By Laurie Weinberg
At its Annual Meeting on June 11, Or Ami presented its first Lantern Award to Bruce Gould.
This award is intended to be an annual recognition of an outstanding Or Ami volunteer who has spread their light and warmth throughout our congregation.
While temple life shifts into vacation mode, Or Ami offers a lot of summer fun.
Connected Kids, a playgroup for neurodivergent kids, will begin Saturday, June 17, from 3:30- 4:45 p.m. at Or Ami, continuing weekly through Saturday, July 22.
“Neurodivergent” describes individuals whose neurological development and functioning differs from what is considered typical. It encompasses a range of neurological conditions, including autism, ADHD, and other developmental differences.
The group will be led by an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, and a licensed clinical social worker, who will use a mix of structured and unstructured play activities to help children develop and practice social, communication, and emotional regulation skills.
Two therapists will guide the children’s activities while the third will gather with parents in a separate space.
Parent education topics include: understanding neurodivergence, promoting positive parent-child relationships, parenting strategies for neurodivergent children, stress management and self-care, and just about anything else that comes up!
The curriculum is aimed at children ages 5-7, but children slightly younger or older can be included. Attendance at all six sessions is preferred, but if summer vacation plans have already been made, it is okay to miss a week or two.
The group has room for a total of 8 children. Reserve a spot now!
To learn more, visit: https://connectedtherapyrva.com/connected-kids-summer-2023/
Dungeons and Dragons and Jews.
For those interested in tabletop role-playing, Or Ami member, Victor Escobar, along with his friend Shawn, are running “Dungeons and Dragons and Jews” (DDJ) and have two spots open for reliable players to join a comedic urban fantasy adventure.
Imagine Dungeons and Dragons meets Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.
The group meets Sundays from 2-6 p.m. at Battlegrounds (13172 Midlothian Turnpike, Midlothian, VA 23113). For more information, contact Victor or Shawn.
Services
Regular Shabbat Services are held in-person and online Friday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30. Torah Study is held virtually most Saturdays, from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Contact our office for a link if you wish to attend.
For more information on any of our programs or to obtain links to Zoom events, please get in touch with our office at (804) 272-0017 or office@or-ami.com.
Would you like to know more? Contact us at Belong@Or-Ami.com or check us out at www.Or-Ami.com. You can follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OrAmi-Richmond. All inquiries are always welcome.
