Or Atid to Celebrate 40 Years

The invitations have been sent, and the RSVPs are coming in for Congregation Or Atid’s Gala celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The gala will take place on Sunday, Nov. 16, where the founding families will be celebrated. This will be an opportunity for our congregation to look back at our history, starting with 40 families who had the foresight and courage to start a new synagogue in Richmond's West End. 

If you are a founding family, and have not been contacted about making a short video about how you got involved at Or Atid's inception, please reach out to Ruth Schoenhaut at ruthscho54@gmail.com.

Rabbi Sherry Joins Panel Discussing the High Holidays

Congregation Or Atid’s Rabbi Sherry Grinsteiner was one of seven Rabbis in a special panel discussion entitled “Thinking Jewishly” recently held at the Weinstein JCC.

The topic of the evening’s discussion focused around the length of High Holiday services.  The theme was why the High Holy days services are so long. Needless to say, different Rabbis from various movements had divergent perspectives on the subject.

Whether the high holidays are a time for introspection, or a time to unburden yourself, the length of service depends on different variables that were discussed. From the repetition of verses to topics such as whether full or partial Torah readings were acceptable, the discussion brought up a lot of things that may confuse some people.

For others the holidays could be a beautiful time to commune with nature or to discover other means of connecting with God in a personal and meaningful way.

In all, Russell Finer, a congregant from Or Atid who attended the event characterized the discussion between the moderator and the Rabbis as “all over the place” but interesting nonetheless.

The evening ended with the crowd breaking into small discussion groups to go over the evening’s commentary before enjoying some refreshments.

Seniors Get Lesson in Friendship at Or Atid

Members of the Senior Schmooze club at Congregation Or Atid recently learned about  friendship and what it can mean to seniors, particularly thanks to the Friendship Circle of Virginia.

Dr. Sarah Kranz-Ciment, Executive Director, gave a presentation on how the organization interacts with the community to foster real friendships for individuals with disabilities. New for this year is a program to pair adult volunteers with seniors to provide friendships and companionship.

Or Atid to offer Special Sukkot Musical Havdallah

On Saturday, Oct. 11, Congregation Or Atid hosted a special Havdallah celebration with a musical Shabbat service during Sukkot from 7 to 9 p.m. 

This unique Sukkot experience brought various elements to create a “Sukkah of sound, rhythm and intention.”

Combining the practices of meditation, drumming, movement, and prayer, the goal is to create a sukkah of peace and reflection bringing together body, mind and spirit with our ancestors, offering a profound journey of connection and spirituality.

This meaningful gathering, where tradition meets creativity, celebrated Sukkot in a way that can reasonate deeply with our inner selves.

Garden Still Producing as Season End Approaches

The Gan Chesed Kindness Garden continues to harvest more produce and fresh herbs for donation as the season for growing is coming to an end. By the most recent count, in all the garden has now delivered more than 140 lbs of eggplants, carrots, peppers and tomatoes to the Weinstein JCC’s Elmer Toth Food Pantry. Although the season’s end is nearing, smaller harvests are still expected to come.

Based at Or Atid, the garden’s organic vegetables and herbs continue to be delivered to the Jewish Community Center’s food pantry along with similar donations from the JCC’s grocery store partners.

Shari Menlowe-Barck, coordinator of the Food Pantry, has expressed her appreciation many times for the generous gift of fresh food continuing to flow from the garden.

For more information on involvement with the garden project at Or Atid, contact Sue Geller at (804) 387-7643 or email her at susanrgeller@gmail.com.

For more information on all Or Atid programs and activities, call (804) 740-4747.