Weekly Message 09.11.2026 ROSH HASHANAH
Dear friends,
Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days are upon us! Thanks to all who helped to prepare the sanctuary with our white Torah and Bimah covers and replacing our Shabbat Siddurim with the High Holy Day Machzorim. And thanks to all who participated in our social hour, Havdalah, and Selichot prayers and to Aileen who provided the meal and Eileen who works tirelessly to make it all happen! And blessings to all who attended the cemetery visitations on Sunday. We had a minyan at both Beit Olam and Grace Memorial and thanks to the staff of Grace Memorial for providing water and snacks and to Janet for arranging it! And finally thanks to those who attended the interfaith gathering for the "worldwide day of prayer" on Thursday at Unity in Lutz!
And now this Shabbat (tonight/tomorrow) and Sunday, we begin our journey through the Holy Days. As we embark on this holiest time of year, we take stock of ourselves and Hashem's love for humanity as our true leader. We chant the Malchuyot (Hashem's kingship), Zichronot (memory) and Shofarot (revelation) verses and on Sunday, will hear the blast and clarion call of the Shofar. in the Torah, Hashem's love is expressed through giving us the means (the heart and the mind) to make our lives whole and our community a better place as we are all made in Hashem's image. Thus, we are all in our spiritual nature, akin to Hashem. And love is exhibited through concrete actions such as aiding the vulnerable, caring for the stranger as well as the neighbor.
It is said that we are judged during this period of reflection and penitence, but in essence it is we who judge ourselves. Did we live up to our potential to be kind to others, to lift-up the needy and accept the stranger? Did we strive for peace? Peace among family members, community members, and nations? Did we call or visit and comfort those less fortunate—the sick, the elderly, and those who are lonely and isolated? During these days of awe, we remember that we are humans and part of the long chain of humanity that transcends our own lives and binds us together with all those who came before us and those who will follow l'dor v dor, from generation to generation.
I am looking forward to greeting you and spending this holy time with you beginning with this evening at 6:30 pm when we will have a short Shabbat/Rosh Hashanah service followed by a "bring a dish" dinner as we celebrate the holiday together. Then tomorrow (Saturday) morning we have services at 9:30 am and then again at 6:30 pm. Our Torah reading is from the Book of Genesis (Bereshit) chapter 21 including the birth of Isaac and our Haftorah from the Prophet Shmuel (Samuel) 1:1-2:10 contains the beautiful and inspirational story of Hannah who having miraculously conceived and given birth in her older age, provides us with this powerful prayer:
וַתִּתְפַּלֵּ֤ל חַנָּה֙ וַתֹּאמַ֔ר עָלַ֤ץ לִבִּי֙ בַּֽיהֹוָ֔ה רָ֥מָה קַרְנִ֖י בַּֽיהֹוָ֑ה רָ֤חַב פִּי֙ עַל־א֣וֹיְבַ֔י כִּ֥י שָׂמַ֖חְתִּי בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃
And Hannah prayed:
My heart exults in Hashem
I have triumphed through Hashem
אֵין־קָד֥וֹשׁ כַּיהֹוָ֖ה כִּ֣י אֵ֣ין בִּלְתֶּ֑ךָ וְאֵ֥ין צ֖וּר כֵּאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
There is no holy one like Hashem
Truly, there is none beside You;
There is no rock like our God.
אַל־תַּרְבּ֤וּ תְדַבְּרוּ֙ גְּבֹהָ֣ה גְבֹהָ֔ה יֵצֵ֥א עָתָ֖ק מִפִּיכֶ֑ם כִּ֣י אֵ֤ל דֵּעוֹת֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה (ולא) [וְל֥וֹ] נִתְכְּנ֖וּ עֲלִלֽוֹת׃
Talk no more with lofty pride,
Let no arrogance cross your lips!
For the Eternal
is an all-knowing diety,
By whom actions are measured.
קֶ֥שֶׁת גִּבֹּרִ֖ים חַתִּ֑ים וְנִכְשָׁלִ֖ים אָ֥זְרוּ חָֽיִל׃
The bows of the mighty are broken,
And the faltering are girded with strength.
שְׂבֵעִ֤ים בַּלֶּ֙חֶם֙ נִשְׂכָּ֔רוּ וּרְעֵבִ֖ים חָדֵ֑לּוּ עַד־עֲקָרָה֙ יָלְדָ֣ה שִׁבְעָ֔ה וְרַבַּ֥ת בָּנִ֖ים אֻמְלָֽלָה׃
The sated are hired out for bread;
The starving hunger no more.
While the infertile woman bears seven,
The mother of many is forlorn.
יְהֹוָ֖ה מֵמִ֣ית וּמְחַיֶּ֑ה מוֹרִ֥יד שְׁא֖וֹל וַיָּֽעַל׃
Hashem casts down and raises up.
יְהֹוָ֖ה מוֹרִ֣ישׁ וּמַעֲשִׁ֑יר מַשְׁפִּ֖יל אַף־מְרוֹמֵֽם׃
Hashem makes poor and makes rich,
מֵקִ֨ים מֵעָפָ֜ר דָּ֗ל מֵֽאַשְׁפֹּת֙ יָרִ֣ים אֶבְי֔וֹן לְהוֹשִׁיב֙ עִם־נְדִיבִ֔ים וְכִסֵּ֥א כָב֖וֹד יַנְחִלֵ֑ם כִּ֤י לַֽיהֹוָה֙ מְצֻ֣קֵי אֶ֔רֶץ וַיָּ֥שֶׁת עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם תֵּבֵֽל׃
Raising the poor from the dust,
Lifting up the needy from the dunghill,
To set them with nobles,
Granting them seats of honor.
For the pillars of the earth belong to Hashem,
Who has set the world upon them.
And on Sunday, we have our services at 9:30 am. Our Torah reading from the Book of Genesis (Bereshit) chapter 22 includes the binding of Isaac. The Haftorah from the Prophet Jeremiah 31:1-19 concludes with the comforting words to Ephraim:
הֲבֵן֩ יַקִּ֨יר לִ֜י אֶפְרַ֗יִם אִ֚ם יֶ֣לֶד שַׁעֲשֻׁעִ֔ים כִּֽי־מִדֵּ֤י דַבְּרִי֙ בּ֔וֹ זָכֹ֥ר אֶזְכְּרֶ֖נּוּ ע֑וֹד עַל־כֵּ֗ן הָמ֤וּ מֵעַי֙ ל֔וֹ רַחֵ֥ם אֲֽרַחֲמֶ֖נּוּ נְאֻם יְיְהֹוָֽה׃
"Is not Ephraim not My precious son, My darling child? Even when I speak against him I remember him with affection. Therefore, My heart yearns for him. Surely, I shall show him compassion, says the Lord."
And at 3 pm on Sunday, you are all invited to our home on the Cotee River (Grand Boulevard between Vermont and Kentucky Avenues in downtown New Port Richey) for our annual Tashlikh party when we chant the words of the Prophet Michah and symbolically throw our sins into the sea, or in this case, breadcrumbs into the river!
מִי־אֵ֣ל כָּמ֗וֹךָ נֹשֵׂ֤א עָוֺן֙ וְעֹבֵ֣ר עַל־פֶּ֔שַׁע לִשְׁאֵרִ֖ית נַחֲלָת֑וֹ לֹֽא־הֶחֱזִ֤יק לָעַד֙ אַפּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־חָפֵ֥ץ חֶ֖סֶד הֽוּא׃
Who is like You,
Forgiving iniquity
And remitting transgression—
Not staying angry forever
Toward the remnant of Your own people,
Because You love graciousness!
יָשׁ֣וּב יְרַחֲמֵ֔נוּ יִכְבֹּ֖שׁ עֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ וְתַשְׁלִ֛יךְ בִּמְצֻל֥וֹת יָ֖ם כׇּל־חַטֹּאותָֽם׃
You will take us back in love,
Quashing our iniquities.
You will hurl all our sins
Into the depths of the sea.
We follow up the Tashlikh ritual with food and drink and good company at hour home thus concluding this awesome Rosh Hashanah weekend!
L'shana tovah umetukah !לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה With warm wishes for a good and sweet year!
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader
________________________________________________________________
ZOOM LINK FOR FRI, SAT, SUN
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: JCC West Pasco Zoom Meeting
Time: Sep 11, 2026 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting chat link
Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
---
Join by SIP
Join instructions
______________________________________________________
And please check out the calendar below and participate in our many services and activities throughout this fall festival season and beyond:
Erev Rosh Hashanah, Friday, September 11, 2026
Services followed by "bring a dish"dinner 6:30 pm
Rosh Hashanah, first day, Saturday, September 12, 2026
Morning services 9:30 am
Mincha/Maariv services 6:30 pm
Rosh Hashanah, second day, Sunday, September 13, 2026
Morning services 9:30 am
Tashlikh at the Cotee River on Grand Blvd between Vermont and Kentucky Aves 3 pm
Erev Shabbat Shuva, Friday, September 18, 2026
Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv services 7 pm
Shabbat Shuva, Saturday, September 19, 2026
Services followed by luncheon honoring adult B'nai Mitzvah anniversary 9:30 am
Community Sukkah decoration, Sunday, September 20, 2026, 10 am
Kol Nidre, Sunday, September 20, 2026
Kol Nidre and Erev Yom Kippur services 6:30 pm
Yom Kippur, Monday, September 21, 2026
Morning services 9:30 am
Mincha service 6 pm
Yizkor service 7 pm
Neila service 7:20 pm
Havdalah followed by community break-the-fast meal 8 pm
Erev Sukkot, Friday, September 25, 2026
Services followed by Kiddush in the Sukkah 7pm
Sukkot, Saturday, September 26, 202
Services followed by Kiddush in the Sukkah 9:30 am
Hoshanah Rabbah, Friday, October 2, 2026
Services 9:30 am followed by community brunch at Panera's
Erev Shemini Atzeret, Friday October 2, 2026
Services 7 pm
Shemini Atzeret, Saturday, October 3, 2026
Services 9:30 am including the Yizkor memorial service
Simchat Torah, Saturday, October 3, 2026
Social hour 7 pm
Services 8 pm
____________________________________________________
COMING ACTIVITIES
Thursday, September 24, 2026 We will volunteer at Metropolitan Ministries bringing sustenance, clothing, and hope to those in need at the headquarters at 3216 US-19, Holiday, FL 34691, at 11am-2 pm. Please sign up to help at this link: https://vhub.at/1L1BLIK
Saturday, October 10, 2026, Game Night and Havdalah, 7 pm
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 We will volunteer at Metropolitan Ministries bringing sustenance, clothing, and hope to those in need at the headquarters at 3216 US-19, Holiday, FL 34691, at 11am-2 pm. Please sign up to help at this link: https://vhub.at/1L1BLIK
Comments