Worship
FRIDAY EVENING SERVICES
Temple B’nai Abraham offers a wide variety of Friday evening Shabbat worship experiences for everyone in the congregation. We encourage families to attend all our services throughout the year.
Kabbalat Shabbat Service Erev Shabbat Service Tot Shabbat Service Special Religious School Shabbatot Shabbat B'Shir
SATURDAY MORNING SERVICES
Shabbat Morning: 10:00 AM
Junior Congregation: from 9:30 to 11:00 AM in the Brody Youth Lounge
SUMMER SERVICES:
Fridays 6:30 PM (outdoors on the patio, weather permitting)
Saturdays 9:30 AM . Unless otherwise indicated, services are led by members of the congregation .
Kabbalat Shabbat 6:30 PM
On the first and third Fridays of the month, an informal Kabbalat Shabbat service is held. This is the perfect service for those who would like to be able to enjoy a Shabbat meal with family or friends afterward or perhaps attend the Sisterhood Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner and speaker, which often follows the service. We are always looking for ways to make Temple B'nai Abraham a place where all of us feel as comfortable as we can, so the third Friday of every month there will be an informal... Dress Down (Casual Friday!) Kabbalat Shabbat.
2013 Fridays, May 17 (Dress Down), May 24, *June 7 & June 21 Summer Services begin)
*blessing of birthday children
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Erev Shabbat Service 7:30 PM
On the second and fourth (and fifth) Fridays of the month, Erev Shabbat Services are conducted primarily in the Ross Sanctuary. The great sermonic and musical traditions of B'nai Abraham continue and are renewed in this beautiful and inspiring prayer service. The organ accompanies our prayers, and the voice of the congregation is regularly complemented by our choir. This service will typically feature a sermon, a speaker or a musical program.
2013 Fridays, May 11, **May 31 & June 14
**Our Shabbat service on May 31, at 7:30 PM will feature the choir singing the music of the great Jewish composer, Louis Lewandowski (1821-1894).
Louis Lewandowski was born at Wreschen, province of Posen, Prussia (now Września in Poland). At the age of twelve he went to Berlin to study piano and voice, and became solo soprano in the synagogue. Afterward he
studied for three years under A. B. Marx and attended the school of composition of the Berlin Academy. After graduating with high honors, he was appointed in 1840 choirmaster of the Berlin synagogue. In that capacity he rendered invaluable services in the development of music for synagogue ritual. His principal works include: "Kol Rinnah u-Tefillah," for chorus; "Todah ve-Zimrah," for mixed chorus, solo, and organ; 40 psalms, for solo, chorus, and organ; symphonies, overtures, cantatas, and songs.
In 1866 he received the title of "royal musical director." Shortly afterward, he was appointed choirmaster in the Neue Synagoge, Berlin, for which he composed the entire musical service. His arrangements of ancient Hebrew melodies for choir, cantor, and organ are considered masterly productions, characterized by great simplicity and a profound religious sentiment. Many of Lewandowski's pupils became prominent cantors.
*blessing of birthday children
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Tot Shabbat from 6:00 to 6:30 PM
Throughout the year, preschoolers and their parents are encouraged to join us for a lively Tot Shabbat service. Led by our rabbi and cantor, we welcome Shabbat with singing, clapping, stories and celebration! Tot Shabbat is usually followed by a dinner, craft project, or special dessert.
2013 Friday, *May 10
*blessing of birthday children
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Special Religious School Shabbatot:
During the year, each of our Religious School classes participates in or leads a Shabbat service. These are wonderful opportunities for our children to lead us in prayer and show their Hebrew mastery.
2013
Kindergarten Step-up: Tuesday, May 14, 6:00 PM
Hey Class Ceremony of Recognition : Tuesday, May 14, 7:00 PM
Primary School Graduation: Thursday, May 23, 7:00 PM
Shabbat B’Shir: A Musical Shabbat:
Several times a year, our worship is enhanced by special guest musicians, cantors and/or composers, who bring unique musical perspectives to our services.
Friday, June 14, 2013, 7:30 PM
Klezmer Group, Litvakus: a 5 person ensemble playing Lithuanian music, accompanied by a multi -media presentation . http://litvakus.com/
Litvakus founded and led by Dmitri Zisl Slepovitch is a klezmer collective of five musicians coming from backgrounds as different as folk, classical, jazz, Latin, psychedelic pop, and cumbia. The band performs toe-tapping tunes and heartfelt songs of mainly Belarusian, Lithuanian, Polish, and Litvak Jewish traditions originating in Eastern Europe, as well as original songs and tunes. Inspired by dozens of folksingers and traditional musicians, Litvakus shapes the old-time tunes of Eastern European weddings and parties in a way that is culturally relevant, contributing sounds of the vanquished world to the contemporary urban environment.
Why Litvakus? There are several explanations: 1-The band focused on performing the Litvak's traditional music; 2- Litvak U.S. and 3-"Litvak us"- see #1.
Litvakus first performed as the critically acclaimed stage band from the National Yiddish Theatre’s production of "Gimpel Tam", in the fall of 2008, having continued performing together for several years under the name “Tamevate Kapelye.” The musicians’ theater and film backgrounds are bringing the band on the path of the modern ethnographic music theater, with the documentary footage, traditional and originally composed music becoming part of the storytelling.
For further information about Litvakus, visit the following websites:
https://www.facebook.com/litvakus
http://www.youtube.com/user/Litvakus
In the future:
- Friday January 31, 2014 Yale’s Jewish a cappella group, Magevet. http://www.yale.edu/magevet/
Magevet, the premier Jewish, Hebrew and Israeli a cappella group of Yale University. Magevet has earned international renown for its varied, innovative repertoire and its warm, interactive performance style.
- Friday, June 13, 2014 Seeds of Suns Shabbat Under the Stars
http://www.seedsofsun.com/live/
Seeds of Sun have established themselves as the leading Israeli-Jazz ensemble in
North America, blending music written in Israel in a Jazz and World Music setting with original Israeli Jazz. The band has played on prestigious stages such as the Kennedy Center in Washington and the 92nd Street Y in New York, and has traveled as far as Vietnam, Hong Kong and The Philippines introducing a new and exciting sound of Israel to the world.
The ensemble also performs on the major stages of the American Jewish World, including the URJ Biennials, Jewish festivals nationwide, and Major Cultural Centers across America. Compositions by Mattan Klein have earned Seeds of Sun prestigious awards at The John Lennon Songwriting Contest and The USA Songwriting Competition.


