Posted on Thu, Jul. 26, 2012

Five Miami-Dade congregations will keep their annual tradition of a community Tisha B’Av service at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Temple Emanuel, 1701 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach.

The participating synagogues are: Beth David Congregation, Temple Beth Am, Temple Beth Sholom, Temple Israel of Greater Miami and Temple Emanuel.

The five synagogues are joining to offer the Miami-Dade Jewish community the opportunity to unite and commemorate the destruction of the First and Second Temples of Jerusalem with prayers, song, and poetry, said Rabbi Hector Epelbaum of Beth David Congregation. "We will read Megillat Elcha, the Book of Lamentations and will pray for the end of Sinat Chinam (translated from Hebrew as ’causeless hatred’) in the world," the rabbi said.

Rabbis and cantors from each congregation will participate in the services. For more information call Temple Emanuel at 305-538-2503 or go to www.tesobe.org.

33rd anniversary

A warm Neighbors in Religion salute to the Rev. Dr. G. David Horton, the spiritual leader at Greater New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, who has celebrated his 33rd Pastoral Anniversary with special services and events throughout June and July.

The activities will continue with a birthday celebration in Horton’s honor at Sparez Bowling Lanes on Saturday, to be followed with "A Night Out With Our Pastor" on Aug. 3. The night out will include a fish fry. The celebration will conclude at 10 a.m. on Aug. 5, with the Rev. Dr. Mack King Carter, pastor emeritus of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, as the guest preacher. Carter is known throughout the country as an articulate and learned theologian. The community is invited to the services.

Greater New Bethel is at 17025 NW 22nd Ave in Miami Gardens.

Caribbean Day

The Rev. Michael K. Bouie, the spiritual leader at Mt. Hermon A.M.E. Church, 17800 NW 25th Ave. in Miami Gardens, invites the community to the church’s annual Caribbean Day celebration immediately following the 10 a.m. worship service on July 29.

The event will feature a Junkanoo band, various foods and drinks from the Caribbean and lots of fun and games for the entire family.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 10 and under.

For more information call the church at 305-621-5067.

Help for Haiti

The Haiti earthquake victims are still in need of much help.

Thanks to Marie Evie Auguste, who attends Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, many of the victims are being helped because of her work in collecting clothing and shoes in good condition and sending them to her family in Haiti, who then distributed the items to anyone who needs them.

Auguste lived in a tent for a while after the earthquake, so she understand the need. She now lives in Miami but she hasn’t forgotten those in need in her country.

If you have clothing and shoes that are in good condition, please drop them off to the Rev. Stanton at the cathedral and he will make sure Auguste gets the items.

Call the cathedral at 305-374-3372 for more information.

Also at the cathedral: At 6 p.m. on Aug. 29, Matthew Steynor will be presented in an organ recital entitled "Organ-ic Games." The program will coincide with the start of the 2012 Olympics in London and Steynor’s recital will feature music suitable for a variety of athletic occasions, including a workout just for the feet as well as an organ transcription of Edward Elgar’s "Enigma Variations."

Admission is free to donors who have supported the organ restoration effort by donating to one or more organ pipes and/or ranks. Just present ID at the front door box office . The offer is good for up to two members of the donor family.

Bible stories

Two exciting programs designed to explore Old Testament stories and their contemporary meaning in today’s world, will be presented from 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 4, and from 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 25, at Temple Beth Or, 11715 SW 87th Ave. in Miami.

Presented by Rabbi Mark Kram and Nancy Kirsner, the program is entitled "Bibliodrama: Midrash in Action," and is a form of role-playing in which the roles played are taken from biblical texts. The roles may be characters, objects, images or scenes from the Bible.

Enacted and enlivened in the present, this form of interpretive play is often call the action version of the Midrash.

On Aug. 4, the program will be, "Joseph — Coat, Dreams, Brothers’ Schemes," and on Aug. 25, the program will be, "Judah and Tamar."

No prior knowledge of the Bible or stories or psychodrama is required.

Just bring an openness and a beginner’s mind. Participants may come to one or both programs.

For more information call the temple at 305-235-1419.

Communities in Schools

This one is for the children.

In support of keeping local, at-risk children in school, the restaurant Kitchen 305 has partnered with Communities in Schools of Miami (CIS) to donate 20 per cent of sales from Friday through Sunday to help CIS continue to provide free tutoring, mentoring, counseling, life skills programs and after-school and summer camps geared at helping students stay in school.

The kickoff dinner fundraiser will be at 7 p.m., Friday and will honor Elizabeth Mejia, CIS’ executive director, Cecilia Gutierrez-Abety, CIS board member, Nikolai Vitti, assistant superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools, and his wife Rachel, Pablo Orriz, 2012 Principal of the Year and Modesto Gutierrez Abety , CEO of the Children’s Trust.

Kitchen 305 is at the Newport Beachside Hotel and Resort, 16701 Collins Ave. in Sunny Isles Beach. To make your reservations call 305-749-2110.

Miami’s birthday

You are invited and you should attend Miami’s 116th birthday party, from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Ward Rooming House Cultural Tourist Center, 249 NW Ninth St. in Overtown.

In addition to ice cream and cake, the event will include a reenactment of the 1896 Incorporation with participants dressed in period clothing of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

It’s free, open to the public and is a great place to bring the children. For more information call 305-636-2390.

Chocolate time

Attention all chocolate lovers. Now is the time to drop a few pound, just so you will have room to "grow" and get in shape for the 20th Annual Chocolate Lovers Shabbat, set for 7 p.m. on Aug. 10 at Temple Bet Breira Samu-El Or Olom, 9400 SW 87th Ave. in West Kendall.

The brainchild of congregation member Linda Hornik, the event has become a favorite at the temple when friends and congregants gather to devour hundreds of pounds of milk chocolate, dark chocolate and white chocolate.

"It began, I guess as a lark, 20 years ago during a temple calendar meeting," Hornik said. At the meeting summer Friday theme Shabbats were being assigned. "I said the next best thing to loving my children was my love of chocolate. And so it began," she said. "Chocolate Lovers Shabbat is a sweet, sweet dream that I am allowed to pursue every year. After all, chocolate never goes out of style."

Hornik is planning a display and tasting of more than 100 different chocolate candies. There will also be an abundance of homemade chocolate desserts such as chocolate cakes, pies and chocolate covered fruits and nuts will also be on display for sampling.

I figure I can (try to) get rid of about five pounds by then. That will give me some chocolate growth room. How about you?