The Charlotte Jewish News - March 2021 - Page 18
Temple Kol Ami Book Club Thrives During Pandemic By Shari Baum Reading and learning are certainly central tenets of Judaism. Each Sabbath, a portion from the Torah and the Prophets is read. On Purim, we read the Megillat Esther, and on Passover we repeat the story of our redemption from slavery in the Haggadah. All of this reading is done in a communal setting that encourages debate, analysis, and lively interaction. Thus, with this Jewish value of reading and learning, the Temple Kol Ami book club was started in February 2020 with our inaugural book “Gateway to the Moon.” Pre-pandemic, we could meet in person. However, we have not let a pesky virus impede our love for reading and discussions. Luckily, to quote Steven King, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” Our book club meetings have carried
on through Zoom, and we could even have a lovely outdoors, socially distanced gathering on a crisp, fall afternoon. Our books have run the gamut from Jewish historical fiction to personal memoirs. We have decided that all book selections do not need to have Jewish content, but we hopefully have great content to engender a thought-provoking discussion. Most recently, we had a wonderful discourse on “Finding Chika” by Mitch Albom (last year’s Main Event speaker) led by Rabbi Bruce Aft. Next up is the #1 New York Times bestseller “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett. We will meet via Zoom on March 21 at 7 p.m. and would love for you to join us! Please email us at yorksynagogue@gmail.com for the Zoom link. Book club meetings are generally every
two months, so keep an eye on our calendar at www.templekolamisc.org for future dates and book selections. If you live in York County or the Ballantyne area, Temple Kol Ami might be the place for you! We are a warm and inclusive Re-
form congregation comprising Jews from diverse backgrounds. We hope you will join us soon at one of our virtual services (first and third Fridays of the month) and find your Jewish home in our welcoming community.
“TheVanishing Half” is Temple Kol Ami’s book club pick for March.
Get Excited for Passover 5781 With Temple Beth El By Rabbi Dusty Klass Temple Beth El Crisis breeds creativity. While all of us sitting at our Zoom seder tables last year hoped Passover 2021 would look different from Passover 2020, we will still gather over Zoom for seder and services. However, a year of pandemic living has taught us all a couple of things, and we are excited to get even more creative with all of you for Passover this year! Our TBECLT Gateway will serve as our Passover hub, as it
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has for many of our 5781 holidays thus far. It will be fully updated with events and programming, along with seder supplements and other resources for planning your own seder, including a particularly special handout for kids (of all ages) to use as part of our community second night seder. We will kick off our Passover celebrations on Sunday, March 21. Mark your calendars for that afternoon and join us for our first-ever Parking Lot Passover: A Drive-Through Seder Experience! Prepare to start Passover on the right foot — er, wheel? — by driving through the different steps of the seder, and leave with treats to help you celebrate at home. On Sunday, March 28, the first full day of Passover itself, we will begin with a Festival Morning Service at 10:30 a.m. and continue with a Passover SingAlong with Ms. Patty at 4 p.m., followed by our Temple Beth El Second Night Seder at 6 p.m. Who will find the afikomen first? You have the whole week to find out — throughout the holiday, all are invited to join in our community-wide Afikomen Scavenger Hunt, presented by our teen youth group, LIBERTY.
We will also join together a number of times to celebrate Passover on Facebook Live. Potential events include an exploration of all of the modern-day additions to the seder plate, a debate about the “right” way to make matzah brei (should it be savory or sweet? The world may never decide), a brainstorm of our favorite matzah pizza toppings, and a charoset taste test. On Saturday, April 3 at 10:30 a.m. we will gather for a Shabbat Morning and Festival Service with Yizkor — an opportunity to honor and remember all those whose place at the seder table we miss. When the sun goes down that evening, we will offer a final toast to freedom from slavery with a Post-Passover Havdalah Pizza and Pinot. Chag Sameach – Happy Passover to all!
