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A Different Way To Do Jewish
We are a full-service, secular humanistic Jewish community welcoming everyone to share in the traditions, history, culture, and values of the Jewish People.
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- JCS was founded in 1965 and is Ann Arbor's second oldest Jewish congregation (click here for more information).
- Formally, JCS is a tax-exempt 501(C)3 organization under the IRS rules.
- Informally, it is a quasi-coop. There are several salaried employees (teachers, principal, office manager, Madrikha), but most of the program activities are carried out by volunteers from the membership, and all members are expected to volunteer for some activities. Although the Board of Directors is elected by the membership, in practice any member can volunteer to serve on the Board.
- JCS is a congregation, and does what most congregations do: sponsoring life-cycle events (baby-naming, weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, funerals), holiday observances, social actions, sponsorships of Jewish community events, adult education, K-8 Sunday School, social events, etc. But JCS is not religious; we do not have prayer services, worship services, Torah reading and the like.
- Special features of JCS programs include First Friday Shabbat (a catered dinner for families once/month), Third Friday Havurah (a potluck once-a-month dinner at members’ houses for empty nesters), Rosh Hodesh and adult schmoozes.
- JCS is an active participant in the larger Jewish community. Its members have served as President and Vice-President of the Jewish Community Center, have served on the Board of the Jewish Federation, and in other leadership positions.
- The Jewish Cultural Society's membership is currently about 60 families. It includes physicians, musicians, architects, carpenters, lawyers, nurses, teachers, social workers, artists, small business owners, retailers, physicists, librarians, engineers, software and information technology developers, bar owners, university professors and retirees.
- Membership is diverse: we come from orthodox, conservative, reform and secular backgrounds. There are mixed-ethnic and mixed religious marriages, inter-racial marriages, families with Asian-American and African-American children. What we have in common is a secular outlook, Jewish identity, a desire for our children to construct their own Jewish identities, and enjoyment of a Jewish community.
- Students take part in a two year preparation under the guidance of the Madrikha, parallel to 6th and 7th Sunday School grades
- Requirements include 30 hours of individual community service and a group community service project, 4 projects on topics of the candidate’s choosing in the broad areas of family history, the group community service experience, Jewish identity, and Jewish culture.
- Ceremonies are individual or group, as the family chooses, and are designed by the participating families with the help of the Madrikha. They usually include a presentation of a project by the student, group singing, remarks by the parents, commemorative candle-lighting, and appreciations of each student by JCS staff members, ending in an oneg for guests and the congregation (click here for more information).
- It is one of the several varieties of Jewish belief and practice, such as reform, orthodox, reconstruction, conservative, that have been developed throughout Jewish history.
- Secular Judaism grew out of the 18th century European Enlightenment and defines Judaism by its history, culture, and values.
- It assumes that human fate is in human hands. Divine intervention is neither expected nor asked for.
- Jewish identity is chosen by the individual. It is not automatically conferred by parentage, place or condition of birth, religious belief, religious ritual or authority, nor is it defined by others, whether Jewish or not.
- While canonical texts (Torah, Talmud, Mishnah, etc.) and Jewish history and traditions are cultural and historical resources, Secular Judaism is concerned with Tikun Olam - repairing the world as it is now through the use of human knowledge and talents (click here for more information).
- We have classes for pre-kindergarten through 8th grade and teen programs (click here for more information).
- We have a carefully planned curriculum covering holiday observances, ancient Jewish history, myths and their implied values, world Jewish experience from the middle ages through the Enlightenment, the Holocaust, Zionism, immigration, the American Jewish world, including political developments, social movements and organizations, Jewish families, communities and life cycles.
- Learning is through discussion, hands-on arts/crafts, music, dance, cooking, class projects and field trips.
- Our teen program for high school students inclues a community leadership program, assistance in Sunday School classes and social action projects (click here for more information).
Julie Gales is our Madrikha, which literally means leader in Hebrew. Functionally, a Madrikha is a community leader or guide, cermonial officiant, philosophic Jewish counsler, eduator and spokesperson for a Secular Humanistic community.
One of the prominent roles assumed by Madrikhim is that of officiants at life cycle events of community members, including baby namings, bar/bat mitzvah ceremonies, weddings, and funerals/memorials.
Julie became a Madrikha in 1993 and has worked for two Secular Jewish Communities: Jewish Parents Institute (JPI) in Detroit and our own Jewish Cultural Society. She has said that "I feel that my role as Madrikha is one way I can give back to the Secular Jewish communities that have had such a profound impact on my life and personal life philosophy."
- Visit us some Sunday morning (click here for the calendar) and sit in on a Sunday School class
- Call us at 734-975-9872
- Come to an adult education event (click here for the calendar)
- Reserve a place at a first Friday Shabbat observance/dinner
- Attend and participate in one of our high holiday observances
It is JCS policy that no one is denied membership or Sunday School because of inability to pay full fees. If such costs are a problem, please contact us.
The registration form is available below for download as a pdf format file.
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Our Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre, Yom Kippur and Break the Fast observances are popular and open to the public (there is a modest charge for non-members). Reservations are required.
UPCOMING EVENTS
First Friday Shabbat
Friday, September 3
6:30-9:00pm at the JCC
First Friday Shabbat will be held in the newly-renovated JCC lounges! We hope you will come and enjoy the improved environment for our Shabbat services. Don't forget to RSVP: Click here to RSVP
HIGH HOLIDAYS
2010 High Holiday Observances
We hope you will join us and invite your friends and family to celebrate the High Holidays with our community. Our Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre, Yom Kippur and Break the Fast observances are popular and open to the public. Everyone is welcome. Reservations are required and can be made at www.jewishculturalsociety.org.
Rosh Hashanah: Wednesday, September 8, 7pm - 9pm
Kol Nidre: Friday , September 17, 7pm - 8pm
Yom Kippur: Saturday, September 18, 2pm - 3pm
Break the Fast: Saturday, September 18, 6:30pm - 9:00pm
All High Holiday observances* will be held at the Ann Arbor Jewish Community Center at 2935 Birch Hollow Drive in Ann Arbor, MI.
*with the exception of Tashlich, which will be held at Island Lake Park on September 9 from 12pm - 2pm. For a full calendar of events, please click here.
Tickets:
All JCS members should have received tickets via email (on Aug 15) for this year's High Holiday observances via email. Please note: if you received tickets and are not already registered for the coming year, you still have time to send in your registration forms before September! If you are a current, registered member of the JCS (2010-2011 year) and have not received your ticket, please contact Heather at
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.
Our High Holiday observances are open to all who would like to join us. We ask that non-members (those not currently paying JCS dues) make a donation to help defray the cost of running our High Holiday events. This is a change from last year, as last year we did NOT ask for a donation from the guests of JCS members. The suggested donations are as follows:
Suggested donation:
For all three observances:
100/family, $50/individual, $25/student
For each observance (if paid for individually): $50/family, $25/individual, $10/student
No one will be turned away due to an inability to pay the suggested donation. Instead we ask that non-members pay only as much as they are comfortable paying.
Volunteer for the High Holidays!
We need your help in making our observances for the High Holidays a success! If you are interested in helping out in any capacity with the JCS' High Holiday events, please contact Adam at
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. He can discuss different volunteer roles available and match you up with a job that suits your interests!
Current Volunteer Needs
Rosh Hashanah - Apple Cake Bakers: Calling Rosh Hashanah apple cake bakers! We need apple cakes for the kiddish following our Rosh Hashanah observance on September 8. If you are willing to bake a cake or two, please let Julie Gales know at
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. If you need an apple cake recipe, contact Julie and she will send you one.
We need to know how many cakes to expect so that we can make up the difference with purchased cakes if necessary. The cakes should be brought to the JCC already cut and plated before the Rosh Hashanah observance. Volunteers can contact Adam Liebowitz at
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.
Apples and Honey - Falafel Stand: Teen Volunteers Needed! Calling for teen volunteers to help with the JCS Falafel Stand for Apples and Honey on August 29th from 12-3. Volunteer shifts are from 12-1:30 or 1:30-3 and every volunteer will get a free falafel sandwich. Volunteers can contact Seth Penchansky at
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.
Set up for Rosh Hashanah from 5:30 - 7:00 pm (cutting apples, ensuring room set up & setting out observance booklets)
Clean up from Rosh Hashanah from 9:00 - 9:30 pm
Set up for Kol Nidre from 6:00 - 7:00 pm (ensuring room set up & setting out observance booklets)
Set up for Yom Kippur from 1:00 - 2:00 pm (ensuring room set up & setting out observance booklets)
Can you help? Contact Adam at
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High Holiday Harmony (JCS Choir)
It's not too late to join the high holiday choir.
For the holiday observances, the choir will meet for half an hour before each service to rehearse only the music for that service.
The dates and times will be:
Holiday Date Choir Time Service Time
Rosh Hashanah Wed, 9/8 6 pm 7 pm
Kol Nidre Fri, 9/17 6 pm 7 pm
Yom Kippur Sat, 9/18 1 pm 2 pm
In between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, High Holiday Harmony will have a special
rehearsal to focus only on the music for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur. We will meet from
7 pm - 8:30 pm at the JCC.
On-time arrival is encouraged and appreciated.
Please contact Brandy Sinco at 930-0646 or
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if you are interested
in singing in the choir.
MEMBER REGISTRATION
Remember to send in your membership registration. You can click on the link in the column to the left to be directed to the current registration form. Questions about registration? Contact Heather at
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.
SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Hebrew Class at JCS
We are pleased to announce "Hebrew with Deborah Huerta", the after Sunday School enrichment program available for JCS students. This 20 session program will begin Sunday, September 26 and will meet for 1 hour after school*. The program is designed for students entering the 3rd - 7th grade. Students in lower grades may be accepted with instructor permission. All Hebrew abilities are welcome!
*Exact time(s) are still being determined. Please stay tuned for final details.
Meet Deborah Huerta
Deborah Huerta is the Youth, Teen, and Camp Director for the JCC of Greater Ann Arbor. Deborah grew up as an active member of the metro-Detroit Jewish community and went on to pursue a bachelor's and master's degree in Judaic Studies from the University of Michigan. Deborah has extensive experience implementing Jewish cultural programming and working with children in camp, youth group, afterschool, and congregational school settings. She has previously taught first and second year Hebrew to fifth and sixth grade students at the Birmingham Temple in Farmington Hills. She took three years of Hebrew and two years of Yiddish while at the University of Michigan, and also worked for the University as a Hebrew tutor for second year Hebrew students.
Deborah brings with her a passion for teaching Hebrew, numerous years of experience working with beginning Hebrew students in a cultural Jewish setting, and a general love of Jewish languages and learning. After a brief hiatus from teaching Hebrew, Deborah was very excited to have the opportunity to work with JCS students last year and is looking forward to continuing this year.
Cost for the Hebrew class: $200 for 20 sessions. For more information please contact Deborah Rubyan at
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or to register your students for "Hebrew with Deborah Huerta" please contact Heather Higdon our Administrative Assistant in the JCS Office at
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or by calling 734 975-9872.
COMMUNITY ANNOUCEMENTS
(not affiliated or endorsed by the Jewish Cultural Society)
Jewish Federation Student Exchange Seeks UM Football Tickets
The Jewish Federation Partnership 2000 Student Exchange is seeking UM football tickets for the September 25 game against Bowling Green University. Donated tickets will enable teens visiting from Moshav Nahalal to experience the unique spectacle that is Michigan football. Their 10-day visit is the second half of the Student Exchange in which 7 Ann Arbor teens traveled to Nahalal last February. If you are able to donate tickets, please contact Eileen Freed,
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or 734-677-0100.
Welcome Breakfast
Interested members of the Ann Arbor Jewish community are invited to a breakfast to welcome the incoming class of the Jewish Communal Leadership Program at the University of Michigan. The breakfast will take place on Thurs, Sept 2nd, 7:45 to 9:30 a.m. on the Lower Level of the School of Social Work, 1080 S. University Ave, Ann Arbor.
A collaborative effort of the School of Social Work and the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, the Jewish Communal Leadership Program offers a distinctive opportunity for emerging leaders committed to helping Jewish communities meet 21st century challenges while also addressing broader social concerns.
This will be the first gathering of the JCLP students and will offer their first chance to get to know the professionals and involved members of the local Jewish community. We hope you can join us. For planning purposes, we request that you rsvp via email by Aug 27. Questions: 734-763-6886 |
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Last Updated on Saturday, 07 August 2010 15:45 |
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