Shabbat Shalom ~ Noah and Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan 2024

Dear WJC Family,

Chodesh Tov! Today is the first day of a two-day Rosh Chodesh celebration that we will continue celebrating on Shabbat. The new month is Marcheshvan, or is it Mar Cheshvan? Or just Cheshvan? You might see any one of these, so why the discrepancy and does it matter? Find out more in this week’s Torah Talk video by clicking the link below.

In the meantime it is also a new month on the secular calendar, November, and that means Tuesday is Election Day. First of all, vote, it’s a mitzvah! As German Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch wrote in his “19 Letters” published in 1836:

To be pushed back and limited upon the path of life is, therefore, not an essential condition of the exile, but, on the contrary, it is our duty to join ourselves as closely as possible to the state which receives us into its midst, to promote its welfare and not to consider our well-being as in any way separate from that of the state to which we belong.

In other words, if we have a right to a say in the nation’s path forward, it is our duty to exercise that right!

Second of all, I know that this particular election, along with the intense and challenging moment we are living in, is causing many people to feel high levels of anxiety. That is why, whatever the result of the election (which we may not know for days following the election), on Wednesday the 6th we will hold a special Post-Election Service after the regular evening service. At the service we will share various readings to celebrate our participation in democracy as well as prayers for the country and for peace. The service begins at 7:30pm in the chapel and I hope you will join us.

Additionally, on Wednesday and Thursday following the election, the clergy has intentionally left some openings in our calendars for anyone who wants to talk. Please just call or email to set up a time to meet with one of us.

And to lighten the mood, Laughter is the Best Medicine, so please join us for an evening of comedy with Israeli comedian Joel Chasnoff. It should be a fun night to be together, laugh together, and enjoy some snacks and beverages together. To register and purchase tickets, click here. Joel is also a master educator and on Sunday morning will be teaching about his book, Israel 201 with An Up Close Look at what it’s Really Like to be an Israel Today. All are welcome for brunch and this talk.

One more important item of note – as I mentioned at the top, the arrival of our guests from Kibbutz Reim is fast-approaching! There are several events where congregants can spend time with the group. A comprehensive list of these events, can be found here, but I want to highlight our Community Shabbat Dinner with Guest Families from Kibbutz Re’im. Don’t forget to register!

Also, you can imagine the cost of the plane tickets alone to bring all 46 family members from Israel. So, we are still raising funds for the mission. You can donate directly by clicking here. If everyone who reads this gives something, we will be very close to our goal. Thank you in advance for helping us share in what promises to be a very special and unforgettable week for these heroes and their families and for WJC.

There are so many exciting things going on here! And before it all, this Shabbat is pretty packed too. We will celebrate the bar mitzvah of Josh Smith along with Rosh Chodesh on Saturday morning and the b’nai mitzvah or Thora and Waverly Treiber at the minchah afternoon service. Mazal tov to all their parents! Saturday morning we will also host Shabbat Yoga, Shabbat morning 101, and Religious School Shabbat!

See you in shul,