We had an outstanding Shabbat dinner & Program in January. Thank you to Helene Laefer for arranging a delicious meal, Jan Grinel for coordinating everything and being the emcee for the evening, and Hart Hoffman, Carol Anne Smart and Wendy Linow for researching and creating an entertaining and beautiful presentation of the fascinating life of Gustav Klimt. Just as important is the tremendous army of volunteers that stepped forward to assist that evening. Set-up volunteers, sign-in volunteers and clean-up volunteers are just as important to the success of the evening. Thanks to all of you!
February is here, which means that your Havurah dues need to be paid by February 28th, or your Havurah membership will lapse. What happens on March 1st? You no longer receive our e-mails, and no longer qualify for member pricing for our functions. I truly hope you choose to renew if you have not already—we have quite a lineup of exciting things planned this year.
We postponed our February 7th Membership meeting until Wednesday, March 6th due to a scheduling conflict. Susan Dubin and Hart Hoffman will do a fascinating presentation about the Sarjevo Haggadah. You’ll learn about the incredible story behind this circa 1300’s masterpiece.
Coming up on Saturday, March 23rd, we have a “Purim Around the World,” Costume Party featuring a fun Happy Hour with games and prizes, a Hula Hoop contest, appetizers, and of course, Hamantaschen. This will be an “open seating” event, with no table assignments.
Monday, April 22nd will be our first Passover Seder, led by Havurah’s own Rabbi Danny Gottlieb and Ricki Weintraub. We are finalizing the details and expect an invitation to go out in a couple of weeks.
It is going to be a bit confusing with two events so close together, so please, make sure your RSVPs for Purim and Passover are done in separate envelopes. Each invitation will have clear instructions on how to RSVP. For our new members, we do not need an RSVP for Membership meetings, but all other functions have a firm RSVP deadline (though we will start a waitlist after the deadline). For functions in the Morris/Nelson/Penn rooms, we limit the number of attendees for everyone’s safety and comfort. Cancellations made after the RSVP deadline can only be refunded if we find someone to take your place.
We have a significant number of new members. You will be hearing from us soon! We are planning some smaller functions to welcome our new members and help you meet some new Havurah friends.
Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. I will be out of the country 2/9-2/18, visiting my favorite little boy in the world. Please don’t tell my dog, Bo, that he has competition!