Shabbat Shalom ~ Bo 2021

Dear WJC Family,

It has been an emotional rollercoaster of few weeks. In the short period of time we have seen the worst and the best this country can be—from the seditious riots to at the Capitol to the inauguration this week in the very same place (which had me in unexpected tears). It has been a time to reflect on the power and importance of leaders, and how particularly in a democratic republic, those leaders represent and reflect the people they lead.

It is with that in mind that I hope you will take advantage of our programming on Sunday morning and Monday Night. Sunday morning we present Dawn Porter, director of the documentary feature, “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” who will be interviewed by WJC’s own Kostya Kennedy. This event is part of a series we are offering to help us explore issues of racial justice, leadership and Judaism deeply as a community—an important and relevant effort for this moment in history and a series of programming that many of you requested over the summer. We hope you’ll join us Sunday.

Then on Monday night we have special access to meet the newest leader of an institution that is near and dear to my heart, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS). JTS is the flagship institution of the Conservative Movement and all of our current clergy, along with Rabbi Segelman, graduated its Rabbinical or Cantorial Schools. This Monday night at 7:30pm JTS’s new Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz will sit in dialogue with the school’s new Vice Chancellor for Religious Life and Engagement, Rabbi Gordon Tucker. 

As a community we know Rabbi Gordon Tucker well from his years leading Temple Israel Center in White Plains and as our own Scholar in Residence a few years ago. You may not be as familiar with Chancellor Rubin Schwartz despite her more than 25 years of service to Conservative Judaism at JTS and the fact that she is the first woman to be elected to the prestigious position of Chancellor of JTS. She is a bright light to lead us into our shared future and this is our opportunity to witness an intimate conversation about topics including: building Jewish community and inspiring Jewish life, how we nurture Jewish community that is deep and lasting and how Jewish text and tradition offer meaning to modern Jews. This event requires pre-registration so please click here and register in advance.

Prior to those great programs we have an exciting Shabbat including a bar mitzvah on Saturday morning, so we will have a minyan and be able to do the full service including the Torah reading and those of you who would like to join a full minyan virtually to say kaddish will have one. First on Friday night Rabbi Dalton will lead Kabbalat Shabbat services solo from the sanctuary starting at 4:45pm. Saturday morning Cantor Goldberg will begin services solo at 9:15am and then we will begin the Torah service with a minyan at 10:00am. We will begin havdalah online at 5:50pm. To get an early Dvar Torah on Parshat Bo you can click on the video link below and watch my drash, “Generous Anger.”

See you online,