Page 40 – North Central News, September 2012

FAITH

A High Holiday donation of $180 is requested from non-members andwill be applied to your membership if you decide to join.

No charge for military, college students, and children under the age of 18.Membership, Education and High Holiday Ticket information is available at our website.

To learn more about Congregation Merkaz Ha-Iyr, visitwww.congregationmerkaz.org or call 602-795-0471

We are family, Inter-faith and LGBT friendly

Your home forliberal, progressive Judaism

in the heart of central Phoenixon the southeast corner of Central Ave & Northern Ave.

Warm, friendly, engaging services led byRabbi Barb Moskow and Tracy Leonard Warner

Shabbat Services: 2nd Friday of each month 6:30 pm4th Saturday of each month 9:00 - 10:00 am

7901 N Central Ave.Phoenix, AZ 85020

Do you want your kids to be proud of their Jewish heritage?Come shmooze with the families of Merkaz

and experience our learning program for kids and adults!

HEBREW SCHOOL OPEN HOUSESunday, September 9th 9:30 - 11:30

Bagel Brunch for all

Rosh HaShanahSunday, September 16th at 7:00pm

Monday, September 17th at 9:30am

Light Kiddush lunch following services

Tashlich 4:00pm

Yom KippurKol Nidre: Tuesday, September 25th, at 6:30pm

Wednesday, September 26th at 9:30am5:00pm Yizkor and Healing Service,

Evening Service & NeilahBreak the Fast immediately following services.

High Holiday Services will be held at the historicCutler Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center122 E. Culver Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Faith BriefsCatholic organizationhosts Family Celebration

The EWTN Global CatholicNetwork comes to the PhoenixConvention Center Sept. 8-9 for itsannual Family Celebration.

This year, one of the highlightswill be a special panel on religious lib-erty, which will include a question-and-answer session for the audienceand media who attend. The programwill begin at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept.8. EWTN was the first religious entityto file suit against the federal govern-ment regarding the HHS mandate (seewww.religiousliberties.org for moreinformation).

The two-day celebration also willinclude speakers such as “World Over”anchor Raymond Arroyo; “JourneyHome” host Marcus Grodi; “EWTNLive” host Fr. Mitch Pacwa, and theformer Rosalind Moss, now MotherMiriam of the Lamb of God. Saturday

night attendees will have the opportu-nity to participate in the live taping ofa special “Life on the Rock.”

Mass will be celebrated by the Friarson Saturday and on Sunday, PhoenixBishop Thomas J. Olmsted has agreedto serve as the event’s celebrant.

Throughout the weekend, fans willhave opportunities to get books signedat the “Meet the Author” booth, meetEWTN’s hosts and the Friars at the“Family Corner” booth, and browse theEWTN Religious Catalogue shop.Doors will open at 8 a.m. and admis-sion is free. For additional details, visit:http://www.ewtn.com/familycelebration.

Preschool expandsafter-school options

Paradise Valley United MethodistChurch Preschool, 4455 E. LincolnDrive, has updated and expanded itsafter-school programs for 2012-13. Thisyear’s classes are Artworks, Books &Cooks, Little Kicks Soccer, KidtasticsDance, Little Devils Gymnastics, LilYogi’s Yoga, Baker’s Cents, Godly Playand Hola! Spanish. Each class is taughtby a seasoned teacher with early child-hood experience.

New to this year’s roster areKidtastics Dance and Hola! Spanish.Classes are reviewed annually by par-ents, staff and the preschool board ofdirectors to ensure that children areoffered a current and enjoyable range ofoptions.

Paradise Valley United MethodistChurch Preschool has been specializingin the education of young childrensince 1967 and was the first preschoolin Arizona accredited by the NationalAcademy for the Education of YoungChildren (NAEYC). Children must beenrolled in the preschool to take part inthe After School Classes. For moreinformation, contact the preschool at602-840-8265.

Beth El’s Talmud Torahreceives national honor

Beth El Congregation’s TalmudTorah has been recognized as a“Framework for Excellence School” bythe United Synagogue of ConservativeJudaism.

Beth El is the most recent congre-gation to receive this status and is onlyone of 95 schools nationwide and only

one of three in Arizona to be so recog-nized, marking it as one of the top reli-gious schools in the country.

This certification marks the factthat Beth El’s Talmud Torah has metrigorous standards in all academic areasthat include professional development,curriculum development and familyeducation.

As a Framework for ExcellenceSchool, Beth El Congregation has beenrecognized for its ability to integrateformal and informal educational pro-gramming in a seamless way, furtherhighlighting the importance of both.This standard for academic excellencealso recognizes the Congregation’s suc-cess in creating a partnership betweenthe professional staff and the lay leader-ship in building the kind of relation-ships that result in establishing highquality, meaning centered religiousschool learning opportunities.

Education Director JanetteSilverman has put her mark on theschool by propelling it to nationalheights of recognition. Silverman’s staffof teachers is enhanced by RabbiArthur Lavinsky and Hazzan SamGoldman.

Congregational President PrestonMayon and Religious SchoolEducation Chair Barbara Becker haveall played an integral part in the successof the overall educational program.Together, all of these leaders are rolemodels for Beth El’s students as theyengage in the task of transmitting theJewish traditions. For more informa-tion, call 602-944-3359, ext. 123.

AWANA programreturns to Royal Palms

Children ages 4 years to sixth gradewill learn Bible truths through fungames, scripture memory and musicwhile making good friends during theAWANA Club at Royal Palms BaptistChurch, 8802 N. 19th Ave.

The club meets Wednesdays from 6to 7:45 p.m. beginning Sept. 5 and con-tinuing through May 1, 2013.

For more information, contactJackie Fry RPBC Music & Children’sMinistries, at jackie.fry@qwestoffice.netor log onto www.royalpalms.org.

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