Shab-Not-O-Gram
A great time was had by all at our recent Shabbat-at-the-Beach at Cove Island
Shabbat Shalom. (Not)
Since there are no official Shabbat-O-Grams in the summer months, this is not one; but I do want to highlight a couple of things before I head off for my summer break.
1) This Shabbat Morning
This Shabbat morning will feature not one, not two, but THREE ufrufs! All three couples are very special and they are connected to the TBE family in very different ways. Join us this Shabbat as we celebrate with Jennifer Greenman & Matt Sakofs, Claudia Lubin & Mark Creedon, and Hope Stanger & Brian Steranka - and make sure to warm up that throwing arm, as the candy will by flying all morning long.
At this service, we'll also be hearing from TBE congregant Belle Horowitz, who heads up our TBE Immigration Task Force. Belle returned recently from a trip to the US-Mexican border and I've asked her to report back to us on what she saw. This is especially important in light of recent reports by journalists and government sources, including a government report, detailing squalid conditions. Fittingly, this week's Torah portion introduces the legend of Miriam's Well, which nurtured the Israelite refugees during their wanderings toward the Promised Land. This mythical well, which stopped providing water after Miriam's death, has gained deeper meaning over the centuries. Click here to read more about Miriam's Well in this week's Parsha Packet. We need to apply Miriam's nurturing, maternal instincts wherever we find wanderers, the tired, the poor and huddled masses yearning to breathe free - especially when they are children.
2) Friday Night
Join us also on Friday night, when Beth Styles will once again co-lead the service with me. It's been wonderful to see continued excellent attendance on Friday nights, even into the typically slower summer season. Over the past few weeks, we've been introducing various innovations designed to foster the kind of intimacy that promotes a prayerful experience. The early reviews have been very positive. Let us know what you think - and my thanks in advance to all those who will be leading services during the weeks when I'll be away.
Incidentally, it's also important to support our morning minyans and Shabbat morning services, especially during the summer, when some "regulars" are away. Please pick a day - or a week - and support our services!
3) Next Summer's Europe Trip
People have been asking - so here it is! The itinerary for next summer's Eastern Europe trip is now available at THE TRIP'S WEBSITE, WHICH YOU CAN REACH BY CLICKING HERE. Pricing and other registration info will be available from that site soon as well. Once the site goes "live," reservations will be taken on a first-come-first-served bases, as it has been for our (now full) March Cuba trip.
4) Some exciting news!
I'm proud to announce that I have been selected as a finalist for the 2019 Religion News Association Awards for Religion Reporting Excellence. Winners of this year's awards - which showcase religion journalism excellence in the news media among 20 categories of print, online, multiple media, broadcast, book and student entries - will be revealed Sept. 21, at the RNA Annual Conference Awards Banquet in Las Vegas. You can see the names of the finalists here (some pretty steep competition): Here are the three articles of mine cited in the Excellence in Commentary category:
Enjoy your summer and Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman
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