Services This Month
Friday Evening Shabbat Services
Friday, September 8 at 7:00 pm
September 8 will be Hawaiian Shirt Shabbat in honor of Maui Recovery. Wear your best island print and join us for joyful Shabbat evening services led by Rabbi Reice. If you are so inclined please consider supporting one of these charities to support recovery:
Jewish Federation in Hawaii
Jewish Federation in Hawaii
Celebrate Selichot Havdallah Together Saturday, September 9 at 8:00 pm
This special evening will begin at a member's home (address provided upon registration) with a Dessert Potluck, followed by Havdallah after 8:21pm, and then a paticipatory, musical Selichot ending with the traditional blasts of the Shofar.
Click here to register!
We are looking forward to the time we can spend together reflecting on the past year and the changes we each wish to make in the upcoming year!
We are looking forward to the time we can spend together reflecting on the past year and the changes we each wish to make in the upcoming year!
High Holy Days Rosh Hashana September 15-17, Yom Kippur September 24-25
Click here for registration information!
Thank you to everyone who volunteered! Rachel is sending out volunteer parts this week, please email her, administrator@shir-ami.com if you have questions.
We are doing a soup drive for the JFS Food Pantry. They would particularly like tomato soup and chicken noodle soup. (Please no pork or shellfish products.) We will be handing out bags on Rosh HaShanah for you to bring back on the fast of Yom Kippur. While we go hungry, may those folks who are hungry on many days eat.
If you would like to contribute a dish to the Rosh Hashana Luncheon please click here to sign up.
Break the Fast will be catered, and dedicated to the memory of Jodie Billings, beloved congregant and friend.
Here is the schedule of events:
Save the Date! October 6 Atzeret-Simchat Torah
Friday, October 6 at 7:00 pm
Join us for our joyful services at 7pm, when we will be able to dance with the Torah and hear it being read from its end and its beginning again, with an exciting, but brief tour of the Torah as we go from the end of Deuteronomy all the way back to the beginning of Genesis! For a full tour online, please
Click here check out this great 2 minute video.
Upcoming Events
Rabbi Reice Office Hours
September Office Hours (At Shir Ami, until otherwise noted)
5 Sep 2023 (19 Elul) 1:30 – 4pm 💻 & 👫
6 Sep 2023 (20 Elul) 1 – 3:30pm (Zoom Only) 💻
7 Sep 2023 (21 Elul) 2 – 3pm (Shalom Austin Only) 👫
12 Sep 2023 (26 Elul) 9am – 1pm (Zoom or Shalom Austin Only) 💻 & 👫
14 Sep 2023 (28 Elul) 1 – 3pm (Leander ISD Only) 👫
21 Sep 2023 (6 Tishrei) 10am – 1pm (Zoom Only) 💻
21 Sep 2023 (6 Tishrei) 6:30 – 9:30pm (Zoom Only) 💻
27 Sep 2023 (12 Tishrei) 10:30am – 4:30pm 💻 & 👫
3 Oct 2023 (18 Tishrei) 5:30 – 6:30pm 💻 & 👫
4 Oct 2023 (19 Tishrei) 8 – 10:30am (Zoom Only) 💻
4 Oct 2023 (19 Tishrei) 2 – 4:30pm 💻 & 👫
Days Off
1 Sep 2023 (15 Elul)
8 Sep 2023 (22 Elul)
19 Sep 2023 (4 Tishrei)
20 Sep 2023 (5 Tishrei) – comp for 9/11/23
22 Sep 2023 (7 Tishrei)
26 Sep 2023 (11 Tishrei) – comp for 9/14/23
28 Sep 2023 (13 Tishrei)
2 Oct 2023 (17 Tishrei) – comp for 9/27/23
Office Closings
4 Sep 2023 (18 Elul) Office Closed – Labor Day
15 Sep 2023 (29 Elul) Office Closed - Erev Rosh HaShanah
16 Sep 2023 (1 Tishrei) Office Closed - Rosh HaShanah I
17 Sep 2023 (2 Tishrei) Office Closed - Rosh HaShanah II
18 Sep 2023 (2 Tishrei) Office Closed - Tzom Gedaliah
25 Sep 2023 (10 Tishrei) Office Closed - Yom Kippur
29 Sep 2023 (14 Tishrei) Office Closed - Erev Sukkot
6 Oct 2023 (21 Tishrei) Office Closed - Hoshanah Rabbah
During Office hours, Rabbi Reice will be answering the phone, answering emails, and meeting with those 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, Alan Kook, immediately for more urgent matters.)
Please email our administrator, Rachel McEwen (administrator@shir-ami.com), to schedule an appointment in advance.
Celebrating Birthdays and Anniversaries in September
Happy Anniversary:
Melanie Williams & Mike Bogart, September 4
Alyssa Gladstone & Michael Smith, September 6
Ed Bailen & Irene Beattie, September 11
Sarah & Sakief Ahmed, September 19
Dorie Mickelson & Mark Wilson, September 20
Alyssa Gladstone & Michael Smith, September 6
Ed Bailen & Irene Beattie, September 11
Sarah & Sakief Ahmed, September 19
Dorie Mickelson & Mark Wilson, September 20
Happy Birthday:
Steve Schwartz, September 5
Cindy Tarsi, September 5
Alysa Gisser, September 8
Pearl Kopita, September 12
Craig Kurtz, September 15
Matt Williams, September 15
Edward Rose, September 17
Rick Grabish, September 18
Ash VanScoyoc, September 21
Sarah Cohn, September 25
Chase Cohn, September 25
Elizabeth Freaney, September 27
Sakief Ahmed, September 30
Cindy Tarsi, September 5
Alysa Gisser, September 8
Pearl Kopita, September 12
Craig Kurtz, September 15
Matt Williams, September 15
Edward Rose, September 17
Rick Grabish, September 18
Ash VanScoyoc, September 21
Sarah Cohn, September 25
Chase Cohn, September 25
Elizabeth Freaney, September 27
Sakief Ahmed, September 30
Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting Sunday, September 10 at 11:15 am
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, Alan Kook, at president@shir-ami.com.
Message from the Treasurer, Alysa Gisser:
Happy Bookers Book Club
Saturday, September 26 at 10:30 am
Date: Saturday, September 23, 2023
Time: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: In-person and via Zoom
Book: People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn, 272 pages
About the Book
Why society is fascinated with the death of Jews but cares little for living Jews is the subject of Dara Horn's newest book. Weaving together history, social science, and personal story, she asks readers to think critically about why we venerate stories and spaces that make the destruction of world Jewry a compelling narrative while also minimizing the current crisis of antisemitism.
Why society is fascinated with the death of Jews but cares little for living Jews is the subject of Dara Horn's newest book. Weaving together history, social science, and personal story, she asks readers to think critically about why we venerate stories and spaces that make the destruction of world Jewry a compelling narrative while also minimizing the current crisis of antisemitism.
About the Author
Dara Horn is a novelist, essayist, and professor of literature. She has written five novels and in 2021, released the nonfiction essay collection, People Love Dead Jews, a finalist for the 2021 Kirkus Prize in nonfiction. She won the Edward Lewis Wallant Award in 2002, the National Jewish Book Award in 2003 and 2006, and the Harold U. Ribalow Prize in 2007. Dara Horn received her BA in comparative literature, summa cum laude, in 1999 and her Ph.D. in comparative literature in Hebrew and Yiddish in 2006, from Harvard University.
She finished her master's degree in Hebrew literature at Cambridge University. She taught classes in Jewish literature and Israeli history at Sarah Lawrence College and the City University of New York. She held the Weinstock visiting professorship in Jewish Studies at Harvard, teaching Yiddish and Hebrew literature. Dara Horn served as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Yeshiva University during the 2019–2020 academic year. She has also been a contributor to the New York Times and The Atlantic. She lives with her husband, daughter, and three sons in Short Hills, New Jersey.
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.
Bill Bitner, LeRoy Bitner, Ralph Burdett, Darin Burdman, Pamela Caulder-Fine, Marcelina Cisneros, Lisa Coopersmith, Anne Ditlefsen-Smallwood, Glen Fine, Janet Friedman, Linda Friedman, Lynn Gelber, Carol Goldmark, Juliet Clare Grabish, Kate Koons, Bill Kurtz, William Lenz, Rabbi Mark Levin, John Maes, Kay Moore, Wendy Pravda, Skylar Stefanowicz, Trystan Stefanowicz, Anthony Tarsi, Cindy Tarsi (Chasye Chana bat Laya Raizel v’Avraham Yitzchak HaLevi), Jim Tarsi, Larry Whitlock, Carole Wood, Dominic Wood, Bonnie Zimmer
Give Asher a Title
Results are in!
The fundraising committee is proud to announce that our 'Give Asher An Official Title' game has concluded.
Through your generosity (and fun) we have raised $360. Thank you to everyone who participated. And without further ado, we announce that the winning title is:
“Mr. Reice.”
Thank you to Hettie S. for making the sash and name tag. Thank you Oliver and Hannah Weisbrod for participating in the ceremony. And a big thank you to Asher for being such a good sport and taking part in this.
Thank you to Hettie S. for making the sash and name tag. Thank you Oliver and Hannah Weisbrod for participating in the ceremony. And a big thank you to Asher for being such a good sport and taking part in this.
Shabbat Dinner Together
Next Shabbat Dinner will be November 10. Contact Rachel, administrator@shir-ami.com, to volunteer to be a host!
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.
The Caring Circle - Care to Get Involved?
Next Meeting, September 5, 1:30pm
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!
Member Recognition
James Smallwood - for his donations to the General Fund
James Smallwood - for his donation to the Caring Circle
Stephen and Esther Thomas - for their donations to Rabbi Reice's Discretionary Fund
James Smallwood - for his donation to the Caring Circle
Stephen and Esther Thomas - for their donations to Rabbi Reice's Discretionary Fund
Community News
Pinot and Policy
September 17, 6:30pm
Social Justice Ministry of Live Oak Invites you to a SPECIAL EVENT on 9/17 at 6:30pm
HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE James Talarico of Texas District 50 Rep. Talarico will speak on the important Texas Constitutional Amendments on the ballot in November.
As dedicated voters who care deeply about our state, you and your friends will want to be there! Join us 9/17 at 6:30-8pm in the Fellowship Hall at Live Oak! Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
Mosaic from Shalom Austin
October 26, 10:30 am-1:00 pm
On Thursday, October 26, 2023, at the JW Marriott in downtown Austin, Shalom Austin Women's Philanthropy will host its signature event, Mosaic. At this year’s Mosaic, receiving the first-ever Marilyn Stahl Woman of Valor Award is Stahl’s niece, Suzanne Newberg. Additionally, the featured speaker is bestselling Jewish cookbook author, Adeena Sussman. Adeena is the author of Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen and she just released her brand-new cookbook, “Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals From My Table to Yours.”
Learning Opportunity for Preschool-age Children
Austin Hadassah is about to launch L’dor V’dor Learners – a program for families with pre-school aged kids to learn about the Jewish holidays every month. Check out the flier for details. Hadassah members are free, but a nominal charge for supplies is requested at registration for those who are not Hadassah member yet.
Call for Vendors
The local Hadassah chapter is gearing up for the annual holiday gift bazaar in December. If you would like ot be a vendor please click on the image above to register for the event.
Adult Jewish Learning
Shalom Austin Adult Jewish Learning (AJL) is a series of high-quality Jewish learning opportunities that provides experiences for individuals of all backgrounds and beliefs.
Rabbi Reice will be teaching a class entitled, "Bircat HaMinim – The Blessing of the Heretics Across Time" starting on October 16th.
All classes take place from 7-8:30 PM at the Dell JCC. Register for all four classes for $72 or individual classes for $18/class.
Click here for more information. Registration opens on Septemebr 16th!
Jewish Film Festival
The San Antonio Jewish Film Festival and the Austin Jewish Film Festival are proud to co-present the 2023 Summer Series from May 28—September 3, featuring eight great new films and bonus content such as exclusive interviews with the filmmakers to keep you entertained all summer!
In honor of Israel’s 75th birthday, all films in this year’s Summer Series are Israeli, and for most of these films this will be their Texas premiere.
You may purchase tickets to individual films for $15 each (all fees included) or a Summer Series Pass to all movies for just $85 (all fees included). Another option is to buy an AJFF365 Subscription, which will give you free access to all of these movies plus all other AJFF365 events for a full twelve months.
Free JCC Membership
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Get a FREE JCC Membership With Renew Active
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The JCC is the fitness center at Shalom Austin. Renew Active and Medicare One Pass will pay for your JCC membership! The JCC has partnered with UnitedHealthcare to offer Medicare insurance-covered memberships for seniors (65+) through a program called Renew Active.
To get started, email membership@shalomaustin.org or call 512-735-8001 with your Renew Active ID and phone number. |
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
Digital Mood & Mindfulness with Jewish Family Service
Do you feel distracted? Hurried? Preoccupied? This personal development workshop will teach mindfulness techniques that can help participants to be more present and aware in daily life. Mindfulness has the power to improve relationships, increase self-control, boost productivity and can lessen depression and anxiety.
Join Shalom Austin Jewish Family Service’s professionally-facilitated workshop to develop mindfulness skills and discuss common experiences together.
Second Tuesday of each month at 11AM
Via Zoom
Free to attend
Via Zoom
Free to attend
For more information and to register to receive the link, please contact Emma Howitt, LPC-S, LCDC at emma.howitt@shalomaustin.org.
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? Contact info@hfla.org or visit https://hebrewfreeloanofaustin.org.
Sat, July 27 2024 21 Tammuz 5784
