Shabbat Shalom ~ Ki Tavo 2024

Shalom WJC Family,

I love September. Even as we prepare for a reset on our life paths during the High Holidays, we witness a revivification in the halls of the shul. Don’t get me wrong. Summer at WJC is amazing, much thanks to Cindy Heller and Amy Bennett who coordinate an remarkably deep bench of prayer leading, chanting, and speaking volunteers. Summer services are a very special part of who we are.

Still though, last Sunday morning as the halls of the school wing filled with giggles and shouts of children in religious school I felt a different sort of uplift. Doing Shabbat Community Gathering on Friday morning with our ECC kids for the first time in months was invigorating for the whole clergy team and seemed like a lot of fun for the kids too. Having hundreds of people in the shul Friday night for our PreSchool Shabbat/Friday night dinner/Rhythm & Ruach service followed by an amazing panel of contributors to the collection On Being Jewish Now with the work’s editor Zibby Owens was nothing short of inspiring (much thanks to the WJC Sisterhood for making the program possible). Spring may be the season of rebirth in nature, but Autumn is the time of renewal in synagogue and I love it.

Speaking of renewal, we are excited to have the Renewal Service returning on Sunday night at 7 in the Activity Center. This service is a highlight of spirituality and healing brought to us almost exclusively by our incredibly talented volunteers. I am particularly looking forward to hearing Danielle Seltzer’s “kavanah” about our trip to Krakow and Auschwitz this summer when we and 28 others participated in The Ride for the Living.

And I am excited for Shabbat too, as last week we restarted our Saturday Morning Torah learning at 8:30am on Saturday. In honor of the season we are doing some very interesting learning about the challenges of granting forgiveness featuring the teachings of Emmanuel Levinas. Saturday morning will also be the return of the Simple & Soulful Service in the chapel led by Cantor Goldberg and Rabbi Dalton. Then Saturday afternoon I will be teaching at the mincha service in honor of Liri Albag, held hostage in Gaza for 350 days, as we have adopted the custom of dedicating our Shabbat afternoon learning to one of the hostages held in Gaza, may she come home soon.

May this season of renewal bring rejuvenation to you and yours and…

See you in shul,