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Friday Night Erev Shabbat Services
Fridays at 7:00pm
Celebrate Shabbat and relax after a long week as we welcome Shabbat at Friday night services in our beautiful sanctuary with music and prayer.
Stick around after the service to visit with community members and friends at the oneg.
 This week, the oneg will be hosted by Daniella Yitzchak, in memory of her father, Razi Yitzchak z”l
ALL are welcome, including families with young children and people who want to learn more about Jewish practice.
CLICK HERE to attend the service online.
CLICK HERE for a pdf of our siddur (prayerbook).
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Book Reading and Discussion by CAA Member Betsy Small
Toadstool Bookshop in Peterborough, NH
Saturday, March 15th at 11AMBEFORE BEFORE: A STORY OF DISCOVERY AND LOSS IN SIERRA LEONE
Before Before: A Story of Discovery and Loss in Sierra Leone by Betsy Small is a poignant memoir that reflects on her time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone during the 1980s and her return years later with her daughter. Small revisits the village of Tokpombu, where she had lived, and is struck by the profound changes—particularly the rise of illegal diamond mining among the younger generation. The book contrasts the traditional values of the older villagers, who hold fast to their cultural and ancestral practices, with the youth’s new aspirations.
Betsy Small is an author, educator, and peace builder with a deep passion for cultural exchange and community development. In addition to her writing, Small has led peacebuilding initiatives in conflict zones like Israel, Palestine, Cyprus, and Northern Ireland. She has also worked as the executive director for Creating Friendships for Peace, promoting understanding and dialogue. Small’s work explores themes of connection, cultural change, and resilience in communities facing transition.For more information CLICK HERE
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Shabbat Morning Torah Study with Rabbi Dan
Saturday, March 15th and 29th at 9:30 AM
We invite you to our (almost) weekly Shabbat Morning Torah Study, led by Rabbi Dan, and sometimes guests. We read a third of each week’s Torah reading in English and mine it for meaning for our lives today.
Newcomers and people of all abilities are always welcome!
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Megillah Reading & Purim Shpiel
Sunday, March 16th at 10:00am
Don’t miss this intergenerational, congregational, translational Megillah reading and hilarious shpiel. The whole megillah is for the whole congregation!Prizes for all children under 14 years of age who come in costume!
CLICK HERE TO ATTEND THE CELEBRATION ONLINE
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Religious School
Sunday, March 23rd at 9:30am
Our Religious School meets most Sundays during the school year. Our current students are in grades 2 through 7. If you would like to explore religious school for the 2025-2026 school year, please contact Rabbi Dan at rabbida@keenesynagogue.org or (603) 352-6747.
 We will gather a little later on Sunday, 3/16 so students can have extra time to put on a costume and join us at 10:00am for the Megillah Reading and Purim Schpiel!
Parents, please look out for occasional emails from Rabbi Dan and Daniella with particular information throughout the year.
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JUDAISM AND THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE,
DEATH, AND THE WORLD BEYONDA Scholar-in-Residence
Shabbaton with
Reb Simcha Raphael, Ph.D.
March 21-22, 2025
—————–
EREV SHABBAT TEACHING
Friday, March 21 at 7PM
Jacob’s Deathbed Finale: Guidance for the End-of-Life Journey
SHABBAT MORNING SERVICE TEACHING
Saturday, March 22 at 9:30AM
Mishkan (Tabernacle), Sacred Memory and Caring Community
SHABBAT AFTERNOON LUNCH & LEARN PRESENTATION
Saturday, March 22 at Noon
Afterlife Journey of the Soul in Jewish Mysticism:
Contemporary Implications
Please register for Lunch & Learn at tinyurl.com/CAA32225Lunch by 3/18/25.
—————–
SIMCHA RAPHAEL, Ph.D., is the Founding Director of the DA’AT Institute for Death Awareness, Advocacy and Training. He has worked as a death awareness educator, bereavement counselor and hospice chaplain for over twenty-five years. Ordained as a Rabbinic Pastor by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, he received a doctorate in Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and has written extensively on the topics of death, bereavement and the afterlife. His groundbreaking book Jewish Views of the Afterlife (Rowman & Littlefield, 2000) is now in its third printing.
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Shabbat Morning Service
Saturday, March 22nd at 9:30 AM
On Saturday, March 22nd, we invite you to our monthly Shabbat Morning Service, onsite and online. Help us make a minyan as we celebrate Shabbat with Torah and tradition. Having a minyan makes it possible for people in mourning or observing a yahrzeit to say Kaddish.
 At this service, Reb Simcha Rapahel will speak as part of his scholar-in-residence Shabbaton on “Mishkan, Sacred Memory and Caring Community.”
Stay after the service for his lunch and learn presentation too! CLICK HERE for more info.
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Mazel Tov to CAA member Ceil Goff
Ceil Goff, longtime CAA member and caring was honored on Saturday, March 8, at Cheshire Health Foundation’s 12th annual Caring, Candlelight and Community event. At this special Tribute celebration, Ceil was recognized for the remarkable contributions she has made toward health and wellness in our community.
To learn more about Ceil and her contributions to our region, CLICK HERE
Kol HaKavod, Ceil!!
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START READING NOW!The CAA Book Club
“The Assistant”
by Bernard Malamud
Sunday, March 30th at 10:15am
The CAA Book Club will next meet on Sunday, March 30th. We’ll be discussing The Assistant by Bernard Malamud.“ The Assistant is the story of Morris Bober, neighborhood grocer, his wife, Ida, and their daughter, Helen. Their life is hard and small, fraught with ill luck and disappointment. When Frank Alpine becomes Morris Bober’s assistant, things take a turn for the better. Frank, whose reactions to Jews is ambivalent, falls in love with Helen Bober. He begins to steal from the store.
There is this kind of dual-leveled, double-working meaning that begins to work through the story . . . .It is the lucidity of this story that makes it distinctive and that makes Mr. Malamud’s vision shine simply throughout the stumblings and strugglings. In Mr. Malamud’s hands, Frank Alpine, the alien and outsider, becomes a kind of redeemer. The speech of these people is marvelously true and adds another dimension to the story
that is told.” (The New York Times Archives)
Join us to talk about this novel by a major American Jewish writer. We meet at the synagogue at 10:15 am. for coffee and begin our discussion at 10:30 am. Hope to see you there!
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Send us the name of a person in need of comfort and healing so we can pray for them whenever we recite the Misheberach prayer for healing during our worship services.
CLICK HERE to submit a name for the Misheberach list.
If you add a name to the list, please attend services as you are able and pray along with the community for those in need of healing.
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Timely Topics in
Jewish Life
A presentation and discussion on all things Jewish with Rabbi Dan on the 4th Friday of each month.
Where? Covenant Living of Keene, 95 Wyman Road, Keene, NH 03431
When? 11 AM-Noon, February 28th
Who? An interfaith group of residents at Covenant Living, including a number of CAA members.
All members of CAA are welcome to attend.
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Coffee Hour
with Rabbi Dan at Brewbakers Café in KeeneWednesday, March 12th at 2:00pm
and
Tuesday, March 25th at 11:00am
Grab a cup of Joe or a Chai Latte and pull up a seat. Rabbi Dan looks forward to chatting about… whatever!
Coffee Hour with Rabbi Dan takes place monthly on the 2nd Wednesday and 4th Tuesday of the month or by appointment at a more convenient time. To set up a meeting with Rabbi Dan, visit www.calendly.com/rabbida
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Talmud for Beginners
Thursdays from March 13th to April 3rd at 5:30pm
Join CAA member Daniel Gil for this introduction to Talmud study. We will be studying Tractate Brakhot, the first and most accessible volume of the Talmud. We will be using the English and Hebrew Koren Noe Edition of Talmud Bavli with commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz z”l. No prior knowledge of Talmud, Hebrew, or Aramaic is required.
The publisher asks that students purchase a printable PDF of the text for $9.95 HERE. Also available are a large hardback volume and a paperback volume published as four booklets. A large full-color volume is available HERE.
Please register for the class HERE.
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CAA Board of Director’s Meeting
Wednesday, March 12th at 7:00pm
Congregation Ahavas Achim Members are invited to observe our Board of Directors Meeting on Wednesday, February 12th at 7:00pm online and in person. We’ll hear all about what’s been happening in and out of our building with our community.
All members are welcome to attend our board meetings.
CLICK HERE to attend the meeting online
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The Nathan E. Cohen Lecture Series presents:
Covered Bridges of NH – Past and Present
with Kim Varney Chandler
Sunday, March 16, 2025 at 3:00pm
New Hampshire was once home to over 300 covered bridges. Today, there are over sixty authentic covered bridges in New Hampshire, forty-six of which are over a century old. These bridges exist solely because of the efforts of a small but powerful community that both recognized their significance and honored their tradition. Join author and photographer Kim Varney Chandler as she shares an overview of covered bridges in the Granite State, along with interesting facts she uncovered while researching her 2022 book, Covered Bridges of New Hampshire. Learn more about both existing and lost covered bridges in our area.
Kim Varney Chandler, a lifelong resident of New Hampshire, is a researcher, amateur genealogist, photographer, bird watcher, and dog lover, and is the author of the book Covered Bridges of New Hampshire. She is a life member of the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges as well as a member of the New Hampshire Historical Society, the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, the Historical Society of Cheshire County, and the Hancock Historical Society. When not immersed in the past, Ms. Chandler works as a high school counselor.
Free and open to the public.
Donations gratefully accepted.
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Serve dinner at
The Community Kitchen!Our next date to serve dinner at TCK is Thursday, March 20th.
A message from Gary Shapiro…
Our next date is Thursday, March 20. Please contact me or Malcolm Katz if you’re available to help with our ongoing commitment at The Kitchen.
The Kitchen staff is very grateful for our help!
Gary Shapiro
gm_shapiro@yahoo.com
603-352-0440
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REGISTER TODAY!
CAA’s Annual Community Seder
Sunday, April 13th at 5:30pm
Our tradition of sitting at a seder table together as a community on the second night of Passover continues this year! Rabbi Dan will lead us in a creative, interactive celebration of the Festival of Our Freedom. This seder will include the ceremonial foods we are familiar with but will not include a full meal.
Please register to attend by clicking HERE (https://registration.keenesynagogue.org/seder2025) and let us know if you would like to volunteer to help with set-up or clean-up.
The cost for CAA members is $10/per person, over the age of 13. The cost for guests is $18/per person.
Members of CAA will be given preference if registrations exceed our seating capacity.
Please register either with Daniella at office@keenesynagogue.org or (603)352-6747 or CLICK HERE to register online (https://registration.keenesynagogue.org/seder2025).
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In Memory of…
For the week of
March 15-21, 2025
15-21 Adar 5785
Yahrzeits
Andrea Grossman, sister of Ed Grossman on March 17, 17 Adar
Fanny Lowy, grandmother of Vivian Prunier on March 18, 18 Adar
Nancy Reisig, wife of Martin Reisig, stepmother of Harry Reisig on March 18, 18 Adar
Chaya Leah Slome, step-grandmother of Norma Cohen on March 18, 18 Adar
Audrey Grossman, mother of Ed Grossman on March 19, 19 Adar
Dora Aronson, mother of Dick Aronson on March 21, 21 Adar
Razi Yitzchak, father of Daniella Yitzchak, Saba of Negev, Stav and Liav Moon on March 21, 21 Adar
_________________________
In Shiva:
Wendy Fulton is in shiva for her mother, xxxxxx
_________________________
Shloshim:
Vivian Prunier is mourning the loss of her mother, Melitta Garbuny
_________________________
In First Year of MourningSteven Levy is mourning the loss of his wife, Susan Levy
Deborah Kaufman is mourning the loss of her father, Donal Blaise Lloyd
Lainee Ginsberg is mourning the loss of her mother, Laura Broad
Mike Davern is mourning the loss of his father, Philip Davern
Andrea Levin is mourning the loss of her father, Wayne Eshelman
Rebecca Sayles is mourning the loss of her mother, Gail Ehrlich
Rebecca Sayles is mourning the loss of her father, Stanley L. Abrams.
Arelis Quinones is mourning the loss of her mother, Josephina Sanchez
Diane Shamas is mourning the loss of her mother, Shirley Ruth Shapiro
Robin Kost is mourning the loss of her sister, Delores Arth Turgelsky
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Jewish Film Festival in Keene
Sunday, March 30thScreenings in Keene:
Never Alone @ 1PM
Soda @ 3:30PM
Drennan Auditorium
Parker Hall
229 Main St., Keene, NH 03431
A powerful, poignant true story of courage, resilience, and defiance during one of history’s darkest periods. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the film centers on Finnish businessman and philanthropist Abraham Stiller, a key figure in the Jewish community, who risks everything to protect Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution in Germany and Austria. As the Gestapo’s influence grows and deportations to Auschwitz loom, Stiller fights to save those seeking sanctuary in Finland, a country caught in an uneasy alliance with Nazi Germany. This gripping tale of bravery and sacrifice is a testament to the enduring power of hope amid overwhelming adversity.
View trailer here: https://youtu.be/PmwKNnLZDhg
Soda
3:30pm
Sunday, March 30th
Nominated for 3 Israeli Academy Awards, this wonderful historical drama follows a group of former Resistance fighters and young Holocaust survivors who settle as a community in 1950s Israel. When Eva (Rotem Sela) arrives at a coastal kibbutz, Shalom (Lior Raz), a WWII resistance fighter and factory foreman, is rapt by her beauty and vitality. Tensions mount as talk of Eva’s role as a Kapo spreads, forcing an impossible choice on Shalom.
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Schmooze and Brews with Jews at Modestman Brewing
Thursday, April 10th at 6:00pm
Join us for this after-hours get together at Modestman Brewing on Main Street in Keene. Casually hang out to shmooze with Jews over brews!
Non-alcoholic drinks are available for purchase. Bring your own snacks. (Modestman has closed its kitchen and no longer serves any food.)
No registration required. Just show up :)
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Blue ribbons in solidarity with the hostages and their families in Israel are
available at CAA.
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At this service, Reb Simcha Rapahel will speak as part of his scholar-in-residence Shabbaton on “Mishkan, Sacred Memory and Caring Community.”
