Weekly Message 09.18.2026 Parashat Haazinu
Parashat Haazinu (Listen) Deuteronomy 32:1-52
HafTorah Hosea 14:2-10, Micah 7:18-20, Joel 2:15-27
Dear friends,
After a wonderful Rosh Hashanah weekend with thanks to all who brought delicious dishes for our erev Rosh Hashanah dinner and who attended our religious services and Tashlikh ritual and party, we are now in the midst of the most holy period of the year, the week of teshuva/repentance also called Yamin Noraim (ימים נוראים Days of Awe). And we now will experience Shabbat Shuva (the Sabbath of repentance and return) with services this evening at 7 pm and tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 9:30 am. Thanks to all who brought delicious dishes for our erev Rosh Hashanah dinner and who attended our religious services and Tashlikh ritual and party!
Since 2019, Shabbat Shuva has always been special at our synagogue as it marks the anniversary of our adult Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Ana Calderon, Barbara D. Johnson, Barbara E. Johnson and Art Simon. As they have every year since that awesome occasion, they have honored us at Shabbat Shuva by leading us in Torah study, chanting their Haftorah portions, and providing us with a sumptuous Kiddish luncheon after our Saturday morning religious service. This Shabbat Shuva is no exception, and we look forward to their continuing this great tradition and welcome and encourage all of our congregants and friends to join us in the celebration!
On Shabbat Shuva, we will read the Torah portion of Ha'Azinu the next to last portion of the Book of Deuteronomy (Devarim 31:1-52) which features our greatest prophet and leader Moses's farewell song before his taking leave of the Hebrew nation prior to his death and their crossing over into the Promised Land. And our Haftorah to be chanted by our adult Bar/Bat Mitzvahs features the prophesies of not one, but three of our sages Hosea (14:2-10), Micah (7:18-20) and Joel 2:15-27) all chosen for the theme of repentance appropriate for this holy period in our calendar.
Teshuva translates literally to "repentance" but it signifies the importance for us to return to our following the mitzvot and especially the three pillars of this holy season, that of Teshuva, Tefilla (prayer) and perhaps most importantly Tzedakah (charity and good deeds). We apologize for any transgressions that we have perpetrated against any person (knowingly or unknowingly) and against Hashem. And in doing so, we recall what we learned in the Book of Exodus (Shemot 34:6-7). "The Lord, the Lord, Hashem is gracious and compassionate, patient, abounding in kindness and faithfulness assuring love for a thousand generations forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, and granting pardon."
And we continue with our Holy Days preparation on Sunday morning at 10 am when we decorate our synagogue's Sukkah. Please come prepared to help out and enjoy this wonderful custom as we make our Sukkah come alive. We will have coffee and sweets and encourage you to bring friends and family and anything you have to decorate the Sukkah including any Shana Tovah or other greeting cards you have received. It is one of our most joyous get togethers as we prepare for the Sukkot festival.
And on Sunday evening at 6:30 pm we gather for the solemn Kol Nidre service followed by a full day of fasting, prayer, resolution, and reflection during Monday's Yom Kippur activities followed by a long blast of the Shofar, Havdalah, and a break-the-fast meal. On Yom Kippur, we will read from the Book of Leviticus (Chapter 16 in the morning and Chapter 19:1-18 in the afternoon) which feature the expiation of sin and the concept of holiness. And we follow our chanting from the Torah with two momentous Haftorahs from Isaiah in the morning and Jonah (entire book) and Michah (7:18-20) in the afternoon. From Isaiah (57:14-58:14), we learn that fasting is not enough, that we cannot fast and ask for forgiveness on Yom Kippur, only to go back to our old ways immediately afterward. From Jonah, we learn that Hashem cares for all people and thus we should as well. And from Micah, the passage that we chanted at Tashlikh and on Shabbat Shuva:
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.
And on Thursday, September 24th, we help fulfil the mitzvah of Tzedakah at our monthly volunteering at Metropolitan Ministries. See below to sign up!
So please make every effort to join us in honoring our Bar/Bat Mitzvah anniversaries this Shabbat and in all of our High Holy Days and Festival activities outlined below.
Shabbat Shalom and גמר חתימה טובה (a good sealing on Yom Kippur)!
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader
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HIGH HOLY DAYS SCHEDULE:
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, 2026
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
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COMING EVENTS AT JCC
Saturday, October 10, 2026, Game Night and Havdalah, 7 pm
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
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
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