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Home > Membership > The Voice - September 2025 - Elul/Tishrei 5785

The Voice - September 2025 - 5785

Services this Month

Introducing the Shir Ami Proneg!
Friday | September 12 | 6:30 pm
 
 
Members and Non-members are invited to gather before services for refreshments. Get into the Shabbat spirit during this special time for families to connect with each other in a meaningful and fun way.
 
We also look forward to a special presentation by Leslie Schwartz to show us what the Shir Ami Library has to offer!
This event is by registration only so please click here to let us know if you are planning to attend. We are looking forward to seeing you there!
 
Shabbat Services
Friday | September 12 | 7:00 pm
 

Join us for joyful Shabbat services led by Rabbi Rebecca Reice with Special Guest Speakers, our new ShinShinim: Yael Davidson and Leran Ben Eliezer!
Selichot
Saturday, September 13  |  7:30pm
 

Join us at a member's home as we celebrate Selichot together. Members click here to register!
Save the Date! September Shabbat Services
Friday, October 10  |  Services 7:00pm
 

Join us for joyful Shabbat services led by Rabbi Reice.

Upcoming Events

Rabbi Reice's Office Hours
 
Office Hours
4 Sep 2025 1:30pm – 5:30pm
8 Sep 2025 1:00pm – 6:00pm
10 Sep 2025 3:45pm – 4:45pm
 
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 September
 

Happy Anniversary:
9/4        Melanie Williams & Mike Bogart
9/6        Alyssa Gladstone & Michael Smith
9/11        Ed Bailen & Irene Beattie
9/19        Sarah & Sakief Ahmed
9/20        Dorie Mickelson & Mark Wilson
 
Happy Birthday:
9/5        Steve Schwartz
9/5        Cindy Tarsi
9/8        Alysa Gisser
9/15        Craig Kurtz
9/17        Edward Rose
9/21        Ash VanScoyoc
9/25        Sarah Cohn
9/25        Chase Cohn
9/27        Elizabeth Freaney
9/30        Sakief Ahmed
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!
Sundaes on Sunday
September 28  |  11:00am
 
 
 
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, September 20
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Book: Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth by Noa Tishby
 
 
 
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“ ... fascinating and very moving ...” (Aaron Sorkin, award-winning screenwriter,The West Wing and The Social Network)
“ ... this is not your Bubbie’s history book” (Bill Maher, host, Real Time with Bill Maher)
 
Israel. The small strip of arid land is 5,700 miles away but remains a hot-button issue and a thorny topic of debate. But while everyone seems to have a strong opinion about Israel, how many people know the facts? Noa Tishby gives us a fresh, 360-degree view of Israel in a chronological timeline spanning from Biblical times to today (published Sept. 20, 2022) exploring one of the most interesting countries in the world. 
 
Noa Tishby brings her “passion, humor, and deep intimacy" ... creating an accessible and dynamic portrait of a tiny country of outsized relevance. Through bite-sized chunks of history and deeply personal stories, she chronicles her homeland’s evolution, beginning in Biblical times and moving forward to cover everything from WWI to Israel’s creation to the disputes dividing the country today. Tackling popular misconceptions with an abundance of facts, Noa Tishby provides critical context around headline-generating controversies and offers a clear, intimate account of the richly cultured country of Israel.
 
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
 

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.
 
Alison Austin, Mona Bailey, Barbara Baum, Bill Bitner, Ralph Burdett, Phyllis Byrd, Pamela Caulder-Fine, Roy Coover, Glen Fine, Leora Forstein, Janet Friedman, Linda Friedman, Ingrid Gabriel, Lynn Gelber, Yehudit Leah bat Gitel, Carol Goldmark, Jessica Heggen, Elgin Koons, William Lenz, Teme Levbarg, Rabbi Mark Levin, Linda Lewis, John Liberty, Geri Meyers, Linda Mickelson, 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, Marsha Weiss, 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.
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.

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
 
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!
RAISE
October - May
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shalom Austin is looking for volunteers and participants for the RAISE program. Click here for more information.
In Shared Memory
September 4  |  7:15pm 
 
 
Join Shalom Austin’s Community Chaplain, Rabbi Amy Cohen and JFS’ Grief and Loss Therapists, Maura Kinney and Audrey Burnett, along with local Austin clergy, including Rabbi Reice, in a gathering to remember those who have died by suicide. Weather permitting, the gathering will be in the Waxman Meditation Garden and will include music, meditation, and ritual to mark the unique gravity of this loss. Whether the person you are grieving was a family member, friend, or shared community member, and whether they died recently or years ago, all are welcome.

Link for registration: https://bit.ly/sharedmemory

Jewish Business Owners: Get Listed!
 
 
Hebrew Free Loan of Austin is building a Community Business Directory to showcase and support Jewish-owned and Jewish-adjacent businesses. Add your business today using this simple intake form: https://hebrewfreeloanofaustin.org/business-directory-intake-form/. Together, we can strengthen Jewish Austin!  
Hadassah Mini Ted Talks
September 10, 2025  |  7:00PM
 
 
Don't miss Mini Ted Talks with Austin Hadassah
Let's gather for an evening packed with inspiring speakers sharing fresh ideas. It's a great chance to spark your creativity and connect with others. Whether you're a long-time Hadassah member or just curious, come join us for a night of awesome talks and light refreshments.
Topics to be discussed: Dancing, A trip to Morocco, Zionism, Medicare Update, and PTSD.
Click here to register! Questions? Contact Sarah Swernofsky at sarahswernofsky@gmail.com
Hadassah Happy Hour
September 11, 2025  |  5:30PM  | 
 
 
Please join us for our monthly happy hour at a wine bar in the Northwest Hills. We'll get to know one another over drinks and grow sisterly bonds through our shared passions.
 
Join us each month!
Thursday, September 11
Thursday, October 9
Thursday, November 13
Thursday, December 11
 
Click here to register! Questions? Contact Sarah Swernofsky at sarahswernofsky@gmail.com
Hadassah Kid's Club
September 21, 2025  |  9:30AM  | 
 
 
 
Kick off the Jewish New Year with Kid’s Club of Hadassah!
 
Eat round challah, honey and apples, and make fun crafts!
 
Kid's Club of Hadassah is a free monthly event for families in the Austin area. During Kids' Club this month, we'll be talking about the upcoming high holy days, Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur. There will be singing, crafts, and learning! Click here to register!
 
Questions? Contact austin@hadassah.org.
 
If spots fill up and you are interested in joining the waitlist for this event, please email austin@hadassah.org with subject line "Kids Club".
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.
Thu, September 11 2025 18 Elul 5785