Synagogue Updates

Chag Sameach to you. I'll be honest with you - I am struggling to find the right tone of this email. So many great things happening locally - both for our synagogue and in our greater community, but I am having trouble focusing on it with what is happening in Israel and Gaza. To keep it short (and to get this to you before Shavuot) I am going to stay local in this email with the exception of recommending a podcast - the most recent episode of  For Heaven's Sake podcast by the Shalom Hartman Institute. It provided a level of nuance and sense of connection that I personally found both helpful and informative.  onus points is that it is produced by our own David Zvi Kalman. 

Quick reminder - Tuesday is election day and Shavuot. There are drop boxes to place your vote before the holiday and for those that vote at our synagogue - your polling place has moved. While the primaries are normally only for people voting Democratic or Republican - this year's election includes several votes on constitutional amendments which are open to independents as well. 

I hope you saw our email on Friday with a survey of our community. We are really interested in your feedback as we look at next year's calendar. We have heard many of your interest in bringing the synagogue together to make a difference in our society. We need your input to determine if there is enough interest and what impact we want to have - both in terms of the subject but also in terms of how we will address the subject. 

Shavuot begins tonight. I hope you will consider joining us for services (online tonight and tomorrow night, in person and online on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 9:30am). I also want to encourage you to take the opportunity to push yourself to learn something this Shavuot.

We have an in person Tikkun Leil Shavuot (study session). It begins tonight at 8:00pm and ends at 1:00am.  You can watch it online or, if you are fully vaccinated, attend in person.  

Want to watch a nationwide Tikkun instead? You can join this one from the Conservative Movement. Our own Rabbi Mike Uram is leading a session at 6:00pm tonight. 

Onto more programmatic areas:

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This is so critical after the year we have had (and always). We have special programs coming up led by our own Aimee Prange (I am sensing a theme this week). I encourage you to check them out. 
 

Next Sunday is our Spring Celebration. Still time to purchase tickets or to participate in the auction. It finally feels like we are turning a corner and so I hope you will join us if you are able.

Wishing us all a week of peace, healing and learning,

Ken
513 503 9559