This sermon was given on Erev Yom Kippur by Rabbis Sunshine, Roffman & Wallach On Erev Yom Kippur, our prayers begin to slip the earthly bonds of gravity. By the conclusion of this most sacred day, they are propelled straight through the gates of heaven. And what guides their way? A ladder. Ya’ale tachanuneinu me’erv, v’yavo shavatenu mi’boker, v’yera’eh rinuneinu ad e’rev.
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This summer, Adam and I went to see the new documentary on Mr. Rogers: Won’t you be my neighbor? If you’re not familiar with Mr. Rogers, he was the creator, writer, and producer of the magical television show Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood that he introduced to his local TV station as a countercultural gesture in contrast to the cartoonishly violent, fast-paced children’s shows available at the time. by Rabbi Ari Sunshine and the Klei Kodesh As we reconvene in these coming days and weeks, we want to share with you a few important changes in our ritual life that you will notice when you come to shul. Our first core value in our new vision statement is that we are a caring community—one that is inclusive, warm, and welcoming to members and guests. We believe that each of these changes will help ensure that each soul who walks into our building, and participates in the life of our community, can see themselves represented in our rituals and liturgy. We also believe that these new initiatives will make our services more accessible and inviting, building and strengthening connections between each of us and our tradition and between us and our fellow congregants. By Shira Wallach I always hold my breath these days when I see Israel playing on the world stage. I worry that her actions will be taken out of context, or that I’ll see evidence of growing anti-Israel sentiment coloring the media’s ability to report objectively. And then, I’ll worry about the backlash among fringe groups, which then re-awakens those all over the world who need very little cause to smear Israel. By Shira Wallach “I hear God’s voice by simply closing my eyes and concentrating on God. It is very simple, but I can hear God very clearly.” “I believe I can hear God’s voice when I might feel upset and down. Maybe something is going on in my life and I just need some advice. Right then, God will call out to me and will lead me on the right track. A voice inside of me tells me what to do. That is when I know I am hearing God’s voice.”
On Monday, Rabbi Roffman and I had the great privilege of addressing the middle school students at Levine Academy as part of their exploration of Jewish values and sexuality. This is the second year running that we’ve led conversations about what Judaism tells us about how to approach our relationships with other people—whether romantic or platonic—and how we regard the holiness of each person. Reflections compiled by Rabbi Shira Wallach
Karina Zilberman’s visit to Dallas sparked important conversations. Through many different presentations of the Shababa Approach, she helped us think about how we can embrace and celebrate the wonder and connection in each moment. In the March edition of the Shofar, you’ll see several reflections of the weekend; here is a taste! Enjoy and Shabbat shalom. |
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April 2023
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