Ut Bulletin October 2009

The Bulletin

Union Temple of Brooklyn Affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism

OCTOBER 2009

TISHREI - CHESHVAN 5770

Simchat Torah Celebration

Vol. 161, No 2

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES FOR OCTOBER SHABBAT SUKKOT

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Friday Evening

6:30 PM

Kabbalat Shabbat Potluck Dinner

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Saturday Morning

10:30 AM

Festival Morning Service - Religious School will participate Luncheon to follow Torah: Leviticus 23:33-44 Haftarah: Zechariah 14:7-9, 16:21

SHABBAT SHEMINI ATZERET / SIMCHAT TORAH

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Friday Evening 5:30 - Kinder Kef Consecration 6:00 - Shabbat Festival Dinner 7:30 - Service: Consecration , Hakafot of Torahs

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Saturday Morning

10:30 AM

Yizkor will be recited Torah: Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12 and Genesis 1:1-2:3 Haftarah: Joshua 1:1-18

SHABBAT BERESHIT

Pot Luck Dinner and Festival Service

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Friday Evening

6:30 PM

Kabbalat Shabbat Bar/Bat Mitzvah class program to follow

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Saturday Morning

11:15 AM - Tot Shabbat Torah: Genesis 1:1-6:8

10:30 AM Haftarah: Isaiah 42:5-43:11

SHABBAT NOACH

The fun begins with a special Young Children’s Service at 5:30 PM See page 6 for details

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Friday Evening

8:00 PM

Late Shabbat Service

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Saturday Morning

Torah: Genesis 6:9-11:32

10:30 AM Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1-55:5

SHABBAT LECH LECHA SYNAPLEX SHABBAT

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Friday Evening 4:30 PM - Kid’s Shabbat Fun 6:00 PM - Work Wind Down 6:30 PM - Kabbalat Shabbat 7:30 PM - Pot Luck Dinner 8:30 PM - Folk Dancing

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Saturday Morning

Torah: Genesis 12:1-17:27

10:30 AM Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27-41:16

Rabbi’s Message

New Partnership Dear Friends: With the support and approval of our Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce our participation in an exciting new program of partnership with the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services of UJA. Some six other synagogues in the general Brownstone Brooklyn area also are participating in this partnership. It will provide all the rabbis and temple officers with much needed support for our older adults. I have inserted the announcement from the JBFCS below. We will be talking more about it in the coming months. If you have any questions at all, or know immediately that you would like to avail yourself of this program for yourself, a parent or relative, or someone you know, please call me at the temple: (718) 638-7600 or e-mail me at [email protected].

Meanwhile, I will look forward to seeing you on the upcoming Chagim of Sukkot and Simchat Torah. Chag Sameach to all - Rabbi Linda Henry Goodman

  A FREE SYNAGOGUE‐BASED PROGRAM FOR JEWISH OLDER ADULTS IN  

NORTHERN AND CENTRAL BROOKLYN   

Through a generous grant from the Weinberg Foundation provided by UJA Federation of NY, the Jewish  Board of Family and Children’s Services is able to offer the expertise of our  geriatric social worker to area  synagogues, free of charge.   

We can provide your congregants with:  ∙ 

∙  ∙  ∙  ∙  ∙ 

Innovative programs and workshops addressing the needs of older adults  o  Health education  o  Caregiver resources  o  Social and recreational programs   Emotional support for older adult life issues  Support, consultation, and education for volunteers helping older adults   Individual and family assessment and counsel by our on‐site geriatric social worker.  Home Care oversight and advocacy  Access to the full range of services of JBFCS, and other community agencies.  

 

Partnering Synagogues will:  ∙  ∙  ∙  ∙ 

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Develop an ongoing working relationship with our project social worker.  Work with our program staff to identify, plan and host activities to address the needs of  older congregants.  Identify and refer older congregants in need.  Market and publicize the program workshops, groups, and services to the congregation  and community. 

Officer’s Column

Music and Worship

Last spring, as we marked the 160th Anniversary of Union Temple, we celebrated the flowering of creativity in our community, our Renaissance. After watching the Union Temple performance of the Selichot play The Gates Are Closing - acted, directed and stage-managed by congregants - I’m reminded again of just how talented our members are.

Under the leadership of Rabbi Linda Goodman, herself a musician, music has been an integral part of worship at Union Temple. We have been blessed with the incredible voice of Student Cantor Maria Dubinsky and the vibrant musicality of our Music Director, Dr. Jonathan Hall. Our services have been enhanced with flute, guitar and most recently, at High Holy Day services, In the last few years, Union Temple has presented art saxophone. We’re starting an adult choir, and the youth shows and a crafts fair, showcasing our members’ choir continues to delight us. handiwork - painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry and The beauty of the words and the surroundings, the gormultimedia creations of all kinds. The Temple hosted a geous music, it all intensifies the richness of the spiriconcert by a member composer, two programs of Yid- tual experience. At the same time, creative expression dish songs and a series of choral concerts. Members taps into the talents of our diversely gifted memberwrote and performed a Purimshpiel starring Donald ship and brings us together as a community. Trump (you had to be there), and a straight-up perform- I think we’re onto something. Is there a new ance of Fiddler on the Roof is coming in December. Purimshpiel in the works? And let’s not forget the interior decoration, gardening, -Beatrice Hanks, Treasurer copywriting, editing, graphic design, photography and filmmaking all flourishing at Union Temple.

Union Temple Synaplex Shabbat Israeli and international folk dancing for adults! Friday, October 30 Come learn some exciting dances and get some exercise. No partners necessary! Upbeat, catchy music! Taught by members of the Brooklyn Heights International folk dance group, who have been dancing on Monday nights in Brooklyn Heights for more than 10 years! We enjoy the music and dance from countries around the world, but especially from the Balkan countries -- including Bulgaria, Romania, Albania and also from Greece and Israel! Come learn dances from these countries!! 4:30 PM - Children’s Program 6:00 PM - Work Wind Down 6:30 PM - Kabbalat Shabbat 7:30 PM - Pot Luck Dinner and Folk Dancing Union Temple of Brooklyn - 17 Eastern Parkway (at Grand Army Plaza) Brooklyn, New York 11238 (718) 638-7600 www.uniontemple.org

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Brotherhood

Outwitting History

I just finished reading Outwitting History by Aaron Lansky, and really enjoyed it. Abe Barnett will lead a book discussion about Outwitting History at the Brotherhood meeting on Sunday morning, October 25th, at 10 AM. We’ll have bagels and coffee, of course, and all are welcome to attend. Here is the publisher’s summary of Outwitting History: When he was a twenty-threeyear-old graduate student, Aaron Lansky stumbled upon an alarming fact: throughout North America, thousands of Yiddish books – books that had survived Hitler and Stalin – were being discarded and destroyed. As an older generation passed on, more often than not their precious Yiddish volumes were literally thrown in the trash by children and grandchildren unable to read the language. An entire literature was on the verge of extinction. So Lansky issued a public appeal for unwanted Yiddish books. The response was overwhelming. When Lansky started out, it was believed that fewer than 70,000 Yiddish-language books existed. Lansky and a team of young volunteers hauled books from cel-

Sisterhood

That summary only hints at Lansky’s adventures in collecting and distributing Yiddish books, not just in New York and New England, but all over the world. And the National Yiddish Book Center’s activities steadily expanded in other ways as well. For example, the answer to the Trivial Pursuit question, “What was the first literature to be digitized?” Yiddish! And they mean the entire literature. So join us on October 25th for a discussion of a remarkable story. -Steve Segall , Brotherhood President

Septembers of Shiraz

With the beauty of our High Holy Days services still ringing in our ears and our hearts, Sisterhood enters October filled with inspiration and energy, eager to start our exciting new season. Mark your calendar for Sunday, October 18th, at 10 AM, for you won't want to miss our first Rosh Chodesh Seder of the new year. Besides celebrating the vital role of Jewish women in our religion, our culture, and our world, we'll be discussing the novel The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer. It's the moving story of a Jewish-Iranian family caught up in the terror that reigned after the revolution. Even if you don't have a chance to read the book, you won't want to miss taking part in what will defi4

lars, attics, synagogues, abandoned buildings, and even dumpsters and recovered that number in six months. Twenty-five years and one and one-half million books later, the National Yiddish Book Center is one of the fastest-growing Jewish cultural organizations in the world. Outwitting History is an inspiring adventure tale told with the exuberance of a man whose passion and persistence created a home for a precious legacy. And it confirms the prediction made by Isaac Bashevis Singer when he accepted the Nobel prize: “Yiddish has not yet said its last word.”

nitely be a memorable discussion. As always, our table will be set with delicious delights, so bring your appetite as well as your enthusiasm. We thank all of you who sent in your dues. If it slipped your mind in this busy season, not to worry. Your membership checks are always welcome. Just write one for $36, made out to Sisterhood of Union Temple, and mail it to the temple office. It's one small but important step on the road to tikkun olam. A happy and blessed Sukkot and Simchat Torah to all! -Barbara Brett, Recording Secretary

Religious School

A Roadmap to Jewish Learning

Religious School is off to a strong start this year. By the time you read this Bulletin article we will be preparing to celebrate Simchat Torah on Erev Shabbat, Friday night, October 9th. It is a tradition at Union Temple, and many Reform temples, to welcome new students to our Religious School with a consecration ceremony. The word consecration has several meanings. In the context of the Religious School, the definition “a commitment of your time to some cherished purpose ” is most apt. The devotion of parents and children who arrive early Sunday mornings and forgo other activities to further their Jewish education is truly a commitment of precious time for a cherished purpose. We celebrate this dedication at Simchat Torah with singing, dancing and hakafot, circling around the sanctuary with the Torah. The new students are called up to the bimah for a blessing and receive small Torah scrolls of their own. The Simchat Torah service is an appropriate time for the consecration ceremony because we conclude our yearly reading of the entire Torah and begin again. There are two Torah readings; the last verses of Deuteronomy and the beginning of Genesis. This concretizes the ongoing nature of the study of Torah, and we also rejoice in the gift of Torah, our ancient source of tradition, sacred stories, values and rituals. This year as we renew our studies at Union Temple Religious School we are beginning the year with a new curriculum, and expanded programs. The overview of

Love to sing? Join our cantor on Wednesday evenings for a congregant-based vocal ensemble. If you are interested, please contact Cantor Dubinsky at [email protected] . First meeting, Wednesday, October 14 at 6:30 PM.

the curriculum is called a curriculum map. At present this traces the course of learning from the Kinder Kef year to the end of seventh grade and it can be expanded through confirmation, and post confirmation. The term map is used because planning a curriculum is a bit like planning a trip. There is a limited amount of time so it is important to establish goals and to choose a destination and places to visit along the way. In the culture of religious schools in the United States, preparing for Bar and Bat Mitzvah has often become the de facto end point for many curriculums. Preparing for this event is a worthy goal but it is not a final destination. Deciding on what we would like to impart to our children during their time in our Religious School is an important discussion to have with parents, teachers and clergy. I would propose that in the most general terms we hope that our children have journeys through life filled with joy and purpose. The responsibility of the Religious School and the Temple is to develop a community where the children can learn about Judaism, God, spirituality, prayer, tikkun olam (repairing the world/social justice), and Israel, all the while developing a sense of Jewish identity. We are also committed to supporting families in their own efforts to establish homes that balance American culture and values with Judaism. In our efforts to achieve these goals we are strengthening our Religious School by adding a weekly Kinder Kef program. Joie Golomb is the creative and capable teacher of this new class. I would like to especially thank our Board Member, Dina Rabiner, for her help in spreading the word to the Brooklyn community. I would also like to welcome Lisa Kingston and Carole Gould who are rabbinical students at Hebrew Union College and are joining our faculty as co-teachers of the seventh grade class. Welcome back to our veteran teachers Rachel Dayan, Tzipi Hazan and Avi Reinharz, and our songleader Josh Adland, and welcome to all our new and returning families. See you at Simchat Torah services, -Ann Landowne, Principal P.S. I would like to extend an invitation to the community to attend the Shabbat morning service on October 17th at 10:30 AM where I will deliver a sermon as a part of my responsibilities as your rabbinic intern. 5

Union Temple of Brooklyn Simchat Torah Celebration Special Children’s Service Toddlers to First Grade

5:30 - 6 PM New Student Consecration

Pot Luck Dinner 6 PM Festival Service New Student Consecration Parade of the Torahs

7:30 PM Come one, come all Please let us know you are coming and what you will bring. Union Temple will be serving drinks and a wonderful dessert Name_________________________________________#adults______#children_____ I will bring: ___________________entree ________________side dish ___________________ salad mail us this form or contact us via email ([email protected] ) Union Temple of Brooklyn - 17 Eastern Parkway (at Grand Army Plaza) - Brooklyn, New York 11238-5699 Telephone:(718) 638-7600 Fax:(718) 783-9151- email: [email protected] - www.uniontemple.org

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Preschool

Already in High Gear

The teaching staff returned to school after Labor Day renewed and ready to start a wonderful new year. In addition to greeting our long-term staff, the preschool welcomed four new staff members: Jenny Torgerson, Beverly Alexander, Natalie Roth and Dawn Saunders. Jenny Torgerson, who teaches our Chickadees class (two year olds), is currently working towards her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education at Bank Street College. Beverly Alexander, Jenny’s assistant, has a long history with the school; she has worked as a wonderful substitute teacher with us for several years. Another familiar face, Natalie Roth, joins the preschool staff after working for the last seven summers in our summer program. Natalie is working with Alex Beers as the assistant teacher in both the Sparrows (three year olds) and Starlings (two year olds) classes. The new floater is Dawn Saunders. In addition to working as a substitute teacher at the preschool, Dawn also ran a home-based preschool program. We are fortunate to have such a talented group joining our team!

Kinder Kef, Pre-K and Kindergarten Programs Union Temple is offering a weekly Kinder Kef, kindergarten, pre-k program (for four-and-fiveyear- old children) every Sunday morning when the Religious School is in session. The program will run from 10 AM - 11:30 AM. Classes begin on September 13th. Kinder Kef's focus will be fun and experiential learning. The children will learn about Shabbat and the Holidays through song, art, games and stories. The fee for this yearlong program is $200 for temple members and $330 for nonmembers. Please contact Ann Landowne at [email protected] to register and for further information

In other news, the new carpeting was installed in the big room, giving the whole school a sharp, clean look. The bathroom also received a partial face lift, adding to the fresh look of the school. We’re in high gear, as we start the school year. Each child has already come in for a pre-preschool visit over the past week. The purpose of this initial contact is to facilitate the child’s bonding with the teachers and to help the child feel at home in the classroom. We start the school year with a phase-in period, in which we divide the kids into smaller groups, and offer an abbreviated school day. During the phase-in period, children get to know their classmates, start to learn the daily routine, and gradually separate from their parents. The phase-in period is a key element to developing a trusting relationship with the teachers. During this period, we demonstrate day in and day out that school is a safe and fun place and that parents will always come back at the end of the school day. We have a lot of important work ahead of us; we understand that the early days of the school year are critical ones, forming the foundation on which the school year rests. -Susan Sporer, Director

Parking will be available for Simchat Torah Friday, October 9th at the Parking Garage on St. John’s Place & Plaza Street (in the new building next door). Tell the attendant you are attending services at Union Temple. 7

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Tzedakah UNION TEMPLE MEMORIAL FUND Donated by .....................................................................................In memory of Patricia Stewart........................................................................................ William Marks and Estelle Marks Oleg Nikhamin and Janna Aulova ........................................................... Zoya Aulova Jean Pierre Halioua.................................................................................. Felicie Halioua Doris Klueger .......................................................................................... Charlotte Klueger Lawrence Steckman................................................................................. Dora Steckman George Hausman .................................................................................... Jerry Hausman Carolyn Jaffe............................................................................................ Louis R. Jaffe

RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND Donated by Anna Budd and George Hausman ........................................................... in appreciation Fran Panely.............................................................................................. in appreciation

HAPPY DAY FUND Donated by Sheila Soloff.......................................................................................................... in honor of daughter Lisa’s engagement to Yonatan Greenstein

SISTERHOOD MEMORIAL FUND.......................In memory of Barbara and Hy Brett............................................................................................. Simon Brett Barbara and Hy Brett............................................................................................. Henrietta Zinc

SISTERHOOD HAPPY DAY FUND Donated by .....................................................................................In honor of Suzanne and Henry Singer....................................................................... the marriage of Benjamin Dreyfus to Elizabeth Richman Suzanne and Henry Singer....................................................................... the marriage of Jade Hutton to William Pike Hortense Hurwitz..................................................................................... The Sisterhood of Union Temple

BROTHERHOOD MEMORIAL FUND.................In memory of Eleanor Forman ....................................................................................... Aaron Forman, past president

SUMMER READING with Sisterhood of Union Temple

Get ready for our first Rosh Chodesh Seder of the Fall Season! Read

THE SEPTEMBERS OF SHIRAZ By Dalia Sofer Then join with us

Sunday, October 18th at 10 AM as we celebrate the role of Jewish women and discuss this inspiring, moving memoir of an unforgettable Iranian Jewish Family Sisterhood of Union Temple - 17 Eastern Parkway - Brooklyn, New York 11229 9

Memorial Plaques Morris Friedman................................................. October 1, 1954 Albert Loeb......................................................... October 2, 1937 Joseph Roschko .................................................. October 2, 2003 Dorothy Hamburger............................................ October 4, 2004 Minnie Lewis...................................................... October 3, 1937 Hannah Bermas .................................................. October 3, 1962 Edythe Sasuly ..................................................... October 3, 1992 Rose Underberg.................................................. October 4, 1998 Harriett David..................................................... October 5, 1922 Dr. Jerome Hurwitz ............................................ October 7, 1998 Sarah Kolikoff .................................................... October 7, 2001 Reta B. Boley ..................................................... October 8, 1969 Cantor Paul Kwartin ........................................... October 8, 1978 Rebecca Frank .................................................... October 9, 1918 Bessie Sterzelbach .............................................. October 9, 1927 Chauncey H. Levy.............................................. October 9, 1992 Jack Epstein...................................................... October 10, 1999 George Hamburger ........................................... October 11, 1926 Toby Shirk........................................................ October 11, 1929 Sgt. Sidney Schnell........................................... October 11, 1944 Donald M. Newman ......................................... October 11, 1979 Leopold Rice .................................................... October 13, 1896 Helen Rosenberg .............................................. October 14, 1947 Anna Rose Levine ............................................ October 14, 1977 Charles Jaffa ..................................................... October 16, 1972 Arnold L. Schukin ........................................ October 16, 2001 Sidney Wasch ................................................... October 17, 1939 Maimie Goodman............................................. October 17, 1953 Adele Kleiman.................................................. October 17, 1997 Lina Leviton ..................................................... October 19, 1964 Norman Minkin ................................................ October 19, 1992 Max Barkan ...................................................... October 20, 1928 Nathanial Bloom............................................... October 20, 1973 Saul Gross ........................................................ October 21, 1930 Nathan Glassheim............................................. October 22, 1945 David Rosen ..................................................... October 22, 1957 Dr. Henry P Boley ............................................ October 22, 1967 Jack Cooper ...................................................... October 22, 1985 Sylvia Hahn ...................................................... October 22, 1989 Minnie Bergman............................................... October 23, 1911 Elizabeth Kovrick............................................. October 23, 1939 Gussie Smallberg.............................................. October 23, 1968 Anna Rosoff ..................................................... October 24, 1944 Dora Kamen ..................................................... October 25, 1962 Frank Brown..................................................... October 25, 1979 Louis Pokodner................................................. October 25, 1992 Emanuel Rodecker ........................................... October 27, 1903 Simon Steinhardt .............................................. October 27, 1918 Rose Salzman ................................................... October 27, 1922 Louis Hamberger.............................................. October 27, 1957

A memorial plaque is a lasting tribute to a loved one. If you wish more information regarding obtaining a plaque in memory of a loved one please e-mail the temple at [email protected] or leave a message with the temple office. 10

The Bulletin Union Temple of Brooklyn 17 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn NY 11238 (718) 638-7600 Fax (718) 783-9151 E-mail [email protected]

Website Uniontemple.org Dr. Linda Henry Goodman Rabbi Maria Dubinsky Student Cantor Dr. Jonathan B. Hall Music Director Dr. Ann Landowne School of Religion Principal Susan Sporer Preschool Director Doris Klueger President Henry Singer Jeffrey Stein Vice Presidents Ellen Kolikoff Secretary Beatrice Hanks Treasurer Mike Baron Hortense R. Hurwitz Honorary Presidents Eleanor Forman Honorary Trustee David Rapheal Bulletin Editor John Golomb Temple Administrator Martin Kasdan Funeral Director (800) 522-0588

Union Temple suggests that its members contact our Funeral Director Martin D. Kasdan of Boulevard-Riverside Chapels 1895 Flatbush Avenue Brooklyn, NY 1-800-522-0588 Proudly maintaining more than 50 years of Temple involvement

October 2009 Sun

Mon

Tue

~

Tishrei—Cheshvan 5770 Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

1

2

3 Shabbat

Sukkot

9:00 AM Shabbat Study Hevre 10:30 AM Morning Service 6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Sukkot Evening Pot Luck Dinner

4

No Religious School

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6

7

8

(see Saturday, October 3)

10:00 AM Social Action & Membership Committees, offsite 7:00 PM “Fiddler”

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No Religious School

6:00 PM Officers

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6:30 PM Adult Education Committee

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14

(see Friday, October 9)

6:00 PM Board of Trustees

7:00 PM “Fiddler” Rehearsal —-Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan—-

18 9:30

AM Religious School 10:00 AM Sisterhood Rosh Chodesh Seder

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20

7:00 PM “Fiddler” Rehearsal

25 9:30 AM Religious School 10:00 AM Brotherhood Book Breakfast 12:00 PM Confirmation 2 7:00 PM “Fiddler”

6:00 PM Religious School Committee

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4:00 PM Religious School Bar/Bat Mitzvah Track 6:30 PM Adult Choir

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27

28 4:00 PM Religious School Bar/Bat Mitzvah Track 6:30 PM Adult Choir 7:00 PM Preschool Parents Potluck Dinner

5:30 PM KinderKef Consecration 6:00 PM Shabbat Festival Dinner 7:30 PM Service: Consecration, Hakafot of Torahs

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22

23

Shabbat Shemini Atzeret Simchat Torah 9:00 AM Shabbat Study Hevre 10:30 AM Morning Service Yizkor

9:00 AM Shabbat Study Hevre 10:30 AM Morning Service 11:15 AM Tot Shabbat

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8:00 PM Late Shabbat Service

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10

17

6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class Program to follow

4:00 PM Religious School Bar/Bat Mitzvah Track 6:30 PM Adult Choir 7:30 PM Religious Practices Committee

10:00AM-3:00PM Brownstone Bklyn Interfaith Families Wkshop—CBE

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9

Luncheon Religious School Family Program

30 Folk

Dancing Synaplex

4:30 PM Kids’ Shabbat Fun 6:00 PM Work Week Wind Down 6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat 7:30 PM Dinner 8:30 PM Dancing

9:00 AM Shabbat Study Hevre 10:30 AM Morning Service 12:00 PM Confirmation 1

31 9:00 AM Shabbat Study Hevre 10:30 AM Morning Service

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Prospect Park Health and Racquet Association In Union Temple Building at 17 Eastern Parkway 718-789-4600 Ask about Special discounts for Union Temple Members

Union Temple of Brooklyn 17 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, NY 11238 (718) 638-7600 [email protected]

OCTOBER 2009 UNION TEMPLE OF BROOKLYN BULLETIN

Simchat Torah Celebration - October 9!