Today is the fast day, asarah b'tevet. It is the day the walls of Jerusalem were breached.
Shabbat Services this Week
Friday, December 25, 10 Tevet 6:00 PM Please join Marc Stober for a virtual "From Our Home to Yours" Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday, December 26, 11 Tevet 9:30 AM Please join Cantor Ellen Band for a virtual "From Our Home to Yours" Shabbat Morning Service
If you have a simcha, please share it with us and receive a special blessing from Rabbi Plumb during an upcoming Shabbat service. Sponsor a Kiddush by virtually inviting us to your home as you lead the community in KIddush and HaMotzi prayers. (we will provide challah and grape juice!) Please contect Rosalie Reszelbach, Janet Stein Calm or Toni Spitzer to arrange.
The Parasha is Vayigash Genesis 45:28-46:4 The Haftarah is Ezekiel 37:15-28
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
A special MLK Weekend Simchat Shabbat featuring The Afro-Semitic Experience Friday, Jan. 15
We Remember: This week's upcoming Yahrzeit and Shloshim Observances
Shloshim Barbara Grant Amy Tichnor Dr. Marjorie Sue Rosenthal
Saturday Lillian Wallack
Sunday Shmuel Golan Bessie Stavisky Short Celia Gordon Leah Resnick Annie Tichnor
Monday Lillian A. Cohen Ida Diamond Barney Glazer
Wednesday Hannah Krimsky Thomas Alpert Fannie Florence
Thursday Benjamin Kern Lee Miller Herbert Hoffman Sondra Sarter
Friday Bertha L. Seglin
Words From Our Administrative Director
As we heard Rabbi Plumb reference at the High Holy Days, the Broadway musical, “Rent” has a song entitled “Seasons of Love” which starts off by asking:
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes. Five hundred twenty five thousand moments so dear. five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure, Measure a year?
In daylights? In sunsets? In midnights? In cups of coffee?
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife? In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure a year in a life?
While this pandemic has not yet been quite a year long, it sure seems like it. As I write this, I am thinking about where I am now, versus where I was a year ago this week. I joined Mishkan Tefila as your Administrative Director on December 16, 2019 – just over 525,600 minutes ago.
Walk through the past year with me….
For starters, prior to March 16, as we left 384 Harvard Street, for what we thought would be a week or 2 of remote work, I had never been on a zoom call!
In no particular order and I am not listing everything – again, just a walk through my past year…
51 Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat Morning Services, 11 took place in our beautiful Sacred Space, while 40 have happened on Zoom
Countless meetings with the amazing Mishkan Tefila Team!
Many cups of herbal tea consumed at twice weekly Tea with the Team
Learning that Mussar can be used in my life – my whole life, not just my work life
21 losses to our community, followed by way too many virtual funerals and shiva observances
Most of all, when I look back at my year, I realize that whether at home, in my former guest room, now known as my office or my corner spot at our Campus, I am blessed. I am inspired daily by the people I work with. I am challenged to inspire others. I am given the opportunity to grow and learn with each new day. Mishkan Tefila is a special place filled with special people.
I had no idea, a year ago, what my first year at Mishkan Tefila would be like - it has been an unprecedented wild ride – and I thank you all for taking this journey with me.
Wishing you all health, and happiness for the upcoming 525,600 minutes…. however you measure it!
Shabbat Shalom, Toni Spitzer Administrative Director
Congregation Mishkan Tefila 384 Harvard St. Brookline, MA 02446
