Quick Links
Shir Ami:
- Shabbat Services, March 6, 7:00pm
- Rabbi Reice's Office Hours
- Birthdays and Anniversaries
- Comparative Judaism Classes March 8 and 29
- The Amen Effect Book Study with Rabbi Reice
- Happy Bookers March 21, 10:30am
- Register now! A Night to Remember March 14
- Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting, March 29
- Mi Shebeirach
Community:
Services this Month
Join us for joyful Hadassah Shabbat services led by Rabbi Rebecca Reice. This will be a special Shabbat Parah with the Austin Chapter of Hadassah at Congregation Shir Ami. During Services we will enjoy a Torah Study that will engage with ideas around how Jewish women play an integral role in saving the children of Israel both in biblical times and today. We'll enjoy pareve and dairy snacks during Oneg and we can continue to cozy up and discuss the important ideas from the text study. We need registration numbers to determine both the number of handouts we need at services and for getting the snacks in place for the oneg.
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're planning on coming!
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 if you're planning on coming!
Join us for joyful services led by Rabbi Reice! Our Scholar in Residence that Friday will be Michal Ilai, speaking on the Centrality of Israel in the Jewish Story. To celebrate with us, please wear Blue and White that evening and register here to let us know that you are planning to attend.
Michal Ilai is a Sabra (native Israeli) whose passion for teaching began during her service in the IDF. After moving to Austin in 1990, she attended the University of Texas and launched the first community-wide Ulpan-style modern Hebrew class at Texas Hillel while earning her degree in Public Relations. Her deep commitment to Israel and Jewish peoplehood led to a career in Israel education, where she developed programs and partnerships that strengthened Jewish identity and connection.
After more than twenty years away, Michal returned to Austin to be close to family and now works to bring Israelis and Americans together to explore their shared story. She is also active in initiatives that build bridges between Jews and Christians. Michal holds a Master’s degree in Jewish Professional Studies and a Certificate in Hebrew Instruction from Gratz College, with a focus on the field of errors in second-language acquisition.
In her free time Michal loves to cook with her three adult kids, entertain and snack on dry
roasted nuts.
Mark your calendars! We will be voting on board positions and approving the budget.
Upcoming Events
Happy Anniversary:
3/09 Rebecca & Nicholas Kovacevich
3/24 Linda & Ronald Weiss
Happy Birthday:
3/01 Asher Lazarus
3/03 John Potter
3/06 Rosanne Levbarg
3/06 Leo Dashefsky
3/09 Stormy Speaks
3/11 Pamela Caulder-Fine
3/16 Navya Roos Kirkpatrick
3/23 Stephen Thomas
3/24 Aaron Roos Kirkpatrick
3/25 Esther Thomas
3/26 Hettie Schultz
3/28 David Dashefsky
3/29 Mark Wilson
3/30 Claire Bitner
Drawing from her years as a rabbi, and weaving together Jewish tradition, science, psychology, and biology, Brous explores how to bridge the gap between those on the right and the left — both literally and figuratively. She calls our universal, human longing for connection the “amen effect.” From the Hebrew word emunah, meaning “to believe” or “to affirm,” the word amen serves as an acknowledgment of the other. Yes, I believe you, I see you. Amen.
The Amen Effect reads as an extended philosophical and spiritual conversation about the perils of alienation and tribalization and the importance of the “true, heartfelt encounter.” While the book is rooted in religious teaching, one need not adhere to a religious tradition to appreciate its wisdom. In fact, one of Brous’s strengths as a writer is her seemingly effortless ability to bring together many voices, ancient and recent, Jewish and not, to weigh in on how to navigate sorrow — our own and others’ — and how to heal.
Wednesday, March 11, 2026 • 22 Adar 5786
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Room 110Wednesday, March 25, 2026 • 7 Nisan 5786
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Room 110Wednesday, April 15, 2026 • 28 Nisan 5786
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Room 110Wednesday, April 29, 2026 • 12 Iyyar 5786
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Room 110
- 3/8/26 new 12pm BYOL - Judaism in Israel vs. Central Texas/North America
- 3/29/26 1pm BYOL - Course Reflection and Wrap up Session
It's time to register! Come support Shir Ami and have a fantastic time! Click here to register!
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.
About the Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR ... From the author of Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall, and The Husband’s Secret comes a moving novel of love, marriage, family, and trying to find certainty in a fragile world.
“The premise is irresistible — a woman on a flight from Hobart to Sydney begins predicting the age and manner of death of her fellow passengers. Beautifully written, this propulsive novel has a serious theme. Could be a great . . . present for that special someone.” — Stephen King
Life is full of twists and turns you never see coming. But what if you did?
Flight attendant Allegra Patel loves her job, but today is her twenty-eighth birthday and she’d rather not be placating a plane full of passengers unhappy about a long delay. There’s the well-dressed man in seat 4C desperate not to miss his daughter’s musical. A harried mother frantically tries to keep her toddler and baby quiet. Honeymooners still in their wedding finery dream of their new lives, while a chatty emergency room nurse dreams of retirement.
Suddenly a woman traveling alone stands. She walks down the aisle making predictions about how and when passengers will die. Some dismiss her, they don’t believe in psychics. Some are delighted with her prophecies! Their lives will supposedly be long. Others are appalled.
Then: a few months later, the first prediction comes true.
2026 SELECTED BOOKS & SCHEDULE
1/17 Here All Along by Sarah Hurwitz
2/21 Goyhood by Reuven Fenton (288 pgs.)
3/21 Here One Moment by Lianne Moriarty (494 pgs)
4/25 Twice by Mitch Albom (301 pgs.)
5/16 The Postcard by Anne Berest (480 pgs.)
6/20 The Maid by Nita Prose (336 pgs.)
7/25 The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon (281 pgs.)
8/22 My Friends by Fredrick Backman (434 pgs.)
9/19 Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belongingby Rabbi Angela Buchdahl (352 pgs.)
10/26 Gates of Gaza: A Story of Betrayal, Survival, and Hope on Israel’s Borders by Amir Tabon (352 pgs.)
11/21 Prayers for the Dead by Faye Kellerman (482 pgs.)
12/19 Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein (324 pgs.)
1/2027 Death in Vienna by Daniel Silva (384 pgs.)
Shir Ami News
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.
Avi Adaky, Alison Austin, Mona Bailey, Bill Bitner, Phyllis Byrd, Ruby Cadenhead, Pamela Caulder-Fine, Carlos Cisneros, Hugh Fitchett, Laura Fitchett, Leora Forstein, Dennis Fredrick, Gloria Fredrick, Janet Friedman, Linda Friedman, Ingrid Gabriel, Lynn Gelber, Yehudit Leah bat Gitel, Carol Goldmark, Joyce Heil, Bill Kurtz (Zev ben Frieda Elka v’Chaim), Elgin Koons, Gail Lary, Peter Lary, Rabbi Mark Levin, John Liberty, Geri Meyers, Eric Lowdermilk, Linda Mickelson, Kay Moore, Dominae Petrosini, Sara Chana bat Raizl, Randall Robbins, Tobey Ramirez, Delia Rodriguez, Emory Plum Schlanger, Bob Schultz, James Smallwood, Yehudah Zev ben Shaindle Leah, Elisheba bat Dean v Sharon, Abha Singh, Cindy Tarsi (Chasye Chana bat Laya Raizel v’Avraham Yitzchak HaLevi), Jim Tarsi, Christy Tharp, Esther Thomas, Marsha Weiss, Larry Whitlock, Laura Wildeman, Carol Wood, Carole Wood, Dale Wood, Dominic Wood, Bonnie Zimmer
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
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, March 12
Thursday, April 9
Thursday, May 14
Thursday, June 11
Thursday, July 9
Thursday, August 13
Thursday, September 10
Thursday, October 8
Thursday, November 12
Thursday, December 10
The Social Players! builds social skills and self-confidence through theatrical games and improv over 8 sessions, culminating in a showcase of a one-of-a-kind play based on participants' suggestions.
The Social Players! is a warm-up to JCamps (though JCamps registration is not required to participate), offering children and their parents an opportunity to familiarize themselves with our facilities, group activity and collaboration, and raucous fun, while practicing the skills necessary to follow instructions, work with others, and have a safe and successful JCamps experience.
Please note: this group is intended for students currently in (or entering) 1st grade through 5th grade.
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.
Congregation Shir Ami
P.O. Box 3716 | Cedar Park, TX 78630-3716
512-843-3539
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