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RCPP Newsletter October 2011

Dear InterfaithFamily.com Network Professionals,

I'm hoping Rosh Hashanah helped you begin the New Year thinking clearly about both the past and the year to come.

At InterfaithFamily.com, we are always looking forward and working to develop new resources for you and your colleagues that will both enrich and empower your knowledge and creativity. Before I tell you about those new resources, I want to make you aware of some upcoming changes to this listserv and an opportunity to win an Apple iPad.

Apple iPad Giveaway

Want to win an Apple iPad? It's easy - you just need to complete three steps: Join the InterfaithFamily.com Network, add your listing to the Professionals directory, and register your organization if it is not already registered on the InterfaithFamily.com Network.

Before you start, check to see whether or not your organization is already registered by visiting www.interfaithfamily.com/searchorgs and searching for your organization.

What if my organization is not listed, I am not a member of the InterfaithFamily.com Network and I am not listed as a Professional?
  1. Join the InterfaithFamily.com Network by visiting www.interfaithfamily.com/join and confirm your email address when you receive the email confirmation. Joining the Network and confirming your email takes under 3 minutes.
  2. Once you confirm you email address, you will be directed to a page to edit your personal information. In the "About Me" section, select the appropriate Professional field, such as Outreach Professional/Outreach Volunteer/Synagogue Professional. Then answer "Yes" to the question, "Would you like to add your listing to the Professionals directory?"
  3. Register your organization on the Network by visiting www.interfaithfamily.com/organizations, or by clicking on the Organizations left-side navigation tab and then clicking the Register an Organization button and filling in the form. You must be logged in to do this. You will then be entered in the giveaway.
What if I am already a Member?
  1. Simply login at www.interfaithfamily.com and choose "My Personal Page" at the very top left of the homepage, then "Edit Personal Page".
  2. On your Personal Page, select the appropriate Professional field such as Outreach/Professional/Outreach Volunteer/Synagogue Professional. Then answer "Yes" to the question, "Would you like to add your listing to the Professionals directory?"
  3. Register your organization on the Network by visiting www.interfaithfamily.com/organizations, or by clicking on the Organizations left-side navigation tab and then clicking the Register an Organization button and filling in the form. You must be logged in to do this. You will then be entered in the giveaway.
What if I am already a Member and a Professional?
  • Register your organization on the Network by visiting www.interfaithfamily.com/organizations, or by clicking on the Organizations left-side navigation tab and then clicking the Register an Organization button and filling in the form. You must be logged in to do this. You will then be entered in the giveaway.
What if I am already a Member and a Professional and my Organization is listed?
  • If your organization is listed but is administered by someone else, you can become a member of the organization by clicking Join Group/Org under the picture on your organization page. You will then be entered in the giveaway.

Do this by November 15th and you will automatically be entered to win an Apple iPad! The winner will be announced in the December RCPP email newsletter.

Listserv Update

We will be moving our monthly messages off of the current system (Shamash) to the new Resource Center for Program Providers (RCPP) private group on the InterfaithFamily.com Network. This is an exciting change because, not only will you continue to receive our monthly RCPP email newsletter with helpful tips, resources and ideas, but you will also be able to participate in private discussions and share bookmarks, files and ideas with other RCPP members. To get access to the RCPP group all you need to do is have a professional listing on the InterfaithFamily.com Network. To list yourself as a professional, follow the directions above.

For Help

If you have any problems getting yourself or your organization on the InterfaithFamily.com Network, we are here to help! Debbie Morandi is available to walk you through the process, answer any questions and ensure you get your name into the Apple iPad drawing. Please contact her with any questions at debm@interfaithfamily.com or 617-581-6820.

New Resources from the Resource Center for Program Providers

The important thing to remind everyone is that unlike other holidays in Judaism, we light the candles at the end of the evening meal before the Yom Kippur fast. Why? Because lighting the candles marks the start of the holiday and the start of the Yom Kippur fast.

Yom Kippur Blessings and Booklet

The important thing to remind everyone is that unlike other holidays in Judaism, we light the candles at the end of the evening meal before the Yom Kippur fast. Why? Because lighting the candles marks the start of the holiday and the start of the Yom Kippur fast.

Below is a list of the great resources we have for Yom Kippur. They can be found on our Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Resource Page.

Sukkot and Simchat Torah

  • The first thing you are supposed to do after Yom Kippur is to drive the first nail into your Sukkah. Well, maybe the first thing after you end your fast. This pair of holidays ends the holiday season with a focus on our beautiful world and the joy in our lives. Help everyone you know to understand all the hows, whys and whats of these holidays, from symbols and ritual items through blessings and the importance of guests, with our Sukkot and Simchat Torah resources, which can be found on our Sukkot and Simchat Torah Resource Page.
  • For a quick and complete review of the themes, check out our Sukkot and Simchat Torah: The Basics booklet.
  • For all those who never saw a lulov or etrog and haven't the vaguest idea what it means to shake them, you must see our new lighthearted video which makes this ritual easy and fun.
  • And for the story of one woman finally getting a sukkah built for her family, read A Sukkah of our Own by Charlotte Gordon.
     

One More Opportunity

If you haven't already, please take the InterfaithFamily.com User Survey before October 14! And encourage the people you work with to take it also. You'll be entered into a drawing for a $500 American Express gift card for filling it out. The answers will help steer the direction of our work, and bring you the resources that you want and need.

To all of you from all of us at InterfaithFamily.com, we wish you l'shanah tovah umetukah, a good year and a sweet year. May your every good intention become a reality and your learning and growing never end.

Warm wishes,

Karen Kushner,
Chief Education Officer

Hebrew for "Joy of Torah," a fall holiday that celebrates the completion of the yearlong Torah cycle and the commencement of a new one. Hebrew for "Head of the Year," the Jewish New Year. With Yom Kippur, known as the High Holy Days. Hebrew for "a good year," a typical greeting on Rosh Hashanah. A ceremony created by the Reform movement as a way for young adults to show their decision to embrace Jewish study and reaffirm their commitment to Judaism. Confirmation is typically held at the end of the tenth grade. Hebrew for "Day of Atonement," the final of ten Days of Awe that begin with Rosh Hashanah. Occurs during the fall and is marked by a 24-hour fast. One of the most important Jewish holidays. Derived from the Greek word for "assembly," a Jewish house of prayer. Synagogue refers to both the room where prayer services are held and the building where it occurs. In Yiddish, "shul." Reform synagogues are often called "temple." The Jewish Sabbath, from sunset on Friday to nightfall on Saturday. Hebrew for "helper," a candle used to light all the other candles in the Hanukkah menorah. A language of West Semitic origins, culturally considered to be the language of the Jewish people. Ancient or Classical Hebrew is the language of Jewish prayer or study. Modern Hebrew was developed in the late-19th and early 20th centuries as a revival language; today it is spoken by most Israelis.
Hebrew for "booth," a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot ("booths"). Hebrew for "Booths," it's a fall holiday marking the harvest, like a Jewish Thanksgiving, complete with opportunities for dining and sleeping under the stars. Hebrew word for a yellow citron, used ritually in the holiday of Sukkot.
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