From the Rabbi's Desk
| July/August 2023
Friends, As you receive this bulletin, we are in the middle of summer. Since Shavuot, my gaze has turned toward the High Holy Days and the fresh new year of 5784. Sherry and I started thinking about the upcoming High Holy Days after Simchat Torah last fall. Now our planning is gaining focus. Sherry and I always put our whole spiritual beings into these most essential sacred days. Barbara Senges and Jo Michaelson are the core of our HHD planning team at this point. We will need help from many of you soon, so don’t go too far from your phone or email while you are enjoying the summer. We are also looking beyond the High Holy Days. With the help of the Board of Trustees, the Religious Practices Committee, and many of you, we’ve developed a plan for regular service times and themes in the coming year. Our plan is in response to what you have told us. We are listening so that our services and programs are engaging, meaningful, and at times which meet the needs of as many as possible. Below is a general outline we will follow after the High Holy Days. Note that service times will vary. We recognize this could cause confusion. We will communicate clearly through this bulletin, our website calendar, weekly messages, and social media communications. Here is what a typical month will look like starting in October: First Friday is Share Shabbat at 6:30 PM – Our Religious School students, teachers, and families lead our Kabbalat Shabbat worship during Share Shabbat. As many of you have already experienced, our students are fun-loving but seriously engaged in their Judaism. This is a service for our entire community. We try to keep this service to 1 hour because even I have trouble focusing for over an hour. Second Fridays at 6:30 PM – This earlier service will have rotating themes and time for guest speakers. We hope an earlier service time will work well for our families with children and our older friends who would rather not drive later in the evening. Third Fridays Shabbat Dinner at 6:30 PM – We will not have a traditional Kabbalat Shabbat service on Third Fridays. There will be a semi-pot luck Shabbat dinner (plans are still developing) just like what you might have at home, just bigger and with a few additions. In addition to dinner, you can expect candle lighting, Kiddush, and a Shabbat sing-along. In between, we will always have Birkat Hamazon (Blessing after meals), Mi Shebeirach (Prayer for healing), recite Kaddish Yatom for those observing Yahrzeit, and a very short d’var Torah or presentation relating to the weekly Torah portion or other timely Jewish themes. Mostly this will be a time to socialize and enjoy Shabbat with new and old friends. Fourth Fridays at 7:30 PM – This is a later service to respond to many we have heard from who can’t do an earlier service. Like second Fridays, we will have rotating themes based on the Jewish Calendar, community issues and concerns, and room for guest speakers. Typically, this service will be about an hour and fifteen minutes. Fifth Fridays at 6:30 PM – (December, March, and May) This is an earlier service that will have rotating themes and room for guest speakers like second Fridays. We hope the earlier service time will work well for our families with children and our older friends who would rather not drive later in the evening. Usually, this service will be about an hour and fifteen minutes. Why so much change? Haven’t we been doing this for hundreds of years? Yes, but we change, and the world around us changes too. There has always been a creative edge within Judaism, so our tradition is not an anchor weighing us down but a compass and guide helping us move forward. Responding to modernity is the essence of Reform Judaism. We hope you continue to have an open mind and give us timely, honest, and kind feedback. Currently, all July and August Services will be starting at 7:00 PM Enjoy the summer, |
Cantorial Notes
| July/August 2023
Summer is here! I’m sure everyone has favorite part of summer. Some of my favorite things; walking on the beach, sitting near the water, the summer’s smell of the sea, and the soothing sound of the waves kissing the shore. I also love watching the sailboats silently gliding through the sparkling waters of the Sound. Each season holds its own beauty, however, for me; the beauty of life on the Sound in the summer is awe inspiring. It’s also a time to connect physically with the earth. Being barefoot and feeling the cool grass under your feet or the wet sand between your toes has a wonderful grounding feeling. I’m looking forward to our summer Bluff Point walk and the outdoor Shabbat Service we will have in the midst of the beauty of nature. There is so much to be grateful for on this beautiful planet. We should not take it for granted. The smoke in our air that came down from Canada a few weeks ago was a reminder of nature’s delicate balance. I couldn’t wait to see the blue sky again and breathe fresh air. I hope you have plans to relax and take in the summer season. So, while you are out connecting with nature, be mindful of its beauty and enjoy these amazing summer days and nights. Add some music and the summer will be perfect! Blessed are You, Adonai our God, who makes the works of creation! Shabbat Summer services will begin at 7:00 pm and are lay-led by our congregants. I will be there to help with music, but each service has been created by our lay leaders. August 18, will be led by Rabbi Marc and me and will be outside at Harkness Park, weather permitting. Please check our website for more information. B’shir, |
Presidential Message
| July/August 2023
It’s a good thing our Temple doesn’t have a height requirement for the presidency because I literally will not be able to fill Andy’s shoes! Thank you to Andy, Adrienne and family for his leadership, and their presence and dedication as a family to our Temple these past two years. I’m glad Andy will still be serving on the board as our Immediate Past President. Although barely five feet “tall,” I can project my voice (from my cheerleading days) and address multiple moving targets (from my softball infielder days), which may come in handy in this role. Temple Emanu-El has been a second home for me and my family for 17 years. I am grateful for our amazing village that helped ensure my kids would become kind adults who care about Tikkun Olam and who continue to embrace their Jewish identity. Some of you wondered at the annual meeting where my other half Jonathan was; this is a shout out to him because I failed to acknowledge that he was in attendance along with our other congregants on Zoom, all the way from Basel, Switzerland! Thanks to his crazy business travel schedule, our Temple benefits from even more of my time and energy. I am truly honored to be serving as your president for the next two years. This month marks the official arrival of our new Religious School Director, Lisa Marcus. Welcome to Lisa, who brings to us not only her public-school education experience and business ownership track record, but also her dedication to Temple Emanu-El life as an active congregant, religious school parent, and Sisterhood board member who managed the Temple gift shop. Our students and their families are lucky to have Lisa this coming school year. Running the school may be a paid staff position, but it is still also a “labor of love.” Please let her know if you know someone who might have the time and skill to assist the school, which could always use more teachers, substitutes, and Hebrew tutors. Please also SAVE THE DATE for Sunday, August 27 at 10:00 when we will once again host a Temple Emanu-El Open House, a time for our congregation to gather as a community over refreshments at the end of the summer, feature our congregation’s religious school and Temple committees’ offerings. Think about inviting your unaffiliated neighbors, friends and new connections to join us. Now that summer is here, I hope you enjoy your walks, fun beach reads, family reunions, and travel adventures. While you’re at it, come check out our summer lay-led Shabbat services beginning on June 30 (see Summer Shabbat Service list for the schedule and names of lay leaders). Many thanks to our creative congregants who are designing and leading special services which will bring new voices and different flavors of Shabbat prayers, readings and songs to the bima. Hope to see you there! Armi |
Related Pages:
About Us
Our History
Our Leadership
Directions