What's Happening at Beth El
| Fri Sep 03 24th of Elul, 5770 |
| Fri Sep 03 @06:30PM Kabbalat Shabbat |
| Fri Sep 03 @07:06PM Candle lighting |
| Greetings from President Hy Pomerance |
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from the September - October Bulletin...
This year my goals are mainly focused around a theme of engagement. I want to reawaken feelings of commitment and engagement at Beth El, from inside and from outside our community, and I hope to remind all of Beth El what it means to be a part of this family. When we joined Beth El, all of us made a covenant, or a promise, with ourselves to stay active and engaged with the rest of the community. I want everyone to become more involved and feel more engaged with Beth El now and in the future, no matter if you are a long time member, a new member or just ready to celebrate your Bat or Bar-Mitzvah.
There are four major reasons that Beth El members have gotten involved and can continue to get more involved with Beth El, and they coincide nicely with the four themes of Rosh Hashanah. Coincidence? I think not…
While Rosh Hashanah is, as Ilan reminded me, MORE than just the Jewish New Year, the FIRST of the four meanings of Rosh Hashanah is actually “New Year”, or rather, “The beginning of the Jewish life cycle”. When I think about this interpretation of Rosh Hashanah, I think of it being not the one that connects to the most obvious reason that people join a synagogue: for major life events. When a child enters pre-school, when a child becomes Bar or Bat-Mitzvah, when a couple wants to get married, when a baby is born, when a loved one passes away – these are all major life events that drive a Jewish family to become part of a synagogue community, so that they can plan and celebrate these events with family, friends, and congregants.
Rosh Hashanah is a major holiday in the Jewish calendar, and it marks the beginning of a new cycle of B’nai Mitzvah (of which we have many planned this year), marriages and funerals. We should all remember why we are here right now – partly to celebrate this important holiday, but partly because we belong to this Jewish Community and look to it as a stage, or bima, to play out the most meaningful moments in our lives. If we stay engaged with such a community, then the events and the people we care about will be celebrated and recognized that much more meaningfully.
The second meaning of Rosh Hashanah, is the “day of remembrance”. To me, “day of remembrance” means a day when we remember our sins, but also remember the good deeds, the mitzvot, that others have done for us. We should remember our neighbors, our families, and we should remember Israel. Again, it connects us to one of the major incentives that someone has to join a synagogue: to do good, to help others, and to learn about and give aid to Israel. Here at Beth El, we make community service a very important part of our mission and I hope I am able to encourage everyone to seek ways to engage in Tikun Olam perhaps through our own Social Action committee led by Alison Pogany and Melissa Marlowe.
The third meaning of Rosh Hashanah is “the day of self judgment”, which, contrary to popular belief, actually has little to do with the judgment given on Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, we are judged by G-d, but on Rosh Hashanah we are judged by ourselves. I feel this connects to another major reason Jews join synagogues: for spirituality and prayer. And judgment isn’t always a negative thing – inner judgment of oneself, for me, has always been more like a personal reflection period. Spiritual discovery and seeking inner peace in the sanctuary are two ways in which I believe we all can connect with G-d – and that is why commitment and engagement with services and service functions, like regular Shabbat Kiddush, the Friday night dinners, and rich holiday programs, are all so important. They encourage everyone to judge him or herself a little bit more fully.
Finally, Rosh Hashanah is the “day of Shofar”, the day in which we are able to take part in an ancient and celebrated Jewish tradition that not only welcomes the New Year, but unites Jews all over the world. The Shofar itself is, of course, a ram’s horn and this artifact teaches us a lot about Jewish history and what life was like in the day of Abraham and Moses, when tools and instruments were made of natural substances like animal horns and bones. This is why Shofar connects to the fourth and final reason why Jews join a synagogue, and that is to educate themselves and their children about Jewish history and Torah. Just like the Shofar teaches us about the history of Rosh Hashanah and the Jewish people of ancient days, so do synagogue programs such as the religious school, our preschool and Tot and Junior congregation services teach our children about other Jewish customs, holidays and stories. There is great value to be found in engaging as adults in the educational programs available at Beth El: learning through Rabbi Fish’s offerings of Adult education, Rabbi Liz’s Navasky school programs and the fun Tot and family shabbatot run by our incredibly energetic staff organized by Shari Davidson, our VP of Education. And I would be remiss if I did not mention the learning that goes on every Shabbat morning during services throughout the year. As the Shofar brings us together for prayer, the educational opportunities at Beth El can bring us together to explore and embrace the richness of Jewish learning.
I now have a more complex appreciation of the Jewish New Year. It serves as a reminder of the many reasons we have to engage ourselves in our Beth El community. Let this building be your resource for honoring life events, contemplating ways to do mitzvot, availing yourself of educational opportunities and providing a spiritual home for contemplation and prayer.
L’Shanah Tovah – may you all enjoy a healthy, safe and happy new year.
Hy
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Congregation Beth El of Norwalk, CT is affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.