Shabbat Shalom GRJC

Weekly Emails to the Congregation

Parshat Haazinu 2008

Shabbat Shalom to the GRJC family,

We light Shabbat candles this week at 6:05 pm.  Friday evening services begin at 8 pm and Saturday morning services will begin at 9 am.  Alex Maiman will become a Bar Mitzvah this Shabbat.  The Maiman and Geffner-Atiya families invite the congregation to participate in services this Shabbat.

The fall holiday of Sukkot will begin on Monday evening.  The service for erev Sukkot begins at 8 pm in our Sanctuary.  Anyone who has ordered a lulav and etrog for the holidays may pick up their set at the Center between noon and the beginning of Sukkot on Monday.

We read this Shabbat from parshat Haazinu, the second to last Torah portion in the Five Books.  This portion is notable for its structure as we can see in the Torah scroll.  It is written in long thin columns since it is a poem and not a prose passage.

The central message God wants to convey is that God will always be with the people.  Even when the Israelites rebel or follow other gods, God will judge them and will always take them back in love and fight against Israel’s enemies.

Why does God present such a message as the Israelites stand across from the Holy Land waiting to enter?  One reason is God knows that the people will lose their leader, Moses, and God knows that the people need a strong leader.  Joshua is ready to take the helm but the people’s loyalty to him is yet to be tested.  Another reason is that although God has given the people the Torah and laws for guidance, they still have not yet lived as settled people in their own land.  Their own land is also a place in which there will be other peoples living there.  They have been living as a unit as they wandered in the desert and have not yet lived settled lives among foreign nations who worship other gods.

The underlying uncertainty that the Israelites face is parallel to the uncertainty that we face looking into the New Year.  We try to make ourselves ready for the New Year with prayer, forgiveness, teshuvah, tzedakah, and setting goals for ourselves.  However, perhaps we wonder if we will be able to achieve the goals, projects, and plans that we have made.  It is important for us to always remember that our ancestors also experienced this uncertainty about the future, and God’s eternal presence was a comfort to them.  God’s presence can be a comfort to us as well.  Another source of comfort is the opportunity to do things differently and better in this New Year.  The heavenly gates of compassion are still open for us!

Wishing everyone a happy New Year, and an early Chag Same’ach, Happy Holiday, for Sukkot,
Rabbi Tow

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Reminder… to Men’s Club volunteers in particular…The Congregation Sukkah will be erected this Sunday morning, October 12, at 9 am in the parking lot…bagels provided.

Also Sunday morning, October 12: Aleph and Bet Class Trip

Monday, October 13: No Hay Class…Erev Sukkot service 8pm in the Sanctuary.

Tuesday and Wednesday, October 14-15: Sukkot.  Office Closed. No Nursery/Religious School.

Tuesday through Friday, October 14-17, 7 am Sukkot service. 
Please try to attend at least one of these four services in observance of Sukkot.
Bring your own lulav and etrog, or shake one of the congregational sets available in the Sanctuary.  And bring or send your teens:  All Glen Rock Middle School / High School post-B’nai Mitzvah students attending any one of these morning services will receive a pass from Rabbi Tow to present to the attendance office upon arriving at school immediately after the conclusion of the Sukkot service (approximately 8:30 am).  The pass will be recognized as an excused reason for tardiness on that particular school day.

Tuesday, Oct 14, 11:30am -12:30pm  Lunch in the Sukkah  for students in kindergarten - 3rd grade (Kitah Achat, Kitah Shtaeem, and Aleph classes).  Maariv (evening service for Sukkot) 8 pm in the Sanctuary.

Wednesday, Oct 15, 7:30pm  Religious Communities of Glen Rock meeting in the GRJC Sukkah.

Thursday, October 16,
        9:45-10:30am: Fall session of Senior Aerobics begins.
        4:00 –6:00pm Hebrew School in the sukkah
        6:30pm Nursery School party for 3yr old
class families in the sukkah

Thursday, October 16:  Deadline for submissions for November GRJC Bulletin.

Sunday, October 19: Rosh Chodesh Women’s Group Celebrates Sukkot.  The Movie “Ushpizin” will be shown with discussion to follow. Bring something kosher (in a closed package) to eat and drink while you sit in the sukkah.  Significant others and guests (ushpizin) are welcome:  RSVP by Oct. 17 to Ornitmichael@yahoo.com.

No Mommy & Me sessions next week in observance of Sukkot.

  Back to Home