Calendar

This particular Books and Bagels will be at the home of John and Kayla Niles.

Please join us this season as we delve into many great works.

Mark Your Calendars Now for Sundays at 10:00 AM on the following dates:

Oct 9 Yehoshua, A.B. A Woman In Jerusalem (Fiction) Facilitator: Regina Rand

Nov 6 Glaser, Gabrielle, American Baby (Non-Fiction) Facilitator: Toby Deutsch

Dec 4 Cohen, Joshua, The Netanyahus (Fiction) Facilitator: Kayla Niles

Jan 8 Horn, Dara, Why People Love Dead Jews (Non-Fiction) Facilitator: Herb Levine

Feb 5 Frankel, Ellen, The Deadly Scrolls (Fiction) Facilitator: Ellen Frankel

Mar 5 Amini, Esther, Concealed (Non-Fiction) Facilitator: Joan Paru

April 2 Beanland, Rachel, Florence Adler Swims Forever (Fiction) Facilitator: Jean Adelson

May 7 Nevo, Eshkol, The Last Interview (Fiction) Facilitator: Ruth Brandwein

June 4 Kaufman, Jonathan, A Hole In the Heart of the World (Non-Fiction) Facilitator: Garry Grossman

Class Led by Rabbi Carl Astor

Meets Once Monthly – Wednesdays: January 19, 2023 / February 16, 2023 / March 15, 2023 / April 19, 2023

Time:  7:30 – 8:30 PM

About a third of our Siddur consists of selections from the Book of Psalms.  Usually when we encounter  these Psalms  in the context of the worship service, we recite them as prayers and try to understand them in that way.  However, in doing so we neglect the fact that they were originally literary creations – poems or songs.  As with any piece of literature, they need to be studied and analyzed in order to accurately understand them.   Studying these Psalms as works of literature can only enhance our ability to experience them as prayers.  We will be looking at some of the Psalms found in the Shabbat and Festival services especially using a book by Benjamin J. Segal, A New Psalm.

Rabbi Carl Astor, who will become our interim rabbi as of January 1, invites you to join him in exploring the Shabbat Psalms from a literary perspective. His four-session Zoom class on these important psalms
will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 18, and continue on Feb. 15, March 15, and April 19. Each session is scheduled for 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Rabbi Carl believes that studying the Shabbat Psalms from a fresh viewpoint enables us to capture their beauty fully and to derive the most meaning from them. He looks forward to sharing this class with our congregation. Eight to 10 individuals from Rabbi Carl’s hometown of NewHaven, CT, have signed up for the class.

To Sign Up For This Class Please Click Here

Followed by Potluck Lunch and delicious Israeli treats.

I will be teaching a class on the Jewish short story on Tuesday evenings, from 7:30 – 8:30 beginning on Tuesday, March 28 via Zoom. This class will begin with two familiar stories from the Bible. Then we will look at a number of midrashic tales from the rabbinic period. After that we will discuss stories from Reb Nahman of Bretzlav. I have some wonderful Yiddish stories (translated), some American-Jewish stories (Malamud, Roth), and finally modern Israeli authors (Agnon, Keret, and Amos Oz).

I will begin by trying to define what is a “Jewish” short story. Each week I will send out to the entire congregation a copy of the story(ies) that we will be discussing that week. That way, you can be familiar with the story and enjoy them, whether or not you are attending the class.

I have always been interested in literature, especially Jewish literature, and I enjoy analyzing stories and hearing what others think about them. Please try to clear your Tuesday evenings for this hour of learning together.

Looking forward to the 28th!
R’ Carl

To Sign Up For This Class Click Here

CLASS READINGS:

APRIL 11 – ESTHER – CLICK HERE

APRIL 18 – MIDRASH – FAMILY MATTERS – CLICK HERE

APRIL 18 – MIDRASH – THREE_MIDRASHIM_FROM_MIDRASH_EICHA_RABBA – CLICK HERE

APRIL 18 – MIDRASH STORIES – CLICK HERE

We hope you will join us as we meet on the following dates for our monthly Rosh Chodesh meeting. (Always at 3:00 PM)

October 26, 2022 –    Cheshvan

November 30, 2022 –  Kislev

December 28, 2022  –   Tevet

January 25, 2023   – Shevat

February 22, 2023   –    Adar

March 29, 2023 –     Nisan

April 26, 2023   –     Iyar

May 24, 2023   –   Sivan

June 28, 2023   –   Tammuz