News & Events, May 6, 2025

NEWS & EVENTS

May 6, 2025

Save the Date!

6pm Potluck Dinner / 7pm Meeting

In person and for members only. Ballots and bios of new trustees and officers - along with the proposed budget - will arrive in the weeks to come. (Trustee and officer voting may be done in person, by email or through the U.S. mail.)

DOES ANTISEMITISM GET A PASS WHEN IT'S CALLED "RELIGIOUS LIBERTY"?

Can a centuries-old antisemitic slander really be protected under “religious liberty”? A troubling amendment to the Antisemitism Awareness Act says yes. In this week’s commentary Rabbi Falick explains why that's antisemitic.

CLICK HERE TO READ

✦ THIS Friday, May 9, 7PM

▶︎ 🇮🇱🇮🇱 SPECIAL ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY SERVICE! 🇮🇱🇮🇱

RABBI FALICK WILL SPEAK...

THE JEWISH PEOPLE, THE JEWISH STATE, AND THE FUTURE WE SHAPE

In this special Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) service, Rabbi Falick will look at Israel as it was meant to be, as it is today, and as it could still become. A talk about peoplehood, democracy, and the enduring importance of a Jewish homeland in an uncertain world.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SERVICE IS IN-PERSON ONLY

✦ Friday, May 16, 7PM

▶︎ RABBI FALICK WILL SPEAK...

BETWEEN SAFETY AND FREEDOM: JEWISH CONSIDERATIONS OF POWER, PROTEST, AND PRINCIPLE

As antisemitism rises and universities reel from protests, policy shifts, and political pressures, how should Jews respond? From campus deportations to billion-dollar funding freezes, recent headlines have sparked urgent questions about speech, security, and the limits of tolerance. Rabbi Falick will explore what is at stake—legally, morally, and communally.

With insights from Deborah Lipstadt, Jonathan Greenblatt, Rabbi Sharon Brous, and others, he’ll take a look at how Jewish leaders are charting dramatically different paths.

Drawing from Humanistic Jewish values and our congregation’s own history, Rabbi Falick will reflect on the tension between protecting our people and preserving the freedoms that make such protections possible.

MAY 23 - MEMORIAL DAY - No Shabbat Service

MOTHER'S DAY CONCERT

AND BRUNCH

May 11, Noon

Click HERE or on the graphic to purchase tickets in advance.

BEGINS MONDAY, JUNE 23, 12:30

Join Rabbi Falick this summer for a thoughtful exploration of Zionism through the works of Dr. Einat Wilf.

CLICK HERE for a commentary by Rabbi Falick to learn more about the group and the books.

In-person and on Zoom for members only.

THE AMERICAN JEWISH EXPERIENCE CLASS

All sessions now online!

From the earliest 17th-century settlement in New Amsterdam to the long-established American Jewish community today, participants will learn about the indelible mark the Jews of our continent and nation have made upon the millenia-long arc of Jewish history.

This class resumes next fall ... beginning where we left off in the mid-1800s.

But you can still catch up!

Visit THIS LINK to watch all the sessions!

NEXT SJC MEETING

Sunday, May 18, 11AM, on Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82417709465

Come help us plan!

For more information and meeting password, contact Audrey Pleasant (audreypleasant@gmail.com).

JOIN THE SJC EMAIL LIST!

Stay up-to-date!

If you want email updates about events, contact Audrey Pleasant:

(audreypleasant@gmail.com) to sign up!

No obligation!

KNIT, CROCHET & CRAFT FOR A CAUSE!

Next Gathering TBA

An array of recent warm hats knitted by our group!

Contact Audrey Pleasant: audreypleasant@gmail.com to be on the reminder list.

BENEFIT CONCERT

You are cordially invited to a benefit concert by Les Écuries du Roy featuring Music of Telemann and His Contemporaries

Les Écuries du Roy will be performing vocal and instrumental music of the 17th and 18th centuries with historical instruments and performance practices. The name means "the equerries [stables] of the king" in English, and refers to the wind bands that were formed during the latter half of the 17th century at the court of Louis XIV where the oboe and bassoon were first played.

Date, Time and Venue: SEE BELOW

Suggested donation: $20.00

The concert benefits:

Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County is a private non-profit social services agency community founded in 1993. Originally established by the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw County to assist the growing number of refugee families in Ann Arbor from the former Soviet Republics, JFS has since grown into an organization providing programs and services ranging from older adult caregiving to resettlement and career services and more. The mission of Jewish Family Services is to create solutions, promote dignity and inspire humanity. gtnc@jfsannarbor.org

Freedom House Detroit:

Our Mission: Support and empower refugees, asylum seekers, and others seeking humanitarian protection on their journey to safety, security, and freedom by providing comprehensive services in an inclusive and welcoming space. freedomhousedetroit.org