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Zion Educator
Helaine Braunig
How can it be May already? The last weeks of Religious School follow a very successful Mitzvah Day that brought more than 100 members of the Jewish community together to engage in projects that touched—or will touch—the lives of many adults and children in the Shreveport community. Unfortunately, not all Religious School families were able to participate; fortunately, mitzvah work is a year-around responsibility so the opportunities were not limited to one Sunday in April. All that needs to happen is that your family identify a problem that concerns you—homelessness, hunger, illiteracy, animals without homes, children and adults who cannot swim—the list is endless. Once you have found something that really troubles you, you can brainstorm for ways to help. Let’s make the summer of 2013 one in which every family does more than relax and travel. Let’s make the summer of 2013 a “mitzvah summer” – why not try to do a family mitzvah in each of the summer months? If you need ideas, just let me know, and I will point you toward projects, resources, and opportunities.
May 12 is the date for our Annual Mother’s Day Tea. It’s not just for Religious School moms and grandmothers. It’s for everyone who is a mother, who remembers a mother, who hopes to be a mother, who has been “like a mother” to someone. We have both sweet and savory treats, Mimosas and orange juice, coffee and tea. This special event also provides us with a time to catch up with friends we don’t see often enough, and it allows us to meet some Jewish community women whom we may not know. Please join us!
May 19 is the last day of Religious School – and also the day of the B’nai Zion Annual Meeting. Classes will begin at 9:30 AM as usual, and then at 11 AM we will all go to Lefkowitz Hall for brunch, end of the year recognition of our teachers, and the short business meeting of our congregation. We hope all parents will join us at 11 AM, enjoy brunch and our closing program, and show that you are an interested member of our congregation and our Jewish community.
As the year draws to a close, I’m excited to think about a summer that will include the ISJL Conference in Jackson, the NewCAJE Conference in Massachusetts, and lots of time to evaluate what we have done and plan for the future. As the renovation of our sanctuary takes place, I’ll be concentrating not only on sacred space, but also on sacred time. If we can provide ways to unite our physical space with our temporal practices (holidays and life-cycle events), and if we can enhance opportunities for B’nai Zion to meet our emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and yes, our physical needs, we can return in September with renewed energy to make Judaism a central part of who we are, not just a religious “box to check” when we are asked to identify ourselves.
We have a rich tradition, and we will have a rich future only if we live Jewishly in the present. Let’s use our summer for relaxation, but also for growth. We will have chances to gather for learning and for fun, so watch for your June/July and August bulletins. Do not assume that because school is out, our synagogue is closed. New events are on the way—for adults as well as for kids. Tell us what you want, tell us what you need—we are here to listen.
See you throughout the summer!
L’Shalom,
Helaine
Educational Program at B'nai Zion