Good morning! Before this morning’s message, there are two things that I wanted to bring to your attention.
1. As the immediate needs of Hurricane Sandy start to fade, Congregation Torat El, in partnership with a number of other synagogues in our area, is sponsoring a gift card drive to help with the long term needs of the residents of Sea Bright, as they work to re-build their community. To find out how to participate, please click here.
2. This coming Friday night is our first Family Friday Shabbat dinner of the year. Bring your children, and grandchildren to this informal Friday night service and stay for a wonderful Shabbat dinner. This event is open to the community and is open to participants in our main service as well. You can make your reservations on-line here, or call the office at 732-531-4410.
Reservations are due by tomorrow, November 27th!
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A few weeks ago I read a wonderful edition of Sh’ma magazine dedicated entirely to the future of the Synagogue in American life. The articles were insightful about the current challenges facing Synagogues and provided some interesting food for thought about possible solutions to creating vibrant and dynamic Synagogue life in 21st century America. Below is the introduction by Editor Susan Bernin:
Too big to fail? Too crucial to discard? A relic of a bygone era? What place does the synagogue occupy in present-day Jewish life? This issue of Sh’ma offers a wide range of views about the future of the synagogue. Other kinds of congregating-micro-institutions once considered marginal, such as independent minyanim, ersatz prayer communities, and pay-for-free Friday evening gatherings-have gained momentum, energy, and constituencies large enough to challenge the synagogue as the central address of Jewish ritual life. At a time of declining institutional affiliation (except among the Orthodox) and a growing list of questions-including what i means to “belong,” what relationship one has to authority, and how to create sacred communities for means other than ritual- the once hegemonic synagogue is facing a challenging future that demands redefinition…..
To read this edition of Sh’ma, click here.
Many of the issues raised here apply to our community today. As always, I look forward to hearing your comments and thoughts!