Dear Families,See you tomorrow! Youth Shabbat: Saturday, February 10, 9:30 am– (please join us by 10:15 a.m. in time for the Torah service) our TI Youth will lead and participate in the congregational service. A festive Kiddush honoring our youth will follow services. Game Shabbat to follow until 3:30 p.m.
Dear Parents,
I want to strongly encourage you to join me this coming Sunday Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. as we greet Rabbi Rami Schwartzer, the director of Ramah Day Camp. I had the pleasure of visiting the camp this past summer, along with Luisa, and was very impressed. As a former Ramah camper (in the Poconos) and Ramah parent, I can assure you that sending your child to Camp Ramah is the wisest investment you can make in your child’s Jewish future. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday!
B’shalom,
Ben
The Tikvat Israel Purim Carnival is back! Families are invited to join us Sunday, March 4 from 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the social hall for games, food and prizes. This event is being organized by Tikvat Israel USY and the Men’s Club. Stay tuned for additional details.
http://jewishjourneyproject.weebly.com/parshat-mishpatim.html (includes a video about the parsha!)
Often in life we look for the fireworks, the fun ride, the sparkling party, but it’s the everyday, the prosaic, that really creates the infrastructure for a solid life.
Consider what happens in this week’s Torah portion. After the thunder, voices and lightning at Sinai in our last parsha, in this one we find law after law. Such a letdown after the terrifying excitement of Sinai! But what we find here are really the tenets of how to live a life– how to live with one another on a daily basis. For some examples: “You should not carry false rumors.” “You shall not oppress a stranger.” “On the seventh day you shall cease from labor.” Each principle provides instructions as to how to live a life.
Parents frequently worry about the way to instill their values in their children. Children tend to seek out the fun in life, so it’s especially difficult for them to learn that there are principles that guide our lives. The only way for us to do that is to model living by principles ourselves. When our children see us having fun but not at the expense of others, they learn from the guidelines and boundaries embedded in our day-to-day behavior. They observe carefully how we treat people both inside and outside the family circle.
FAMILY DISCUSSION
TALK TO YOUR KIDS about some principles that should guide their daily life.
CONNECT TO THEIR LIVES:
How do we treat (or mistreat) the people who serve our needs, such as waiters, bus drivers, cashiers, household helpers?
What helps us figure out how to treat others?
Which values are most important to you? How do you express these values?
By Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses, http://valuesandethics.org/tag/mishpatim/
Summer Fun at Capital Camps
Don’t miss out on summer fun for children and/or the whole family at Capital Camps! Experience our challenge course, lake and aquatics center, sports fields, arts offerings, and more with traditional 2, 3 and 4 week sessions and during Family Camp (August 17-19). New camper grants are available! Learn more at 301-468-2267 or on an upcoming tours: 2/11, 3/4, 3/25, 4/15, 4/22. Visit capitalcamps.org for more information or to RSVP for a tour.
Shabbat shalom,
Luisa Moss
Director of Education and Youth Programming
