Month: August 2026

As summer is winding down and kids are heading back to school, it’s time to launch our next year. Every August we spend a lot of time getting ready for the next Jewish year and all we can look forward to doing together. Without a doubt, one of the highlights for this upcoming year will be the 50^th OVS Sisterhood Hanukkah Bazaar. It’s something I look forward to every year as we shine and enjoy our heritage and traditions. I’m also excited for the upcoming holidays and enjoying services with you. This year we are happy to announce we’ll be offering more at our weekly Shabbat morning services. We are looking forward to having our Kavanah services twice a month along with youth Shabbat services. Those will be on the first and third Shabbats each month unless something else, a holiday or a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, is happening. The other two Shabbats of the month will also be special. One of them will include a guest speaker at services and the other will be a themed Shabbat. The first is on August 29 and it will be a Jewish Summer Camp Shabbat service. If you’re a Jewish Summer Camp camper or an alumni, this Shabbat is for you.

Please contact me at rabbi.hearshen@orveshalom.org with the name of the camp and years you went there so we acknowledge it during the service. We’ll have a camp-style Shabbat lunch following services. We invite you to show your camp pride and wear your camp shirt.

Jewish Summer Camp has been transformational to the Jewish world of today. A largely disproportionate number of Jews who are engaged in Jewish life today trace their engagement back to their days at summer camp. The impact it makes on our Jewish world is something we should all celebrate.

We are excited to invite your family to join Building Blocks Sunday School, where Jewish learning comes to life in a warm, engaging, and hands-on environment.

At Building Blocks, children explore Judaism through Hebrew, Jewish holidays and traditions, Israeli culture, music, art, baking, games, and meaningful experiences that help build a lifelong connection to their Jewish identity. Hebrew reading is taught at each child’s individual level, allowing every student to grow with confidence and success.

We welcome children in the following age groups:

– Ages 2–4
– Kindergarten–2nd Grade
– 3rd–5th Grade

Our goal is to create a joyful community where every child feels welcomed, valued, and excited to learn.

Registration is now open, and we would love to welcome your family to Building Blocks. Click here to sign up.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our program, please scroll down for details or feel free to contact me at chana.mayer@orveshalom.org.

Warmly,

Chana Mayer
Director of Education