Synagogue Updates

Happy Sunday! 

We have reached the point in the summer where much of our focus is on planning for the High Holidays and the upcoming year, and I always find that so energizing.  A few quick business items and then I will share 5 things that we are working on that I am excited about:

Tisha B'Av is this coming week and will be both in person and online. Hallie and Hazzan have some great ideas to make the Saturday evening service meaningful. It will be outdoors, weather permitting. I hope you wil consider joining. 

We are planning for a special Tu B'Av game day on Sunday, July 25th. Tu B"Av is the Jewish Day of Love. Learn more about the holiday and join us!

The Challah program is going strong and can use more bakers! Can you help us out by baking and delivering a challah? Click here if you are interested in baking. Click here if you are interested in receiving. 

So now, onto what is exciting me right now:

1. High Holidays are under two months away! We don't know everything about how services will look and feel, or what our COVID-19 protocols will be, but we know a lot about the day. The Sanctuary service is fully back and will also be streamed over the internet. The Lay Led Service will be in the Chapel and utilizing the Chapel Patio. Family services will be outside underneath a tent. There will be a dynamic teen service.  We have our High Holiday honors meeting coming up - if you are interested in receiving an honor this year, please email me and let me know the type of honor (Reading Torah or Haftorah, aliyah, ark opening, English reading).  We can't wait for people to be back in the building. 

2. Our Shabbat crowd is growing and is now significantly higher than the number of people joining us over zoom.  It has been lovely to see people in services and over kiddush. I want to reiterate my challenge that I gave earlier in the summer - want to read Torah or get involved? Now is a great opportunity. Email Hazzan Rosner (I can say that I have already read Torah twice - and I am not a strong reader, so come and join me).

3. I am excited because so many of you have already gotten in your membership forms. It truly helps us to plan the year. Thank you to everyone that has opted to becoming a Supporter or Patron. Thank you to everyone that cares enough about being a part of our community to ask for a dues adjustment or scholarship. And thank you to everyone that has opted to join us this year in any format.  Our members' commitment make us one of the strongest synagogues in our area. 

4. I am excited because I can hear the excitement in my colleagues' voices. Our Clergy, Hallie, Judith and Lisa are all cooking up some great initiatives for this coming year. Hearing them talk about our Adult Ed programs and school programs is (to use a word twice) really energizing.  We are blessed to have some incredible professionals on our staff. 

5. I am excited at the evolution that is going on in USY around the nation.  The older students being vaccinated is giving us some great opportunities for programming and activities this year. I am excited for us to bring back some of our youth and family programming this year. 

Not surprisingly, I could keep on listing items that are exciting me. There are many other events that I could have written about (Phillies game in August for one) or opportunities for the community to come together (Production of Midsummer's Night Dream). But I will leave it at 5 for this week. 

I will be away next weekend on vacation, so I will not be writing a check-in, but the synagogue is always open.  Please reach out to us if we can do anything for you. Have a great (two) weeks!

Ken
513 503 9559