New Year for Animals Zoom Discussion in Israel

R&R Shabbat at the JCC

JCC Manhattan 334 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, United States

R & R: Shabbat at The JCC is an antidote to our 24/7 lifestyle. Make your Shabbat afternoon special and share in our community with workshops in art, yoga, meditation, food, music, study sessions, film, performances, creative art projects, spa experiences, and indoor and outdoor play. Enjoy programs for both children and adults. R&R is an amazing weekly opportunity to be together as a family and as a community; it’s an incredible alternative to the typical New York Saturday and it is our gift to you. Join us for programs that respect all levels of observance. Come in from the ordinary and experience Shabbat. It’s an ancient solution to a modern dilemma, so priceless we've made it free.

Free

Tisha B’Av in the Age of Climate Crisis: Interactive Discussion and Potluck Dinner

Eliot Church 474 Centre St., Newton, MA, United States

Tisha B'Av is a day of fasting and mourning in response to the destruction of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, and other tragedies, with a traditional reading of the Book of Eicha, or Lamentations. Rabbi Katy Allen, rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah and President of the Jewish Climate Action Network, will lead an experiential evening that will include going out outdoors to connect to the Earth. She will use selected passages Eicha and additional resources in juxtaposition with statements about climate change impact as the basis of our exploration of What Can Judaism Teach Us in the Age of Climate Crisis. Bring a short statement about climate change impact, a vegetarian dish to share, and your own dishes and utensils. As Tisha B'Av draws to a close we will share a potluck dinner together. Enter via the door on the parking lot on Church Street near the corner of Church and Centre.  Co-sponsored by the Jewish Climate Action Network. Optional donation: $5-18, more if you can, less if you can't.

Yom Kippur at the Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial Washington, DC, United States

YOM KIPPUR Day of Atonement/ At-Onement Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC September 22-23, 2015 Sundown to Sundown For more information, and to RSVP, please visit the Facebook event page: Yom Kippur 2015 at the Lincoln Memorial   Kol Nidre  6:30pm to 8:30pm Morning Service with Yizkor   10am to 1:30pm Minchah/Neilah  5:00pm to 7:45 pm, concluding with shofar blasts followed by a multi-faith vigil   Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, a fast day for seeking both Atonement and At-Onement.  At this moment in history, we humans are in need of atonement for the ways in which we have desecrated the Earth; this desecration is the result of our lack of at-Onement – our separation from one another, from all living beings, and from the Earth. This year, Yom Kippur falls immediately prior to Pope Francis’s unprecedented address on September 24 to a joint session of Congress. We offer this Yom Kippur service as an invitation to the Jewish community, along with people of all faiths, to come together, acknowledging our profound need for interconnection and atonement.  This service will be part of a series of faith-based events planned for the week of September 24 in support of Pope Francis.   Why the Lincoln Memorial? The Lincoln Memorial is the pre-eminent American symbol of our collective responsibility to work for freedom and democracy for all people with “malice toward none, and charity for all.”  It is where millions of Americans have gathered to stand for the dignity of each person.   A Contemplative, Inspired Yom Kippur Service We will draw from the traditional liturgy of Yom Kippur and will also include chanting, contemplative practices, and opportunities for reflection and sharing.  Words from Pope Francis’ Encyclical will be interwoven throughout the day, and faith leaders from other traditions will also offer reflections.  This invitation to all people of faith is an acknowledgement that our world view is not particular to Judaism, or to Catholicism, or to any one tradition; and rather, together we will engage our hearts and spirits for this sacred moment in time.     Please be aware: Yom Kippur is a day of fasting and we prefer that you not bring food or drink with you.  If you need to eat or drink for health reasons during the service, please use discretion and step away from the congregation while eating or drinking. Many worshipers will wear white clothing to signify our intention to purify our souls and our lives. You are encouraged to: Invite friends, family and colleagues who may want to join us for any part of the Yom Kippur services. Bring a chair or a cushion to sit on.   Wednesday night around 7:45PM: Conclusion of the Service Yom Kippur services will conclude when three stars appear in the sky on Wednesday night, a fitting affirmation of our interconnection with the movement of the universe.  We will then join with the Franciscan Action Network and others for a multi-faith vigil in preparation for the Pope's address. We will break our fast with people of faith who have been fasting for as long as ten days near the White House calling attention to the need for action the sake of life on Earth.   Sponsored by the Shalom Center, in partnership with IMAC and MAC RSVP at the Facebook event page: Yom Kippur 2015 at the Lincoln Memorial

Free

New Year for Animals Zoom Discussion in Israel

You are cordially invited to attend a Zoom discussion of the historic, potentially transformative initiative to restore the ancient New Year for Animals and to transform it into a day devoted to increasing awareness of Jewish teachings about compassion to animals and how far current realities are from these teachings. It will also consider how animal-based diets and agriculture seriously violate basic Jewish teachings about preserving human health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, helping hungry people, and pursuing peace. The event will take place on August 20, Rosh Chodesh Elul, when the ancient holiday was observed, at 8 PM Israeli time. To join the meeting,  click on the ZOOM link at the bottom of this page. The scheduled speakers are: Miriam Maisel, MD, family practitioner, with emphasis on nutrition and lifestyle; Rabbi Yonatan Neril, founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development; Richard Schwartz, PhD, president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of Judaism and Vegetarianism; Yael Shemesh, professor of bible at Bar Ilan University; Alon Tal, PhD, chairman of the Public Policy Department at Tel Aviv University and author of Pollution in the Promised Land; Isaac Thomas, director of Vegan Nation  

New Year for Animals Zoom Discussion in USA

You are cordially invited to attend a Zoom discussion of the historic, potentially transformative initiative to restore the ancient New Year for Animals and to transform it into a day devoted to increasing awareness of Jewish teachings about compassion to animals and how far current realities are from these teachings. It will also consider how animal-based diets and agriculture seriously violate basic Jewish teachings about preserving human health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, helping hungry people, and pursuing peace. The event will take place on August 20, Rosh Chodesh Elul, when the ancient holiday was observed, at 9 PM Eastern time, 6 PM Pacific time. To join the meeting click on ZOOM link at the bottom of this page. List of speakers: Dan Brook, professor of sociology at San Jose State University; author of  An Alef-Bet Kabalah  and Eating the Earth; maintainer of  The Vegetarian Mitzvah. Lewis Regenstein, author of Commandments of Compassion: Jewish Teachings on Protecting the Planet and Its Creatures, Replenish the Earth, and other writings on Judaism and animals; Richard Schwartz, PhD, president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of Judaism and Vegetarianism; Jeffrey Tucker, director of Florida Earth Save Will Tuttle, Ph.D, visionary author of the international best-seller, The World Peace Diet; worldwide lecturer on veganism; recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award and Empty Cages Prize. (He will discuss how non-Jews will react to efforts to restore and transform the holiday.) Aharon Varady, community planner & Jewish educator; founding director, The Open Siddur Project; a pioneer in efforts to restore and transform the ancient holiday. Jonathan Wolf, founder of Jewish Vegetarians of North America; co-founder of L’Olam: The Jewish Environmental Network; executive director of Yashar: The Institute for Jewish Activism.