Parashat Ha'azinu (listen) Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52
HafTorah: Hosea 14:2-10, Micah 7:18-20, Joel 2:15-27
Dear friends,
As we have now begun our High Holy Day activities with Selichot, cemetery visitations, and Rosh Hashanah (including our wonderful first community Erev Rosh Hashanah dinner) and Tashlich services, our community continues this Shabbat to observe Shabbat Shuva (literally the Sabbath of Return), the Sabbath of Repentance in which we read from three Prophets (Hosea, Joel, and Micah). The selection from Hosea focuses on a universal call for repentance and an assurance that those who return to G-d will benefit from divine healing and restoration. The selection from Joel imagines a blow of the Shofar that will unite the people in fasting and supplication. Hosea focuses on divine forgiveness and how great it is in comparison to the forgiveness of man. And Micah's words which we also chanted at Tashlich:
מִי־אֵ֣ל כָּמ֗וֹךָ נֹשֵׂ֤א עָוֺן֙ וְעֹבֵ֣ר עַל־פֶּ֔שַׁע לִשְׁאֵרִ֖ית נַחֲלָת֑וֹ
לֹֽא־הֶחֱזִ֤יק לָעַד֙ אַפּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־חָפֵ֥ץ חֶ֖סֶד הֽוּא׃
Who is like You Adonai, forgiving iniquity and remitting transgression not staying angry forever toward the remnant of Your own people, because You love graciousness!
יָשׁ֣וּב יְרַחֲמֵ֔נוּ יִכְבֹּ֖שׁ עֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ וְתַשְׁלִ֛יךְ בִּמְצֻל֥וֹת יָ֖ם כׇּל־חַטֹּאותָֽם׃
Adonai will take us back in love, quashing our iniquities. You will hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Shabbat Shuva is especially significant for our congregation as we celebrate the 5th anniversary of our Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah group. Our celebrants (Ana Calderon, Barbara D Johnson, Barbara E Johnson, and Art Simon) will read their Haftorah portion from the three Prophets once again at Saturday morning's service beginning at 9:30 am and will sponsor a delightful Shabbat luncheon for all who attend, so please help them celebrate by joining together on this important day.
This Shabbat as we anticipate Yom Kippur, we realize that it is never too late to return to a life of piety and morality and to strive to make this world a better place for all and a world that no longer knows hunger, insecurity and war. Our region is recovering from a devastating storm and there continues to be strife in Israel and many other corners of the earth. Let us do our part to help alleviate suffering. One of the mitzvot we can continue to carry out is our volunteer efforts with Metropolitan Ministries distributing food, clothing, and other necessities on October 31st, November 26th and December 19th. Our synagogue community has played a role in carrying out this obligation and we hope that more congregants will join us this fall and beyond to make the year 5785 one of recovery and peace beginning with our own region.
Shabbat Shalom,
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader
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Friday Morning, Friday Evening, Saturday Morning
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Rosh Hashanah 2nd Day 10/4 9:30 am; 10/4 Erev Shabbat Shuva 7:30 pm and 10/5 Shabbat Shuva 9:30 am
Time: This is a recurring meeting
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Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
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