Tuesday, May 04, 2021
05/04/2021 11:29:09 AM
Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Dear Temple Sinai Family,
Welcome to the first week of May! All one has to do is take a quick glance at the calendar, and you will see what a busy and special month May 2021 will be at Temple Sinai this year.
I wanted to point out a few highlights. First, please don’t forget that today is GiveNOLA Day. GiveNOLA Day is our annual opportunity for tzedakah as well as gemilut chasadim – acts of loving kindness. For those who are able, I hope you will consider supporting some of the many amazing nonprofits in our community who are doing such important and meaningful work on behalf of Greater New Orleans. Please consider making a donation towards Temple Sinai, as well as other Jewish organizations and all who are working to make our community stronger and better for all.
This week during Wednesday Night Live, we will ask the question: “Do Jews celebrate Cinco de Mayo?” Join me at 7:00pm on Zoom as we discuss Jews around the world. Also this week we will hold our next Thursday Lunch Discussion at 12:30pm. On Friday we will join together to celebrate our May Anniversaries and Birthdays at our 6:00pm Shabbat Evening Service. Please remember that Sunday, May 9, is Mother’s Day – and it is a mitzvah to remember and honor our mothers!
And don’t forget to mark your calendars for more of May’s special events: Preparing for Shavuot programs on Wednesday 5/12 and Thursday 5/13; Brotherhood Bingo on Saturday 5/15; our End of the School Year Picnic with Chavurah@Sinai on Sunday, 5/16; Confirmation Service on Sunday, 5/16 to begin our celebration of Shavuot; Sisterhood Sabbath on Friday, 5/21; and the Temple Sinai On-Line Annual Meeting on Sunday, 5/23.
I hope that everyone is healthy and safe. I look forward to seeing you this month. Please stay connected and well.
Shalom u’vracha – peace & blessing,
Rabbi Daniel Sherman
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
04/27/2021 11:59:53 AM
Dear Temple Sinai Family,
Where did April go? I cannot believe that May is right around the corner. This is a busy time around Temple with lots of great things going on.
This week is our final session in our two-part Adult Education series: “Modern Movements in Judaism Today.” Last week we focused on the Reform Movement. This week we will discuss other branches of Judaism including Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Humanist, and more. I invite you to join me on Wednesday evening at 7:00pm over Zoom. Also this week we will host our Thursday Lunch Discussion at 12:30pm on Zoom.
I want to remind everyone that our Shabbat services are available both on-line and in-person for both Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. It has been wonderful to welcome people back slowly into our sanctuary. We invite you to join us. For those planning on attending in-person, we kindly ask for you to make a reservation. Inside the building we require mask-wearing and social-distancing.
I also want to remind everyone that next Tuesday, May 4 is GiveNOLA Day. This 24-hour event is hosted by the Greater New Orleans Foundation to inspire people to give generously to nonprofits making our region stronger and creating a thriving community for all. I think it is especially important for us to give back to our community this year as the need for help continues to rise. GiveNOLA Day is a wonderful opportunity for us to practice TZEDAKAH. Tzedakah is more than just “charity” – Tzedakah is a righteous act and a mitzvah. It is one of the ways we give back and share what we have with those who are in need because it is both a loving act as well as the right thing to do. I hope you will consider supporting the Temple and your favorite local nonprofits this GiveNOLA Day as we show our support for both the Jewish community and the city we love.
Please stay well and stay connected!
Shalom u’vracha – peace & blessing,
Rabbi Daniel Sherman
From Where I Stand | Rabbi Edward P. Cohn
10/04/2020 02:34:21 PM
From Where I Stand
Rabbi Edward P. Cohn
Sukkot is my favorite holiday! In antiquity, Sukkot was so central in Jewish observance as to receive the additional moniker, “Heh-Chag – THE Festival.” In pre-Biblical times, Sukkot was a pagan harvest celebration. By the time the Torah was canonized it had become designated as the Jewish Fall Harvest Festival extraordinaire!
Occurring while the autumnal moon fills the evening sky with light, the sukkah booth erected so as to always afford an unimpeded glimpse of the sky, becomes the centerpiece of Sukkot observance.
Though Passover enjoys its beloved Seder plate and Chanukah its nine light menorah, Sukkot has no lasting ceremonial object. By the festival’s conclusion the sukkah leaves and decorative vegetables and fruits on strings have become dry and all but unrecognizable. Even the fragrant Etrog and the leafy Lulav have become noticeably shriveled. But, that is at the center of Sukkot’s abiding message – life is fleeting. Open your eyes to see the beauty and the wonders of life!
In fact, as is often pointed out, the building of this impermanent sukkah is meant to be more than just the locus of a week outside. The sukkah is a stark reminder of the forces of nature and the undeniable vulnerability which is inherent to all life. Surely, this lesson continues to make itself all too plain during the Covid-19 pandemic!
Nevertheless, rejoice good people, in the blessings which are ours and don’t forget to share them with those many who have so much less.
Faithfully yours,
Rabbi Edward Paul CohnFrom
“Stand Strong” produced by the American Conference of Cantors
09/27/2020 03:56:06 PM
Cantor Colman participated in a virtual choir performance of the song “Stand Strong” produced by the American Conference of Cantors. Click here check it out!
