Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism

Mitzvah Day

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HCRJ held its annual Mitzvah Day on Sunday, November 20.  We all joined together to make a difference in the lives of the men, women and children who need our help.

Our Mitzvah Day Accomplishments

2,400 pair of underwear packed for Undies For Everyone

800 sandwiches made for 400 meal bags with bottled water, cereal bar, individual bag of chips, fruit snack, cookies, clementine, napkin, candy and motivational message in each for Turning Point Center, Star of Hope Mission and Pleasant Hill Baptist Church

600 eggs filled for Fifth Ward Redevelopment Corporation’s Lyons Avenue Renaissance Festival

293 books donated to Books Between Kids

200 Christmas and Thanksgiving cards colored for Turning Point Center

175 breakfast tacos served to Mitzvah Day participants

140 origami kits created for Texas Children’s Hospital

136 placemats made for Texas Children’s Hospital

98 kitchenware items (46 plates, 13 mugs, 8 cups, 3 cooking pans, cookie tin and more) donated to Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston Refugee Services

85 chew toys made for Citizens for Animal Protection

67 articles of clothing and 7 purses donated for Dress for Success Houston

65 Hanukkah cards made for Jewish Children’s Regional Service

50 flower pots decorated for Seven Acres

43 pairs of shoes donated to Soles4Souls

42 matching card sets and 20 puzzles created for Alzheimer’s Association Houston

40 hospital necessity packs assembled for Jewish Family Service chaplaincy

39 bandanas decorated for Citizens for Animal Protection

22 ID kits distributed for National Child Identification Program

19 items (10 bags of Harina PAN, 3 baby formula bottles, 3 bags of rice, 1 bag of beans, 1 bag of diapers and gift basket of assorted items) donated to FUNDANA

14 pews cleaned in the sanctuary

13 letters of intent signed for HCRJ’s L’Dor VaDor Legacy League

13 birthday cards colored for Seven Acres

10.5 1-gallon bags of toiletries (body wash, bar soap, lotions and shampoos) put together for Jewish Family Service senior adults

10 genetic tests taken with Gene by Gene

9 fleece blankets made for HCRJ newborn and hospitalized members

7 lovies finished for The Thread Alliance and 3 squares completed for afghans for the needy project

8 rows of shelves installed in downstairs closet, downstairs closet and archive room upstairs also cleaned and organized

8 items (7 blankets, 1 jacket) donated to SEARCH Homeless Services

3 items (2 cell phones, 1 kindle) donated to the Houston Zoo

 

High Holy Days Schedule 2016

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HIGH HOLY DAYS SCHEDULE 2016

Rosh Hashanah (New Year)

Sunday, October 2
8:00 pm Rosh Hashanah Eve Service (reception to follow)

Monday, October 3
9:30 am Rosh Hashanah Youth Service
11:00 am Rosh Hashanah Adult Morning Service

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

Tuesday, October 11
8:00 pm Kol Nidre – Yom Kippur Eve Service

Wednesday, October 12
9:30 am Yom Kippur Youth Service
11:00 am Yom Kippur Adult Morning Service
1:00 pm Holy Days Discussion Hour
2:15 pm Meditation Period
3:00 pm Afternoon Service
4:00 pm Memorial and Concluding Service
Break the Fast at approximately 5:30 pm

High Holy Days Packet 2016

 

Rosh Hashanah Youth Service

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Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. All of us in the HCRJ office and on the HCRJ board wish you and your family a Shanah Tova, a healthy and joyous new year.

There are no tickets needed for our Rosh Hashanah Youth Service which starts at 9:30am. The Adult Morning Service starts at 11:00am.

 

For the complete High Holy Day schedule, please click here.

For our High Holy Day packet, please click here.

Mitzvah Day 2015

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Our congregation will “join hands” on Sunday, December 13th to make a difference in the lives of others.

Mitzvah Day Schedule

9:00am – Breakfast Buffet

9:30am – Kickoff with Rabbi Gross

9:45am – Activities

Mitzvah Day Activities:

At HCRJ

  • Plant a Smile Decorating flower pots with plants for Seven Acres
  • Mini-Nosh Packs & Hospital Packs for Jewish Family Service Chaplaincy
  • Holiday Cards for Turning Point Center
  • Easter Eggs for Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation
  • Sanctuary Cleanup Dusting and Cleaning, oiling all the wood and cleaning the pews
  • Sandwiches for Turning Point Center and Houston’s homeless population
  • Origami Kits for Texas Children’s Hospital
  • Fleece blankets for HCRJ newborn and hospitalized members
  • Knitted lovies for The Thread Alliance, with HCRJ’s Knitzvah Group
  • Sharing Our Stories Record stories of senior congregants on iPad/iPhone. RSVP required to Justin at 713-782-4162 or admin@hcrj.org (adults only)
  • Building Our Legacy Learn about HCRJ’s major gift giving program, L’Dor VaDor Legacy League (adults only)
  • Painting Mural in Ozrim Classroom (adults only)

Off-Site

  • Hermann Park Conservancy – Ages 10+. Weeding, mulching, planting and removing plants. RSVP required to Justin at 713-782-4162 or admin@hcrj.org
  • Books Between Kids – Ozrim (10th-12th grades only). Packing and moving books into sections for schools. RSVP required to Michelle at 832-607-3673 or hcrjyouth@hcrj.org
Mitzvah Day donation drives are now underway. The items we are collecting are listed below:
  • Gently used children’s books appropriate for Pre-K through 5th grade readers for Books Between Kids
  • New, in-the-package underwear (sizes 4-adult) for Undies for Everyone
  • All types of new or gently worn shoes – athletic, running, dress, sandals, pumps, heels, work, boots, cleats, dance, flip flops for Soles4Souls
  • Gently used eye glasses – reading glasses, sunglasses and plastic and metal frames for Texas Lions Clubs
  • Old cell phones for Houston Zoo
  • New or gently used large, adult coats, blankets and winter hats for SEARCH Homeless Services

Please consider a donation to Mitzvah Day.  Contributions can be made online under the “Donations” link on our website.  You may also mail a check to the temple office made out to HCRJ.  Every contribution counts.  Together we will make a difference!

Religious School

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Message from our Director of Education

2015 – 2016 Religious School Calendar

The HCRJ Religious School Philosophy

The HCRJ Religious School believes successful religious school programming invites each student on a journey of the spirit that includes learning, self-exploration and the establishment of life-long relationships.  At HCRJ, Jewish education is a joyful endeavor where students, teachers and parents work together to generate bonds with each other, the synagogue community and God rooted in shared faith, culture and heritage.

We believe that successful Jewish learning is maximized when it is in sync with the realities of modern secular life.  In response to the fact that families are highly overextended during the week, the HCRJ religious school is committed to maintaining a program only meets on Sunday morning.

Our innovative curriculum is designed to engage students of all ages. Project-centered programming invites students to explore faith, history, heritage and culture through camp style, five-week units on cooking, music, art and more.  As students rotate through these projects, classroom experiences become the foundations for a love of Jewish learning and a life-long connection to synagogue life.

We believe that every stage of Jewish learning must be meaningful and personally fulfilling.  It is our ongoing commitment to our students to provide boundless opportunities to master Hebrew reading skills and develop a strong foundation in Jewish values, beliefs and practices in ways that are engaging, intellectually stimulating and fun.

Rosh Hashanah Youth Service

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Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year.  All of us in the HCRJ office and on the HCRJ board wish you and your family a Shanah Tova, a healthy and joyous new year.

There are no tickets needed for our Rosh Hashanah Youth Service which starts at 9:30 am.  The Adult Morning Service stars at 11 am.  To view our High Holy Day Schedule, click here.

Family Shabbat Dinner

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On the first Friday of every month, we meet at 6:15 PM to enjoy a delicious meal before services.  The menu changes monthly and is prepared by different families in the congregation. The February menu includes Brisket, smoked chicken, vegetarian red beans, cajun rice, cooked greens, salad, macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets and king cake.

Cost is $5 per person over 4 years of age.  Anyone interested in finding out more about our community is welcome to attend.  We always serve salad, chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese.  Check the bulletin for this month’s full menu.

If you are interested in joining the Family Shabbat Dinner committee, please contact adulted@hcrj.org.  RSVPs are not necessary, but would be greatly appreciated.

Family Shabbat & Teacher Appreciation Dinner

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On the first Friday of every month, we meet at 6:15 PM to enjoy a delicious meal before services.  The May menu is  Cinco de Mayo cuisine and includes Chicken and beef fajitas, flour tortillas, rice, beans, chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.

Cost is $5 per person over 4 years of age.  Anyone interested in finding out more about our community is welcome to attend.

If you are interested in joining the Family Shabbat Dinner committee, please contact adulted@hcrj.org.  RSVPs are not necessary, but would be greatly appreciated.