Shabbat Tisha B'Av: Cacophony and Compromise 2018
07/27/2018 01:10:32 PM
Last week Sonja and I were having Shabbat dinner in L.A. at the home of old friends’ of mine and their twin teenagers who are preparing to begin college in the Fall. We were seated at their Shabbat table on the patio: candles, wine, challah all set to go.
“If you want to do or say anything special just let us...Read more...
We Welcome our Newest and Youngest Members!
07/18/2018 04:30:02 PM
Pictured here is Rabbi Amy, Ruben holding one of the twins, Diane holding the other, and the mohel, Dr. Stephen Adashek.
We welcome our newest and youngest members: Jakob Andreas Borbon and...Read more...
New Fiscal Year Message from the President
07/15/2018 08:46:08 AM
On July 1 we began a new temple fiscal year (not to be confused with the secular new year of Jan 1 or Rosh Hashanah!) So I'd like to give you a short report. Last week I attended the ShulCloud conference in New Jersey. Since we adopted ShulCloud as our congregation management system in 2015 we've really been able to clean up our accounts and increase our collections! ShulCloud also helps us economize by consolidated all of our web site,...Read more...
Annual Congregational Meeting
06/23/2018 09:48:25 AM
Our annual Congregational Meeting was held Sunday June 10. For those who were unable to attend, here's a brief summary. Rabbi Amy thanked our current Board of Directors for their service, and singled out our departing members, thanking Brian Freed for doing a “'tzaddik’s job' as worship VP”, and Neil Frank for giving his heart and soul and labor to BCRC as Facilities VP. Board President Seth Leventhal discussed our so far...Read more...
Farewell Dinner for the Medoffs
06/13/2018 10:35:32 PM
Last Saturday, June 9th, we held a gala farewell dinner for the Medoffs, who are moving to Venice, Florida later this month. It was a bittersweet occasion as we wished them 'bon voyage' as they move to the Gulf Coast. Many stories were told about Marshall and Billie's numerous contributions to BCRC from the beginning of our temple all the way through to the current day, as they continue to be our most enthusiastic and active...Read more...
Message from the President - Updated 6/5/2018
05/29/2018 08:22:46 AM
Thanks to all the members of my BCRC family for joining me and my family for a wonderful 60th birthday party on Saturday May 19th. We had some great times, great food and a celebration of Shavuot! Best of all, my sincere thanks to all of you who donated generous gifts to the building improvement and foyer renovation funds. Your gifts will help make BCRC a truly welcoming house of friends! Click here to see your pictures in a...Read more...
Loudoun International Youth Leadership Summit
04/12/2018 10:31:43 PM
Tracy Cirone, Tikva Committee member, attended the Loudoun International Youth Leadership Summit at Potomac Falls High School and reported the following:
I wanted to let you know that I attended the Loudoun International Youth Leadership Summit at Potomac Falls HS yesterday. What a great event! This year's week long summit theme is - connect the pieces, find the harmony, and create the big picture.
There were 98...Read more...
The 2018 Community Seder was a Great Success!
04/03/2018 11:30:26 AM
Our Community Seder, held on Saturday March 31, attracted our largest attendance ever! We had over 80 attendees, including congregants, guests, and a good number of attendees from outside BCRC. Rabbi Amy led the Seder with...Read more...
10 Years at Beaumeade!
03/10/2018 09:27:04 AM
On Friday March 9 we commemorated our 10th anniversary in our building with a special Erev Shabbat service. First we rededicated the mezuzzah at the entry to the sanctuary, which had been removed for the painting project. At our service we had some guest...Read more...
Purim at BCRC
03/07/2018 09:14:50 AM
We started our Purim festivities on Friday Mar 2 with Erev Shabbat Services done in the special 'Purim' style by drawing our prayers at random out of the tri-cornered hat. This was followed by a highly entertaining and enlightening Purim Shpiel, 'A Purim Carol', based on a certain...Read more...
Rabbi Amy's Sermon On the Occasion of Sisterhood Shabbat February 2, 2018/5778
02/16/2018 02:20:48 PM
What an attractive force sisterhood is! Look how it has brought you out this evening to be in one another’s company. There is an energy of camaraderie and a recognition that the women of BCRC share an identity, a heritage, as well as interests and concerns. And we’re not here at a restaurant or even someone’s living room—that’s for another day. We initiate, resurrect, restart our Sisterhood here in our sanctuary, before our ark and...Read more...
Farewell Dinner for Bill & Cindy Hack
02/14/2018 10:23:38 AM
On Feb 3 a gala farewell dinner was held for Bill and Cindy Hack, longtime BCRC congregants who moved to Rhode Island to be closer to their children.
Cindy was highly instrumental in getting us into the our building and creating use documents and building policy as the VP when we were in the building phase of our permanent home. For many years she sat on the high holiday committee to make sure they ran smoothly. Bill was...Read more...
BCRC Winter Escape
01/24/2018 04:00:42 PM
Last Saturday, Jan 20, BCRC held its first 'Winter Escape', at thd Freedom Center in Leesburg. This event was an adaptation of an annual Winter event held at Rabbi Amy's Rochester temple, which gives people a chance to escape that mid-Winter cabin fever and romp in the snow. Well, we not only had no snow but had one of the warmest days of the winter! So our Winter Escape involved a hike around the lake and outdoor activities like tree...Read more...
Free Books for Jewish Children and Grant for a BCRC Family!
01/19/2018 08:40:01 AM
Julia and Gabe Schneider, whose son Zachary is in the 2nd grade religious school class, recently applied for a small grant to host a Shabbat dinner at their home through PJ Library! They will receive $150 and will host 2 other families. We will keep you posted on similar opportunities in the future. In the meantime, if you'd like to receive Jewish books and music for your family, please visit www.pjlibrary.org for more information. They are...Read more...
Painting Project is a Big Hit!
12/30/2017 05:16:51 PM
Ha
ve you seen our newly painted entry, main hall, and foyer? Last week we said 'good bye' to our old...Read more...
Curl up with a good book for New Years (by BCRC author David Mendelsohn)
12/28/2017 11:34:40 AM
A New Year's resolution might be to treat yourself, or a loved one, to the experience of sitting in a comfortable chair, sipping a glass of wine, or depending on the weather, a cup of hot coffee, and enjoying a good book. A book you may share with others. Some are great for discussion groups and others are fun to read and a valuable learning experience.
I have four stories on Amazon and Kindle. It is easier, when you go on...Read more...
Belmont Slave Cemetery Freedom Celebration 2017
11/14/2017 08:59:30 AM
On Sunday Nov. 12, Seth and Jackie Leventhal represented BCRC at the annual oral history walking tour and wreath laying ceremony at the Belmont Slave Cemetery 
located across RT 7 from Landsdowne, sponsored by the Loudoun Freedom Center. Did you...Read more...
Blessing of the Pets
10/21/2017 11:53:45 AM
In honor of Parashat Noach (the Torah portion about Noah and the ark), our annual Blessing of the Pets was held on Oct 19. Rabbi Amy offered a blessing for all of our pets, both those who attended and those in our homes. Our kids provided some enlightening...Read more...
Tikva Fund and Interfaith Bridges Recognition
10/19/2017 08:31:02 AM
The BCRC Tikva Fund and Loudoun Interfaith Bridges continue to receive recognition for their grants in support of programs supporting multicultural education in the Loudoun County School District. Click here for an article posted at the LCPS web site along with some great photos. Congratulations to Tikva and Bridges!
Read more...New Book by BCRC Congregant
10/10/2017 11:12:48 AM
David Mendelsohn, one of our senior congregants, has a new book on Amazon and Kindle. THE MESSAGE follows four families facing life altering situations. The story also examines near death experiences, angels, disposition of our souls, the after life, drug rape, abortion issues, and more. How would you, the reader, react in these situations? Does reform Judaism concur?
His previous...Read more...
Rabbi Amy's High Holy Days Sermons - 5778
10/05/2017 04:34:40 PM
On Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Amy noted that on this day, we dip an apple into honey to express the sweetness of a new year. We can appreciate the symbolism of this ritual. So why do we find it so much easier to recognize the sour in the world than the sweet? Why is it important to recognize the sweet and not take our blessings for granted? Rabbi Amy explored these questions in her Erev Rosh Hashanah sermon.
In her Kol Nidre...Read more...
Introducing the BCRC Blog
09/25/2017 10:36:26 AM
It is my great pleasure as BCRC BoD President to introduce the new BCRC Blog! Do you have information about great things you or others at BCRC are doing to benefit the congregation and our local and greater Jewish and interfaith community? Do you have an account of a recent BCRC event that you recently attended or about anything else going on at BCRC that you think the congregation should be aware of? This blog is your...Read more...
BCRC TIKVA Fund Updates
09/14/2017 08:47:01 AM
In 2004, BCRC received a large, anonymous donation to support interfaith cooperation in Loudoun County, known as the Tikva (Hope) Fund. The Tikva Committee is proud to announce the recent awarding of the following grants which will benefit Loudoun County Public School children:
Loudoun Interfaith Bridges and member congregations and Tikva funds provided $20,000 in grant support to 18 multicultural school-based programs in the Loudoun...Read more...