Temple News

DISPEL THE DARKNESS.
SHINE A LIGHT ON ANTISEMITISM.

            I hope everyone remains safe and dry on this stormy Wednesday with the threat of severe weather.

            However, thunderstorms have not been the only source of darkness, gloom, and fear for our Jewish community.  There have been too many incidents and headlines involving anti-Semitism in our country.  The ADL is reporting record numbers of anti-Semitic threats and situations, which are becoming more and more a regular part of life for Jews across the United States.

            A number of organizations, including the ADL, the URJ, CCAR, JCCs, Jewish Federations, and more, have joined forces in the fight against anti-Semitism and hatred in all of its forms.  In the spirit of Chanukah, our upcoming Festival of Light, they have launched a campaign to “Dispel the Darkness.  Shine a Light on Antisemitism.”  For more information and ways to get involved, please check out the website: shinealighton.com. 

            We are excited about the beginning of Chanukah, which is only a few days away.  Tonight, assuming we have power, we will discuss Chanukah and its traditions, story, and message during Wednesday Night Live at 7:00pm over Zoom.

            The preparation for our annual winter Festival of Lights continues tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 15 with a special get-together at Temple.  Join us at 7:00pm in person as we watch a performance by singer/songwriter Chava Mirel (over Zoom), brought to us by the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life and co-sponsored by both Temple Sinai and Touro Synagogue.  Come in your Chanukah attire and join us for Chanukah treats, including Chot Chocolate and Chai Tea.

            We will continue to get in the mood for Chanukah on Friday evening, with a Pre-Chanukah Oneg Shabbat Nosh with Latkes at 6:00pm, followed by our Shabbat evening service at 6:30pm in the Feibelman Chapel with Chanukah songs and more.

            Chanukah begins this Sunday evening, December 18.  Everyone is welcome to join us at Temple from 4-5:00pm as we welcome the holiday and light our outdoor Chanukah Menorah for the first time this year.  And don’t forget: Chanukah on the Avenue will take place next Friday, Dec. 23 on the Shabbat of Chanukah.

            Take care and happy Chanukah!

We did it!  We have made it through our Fall Holiday Season.  Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, followed five days later by our week-long Sukkot Festival concluding with our Simchat Torah celebrations – all are now behind us.  With no more holidays to promote, what do we do now?  WE START ALL OVER AGAIN!

Now the New Year 5783 is really underway, and we turn back to the very beginning of the Torah.  This week our Torah portion – BEREISHEET – is the first few chapters of the book of Genesis.  We read the Torah’s stories of creation and of the first human family.

And we might be out of holidays to celebrate for the next couple of months, but each week we have Shabbat to look forward to.  It was wonderful to have so many people join us for High Holy Day services – what a feeling of community and togetherness we shared in our sanctuary.  I hope we can find ways for those feelings and spirit of holiness to continue in the New Year.  So please consider joining us for Shabbat Services.  On Friday evenings, we are continuing with our pre-service Shabbat Shalom Nosh from 6:00-6:30pm in the auditorium.  Our Shabbat Evening Service begins at 6:30pm.  On Saturday mornings, Torah Study begins at 9:15am in the library, followed by our Shabbat Morning Service at 10:30am in the chapel.

We hope to see you soon at Temple!  Shabbat Shalom!

            Happy beginning of Fall!  (I figured I would begin with that reminder since our highs are in the mid-90’s this week.). A new season is here along with our Holy Day Season, as well.  This will be my last message of the year.
            We are so excited to welcome everyone back home to Temple Sinai for Rosh HaShanah this year.  So here are just a few reminders.

            Rosh HaShanah begins this Sunday evening, September 25.  Our Evening Service will begin at 7:00pm as we kick off the High Holy Days and announce the beginning of the New Year 5783.  We are looking forward to everything about Rosh HaShanah: the beautiful and moving music led by Cantor Colman along with our amazing High Holy Day 12-voice choir directed by Dr. Marcus St. Julien (our first time to have the choir join us since 2019); the prayers and liturgy that help to inspire reflection, repentance, and renewal; the feeling of community as we gather altogether in our House of Assembly; the spirit of holiness that pervades this time of year; and, of course, the apples and honey, as well.  Following the evening service, we will gather in the Goldring Pavilion auditorium for a “Sweet New Year Reception” and to wish each a “Shanah Tovah.”

            Our Rosh HaShanah observances continue on Monday, beginning with our Temple Toddlers Rosh HaShanah Experience at 9:00am in the chapel.  Our Morning Service will begin at 10:00AM with more wonderful music, as well as the reading of Torah and the sounding of the Shofar.  Following the conclusion of the service, all are invited to our Rosh HaShanah luncheon in the auditorium.

            In the afternoon, we will continue with our Rosh HaShanah Family Service at 2:00pPM.  This service is aimed at our Chavurah@Sinai Students, grades 1-5 and their families.  All are welcome to join us in the sanctuary.  After the service, at 3:00PM we will gather outside and walk to Audubon Park to participate in the ritual of Tashlich, as we attempt to rid ourselves of sin while standing by living waters.

            We look forward to seeing you at Temple this year for Rosh HaShanah.  Please remember to make a reservation for all of our High Holy Day services and receptions.  For security reasons, we will be checking everyone in at the door.  All are welcome.  We also want to remind everyone that for those who are out-of-town or who are unable to join us in person, all of our services will also be available online through Zoom and livestreamed on our Temple Sinai website.

I conclude with this wish and prayer:

Our God and God of our ancestors,
Eternal God of all generations:
May Your Presence in our lives this New Year
Renew our spirits and renew our strength.
May it be a good year.
May it be a sweet year!

L’shanah Tovah Tikateivu,
Rabbi Daniel Sherman

Dear friends,

Believe it or not, I have already noticed some subtle changes from Summer to early Autumn here in Rockport. I’m keenly aware that the High Holy Days season will soon arrive and my mind returns to special memories from my youth.

            For instance, one crisp September evening, when I was perhaps nine or ten, I was waiting expectantly on the front porch of our home in Glen Burnie, Maryland. I was waiting for my father who had gone to pick up my grandmom who lived only six blocks from our home and I was full of anticipation on that Rosh HaShanah evening for a new Jewish year to arrive.

            Waiting for them, I was able to see the festive dining room table set with candles, wine, and a bowl of sliced applies with honey. I knew that following that family dinner we would all ride together twenty miles or so into Baltimore where our temple was located. We made sure to bring our copies of the Union Prayer Book II! Even then I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the music – the organ and the choir!

            There was one other realization that was forever set on that September evening. Looking up and down our street and surveying the familiar homes of my best friends, I understood that for them this was a “nothing special night.” And THAT knowledge increased all the more my awareness how much our Jewish faith meant to me.

            No doubt, there are memories which each one of you also treasure of precious dear ones, gathered around the festive holiday table, who once you delighted to see in the glowing candles’ rays. In this increasingly perplexing and challenging world, perhaps we need all the more to embrace our memories and our Jewish traditions, and from them, renew our strength, our faith, and our sense of purpose for the next chapter of our life’s journey.

            To each and every one of you in our temple family, Andrea and I send our very best wishes and most heartfelt Shanah Tovah for a sweet and blessed 5783!

Faithfully yours,
Rabbi Edward Paul Cohn

It has been a while since we posted a Wednesday Message.  I hope everyone is doing well, having a good summer, and staying dry and safe.

            It was wonderful this past weekend welcoming so many people back to Temple with our Summer Union Shabbat Services.  We will be hosting our community Shabbat services throughout August.  Join us in the auditorium at 6:00pm for our Nosh – our pre-service Oneg Shabbat – and to wish each other a Shabbat Shalom.  Services will begin at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary.  This week is our “Back to School Shabbat” and School Supply Drive.  We are collecting needed school supplies for Kingsley House as we prepare for the beginning of a new school year.  Please stop by Temple this week to drop off donations or bring them with you on Friday evening.  We hope you will support this important drive for our community.

            While it was a feel-good weekend here at Temple, it was a very difficult time for those living in Israel.  Islamic Jihad in Gaza fired over 1000 rockets into Israel.  We pray that the cease-fire will hold and that Israelis will not have to live in fear for their safety and security.  SHAALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM – Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all Israel, and may all of its inhabitants know joy and safety.

            I hope you will consider joining us this evening and on Sunday morning for our “Congregational Conversations,” as we discuss our upcoming clergy search and plans for the future.

Rabbi Daniel Sherman

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ISRAEL!

            Today and tomorrow are very important day on the Jewish calendar.  Today in Israel is YOM HAZIKARON – Israel’s Memorial Day.  Tomorrow is YOM HAATZMAUT – Israel’s Independence Day.  On Yom HaZikaron, the entire country of Israel stops to remember and to honor all of those Israelis who have lost their lives in the creation and defense of the Modern State of Israel.  It is a very somber day that includes a national moment of silence, as well as visits to military cemeteries throughout the land.  Almost every family or neighborhood has suffered some type of loss of a soldier due to war or terrorism.  Before Israel celebrates its independence, Israel remembers those who lost their lives to make sure that Israel exists still today.

            Then on Yom HaAtzmaut, the entire country celebrates.  This year Israel, which was founded on May 14, 1948 (5 Iyar, 5708), marks its 74^th birthday.  We join with Jews all over the world in giving thanks for our Jewish homeland and praying for its safety and well-being.  We pray that this 75^th year may include peace and prosperity for all who dwell there.  Let us take advantage of this special day to strengthen our relationship with the land and people of Israel. 

I encourage you to join in our Community Yom HaZikaron observance and Yom HaAtzmaut celebration this evening at the Uptown JCC beginning at 5:30pm.  We will also talk about and celebrate Israel during our Wednesday Night Live discussion on Zoom at 7:00pm tonight.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

            We all read with horror the leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court regarding Roe v. Wade and abortion rights.  This was truly a wake-up call for all who are serious about protecting abortion rights and reproductive health and justice for all.  I would like to share with you the statement issued by leaders within the Reform Movement.  We clearly have much work to do.  This is an important issue and a Jewish issue – we cannot stand idly by.

Reform Movement Leaders Decry Supreme Court’s Apparent Plan to End Abortion Rights

I hope that everyone is enjoying Passover this year.  That’s right – it’s not over yet.  Though for many of us, we have moved from the “yummy” stage of Matzah to the “crummy” days of Matzah!  This evening is already the 6^th Night of Passover – only one more evening after that.  Passover ends Friday evening with the beginning of Shabbat (except for those who choose to celebrate eight days of Passover, for whom Passover will end Saturday evening).

Speaking of Friday evening, we have a very special service this week.  Please join us for Sisterhood Shabbat on Friday, April 20.  The service will be led by members of our Temple Sinai Sisterhood, whom we will honor and thank for all that they do for our congregation and community.  Our Vocal Ensemble will also participate and help to lead some special music for our service.  Following services, we will gather in the auditorium for an Oneg Shabbat reception.

Please join me this evening for Wednesday Night Live at 7:00pm on Zoom as we will continue to discuss Passover celebrations and traditions.

Chag Sameach – Happy Passover!

Can you believe that April is almost here?  Where did March go?  But if this weekend is the beginning of April, then you know what that means for our community?  No, not the Final Four.  I’m talking about the Temple’s Annual Gala.  I am so excited to see everyone at this year’s Garden Party Gala on Saturday afternoon, April 2, at Longue Vue Gardens.  Rain or shine – it will be a beautiful event.  It will be wonderful to be altogether in this special location that is an important part of our community and congregational history.  We will not allow some potential rain to dampen our spirits or enthusiasm.  We will come together to celebrate Temple Sinai and the amazing people who make up our congregation.

            Don’t forget: the auction and raffle are live on our website.  Be sure to check out all the fabulous offerings this year.  Be sure to check out all the fabulous items this year. Your participation is an important and wonderful way to support our Temple.

            An additional reminder: April 1^st might be April Fools Day to some, but for us it is the beginning of a special Shabbat.  We will begin with our Temple Toddlers at 5:30pm and then our 6:00pm Shabbat Evening Service which will include our blessings for those celebrating anniversaries and birthdays this month.  And on Sunday, April 3 Chavurah@Sinai is meeting at the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience for a fascinating morning.  I really recommend a visit to the museum for everyone – and let’s be sure to do our part to support this new addition to the New Orleans Jewish community.

https://www.templesinainola.com/gardenpartygala

I hope everyone is well and staying healthy.  I am thus far encouraged by where we are with COVID following Mardi Gras and hopeful that we will be able to keep up our forward progress.  Please know that we are in the process of reevaluating all of our COVID and mask protocols and making more plans for upcoming future events.

            That’s the good news.  The bad news, the heartbreaking news is what we read coming from Ukraine, as the crisis there continues because of the aggressive attacks by Russia.  Our hearts go out to all of the innocent victims in Ukraine.

            Ukraine is not just any other country to us Jews.  It currently has a Jewish population of over 100,000 people.  And so many Ashkenazic Jews in this country and all over the world can trace their roots back to the cities and towns of Ukraine.  Many Jews are trying to escape.  The Jewish communities there are doing everything they can to survive – including providing shelter and needed supplies – but they need our help.  Let us be among those whose broken hearts move them to action.

            I believe there are many ways that we can help.  I am grateful to Arnie Fielkow, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, for his leadership and passion in helping out those in Ukraine. I want to encourage you to go to the Jewish Federation website (jewishnola.com) where you will find ways that we can support the important work of the Jewish Federations of North America, who have people on the ground lending a hand in Ukraine as we speak.

            2 other very important ways we can help out:

• World Union for Progressive Judaism (wupj.org) – The WUPJ is the international network of Reform and Progressive Judaism.  The WUPJ supports congregations across the globe, and has long been involved with communities in Ukraine.  The World Union has set up a Ukraine Crisis Fund and they need our support.
• Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (hias.org) – HIAS has been supporting Jewish refugees and immigrants for over 100 years.  They are currently helping to get Jews out of Ukraine and to Israel and to closer safe havens.  They are doing wonderful work and need our support.

Our tradition teaches us that it is not up to us to complete the work, but we are not free to turn a blind eye and not do our part.  I urge you to lend a hand, get involved, and do all that we can to help.

Thank you for your support.  See you at Temple!

            Shalom from Temple Sinai!  I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy.  There are 3 items that I would like to bring to your attention today.

• WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIVE: This is week #2 for our “Modern Issues, Modern Beliefs” discussion.  Last week we talked about Jewish views on abortion as well as the rise of anti-Semitism.  I invite you to join us this evening and next Wednesday at 7pm on Zoom to discuss more issues that are on your minds.
• February is Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month.  In honor of this, we are joining with the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life for a special program entitled, “Being Heard,” on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 7:00pm.  The program is being led by Nick May, who grew up here in New Orleans, and is a singer/songwriter, educator, songleader, and inclusion activist.  I hope you will be able to join us.  We want to thank Ann Kientz and the ISJL for continuing to make such wonderful programming available to us.  For more information about Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month and Jewish Disability Advocacy Day (JDAD, Feb. 23-24, 2022), I encourage you to visit the Religious Action Center website (rac.org) or jewishtogether.org.
• SHABBAT SERVICES THIS WEEK: On Friday we are looking forward to “Summertime in February.”  Join us this week at 6pm for a special Camp-Inspired Shabbat Evening Service on Friday, Feb. 11.  Two of our Chavurah@Sinai teachers, Mollie and Caroline Sloter, will help lead services.  Both sisters grew up in Ft. Worth, TX active in Beth-El Congregation and NFTY.  Caroline was a songleader at the URJ Greene Family Camp in Texas this past summer and helps to lead music on Sunday mornings.

I look forward to seeing you online and at Temple.  Please take care!

            It is Wednesday, but I still very much have Colleyville, TX and the events from this past Shabbat at Congregation Beth Israel on my mind.  I am grateful that everyone escaped the Temple without physical harm.  I am grateful for and so appreciative of all the law enforcement agencies and professionals who were involved and who made a safe outcome happen.

            I am grateful for so much.  But I am also sad and scared and disappointed and mad.  What happened was shocking in so many ways – but it was not necessarily unbelievable.  Sadly we have seen a rise not only in hate and violence in our country, but specifically a rise in anti-Semitism and in acts of hatred targeting Jews and Jewish communities.  Unfortunately, this is part of our current reality.

            Here’s what I think we should take away from the events of last Saturday.

            First, we Jews are one community.  What affects one group or one synagogue affects all of us.  We want our fellow Jews and fellow Reform Congregation in Texas to know that we stand with them and are here for them.  They are not alone.

            Second, please know that we take safety and security very seriously here at Temple Sinai.  We have security plans in place.  We continue to be in contact with security experts from the Jewish community and greater New Orleans community who have advised and coached us.  There is no perfect plan; there is no way to be prepared for everything.  But know that we are trying.  I am grateful to our head of security, Joe Williamson, for all that he does for our Temple and congregation.  Security is always on our minds and on the minds of our staff and leadership.

            Third, please know that we are here for you.  We love our congregants and our community.  We – your Temple family, our Sinai leadership, clergy, and staff – care about you and are committed to do all that we can for you.  If you have concerns or if you just want to talk, know that we are happy to reach out.  Please just let us know.  We are here.  We are listening.  We care.

            Fourth, please know that we will get through this.  We have been through a lot throughout our history as a people.  There have always been challenges and obstacles in our path.  But we have survived, persevered, and thrived.  We are still here and, with the help of God, we hope to be here for a long, long time still to come.

            With all of this in mind, we push forward here at Temple Sinai.  I hope that you will consider joining us for Shabbat services this Friday evening at 6pm – whether in person or online.  Every Shabbat service is a service of healing and hope – this week I think those prayers are needed even more.  We will pray for our community, our people, and our world. 

            Please stay safe, try to stay healthy, and I hope to see you soon!

TOGETHER NEW ORLEANS – Yesterday I was honored to participate in the new Together New Orleans Citywide Delegates Assembly.  Harry Lowenburg, Tyler Guidroz, and I represented Temple Sinai for the gathering at First Grace United Methodist Church.  We joined with 50 other organizations, including churches, synagogues, and civic institutions who are striving to build a new “WE” in New Orleans to solve our common problems.  Goals for Together New Orleans include developing trust across the lines that have divided our community in the past, in particular the line of race; strengthening community leadership so that we are more effective at working together; and achieving change on concrete issues of our choosing.  We are proud that Temple Sinai will be a founding member institution of this new “WE” for New Orleans.  To learn more, check out the website togethernola.org.  I want to thank Harry, who has been an integral part of Together New Orleans since its inception, and Tyler, who recently helped to lead a community forum that we hosted at the Temple.  I also want to thank our Temple’s Social Justice Committee, chaired by Luz Molina, and our Temple officers and board for their support of this important endeavor.  We will keep you updated as to what happens next.

            When you drive by Temple Sinai, you might notice a slight change outside of our building.  The banner that proudly stood above the entrance to our sanctuary has come down.  The banner had been up for the past several years, a symbol of our commitment to be a House of Prayer for all and a haven of love not hate.  Banners have a limited lifespan, but the message remains important.  The banner had begun to fade and to look tattered and worn.  Our Temple Board voted to remove the banner (or not to put it back up the next time it fell), which is now the case.  We want to thank all those who have helped the Temple to be a beacon of light and hope to our entire community – we pledge to continue to work to protect the rights of all and to pursue justice, equality, and peace in our community.

            Please let me know or contact the Temple if you have any questions or are interested in becoming more involved.   Together we can make a difference.

            This week we will join together with our fellow Americans to celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving.  I hope we will all take some time to remember to give thanks this Thanksgiving.  The following prayer comes from our home prayerbook, On the Doorposts of Your House: Prayers and Ceremonies for the Jewish Home (CCAR Press), published by the Reform Movement.  It can be recited before eating the Thanksgiving meal.

Creative Source of all being, from You come our blessings from day to day and from year to year.  The towering mountains and the shaded forests, the abundant streams and the fruitful earth are Your gift to us.  May we preserve this gift for our children, that they, too, may give thanks for the blessings that will be theirs.

For this land so richly blessed, we raise our voice in thanks.  Your children have come to these shores from many lands in quest of liberty and new life.  Many have been pilgrims to this western world.  Here they found a safe haven, soil on which to prosper, and the opportunity to outgrow old fears and superstitions.  For our country, for its freedom promised, attained, and yet to be enlarged, for the richness of its natural blessings, and for a growing harmony that we pray will ever increase among its citizens, we give thanks.

God of justice and right, inspire all who dwell in our land with loyalty to the ideals of its founders.  Give us wisdom and strength to labor for its well-being, on the firm foundation of justice and truth.  Fill us with the spirit of kindness, generosity, and peace, that this land may be a beacon-light to many peoples.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!  Beteiavon!

As I look at this week’s calendar, three particular dates jump out at me: Nov. 9, 11, and 13.  Let me explain.

            November 9 marks the 83^rd anniversary of Kristallnacht – the “Night of Broken Glass” in Germany, which began a new level of atrocities committed against the Jews of Germany and the entire region.  This was a turning point and a date that many people point to as the beginning of the Holocaust: the systematic genocide of the Jewish people in Europe.  There are not many people alive today who lived through and who can remember Kristallnacht.  That makes it even more important for us to remember and to retell what happened on that day in 1938 and everything that followed.  It is up to us to stand up and to fight against anti-Semitism, as well as prejudice, bigotry, hatred and violence of all types – which are all again on the rise here in our country and around the world.  May the memory of Kristallnacht inspire us to act and never to forget.

            Tomorrow is Veterans’ Day, another important day on the calendar.  It is important for us to thank the brave men and women who make up our armed services and who have sacrificed so much to serve and defend our country.  We thank all of those who have served our country and who continue to serve – we are grateful for your commitment and service.  May God bless the United States of America and all of our veterans.

            And finally, November 13 – the date on which Ezra Terk will become a Bar Mitzvah.  Ezra is our first Bar or Bat Mitzvah of 5782 here at Temple, and we are very proud of him and excited for him and his family.  All of us here at Temple wish Ezra a hearty “MAZAL TOV!”

            I hope everyone is having a good week.  I look forward to seeing you for our Wednesday Night Live discussion this evening as we continue our class on “What Jews Believe – Torah and Mitzvot” at 7:00pm over Zoom.  Tomorrow I invite you to join me for our Thursday Lunch Discussion over Zoom at 12:30pm.  And I would love to see more people join us for Shabbat Services on Friday evening at 6:00pm and Saturday morning at 10:30am.

            Take care and I hope to see you soon!

Today is a very important date: it is the third anniversary of the tragic shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA.  11 Jews were murdered in this deadliest act of anti-Semitism in American Jewish History.  It is important that we remember those whose lives were taken, those who lost family members, and those who were injured – they are all an important part of our Jewish family here in this country.  We mourn their loss as well as the loss of feelings of safety and security and peace.  We will remember the victims as we say Kaddish this week at our Shabbat Services: I invite you to join with us as we come together as one community to remember – “we are stronger together.” 

            I want to share with you the following statement from President  Biden: