Rabbi's Letter
March 8, 2018
21 Adar 5778
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The Torah is not an end but a beginning; a precedent not a story. Its being embedded in particular historic situations has not deterred it from being everlasting. Nothing in it is surreptitious or trite. It is not an epic about the life of heroes but a story of every human in all climates and all ages. Its topic is the world, the whole of history, continuing the pattern of a constitution of a united humanity as well as guidance towards establishing such a union. It contains the scattered seeds of justice and compassion, to echo God’s cry to the world and to pierce man’s armor of callousness.
Abraham Joshua Heschel
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Dear Friends,
I think that many of us are still singing along to our Beatles Purim, thank you for sharing with me the fun you had. There’s nothing like laughing together to build deep and lasting friendships. It is such good medicine for the soul.
Can you imagine, the Bima jam packed wall to wall with happy congregants, all waving their hands in the air at the end of the Megillah reading, and singing, Obla Di Obla Da life goes on, yeah!!!!! La La la la life goes on!
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Please enjoy the beautiful pictures that Lana took of our Purim Bash. We are so grateful to her for being our B’nai Israel Photographer for the evening.
Enjoy!
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This week I have been looking high and low for an image of a young man and woman, hovering together before the opened Torah, both in their own Tallitot, sharing the very powerful experience of being called to the Torah for an Aliyah. In my minds eye they are at their Auf Ruf, just days before their wedding, being called up to honor the intersection of life to which time has brought them, to their opened door. This, it seems to me, should be an easy picture to find, or so I hoped. Not so.
The Auf Ruf has been and still remains in the Orthodox world, a moment for the Groom alone. He is called to the Torah to receive this honor before his wedding. The bride unable to enter the male only center of Jewish Ritual worship, cannot stand next to her fiancé or participate with him in this honor.
For this Rabbi, an Auf Ruf is a gift to be given to the couple and that is exactly what we will do this coming Shabbat when Harrison and Elizabeth are called up to the Torah to bring honor to their upcoming wedding .
I’ve just added to my list of “Things to do”(a very long list) to find someone who can help me design an image that will capture the Auf Ruf that I am determined to create.
I can see the couple, huddled together with wide smiles on their faces, expectant dreams, overwhelming love for one another. I can see them find their beginning in the Torah and kiss their Tallit to that sacred place. I can feel their souls dance as the Hebrew is chanted, bringing memories of the ages into their hearts. And then I imagine, the singing at the completion of the Aliyah and the joy, candy thrown for sweetness, celebration.
Surely someone can help me create this image because friends, it doesn’t exist and I need it to. We need it to. The Auf Ruf is about both Harrison and Elizabeth and the future that they both will build together as a team. Both in the driver’s seat of life, heading for the same destination, yet working side by side to build castles out of their shared dreams. Please join us this Shabbat when Harrison and Elizabeth will be called to the Torah for their Auf Ruf! Mazel Tov!
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Please help me welcome our three new families to B’nai Israel.
We are so excited that Shai and Ellen Abisch have joined our Synagogue, they are a part of a handful of Congregants who belong to both, the Synagogue and the Temple. Shai loves to cook and he is a fantastic Torah reader!
We are so happy to count you both among our family. Welcome!
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The Sherman’s showed up to the One Room Shul House a few weeks back to check it out and we all just fell in love with them.
They are all from New Jersey where Gary practiced as a Chiropractic Physician and Michelle was a broker for large machinery. They have three children.
Eve is graduating NC State in May as a middle school teacher.
Jay is a 7th grader who loves Tae Kwon Do.
Max is a 6th grader who loves to play tennis.
They like to travel, play golf, and enjoy the beach. They moved here for a simpler and easier lifestyle. And we are so happy that they have joined our B’nai Israel family. Max and Jay just fit right in as if they have been with us forever. They are a very special family.
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A mighty welcome as well to Sharon and David Weber who actually live in Chapel Hill but spent last High Holidays with us and have decided to call B’nai Israel their spiritual home. We sure wish we could see them around more but for now we will take what we can get. They are such kind people and we are so happy to have them with us. Here is a picture of Sharon and David and their family!
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Our Congregational family continues to grow! How lucky are we! Please be sure to welcome any new faces you see as we continue to expand the parameters of our congregation with new friends.
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What a great day we had at the One Room Shul House last Sunday. We learned about the concept of Tikkun Olam, the repair of the world which is an integral part of the entire Jewish endeavor. Its really understood to be the very reason for our destiny. We are to show the world that God wants us to become partners with God to make this world the dream that it was intended to be. It was a great day of learning.
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Imagine what all of us can do together!
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On the
18th of March
the One Room Shul House will be enjoying our yearly,
Before Passover,
Popcorn and viewing of the movie
“The Prince of Egypt.”
To get us all ready for Passover!
Our first year there were only 7 children, this year there will be 17 students!!!!!! WOW!
We will meet at
10AM
Sunday the 18
th
at the One Room Shul House. Everyone is to bring, blankets, beach chairs and POPCORN. (Be sure that it has a hecksher on the popcorn, and ask Rabbi Julie if you have any questions.) Parents must be with their children and are invited to enjoy this wonderful family movie together. It is a One Room Shul House TRADITION! If anyone else wants to join us, there’s plenty of room and plenty of popcorn too!
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There are only 5 rooms left for the Shabbaton. Don’t miss out on the beautiful experience of truly getting away for a meaningful, peaceful
and
re-JEW-vanating
Shabbat.
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Make sure to make your reservations for our
Passover Seder Friday March 30th.
Please
RSVP
with Kate.
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PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE FIRST SEDER
FRIDAY MARCH 30
TH
MAARIV AT 6PM
SEDER BEGINS AT 6:30 PM
DETAILS TO FOLLOW,
PLEASE SIGN UP AS SEATS ARE LIMITED TO 85 AND WE HAVE REACHED THAT NUMBER EASILY EVERY YEAR.
Children under B’nai Mitzvah age- $18
Members $36
Non-Members $40
Looking for sponsors for the flowers, matzah and wine for our Seder
. If anyone is interested in one of these please contact Rabbi Julie immediately. Thank you!
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On Thursday the 8
th
of March, I will be heading out to Davis Nursing Home in Porters Neck to visit Dr. Reuben Silver. I also plan to daven Mincha with him as he so loves to pray and since he can’t get to us, I say let’s go to him. I am looking for friends to come along as well and help us to make a minyan, (at least) For those of you who own your own prayer books, please bring them.
4PM at DAVIS, March 8
th
. All are welcome!
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GUEST CHEF SHABBAT
I am so excited that our beloved
Compass Point B’nai Israel contingent will be preparing Shabbat dinner for us on Friday evening the 16
th
of March
. Thank you all for stepping up and stepping in. How beautiful! Please call Rabbi Julie if you think you and your friends might like to do the same one Friday evening. Please
RSVP
with Kate for the dinner.
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I
t is probably no surprise that I am a lover of theology, the study of God. This path of study brings every question of life’s possibility into the forefront of thought. It is a search for truth as if it were a needle whose haystack is the Cosmos. It is gigantic, deep and its mystery lures with a brilliant light that seems always just one reach away from my grip. I said today in my class on ethics that we have not been invited into life to have all of our desires satisfied, it is not meant to be easy, it is meant to challenge us so that through the passionate wrestling with ideas, we grow into wiser, stronger, more insightful humans. We have been invited into life to search for the questions not to find the answers.
Rabbi Kozlow
Too often is our sense of the world affected by habit and familiar ideas. We have eyes to see, but our minds are filled with idols. The result is a living death. Almost unknowingly we become caretakers of our moribund sensibilities
Thus, despite the natural desire for enduring explanations, new times will repeatedly impeach inherited consolidations and induce their constant reformation. It requires one to step out of the shadows of tradition and routine and say, “
Here I am;
this is life as I know it.”
Such a confession clears a space for honest theology. “
Hinini”
Fishbane
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באהבה ושלום
See you on Shabbat!!!!
הרב אלישבע בת דוד ודבורה
Rabbi Julie Kozlow
(910) 762-1117 ~ B'nai Israel phone
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