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Kol Nefesh

KOL NEFESH_IMG_3316

Kol Nesh conducts a Shabbat service following our Hanukkah Party

About Kol Nefesh

Bet Aviv has a special relationship with Kol Nefesh.  Focusing on young adults and families, Kol Nefesh’s goal is to meet the religious, educational, and social needs of a diverse population in a warm, friendly, and service-oriented community.  As an equity owner in the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, Bet Aviv has helped Kol Nefesh obtain favorable rates to hold their services at The Meeting House.  Kol Nefesh generally holds Shabbat services once a month on the third Friday of the month.  Some of the founding families of Kol Nefesh are children of Bet Aviv members.  Together we celebrate holidays, such as Hanukkah and Passover to offer multi-generational experiences.  Kol Nefesh hosts a children’s service on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mornings, that grandchildren of Bet Aviv members may attend.

Resources:

Website:  https://www.kolnefesh.org/

Information:  kolnefeshofmd@gmail.com 

Interfaith Community

The Interfaith Idea: Alive and Well at The Meeting House
The planning of Columbia in the 1960’s embraced a balanced blend of idealism and pragmatism. One of the best examples is Columbia’s interfaith concept. The idea was that Interfaith Centers in each of the village centers would serve religious needs more traditionally served by free-standing, separate buildings for churches, synagogues or mosques. Congregations representing the various religions would share a common facility — including sanctuaries – using it on different days of the week.The idea was that Interfaith Centers in each of the village centers would serve religious

needs more traditionally served by free-standing, separate buildings for churches, synagogues or mosques.

Congregations representing the various religions would share a common facility — including sanctuaries – using it on different days of the week.

The idea was pragmatic, making the best use of space and financial resources. And it was idealistic, in requiring a high degree of cooperation and understanding among the different faiths.The Meeting House Atrium

The Meeting House at Oakland Mills is a fine example of the Interfaith concept in action. From its inception about mre than 30 years ago, the Meeting House has been home to Protestant, Jewish and Catholic congregations. Today, in additon to four Christian churches, it houses the Columbia Jewish Congregation – – an original “owner” from the day that James Rouse helped to cut the ribbon – – and Bet Aviv which has bought into an equity ownership position. Many Bet Aviv members feel an affinity for this special place where people of different faiths come to worship in their own way while sharing a common place.

The Gallery

Since 2011, the Meeting House atrium has become the home of an art Gallery. The Gallery’s mission is to provide a place for local artists and craftspeople to exhibit and sell their work and  to beautify the public areas of The Meeting House. Representatives from the congregations of Oakland Mills Interfaith Center serve on the all-volunteer Art Committee, which selects the artists and exhibition themes.  Bet Aviv has some talented artists and photographers among it members who regularly exhibit their work in The Gallery.

Interfaith Programs

Since becoming equity owners in Columbia’s Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, commonly known as the Meeting House, Bet Aviv has been an avid participant in Interfaith activities.

As a gesture of friendship, we invited the spiritual leaders of our fellow Meeting House congregations to participate in a Shabbat worship service.

During the aftermath of the tsumani, our cantor and congregants participated in a special Interfaith service to offer healing and financial support to tsunami victims.

In a wonderfully upbeat event, our Bet Aviv choir made its debut performance at the Interfaith Musical Benefit held to support the Vivian Reed Fund. We listened with delight as the children of Bet Yeladim, a Jewish pre-school located at the Meeting House, sang songs that were directed by the Pastor of the Columbia United Christian Church. We learned to appreciate the music of our fellow congregations. Our Bet Aviv choir sang the Hebrew version of Halleluyah and led the participants in the English version towards the end of the concert. As a finale, we all sang We Shall Overcome as one congregation.

Today Bet Aviv is an active participant in all phases of Intefaith life.

Photos

Below you’ll find some links to Bet Aviv photos, past and present. Just click on the any link to see the photos appear in a new window.  Just close the new window when you’re done.

Bet Aviv Facebook Photos

Our recent photos are available on our Facebook page.

Hanukkah 2016

Bet Aviv celebrates Hanukkah with a delicious dinner, including latkes prepared by the Men’s Club, followed by a Shabbat service.

B’nai Mitzvah Rehearsal 2016

Six adult members of Bet Aviv celebrated their B’nai Mitzvah on November 16, 2016.  These pictures show the dress rehearsal for the event.

Social Action Shabbat 2016

Once a year Bet Aviv honors its members who participate in Social Action activities throughout the year to repair the world.

An Evening in the Catskills 2016

On April 2, 2016, the Bet Aviv Sisterhood presented a delightful Evening in the Catskills incuding a Brisket & Kugel Cook-off, A delicious dinner. Entertainment was provided by Jewish Humorist Sharon Doner-Feldman and Bet Aviv’s Got Talent featuring members of our congregation.

Hanukkah 2015

Our annual Hanukkah Party and Shabbat service was held on December 4, 2015.

2015 Bet Aviv Highlights

At our Annual Meeting, we look back at the highlights of the year in photos.  Thanks to Randi Rosenblatt for creating the highlights as well as those who contributed photos.

Our Daily Bread

Recent photos from our last trip to Our Daily Bread, a soup kitchen in Baltimore where we help serve meals to the homeless four times a year.

Roaring 20s Sisterhood Fundraiser

Bet Aviv’s Sisterhood held its annual fundraiser on May 3, 2014.  We had fun dressing up in “Roaring 20s” attire.  Thanks to several contributors we have delightful memories of this wonderful event.

Choir Shabbat 2014

On April 24, 2014 Bet Aviv honored the members of our choir who participated in the service and sang several wonderful selections.  The choir is conducted Isaac Bankman, who also arranges many of their selections.  Thanks to Jim Auerbach, we have wonderful memories of the evening.

Seder 2014

We thank Jim Auerbach for taking these beautiful photos of our annual Second Seder held at the Sheraton in Columbia on April 15, 2014.

Purim Service and Baby Naming 2014

Thanks to Jim Auerbach for providing photos of our Purim Service held on March 14, 2014.  We also celebrating the naming of Hannah Pearl Reisner, granddaughter of Mel and Caren Klein and Ed and Gwen Reisner.

Hanukkah Celebration and Shabbat Service 2013

Our annual Hanukkah Party and Shabbat service were held on December 6, 2013.  We are grateful to Jim Auerbach for capturing these memories for us.

Fifteenth Anniversary Celebration Weekend

Bet Aviv celebrated its 15th Anniversary with a weekend of activities:  a special Shabbat service, a dinner and dancing party and a presentation called the “Immigrant’s Trunk”.  We appreciate members of our Camera Club who provided us with these wonderful memories.

Second Seder 2012

Bet Aviv held its Second Seder on April 7, 2012. Thanks to Jim Auerbach we have photos to commemorate the event.

Sisterhood Fundraiser 2013

On April 13, 2013, the Sisterhood held a 50s and 60s party to raise funds for Bet Aviv, as well as other local charities.  Thanks to Lynn Green and Jim Auerbach for these photos of the occaision.

Second Seder 2011

Bet Aviv held its annual Second Passover Seder at the Columbia Sheraton on April 19, 2011. Led by Cantor Marge and captured in photos by Jim Auerbach, our attendance blossomed to over 100.

Chanukah Dinner and Service 2010

Bet Aviv held its annual Chanukah dinner and service at the Meeting House. View photos taken by Jim Auerbach.

Torah Rededication Event August 29, 2010

View photos of the Torah Redediction Event held at the Columbia Sheraton Hotel on August 29, 2010. Photos taken by Jim Auerbach and other members of the Camera Club.

Second Seder Passover 2010

Bet Aviv held its annual Second Passover Seder at the Columbia Sheraton on March 30, 2010. Led by Cantor Marge and captured in photos by Jim Auerbach, we had our largest attendance ever.

Adult Ed program on Sepharic Music

View photos of Cantor Aurebach’s’ Adult Education class on Sephardic music featuring Susan Gaeta. This class took place on March 14, 2010.

Purim Spiel 2010

View photos of Bet Aviv’s choir performing the Purim Spiel and the parade of children in costume This event took place on February 27, 2010.

YES Fund Event Honoring Cantor Auerbach, 2009

The Sisterhood held a YES Fund event honoring Cantor Marge Auerbach at Claret Hall on April 19, 2009. Chaired by Judy Silver Weisberg, with guest speaker Rabbi Isserow and a range of speakers honroing Cantor Marge, this exciting event was captured in photos by Jim Auerbach.

Second Seder Passover 2009

Bet Aviv held its annual Second Passover Seder at Savage Mill Manor on April 9, 2009. Led by Cantor Marge and captured in photos by Jim Auerbach, we spent a wonderfully warm evening together.

Purim Service and Scholar in Residence Program 2009

View photos of Bet Aviv’s choir performing the Purim Spiel, the parade of children in costume and memorable moments during the 2009 Scholar in Residence program featuring Rabbi Stephen Fuchs. These events took place on March 13 and March 14, 2009.

Bet Aviv Choir

The Bet Aviv Choir debuted at the Interfaith Concert on January 26, 2006. The choir sang “Halleluah” in Hebrew during their performance segment and later led the audience in the English version as part of the finale. Photos by Jim Auerbach.

 

Singles Club

Members of the Singles Club enjoy dinner at the Stanford Grill.

Bet Aviv is fortunate to have a vibrant and interesting group of single members.  We get together in small and large gatherings to go to dinner, the movies, the theater and meet twice a year in member homes for cook outs and pot lucks.

There are no dues, no participation obligations, just a desire to form new friendships and solidify existing ones.  You must be a member of Bet Aviv and be an individual on your own.

If you would like to be on the email list, please contact Terri Clayman.

Genealogy Club

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The Genealogy Club meets monthly to discuss tools and techniques related to tracing one’s family heritage.   The main focus of the club is to help researchers develop skills and become aware of the sources that can be used wherever their ancestors lived.  We invite you to join a group of like-minded individuals dedicated to researching their family histories. Membership is open to both Bet Aviv members and the community. For more information contact Joel Weiner.

Temple Book Club

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The Temple Book meets once every six weeks to discuss books selected by its members.  Membership is open to any Bet Aviv member and both men and women participate.  Membership is limited to facilitate discussions where everyone can participate.  Contact Sylvia Bloch for more information.

Camera Club

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The Camera Club welcomes photographers of all skill and experience levels. Meetings are generally held on the fourth Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in Room 300 at The Meeting House. Contact David Blackman to RSVP.

Camera Club
The Camera Club on a field trip to view the Annie Leibovitz exhibit.

Communications

Bet Aviv communicates with its congregants via e-mail in several ways:

  • Newsletter – The Observer is published 5-times per year
  • Weekly Bulletin – What’s Nu is published every week on Wednesdays
  • Announcements – Bet Aviv Announcements is our primary distribution list for special upcoming events or new that we need to distribute in a timely fashion.
  • Unmonitored Forum – Says Who is a place where any member can share an idea on any topic.

Weekly Bulletin

To keep our congregants abreast of upcoming events, we publish a weekly bulletin, called What’s Nu? Published each week on Wednesdays, What’s Nu? contains a list of upcoming events for the next four weeks. The main body of the bulletin contains Bet Aviv events, followed by any upcoming events for our parters in the community. Each entry consists of three parts: the date, time and location of the event, the title of the event and the name of the person to contact should you need further information or want to RSVP. The title of the event contains a link to our website calendar when you can find a detailed description of the event. The contact name also contains an e-mail link and sometimes a phone number.

If you are a prospective member who would like to be on our distribution list for What’s Nu?, then please send us a message with your request. You should know that since What’s Nu is distributed through our Announcements server, you will receive all messages that we send, not just the weekly bulletin. If you have something that you would like to appear in What’s Nu?, then contact Geri Epstein. We limit our inclusion in What’s Nu to community events of Jewish interest from nearby organizations.

Donations

In keeping with the Jewish tradition of Tzedakah, the members of Bet Aviv make generous contributions to the congregation in times of joy or sorrow.  Donations to Bet Aviv will be considered to be donations to the General Fund. These funds supplement the monies raised through dues for the operation of the synagogue, including salaries, rent, equipment and supplies, program costs, and so on. Alternatively, donations may be directed to a specific purpose in the discretion of the donor. For example, a gift may be made to Bet Aviv “for the benefit of the Men’s Club”, “for bima flowers at the High Holidays”, or “for the benefit of the choir.” (Please note that all current Shabbat Prayer books contain dedication book plates and additional purchases are not currently contemplated. Any donations requesting prayer book dedications will yield a dedication book plate in a limited number of High Holiday guest prayer books.)

An additional alternative for those making gifts, is to contribute to one of the Restricted Funds established at Bet Aviv so that the donation can only be used for the limited purpose of the fund. These restricted funds are:

Arnold Feldman Social Action – Established in memory of Bet Aviv member Arnold Feldman and used to fund promote local, national, and international awareness and support of social conscience issues.

Cantor’s Discretionary Fund – Contributions are used to fund the Cantor’s musical or other interests.

Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund– Contributions are used by the Rabbi for the benefit of Bet Aviv’s members.

General Fund – Donations are used by the Bet Aviv Board of Directors as needed.

Paula Polinsky Congeniality Fund – Established in memory of Paula Polinsky and contributions are used to support the Membership committee and special events.

Prayer Book Dedication – Donations of $36 or greater are recognized on bookplates on the inside of the prayer books.

Richard Tobin Memorial Fund – Established in memory of Richard Tobin and contributions are used for Torah repair and rededication.

Security Fund – Contributions are used to offset the costs of providing security at all services, Shabbat and High Holidays.

Bet Aviv Memorial Board

Donations may also be made to commemorate the loss of someone dear to you through the purchase of an engraved plate to add to the Bet Aviv Memorial Boards displayed at each service. Contact the office for details.

High Holiday Appeal

Donations may be made to support Bet Aviv’s general expenses through our High Holiday Appeal Form.  This is a different form from our general donations form.  To donate online using our Holiday Appeal Form, click here.

How to Make Donations

Online:  To make a donation to Bet Aviv and pay online with a credit card or an electronic check, click here

Mail Payment:  You may also choose to make a donation by downloading a paper form and sending it in with a check. To make a donation to Bet Aviv please click here for our donation form in pdf format or here for the donation form in Word format. Save it to your computer, fill it out on-line (Word) or manually (pdf) , then print and enclose it with your donation.

For more information, please feel free to contact us.

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Contact Info

info@betaviv.org

Bet Aviv
The Meeting House
5885 Robert Oliver Place
Columbia, MD 21045
Office Phone: (410)-992-9994
Rabbi Phone:  (410)-992-9995

Shabbat Times

Yom Shishi, 21 Heshvan 5785