Shabbat Shalom ~ Shoftim 2025

Shalom WJC Family,

This week our eyes turned towards Minneapolis and the horror of another school shooting. My heart goes out to the community of the Annunciation Catholic School. Today we are bound together, children of God crouched in fear of the violence around us. We pray that the words of the prophet Isaiah expressed in this week’s haftarah reading come to fruition speedily:

 

For you will not depart in haste,

Nor will you leave in flight;

For GOD is marching before you,

The God of Israel is your rear guard.

 

Amidst the chaos, we continue to work at the constant task of weaving a community of meaning and purpose to support us and our families, to raise us up. One way that we do this is through our culture of volunteering, both supporting each other through synagogue events and also on behalf of others through our SOJAC (Social Justice/Social Action) Committee. SOJAC continues to be involved in a plethora of good works throughout the year, cultivating partnerships with organizations like the Community Resource Center, the Red Cross Blood Donation Centers, Project Ezra, and more. We are looking for more SOJAC volunteers to help us explore new possible projects and build up our mitzvah manpower.

Do you have causes you are passionate about that could fit under the SOJAC umbrella? Do you have a creative idea for how to support a cause? Please let me know your interest and we can connect you with the committee and get the ball rolling on some exciting new mitzvahs.

I’ll give you an example – I am on a bit of an exercise kick. As many of you know, the synagogue has supported the JCC Krakow’s 60-mile bicycle ride fundraiser, “The Ride for the Living,” two years in a row. I’d like to expand that sort of effort with a SOJAC subcommittee called “WJC Mitzvahs in Motion.” Mitzvah’s in Motion would enter teams in events like 5k runs and charity bike rides to support worthy causes. We will use our passion for exercise to raise money and awareness for these important events, and just think of the cool Mitzvahs in Motion swag we can wear at events! Interested in helping me get this started or in participating? Let me know!

Last week I shared a new addition to our efforts for making synagogue a welcoming and inclusive experience, the inductive loop and T mode for hearing aids to make it easier to hear. This week I am excited to share another new component of our effort to support a diverse community in many ways – introducing the Sanctuary Book Cart. Okay, a book cart may not sound like much, but this one sits in the back of the sanctuary every Saturday morning and has a variety of siddurim (prayer books), Chumashim (Torah commentaries), and other books for people to use during the service. These editions cover a wide range of interests, formats, and backgrounds, meant to help make the sanctuary experience meaningful, memorable, and moving for everyone. We hope this Shabbat you will give the cart a perusal and perhaps pick a new version to follow along. Who knows what you may discover! Thank you to Eliana Tretiak, the cantor, and the Spiritual Life Committee for their efforts to support this project and get the cart loaded with the right books.

See you in shul,

RJA