Community News
Welcome to our Community News area!
November News
Sunshine Meals Thanksgiving Meal
Thanks so much to all the people who volunteered their time and energy to make this year's Thanksgiving meal a wonderful success!
Enjoy these photos, and please visit our Sunshine Meals page for volunteer opportunities--we always need more helping hands.
October News
On Sunday, October 31 over 30 people gathered for a light lunch on the BI patio for the relaunch of our "Neighbors in Conversation" program. The program, started several years ago and interrupted by COVID, brings local houses of worship together for some fellowship, discussion and learning, creating community bonds.
Rabbi Bender and Pastor John McLaughlin, from St. Jude's Metropolitan Community Church (our neighbor down the street at Market and 26th) spoke about their faiths (MCC is a Protestant denomination) to an audience of congregants from both houses of worship. Discussion and questions were welcomed and everyone left knowing more about each other's faiths.
Another program is planned for December to talk about the celebrations of Hanukkah and Christmas. BI's Open Door Project supports this program and we look forward to much more shared learning (and food) in the future.
Pastor McLaughlin and Rabbi Bender.
Roselle Margolis and Leigh Winter enjoy a chat.
Group enjoying lunch.
Leigh and Walter Winter seemed to like it.
BI Baggers In The News
At last Sunday's Neighbors in Conversation program, six plastic sleeping mats were presented to representatives of St. Jude's Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) Food Mission Program.
These crochet and knit mats are made entirely from member donated plastic grocery bags which the BI Baggers then make into plastic yarn (plarn) then crocheted into twin size sleeping mats.
MCC's Food Mission distributes weekly lunch bags directly to folks living on the streets in Wilmington and this week they will also be able to hand out these mats. The mats provide a personal layer of warmth and comfort to hard surfaces; they also help the environment, since each mat takes anywhere from 500 to 700 individual bags to make, so six mats means that 3,000+ bags will NOT be polluting waterways or landfills.
The Baggers have also given mats to Good Shepherd Shelter in Wilmington, and plan on ongoing donations to both organizations in the future.
The next meeting of The Sisterhood Book Club is set for October 20th at 1:00 PM. Most likely the meeting will be on Zoom; we will follow the guidance of the synagogue's policy.
The Club had a spirited discussion at Barbara's home of Elana Dykewomon's historical novel,
to get on the email list.
Our next selection will be Tobie Nathan's novel of life in 20th-century Jewish Cairo, "A Land Like You." The book has been positively reviewed in Tikkun and other publications. A copy of the book has been purchased for the synagogue library and is now in circulation.
September News
Beginning Friday, September 10th
Friday services will be held at 7:00 pm each week.
August News
The Adult Education Committee met with Rabbi Bender in August to review the responses to the congregation survey and to begin to plan future class offerings.
Over 50 members of the congregation responded to the request for input. About half of those have participated in Adult Ed programs in the past.
Overall, the interest in programs vary from one-time sessions to multiple sessions, held once or twice a month. The afternoons are a popular time and lunch-and-learns once a month were a popular suggestion. In-person and online classes are both desired by the respondents.
Finally, the survey showed that the majority of the congregants would like basic level classes. However, the Committee did recognize that some congregants would like a deeper level of learning as well.
Rabbi Bender will use this input to develop programing for the Fall and next year. Stay tuned for some exciting offerings, and feel free to share additional thoughts with the Rabbi or the Committee – Ruth Smith, Joelle Serot, and Naomi Sapir.
In terms of program topics, this chart shows the interest levels.
Ruth Ravitz Smith
Seems like we could all use a little Sunshine in our lives right now. Much of the news on the TV & radio is distressing and COVID has reared its ugly head again - just as we were feeling more comfortable leaving our homes.
Sunshine Meals, aka The Sunshine Team, tries to bring some of the warmth of the sun to those who are ill or struggling with other difficulties. COVID has isolated some of our members, and we especially want to reach out to them.
Are you in need of some Sunshine? Do you know someone else in our congregation who has such a need? Please let me know so we can confidentially help.
If you are not in need but wish to be part of what The Sunshine Team does, we’d love to have your help.
Michelle Bannon
Chair, The Sunshine Team