Friday, October 9, 21 Tishrei 6:00 PM Please join Rabbi Plumb and Ellen Allard for a virtual "From Our Home to Yours" Hoshana Rabbah Kabbalat Shabbat Services
Saturday, October 10, 22 Tishrei 9:30 AM Please join Rabbi Plumb and Cantor Ellen Band for a virtual "From Our Home to Yours" Shmini Atzeret with Yizkor Shabbat Morning Services
Saturday, October 10, 23 Tishrei 7:30 - 8:30 PM Please join Rabbi Plumb, Jackson Mercer with Torah reading by Rose Spitzer, for a virtual "From Our Home to Yours" Erev Simchat Torah Services - Simcha, Song and Study. Please click here to register.
Please bring a bowl of honey and something to dip to be used during the service!
If you play an instrumnet, please bring it to add to our celebration!
Sunday, October 11, 23 Tishrei 10:30 AM THIS SERVICE HAS BEEN MOVED TO ONLINE ONLY Please join Rabbi Plumb and Rose Spitzer for a Study based Simchat Torah Service online. Click the button below to join Simchat Torah Service.
The Parasha is Re'eh Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17 The Haftarah is 1 Kings 8:54-66
Please click here for the link to the new Conservative prayerbook, Siddur Lev Shalem: Shabbat Shaharit Siddur Lev Shalem The prayers will be the same as in our usual blue siddur, so feel free to use that instead if you wish.
Please click here for the link to the page numbers for Shabbat morning prayers in Sim Shalom (Blue) and in Lev Shalem Page Numbers for Shabbat Morning
We Remember: This week's upcoming Yahrzeit and Shloshim Observances
Shloshim Bernard Berkman
Saturday Stanley P. Barron Dorothy Konvisser
Sunday Herbert Schuster Dr. Kenneth Blotner
Monday Beverly Friedman Paula Grau Frances Stahl
Tuesday Barnet Shuman
Wednesday Irving S. Paley
Friday Abraham Cohen Theresa Blumer
From Our Rabbi: A Teaching
This week, I studied with small groups of socially distanced congregants in the Sukkah on our campus. Aside from it being lovely to be together studying in the Sukkah, we shared what the hag of Sukkot meant to us this year. We studied texts about inviting 14 spiritual biblical men and women into the Sukkah, called ushpizin. Each biblical guest brings a quality with them in our sukkot. For example, Abraham and Sarah bring hesed, lovingkindness and gentleness; King David and Queen Esther bring malchut, majesty, leadership and wisdom. The other traits the ushpizin bring to our sukkot are netzah/determination, hod/gratitude and humility, tiferet/beauty, and gevurah/strength.
In our study of these guests and the gifts they bring with them, we talked about what qualities we needed in our sukkot this year. We agreed we needed new traits especially for this Covid Sukkot. The loss of gathering with friends in the sukkah made us ask for nechamah/comfort, kesher/connection, and ahavah/love.
We made a few commitments based on our study. We made a commitment to reach out with intentionality to those we would normally invite into the sukkah but can’t this year. We promised to work harder to maintain relationships with those that we can’t be with physically.
We also made a commitment to give tzedakah to causes that give food support, like the Brookline Food Pantry. Donating the cost of the food we would have served to guests enables us to fulfill the Sukkot mitzvot of hospitality and tzedakah. Studying in the Sukkah this week, and mourning the fact that we can’t bring people into our homes, inspired us to reach out from our homes and our hearts to help and connect with others.
This weekend, with the hagim of Hoshanah Rabbah, Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, we will close one of the most unusual High Holy Day seasons in the history of our people. We have learned much over these last few months of preparation and the services themselves. We found that no matter what, we are a strong community, which values being together whether in person or via the computer. We are an enormously creative, flexible, innovative, dedicated community.
Judaism is our anchor and keeps us resilient and hopeful despite all odds. I am proud of our Jewish people, and our congregation. I am delighted to be part of this wonderful community. We are truly a Sukkah of comfort, love and support for each other. Please join us tonight, for Hoshanah Rabbah services, for Shmini Atzeret services on Shabbat morning and for special Simchat Torah celebrations on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
I wish you joy this Shabbat,
Rabbi Marcia Plumb
Congregation Mishkan Tefila 384 Harvard St. Brookline, MA 02446
