Can't make it this week? Join us for our next Partnership Minyan on November 12.
Candlelighting time on September 16 is 7:24 pm.
Masks are strongly encouraged inside the building. Kiddush will be served in the tent.
Dear {{first_name}},
אל מלך יושב על כסא רחמים / Sovereign God Who sits on a throne of compassion. These are some of the best-known words of the Selichot service. We say them over and over again during this time of year and especially on Yom Kippur. Why is it that we appeal to a “sovereign?” Why does that sovereign sit on a throne? Why is that throne comprised of compassion? All of these are valid and good questions to help us contemplate the themes and values of this time of year. As I’ve said time and again, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are not just days on which we show up… We have to do the work to be ready for the two observances.
Imagine for a moment that you received a letter from the White House inviting you to appear before the President. Imagine you received a letter from London summoning you to Buckingham Palace to have an audience with the newly minted King Charles III. It’s safe to assume you wouldn’t just drive up to the gate and open the door to say hello. It’s safe to assume the scheduled appearance would be at least weeks from the time you received your invitation. It’s safe to assume you were required to submit info and to RSVP so they could dig deeper into your background for security reasons. It’s safe to assume you would spend hours, if not days, determining the appropriate attire to wear. You might even splurge and buy new clothing. I can imagine that the weeks prior to this visit you would struggle to sleep at night out of both fear and excitement. When you arrive at the executive mansion or the palace you’ll be asked a lot of questions and you’ll go through many “gate keepers” before you are brought before the President or the King. And, in the moment you meet the leader or ruler, what would go through your mind? What would you do? What would you say? When you leave their presence how will you remember this experience? I’d like to think if I were to meet either of those people, they would be kind and genuine, and at the same time, I would expect they would be distant and authoritative.
When thinking about earthly leaders, it’s safe to assume they embody busyness. It’s safe to assume they are constantly being escorted from one thing to another, and in each and every one of these engagements, they’re expected to be on their best behavior and at their most engaging. King Charles III probably wishes he could have a do over with his silly pens just as much as any other leader in the world would love to have the chance to undo a gaffe. At the same time, knowing they’re imperfect makes them just a little bit less foreign and distant, and a bit more relatable.
God is quite different. God is everywhere at the same time and is able to observe all of creation at one time and that’s what it truly means to be busy. And yet, we expect that God will give us some attention. We expect God will have patience with us and be kind to us. We expect God is better to us than our earthly leaders because the stakes are higher, and more importantly, because God is much more personal and meaningful to us than an earthly king or president.
So it is as we pick out our clothing for our appointment with God... As we prepare our arguments in our defense… As we begin to evaluate the year that’s ending and layout our plans for the year ahead… As we begin to make our “transportation plans” for this meeting… As the time is coming faster than we realize for us to reconnect with a compassionate and caring Sovereign that is, has always been, and will always be. We each have the opportunity to prepare for a meaningful encounter with the King of Kings, the Holy One, the Creator, the Compassionate Ruler and we can spend this next week getting ready to be received in compassion by God.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Hearshen
Accessing High Holiday Services
Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur Services will be offered on Zoom for seniors and others with COVID concerns.
Tickets for High Holiday Services are a benefit of membership and access to our Zoom will be limited to members in good standing. Advanced registration is required.
We must receive your request by Thursday September 22, 2022 at 5 PM for you to receive the link in time for Rosh Hashana and by Monday, October 3, 2022 at 12 PM to receive a link in time for Yom Kippur.
Prayer books can be borrowed (please request in your email to Nicole) and can be picked up from the OVS office during regular business hours before each holiday.
The link you receive will be unique to you, can only be used on one device, and cannot be shared with others.
Zoom will remain open throughout each holiday to avoid actively using technology.
Limited Space Still Available. RSVP Required.
Ziara Services
Sunday, September 18 Ziara Services begin at:
Greenwood Cemetery - 10:00 am Arlington Cemetery - Noon* *Note CORRECT time for Arlington.
BIRTHDAYS
Shabbat Rena Antebi Robyn Rousso Susan Greenhouse
Sunday Louis Galanti
Monday Carol Gleichman Zoya Samandar
Tuesday Lynne Galanti
Wednesday Bob Israel Daniel Gabriel Kassorla Salomon Codron
Thursday Brianna Maslia
Friday Ari Falkenstein Stanford Firestone
ANNIVERSARIES Sunday Lynn and Butch Fowler
Meldados
Sunday Fortune Maleh
Tuesday Franklin Levy Renee Capouya Aaron Sinkoe Yetta Rosenberg
Wednesday Viola Benshushan
Thursday Maurice Wolfe
Friday Henry Maslia Aaron M. Franco
OVS is proud to partner with JF&CS. Food donation barrels are located in the lobby at OVS.
