B'nai Israel Congregation

This Bird Has Flown by Susanna Hoff (Written by Rabbi Simon’s Niece - suggested light fun summer read by Rabbi Simon) Jane Start is thirty-three, broke, and recently single. Ten years prior, she had a hit song but Jane hasn’t had a breakout since. Now she's living out of four garbage bags at her parents’ house, reduced to performing Karaoke tracks in Las Vegas. But when her longtime manager sends Jane to London to regroup, she’s seated next to an intriguing stranger on the flight and Jane is instantly smitten, and soon, truly inspired. In turns deeply sexy, riotously funny, and utterly joyful, This Bird Has Flown explores love, passion, and the ghosts of our past, and offers a glimpse inside the music business that could only come from beloved songwriter Susanna Hoffs.

Why is prayer so difficult? It may have less to do with Hebrew literacy than we think. The real challenge is finding ourselves and our concerns in an ancient liturgical tradition. We can meet the challenge by understanding more of how the liturgy works, evaluating themes, and exploring the gap between the theological beliefs of our ancestors and our own…together. No question is out of bounds; all learners are welcome.

Since 1998, Jews United for Justice (JUFJ) has worked to put “labor” back into Labor Day by engaging our local Jewish communities in a collective conversation about our texts, our historical experiences, and the challenges facing workers today via our Labor on the Bimah program.