Weekly Announcements, 7/14

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday, July 17–10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Interfaith Community Action Forum on Homelessness at Eastminster Presbyterian Church (Thompson Hall), 3200 Trenholm Rd. Keynote address and Q&A by Rev. Michael Elliott. Dr. Moss Blachman will be giving a presentation on “The Blueprint to Address Homelessness” and Action Plan. RSVP for this conference by calling Julie McDaniel at 256-1654 ext. 123.

Wednesday, July 18–7 p.m. Jewish Women’s Book Club meeting in the library.

Sunday, July 22–11 a.m. Unveiling of the stone for Harvey Golden at Hebrew Benevolent Cemetery.

Monday, July 23–7:30 p.m. Mourning the brokenness of our world. Seudah Mafseket (meal before the fast), presentation by David Reisman & Michal Rubin on visiting the horrors of Eastern Europe; Tisha B'Av service & reading of the Book of Lamentations.

Tuesday, July 24–6:15 p.m. Fast of Tisha B'Av, mourning the brokenness of the world,from sundown Monday through sundown Tuesday.It is customary to contribute the money you would have spent on food to tzedakah; please bring or send in a check written out to "MAZON" to the office for this amount, and we will send a combined donation to fight hunger., as on regular weekdays, will be held at 6:15 p.m., and will include special prayers for Tisha B'Av.

Saturday, July 28–Shabbat services; Guest speakers: Lauren Kransen & Suzanne Schwechter from American Jewish World Services, to discuss Jewish teachings related to AIDS awareness education and other contemporary social issues.

Friday, August 3–Shayna Brannock Bat Mitzvah

Saturday, August 4–Shayna Brannock Bat Mitzvah

The Three Weeks:
The three weeks from the 17th of Tammuz (July 3rd) until the fast of Tisha B’Av (July 24) are a time during which we mourn the destruction of Jerusalem and, in a larger sense, the brokenness throughout the world. During the three weeks, we refrain from:
Haircuts or shaving (except for a job, or for Shabbat)
Getting married or participating in a wedding;
Listening to music and dancing;
Reciting shehecheyanu (e.g. over new clothes, car, fruit).

During the nine days starting with the first of Av (July 16), we refrain from eating meat & wine.
Tisha B’Av (July 24) is a public fast, from sundown Monday through Tuesday at dark. The following are also prohibited:
Washing⁄bathing
Wearing leather shoes
Marital intimacy
Anointing oneself (i.e. putting oil in one’s hair)

If you cannot make it to services, you can still observe Tisha B’Av by fasting, reading the book of Lamentations, and donating the money you saved by fasting to feed the hungry.

Tikkun olam:

The Cooperative Ministry 2007 "Helping Students Succeed" School Supply Drive. We have placed a box in the foyer at Beth Shalom to collect school supplies for the Cooperative Ministry's annual drive. The box will remain through Monday, July 16th. A list of needed items is: Pencils, dry erase markers, pens, highlighters, crayons, rulers, glue sticks, notebook paper, spiral notebooks, composition journals, 3-ring binders (2" or less), tablets, 3 prong pocket folders, hand sanitizer, boxes of tissue..... Please call Penny Blachman at 788-8597 with any questions.

The leaders of MAIN (Midlands Area Interfaith Network) are promoting a food drive for Harvest Hope Food Bank, July 15 to August 15. There will be a Harvest Hope food barrel in the lobby at Beth Shalom Synagogue. Harvest Hope will pick up the donations August 15th and deliver the food to Harvest Hope. Please bring your donations of non-perishable food items and put them in the barrel during the four weeks of the drive. Harvest Hope, as you know from news reports, had the misfortune of losing a bunch of food because of a water line break earlier this summer. They are still trying to recover and this effort will be of enormous benefit to them and the hungry in our community. Thank you for helping us fight hunger in Columbia!