Posted by webmaster on February 3, 2012 | Comments Off on Tonight’s Service: Parsha Behalotecha (Or, If You Want to be Free, be Free!)
This week’s parsha marks the defining and dividing moment for the Israelites. Pharaoh and his legions pursue them, eager to catch their former slaves. Before them is the sea, blocking the way to freedom.
A midrash tells us that Moses prayed, and that God rebukes him. God insisted that it is not the time for prayer. The midrash goes on to say that while Moses prayed for divine intervention, one Israelite began walking into the water, insisting on making the miracle himself.
The sea parted.
Prayer and action, speaking to God and godding on our own initiative. Who was that Israelite and what does his story tell us? Join us tonight for a Kabbalat Shabbat of special sweetness, and find out!
Date: February 3; Time: 7 pm; Location: McGill Baptist Church
Posted by webmaster on December 13, 2011 | Comments Off on Latkes sweet and spicy, latkes standard and odd…
Dig out your favorite latke recipe and get to peeling–our Hanukkah party is happening early this year! Lots of exciting things are in the works talent-wise, and there will also be games, a craft table and an astoundingly awesome performance by our religious school kids. Bring your menorahs (we can practice lighting them…) and some amazing food to share, and we’ll see you there!
Hanukkah Party!
December 16th @ 7pm
McGill Baptist Church
Bring latkes, a snack to share, and menorahs!
Posted by Rabbi Thiede on November 18, 2011 | Comments Off on Prayers from the Heart: Created by the Children of Temple Or Olam
A few weeks ago, I taught the children of our Religious School about acrostic prayers. In an acrostic, the first letter, syllable or word of each line can spell out a name, a word, or even a message. Some of our prayers, like the Ashrei (also known as Psalm 145!) give us a way to remember the Hebrew alphabet; the acrostic is functioning here as a neat mnemonic device.
The children had two words to work with: “Prayer” and “Tefilla,” the Hebrew word for prayer. We will be reading aloud the beautiful work they produced tonight at services. Spelling has been left as it was in the original 🙂 :
Please let me have your hands. Raise my spirit. And you love us. Yes, and we love you. Energy is what I need. Reach my hopes.
Please god let this be a good day Rise above us And make it good. Yes we know we make mistakes Encourage us to do better Relise that we try to be good
The day will start Every time For a kindness In each others Love and Loyalty Amen
Please help the people in need, Raise us up And make life peaceful Yes, we love you god. Empower us to be great people Respect each other greatly
Plese help my famlily stay happy and helthy Redeem the world and make less vilonce And let ne reach my favrit dream in reality Yes, help us make peace and happiniss Enjoy all lives Rejouce our famelys and frinds
Wondering which child wrote which acrostic? Check out the next Shmoozeletter for the answers!
Posted by webmaster on November 15, 2011 | Comments Off on Another Mother of All Hanukkah Parties: Mark the Date!
An early celebration of Hanukkah is a happening thing at Temple Or Olam. Bring your menorahs (we can practice lighting them…) and some amazing food to share. Also bring a talent for a family audience that you can demonstrate in 3-5 minutes. We encourage magic tricks, juggling, singing favorite songs, skits and jokes of all kinds.
There will be games, a craft table for the little ones, and a talent show. Our religious school kids will astound us with great performances. There will also be a surprisingly spiritual gift for everyone.
Please RSVP to info@or-olam.org to let us know what you and/or your children might want to offer us for the talent show – deadline for talent contributions is December 12th. (A little birdie told us that Lady Gaga might show up at our party…!)
Hanukkah Party!
December 16th @ 7pm
McGill Baptist Church
Bring food, menorahs, and talent!
Posted by webmaster on November 2, 2011 | Comments Off on Family Kabbalat Shabbat November 4: Dreams and Longings in Parsha Lech Lecha
Our dreams reveal our hopes and longing. In this week’s parsha, God appears to Abraham in a dream. How are we to understand the magic and the promise of that dream? Please bring your Books of Life with you (and a pen or crayons…) and we’ll explore the story with the help of our children. We’ll see if we can’t find the answers ourselves!
Join us for an especially joyous Shabbat service as we continue to welcome in our many new members and experience the joy of being in community. Please remember to bring a noshable (preferably healthy and nice) for our Oneg Shabbat.
Posted by webmaster on October 19, 2011 | Comments Off on Simchat Torah (and other news)
It’s Simchat Torah — an evening when we make real what it is to start all over again.
Every year we roll back our Torah to the very beginning for the next year’s reading. This Friday we’ll celebrate with a procession, carrying things that make beautiful music and glitter — from tambourines to magic wands. Then we’ll unroll the Torah completely so we can all see every word. Rabbi Barbara will chant the final and the first verses of our scroll.
As we roll back to Genesis we’ll stop at five special locations to learn about special features in our Torah, accompanying our travels with song. The names of seven congregants will be pulled out of a hat and they will stand by the Genesis column of their choice. Rabbi Barbara will find the blessing in that column meant for that congregant.
We’ll close our Torah, wrap her up for our new year, and pass her — arm to arm — so that we all can take turns carrying the very core of our tradition.
Finally, we nosh at a potluck oneg!
Please bring a dish of your own to share at the oneg following the celebration. It all starts at 7 pm this Friday night at McGill Baptist church. We look forward to seeing you there!
Simchat Torah
October 21st @ 7pm
McGill Baptist Church
Bring a potluck dish to share!
CROP Walk for Hunger
This past Sunday, several members of Temple Or Olam (and at least one guest!) participated in the Cabarrus county CROP Walk at Forest Hill UMC in Concord. It was an interfaith event, and our congregation was well represented both in terms of enthusiasm and donations. At last count, our seven walkers had gathered donations totaling more than $350. Great job, Team TOO, and thanks to Linda VanArsdale for organizing this fun opportunity for tikkun olam!
Posted by Rabbi Thiede on September 23, 2011 | Comments Off on Your Book of Life, 5772
Dear Temple Or Olam Members,
Every year, I pick a theme for our Days of Awe.
This year’s theme is Abracadabra, an Aramaic phrase that announces, “What I speak, I create.”
During High Holy Days, we will be listening to special prayers and very special music, taking time for meditation. We will be creating our own magic. To that end, I have a small gift for each of our member units.
Each family or couple or individual will receive a Book of Life for 5772. In it, you will find a personal blessing I have written especially for you (family, couple, or individual). I will also be adding a few little exercises for the Days of Awe, some of which we will do as meditations during our services.
Over this next year, on occasional Shabbats and during our festivals, I will be sending additional suggestions and exercises to add to your 5772 Book of Life. These gifts will be handed out on Erev Rosh Hashanah, next Wednesday evening. Please look for your book; there will be one with your name on it, I promise!
We have an opportunity this year to make a very particular magic, to know what it is to be truly happy in a sacred community. I look forward to a very sweet year with you all.
Posted by Rabbi Thiede on August 19, 2011 | Comments Off on The Days of Awe: Spiritual Magic
Temple Or Olam is blessed with a boy whose wide-open nature is a constant reminder of what really matters in this world. The child has autism.
He tells us exactly what is on his mind. He is without guile. He does not know subtexts.
Recently, he led a prayer with me at a Kabbalat Shabbat service. When the last notes had been sung, he announced to the congregation, “This was the best prayer ever.”
Everyone in the room smiled and nodded: It was the best prayer ever. The boy had told us so. He had spoken truly.
Abracadabra!
Abracadabra is an Aramaic phrase. Each word in the phrase mirrors cognate words in Hebrew. The first part of the word, abra means “I create.” The second part of the phrase, “cadabra” means “like I speak.” When you say “abracadabra,” you are saying, in effect, “What I speak, I bring into being.”
What are the Days of Awe if not the opportunity to understand – deeply – that by speaking, we create?
In Pri Ha’aretz, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk wrote with tenderness about the power of speech. His commentary on Parsha Vayera states: “And he who speaks, behold this person is creating new heavens and new earth like that which was at the beginning of creation: ‘By the word of the LORD the heavens were made” (Ps. 33:6).’”
According to Targum Bereishit, the birth of humanity that we celebrate each year on Rosh Hashanah was immediately accompanied with God’s loving gift of our capacity for speech: “There was in the body of Adam the inspiration of a speaking spirit, unto the illumination of the eyes and the hearing of the ears.”
God fashioned humanity through divine speech in Genesis 1. God’s own creation inherited the capacity to create, like God, through speech.
What would godly words sound like from human beings? They would be words of truth and possibility, of kindness and understanding, of forgiveness and atonement. They would be the very words of love.
This year, during Temple Or Olam’s High Holy Days, we will consider the power of our words. A new year opens wide before us. Let us name the things we must make. By articulating those things, by naming them through prayer and reflection, we can make them real.
Posted by Rabbi Thiede on August 12, 2011 | Comments Off on Kabbalat Shabbat Service: Diamonds in the Rough?
In the opening to this week’s parsha, Moses begs God to allow him to enter the good land God has promised the Israelites. God answers: ‘Rav l’ach’ – you have abundance. At this Kabbalat Shabbat service, we will hear a story of a diamond, a story that tells us that our lives, however flawed, have the capacity to sparkle, to shine, and be the fulfillment of our own reams.
Join us for a joyous family Kabbalat Shabbat!
When: Friday, August 12 at 7 p.m.
Where: McGill Baptist Church, Concord NC
Posted by Rabbi Thiede on July 13, 2011 | Comments Off on Blessing the people Israel…
This Shabbat our tots will enjoy a goodly amount of dancing, singing, and processing during their Shacharit service. They’ll also learn how to hold their hands when they bless the people Israel and even hear a story about how the famous and oldest blessing of our tradition came into being.
Please feel free to join us for a short and sweet Shabbat morning service – though the service is intended for 2-5-year-olds, older children (of any age) are welcome to join in the fun.
Bagels and cream cheese, anyone? We ask that everyone bring something to nosh after our service.
Event: Tot Shabbat Date: July 16 Time: 10 – 11’ish Location: McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, Concord.
