GOLD COAST HAPPENINGS
Very exciting news, Shimon has commenced work with Temple Shalom Gold Coast. Besides serving the congregation he shall be running a series of Adult Education courses in the leaad up to the High Holy Days.
In October 10-17 October there will be a two week course Introduction to the World of Jewish Prayer.
Following the Shabbat Morning/Shacharit Service on 21 & 28 August and 4th 8th of September there will be a series of short shiurim (20-40 minute sessions) examining Pirke Avot. This collection of wisdom sayings are traditionally studied in the lead up to the High Holy Days. We shall be exploring the messages and meanings we can gain from this Wisdom Text and how to apply them to our lives.
TORAH PORTION FORUM OPENS UP BIBLICAL COMMENTARY TO ALL
You will notice that we now have a Weekly Portion section. This is a forum which is open for all to participate in. Each week a new portion commentary will be posted. But rather than give out wisdom from on high, we invite you to add to the discussion. You might like to share an insight, or a poem. Maybe a piece of teaching you have kept hidden in a treasured corner of your heart.
All are welcome to contribute so long as they add not detract from the whole. So go along, and enter into our generations long discussion about the Torah we all love.
CREATING A MORE PERMANENT JEWISH RENEWAL PRESENCE
As you know, our movment has only recently come to Qld and we are keen to create a more permanent presence. As part of becoming an affiliated community we need to create a formal structure. This would widen the diversity of our base, and allow us to cover some of the costs that go into keeping this site running as well as give us a way to promote and further our presence. We are not looking at forming a synagogue or a community group to compete with others. What we do seek is to have a structure that can support the meditation, chant, and prayer groups that we hope to foster.
With a more 'formal' structure that would include membership options, we would
a) Have access to the congregational resource base of JR
b) Membership would give you access to member rate discounts at the Aleph shop and access to online courses.
c) Receive 4 issues a year of Aleph's quarterly newsletter, and allow us to begin an Aleph Qld newsletter.
d) Member only areas on the website that would provide opportunities for sharing, learning and growing together.
e) Be able to promote our presence and courses giving us more resources to expand our services. Including publishing a booklet that goes beyond the Meditation Now course; producing a CD that can be used to help deepen our meditation experience.
f) Produce a siddur for use in our context that people could purchase in sections as they need.
g) Be able to provide support and make use of our (soon to begin) Rabbinic student so that we can connect and renew our Judaism to a progressive and egalitarian yet spiritual base.
These are some of the ideas we are putting out there. Discussions will be ongoing and we hope to have completed the journey to this level in one year from now (April 2011) so that our name is included in the Kallah roll in the US next year. We would also be working with our affiliated communities in Sydney and Melbourne to work towards forming and Aleph Oz with a national Kallah every two years. It is all possible, but people have to want and support it.
We do not wish this to be honorous and so would not be looking at a membeship rate that compares to a synagogue, but one that is affordable, and sustainable.
Wishing you all
KOL TOV
