Synagogue Updates

Whooo!

Ok, got that out of the way. There is a feeling of joy that has been running through the synagogue the past few days as we all begin to think about the possibilities of the future. However, I don’t want any of us to miss the great things going on right now – and I assure you, our calendar is filled with great things.

Depending on when you are reading this, there is a fascinating zoom going on right now (9:45am on Sunday morning) with an E-Jewish school in Poland.  click here to join  | Meeting ID: 840 2551 5571 | Passcode: Amida 

Later on this week, we have Sisterhood Game Night and  a program featuring Chani from the Friendship Circle in honor of Jewish Disabilities Awareness and Inclusion Month.

Next week, there is World Wide Wrap and Silver Circle Brunch, the start of our Scholar in Residence Series. The weekend following, we have our Adult Retreat – there is still time to sign up.

All of this, just in the next two weeks. Looking ahead, we have Purim, Passover and a whole host of other great programs and opportunities. Even while we plan for the future, there are great things going on today.

As a part of our planning for this year, the following committees have met in the past two weeks (and this is just off of the top of my head): Budget, Gala honoring Rabbi and Lori Cooper, Membership, Hesed Roundtable, Religious School, Security.  Would you like to be on a committee or help plan an event? Reach out to Hallie or myself. Our community thrives because of its active congregants.

I have occasionally posted a link to a friend and old colleague’s blog in Baltimore. This week, she writes  about the importance of a village and communal ties. In many ways, I think this is a great description of the type of community we have and are trying to foster. I mentioned the Hesed Roundtable above – this is a group of representatives of our various Hesed projects coming together each week just to make sure we are all on the same page. I want to stress, if you have an issue or need support from our community, please reach out – you can reach out to our clergy, to Hallie or myself, to the Havurah Hesed group, to Mindy Oppenheimer. Please let us know so that we can help you. Would you like to be involved in our Hesed work and providing support to others? We need you as well!

Just for an interesting conversation – as you might be aware, this is the shmita year. One of the traditional aspects of the shmita year is debt relief. A podcast I was listening to recently talked about groups coming together from Jewish communities to make donations to work to relieve medical debt. Would you be interested in our community doing something like this?

Wishing you a great week!

Ken

p.s. While I don’t want these emails to focus on my kippah wearing – I do want to thank those that have reached out with support and also recognize an interesting comment that I heard a few times. Since I am wearing the kippah from a peoplehood reason more than a religious one at the moment, there is not a widespread, similar option for women. It is an important fact to recognize and own.  While it was not a surprise when someone pointed it out, it was also not something that I was readily aware of. I think it is always important for us to try to recognize our own blinders, so thank you to those that shared that with me as well.