This Coming Shabbat

Our Friday night service begins at 6:00 p.m. and concludes around 7:00 p.m. Join us on ZOOM and log in early to say hello. Our service includes Candle lighting for Shabbat, blessing one another, kiddush, motzei and angel cards as we prepare to move from the work week to Shabbat as a day of rest and reflection.

Reb Josh will lead the davening tonight. In my teaching we will think about slavery and
liberation. Does liberation happen suddenly or is it a gradual and slow process? Is liberation linear or are there moments of backsliding? How does the biblical model of passing through the wilderness inform current approaches to managing change and transition? We think about liberation as we approach the weekend when we celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Click here for Siddur for Kabbalat Shabbat​​​​​​ ​​​

During the holiday season, many of us have been with other family members and friends, we continue to hold in-person services in the Sanctuary. We advise wearing a mask and making sure you are current in your booster shots. If you are feeling sick, please stay at home, we will miss you.

This shabbat Reb Josh will lead the davening. Linda Dietrich will read torah in celebration of her special birthday. Marci Shaw will chant the haftorah.

What motivation does the Bible assign to Pharaoh in enslaving the Jewish people? How do these anxieties about foreigners play out in our day? We will look at an example of conflicting narratives about the Jewish people from 2,000 years ago: the Roman historian Tacitus gives an account of the Exodus from Egypt that references the information we know from the Bible but twists every detail in new directions. For example, Tacitus says that the Bible prohibits eating pork because of a special feeling of closeness Jews have for the pig! Is Tacitus an early example of “fake news” or do different observers always see the same facts in a different light?

Davening in the sanctuary begins at 10:00 a.m. and concludes around noon with kiddush luncheon. Join us for conversation, study and fellowship, or join us on-line.

My Winter Lunch and Learn continues this week at a new time: Wednesday at noon. New students are always welcome. In coming months we will explore texts on the building of community. What did the early rabbis teach about creating intimate Jewish communities in which the individual is nurtured and the communal is sustained. Class will be on Zoom.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Leonard Gordon

Simcha Shabbat - 1st Shabbat of each month. Share your family's celebratory moments with the congregation by helping sponsor kiddush. Join us for January!  More info

And we know that there are times when congregants and families simply want to sponsor kiddush outside of our monthly Simcha Shabbat. To acknowledge a special occasion, such as a yahrzeit or other important event, simply go to our  Donations webpage

Saturday, 10:00 AM: Shabbat Morning Services

Join us in person, if fully vaccinated; masking is optional but recommended;

and on these web/smart TV channel links.