Dear Or Zarua Community,

This coming Saturday, April 1, we will gather at St. Albans at 1501 Washington Avenue in Albany from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm, to celebrate Shabbat, or you can participate via the Zoom link (posted below).  We'll also have a potluck kiddush lunch -- indoors, with windows open. 

This Saturday is a special moment in the Jewish Calendar: Shabbat Hagadol, the Great Shabbat, the last Shabbat before Passover. This year, we'll prepare for Passover by considering how we face the legacy of slavery here in the United States.

Rahel Smith will be giving the drash, sharing her reflections on the Reckoning Together: A Reconstructionist Pilgrimage Towards Racial Justice. If you want some advance background, see ‘Deconstructing Racism to Reconstruct Judaism’: The Story of a ‘Life-Giving’ Pilgrimage to the South https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/news/deconstructing-racism-to-reco...

Prior to the movement-wide pilgrimage that Shelly, Emily and Rahel recently participated in, Reconstructing Judaism hosted a pilgrimage specifically for Black Jewish leaders. This article tells that story.

Our current health protocols are: in-person services are for people who are current on covid vaccines, wearing masks unless they have tested negative on Saturday morning, and not exhibiting symptoms that could be covid. 

Please come at 9:45 a.m. to help set up, shmooze a little, and support starting right at 10:00 a.m..  Enabling a timely start shows appreciation for the volunteers who have worked hard to plan the full and holy use of our time together.

If you'd like to stay for a potluck lunch, please test for covid before you come, bring an item to share that is vegetarian (kosher fish okay).  We have a practice of labelling ingredients for reasons of individual allergies or diets.

You may also choose to participate in the service on Zoom.  The link and password are posted below.  We ask that if you have any symptoms that could possibly indicate covid that you stay home and participate via Zoom.

Zoom link for Or Zarua:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6880391088?pwd=dEQ3cWxqeGFoaE9CZE1QZ0dsN1FRQT09
Meeting ID: 688 039 1088
Passcode: uplift