Parashat Kedoshim (holy ones) Leviticus 19:1-20:27
HafTorah Amos 9:7-15
Dear congregants and friends,
I begin by thanking all who made our Yom HaShoah programming so meaningful, beginning with our service on Sunday which included the lighting of the Yom HaShoah memorial candle and the viewing of the inspirational short film Jack and Sam. For those unable to attend, you can view the film free of charge on You Tube at:
And for those who have already viewed the film, there is a 15-minute interview with the director Jordan Horowitz by executive producer, actress and comedian Sarah Silverman also freely accessible on You Tube at:
Also, thanks to those who attended the annual City of New Port Richey Yom HaShoah Proclamation on Tuesday. We are fortunate to live in a region which recognizes this solemn day and supports all of our efforts in bringing people of all backgrounds and faiths together in peace. My remarks are appended below, and we are displaying the proclamation in a prominent spot in the Spigelman Room.
With Yom HaShoah behind us, we now observe Yom HaZikaron (Israel's Memorial Day) and Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israel's Independence Day) in the week ahead. Check out the Jewish Federation of Florida's Gulf Coast website for information on the programming that will be taking place in our region.
During this Shabbat, we continue our reading of the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) with the portion of Kedoshim. In our reading, the Israelites are instructed to be holy. dozens of laws regulating all aspects of life are enumerated, including observing Shabbat, loving one’s neighbor, and leaving portions of a field for the poor. Our Haftorah of the week is from the Prophet Amos Chapter 9, Verses 7-15. Amos stresses that all races are dear to Hashem and that His special reslationship to Israel rests on moral and ehtical foundations. I look forward to seeing you this evening (Friday) at 7:30 pm and tomorrow morning (Saturday) at 9:30 am both in-person and virtually on Zoom.
Shabbat Shalom!
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader
Remarks made upon receiving the City of New Port Richey's Yom HaShoah Proclamation
Today, we remember the horrific tragedy and profound intergenerational loss experienced in the Holocaust and its aftermath. It is a testament to how we can recover from such a disaster that the City of New Port Richey is issuing this proclamation this day not only to remember what happened not so long ago, but to ensure that love and respect will conquer evil so prevalent in today’s world.
We in the Jewish community are well aware that we must strive to protect the gains we have made during better times in our history while we try to repair the world and make those gains available to all. Even though we entered the Promised Land immediately after Moses’s death, we were exiled from that land by foreign conquerors and have endured over 2,000 years of subjugation and anti-Semitism culminating in the Holocaust of which my own father was a survivor. Thus, it is not enough to gain freedom initially, but we must hold on to that freedom not only for ourselves but for all on earth.
We appreciate the opportunities and ideals embedded in our American society. However, we are living in a period where the discourse in our nation has descended into one that gives a platform for those who would divide us: citizen against immigrant, straight against gay, white against color, nationalism against globalism, religious beliefs pitted against each other and so forth. Wars, poverty, and climatic devastation abound throughout the globe. We can’t solve all of these tragedies on a global scale, but we can and will continue to set an example of tolerance, friendship, and sharing our cultural and religious heritages. It is incredible how our similarities far outweigh our differences and just by talking to one another and lending a listening ear, we take the first steps. On this Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) we must recommit ourselves to standing up to injustices whenever and wherever we see them and to practice the Hebrew concept of Tikkun Olam, the repair of the world so that generations of all faiths and nationalities can reach their own promised land. We must agree to disagree and fight the ideologies of bigotry and injustice rather than attacking those who hold differing views. All people on this earth deserve peace, love, safety, and respect. For the sake of all those who suffered and perished during the Holocaust and other holocausts as we speak, let their memories be an inspiration for all that we do during our own brief times on this good earth. Again, thanks to the City of New Port Richey for recognizing this important day.
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FRIDAY:
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Shabbat Service, Friday 05/10/2024 7:30 pm
Time: May 10, 2024 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
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SATURDAY:
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Saturday Service, 05/11/2024 9:30 am
Time: May 11, 2024 09:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
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