A Message from Our Rabbi
December 2, 2020

Our Torah portion this week, Vayishlach, brings us the famous story of our patriarch Jacob wrestling with an angel in the night as he prepares to meet his twin brother Esau whom he cheated and wronged so many years ago.
In struggling with the angel, Jacob’s name is changed to “Yisrael” (Israel), meaning “one who wrestles with God.”

How is it that we, ourselves, respond to the fears and doubts that assail us when difficulty, darkness, and disease surround us? How do we, ourselves, make it through those challenging nights?

We have ALL been Jacob at one point or another — whether recently or at some time in our lives. 
The question is, what is it we need to do to become Yisrael?

We have a very full Shabbat this week, and I hope you’ll join us for some of our upcoming programming!

Friday evening, we kick off Shabbat with Tot Shabbat at 6:15 pm, which will be followed by our Erev Shabbat Service at 7:30 pm. (Zoom; click HERE for online Shabbat siddur)

Shabbat morning, I, along with Cantor Harrison, will lead a Healing Service at 9:30 am (there is no separate Torah Study or Spice Up Your Judaism Program). (Zoom)

Our Healing Service is designed for those facing life’s circumstances who are seeking spiritual, emotional, or physical healing, a sense of wholeness and peace, or who are supporting and caring for others. Grounded in Jewish prayer and ritual, the service will include moments of liturgy, song, meditation, and learning to build a community of compassion, comfort and strength, as we all seek to access places of support and resilience in these challenging times.

This Shabbat we will also be celebrating the Bat Mitzvah of Gabrielle Levine.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Jennifer L. Frenkel