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Or Ami Happenings for August

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Rabbi Ahuva Zaches.

By Lenette Howard
It is with great joy, Congregation Or Ami announces the renewal of its covenant with Rabbi Ahuva Zaches on a continuing basis. For the last decade, Rabbi Ahuva has served Or Ami as both Rabbi and Director of our Religious School, and we are excited about the next phase of our long-term relationship.
As expressed so warmly by one congregant, “Rabbi Ahuva is considerate, learned, and kind, and leads the congregation with a gentle hand, making everyone at Or Ami feel welcome. Her weekly Torah commentaries and stories are eloquent, brief, insightful, and memorable.
“When leading discussions, she does so graciously, beautifully summarizing diverse opinions. She feels like a part of our community and treats everyone with respect and affection.”
We invite the community to attend our Shabbats to experience Rabbi Ahuva’s thoughtful and creative services.
Creativity, Valuable Teachings
Her creativity extends to our Religious School, where she guides our youth through a relevant and meaningful curriculum. This past year, the focus of our School was on the guidance Judaism can offer us through the ups and downs of life, exploring such questions as what Judaism teaches as the key to happiness, how Jewish tradition helps us find comfort when we are sad, and what the Torah teaches us about managing our fear and anger.
These teachings are valuable well beyond Religious School.
The scale of the Rabbi’s responsibilities is growing. Last year Or Ami welcomed 24 new family units, which has also increased Religious School enrollment. In response to this growth, we are seeking an assistant Religious School Director to help the Rabbi move forward.
To all parents and grandparents – now is the time to begin thinking about your children’s religious education! Or Ami’s educational programs are, above all, inclusive, fun, warm, and shared with the entire congregation.     We’d love to meet you.
Honeymoon Israel Experience

Ali and Darren Moorehead with Rabbi Ahuva (in the middle) during the Federation’s Honeymoon Israel trip.

(Written by Darren Moorehead) “My wife and I were fortunate to be able to go on the Honeymoon Israel trip with 15 young couples from Richmond.
“As Jews who were ‘adopted’ into the family and trying to figure out where we fit and how to avoid succumbing to imposter syndrome, this has been an incredible experience and a culmination of our journey. Praying at the Western Wall, shopping at Machaneh Yehu-dah market, and mourning at Yad Vashem showed the vibrancy of Jewish life. The friendships we have made with the other couples (many with stories like ours) run deeply after such a short time, and we hope these people will be part of our story for a lifetime.”
See article in Federation section for more reflections on the trip.
A Purim Beer-Ami Beer Ami
Our “Blast from the Past” returns on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 6 p.m., at Veil on Forest Hill Avenue.
All are welcome, and you only have to bring your smile!
Book Club
Our virtual Book Club will renew meetings in September with, “The Last Kings of Shanghai: The Rival Jewish Dynasties that Helped Create Modern China” by Jonathan Kaufman, on Monday, Sept. 5, 7-8 p.m.
Please join our lively and fun in-person and virtual meetings. You may contact office@Or-Ami.com for more information and links to these events.
In-person Shabbat Services are also online Friday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30. Torah Study is held virtually on Saturdays, from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
For more information on any of our programs or to obtain links to zoom events, please contact our office at (804) 272-0017 or office@or-ami.com.
Would you like to know more? Contact us at Belong@Or-Ami.com or check us out at www.Or-Ami.com. You can follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OrAmi-Richmond, or catch us on Twitter@oramirichmond. All inquiries are always welcome.