Heads Up: Hanukkah!
Our Hanukkah Party will feature, among other things, an adult education session followed by dinner, local entertainment, a white elephant gift exchange and songs (see below for our schedule).
From Darkness to Light: Crossing the Threshold at Hanukkah: Adult Education (4:30 p.m.)
Hanukkah is a story of heroism and rededication. But it is also a festival with deep mystical and spiritual significance. How does Hanukkah ask us to press the reset button so that we can continue the work of so many months before during High Holy Days? How is Hanukkah a rededication for our neshamot, our souls? How does it help us transition spiritually into the coming festivals of spring?
Hanukkah Dinner (5:30 p.m.) – Please bring your Hanukkah menoras!
Latkes, applesauce, and other goodies for a pot-luck dinner that will make our mouths water! We’ll light the Hanukkiahs, sing blessings, and eat during, we hope, a theater in the round with stories, jokes, and songs. Please look for our evite and sign up for pot luck and talent offerings!
And after dinner…. (6:30-7:30 p.m.)
- White Elephant gift exchange
- A game of Family Feud Hanukkah (or Hanukkah Jewpardy – We’ll let you know…)
- More songs and general revelry
Date and Time: December 12; see above schedule for activity times….
Location: McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, Concord, NC Up ahead….
In the Rabbi’s Library: Praying with Direction, Focus, and Feeling: A Workshop for Lay Leaders
During this workshop, we will learn the basic architecture of a Shabbat service, explore the trajectory and purpose of our prayers, and brainstorm different ways lay leaders can offer a prayerful experience to others.
We’ll begin by learning about the seven essential stages of the Shabbat service. Once we’ve understood both kevah (order) and kavanah (intention), we’ll workshop in small groups, using a set of different service models. These will include chant services, services structured around meditation and journaling, services structured according to text and story, and services centered on prayerful acts of study.
This workshop is open to our members – even those who might not want to actively lead a service, but hope to learn how services are led.
Date and Location: January 3, In the Rabbi’s Library (please email Rabbi Barbara for directions at Rabbi.Thiede@or-olam.org)
Time: 10 am – 12 p.m.
