After a restful summer, I'm looking forward to another wonderful year of study and prayer with the Temple Micah community. Below are some program notes that may be of interest to you. You should be receiving flyers with calendars and registration and book order forms in the mail and over e-mail pertaining to these programs. The flyers are also located in the Temple lobby. Full details are at www.templemicah.org. Please contact me at (gweiner@erols.com) or the others listed below for further information.

Kol Isha (A Woman's Voice) is a community of study and practice that endeavors to explore and become grounded in Judaism's rich traditions of Torah, prayer, ritual and spirituality through the perspective of women. This year Kol Isha will study Jewish Mysticism - its history, basic tenets, and how it informs us intellectually, spiritually, and artistically as modern Jews. We will read The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism by David Ariel. Kol Isha will meet monthly on Sunday afternoons from 2:00-4:30 pm at Temple Micah. On Saturday evening, Sept. 11 from 9:00-10:00 pm, Kol Isha will meet prior to S'lichot services to begin preparing for the High Holy Days and our first regular meeting will be on Oct. 10. Email kolisha.

Tot Shabbat: Prior to regular Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat services, young children and their families are invited to gather in the sanctuary to worship together, learning the basic Shabbat evening prayers, blessings, and melodies. Your children will march around with musical instruments, hold their own Torah, and listen to a story. You will also participate in potluck Shabbat dinners together. Join us to bring the joy of Shabbat to your family and to meet other children who are learning about Shabbat in this relaxed atmosphere. Tot Shabbat meets monthly from 5:30-6:00 pm, followed by dinner. We begin on Sept. 10. Email totshabbat.

Adult B'nai Torah is a two-year course for individuals interested in learning how to read Hebrew, study Torah, chant Torah and Haftarah, understand prayer, and find answers to theological questions. This is the second year of the course. Participants will be called to the Torah on Shabbat morning, May 7, 2005. If you are a good Hebrew reader already and would like to learn to chant Torah and Haftarah, call me about joining the class. The books for the second year are: Aleph Isn't Enough, Bet is For B'reishit, and Finding God. The class meets on Tuesday evenings from 7:00-9:00 pm at Temple Micah. Our first class this year is on Oct. 5.

Kolot's Rosh Chodesh: It's a Girl's Thing is based on the Jewish tradition of women's Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) celebrations. It helps adolescent girls build self-esteem, Jewish identity, leadership skills and friendship networks. This year 7th and 8th grade girls are invited to participate. Activities involved include discussions, exploring traditions, role-playing, crafts and socializing. Sessions are monthly on Sunday evenings from 6:00-8:00 pm, including dinner, beginning on Oct. 17. The leader is our own Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence.

Daytime Hebrew is a new offering. If you want to learn to read Hebrew, but either couldn't make the class on Tuesday nights, couldn't commit to a two-year course of study, or just recently became interested, this may be what you're looking for. It will meet on Thursdays from 12:00-1:00 pm beginning on Oct. 12. We will use Aleph Isn't Tough as our textbook. Please let me know if you are interested by Sept. 10. A minimum number of students is required to begin this class.

I will offer Jewish Parenting again this year as a discussion group based on the book The Blessing of a Skinned Knee - Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children by Wendy Mogel. Discussions will center around respect for adults, chores, meal-time battles, coping with frustration, avoiding over-scheduling, over-indulgence, and over-protecting, keeping expectations in line with a child's temperament, and faith in God. This class is for parents of toddlers through the elementary school years. We will meet monthly on Thursdays from 10:30-11:30 am beginning on Oct 21. Please contact me by Sept. 10. A minimum number of participants is required.

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you soon.