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Lawrence Shabbaton Information May 2nd-3rd, 2008
If you said you are coming please do not back out because you will miss out on the experience of a lifetime and people are taking out time in their lives to prepare and make a nice Shabbat experience for you.
If you have not yet paid the $25 for the Shabbaton please pay before Friday.
Below is a list of questions you may have. Please read all of the answers so that you are will not be caught off-guard by anything. If there are any questions that we did not answer please email them to us at info.raje@gmail.com and we will immediately add them to our list.
3. Can I have a party at the hosts’ house?
4. Can I bring people who are not staying with me to the home?
5. Can I smoke in the house or in the neighborhood on Shabbat?
7. What will get me kicked out of the Leadership Program?
9. What is the meeting place in Lawrence if I am driving on my own?
10. What time do I have to be there if I am driving on my own?
11. How do I get there if I can’t take provided transportation and don’t drive?
12. Who do I contact if I am lost or have questions on Friday (Friday only!)?
13. Will I be able to shower and get ready at the hosts’ home?
14. Can I attend part of the Shabbat program?
15. What time will the program be over on Saturday night?
16. What time will RAJE transportation be leaving on Saturday night back to Brooklyn?
17. What will we be doing from Friday through Saturday night?
18. What if I haven’t registered or paid for the shabbaton yet?
19. Do we have our normal Sunday session after the shabbaton?
A dress code is set up for the benefit of both you guys as well as the community. We do not want you guys to feel uncomfortable.
Guys: Please bring clothes that a step up from t-shirt and jeans. A button down shirt and slacks is preferable. Jeans would be ok but at least step up the t-shirt to a classier shirt :)
Ladies: Please dress modestly. General rules of modesty in these kinds of communities are: no cleavage, no sleeveless shirts (sleeves till elbows or right above), skirts that go down to the knee or lower, and no exposed mid-sections.
Bring as much clothes as you will need for Friday through Saturday night.
These are the basics…try to do what you can. It’s out of respect of the homes as well as for you guys not to feel uncomfortable.
The families in both neighborhoods have graciously opened their homes to us for Shabbat.
Groups of no less than 2 people will be sleeping at each home.
When you filled out your registration form you listed names of people you would like to room with. We will try our best to accommodate your request and keep you together. (Sleeping arrangements are not Co-ed)
If you have not yet informed us of your rooming preferences, please email us with whom you would prefer to be roomed. Otherwise, we will choose your roommate for the weekend.
3. Can I have a party at the hosts’ house?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!
We have had the great fortune of being invited for Shabbat into a very warm and kind community. People are opening their homes and hearts to us.
Please take into consideration that they have children and this is their day off. Please respect their homes and don’t abuse their kindness and hospitality.
4. Can I bring people who are not staying with me to the home?
If the family told you that you can bring guests, then you can bring guests but be considerate of their homes. Keep the noise level down and end the hanging out at a reasonable hour.
5. Can I smoke in the house or in the neighborhood on Shabbat?
Please do not leave in the middle of the Shabbat meal at your hosts house to smoke. Please do not smoke in their backyards or front lawns.
Please do not hang out outside in groups smoking in front of people’s homes or the Synagogue.
If you smoke please make it as invisible as possible.
Besides that fact that they do not smoke on Shabbat, these people also have kids and try to give them good values and do not want to expose them to smoking, cursing, or anything inappropriate.
(No offense…I am a smoker…I don’t smoke on Shabbat though…it will be a good test of willpower and a nice rest for your lungs.
Electronics:
Please shut all electronic devices during Shabbat. Especially during classes, prayer services, and during the meals.
NO CAMERAS or picture taking at any point during the program please.
Cell phones:
It would be exceptionally rude if a phone would go off while you are sitting at your hosts’ dinner table. If you keep your phone on please leave it on vibrate and don’t bring it to the table at your hosts house.
Please refrain from switching the lights in the homes on and off.
Umbrellas:
It is supposed to rain this weekend. We will be providing everyone with a rain poncho upon arrival. Please try to refrain from using an umbrella on Shabbat as a respect to the community. (Observant communities do not use umbrellas on Shabbat…if you want more information…as your local Rabbi :-)
7. What will get me kicked out of the Leadership Program?
People caught acting out due to being drunk or under the influence of anything will be IMMEDIATELY disqualified from the Leadership/Heritage Program and from the Euro/Israel trip.
Please do not leave the premises at any point during the program AND PLEASE DO NOT DRIVE AROUND.
Our Friday night program will go pretty late and we request that everyone go to their hosts’ homes after the program. It would be very rude to show up at their house at 2am or even 1am.
You are grown-ups and we think you have a feeling of what is and is not appropriate in such a situation and we trust that you will all act appropriately and respectfully.
Time of departure of transportation: 4:30pm on Friday May 2nd, 2008
Location: RAJE Center – 2915 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11235
IF YOU DID NOT PAY FOR THE TRANSPORTATION IN ADVANCE A SPOT WILL NOT BE RESERVED FOR YOU!!!
If you paid and do not show up you will not be refunded the money.
9. What is the meeting place in Lawrence if I am driving on my own?>
Congregation Shaaray Tefila – 25 Central Avenue, Lawrence, NY 11559
10. What time do I have to be there if I am driving on my own?
Please be there between 6:30-7:00pm on Friday, to pick up Program Schedule, Host information, and gift for the Host family.
11. How do I get there if I can’t take provided transportation and don’t drive?
The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) goes to Lawrence.
All LIRR information can be found here: http://www.mta.info/lirr/html/ttn/lawrence.htm
If you plan on getting there yourself but will need a ride back you must let me know by Wednesday night because I will need to count you into the amount of spaces I will need to order for Saturday night.
12. Who do I contact if I am lost or have questions on Friday (Friday only!)?
Leah 917-974-8219
Sharona 646-670-3490
Ester 347-296-7570
13. Will I be able to shower and get ready at the hosts’ home?
If you come before 6:30pm you will probably have a chance to shower and change at your hosts’ home. If you come after 6:30pm please come showered, changed, and prepared.
14. Can I attend part of the Shabbat program?
This retreat is meant for your social enjoyment as much as it is educational. If you are coming to this retreat you are obligating yourself to participate in all of the programs that are part of the weekend including classes as well as the interactive parts. Please remember that this is a mandatory weekend and is part of the program necessary to qualify for the Israel trip. Full participation from Friday through Saturday night is expected.
15. What time will the program be over on Saturday night?
The full program will be over around 9:15pm on Saturday night
16. What time will RAJE transportation be leaving on Saturday night back to Brooklyn?
The vans/buses will be arriving at at 9:40pm on Saturday night. We ask that everyone be back at the meeting point with their stuff around that time.
17. What will we be doing from Friday through Saturday night?
A schedule for the full program will be given out upon arrival on Friday afternoon.
18. What if I haven’t registered or paid for the shabbaton yet?
Please go to http://www.rajeusa.com/register_shabbaton2008.php
19. Do we have our normal Sunday session after the shabbaton?
NO J But if you are traveling to Israel on May 22nd you do have orientation on Sunday
Shabbat is the Hebrew word for the Jewish Sabbath. Throughout the
world, the Jewish people have celebrated Shabbat for over four
thousand years. Although common throughout the western world, the
concept of a six days followed by a day of rest is widely regarded as
stemming from Jewish origins.
The Shabbat commemorates the culmination of the world's creation.
According to the Torah, God created the world in six days and on the
seventh "rested" from active creation and instead sustained his
handiwork. Traditional observance of Shabbat involves similarly
resting, or refraining, from creative activity to recall the beginning
of time.
Many view Shabbat as an opportunity to transcend the routine of daily
life. It is a day without work and mundane obligations ( United States
federal protects one's right to not work on Shabbat) – a time one can
focus one meaning, family, and spirituality.
Copyright © Russian American Jewish Experience 2007
