Regensburg, Germany - known for centuries by its older, Celtic-Latin name, "Ratisbon" - sits on the northern most point of the Danube, and it has a Jewish history dating back to at least 981 CE; within a couple of centuries, it was the center of the movement known as the Hasidei Ashkenaz.  It is also the home to a small but thriving Jewish community today, one centered around a modernist synagogue built on the site of the synagogue destroyed on Kristallnacht in 1938. The new structure was dedicated in 2019, in somber memory of the city's expulsion of the Jews 500 years earlier, in 1519.

Rabbi Laura Lieber will offer a brief overview of the important Jewish history of Regensburg, and she will also discuss her experiences finding her place in this new community, with her family, as a North American Jew (and a Reform rabbi), as they made the reverse journey from the New World to the heart of Ashkenaz.

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Prof. Rabbi Laura Lieber is the Chair of Transregional Religious History, in the University of Regensburg, Germany. She holds a Ph.D. in the History of Judaism from the University of Chicago and rabbinic ordination from HUC-JIR in Cincinnati. Her research focuses on Jewish liturgical poetry.

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Lunch provided by Nava Creative Kosher Cuisine:

1. Egg salad sandwich on soft bread OR

2. Vegan Buddha Bowl: Crispy tofu, Rice noodle, pickled carrot, radish and cucumber

Served with soup and a garden salad with citrus vinaigrette

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 COST: $18 Temple Sholom member, $28 Non-member

REGISTER HERE

Get ready to add a splash of mystery and rhythm to your autumn! You're invited to our 7th Annual Fall Fest Fun-raiser: Masquerade Ball.

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Don your most elegant mask and prepare for a swinging night of jazz music by Annette Kozicki and her band, dynamic dancing, and delicious tapas! This is a FUN-Raiser designed for pure joy and community connection.

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Best of all, your support has deep meaning. All proceeds from the evening directly fund our vital Sisterhood Social Action Programming and our well-used Campership Fund, helping to connect our youth and support our community.

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Saturday, Nov 1 at Temple Sholom

7:30 PM Doors Open I 8pm Event Begins I 9:45 PM Auction Closes

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Register Now!

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We Need Your Energy! Volunteer With Us

Want to join the fun and support the cause? We need dedicated volunteers to ensure the night runs smoothly!

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If you sign up to volunteer via this Google Form, you'll receive free admission and food for the evening (please note this does not include a drink or raffle ticket). It's a fantastic way to support your Sisterhood!

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We can't wait to make merry at the masquerade with you!

A Holy Smoke! of a Good Time

Judges Panel

• Mathew Levenson – Smoking Maven and the  owner of East Side Beer Food.
• Ricci Leigh Smith – Chef/Owner, The Perfect Bite Catering
• Marshall Cramer – Past Owner, Kaplan’s Deli, Vancouver

Smokers (Competitors) – $50

• Register by October 17, 2025.
• Each participant will prepare 2-3 whole salmon (4-6 sides) of salmon
  of their choice for sampling by judges and attendees.
• Tax receipts available with itemized expense documentation.

Eaters (Guests & Tasters) – $36 adults / $18 Teens / Kids under 12 eat free

Kristallnacht Commemoration

Keynote Speaker: Historian Robin Judd

Join us for the annual commemoration of Kristallnacht on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at 7 pm at the Beth Israel Synagogue.

With Lesley Sachs, Chair, Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ)

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‍Topic: Truth as Our Anchor, Activism and Hope as our Beacon: The IMPJ in Today’s Israel.

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‍Lesley will discuss the role of the reform Israel movement (IMPJ) as both anchor and beacon, looking at the role that we have played since October 7th. She will be discussing  what  lies ahead as we continue to fight  Judicial reform in order to preserve a democratic strong Israel.  Lesley will end with the question of our Mutual Responsibility – Arvut Hadadit: how can we support each other in these troubling times

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‍Bio: Lesley has been an activemember of Kehilat Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv since 2015, and a member of theKehilat Kol HaNeshama community during her past in Jerusalem.

Professionally, she hasserved in key leadership roles since 1998, including CEO of the Israel Women’sNetwork, Director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), and VicePresident of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ), where she also managedBeit Shmuel/ Merkaz Shimshon. From 2008 to 2018, Lesley served as ExecutiveDirector of Women of the Wall.

In her volunteer work,Lesley has served on the board of the Jerusalem battered women’s shelter,chaired Ikar – a coalition of 22 organizations supporting agunot and womendenied divorce – and more.

Within the Reform Movement,Lesley chaired the Hebrew Union College Audit Committee for a decade, led KerenB’Kavod (the Movement’s social action program), chaired the Ganei Chaimnonprofit, and served on the KKL-JNF board.

In 2015, she became Chairof Mikhmanim, the Reform Movement’s pre-army academy in Tel Aviv–Yafo and Holonand was elected to the Executive Board. For six years, she has served as Deputy Chair andActing Chair of the Movement and was appointed as the IMPJ Board Chair on the1st of September 2025.

This year we are offering a Deli Extravaganza from The Perfect Bite.Build Your Own Smoked Meat sandwiches -12 oz of meat per person:

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• Hot Corned Beef
• Hot Pastrami
• Smoked Turkey
• Hot Mustard, Yellow Mustard and Grainy Mustard
• Mayonnaise, Dijonaise, Ketchup
• Crispy lettuce, Tomatoes, and Pickles
• Rye Bread, Pumpernickel and Challah Buns
• Coleslaw
• Potato Salad
• Caramelized Onion and Potato Bourekas

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The Deli Extravaganza is thanks to sponsorship from Dr. Neil Pollock.‍

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‍Cost*: $60 Men's Club member; $70 Non-Men's Club member*Includes food and poker chips

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‍REGISTER HERE