Parashat Lech Lecha (Go Forth) Genesis 12:1 - 17:27
HafTorah - Isaiah 40:27 - 41:16
Dear friends,
This Shabbat, we continue with our fall season religious services and programming with a most relevant to today's events Torah portion Lech Lecha in the Book of Genesis (Bereshit).
This year, we are reading the 3rd triennial of each Sedrah which is chapter 16 and 17. In it, our patriarch Abraham fathers a son Ishmael. receives the covenant from Hashem, is circumcises all the male members of his household. We remember that although we have much to learn from our patriarchs and matriarchs, they are only human as are we. Abraham's wife Sarah, despite her many qualities, exhibits jealousy and treats Hagar (the maiden who bore Ishmael) so poorly that she is distraught. Ultimately, Abraham is promised a son (Isaac) to be mothered by Sarah and ultimately, two "great nations" result. Unfortunately, those nations have been in conflict for much of the millennia between then and now.
When we think of Tikkun Olam and how we can possibly help change the world around us filled with animosity, war, moral lapses, and human caused nature disasters, we are overwhelmed by it all. Perhaps if we begin with our own family and friends, and then extend it to our community and region, we can make progress. If we think of life as a family matter and learn from the mistakes of those who we otherwise revere, mistakes of favoring one sibling over another, or one's culture, beliefs, and lifestyle over others, we fall into the trap of Abraham and Sarah (favoring Isaac over Ishmael), Rebecca and Isaac (each favoring a different son, Jacob and Esau), and Jacob (favoring Joseph over all his brothers). Each child might have different qualities, and each culture might have different practices and might appear alien, but if we don't respect them, it will only lead to conflict starting with the family and extending to society. In our fractured world, we must learn these lessons from our ancestors and learn to respect and understand those who are different. Most of all, we need to learn to listen. We are all human and subject to human frailties, but we have been endowed with the ability to think and to act in such a way that heals the earth.
As Rabbi Kari Tuling states in her D'Var Torah Hearing the Voice of the Powerless "A consistent theme of the Lech Lecha narrative is that G-d hears the prayers of the forgotten and the oppressed. One of the most surprising aspects of the Biblical narrative is the divine concern for the invisible among us. We are called to listen for that cry."
In our Haftorah, Isaiah (41:13) shows us the way faith in Adonai guide us in that effort:
כִּ֗י אֲנִ֛י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ מַחֲזִ֣יק יְמִינֶ֑ךָ הָאֹמֵ֥ר לְךָ֛ אַל־תִּירָ֖א אֲנִ֥י עֲזַרְתִּֽיךָ
For I (Adonai) who grasped your right hand,
Who says to you: Have no fear.
I will be your help.
Our Shabbat services begin at 7:30 pm this evening and 9:30 am tomorrow (Saturday) morning. Please join us in-person or virtually on Zoom.
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FRIDAY and SATURDAY
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Shabbat Service Friday 11/8 @ 7:30 pm & Sat 11/9 @ 9"30 am
Time: This is a recurring meeting Fri & Sat
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
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And on this Shabbat weekend on Sunday afternoon, we observe the 86th anniversary of one of the darkest days of our history, that of Kristallnacht, the night of the broken glass which on November 9-10, 1938, was the first major atrocity which led to the Holocaust. We will observe this day by participating in the gathering of the Holocaust era Torahs in Sarasota together with many of the other synagogues in Florida which like us, have been entrusted with a Torah rescued from Europe. Several of us will be attending and if you wish to join us, please let me know immediately. We will be carpooling to the event leaving the synagogue in the late morning.
Also, this month begins the holiday seasons at a time when many have suffered losses due to the two storms. We are volunteering at the Metropolitan Ministries holiday tent set up once again on the grounds of the Generations Church on 1540 Little Road in Trinity. Our synagogue has been assigned two shifts between 11 am and 2 pm on Tuesday, November 26th and Thursday, December 19th. We will help clients in need with food, clothing, children's toys and other necessities as well as bringing encouragement and good cheer. Please consider joining us and/or contributing funds towards that effort.
And finally, save the date of Monday, November 25th at 7 pm when we will join our friends at Congregation Beth David in Spring Hill for an Interfaith Thanksgiving service. Details to follow.
Shabbat Shalom,
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader
Join us as we commemorate Kristallnacht and celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Memorial Scrolls Trust. Together, we will remember Kristallnacht as both the end of the beginning and the beginning of the end of the Holocaust, when on November 9 and 10, 1938, Jewish homes, places of business and synagogues were ransacked in Germany, Austria, Prussia and Czechoslovakia.
We will honor the survivors who bore witness to these tragic events, their descendants who continue to share their stories and uphold their legacy, and the Torah scrolls rescued from Czechoslovakia that also bore witness to the atrocities. This occasion is a profound reminder of the importance of remembrance and the enduring impact of history.
Among the group of 1,564 scrolls which were collected by the Jewish Community in Prague during the Nazi occupation and are part of the UK Memorial Scrolls Trust, now celebrating its 60th Anniversary, 98 scrolls are being safeguarded in Florida in various Jewish Museums, Centers and Synagogues, many of which will be participating and on view during this once-in-a lifetime event.
These Torah scrolls represent the vibrant cultural and religious life of Czech Jewry that once existed. These sacred objects survived when 85% of Czech Jews were murdered in the Shoah. After being collected, stored, moved and eventually sent to London, these scrolls are eyewitnesses to the atrocities of the Holocaust and the tangible links from past generations to today. We honor the Jews killed in the Holocaust and celebrate the continuity of Jewish life today.
This event is free and open to the public.
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