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3/23/20
As circumstances continue to change locally with the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to reassess the steps we are taking as a congregation to respond. In light of Judge Jenkins’ new order for people in Dallas County to shelter in place through at least April 3, we will no longer be able to have any congregants at all join us in person at Shabbat morning services at Shearith. However, in keeping with the order’s exception allowing congregational staff to live stream religious services to their communities, until further notice each Shabbat morning at 10:30 AM we will have one of our rabbis and Cantor Zhrebker conduct an abridged service, including a sermon from Beck Sanctuary which we will livestream via our website. We hope you will tune in with us as we celebrate Shabbat from a distance but absolutely together in spirit. Along those lines, if you missed Rabbi Roffman’s sermon from this past Shabbat (delivered by Rabbi Sunshine in his absence), you can read it HERE Click on the calendar below to see a full schedule of our virtual services, events, and classes for this upcoming week. And next week we’ll be rolling out Pesach content to help you get ready for the holiday and for your Seders. We hope you’ll “Go Live” with us whenever you can! Finally, if you have happy news or fun moments or laughs to share from these times stuck in your house, please share them with us by sending them to Julie Carpenter at communication@shearith.org . Please share your lighthearted and sweet tidbits for our Mazal Tovs and Now That's Good News! emails which we will send out every Friday to help lift our spirits as we enter into Shabbat. Stay safe and healthy everyone! Read more HERE |
3/19/20
In an abundance of caution we have made the decision to close our administrative offices and have our staff work from their homes. Our building will be open on Shabbat so we can gather an invited minyan of our Klei Kodesh and several community volunteers, and you can watch via our Livestream. While we will no longer be at the Shearith building during the work week, our Klei Kodesh and staff will still be here for you; assisting you, informing you, teaching you, and comforting you. Please feel free to reach out to any of us. You can find staff contact information HERE and Klei Kodesh contact information HERE. Read more HERE 3/17/20
Beginning today at 6 PM, we will convene a “virtual minyan” using Zoom so that those who are in mourning and observing a yahrtzeit can say Mourners’ Kaddish. Even in this digital age, our Conservative movement has held firm to the position that the definition of a minyan is ten Jews in the same room. However, Jewish law has always allowed for flexibility in extraordinary circumstances, or what the sages called “sha’at ha-d’chak.” Clearly we are living in a time of extraordinary challenge and, as we have already seen, creating virtual spaces to pray together, celebrate together, and mourn together has provided powerful spiritual medicine to many, just in these past three days. Read more HERE 3/13/20
When Torah teaches about the mitzvot, it commands us, “V’chai Bahem,” “and you shall live by them.” Given that we are living in extraordinary times, and acting out of a love for life and our fellow human beings, effective immediately we are making several significant changes to our normal flow of congregation life, as follows: All in-person scheduled religious services, events, and adult education and WFRS classes are being suspended until at least Sunday, March 29. This includes daily minyanim at 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM (and 8:30 AM on Sunday), Friday night services in the Fonberg Family Chapel and at Beit Aryeh at the Levine Academy, and public Shabbat morning services. Read more HERE |