Temple Am Echad

Meeting Our Responsibilities This week and next we have the opportunity to participate in the governance of communities of which we are a part. The first is our own Temple Am Echad Congregational Meeting to be Zoomed on Thursday night. The second is next Tuesday, November 3rd, Election Day. In both cases, we have a responsibility to know the pertinent issues facing us, as well as a responsibility to express our views. By participating and voting, we commit to being full membe...rs of the communities of which we are a part and show acceptance of our individual responsibility to act for the good of the whole. Judaism teaches that we must not stand idly by. We have the ability to positively impact the world around us. In order to do so, we must show up and speak up! Whether at our Temple meeting or at the voting booth, let's show our commitment and meet the responsibilities of being invested in the institutions of which we are a part. B'shalom, Rabbi Sandra M. Bellush

Grades 2 & 3 learn about B'tzelim Elohim. Being a part of (G-d's Image) Examining their reflection different ways

In the Beginning... So begins the entire Torah. This week we are reading the very first Torah portion in the very first book, Bereshit, and we read of creation. There is creation of the cosmos, order and light from chaos and darkness, as well as creation of humanity. Torah is neither science, nor history, but it is the narrative and collective memory of the Jewish people. Torah study is a mitzvah for all adult Jews, and while anytime is a good time for Torah study, the opport...unity to embark on the journey "in the beginning" should not be overlooked. Many of us think of Torah study as an intellectual pursuit, but opening our hearts to Torah's life lessons requires trust and faith in the value of the text's eternal nature. An old Chasidic adage explains that the Torah begins with the letter bet and ends with the letter lamed (the last word being Yisrael). The letters Iamed and bet together spell out the word lev, meaning 'heart.' This teaches that one is not able to internalize the lessons of Torah unless its study is both an intellectual as well as emotional endeavor. This week Temple Am Echad begins our cycle of Torah reading with the very first of the b'nai mitzvah of the year. Please join our live stream service on Shabbat morning as Chloe O'Callaghan is called to the Torah and teaches on this week's Torah portion, Bereshit. It just might be the beginning of your own heart opening to Torah. B'shalom, Rabbi Sandra M. Bellush

So what do you do with an etrog after sukkot? You eat it! They loved examining the inside of the etrog! No one let ME do this in Hebrew School!

Mazal Tov to our 7th Graders for Kabbalat Siddur (Receiving of their Prayer book)

Mazal tov to our consecrants: Rory Berghorn and Aviya Johnson!!Mazal tov to our consecrants: Rory Berghorn and Aviya Johnson!!

Our Joy and Celebration Continues While Chag Sukkot lasts a full seven days, the Hebrew calendar rewards us with the additional celebrations immediately afterward of Simchat Torah and Sh'mini Atzeret. Most of us are familiar with our evening celebration of Simchat Torah, which includes carrying all our Torah scrolls around the sanctuary (hakafah, or hakafot, pl.) seven times while upbeat music keeps us moving and waving our flags. We usually also celebrate Consecration on th...e same evening, during which we introduce and bless those students and families new to our Religious School. Although this year we'll have to forgo the hakafot, please join us for on-line services this Friday, October 9th, which will include Consecration, music and chanting from the very end and the very beginning of the Torah as we once again begin the cycle of annual Torah readings. Our Sh'mini Atzeret observance may not be as familiar. The phrase literally means "eighth day of assembly," and we are commanded to observe the day in Num. 29:35. On the eighth day you shall hold a solemn gathering; you shall not work at your occupations. Although there are no specific rituals associated with this holiday, it does mark a change in our liturgy. At Sh'mini Atzeret our G'vurot prayer in the Amidah switches from a prayer for dew to a prayer for rain (from morid hatal to mashiv haruach umorid hagashem). On the morning of Sh'mini Atzeret, this year on Shabbat morning, October 10th, our service also includes Psalms of Praise (Hallel) and Yizkor. Please join us this week as we complete the High Holy Days and Festival season of 5781! Chag Sameach, Rabbi Sandra M. Bellush

Grade 7 learns about Tzedakah choices, great lesson Mr. Paskoff!

Grades K& 1 learn how to transform their bodies into Hebrew letters with Cantor Dubin

Religious School decorates the Sukkah, learns about the Lulav and Etrog with Rabbi Bellush, and hears stories with our wonderful librarian Heather!

Zeman Simchateinu: The Time of Our Rejoicing With the Ten Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur behind us, the Hebrew calendar quickly transitions to the Festival of Sukkot, a time of joyous celebration. Our ancestors gathered to celebrate the harvest and remember the times of wilderness wanderings, which required living in temporary dwellings. Today our sukkot (pl. of sukkah) remind us of our history and provide an opportunity to gather with family and friends to ...engage in Jewish ritual. Just as we observe Shabbat, no matter what else is going on in the world, we can always find something in our lives to be grateful for and celebrate during this season of joy. Chag HaSukkot means "the festival of booths," but the holiday is also called Chag ha-asif (meaning "the festival of ingathering") when it is referred to in the book of Exodus. The third name for this festival comes from a reference in Deuteronomy. In the retelling of the laws of Sukkot, it states "you shall rejoice in your festival." Therefore, we also refer to these days as Zeman Simchateinu, the time of our rejoicing. A special thank you to the Men's Club for putting up our sukkah in the Biblical garden. Please call the office to reserve your time to fulfill the mitzvot of dwelling in the sukkah, as well as waving the lulav v'etrog. May this Sukkot be a joyful and meaningful one for all of us. B'shalom, Rabbi Sandra M. Bellush

Apologies for the technical difficulty. We are having an internet issue. We will be back up and running shortly.

Shabbat Shuva The Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is know as Shabbat Shuva, "the Sabbath of Return." It takes its name from the haftarah which comes from the Prophet Hosea. Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, For you have fallen because of your sin (Hos.14:2).... The idea of returning to God requires that we know where to look. Yehudah Halevi addresses this question in his poem "Where will I Find You," which has been adapted by the CCAR press for its new S'lichot prayer book, Mishkan Halev. Where Will I Find You? Soul of eternity - my strength, my song: Where will I find You? Your place is a mystery - far away. But where will I not find You? Your glory fills the world... I sought Your nearness; I call You with all my heart. And when I went out to find You, I found You coming toward me! Breathless, I witnessed Your power - And, in holiness, I gazed. During these Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, may our return be met with forgiveness and love. Gamar Chatimah Tovah, Rabbi Sandra M. Bellush