Congregation Brith Shalom is pleased to announce 

BELINDA DENN as the Shabbat Shuvah Honoree 

The Shabbat between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is known as Shabbat Shuvah - the “Sabbath of Penitence or Turning.” The name comes from the first words of the Haftorah read on that day, “Shubah Yisrael” - “Return, O Israel…”  It is also called “Shabbat Teshubah (“Sabbath of Repentance”) as it occurs within the ten days of penitence.

The Religious Practices Committee [RPC] is charged with selecting an honoree, to be recognized on Shabbat Shuvah, who has gone “above and beyond" in service to our congregation and/or the entire community.  The honoree may be an individual or group that has brought respect to Brith Shalom through their direct service to the synagogue serving as an example of dedication and to the positive ideals of our shul.  Recent honorees, over the past five years, include Jerry Dubin, Sue Resnick, Janice Rubin, David Wolfert and Carol Goldberg.

The RPC is delighted to include Belinda Denn into this remarkable group.

Belinda has been a member of Congregation Brith Shalom for 20 years and has held numerous offices including Vice President of the Religious School PTO, Chair of the Purim Carnival, Chair of the 40^th Anniversary Auction, President of the Sisterhood and a member of the Board of Trustees for the past ten years, as well as Kitchen Committee Chair since 2005.  She has planned and tells us she enjoys planning major fun events for the synagogue.  Some fun events she has planned for Brith Shalom have been Dancing with the Stars and a Kosher Wine Tasting event.  She is the current Co-chair for the February 2011 Synagogue Fundraiser/Past Presidents Recognition Event, which undoubtedly, will be another fun event. 

Belinda has been equally active in the greater Jewish community holding positions as Past President of Annie Leff  Hadassah Chapter, and as a member of the Houston Hadassah Chapter Board she has recently been the Co-Chair of the 2009 Major Donor Dinner and the 2010 Chai Tea.  Belinda has also been a Past Member of Hadassah’s Regional Board, Past Member of the Regional Women’s League Board, and has been actively involved in the United Jewish Appeal and March of Dimes as a volunteer.  She also was a Charter Member of the CBS/Rabbi Wolbe Mussar class.

Her professional interest is in finance.  She is currently the Manager of Portfolio Operations for Vaughan Nelson Investment Management for the past 15 years.  Belinda is married to Brith Shalom’s resident wine consultant, Scott Chanin.  They have been married for 24 years and she is the mother of a beautiful 19 year-old daughter, Lila, who is currently a sophomore at the University of Georgia in Athens.

As Shabbat Shuvah reminds us, we are all in the process of re-evaluating ourselves and our relationship with our community.  We are continuously striving to right what is wrong with our world especially at this time of year.  What better example do we all have than our honoree, Belinda Denn?  We only have to glance at her above accomplishments to be stimulated to action.

The Religious Practices Committee all agreed that Belinda Denn is most deserving of this honor for all the service and dedication that she has provided.  Please join the entire congregation on Shabbat Shuvah to wish Belinda Mazel Tov on this milestone and on all her future endeavors. 

L' Shanah Tova!

The High Holy Day period begins on the first day of the Jewish month of Elul. In the Ashkenazi tradition, during this month of soul searching, the shofar, or ram’s horn, is blown each morning except on the Sabbath, to call upon listeners to begin the difficult process of repentance. Also in Elul special haftarot--prophetic portions--focusing on consolation acknowledge the vulnerability of an individual grappling with personal change. During the week before Rosh Hashanah, intensity increases as traditional Jews begin reciting selichot, prayers that involve confessing sins and requesting God’s forgiveness and help. On the Sabbath before Rosh Hashanah, the selichot are chanted at midnight, rather than their usual early morning hour.

High Holy Days at Brith Shalom is the season for heightened Jewish awareness. We gather as a community and we connect. We pray, we sing, we study, and we reach out to one another. We offer diverse opportunities and venues for Jewish engagement from traditional services to contemporary worship to educational programs and discussions. May you be blessed with a meaningful High Holy Day season filled with God’s presence, sacred community, heightened interpersonal awareness, forgiveness, growth and love.

 High Holy Day Schedule:

Click here for a printable version of the High Holy Day Calendar

2010/5771 High Holy Days Packet:

Click here for a printable version of the High Holy Days Packet