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Congregation for Humanistic Judaism Special Interest and Social Groups (Open only to CHJ members)
In the list below you will find descriptions of existing CHJ groups and the contact person for each of them. If you have difficulty reaching any of the people listed below, please call Elaine Altenberg at 351-7144 and she will try to help you. Some contact people are snowbirds, so may not be in Sarasota at this time. We need people willing to take on leadership roles in some groups, at least to get them started. Please consider being one of those people.
Congregation-Wide Committees That Need You!
The Caring Committee reaches out to help members who need assistance when they are ill, have experienced a death in the family, or are incapacitated in some way. Pauline Kabcenell and Barbara Friedricks are co-chairs of the committee. CHJ members may be called upon at one time or another to help in providing food, rides, companionship, or in other ways assisting their fellow members. An effort is made to find people living in the general area near the person needing help. If you would like to be contacted by the Caring Committee when someone who lives near you is in need, please sign in on the Caring Committee Sign Up sheet. If you know of a CHJ member who is in need of help, please contact Pauline at 377-1284 or mkabcenell@verizon.net or Barbara at 341-0466 or crisma28@comcast.net. You can also contact them to let them know you’re available to help if you haven’t already signed up at the October 2009 Meet and Greet, as they are updating their files. Social Action
Committee Join members in their Social Justice/Social Action (national and global) efforts or Community Action (local) efforts through this very vital CHJ committee. Call Jules Altenberg at 351-7144 or Harvey Gochberg at 342-7676 if you’d like to get in on the action and help repair the world – Tikkun Olam.
Bible Study
Group Here is an opportunity to examine the bible facilitated by the book How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now by James L. Kugel. This text has been described as refreshingly undogmatic and often witty, as it discusses both the traditional interpretation and modern historical approach that challenges the historical veracity of scripture and seeks instead to find its writers' original sources and purposes. This group begins in December when its leader Ivan Krakowsky returns to Sarasota. Call Ivan at 966-4887 for more information.
The Bike Riding Group meets a couple of times a season or more if there is interest. They ride about an hour or a little more and try different places. If the group desires, they go to lunch afterward or bring their own lunch and brown bag it. They are open to suggestions on places to ride. Please call Fred Raymes at 379-9156 or e-mail him at fraymes@verizon.net for more information. Board Games
Groups “Scrabble,” “Upwords,” “Boggle,” and others are among the fun board games played by this group. They’ll teach you a word game, or if you have an interesting game that some members might like to try, bring it with you. The current Board Games Group is full, but members of that group are willing to help start up new groups. For information, contact Menachem Hirmes at 358-7779.
Book Club Our Book Club is currently being reorganized. If you are interested in reading books and discussing them with other CHJ members, please contact Elaine Altenberg at 351-7144, and she will help your group get together. Please also consider playing a leadership role in facilitating your group’s formation.
Bridge Group Our Bridge Group is in the process of reorganization. So if you are interested in playing party bridge (not duplicate) on a regular schedule set by you and others (perhaps once a month) please contact Marjorie Eiseman at 966-0262 so she can connect you with other bridge players. Digital Imaging
Group (DIG) DIG (Digital Imaging Group) meets at 3 P.M. on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The purpose of the group is to learn what makes a good photograph and how to use your digital camera and computer to achieve that end. A variety of assignments are made and Diggers bring in their images on memory cards or CDs. The photos are displayed on a digital projector and critiqued. All skill levels are welcome. E-mail Jules Altenberg at jules@altenberg.com if you wish to join.
Each Dining Group is made up of 6, 8, or 10 people who would like to share a dinner, either at a home where all would share in the cooking, or in a restaurant selected by the group. The group usually gets together once a month. The details are worked out by members of each group. If this activity interests you, call Elaine Altenberg at 351-7144. As people join, we will form new groups.
Film Groups We have a number of film groups that are all presently filled, but we are in the process of forming new film groups to meet the needs of other members who are also interested in viewing films and discussing them. Each group meets at a time selected by its members, usually in the homes of group members. Sometimes they choose to dine out afterward and continue their discussion of the film then. If you are interested in belonging to one of the new film groups, please contact Elaine Altenberg at 351-7144. Please let Elaine know if you are also willing be a leader. Please Note: One of our newest Film Groups is for Single members only. Call Vivian Livingston at 925-0642 if you are interested in this group. Great Decisions
Group The Great Decisions Group meets twice a month between January and May. Great Decisions is the creation of the Foreign Policy Association which selects the topics and provides a guide book and CDs. The group discusses the topics together and tries to come up with a solution. The topics are always very current. Following the meeting they frequently go out to dinner and socialize, but that is optional. There is a charge for the book. For information, please contact Helen and Perry Forman at 927-1490.
If you love to sing, please consider joining our CHJ chorus, the Humanaires. They are a group of amateur singers who enjoy singing songs in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladina, and English (plus occasionally other languages as well) that come out of our Jewish experience. You don’t have to be familiar with the languages, since everything is transliterated. The Humanaires practice every Thursday afternoon from 2 to 3:30 P.M. at Unity. If you are interested in singing with an enthusiastic group of people and making new friends along the way, call our conductor Dave Berman at 355-2515.
The Mah Jongg group usually begins meeting in November. They play a friendly game and welcome newcomers. The contact persons for that group are Marilyn Golden and Adele Fox. Marilyn can be reached at 355-2979 and Adele at 377-5308.
Men’s and Women’s Groups These are groups that gather to discuss issues of personal concern, i.e. relationships, the emotional aspects of illness, and other topics relevant to members’ lives. They are not cry-baby groups, but rather a sharing of experiences to give and get support and information from other group members. The groups are separate for men and women, and all conversations are confidential. New groups will be formed if there is sufficient interest. If you are interested call Elaine Altenberg at 351-7144.
Wine Tasting
Groups Our Wine Tasting Groups meet once a month from September to May at tasters’ homes. Each group is limited to 14 people. Following evaluation of the wines and sharing opinions, there is usually more discussion of the wines and then, those who wish to do so, dine out together. Our current Wine Tasting Groups are filled. If you are interested in Wine Tasting, call Ron Fox at 342-4248 to put your name on a waiting list. When enough people are signed up for a group, Ron will help you to form a new Wine Tasting Group.
We have been trying to organize a Women’s Golf Group. If you are interested in playing golf with other CHJ women, please contact Marilyn Golden at 355-2979 after November 7th as Marilyn is a snowbird.
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Caring
Committee
Dining
Groups
The
Humanaires (our chorus)
Mah
Jongg Group
Women’s
Golf Group