If you are reading this, then you’ve survived Yom Kippur. I hope that the start of 5780 has been spiritually uplifting for all. Now that we are spiritually cleansed and uplifted, it’s time to kick off the fun season. (Note: The year did not end with Yom Kippur. It’s just getting started…)
I love Sukkot. I love the cool weather and the fall foliage. I enjoy eating outside bundled in warm clothes under the full moon. I have a particularly busy Sukkot week coming up. We’re hosting the first few days in our sukkah. We’re invited to several sukkah parties this year. Federation is co-sponsoring a couple of Sukkot-related events (a young-adult gathering, an interfaith gathering, and an event with the YMCA). Most synagogues and Chabad houses have events all week long. Please see our community calendar for a complete list. Sukkot starts this Sunday night at sundown.
To add to the busy season, we are also welcoming ten 9th graders from Eshkol this week. Schools in Israel are typically closed for the Sukkot holiday making this a convenient time for them to come. We’ll have them out in several of our synagogues over next weekend’s holidays of Shmini Atseret and Simchat Torah and, hopefully, people will have opportunities to spend time with them. Please see below for their schedule. Let me specifically point out Teen Cosmic Bowling Night on Saturday, October 19, and encourage our local kids to engage. This way, when they go to Israel this February on the Teen Tour, they will already know ten kids there. (Note: This is a very subtle plug, but I want to encourage all 8-12th grade teens not already signed up for one of our synagogue trips to consider this opportunity. Please call me for details.)
By now, you have all seen the tragic news out of Germany of the despicable anti-Semitic act of hatred and terrorism outside a synagogue on Yom Kippur. We thank all our friends in law enforcement and specifically the NYS Police who visited every one of our synagogues on Yom Kippur to inform us of the tragedy. We also thank our interfaith friends who have reached out to us to offer their condolences and support during these challenging times.
In yet another effort to help keep us safe, Federation signed up this week for an emergency-alert system through the Secure Communities Network (SCN), an initiative of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). We hope to have it up and running in the weeks ahead.
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Please help us welcome our Eskhol teen visitors on Saturday morning, October 19 at Shabbat services at Congregation Ohav Shalom; Sunday morning, October 20 at Simchat Torah services at Congregation Beth Emeth; Monday night, October 21 or Tuesday morning, October 22 at Simchat Torah services at Temple Israel and Congregation Beth Abraham-Jacob. For more information, contact Marci Galinkin, (518) 783-7800 ext. 239.
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