THIS Mont h h aHodesh AT CHIZUK AMUno CONGREGATION AND SCHOOLS June–July 2016 | Iyar–Tammuz 5776 Engaging Jewish Life and Learning
Rabbi’s Column Get out your hat. Put on your sunscreen. Fill up your water bottle. It’s June and it’s time to head for the desert. As this month begins we leave Leviticus behind with its animal sacrifices and indoor worship and we head outside Bamdibar, into the wilderness. RABBI Debi Wechsler The more structured rituals of spring’s Leviticus give way to summer’s wandering in the desert. Our cycle of Torah readings accurately reflects our feelings as we move into the long, languid days of June, July and August. While there is a temptation to hurriedly plan trips and pack the days with adventures, summer wanderings can be best suited to reflect on the year with its joys and its doubts. What were my successes this past year? In what areas do I still need to grow? The heat of desert wandering requires us to set aside a portion of each day for rest in the shade. Restoring our strength means finding a way to replenish that which has been depleted over the course of our journeys. Summer is an oasis, a time to slow down and savor, to quench and repair. We do that in many different ways – we pray, we meditate, we devote time to nurture relationships, we read, we walk in the sun, we sit in the shade, we nurture our spirits, and we wander “aimfully”. This summer I will be wandering to a family reunion, the beach, and Manhattan, each of which nurtures me in its own way. I am looking forward to checking out an interesting shul for Shabbat in New York, to reading a stack of books for pleasure and growth, to cooking Israeli food with my friends, and to praying outside by the ocean. Whatever way you wander and in whatever direction that wandering leads you, I wish you a long, languid summer full of replenishment, restoration and rest.
Join us for our New Playground Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Festival! Sunday, June 5, 10 a.m. Commemorate the completion of the playground and amphitheater. Join us for the big reveal and ribbon cutting ceremony after the Schechter On the Move 5k Race!
For more information, visit Hazzan’s Corner on page 4