Behind the Scenes at Shabbat with Friends NM during Summer 2024
Thursday, July 25, 2024-19 Tammuz, 5784
Dear Friends of Shabbat with Friends NM
This has been a busy summer for Shabbat with Friends. I would like to share with you some of the behind the scenes work that is going on. Here is a peak at some of the things going on.
Shir Hesed-Song of Kindness (AKA Sheer Hesed, Share Hesed, Cher Hesed) Inspired by our Passover Caroling program this past Passover, SWF is launching the “Shir Hesed-Song of Kindness” Initiative. Like the Passover Caroling program, the idea is to bring Jewish song to isolated individuals who cannot join the community due to age, infirmity, or disability. This is SWF’s unique ‘hesed’ signature, a way we organize to bring joy and comfort to others. Read below about our call to volunteers and how Shir Hesed-Song of Kindness will work. Thank you to Lea Koshkin, SWF Team Member who will lead this effort.
Shabbat Cooperative Model. The SWF Leadership team is working hard to produce a final draft of a proposal about the model of organization and membership we are choosing for Shabbat with Friends. The leadership team has chosen to describe Shabbat with Friends as a “Shabbat Cooperative”. The Shabbat Cooperative proposal will be made public after our August 5th SWF Leadership Team meeting. We will invite comment and feedback about the proposal at a focus group of active volunteers held on Sunday, August 18th and at an open meeting for all those on our email list on August 25th. See below.
After this public feedback, the proposal will be finalized at the September 9th SWF leadership team meeting. This will be followed by a fall campaign to invite households and individuals to become founding partners of the Shabbat with Friends Cooperative.
I want to thank new board members, Janet Sanders and Douglas Jardine of Santa Fe for shepherding this innovative and impressive proposal. I also want to thank our new president, Shera Farkas for her steady support of developing this proposal. I am glad to share with you the ideas and processes that we are working on. Give me a call or schedule a Zoom or in-person meeting. Use this link to schedule a time: https://calendly.com/dovswf.
Details about the process on setting up the Shabbat Cooperative will be posted on the website in August.
Michael Nutkiewicz joins the EJE Course team. I am happy to announce that Professor Michael Nutkiewicz will be joining the Exploring the Jewish Experience Course (EJE). Michael is a brilliant teacher, a scholar of Jewish history and thought. He has taught at UNM and ran the Albuquerque Oasis adult education program for several years. He will be teaching an overview of Jewish history in the fall trimester in the EJE Albuquerque Course that begins on Wednesday, September 4th. He joins Rabbi Jack Shlachter, Joy Rosenberg and me to further strengthen a course that has attracted over 50 students this summer from all over New Mexico and beyond. Learn more about the EJE Course HERE. Information about the EJE Fall Semester Courses in Santa Fe and Albuquerque will appear at the SWF website at the beginning of August.
Introducing the SWF Rabbi’s Tzedaka Fund: The SWF Leadership Team established a Rabbi’s Tzedaka fund May to enable me of a future SWF Convener to help people in need and to assist individuals who face obstacles to coming to SWF gatherings and events. Here is an example of how the Rabbi’s Tzedaka Fund will work: Some folks have told us they want to come to our Friday night Shabbat gatherings but have trouble driving at night. I can draw from the fund to reserve a cab or rideshare to pick up and return home a person who cannot drive in darkness. Help me to help others by donating to the fund. For the time being you may donate to Rabbi’s Tzedaka Fund by sending in a check to our mailing address: 9701 Montgomery Blvd. NE; Box 1015; Albuquerque, NM 87111. Secure digital contributions options will be set up soon.
On a personal note. My beloved mother, Ina Gartenberg, is facing serious health struggles as she enters her 92nd year on this earth. I have been going back and forth from Dallas, Texas this summer, helping my brothers to provide her comfort and support. Because of the unpredictability of her condition, I reduced our summer SWF programming. As a country we experienced the difficulties of senescence. As for so many of us, helping an aging loved one is a part of life which calls for wisdom, patience, and love. “Teach us to count the number of our days.”
Have a good rest of your summer,
Rabbi Dov Gartenberg
Convener, SWFNM
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