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Weekly News
June 7, 2023 / 18th of Sivan, 5783
Parashat Beha' alotcha: Numbers 8:1-12:16
Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7
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Depending on your email provider, long messages like our newsletter sometimes get cut off. If that happens, you'll see a message at the end that says something like:
Message Clipped: View The Entire Message. Be sure to click the link to view the whole newsletter.
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Creative High Holiday Planning: Join the Team! |
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High Holiday Planning
As Rabbi Rachel is on sabbatical, JRC members will create and plan many of the elements of High Holidays that we love: the English creative readings, poetry, and reflections. If you are interested in helping to choose poetry or other elements that enhance our liturgy and complement our prayers, we need you! Have a favorite reading? Bring it!
Email Marie Davidson to join the team, which will gather over the summer to give input and find inspiration from writers, thinkers, and poets that move us and enhance our Days of Awe.
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2023-2024 JRC Commitment Form
We renew our membership to JRC annually. Completing your form sooner rather than later is a MITZVAH to our staff and Membership Committee.
Plus you can LOCK-IN LAST YEAR'S KEHILLAH RATES if you enroll by July 15. Membership must be renewed prior to enrolling.
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If you've been considering membership and feel that now is the time, email Micky. She is happy to help set up your account so you can have access to our commitment form. mbaer@jrctogether.org. |
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JRC's Annual Meeting was a touching and meaningful evening filled with gratitude for several members who have made an indelible impact on our congregation, the Reconstructing Judaism movement, and the world around us. Last Wednesday, JRC welcomed Rabbi Deborah Waxman, CEO of Reconstructing Judaism who offered blessings to longtime JRC member, Sallie Gratch winner of the 2023 Keter Shem Tov Award for her inspiring work as a veteran peace activist, social worker, and founder of Project Kesher, a nonprofit organization devoted to building Jewish community and advancing women in civil society.
"For over 50 years, Sallie and her family have been pillars of JRC and the Evanston community, leading with conviction, gentleness and a desire to “wage peace” as the sign in her window and on the button she wears declares. Her example and presence have shaped our congregation into the engaged, justice-seeking community we are." said Rabbi Rachel. The annual meeting was filled with members of JRC who proudly wore "wage peace" stickers as a tribute to Sallie's prolific work.
The program also honored Jonathan Markowitz and Ruth Wenger, longtime members and philanthropists who recently funded a new, Reconstructionist movement-wide Jewish education program. The evening was infused with blessings and warmth as we offered Rabbi Rachel best wishes on her Summer Sabbatical.
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Meet our Community...Featuring Beloved JRC Early Childhood Teacher of Over 25 Years, Janet McDermott |
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Last week, Janet helped celebrate the Early Childhood Siyyum. As we reimagine dynamic and engaging new programs for the fall, we look back on the amazing legacy left by Janet and the many wonderful teachers who have touched the hearts of our young learners. Janet, we are forever grateful for your impact on our community! |
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What was your favorite thing about working in the JRC Early Childhood Center?
I have so many favorite things. I loved being a teacher at JRC. I always felt so grateful to be a part of a child's experiences and growth. Further, the parents were incredibly supportive and cheerleaders of our program. We worked together as partners, and I love that! Also, I have been surrounded by incredibly dedicated, creative, and brilliant teachers. They are the reason JRC Early Childhood Center is such an amazing preschool.
Our Early Childhood Directors, Bonnie Silverman and Claudia Rozenberg, created a unique and beautiful program that focused on the importance of relationships with families/children, nature, and community while also integrating Jewish values. I had the honor of teaching with Debby Kadet in the 3's classroom for over 20 years. Her warmth, dedication, and knowledge of early childhood were a gift to the children, families, and to me. The pandemic changed the dynamics of our preschool. However, as a result, I was lucky enough to teach with Kelly Lavan and Mollie Bass. They are both incredibly talented and creative teachers.
What brought you to JRC?
I knew about JRC through my sister, Reese Gratch and niece, Stephanie who attended JRC when she was young. Reese often talked about what a phenomenal place the preschool was. I began working as an assistant teacher and completed my degree through National Louis University whose philosophy aligned with JRC preschool. When people ask how long I've been a teacher at JRC, I usually answer "forever". It's been at least 25ish years. Both of my children, Haley and Matthew attended JRC, which makes it more important and special to me.
Do you have a favorite Jewish ritual or holiday that you liked to teach?
I really liked teaching the holiday of Tu Bishvat. This holiday is important to me because it touches on the significance of nature and trees. I think trees can be symbolic of many things including community, family, love, and unity. For a child, exposure to trees and nature at a young age allows for this connection of community, Judaism, and nature in an age-appropriate way.
What will you miss most about teaching?
I cannot imagine ever fully leaving the field of early childhood. There are many things I will miss about teaching at JRC. I'll miss the children, families, and being in a setting where I can collaborate and learn from other teachers. I'll miss Shabbat with clergy and how special they make the experience for young children. I will especially miss Cantor Howard singing Mah Yafeh Hayom. It makes me cry every time he sings it. I recognize that our school is so special because of the unique way we interact with and teach children. There is no preschool quite like JRC. And so of course, I'll miss teaching, but also miss this amazing JRC community.
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The Legacy of JRC Early Childhood Center has Inspired our New Kehillah Tot Program! |
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We are committed to offering year-long opportunities for families with young children to forge connections and build community. Programs include weekly Adult-Tot classes (on weekdays and Shabbat), 3 – 5 year old drop-off Kehillah class, Littles at the Lakefront, Tot-Shabbat, plus intergenerational and family programs that bring Jewish stories to life through immersive theater and imaginative play. |
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Mark Your Calendars for Tot Shabbat and Learn About Kehillah |
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Lakefront Shabbat service will follow the programs below from 7-8pm. All are welcome. No registration necessary for any lakefront program.
Elliot Park, (Lakeshore Blvd at Hamilton Street) Evanston
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Shabbat Littles at the Lakefront with Bonnie Silverman
Friday, June 16
5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Elliot Park, (Lakeshore Blvd at Hamilton St) Evanston
Shabbat Littles at the Lakefront is a nature-filled Shabbat experience for 0-5 year olds and their grownups. Join us for this joyful mix of liturgy and fun! Wear your comfy clothes, get on the ground to sing and dance. On June 16, we welcome former JRC ECC Director, Bonnie Silverman who will help lead the program with Cantor Howard Friedland.
JRC's Shabbat celebration is perfect for those who call JRC home and for those seeking a Jewish community.
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Explore Kehillah, JRC's Learning Community for Tots - Teens!
Friday, June 16
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Pizza Picnic Provided by JRC!
Elliot Park, (Lakeshore Blvd at Hamilton St) Evanston
Kehillah, JRC's Reconstructionist learning community for tots through teens, provides engaging and meaningful educational opportunities and experiences for students of all ages, and encourages curiosity and exploration to keep Judaism relevant and alive.
Kids and their families are invited to join Rabbi David to experience the joy of Kehillah, with a creative program exploring one aspect of Shabbat.
On June 16, learn how reading and telling Torah stories links us to the past and to our values. Children can decorate their own bookmarks with watercolors. Geared towards children ages 5-13 and their grownups, Rabbi David will be available to share information and answer questions about Kehillah, JRC's Learning Community for Tots - Teens.
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JRC Ambassadors Needed for July Festivals! |
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JRC Would Like to Participate in 2 Summer Festivals and We Need Your Help To Make It Happen!
This is a wonderful opportunity to have fun hanging out with another member and engage and raise awareness about Kehillah and JRC's beautiful, diverse community. You are our very best ambassadors! Sign up for a 2-hour time slot at Square Roots or Evanston Pride and help us showcase everything JRC has to offer new families.
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Square Roots Festival
Saturday, July 8 & Sunday, July 9
Noon - 5:00 pm
Lincoln Square
4400-4560 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago
Square Roots brings together the best of Lincoln Square, Chicago, and beyond, with live music, family fun, local restaurants, and vendors, and the best craft beer showcase of any Chicago street fest.
JRC is participating with an activity station in the Kid Zone at Square Roots. Children can decorate their own bookmarks with watercolors and Jewish inspired quotes about the value of reading.
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Evanston Pride LGBTQIA+ Community Picnic
Saturday, July 29
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Ridgeville Park
Ridge Avenue and South Blvd, Evanston
Evanston Pride helps amplify LGBTQIA+ voices, and educate the broader Evanston community on LGBTQIA+ issues and needs.
JRC will have a table to celebrate Evanston’s LGBTQIA+ community, and invite community members to learn about JRC. Our table will include a cool craft station where children can decorate their own bookmarks with watercolors and Jewish inspired quotes about the value of reading.
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Online History Course: Beyond the Gender Binary |
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Beyond the Gender Binary Sponsored by Jewish Women's Archive and Keshet
3-part course:
Thursday June 8, 15, and 22
8:00 pm
Via Zoom
For 50+ years, feminist and trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer thinkers have unsettled one of the foundational beliefs of modern mainstream Western culture: that there exist two sexes, whose physical and psychological characteristics are obvious, knowable, and inherent in the body each person is born with. In this course, JWA asks: How was the prevailing gender binary constructed? How does it change our understanding of history to bring a Jewish, queer, and trans lens to historical sources? And how can archives expand the current conversation about gender and Judaism?
Speakers include artist/curator Tobaron Waxman (they/them), historian and religious studies scholar Sarah Imhoff (she/her), and religious studies scholar Max Strassfeld (he/they), in conversation with JWA’s CEO Judith Rosenbaum.
No fee. Donations requested.
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Join Us for Lakefront Shabbat |
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Lakefront Shabbat
Friday, June 9
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Bring a picnic dinner from 6-7 pm
Enjoy Shabbat services and singing from 7-8 pm
Elliot Park, (Lakeshore Blvd at Hamilton Street) Evanston
Join Cantor Howard Friedland and JRC Member, David Tabak who will be our D'var Torah Teacher for a peaceful evening filled with joy and song! Our relaxed, camp-like service is a lovely, welcoming space for both long-time members and those who are exploring our community for the first time, so invite your friends! Bring your blankets and chairs before services and enjoy a picnic dinner.
Services will be livestreamed on the JRC Facebook Page for those preferring to join us virtually.
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Shabbat Shaharit Minyan
Saturday, June 10
10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Via Zoom
Join the JRC Minyan for Shabbat Shaharit (morning services) this Saturday. This service lasts about 90 minutes and includes the opportunity for Mourners' Kaddish and Healing Prayers as well as chat time after the service. Rick Friedman will be giving the D'var and Helga Low-Harper will be reading Torah.
The roles of Service Leader and Zoom Gabbai are still needed for this week's Shabbat Minyan. Sign up for a role here.
Zoom Link:
Meeting ID: 880 5387 3162
Password: 183672
Call-In: 312-626-6799 (Chicago)
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Monthly Shabbat Meditation - Open to All! |
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Shabbat Meditation led by Marty Rosenheck
Saturday, June 17
Meditation: 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Discussion: 11:00 am - 11:30 am
JRC's Small Sanctuary
We are thrilled with the positive response to our monthly meditation sessions and will continue to meet at JRC over the summer with plans to increase to twice a month after the High Holidays. The first hour of each session is dedicated to learning, chanting, and meditation. Please stay after to continue with a discussion of our experiences as we get to know one another better.
All are encouraged to join our Shabbat Meditation program – a time for us to come together in community to explore how meditation can help us rest deeply, listen fully to our deepest self, and connect to our spiritual dimension. There is a great history of meditation and contemplation in the Jewish mystical tradition and Kabbalah. We will gather together monthly to learn and practice meditation in its Jewish forms. No experience necessary.
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Mark Your Calendars for a Weekend Filled with... |
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Pride Shabbat
Friday, June 23
6pm Pride Shabbat Picnic
7pm Annual Pride Shabbat Service
Elliot Park, (Lakeshore Blvd at Hamilton Street) Evanston
Pride Shabbat honors the struggle for LGBTQIA+ Civil Rights and full acceptance into Judaism. Join Cantor Howard Friedland and JRC Member Nancy Katz, the first self-identified lesbian judge in Illinois, as we celebrate every color of the rainbow and every way of being human.
On Pride Shabbat, we raise up our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and gender-expansive members. We welcome and celebrate all of your identities – no exceptions – and appreciate the gifts that queer Jews bring to our community.
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Save the Date and Register- JRC at Chicago LGBTQIA+ Pride Parade!
Sunday, June 25
Meeting time and location TBD
As Jewish communities, we honor Pride Month by declaring loudly and proudly that LGBTQ+ people are not only welcome in our shuls and organizations, but that we are active members of our communities, living deeply Jewish and LGBTQIA+ lives. At a time when LGBTQIA+ communities, especially trans and nonbinary youth, are under legislative attack, we will show up in solidarity to proclaim our support for LGBTQIA+ safety, autonomy, and justice. Join JRC, Keshet, and local Jewish organizations as we march in the Chicago Pride Parade 2023!
When? Sunday, June 25. Approx. 11am-3pm. Consult this FAQ doc for updates as we receive them from parade organizers.
Where? Gathering near Montrose and Wilson Aves, with the parade route winding south. Consult the FAQ doc for updates..
Registration: Complete this form to join our walking coalition and to be kept in the loop about details. Please register soon!!
T-shirts: We will have new shirts this year that everyone walking under the Keshet umbrella will wear! They will be purple, will come in t-shirt and tank top styles and will say "LGBTQ+ Pride is a Jewish Value." This will be echoed on our signage. Design and ordering information will follow. We know that folks LOVE their JRC Pride shirts so wear them to the Pride Shabbat service! To the grocery store! To work! And wear the new shirt to the parade as we walk with our fabulous progressive Jewish partner organizations.
Also! Got a fun car to add pizzazz to our parade experience? We are looking for a congregant to drive or offer their fabulous convertible for the day - a vehicle will mean that we can invite our drag queen friend to join us! Reach out to Nicki Bazer if you have a vehicle to offer.
Questions? Consult the FAQ doc for further details. (Note: The FAQ doc will be updated in the coming weeks as we receive further details from the parade organizers.)
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Please Join Us for JRC Rosh Hodesh Tammuz 5783 Celebration
Sunday, June 25
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Via Zoom
Rosh Hodesh, translated as the “head of the month”, is a time to mark the start of a new month in the Jewish calendar.
Historically, it is a minor holiday where women would refrain from work. Each month we gather to explore a variety of relevant topics in a creative and thought-provoking celebration. All adult JRC members or individuals considering membership (13 years and older), who identify as women, are welcome to participate.
Do you like amusement parks? Roller coasters? Then step in and buckle up for the month of Tammuz! From the deep despair over the loss of the First Temple and the deeply contemplative weeks leading up to Tisha B'Av to the joyful celebration of our sun at its peak and the bounty of summer, this month has something for everyone. Join us to learn more about Tammuz. This month, Ann Dolinko and Kim Moldofsky will lead our service and study.
Photo credit – original by Kim Moldofsky
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JRC Book Group: Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Sunday, July 9
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Location provided upon sending RSVP
Join the engaging conversation with your JRC community! JRC’s Book Group meets on the second Sunday of every month over Zoom. All are welcome!
This month's book is: Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
In this exhilarating novel, two friends--often in love, but never lovers--come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.
On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.
Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.
Please RSVP to receive the address of the book group's meeting place to Jill Berkeley.
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We Want To Hear Your Ideas For New Programs at JRC! |
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Some of the best programming ideas have come directly from JRC Members. Do you have an idea you’d like to see happen at JRC? As we plan for next year, the JRC Dream and Plan Committee wants hear from you.
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JRC's Spring Buy-In Party Blitz! |
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JRC's Buy-In Parties, hosted by fellow JRC members, serve a dual purpose. Not only are they fun ways to connect with (or meet!) other members in a small group setting, doing fun activities, they are an extension of Gala, raising much needed funds for our congregation. These parties and many others still have space!
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Saturday, June 10
7:00 pm
Join Reese and Joel Gratch, Becca Sperling, and Anne Wildman at the Gratch Lincolnwood home for a fun-filled evening of game playing. There will be multiple games going at a time: think Apples to Apples, Careers, Pick Up Sticks, Yahtzee, Parcheesi, Acquire, Sorry, and many more. Do you have a game in your closet you've been wanting to play? Bring it along . . . you'll have players on hand.
If the weather cooperates, the fire pit will be going and you can sit outside and chat during game-playing breaks. Drinks and desserts will be served.
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Saturday, June 17
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Come dance, sing, and play in a mud kitchen in the Kurganoff’s Evanston backyard. The Kurganoff and Zeckhauser families will welcome grandparents, parents, and children under 5 for activities with Nicole Rodin Jaworski of Jamberry who will share her signature style of interactive music.
Your clothes and shoes may get dirty, but you’ll be wearing smiles when you leave!
Age-appropriate snacks will be served.
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Saturday, June 17
6:00 pm
The Pinzurs and Rashers are your hosts at the Pinzur's Northbrook home for this fun evening of Wine, Food and Friends. Come taste and learn about some highly-rated wines personally selected by Steve Rasher, a knowledgeable oenophile with over 45 years of wine experience.
Following the wine tasting, enjoy a substantial festive spread of hors d'oeuvres, sweets, and beverages (including more wine!) - perfect for lots of grazing and mingling with friends.
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Sunday, June 25
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Join the Pickleball revolution that’s sweeping the nation! What could be more fun than playing with Cantor Howard and your JRC friends? No need to be an expert! We'll have three courts set up and someone on hand to coach and give pointers. All equipment will be provided.
We'll cap off the fun with Malnati's pizza for lunch. It's a smashing good time!
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With thoughtful consideration of the varied needs of our community, the unremitting complexity in the science, and our desire to help the maximum number of people feel welcome in our space, JRC has adopted a mask-optional protocol, while honoring requests for accommodations including required masking at specific events.
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JRC Office Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
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If you need an accommodation to fully participate please contact JRC Executive Director, Micky Baer at mbaer@jrctogether.org or on her cell: 847-409-1432.
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Wednesday, June 7
Thursday, June 8
Via Zoom
Zoom Link:
Meeting ID: 897 8977 3296
Passcode: 405397
Call In: 312-626-6799 US (Chicago)
Friday, June 9
Elliot Park, Lakeshore Blvd at Hamilton Street, Evanston
Elliot Park, Lakeshore Blvd at Hamilton Street, Evanston
Saturday, June 10
Via Zoom
Sunday, June 11
JRC Small Sanctuary
Monday, June 12
Tuesday, June 13
Via Zoom
Zoom Link:
Meeting ID: 540 635 846
Call-in: 312-626-6799
Wednesday, June 14
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JRC is a diverse, participatory, and sacred community dedicated to a daring, deeply-rooted Judaism.
JRC relies on fundraising to support 20% of our operating budget.
Please consider a donation today.
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The weekly announcements feature events hosted at or sponsored by JRC, approximately two weeks in advance or less. Announcements are sent out on Wednesdays and items to add should be submitted no later than 5pm Monday.
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Jewish
Reconstructionist Congregation
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