Rabbi's Blog

Dear Haverim,

What’s not to like!  A delicious Shabbat Dinner with a pasta bar and salad and a short service around tables with singing, schmoozing and eating wonderfully tasty fruit!

Tu B’Shvat is the “New Year for Trees” and we’re going to celebrate our appreciation for nature and our role as “Shomrei Adama”/guardians of the earth.

The Seder will be informal, casual, and tasty and it will be held in the Social Hall from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  (If you are bringing children, there will also be holiday inspired crafts and activities from 5:00-5:30 p.m.)

We’ll taste various juices and fruits to experience the diversity of nature and to “whet our ethical appetites” for embracing the sanctity of the environment.  This “theology of ecology” is an important value in Jewish tradition.

So, please sign up (click here to RSVP by Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. because there’s a lot of food to order and so much fruit to slice!)  Please don’t wait to reply.  (Sorry, but the Seder won’t be Livestreamed.)

Also, please save Friday, January 26, for our next “Synaplex Shabbat” with our band. Shabbat dinner at 6:00 p.m., our musical jazz and pop Shabbat Alive service at 7:00 p.m. and, at 8:00 p.m., our special guest will be Annie Korzen, comedian, author, storyteller, and screenwriter.  Annie will share humorous and witty insights about people (especially Jews) and  she will tell stories from her latest book, “The Book of Annie: Humor, Heart and Chutzpah From An Accidental Influencer.”

A colorful actress with a decades-long career in TV, film, and theater, including a recurring role on Seinfeld and a center-stage spot touring with The Moth, Annie offers her trademark unabashed takes on both everyday and typically taboo topics. Whether she’s sharing her thoughts on the miracle of childbirth (“It’s a miracle that anyone who’s been through it is willing to do it again”), religion (“William Shakespeare was not Jewish; no Jew could write a play called All’s Well That Ends Well”), motherhood or any other topic, Annie will have you laughing out loud!

Underlying the humor are poignant observations that feel particularly relevant today: the importance of kindness and consideration, how we’re all more alike than different, and the freedom to be found in self-acceptance.

Whether you’re seeking raw authenticity in an Insta-perfect world, advice from the grandmother you wish you had, or just a laugh to lighten the load of daily life, please join us for a delightful evening of beautiful music and joyous humor.  (RSVP now by clicking here to attend in person.)

The next two Shabbat services will be uplifting, joyous and memorable, so please be with us.

Shavua tov/Have a joyous week,

Rabbi Arnie Rachlis