Join Us Tonight: 6PM Shabbat Under the Stars Tomorrow:Nosh & Drash at 9AM and Shabbat Service at 9:45AM Please make sure to Enter and Exit the building on the Centre Ave side, Social Hall Doors.
From Rabbie Dahlia Bernstein
Dear Congregant,
I just got back from an amazing trip to Greece. Part of my time away was a vacation and part was a group trip with an incredible Jewish organization called the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). The JDC is active in 70 countries. They work to alleviate hunger and hardship, rescuing Jews in danger, creating lasting connections to Jewish life, and helping Israel overcome the social challenges of its most vulnerable citizens, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Their reach extends beyond the global Jewish community by providing high-impact disaster relief and long-term development assistance worldwide (Adapted from JDC's Website).
I went there first hand to see the work that JDC is doing to support the Greek Jewish community strengthen its leadership. This aid builds up Greek's vibrancy, especially during extremely challenging economic times. One of the most rewarding features of this mission was a Shabbat we shared with young Jewish professionals who gathered in a summit from all around Europe. We had Jews from Serbia, Russia, Germany, Greece, Australia, Canada, the US and Holland. One moment in particular sticks out.
There was a young woman, Veronika, who had never lit Shabbat candles or done netilat yadayim, ritual handwashing. I gently asked her if she wanted to try both and she eagerly said, "yes!" She had only come into her Jewish identity after cousins visited her from Israel a few months prior. After watching me pour water on my finger tips, 3 times on each hand, she did the same and repeated the blessing after me with an apprecation I had misplaced at some point in my journey. I am grateful to her for restoring some of this excitement.
I take these Jewish practices for granted and seeing candle lighting and handwashing through Veronika's eyes made me realize how blessed we are on Long Island to be surrounded by so much Jewish culture and practice. It's not unusual for a local taxi driver to casually use the word "schlep" in conversation without a second thought. Secondly, to be a Jewish person is to inherently be connected to the vast Jewish network around the world. We have a unifying connection because of our identity. We are lucky to have each other.
This Shabbat, we will be reciting the Jewish people's greatest one-liner, "Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad." The shema is the same in every community and when we say the last two words, "Adonai Echad," "Adonai is one," we can sink into the knowledge that while there is a vast diversity of nationalities, opinion, cuisines, and teachings within the Jewish people, we also have a deep unity and oneness.
Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Bernstein
SERVICES Friday, July 27 - Thursday, August 2
Tonight Shabbat Under the Stars: Kabbalat Shabbat ~7:30PM
Saturday 9:00 AM Nosh & Drash 9:45 AM Shabbat
Sunday 9:00 AM Minyan
Monday 6:30 AM Minyan 8:00 PM Minyan, requested by Bernice Slutzman
Wednesday 8:00 PM Minyan, requested by Mark Finkelman
Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism