Shabbat Shalom ~ Vaera 2026

Shalom WJC Family,

Winter has a way of changing how we move through the world. The days are shorter and colder, the nights are quieter, and much of life slows down. In that stillness, we can often notice things we miss the rest of the year – subtler sounds, quieter voices, deeper questions.

This week’s parsha, Va’era, opens with a moment like that. Before being rescued from slavery in Egypt, before miracles, before anything visibly changes, God says to Moshe: “Ani Shamati – I have heard.” In the Torah, “hearing” is never passive – we know this from the Shema, and the way we pause and focus as we say those words. “Hearing” is about paying attention, being in relationship, and taking reality seriously enough to be shaped by it. Long before redemption arrives, listening becomes a sacred act.

That posture – of making room, of slowing down enough to truly encounter one another – is something we strive to cultivate at WJC. It shows up at Shabbat tables, in our learning together across generations, and in our many conversations. Our synagogue is at its best when we approach one another as partners in a shared moral and spiritual journey.

In that spirit, I hope you’ll join us this evening for a beautiful Shabbat: our traditional service kicks things off at 4:30pm, followed by a soulful and participatory Rhythm and Ruach from 6-7pm, where we’ll hear kavannot from WJC members about their experiences with the Civil Rights Movement, our community dinner from 7-8pm (pre-registration required), and a meaningful gathering with Elder Mark McLean from Generations Church and the Inter-Religious Council of New Rochelle from 8-9pm.  We come together because we believe wisdom, faith, and insight are deepened through our relationships with one another, and because meaningful progress begins with attention and humility.

We hope you’ll join us for an evening of singing, learning, and connection.

Shabbat invites us to pause – to listen more deeply, to encounter one another with care, and to prepare ourselves to move forward together, even when the path ahead isn’t fully lit. We hope you’ll join us in that spirit in the days ahead.

See you in shul,

Rabbi Dalton