Services

Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

Posted by webmaster on October 21, 2014   |   Comments Off on Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

LoopWe Need Siddurim This Week!

We are in need of all the siddurim we can unearth from shelves, kitchen counters, trunks, basements, wherever.  And we need them this week by Wednesday.  Even if it is your personal copy, we will get it back to you after this weekend.

Please email Rabbi Barbara at rabbi.thiede@or-olam.org or templeadmin@or-olam.org.  We will arrange to get it from you at our convenience.

Harvest Away!

The following gleaning opportunities have popped up as the fall harvest is in full swing.

Call Arlene if you can attend one or all: afilkoff@gmail.com.

Wed, October 22, 8:30 am,  you can glean green beans in Cabarrus County if you are available, not working, or not in class, etc!!! 

Friday, Oct 24, 8:30 am, you can glean muscadine grapes in Rowan County near Salisbury No children on this one. 

Saturday, October 2, 9 am, Cabarrus County, you can glean turnips and greens. 

Sunday, October 26, 2 pm in the afternoon, you can glean at Riverbend Farms for turnips and greens.  This would be an interfaith gleaning opportunity with a local church. 

November 7 Service

Our next service will be a casual and comfortable breather from the flurry of High Holidays.  We will gather at a congregant’s home or communal space to eat, enjoy a short service, and hear a speaker and join a discussion on the political situation in Israel right now. 

Friday, Nov. 7, 6:00 pm

Feel Free to Do Like the Angels

Posted by Rabbi Thiede on October 2, 2014   |   Comments Off on Feel Free to Do Like the Angels

As we enter the Day of At-One-Ment, feel free to…

  • wear white during Yom Kippur. We dress in the clarity white brings to our spirits as we do the good work of clearing away the dross our souls have collected this past year.
  • bring and wear your tallitot.  Though prayer shawls are mandated for morning services only, Kol Nidre is a single exception to that rule.  We wear our prayer shawls for this service to emphasize Yom Kippur’s special holiness.

I look forward to a deeply meaningful Day of Awe with you all.

Rabbi Barbara

Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

Posted by webmaster on October 1, 2014   |   Comments Off on Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

LoopA Day for At-One-Ment

Our services for Yom Kippur will be, in a word, beautiful. Haunting melodies and sweet ones will accompany our prayer; we’ll find our own words given back to us during Rabbi Barbara’s Shacharit service sermon.  We’ll hear a story about the Dalai Llama and have the opportunity to listen to a reading of Merle Feld’s play “The Gates Are Closing.” We’ll conclude the day with Neilah, havdalah, and breakfast!

You can find the entire schedule for services on our website. Just click here:

Rabbi Barbara’s Work to Appear in Ten-Volume Series on Jewish Spirituality!

Last year, Rabbi Barbara was invited to submit an article for an important project. Contributors to the project include some of the most well-known writers in the world on Judaism, Jewish culture, and Jewish practice.  They include Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, Jonathan Sacks, internationally recognized authors like Elliot Dorff, Aviva Zornberg, Sid Schwartz, and many, many more.

Rabbi Barbara learned this week that her article on the Mourners Kaddish was accepted. Editor Rabbi Martin Cohen, himself a prolific writer, wrote that her piece was “lyrical.”  He also wrote that “The essay is beautiful: heartfelt, moving, very interesting. And your use of sources is really very clever and very well done… it’s a wonderful piece of work and I’m very proud to include it in our book.”

Mazeltov, Rabbi Barbara!

Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

Posted by webmaster on September 22, 2014   |   Comments Off on Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

LoopHigh Holy Days Begin This Wednesday Evening!

With an especially sweet service that involves finding yourself… on a map.  On several, actually.  For location, dates and time of all our High Holy Day activities and services, just click right here:

http://www.or-olam.org/?page_id=208496

Yitzkor Donations

One of the enduring portions of the Yom Kippur service is Yizkor (“may God remember”) when we honor the memory of those who have died.   A donation is usually made in each deceased’s name by family and friends to commit tzedekah funds and do a deed of chesed.  All Yizkor donations made prior to Kol Nidre will be included in the Book of Remembrance available on Yom Kippur and will go toward the Kingberg Fund and the purchase of “The Gates Are Closing.”

You can make a payment through our Paypal portal on the website or hand a check to our beloved Temple Administrator, Charlotte Miller.

Or Olam Makes a Break for the Great Outdoors

Our first Sukkot campout is October 11-12 in Spencer Park , Concord.  This is a congregational event, not just a religious school happening.  You are welcome to come for the day or stay over until Sunday.  There are cabins available for rental to noncampers.

http://www.cabarruscounty.us/government/departments/active-living-parks/camp-spencer/Pages/default.aspx

We will erect our sukkah, decorate it with crafts, dine, enjoy Havdalah,stories, songs, and take a night walk with the ranger. This is just on Saturday, and we will be finished before the gates close at 8:00 pm. Check your evite for a complete schedule.

Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

Posted by webmaster on September 17, 2014   |   Comments Off on Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

LoopS’lichot: Love Means Saying You Are Sorry

High Holy Days begins officially at Erev Rosh Hashanah. But the High Holy Day season begins much earlier, on the first of Elul.  During Elul, we reflect on the past year.  On S’lichot we come together to open our hearts to repair the hurts we inflicted or the hurts we endured.

S’lichot means “pardons.”  During the S’lichot service, we connect with the process of repentance and return.  This year, we will sing prayers of healing.  We will also write – anonymously – the misdeeds and mis-steps of the past year, the things for which we seek forgiveness.  The things we name will become part of our High Holy Day services on Yom Kippur.

Please join us for our S’lichot service this Sunday. Take the time to prepare for the journey of the High Holy Days.

Date: September 21

Time: 7 pm

Place: Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church, 9704 Mallard Creek Rd, Charlotte

Book of Remembrance and Offering Donations in Memory of Those You Love

We will begin our High Holidays this Sunday evening. One of the traditions of this month is to make donations in memory or honor of someone meaningful to you and your family—yitzkor donations–that will be listed in our Book of Remembrance available on Yom Kippur.

This year, some of our yitzkor proceeds will fund the very reasonable cost of our play, “The Gates Are Closing” that is to be read on Yom Kippur afternoon.  The remainder will be credited to the Kingberg Education Fund.

You may make a donation through our Paypal button on the website (be sure and give the full text of your memorial for the book) or give a check to the treasurer, Charlotte Miller, with a written memorial.

Camping Out During Sukkot!

The evite just went out to all members for our first campout under the tree and stars. Please let us know if you will be joining us.

 

Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

Posted by webmaster on September 3, 2014   |   Comments Off on Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

LoopReligious School Starts this Sunday.

And…a new class for tots!

Our Religious School will meet this Sunday morning for an opening celebration at Dorton Park, down Poplar Tent Road from McGill Baptist.  All students should meet there at the regular school time.  We will end the day with a potluck lunch for all to enjoy.

Our youngest congregants are invited to meet together for Tot Time from 11:30 -12:30 at the park.  Singing, dancing, storytelling with Rabbi Barbara for preschoolers aged 2-5.  Please email Keri Huneycutt if you are attending Tot Time: school@or-olam.org.

All we need is loveLove Song Service at UNCC this Friday

Did you miss our summer Love Song Service?  You’ve got one more chance to catch it, thought this particular service will feature beaucoup Beatles.  There will also be some Seals and Cross and Simon and Garfunkel.  We’ll find out how our secular selections reflect the sentiments of the Barchu  Mi Chamocha, and Adon Olam. So dig out all those headbands, fringes, love beads, and tie-died shirts and join us on  for our UNCC Love Song Service.

Please bring something to share with the students — they’re starving!  🙂

Love Song Service, Friday, 7:00 pm

UNCC Student Union 340D&F

Shabbat-O-Gram

Posted by Rabbi Thiede on August 22, 2014   |   Comments Off on Shabbat-O-Gram

This summer has been filled with scenes of horror and terror.  As we enter Shabbat, I thought it worthwhile to send you all a vision of innocence.

Life is miraculous and holy.  If only we could make that consciousness worldwide…

Aleynu — it’s upon us to try.

I hope to see you tonight at services.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Barbara

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h48Nf8_y_Nw

Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

Posted by webmaster on August 19, 2014   |   Comments Off on Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

LoopPot-luck Dinner, Kabbalat Shabbat Services and an Ice Cream Social This Friday!

Shabbat this Friday is a special event for Temple Or Olam.   It’s a perfect opportunity to show friends and family members in search of a spiritual home and a loving congregation the joy, peace and dignity of our  community.  Please, invite them to join us at our covered-dish dinner, services and ice cream social oneg, beginning at 6 PM at Piedmont UU.

Services begin at 7 p.m. and feature a guest appearance by Lex Rofes, our ISJL intern, as well as the children of our religious school.  Rabbi Barbara will be drashing on one of the most challenging texts of the Torah.  Join us, please!

Time: Covered-dish potluck dinner at 6 p.m. Services begin at 7 p.m.

Location: Piedmont UU Church, 9704 Mallard Creek Rd, Charlotte

Israeli Dancing this Saturday

Saturday, August 23, 2-4 pm at Piedmont UUC.   Email marilynaf@aol.com or call 704-663-1816.

$10 adults, $5 children.  You can pay at the website Paypal button.  Please note what you are paying for when prompted at the end of the process.

Temple Or Olam’s Facebook Page – Check it Out and Pass it On!

Have you noticed we added the Facebook icon to our website?  Our page hits have increased by 50% in the last few weeks!  (Thank you Alan Coffman for all the fine work on the site this past summer.

Both or-olam.org and [whatever the FB page name is] are ready portals to everything going on at TOO, plus you can enjoy the fun we have with our pictures and videos.​  Want to add your comments and help us spread our activities to everyone?

  • Most certainly “like” the page!
  • Feel free to send it to other folks who might be interested in our congregation, along with the website address.
  • You can start or join a blog post and get a discussion going.
  • You are welcome to send videos and pictures to our FB guru, Alan Coffman, who is always updating. Contact him through the page.

​We want you to see us and our joyful Judaism, and we also want to see you!  High Holy Days schedule to be posted on Web and FB this weekend.  See you there!

Cooking with the Greenwalds

TOO has two opportunities to cook with Earl and Cheryl Greenwald.  The new cookbook, The Way We Cook, was a feature this weekend at Ferucci’s.  And the promise of donating August sales to TOO has another couple of weeks to run.  Contact Earl (earl@greenwalds.net) or Cheryl (cg@greenwalds.net) to request a copy.

The other is a hands-on class for adults in the Greenwalds kitchen.   You will cook, and then enjoy, a full menu.  Limited to 6 people.  Call fast!

Sunday, September 14, 2:00 pm.  $25/student.

cg@greenwalds.net, 704-528-1432​

Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

Posted by webmaster on August 13, 2014   |   Comments Off on Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

LoopKabbalat Shabbat Service on 8/22: Please Help Greet Our Guests!

Our next service will be a Torah service on Friday, August 22, featuring the RS students.  Our ISJL intern will also be here as well as LOTS of guests!   Our press blitz this summer has led to a veritable flood of inquiries about Temple Or Olam. We need everyone as greeters for the many interested people who have been calling and emailing in the last few weeks.

Please put this service date on your calendar now!

Friday, August 22, 7:00 pm, Piedmont UU Church, 9704 Mallard Creek Rd, Charlotte

ISJL Summer Weekend

Our new ISJL intern, Lex Robes, will be with us at the Friday night service and activities the next day.  There’s something for everyone here.

Friday, August 22

6:00 pm     Potluck supper with Lex
7:00 pm     Torah service featuring the religious school students
8:30 pm     Ice cream social to welcome both guests and members

Saturday, August 23

9-11 am      RS administrators and teachers meet with Lex; Location to be determined
11-noon      Lunch for anyone who wants to stay; Location to be determined
12-1:30 pm Meeting with Board of Directors; Location to be determined
2-4 pm         Israeli dancing instruction for all comers at Piedmont UU Church

 

Love Song Service Tonight! Get out your Tie-Dye….

Posted by webmaster on July 18, 2014   |   Comments Off on Love Song Service Tonight! Get out your Tie-Dye….

All we need is love

Birds do it, bees do it

Even educated fleas do it

Let’s do it, let’s fall in love!

 

There will be guest singers and some additional instruments you simply couldn’t expect. And the rabbi is playing her electric guitar — all night long…

Tonight’s Love Song service will feature Seals and Cross, Leonard Cohen, and (of course), the Beatles.  We’ll find out how our secular selections reflect the sentiments of the Barchu  Mi Chamocha, and Adon Olam. So dig out all those headbands, fringes, love beads, and tie-died shirts. Remind yourselves what it’s like to fall – head over heels – in love.

And join us on  for our Third Annual Love Song Service at 7 pm at Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church,  9704 Mallard Creek Rd,  Charlotte.

Let’s do it.  Let’s fall in love.  🙂