Rabbi Lynn Greenhough

About Rabbi Lynn Greenhough

Posts by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough:

Pirkei Avot

April 14, 2020 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: pesach, pirkei avot •

Shavua tov, dear friends,

This week we are going to begin a new cycle of studies. It is customary to learn from the book Pirkei Avot during the seven weeks between Pesach and Shavuot. These texts are extraordinary teachings. See this teaching from My Jewish Learning for an explanation of these texts: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/pirkei-avot-ethics-of-our-fathers/

Passover

April 7, 2020 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: Covid-19, passover, seder 5780 •

Shavua tov dear friends,

We are just days before First Night Seder and when we begin to sing, Mah nishtana ha Laila ha zeh, we will have a very different answer on our tongues than the usual responses! Most of us are used to sitting with family and friends, new and old, and enjoying favourite Seder foods with the often raucous commentary. This year we will each be at home – but together at the same time. If you would like to join our community Seder, please let us know by sending Kolot Mayim an email (kolotmayim@gmail.com). We will put you on our list and send you a Zoom invitation to join us. We ae having to be careful with our protocols on Zoom, hence the added security measures. But do consider joining us: I will be leading the Seder and Gary Cohen and Amber Woods will be joining us with songs throughout our Seder.

Tzav

March 31, 2020 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: tzav •

Shavua tov dear friends,

Neomi Summers sent me this lovely prayer and it gave me a thought: what if each of us were to hang a prayer on a virtual prayer tree. If you are inspired to pen a thought, send it in, so we can share your prayers amongst all of us.

Purim, Pesach, Covid-19

March 10, 2020 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: Covid-19, pesach, purim •

Dear friends,

We had a lovely Purim celebration on Sunday evening. Jessica Pratezina organized a crafts table for the children; crowns were decorated, hamantaschen eaten and groggers were grogged!!More

Tetzaveh

March 2, 2020 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: tetzaveh •

This week our Torah reading is Tetzaveh. We read about the garments that will be worn by the Kohanim, the priests during Temple services. Last year I wrote about how we bring an iteration of these garments forward in our burial practices, where members of the Chevra Kadisha dress our metim, the dead, in traditional shrouds or tachrichim.

Terumah

February 24, 2020 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: terumah •

Even as we move through the cycle of readings in Torah, I am struck by how often these ancient words have relevance to our lives today. As Ben Bag-Bag advised, “Turn it and turn it again, for everything is in it. Reflect on it and grow old and grey with it. Don’t turn from it, for nothing is better than it.”

This week we are reading Parashat Terumah; we are building the Mishkan, the Sanctuary, that will be the house for the Aseret HaDibrot, the Tablets with the Utterances given at Sinai.

Mishpatim

February 18, 2020 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: mishpatim •

Mishpatim is a very special parashah for me. It is also known as Shabbat Shekalim and it was on Shabbat Shekalim that I read Torah for the very first time in 1993. I am attaching a link to a podcast from R. Alex Israel who is with PARDES, who speaks about the history of the half-shekel: https://elmad.pardes.org/2018/02/the-half-shekel/

Yitro

February 10, 2020 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: yitro •

Boker tov, dear friends,

As you come into the JCC these days, you may see our new notice board on the side window of the library. We are trying to keep the general Jewish population of Victoria aware of our activities in all manner of ways – including old fashion printed posters.

B’Shellach

February 4, 2020 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: b'shallach •

Boker tov, dear friends,

This week we are walking through the seas – with all the rain we have been having, perhaps also, unfortunately, wet basements. B’Shallach is a particularly gorgeous parashah visually when we come to the Song of the Seas –

Bo

January 28, 2020 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: bo •

Shavua tov,

Many of us have had a very emotional week: Today, Monday marks the 75^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Rabbi Victor Reinstein journeyed back to Victoria from his home in Boston to speak at the presentation on Sunday at the JCC. He titled his words, Defying Hatred. What does it mean to defy what has been directed towards us for millennia? Sometimes reviewing our history can be devastating – a litany of expulsion and exiles, accusations of blood libels and desecrations. Language reflects our very unique experience of Jew-hatred with specific words: blood libel, pogroms, ghettos, Shoah. The Shoah was preceded by massacres in every century going back to the destruction of the Temple by Rome. And yet. We survived.

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