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"For these things do I weep, my eyes flow with tears...My eyes are spent with tears, my heart is in tumult."
[Book of Lamentations]
In our Torah reading cycle, we come to the Book of Deuteronomy this Shabbat, but in Jewish communities around the world, the Book of Lamentations will be read from as well, as Tisha B'Av is commemorated. Tisha B'Av (literally, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av) is, traditionally, a major day of communal mourning in the Jewish calendar. A large number of disasters are said to have befallen the Jewish community on this day, including the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. and 70 C.E., the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, and other more localized disasters. And the rabbis of the Talmudic age made the claim that God ordained this day as a day of disaster as punishment for the people's baseless hatred of one another (in Hebrew: sinat chinam).
And while the catastrophes that Tisha B'Av commemorates may not be current ones, the act of sinat chinam and its consequences are still very much felt today. We feel it when we turn on the news and see reports of mass shootings and any time we experience such senseless, baseless hatred and such deep disregard for human life. And, like the author of Lamentations, we search for some sense of comfort, while also knowing that we must continue to work and strive for change and for a society where we do not teach or tolerate the hatred of others.
This Friday evening, Cantor Hochman and I will lead our Kabbalat Shabbat service beginning at 6:30 pm in the chapel. We will be joined by Gail Donner, Kim Coffina, and Pam Barroway, who will be sharing some reflections on their time at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism's Consultation on Conscience and the RAC's social justice initiatives.
And, Shabbat morning, Rabbi Address will be leading our Torah Study session beginning at 10:00 am.
L'shalom,
Rabbi Jennifer L. Frenkel
If you have the name of someone you would like to have included in our Healing Prayer (Mi Shebeirach) that is recited at our Shabbat services, please let us know by noon each Friday so we can give the name to our clergy.
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High Holy Day Ushers
The Ritual Committee is looking for congregants who are interested in ushering at services during the High Holy Days. There are available positions for every service. While we have a dedicated core of volunteers who always help out, we would like to have new participants assist as well. It is rewarding and fulfilling to usher for services at any time during the year, but particularly so during the High Holy Days. If you are interested, please e-mail Jeff Beenstock, and he will answer any questions you may have and tell you how to sign up. Thanks in advance!
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WE REMEMBER
Itka Bloch
grandmother of Jennifer Bloch
Norman Samodovitz
brother of Susan Herron
Esther Hymowitz
grandmother of Beth Fleischman
grandmother of Gail Jacobs
Cassie Eiferman
daughter of Ted Eiferman
Margaretha Hellquist
mother of Susanne Adamson
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THE WEEK AHEAD
6:30 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service (Chapel)
Join us for pre-service refreshments starting at 6:00 pm.
Saturday, August 10
10:00 am Torah Study, led by Rabbi Richard Address (Chapel)
Sunday, August 11
Tisha B'Av
Monday, August 12
7:00 pm Scholar-in-Residence Committee Meeting (Oneg Room)
Tuesday, August 13
7:00 pm Kesher Club Committee Meeting (Board Room)
Wednesday, August 14
Friday, August 16
6:30 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Visual T'filah (Sanctuary;
webcast)
Join us for pre-service refreshments starting at 6:00 pm.
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
Please click on the event name for more information or to register for that event.
Membership Renewal & Religious School Forms
Forms are due. The start of Religious School and the High Holy Days will be here soon. Kindly return your completed forms and initial payment as soon as possible. If you need the forms or have any questions, please contact the
synagogue office. As always, our
Financial Secretary is available to discuss any financial concerns you have.
First Thursdays: The Music of George Gershwin
Thursday, September 5, 7:00 pm
Sunday, September 15, 10:00 am
Monday, September 16, 7:00 pm
Book Plates for our new High Holy Day prayerbooks may be purchased in honor of any simcha or in memory of a loved one. Click here to contribute.
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For late-breaking news, please visit our website at
www.mkorshalom.org.
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Michelle Bross
Executive Director
Congregation M'kor Shalom
850 Evesham Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
(856) 424-4220
(856) 424-2890 (fax)
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