Temple Beth El SYNAPLEXTM Scholar-in-Residence Weekend,

featuring Sisterhood Shabbat and Havdalah Unplugged

 

Schedule

 

FEBRUARY 9-10, 2007

 

We welcome Rabbi Burton Visotzky as our Scholar-in-Residence – Rabbi Visotzky serves as the Nathan and Janet Appelman Professor of Midrash and Inter-Religious Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary.  He served as collaborator and on-screen participant in Bill Moyer’s ten-hour series “Genesis, A Living Conversation” (PBS, 1996).  He also served as a principal consultant for the Dream Works 1998 film, “Prince of Egypt.” (See more biographical information below)

 

Casual dress encouraged.  Please feel free to come and go as you please!!!

 

Friday Night, February 9, 2007:

 

7:30 PM -   Tot Shabbat led by Nurit Avigdor

 

7:30 PM -   Kabbalat Shabbat & “What is God’s place in the synagogue”

                   1st session with Rabbi Visotzky

 

Followed by - Oneg Shabbat & Rebbe’s Tish – songs, stories & schmoozing

 

Saturday, February 10, 2007:

 

7:45 AM -   Breakfast will be available in the Lobby

 

8:00 AM -   Neshama YogaTM with Raema Salmon and Jackie Tepper

                   For your safety and as a courtesy to others, please arrive on time.

                   Neshama YogaTM is Kundalini yoga infused with Jewish spirituality

 

8:15 AM -   Rabbi Hammerman’s Breakfast Discussion – “The Ethics of

Cheerfulness” - Focusing on Rabbi Joseph Telushkin’s work, “A Code

of Jewish Ethics”

 

9:15 AM -   Adults please choose one:  (Men and women are most welcome at

                   all services)

 

                   “Miriam’s Minyan” – Sisterhood – A creative interpretation of the

                   traditional Shacharit service celebrating the changing role of women

                   in Jewish Life

 

                   Meditative Service – Led by Rabbinic Pastor David Daniel Klipper

 

10:30 AM - Sisterhood Shabbat – We join together in honor of Sisterhood Shabbat

beginning with the Torah  Service, followed by Musaf, then…

 

                   “Three Mothers:  Mother of All Life, Mother of All Jews and Mother

                   of All Prophets:  Portraits of Eve, Sarah & Miriam” – 2nd session

                   with Rabbi Visotzky

 

Youth Options - 10:00-12:30 AM

 

10:10-11:10 AM –         Shabbat Rocks with Jonathan Cahr – an interactive musical

                             activity for elementary school grade students (this is a music

                             program, not the Jr. service)

 

                             Youth Group Tefiliah and Discussion with Edoe Cohen –

                             For 7th to 12th grade

 

11:10-11:30 AM -          Breakfast Break

 

11:30-12:30 PM - Shabbat Rocks for Teens with Jonathan Cahr - an activity,

                             discussion, music performance for 7th-12th graders

 

                             Junior Congregation with Edoe Cohen – for grades 3-6

 

12:30 til adult service breaks for lunch – Hang Time with Edoe Cohen

 

1:00-2:00 PM -    Congregational Luncheon – In honor of TBE Sisterhood

                             by TBE Men’s Club and SYNAPLEXTM

 

Afternoon Programming

 

For the Kids

 

2:00-4:00 PM -    Hangtime – games and lounging

                             Winter Sports – weather permitting

 

2:00 PM – Adults Please Choose One:

 

                             Sisterhood book discussion on “Those Who Save Us”

                             By Jenna Blum – A new perspective on life in Nazi Germany.

                             Books available at Borders and Ferguson Library.

 

                             “Conservative Judaism at a Crossroads:  The Law

                             Committee’s Decisions” – Rabbi Hammerman

 

                             Dealing with Difficult People – a lecture, presentation and

                             dialogue with congregant Roni Lang, MSW

 

3:00 PM -   “Who Spoke the Ten Commandments?  Word of God or Hand

                   of Moses?” – 3rd session with Rabbi Visotzky

 

4:00 PM -   Mincha and Light Dinner to follow – Seudah Shlisheet the

                   traditional third meal of Shabbat

 

5:30 – 6:30 PM  Our first ever! – HAVADALAH UNPLUGGED! – Led by

                       Cantor Rachael Littman

 

                   Following Havdalah Unplugged, return for…

 

8:00 PM     Israeli Movie Night – “Walk on Water” – a hit man for the Mossad

                   tracks down an ex-Nazi officer.  Popcorn provided.

 

Please note:         Times and events are subject to change.

 

Thank You to Our Sponsors:

Penny & Michael Horowitz for the Scholar-in-Residence presentations, in memory of Bessie Silver & Millie Reiss

Beverly & Allen Kezsbom for the Havdalah Unplugged service

TBE Men’s Club for their donation and support for the TBE Sisterhood Luncheon

 

 

Scholar in Residence

Rabbi Burton Visotzky [Dr. Burton L. Visotzky]

BURTON L. VISOTZKY serves as the Nathan and Janet Appleman Professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he joined the faculty upon his ordination as Rabbi in 1977. He has served as the Associate and Acting Dean of the Graduate School (1991–96), as the founding Rabbi of the egalitarian worship service of the Seminary Synagogue, and as the director of the Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies at JTS.

Prof. Visotzky has been a visiting scholar at Oxford University, a visiting fellow and life member of Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, as well as a visiting faculty member at Princeton Theological Seminary, Hebrew Union College, and the Russian State University of the Humanities in Moscow (where returned to teach in May, 2006). Dr. Visotzky is also Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies at Union Theological Seminary, New York. In Spring, '04 he was Visiting Professor of Religion and Judaic Studies at Princeton University. Rabbi Visotzky has been chosen to serve as the Master Visiting Professor of Jewish Studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, during Spring, 2007.  Dr. Visotzky received his B.A. with honors and highest distinction from the University of Illinois (Chicago), a Masters in Education from Harvard University, and his M.A., Rabbinic ordination, and Ph.D., and D.H.L. (hon.) from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Prof. Visotzky's articles and reviews have been published in America, Europe, and Israel. He is the author of eight books. Visotzky's popular volumes include: Reading the Book: Making the Bible a Timeless Text (1991), The Genesis of Ethics: How the Tormented Family of Genesis leads us to Moral Development (1996), The Road to Redemption: Lessons from Exodus on Leadership and Community (1998), and From Mesopotamia to Modernity: Ten Introductions to Jewish History and Literature (1999). In addition to these popular works and his scholarly monographs, Visotzky is currently completing A Delightful Compendium of Consolation: A Novel, set in eleventh-century North Africa.

With Bill Moyers, he developed ten hours of television for PBS on the book of Genesis, serving as consultant and a featured on-screen participant. The series, "Genesis: A Living Conversation," premiered in October, 1996. Visotzky was also a consultant to Jeffrey Katzenberg of DreamWorks for their 1998 film, "Prince of Egypt".

Visotzky sits on the Board of Advisors of the Stein Center for Law and Ethics at Fordham Law School, the Steering Committee of the New Israel Fund Rabbinic Council, and served on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of CancerCare. He is active in Jewish/Christian/Muslim dialogue internationally, most recently in Cairo and Doha, Qatar.

Rabbi Visotzky is active as a lecturer and scholar-in-residence throughout North America, Europe, and Israel. His study groups and books have been hailed on radio, television, and in print. He is married to an attorney, Sandra Edelman. They make their home in New York City and Kent, Connecticut.

 

Lecture Topics (for portion of Yitro):

 

Friday night:

“What is God’s Place in the Synagogue?”

 

Saturday Morning (in honor of sisterhood Shabbat):

“Three Mothers: Mother of all life, Mother of all Jews, Mother of all Prophets:

Portraits of Eve, Sarah and Miriam.”

 

Saturday afternoon:

“Who Spoke the Ten Commandments?  

Word of God or Hand of Moses?”