KB members in a friendly, informal setting. For directions and to RSVP, please contact Phyllis.
Sunday February 12	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #10/Sunday School Tu B'Shvat celebration Michael Levin, owner of Bonsai West (http://www.bonsaiwest.com/), will speak about bonsai (miniaturized mature trees), how we create them, and what we can learn from them. Visitors welcome

March 2012

Date	Time	Location	Program Information
Saturday March 3	TBD	the home of Roberta and Dick Bauer in Somerville	Adult/Teen Pot Luck Enjoy lively conversation with other KB members in a friendly, informal setting. For directions and to RSVP, please contact Roberta.
Sunday March 11	9:30 - noon	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #11/Sunday School KB has its annual "Book Club" when the Congregation all reads the same book and discusses it in small groups. This year our book is The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman, a fascinating non-fiction account of how, during WWII , Warsaw zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski used their zoo as a place to hide Jews from the occupying Nazis. Jan, who was active in the Polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital. Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and animal inhabitants. With her exuberant prose and exquisite sensitivity to the natural world, Diane Ackerman engages us viscerally in the lives of the zoo animals, their keepers, and their hidden visitors. Visitors welcome
Sunday March 11	Noon - 1pm	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	!! Annual KB Purim Carnival !! Plan to stick around after Sunday School for the annual KB Purim festivities. This event is always lots of fun for everybody. Food, games, and prizes. Hope you can make it!! Visitors welcome
Sunday March 25	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #12/Sunday School Today's program is sponsored by the Social Action Committee. Several panelists representing organizations for whom KB congregants have volunteered over the past few years will present their group's mission, the constituents they serve, their role as directors, how their organizations have come to depend on volunteer effort, how their constituents have reacted and viewed the volunteers, and finally how these opportunities have affected the volunteers themselves. The program is intended to help us comprehend on a deeper level the effects of service beyond the obvious, enlighten our congregation to what social action at KB has recently been about, and to inspire us to action to help others. Panelists will include Michelle De Lima, farmer and volunteer coordinator from Gaining Ground (a Concord farm that donates all of its produce to local pantries and meal programs), Lisa Jackson, Superintendent of South Middlesex Correctional Center, Bernice Behar, program manager of Jewish Family & Children's Services' Family Table program (food pantry) and Jim Stewart, director of First Church Shelter in Cambridge, MA. Visitors welcome
Sunday March 25	8:30-1	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	KB Blood Drive The MGH Bloodmobile will be visiting KB, with donation times beginning 8:30 am - 1 pm. You must be at least age 16 in general good health. One stop shopping in the bloodmobile: registration, questionnaire, donation on a contoured, padded, very comfy bed (only 5-7 minutes for actual donation), canteen-drinks and goodies. Entire process: 30-40 minutes. To reserve a time slot, sign up here. Type your name in an open slot., press RETURN, and you're done! If you want, go back to the site and make sure your name is there. Email Debbie Siegel if it isn't. There are 3 or 4 slots for each time, so sign up together with a friend, child, or partner!
Sunday March 25	9-noon	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Sunday School Open House Children from pre-school to 7th grade and their parents are invited to an open house. Visit children's classes and the adult program. Meet the principal and teachers. Learn about our bar/bat mitzvah program and teen activities. For more information and to RSVP, please call 617-969-4596.

April 2012

Date	Time	Location	Program Information
Saturday April 7	5:30 pm (sharp!)	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	KB Seder Our traditional congregation seder. We'll have our Humanistic haggadah, a catered meal, good conversation, and fun for all. Guests are welcome. Please go to this page to sign up.
Sunday April 15	10:30 am - 12:30 pm	the home of Susan Magosi and Robert Levin in Milton	Pot Luck Brunch Adults, teens, and children welcome. RSVP to Susan to say what you are bringing and for directions.
Saturday April 21	6:30 pm	the home of Amy Schneider and Ed Sciore in Newton	Adult/Teen Pot Luck Enjoy lively conversation with other KB members in a friendly, informal setting. For directions and to RSVP, please contact Amy.
Sunday April 29	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #13/Sunday School Yom HaShoah Holocaust memorial service. This beautiful and moving ceremony honors the victims of the Holocaust and rekindles our commitment to Never Again. Our speaker, Dr. Anna Ornstein, will talk on "The Resiliency of the Human Spirit; Building a life after the Holocaust". Dr. Ornstein is a retired Professor of Child Psychiatry and a psychoanalyst. She and her husband are both survivors of the Shoah. Born in Hungary, Anna was deported to Auschwitz; she and her mother survived several concentration camps, her father and two older brothers perished. Her husband, Paul, was in a Forced Labor Camp; his family (three younger brothers and his mother) perished in Auschwitz and his father survived a death march to Mauthausen. Dr. Ornstein has spoken many times to schools and universities and has published a book, My Mother’s Eyes, which gives readers a personal account of daily life in a concentration camp. Visitors welcome
Sunday April 29	noon	Leave from 765 Concord Ave Cambridge	Family Farm Day We are volunteering at Gaining Ground, 315 Virginia Road, Concord, MA. Gaining Ground shares all its produce with area food pantries, meal programs, and shelters The event starts at 12:45 PM with a bring-your-own picnic. Volunteers may plant, mulch, water, weed, harvest, wash, and prepare vegetables and fruit for distribution. They also learn about organic gardening, the local environment and issues of hunger and homelessness. Children and teens (5-16) are welcome to participate as long as they are supervised by an adult. We plan to hold the event rain or shine unless the weather is extremely poor. Limited to 20. RSVP to russruthen@yahoo.com

May 2012

Date

Time

Location

Program Information

Sunday
May 13

9:15 am

765 Concord Ave
Cambridge
[get map or directions]

Adult Program #14/Sunday School

Making a Difference Through Art

The KB Middle East Working Group has chosen Artsbridge, Inc for our year long support. ArtsBridge Institute brings together Israeli and Palestinian youth for leadership training in Boston, Israel, and Palestine, using art for reflecting dialogues and conflict resolution. Our program begins with an excerpt from CBS Presents Faith in Action: Young People Making a difference, on Artsbridge.

Debbie Nathan, director, will explain the program and how, through the universal language of Art, participants move through difficult conversations with multiple narratives. We’ll hear through the stories of these youth, how, in the process, they develop a sense of safety, empathy and empowerment, which they, in term, bring home to their communities. Finally, KB members using the language of art in reflecting teams themselves will experience the power of this process, which can be used in similar situations in our own lives.

Visitors welcome

Saturday
May 19

6:30 pm

the home of Ellen Sugarman and Paul Rickter in Belmont

Adult/Teen Pot Luck

Enjoy lively conversation with other KB members in a friendly, informal setting. For directions and to RSVP, please contact Ellen.

Visitors welcome

June 2012

Date	Time	Location	Program Information
Sunday June 3	9:15 am	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Adult Program #15/Sunday School Last adult service of the year is followed by Sunday school graduation, a beautiful ceremony created by parents and students. The seventh grade graduates will present the projects they have worked on this year. There will be end of the year festivities followed by a potluck lunch. All are invited to celebrate the graduates and a great year at KB Visitors welcome
Sunday June 3	12:30 pm	765 Concord Ave Cambridge [get map or directions]	Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class This class is looely designed for parents and kids in 4-6 grade, but is open to anyone, regardless of ages or grades. This is an interactive class; part of the time parents and kids will be together and part of the time they will be split into their own groupings. Parents are welcome to attend with or without their children. The purpose of the class is to learn more about a bar-bat mitzvah process in general, and to learn more about a KB-style bar-bat mitzvah in particular. We will look at ways of making a bar-bat mitzvah personal and relevant to each child and his/her family, and of making it something that is meaningful, manageable, and not too overwhelming. In addition to looking at the beginning stages of bar-bat mitzvah planning, this class will help families decide if a bar-bat mitzvah is something they feel is right for them. Please note: this is one of the very few KB activities that is open to members only. There is no charge for the class, but pre-registration is required; email Renee Lubowich. Lunch will be provided. We will arrange childcare for younger children upon request. Registration deadline is May 27. Members only
Saturday June 9	6:00 pm	the home of Sara Laschever, Tim Riley, and their son Adam in Concord	Family Pot Luck Enjoy lively conversation with other KB members in a friendly, informal setting. For directions and to RSVP, please contact Sara. Visitors welcome
Sunday June 10	10 am - 4 pm	Meet at the Giraffe entrance to the Franklin Park Zoo (the corner of Pierpont and Playstead roads, near Seaver Street across from Schoolboy Stadium)	Boston Jewish History Bike Ride From the turn of the 20th Century into the 1960’s, the largest Jewish community in New England was located in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. Come join us as we explore the Jewish history of those neighborhoods. We’ll see the synagogues and homes, Hebrew Schools and the original Hebrew College, the Young Men’s Hebrew Association (the other “Y”) and the Home for Destitute Jewish Children, Jewish Memorial Hospital (located on the site of the original Beth Israel Hospital), the Workmen’s Circle building next to the Franklin Park Theater (performances in Yiddish), and places to get food, like Kosher butchers, delicatessens and the largest Kosher catering hall in New England (it wouldn’t be Jewish without places to get a corned-beef sandwich). We’ll also talk about how and why the Jewish community of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan evolved, and answer questions such as: why were the 3 Orthodox synagogues across from each other on Woodrow Avenue? The ride is about 12 miles and most of it is pretty flat and level (although we will climb over the top of Elm Hill). We’ll stop for a picnic lunch, so bring something to eat. Helmets required. Steady rain cancels. For more information, contact Dick Bauer.