Friday evening begins our third grade shabbat, in which our four third grade students will lead parts of the service under the able direction of their teacher, Steve Lefland. We're all so excited that he was able to come back and finish the year with his students that I'm SURE many CJC-ites will turn out to support him and the kids. (7:00 pm)

Candle lighting that evening will be at 8:08 pm.

Saturday morning, 2nd grade participation will continue beginning at 9:30 am. The torah portion will be Naso (long, but fascinating AND exciting).

Following services and kiddush, we will study Pirkei Avot (in English), the so-called "Ethics of the Fathers." Later that afternoon (from 7:00 pm on), we'll play board games and spend a relaxing shabbat until havdala (to which everyone is invited, of course) at 9:08 pm.

But wait...there's MORE!

Sunday morning is the final day of Religious school, during which there will be a closing ceremony of recognition and honor starting at 10:30, followed by the much-anticipated Barbecue! (and open house) Come one and all to get your inner frankfurter on.

Also that day, from noon - 2:00, there will be another free "tasting" class for CH2, the Croton Hebrew High program that will kick off officially in the fall. This class will be "your Israeli iPod," during which we will learn the words and background for 2 songs from popular music in Israel.

Sunday night, the holiday of Shavuot will begin. Candlelighting is at 8:09 pm, and services will begin at 8:30 pm, followed by all-night (or very late?) study and discussion, fueled by cheesecake and blintzes.

Monday morning, services will start at *8:30* am (last until about 11 am or so). Monday evening, we'll have a dairy dinner (6:00 pm) followed by ice cream sundaes and services at 8:30 pm, candlelighting at 9:09 pm.

Tuesday moirning, we'll start at 8:30 once again, and we will include the Yizkor memorial service. IT will be a fitting day to pay tribute to someone you love.

I hope to see you all at some point this weekend as we celebrate together at Croton Jewish Center.

Rabbi David Bockman