Announcements

Talking Genesis: TOO’s Weekly Torah Study Group

Each week, on Shabbat morning at 10 a.m., an intrepid group of TOO members gets on the phone to talk Torah. It’s easy, convenient, and you don’t even have to get out of your pajamas to join in the conversation.

This week, we will be studying Parshat Vayera (Genesis 18:1 – 22:24), which includes the destruction (despite Abraham’s attempted negotiations with God) of Sodom and Gomorrah, the birth of Isaac (and his near death as a sacrifice), and the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael.

It’s a challenging parsha, filled with questions about the nature of God and the responsibilities of humanity. TOO members, feel free to join Torah study at any time you like (any week you like). If you want to be added to the list, please send a note to religious-services@or-olam.org and we will send you the call-in number.

This week’s parsha can be found here: http://www.jtsa.edu/PreBuilt/ParashahArchives/jpstext/vayera.shtml

Our haftorah this week is II Kings 4:1-37

and can be found here: http://www.jtsa.edu/PreBuilt/ParashahArchives/jpstext/vayera_haft.shtml

Havdalah Service on Halloween

Join us this Saturday night at McGill Baptist for a lay-led havdalah service. We will come together to explore the magical associations of havdalah, perform the havdalah ceremony, and shmooze over dessert. Optional storytelling to follow.

Date: October 31
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, Concord, NC

Consider Joining us for Torah Study…

(You can come in your pajamas…)

Each week, an intrepid group of TOO members gets on the phone to talk Torah. It’s easy, convenient, and you don’t even have to get out of your pajamas to join in the conversation.

This week, we will be studying Parshat Lech Lecha (Genesis 12:1-17:27) in which Abraham is told to get on the get-go to Canaan, promptly appears to sell his wife’s honor to the Egyptian pharaoh, divides territory with Lot (then has to rescue his nephew from a bunch of area kings), wanders through time (is it day or night in Genesis 15, and why does God show up as a fiery oven?), and then finds himself in bed with his wife’s servant, Hagar at Sarah’s request. Oy! (Or maybe not…). 

Genesis is a wild ride through our ancestral narratives. TOO members, feel free to join Torah study at any time you like (any week you like). If you want to be added to the list, please send a note to info@or-olam.org and we will send you the call-in number.

This week’s parsha can be found here: http://www.jtsa.edu/PreBuilt/ParashahArchives/jpstext/lekhlekha.shtml

Our haftorah this week is Isaiah 40:27-41:16 and can be found here: http://www.jtsa.edu/PreBuilt/ParashahArchives/jpstext/lekhlekha_haft.shtml

Up Ahead at TOO

Havdalah service on Halloween (want to come in costume?) More information to come next week, so please, stay tuned.

A Tikkun Olam Summer Opportunity – Giving Back at McGill Baptist Church

We’ve worked out the date and time!  Temple Or Olam is going to be engaged in cleaning and organizing our host’s place.  We’ll be meeting at McGill Baptist Church on Sunday, July 12.  Our V.P. and Tikkun Olam Head Honcho, Will King, is going to have drinks and snacks available.

As most of you know, McGill Baptist Church has generously offered us a home for most of our communal life; we have reason to help out, be grateful, and otherwise do the kinds of things that take care of the place and nourish the space.  Please join us, and please let Will know that you will be coming at vicepresident@or-olam.org

Location: McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, Concord

Date: Sunday, July 12

Time: 2-5 p.m.

New Forms Formulated

Our new covenant and membership forms are in their final stages of editing and we will be sending those out shortly.  Our new covenant was created based on a special communal get-together in which TOO members visioned the kind of community they longed for.

Member responses were included in the new covenant.  We want to thank those who attended the meeting and offered their wisdom and creative ideas so generously.  Many thanks to members who wrote in and contributed to the final product. Lastly, special thanks go to Marilyn Atlas and Anna Garcia for coordinating the meeting, taking notes, and making sure the board had every response needed to be able to integrate our members’ contributions.

We also have the results from the membership survey and will be letting you know the results soon.

 Tikkun Olam at McGill Baptist Church

As Mary Poppins says, “In every task that must be done there is an element of fun…”

We would like to help our long-time friends at McGill Baptist Church in Concord spruce up the premises.  We know that will be fun.

Here’s our question: Who is on board for a dedicated few hours at the church?  This might mean painting, organizing, and the like.    If you are interested in joining in, please contact Will King, our vice president and tikkun olam chair at vicepresident@or-olam.org

Community Meeting This Weekend (For TOO Members)

TOO  Members, take note!  We’ll be meeting this Friday, June 26 to discuss our community’s vision for the next year.  As our director of Adult Education, Marilyn Atlas wrote, “We are in the process of creating the new 2015-2016 TOO covenant and we want to hear your ideas. We are so fortunate to have an abundance of insightful and caring minds in our community. Your input is very important to us.”

Here’s the big question we’ll begin with: If you had a magic wand and could create the kind of TOO community that you wanted, what would it look like? How would it be?

Please bring some food to share. We are looking forward to your being part of our positive evolution!

Location: McGill Baptist Church 5300 Poplar Tent Rd, Concord
Date: Friday June 26
Time: 7:00 p.m.

 Tikkun Olam at McGill Baptist Church

Our first project may be helping our long-time friends at McGill Baptist Church in Concord spruce up the premise.  You’ll be hearing from our Tikkun Olam team as soon as they get us the details.