Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism

April 29, 2020

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Dear Melissa,

Today is Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day), and in the spirit of solidarity with Jews all over the world, we honor and celebrate the centrality of the Jewish State in the life-blood of Jewish history, heritage, culture and spiritual sustenance. As a modern political entity, Israel is only 72 years old, but in this short period of time Israel has become one of the most successful centers for technology, industry, medicine, agriculture, and science in the entire world. It is also the only democracy and one of the only dependable allies of the US in the entire Middle East.

Indeed, we can take great pride in the fact that Israel has established herself as one of the most democratic, forward thinking nations in the world, and during this period of global pandemic, we can continue to revel in our pride as a people. According to news reports, Israel has managed to navigate the COVID-19 crisis in a highly effective way. The amount of deaths and grave illness recorded there have been mercifully low. Additionally, Israeli research and scientific ingenuity has remained a global leader in efforts to generate testing, supplies and eventual vaccines to combat this pandemic.

Tonight at 5:00, Israel will be the focus of our weekly Live at Five (see link below). We will also celebrate our connections with Israel this coming Friday through our Sharing Shabbat experience.

There are many ways to designate time to honor Israel and celebrate her role in our lives. Yom HaAtzmaut invites us to do so. Israel is important to us as a Jewish people and as a faith, and it is important for us to collectively recognize her ongoing centrality to our existence.

Happy Yom HaAtzmaut!

Steve

Yom Kippur Interfaith Discussion Hour

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Our Yom Kippur discussion hour will focus on issues of Social Justice in society today.

We will be joined by The Rev. Joel Goza of the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church and The Rev. Harvey Clemons, Jr. and.  Rev. Clemons and Rev. Goza are highly instrumental in the comprehensive neighborhood revitalization movement of 5th Ward.

Harvey Clemons

 

Rev. Harvey Clemons, Jr.

 

Joel Goza

Rev. Joel Goya

 

 

Every Yom Kippur, we are reminded that our annual Season of Penitence is meaningless unless we strive to translate our repentance and our prayers into action. Through these Days of Awe we are challenged to recognize that the rituals of our faith must be more than simply religious obligations; they must be vehicles for change.  This message is central to the passage we read from Isaiah at our Yom Kippur morning service.

     Is this the fast that I desire, a day of self-affliction?
     No!  This is the fast I desire:
     To unlock the shackles of injustice,
     And untie the cords of the yoke of tyranny
     To let the oppressed go free;
     To break every chain asunder.

     It is to share your bread with the hungry,
     And to take the wretched poor into your home;
     When you see the naked, to clothe him,
     Never withdrawing yourself from your own kin.  (Isaiah 58:5-7)

Isaiah saw great hypocrisy in his people who were sacrificing animals in the name of God, while neglecting to seek ways to make personal sacrifices for the betterment of world around them.  He was repulsed by the notion that a designated day of fasting could direct individuals to deprive themselves of food, while people were starving in the streets.  Today, Isaiah’s sentiments challenge us to try to make our Holy Day experiences vehicles for change.

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Message from HCRJ Director of Education (2015 – 2016)

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Hilary Kamin Director of Education

Hilary Kamin
Director of Education

 

Welcome Back Religious School families!

The new school year is just around the corner.  The HCRJ teachers cannot wait to see all of the smiling faces of your children and watch them reconnect with each other.  We have a fantastic year ahead filled with fun, friendship and fabulous programs!

For our youngest learners, our Torah Tots program is back by popular demand, under the guidance of Missy Bernosky.  We look forward to the addition of a 6th grade B’nai Mitzvah retreat this year, and are welcoming the largest confirmations class ever at HCRJ.  We are thrilled with the success of our Ozrim program and will continue to offer a training program to our 10th graders as a part of that program.  We will also be offering bimonthly opportunities for our 11th an d 12th graders to connect with Rabbi Gross and get prepared for life on campus.

Michelle Renfrow can’t wait to share more about our exciting  middle and high school youth group events.  Our events will be both local and regional; and there will be so many chances for our kids to connect.

We invite you to share your enthusiasm for our school  with friends and family.  Please invite anyone who may be interested to attend our Opening Day of Religious School on August 30th.  If you have not yest registered for Religious School, please do so by clicking here.

We look forward to seeing you!

November 6, 2014 (Interfaith Events)

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For the past decade, our congregation has taken great pride in the development of interfaith relations. Together we have visited Churches, Mosques and the sacred temples. Interfaith studies remain core to our confirmation curriculum as we seek to instill within the minds and spirits of our students a sense of openness, trust and understanding of other faiths, while at the same time encouraging them to be positive representatives of our own faith.

In my mind, this interfaith work is absolutely central to our survival as a people, for the more others understand us; the more others place a face with the term “Jew;” and the more others see that our beliefs and practices are not that different from theirs, then the more difficult it is for others to dehumanize us, demonize us and turn against us.

Throughout the month of November, HCRJ is participating in and hosting a number a phenomenal Interfaith programs designed to build bridges of trust and understanding between a wide variety of faith communities.

Please consider some of the following programs and help members of other faith communities place a friendly face with the concept of “a Jew.”

November 13: Zoroastrian Dinner Dialogue
The Zoroastrian faith was formally founded in the 6th century BCE and influenced later religions including Judaism, Gnosticism, Christianity and Islam. It is currently estimated that there are between 145,000 and 2.6 million Zoroastrians worldwide. On November 13 the Zoroastrian community will welcome all who wish to learn more about their faith and culture. Visit Interfaith Ministries of Houston of Greater Houston to learn more to register.

November 16: Muslim / Jewish Tailgate Party for Teens
If there is one thing that can teach us that we are all rooting for the same team, it is a Texans football game. All teens (grades 6-12) are welcome to join us after Sunday School on Sunday, November 16 for a Texas tailgate party with Muslim teens from Crescent Youth.

November 17: Expressions of Gratitude: An Interfaith Thanksgiving
Come and join seven Houston faith communities for an interfaith service followed by a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism and cosponsored by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Greater Houston. Represented faiths will include: Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Please RSVP to hcrj@hcrj.org by November 12.

Cantor-In- Residence

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Vadim TunitskyIt is with great excitement that I announce to the congregation a year-long exploration into the world of Jewish music with Cantor Vadim Tunitsky. I would like to emphasize from the outset that HCRJ is not employing a full-time cantor, nor are we replacing our current musical program under the direction of our beloved Dr. Jane Becker.

Cantor Tunitsky will serve as a Cantor-In-Residence on a part time basis. In this position, the cantor will be an ongoing musical resource for us to broaden our appreciation for the vast array of Jewish liturgical music that has come to shape our faith and heritage. Once a month, as well as throughout the High Holy Days, Cantor Tunitsky will bless us with his magnificent voice, his kind heart and his glorious smile.

Cantor Tunitsky will work under the direction of Dr. Jane Becker, whose soprano voice will blend magically with the Cantor, who is a tenor. In creating this musical partnership, we are hoping to achieve the following goals:

1. We seek to expose our congregation to a broad range of musical traditions from around the world as well as from the corpus of music referred to as “Classical Reform.” This aspect of our programming is an extension of the remarkable success experienced this past year through got shabbat?.

2. We seek to expand our congregation’s musical repertoire through the expansive resources of a Cantor who has been serving the Jewish Community of Houston for nearly two decades.

3. We seek to provide our soloist, Dr. Jane Becker, a wonderful opportunity to expand her knowledge of Jewish liturgical music.

4. We seek to introduce more people to HCRJ through a number of musical programs augmented by the voice of Cantor Tunitsky, whose numerous fans will appreciate the opportunity to hear him sing throughout the year.

Join us for a special service on Friday night, August 8, as we welcome Cantor Vadim Tunitsky into the HCRJ community.

This year-long program promises to provide all of us with a number of extremely beautiful musical highlights through worship services, concerts and more. It is my hope that through this majestic musical adventure, we will learn and grow as we open ourselves to new dimensions of our cultural heritage.

L’Shalom – Steve