Rabbi's Weekly Message
April 9, 2021
27 Nisan 5781
Parashat Shemini
Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47
Dear Friends,
When Shabbat comes in, we have been taught not to mourn; indeed, the mourner is given time off from formally mourning for the twenty-five hours of Shabbat. Shabbat is a time of joy, a time of gratitude, a moment to reflect upon that which is good in our lives and express our gratitude. We do it by eating special foods, adorning our homes with flowers, and by resting and refraining from labor.
This Shabbat, the Shabbat following Yom HaShoah, resonates differently with me. It is a time of memory when the world as it exists in this moment intrudes. Each year, as we light a memorial light in memory of the six million, I am struck by our inability to take in the enormity of what happened and how it happened across so many borders, tearing apart lives and working to diminish the holy spark in each of those affected. With so few survivors left, their words ring out more than ever. Interestingly, many of their words are not simply about the horrors they witnessed and experienced; rather they are about the fear and hate that came before the violence.
Mitzvah of the Week
The Riverdale Y Sunday Market is now an official food scrap drop-off site. Click HERE to see us on the map! This Sunday (opening day for the Market!), bring your food scraps and participate in this neighborhood initiative. It's another small way to care for our environment.
Food scraps will be accepted from 11:30am to 12:30pm ONLY. For a list of what we accept, click ON THE IMAGE BELOW to view and download the .pdf file so that you can print it and place on your refrigerator for reference.
DO
- -- Remove all twist ties, stickers, rubber bands, and staples.
- -- Sort your scraps BEFORE you freeze them (if you freeze them). Defrost your scraps before bringing them to the Market.
- -- If possible, cut up your scraps into smaller pieces. Don't go wild; just remember that the smaller the scraps, the faster they compost.
DON'T - Bring compostable bags, cups, plates, napkins, or paper towels. Only industrial composting sites can process those.
This project can only continue as long as there are enough volunteers to staff it. If you are interested in volunteering,
please click HERE to fill out the form.
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU
We are still gathering to welcome and celebrate Shabbat.
Please renew your membership, join for the first time or make a donation.
Thank you and see you on ZOOM
YOM KIPPUR APPEAL
Your support is critical to our efforts to both innovate and support one another.
For those who have not yet donated, you can pay ONLINE or send a check to:
Congregation Tehillah
PO Box 109, Riverdale, NY 10463.
Thank you |
Hebrew School
מַה טּוֹבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקֹב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל
Hebrew School Registration
Worship
Join us ONLINE every Friday evening and for Kabbalat Shabbat to sing, pray and enjoy each other's company.
Check the calendar for innovative morning Shabbat services: Tot Shabbat for families with young children, meditative walk and learning service.
Tikkun Olam
TEHILLAH IN THE WORLD is our commitment to social action through:
Bend the Arc
Circle of Support
Interfaith Connections
Riverdale Jewish Unity
Working closely with refugees.
Social Media
Now available on APPLE PODCASTS
Check us out on INSTAGRAM
Follow us on FACEBOOK
Watch us on YOUTUBE
Seeing Ourselves in the Israelite Journey
In this episode of Tehillah Talks, we reflect on how our lives and perspectives have changed in the past year. We discuss:
- Our need for material objects
- What our display of material objects at the Passover seder means to us
- The meaning of “Let all who are hungry come and eat”
- How our memories of this year may lead to a reframing for us in the future
- Ways we want to think bigger this Passover
Presented by Helena McHugh - Student Board Member
On Wednesday, January 27 at 6pm, the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College will be co-sponsoring the event
"Under Siege Again: Holocaust Distortion and the Rise of Hate Crimes Against Jews."
Michael Brovner and Mark Weitzman will be speaking to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 76th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Mission Statement
At Congregation Tehillah, we search for meaningful and just expressions of our Judaism in today's world. We invite you to come as you are, bringing your unique story. We are a Jewish community where music, learning and spirituality come together. We are committed to an environment in which all are welcome wherever they or their families find themselves on their Jewish journey, inclusive of any age, race, orientation, gender identity, ability, and economic status.