Shalom All,
Summers are typically pretty quiet around nearly any synagogue you can find. This is because between Shavuot and Rosh Hashanah, the only Jewish holidays you find are Shabbat (weekly, obviously), Rosh Chodesh (the new moon and first day of the Month), and Tisha B’av (a communal day of Jewish mourning which isn’t often observed in Reform Congregations, including ours). The next two months, this summer, will be particularly quiet, because of the Jewish leap year, which has delayed all of the holidays by about a month. Rosh Hashanah won’t arrive until October 2nd.
Quiet or not, there are still Shabbat services every Friday at 6:30 pm. The rabbis consider Shabbat to be the most important holiday in the calendar because it happens the most often and sets the tone for our week. Shabbat is also an opportunity to connect with our community, our friends, and our God. We’ll sing, pray, nosh, and study a little Torah. The great Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel calls Torah, “the answer to the supreme question, ‘What does God demand of us?’”
Every week we try to uncover a little of that answer. I really hope you can join us.
This week we are outside, in the Silber Outdoor Sanctuary. But out or in, we’d love you to be here.
Shabbat Shalom and a good summer to you all.
Rabbi Todd