Shabbat Blast

Shabbat Blast!!!

Erev Shabbat – September 16, 2016

Candle Lighting: 6:42 pm

Maariv: 8:00

Shabbat, September 17, 2016

Parshat Ki Teitzei

Nosh and Drosh 9:00am

Services 9:45am

Dear [first_name]

Watching the beautiful full moon rise last night, I felt a slight sense of trepidation mixed with awe and appreciation. I know that from tonight onwards, that full moon will wane, and soon there will be no moon to see, and that means it will be Rosh Hashanah!

Next Saturday night after Shabbat, September 24, we'll signal the start of the High Holiday season with our Selihot service. It’s true that the entire month of Elul has been a period of preparation; hearing the blasts of the shofar every morning, and adding recitations of Psalm 27 to our morning and evening prayers. For the mornings between our Selihot service and Rosh Hashanah, we will include an additional selection of selihot prayers just before the morning services, continuing through Yom Kippur.

One of the best known texts in the Selihot service is the recitation of God’s 13 Attributes, which we chant together:

Adonai, Adonai, God, merciful and compassionate, patient, abounding in love and faithfulness, assuring love for thousands of generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, and granting pardon.

Why do we chant this text at this point in the service? Because our tradition teaches that before we can ask anything of God, we must first praise God, and express gratitude for that which we already have. And indeed, immediately after reciting the 13 Attributes, we ask God:

Forgive us, our creator, for we have sinned; pardon us, our sovereign, for we have transgressed—for You, Adonai, are kind and forgiving; You act generously to all who call on you.

CLICK HERE to listen to Slah Lanu
Text: Liturgy
Music: Samuel Rosenbaum
Recorded by Cantor Sarah Myerson (voice) and Ilya Shneyveys (banjolele)
S'lah lanu avinu ki hatanu, m'hal lanu malkeinu ki fashanu,
ki atah Adonai tov v'sallah, v'rav hesed, v'rav hesed l'khol korekha.

I see these texts as partners in praising and petitioning God, and I would love for us to sing the latter text with as much robust energy as we sing the former. To that end, I've attached (above) a musical setting for Slah Lanu. Perhaps you’ll take a minute to listen to this song before our Selihot service, so that we can sing it together next week. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to chant this prayer, going through Yom Kippur, and I hope that through our singing and mindful attention, Slah Lanu will join the 13 Attributes as a partner in our conversations with God.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,

Cantor Myerson

Check us out on Facebook, (Congregation Beth Ohr) Twitter (@Cong_Beth_Ohr) and Instagram (congbethohr)!!!

Selichot: This year’s topic is "Putting God Second: How to Save Religion from Itself"  This will be a first session in a series of talks on Rabbi Doniel Hartman's thought provoking ideas.

Why have the monotheistic religions failed to produce societies that live up to their ethical ideals? Rabbi Doniel Hartman answers this question by looking at his own faith and offering a way for religion to heal itself.

It will be at Congregation Beth Ohr on September 24th, 9:00 PM

Refreshments served beforehand at 8:30

Followed By Selichot Services (10:00 PM), a chance to begin asking for forgiveness in community.

Lori and Ken Blitzer have offered to host Tashlich again. They live right on the water. We will be meeting at their home at 2625 Belmill Rd., Bellmore. BYO Bread!  After, we will reconvene at CBO for Mincha and Maariv.

2016-­5777 High Holiday Schedule 

Upcoming Hazak programming:  

     Sept 22, 2016 - Center for Jewish History.  

     Oct 23 - Capitol Steps (Comedy Show).

     Nov 9 - Kristalnacht Program.

Sisterhood Programming:

     October 18, Sisters In The Hut!

     November 7, Annual Membership Dinner!

Rabbi's Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class! Watch here for more information on how to learn all about the Services, how to read Torah, and all of its related blessings. This will culminate in a lovely ceremony in the spring of 2018!

Ian Randman has an Eagle Scout Project in memory of Shawn Asman, whose mom is a current member of CBO. Here is his note:  “Hi, I have created the crowdfunding campaign. The project is being done in memory of Shawn Asman, a student that attended Calhoun High School but passed away in December of 2014. All other information regarding the project is included in the campaign: Ian's Eagle Scout Project at Calhoun High School. Thank You, Ian”