Shabbat Shalom ~ Vayikra 2022

Dear WJC Family,

First of all, I hope you were able to be with us to celebrate the installation of Rabbi Dalton as our Assistant Rabbi on Sunday. What a great simcha to share and how blessed are we to have Rabbi Dalton’s wisdom, strength and kindness to guide us as a congregation. The ceremony was a beautiful reflection of who Rabbi Dalton is and what she brings to our community. Mazal tov to Rabbi Dalton and to us all and thank you to event chairs Lisa and Richard Zeitoun and Rachel and Scott Aronow. In case you missed it, you can watch the installation ceremony here. It is truly inspiring in many ways!

This coming week, I hope you will be in the sanctuary with me to share my first fully in-person Megillah Reading at WJC (crazy, I know.) We will read the Megillah Wednesday night starting at 7:30pm; costumes and good humor are encouraged, megillah readers, texts, and groggers will be provided by the congregation. The clergy is excited for you to see our costumes!

And don’t forget the other mitzvot of Purim: 

1. A Purim Seudah – Mordechai commanded that we share a festive meal on Purim. If you are a family with children, we invite you to share in the Seudah we are providing, along with entertainment and a mini-megillah reading at WJC at 4:00pm on Thursday. Of course, you can also make your own seudah anytime on Thursday.
2. Mishloach Manot – If you haven’t had the chance to reply to your personalized Shaloch Manot email from WJC and participate in our Teens Mitzvah Fund Raiser, it’s not too late—and this year some of the funds raised will go to benefit the need in Ukraine. You can also do this mitzvah by sending a gift basket to a neighbor with at least two kinds of food in it.
3. Matanot L’Evyonim – Tzedakah for the Poor, in Purim it is a mitzvah to give tzedakah. I suggest you use the opportunity provided by this mitzvah to participate in our Project Ezra Passover Drive by sending a check to our SOJAC committee so that the seniors served by Project Ezra can have a kosher and zissen Pesach. Of course, you could also send a gift to any of the organizations we have recommended helping with aid in Ukraine as well.

We have a Shabbat full of celebration this week (what mazal!) We’ll be celebrating two b’nai mitzvah this Shabbat, morning and afternoon, as well as a New Member Shabbat Dinner on Friday night! Friday night services will be at 5:00pm and will include instruments for Kabbalat Shabbat, before Shabbat has technically started. Also, our congregational Shabbat mincha will be held in the Youth Lounge at 5:45pm on Saturday. If you would like to join on the live stream, you can do so and will virtually join the bar mitzvah in the sanctuary, which will also include an opportunity to recite the Mourner’s Kaddish.

See you in shul,