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Welcome to Congregation Beth El
A Conservative Egalitarian Synagogue
WEEKEND WITH RABBINICAL CANDIDATE
RABBI MARCELO KORMIS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26THPlease join us and meet Rabbinical Candidate, Rabbi Marcelo Kormis and his wife, Fernanda Auba. RSVP (required as noted below) to congbethel@aol.com or 203-374-5544. Events include:
Friday evening services at 6:00 PM, followed by dinner. Cost of dinner is $18.00 per person. Children are free (pre Bar/Bat Mitzvah age). Reservations for dinner must be received by Tuesday, February 21. Saturday morning Shabbat services at 10:00 AM, followed by kiddush. Babysitting for infants through kindergarten is available during services – RSVP for babysitting is required by Tuesday, February 21. Saturday evening from 5:45 – 7:00 PM – Havdalah at the home of Ellen and Jeff Belitzky. Families welcome - RSVP is required by Tuesday, February 21. Sunday morning from 9:30 AM (following minyan) – 12:00 PM – Coffee and bagels followed by adult learning session. Sunday afternoon from 12:30 to 1:30 PM – Pizza and ice-cream social for teens (7th through 12th grade). RSVP is required by Tuesday, February 21. Sunday afternoon from 2:00 - 3:00 PM - Meet and greet for religious school and preschool parents. Please use the e-mail address, rabbisearch@congbethel.net to send us questions in advance for Rabbi Kormis. He will attempt to address questions Friday night after Shabbat services. Please use the same e-mail address to give us your comments and observations about the weekend.
Rabbi Marcelo Kormis was born in Santiago, Chile. After completing his primary and secondary education, he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina to begin his rabbinical studies at the Seminario Rabinico. This seminary is the academic, cultural and religious center of the Conservative Jewish Movement (Masorti) in Latin America. During his tenure at the seminary, Rabbi Kormis studied at Haifa University, where he received a B.A. in Bible and Jewish Thought, and Machon Schechter, where he received an M.A. in Judaic Studies. He attended the Senior Educators Program at Hebrew University as well. As a rabbinical student, Rabbi Kormis also served as a guest rabbi at two congregations in Buenos Aires. In 2003, he was ordained as a rabbi at the Seminario Rabinico.
After his ordination, Rabbi Kormis returned to Santiago, where he served as the head of Judaic Studies at the Instituto Hebreo, the main Hebrew day school in Chile which serves 1,500 students from kindergarten through high school. In 2006, he became the Associate Rabbi of the Circulo Israelita Congregation in Santiago, the 900 family Ashkenazi Conservative congregation in the city. At Circulo Israelita, Rabbi Kormis continued to focus on education, particularly with the synagogue’s youth population. He meets every Shabbat personally with 3 to 23 year olds, and leads 300 campers (ages 6 to 23) in a ten day overnight summer program each year.
Rabbi Kormis works hard to inspire people of all ages to engage in Jewish tradition, to work for social justice, to establish close ties with Israel, and to experience prayer and life cycle events in a vibrant and meaningful way. To this end, he created a new tefillah framework for his congregation. He personally views his rabbinate as a calling. As he states: "I don't imagine my rabbinate as a job; to me it is a vocation. I serve this vocation with all my soul."
In 2008, Rabbi Kormis was chosen as one of the 100 most influential young leaders of Chile by the prestigious national newspaper "El Mercurio." He is married to Fernanda Auba and has two children – Michael, age 2, and Arieh, age 1.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SAVE THE DATES
PURIM CELEBRATIONS
Sunday, March 4th
Purim Carnival from 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM.
Wednesday, March 7th
Wine and Nosh at 6:30 PM, followed by a Costume Parade for everyone and Megillah Reading. Our annual raffle drawing will be held at 7:15 PM.
Thursday, March 8th
Megillah is read again at morning minyan and we enjoy a Purim Seudah (festive meal) breakfast. Entry price is one joke, suitable for all ages.Saturday, March 10th
Sisterhood presents: BETH EL ART EXHIBIT OPEN HOUSE
A showcase of your fellow congregants' art and musical talents. $10 per person includes hot and cold hor d'oeuvres, wine and beer, coffee and cake.Saturday, March 24th
An evening of celebration in honor of Tara Cook-Littman and Owen Littman as Beth El's Couple of the Year
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Congregation Beth El
1200 Fairfield Woods Rd
Ph. 203-374-5544
CongBethEl@aol.com
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