Events
Caring for Ourselves While We Care About the World: Towards Individual and Communal JCOGS Action (via Zoom) From Purim to Pesach: Freedom and Transformation
Are you ready to make a difference, both within yourself and in the world around you? Join us for a transformative monthly series that blends self-care, spiritual exploration, and community action. This series invites you to integrate your personal growth with your commitment to social change, cultivating inner awareness that makes us better community members and more effective agents of tikkun olam.
All are welcome, including mitzvah students and their families!
Session Themes & Schedule
Structured around Jewish holidays, each month will focus on a theme that connects spiritual insight with action.
March 4 – From Purim to Pesach: Freedom and Transformation
Upcoming sessions:
April 1 – From Pesach to Shavuot: Liberation and Wisdom
May 6 – The Omer: Counting and Spiritual Development
June 3 – Revelation, Reflection, and What’s Next
BUILDING RESILIENCE AND COMMUNITY IN THE FACE OF ANTISEMITISM
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: DR. SUSANNAH HESCHEL
FOLLOWED BY WORKSHOPS
Susannah Heschel is the Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College and chair of the Jewish Studies Program and a faculty member of the Religion Department.
Prof. Heschel and her Dartmouth colleagues from Israel, Lebanon, and Egypt, have been widely commended for their swift and academically rigorous response to the Israel-Gaza crisis that exploded on October 7, 2023. The forums they led, on October 9 and 12, while other campuses were in turmoil, drew huge audiences of students and members of the general public who wanted to understand what was happening. “We have friendship, and we have trust,” Dr. Heschel said of the panel of experts, “and when this happened, we knew we had to do something.”
Breakout Session:
Yoga- Laurie Greenberg
Creating Art as a Process of Exploration and Discovery- Kathy Parsonnet
Dialogue Circle - what is the intersection between growing resilience regarding antisemitism and collective trauma?- Pam Steiner
Israeli Dancing- Diane Roston
Healing Circle- Gene Kadish
The Poetry of Resilience and Resistance “in the midst of life” —in the Face of Antisemitism - Doris Ferlerger & Beth Kanell
Equanimity through Chant - Peggy Kasden & Shari Borzekowski
Community Interfaith Dialogue- Rev. Amy Spagna, Rev. Leon Dunkley, Rev. Jonathan Hauze,
Symposium Sponsored By :
Shir Shalom VT & Upper Valley Jewish Community/Kol Ha'Emek Learning will be as part of our combined responsibility under the auspices of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, The Gravitz Family Shir Shalom VT and the Roth Center.
With support from JCVT and Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
Makhlohet Matters Series: Disagreeing in Civil and Constructive Ways
Join Rabbi David Edleson for an engaging exploration of how to have difficult conversations in ways that are civil and constructive.
JCOGS Family Purim Party
Come and join us at JCOGS for this annual Family Purim Party. Expect games, songs, Persian potluck, Megillah reading, and a silly spiel. Come in costume or dress up on sight.
Erev Purim Megillah Reading
Join us at Beth Jacob for a Hebrew reading of the megillah with a guest reader from Chabad in Burlington. Stay for a hamentaschen (or two!) RSVP below!
Tot Shabbat and Young Families Purim Party
There will be a Tot Shabbat service in the sanctuary starting at 9:30 am. Then we will move into the social hall for crafts, toys, face painting, and a photo booth.
Costumes are encouraged!
Please register by clicking on the button below so that we will know how many Purim baskets (Mishloach Manot) to make!
Contact Aimee Hutton for questions and more information.
Purim Palooza
Costumes Encouraged! Fun For All Ages! Free!
Donations Appreciated
Music & Dancing
Hamantaschen & Refreshments
Craft Projects
Juggling Workshop & More!
Purim Speil & Party
Join us in celebrating Purim and Cantorial Soloist Mark Leopold!
Set to music from Man of La Mancha, this original and ambitious show is a must see.
Long-time Cantorial Soloist Mark Leopold celebrates his retirement by donning the silly king’s crown—his first time ever in the role. Bring your groggers and cheer on our talented community as we transport you to a Persia set in seventeenth-century Spain for music and merriment and where the impossible dreams come true!
The Purimspiel starts at 6:00 and has a runtime of about one hour. It will be streamed on Zoom.
Note: In accordance with Ketuvim, some characters in the Purimspiel will portray excessive drinking. That aside, the show is family friendly.
Purim Party
The Purim party begins immediately following our performance and will have family-friendly activities and sweet treats. Costumes optional but encouraged.
BJ Purim Party!
Come celebrate Purim with us!
Our annual Purim Party is fun for all ages. Come in costume (if you want!) Get ready for tzedekah box decorating, listening to a portion of the megillah in both English and Hebrew, and of course, stay for pizza and hamantaschen!
Registration is required.
Sugar & Schmooze
Celebrate early spring in the sugar bush!
Join us as we gather in the Living Tree sugar bush to wake up Mother Earth and honor the Jewish month of joy and Vermont’s great miraculous thaw. Hibernation season is over, so let’s celebrate!
We’ll have lots to do at this all-ages seasonal celebration:
See an old-school maple sugar operation run by the Crowley family at Living Tree
Have fun with flower wreath making and face painting
Enjoy music and food by the fire
Revel in our community theater pageant—an “everyone plays a part” production
Share in the joy of fresh sap, syrup, and the new season
A few more details:
Admission is by pay-what-you-can donation ($18-54 suggested)
Be prepared for lots of mud (muckboots and waterproof pants recommended), as getting to the sugar house involves a walk.
Fresh maple syrup will be available for purchase—cash only!
Please leave your dogs at home
This event is co-sponsored with Jewish Communities of Vermont, with generous support of Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
BAJC Community Seder
This year’s Seder will again be catered by Chef Gretchen Hardy from The Porch with a bit of help from some of us. Below is the registration / reservation form, the Shalom Cloud payment link and a Sign Up Genius link for items not provided by The Porch – such as Charoset, Gefilte fish, karpas, maror, desserts, hard boiled eggs, horse radish. Due to the caterer’s increased supply chain costs our costs have gone up. Based on an estimate of 65 participants, the actual cost per person including security and space rental is $68.00 but we are only asking $35 for adults. The net difference (> $2000) will be partially covered by BAJC’s Pesach budget ($1000). We hope to make up the remainder with a grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, but there is no guarantee. If you’d like to contribute more than $35, BAJC will be grateful.
Online registration and payment information at this link.
Or register & pay via snail mail as described below. You need not sign up for a specific entree. As was the case last year, everyone may have some of each dish.
Flying Pig Bookstore presents Penguin Random House author Jack Fairweather
Join Flying Pig Bookstore at Shelburne Town Hall Monday, February 24th at 7PM, for an evening with Jack Fairweather to celebrate the launch of his new book, The Prosecutor: One Man’s Battle to Bring Nazis to Justice.
"From Earth to Earth": Documentary and Q&A
Welcome Vermont Forest Cemetery board member and natural burial advocate Jim Hogle for a screening of our documentary From Earth to Earth: The Lost Art of Dying in America at the Beth Jacob! As Jews, our death and burial law is rooted in returning back to the earth "dust to dust". Join us for this beautiful film!
Following the screening there will be a Q&A session to answer all of your natural burial questions.
If you are not familiar with the Vermont Forest Cemetery, you can find more information here.
Light refreshment will be served during screening. Donations are welcomed!
Members, non-members, Jews and non-Jews are all welcome in this space.
Register
Shoe B'Shvat
Beth Jacob is hosting an all ages/ all-levels snowshoe hike with Sarah Villanueva from 10:00am-12:00pm at North Branch Nature Center. Join naturalist Fiona Modrak for a guided hike where we discuss the local ecology of central Vermont and discuss how animals endure our winters! Take some trail mix home, each ingredient with a different intention as we bring in Tu B'Shvat together!
Gentle disclaimer: this is not a boots hike. Trails are maintained for those using snoeshoes/cross country skiis, and divits in the snow disrupts this. Snowshoes are available for rent upon arrival. Registrants are responsible for renting their own shoes. Bringing your own is also welcome!
Registration required for snowshoe count. We hope to see you there!
https://www.bethjacobvt.org/event/34shoe-b39shvat34-nature-walk-in-person.html
Service with Rabbi Rena Blumenthal
Rena Blumenthal is a free-lance rabbi and first-time author.
From 2003 - 2014, she worked at Vassar College as Assistant Director of Religious & Spiritual Life and Adviser to Jewish students. She is a 2003 graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Prior to rabbinical school, Rena worked as a psychologist for fifteen years in New York City and Jerusalem.
Those who attended Rabbi Rena's service last year appreciated her warm and inspiring service. We look forward to another wonderful Shabbat with Rabbi Rena.
Please join us on Saturday!
Tu Bishvat: a Celebration for the Trees
Celebrate the deep beauty of mid-winter with Living Tree Alliance as we gather to honor the holiday of Tu BiShvat, the birthday of the trees. With programs for all ages, we’ll build our relationship with the earth and with each other.
Program includes:
4:30 p.m. Sledding down the big hill
5 p.m.: two programs offered in the field at dusk
Family Outdoor Tree Celebration with games and observations
Adult Contemplative Sunset Tree Connection with prayer, song, and reflection
6 p.m.: Shabbat candle lighting & tree poetry at the Common House, followed by dinner and deepening our commitments as earth stewards as part of the birthday for the trees and mini Tu BiShvat seder.
A few more details:
Be sure to dress warmly for outdoor activities from 4:30–6 p.m.
Bring sleds, skis, and snowshoes for outdoor fun on the property.
Soup, salad and challah will be provided for dinner. You are welcome to bring a vegetarian side dish to share.
Please join us!
Tu BiShvat falls approximately halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. As the trees become another year older, this holiday invites us to consider the ways we can live in reciprocity with Mother Nature.
Challah Baking Class
On Thursday, February 13th, at 6:30 pm, on what is also the holiday of Tu B’Shvat, we’ll be hosting a Challah Baking Workshop. Learn how to make your own Challah, or if you know how, join us in whipping up a big batch to share with the Waterbury Common Market (previously known as the Waterbury Area Food Shelf.)
We’ll have a delicious Tu B’Shvat spread and celebrate the holiday as we get covered in flour for a good cause. Send a RSVP to sara@chabadofstowe.com so we can be prepared with materials for you.
Tu Bishvat Virtual Lobby Day for Climate Solutions with Jewish Earth Alliance
Take Action for People and Planet on Tu Bishvat
Tu Bishvat Virtual Lobby Day for Climate Solutions with Jewish Earth Alliance
February 13, 2025
Join climate-concerned Jews across Vermont and the Jewish Earth Alliance for Tu Bishvat -- our Jewish Earth Day. On Tu Bishvat we remember our dependence on nature and our responsibility to take care of Earth so that it can take care of us.
Today the Earth itself is threatened by climate change. This Tu Bishvat we will take action to urge our senators towards a just transition. By advocating for policies to clean up the pollution caused by fossil fuels, build renewable energy capacity, and further equity by investing in communities, we act on our shared Jewish values of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and Bal Tashchit (not to waste), as well as our imperative to be Shomrei Adamah (stewards of the land).
You can make a difference on Tu Bishvat by joining members of our community for a virtual meeting with your Senators and their staff. Jewish Earth Alliance, the organizing power of this meeting, will provide you with everything you need to participate. Join us on Zoom, February 13th 2025 to Register now.
Tu B'Shevat Seder
Join us for our Tu B'Shvat Seder at Beth Jacob! We will be seated and starting at 5:30pm.
Registration is required and by sliding scale $5-$10. Please reach out to Sarah if cost is an issue - we do not want anything preventing you from celebrating with us!
Allergy disclaimer: almonds, walnuts.
Kids Tu B'Shvat Treehouse Adventure!
Kids Tu B'Shvat Treehouse Adventure!
Save the Date: Sunday, February 9th from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at Chabad of Burlington
RSVP HERE
ZOOM Zentangle Workshop with Jan Orlansky
Temple Sinai Sisterhood and Members, and Friends of both are invited to sign up for the class.
Learn a new skill and have fun doing it!
Theme: Valentines
Jan Zatzman Orlansky, Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) will teach some basic tangles that we will do together. The creative part comes when you incorporate these patterns in your own unique ways. You may be pleasantly surprised by your creativity!
No special equipment is necessary. Here is a list of suggested materials that you probably have at home and should have at hand for the workshop:
Fine tip black pen
Paper
Charcoal pencil for shading
Gold gel pen
Red pastel pencil or a red gel pen.
Q-tip
Please register by Friday, January 31st
ZOOM LINK will be shared after registration.
(Sponsored by Sisterhood)
An Evening of Classical Music
Come in from the cold and join us for an evening of classical music played by our very talented congregants. Cheese and libations will accompany this performance.
When Critique Becomes Hateful: Defining Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism – Derek Penslar, Harvard University (Copy)
What rights do people have to criticize their country? Other countries? When do those criticisms become hateful? And when they become hateful, how should they be combatted? This talk discusses how these questions relate to contemporary anti-Zionism and antisemitism. His discussion draws upon three relevant documents: The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s “Working Definition of Antisemitism” (2016); The Nexus Document: Understanding Antisemitism and its Nexus with Israel and Zionism (2021); and The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (2021).
Derek Penslar is the William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History at Harvard University and Director of Harvard’s Center for Jewish Studies. He is also a resident faculty member at the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES) and is affiliated with Harvard’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies.
Penslar takes a comparative and transnational approach to modern Jewish history, which he studies within the contexts of modern nationalism, capitalism, and colonialism. His books have engaged with a variety of approaches and methods, including the history of science and technology (Zionism and Technocracy: The Engineering of the Jewish Settlement in Palestine 1870-1918, 1991), economic history (Shylock’s Children: Economics and Jewish Identity in Modern Europe, 2001), military history (Jews and the Military: A History, 2013), biography (Theodor Herzl: The Charismatic Leader, 2020), and the history of emotions (Zionism: An Emotional State, 2023). In two co-edited volumes, Penslar has brought Jewish studies into conversation with postcolonial studies (Orientalism and the Jews, 2005) and Unacknowledged Kinships: Postcolonial Theory and the Historiography of Zionism, 2023). His current interests lie in international history, and he is writing a book about worldwide reactions to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
Sponsored by the Raul Hilberg Distinguished Professorship of Holocaust Studies at the University of Vermont
Two pastors, a priest, & a rabbi- MLK Legacy: Must We Love Our Enemy?
All are welcome to an evening of food provided and discussion with Pastor Dan Haugh of Stowe Community Church, Pastor Becca Girrell of United Community Church of Morrisville, Father Rick Swanson of St. John's Episcopal Church, and Rabbi David Fainsilber of Jewish Community of Greater Stowe. In honor of the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Suggested donation: $20
JCOGS MITZVAH DAY
Honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy through service, community, and care.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Join us for an afternoon of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) from 12:30-4:30pm, followed by community soup meal from 4:30-6pm. Projects for all ages!
Activities include:
• Cooking and baking for local shelters
• Donating, sorting and delivering winter gear to local agencies
• Creating Tikkun Olam T-shirts
• Visiting or calling JCOGS members through our Chesed Circle of Care
• Helping with the community soup meal ( or just attending!)
• Volunteering at the UCC Morrisville Church warming shelter
• Supporting other JCOGS initiatives
Whether you’re in Stowe or contributing remotely, there’s a way for everyone to get involved.
Sign up here: https://forms.gle/gugrQa5wVZSebBf46
Explore all opportunities to engaging in Tikkun Olam with JCOGS this Mitzvah Day!
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Mitzvah Day – What You Can Bring!
If you're coming to Mitzvah Day, here’s how you can help:
Bring a T-Shirt to Create Tikkun Olam T-Shirts!
(T-shirts will also be available for sale. Proceeds go to our Tikkun Olam Fund for future projects.)Bring Donations by 2:30 PM (or bring them in advance)!
We’re collecting:Winter gear
Gently used men’s & women’s pants
Winter boots & snow pants (all sizes)
Sneakers & hiking boots
Gently used bath towels, washcloths, & hand towels
Thank you for your generosity and support!
Learn more here
Bread for Peace
A fundraiser for humanitarian aid in Israel and Palestine. A partnership between communities, volunteers bake and sell bread in the community kitchens to benefit these medical relief organizations:
United Hatzalah: first responders in Israel
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund: medical care for children in Gaza and West Bank
Participating organizations: Ohavi Zedek and Burlington Friends Meeting
Bread (challah, pita, gluten-free oat) will be baked on January 19th from 1pm – 5:30pm and available for pick-up in the evening or the following day.
Can We Talk & Listen About Israel?
Are you nervous about sharing your views and beliefs about Israel?
Do you want to be able to safely say to others at Ohavi Zedek how you feel?
…So do we!
YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ONGOING SERIES
OF FACILITATED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ISRAEL.
The goal is to engage and learn from each other honestly, respectfully, and with curiosity in order to better understand each other. This is not about changing anyone’s mind or coming to agreement.
We know members of Ohavi Zedek hold diverse views – and we welcome them! Sharing will help us enhance our trust, learning and community here at OZ.
In person at Ohavi Zedek, open to all OZ adult members – you don’t have to be Jewish.
Hosted by Adult Education at Ohavi Zedek
Biographical Film on the Songwriter Known as Doc Pomus
Please join us to watch a biographical film on Jerome Felder, "AKA Doc Pomus." Landing him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Doc Pomus authored more than 1,000 songs including such hits as, "Save the Last Dance for Me" and "This Magic Moment." Revel in hearing terrific music and his incredible life story. Click below for more information and to view the poignant trailer.
No RSVPs are required. We will have popcorn and drinks available. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Kathy F.
Teens Sleepover at JCOGS
JCOGS teens host friends from Ohavi Zedek and other VT/NH teens for a sleepover at JCOGS. Lots of great activities planned including Havdalah with special guest Noah Dines of Stowe who climbed 3 million feet to claim the known world record for most human powered vertical feet skied in one year!
Please register below or contact beth.liberman@jcogs.org for more information.
Jewish Mindfulness Retreat
The second annual Hineni* retreat is a day-and-a-half of mindfulness meditation for Jewish, Jewish-adjacent, and curious individuals from all backgrounds. It is open and appropriate for experienced and new meditators alike.
Taught by Rabbi Seth Castleman, the retreat is offered by Ohavi Zedek Synagogue and will be held at the Burlington Friends Meeting House.
The retreat will have interspersed periods of silence, along with sitting meditation, walking meditation, guided meditation, eating meditation, instructions, teachings, and Q&A. Friday dinner and Saturday lunch will be provided.
The retreat runs between Friday January 10 from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm and Saturday January 11 from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
International Folk Dancing
Please join us for International Folk Dancing at the RJC. Come and dance, or you can enjoy sitting and watching. Please bring clean, dry shoes for dancing.
For more information, please get in touch with Judy.
8th Night of Hanukkah Party
Hanukkah Party Everyone Welcome 8th Night!!!! Bring Latkes and Menorahs
Chanukah Bonfire & Community Sing
We'll gather at Living Tree for an intergenerational celebration including:
Community crafts and games for all ages—you don't want to miss the infamous Maccabee fort, human dreidel contest, and gelt stacking!
A special music performance for the little ones with Miss Andrea of Musical Munchkins
Menorah lighting—feel free to bring your own!
Chanukah storytelling
Cozy potluck dinner—Latkes and Soup will be provided - bring a vegetarian dish to share
Seasonal song circle around the bonfire with Musicians Avi Salloway and Emma Back.
Co-sponsored by Jewish Communities of Vermont, PJ Library VT and Living Tree Alliance
Pay-what-you-can donation ($18–$56 per family suggested). No one turned away for inability to pay.Donations for this event will be split between LTA's end-of-year fundraising goals and the Good Samaritan homeless warming shelter in Montpelier.
Chana-Kava
Ruach HaMaqom and Ohavi Zedek join together in this celebration of Winter’s darkness and the light of hope kindled by the menorah’s flames. We’ll share in the most ancient of Jewish—human!—spiritual technologies: song and story.
BYOM – Bring Your Own Menorah: we will light them together.
Kava tea and sufganiyot/donuts will be served. Bring a story, a song and some snacks!
Chanukah Celebration
Havdalah, Chanukah candlelighting, a potluck supper, and most of all, being with community!