Shabbat Shalom ~ Shabbat Passover 2021

Dear WJC Family,

Just a short note midholiday to wish you all a Moadim L’Simcha (the greeting for the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot). I hope you had a wonderful start to the holiday with meaningful seders. As we come to the end of the holiday, I’d like to remind you that we have special services this Saturday and Sunday (Yizkor) morning. Saturday starting at 9:15am we have Shabbat services including the chanting by Hazzan Ellen Arad and Cantor Goldberg of a section of the megilah traditionally read on the Shabbat of Passover, “The Song of Songs.” Also, on Saturday the sermon will be delivered by our own president, Seth Schafler, who customarily delivers a Dvar Torah on the Shabbat of Passover in memory of his parents, especially his father Rabbi Sam Schafler whose Yortzeit was yesterday.

Then on Sunday we will hold services in honor of the eighth and last day of Passover. The services will start with a minyan at 10:00am and continue with the Yizkor Memorial Prayers around 10:45am. Perhaps it is the seder traditions or the memories of family gatherings past, but there is something about Passover that connects us to past generations like few other holidays. We recite the Yizkor prayers four times every year, but because of the nostalgia and spiritual connections brought on by this holiday, the Passover recitation is one of the most poignant. It is not too late to sign up to come in person (by Friday at 1:00pm) if you are comfortable doing so or if not, I hope you will join us on the live stream.

We will also have a brief service on Friday evening at 6pm. We are only doing Kabbalat Shabbat on Zoom so it’s relatively short and I will deliver a regular Friday night drasha. There will be no service on Saturday night but we will gather on Zoom for havdalah on Sunday night at 8:05pm.

See you in shul or online,