Posts Tagged ‘shabbat by the sea’

shabbat by the sea

August 9, 2013
By bethmordecai
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DAY 405: A Prayer for This Shabbat

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/

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shabbat by the sea

August 8, 2013
By bethmordecai
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DAY 404: The Pausing Effect of Shabbat…Especially THIS Shabbat

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[...]

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shabbat by the sea

August 6, 2013
By bethmordecai
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DAY 402: Building Connections That Matter

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[...]

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shabbat by the sea

July 12, 2013
By bethmordecai
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DAY 377: Shabbat Means To Dwell

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[...]

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shabbat by the sea

June 14, 2013
By bethmordecai
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DAY 349: Oneg Shabbat

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

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shabbat by the sea

June 6, 2013
By bethmordecai
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DAY 341: The Purpose of a Jewish Community

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
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shabbat by the sea

March 14, 2013
By bethmordecai
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DAY 257: The Special and the Regular (Check out the video of Cantor Jayne singing in our sanctuary!)

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
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shabbat by the sea

August 13, 2012
By bethmordecai
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DAY 44: Long Days

Dear Hevreh, It's been a long weekend and a long Monday, but the days (and nights) have been full of blessing and productivity.  It began on Friday with uplifting and well-attended services at Shabbat by the Sea which was followed by a delicious dinner and even better conversation.  Saturday services were also very nice, though we did not get a minyan after the strong attendance on Friday night.  Hopefully we can have a strong minyan next Saturday morning as Rachel and I will sponsor a kiddush lunch for the community to honor our 6th wedding anniversary!   Sunday was an incredible whirlwind which started by converting a woman to Judaism after I've been working with her every week for ten months.  She[...]

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shabbat by the sea

July 16, 2012
By bethmordecai
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DAY 16: Reflection on a Special Night

Dear Hevreh, Friday was a special night for me.  Not only did it mark the first program I organized as your rabbi (with immeasurable help from many members of our community), but it also marked the moment I realized just how lucky I am to be your rabbi.  There I was, standing in front of a hevreh of 40+ people, as Rabbi Zalma put her arms on my shoulders to bless me and bless our congregation with a bright future.  Thinking back on that moment, I can't help but think... How lucky am I to have a colleague and friend who would give me such a blessing as she says goodbye to a congregation she's called home for the past six years. How lucky[...]

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shabbat by the sea

July 13, 2012
By bethmordecai
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DAY 13: Reflection on Shabbat

Dear Hevreh, In these few hours before Shabbat begins, I just want to leave us with a few blessings wherever we find ourselves this Shabbat... May this Shabbat be one of peace... May this Shabbat be one of understanding and forgiving... May this Shabbat be one of rediscovering our passions and loves... May this Shabbat be one of trying something new... May this Shabbat fill us with joy, love and appreciation for the beauty of life... Have a wonderful Shabbat. Kol Tuv, Rabbi Ari Saks P.S.  can't wait to see those of us who come to Shabbat by the Sea!

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