1983 - 2008: Celebrate 25 years with us

Now, in 2008, Bat Kol celebrates 25 years of ministry since its founding in Toronto, Canada on 8 April 1983. And while the official anniversary celebrations will take place in Jerusalem in July, we would love every Bat Koler and Bat Kol group around the globe to pause to remember, acknowledge and celebrate this anniversary in their own unique way. Together, as a world-wide community, let's send forth a beautiful song of praise to God for the gift and mission that is Bat Kol Institute!

To help sharpen your thoughts and tune your vocal chords into Silver Anniversary mode, here are some practical suggestions ... 25 of them, of course! And we would very much like to hear of others (prayerful, educational, serious or funny) that you won't find on this page.

Consider some of these to start:

1) Pray for Bat Kol, its ongoing mission. Perhaps select a portion from the Torah, or one of your favorite Psalms as your prayer theme.

2) Get in touch with one or more Bat Kol alumni/ae and share a moment of prayer and celebration with them, like a Bat Kol Anniversary cake.

3) Buy and read Sr. Maureena's latest book: Daughter of a Voice: I-Thou Encounters in the Book of Genesis. Want some details? See http://www.trafford.com/07-1462 or http://www.amazon.com.

4) Consider presenting Maureena's book to somebody who would benefit from it... perhaps as a birthday gift (even if it's not really his/her birthday).

5) Read aloud a Torah passage that holds great significance in your life. Better still, resolve that you will always read Torah aloud. After all, it is an oral/aural text.

6) Compose a prayer of the faithful (with a Bat Kol flavor) for your parish, school, religious community Mass, or other gathering:

e.g., We give thanks for the Jewish people, for their fidelity to the covenant that brought forth our Savior. May we learn from their witness what it means to live as a chosen people, chosen to keep the Lord's Name alive for the sake of all peoples, for the sake of all nations. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

7) Sing (or hum, or whistle) a celebratory song... perhaps in Hebrew! [Anyone can hum in Hebrew!!] Choose a beautiful song from the richness of Jewish or Christian traditions.

8) E-mail Sr. Maureena and tell her how Bat Kol has enriched your life: maureena@batkol.info.

9) Contribute to the next Bat Kol newsletter. Write to Sr. Marie Andre Mitchell, our compiler in Johannesburg, at marieandre@telkomsa.net.

10) Invite a guest into your havrutah discussion for the parashat hashavuah.

11) Visit your local synagogue and pray for Bat Kol there. Maybe attend a Shabbat service on a Friday evening, or a Saturday morning or afternoon.

12) Re-read Nostra Aetate and reflect on its central message. Ask yourself if this sea-change in the course of Christianity has had any effect in your life or that of your family or community.

13) Pen a note to a Jewish friend or colleague, noting your appreciation of how his/her religious tradition teaches and inspires you as a Christian.

14) Do something practical to promote a Bat Kol course or initiative in your local area. Perhaps you might get the OK to post the weekly Bat Kol commentary on the bulletin board of your parish, or have the appropriate website reference included in your parish bulletin.

15) Check out what your local organization for Christian-Jewish relations is up to and see if there is an event in which you can participate.

16) Learn to say ‘Happy Anniversary' in Hebrew. For a transliterated version, see the website home page.

17) For those of you who have been to Jerusalem for a Bat Kol month of study, why not dust off your Bat Kol Source Book and revisit some of those wonderful learning curves.

18) Share your Israel Bat Kol photos with a friend and let the reminiscing of that special time touch the hearts of you both.

19) Write an e-mail thank you note to the person who invited you to Bat Kol. Or to one of the teachers who might have changed your life. For an address, contact registrar@batkol.info.

20) Donate a portion of this year's income to support a student for a Bat Kol course.

21) Renew the practical commitment/s you made at your Bat Kol course; e.g. to study the Torah portion of the week, if possible in havrutah; or to celebrate Shabbat, or to continue Hebrew study.

22) Make an effort to celebrate Sabbath especially well during Bat Kol's anniversary month (July 2008).

23) Play a CD of favorite Jewish songs. And if you haven't yet visited the links to other sites which we have listed on our home page, www.batkol.info, don't miss that treat!

24) Add a Bat Kol-recommended book or article to your reading list. e.g.:

• Marilyn J. Salmon, Preaching without Contempt: Overcoming Unintended Anti-Judaism (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2006),
• Michael Attridge (ed.), Jews and Catholics Together: Celebrating the Legacy of Nostra Aetate (Ottawa/Toronto: Novalis, 2007),
• James L. Kugel, How to Read the Bible (New York: Free Press, 2007).

25) Come anniversary time, buy an especially nice bottle of wine and a loaf of challah for Shabbat.

26) Remember, treasure, and hold close to your heart the special I-Thou relationships in your life.

Yes, we know... we've reached celebratory suggestion number 26. But our God is an extravagant Lover, and that's the lesson of Shabbat, a principal teaching of Bat Kol.

Happy Anniversary! ENJOY!