The Charlotte Jewish News - August 2009 - Page 17
Beth Shalom Religious School Announces New Curriculum
School Will Use Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Jewish Life Study Program
The Religious School of Beth
Shalom of Lake Norman is excited
to announce their adaptation of the
Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of
Southern Jewish Life (ISJL) cur
riculum starting with the 5770
(2009-2010) school year
ISJL is a private, non-profit and
trans-denominational organization
based in Jackson, MS. ISJL, home
to the “Museum of the Southern
Jewish Experience,” utilizes its
active research in areas such as
education, history and social jus
tice to support the program that
Beth Shalom will implement. This
religious school curriculum is
used in more than 100
Congregations in 13 states to pro
vide the foundation for a meaning
ful Jewish educational experience.
Kristine Mahoney, Director of
Education, will represent Beth
Shalom at the ISJL Conference in
Jackson, MS on June 28-30.
When asked about the new pro
gram, Ms. Mahoney commented:
“I am excited to be a part of the
growth and success Beth Shalom
has embraced. ISJL will provide
our students with a structured spi
ral curriculum, ensuring the mas
tering of skills through thematic
units of study. Our teachers will be
provided with ongoing profession
al development enabling them to
deliver lessons that are both age
appropriate and engaging. In addi
tion to our adaptation of the ISJL
curriculum, I look forward to
solidifying the relationships we
have formed with USCJ and
Temple Israel who are dedicated
to our success. Enlightened by
change and hopeful for our new
beginning, thank you for giving
me the opportunity to leam and
grown with your children.”
In addition to the adaptation of
the ISJL curriculum, Beth Shalom
will continue to receive support
from the United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism (USCJ) and
Temple Israel ensuring the
Conservative infiuence on the stu
dents’ education. Hebrew acquisi
tion and tefillot will be the areas of
focus.
Beth Shalom’s Center for
Learning, serving children ages 3-
13, meets weekly at St. Albans
Episcopal Church in Davidson,
NC. Registration for the upcom
ing year is in progress. For further
information visit www.bslkn.org/
Education.html or contact Kristine
Mahoney at K.Mahoney04@
gmail.com; 980-253-0232.
About Beth Shalom of Lake
Norman
Beth Shalom (“House of
Peace”) of Lake Norman is about
family, friends and faith. We are
dedicated to developing a mean
ingful Jewish life for our members
and our community. We come
from different backgrounds, tradi
tions and practices, but we come
together as a congregation to form
an extended family. We express
this dedication through our com
mitment to foster and fulfill the
spiritual, educational and social
needs of the Jewish community in
Lake Norman. We strive to create
inviting, participatory atmosphere
that allow each of us to connect
with our Jewish spirit and identity.
Family. Friends. Faith - Building
the foundation for future genera
tions. www.BSLKN.org. ^
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Lake Norman Jewish Congregation Shabbat Initiative
By Renee Slonim, Traditions
Committee member
The idea of the Shabbat
Initiative: Embracing Shabbat was
developed at the 2007 Biennial of
the URJ. The goal of Embracing
Shabbat is not only to create serv
ices that are heartfelt, inspiring
and community-building, but to
explore the broader question of
Shabbat observances. All Reform
congregations were invited to par
ticipate, and those who chose to
were supplied with a wide variety
of materials to study and explore
Shabbat.
The Shabbat Initiative has
proven to be the ideal stimulus for
the Traditions Committee at LNJC
in developing and promoting
meaningful services and traditions
for our young and rapidly growing
congregation.
We were very pleased to
receive this note from Rabbi Eric
Yoffe, President of the Union for
Reform Judaism commending the
Shabbat Initiative of the Lake
Norman Jewish Congregation:
“It is an impressive and com
prehensive program and I simply
wanted to offer a hearty ‘mazel
tov’ to you and your leadership in
undertaking it. We will certainly
share it with others and encourage
them to follow your example.”
One of our first tasks was to
think through what Shabbat obser
vance means to a Reform Jew.
This means emphasizing the
“Thou Shalts” of Shabbat - can
dles and Kiddush, rest and study,
prayer and community - rather
than the “Thou Shall Nots.” It
means expanding our understand
ing of rest, study and prayer on
Shabbat, and defining new ways
of interpreting these ideas within
our families and community.
At LNJC, we decided to intro
duce a specific ritual/aspect of
Shabbat at services each month,
but in a tangible way, involving a
variety of senses. Working closely
with our Rabbi Michael Shields,
we have been focusing on and pre
senting Shabbat traditions not as
something that each family must
do, but on introducing our famihes
to the beautiful aspects of
Shabbat, to feel comfortable and
knowledgeable with them, and to
utilize them if they wish to do.
In February, we distributed
“Shabbat Boxes” to each family at
services. In each box was as spice
bag, plus a copy of the Spices
blessing (from Havdalah) in
English, Hebrew and translitera
tion, along with the following
message:
This “Shabbat Box” is a symbol
of Shabbat traditions on which we
focus at each service. To introduce
the joy and sweetness of Shabbat,
we present you with this spice bag.
Inhale the sweet aroma to set the
mood for a “Sweet Shabbat.” We
welcome your unique spice, “the
sweetness of your own family” to
this “Kehillah Kedosha” (sacred
community). Smell the spices.
Then recite the following blessing.
(Also used at Havdalah to mark
the end of Shabbat).
In March, we presented each
family with two Shabbat candles,
tied with raffia, along with a copy
of the blessing in Hebrew,
English, and transliteration and
this “Welcome to Shabbat Candle
Lighting”:
Lighting a candle in the dark
ness is the most elemental human
symbol of hope. When you hght
these candles, you re-enact God’s
opening act of creation, “Let
There Be Light.” You also provide
warmth - emotional as well as
physical - for your home. Candle
lighting sets this day apart: it cre
ates sanctity and invites the
Shekhina, God’s maternal pres
ence, to be you honored guest and
sit at your table. For women, it
reinforces a bond of memory
between mother and daughter
going back hundreds of genera
tions. May this be a peaceful and
loving Shabbat, for you and all
who share your home.
When it came time for candle
lighting at services, lights were
dimmed, and candles were lit and
Mazel Tov & Congratulations
the blessings chanted. It was dra
matic and stirring.
In April, we gave each family a
miniature Kiddush cup along with
the blessing in Hebrew, English
and transliteration. During servic
es, Rabbi Shields discussed the
history and observances associat
ed with this tradition (as he has
done with each of the previous tra
ditions highlighted). In May, the
Rabbi made and distributed CDs
of traditional Shabbat melodies,
along with variations thereof;
music is a very important part of
our services. In June, we distrib
uted miniature “chocolate chip
challas” as we focus on the bless
ing over the bread.
This Shabbat Initiative has been
warmly received by families,
mixed marriage or from a more
traditional Jewish upbringing. In
families where the wife/mother
was not raised Jewish, there has
been a “welcoming of learning
and understanding of tradition,”
and in our more “traditionally”
religious families, we are seeing a
return to the rituals of Shabbat
(e.g., hghting Shabbat candles)
that didn’t always exist before.
Please visit www.lakenorman-
jc.org for more information. ^
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