Shabbat and Shalom at the New Shul
Tekiah, Todah Rabbah — Thank you!
- Sally Mitlas and the Boys to Menschen
- Jonathan and Jonathan of J2 Catering (Schecter and Hartig respectively)
- Special thanks to Harvey and Bonnie Weiner for their friendship and there incredibly generous assistance.
- Special thanks to Roy Friedman and Gail Kass – Gail for keeping me honest and Roy for always annoying me. . . . but mostly for their help and assistance in all things Rabbinic.
- I also want to thank everyone here first for coming here tonight and for helping us to begin this New Shul initiative we have just begun.
Teruah
New Shul is working to re dig old wells long forgotten and bring our worlds more closely together. Anything, which has divided us in the past, we need to re-think and to mend.
Our purpose in bringing worlds together is to add and to raise up, not to take away. We need a new way forward on a path that seems almost uncharted and yet feels, in looking back, somewhat familiar.
From this week’s Parsha:
וַיָּ֨שָׁב יִצְחָ֜ק וַיַּחְפֹּ֣ר ׀ אֶת־בְּאֵרֹ֣ת הַמַּ֗יִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר חָֽפְרוּ֙ בִּימֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֔יו וַיִּקְרָ֤א לָהֶן֙ שֵׁמ֔וֹת כַּשֵּׁמֹ֕ת אֲשֶׁר־קָרָ֥א לָהֶ֖ן אָבִֽיו׃
Isaac dug anew the wells, dried up from the days of his father Abraham; and he gave them the same names that his father had given them. Legend: He drew forth the water, he drank and he lived . . .
Now might be a time to re-dig our own old wells long dormant, and draw on lessons long forgotten.
We have many shuls, many movements, and many streams . . .
Our wisdom teaches us; all streams lead to the sea and because of that, we have chosen to draw upon all streams of the American Jewish tradition, past and present,
Here is just the beginning of our Rabbis and Partners:
- Rabbi Robyn Frisch (Reform)
- Rabbi David Levin (Reform)
- Rabbi Marsha Friedman (Reconstructionist)
- Rabbi Seth Frisch (Conservative)
- Rabbi David Gutterman (Orthodox)
And we are welcoming more rabbis, educators and cantors – a new Jewish leadership who have chosen to step up in order to join us in this new way forward.
Shevarim
We sincerely hope that from whichever stream you have found your way here, you will consider joining us as well.
I wish to thank those of you who have donated your time, your energies and your precious dollars to the New Shul, as we couldn’t have continued without your support. To those of you who have been generous, we owe so much to you. Anyone of you who would like to help us, please talk with me, we could use your help in very real ways. For that and more, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, todah rabbah.
Tekiah Gedolah
We are not going to make America great again. America is good. But we are now setting out to play our part in making America a more promised land.
And while it may look a little like a caravan, this one is emerging from within. And yes, I do see a few Middle Easterners out there in the crowd, but let us now remember that Islam, Christianity and all others who are reaching out and seeking to join with us, they are our friends, not our foes. They are our partners in the good America, an America of many peoples, many ethnicities and many faiths.
But today, we begin with us, many streams joining together, like our ancestors, putting one foot in front of the other and beginning that long march forward to a promised land, renewed.
Shabbat Shalom to everyone and welcome to our New Shul Shabbat,
Rabbi Seth Frisch
