Category Archives: Events
ANNOUNCING THE FIRST EVER IDAHO JEWISH CULTURAL FESTIVAL 06/19-23/2013!
EDITOR’S NOTE: We received the following e-mail announcement:
Date: May 8, 2013 4:38:02 PM MDT
Hi:
I just wanted to pass this along in case anyone might like to come visit Boise next month.
As a member of Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel, I’ve developed the first ever Idaho Jewish Cultural Festival. Attached are all the details.
It would be so exciting to see some folks from around Idaho and neighboring states come out to participate in this inaugural event.
Attached is the press release and all the details. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, and feel free to forward this to all the Mishpachah.
Shalom,
Oliver Thompson
Director: Idaho Jewish Cultural Festival
othompson@cableone.net
541-231-4971
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Deli Days Premiers as Expanded Idaho Jewish Cultural Festival with Jewish Food, Cinema, Music, Dance and Art
Volunteers update Deli Days as part of a larger event to enhance appreciation of Jewish culture
[Boise, Idaho] May 7, 2013 – Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel (CABI) announces the Idaho Jewish Cultural Festival (IJCF) June19-23rd, 2013. The new IJCF event commemorates the 10-year anniversary of the move of the historic synagogue from its original location on State Street to its current location on Latah. Deli Days, a cherished longtime tradition for both the synagogue and the community, expands this year into the inaugural Idaho Jewish Cultural Festival. The festival runs from Wednesday, June 19 through Sunday, June 23. Jewish deli food will still be available at the festival’s original centerpiece event, Deli Days, Thursday, June 20 and Friday, June 21. Other events will share Jewish culture with the Treasure Valley, and include a dinner theater performance featuring Jewish folk music, an Art Exhibit, screening of a Jewish-themed film, and workshops on Jewish music and dance.
“Jewish culture is bigger than our historic synagogue on Latah,” said Oliver Thompson, a longtime member of Ahavath Beth Israel, “it’s bigger than Boise, and bigger than the Treasure Valley. The scale, diversity and beauty of Idaho provide a perfect backdrop for the multi-faceted traditions, culture and values represented by Jews today.”
“Other synagogues and Jewish communities around the state have been invited to take part,” Thompson said, “adding a statewide aspect to the festival.”
The Idaho Jewish Cultural Festival presents a variety of events to share this Jewish history with the Treasure Valley. A full list of events can be found on the attached fact sheet. As a volunteer, organizer, and musical performer in Boise for 16 years, what gets Thompson most excited begins with the music. “Ten years ago, as we were moving our synagogue, the Klezmer band, Millie and the Mentshn, came to play and commemorate the event. I was instantly hooked on the music. Ten years later, they are back to help us launch the new Idaho Jewish Cultural Festival.”
The Idaho Jewish Cultural Festival relies on nearly 150 years of Jewish tradition in Idaho. Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel is built on the foundations of the two original Jewish communities in the Treasure Valley. Their campus on Latah Street features the historic synagogue, the oldest synagogue in continuous use west of the Mississippi River, a large education center used for religious school and other Jewish celebrations, and generous outdoor space which hosts a community garden.
Contact:
Amy Russell, Marketing Coordinator
amyannrussell@gmail.com
208-850-5802
Oliver Thompson, IJCF Director
othompson@cableone.net
541-231-4971
IJCF Fact Sheet
Wed, June 19th: Jewish Dinner Theater
Sapphire Room, Riverside Hotel, 2900 W. Chinden Blvd
Doors open at 6:00pm, Dinner and Show at 6:30pm
Tickets: $35, Visit: http://dontgoawayhungry.brownpapertickets.com
A multi-media presentation, “Heavy Mettle: From Shtetl to Tin Pan Alley,” by Millie & the Mentshn. The story of Jewish immigrant families as their traditional Klezmer music quickly blended with sounds of the New World. Includes a buffet dinner; followed by Klezmer music & dancing. Second set dancing only tickets available, visit Brown Paper Tickets for more info.
Thurs & Fri, June 20-21: Deli Days
Ahavath Beth Israel, 11 N. Latah
11am-8pm, Free and Open to the public.
Performances will feature Millie & the Mentshn: 12:30-1:30, 5:45-6:30, & 6:45-7:30 on both days. Other entertainment will be announced. Traditional Jewish Deli food will be sold, see the full menu on right.
Sat, June 22nd: Israeli Art Exhibit
Boise Art Museum, 670 Julia Davis Drive
Museum Hours: 10am-5pm.
Art Exhibit opening of African-American artist Kehinde Wiley and his portraits of Israeli men from 2010. For more on the artist and the exhibit, see: http://boiseartmuseum.org/exhibit/future.php.
Sat, June 22nd: Music and Dance workshop
Boise Art Museum, 670 Julia Davis Drive
2:00-3:30pm, Free and Open to the public.
This workshop features a live band playing traditional Jewish folk melodies. A professional Jewish folk dance instructor will lead the workshop for dancers of all levels.
Sat, June 22nd: Jewish Music Concert
Boise Art Museum, 670 Julia Davis Drive
6:30-8pm: Free with paid BAM admission.
In conjunction with the Kehinde Wiley exhibit gala opening event, a performance by Millie & the Mentshn will cap off the evening.
Sat, June 22nd: Havdallah in the Park
Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial
8:30pm, Come participate in the Jewish ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat (the Sabbath). This short event represents the demarcation between the “normal” work week and the day of rest and features prayer, singing and community as we wish each other “a week of peace.”
Sun, June 23rd: Jewish Films at the Flicks
The Flicks, 646 Fulton Street
12:30pm, Tickets TBD
Showing “The Rabbi’s Cat,” a French animated film, tells the story of a rabbi’s cat that learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot, and expresses his desire to convert to Judaism.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1355638/
About Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel
A progressive synagogue located at 11 N. Latah Street. The historic synagogue building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was moved from its original State Street location in 2003. Video of the move is available on the DVD “The Big Move: The Journey of Boise’s Historic Synagogue.
http://www.ahavathbethisrael.org/
Scout Shabbat marked this weekend
At services this coming Friday night (7:30 p.m. at the Bethel, 1009 18th Ave SW), we will mark the occasion of Scout Shabbat. Any Scout or Scouter attending in uniform will be able to wear the Scout Shabbat patch on their uniform. Patches will be available at services.
The 12th point of the Scout Law confirms that a Scout is Reverent. Part of the way that Scouts show their Reverence is to annually attend a Scout Sunday or Scout Shabbat observance.
The Scout Shabbat program is organized by the National Jewish Committee on Scouting. Aitz Chaim congregant Diane Sherick is our local Montana chapter chair of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting. More information can be found at jewishscouting.org.
MAZAL TOV! IT’S A BOY!
Dear Friends,
With Gratitude to Hashem we are pleased to announce that as of earlier today, a precious newborn baby boy has joined our family.
As the adoption process is a lenghty one, the Bris of our baby son will take place on Monday at 1:30 PM in Baltimore, MD. If you can make it, we’d be honored, if not, we hope you can join us for the celebration we will host for him in Montana sometime soon.
Baby Boy Bruk has a registry at http://www.Diapers.com
We are very excited to welcome this new addition to our family and look forward to raising him to Torah, Chupah and good deeds.
May we share in each others Simchos.
May we be collectively blessed with joy in our families and share happy occasions together.
Rabbi Chaim, Chavie, Chaya and Zeesy
REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM — CLASS AT THE GREAT FALLS LIBRARY
EDITOR’S NOTE: Karen Semple has asked us to distribute the following information.
Below is a flier for a very good class that you may wish to share with the Great Falls Jewish Community. I know it’s on a Saturday, but it is a VERY excellent class with a lot of good info put on by an experienced NRA Instructor. Lots of good demonstrations!
Safety experts agree the single most important step toward ensuring your personal safety
is making the conscious decision to Refuse To Be A Victim®. You stand a much better
chance of preventing criminal attack if you develop a safety plan before you need it.
That is why the National Rifle Association is offering the Refuse To Be A Victim®crime
prevention seminar.
The seminar teaches easy-to-understand methods you can use to increase awareness and
prevent criminal confrontation. In just three hours, you will get the tools you need to
develop your own personal safety strategy, including information about:
The Psychology of the Criminal Mind
Personal Awareness Strategies
Home & Phone Security
Automobile & Travel Security
Personal & Technological Security
Self-Defense Devices and Training Options
Attendees receive a student manual, handouts, and a resource CD
Date: Saturday, May 11th
Time: 2-5:45PM
Location: Great Falls Library; Large Meeting Room;301 2nd Avenue North, Great Falls
Cost: $20/person or $60/agency or close family for 4+ attendees.
Open to all with an interest in crime prevention
To register or for more information, call 422.5019 ; Pre-registration
is requested. To register: go to
http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx. Choose: NRA
Refuse To..; Choose: Montana, Click: search. Then register.
STUDENT RABBI MIRIAM FARBER’S VISIT TO GREAT FALLS IS THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 19!
Student Rabbi Miriam Farber’s next visit to Great Falls is fast approaching.
Todah Robah to the following congregation members who have offered their hospitality to Rabbi Miriam Farber the week end of April 19.
- Friday, April 19: Airport pickup for Student Rabbi Miriam Farber – Marty Foxman
- Friday evening dinner host(s) – Gary and Mimi Wolf
- Friday evening Oneg – Laura Weiss
- Saturday, April 20: lunch after adult study – Stephen Boyd
There will be Kabalaat Shabbat services Friday evening at 7:30 P.M. at The Bethel, and an adult study time at 10:00 A.M. Saturday morning, April 20, also at The Bethel.
There will also be a milchig (dairy) potluck at the Bethel on Saturday evening at 5:30 P.M., followed by adult discussion. Please bring a dairy dish to share.
Student Rabbi Miriam Farber’s final visit of 5773 will be the week end of May 10, Mother’s Day week end.
Shabbat Shalom,
Joy Breslauer and Aaron Weissman, editor@aitzchaim.com
Make your Reservations for the Community Passover Seder NOW!
Traditional arrangement of symbolic foods on a Passover Seder Plate (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Our community Passover seder is coming up in only two weeks! The seder will be held on the evening of Tuesday, March 26 at the meeting room at Clark and Lewie’s restaurant, 7th Street and 1st Ave South.
We need your RSVP as soon as possible! You can make your reservation on our website, by visiting https://aitzchaim.com/pesach-seder-reservations/, by sending Laura Weiss an email at president@aitzchaim.com or by calling her at 452-8621.
URJ CAMP KALSMAN TO LAUNCH JEWISH TEEN FOUNDATION THIS SUMMER
URJ Camp Kalsman JTFN! Partnership Announced.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Berkman, Director 425.284.4484 dberkman@urj.org
Naomi Skop Richter, Jewish Teen Funders Network 212.726.0177 x215 naomi@jfunders.org
URJ CAMP KALSMAN TO LAUNCH JEWISH TEEN FOUNDATION THIS SUMMER
Bellevue, WA – March 6, 2013 – URJ Camp Kalsman was selected as one of 38 North
American summer camps to participate in the 2013 Camp Philanthropy Program of the Jewish
Teen Funders Network (JTFN), a youth philanthropy project of the Jewish Funders Network.
Through the JTFN Camp Philanthropy Program, Camp Kalsman will create a Jewish teen
foundation, in which campers will work together as a “foundation board,” giving away real
money to non-profit organizations of their choosing.
Located on 299 acres outside of Arlington, WA, URJ Camp Kalsman serves campers from the
greater Pacific Northwest community, from Oregon to British Columbia, Alaska to Montana,
Washington state, and beyond. Committed to core values of respect, peace, kindness, and our
relationship to teva (nature), we build a warm and caring community where campers have fun
and experience the excitement and warmth of belonging to a Reform Jewish community.
Recognizing the potential of Jewish youth philanthropy programs to empower and educate
teens about effective philanthropy and Jewish values, JTFN awarded 38 grants to Jewish
summer camps committed to creating high quality Jewish teen philanthropy programs. In
addition to a grant of $1,000, JTFN will work closely with grantees on program development and
staff training.
Through the grantmaking process, campers will review grant proposals from non-profit
organizations, visit potential grantees, and determine which organizations to support; the
philanthropists-in-training will examine Jewish texts, traditions, and values related to giving. The
program encourages campers to “learn by giving” and will generate at least $38,000 in grants,
with each teen foundation awarding a minimum of $1,000. The program is generously supported
by the Maimonides Fund.
Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO, Foundation for Jewish Camp sees the pilot program as a valuable
contribution to the field of Jewish summer camping. “FJC sees this JTFN program as a
wonderful opportunity for campers to experience the act and the impact of Tzedakah on their
world. Besides benefiting the recipients, the campers are learning valuable life lessons of
responsibility and teamwork and gaining insight into the diversity of the non-profit world.”
URJ CAMP KALSMAN TO LAUNCH JEWISH TEEN FOUNDATION THIS SUMMER
Indeed, Camp Director David Berkman appreciates the power of Jewish youth philanthropy. “At
Kalsman our purpose is to create committed lifelong Jews. Campers are concerned about and
invested in the world around them. Our responsibility, therefore, is to help them learn to be
leaders in the community, which means the giving of time, of energy, and of money. With the
help of JTFN, our campers and staff will be better prepared to be the Jewish leaders of
tomorrow,” he said.
About URJ Camp Kalsman’s Project
About a dozen 11th graders, who are selected to be summer 2013 Camp Kalsman Counselors-
in-Training (CIT), will become the camp’s very first cadre of “philanthropists-in-training.” In
addition to learning how to be future Jewish camp counselors, the CITs will devote themselves
to learning about and alleviating food insecurity. The teenage grantmakers will collect donations
of food from camper families, as well as harvest fruits and vegetables from the gardens and
trees in camp, for delivery to a local food bank. The CITs will also visit area nonprofits to gain a
firsthand perspective on the power of tzedakah (justice, “charity”) and Gemilut Chasadim (acts
of loving kindness).
About Jewish Teen Funders Network
The mission of the Jewish Teen Funders Network (JTFN) is to provide Jewish teens with hands-
on opportunities to engage in collective philanthropic giving with their peers, guided by Jewish
values. A program of the Jewish Funders Network, JTFN is committed to increasing the number
of Jewish youth philanthropy programs around the country, and the number of teens involved in
these programs. JTFN also aims to enhance the Jewish educational value of these programs by
providing curricular and programmatic resources on Jewish values and philanthropy.
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events.
• AITZ CHAIM PASSOVER SEDER: Tuesday, March 26, second night of Passover, at Clark and Lewie’s. More information to follow.
• STUDENT RABBI Miriam Farber returns to Great falls April 19-21; May 10-12.
The Aitz Chaim Ram's Horn 