Kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh.
All of Israel is responsible
for one another.
Actions and resources here.
Kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh.
All of Israel is responsible for one another.
Actions and resources here.
Shabbaton
May 24th & 25th
Join us for a Shabbaton weekend with Rabbi Aaron Weininger, senior rabbi at Adath Jeshurun Congregation, Minnetonka, MN, and former rabbinic intern at Temple Beth El. Be inspired by Rabbi Weininger and connect with Rabbi Braun as we pray, learn, and celebrate together this weekend.
Schedule
Friday, May 24th at 5pm: Oneg and Kabbalat Shabbat
We will begin the weekend with a social time and a lively and festive Kabbalat Shabbat service. Rabbi Weininger will offer a teaching grounded in the celebration of Shabbat. Look for lots of singing with melodies that will carry us through this special Shabbat at TBE.
Saturday, May 25th at 9:30am: Shabbat Morning Services followed by Kiddush
Our service on Saturday morning will include participation from our teens and community members and Rabbi Weininger. A delicious kiddush lunch will be followed by blessings offered to Rabbi Braun as we look ahead to the future of TBE.
Saturday, May 25th at 7:45pm: Seudah Shlishit (third meal of Shabbat) followed by Havdalah
Seudah Shlishit, the third meal of Shabbat, will offer social time with friends and Rabbi Braun along with a light meal. Rabbi Weininger will lead us with lots of singing as we let go of Shabbat with song and Havdalah.
Please RSVP by May 17th.
Blessings for Rabbi Braun
As we anticipate celebrating Rabbi Braun, in addition to your attendance, we invite your participation in two ways.
First, write a one-sentence blessing for Rabbi Braun and/or for the Temple Beth El community in appreciation of her leadership and legacy. Your blessing can relate to the emotional, intellectual, spiritual, or physical. It can be concrete or more abstract, even playful if that's your style. All that matters is that it comes from your heart.
Second, think about what the congregation as a whole needs to help make that blessing (and/or other blessings) a reality, and then write down one thing that you're willing to commit to doing that you hope others will do as well. This could be a specific action or a way of speaking or thinking or showing up (e.g., anything from "I'll come to minyan more" to "I'll give others the benefit of the doubt.") Again, one sentence is perfect.
Please send your submissions to
office@tbemaine.org by May 19.
We will share these blessings and commitments at the kiddush lunch on May 25.
Rabbi Aaron Weininger
Rabbi Aaron Weininger joined the Adath Jeshurun Congregation in Minnetonka, MN in 2012, upon receiving rabbinic ordination and an MA in Hebrew Letters from the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he studied as a Schusterman Fellow. In June 2023 he assumed the Max Newman Family Chair in Rabbinics. In addition to becoming the first openly gay person admitted to rabbinical school in the Conservative movement, he became the first openly gay person appointed to the position of Senior Rabbi in a large Conservative congregation. Drawing from his unusual experience, Aaron cultivates the spark each person brings to Torah, prayer, and acts of kindness through the warmth of building community. Knowing what it feels like to be on the margins, he embraces Judaism as disorganized religion that thrives on questions of curiosity rather than answers of certainty. Everyone has a place to ask and to belong.
During rabbinical school he was welcomed into communities as a teacher, preacher, and prayer leader in Statesville, NC, Portland, ME, Sag Harbor and White Plains, NY and across New York City. He trained as a chaplain in Clinical Pastoral Education for two summers at Bellevue Hospital Center, and a third with the Educational Alliance at a Kosher soup kitchen for older adults on the Lower East Side.
From 2018-2021 Aaron served as co-chair of the Minnesota Rabbinical Association and joined Honeymoon Israel as rabbi for the MSP cohort in January 2020. He serves on the Editorial Committee of Siddur Lev Shalem for Weekdays and the JTS Chancellor's Rabbinic Cabinet. He is a board member of Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis as well as the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, of which he is an alum of its Clergy Leadership Program that fuses mindfulness practice with Jewish learning.
Concert and Festivities
June 16th, 5pm
Join us to celebrate and remember Rabbi Braun's tenure at Temple Beth El. There will be a performance of an original musical composition, "Peace Cantata," by Howard Frazin, written in her honor. Light refreshments and additional festivities to follow.
Schedule
5pm Concert and Program
6pm Festivities and Light Dinner
Please
RSVP by June 2nd. Space is limited, and we will be checking guests in at the door.
In Partnership With
We Need You Help!
Contribute your words, photos, and memories
We invite you to participate in three projects to celebrate Rabbi Braun's time at Temple Beth El. The deadline to submit your contributions for each of these projects is June 3rd.
Submit a Tribute Video
Answer one (or both) of these questions in a one-minute tribute video: "How has your life been impacted by Rabbi Braun?" or "How has Rabbi Braun made you think differently?" We'll assemble these videos and play them during the festivities on June 16th. Record and submit your video at the link here.
Submit an Adjective (or several!)
What are the adjectives that come to mind when you think of Rabbi Braun? We're collecting these from the community to create a colorful word-cloud display for the party on June 16th. Submit your adjectives using this form.
Submit Your Photos of Rabbi Braun
Rabbi Braun has been a part of so many fun occasions and milestone moments in this community. If you have any photos with Rabbi Braun that you'd like to submit for our photo display, please email them to office@tbemaine.org.
SHHHH! These will be a surprise , so please try to keep them secret from Rabbi Braun!
Donate
Donations in Rabbi Braun's honor will support the Rabbi Emerita fund and help make both of these celebrations a success. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
If you're interested in becoming a sponsor or discussing an in-kind or other type of donation, please reach out to Sheri Olstein at
slolstein@gmail.com.
