The Saturday evening at the start of the month of Av is the beginning of a time of mourning in the Jewish calendar. Everyone with empathy feels both delight and grief at the states of miracle and disrepair we face together in planetary life. One way to avoid despair is to feel all our feelings!
In this simple grief ritual and circle, we'll touch our deep connections to the world and life which are the root of our caring and concern. Come to support and be supported. Sher, Margie, and Andrea are convening.

Temple Israel hosts Reb Brian Yosef Schachter-Brooks. He a Jewish spiritual teacher and musician. He has been teaching the practice of Presence (meditation, mindfulness) and Judaism since 2006, and founded of Torah of Awakening in 2015.

Two Sided Story follows newly bereaved Palestinian and Israeli parents as they participate in bi-national weekend seminars run by facilitators who had previously lost children to the conflict.The final in our summer film series, Love Your Neighbor, is a deep and difficult exploration of the price of war.

The wrenching and emotional film brings us into the pain and the context of this heart-breaking conflict.

Suggested donation $5-18 - no one turned away for lack of funds. Part of Temple Israel's Love Your Neighbor summer film series.

Leaving Memel - Refugees from the Reich tells the story of Judith Golden's family and what they experienced when the times changed and Hitler began demonizing Jews, homosexuals and Romani people in Europe. It's a small, personal memoir tucked inside a much larger, darker tale and has strong resonance today as anti-immigration fervor reaches new highs under our present leadership. It's also a story of survival, great timing and strong family bonds that make the difference between life and death.

Accidental Courtesy follows the activism of musician Daryl Davis as he confronts klansmen with the simple question: How can you hate me when you don't even know me?

Davis' work and personal story are inspiring and controversial. Come explore this brave man and his path to racial reconciliation.

Suggested donation $5-18 - no one turned away for lack of funds. Part of Temple Israel's Love Your Neighbor summer film series.

Please note we will meet at All Soul's Church 399 Main Street in Greenfield in the social hall.

Join film maker Harvey Stein as he raises interest in his next film project: Green Rebel - the Adventures of Kaptain Sunshine. The new film follows the career, hopes and anxieties of Israeli solar entrepreneur Yossi Abramowitz as he works to bring solar power to rural Africa.

Are you curious about Hebrew? Do you want to be able to follow along in services by reading the Hebrew? Or maybe you want to know what is really being said in the Torah. Take the first steps this summer--join our five week Hebrew class.

We'll meet on five Thursday evenings at Temple Israel. You'll learn the Hebrew alphabet, and be able to read simple Hebrew phrases. We'll read and sing prayers in Hebrew. The class will help you recognize common words of the Jewish prayerbook, and feel more comfortable reading prayerbook Hebrew.

The language and symbols of Jewish mysticism are ancient, rich and foundational. Hebrew letters and words, biblical heroes and heroines, and numerous geometric depictions and metaphors constitute the rich imagery of this useful and universal system. Due to migrations of the Jewish people from before the Roman period until now, the symbol sets have moved throughout the world, intersecting with ancient eastern and western mystical schools, including Wicca, astrology, mystical Christianity and tarot.

Yes, it IS! Hebrew Grammar Is Your Friend.

If you have "some Hebrew" be brave and come to this two session class to learn some of the secrets of Hebrew verb forms. Once you learn them, you are going to feel to powerful and informed! Free for members; suggested donation of $10 per class for not-yet-members.

Rabbis Rhonda Shapiro-Rieser and Andrea Cohen Kiener will share information about folk wisdom and mysticism in the rabbinic tradition towards the end of Shabbat, June 29.