This Week’s Torah Portion: Sh’lach L’cha (Numbers 13:1−15:41)
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.’”
God is introduced, just as God was when God gave us the two tablets of covenant in Sinai.
And what is the one thing that God has to say about God? I am the God that frees the captive. I am the God who believes all humans should be free and treated equally. That is our God.
Thank you, everyone, for coming to our Pride Shabbat at The Temple! It was an incredible day of equality, inclusion, spirituality, and rainbows! Thank you INNER VOICES of Kentuckiana and everyone for making it such a success!
The Temple commemorates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Pride Month with our Fifth Annual Pride Shabbat. The Temple represents the only Jewish congregation in Kentucky that commemorates LGBTQ Pride Month with a special Shabbat Service.
The Temple has always promoted the two central ideals in Jewish teachings “Love thy neighbor” and “all people are created in God’s image.” Throughout The Temple’s 175 year history Rabbis and lay leaders have been active in civil rights and in advocating for fair treatment of all people including LGBTQ individuals.
Judaism teaches that the differences between humans are a divine act: God created us different and distinct from each other. Every one of us has our own face, opinions, and orientation. Some of us have one sexual orientation and one gender identity, and some have another. We were all created in God’s image.
Together with our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members, we celebrate the sanctity of every human life. Additionally, we seek to realize the divine image inherent in us all. The Temple is leading religious discourse that seeks to welcome LGBTQ members as equals in society at large and in our own community. A genuine invitation to join our community requires recognition of the unique value and life stories of LGBTQ people and celebration of the contribution they make to our Temple.
Checkout Summer Intern Update – GUCI Camp from Avery Curtis!
I visited Rabbi Rapport at GUCI and had a fantastic time! I had never experienced a camp like that before. The music and atmosphere were amazing and so much fun. I participated in their Shabbat walk, Friday night service, dinner, song session, campfire, and Saturday morning service. The campers and staff were all so friendly and enthusiastic.
During the week, I worked in the Religious School helping to organize the office and 5th Grade classroom. It’s been really cool to see all of the curricular material and Holiday items that we have, so as I’m working I’m also learning more and more about Judaica. And it turns out, I know much more than I thought I did!
This week I also began my studies in learning Hebrew. Since I did not grow up Jewish, I had no prior knowledge in Hebrew except common prayers. With the resources I have been given by The Temple staff, I am excited and already making headway! It is my goal within the next year or two to have a Bat Mitzvah ceremony that I did not have before! And that is just the first stop, I want to see how far I can go with my studies.
Shalom!
Avery Curtis
This Week’s Torah Portion: B’haalot’cha (Numbers 8:1−12:16)
“You must have the same laws for both the foreigner and the citizen”. The stranger in our midst must get the same justice and be under the same laws as a citizen. 3,000 plus years have passed, and we still have trouble treating the strangers in our midst as God instructed us (36 times in the Torah).
Chavurat Shalom had a fantastic time at Derby Dinner Playhouse! We saw Savannah Sipping Society and it was a blast! Thank you for coming and Derby Dinner Playhouse for hosting us!
If you’re over 60, we invite you to experience Chavurat Shalom’s warm and welcoming “Circle of Friends” every Thursday as we enjoy a catered lunch and a great program. There’s room for you!
Chavurat Shalom is a unique opportunity for Jewish senior adults to meet socially and share ideas. Lunch is $5 and reservations are due by the Tuesday before the program. Please RSVP to 502-423-1818 or sarahharlan86@gmail.com. A vegetarian option is available if requested in advance. All programs will be held in the Levy Great Hall of the Klein Center at The Temple, 5101 U.S. Hwy. 42, unless otherwise noted in the listing, with lunch starting at noon, followed by our program at 1 pm. Transportation can be scheduled by calling Jewish Family & Career Services at 502-452-6341. Transportation to Chavurat Shalom is $5 round-trip. Chavurat Shalom is funded through the generosity of the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence, The Temple, The Temple Brotherhood and Sisterhood, NCJW, the Jewish Federation of Louisville, and many other generous donors. So, come!
The Brotherhood’s Father’s Day Trap Shoot brought out 17 fathers, sons, daughters, and wives to compete for two coveted prizes, the Hot Shot Trophy, awarded to the person who hits the most clay pigeons and the Humanitarian Trophy given to the person who injures the fewest clay pigeons. This year there was a tie where 15 of 25 were hit by Kyle Robenson and Michael Friedman. Ray Allen was awarded the Humanitarian Trophy. A total of 21 participated in our traditional Father’s Day Trap Shoot.
The Temple Brotherhood is a great way for Jewish men and non-Jewish spouses of Jewish women to “work, play, learn, serve, contribute, and help”. Join The Brotherhood for as low as $36.
Thank you to everyone that participated with The Temple team during the Pride Parade 2019! We had a blast and even got a photo op with Mayor Fischer!
The Temple commemorates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) Pride month with the Fifth Annual Pride Shabbat.
The Temple represents the only Jewish congregation in Kentucky that commemorates LGBTQ pride month with a special Shabbat Service.
Judaism teaches that the differences between humans are a divine act: God created us different and distinct from each other. Every one of us has our own face, opinions, and orientation. Some of us have one sexual orientation and one gender identity, and some have another. We were all created in God’s image.
Together with our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members, we celebrate the sanctity of every human life. Additionally, we seek to realize the divine image inherent in us all. The Temple is leading religious discourse that seeks to welcome LGBTQ members as equals in society at large and in our own community.
Through such an invitation, our own community will become richer and more diverse; while members of the LGBTQ community are able to enjoy community life and the additional meaning Reform Judaism bring to all our members.
During the month of June, The Temple will mark Pride Shabbat through prayer, study, and experience. The Pride Shabbat can help us advance from the stage of accepting the LGBTQ community to the stage of actively inviting LGBTQ people to be full partners in our community.
Pride Shabbat is celebrated in June as part of a worldwide program of Pride events commemorating the beginnings of the LGBTQ liberation movement in June 1969. Since then, Pride Month includes parades, demonstrations – and prayers.
This Week’s Torah Portion: Naso (Numbers 4:21−7:89)
A very weird and awkward ritual is described in our portion. When a man has a fit of jealousy against his wife, the two go to the High priest, who writes the name of God on a parchment, puts it into water and the wife drinks it. Horrible and humiliating as the ritual is, the rabbis chose to make lemonade out of this lemon, “Great is Shalom (peace and wellness and wholeness), that the Holy blessed one, allows us to defile Gods name in order to bring Shalom (peace and wholeness and wellness) into our homes”.
Brotherhood Distillery Tour at Peerless Distilling
The Temple Brotherhood visited Peerless Distilling, one of downtown Louisville’s newest distillers, on June 12. Carson Taylor, president and fifth generation, gave us a historical account of Peerless’s founding by his great, great grandfather Henry Kraver, a Jewish immigrant from Poland. The original distillery was started in 1889. After a tour of the distillery and rikhouse, we tasted four different ryes then enjoyed a brisket dinner catered by Chef Z. Thank you all so much for making our Brotherhood Distillery Tour a success!
The Temple Brotherhood financially supports Chavurat Shalom, Youth Group TILTY, Camp GUCI Scholarships, Trager Early Child Education Center, College Outreach Programs, JFCS Food Pantry, B’nei Mitzvah Bibles, Confirmation Kiddush Cups, New Member Welcome Baskets, Adopt a Family, Jewish Film Festival, Habitat for Humanity, and the Softball Team. Our main projects include The Book of Remembrance and The Brotherhood Chanukah Dinner.
Brotherhood activities include: Hanukkah Dinner, Purim Dinner, Bernheim Forest Temple Day, and more!
Brotherhood Poker Games are the first and third Thursdays of every month. Skilled and unskilled men and women players are invited. Lessons and advice are given whether requested or not.
If you like playing softball, The Temple Brotherhood supports the Temple’s Softball Team which begins practice in May.
We had a surprise party as the staff took pleasure in celebrating Becky’s 10 years as Rabbi David’s Assistant. Mazal tov, Becky, as you continue to do amazing work for our members.
Our staff is always happy to answer questions and help however we can. We encourage you to get to know our Rabbis, educators, administrator, and other staff. Additionally, you can attend Shabbat services and any of our programs and activities. Finally, you may also request a private meeting with any of our staff.
We are proud to be a part of a vibrant Jewish community here in Louisville. The Temple has a variety of fun programming, educational opportunities, community service activities, and worship services. So, we invite you to join us for some of our upcoming events, learn more about our Religious School and top-rated Pre-school, meet our rabbis, and worship with us.
The Temple in Louisville is Kentucky’s oldest and largest Jewish congregation. Established in 1843 as K.K. Adas Israel, The Temple was a founding member of Reform Judaism’s Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now Union for Reform Judaism) and an early proponent of Reform in American Jewish life. When Reform Judaism began in 1873, The Temple in Louisville was the second largest congregation in the movement.
5101 US-42, Louisville, KY 40241
(502) 423-1818
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