OUR WAY WELCOMES JEWISH DEAF TO ROCHESTER FOR OU SHABBATON/PURIM OBSERVANCE, MARCH 2-3
Beth Shalom Congregation
1161 Monroe Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620
March 2-3, 2007
For the Jewish deaf and their families, the Orthodox Union’s Our Way, a program for the deaf and hearing impaired, will present a one-of-a-kind Sabbath/Purim experience, March 2-3, in Rochester. It will be held at Beth Shalom Congregation, 1161 Monroe Avenue.
The program will extend from Friday night to Saturday night when Shabbat ends, to be followed immediately by Purim.
Highlights of the weekend include interpreted Sabbath services and the Megillah reading on Saturday night by David Bar Tzur; and the presence throughout of Deaf Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Fred Friedman. Rabbi Friedman has worked for Our Way for 24 years and received his semicha (rabbinic ordination) 23 years ago from Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore. Each year he commutes to Brooklyn to lead Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur services for the Brooklyn Hebrew Society of the Deaf. He and his wife, Connie, look forward to being together with the Jewish deaf from Rochester.
The Deaf Host Family, who will be welcoming guests, are Meir and Jocheved Shaar, and their son, Jadyn Avraham. Mr. Shaar is an Israeli deaf person, Jocheved is hearing, and Jadyn is hard of hearing. The family recently relocated from California to Rochester and is looking forward to meeting its guests.
Along with special programming, the Shabbaton will provide three delicious meals and snacks; an interpreted synagogue service; a beginner’s prayer service; child care; and an opportunity to join together with others from the deaf community to live and learn about Judaism.
To attend, send an application and check for $30 by February 28 to Our Way of Rochester, c/o Meir and Jocheved Shaar, 1430 Monroe Avenue, Apt 7, Rochester, NY 14618.
For more information contact the Shaars at 585-241-9879, or meirshaar@hotmail.com.
For information on Our Way national programs, contact Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind, Director of Our Way, at 212-613-8234 or email ourway@ou.org.