Happening this Shabbat
It’s been something of a roller-coaster ride this week, in the wake of a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, portending the predicted fourth wave, and with a new SARS-COV-2 variant thrown in to spice things up even more. As a result, we’ve had to cancel or postpone several activities we had planned for this weekend, and tweak others.
The following activities have been cancelled, but will hopefully still take place when we’re on the other side of this:
- Friday evening’s Chanukah Night Market
- The light meditation session with Yoga teacher Michelle Smith
- The Sunday morning year-end picnic/party for the Religion School
This is what will still be taking place, albeit with some tweaks:
Friday, 3 December
- Shabbat and Festival evening service for Chanukah
- Communal lighting of the Chanukiot on the Bimah at 18h00. Please bring your Chanukiah plus seven candles (six plus the Shamash)
- A Jkids Club Shabbat/Chanukah service will be held in the Courtyard/Veranda
- We’ll be honouring the national Anti-Corruption Week http://defendourdemocracy.co.za/anti-corruption/
- Rosh Chodesh Tevet
Saturday, 4 December
To acknowledge all the volunteers and supporters of the Thursday Sarmies Project, we invite you to a joint service on the morning of Shabbat Chanukah, 4 Dec 21 at 09h30. The service will be led jointly by Rabbi Saar and Lael Bethlehem (spiritual leader of Temple Israel Hillbrow (TIH)). The sermon will be delivered by Reeva Forman, Chair of TIH. If you’ve ever made a sandwich or donated towards the Sarmies Project, please join us.
The contingent from Temple Israel Hillbrow will now join online only.
Chanukah Youth Gathering
Saturday, 4 December will also see a Youth Identity Gathering with Rabbi Saar at 18h00.
This will be a virtual event on Zoom, happening here:
https://beiteman.link/youth
The programme will include the Chanukah candle-lighting and a screening of Rabbi Saar’s documentary “A Gate was Sealed” (2015, Hebrew-Arabic, English subtitles).
Netzer Day Camps
On the advice of Professor Barry Schoub, our Netzer youth group have decided to cancel the day camps which were to have been held from 18-22 December. Netzer apologises to all those who were planning to attend or send their kids to attend. The decision to cancel was not taken lightly, with the highest priority being given to the health and safety of all those who would have attended.
Festive Season Schedule
- The first thing to note is that we’ll revert to online only services from 10/11 Dec through 31 Dec/1 Jan. Hybrid services will resume on 7/8 Jan 22 (TBC).
- The Shul ‘s administrative office will effectively be closed from Fri, 17 Dec through Sun, 2 Jan (10 working days). Telephone calls and email messages will be still be dealt with though.
- Our last full Bulletin for the year will be published on Wed, 15 Dec. Abbreviated newsletters (Birthdays and Yahrzeits) will be published for the next three weeks. The next full Bulletin will be for the week of 14/15 Jan 22.
And just on the theme of Chanukah, here’s Carolyn Saks’ latest video, featuring Holocaust survivor Ella Blumenthal, celebrating Chanukah at the age of 100.
Shabbat Shalom, Chag Chanukah Sameach!
—
Russell Cohen (Executive Director)
