Please join the Religious School as we honor our Chai-Lifelong educators at this very special brunch.

When: Sunday, November 7th, 10-12pm

Who: Entire Adat Reyim Community

Where: Congregation Adat Reyim

Why: Did you know that 11 of our 22 Religious School faculty members have spent at least 18 (Chai) years or more in Jewish Education?

Please help us honor these fabulous educators and recognize their dedication and commitment to our children.

Every year the Religious School is charged with raising funds to supplement our tuition and fees and the generous subsidy we receive from the Congregation.  This year we are planning two fundraisers.  One is our traditional activity of preparing Mishloach Manot bags to be distributed during Purim, fulfilling the Mitzvah on Purim, to send two items of food to at least one person.

Our second fundraiser is this letter.  The Education Committee is sure that, when you read what we plan to do with these funds, you will enthusiastically support us.

One of the first things we plan to do is honor our educators in the Religious School.  Did you know that 11 of our 22 faculty members have spent at least 18 (Chai) years in Jewish Education?  To recognize their dedication to our children, we are planning a Sunday brunch and celebration towards the end of school on Sunday, November 7th.  SHHH……can you keep a secret?  We’re inviting Ester Greenblatt and Elaine Brand to return to also be recognized at this event.

This Fundraising Letter will afford us the opportunity to honor our Chai-Lifelong Jewish educators, while tapping onto the theme of Lifelong Learning promoted by the synagogue Gala this past spring.  At the brunch, we will formally honor all the Religious School educators who have dedicated their lives (Chai) 18 years or more to Jewish Education.

Everyone in the Congregation will be able to participate in this event by decorating a leaf for the Religious School’s “temporary” Etz Chayim (Tree of Life) that will be prominently located in the synagogue. Moreover, your donations will go toward the purchase of a permanent leaf on the synagogue Tree in honor of our educators.

In addition to honoring our educators at the Chai-Lifelong Learning brunch, the funds that we raise from this letter will also be used towards:

• Subscription  to ‘One Call’ or a similar service which allows you to register as many phone numbers as you wish to receive automated announcements when, for example, school is canceled due to snow or power outages.  Imagine how nice it would be for your cell phone to ring and to hear a message that the school is closed because we have no power, something that in fact happened last spring.  If the power hadn’t come back on at 5:10 pm, we would have been waiving you off in the parking lot!  How much better it would have been for you to have received a phone call before you left your driveway!  And if you remember, this outage was caused by a fire at Rolling Road and Old Keene Mill.  We could have sent you a message telling you about the fire so that those of you who got stuck in the traffic mess could have found alternate routes to the synagogue. This service should eliminate any need for a phone tree.
• Purchase additional books and materials for Junior Congregation/Learners’ Minyan.  These are materials that benefit the whole school and indeed the entire Congregation.
• Supplement our students’ health and welfare by providing more of our teachers with CPR and First Aid training.  This training costs approximately $75 per teacher. Luckily some of us are certified from sources outside the school, but we’d like to get more people certified in case of a medical emergency.
Provide additional faculty development opportunities as well as additional resource materials.

These are just some of the things we would like to do if we can raise the funds.  (Our minimum fundraising commitment is in fact already figured into our budget; this is how we would spend anything we raise on top of this minimum amount.)  We see a real benefit in being able to provide these additional opportunities for our teachers and services for you.

 
Through the generosity of the congregation, we did not have to increase our tuition and fees this year.  But if our enrollment declines, so does our income.  Yet our expenses do not decrease to meet that decline in income.  We cannot, for example, eliminate any teacher positions; as it is, half our teachers are professionals who actually volunteer their time altogether or receive a very minimal stipend.

 
We ask, therefore, that you give as generously as you can.  Help us continue the theme of this year’s Gala, Lifelong Learning, and join us as we celebrate our fabulous Chai-Lifelong Religious School educators.

Suggested contribution amounts are:

$18.00 – Chai
$36.00 – Double Chai
$54.00 – Triple Chai

 (Or whatever donation you would like to give – Thank you!)

For every $18, your family will receive a leaf to decorate that will then be posted on our Etz Chayim (Tree of Life), as discussed above.
If you would like to give a more substantial donation to the Religious School please check here and we will call you personally.  
Thank you for your time and consideration.

Amy Brener - V.P. Education (Religious School)
Sharone Weizman - Education Director

Join Us for Our
Preschool & Religious School Open House

 

Our education program has been commended by the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning

Open House – Sunday, August 8th 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Come hungry )

Open House – Monday, August 16th 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Brunch )

Congregation Adat Reyim is a “neighborhood” progressive conservative synagogue that welcomes interfaith families. Our mission includes providing our members a “home” for Jewish life and learning. Our education program offers award winning staff, social activities at all grade levels, and student differentiation. Please stop in to visit, or give us a call; we may just be your home away from home.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE EVENT FLYER

Education Director: Sharone Weizman 703-569-7597
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Preschool Director: Gail Froehlich 703-455-PLAY (7529)
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Hebrew School has ended and doesn’t start again until Sept 26th.

Don’t go the entire summer without Hebrew! It is time to sign up for the 2010 Summer Hebrew Ulpan.

This summer we will be offering inexpensive Hebrew classes at Adat Reyim.

There are 2 three week sessions with 4 levels of Hebrew instruction offered: letter recognition, beginning reading, reading prayers, and conversational Hebrew.

Classes are Mondays from 6:30 – 8 pm. See form for dates of each session. All classes are open to students of all ages (grown-ups too).

Each 3 week session is only $25. Compare to private tutors at $30 -$60 per hour.

Fill out the Ulpan Enrollment Form and return to Adat Reyim or email to mailto: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by the first of the month in which you will attend.

If you are interested in volunteering to teach or help, please let me know. Questions? Call Rebecca Gibson @ 703 417 9686 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Don’t forget about other opportunities to practice your Hebrew: Junior Congregation/Learners’ Minyan on 1st and 3rd Saturdays @ 9:30 am Family Service on 2nd Friday @ 7pm Shabbat Services every Friday @ 8 pm or Saturday @ 9:30 am

June 1, 2010

100 Local Teens Fund $85,000 in Grants to Nonprofits World-wide 
through the Partnership’s Six Youth Philanthropy Groups

3 Adat Reyim Teens Participate in the JYPI Program Blending Grant-making with Jewish Values

Rockville, MD – One hundred local teens just completed this year’s grant cycle with the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning’s Jewish Youth Philanthropy (JYPI) Program.  The JYPI program provides the opportunity for teens to engage in the grant-making process and to become active community leaders, empowered citizens and responsible Jewish adults.

Included in the group of teens were three congregation members – Lia M., Sami R. and Ryan A. They met with teens from across the Washington DC Metro area to learn about the principles of philanthropy, explore the needs of society and then make a group funding decision in response to grant proposals submitted by a variety of local, national and international nonprofits – both in and out of the organized Jewish community.

“With so many pressures on teens, JYPI is a program that enables teens to get involved personally in philanthropy and to broaden their perspectives as Jews regarding individual and communal responsibility,” said Dr. James Hyman, CEO of the Partnership. “Many alumni have noted that this type of experience – from the non-profits they visited to the experience of reaching consensus for funding – has carried a lifelong impact for them.”

“Teens who come to the JYPI program do so with such energy and excitement about the opportunity to give back to our community,” said Leah Siskin, Director of the JYPI Program at the Partnership. “They make careful and thoughtful decisions, and they truly understand the impact their decisions have on others.”

Since JYPI’s creation in 2000, more than 2,000 teens have participated in the program, awarding nearly $675,000 in grants to 180 non-profit organizations and completing over 10,000 hours of community service. The JYPI program qualifies for Student Service Learning (SSL) credit counting toward most high schools’ graduation requirements. Please visit www.pjll.org for a full list of the 2010 JYPI grantees, and contact Leah Siskin at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for information about the program.

The Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning is a non-profit, communal agency that takes an innovative approach to Jewish learning.  We look beyond books and classrooms, and deliver high quality programs and ideas that integrate Judaism into daily life, making Jewish learning joyful at all ages. By providing research that identifies key challenges and creative solutions; offering dynamic programs through local partners or our own staff; advancing local educators’ professional development; and collaborating with other community organizations, our staff of nationally recognized educators provides the vision, leadership and resources for real change in the Washington Metro area and beyond. For more information call 240-283-6200 or visit www.pjll.org

The Adat Reyim 2010 Gala held on the 10th of Sivan, 5770 (May 23, 2010) at Springfield Country Club was a wonderful and successful event for our synagogue. Our community of friends shared in a wonderful night of honoring our long-standing educators and Rabbi.

Click here to view the program from the event

This event could not take place without the generous support of our event sponsors. Please visit them for your future needs. Below is a list of the sponsors from this event.

1. Beryls Cake Decorating & Pastry Supplies - www.beryls.com
2. Hough Building & Remodeling, Inc. - www.houghbuilding.com
3. Lenny Marsh at Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. - www.lennysellshomes.com
4. Atlantic Settlement Group, LLC. - Richard Oppenheim, Jr. - 703-425-9777
5. Stuart Hill Photography - www.stuarthillphotography.com
6. Cameron Cafe - 4911 Brenman Park Dr., Alexandria, VA 22304
7. Summit Renovations, LLC - www.summitrenovations.net
8. Nebel Financial Services, LLC - 703-658-0080
9. Dr. Stuart L. Kramer (Podiatrist) - 703-642-5340
10. WTD (What's The Deal) - sowhatsthedeal.com
11. Media Masters - www.mediamasters.tv
12. Laurie L. Rosen LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) - 703-239-2600
13. The Kugel Lady - www.thekugellady.com
14. Pink Posey Florest - www.pinkposeyflorist.com

The Adat Reyim Men’s Club is sponsoring a family-friendly trip to see the Potomac Nationals play the Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox affiliate) on Sunday, August 22, 2010 at the Prince William Stadium in Woodbridge.  Game time is 1:00 PM.

Tickets are just $12, and parking is $4 per vehicle.  If you would like to go, please contact Ron Josephson at 703-222-8629 or at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it By July 16.

Dear Friends,

 

You can help the relief effort in Haiti by donating specific items to be assembled into hygiene kits and distributed by the Church World Service. The kits that Adat Reyim puts together can mean the difference between sickness and health for struggling families in Haiti. We are working in conjunction with Burke Presbyterian Church to collect these items, assemble them in kits, and deliver them to CWS in early April. Donate one item, or donate many. This is a great family or group project. And know that you are part of making a difference. (All items donated must be new.)

 

Items needed for a Hygiene Kit:

 

• One hand towel measuring approximately 16" x 28"
• One washcloth
• One wide-tooth comb
• One nail clipper (no metal files or emery boards)
• One bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)
• One toothbrush (in original packaging)
• Band-Aids
• One Gallon plastic bags with zipper closure

 

Funds are also needed to cover the processing, completion and shipping costs of these Hygiene Kits. Checks should be made payable to Adat Reyim with "Haiti Hygiene Kits" in the memo section.

 

Please bring items to Congregation Adat Reyim 6500 Westbury Oaks Court, Springfield, VA 22152. There will be a collection bin in the front lobby.

 

If you have any questions or if you are interested in the final portion of the project -- the assembly of the Hygiene Kits -- please contact Andrea Cate at (703) 503-4525.

 

Join us for our monthly Sunday Morning Wellness Program! Relaxation and Self-Care Practice Sessions will be offered monthly at Congregation Adat Reyim on Sunday mornings.

Each gathering will incorporate a range of relaxation techniques and stress mastery exercises of gentle movement, breath work, mindfulness, meditation, and self-massage. Join us to learn and practice fun and effective tools to optimize your health, enhance your joy, your inner peace, and your overall sense of well-being.

Members and non-members of Congregation Adat Reyim are welcome to participate. Immediately following each practice session, all are invited to stay for our group sharing time which will meet from 10 to 10:30 AM. A suggested donation of $5 per session is recommended but not required. A sign in front of the synagogue will state the meeting location on the date of each program.

Email contact Lisa Eidelkind at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for additional information.

On Yom Kippur, we read a haftarah which offers the ultimate reason that we fast. The prophet Isaiah says that fasting is only meaningful when we use it as an opportunity to care. "It is to share your bread with the hungry and to take the wretched poor into your home. When you see the naked, clothe them. Do not ignore your own kin." As we fast this year, we need to think about how to take care of our own and those in need in a time of economic crisis.