A Message from Our Rabbi
July 21, 2021

Each year it is Shabbat Nachamu that serves as a reminder to me that the High Holy Days are approaching. 
This Shabbat draws its name, “Nachamu” (comfort) from the opening verse of the Haftarah portion from the prophetic book of Isaiah, which offers words of comfort and consolation to the Jewish people in times of suffering. Shabbat Nachamu is the first of seven haftarah portions of consolation, which help prepare us emotionally and spiritually for our upcoming Days of Awe (officially seven weeks away!)

And our Torah portion this week is rich with content too. It includes a “re-telling” of the 10 commandments, the Sh’ma, and the Ve’ahavta – reminding us how vitally important it is to live our Judaism daily and to pass it on to the next generation.

As the portion speaks of what we traditionally sing and chant as part of our daily/weekly liturgy, Cantor Harrison will be sharing remarks during our Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat service (6:30 pm) on “how the Sh’ma and its music offer a model for hearing, attending to, observing, and passing on what truly matters.” We will also have the opportunity to celebrate the 36th wedding anniversary of Alan and Randi Salkowitz. (Zoom; click HERE for our Shabbat siddur)

Shabbat morning, I will be leading Torah Study at 10:00 am (Zoom Meeting ID: 944 6000 1852; Passcode: Wx4Enb), and I look forward to seeing everyone at Saturday Night Live Under The Stars for singing, s’mores, and a chance to end Shabbat together outside at M’kor Shalom Saturday evening at 7:00 pm (Please RSVP to let us know you are coming!).

L’shalom,

Rabbi Jennifer L. Frenkel