On Friday, March 17, from 7:30-9 p.m., Or Emet will host a Humanistic Shabbat service followed by a presentation titled “Israel and Humanistic Judaism: At a Crossroad.” The events will take place at the Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Road, Minneapolis. A social time will follow the program.

The service will be led by Eva Cohen, Or Emet’s ritual leader and a Humanistic rabbi in training. Following the service, Or Emet members Dr. Barry Cohen and Molly Wilbur-Cohen will examine Israel’s laws, policies and practices curtailing the civil and human rights of both its Palestinian citizens and Palestinians living in occupied territories under military authority. The presentation will focus on the contradictions of these circumstances with the values of Humanistic Judaism. 

The speakers also will discuss why a two-state solution is no longer viable and what, from a Jewish Humanistic perspective, are alternative options for peace, justice and true democracy for all of Israel’s inhabitants.  

Dr. Barry Cohen is a retired sociologist. Over a 40-year career he worked in academia, government and nonprofit organizations as a teacher, planner, evaluator and researcher. He is a longtime member of Or Emet and a student of Jewish history, culture and the Yiddish language. 

Molly Wilbur-Cohen, a retired independent living skills specialist, is a member of the Women Against Military Madness board and Middle East committee. She is a professional musician and lifelong peace and social justice activist. A longtime member of Or Emet, Wilbur-Cohen serves on the congregation’s social action/social justice committee and Shabbat program committee.

Those who cannot attend the program in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance here. In-person attendees must wear a mask indoors and are expected to be up to date on vaccinations or have a same-day negative COVID test.

Or Emet’s events and programs may change per CDC and state guidelines during the pandemic. All updates and changes will be posted in Or Emet’s  events calendar. 

Or Emet is a secular congregation celebrating and honoring Jewish culture, history and values from a humanistic, inclusive perspective. For more information, email info@oremet.org or visit oremet.org.

On Sunday, March 5, Or Emet member Allan Malkis will give a presentation on the origins and history of Purim. The program will run from 10 a.m.-noon at the Talmud Torah of St. Paul, 768 Hamline Ave. South in St. Paul. A social time will follow. 

Malkis is a lifelong learner of Jewish history who has co-presented a Jewish history course and given a number of lectures to Or Emet on various subjects. He is currently president of Or Emet and also an adult B Mitzvah candidate. A retired social researcher, Malkis was last employed by Ramsey County Human Services. 

The Sunday adult programs are free and open to the public and meet concurrently with the Jewish Cultural Sunday School. All in-person attendees must wear a mask indoors and are expected to be up to date on vaccinations or have a same-day negative COVID test. Those who cannot attend in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance here. 

Or Emet is a secular congregation celebrating and honoring Jewish culture, history and values from a humanistic, inclusive perspective. 

For information about Or Emet’s Jewish Cultural Sunday School, contact JCSS director Molly Phipps at school-1@oremet.org. For information about Or Emet, email info@oremet.org or visit oremet.org.

On Saturday, Feb. 18, from 10-11:50 a.m., Or Emet will host a Humanistic Shabbat service and presentation focused on the plight of refugees and asylum seekers in the U.S. The events will take place at the Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Road, Minneapolis. A social time will follow the program.

The service will be led by Eva Cohen, Or Emet’s ritual leader and a Humanistic rabbi in training. Following the service, members of Or Emet’s social action/justice committee and several guest speakers will examine the Biden administration’s new policies at the U.S.-Mexico border, how nongovernmental organizations are advocating and assisting refugees and immigrants, and what we can do to influence policy and legislation.

Presenters will include Michele McKenzie, deputy director of the Advocates for Human Rights; Zack Albun, refugee and immigrant program staff attorney at the Advocates; Peter Dross, vice president of external relations at the Center for Victims of Torture; and Naomi Steinberg, vice president of U.S. policy and advocacy at HIAS.

In accordance with the HIAS Refugee Shabbat 2023 event, Or Emet will dedicate our Shabbat to refugees and asylum seekers.

Those who cannot attend the program in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance here. In-person attendees must wear a mask indoors and are expected to be up to date on vaccinations or have a same-day negative COVID test.

Or Emet’s events and programs may change per CDC and state guidelines during the pandemic. All updates and changes will be posted in Or Emet’s events calendar.

Or Emet is a secular congregation celebrating and honoring Jewish culture, history and values from a humanistic, inclusive perspective. For more information, email info@oremet.org or visit oremet.org.

On Sunday, Feb. 5, Patricia Ohmans, founder and director of Frogtown Green, will present “Why We Should Plant Trees and How To Do It: In Tribute to Tu B’Shevat” from 10 a.m.-noon at the Talmud Torah of St. Paul, 768 Hamline Ave. South in St. Paul. A social time will follow the program. 

Patricia Ohmans

Frogtown Green is a resident-driven initiative advocating for environmental equity and sustainability in Frogtown, St. Paul’s most diverse low-income neighborhood. Ohmans will discuss the value and benefits of urban trees; climate change and trees; the impact of climate change on low-resourced neighborhoods like Frogtown; how Frogtown Green works to increase tree canopy; and how other neighborhoods can do the same work, inexpensively and effectively. 

A 42-year resident of Frogtown, Ohmans is a journalist, master gardener and public health professional.

The Sunday adult programs are free and open to the public and meet concurrently with the Jewish Cultural Sunday School. All in-person attendees must wear a mask indoors and are expected to be up to date on vaccinations or have a same-day negative COVID test. Those who cannot attend in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance here. 

Or Emet is a secular congregation celebrating and honoring Jewish culture, history and values from a humanistic, inclusive perspective. 

For information about Or Emet’s Jewish Cultural Sunday School, contact JCSS director Molly Phipps at school-1@oremet.org. For information about Or Emet, email info@oremet.org or visit oremet.org.

On Saturday, Jan. 21, from 10-11:30 a.m., Or Emet will host a Humanistic Shabbat service and presentation focused on the work of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN). The events will take place at the Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Road, Minneapolis. A social time will follow the program.

Jaylani Hussein

The service will be led by Eva Cohen, Or Emet’s ritual leader and a Humanistic rabbi in training. Following the service, Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-MN, will present “CAIR’s Mission of Advocacy and Civil Rights Initiatives for Muslims and Marginalized Communities.”

Hussein is a passionate leader who specializes in the areas of urban planning, community development, youth development, legal and civil rights. He also advises and works with several mosques and nonprofit organizations across the state.

In 2016, Hussein was appointed to the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Law Enforcement and Community Relations, and in 2017 he received the Twin Cities International Citizen Award for Social Justice. He has appeared on local, national and international news shows, including ABC, CNN, Fox Business, NPR, BBC and others.

Those who cannot attend the program in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance here. In-person attendees must wear a mask indoors and are expected to be up to date on vaccinations or have a same-day negative COVID test.

Or Emet’s events and programs may change per CDC and state guidelines during the pandemic. All updates and changes will be posted in Or Emet’s events calendar. Or Emet is a secular congregation celebrating and honoring Jewish culture, history and values from a humanistic, inclusive perspective. For more information, email info@oremet.org or visit oremet.org.