December 12th, 2009 by committee
On Rosh Hashanah morning, I gave a sermon in which I articulated and explained my dream as a rabbi.
I said, “My dream as a rabbi is to create a kehillah kedoshah which creates Torah study opportunities for all its members and is always mindful of the Jewish people’s responsibility to pursue justice.”
Then I gave everyone an assignment to articulate his or her Jewish dream and to post it to the following website: http://groups.google.com/group/myjewishdream. Here are some questions to get you going.
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What are your most positive Jewish experiences?
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What are the Jewish texts that resonate with you every time you read them?
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What are the rituals that truly elevate your spirit?
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What is the activity here at Temple Emeth that you would certainly make time to partifipate in if only it existed and you knew about it?
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What do you gain by attending services on the High Holy Days?
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If you have children or grandchildren, why do you hope they will grow up as proud, identified Jews?
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How do you think you can change Judaism for the better and how can Judaism change you for the better?
Whether you post your own dream or not, I invite you to peruse the dreams that are posted and to offer comments. In this way, our online discussion adds richness to our community.
–Rabbi Steven Sirbu
September 23rd, 2009 by emeth
Dear Friends,
Our Shabbat Morning Task Force has prepared a preliminary report on how we can invigorate our Shabbat programming and involve more people in the beauty of Shabbat morning worship. When it comes to Saturday morning worship when there is no Bar or Bat Mitzvah, the Task Force spoke with one voice, saying, “More variety, more interactivity, more innovation!”
Our service this Saturday seeks to offer just that. Inspired by the potential inherent in the New Year, I hope you will attend services this Saturday, which is Shabbat Shuvah (the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur).
With best wishes for a sweet new year,
–Rabbi Steven Sirbu
Learner’s Service on Shabbat Shuvah
Saturday, September 26 at 10:30 a.m.
Do we pray differently between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? In fact we do. The words of our prayers are different to reflect our theology and yearnings at this season. More importantly, at such an emotional and spiritual time of year, the nature of our prayers may be different too. At this service we will address the differences—both literal and spiritual—and discuss how to make the most of prayer at this time of year.T
Temple Emeth will be presenting a special Learner’s Service this Saturday, September 26, at 10:30 a.m. The topic is, do we pray differently between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? The words of our prayers are different to reflect our theology and yearnings at this season. More importantly, at such an emotional and spiritual time of year, the nature of our prayers may be different too. At this service we will address the differences—both literal and spiritual—and discuss how to make the most of prayer at this time of year.
September 22nd, 2009 by emeth
To the Temple Emeth family:
On Rosh Hashanah morning, I gave a sermon in which I articulated and explained my dream as a rabbi.
I said, “My dream as a rabbi is to create a kehillah kedoshah (holy community) which creates Torah study opportunities for all its members and is always mindful of the Jewish people’s responsibility to pursue justice.”
Then I gave everyone an assignment to articulate his or her Jewish dream and to post it to a website created for this purpose.
Whether you post your own dream or not, I invite you to peruse the dreams that are posted and to offer comments. In this way, our online discussion adds richness to our community.
I hope you will accept the assignment I gave in the sermon and post your Jewish dream. Here are some questions to get you thinking…
- What are your most positive Jewish experiences?
- What are the Jewish texts that resonate with you every time you read them?
- What are the rituals that truly elevate your spirit?
- What is the activity here at Temple Emeth that you would certainly make time to participate in if only it existed and you knew about it?
- What do you gain by attending services on the High Holy Days?
- If you have children or grandchildren, why do you hope they will grow up as proud, identified Jews?
- How do you think you can change Judaism for the better and how can Judaism change you for the better?
I thank you in advance for participating in this online discussion. This is a first for me and for Temple Emeth, and I hope we can grow together from the ideas that we share.
Shanah tovah,
–Rabbi Steven Sirbu
