Dear Friends,
Shabbat Shalom. Tomorrow we will read Parashat "Devarim" where Moses started the first of three long speeches recapping the previous four books of the Torah from a different perspective.
1. Last week was a terrific Shabbat. It was an honor for us to host group of 24 respected people from the Beit Knesset Yisrael Seminar organized by Rabbi Andrew Davids of ARZA last weekend. It was incredible to have guests from five wonderful congregations visit us. Our Kabalat Shabbat service began with the blessing over the candles chanted by Cantor Susan Bortnick from the Washington Hebrew Congregation. In the middle of the service we gave a conversion certificate to Bryan Gagne, who finished his conversion studies recently, one of 42 members of Or Hadash who have joined the Jewish People this year. Bryan and his fiancé, Liron (they are to be married September 26, 2008) came to the bima to receive the certificate. Rabbi Dan Levin of Temple Beth El, Boca Raton read the content of the conversion certificate and after we all said aloud "Ahinu ata" (you are our brother), Rabbi Jonathan Stein of Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City delivered a more personal and heart-warming blessing for Bryan. Rabbi Debbie Bravo of Temple Emanu-El, Edison, NJ and I recited Birkat Hacohanim. In the sermon, Rabbi Andrew Davids spoke about the importance of making a connection between Reform Jews in the US and in Israel. The second part of the evening was a Shabbat dinner in our art room. Almost 70 people attended dinner including 25 visitors from the Beit Knesset Yisrael Seminar, 7 friends from Boston and our congregants. Each person had a chance to say where he or she came from and what their connection to Israel or to Or Hadash is.
2. The following day I had a chance to meet Jeremy Simons, the new Youth Educator at Temple Shalom, our sister congregation in Newton, and his fiancé. We concluded the weekend with the Beit Knesset Yisrael Seminar participants hosting a workshop led by Dr. Lisa Grant from HUC about the possibilities of cooperating in the future and drawing conclusions. It was an extraordinary experience which we all truly enjoyed.
3. On Monday, August 4, we drove to Tel Aviv to meet our good friend Rabbi Martin (Buzzy) Beifield, his wife Ina, his son BG and his wife Ilana with their newborn baby (their first "sabra" grandchild). We took lovely pictures of the Beifields and the Nofs at the tall Azrieli Tel Aviv buildings.
4. Ami and Anat Perelman, our Temple Administrator and Sisterhood President respectively, left for the US on Shabbat, August 2nd. They are currently visiting many friends of Or Hadash but we miss them here at home.
5. Our good friends, Joan and Peter Hoffman are also in Israel. They were supposed to arrive in Israel on Sunday and stop first at Or Hadash, meet the children of our summer camp and have dinner with us, the young families and the bereaved mothers but their flight was delayed and we couldn't see them in person.
6. On Tuesday, August 5th, we had a meeting with A. B. Yehoshua, an Israeli novelist, essayist, and playwright. Currently he is a senior Professor at the University of Haifa. Rabbi Gilad, Shalom Zmirin, Mirjam Jurmann, Dr. Yishai Lachter and his wife, Noga. We discussed the importance of increasing investment of US URJ in the survival of Reform Judaism in Israel. A. B. Yehoshua related passionately to the need for Israelis to take responsibility for one another.
It was a challenging and productive meeting, where we explored ways to attract Secular Israelis to the message of the Reform Movement.
7. Last week, July 31st, Resa Davids, a Board Member of Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), visited Or Hadash and participated in the last Sisterhood meeting of the Hebrew Year. Resa and members of our Sisterhood formally decided to become part of the WRJ. This is of great significance for our congregation, since through the WRJ we are the first Israeli Sisterhood in the WRJ. They will also have joint study video conferences and correspond via email.
8. Yesterday we brought to rest our dear member Fried Kahan, z"l. He was a gentle person and a righteous man. As a founding member, he was devoted to Congregation Or Hadash for the past 45 years. Be his memory blessed.
9. Next week we have another much anticipated visit by Rabbi Joel Sisenwine and friends from our sister congregation, Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley. They will be joining us for Kabalat Shabbat next Friday, August 15th and On Shabbat, August 16th, for Havdala and dinner.
Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom.
From Haifa, Edgar