Parashat Ha'Azinu
October 11, 2019
12 Tishrei 5780

Candle Lighting: 6:01 p.m.
Dear Friends, 

It was wonderful to be able to share the High Holy Days with all of you. I left our Neilah service at the conclusion of Yom Kippur feeling inspired and uplifted, only to be brought down when I became aware of an attempted attack on a synagogue in Halle, Germany, over the Holy Day. Due to security measures, the attacker was stopped before he could enter the synagogue, but not before two innocent people were killed outside. It was a stark reminder of the realities of the world we live in. While we had security measures and protocols in place to try and protect us in an emergency situation, I am incredibly grateful that we didn’t have to use any of them.

This coming week, we will be celebrating the holiday of Sukkot. One of the important themes of the Sukkot holiday is gratitude. We are encouraged to put aside the business of our hectic lives and enjoy one another’s company. We sit outside in a Sukkah, a simple but beautiful temporary dwelling, free from materialism, technology and the outside world. We are encouraged to realize, and be grateful for the many blessings in our lives. 

It is my hope and prayer for all of us over the Sukkot Holiday that we have the opportunity to take a step back and recognize that, despite the craziness that is our lives, and the craziness in the world around us, we as individuals, as families, and as a community, are all blessed in many ways, and have so much to be thankful for. 

This Sukkot, may we all be able to embrace the biblical instruction to Samachtah
BeChagechah V’Hayitah Ach Sameach , to be joyous on the holiday, and just celebrate. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,

Rabbi Josh


October 11: 6:15 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat
October 12: 9:15 a.m. Kol Zimrah and 9:30 a.m. Traditional Shabbat Services