Synagogue Updates

Happy Sunday!

First some logistics: High Holiday Tickets will be mailed at the end of this week/beginning of next week. There will be only one type of ticket for everyone attending (in the past, there were youth and guests and adults, etc) Tickets will be required for all indoor and outdoor services and will be mailed to those eligible members who have made payments on their account (if you have any questions, email me). There will be a much larger high holiday update with expanded service times, opportunities, and links next week, as you know, we are planning for multple styles of services from outdoor family services, online viewing, inperson outdoor viewing and our traditional main sanctuary and led led services. 

Since my last email, I have gotten a few other requests for rides for our community. If you are willing to offer rides when you are available, please email me and I will create a separate email list. There are many in our community that can use your help. 

A friend and colleague just shared a post this morning about inaction: 
https://jvcbaltimore.org/executive-directors-blog/?fbclid=IwAR2-fVGGw35AmDQq5InJybCOv1ushDe0lfkEP6c2JwllYB4Uqb2hp_3GKaQ

Besides the awesomeness that she quotes Star Trek (the next generation), this post times well with a book I am reading - God for Grownups. While I am early on in the book, one of the themes that looks to be central is that a God that actively intervenes takes away our reason as individuals to act and make a difference in the lives of others. If God will automatically save those that are good or worthy, we can relax and focus only on ourselves. Unfortunately, we see a version of this reliance on God in people that claim they don't need to wear a mask or get vaccinated because God will protect them. To that point, I am also reminded of a great story that I am including at the end of this email.

Our tradition, though, tells us that it is incumbent on us to take care of one another. We must consider how and where we can act to improve the lives of others. This has been a theme in our surveys of where people want to have an impact (thank you to everyone that has filled them out, we are actively using them as we plan the year and are getting ready to be in contact on some of the more popular issues) - and it has been a theme in some of our kindness initiatives.

Lower Merion School District just hired a new Superintendent. In his last district, he released an incredible video for the start of the 2020-21 school year. It ties so well into the theme of taking care of one another that I had to share.  

A few upcoming programmatic highlights:

• Learn to Blow the Shofar - Sunday, August 29
• Not Sho-Far Away: Shofar Blowing in the Neighborhoods: We will visit parks to blow the shofar next week. It was a great hit last year and we hope you will join us (looking to even have a visit from Winnie the Pooh to give out honeysticks at at least one of them)
• Interested in blowing shofar as a part of our Shofar Relay with Adath Israel on the first day of Rosh Hashanah? Please let me know. The relay will be at 4:30pm. 
• Interested in helping with our Reverse Tashlich program on September 12th? Please let me know as well. 

We are actively sprinting to the High Holidays in a world that is changing rapidly. Thank you to everyone for your patience and kindness to the office, our teachers and our clergy. Your support of our staff has been greatly appreciated.  I will be away from the office this week, but will be checking in on email each day while still working on our logistics. Email is the best way to reach me. 

Wishing you a great week and a meaningful time of reflection as we get closer to the holidays!

Ken

The Drowning Man:

A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help.

Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, "Jump in, I can save you."
The stranded fellow shouted back, "No, it's OK, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me."

So the rowboat went on.

Then a motorboat came by. "The fellow in the motorboat shouted, "Jump in, I can save you."
To this the stranded man said, "No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith."

So the motorboat went on.

Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, "Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety."
To this the stranded man again replied, "No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith."

So the helicopter reluctantly flew away.

Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, "I had faith in you but you didn't save me, you let me drown. I don't understand why!"

To this God replied, "I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?"