Jewish Cultural Society a congregation and Sunday school for secular cultural Jews The Jewish Cultural Society provides a welcoming and enriching community for those whose Jewish identification is primarily with culture, history and family. Our prophetic traditions of social justice and humanism provide an ethos to live on, and to pass on to future generations. We embrace the diversity of Jewish culture and the diversity of views and beliefs of modern Jewry. We stress the cultural aspects of Jewish traditions, including history, music, art, literature and dance, rather than religious doctrine. In secular Judaism, religious belief is an individual and private matter. We are committed to the creation of a contemporary secular Jewish tradition which encompasses the Jewish experience. We encourage active participation in Jewish life and in our community. We are affiliated with the Congress of Secular Humanistic Organizations and the Michigan Coalition of Secular and Humanistic Jews, and functions as the Secular Humanistic Congregation in Ann Arbor. The Jewish Cultural School... The Jewish Cultural School was organized in 1965 to provide a cultural Jewish education for families in the Ann Arbor area. Our goal is to expose our students to the vast scope of Jewish life over 4000 years on six continents, and to engender in them an appreciation for Jewish history, culture and ethics. Learning is participatory and active. We hope to encourage a lifelong fascination with and love for our Jewish heritage. Preschoolers are invited to bring their parents to a series of workshops which focus on various holidays; kindergarten through seventh grade students attend a weekly Sunday morning program which includes: * Historical, cultural and ethical aspects of Jewishness * The aesthetics of the Jewish experience revealed through art, dance and music * Cultural events: festivals, holiday celebrations, cooking and storytelling * An introduction to Hebrew and Yiddish * Our two-year Bar/Bat Mitzvah program, includes independent research projects, study and interpretation of Torah and Haftorah portions and substantial community service projects The Jewish Cultural Society... The Jewish Cultural Society is the Secular Humanistic Jewish congregation in Ann Arbor. We provide a full range of services and opportunities our members, most of whom live in Washtenaw and Livingston Counties. * life-cycle observances: weddings, baby namings, Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, funerals * holidays and festivals: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Chanukah, Tu B'Shvat, Purim, Pesach and Shvuot * Shabbat observance: gatherings the First Friday of the month. Candlelighting, singing, and discussion of a theme, often based on the Torah portion. Afterwards, members and friends schmooze for a while over coffee and dessert. Children are welcome * adult enrichment programs: lectures, concerts and discussions * youth group: socializing and community service activities Membership... Membership entitles you to participate in all of our activities, programs and holiday celebrations. It also helps to support our Sunday school. These are annual figures, except for the Life Member category -- that's a one-time gift. 1996-97 membership fees Individual (single adult, no children) $90 Household $150 Sustainer $250 Benefactor $500 Life Member $1800 Sunday school tuition Membership of at least the household level is required of families registering children for Sunday school. One child $375 Two children $600 Each additional child $155 Preschool workshops members, per session: 1 child $9 2 children $14 non-members, per session: 1 child $12 2 children $18 (second parent free with two preschoolers!) Endowment fund... A one-time voluntary contribution is requested of returning members, totaling 1% of one year's income. Payments are usually spread out over three years. Membership and other contributions are tax deductible. Scholarships are available; please contact us for details. Jewish Cultural Society 2935 Birch Hollow Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48108 313-665-5761 Judith Seid (MA, MS, CSHJL), society director: 313-665-2825 Debbie Klemptner school director: 313-996-8309