Melissa Schapiro

About Melissa Schapiro

http://bethisraelbellingham.org

Posts by Melissa Schapiro:

Author Event July 6

By in Uncategorised, Uncategorized

final cover for May 1 launch

Remarkable Resilience: The Life and Legacy of Noémi Bán Beyond the Holocaust, by Diane M. Sue

Join us at Congregation Beth Israel for a presentation on this book celebrating the amazing life of Noémi Bán, a Holocaust survivor who escaped into Austria shortly after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. She eventually found the courage to return to Auschwitz and to share her story. Remarkable Resilience: The Life and Legacy of Noémi Ban Beyond the Holocaust, written in Noémi’s voice by one of her closest friends, preserves Noémi’s messages of hope and healing.

This event, in collaboration with Village Books, is free but we do ask that you register to reserve your seat. Please note that masks are required by all at this event.

Register for the event here

Annual Meeting

By in Members Only

Annual Meeting Materials

Annual Meeting Materials

Special History Class

By in Uncategorised, Uncategorized

rabbi shupack's class (Flyer)

8 Wednesdays, July 13 – August  31, 2022
6:30 to 8 p.m.

Join us for an engaging, often surprising journey from Patriarchs to Prophets as we study the ways these two religions are intimately linked sometimes in brotherhood sometimes in bloodshed. Click on image below to register:

Passover Greetings 2022

By in Passover

unnamed
April 12, 2022
Dear Friends,
It’s hard to believe that Pesach is just a few days away. I hope all of your preparations are going well, from cleaning cupboards to making food. (Matzah candy-making commences soon at the Samuels household.) This continues to be one of my favorite times of the year. While I am saddened that our 2nd Night Community seder will once again be virtual, I am very much looking forward to seeing each of you, even if that means in little boxes on my computer screen. I am confident we will be back in person at the synagogue for the 2nd night next year. (In case you’re wondering, that will be Thursday, April 6, 2023.)
Part of the fun of a seder is being in company with others. While Covid-19 is far from over, it seems as though more and more people are feeling comfortable socializing in groups again. While we weren’t able to match people searching for a seat at a seder table last year with hosts, perhaps we can do that this time around. If you are looking for a 1st night seder to join or if you have extra seats at your table, please email office@bethisraelbellingham.org or call 360-733-8890 by Friday morning and we will do our best to match you up. Even when we are apart we can still create community.
One of the reasons why I love Pesach so much is that each home is expected to tinker with the seder in ways to make it most enjoyable and meaningful. Below are some tips, including some personal ones, that just might enhance your seder this year.
  1. Enliven your seder with musical instruments from shakers to ukuleles or whatever you have at home. Let’s follow Miriam’s lead and make some music as we celebrate our freedom.
  2. Pass out different haggadot to your guests. Each haggadah follows the same order (seder), so why not hear a multitude of readings.
  3. Have each guest sign their haggadah. This is a wonderful custom so you can look back over the years and remember who joined you.
  4. Begin your seder in the living room where you can truly recline. Then, move over to the dining room table for shulchan orech, the festive meal.
  5. Pass out scallions to each guest and encourage everyone to playfully whip one another prior to the singing of deyenu. This is one of my family’s favorite customs that originates in the Middle East.
  6. Bring new traditions to your seder. The last thing you want is a boring seder. Spice it up with new customs. Try the African custom of walking around the seder table holding a piece of matzah over your head prior to sitting down.
  7. Don’t read the haggadah word for word. Enhance your seder by giving your own commentary on a haggadah reading or section.
  8. Lastly, connect our narrative to the stories of the present day and ask yourselves how we can alleviate a little bit of the suffering others are experiencing. The seder not only reminds us of our history, but perhaps more importantly, it urges us to free those in constricting places.
Andrea Shupack and I look forward to celebrating with you on Saturday evening at 5:30 pm. Follow this link below.
Meeting ID: 842 1193 0745 Passcode: 9msMX7
Next year together again!
Chag pesach samech,
Rabbi Joshua Samuels

End of Life Workshops

By in Death / Bereavement

The three-part End of Life planning workshops, presented by the Care Committee, are available to view online.
The first presentation on February 20, 2022, by Dr. Bill Lombard:
The second presentation DWD (Death With Dignity), MAiD (Medical Aid in Dying) and VSED (Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking), by Nancy Simmers, RN, and Rabbi Samuels, can be viewed by clicking here.
Nancy Simmers is a volunteer for End of Life Washington and co-founder and coordinator of VSED Resources Northwest, a non-profit that provides information, counsel, and resources about Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking. See www.endoflifewa.org and www.vsedresources.com for more information
Advance Care Planning/Living Will, with Hillary Walker, with slides (same workshop as one offered by Adrienne Doucette), can be viewed here.

Shanah Tovah 5782

By in High Holy Days

shofarsunset

August 23, 2021

Shalom Friends,

Whether you are a life-long member or new to Congregation Beth Israel, we want to welcome you to our wonderful community and wish you a Shanah Tovah.

We are very excited to be offering hybrid services during the upcoming High Holy Days. What does this mean? You will have the choice of attending services either in person or remotely via Zoom. After much consultation with our COVID Task Force, we feel confident that we can provide a safe space for congregants to worship together. And for those who are hesitant, we encourage you to join us virtually. Either way, we are looking forward to seeing you.

The Board of Directors has recently adopted specific guidelines for in-person worshippers to follow while on the CBI campus. Please read these carefully. We will have ushers helping to enforce these rules.

COVID Reopening Task Force PLAN FOR HIGH HOLY DAYS
1. All attendees 12 years and older will be fully vaccinated.
2. All attendees will wear a mask covering both mouth and nose.
3. All attendees will sign in with contact information (name, phone number or e-mail address).
4. Social distancing will be maintained; households/relatives will be seated together as a ‘pod’ by ushers.
5. Prayerbooks will be placed on chairs prior to services.
6. Ushers will assist with having Family Service attendees exit onto the patio at the conclusion of the Family Service.
7. Tents/canopies will be set up on the patio/plaza for overflow and for children.
8. The shofar will be sounded at the patio/plaza doors facing the outside.
9. Aliyahs will be restricted to members of one household each; all those performing honors during a service must be in the sanctuary.
10. Ushers will assist with seating and with exiting, and with security, (especially at the open patio/plaza doors).
11. The front door and the 4 patio/plaza doors will remain open and the building fan will be on, for maximum ventilation.
12. Children under 12 years old will be allowed to attend all services but will be encouraged to limit attendance to the Family Service and the concluding service when the shofars are sounded, if at all possible/feasible.

We know there a lot of rules to follow. But as Jews, we love rules! After all, we are observing the High Holy Days because we are commanded to. In all seriousness, the safety of our community is of the utmost importance to us and we feel confident that however you worship with us, you will have a safe and meaningful experience.

For those planning on attending virtually, if you would like to have a machzor to follow along with, these are the following days when you can pick one up at the synagogue for your family to share.
……..Wednesday, August 25 12:00 – 4:00 pm
……..Friday, August 27 1:00 – 3:00 pm
……..Monday, August 30 12:00 – 4:00 pm
……..Wednesday, September 1 12:00 – 4:00 pm

For those planning on attending in person, we ask that you let us know which services you will be going to and how many there will be in your party. Contact the office for a link to an online form.

Lastly, this link will take you to our High Holy Day schedule. Contact the office for Zoom links.

We are grateful for your support (and patience) during this time and we hope that you and your loved ones have a very sweet year ahead, filled with blessings, good health, and peace.

Josh Greenberg, President
Rabbi Joshua Samuels

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HOW TO CONTACT US

Congregation Beth Israel
751 San Juan Boulevard 
Bellingham, Washington 98229 
Phone: (360) 733-8890

Email: office@bethisraelbellingham.org

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Shabbat Times

Yom Shlishi, 29 Sivan 5782

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