Shabbat Singing at Rabbi Zelony's

I miss the tradition of snacking around the Shabbat table and singing Shabbat Z'mirot (traditional Shabbat songs) with friends and family. This Shabbat, May 11, there will be singing in my home (467 33rd Avenue between Geary and Clement) from 4-6 p.m.

Come if you don't know the songs, but want to learn. Come if you love to sing. All ages welcome and you do not have to be Jewish to participate. Light refreshments will be provided, but feel free to bring a kosher snack to share or words of Torah to share. I am excited to sing with you!

Shavuot All Night Torah Study

Go all night! join together for late-night Torah study after the Community Shul Crawl on Tue/Wed May 14/15 from midnight (the time when Torah was revealed at Sinai) through Shacharit at dawn. Teachers include: Rabbi Hyman, Rabbi Zelony, Henry Hollander and Michael Thaler. Coffee will be served. Invite your friends.

Schedule:

• 12:00 – 1:00 a.m.
 Shavuot – What is it all about? All the detail you never learned in Hebrew School
 Rabbi Elana Zelony
• 1:00 – 2:00 a.m.
 The 10 Commandments as One long imperative: I Am Your Neighbor (Expansion on the Theme)
 Rabbi Micah Hyman
• 2:00 – 3:00 a.m.
 The Argument of Torah
 Professor Michael Thaler
• 3:00 – 3:15 a.m.
 Stretch
• 3:15 – 4:45 a.m. 
 Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and the Rabbinic struggle between purity in Torah observance and the needs of the people.
 Henry Hollander with comments by Rabbi Micah Hyman
• 4:45 a.m. until completion
 Watch for the dawn and Shavuot morning services

You're Invited to a Private Film Screening

 God Loves Uganda
Wednesday, May 22, 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
SFJAZZ Center, Robert N. Miner Auditorium, 201 Franklin Street, SF, CA

A Private San Francisco film screening in recognition of International Day Against Homophobia & 2013 Harvey Milk DayAmerican Jewish World Service (AJWS) and Horizons Foundation invite you to attend a film screening of God Loves Uganda the powerful documentary that follows a group of American missionaries to that country and examines their impact--both religiously and through the exportation of their values--on the LGBTI community, Ugandan elected officials and influential citizens.

A community forum featuring scholars, human rights funders and religious leaders immediately follows the film.

Refreshments will be available for purchase.
There is no admission charge to attend the event.
Click here to reserve seats today!

For more information, please email AJWS
Congregation Beth Sholom is a proud co-sponsor of this event.

Todah Rabbah

We would like to thank Harry Meyer. We would also like to thank Henry Hollander for his help coordinating our guest speaker, Roni Yavin, this past Sunday.

Yahrzeit Plaque Order Form

If you would like to add a name to our Yahrzeit Memorial Wall in the Sanctuary, we are currently taking orders. The deadline is May 20. Orders will be processed over the summer and will be ready by Rosh Hashanah. If you have any questions please email Julia in the office or call 415-221-8736, ext. 101.

Click here to download the 2013 Yahrzeit Plaque Order Form.

Beneficiary of the Community Thrift Store

Don't forget that CBS is a Beneficiary of the Community Thrift Store! We are lucky to be one of CTS's limited partners. This is a great opportunity to help with fundraising efforts for Beth Sholom and also the perfect time to get rid of your clutter. We need to produce $200 worth of sold items in order to keep our spot on CTS's roster. Please make your donations and indicate that Congregation Beth Sholom (#222) is your charity.

CTS accepts second-hand items, including clothing, jewelry, books, bikes, housewares, furniture, etc., sells them and gives most of the proceeds to charities designated by the donors. Located at 623 Valencia St., between 17th and 18th streets; 415.861.4910. The 'donation door' is around the corner from this address. Check out the website for more information on hours, what kinds of donations are accepted, and pick-up service for larger estates and items. www.communitythriftsf.org.

You do not have to be a member of Beth Sholom so please encourage your friends to donate to CTS and give the goods to #222. Thanks for your support! 

Hazon Grant & Memorial Day Bike Ride 

Please support Ben Kramarz as he represents Beth Sholom in Hazon’s 2013 Golden Gate Bike Ride!

Click here for Ben's donation page.

Ben will be riding this Memorial Day Weekend as part of Beth Sholom’s ongoing collaboration with Hazon, a non-profit that brings together Jewish tradition with environmental projects.  We are still looking for more bicyclists to join the ride, or volunteers to come and help during the weekend.  If you are interested, please email Rabbi Zelony. If you can’t make it, please support Ben’s participation this year with a donation to the Hazon 2013 Bike Ride Fund.

If you would like to participate in the ride or volunteer during the weekend, please register here.

Hazon awarded Beth Sholom a generous grant for our Z’raim gardening project this year.  The Golden Gate Ride is an annual fundraiser that supports their environmental grants.We received a generous grant from Hazon for our Z’raim Garden Project, which will help to expand our existing garden and landscape on Eva Gunther Plaza for our preschool and Hebrew school students, parents, and congregants.  Further developing our small outdoor garden will build community around the shared experience of nurturing life and growing the food that is central to so many of the Jewish traditions we celebrate. The garden will include both edible and non-edible plants and fruit trees, providing opportunities for children and adults to grow food primarily for use at the synagogue and for teachers to develop a curriculum that emphasizes Jewish traditions of stewardship in an urban agricultural context.

Hazon’s grant funds are generated through their annual Bike Ride fundraising events around the country, through which grant recipients raise money for Hazon to distribute to environmental projects in the United States and Israel.  Congregation Beth Sholom is participating in this year’s Golden Gate Bike Ride during Memorial Day weekend, May 24-27 as part of our grant and we encourage everyone in our community to join us for the ride this year to help raise funds that went into our Garden Project and for Hazon’s wider efforts to integrate Jewish tradition and ecological practices.

For more information about Hazon’s Mini Grants and Golden Gate Bike Ride please click here.

To participate in the Golden Gate Bike Ride please contact Rabbi Elana Zelony