Author Archives: webmaster

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.

WOW! Front-Page Story on TOO Scheduled for Charlotte Observer’s Religion Section

Posted by webmaster on September 19, 2014   |   Comments Off on WOW! Front-Page Story on TOO Scheduled for Charlotte Observer’s Religion Section

This year, Temple Or Olam will be featured in The Charlotte Observer’s coverage of High Holy Days.  It looks like the story will appear on tomorrow’s front-page in the Religion section, so keep your eyes peeled and save your copy!

In the meantime, a version of the story has appeared on-line.  Click…

here New beginnings as Jews usher in the High Holy Days

And don’t forget that we have begun posting stories on our website.  You’ll find all the links in the “TOO in the Press” button under “About.”

Shabbat Shalom, everyone.  We hope to see many of you at S’lichot services this Sunday!

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.

 

More Stories! (And website changes, too…)

Posted by webmaster on September 12, 2014   |   Comments Off on More Stories! (And website changes, too…)

If you haven’t seen it, check out the new tab “TOO in the Press” at our website under “About” where you will find links to all the stories that have featured Temple Or Olam this past summer.

And here’s one with a video, too: The UNCC Niner Times covers the Love Song Service.  Enjoy, and Shabbat Shalom!

http://nineronline.com/2014/09/sometimes-love-is-all-you-need/

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

Posted by webmaster on September 10, 2014   |   Comments Off on Or Olam in the Loop – Our Weekly Bulletin on All Things TOO

LoopRoom For Another Cook!

A space has come available for one more participant in “The Way We Cook” class from 2 till 6 on Sunday, September 14, $25 fee.  Email earl@greenwalds.com if you want to be the lucky person.

 

Gleaning this Saturday in Rowan County

Please join us as we gather more tomatoes in Rowan County on Saturday, Sept. 13th, at 9 a.m.  We will glean for about two hours.  Last week we were able to distribute 3,000 pounds to neighbors in 6 counties!  Contact Arlene at afilkoff@gmail.com if you can go and further info.

High Holidays are Filling Up

Our SignUpGenius for HHD assistance is looking well loved.  If you haven’t taken the time to secure your spot, there are a few left.  Here’s the link:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b054aabaf2fa20-high

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

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

 

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

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

LoopGleaning Continues!

We have the opportunity to glean at least an acre and a half of tomatoes on Saturday, July 26th, at 8 a.m. near China Grove in Rowan County.  If you are interested in helping fill some boxes, please let our Gleaning Contact Extraordinaire,  Arlene Filkoff, , at afilkoff@gmail.com

A  Prayer for Peace

A request came in for the prayer for peace Rabbi Barbara read at our Love Song Service.  Here is the prayer, written by Sheikha Ibtisam Mahameed and Rabba Tamar Elad-Appelbaum and translated into English from Arabic and Hebrew by Amichai Lau-Lavie.

THE MOTHERS’ PRAYER

God of Life:

You who heals the brokenhearted, binding up our wounds.

Please hear this prayer of mothers.

You did not create us to kill each other

Nor to live in fear or rage or hatred in your world. You created us so that we allow each other to sustain Your Name in this world:

Your name is Life, your name is Peace.

For these I weep, my eye sheds water:

For our children crying in the night,

For parents holding infants, despair and darkness in their hearts.

For a gate that is closing – who will rise to open it before the day is gone?

With my tears and with my constant prayers, with the tears of all women deeply pained at these harsh times

I raise my hands to you in supplication: Please God have mercy on us.

Hear our voice that we not despair: That we will witness life with each other, That we have mercy one for another, That we share sorrow one with the other, That we hope, together, one for another.

Inscribe our lives in the book of Life

For Your sake, our God of Life, Let us choose Life.

For You are Peace, Your world is Peace and all that is Yours is Peace,

May this be your will

And let us say Amen.

Rabbi Barbara’s Article in the Charlotte Observer

Posted by webmaster on July 19, 2014   |   Comments Off on Rabbi Barbara’s Article in the Charlotte Observer

In case you didn’t see it,  Rabbi Barbara published a piece in the Faith and Values section of today’s Charlotte Observer.

Rabbi Barbara wrote about  Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the founder of Jewish Renewal.  Her article also covers how Jewish Renewal practice has been adopted by mainstream denominations across the country.  She pointed out that Charlotte now has its own Jewish Renewal congregation — that’s us!

You can read her article here:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/07/17/5050428/charlotte-rabbi-the-late-schachter.html

Enjoy!