Shalom Everyone,
When you get the bulletin this month we will still be in the middle of Chanukah. It’ll likely be just the second night of Chanukah if you receive the Temple Bulletin over email. It seems odd to be celebrating Chanukah so early. I know that the Jewish holidays move around on the calendar, I even know why they do that, but still, celebrating Chanukah and Thanksgiving during the same long weekend just feels weird. We Jews are going to be done with our holiday before the Christians even start counting down to theirs.
Our celebration this year is also odd because we won’t be hosting a Chanukah dinner at Temple, for a second year in a row, because of the pandemic. I’m sure you are all getting as tired of our isolation as I am. Though I am hopeful that we, as one community, will be able to celebrate together sometime soon, it’s just not the right time yet.
We will have an opportunity to light our menorahs together at 6:30 on Tuesday night, over Zoom, when we join with the rest of Iowa for the Candle Lighting Across Iowa. There is more information in this bulletin about the event and a link to sign up for it. I know this is a poor substitute for our dinner celebration, but we will still get to see each other, to sing a few songs together, and to share the lights of Chanukah with each other.
Chag Orim Shameach,
May you all have a Happy Chanukah
Rabbi Todd