UPCOMING EVENTS AND SERVICES

Mitzvah Day

Mitzvah Day - Sunday, May 18, 2008
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Mark your calendars for our Annual Congregational Mitzvah Day
on Sunday, May 18th. Help is needed with all kinds of projects around the Temple.

Please continue to send in non-perishable food items to the Temple for distribution to the local food bank.

We will also continue to put together Foster Care Welcome Kits. These kits provide items for the many children that enter foster care, often on an emergency basis, with few or no belongings to take with them. We will be collecting items for 2 years olds through young teens. Some of the items needed are as follows:

Personal Care Items:
Diapers (toddler size), Pull-ups, Sanitary products for teen girls, Underwear - boys and girls, Socks - boys and girls, Shampoo (8-10oz. size), Chapstick, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Deodorant, Small hair brushes, Combs, Washcloths, Bath sponges, Body wash, Sippie cups, Small packages of Kleenex, Hair barrettes and hair ties.

For Fun and Comfort:
Small stuffed animals (Beanie Baby type are good for older kids), Small Coloring books, travel-size board games, Decks of playing cards, Pens, Crayons (24 count and smaller) and thin markers, Matchbox cars, Koosh balls, Nerf balls, Diaries/Journal books, Change purses, Wallets, Tic Tacs and other hard candy.We will also accept plastic shoe boxes with tops.

If you would like to make a monetary contribution, please donate to the Social Action Committee Mitzvah Day Fund.

Shabbat Shalom Behar May 15, 2008

Dear Parents,

Tomorrow night our worship will be dedicated to Israel. This is the 60th Anniversary of Israel and our prayer experience will be focused on Israel.

Saturday morning we will hold our weekly Torah Study Brunch

Be sure to come this Sunday- a very special Or Ami Day. Our Mitzvah/Tikkun Olam Day and our Day to honor our teachers and staff and students (and all you parents, too)! Everything begins at 9:00 am. Where comfortable clothes if you plan to help clean up. Some of our students will be traveling to Beth Shalom to do some special things for our older Jewish Richmonders.

Be sure to make your reservations for this year's Capital Schlepps presentation. Saturday May 31 8:00 pm. This will be a night of music and fun, you really want to be a part of the experience.

And be sure to mark your calendars for our upcoming B'nei Mitzvah

June 7: Daniel Leibovic
June 14: Timothy Korenman
June 21: Johnnie Armes

And join our 9/10 graders as we celebrate Shavuot and Kabbalat HaTorah (Confirmation) on Sunday evening June 8th.

Please study this week's Family Shabbat Table Talk from our URJ site. Then share your insights with your children. And then come a be a part of our worship and empower your students to be spiritually connected and informed about Jewish worship.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Ben

35th Anniversary

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Thursday, May 15

Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. at the Weinstein JCC Thalheimer Room

Friday, May 16

7:30 pm Shabbat Worship Israel@60
Bulletin deadline for June articles

Saturday, May 17

Tot Shabbat, 9:30 a.m.
Torah Study/Brunch, 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, May 18

Mitzvah Day, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Teacher & Volunteer Appreciation Program & Pot Luck Family Picnic at Or Ami, 12 p.m.

Monday, May 19

Finance Committee Meeting, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, May 23

Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. - Lag BaOmer

Saturday, May 24

Torah Study/Brunch, 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, May 25

Tim Korshin/Irena Perelman Wedding

Friday, May 30

Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 31

Capital Schlepps, 8:00 p.m.

"A MUST SEE!!! The CAPITAL SCHLEPPS, Saturday, May 31, 2008, 8:00 p.m. at Or Ami. Enjoy wine, desserts and the creative efforts of some very talented fellow congregants.
Directed by Debra Clinton, musical director, Marcy Horwitz, the cast includes: Bruce Gould, Renee Gould, Linda Heuser, Linda Kessler, Larry Rosen, Steve Shapiro, and Holly Timberline.
Tickets cost $12.50 per person, if purchased before May 15 (so buy now!). After May 15, the cost is $15.00 per person.
Last year's show was a big hit. This year's show promises to be even better!!"

Saturday June 7th

10:30 am Shabbat Worship Bar Mitzvah of Daniel Leibovic
Daniel is the son of Steve Leibovic and Julie Sidharta

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OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

We need all the Ukrops Golden Gift certificates that you hopefully have been collecting by June 4. Please send or bring them to the synagogue, 9400 Huguenot Rd., Richmond, VA 23235.

Ukrops Golden Gift

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Congregation Or Ami is partnering with 12 other Greater Richmond Faith Communities in Acts of Faith- The Largest Faith Inspired Theatre Event in America. We are the only Jewish congregation involved in this wonderful Interfaith effort. Check out the Acts of Faith Website for more information and show times. Rabbi Romer will be participating in future discussions of the plays.
http://www.theactsoffaith.com

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• Or Ami Cookbook •

Cookbook

Please send us your favorite recipes for our cookbook! We will include your name with your recipes in the book. We are looking for all kinds of recipes: traditional Jewish recipes, everyday meals, entertaining meals, hors d'oeuvres and desserts.

Guidelines:

No pork or shell fish

No mixing of dairy and meat

Make sure ingredient amounts and directions are complete and clear

Include your name, phone number and email so we can contact you with questions

You can drop them off in the Or Ami office in the folder marked "Or ami Cookbook", or email them to Deborah Cohen (deborah.cohen@suntrust.com) or Cindy Hendren (hendren5@comcast.net)

RABBI ROMER'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"The past is to be there and not forgotten, but it is to be retired to the background and is not to invest us with pride before the fresh task to which each new day calls us." -RABBI SAMSON RAPHAEL HIRSCH

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PARASHAT OF THE WEEK
Please click here to view the Parashat of the Week.

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MITZVAH DAY

Sunday, May 18, 2008
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Mitzvah Day

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DATES FOR CLASSES SERVICES

Friday, May 9 Grades 8 & 9
Sunday, June 8 Confirmation (10th Grade)

Mark your calendars and plan to attend them all!

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UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS AND ANIVERSARIES from this Friday until next Friday

Cake

Birthdays:
May 9: Yeogeniy Dolganskiy
May 10: Oleg Dolganskiy 13, Vania Farnsworth, Jonathan Hammond, Nava Levenson 13, Andi Silver
May 11: Jessica Levy, Debbie Silbert, Michael Wagner 10
May 13: Devon Kinsley 17
May 14: Dell Berlinerman, Pat Lavelle, Norman Rainer
May 15: David Kellner

Anniversaries:
May 13: Michael and Michelle Rainer 7
May 16: Pamela and Charles Dubose 27

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BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION - RELIGIOUS SCHOOL ONGOING FUNDRAISER

Boxtop

You can make a difference for our Religious school every time your shop for groceries! Just clip the Box Tops coupons from hundreds of your favorite products and send them to your child's school. Please locate the cardbox yellow school bus and drop your Box Tops in it!

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PLEASE RECYCLE!

PLEASE RECYCLE
The religious school collects old cell phones and inkjet cartridges for recycling. This program is also part of the Religious School ongoing fundraiser. Thank you in advance for your contribution!

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VOLUNTEER!

Volunteer!

This is one of the single best ways to get to know this congregation and its members. There is always something to do! We need people to volunteer for our committees. We can use new and fresh ideas. Becoming a volunteer is how I grew to love this congregation and its members. It is how I became vested in it. The congregation grows in value with the effort you put into it.

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SUNDAY SCHOOL PARKING LOT SAFETY

PARKING SAFETY
The safety of our children must be our #1 concern.

PLEASE drive slowly and carefully in the parking lot. Park in a parking place (not in the pick-up lane) and come to the door to escort your child, OR stay in your car in line until you reach the door.
Don’t ask your child to cross the parking lot.
Use extreme patience and caution when entering Huguenot Road from the driveway!
With the increase in our enrollment comes the increased responsibility for patience and good sense.

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