For Immediate Release: December 7, 2007
Joining Bet Havarim at their next Shabbat Worship Service on December 21st will be guest speaker, Jim Brule. Bet Havarim's Shabbat Services are conducted in the Social Hall of St. David's Church, located on Jamar Drive in Dewitt. Beginning at 7:30 PM, Bet Havarim's Shabbat Services are conducted and led by Cantorial Soloist, Hanita Margulies Blair, assisted by members of Bet Havarim's Shabbat Committee. An Oneg Shabbat Reception follows each service and Bet Havarim cordially invites the public to all services.
"We are excited and certainly looking forward to welcoming Jim Brule to our December 21st Shabbat Service," said Bet Havarim's Shabbat Committee Chairman, Mel Shindler. Known to many as one of the Rabbinic Aides at Temple Society of Concord, Jim Brule co-officiates at High Holy Day Services, teaches Talmud and Torah, conducts life-cycle events. Jim Brule has also served as Spiritual Leader of congregations in Watertown and Ithaca while they were conducting searches for permanent Rabbis to join their respective congregations.
For the past year Jim Brule has been studying at Maggid Yitzhak Buxbaum's Jewish Spirit Maggid School in a two-year program based in Brooklyn Heights, NY. While refining and expanding his Jewish knowledge and preaching skills he has been an invited speaker at congregations in New York State as well as in Berkeley, California. While the name Maggid literally means a "narrator," it is a Hebrew term meaning "one who brings a message". Today the term Maggid is the traditional title for a Jewish inspirational speaker and story-teller whose ultimate goal is to draw people closer to God.
"Jim will be joining Bet Havarim's December 21st service and will contribute his inspirational story-telling to our regular service as well as conducting a more in-depth session of story-telling and discussion at the end of the service in his role as a Maggid," added Shindler.
From their establishment in Geonic times, five centuries from the sixth to
the eleventh centuries, C.E., Rabbis served as teachers and judges for the
Jewish communities while Maggidim (pl) served as preachers in the communities.
During the last few centuries in Eastern Europe, the Rabbis' focus was on deciding religious law while giving only two sermons each year (on Shabbat
HaGodal, before Passover,
and Shabbat Shuvah, before Yom Kippur). Maggidim were itinerant
Preachers who later (from the 17th century on) gave the sermons, while telling
parables and stories. The spread of Hasidism among the Jews of Eastern Europe was
due, in great part, to the role played by the Maggidim as some of these teachers
and preachers became known as Hassidic Rebbes.
"I know that everyone at Bet Havarim is looking forward to Jim Brule's visit to our Shabbat Service on December 21st," said Shindler, adding, "Jim's favorite stories involve themes of mysticism, spirituality and healing and those attending the December 21st service will be not only entertained but truly informed as Jim raises our service to another level of spirituality."
Bet Havarim is organized to promote and cultivate a love and understanding of our Jewish heritage, teachings, and values, and to ensure the continuation of the Jewish people. Our common strength is through communal worship, celebration, study, a commitment to Israel and its people, and the practice of mitzvoth by applying the principles of Judaism to the values and conduct of the individual, family and the society in which we live for the betterment of humanity.
For information about Bet Havarim, service schedules, D'vrei Torah, etc., visit Bet Havarim's web site at http://www.BetHavarimSyr.org, send email to info -at- BetHavarimSyr.org (please make the obvious change in the address), or phone Marty Morganstein at 637-5390 or Mel Shindler at 478-6856.
St. David's Church is located on Jamar Drive. From the intersection off Maple Drive and E. Genesee St. in Dewitt (across from Wegman's) drive south on Maple Drive and take the third right turn on to Jamar Drive. The Church is located at the end of Jamar Drive with off-street parking available. St. David's is handicapped accessible.