Friay, July 1, 2 Tammuz 6:00 PM Please join Rabbi Plumb, and Ellen Allard for a VIRTUAL "From Our Home to Yours" Kabbalat Shabbat Service.
Saturday, July 2, 3 Tammuz 9:30 AM Please join Rabbi Plumb and 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.
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 Observances
Shloshim Emily "Em" Kessler
Saturday Adele Karas Rose Schuster Hilda Stein
Sunday Ella Chyet Esther Sereisky Silas Flashman
Monday Bernyce Neitlich David Adwin
Tuesday A.E. Allschwang Morton Bardfield
Wednesday Melvin Gordon Anna Hyman
Thursday Miriam Sherman
Friday Bertha Lipsitz Leonard Nathan
A Teaching From Our Rabbi
Happy Birthday America. I am writing this message after walking the trail in Concord, following the path of the beginning of the Revolutionary War. We were showing some British friends around. There were many jokes about what might have happened if the British had won the war.
At the same time, it was poignant to read of the determination and hope of the Patriots, the Minute Men, as they fought for freedom. I compare the idealism of their day, with the cynicism and despair that runs through our country in our time. In truth, the Declaration of Independence, and our Constitution were both written under great political stress and differences of opinion. Imperfect as those documents may have been, however, they did reach compromises because the greater good of establishing a democratic country was the common shared goal and value.
It took many years to enshrine the values of true democracy, however, by enabling all citizens, including women and African Americans, to vote.
On this July 4th weekend, it is tragic to see that democracy no longer seems to be a common value. The ability for all citizens to vote easily, the rights of women, freedom for all to practice their religion with respect from others, all seem to be rolling backwards. We have seen that even the concept of democracy and the rule of impartial law is being challenged.
But I am not giving up on America just yet. We are still a young country in the timeline of nations. Compared to European nations for example, we are a toddler. Every toddler has their tantrums, and moments when they collapse into a heap. But they stand up again, find their footing, and walk forward once more. In our parasha this week, Korach, we read of a revolution by Korach against Moses’ leadership. Korach tries to overturn his government too–he challenges Moses’ authority as illegitimate and unfair. His revolt (like America’s first revolt, and the one on Jan 6) caused dissension in the community, and people died in the process.
The Israelite community was new too, and were also trying to find their way into an uncertain future during challenging times.
There is a theory in child development that all children go through a phase of ‘disorder’ before they make a developmental leap forward. Perhaps this is our time of ‘disorder’. We need to use all the determination of our early founders to find balance again.
This Sunday, Michael and I are flying to an even younger nation state, Israel. We are attending the Shalom Hartman Rabbinic Study Institute in Jerusalem with rabbis from several movements and all over the world. We return on July 17. We will be studying how ancient texts can inform our understanding of modern challenges. I look forward to sharing the texts and ideas with you when we return.
In the meantime, on July 4th this year, let us celebrate how far America has come in a relatively short time, and commit ourselves to doing everything we can to put America back on a path of true democracy, respect for pluralism, freedom for all, with a shared sense of responsibility for each other.
This Shabbat, may Shabbat candlelight combine with the fireworks in the sky to ignite the fire in our souls. May all these lights inspire us to create the America of which we all dream.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Marcia Plumb
Congregation Mishkan Tefila 384 Harvard St. Brookline, MA 02446
