January 20, 2022–Volume 18 Number 30 |
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Dear Friends,
Without a doubt, our Torah portion for this Shabbat, Yitro, is the most widely read, scrutinized, analyzed and quoted in the entire Torah. Why? To begin, it contains the Ten Commandments, called in Hebrew Aseret HaDibrot – the Ten Utterances that changed the world – ten utterances that constitute the foundation of every democratic nation on this earth – ten utterances that took us from the Stone Age to the Age of Enlightenment – to this day. The Ten Commandments, which implore us to value life, above all else, to respect the person and property of others – to worship Adonai our God, and not the false idols of power and possessions. The Aseret HaDibrot speak of the dignity of humankind, and the sanctity and holy bond of relationships – bein adam l’chavero – between humans, one to the other, first having been learned through word and example in the home, as we fulfill the commandment to honor thy father and thy mother, the fifth of the Ten Commandments: the bridge from which is suspended our obligation to the Holy and our obligation to treat every person as holy, created in the image of God.
This concept is found in the name given to this section of the Torah: Yitro. Who was Yitro? To begin, he was the father-in-law of Moses, who advised our founding father of the Jewish people to govern, adjudicate and delegate, skills he had learned as Cohen Midian – the high priest of the Midianites. Yitro, a religious leader, who while accepting Adonai our God as the Sovereign of the Universe, was not a Hebrew. The message that Torah is conveying to us is clear and unequivocal: we must treat all people, of all faiths, of all nationalities, of all races, of all creeds with respect, sensitivity, caring and justice. And of course, with love. This is the only way we can dispel the darkness, erase the hate, and live together as God intended us to do. In closing, let us remember that to follow these commandments is not impossible. We don’t have to cross rivers or climb the highest mountains. For God commanded Moses to come down from the mountain and place these ten commandments in our hands and in our hearts.
Kein ye’hi ratzon – may God’s will prevail.
Shabbat shalom,
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Shabbat Services / Events: Friday, Saturday |
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Friday, January 21
6:00 pm Shabbat Evening Services in person, via ZOOM (Meeting ID: 885 5732 2368, Passcode: 7wW055), and on LiveStream, as well as Facebook Live.
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Saturday, January 22
9:00 am Shabbat Morning Blessings/Torah Study in person and via ZOOM (Meeting ID: 853 3548 4859, Passcode: 58QLMa). No LiveStream.
5:00 pm Shabbat Afternoon Services/B'nei Mitzvah Raphael and Sebastian Nero
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B'nei Mitzvah - Raphael and Sebastian Nero |
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We are Raphael and Sebastian Nero and we will celebrate becoming B'nei Mitzvah on Saturday, January 22nd. We will be chanting from Mishpatim in the Book of Exodus.
We belong to Temple Israel with our parents, Diana & Greg Nero, and our sisters Amber and Jordan. We are in the 7th grade at Albert Leonard Middle School. Outside of school we both enjoy baseball and hanging out with family and friends.
For our Mitzvah Projects, we are both volunteering with HOPE Community Services. This is meaningful to us as we are mindful of the mitzvah to care for the stranger, and also helps us to be aware of those dealing with food insecurity.
We hope to see you at services when we are called to the Torah.
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Temple Israel Events | Sharing Together
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Masking and vaccination are required when gathering at Temple Israel:
- Cloth masks are no longer acceptable. The minimum acceptable is a surgical mask. If needed, we will provide you with one.
- Any immunocompromised individual who is unable to be vaccinated but still chooses to attend may, in advance, have their individual situation reviewed on a case by case basis.
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Calling all 8th-12th Graders
BBYO Meeting
TONIGHT Thursday, January 20th
6-7pm, ZOOM
We had a wonderful turnout at our first meeting last month and look forward to seeing returning faces and new ones!
Click here to RSVP for our meeting on Thursday, January 20th. Questions? Contact Rebecca Elkus-Ferst, Director of Education: Youth & Families
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Meetings - Get Involved
at Temple Israel
(also March 23rd, April 20th)
The Board of Trustees meeting is once a month, and is always open to all members of Temple Israel. Join us.
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(To committee leaders: reach out to us when you are having a public meeting, so that we can share with the congregation in this section. Thank you)
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Israel Matters - NEW On-GOING!
at Temple Israel
Due to the success of the first meeting, this program will be on-going with five upcoming Sunday dates:
February 6th
March 6th
April 3rd
May 1st
June 5th
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Find out the goals and details of this program. Click here for more information, and to RSVP. Space is limited for each session due to COVID restrictions, so RSVP NOW!
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Do you have GREAT NEWS to share with us?
A baby's birth, a special birthday...let us know at TempleIsrael@tinr.org, and we'll reach out with a special gift, and put your news in Temple Topics.
Let Temple Israel share in your happiness!
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Please Support Temple Israel |
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Your support is needed!
Keep OUR community thriving by pledging your SUPPORT. Your pledge allows us to continue to dedicate resources towards the future: worship, celebration, lifelong learning, and Tikkun Olam – the repair of the world.
Click for options to help guide you in your pledge as you reflect upon what Temple Israel means to you, and to our wider community.
This is OUR community, this is OUR future...let's continue OUR support of Temple Israel of New Rochelle.
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Library Let's Read Together
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The Sword of David, by Charles Lichtman.
Fans of Daniel Silver will enjoy this action-packed thriller of an Israeli commando traveling across the globe. Lichtman tells the story of these commandos following clues in search of a major biblical treasure that could change the destiny of the world.
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You can connect with clergy through Clergy Check-Ins which can be found in Connections on the Temple Website.
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Mission Statement
We are a community that adds meaning and purpose to modern lives through an inclusive approach to Judaism. We live our Jewish values in our worship, celebration, lifelong learning and Tikkun Olam–the repair of the world.
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