So many great things this week. Hurray and see you soon!

Dear friends,

We'd like to extend a hearty yasher koach (meaning figuratively ''good going," in Jewspeak) to everyone who participated in Project Homeless Connect this past Monday. We hope to collaborate with PHC again and support the excellent work that they do in the Cities.

This weekend, we have a number of exciting events ahead of us. First off, we hope you'll come by and warm up with a l'chaim at our December Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat and vegetarian potluck dinner, beginning 8pm this Friday at Josh's place. (To find out who's bringing what, please consult our list, which we will continue to update, below. The theme is hearty and filling)

Secondly, this Sunday we have our Hanukkah Shopping Excursion, over at Calhoun Square. Let's meet in front of the indoor entrance of Kitchen Window (one of the stores there) at 3:30pm. Plan for ~90 minutes of mind-blowing shopping, and then we'll reconvene at Amazing Thailand for our Winter Programming Committee Dinner at 6:30pm.  Please come with your ideas, calendars, and coupons, if you have them (actually, jk. actually, do come with them, if you have ;-)). As always, everyone is welcome to attend.

Awesome.


If you're coming Friday (and we very much hope you will!), here's who's bringing what:

Food: Please note: if you're bringing wine and/or challah, you must arrive on time

Pre-dinner snack food (we won't be eating dinner right away: this is important)_____

Wine________(Raysh; Cheylenna's bringing grape juice)

Challah (at least 2)___________(Josh)

Soup_________(Madeline's bringing potato soup)

Salad_________(Rachael)

Drinks (water, soda, juice etc.)________

Side dish_________(Danielle's bringing teriyaki green beans)

Main course___________(Erika + guest; Laura and Joel are bringing a pasta dish) 

Dessert__________

General stuff:

Plastic or Paper Cutlery__________

Plastic or Paper Cups___________

Plastic or Paper Plates__________(Josh)

Napkins_______________

Tea-lights________(Raysh)

Transliterated Kabbalat Shabbat song sheets______ (Raysh)

Bencher with Kiddush: (Raysh)

Extra kippot:_____ (Raysh)

l'shalom,
Raysh

November Shabbat Shindig

Greetings, friends!  It was great fun seeing you at the Motzei Shabbat movie night party last Saturday night. We hope you're keeping warm despite the cooler temps (although still, 40 degrees in MN this time of the year is not nearly as bad as it could be!).

We look forward to hanging with you this coming Friday night, 7:30pm @ Madeline's apartment for our November "pre-Thanksgiving" Kabbalat Shabbat and potluck dinner. Wanna test-drive some of the recipes you've been thinking about for Thanksgiving? What better way than to run it by us!


Here's Who's Bringing What:

Food: Please note: if you're bringing wine and/or challah, you must arrive on time

Pre-dinner snack food (we won't be eating dinner right away: this is important)_____(Alex and Doron are bringing hummus; Dana's bringing cheese & pesto spread with crackers)

Wine________ (Raysh)

Challah (at least 2)___________(Cara)

Soup_________(Katy's bringing pumpkin soup)

Salad_________(Rory and Jory; Osnat)

Drinks (water, soda, juice etc.)________(Cara's bringing apple cider)

Side dish_________(Laura and Joel are bringing chili and cornbread muffins; Melissa and Jeff are bringing a quinoa craisin dish)

Main course___________(Mila's bringing a lemon wine risotto dish)

Dessert__________(Madeline; Nick's bringing dessert wine)

General stuff:

Plastic or Paper Cutlery__________(Monica)

Plastic or Paper Cups___________(Monica)

Plastic or Paper Plates__________(Monica)

Napkins_______________

Tea-lights________(Raysh)

Transliterated Kabbalat Shabbat song sheets______ (Raysh)

Bencher with Kiddush: (Raysh)

Extra kippot:_____ (Raysh)

October Shabbat Gathering: THIS Friday

Hello friends!

After a whirlwind of holiday activity, we can now look forward to kicking it regular Shabbat style, with song, wine, and women (yes, we have many females in our lofty ranks!)...aaaaand food!

The mostly arbitrary theme of this coming Shabbat shindig is "fancy shmancy." Decide for yourself what that means and we'll play along. It could be how you and/or the food you bring appears, etc. etc.

Most important is your company, so RSVP at your soonest convenience, since space is limited.  Please feel free to bring new friends, just let us know the # you're expecting and what you're bringing to share.

To that end, let's fill out this list, ja?

Food: Please note: if you're bringing wine and/or challah, you must arrive on time

Pre-dinner snack food (we won't be eating dinner right away: this is important)_____

Wine________(Madeline + 2 guests)

Challah (at least 2)___________(Madeline + 2 guests)

Soup_________(Raysh)

Salad_________

Drinks (water, soda, juice etc.)________

Side dish_________(Melissa's bringing baked brie; Sheryl's bringing something with hypoallergenic noodles)

Main course___________(Laura's bringing beet pasta; Miriam's bringing stuffed peppers)

Dessert____________(Mila's bringing a dessert--probably a pie; Katy's bringing a pear dish; Raysh's bringing a Ben & Jerry's ice cream cake)

General stuff:

Plastic or Paper Cutlery__________

Plastic or Paper Cups___________

Plastic or Paper Plates__________

Napkins_______________

Tea-lights________(Raysh)

Transliterated Kabbalat Shabbat song sheets______ (Raysh)

Bencher with Kiddush: (Raysh)

Extra kippot:_____ (Raysh)

Looking forward to welcoming in Shabbat together. Moadim l'simcha! (May we have occasion to rejoice!)
Raysh 

Sukkah building gathering (tomorrow!) and party next week

Dear friends,

I hope everyone had a meaningful YK, and that this finds you replenished food-wise!  We have two exciting Sukkot-related events coming up, and we look forward to celebrating with you.

Tomorrow, at Jon and Chaya's house (3321 Pillsbury Ave S--in their backyard, to be precise), we'll build the UH sukkah. Please arrive by 4pm to lend a hand and then kick back and hang out afterwards. 

Then, on Tuesday, October 18, at 7:30pm, we hope you can stop by for a l'chaim and some quality dessert fare as we celebrate Sukkot. This shindig will be potluck style, so please bring some delicious nosh and/or spirited beverage to share. If you have an extra easily portable chair or two, please bring that along.  As always, new friends are welcome too!


Shavua tov and a good year to all,
Raysh

Preparing for the New Year

Hey friends.  As we gear up for the new Jewish year of 5772, we have the privilege of reflecting back on a year filled with new connections, good times, and meaningful memories created together. I want to take this opportunity to express thanks to everyone in the havurah. Each of you has helped us improve and grow in a significant way, and I hope we continue to cultivate that positive energy as we move forward into the new year.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out and welcomed new members into our community; to all who have opened up their living space to host a gathering; to everyone who has actively pursued local volunteering opportunities; to everyone who has participated in planning meetings--in short, we are immensely grateful to each of you for your active participation.

May the new year present us with even more opportunities to celebrate each others' triumphs together as a community.

Our first two events of the new Jewish year will be taking place on Thursday, September 29.  At 4:30pm, we will gather for Tashlikh by Lake of the Isles, over on the grassy area between the street and Lake of the Isles, at the intersection of W 27th St. & Lake of the Isles Parkway E.
You don't need to RSVP for Tashlikh, but just be sure to arrive promptly at 4:30pm, as it's a very short service/ritual, and we will head over to Joyce shortly thereafter to begin setting up for dinner. We're doing this mostly BYOB (=bring your own breadcrumbs), but I might have some extra (but hey, I have a load of sins to deal with, so you might want to bring your own).


Which brings us to [drumroll, please]...2nd Night Rosh Hashanah Dinner. For this event, we are asking you do RSVP here and/or to uptownhavurah@gmail.com as soon as you can, indicating both how many people are in your party and what you'll be bringing. We'll keep updating the list below for your reference. Also feel free to add to the comments section below. You can also RSVP on facebook.


Here's everything you need to know:
What:  The Uptown Havurah Rosh HaShanah Dinner
When: 6:30pm, Thursday, September 29th
Where: In the parlor room of the Joyce United Methodist Church, 1219 W. 31st Street, Minneapolis MN 55408
What to bring:
1) something to share for the vegetarian potluck,
2) a non-perishable item for the food shelf collection, and
3) (either before or after the holiday), we encourage all attendees to contribute towards Joyce's building repair fund, as their roof recently sustained serious damage after lightening hit their chimney this summer. Joyce is being very generous by allowing us to share their space, and we would like to gratefully acknowledge their kindness.
RSVP with # of attendees and what you're bringing to uptownhavurah@gmail.com

Everyone is welcome and we hope you can join us!


Shanah tovah u'mitukah,
Raysh






(Quick note: if you're thinking of ideas for what to bring, here are some traditional foods:

*apples and honey
*pomegranates
*'new' (usu. rare) fruits
*round challah
*kosher wine
*anything sweet!

We're thinking of doing a few 'blind taste tests,' so let us know if you might want to bring a couple of one thing (such as honey, ice cream, salsa, hummus, etc))

What people are bringing so far: 

Food:

Kosher Wine________ (Raysh)
Grape Juice________(Katy)
Challah (at least 2)_______(Yehonathan; Ryan and Daffy)
Rare fruits_______(Ryan, Daffy, Naomi and Rafi; Erika and a guest are bringing rare fruit and pomegranates; Nick is bringing pomegranates)
Soup_________(Cara's bringing borsht)
Salad_________(Abigail and Lynsey are bring a beet salad; maybe Madeline)
Drinks (water, soda, juice etc.)________
Side dish_________(Camber's bringing a vegan dish; Raysh's bringing an apple kugel; Ryan's bringing a dairy noodle kugel)
'Taste test' foods_____(Raysh's bringing a few different kinds of honey)
Main course___________(Joel; Abigail and Lynsey are bringing a veggie/couscous dish; Sascha's bringing a risotto dish)
Dessert____________ (Rachael's bringing apple pie; Mila's bringing sticky toffee pudding; Steve's bringing something amazing TBA; Cheylenna's bringing fruit breads)


General stuff:

Tea-lights (will provide 24 hr candle for transfer)________(Raysh)
Paper or plastic cutlery: Cups_______(Naomi)   Plates_______ (Monica)  Utensils_______(Monica; Ben F.'s bringing spoons)
Napkins_______(Monica)
Games________
Transliterated Rosh HaShanah blessing sheets______ (Raysh)
Extra kippot:_____ (Raysh is bringing)
Cards and stickers for the taste test_____(Raysh)
Other:_____________

Uptown Havurah Event Calendar, Through January 2012

Hey folks! Be sure to mark your calendars for the great Uptown Havurah events right around the corner (below). With the high holidays approaching, we encourage you to seriously consider contributing to local charities and pursuing volunteer opportunities that speak to you:

Tikkun Olam Corner--help us repair the world!

If you'd like ideas, we have a bunch!
First off, we want to acknowledge gratefully Joyce Church's generosity in welcoming us into their space for our Rosh Hashanah dinner. This past summer, their chimney was struck by lightning, damaging their roof significantly. Right now they are faced with unexpected repair expenses, and we can help out. We urge you to contribute to their building repair fund here (or contact Raysh or Katy).

Additionally, here are some inter/national organisations that do great work--check 'em out:
Mazon, the Jewish Family and Children Service of Minneapolis, American Jewish World Service, and Oxfam.

And remember, "Charity, Prayer, and Repentance keep you out of 'bad places'" ;-)

Now, the schedule:

6:00PM, Monday September 19th [FAITH ORGANIZING FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY CAMPAIGN KICKOFF] @ Hennepin Ave. United Methodist Church


4:30PM, Thursday September 29th [TASHLIKH] We'll be meeting We'll meet near the intersection of W 27th St &  Lake of the Isles Pkwy E


6:30PM, Thursday September 29th [ROSH HASHANAH DINNER] Potluck vegetarian dinner; @ Joyce United Methodist Church's parlor room (1219 W. 31st Street)


7:30PM, Tuesday, October 18th [SUKKAH PARTY] Potluck dessert and drinks @ Jon and Chaya's (in their backyard,  in the Uptown Havurah sukkah, unless there's supremely yucky weather)


Friday PM,  October 28th  [KABBALAT SHABBAT/POTLUCK DINNER] ISO host


8:30PM, Saturday November 5th [HAVDALAH + SATURDAY NIGHT MOVIE PARTY] @ Nick's


6:30PM, Friday November 18th [KABBALAT SHABBAT/POTLUCK DINNER] @ Madeline's

 
Friday PM, December 9th [KABBALAT SHABBAT/POTLUCK DINNER] ISO host


10:30 AM, Monday December 12th [PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT] @ the Minneapolis Convention Center.  We'll volunteer in shifts throughout the day.


Thursday PM, December 22nd [HANUKKAH PARTY] ISO host


Friday PM, January 13th [KABBALAT SHABBAT/POTLUCK DINNER] ISO host

Planning Meeting this Sunday

Hello everyone!  This is a friendly reminder about our fall planning meeting, happening 7:30pm this Sunday (09/11) at Darbar Indian Grill.  As always, all are welcome and encouraged to attend and share new ideas/input.  If you cannot make the meeting but still wish to share your two shekels, please feel free to email me or include your thoughts in the comments section below.

Important: if you are involved in other Jewish local groups of similar demographic range, please let us know about any upcoming 'fixed' event dates, so we don't overlap when we plan out programming for the next few months. On that same note, a calendar or personal planner would be a good thing to bring along, as we will be planning out several months in advance.

We look forward to meeting with you soon!


l'shalom,
Raysh

Last Shabbat on the Water of Summer 2011 + Mega Birthday Bash

Hello folks! This summer has just flown right by, but don't miss the opportunity to rejoice in what's left by celebrating Shabbat and Melissa's, Laura's, Rachael's, Monica's and Elliot's August birthdays with your favourite Uptownites (and non-Uptownites).


What: Shabbat on the Water and birthday bash
When: This Friday (Aug 26) 6:30PM
Where: On...the water. Click here for the place by the southern end of Lake Calhoun, where we'll meet
That's so awesome, I want to come! What can I do? Excellent question. You indicate what delicious something-or-other you'll be bringing to share in the comments below. Do it!!
And What if it Rains? Then we take the fun over to Madeline's new place


Who's bringing what:

Pre-Shabbat snack fare: ____________________(Laura and Joel are bringing pita and hummus)

Wine:____________________(Mike)
Challah (at least two): ________________________

Soup: __________________________

Salad: __________________________

Side Dish: _________________________(Nick's bringing quinoa)
Main Dish: _________________________(Melissa's bringing a noodle dish)

Dessert: ___________________________(Madeline + a friend)
(may we suggest birthday-appropriate fare?)

Drinks: ___________________________

Paperware and other non-food stuff:

Plates: ________________________


Cups: ________________________(Mike)

Bowls: ______________________

Cutlery: _____________________

Napkins: ____________________

Tea lights: ___________________
Lighter: _____________________

Portable chairs: _______________

Blankets:_______________(Mike)

Insect Repellent: _______________

Kabbalat Shabbat packets: ___________

Uptown Havurah July Shabbat on the Water

Hey people. Get ready to hang with your favourite people as we welcome Shabbat in this week by the lake. Here are the deets:

Where: By Lake Calhoun...right here
When: 7:30pm
If it's raining: We'll meet at Meredith's house (2309 S 5 Av)
What to bring: Something vegetarian for the potluck (and/or utensils). Please consult the list below for a better of idea of what we still need.

Who's bringing what:

Pre-Shabbat snack fare: ____________________

Wine:____________________
Challah (at least two): ________________________

Soup: __________________________

Salad: __________________________

Side Dish: _________________________
Main Dish: _________________________

Dessert: ___________________________

Drinks: ___________________________

Paperware and other non-food stuff:

Plates: ________________________


Cups: ________________________

Bowls: ______________________

Cutlery: _____________________

Napkins: ____________________

Tea lights: ___________________
Lighter: _____________________

Portable chairs: _______________

Insect Repellent: _______________

Kabbalat Shabbat packets: ___________(Meredith)

Shabbat on the Water Returns! Join us this Friday!

Chevre (by this I mean 'comrads/friends,' as in the Hebrew, not goat cheese),

We hope this finds you soaking in the glorious summer sun.  This is just a quick reminder that this Friday at 7:30pm we are gathering to welcome in Shabbat by the southern end of Lake Calhoun. Click here for a map of where we'll be convening.

As usual, we're doing this vegetarian potluck-style, so please let us know what you're bringing (watch for updates below). You might also wish to bring along any of these:

*portable chairs
*picnic blankets
*insect repellent
*sunscreen
*tea lights and matches or a lighter

Everyone is invited, please feel free to bring friends!!

In case of rain, we'll move the fun over to Josh's place
(3037 Holmes Ave. #3 55408), but the forecast looks promising.

Be well and stay safe (word has it the tornadoes aren't leaving our area alone...),
Raysh


Who's bringing what:

Pre-Shabbat snack fare: ____________________

Wine:____________________(Emily's bringing grape juice)

Challah (at least two): ________________________(Josh)

Soup: __________________________

Salad: __________________________(Josh; Mike's bringing a heavier, non-green salad)

Side Dish: _________________________(Deborah and Todd, or maybe a main dish)

Main Dish: _________________________

Dessert: ___________________________(Danielle)

Drinks: ___________________________(Caren is bringing homemade soda, Kumquat Vanilla)

Paperware and other non-food stuff:

Plates: ________________________(Rema)


Cups: ________________________(Rema)

Bowls: ______________________

Cutlery: _____________________

Napkins: ____________________

Tea lights: ___________________(Meredith)

Lighter: _____________________

Portable chairs: _______________

Insect Repellent: _______________

Kabbalat Shabbat packets: ___________(Meredith)

May Friday Night Kabbalat Shabbat and Potluck Dinner...TONIGHT!

Dear friends,

What better way to wrap up our time on earth the week than join your favourite people for a restorative and  spirited Friday night gathering?  We were going to meet by the lake, but rain interfered with our plans, so the ever-wonderful Meredith Cuda will be hosting at her place: 2609 5th Ave S.

We hope you can make it---the fun begins at 7pm.


Shabbat Shalom,
Raysh


Now here's who's bringing what:

Food:

Pre-dinner snack food (we won't be eating dinner right away: this is important)_____(Nathan's bringing pita and hummus)

Wine________

Challah (at least 2)___________

Soup_________

Salad________

Drinks (water, soda, juice etc.)________

Side dish_________

Main course___________(Meredith's bringing a 7-layer dip thing)

Dessert____________ (Jenna and Mike are bringing dessert)

General stuff:

Plastic or Paper Cutlery__________

Plastic or Paper Cups___________

Plastic or Paper Plates__________

Napkins_______________

Tea-lights________(Meredith)

Transliterated Kabbalat Shabbat song sheets______ (Meredith)

Bencher with Kiddush:

Extra kippot:_____ (Meredith)

Dear Weather, Let's pretend it's spring already. Love, the Uptown Havurah

Hey friends. For a while we've been talking about finally doing a non-holiday/Shabbat outdoors event, so we hope you can join us for the first of such events, this coming Sunday, May 15th,  when we'll bike to Minnehaha Falls for a fun afternoon of yoga, eating, and schmoozing.


Those biking: meet at Meredith's (2609 5 Ave S) at 11am.
If we encounter unpleasant weather (rainy and/or cold, this will be our default in-door location)
 
Those coming directly to the picnic: please meet us at the Wabun Picnic Area in Minnehaha Regional Park (right off 46th Ave S, on the east side, towards the Mississippi River) at 12:30pm

For a map of the Minnehaha Park Picnic area, click here
and scroll down to the last map link

Here's the facebook event link

You might wish to bring:
*Food for the picnic potluck
*Those biking: a bike and helmet (let us know if you need to borrow either/both)
*A yoga mat, if you have
*Picnic blanket(s) and/or chair(s)



Happy Spring!

April Kabbalat Shabbat / Potluck Dinner + Provisional Summer Calendar

Hello! Now that Passover has passed us over, it's time to indulge in quality leavened and leguminous delights. So we hope you can join us tomorrow night at Laura's place, as we round out the month of April with some good cheer and some great challah. To see what people are bringing so far, check out  our list below.


 But first----


Please mark your calendars for the following upcoming dates (dates subject to change--any changes will be announced here and on our facebook page):


Sunday, May 15 spread the word! Bike and Picnic Event. Those biking will meet 11am at Meredith's (who lives right near the greenway), and we'll head to Minnehaha Falls together. Our picnic there will be at ~12:30pm. (In case of bad weather, our back-up location will be Meredith's house)

Friday, May 20 Kabbalat Shabbat/Potluck dinner. Depending on how our weather shapes up, we may need an indoor host

Friday, June 24 Friday night on the lake. Kabbalat Shabbat and picnic potluck dinner on the southern end of Lake Calhoun!

Friday, July 22 Friday night on the lake (same deal!)

Friday, August 26 Friday night on the lake


September 30 Second Night Rosh HaShanah Dinner


Got it? Awesome. Now here's who's bringing what this Shabbat:

Food:

Pre-dinner snack food (we won't be eating dinner right away: this is important)_____(Josh is bringing pita and hummus, Monica's bringing snack food)

Wine________(Nick; Mira)

Challah (at least 2)___________(Laura)

Soup_________(Evan S. is bringing vegetarian mushroom bisque soup)

Salad_________(Talitha; Mira)

Drinks (water, soda, juice etc.)________(Nathan)

Side dish_________(Madeline's bringing bruschetta; Joanna's bringing a potato dish)

Main course___________(Meredith's bringing a 'special interpretation' of mac&cheese; Raysh's bringing a gluten-free risotto dish)

Dessert____________ (Jenna and Mike are bringing a floury dessert)

General stuff:

Plastic or Paper Cutlery__________(Melissa M.)

Plastic or Paper Cups___________(Melissa M.)

Plastic or Paper Plates__________(Melissa M.)

Napkins_______________(Melissa M.)

Tea-lights________(Raysh)

Transliterated Kabbalat Shabbat song sheets______ (Raysh)

Bencher with Kiddush: (Raysh)

Extra kippot:_____ (Raysh)

 

Help prep for the Uptown Havurah seder today!

Dear friends,


Want to help Chaya & Jon cook for the seder?

Have a dish you want to make for the seder but don't have a kosher for passover place to prepare it? (Please bring your kosher for passover ingredients with you.)

Want to hang out with fun people and have wine (Chaya's mother taught her that wine must go in the food and the cook!)?

Great!! Come over and cook (and otherwise help with seder prep) today!

(There will also be a fun baby who will need attention.)


Just a friendly reminder that if you're attending our 2nd night seder (@ the Sulmans), we ask you come over to their place today (at noon) to help prepare the food.

May everyone have a joyous week and a fabulous Passover!

Shavua tov,
Raysh

Planning meeting tonight + preparing for Passover

Hey people,

Just a friendly reminder that tonight at 6pm @ Roat Osha is our planning meeting. Come help plan and drink, all while feasting on gluten-ous culinary delights (unless you are gluten-free!) before Passover rolls around.  And speaking of Passover, make sure to let us know if you're coming to our seder. You can find out more and reply here. Or if you're not on facebook, simply leave a comment and we'll fill you in with more.

As you prepare for the seder, you can check out free online audio files of 'seder standards' at this awesome site.

Also, if you still need to go shopping for Passover, we're coordinating an excursion to the SLP Cub Foods this Wednesday, so drop us a line if you're interested in coming along and showing Manischewitz they are still very much loved.

March Kabbalat Shabbat and Dinner + Upcoming Events

First off, anyone have pics from last Saturday night's party?? We'd love to see them!

Thank you to everyone who attended. We had a great turnout and it was a total blast! Free fresh baked goods + alcohol + awesome people = a little like heaven.

We hope you can join us this Friday night for our March Kabbalat Shabbat + potluck dinner at Raysh's place. There will be some birthday festivities as well, so come for the stories of fatal priestly mishaps*...stay for the birthday cake!

*(See http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Weekly_Torah_Portion/shemini_summary.shtml )

Also, please let us know if you're coming to our awesome Passover seder. Chaya and Jon are hosting the second night, Tuesday, April 19. More details forthcoming. The night Passover ends, we're also planning on having a Tap 'n Torah party involving--you guessed it--beer and learning (and other chametz-filled delights).


And stay tuned about the planning meeting where we'll brainstorm the May bike ride/picnic event.


For now, here's who's bringing what this Friday:

Food:

Pre-dinner snack food (we won't be eating dinner right away: this is important)_____(Monica's bringing fruits, veggies, and chocolates; Nathan's bringing hummus and pita)

Wine________(Madeline, Evan S. [later])

Challah (at least 2)___________(Emily)

Soup_________(Raysh)

Salad_________(Chaya and Jon)

Drinks (water, soda, juice etc.)________

Side dish_________(Meredith's making a quinoa dish; Katy's bringing cooked root veggies; Molly and Melissa S. are bringing noodle kugel; Yehonathan)

Main course___________(Emily, Deborah and Todd)

Dessert____________ (Raysh is making some sort of cake, the kosher sangria might make an appearance; Mike)

General stuff:

Plastic or Paper Cutlery__________(Melissa M.)

Plastic or Paper Cups___________(Melissa M.)

Plastic or Paper Plates__________(Melissa M.)

Napkins_______________(Melissa M.)

Tea-lights________(Raysh)

Transliterated Kabbalat Shabbat song sheets______ (Raysh)

Bencher with Kiddush: (Raysh)

Extra kippot:_____ (Raysh)

Happy New Month of Adar II!! Great weekend, and it only gets better!

Dear Friends,

Thank you to everyone who participated in this week's programming. It was wonderful learning, singing, eating, and schmoozing with y'all at Raysh's and just now at Common Roots Cafe. We've discussed everything from  the boundaries of communal obligation, a certain Rabbi Yossi and his controverial position on resource sharing, Biblical sources on employers' obligation towards workers, and what exactly is "glatt."


I want to take this opportunity to thank the Bronfman Foundation for their generous sponsorship at this Shabbat's Shalosh seudot.  Also, major thanks to Temple Israel for donating to us a truckload of amazing freshly-baked challah.

We were very fortunate to learn from Rabbi Morris Allen this morning, and we look forward to the exciting developments about to unfold with Magen Tzedek.  Once you see their symbol on food products, be sure to buy these products and show your support for the ethical treatment of workers in the food industry. Spread the word!


Looking ahead at our calendar, several of us will be attending the upcoming Shalom Hanoch Concert at the CCC (this Thursday night), and of course, be sure to join us for our crazy awesome Purim party at Meredith's late Saturday night of Purim (March 19th).

We are looking for a host for our March 25th Friday night gathering, so if you're in Uptown and have a place that will fit ~20ish awesome folk, please contact Raysh

May the new month of Adar II be filled with blessings for you and everyone important to you.


Be well!


b'virkat Shalom,
Raysh

February Friday Night Gathering: February 11, 2011

Hey everyone. Thank you to everyone who participated in our planning meeting last week. Everyone in attendance had great ideas that we look forward to making a reality soon!

Stay tuned for more information on non-Shabbat/holiday programming we'll be doing. For now, those interested in attending the CCC March 10th Shalom Hanoch concert should contact Raysh.

Next week, we hope you can join us for the February Friday night gathering at Josh's. Watch your emails for more info.

Below, watch for updates in who's bringing what:

Here's who is bringing what:

Food:

Pre-dinner snack food (we won't be eating dinner right away: this is important)_____(Nathan's bringing hummus and pita)

[FOR BOTH THE WINE AND CHALLAH, YOU MUST BE ON TIME]

Wine________ (Monica; Elliot)

Challah (at least 2)___________ (Laura and Joel; Meredith)

Soup_________(someone's bringing Ethiopean Split Pea Stew)

Salad_________ (Josh)

Drinks (water, soda, juice etc.)________(Katy)

Side dish_________(Cia; Sonia's bringing sweet noodle kugel; Deborah and Todd are bringing a vegan dish)

Main course___________(Mila's bringing a mushroom and greens gratin; Madeline is bringing mac 'n cheese; Alexander is bringing a casserole)

Dessert____________(Monica)

General stuff:

Plastic or Paper Cutlery__________(Raysh)

Plastic or Paper Cups___________(Raysh)

Plastic or Paper Plates__________(Raysh)

Napkins_______________(Josh)

Tea-lights________(Raysh)

Transliterated Kabbalat Shabbat song sheets______ (Raysh)

Bencher with Kiddush: (Raysh)

Extra kippot:_____ (Raysh)

Planning Meeting this Sunday

Hey everyone. This Sunday at 6:15PM we're having a planning dinner at Darbar India Grill (1221 W Lake St).  Please come with ideas, your planner, and a good appetite.

Hope to see you there!

Happy Thursday,

Raysh

Friday Night Gathering THIS Shabbat

We hope you can join us this coming Friday for a Friday night gathering full of happy occasions: we will be welcoming Chaya and Jon's newborn daughter and celebrating Tu b'shvat and MLK day.

One exciting Uptown development is that Lake Wine & Spirits has opened and carries well-priced kosher wine (two kinds: just ask them for their Israeli wine)!! Not only that, their very helpful staff told me they can order kosher wine by the case if people are interested.

In terms of food, you might wish to consider bringing foods that are either products of trees and/or are baby-friendly (but no need--anything vegetarian is cool):

Here's who is bringing what:

Food:

Pre-dinner snack food (we won't be eating dinner right away: this is important)_____

Wine________ (Ben; Nick; Bradley; Evan)

Challah (at least 2)___________(Nathan)

Soup_________

Salad_________ (Yael, Alex; Madeline)

Drinks (water, soda, juice etc.)________

Side dish_________ (Rachael)

Main course___________ (Mila; Chaya)

Stuff for Tu B'Shvat Seder:
--walnuts, coconuts, or almonds_____(Meredith is bringing walnuts)


--olives or dates or peaches or apricots________

--figs or grapes or (c)raisins___________(Jon's bringing dates and figs)

--mangoes, bananas, avocados, or pears (dried versions of any of these is cool too)__________

Dessert____________ (Raysh is bringing something that involves oranges, dates, and lots of booze; Abi is bringing some kind of baked goods)

General stuff:

Plastic or Paper Cutlery__________(Monica)

Plastic or Paper Cups___________(Monica)

Plastic or Paper Plates__________(Monica)

Napkins_______________

Tea-lights________

Transliterated Kabbalat Shabbat song sheets______ (Raysh)

Bencher with Kiddush: (Chaya and Jon)

Extra kippot:_____ (Chaya and Jon)