24/10/2009 20:16:00

My Dear Rel/Eds,

Congratulations! You are officially part of the CRUSY

Religion/Education team. Us Rel/Eds, here in this room, are the coaches.
When it comes to all things Jewish, we are responsible for making sure
CRUSY is up on the fundamentals, has its head in the game, and has spirit
for our team. If we send our players into a game without teaching them how
to play, showing them why it’s awesome, or making them care about their
team, they won’t get anything out of it.
In order for USYers to get something out of prayer, Jewish learning,
Jewish tradition, and ruach, we need to put in a few things first. CRUSY
needs to know how to lead/participate in services, what our laws are, what
our traditions are, and where they come from. CRUSYites need to learn
these things, as well as have Jewish experiences so we can begin to answer
why we should bother being Jewish. The feeling you get during a crazy ruach
session or at a cozy shabbos dinner, or when you read a mishneh from Pirkei
Avot that’s so wise you wish you’d read it sooner, or when you sing a
Kabbalat Shabbat tune so passionately that you didn’t even realize your eyes
were closed. These are only a few of the kinds of feelings that keep us
coming back to Judaism. As Rel/Eds, our goal is to give each CRUSYite those
I-love-being-Jewish feelings.

In light of this goal, I feel there are 6 ways on the chapter level that
this will most effectively be accomplished. These are my expectations for the
chapter Rel/Eds. I will check in on you monthly to see how it’s going. I know
it’s a lot, but the more effectively you complete them, the more your
chapters, USY, and Judaism will benefit. The table of contents on the next
page lists each expectation in bold. For each one, there are resources in this
packet to help you. USE THEM!
Table of Contents 24/10/2009 20:16:00
pg 3-4: Make sure members know prayers, songs, and how to lead
services.
• So You Think You Can Daven?
• So You Think You Can Daven sample questionnaire
pg 5: Create opportunities for Jewish learning.
• Topic Ideas
pg 6-7: Celebrate holidays with the chapter.
• Month-by-month programming breakdown
pg 8: Integrate Rel/Ed into other events.
• Helpful Hints
• Event ideas
pg 9-11: Create a Shabbos routine.
• Shabbos dinners
• USY services
o Sample service assignment schedule
o Step-by-step how to assign services
• Shabbos-friendly event ideas
• Quick list of what is/isn’t allowed on Shabbos
pg 12: Prepare your chapter to combat Holocaust denial.
• Event ideas
pg 13-14: Regional Stuff
• Regional Goals
• Regional General Board
• Convention Dates
Pg 14: Resources
Make sure members know prayers, songs, and how
to lead services. 24/10/2009 20:16:00
Going to conventions can be intimidating, especially for first-timers who
don’t know ruach songs. Make it tradition to “initiate” them beforehand by
teaching them some songs before their first convention. Also, every single
Jew should (at minimum) know how to do Shema and the Amida, since
these are the minimum requirements for a service.
So You Think You Can Daven?
This year, I am trying to start a new project called So You Think You
Can Daven?. It means that USYers and Kadimanicks will group
together to learn anything from leading shacharit, to reading Torah, to
davening the silent amidah. USYers will have the option of learning or
teaching. In order to get this started in the chapters, I will need the
help of YOU, the chapter Rel/Eds! Here are some great reasons why
you should participate.
• This can be a great opportunity to get Kadimanicks integrated into
USY.
• It will give USYers and Kadimanicks a chance to learn things that
they might not otherwise take time to learn.
• If you know how to participate in services, you are less likely to be
bored and more likely to actually pray.
• It’s a way for your USY chapter to give back to your synagogue.
• When congregants see your USY chapter giving back to your
synagogue, they will appreciate it and support USY.

How to set it up at your shul:

1. If your shul has an education coordinator or Hebrew School principal,
speak to him/her about it.
2. Pick a time and place. If your shul has Sunday school, chipping in to get
kosher pizza and having So You Think You Can Daven for an hour right
after is a good time to schedule it.
3. Decide on the date of your first session.
4. For several weeks before that, recruit people to participate. Speak in the
Hebrew School to get Kadimanicks. Mail out flyers.
5. Have them fill out the attached questionnaire. (There is also an online
version that you can set up on your chapter’s website. Contact me if
you’re interested.)
6. Based on their responses, divide the participants into study groups (only
1 teacher per group.) If possible, pick one teacher for each topic people
want to learn and split people from there. Only have people focus on
learning/teaching one thing at a time. If there is more than one teacher
for the same topic, then split into different levels or see if one can teach a
different topic that no one else is teaching.
7. At the first meeting, everyone should already be assigned to a group. If
someone new shows up, put them in a group based on what they want to
learn.
8. If you have a chapter general board, this could be a great job for them to
help you out with!

So You Think You Can Daven Questionnaire:

Part of Service I can teach I want to learn
How to do the amida
Reading Torah
Haftorah
Shabbos Shacharit
Kabbalat Shabbat
Weekday Maariv
RUACH 101
Pseukei D’zimra
The WHOLE shema
Shabbos Mincha
Birkat
Musaf
Weekday Shacharit
Hallel
Anything you can think
of: [_______________]
Create Opportunities for Jewish Learning. 24/10/2009
20:16:00
Invite educated people, like your rabbi or other scholars, to come
and learn with your chapter. Try to make it a regular event.

Topic Ideas:
• Lying: when is it okay?
• Prayer:
o Why do we have to do it?
o How did the rabbis decide all these requirements about how
often we have to pray and at what time?
o Who has to pray?
o What do we have to wear when we pray? Why?
o Who can lead services? Why?
• Why do we observe holidays the way we do?
• How is the Conservative movement different than
other movements? What does it believe? Why?
• Israeli politics through a Jewish lens
• Magic and the Supernatural in Judaism (do it
around Halloween!)
• Bioethics (abortion, stem cell research, organ donation)
• Jewish law
o Kashrut: how did the laws in the Torah get to be how they are
practiced now?
o Shabbos: how did the laws in the Torah get to be how they
are practiced now? How are they viewed in the Conservative
movement?
• What defines a Jew?

Use these sessions as a way to help your chapter gain

understanding of Judaism, not just as a time to discuss the same
exhausted topics and say “what do you think?”. The goal is not to
share preexisting opinions on Jewish practices, but to learn about
the reasons behind those Jewish practices. Then, we can either
strengthen our opinions or change our minds with our new base
of knowledge to back us up.
Celebrate holidays with the chapter. 24/10/2009
20:16:00
For every Jewish holiday, USYers should be aware and practice it in some
way. Encourage your chapter to skip school for shul on Yom Tov. Make sure
that your chapter knows what holiday it is, what we do to practice it, and
why we practice it in that way, and how the holiday is significant for us as
Jews.

In addition to teaching your chapter about the holiday, provide an

EXPERIENCE! Here is a month-by-month breakdown of holiday
programming. USE IT throughout the year when planning the calendar with
your board.

November:
• Rosh Chodesh Kislev. Tuesday the 17th and Wednesday the 18th.
Use it as an opportunity for a girls bonding event!
December:
• Chanukah. Friday night the 11th to Saturday night the 19th. Have a
Chanukah party, do a dreidel tournament and take bets for SA/TO,
make candles, sell Chanukah candles to congregants to raise
money… etc. This is NOT a Yom Tov, so electricity and money and
all that is fine.
January:
• Rosh Chodesh Sh’vat. Saturday the 16th.
• Tu B’Shvat. Saturday the 30th. Not Yontif. This is the perfect
opportunity for a joint Rel/Ed and SA/TO event. After shul, stay for
lunch and have a Tu B’shvat Seder. After the seder, have a
discussion or do an activity about the environment. You could also
do something Saturday night, like putting together care packages of
non-perishable foods (like dried fruit!) to send to impoverished
people. You might also consider a joint Rel/Ed and I/A event.
February:
• Rosh Chodesh Adar. Sunday the 14th and Monday the 15th.
 • Purim. Sunday the 28th. Not Yom Tov. DO NOT just help out at the
JCC Carnival and call it a day. It’s good to help at those things, but
Purim can be the most fun Jewish holiday, so take advantage of it!
Have a masquerade ball, even interchapter if you can. Have a
hamentaschen bake-off. Have a “Mystery Mordechai” instead of
Secret Santa and assign everyone someone to give a shalach
monot to. Make shalach monot and give them out at an old age
home. Have a dance party. Have your own USY Purim Carnival.
Consider including 8th graders. Remember: It’s a mitzvah to be
happy on this holiday!
March:
• Rosh Chodesh Nisan. Tuesday the 16th.
• Pesach. Monday night the 29th to Tuesday night April 6th. First 2
days and last 2 days are Yom Tov. Most people only travel on the
first 2 days, so have an event on the last 2 days that encourages
people to skip school for shul. Have a 10 Plages Survivor event.
During Chol Hamoed (non-yontif days), have a Red Sea Relay. Use
a USYer’s pool or rent the one at the JCC. For one event, ask
Pesach trivia questions and allow them to advance by answering
correctly.
April:
• Yom Hashoah. Sunday the 11th. See Yom Hashoah section.
• Rosh Chodesh Iyyar. Wednesday the 14th and Thursday the 15th.
(It’s Emily’s Hebrew birthday!)
• Yom Hazikaron. Monday the 19th. Not a Yom Tov. This day
commemorates Israel’s fallen soldiers. Don’t plan upbeat programs
for this day.
• Yom Haatzmaut. Tuesday the 20th. Not a Yom Tov. This is Israel’s
Independence Day. Your I/A will be more on top of this one, but
don’t forget to include ruach songs about Israel 
May:
• Lag B’omer. Sunday the 2nd. Not a Yom Tov. This day is a break in
the mourning period of the Omer. It’s the only day from Pesach to
Shavuot that weddings are permitted, so have a mock wedding.
Have a bonfire. Have a picnic. If it’s hot enough out, have a water
fight to commemorate the battles of Rabbi Akiva’s students.
• Shavuot. Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th. This is Yom
Tov. Do a Tikkun Leil Shavuot, which means staying up all night
together as a chapter and studying Torah. Eat cheesecake and
other dairy products. Encourage your chapter to skip school for
shul.
Integrate Rel/Ed Into Other Events 24/10/2009
20:16:00
Religion and education should not be limited to specifically rel/ed events. Try
to sneak in some Judaism to every event.
 • Say blessings before and after eating.
• Say T’filat Haderech when traveling long distances.
• Do havdalah before Saturday night events.
• Do the service that is appropriate for the time of your event.
Weekday mincha or maariv take 10 minutes. If you’re at shul, help
make a minyan.
• Play Jewish music. Yeshiva Boys Choir, Matisyahu, the CRUSY HAS
RUACH CD… lots of great options here.

Event Ideas:
• Jewish movie night
• Jewish Iron Chef
• Donate chametz to a food bank
• Learn to be a Maccabee: Self Defense Class
• Zoo Scavenger Hunt: What is kosher?
• Make a Jewish art project, like challah covers, kippot, Kiddush cups,
etc. You can sell them after for SA/TO, or donate them to an
impoverished Jewish community.
• Learn to make Challah
• Harry Potter: Watch one of the movies, play Quidditch, and discuss
Jewish views on sorcery. Did you know that the term in Talmud for
the laws against sorcery is Harry Potter (pronounced Harei Potair)?
• Picture Scavenger Hunt: Make sure some of the items are Jewish,
such as a video doing hava negila in a drugstore or take a picture of
Rashi.
• Jewish Oscars: Get dressed up, have a fancy dinner, and watch
clips from movies. Beforehand, the board will pick nominees for
categories such as Best Jewish Mother Performance, The Nice
Jewish Boy Award, The Nice Jewish Girl Award, Best Jewish
Soundtrack, Best Jewish Comedy, etc. For each category, everyone
will watch clips for each of the nominees and vote. Between rounds,
results will be announced.
Create a Shabbos routine. 24/10/2009 20:16:00
This may be the most important one on the list, both for the sake of active
Jews and active members. To remember the Shabbos day and keep it holy is
in the 10 commandments. On Shabbos, your chapter should have an
opportunity to spend it with their Jewish community and make it a special
part of their week.

Hang out together on Shabbos. There are plenty of Shabbos-friendly

activities, like walking, talking, napping, ruach, Frisbee, eating, etc. Official
event or not, it is important that USYers have the chance to experience
Shabbat with the community, even after services.

Shabbos-Friendly Event Ideas:

• Frisbee League
• Board Game Tournaments
• Capture the Flag
• Nosh and Nap (Make it a regular event!)
• Open Lounge
• Seuda Shlishit and Slow Ruach

Have Shabbat dinners with your chapter on a regular basis. These

should include a traditional Kiddush, handwashing, motzi, kosher meal, and
birkat. Do ruach if your chapter is up for it.

Have USY services regularly. They don’t have to be for the whole
congregation. I recommend a mix, for example, monthly USY services, every
3rd one being in the main service. A smaller USY-only service can be nice
because people feel less intimidated to lead and you have more freedom to
do your own thing. Still, congregants like to see USYers lead, so getting your
members on the bima even outside of a USY service is a good idea. For the
USY-only service, if you don’t have enough Torah readers, do a creative
Torah service instead. Many USYers don’t go to shul every week, so having
this service convinces them to go for the same one and help build your
chapter’s community.
10 Steps to Plan a USY Service:
1. Pick the date.
2. Check a Hebrew calendar (www.hebcal.org is good) to see if it is
Rosh Chodesh, a special haftorah or torah portion, etc. Hebcal will
specify those things. You may have to assign someone to announce
the new month, or even do hallel, depending on how things fall.
3. Make a chart. I use Excel for this, so if you have that I recommend
it. Down the first column, write down every single part of the
service that you will need to assign, from P’seukei D’zimra down to
Musaf. In the second column, write the verses for the Torah
readings. In the third column, write the person’s name. Here is a
sample chart:

4. Check if your shul is on a triennial Torah reading schedule. Go to

www.hebcal.org to check which verses each aliyah is that week.
Enter them straight into the spreadsheet so you don’t have to keep
checking.
5. Contact people in your chapter to assign things. Assign Torah
readings and Haftorah first. Send Torah readers the link to their
verses on the online tikkun. http://scrollscraper.adatshalom.net.
You enter the verses and it takes you to the reading. It also
includes audio, which sometimes works. It’s an awesome site that
saves you lots of time on copying from a tikkun that is just slightly
too big for the copier. Start assigning Torah readings 3 to 4 weeks
in advance, and finish 2 weeks before.
6. Assign the big things, like Pseukei, Shacharit, and Torah service.
7. For smaller things that don’t take so much preparation, like aliyot
or hagbah/gelila, you can assign them closer to the event. Just be
sure not to get stuck without a Cohen or without anyone who knows
how to do Hagbah.
 8. Having a d’var torah or a shabbos story makes t’fillot more
meaningful. Assign this a week or more in advance. Try to get a
new perspective rather than always hearing from the same person.
9. Each time you assign something, fill it in on the chart. This will help
you to stay organized.
10. Follow up with the Torah readers a couple days before to make
sure they’ve got their parts under control.
Now relax and enjoy shabbos with your chapter!

Asur B’Shabbat! (Prohibited on Shabbos)

• Cell phones
• Movies, TV, etc
• Driving (except directly to and from the
shul of your community)
• Writing, drawing, painting, etc.
• Using money
• Cooking
• Picking fruit/vegetables, farming, etc.
• Digging into the ground, building
• Electricity
• A bunch more
If you are not sure, ask. I know this is not the way that most USYers
observe Shabbat, but these are the standards of United Synagogue
Conservative Judaism so we need to uphold them at USY events.

You can still have a great time though! Here are some fun things
that ARE allowed on Shabbos (according to the USCJ):
• Napping
• Hanging out with friends
• Going to shul 
• Taking a walk
• Reading
• Talking
• Reflecting on your week
• Ruach
• Playing sports (careful of automatic scoreboards)
I’m horrified that this is an issue we even have to address. The fact is,
Holocaust deniers are slowly gaining support. We are the last generation
that can hear firsthand accounts of the Holocaust; after we’re gone,
Holocaust deniers will have much more support. It is up to us to ensure that
future generations know what really happened. It is entirely possible that
you or your fellow USYers might go into college to find themselves in
classrooms with professors who claim that the number 6 million is an
exaggeration, or that the precise history of the Holocaust is a disputed issue
of which the truth is not known.

Make sure your chapter does not forget what happened to not only the six
million Jews and 5 million gentiles who were killed, but also the countless
others who were forced to escape their homes, who lost their rights, and
who lost their families.

Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) is the perfect time to take a

serious note with your chapter. This year, it starts at sundown on Saturday
April 10th and ends at sundown on Sunday April 11th.

Here are some event ideas:

• Have a Holocaust survivor speak to your chapter (highly recommended)
• Watch a Holocaust movie, like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. This year,
especially, is good for that because Yom Hashoah starts on a Saturday
night. Afterwards, discuss the movie.
• Sit in a dark room and light a few candles. Read stories of accounts of
Holocaust victims.
• Do an activism event to stop the genocide in Sudan. Start the event with
a historical overview of the Holocaust, and then do the same for Darfur.
Then proceed with your event (sell t-shirts that say “Never Again”, put
together care packages to send to the refugee camps, write letters to the
government, etc.)
Regional Stuff

2009-2010 Goals:
Improve shiurim
• I want to give CRUSY valuable learning experiences at conventions
that really explore practical applications of Conservative Judaism.
Improve services
• I want CRUSY to have a more powerful experience in services. By
spicing up services and sometimes offering alternate ones, I’ll try
my best to help everyone connect.
• So You Think You Can Daven? (see page 3)
Develop useful, fun Rel/Ed page
• My goal is for this page to be a useful resource for all of you and
USYers who have questions about Judaism. Also, I want to have fun
things on there for anyone to enjoy. I want to include a Frequently
Asked Questions page, simple guides for observing Shabbat and
holidays, and hopefully games and quizzes as well.
• My Life is Jewish. There was FML, there was My Life is Average, and
now, CRUSY has created My Life is Jewish.
o Send entries to me! Any time you’re having a MLIJ moment,
facebook it, text it, or send it to Emily.mostow@gmail.com.
Continue Heschel, increase membership
• Are you a member? Sign up! Heschel members get special
privileges, such as attending our wonderful Heschel late nights and
the option to go to International Heschel Convention. In return,
they agree to meet a higher standard of commitment to their
Jewish communities through Torah, Avodah, and G’milut Chasadim.
The membership forms, which you will receive, list the specific
standards.
Continue Pirkei Avot Mondays
• Join the H.E.S.C.H.E.L. Facebook group and receive weekly Pirkei
Avot. This brightens CRUSY’s Mondays with Talmudic insight.
Continue using listserv for shabbos and holidays
• If you are not a member of the CRUSY listserv, JOIN IT. Emails for
Shabbat and holidays take advantage of technology and allow us to
teach in a fun, informal way.
Regional General Board 2009-2010
Online Coordinator: Dorit Adams
This daring diva is responsible for sending out weekly divrei torah, informing
CRUSY of upcoming holidays, and sending out weekly Pirkei Avot. She is also
assisting me in revamping the Rel/Ed section of the website, including the My Life
is Jewish page.
Co-Service Coordinators: Becca Sigal and Eli Kaufmann
This determined duo is responsible for assigning services, Torah readings, and
Haftorah for conventions.
Heschel Chairperson: Ben Hutchinson
This cheery chap is responsible for organizing one Heschel discussion group at
every convention. He will choose a study topic for each convention and find
discussion materials, such as relevant sections of Talmud, Conservative tshuvot,
etc. He will also encourage membership of the Heschel Honors Soceity and raise
awareness and attendance of the International Heschel Kinnus.
Ruach Chairpeople: Tal Benatar and Joel Mackler
These fiery fellows are in charge of leading ruach at conventions.

Convention Dates:
• November 13-15 Fall Kinnus in Pittsburgh
• December 23-31 International Convention in Chicago
• February 28-21 Specialty Kinnus in Cincinnati
• Kadima Kinnus/Nachshon TBA
• April 15-18 Regional Convention in Cleveland
Resources:
• YOUR RABBI
• www.hebcal.com it has a Jewish calendar, candle lighting times, tells you when to
do what Torah readings, and more.
• www.usy.org check out the rel/ed page and program bank.
• www.myjewishlearning.com. Answers to EVERYTHING, with a wide range of
perspectives.
• www.chabad.org great for candle lighting times, tanach in Hebrew and English,
parsha in a nutshell, holiday explanations, and printable coloring book pages 
• Me! I LOVE it when people call me with questions. My cell is 412-535-2888, email
is emily.mostow@gmail.com, aim is emmilemmilemily, and facebook works too.