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ha odesh y c g d
MAY 2015 | IYAR-SIVAN 5775
Th i s Mo n t h @ C h i z u k A m u n o
Engaging with and Embracing Torah
by Rabbi Debi Wechsler What is the difference between Shavuot and Simhat Torah? Both are festivals. Both celebrate the Torah. Both are observed at the synagogue with special Torah readings. But the similarities end there. Simhat Torah is a tangible holiday for children. We sing and dance with the Torah. We embrace it. It is marked by frivolity, a day to playfully mock the synagogue services. Its readings are about narrative and peshat, the plain meaning of the text. It is joyful in the extreme. It celebrates a beginning engagement with Torah, a statement of commitment that we will stay true to her. Shavuot is an abstract holiday for adults. We study and venerate the Torah. It is a serious day of engagement with text. Its readings are about theology and the nature continued on page 8
KSDS Welcomes Rabbi Schwartz B’rukhim Habaim Krieger Schechter Day School is delighted to announce the appointment of Rabbi Moshe Schwartz as our new Head of School, beginning this coming summer. A passionate and experienced leader, rabbi, and teacher, “Rabbi Moshe” comes to us from Kellman Brown Academy, in Voorhees, NJ, where he has been Head of School for the past five years. He has a proven track record of success with notable achievements in the areas of recruitment and school advancement. His creative and energetic approach, collaborative leadership style, and commitment to continual learning have earned him the respect of faculty, students, parents, and the larger community. We are excited to welcome him, his wife Aviva, and their three children – Elie, Liba, and Rina – to KSDS and Baltimore.
Schedule of Shavuot Services 5775 | 2015 Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah, the content and meaning of Judaism for each of us and our world. It also marks the brighter and pleasant days of spring turning into summer, of a world turning fresh and green with life and beauty. At Chizuk Amuno, Shavuot is a joyous festival of Torah study, creative expression, and happy celebration.
“Great Debates”
We begin Shavuot with an evening of great debates. Participate with us in rehashing some of the great debates from Jewish history and tradition through study and discussion with an array of teachers. Come to argue and learn. Come to discuss and explore. Maybe you’ll win an argument, maybe not, but we know you’ll enjoy the conversation.
Saturday, May 23 Minhah Erev Shavuot Service Join the Debates Tikkun Leil Shavuot – Shavuot Study Evening
7:45 p.m. 8:45 p.m. 9:00 p.m.
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For additional information about the Tikkun Leil Shavuot and Shavuot Service schedules, please refer to the insert in this month’s HaHodesh ~ This Month @ Chizuk Amuno.