B'nai Israel Congregation

Following the trail of an unexpected family connection, acclaimed journalist Pam Fessler has unearthed the lost world of the patients, nurses, doctors, and researchers at Carville who struggled for over a century to eradicate Hansen’s disease, the modern name for leprosy. Amid widespread public anxiety about foreign contamination and contagion, patients were deprived of basic rights―restricted from leaving Carville, and often forbidden from contact with their own parents or children. Neighbors fretted over their presence and newspapers warned of their dangerous condition, which was seen as a biblical “curse” rather than a medical diagnosis. One particular patient, Stanley Stein, helped improve so many people’s lives around the world within the confines of Carville. Carville’s Cure demonstrates the necessity of combating misinformation and stigma if we hope to control the spread of illness without demonizing victims and needlessly destroying lives. A light breakfast will be served. Hosted by Sisterhood and the Blumberg-Zalis Family Library.

$10/person Join us for pizza and ice cream galore, as we say see you next year to Bonim and Machar!

*Every Monday when B’nai Israel offices are open.

The Other Story (1 hr. 52 min.; subtitles) A suspenseful, poignant, and humorous story told through the eyes of two rebellious young women from two troubled families that tangle in the most unexpected ways in Jerusalem. As the characters warring personal convictions and intimate anxieties clash, the secular and religious world views they hold dear also come to embody the struggle for identity reflecting present-day Israel.

Songs for the Brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari 1950, thousands of Yemeni Jews have immigrated to Israel in search of a better life. In an overcrowded immigrant camp, amid chaos and uncertainty, Yaqub and Saida fall in love, however, Saida is married and has a child. In 1995, thirty-something Zohara, Saida’s daughter, has been living in New York City and has little contact with her family until her sister calls and tells her their mother has died. She returns to Israel and learns of her mother’s secret romance in a dramatic journey through lost family stories, revealing the unbreakable bond between a mother and a daughter. “A gorgeous, gripping novel filled with unforgettable characters.”

Join together with other like-minded individuals for a morning of crafting and schmoozing. Bring whatever project you are currently working on (knitting, crocheting, needlepointing, drawing, scrapbooking, origami, or other creative technique). We meet in the library, which has comfy chairs and ample table space, on the second Thursday of the month. For more information and to RSVP, contact Melissa Menschik (mblochmen@gmail.com).

12:00 PM BYO Dairy Lunch 12:30–1:30 PM Program Cantor Josh will be accompanied by Jules Levine on electric bass, Elaine O’Leary on keyboard, and Andrew DeVierno on drums to perform for Hazak again for the 8th year! They will entertain with a wonderful combination of Jewish, Israeli, and Broadway songs.

Join us on selected Saturday mornings at 9:00 AM for discussions about the weekly Torah parsha. Interested in leading a session? Contact Wendy Fanaroff. September 9 – Nitzavim/Vayeilech with Eric Luftman September 23 – Ha'azinu with Wendy Fanaroff October 14 – Breshit with Alan Siegel October 28 – Lech Lecha with Fonda Lowe November 4 – Vayera with Matt Lowe November 11 – Chaye Sarah with Adrienne Rulnick December 2 – Vayishlach with Rabbi Stone December 16 – Miketz with Judy Saks January 6 – Shemot with Rabbi Safra January 20 – Bo with Larry Kravitz

Experience a different approach to Shabbat morning prayers. With a mixture of song, meditation, and discussion, we will explore an intentional path to enhance your prayer practice. Mindfulness Meditation helps us to connect to our Jewish values, creating greater perception in our minds for a connection to the Divine.

These services are for the post-b’nai mitzvah teens of B’nai Israel. Our teens help to organize the service and lead it, often including tefillah and discussion, with support from staff and clergy.