Wood River Jewish Community

Weekly Newsletter January 17, 2023

NO SHABBAT SERVICE THIS COMING FRIDAY

The seven-piece band is pulling people out of their solitary lives and putting them in the moment with a bracing dose of joyful jazz performed with infectious theatricality. The New York City-based, familial collective has captured its frenetic energy and unflinchingly optimistic songwriting on its debut album, Leaving Egypt. A native of Los Angeles, Juilliard trained-Grammy® nominated drummer Sammy Miller has been hailed as “the perfect player scholar” (The Wall Street Journal).

From Lincoln Center to The White House, The Newport Jazz Festival to Umbria Jazz, with wide-ranging special guests Wynton Marsalis to Bill Irwin (Macthur Genius Winner 1984), The Congregation has brought a new perspective of jazz to a new generation of listeners. In addition to touring with OneRepublic, Mavis Staples, or The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Congregation has dedicated countless hours to working with over 60,000 students across the world using their groundbreaking PLAYBOOK platform.

HERE IS THE LINK TO PURCHASE TICKETS: https://theargyros.org/calendar/sammy-miller-the-congregation/

If you buy tickets and are interested in a pre-theater meal w/ fellow WRJC members, please send a note to Ron Greenspan (ron.greenspan@fticonsulting.com).

Patrons of the Month January 2023

Ted Gold in Honor of Margaret Gold and Sydell Perlmutter Gold

James Fabe

Year End Appeal

Jerry Blank and Family

Marshall and Judy Meyer

Robert and Lynda Safron

Where Needed Most Fund

Norm and Penny Leopold In Memory of Gene Abrams

Michael Fishman In Memory of Wendy Pesky

Susan Jansen

Va’era (And I appeared)

Exodus 6:2–9:35

* God is revealed to Moses, and expresses four ways that he will redeem the Children of Israel: deliver them from their enslavement, redeem them, and acquire them as God’s own chosen people and bring them to the land God promised to the Patriarchs as their eternal heritage.

* Moses and Aaron repeatedly come before Pharaoh to demand in the name of God, “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me in the wilderness.” Pharaoh repeatedly refuses, as God has hardened Pharaoh’s heart. God then sends the first four of a series of plagues upon the Egyptians.

* Through Aaron’s staff, the waters of the Nile turn to blood; swarms of frogs overrun the land; lice infest all men and beasts. Still, “the heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he would not let the children of Israel go, as God had said to Moses.”

At times resolute and at times unsure, Pharaoh wavers in letting the Israelites go, even changing his mind. Here is a wonderful article from the Jerusalem Post by author Moshe Dann that delves more deeply into this:

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-Ed-Contributors/Why-Pharaohs-heart-hardened-336962

Let My People Go, the Biblical anthem of freedom, was adopted by the African slaves and later, by the Jews in the former Soviet Union. May we always appreciate the rare privilege of living in freedom.

Rabbi Robbi

Jeff Rose, President

Dana Berntson, Vice President

Noa Ries, Vice President

Judy Teller Kaye, Treasurer

Coni Foster, Secretary

Josh Kleinman, Past President

Susan Green, Past President 

Linda Cooper

Phil Goldstein

Ron Greenspan

Amy Kroll

Juli Roos

Bob Safron

Rabbi Robbi Sherwin

Claudie Goldstein, Executive Director