Our History- Our Stories Series – Featured Speaker – Cristina Ramirez
Approximately 60 guests gathered at Congregation Or Atid on Sunday, Sept. 22 to hear Cristina Ramirez present the first of four lectures on the non-Ashkenazi Jewish diaspora experience.
Cristina spoke about the Latino Sephardi Jews, her discovery of her Jewish Converso heritage, and her reconversion to Judaism. The engaged audience asked many questions about her fascinating story, and most attendees lingered afterward to enjoy drinks and snacks.
Many thanks to Cristina, who gave her time to share such a personal, interesting and educational presentation.
Our History-Our Stories Series Continues – Final Two Presentations:
The community is invited to join Congregation Or Atid for the final two presentations in this series. This is an opportunity to deepen your understanding of our diverse Jewish tapestry and discover the vibrant cultural contributions of communities from Yemen and Tunisia.
Rabbi Sherry Grinsteiner (Yemen) will be presenting on Sunday, Nov. 10, and Viviane Oberhand (Tunisia) will be presenting on Sunday, Dec. 15.
Both presentations will be from 6:30 – 8 p.m., at Or Atid. Kindly RSVP at www.oratid.org/event/Our-History-Our-Stories or call the synagogue office at (804) 740-4747.
A “Magical” Beginning for the Mo’adon – Jewish Senior Group at Or Atid
On Tuesday, Sept. 24, the inaugural meeting of the Senior Mo’adon (Club) was held where attendees enjoyed an entertaining and informative program on magic led by Dr. Bruce Rubin.
Dr. Rubin is a renowned pediatric pulmonologist as well as a magician with 30 years in Medical Magic. Dr. Rubin uses magic tricks to help his pediatric patients relax during examinations.
Attendees learned some of his favorite tricks, as well as the history of Jewish magicians. Afterward, everyone enjoyed a nosh and had the opportunity to get to know each other.
Seniors in the West End of Richmond are invited to attend these enjoyable monthly Mo’adon programs. This is a great opportunity for casual conversations and stimulating activities in a warm and friendly environment. Activities include music, dance, performances, lectures, socialization time, and of course delicious desserts.
Programs are held once a month, generally on the last Tuesday of each month from 2 – 4 p.m., at Congregation Or Atid.
Need a ride? Just let our synagogue office know, and we’ll arrange a ride with our volunteer drivers. We encourage you to also bring your friends and make the most of this delightful time together!
All of these programs are FREE of charge thanks to a generous grant from the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond.
For additional information and/or to register, please contact the synagogue office at (804) 740-4747.
Jewish Family Shabbat Experiences Continue at
Or Atid-Open to RVA Jewish Community
At the end of the summer, about 70 people, ranging from grandparents to babies just a few months old, enjoyed Or Atid’s Family Shabbat experience. See some photos.
The evening started with a lively Shabbat service led by Rabbi Sherry Grinsteiner, during which the kids played instruments.
Following the Shabbat service, parents, grandparents and kids enjoyed a delicious picnic-style dinner outside in the synagogue’s beautiful Gan Chesed Kindness Garden and playground.
After dinner, the kids played and ran around the playground. It was such a lovely evening.
Congregation Or Atid looks forward to Young Jewish Families in the community attending our fun-filled upcoming Shabbat Experiences in the coming year as shown below:
For additional information and/or to register for the Family Shabbat Experience (s), please contact the synagogue office at (804) 740-4747.
Gan Chesed Garden Still Thriving!
The Gan Chesed Kindness Garden at Or Atid continues to produce fresh vegetables and herbs.
The produce is donated twice a week to the JCC Elmer Toth Food Pantry for distribution to community members in need. As of the middle of October, over 214 pounds of fresh, organically grown produce has been donated in 2024.
More vegetables are still growing, which will then be harvested and donated. A huge thank you goes out to all the garden keepers and others involved in taking care of the garden in order to give back to our community.
