Shabbat Shalom GRJC

Weekly Emails to the Congregation

Parshat Nitzavim 2008

Shabbat Shalom to the GRJC family,

We light our Shabbat candles this week at 6:28 pm.  Friday evening services will begin at 8 pm, and Saturday morning services will begin at 9 am.  Joshua D’Amato will become a Bar Mitzvah this Shabbat.  The D’Amato family welcomes the entire congregation to participate in services.

We also will celebrate this Shabbat the baby naming of Avery Grace Schwartz, daughter of Jodie and Eric Schwartz, one of our Nursery School families.

Rosh Hashanah, the New Year of 5769, will begin Monday evening.  We will light candles on Monday at 6:23 pm.  Erev Rosh Hashanah services will begin at 8 pm on Monday.  Rosh Hashanah morning services will begin at 8:45 am Tuesday morning.

On this last Shabbat before the New Year, the Torah reading, parshat Nitzavim, has us all standing together, united, as we prepare to cross the Jordan River and enter the Holy Land.  The Torah teaches us, “You who are standing before God today and all those who are not here with us this day,” we all will be a part of the covenant.  This covenant means for us that Ado-nai will be our God and we will be God’s people.

What does it mean though when it says, “All those who are not here with us this day.”?  Rashi (1040-1105) suggests that “all those” are the future generations of the people of Israel.  Most commentators agree with this understanding, but Ibn Ezra (1092-1167) adds a variation and more subtlety to Rashi’s explanation.  He argues that, despite a Rabbinic story that suggests otherwise, the souls of all future generations were not there at that moment to hear the announcement of this covenant.

The impact of Ibn Ezra’s statement is that it is up to us to maintain and pass on the covenant.  We cannot rest on the idea that somehow the relationship between God and the people of Israel has been programmed into all souls that will ever walk this earth.  Instead, we must make an effort to reaffirm this covenant ourselves and then share it with future generations.

Rosh Hashanah is an opportunity for us to reaffirm that commitment.  In the New Year there are so many ways that we can reconnect to the covenant and the dynamic life of the Jewish people that exists as a result of it.  Here are just a few ideas of how we can move forward in this spirit:

-Deepen our Jewish education through classes, reading, and discussions.
-Encourage our students to pursue continuing Jewish education and growth after Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
-Work on a tzedakah project as an individual or as a family.  Talk about the values of tzedakah (righteousness and justice) and tikkun olam (repairing our imperfect world.)
-Offer blessings to children and to one another on a regular basis.
-Take time to think, write, or discuss our relationship to God, with all our feelings, doubts, and struggles.
-Learn some new Jewish songs.  Play Jewish music in the house and in the car.
-Experiment with praying straight from the heart…

What are some other creative ways that we can reconnect to God and Jewish tradition in this New Year of 5769?  How can the various technologies that we use at work and at home help us to make or strengthen these connections?  Please email me with any suggestions you may have:  rabbi@grjc.org.


HIGH HOLIDAY TICKETS:  High Holiday Guest tickets for family members may still be purchased and/or picked-up at the GRJC Friday, 9am – 2pm, and Sunday, 10am - noon.

GRJC OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. Nursery School will be dismissed at 11:30 that day.  No Hay Class that afternoon.

Tashlich will be done at the County Park Duck Pond on the first day of Rosh HaShanah at 5:00pm, Tuesday, Sept 30.  Meet us there or walk with us from the GRJC at 4:30pm.  Open to the Community.

Please consult the back of your tickets, the schedule sent in your High Holiday mailing, or the calendar on the inside back page of the September GRJC Bulletin for days and times of all Rosh HaShanah services and events.

The New Year’s first Tot Shabbat (with Jill Gurian, in the Social Hall) and Shabbat Sheli (with Rabbi Tow in the sanctuary) will be held 6:30pm, Friday, Oct 3.

Young Families Pizza and Puzzle Night, Sunday, Oct. 5, 5-7pm.  We have 27 families registered for this event!



With blessings for a Shabbat of peace and rest, and a happy and healthy New Year,
Rabbi Tow

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