The Havurat Olam Shmoozeletter

February 27, 2007 - 9 Adar  5767

Volume IV, Issue 6

[Purim] [Services] [Seder] [Music]

Purim Madness

March 03, 2007

Skits, Join us for a Surprise Performance by Havurat Olam Adults

in the musical "Esther, or the Rubber Chicken of Shushan."

Jokes, Skits, Crafts, and a Costume Contest for and by our Kids

There were blintztes and babke, kneydlach and kugel, kreplach and knishes, kuchem-buchem, brisket and berches, mandeltorte and lindsertorte, tsimmes and zhug. And why? Because the king with the unpronounceable name was about to party down, of course. Join us for a rousing rendition of the Havurat Olam musical (we’re not kidding – our actors will be exercising their vocal muscles), Esther, or the Rubber Chicken of Shushan.

You can help out with the food by bringing something for noshing for a potluck free-for-all (and we mean the latter). Kids will have the opportunity to step up to the mike and tell their own jokes and compete (sort of) for costume prizes of various kinds.

Adults: Costumes required for those over 18 as well!

Second and Fourth Friday Services this Month

March 09 and 23, 2007

Second Friday: Family Shabbat - The Mysterious Seven Gates and the Importance of Gift Giving...

In recent services, we’ve talked about the seven stages of Shabbat services, and explored the Shema and the Amidah. During this service, we want to take a close look at Torah study. Did you know that Torah study is part and parcel of every service, whether we read from the Torah scroll or not? Parents and children will look at the parsha for the week and explore the story of the Golden Calf together. So bring your thinking caps for this service; we’ve got some questions to answer!

Second Fridays feature a student-centered and child-friendly service. Parents of small children please note that children attending Second Friday services must be able to take part in a 45-minute service. If your child is too young to do so, please make sure an adult in attendance can attend to that child’s needs so that the service is not disrupted.

Fourth Fridays offer an adult-oriented service with a brief children's service beforehand. The service will include a Torah reading and will
provide a joyous, friendly, and musical atmosphere. The congregation provides babysitting services on Fourth Fridays. This month, we'll look at
the mandate and circumstances of gift-giving in that week's Torah parsha, T'rumah.

We're still fixing to conclude each service with an oneg, so y'all have time to schmooze with Jews. Please join us for our February services, and write us with any questions!

Event:	Second Friday Family Service
Date:	Friday, March 09, 2007
Time:	7:00 p.m.
Location:	McGill Baptist Church 5300 Poplar Tent Rd. Concord NC 28027 -9757 map directions > RSVP <

Event:	Fourth Friday Family Service
Date:	Friday, March 23, 2007
Time:	6:40 p.m. children's service, 7:00 adult
Location:	McGill Baptist Church 5300 Poplar Tent Rd. Concord NC 28027 -9757 map directions > RSVP <

Second Annual Community Seder

April 08, 2007

We had an awful lot of fun last year with jumping frogs, the Shades of Darkness, and our own Havurat Olam Haggadah. It’s a serious story, though, and we want to tell it in a way that will help us and our children understand that we need to remember that we were all slaves. Dig out those Pesach recipes from Bubbe and Zayde and help us anticipate our second annual community seder!

Don't know our tunes? We have the answer.

Three years ago, we recorded a selection of Shabbat tunes.  This year we’re in the process of adding oodles of new melodies at our services.  But there’s no need to find yourself flummoxed, because we are offering a new CD with 29 cuts of Shabbat prayers.  Recorded at a local studio this past fall, Shirim L’Shabbat includes a booklet that describes the source of each prayer and its exact location in our prayerbook.  We included a couple of children’s songs as well, and the very popular Ivdu to make sure you tap your toes while listening!

 If you are interested, let us know.  We’ll mail you the CD on receipt of a check to Havurat Olam for $18.  Please send checks to

Havurat Olam 570 Wilhelm Place NE Concord NC 28025-2530