Torah Study, 1st and 3rd Saturdays 8:30 am via Zoom
TORAH STUDY FEBRUARY 7TH AT 8:30 AM
Contact Suzanne (suz_darby@hotmail.com) for information and study guide
Topic: Torah Study Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Meeting ID: 845 9030 4211
UPCOMING CLASS WITH RABBI GAIL
The women in the Bible aren’t often named, and many aren’t even mentioned. For instance, Noah had a wife, but what’s her name? Pharaoh’s daughter rescued Moses from the Nile and raised him as her own – surely, she had a name! King David is known as “David, son of Jesse,” but who was his mother? Did he have any sisters, or only seven older brothers? Did Jacob really have twelve sons but only one daughter, or do we know Dinah’s story only because she was raped?
The Torah is a highly concise document. It tells us precisely what it wants us to know, but very little more. We are seldom given backstory, insight into characters’ motivations, or other literary details. That’s where midrash steps in. Midrash is the Jewish tradition of imaginative interpretation, an attempt to fill in those gaps. Sometimes it’s a fanciful stretch, while other times it’s so believable that people actually look in the Bible to find the story they remember. Consider the story of Abraham destroying his father’s idols. You can go back and forth in Genesis, but you will never find this tale there. That story is midrash!
I am offering a new class, starting on February 15th, that brings together Biblical women and midrash. We will study some stories that reclaim women’s voices, give them names, share their inner lives. The class is based on the book Sisters at Sinai: New Tales of Biblical Women by Rabbi Jill Hammer. You are welcome to purchase this book, but it is not required; all readings will be provided.
The class will be held on Zoom every other Sunday evening at 7 PM for eight sessions. There is no charge. If you would like to join us, please email me by February 8th at: rabbigailfisher@gmail.
COMING EVENTS
Shabbat Morning Service – Saturday, February 14th, at 10:00 AM
Please join us for our monthly Shabbat morning service. We will be reading from the Torah portion “Mishpatim,” which is chock-full of laws that help delineate a sacred, caring community. A special treat this month is that the Torah readings will be chanted by Miranda and Matt Pontarelli (each a first-time Torah reader!) and by Marshall Jones, who has chanted for us only a few times previously. It is so exciting to continue adding to our list of highly able Torah readers! We will also be announcing the upcoming month of Adar, the month in which Purim falls. Get ready to bake and order some hamentaschen with us! We hope you can join us for the music, prayers, and fellowship, and then stay for the Kiddush luncheon afterwards, sponsored by Jackie Schoch. If you aren’t able to join us in person, the Zoom information is
:http://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Purim this year is March 2-3/2026.
This is the time of year that Congregation Sha’are Shalom has a fundraiser for selling Purim Baskets and Hamantaschen. This year we are not offering the Baskets since a lot of members
didn’t pick them up last year. So we are wondering if the interest is not there for baskets?
Hamantaschens are our biggest Fundraiser. If you have not purchased them in the past, consider doing so this year. You will be glad you did! They keep very well in the freezer.
The flavors this year are Apricot, Blueberry, Nutella, Raspberry, Gluten Free Raspberry and Gluten Free Nutella. Poppy Seed and Prunes was taken off the list because of poor sales.
The deadline for ordering is February 15, 2026.
Here is an order form you can use if you get orders from your place of employment or from your friends. Let’s make this year our biggest year yet?
| 2026 | HAMANTASCHEN & RELIGIOUS SCHOOL BASKETS | ||||||||
| $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | |||
| BLUEBERRY | APRICOT | RASPBERRY | GF RASPBERRY | GF NUTELLA | NUTELLA | RELIGIOUS SCHOOL BASKET | CUSTOMER | TOTAL | PAID |
Calling all Hamantaschen bakers (Women and Men can be bakers) we will be making Hamantaschen on Saturday, February 28th starting at 9AM.
Please let Jackie Schoch know if you can help either by email at grammysglassgarden@gmail.
If you can only work a couple hours please let me know the times you can help. We will be baking all day.
It’s Time to Start Preparing the 2026 Congregation Directory
This is the time of year for updating and publishing the annual Congregational Directory. Our Directory is not only a very useful address book that most of us keep by the telephone or computer but is also a major fundraiser for our synagogue.
Our publishing date is targeted for February 2026, so we will need to move expeditiously to update the directory information, renew the advertisements, and procure additional ads.
Everyone’s support is essential for the continued success of this valuable publication. Please carefully check your contact information in the current Directory, either the printed version or as posted in the Member Area of the Sha’are Shalom web site (https://shaareshalomsomd.org/
There are two ways that everyone can help make the Directory a fundraising success. One is to place a personal greeting in the Directory—a great way to wish everyone a happy New Year or to remember a loved one. The second way to provide support is to ask local business people to place an ad in our Directory. Our success in previous years has shown that it’s not hard to get your dentist, doctor, veterinarian, dry cleaner, and others you do business with to place an ad in our Directory, which more than 100 families will use throughout the year. Feel free to send the public version above (or the link) to prospective advertisers.
If each one of us places a personal advertisement or obtains just one business advertisement we can raise over $3,000 for our congregation. Please provide your support by sending your ad copy to Mark Holt by January 31, 2026. Checks should be made out to Congregation Sha’are Shalom. Mark’s address is:
13413 Kris Ran Court
Fort Washington, MD 20744
mark.edward.holt@gmail.com
The prices for personal (non-business) ads are:
Inside cover – $200
Back cover – $200
Full page (8”x 5”) – $150
Half page (4” x 5”) – $75
Quarter page (2” x 5”) – $50
1/8 page (2” x 2 ½”) – $25
The prices for business ads are:
Inside cover – $250
Back cover – $250
Full page (8”x 5”) – $220
Half page (4” x 5”) – $120
Quarter page (2” x 5”) – $75
1/8 page (2” x 2 ½”) – $50
Remember also to patronize the businesses that have already placed ads in our Directory, and be sure to let them know you are from Sha’are Shalom. This will make it much easier for us to get them to renew their ads this year!
A NOTE FROM YOUR EDITOR
I need your help. I know I am missing a lot of member birthday and anniversaries. Any special events that your would like us to announce? I would also like to know what kinds of things you would like to see in our newsletter in addition to the events we announce each week. Perhaps something from our students or opportunities for community service. Any ideas or updates please email me at joselle_gilpin@yahoo.com.
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR MEMBERS
Starting a new feature in out newsletter. A chance to celebrate our members and some of their wonderful talents and actives. Charity actives. sports, hobbies etc. Please send to joselle_gilpin@yahoo.com by Monday for inclusion in the week’s newsletter.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Lead a Friday evening Shabbat service — we’ll help you!
Our prayer book makes it easy — just choose your favorite reading from each two-page spread, either in English or Hebrew, spoken or sung. We even have some pre-chosen plans to use. The pressure is very low — the audience is usually small and supportive. If you’d rather not write a brief d’var Torah (a mini-sermon on how something from the week’s Torah portion might apply to our lives today), Suzanne Darby has volunteered to write it; and if you’re hesitant about leading songs, I can help out with that.
We’d just like more of our members to come up and play a part in services, and so we’re eager to help any way we can.
You don’t have to know Hebrew, and you just have to be past bar/bat mitzvah age. You can even enlist your spouse and/or kids to be your co-leaders. We’re looking for volunteers for Friday evenings. Please contact me at myerspat@gmail.com to sign up or for more information.
See you at our next serviceHELP WANTED
Dates Available for Oneg Sponsors
Shar’are Shalom each Saturday morning (every 2nd Saturday) and Friday night (every 4th Friday) service at the temple ends with the pleasure of fellowship. A little nosh usually makes this fellowship last longer and adds to its delightfulness. Each post service nosh or oneg requires an Oneg Sponsor. Whether it is wine, juice, a challah, and some cookies, or even more – it is always appreciated by those in attendance.
Contact Marshall Jones (Mjones.shaare@gmail.com) if you would like to sponsor an oneg or lead a Friday Night Service or have any questions about doing either.