Thanks to everyone who helped make our Listen to Your Mother FUNdraiser a huge success. Over 80 people attended and we heard many funny, inspirational and poignant stories. Thanks to those who attended and to those who supported our silent auction, so we were able to help support Open Doors English!! [May 2025]
Thanks to Rabbi Lenore Bohm and Miranda Phillips for leading us in a meaningful seder. With the help of many volunteers who read passages and poems, helped with set-up and clean-up and who brought food, over 70 congregants and visitors broke Matzo together as we recalled Our Story. [April 2025]
Over 50 congregants gathered with Rabbi Weiss (Assoc. Director For Thriving Communities and Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Reconstructionist Movement) to help us consider some key questions and strategies that might help TvO to continuing thriving as a synagogue and to have a meaningful impact on our local, national and global communities. Rabbi Micha provided insights and examples from his work with a range of congregations and answered questions from the audience. Look for announcements for up-and-coming future discussions.
Thanks to Sarah Plotkin, Noa Shapiro-Tamir, Julia Taylor and Michael Margolin for leading us in a theatrical experience into the Purim story. We journeyed together into the Purim story to face the oppression that our ancestors faced and learned how we might find collective empowerment that leads us to liberation. We talked, danced, and experienced grief, power and freedom! We then partook in a range of delicious triangular-shaped snacks.[March 2025]
Students at JLE learned about Purim through interactive theater with Michael Margolin, Noa Shapiro-Tamir, and Julia Taylor. [March 2025]
On a snowy February 12, 20 or so intrepid congregants came out to celebrate Tu B’shvat, the Birthday of the Trees. Led by Diana and Judy with music provided by Lauren, we explored the Kabbalistic seasons and shared how nature has been a grounding and a source of comfort for many of us. [Feb. 2025]
On December 29, TVO hosted the PJ Library Chanukah Party. Children and families made chanukiyot, rolled beeswax candles, decorated dreidels, ate latkes with applesauce and sour cream, lit candles, and sang Chanukah songs with Jennie Lavine. [Dec 2024]
Our tallit making journey started with students meeting the sheep and cleaning and washing wool fleece. Next we prepared our wool for spinning in a process called carding. (You can learn a little about carding here.) We were supported by Rachael Skye, a member of the Black Sheep Handspinners Guild of Ithaca.
[Oct 2024]
Students then spun the wool, using drop spindles, with the help of David Bosworth (and thanks to Dalia for so many spindles and so much spinning!). Eventually the yarn was ready to be tied into tzitzit. After a little practice, student tied tzitzit on their tallit!
