There is a Jewish blessing for almost every experience under heaven. There is a blessing for hearing thunder; a blessing for seeing a rainbow; even a blessing we recite only once every 28 years when, according to the Talmud, the sun reaches the exact spot in the firmament at which it was created (the last time we said this particular blessing was on the eve of Passover in 2009 – but don’t worry, you’ll have another chance on the morning of April
8th, 2037.) There is also a blessing we recite on the occasion of seeing 600,000 Jews in one place:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעולָם חכם הרזים Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, chacham harazeem. Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the Universe, knower of secrets.
Our sages teach that the recitation of this blessing is a reminder that, even when within our multitudes, God knows each of us individually, not only our names and faces, but the very contents of our hearts. Each of us has our own story, our own joy and pain, our own needs and unique gifts. Our tradition ascribes to God the ultimate power of being able to differentiate us amidst the crowds and chaos of our lives. Therefore, each of us has the potential for godliness in our capacity to know one another. This Friday night, at our first Shabbat B’Yachad of the year, we take the time to do just that. B’Yachad means together, and so we open our doors and hearts wide to the full diversity of our community. From our youngest to our oldest, everyone is welcome. I hope you’ll join us tonight as we continue the sacred work of community building with K’tantan Kabbalat Shabbat, dinner for all, and services with readings by our 6th and 7th grade students. Shabbat Shalom, Preston
URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs is in Israel. He's hearing about the need to keep bringing gobal attention to the hundreds of hostages being held by Hamas terrorists.
Temple Beth-El can help shine our light on the situation this Shabbat and beyond in the following ways:
Share the following text in an email or as a social post, and use the graphic below to get the message out to your community. Shine your light on the need the safe return of the hostages taken by Hamas. #ShineYourLight #BlueRibbonsforIsrael #BringThemHome.
Visit our partner, Blue Ribbons for Israel, to download social media graphics and banners that feature the names and faces of the hostages, as well as printable postcards to distribute.
Leave an empty seat at your Shabbat table or in your sanctuary and add the name and photo of a hostage. Share a photo of your tribute on social media with the hashtags #ShineYourLight #BlueRibbonsforIsrael.
You can find additional resources for supporting Israel here.
jj
Temple Beth-El 70 Orchard Ave Providence, RI 02906 401.331.6070
