QUICK LINKS
Donations
If you'd like to make a donation to AJ, you can make a donation online, on our website. Or, you can click here to download a donation form.
What's Happening
REMINDER: All services are now in person at AJ. As of now, all other services will be available via Zoom. Please continue to register for Friday evening and Saturday morning services by clicking here for June, or by using the June service sign-up form link on the AJ website. Your registration will help us plan and help with contract-tracing, if necessary. Thank you!
AJ's Summer Blood Drive
Wednesday, July 20 from 1:00 PM to 1:00 PM (at AJ)

Every day, blood donors help patients of all ages: accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer. In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. AJ's summer blood drive will be held on Wednesday, July 20 from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Go to RedCrossBlood.org to make an appointment.
Phillies Night with the AJMA
Tuesday, July 26 (Bus leaves from AJ at 5:30 PM)
Let the AJ Men’s Association “take you out to the ball game!” to see the Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves! The cost is $40 per ticket (Section 327; rows 3, 4, and 5). The price includes bus transportation from AJ to and from the stadium and snack. The bus will depart at 5:30 PM (the game starts at 7:05 PM). You can pay online here. Alternatively, you can send a check to Ed Moses (1129 Alton Place, Philadelphia PA 19115) and provide the following information: name, cell phone number, email address, number of tickets you are purchasing, and the amount of the check you are enclosing. Questions? Email Ed Moses at [email protected].
Beginners' Israeli Dancing Group at AJ
Tuesday Afternoons from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Do you have ru’ach (spirit?) Did you do Israeli dancing a while ago and want to do it again? Never done it? Just want to do some easy dances? Join Susan Novack each Tuesday from 1:00 to 3:00 PM for a beginner group. The basic steps and dances will be taught and reviewed. The group meets in the Orleans at AJ. Email Susan at [email protected] to sign up.
An Adult Education Resource for AJ Congregants
Congregation Adath Jeshurun, dedicated to the Jewish value of learning for its own sake (Torah lishmah), is excited to announce a partnership with the Orange County Community Scholar Program (CSP). As a partner with CSP, we’ll join a small group of synagogues enjoying the best Jewish learning available. AJ has the distinction of being the first Pennsylvania synagogue to partner with CSP. 

You can find details on all of the programs and the presenters for April at https://occsp.net/current-online-events/. If you register and can’t attend, a link will be sent after the event to a recording. There is also an archive of classes that you can view here.

***PLEASE NOTE: the start times on the CSP website are Pacific time, so remember to add three hours for the Eastern start time.***
Community Events You May Be Interested In
Tuesday July 5: Hadassah Goes to the Ballgame! Come with Hadassah as we celebrate Jewish Heritage Night at the Phillies. The game with the Washington Nationals starts at 7:05 PM. Tickets $40; carpooling available. Please RSVP back to Randi Freeman at [email protected] to reserve your tickets today!

Sunday, July 10: Gratz College Summer Institute 2022 presents: A Civil Care: The Public Library in a Time of National Disunion with Andrew Nurkin, Hart Associate Professor of the Practice at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. The United States in 2022 seems at a point of political and social fracture. Nearly every institution, including the public library, has become a vector for the compounding challenges threatening our democracy. Yet perhaps more than any other institution, libraries offer common ground on which we might begin the long work of creating democracy anew. In a moment when scholars and commentators openly speculate about the possibility of a new civil war, this talk will ask how the public library can help us imagine and bring about a civil care. 1:00 pm ET Online. This keynote address is free and open to the public and all Gratz graduate students participating in the 2022 Summer Institute.
Service Schedule
NEW GUIDELINES:
Effective immediately, wearing masks is mandatory for services.
Up-to-date vaccinations and boosters are still required for entry.
See updated protocols here.

SHABBAT SHELAH
June 17, 18, 2022 | 19 Sivan 5782

Light Shabbat Candles: 8:14 PM

Friday Evening
Kabbalat Shabbat
6:15 PM
in person and via Zoom

Saturday Morning
Shabbat Morning Service
9:30 AM
in person and via Zoom

You can see this weekend's pew pamphlet here.

Saturday Evening
Minhah-Ma'ariv-Havdalah
8:15 PM
in person and via Zoom

See below for COVID-19 requirements and pre-registering for in-person services.

REGULAR WEEKDAY SCHEDULE
Evenings
Sunday through Thursday: 7:00 PM

Mornings
Sunday: 9:00 AM
Monday and Thursday: 7:20 AM
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday:
7:30 AM
Through the Zoom platform, congregants can attend services virtually.
We have three Zoom links for AJ services.

For Friday evening and Saturday morning services:
By computer:
By phone:
Please dial 929.436.2866 or 301.715.8592.
Meeting ID: 970 5403 7610
(Password required)

For Saturday evening services:
By computer:
By phone:
Please dial 929.436.2866 or 301.715.8592. 
Meeting ID#: 933131679
(Password required.)

Congregants should see the separate email for the latest password for Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Saturday evening services.

For all other services (Sunday through Friday morning and Sunday through Thursday evening services):
By computer:
By phone:
Please dial 929.436.2866 or 301.715.8592. 
Meeting ID#: 109428724
(No password required.)
Attending AJ Friday Evening or Saturday Morning Services in Person

Our current COVID-19 requirements for attending services in person are below:
 
  • Pre-register for June services by completing the June online registration form, or by calling the office at 215.635.6611.
  • Use hand sanitizer before entering the sanctuary. Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the building.
  • UPDATED: With the high rate of COVID-19 transmission in Montgomery County at this time, we have returned to mask wearing as required in the synagogue building. for services.
  • Up-to-date vaccinations and boosters are still required for entry.
  • AJ requires proof of a booster shot for all those eligible to receive the booster or your second vaccination should have been within the last six months.

If you would like to attend Friday evening and/or Saturday morning services, you must pre-register by 2:30 PM Friday afternoon.
Announcements
Lifecycle Notice

We are saddened to share that Zachary Bennett Kaplan, father of our OYR Teen Engagement Coordinator and USY Advisor, Larry Kaplan, entered olam haba, the coming world on Sunday, June 12, 2022.

Funeral Information: Graveside Military Service
Wednesday, June 15, 2022 1:00 PM
Har Nebo Cemetery, 6061 Oxford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111

Shiva Information:
Wednesday following the funeral at:
1430 Highland Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034

Thursday and Friday from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at:
604 S. 9th Street, Apt. 204, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(use code 9295 to enter building)

We offer this list as a courtesy. If there is a lifecycle event you would like included, please contact the office at 215.635.6611.
Honey From the Heart for Rosh Hashanah 5783!
You can send a jar of honey to family, friends, and business associates near and far, This is a great way to wish everyone a L'Shana Tova! And you'll be supporting both the AJWA Sisterhood and ORT America.

Each 8 oz. jar contains delicious golden honey which is certified Kosher by the Orthodox Union and guaranteed to be 100% pure honey. Honey From The Heart is gluten-free. It's just $13.00 per jar, including free shipping until August 1.

It is traditional to eat apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah. The apples symbolize the constant cycle of life and the honey symbolizes the sweetness that we hope will characterize the year to come.The blessing is printed on a beautiful keepsake card that is enclosed with each jar of honey you send.

To order, go to www.honeyfromtheheart.org/CAJ. For more information, contact Leslie Sokolow at 215.758.2404.
Join AJ in Supporting Israeli Olive Farmers!
We are excited to be continuing our partnership with MyTree in Israel allowing you to purchase kosher Extra Virigin Olive Oil and support Israeli farmers. Each month we will showcase a new recipe to use your Israeli olive oil! 
Click here for the recipe
Click here to learn about the history of olive growing in Israel.
 
Orders can now be placed for the 2022 harvest, and the bottles will arrive in December. Click here for more information and to purchase.
Looking for Ways to Help the People of Ukraine?
Some Ideas from AJ Acts

From a post by Social Action Committee lead Michele Rifkin on the AJ Acts Facebook page:

I know many of us are trying to figure out how to best help the country and people of Ukraine. They are fighting hard to retain their democracy with courage and pride. Here is some organizations that you can consider:

  • CARE.org
  • UNICEF: Emergency services, fresh water, health supplies, protection of children
  • Sunflower of Peace: Organizations send backpacks of medical supplies to frontline medical professionals. Each backpack can service five individuals.
  • Vostok SOS: Emergency aid hotline for humanitarian aid and psychological support

Rav Shai also suggests these donating to these organizations:

  • Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia: Federation has launched an emergency fund for Ukraine. From Michael Balaban, Jewish Federation’s President and CEO: Emergencies happen without notice, which is why we’re very grateful for your support in times when it matters most. As fighting intensifies, millions of Ukrainians, including tens of thousands of Jews, are attempting to flee the country. Thanks to the incredible generosity of this community, more than $500,000 has been raised to provide humanitarian aid on the ground and help individuals and families escape to safety. As the fighting escalates, the needs in the region continue to grow. If you would like to make a gift in support of the emergency response efforts, please click here.
  • HIAS: HIAS has a partnership with Right to Protection (R2P), an NGO in Kyiv. You can read an article in The Forward by Mark Hetfield, CEO and President of HIAS, regarding its personal connection with Ukraine here.
  • Tikva Children’s Home, whose core mission is to care for the homeless, abandoned and abused Jewish children of Odessa and neighboring regions of the Former Soviet Union.
  • American Jewish Committee (AJC) has launched an emergency fund to provide humanitarian relief to Ukrainian refugees, assist Ukrainian Jews who wish to make Aliyah to Israel, and support and protect Ukrainian Jews who have chosen to stay in Ukraine, particularly the elderly.
AJ is Israel Bound in 2022!
Thursday, October 13 to Thursday, October 27, 2022
In October, AJ will be embarking on our first Israel tour with me as the congregation’s rabbi. I worked with our tour operator, Keshet, and our amazing Israel committee to come up with a great itinerary! We’ll be leaving for our two-week trip on October 13, 2022 — Hol HaMoed Sukkot! That means that we’ll be spending the first four days of the trip in Jerusalem celebrating Sukkot, Shabbat, and Shmini Atzeret/Simhat Torah. You’ll be able to grab falafel or schwarma and eat it in a sukkah. You’ll also be able to check out a variety of shuls from Jerusalem’s Great Synagogue to a Modern Orthodox minyan where women read Torah to the Conservative synagogue on Agron Street.

We’ve tried to make the trip affordable — $6,226 per person, double occupancy, airfare included. For an upgrade to Premium seats on the flight, add $1,060. The detailed itinerary is here. At times, the group will separate into two tracks. (See addendum below.)

Bernie Dishler is chairing the Israel Committee. Send him an email to let him know if you’re interested, if you have questions, or if you’re ready to put down a deposit. Or you can register here.

As Hillel said, “If not now, when?”

Rav Shai Cherry

ADDENDUM TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
Fewer people have signed up than we imagined which has turned out to be just fine. We’ll be spending more of our time all together, and the price has dropped. (Pricing above is accurate.) There will only be two days, one in Jerusalem and one on the way to the Negev, when we’ll be on two different tracks. The new itinerary is here
More Learning Opportunities!
Learn About Religions and Ecology!

Yale University is offering five courses in its newest specialization, Religions and Ecology: Restoring the Earth Community. They are offered through Coursera and they can be audited for free.

The environmental crisis is more than a political, economic, or technological concern; it is a moral and spiritual call to long-term change. Developed over several years, these courses draw on a rich variety of lectures, videos, readings, and interviews with scholars, religious leaders, and environmental practitioners from around the world.

Do you want to gain new understandings of the world’s religions and their ecological perspectives? Are you interested in exploring the impact of engaged religious climate action? Learners in this five-course specialization will:
  • Explore the ecological implications of religious texts
  • Learn how religious beliefs and practices inform attitudes about the environment
  • Gain new perspectives on biodiversity, food systems, and environmental justice
  • Become familiar with engaged religious responses to the climate crisis

All courses are open for enrollment and are available as follows:
Looking for Teachers for the AJ Early Learning Center!

The AJ Early Learning Center is hiring! We have immediate openings for both full-time and part-time educators for our infant room and pre-K. If you or someone you know has experience working with children and enjoys the attention, love, and responsibility the position requires, please apply today. Contact Anita Block at [email protected] or 215.635.3490.

AJELC is an equal opportunity employer in the state of Pennsylvania.
Programs for Seniors at AJ 

Our Montgomery County location is OPEN for one in-person exercise class 10:30-11:30 AM, Tuesday through Thursday, with some virtual classes still available, as well as other special programs. Reservations are appreciated one week in advance to partake in the in-person classes. You can also sign up for lunch after Tuesday class. For more information and/or to reserve your spot, please call 215.635.5244 or email [email protected]. You can download their Newsletter here. You can find their calendar of events here.

Grab & Go Meals! Kleinlife is now offering Grab & Go frozen meals once a week from AJ. You MUST RESERVE at least a week ahead of time for 5 frozen kosher meals. Thursday is the regular pick-up day, between 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM. Call 215.635.5244 for more details.
Do you have a question about any of the events or announcements in this email? Call the synagogue office at 215.635.6611. 

Do you have good news to share? We can always use it! Let us know and we'll include it in the weekly email.
Calendar
JUNE
6/29
Rosh Hodesh Tammuz. Morning service at 7:00 AM.
6/30
Rosh Hodesh Tammuz. Morning service at 7:00 AM.

JULY
7/4
Independence Day. Morning service at 9:00 AM.
7/17
Fast of Tammuz. Morning service at 7:30 AM.
7/20
AJ's Summer Blood Drive. Every day, blood donors help patients of all ages: accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer. In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. AJ's summer blood drive will be held on Wednesday, July 20 from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Go to RedCrossBlood.org to make an appointment.
7/26
AJMA Night at the Phillies. Let the AJ Men’s Association “take you out to the ball game!” to see the Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves! The cost is $40 per ticket (Section 327; rows 3, 4, and 5). The price includes bus transportation from AJ to and from the stadium and snack. The bus will depart at 5:30 PM (the game starts at 7:05 PM). You can pay online here. Alternatively, you can send a check to Ed Moses (1129 Alton Place, Philadelphia PA 19115) and provide the following information: name, cell phone number, email address, number of tickets you are purchasing, and the amount of the check you are enclosing. Questions? Email Ed Moses at [email protected].
7/29
Rosh Hodesh Av. Morning service at 7:00 AM.

JULY
8/6
Erev Tisha B'Av. Morning service at 10:00 AM.
8/7
Fast of Tisha B'Av. Morning Service at 9:00 AM.
8/12
Tu B'Av. Morning service at 7:30 AM.
8/12
Devotion by the Ocean. Kabbalat Shabbat at the beach, with a live band…what could be better? 6:00 PM. For more information, please visit www.ShiratHayamNJ.org or call 609.822.7116. Newport Avenue Beach, Ventnor, NJ 08406. Presented by Shirat Hayam Downbeach Synagogue, Ventnor, NJ. In case of rain, the service will be indoors at Shirat Hayam. Remaining Devotion by the Ocean dates this summer: August 26 and September 2.
8/26
Devotion by the Ocean. Kabbalat Shabbat at the beach, with a live band…what could be better? 6:00 PM. For more information, please visit www.ShiratHayamNJ.org or call 609.822.7116. Newport Avenue Beach, Ventnor, NJ 08406. Presented by Shirat Hayam Downbeach Synagogue, Ventnor, NJ. In case of rain, the service will be indoors at Shirat Hayam. Remaining Devotion by the Ocean date this summer: September 2.
8/27
Rosh Hodesh Elul. Morning service at 10:00 AM.
8/28
Rosh Hodesh Elul. Morning service at 9:00 AM.