For Immediate Release: July 23, 2003
Bet Havarim, a new Reform Jewish chavurah will conduct its next Shabbat Service on Friday evening, August 15, at 7:30 p.m. at St. David's Episcopal Church on Jamar Drive in Dewitt (off Maple Drive, which is across from Wegman's).
Bet Havarim held its second Shabbat service July 18th. According to Mel Shindler, Bet Havarim's Shabbat Committee chairman, "It was gratifying to see new faces at our July 18th service, and we are confident that our services are providing a spiritual link that many are seeking." He added, "There was a feeling of warmth in the room and feedback from those attending indicated that our services are meaningful to them."
Shabbat Committee members, Anita Burrows, Zarita Hack, Marlene Holstein, Helen Marcum, Ilse Salomon, and Delia Temes helped create the July service and participated in it as well. "Our Shabbat Committee is striving to create worship services that, while built around the traditional order of prayers, offer new and alternative prayers, meditations, and expressions of spirituality as well," said Shindler. "In creating our services we are hoping to offer a worship experience that people from varying streams of Judaism will feel comfortable and spiritually enriched."
Joel Miller, Executive Director, Hillel at Syracuse University will be the guest speaker at the August service. Mr. Miller is a native Syracusan; his parents were the late Irene and Paul Miller. Miller's career in the Jewish communal field has taken him from Rochester, NY, where he was Director of Club & Group Services at the JCC of Greater Rochester to Hartford, where he was Assistant Executive Director of the Greater Hartford Jewish Community Center. Miller has also served as Associate or Executive Director's of JCC's in Richmond, Virginia and Calgary and Alberta Canada. Since his appointment as executive director last summer, he has overseen the construction and move to the new Winnick Hillel Center at SU located at the corner of Harrison St. and Walnut Place. According to Miller, "The Center will be open for incoming freshman the third week of August and will be holding its ribbon cutting ceremonies on November 14-16." He further stated, "Winnick Center will be a beautiful asset not only to Syracuse University but the Syracuse Jewish Community as well. We are hoping to forge a link with the members of Hillel and have joint programming in the future with Bet Havarim."
Bet Havarim's Shabbat Committee Chairperson, Shindler, said, "Our committee is planning interesting programs for October, November, December and January and will be announcing the speakers and other events in the near future. We are also excited about some joint programming with our host Congregation, St. David's Church."
Everyone is welcome to attend the services of the chavurah. For additional information visit the website at www.BetHavarimSyr.org, e-mail info@BetHavarimSyr.org, or contact Marty Morganstein at 637-5390.