Beth Israel of Ocala holds Shabbaton

Congregation Beth Israel of Ocala will sponsor a Shabbaton the weekend of May 10-11. The event will be a Reconstructionist approach to Judaism and the various ways of experiencing Judaism as seen though the Reconstructionist lens.

Rabbinical intern, Hannah Spiro, a student at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, will lead the program. Her specialty is incorporating music with Jewish liturgy through the medium of alternative folk rock. She has composed many award-winning songs and combines raw emotion with thought and purpose.

The weekend will lead off with a Shabbat evening service at 8 p.m. with a special musical service led by Spiro with interpretation on the liturgy. The program continues at 10 a.m. Saturday with a Lunch ’n’ Learn and service on the theme of “Different Voices of Reconstructionist Judaism” followed by a catered lunch. The evening’s program will feature Spiro in concert in a coffeehouse-like setting. Her repertoire will consist of Israeli, American folk standards as well as original compositions. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m.

All activities will be held at the Collins Center, Building 300, 9401 Highway 200 in Ocala.

All services are free and open to the public. Combo ticket for lunch and concert is $15. Cost for lunch or concert separately is $10 apiece. For reservations, contact Estelle (352-861-2542) or Mary (353-861-2056) by May 6.

The program is made possible through a grant by the Jewish Council of North Central Florida.

Congregation Beth Israel of Ocala is a liberal, contemporary, inclusive community and an affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Movement.