Congregation Beth Mordecai
Congregation Beth Mordecai
An inclusive congregation affiliated with the Conservative Movement.
Your Jewish Home for the Soul!
An inclusive congregation affiliated with the Conservative Movement.
Your Jewish Home for the Soul!
May 20, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
One of the signs of a growing and thriving community is the ability to run multiple (successful) events on the same weekend. Nowhere was this on display better than during the Homecoming Weekend when we had wonderful Friday night and Saturday morning services, a memorable Saturday evening cruise, and a fascinating Sunday brunch (with prior Megillah reading). All of these events were well attended, helped develop bonds among members (and alumni), and showed that we have the requisite size and energy to spend entire weekends together.
But, you might say, that was a special weekend with many months of planning. Can that happen the rest of the year?
If this past weekend was any indication, yes it can. Whether it was[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : growth homecoming weekend Louise Siegel Philadelphia Picnic rabbi rabbi's journal Sherry Weber trip weekends
April 2, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Check out these fabulous pictures from our Homecoming Weekend!
Thanks to member and photographer extraordinaire Stella Morrison for some terrific work!
Category : home Homecoming Weekend Pictures Tag : homecoming weekend pictures
By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Today I will be headed into New York to meet with our cantor for the Cantor Showcase, some members of our Homecoming team, and a colleague who can provide some insight on ways to grow our community. Playing off of the wild success of sharing pictures of our Homecoming on Facebook that has generated many "likes" and "comments," I'll be "journaling" my experience in New York today via our Facebook page along with some short running commentary. Feel free to check www.facebook.com/CongregationBethMordecai throughout the day to see some of the latest pictures and share some of your thoughts on how to take our next steps to grow our striving Jewish Home for the Soul.
Kol Tuv,
Rabbi Ari Saks
P.S. For more commentary on today's meetings you can follow[...]
Category : Cantorial Showcase Homecoming Weekend Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : cantor showcase Cantorial Showcase community building facebook homecoming weekend pictures rabbi rabbi's journal
April 1, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
March 21, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
(3/21/14)
I don't know about you but there aren't many ways we can top last Homecoming Shabbat. The excitement, the energy, the food, the fun, it's hard to replicate what took nearly a year to create.
But that's ok, because Shabbat doesn't need replication; Shabbat just needs to be repeated.
Every week is full of different experiences and different adventures in our lives. Some are good, some are bad, some are indifferent, some are exciting, but each one is unique and adds another layer to the stories of our lives. Shabbat comes at the end of each week to help us process and appreciate the story we just added that week to our unique life experience, to our unending Unique Torah.
So come share[...]
Category : Homecoming Weekend Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Tag : homecoming weekend rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat unique torah
March 19, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
(3/19/14)
What was your favorite part of Homecoming Weekend? The schmoozing on the boat? The reminiscing with old and new friends? We're sharing some of our favorite memories right now on our new Facebook group "We Are Beth Mordecai" so please log on and share your memories.
As I think back in my own mind to all of these memories (and as I read the ones you share online), I can't help but feel one thing...energized. The love and connection that permeated our sanctuary, Safran Hall, the boat, and even the walking tour of Perth Amboy is still present, like God's sukkat shalom in the evening Hashkivenu prayer. Ever present and ever comforting is the feeling generated by the Homecoming Weekend, which leaves me with only one response... to[...]
Category : Homecoming Weekend Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : command energy hashkivenu homecoming weekend rabbi rabbi's journal sukkat shalom
March 18, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Rabbi Ari Saks
*Sermon for Shabbat Zahor/Parashat Tzav – March 15, 2016
Beth Mordecai Homecoming Weekend
In 2002, Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl was brutally murdered by militants in Pakistan. In addition to the sadness and pain felt in hearing the first reports of his murder, there was also a hint of hope, a taste of truth because with his last three words Daniel Pearl spoke a prideful and confident claim that resonates through eternity: I am Jewish.
In the years since his death this confident claim of Jewish identity, of saying proudly I am Jewish, has unified the Jewish people to the point that, despite our many and vast differences, 94% of us in America say that we are proud to be Jewish according[...]
Category : home Homecoming Weekend Purim Rabbi Sermons Tag : alan dershowitz command daniel pearl felicia lilien homecoming weekend i am jewish jewish identity mordecai purim queen esther rabbi sermons tsav tzav
March 17, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
(3/17/14)
Wow.
How can one put into words the feelings from this past Homecoming weekend? Amazing. Inspirational. Energizing. Incredible. Maybe, but even those superlatives don't tell the story of the power of our extended Beth Mordecai community. It's an indescribable and sublime feeling to adequately articulate what this weekend meant or what it did for our community. What word can sum up the connections made between members and present? What description can articulate looking out at a vibrant and present community on Friday night? What expression can adequately summarize the love, connection, and friendship we shared on the cruise? Really there is no word, but if there is any word which can describe the lack of an adequate vocabulary, it would be[...]
Category : Homecoming Weekend Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : beth mordecai extended community community homecoming weekend rabbi rabbi's journal we are beth mordecai wow
March 12, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
(3/14/14)
The Top 5 Reasons I'm Excited for Homecoming continues...
#4 -- Outlining a Vision
Ever since I arrived at Beth Mordecai I've heard of these wonderful stories about the Jewish life that used to be here. I've also heard some remarkable stories from people who aremaking a Jewish home at Beth Mordecai. The past and the present, separated by generations and by memories. What would it look like though to bring our past and our present together? Is there a shared bond based in our different experiences in this holy space to create a united, diverse, and extended Beth Mordecai community? I think there is; I think there is a bond waiting to be made that will create a far reaching, united, and meaningful[...]
Category : Homecoming Weekend Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : community homecoming weekend past present rabbi rabbi's journal united vision
By bethmordecai no comments.
See attachments below for all of the details you need to know about our fabulous Homecoming Weekend beginning on Friday!
Welcome Letter
Schedule of Events
Directions to Cornucopia Cruise Lines
Category : Homecoming Weekend Tag : homecoming weekend
