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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
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 […]
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
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!!
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
Yizkor, Shiva, Yom HaShoah
April 20, 2020 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: shiva, yizkor, yom hashoah •
Good morning dear friends. Every day we are finding new opportunities and new challenges. On Thursday evening we held a Yizkor service (which we do four times a year – Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot and Yom Kippur). Yesterday (Sunday) afternoon we were able to gather in a shiva minyan (of 52) to provide comfort and consolation […]