Temple Emanu-El Haverhill News
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April 21, 2020 | 27th of Nissan 5780
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Dear friends,
Our parashah this week is Tazria-M’tzora: the parashah of discharges and skin diseases, and the processes for quarantine and treatment and assessing infection and then welcoming back into the camp. It’s graphic; it’s a little gross. It is not usually requested as a b’nei mitzvah portion. But as we read it this year, it speaks directly to our lives as our quarantine continues.
Tazria-M’tzora addresses the anxieties of our lives right now: How do you tell if someone is ill? Infectious? Who makes those decisions? How long does the test take? What about quarantine, if the symptoms go away? Does re-entry into the community happen immediately, or are there stages? These are all questions we and our leaders are faced with each day, as we try to follow the best medical advice available and the guidelines of our government. It can feel frightening, to not have clear answers. It can feel painful, to stay distanced from each other. But we continue to do our best to stay safe and help each other stay safe with the best information we have. And we keep holding one another, in our fear and our uncertainty, in our hope and our care.
We come together on Friday night and Saturday morning for our Shabbat services to celebrate and study this parashah. On Saturday afternoon, we also celebrate Israel with a very special Israel Chavurah: we’ll learn about both Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom HaAtzma’ut (Independence Day) in Israel and sing Israeli songs. BYOH—bring your own hummus!
We were blessed last week with participation and leadership by our community members in both of our Shabbat services, and you can watch our Yom HaSho’ah service
here
, with our wonderful guest speaker, Helen Epstein. Thank you to the clergy and community leaders who participated: Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini; Reverends Frank Clarkson, Kit Lonergan, Sarah Van Gulden, and Zac Harmon; Father John Delaney; and Victoria Kennedy, Head of School at Bradford Christian Academy—and as always, thank you to our rabbinic intern Jen Stevens for a beautiful co-lead. Yashar kokh’khen Temple choir members Sandra Kassin-Deardorff, Rachel Hanson, Amy Moldoff, Betsy Webb. Yashar kokh’khem to our students: Adam, Avi, Angie, Ben, Jacqueline, JJ, Maxwell, Sardoine, Zachary, and Zack. For Saturday morning: yashar kokh’khem Bob Bender for leading us in Birchot HaShachar and Psukei d’Zimrah and Torah readers Sandra Kassin-Deardorff and Ben Thomas. Archbishop Roy Stevens of Christ’s Apostolic Catholic Church also attended and sent a stirring message of solidarity to his church, which you can read
here
.
Shavua tov—may you have a good week, may you find the happiness you seek! (with thanks to Cantor Jeff Klepper/Rabbi Danny Freelander)
Cantor Vera
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Due to precautions around the coronavirus, Cantor Vera will not hold physical office hours, but she remains available to you for your questions, conversations, and pastoral care. Please call her cellphone (617.372.3245) or contact her by email (
[email protected]
) to set up a phone or video meeting.
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Shabbat
April 24–25
1st of Iyyar 5780
Parashat Tazria-M'tzora
Click on above links to view the text, in Hebrew and English, on Sefaria.com.
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The
Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Ceremony
, a historic event, will be live streamed on Monday, April 27, at 1:30 pm Eastern time. “In this time of anxiety and separation, the upcoming Ceremony offers solidarity and the hope for a peaceful future.The Memorial Ceremony, jointly organized by
Combatants for Peace
and
The Parents Circle-Families Forum
, takes place on Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. This is a solemn day in which Israelis remember those who they have lost in the years of war and conflict. Often, this remembering is infused with the despairing narrative that ‘we have no choice but to live or die by our swords.’ Traditionally, the immense suffering of Palestinian families is not acknowledged.
The Joint Memorial Ceremony offers a new vision: the hope for a just and peaceful future.
Together we choose a new path of peace, equality, and dignity for all. This year, the Ceremony will take place virtually, streamed live (most likely from Tel Aviv and Ramallah). The Memorial Ceremony can be viewed by visiting
our website
. (
Registration
is preferred.) Please save the date. Updated information can be found on the
Facebook event page
.”
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Click on the image below for to register for
A Taste of Judaism.
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Jewish Family &
Children's Services Boston
JF&CS is available and ready to help current and new clients during this coronavirus time. Their website (see link below) offers resources for people who are struggling financially, domestic abuse survivors, older adults, parents with young children, and people with disabilities, as well as a good list of virtual programs and opportunities to help for those who have the personal resources and desire to do so.
Please visit their
COVID-19 Resources Page
f
or available resources, contact information, and virtual programs.
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