I hope this email finds you and your family well during these trying times.
I am happy that your child (children) are enjoying our Zoom Virtual Hebrew Classes.(My teachers are enjoying the classes as well)
In observance of Passover, there will benoclasses this Wednesday & Thursday, April 8th & 9th & next Wednesday and Thursday, April 15th & 16th.
On Sunday, April 12th, we will be inviting the entire school to a Passover Pajama Party at 11:00 AM hosted by Rabbi Bernstein and Cantor Kowitz. I am confident it will be an amazing morning. (Don't forget to wear your pajamas!)
When I "zoom" into the individual classes, all of our students seem to be engaged and excited about virtually connecting to the synagogue and the Hebrew School.
Please note: This Sunday, April 5th, we will be having a class for our Pre-Aleph at 11:00 AM, and a class for our Kindergarten & 1st grade at 12:00 PM. We are very excited to create this new Zoom class.
Please click the URL link below to join your child's class:
On behalf of my staff and myself, I would like to extend my heartfelt wishes for a safe and healthy Passover.
I am here for you. Please do not hesitate to contact me any time at principal@cbohr.org.
Shabbat Hagadol, the Shabbat before Pesach, is approaching. The Israelites are about to leave Egypt and life, for them, will go from confinement to freedom, from narrowness to breadth. Do they know? If they had been told, would they even believe it?
On the eve of freedom, God tells the Israelites to "take a lamb to a family, a lamb to a household to sacrifice. But if the household is too small for a lamb, let him share one with a neighbor who dwells nearby..." The Torah links freedom with the ability to share. Why is this a sign of freedom? The Israelites are leaving one mentality for another. A slave, who does not know where his next meal will come from, is unlikely to share his portion with a neighbor. Sharing shifts the mentality from confinement to freedom.
It makes me wonder, how we can each find more freedom in our current situation? When this is all over, I can imagine the joy of sharing a potluck or a barbeque. In the meantime, I see people finding ways to share from within their walls. Some are putting rainbows in their windows so that passersby can participate in a scavenger hunt. Others are going shopping for their neighbors. One of our members offered me a mask so that I could stay safe while doing a funeral.
Extending ourselves to others (even from our own isolation) is not only something nice for others; It is also a way to find our own liberation. If you are like me, you are worn down. There is an exhaustion that comes from this, and the idea of doing anything extra is inconceivable. Yet, I hope you will join me in exercising small gestures of liberation. We don't need to wait for ultimate freedom in order to find some pockets of openness.
Wishing you health, safety, and peace, Rabbi Bernstein
*You are invited to have Shabbat candles, Challah (or any bread), wine (or grape juice), and a pitcher of water and a bowl. We will do the blessings together.
I hope everyone is well during these challenging times.
Please join us Wednesday evening, April 1st at 8:30 PM for an outstanding Zoom Presentation by our very own Congregant, Child Psychologist, Dr. Steven Baron, who will speak on Tips for Healthy Home Engagement.
I hope this email finds you and your family well during these challenging times.
We hope your child (children) are enjoying our Zoom Virtual Hebrew Classes.
When I "zoom" into the individual classes, all of our students seem to be engaged and excited about virtually connecting to the synagogue and the Hebrew School.
Each weekly class is approximately 45 minutes and continues to be enriching and stimulating for our students.
Please click the bolded area to join your child's class. They are also invited to join any other Zoom Virtual Hebrew Class.
Todah Rabah for your patience as we are embarking on this incredible journey together.
I am here for you. Please do not hesitate to contact me any time at principal@cbohr.org.
Shabbat Shalom,
Mrs. O.
Hebrew School Zoom Schedule
Sunday Topic: Pre-Aleph Time: Mar 29, 2020 11:00 AM Click Here to Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 809 991 277 One tap mobile +16465588656,,809991277# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Wednesday Topic: Bet - Jewish Calendar and Holidays Time: April 1, 2020 03:30 PM Click Here to Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 594 684 440 One tap mobile +16465588656,,594684440# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Topic: Gimel Class - with Cantor Kowitz Time: April 1, 2020 04:30 PM Click Here to Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 625 574 769 One tap mobile +16465588656,,625574769# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Topic: Aleph - Back to the Book Time: April 1, 2020 05:30 PM Click Here to Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 424 595 538 One tap mobile +16465588656,,424595538# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Topic: Dalet - Mitzvot: Caring Through Action Time: April 1, 2020 06:30 PM Click Here to Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 403 668 800 One tap mobile +16465588656,,403668800# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Thursday Topic: Hey - Jewish Values Time: April 2, 2020 04:30 PM Click Here to Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 104 603 400 One tap mobile +16465588656,,104603400# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
This week we begin a new book of the Torah called Vayikra, in English it is referred to as Leviticus. The main focus of our parsha of the same name is Korbanot or sacrifices. Why would the first chapter of the third book of the Torah be so focused on sacrifices? It is worth pointing out that “the biblical prophets criticized the sacrificial system for its tendency to deteriorate into form without feeling.” (Etz Chayim 585)
The answer to why the emphasis on sacrifice is two-fold. Firstly, all religions of the time of the bible were based on sacrificial worship and the Israelites could not conceive of religion without it. Second, because of the worshipping of the Golden Calf God realized that the Israelites were struggling with idea of a divine being that was abstract. Therefore, God put forth the sacrificial system as a way for the Israelites to worship God in a concrete tangible way.
Centuries later the way we worship has changed dramatically. We have gone back to a less tangible approach through prayer-offering words from the siddur in Hebrew or from our hearts in whatever language we choose. The beauty of prayer compared with sacrifice is there is not one right way to pray. Each of us has a different way we connect with God. The sacrificial system was very specific and rigid with its form and the way things were done. We have the opportunity today to pray in many different ways, singing together, reciting the words of the siddur together, meditating, and private confessions to God. All of these different ways of prayer are meant to do one thing, bring us closer with God. I believe that is one of the primary goals of prayer-to bring God into my life.
This is the reason the sacrifices were put into place, as a tangible way to bring us closer to God. The root of the word for sacrifice in Hebrew translates as closeness or being close. Our ancestors used these Korbanot/sacrifices to cleave to God the same way we use prayer to deepen our relationship with God and help us grow closer together.
While we may distance ourselves physically from one another, may we continue to use the tool of technology to become closer together as a community.
You are invited to have Shabbat candles, Challah (or any bread), wine (or grape juice), and a pitcher of water and a bowl. We will do the blessings together.
Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism