Keeping Connected   October 2019

Dear Friends,

Despite the cultural differences that exist among people, there are many things that are shared by all of humanity. One of these traits is the existential desire to understand the “Big Questions” of life: How did the universe come to be? How was humanity created? How did life begin? Why is there death? Why is there evil in the world? Although our conclusions may be different, and although our More

Keeping Connected  September 2019

Dear Friends,

I am a person who is very attuned to the seasons and right now, on this last day of August, I am keenly aware that autumn is edging closer. Although our garden still has many tomatoes, the sunflowers are finally blooming and the grass STILL needs to be cut, the evenings have a chill that says change is coming. Birds are stopping at our feeders more often trying to fatten up before their More

Keeping Connected  August 2019

Dear Friends,

When I was first studying to be a rabbi in the 80’s, the then president of the Reform Movement, Alexander Schindler, made a priority of creating a program of OUTREACH to those members of congregations and the general community at large, that were interested in learning more about Judaism, potentially converting as well as supporting interfaith families in our congregations. In More

Keeping Connected  July 2019

Dear Friends,

In the span of a year, there are many days that take on greater significance than their neighbors; some for Jewish reasons and some for secular. Jewishly, the days of Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and Passover, stand out from all the rest in the calendar as being important to the rhythms of Jewish life. For me personally, the awareness of their meaning and the practice of these holidays’ rituals adds a spiritual dimension to my life.  More

Keeping Connected  June 2019

Dear Friends,

It is with a great sense of humility and gratitude that I write to thank the entire Congregation Shalom community for the wonderful celebration of my 20-year tenure with the congregation. I am still feeling the glow and WOW of the evening! It was a beautiful event for everyone: wonderful music, story-telling, friendship, pictures, food, drink and more. The sanctuary and social hall were filled with flowers and smiling faces. The energy in the room was high and people loved being More

Keeping Connected    May 2019

What is a synagogue? A temple? The Temple? What was the Mishkan? What is a sanctuary? What is sacred space? What is sacred time? What is sacred? These are the types of questions that might be asked in a Jewish Trivial Pursuit game and they are questions that are being asked by members of our Mishkan Advisory Group. In the fall we shared with our members that the ritual committee had renamed itself the Mishkan Advisory Group. In thinking of our congregation as a mishkan, a place that holiness is present, our intent is to take a more holistic approach to spirituality, prayer, worship and ritual in our community than we have in the past.

At the end of March, the Mishkan Advisory Group held a moving holy book burial ceremony that involved our students and many members of our congregation. I would say that for those of us who were present, that experience felt like sacred time and the place that the books were buried, under the trees that were planted years ago by our students, will feel like a sacred place. I am sure that looking back on their religious school experiences, the students who participated will be sure to remember that day in their Jewish lives. Thank you to all who participated in helping to make that ritual a success: Lynne Rothstein, Mitch Hyatt, Josh Degen, Ethel Kamien and all the members of the committee. In the summer and fall, Linda Lischer will help us with plantings around where the books are buried so that this location will become a place that our members might want to visit for inspiration.More