Weekly Round Up

September 17, 2021

11 Tishrei, 5782

Dear Friends–

Shabbat Shalom:

I hope you all had a meaningful fast and a delicious break the fast this week. I love break-the-fast. Growing up it was always a milchig (dairy meal). If we were lucky, my mom would bake homemade bagels and pletzle (onion rolls) using her great Aunt Gisha’s recipe that had been carried over from Bialystok. I can still close my eyes and taste them, and it brings a smile to my face. Later, when I moved to Chicago we had break the fast at my best friend’s parent’s house and it was a deli meal. Pastrami, chopped liver, corned beef, and salami, all from the best delis in town. It’s hard to decide which I love better milchig or fleishig (meat) but one thing is for sure, after fasting you could set anything down in front of me and I would be happy.

With a new year, comes exciting programs! Beginning Monday, September 20th, we will be accepting nominations for our Young Leadership Program. I am very impressed by the Roadmap that the NextGen group put together several years ago for the future of the Jewish community. One of my goals is to ensure that all the Jewish institutions in Birmingham have a steady pipeline of young leaders to help carry our institutions forward.

I’m excited to announce that the Federation, with financial support from the Birmingham Jewish Foundation, has put together a year-long course that will begin in February of 2022 for young adults ages 30-45. Each monthly session is taught by a local community leader and will provide the knowledge and skill set, both in Jewish values as well as practical matters such as governance and budgeting, that our leaders will need to be successful. The program will conclude with a free trip to Israel (participants are responsible for covering their own airfare) in May of 2023 during Israel’s 75th birthday celebration and the Jewish Federation of North America’s General Assembly. Upon their return, each of the 18 participants must commit to serving on a committee or a board in our Jewish community. Each of our agencies and religious institutions will have the ability to nominate participants. Additionally, self-nominations will be accepted. If you are interested in participating in this program, please email Susan Greene at Susang@bjf.org and an application will be sent to you. Applications are due no later than October 8th with interviews to select participants occurring in November. For more information please visit the Young Leadership Development section of bjf.org.

I want to thank those of you who participated last month in our strategic planning survey. We are in the process of analyzing the data and should have some exciting statistics to share in the coming months. It’s because of each of you that we will be able to set a course for Jewish Birmingham’s future…one that I am excited to see unfold.

As I close, I want to remind all High School parents to register their teenagers for Kesher, the new Jewish High School experience beginning in October. This program is a collaboration between Temple Beth-El and Temple Emanu-El and I am thrilled that the Federation can be part of it. A generous donor has stepped up to provide families who may not be able to afford the tuition a partial scholarship. We want to ensure that every teen who wants to participate is eligible regardless of ability to pay. Please contact me or your home synagogue if assistance is needed. Discretion is assured.

We are picking up our new puppy, Lucy, a nine-week-old Wheaten Terrier this weekend. So, while my Shabbat will be less than peaceful, I wish each of you a peaceful Shabbat and a wonderful week ahead!

B’Shalom,

Danny

Agency Spotlight

We are accepting nominations for the Susan J. Goldberg Distinguished Volunteer Award!

Does someone you know embody significant leadership ability and a high level of volunteer involvement? Do they strive to make a broad and lasting impact on the Jewish community?

If yes, nominate them for this incredible honor!

Nominations must be made by October 1st and can be sent to Sarah Weinberger at sarahw@bjf.org!

Nominate Someone!

Upcoming Programming

Art in the Sukkah:

A Family Sukkot Event

September 19, 2021 at 9 AM - 12 PM

RSVP here!

Sukkot Bar Crawl

September 25 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 PM

BHAM BBYO Kick-Off

September 26 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 PM

It's time for Kick-Off! What better way to kick off the new year than Bubble Soccer? All 9-12 graders in the Birmingham Jewish Community are invited to join in on the LJCC soccer field - September 26th from 4:00 pm- 6:00 pm.

The General Assembly

October 3, 2021 at 1 PM CT

The last year has seen dramatic events with far-reaching consequences for the Jewish community, from the pandemic to thousands of rockets falling across Israel. And we have shown, once again, that when we work together we can tackle anything. Assembling together, even virtually, is a powerful way to inspire, recognize, and support one another as we prepare for the year ahead.

On October 3rd at 1 PM (CT), we will gather for our 2021 General Assembly to reflect, learn, and explore several important areas of Jewish life that are on our communal agenda at this critical time.

We hope you will join us.

Registration is free and open to all Federation stakeholders, partners and the broader Jewish community.

Kesher: A Jewish Teen Experience!

Thursdays from October - April

from 5:30 - 7:30 PM

PJ Library- It's in the bag!

Saturday, October 30, 2021 at 11:15 AM

RSVP Here!

Community Programs

Family Sukkot Program and Pancake Breakfast, featuring World Wide Wrap with Men’s Club

Sunday, September 19 @ 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Temple Beth-El

Get ready for Sukkot with a fun and educational program for the whole family! We’ll have arts and crafts activities so that we can all decorate the Temple Beth El Sukkah together, and will enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast hosted by Men’s Club. In addition, Men’s Club will be hosting World Wide Wrap for those students that missed it this last year.

RSVP to mnorman@templebeth-el.net.

Birmingham Hadassah Book Club: The Third Daughter by Talia Carner, facilitator

– Suzanne Bearman

Sunday, September 19 @ 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Birmingham Chapter of Hadassah

New participants welcome! Contact Linda Goldstein- ljrg13@gmail.com for more information.

Lunchtime Torah Study

Wednesday, September 22 @ 12:00 PM-1:00 PM

Temple Emanu-El

This Torah study meets via Zoom and will cover that week’s Torah portion. All levels welcome.

“Hecture Lecture” with TBE

Social Action Committee

Wednesday, September 22 @ 3:30 PM -5:00 PM

Temple Beth-El

Help Beth-el complete the filling of Birmingham’s Food Pantries! We will meet in the Sukkah for an after school snack and then we will sort all the bags we have received from the holiday food drive. CJFS will get the kosher items and GCM will get the other items. We will learn to recognize Kosher symbols on packaging and spend the afternoons being detectives and sorting.

Sukkot Bar Crawl

Saturday, September 25 @ 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Temple Beth-El, Temple Emanu-El, and YBIB

Join Temple Beth-el, Temple Emanu-el, and You Belong In Birmingham for a Sukkot Bar Crawl on Highland Ave! We will meet at the Temple Beth-el sukkah at 7:00 pm, then move to the Temple Emanu-El sukkah, then end at The Hive.

YJP/Mench Adventures @ Tom Brown Village

Sunday, September 26 @ 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Young Jewish Philanthropy

Attention all 6th-7th graders in the Birmingham Jewish community! On September 26th from 1:00 pm-3:30 pm YJP/Mench Adventures will partner with Offenders Alumni Association’s Heroes in the Hood, Jewish Community Relations Council, and Tom Brown Village. We will come together outside for an afternoon of service, celebration, and of course lunch (which will be provided)! Drop-off and Pick-up will be at Tom Brown Village. We welcome families to join the program at 3:00 pm for a social at Tom Brown Village. Sign up here!

Pizza in the Hut

Sunday, September 26 @ 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Chabad of Alabama

Join us for a family friendly pizza party in the Sukkah!

Lunchtime Torah Study

Wednesday, September 29 @ 12:00 PM-1:00 PM

Temple Emanu-El

This Torah study meets via Zoom and will cover that week’s Torah portion. All levels welcome.

Beit Midrash with Rabbi Norry: Five Remarkable Objects in the Bible

Thursday, September 30 @ 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Temple Beth-El

This Fall, Rabbi Norry will lead the Beit Midrash through a class on “Five Remarkable Objects in the Bible.” Discover a new way to read Torah by looking at remarkable objects that appear in the story line. While most people focus on the characters in the stories, we often overlook an object – a thing – that plays an important role and drives the story forward. We will adopt an artistic, or curatorial approach, and ask “what is it,” “what is it made of,” “where is it,” and “when does it appear in the story?” “Is it a singular object or are there a lot of them?” “What became of it?” “Where is it now?”

The Beit Midrash meets every week from 12-1PM via Zoom.

Join here!

Financial Assistance Available

for Jewish Community Members

Thanks to a grant from the Greatest Needs Fund of the Birmingham Jewish Federation’s COVID Relief Campaign, Collat Jewish Family Services is offering financial assistance to Jewish community members who are facing financial insecurity because of job loss, caring for family or other issues. Confidential assistance is available to members of the Birmingham Jewish community who need help with rent or mortgage payments, utilities, prescription costs or other needs. To learn more, please email CJFS Clinical Director Marcy Morgenbesser LICSW, marcy@cjfsbham.org or call 205.879.3438.