Israel will be 60 years old this spring! Given this great milestone, a series of celebratory events will be offered for Yom Haatzmaut (Israel Independence Day) in early May. They will be exciting and rewarding events not to be missed!

SATURDAY, MAY 3, 7 PM
AT HAVURAH SHIR HADASH

Deputy Consul General Ismail Khaldi, Reverend Anne Bartlett, Rabbi David Zaslow and the Havurah Choir, followed by dessert
“Pluralism in Israel Today – A View of Israel Through the Eyes of a Bedouin Israeli”

Rabbi David Zaslow and Reverend Anne of the Trinity Episcopal Church in Ashland will kick off the evening.

Deputy Consul General Ismail Khaldi, in the context of Israel’s 60th anniversary, will discuss the various cultures and religions of Israel, including his own Bedouin background growing up in the village of Khawalid in the Western Galilee of Israel. He will address the unique challenges of being the first Bedouin in the Israeli Foreign Ministry and a Muslim representing the Jewish state.

Donations will be greatly appreciated to cover costs for the evening.

SUNDAY, MAY 4, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM AT TEMPLE EMEK SHALOM

• Opening Ceremony ~ Noon
• Opening Words/Prayers ~ Rabbi Marc Sirinsky
• A Community Sing ~ TES & HSH Religious School Students
• Israeli food for sale by Greenleaf Restaurant & Global Pantry
• Information Booths:
  Israeli Birthright Program
  Hadassah
  Israel Advocacy
  Chabad
  Israeli Science & Technology
• Arts and crafts for children and teens
• Bouncy house outside for children
• Israeli Marketplace ~ Buy blue and white
• Israeli documentaries and travelogues
• Musical Events throughout the day
• Israeli Dancing
  Children: 1:45 to 2:30 PM
  Everyone: 2:45 to 3:30 PM
• Discussion group, “What Israel Means to Me,” led by Rabbi david Zaslow ~ 2:45 to 3:30 PM
  

MONDAY, MAY 5, 5:00 – 9:45 PM
AT HAVURAH SHIR HADASH

“Challenge for Peace Group” Presentation and Discussion
5:00 to 6:30 PM

Documentary “It’s About Time”
7:00 to 7:55

An international award winning film on the phenomenon of Israeli time, which won best documentary at the 2001 Jerusalem International Film Festival. It uses a humorous postmodern approach to question the value of time in Israeli society, and contains comments from all different kinds of people on the nature of time, in addition to standup comedy provided by Yakov Cohen and musical performances by Jonathan Avishay's jazz quartet. The movie is a brilliant portrait of the Israeli psyche and the notion of time in general. For Israelis, time ticks double speed--pursued by a glorious past, an uncertain future, and a dubious present.

Feature Film “The Band’s Visit”
8:15 to 9:45 PM

About a traveling marching band thrown into a cultural conundrum, this film has received critical acclaim at the Cannes, Telluride and Toronto film festivals, and swept the Israeli Film Academy Awards, winning in the best picture and seven other categories, including best screenplay, best actor and best actress.

Through a series of mishaps, the men end up stranded in a desolate little Israeli town east of nowhere in the heart of the desert. Dina (Elkabetz), the owner of a cafe, sees that the Egyptians are fed and lodged for the night till the morning bus. During the band's brief visit, the Egyptians and their Israeli hosts connect in ways that promote the peace process.

Donations will be greatly appreciated to cover costs for the evening.

TUESDAY, MAY 6, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
AT TEMPLE EMEK SHALOM

“The 4 Rabbis Speak on Israel”

• Rabbi Jackie Brodsky
• Rabbi Marc Sirinsky
• Rabbi David Zaslow
• Rabbi Avi Zweibel

Donations will be greatly appreciated to cover costs for the evening.