Havurah on the Hill Young Adult Kabbalat Shabbat

Date: Friday, May 20, 2016

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Join us for our monthly Kabbalat Shabbat celebration at the historic Vilna Shul. This May we welcome Galit Schwartz as our honored guest speaker. Galit is the founder and owner of Power Cafe in Watertown, a coffee shop run, operated, and decorated by people with physical or developmental disabilities. New faces are always welcome at Havurah on the Hill, so bring your friends.

Festivities begin with an informal pre-nosh with wine and veggies. We then move up to the sanctuary for an egalitarian Shabbat service led by members of our community, followed by a discussion with our guest speaker, before finally heading back downstairs for a relaxed, inviting kosher buffet dinner.

Schedule of Events:
6:30 PM Wine and Appetizers
7:00 PM Shabbat Services
8:15 PM Talk given by Galit Schwartz, followed by Q & A
8:45 PM Kosher Buffet Shabbat Dinner
(vegetarian and gluten free options available)

 

Registration is now closed. Walk-ins welcome.
Suggested donation $10.00 per person.


Free validated parking is always available for Havurah on the Hill's monthly Shabbat celebrations at the Charles River Garage (165 Cambridge Street, Boston). Please note that this is NOT the above-ground Whole Foods lot, but the parking garage bewteen the Whole Foods lot and the Au Bon Pain. Please bring your green ticket into the Vilna for a validation stamp. The Vilna Shul is also easily accessible by public transportation. Take the MBTA Red Line to Charles/MGH. For driving, walking and public transport directions, please visit http://www.vilnashul.org/about/location.

 

About Galit Schwartz:
Galit Schwartz has worn many hats: Software Engineer, Math Teacher, and Mommy, to name a few. In the last few years, she has been volunteering with children with Down syndrome through the Down Syndrome Learning Program, and discovered the world of special needs. Through personal contacts and social media, she learned that while many resources exist for children with disabilities, these largely disappear when the children grow up. For example, people with disabilities face an employment rate of less than 20%. 

Inspired by stories about establishments such as Tim’s Place in Albuquerque, NM, Galit started wishing that a similar venue would open in the Boston area. As luck would have it, she was invited to participate in a workshop through Landmark Education to “create a project in the community which makes a difference and empowers others.” Galit used this opportunity to turn the dream of the Power Cafe into reality. 

Power Cafe is committed to supporting those with disabilities as much as possible through partnerships with the café. The art on the walls of the cafe comes from Gateway Arts in Brookline, MA, an art studio and gallery for adults with disabilities. Coffee beans for the cafe are sourced from Furnace Hills Coffee in Maryland, a roaster with Down syndrome. 

Galit and the team at Power Cafe are excited to be a part of the Watertown community. Everyone at the Power Cafe is appreciative of the support of its customers and knows that together we can “empower people of all abilities, one cup of coffee at a time.” 

 

Havurah on the Hill is a non-denominational, egalitarian minyan for Jews in their 20s and 30s in the Boston area. HOH meets at the Vilna Shul in Beacon Hill, the last remaining immigrant-era synagogue building in downtown Boston and hosts monthly Kabbalat Shabbat services as well as other special holiday celebrations throughout the year.