Saturday, August 29, 2020

The Rhythm of Jewish Life - Even Now, Even Virtual - August 18, 2020

The Rhythm of Jewish Life...Even Now, Even Virtual

A Purim Carnival and Spiel
A postponed naming for our smiley granddaughter 
many miles away 
A Bat Mitzvah
A Wedding 
And then....
PANDEMIC
The closings began 
Facebook live services
Morning Prayers, Blessings and a Psalm
Torah Study on Zoom
And since that worked...all this on Zoom: 
Weekly Tanakh Study
Religious School gatherings
Board meetings 
A Community Passover Seder recorded with local rabbis 
A Virtual Congregational Second Night Passover Seder 
Passover services 
An Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah on its planned day, with a Torah scroll nearby 
Last Day of Religious School with a Drive-by thank you
The Temple Annual Meeting 
Friday night services with multiple readers
Erev Shavuot study 
Shavuot Yizkor service 
A baby naming for our smiley granddaughter from a distance
Two conversions
A Grand retirement event
One socially-distanced outdoor memorial gathering 
And, behind the scenes: 
A variety of webinars and classes in April, May and June
NewCAJE through all of July, with weekly Kumsitz sing-alongs
West-Coast Saturday sing-alongs once a month
This has been about 
Keeping our rhythm 
Of holidays, conferences, learning, and connection 
What will happen 
as the High Holy Days approach
As the time for the holidays of Sukkot and Simchat Torah draw near? 
We will respond
With creativity 
That will modify or replace the old mold
To fashion a new approach 
That will serve 
To unify
To inspire 
To lead us through 
With joy
With hope
And with the knowledge
That we are not alone.

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