Congregation Beth Mordecai
Congregation Beth Mordecai
An inclusive congregation affiliated with the Conservative Movement.
Your Jewish Home for the Soul!
An inclusive congregation affiliated with the Conservative Movement.
Your Jewish Home for the Soul!
August 13, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Wow, what an incredible Shabbat. The music, the dancing, the spirit, the views by the bay, the delicious food...everything about Shabbat by the Sea this past Friday was amazing! With nearly 60 people at our unique service and over 40 people at our community dinner, it was a highlight event for our Jewish Home for the Soul.
Check out this link for some pre-Shabbat pictures from Shabbat by the Sea!
Yet the moment that really did it for me, the moment in which I knew we really hit on something, the moment in which I knew what we did was "soulful," was when Alan Siegel mentioned to me that "it wasn't just fun, it was also meaningful."
That comment, more than[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : dancing holidays meaning rabbi rabbi's journal rubber duck race shabbat by the sea soul soulfulness trips
August 9, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, May this Shabbat connect us to our tradition May this Shabbat connect us to our inner creativity May this Shabbat connect us to the aspiration of our souls May this Shabbat connect us to the joy of Judaism May this Shabbat connect us to our desire to do t'shuvah (repentance) May this Shabbat connect us to the sound of our inner shofar And above all, may the experience of tonight's Shabbat activities connect us with God, with each other, and with ourselves Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Ari Saks P.S. And one last thing...may the weather for this Shabbat hold out so that we can have Shabbat by the sea :) Photo taken by C. Jill Reed on Flickr -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/mulmatsherm/
Category : Ari-archive Tag : creativity prayer rabbi rabbi's journal repentance shabbat shabbat by the sea souls tradition tshuvah
August 8, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, In previous messages I've talked at length about the need to pause, to take stock of where you are in this moment in order to prepare yourself for the next moment. Shabbat is a wonderful opportunity to take that pause because it is a yom m'nuhah, a day of rest, meaning that it's primary purpose is to force us to pause the hustle and bustle of our weeks to check where we are and where we're going. With the High Holidays around the corner, what better way to check our spiritual "temperature" than with the "thermometer" of Shabbat? Especially this Shabbat, the first one of the month of Elul, a month in which we are commanded to blow the shofar[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : breathe high holidays Pause rabbi rabbi's journal Rosh Hashanah shabbat shabbat by the sea shofar Yom Kippur
August 6, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Connection is why we're here. It gives purpose and meaning in our lives
- Researcher storyteller Brene Brown
This past Sunday, Rachel and I hosted a wonderful event in our house. Over 20 "young people" (loosely termed) who are members or are affiliated with our congregation gathered together for a fun barbecue to schmooze, meet each other, and have a good time. It was a lot of fun, and in the words of Torah I shared towards the end of the day I mentioned that it's in moments like these when we can spend good quality time together in order to make connections that matter, connections that make us feel that this is a group and this is a[...]
Category : Ari-archive Caring Committee Tag : barbecues caring committee connections high holidays phone calls rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat by the sea YJPA
July 12, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, The Hebrew root of the word Shabbat is "lashevet," which means "to dwell." Is there not a better explanation of the essence of Shabbat than of dwelling? Dwelling is the act of remaining in place, an act which may seem easy but in fact can be very difficult. There are so many distractions, so many other things on our mind that it can be tough to simply dwell and enjoy being in our special spaces. There many different kinds of spaces we dwell in, like in our home, in the schul, or (among others) in a gazebo at the park like the one we will dwell in NEXT Friday night for Shabbat by the Sea. Yet wherever we[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : dwell home rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat shabbat by the sea לשבת
July 5, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, Yesterday, I went up to Hoboken to view the fireworks. The city has become a popular place for July 4th over the last few years because of it's proximity to the colorful display of joy over the Hudson River; popular to the tune of 40,000 spectators according to a local event staffer. As I waited for the show to begin, it struck me how many people from different races, religions, creeds, and ethnicities were gathered together peacefully for one (viewing) purpose... An Indian family lying out on a blanket to my right trying to remain comfortable during the long wait A Hispanic man standing next to me asking me to hold his spot while seeking out a better view [...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : abraham joshua heschel diversity Divinity fireworks rabbi rabbi's journal unity
June 14, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Rhoda would have loved this Shabbat -- being outside, singing, having dinner together. She would have loved the atmosphere, the camaraderie, and the positive feelings that Shabbat by the Sea always generates. But most of all, I just think that Rhoda would have just had fun because she was such a fun person. There's something really special about coming together like we will this Shabbat, something k'oneg, something delightful.
Let's make this Shabbat as delightful as we can as we honor Rhoda Friedman z"l's memory. May it always be for a blessing.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ari Saks
Category : Ari-archive Tag : fun Oneg Shabbat Outside rabbi rabbi's journal Rhoda Friedman shabbat shabbat by the sea
June 6, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
There are certain moments when you realize the purpose of being a part of a Jewish community. It could be inspiring services like our past Cantorial Showcase or our upcoming Friday Night Shabbat By the Sea. It could be fun social oriented events with friends like Sunday's Trip to Brighton Beach or June 20th's Movie Night. It could be moments of great insight into the meaning of our tradition, like we try to do every Friday during our Online Parashah Class.
Yet, despite the worthiness of all of these Jewish communal opportunities, I think the one that hits the closest to home is when we are grieving and we need our community to support us.[...]
Category : Ari-archive Cantorial Showcase What's Been Happening at Beth Mordecai Tag : Brighton Beach Cantorial Showcase community food minyan movie online parashah class presence rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat by the sea shiva
March 14, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
"Our community shows up for special events..."
This is an insight that I gained after our first Shabbat by the Sea program in which we had 40+ attendees; and it was confirmed by our strong attendance to the welcoming celebration, the holiday parties, and the special Shabbat services. Our community comes together when there's something new and interesting to experience.
Part of the challenge of building a committed and active community is to create more opportunities that provide new and interesting experiences while embedding them in the lifeblood of our community. The goal is not to create special stand-alone events but rather to make special events withstand the test of time within our community; it is for the special to also[...]
Category : Ari-archive Cantorial Showcase What's Been Happening at Beth Mordecai Tag : community David Bennett Insight Larry Deutchman rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat shabbat by the sea Special Events
March 7, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Last night, over a dozen members and friends of Beth Mordecai gathered for our third holiday cooking class with the wonderful folks of tABLEhealth. We made a delicious alternative to the usual gefilte fish appetizer, yummy vegetables that stole the show, and a quinoa salad that displayed the creativity of Passover cooking.
Check out updates from last night's cooking class on my twitter feed of @Ari_Saks
Yet just as significant as the activity of the program was the activism of our community after the program. People started talking, conversed, and exchanged phone numbers to discuss future programs -- trips to New York, fun day activities, long term projects for the synagogue. That activism comes on the heels of a[...]
Category : Holidays Passover Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : activism activity cooking class holidays passover rabbi rabbi's journal