Services this Month
Shabbat Services
Friday | August 1 | 7:00 pm
Join us for joyful Shabbat services led by Rabbi Rebecca Reice.
Torah Study
Saturday, August 2 | 10:30am
Please join us for Torah study! The parsha will be Devarim, Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22. Click here to let us know if you will be coming!
T'filah Together
Saturday, August 9 | 9:00am
Please join us for T'filah Together, Congregation Shir Ami's Tot Shabbat program for families with kiddos up to the age of eight years old. We will be meeting in the Fellowship Hall or Room 110 at 9am (depending on the week) where Rabbi Rebecca Reice will lead a Shabbat program specifically geared for kids and their families. This will include age-appropriate songs, prayers, and a PJ Library story. We hope to see you there! Click here to let us know if you will be coming!
Shabbat Morning Services
Saturday, August 9 | 10:00am
As we prepare for Services for the whole community (10am), it would help us to know who is coming so we set up appropriately. Registration by the start of candle lighting on Shabbat is encouraged. If you miss the opportunity to register, please come anyway. We need ritual Jewish adults to help to make and maintain the minyan for Torah reading at 10am! Click here to let us know you will be coming!
Save the Date! September Shabbat Services
Friday, September 12 | Services 7:00pm
Join us for joyful Shabbat services led by Rabbi Reice.
Selichot
Saturday, September 13 | 6:00pm
Join us at a member's home as we celebrate Selichot together.
Upcoming Events
Rabbi Reice's Office Hours
Office Hours
5 Aug 2025 (11 Av) 11:30am – 5:30pm
20 Aug 2025 (26 Av) 11am – 5pm
25 Aug 2025 (1 Elul) 4 – 6pm
27 Aug 2025 (3 Elul) 1 – 5pm
Upcoming Days Off
7 Aug 2025 (13 Av) - comp for 7/28
8 Aug 2025 (14 Av) - comp for 7/30
19 Aug 2025 (25 Av) - comp for 8/4
21 Aug 2025 (27 Av) - comp for 8/5
28 Aug 2025 (4 Elul) - comp for 8/18
29 Aug 2025 (5 Elul) - comp for 8/20
2 Sep 2025 (9 Elul) - comp for 8/25
Upcoming Vacation Days
11 Aug 2025 (17 Av)
12 Aug 2025 (18 Av)
13 Aug 2025 (19 Av)
14 Aug 2025 (20 Av)
15 Aug 2025 (21 Av)
Upcoming Office Closing
1 Sep 2025 (8 Elul) - Office Closed for National Holiday
During Office hours, Rabbi Reice will be answering the phone, answering emails, and meeting with those folks who have scheduled an appointment (in person, over the phone or a video call). Please feel free to call or email Rabbi Reice during these times. (Of course, contact her, or our President, Cindy Tarsi, immediately for more urgent matters.)
Please email Rabbi Reice (rreice@shir-ami.com), to schedule an appointment in advance.
Celebrating Birthdays and Anniversaries in August
Happy Anniversary:
8/22 Heather & Gideon Levinsky
8/27 Esther & Ken Friedman
8/28 Alysa & Addie Gisser
8/27 Esther & Ken Friedman
8/28 Alysa & Addie Gisser
8/08 Lily-Frances VanScoyoc
8/10 Jonathan Levinsky
8/10 Anabel Levinsky
8/10 Linda Weiss
8/11 Mark Levbarg
8/12 Mark Stefanowicz
8/16 Carole Wood
8/16 Bonnie Cohen
8/18 Leila Cohn
8/21 Alice Friedman
8/22 Poushali Bhattacha
8/25 Thelma Mickelson
8/10 Jonathan Levinsky
8/10 Anabel Levinsky
8/10 Linda Weiss
8/11 Mark Levbarg
8/12 Mark Stefanowicz
8/16 Carole Wood
8/16 Bonnie Cohen
8/18 Leila Cohn
8/21 Alice Friedman
8/22 Poushali Bhattacha
8/25 Thelma Mickelson
Board of Trustees
Monday | August 25 | 7:00 pm
All members are invited to attend the Board of Trustees meetings. If you would like to attend this meeting, or wish to speak at the meeting, please contact our President, Cindy Tarsi, president@shir-ami.com.
Sign up for Religious School
Shir Ami
Registration is still open! Give your children a strong foundation in their understanding and pride in their Jewish identity! The Shir Ami Religious School is a welcoming environment where children learn, grow, and celebrate together. We would love for your child to join us! Click here for more information and to register!
High Holidays Are Coming Up!
September 22 and October 1
Bring your friends to celebrate High Holy Days at Shir Ami! Know a college student looking for somewhere to worship? We offer special pricing for young adults! Click here for more information!
Women's Mah Jongg
If you are interested in learning or playing, contact Leslie.
The women in our group meet once or twice a month to play Mah Jongg, kibbitz, nosh and enjoy a relaxing afternoon. Our members volunteer to host these afternoon games at their homes. Members who would like to make a donation at the end of each game may do so. At the end of the year the group makes a donation to Shir Ami and chooses another worthy Jewish charity.
Happy Bookers
Date: Saturday, August 23
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Book: West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Book: West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
About the Book
Few true friends I have known and two were giraffes ... " Woodrow Wilson Nickel
Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to the grave. It's 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes ... and a twelve-day road trip to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it's too late.
About the Author
Lynda Rutledge a life-long animal lover, has had the joy of petting baby rhinos, snorkeling with endangered turtles, and strolling with a tower of giraffes in her eclectic freelance career while writing nonfiction for well-known publications while winning awards for her fiction. Her debut novel, Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale, won the 2013 Writers League of Texas Book Award. It was adapted into the 2018 French film La Derniere folie de Claire Darling. Lynda, her husband, and their resident dog live outside Austin, Texas.
Lynda Rutledge a life-long animal lover, has had the joy of petting baby rhinos, snorkeling with endangered turtles, and strolling with a tower of giraffes in her eclectic freelance career while writing nonfiction for well-known publications while winning awards for her fiction. Her debut novel, Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale, won the 2013 Writers League of Texas Book Award. It was adapted into the 2018 French film La Derniere folie de Claire Darling. Lynda, her husband, and their resident dog live outside Austin, Texas.
About Happy Bookers
The Happy Bookers book club is open to Shir Ami members. Interested prospective members should contact the Shir Ami Membership Committee.
2025 SCHEDULE
8/23: West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
9/20: Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth by Noa Tishby
10/25: The Liar by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
11/22: The Morning After the Revolution by Nellie Bowles
12/20: When Angels Left the Old Country by Sasha Lamb
1/2026: Here All Along by Sarah Hurwitz
8/23: West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
9/20: Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth by Noa Tishby
10/25: The Liar by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
11/22: The Morning After the Revolution by Nellie Bowles
12/20: When Angels Left the Old Country by Sasha Lamb
1/2026: Here All Along by Sarah Hurwitz
Shir Ami News
Mi Shebeirach
Our Prayers for the Physical, Spiritual and Emotional Healing for those named and any others in need.
Please email Rabbi Reice at rreice@shir-ami.com to enter a name on the list or remove a name from the list.
Mona Bailey, Barbara Baum, Bill Bitner, Ralph Burdett, Pamela Caulder-Fine, Roy Coover, Glen Fine, Leora Forstein, Janet Friedman, Linda Friedman, Ingrid Gabriel, Lynn Gelber, Carol Goldmark, Jessica Heggen, William Lenz, Teme Levbarg, Rabbi Mark Levin, Linda Lewis, John Liberty, Eric Maginniss, Geri Meyers, Kay Moore, Dominae Petrosini, Tobey Ramirez, Emory Plum Schlanger, James Smallwood, Skylar Stefanowicz, Trystan Stefanowicz, Cindy Tarsi (Chasye Chana bat Laya Raizel v’Avraham Yitzchak HaLevi), Jim Tarsi, Esther Thomas, Laura Wildeman, Carole Wood, Dale Wood, Dominic Wood, Bonnie Zimmer
The Caring Circle - Care to Get Involved?
Lending a helping hand to members in times of stress is a vital part of any congregation. Kind and caring Shir Ami members volunteer in this group to help provide support to other Shir Ami congregants in times of life's challenges such as illness, death, divorce, and birth. Specific activities include helping to secure a minyan for a memorial or shiva service, sending notes to members on the loss of a loved one, arranging transportation for a member to attend services or other Shir Ami events, and providing meals, sending cards, visiting, or calling congregants during times of illness or post-hospitalization.
If you are experiencing any of these challenges and wish to be contacted by the Caring Circle, please contact Rabbi Reice. If you wish to be a more active Caring Circle volunteer, please contact Sara Goodman at CaringCircle@Shir-Ami.com. All are welcome!
Shir Ami and Drive a Senior Northwest – Partners in Supporting our Older Adults
Volunteer Drivers Needed
Please consider becoming a volunteer driver for the Drive a Senior Northwest program. By offering to drive someone just one or two short trips a month, you will be an unbelievable help to our many older adults still living at home in the northwest Austin/Cedar Park/Leander area. Driving an older adult is incredibly rewarding and very much appreciated. Please go online to driveaseniornorthwest.org to read about the program, then print a volunteer form, fill it out, and mail it in. Or ask Sara Goodman (sgoodman123@gmail.com) for more information about the program.
Please consider becoming a volunteer driver for the Drive a Senior Northwest program. By offering to drive someone just one or two short trips a month, you will be an unbelievable help to our many older adults still living at home in the northwest Austin/Cedar Park/Leander area. Driving an older adult is incredibly rewarding and very much appreciated. Please go online to driveaseniornorthwest.org to read about the program, then print a volunteer form, fill it out, and mail it in. Or ask Sara Goodman (sgoodman123@gmail.com) for more information about the program.
Services to Adults 60+
If you or a loved one is 60+ and needs help to stay in your/their home, Drive A Senior Northwest is here for you. Services include rides to doctor’s appointments, the grocery store, community activities, etc. as well as minor home repair, telephone reassurance, and a twice monthly senior day out. Contact Drive a Senior Northwest at driveaseniornorthwest.org or (512) 250-5021.
If you or a loved one is 60+ and needs help to stay in your/their home, Drive A Senior Northwest is here for you. Services include rides to doctor’s appointments, the grocery store, community activities, etc. as well as minor home repair, telephone reassurance, and a twice monthly senior day out. Contact Drive a Senior Northwest at driveaseniornorthwest.org or (512) 250-5021.
Community News
Help for Texas Flood Victims
Shalom Austin
The community's response to the devastating floods in Central Texas has been nothing short of extraordinary. In the face of heartbreak and loss, we have come together in strength, compassion and generosity.
Thanks to the outpouring of support across the country, as of this morning we've received $670,000 from nearly 3,050 donors in 43 states for the Shalom Austin Flood Relief Campaign to help our neighbors recover and rebuild.
This week, the Texas Flood Relief Campaign Allocations Task Force met to begin planning the careful, phased distribution of funds. Our distribution plan is thoughtfully structured, ensuring we can meet urgent needs now and in the months to come as families and communities work toward full recovery.
Because of the urgent needs now, 20% of the funds will be immediately allocated so that organizations can:
Actively serve individuals and families directly impacted by the floods
Support mental health and trauma services
Aid recovery efforts on-the-ground
Support mental health and trauma services
Aid recovery efforts on-the-ground
More funds will be distributed in the coming days, weeks and months, and we will continue to share updates.
To everyone who has already given—thank you! Your generosity is already at work. We are also grateful to Texas Jewish Federations, Jewish Federations of North America and Jewish institutional partners across Greater Austin, Central Texas and nationally for their support!
If you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time to give. Every contribution makes a meaningful difference to provide relief and recovery assistance to those affected. Click Here to Donate!
Israel Hour on the Humanitarian Situation in Gaza
August 8 | 12:00pm | Dell JCC
Dear Friends,
We'd like to invite you to a special session of Israel Hour on Friday, August 8 at 12PM. For this Israel Hour, we will hold space and conversation for the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We offer a safe, respectful environment for open and thoughtful conversation about the complexities of the situation — acknowledging that care, nuance and multiple perspectives are essential to building understanding and compassion.
Members of Shalom Austin's Rapoport Center for Jewish Culture and Education — Rachel Stern, Michal Ilai and Emily Bourgeois — will be hosting the session with prompts and facilitated discussion that will help guide and inform the conversation.
Click here to register. Registration is required.
Death Over Donuts
August 22 | 10:00am | Dell JCC
Austin Jewish Film Festival
August 27 | 7:30pm | Evans Performing Arts Center, Shalom Austin
AJFF is showing, "The Property"
Two months after the death of her son, Regina (83) travels to Poland with her granddaughter Mika (30). The trip’s stated purpose is to retrieve the family’s property confiscated during World War II. But Regina has a secret ulterior motive: to find her first love, whom she was forced to leave 70 years ago.
WHY WE LIKE THIS FILM: Nominated for 4 Israeli Academy Awards, this is a charming, heat-warming film, with plenty of comedic moments.
https://hebrewfreeloanofaustin.org/Interest Free Loans for Camp
We all know the importance that a Jewish Summer Camp experience can have on the formulation of a child’s Jewish identity. I wanted to share with you the news that Hebrew Free Loan of Austin is providing no interest loans of up to $2500 to families seeking assistance in sending children or grandchildren to Jewish Summer Camp. In addition, HFLA is not requiring a guarantor for such loans. Paid back over the course of the year, this can a be an easy way for families to essentially save for camp all year long.
Jewish Family Services Caregiver Support Groups
Family Caregiver Support Group: This is an ongoing group and meets the first and third Thursday of each month. It is a safe place for family members caring for adult loved ones to discuss the stresses, challenges, and rewards of caregiving. To register, click here
Volunteer for Shalom Austin JFS Food Pantry
The Client Choice Shalom Austin JFS Food Pantry is always looking to engage volunteers in food drives, packing food bags, and making deliveries. Anyone interested in getting involved in any capacity, can email Joan Eisenberg Maniere at joan.maniere@shalomaustin.org.
Also, if you know of any community members who are facing food insecurity, please have them contact Joan, and she can get them enrolled into the program.
Interest Free Loans
Hebrew Free Loan of Austin provides short-term financial support for members of the Austin Jewish community through interest-free loans that springboard you to your next step in life. Could you or someone you know use a hand-up with an interest free loan? Loans can be made available within a week or even same day in emergencies! Contact info@hfla.org or visit https://hebrewfreeloanofaustin.org.
Wed, August 6 2025 12 Av 5785
Congregation Shir Ami
P.O. Box 3716 | Cedar Park, TX 78630-3716
512-843-3539
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