General Announcements - September 2004
Shabbat morning Meditation at Congregation Albert enters its sixth year this September. Encouraged by Rabbi Black and Cantor Shuchat-Marx, we began in May of 1999, an experiment in bringing the experience of Jewish meditation practice to our synagogue.
The Jewish tradition has included meditation from the earliest of times. It is said that King Solomon learned from his father, David, the technique of breath meditation through which he "could lift nature's physical veil from created things and see the spirit within."
All meditation begins with controlled breathing which facilitates quieting the mind, focusing of attention, opening of awareness, and encourages a stretching of consciousness to encompass the sense of holiness. For this reason, the format which has evolved for our Shabbat morning meditation opens with a breathing meditation, continues with chanting, follows with a mantra (the repetition of a word or phrase), and concludes with a guided imagery usually based on the Torah portion of that week.
All forms of meditation lead to mindfulness or focused awareness of the awe and holiness of every part of our lives. There are meditations focused on the process of listening or hearing such as the Shema "Hear, O Israel" or "listen up," "pay attention." There are meditations based on eating, being aware of our food and its blessing. Kashrut can be viewed as a process of mindful awareness of the food we eat rather than simply consuming without consciousness. In Judaism, the goal of meditation is not to escape the world but to become a vehicle for perfecting it. Meditation allows us to quiet our thoughts and concentrate on the marvel of God's world, on the blessings of life.
Paula Amar Schwartz, Ph.D. Eileen Yager, M.D.
Wednesday, September 29
7:00 p.m.
Erev Sukkot & Consecration ServiceThursday, September 30
10:00 a.m.
Sukkot & Av Eym Eytza Service
Shabbat Morning Meditation
Meditation is held on the 2nd and 4th Shabbat
each month, starting promptly at
9:30 a.m. and ending at 10:20 a.m.
Check the flyer on the front door for exact location.
Some mornings we will be in the Sanctuary,
otherwise we will be in Classroom 6.
Join us before the regular service to prepare for prayer,
or to experience your personal spirituality. All are
welcome!
Previous meditation experience is not required.
Regular meditation this month will be on
Saturday, Sept. 11th at 9:30 a.m.
Rosh Hashanah Meditation, Thursday, Sept. 16th at 8:45
Yom Kippur Meditation, Saturday, Sept. 25th at 8:45
Any questions, please contact : Eileen Yager or Paula Amar Schwartz
Veterans
History Project
The Veterans History Project is in progress. They are recording the military oral histories of veterans of WW-II, Korean, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf wars.
OASIS, a local organization in Albuquerque, is one of the local sponsors of the Veterans History Project. In conjunction with the project to interview war veterans, a special effort is being made with Congregation Albert to record the oral histories of our Jewish members of the armed forces.
This national project creates a lasting legacy of recorded interviews of war veterans. This is a special call to the members of Congregation Albert and to the Jewish community who have served in one of the past wars. Now you, or someone you know, can make a lasting gift to history and family by telling about the Jewish contribution to our military.
Interviews will take place at the homes and at the convenience of the veterans.
A copy of the taped interview will be placed in the archives of Congregation Albert. The veteran will receive a copy of the recording. All veteran interview recordings are sent to the Library of Congress for documentation and historical purposes.
For interviews and additional information, please contact
Everybody's Business
Michelle Fromm-Lewis has been selected to be the Sandia National Laboratories' loaned executive to United Way of Central New Mexico. This three month assignment will include developing business support and assisting businesses with their 2004 campaigns.
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