November 20, 2025 /28 Heshvan 5786 | | |
Included in This Newsletter
Shabbat Service - 12/5
Special Board Meeting - 12/8
Chanukah at Home - 12/20
Weekly D'var Torah
What You Missed Last Week
Register for Classes
Community Events
Social Action News
| | D'var Torah by Rabbi David | | |
Weekly Dvar Torah
Rational Spirituality Beyond Belief
Parashat Toledot (5786)
Believers might readily embrace the spiritual prospect of asking God a question and receiving a response (whether with a knowing or feeling beyond self, or an inner sense within).
But how about disbelievers? In a rational world of left-brain logic, can suffering and brokenness drive a rational response that is spiritual? Indeed they can, and the source is poignant. Read more...
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There's a lot going on at Shir Ami.
Because nobody can do it all, here's a new weekly feature to keep the Shir Ami community up to date on what's happening in our classes about Torah, liturgy and topics in Jewish spiritual life. Each week will offer links to course materials, and an open invitation to stop by any of our offerings.
Course materials and participation links are highlighted for each course.
During the week of November 9, 2025, we had three classes:
Liturgy of the Prayerbook (Sundays 5:00pm) – We're making our way through the Amidah, word by word, exploring the meaning behind the words. Last week we were up to Gevurot, the second major blessing. After we finish the Amidah, we'll go back and trace a full Shabbat service, start to finish. Open to all.
Jewish Spirituality of Illness & Healing (alternate Tuesdays 7:00pm) – We launched this series that the congregation requested in our community survey. Our first session offered first encounters with what Judaism means by "illness" and "healing," asked why our essential human journey of illness and healing is inherently "spiritual," and offered texts from Torah, Prophets and the Middle Ages to cue up our journey ahead. Our Nov. 25 session will be about "Spiritual Experience in the Shadow of Illness." Series registration required.
SoulSpa (Saturdays 10:00am) – Our weekly Torah experience is creating a delicious, warm and safe sub-community among Shir Ami, R. Rachel Barenblat and Congregation Beth Israel of the Berkshires and engaged journeyers beyond both congregations. Last week we had nearly 25 participants exploring Parashat Hayyei Sarah, and how tradition uplifted Rivkah as a spiritual feminist centuries before Women's Lib launched in Western civilization. Open to all.
| Click here for more information. | | |
Join our Rabbi David and Rabbi Rachel Barenblat of Congregation Beth Israel of the Berkshires for a year-long spiritual journey uplifting feminine and feminist voices too long sidelined from Jewish life. This weekly Torah series will continue Shir Ami's core commitment to weekly learning based on openness, questioning and deep meaning that is modern and relevant.
As always, Soul Spa is free for members and non-members alike, and no prior experience is necessary. Drop in frequently or infrequently as you like. Our learning community is deep, real, safe, vibrant and refreshing. Please click here to find the weekly Zoom link and for recordings of previous sessions.
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An EGG-cellent Social Action Project
Schoke Jewish Family Services, which runs the Kosher Food Pantry in Stamford, is asking for help collecting food due to increasing food insecurity and decreasing contributions. They have asked all congregations in the area to contribute regularly. Shir Ami has agreed to contribute $250 monthly for a year, which will be collected from members at each service or gathering. There will be an EGG BOX into which you can place your contribution. Our donation will be used to purchase FRESH EGGS, which are rarely available at the Food Pantry.
Rabbi David has offered to make up any monthly shortfall from his Discretionary Fund. On Shabbat, contributions should be made when you arrive, before services, out of respect for not handling money on Shabbat.
We have already raised $1,005 and paid our $250 commitment for each of October and November. Thanks to those who have already contributed. Your donations are greatly appreciated!
Of course, anyone can make a contribution anytime, on our website's Donations page.
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Shir Ami Donates to JFS-Greenwich
Rachel Kornfeld (CEO of JFS-Greenwich) remarked, “On behalf of everyone at Jewish Family Services of Greenwich and the families we serve, thank you for saying yes when it was needed most. Your kindness is making a real and lasting difference.”
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Moral Mondays At The Stamford-Norwalk Judicial District Court
Area multi-faith leaders have joined the national movement of "Moral Mondays," rallying at courthouses every Monday at noon and pushing back through prayer, teachings and song against the brutality and inhumanity inflicted on our immigrant friends. Moral Mondays were launched by Rev. Dr. William Barber in 2013 as a protest against extreme poverty. Today, Moral Mondays have become a protest against the horrific treatment we all have witnessed throughout the country and at our own local courthouse. Please join multi-faith leaders and community members from as close by as Stamford, Norwalk, Greenwich and New Canaan and as far away as New Haven and New York every Monday at noon at Stamford-Norwalk Judicial District Court, 123 Hoyt Street, Stamford CT 06905. As our own Rabbi David has instructed us, Jews cannot be bystanders.
| Community News and Events | | |
IJS Book Talk with Rodger Kamenetz
Wednesday, December 3
8:00 PM via Zoom
Rodger Kamenetz, famed author and poet of the Jewish experience is doing a free book talk online with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality about his new book, "Seeing into the Life of Things." Click here for more information and to register.
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Darien Menorah Lighting
Tuesday, December 16
6:00 PM
Congregation Shir Ami is once again honored to light the Darien community Menorah on Tuesday, 12/16/2025, at 6:00 PM at Grove Street Plaza. As you may know, in 2021 Dan Gullen spearheaded the campaign to have a community Menorah lighting in Darien and Jan Raymond made sure that Shir Ami was part of this joyous celebration the past several years. If you have attended in the past, you know that whatever the weather Rabbi David will bring his guitar, his music repertoire and his wacky Menorah hat and be the crowd-pleaser he always is, blending song, learning and fun for all in attendance. We thank our good friends Dan and Jan for inviting Shir Ami again and hope to see you there on Tuesday, 12/16/2025, at 6 pm at Grove Street Plaza. Please also bring an unwrapped toy to donate to Open Doors Shelter in Norwalk.
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September Issue of
Greenwich Jewish News
Please click here to read the digital version.
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November Issue of
New Jewish Voice
Please click here to read the latest digital version.
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Blessings for a Happy Birthday to our members with November birthdays:
Eytan Nisinzweig - 11/1
Ed Schechter - 11/1
Peggy Sturman - 11/2
Ronnie Polansky - 11/10
Brett Gerson Chinn - 11/15
Ronny Kaplan - 11/27
Jackie Marschall - 11/29
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In our weekly Blessing and Simchas, we invite members to offer congratulations on a special event in someone’s life, blessings for healing, or to remember a loved one.
If you choose to make a donation, you may do so by visiting our website's donation page or by mailing a check to Congregation Shir Ami, 1273 East Putnam Avenue, P.O. Box 312, Riverside, CT 06870-9998.
| | 2025-2026 Membership Information | |
We warmly welcome you to renew your membership or to become a member of our Shir Ami community.
Please visit our Membership Page where you can find:
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Membership Letter - from our Shir Ami Officers
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Membership Form - easy-to-fill out online or print
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Membership Policy - details on dues, benefits and more
Contact us at shirami.info@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like to speak with an officer or our clergy.
All are welcome to join our community!
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For a full listing of all local events of Jewish interest visit the websites for:
| | If you're only receiving the newsletter monthly and would like to receive it weekly, please click the link above to edit your email preference. | | |
CongregationShirAmi.org
203-900-7976
shirami.info@gmail.com
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