I have been seeing back to school commercials since June. This is obnoxious, but effective marketing. It puts the idea in the back of our minds that we’ll be taking a trip to Staples soon and we better enjoy the days we have left of summer because time passes too quickly. While the Jewish people don’t generally run commercials, we have a similar approach. We begin our countdown to Rosh Hashanah in stages, beginning with Tisha B’av, the day of rememberance and destruction of the Temples, followed by Rosh Hodesh Elul, the first day of the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah (this Shabbat and Sunday). The first shofar blast of the year will take place on Sunday and every morning minyan to follow with be concluded with a shofar blast and a special Biblical poem, Psalm 27.
If you feel like something inside of you is calling to turn around. If you are seeking a path to change and reach out for direction, coming in the morning, participating in prayers and opening your ears to the sound of the shofar can be powerful catalysts for the type of reflection that is necessary (Sunday at 9:00am, Monday at 6:30am, and Thursday at 8:00am).
This Shabbat, with parashat Re’eh, we will read that the people of Israel have a chance to choose curse or blessing. What I find so frustrating about the human condition is that we often know what we have to do, but we often cannot take the first step because we are so daunted by the whole task of turning our lives around. The Jewish calendar tells us, “you do not need to finish your goal all at once. There are steps to change. Rabbi David Spinrad who now serves the Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Atlanta taught about weight management, saying: “We don’t lose 50 pounds; We lose one pound 50 times. We break our journey and our goals into small steps.
Come and hear the shofar on Sunday. Let it inspire you to sit down with pen and paper, or conversation with friend, and decide on the first step you want to take so that by the time Rosh Hashanah comes, you are already moving in the direction you want for your life.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Bernstein
SERVICES Friday, July 10 - Thursday, August 16
Friday
8:00 PM Kabbalat Shabbat
Saturday
9:00 AM Nosh and Drosh 9:45 AM Shabbat, Kiddush sponsored by Susan & Paul Precker 8:30 PM Minyan, requested by Bill Berkowitz
Sunday
9:00 AM Minyan, (Rosh Chodesh) requested by Bill Berkowitz
Monday
6:30 AM Minyan
Thursday
8:00 AM Minyan
High Holiday Information is now available HERE Look for it in your mailbox next week.
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