We just returned from a wonderful family vacation. We haven’t had a real vacation since well before 2019. While we spend our summers at camp, it’s more of a change of scenery than a vacation. This was a real one. We went on a Disney Cruise and it was incredible. After the cruise ended, we spent the weekend at a resort in Orlando as we didn’t have enough time to make it back here in time for Shabbat. Friday afternoon, as we were walking around, we noticed a number of Jewish families. On Shabbat morning some friends came to visit us and they mentioned they saw a service happening near the lobby. I was just about to begin my prayers and stopped and went to see what was going on. As I walked in, all I heard was “Chazak oo’Baruch…” over and over again. They had just begun the Torah reading and were using a tik Torah, one of the metal ones that are native to the Mizrahi world. I had stumbled upon a large gathering of Syrian Jews from Brooklyn, NY who were about to begin their vacation. It was such a joy to find this group and this opportunity at that moment.
When I was a kid, there was a song we sang in Sunday School called “Where ever you go there’s always someone Jewish. You’re never alone when you say you’re a Jew. So when you’re not home and you’re somewhere kinda new-ish… The odds are don’t look far cause they’re Jewish too.” This song has always amazed me. It amazed me when I was visiting Auschwitz and happened upon a group of Canadians who were looking for well… me… as their friend had told them to look for me on the trip. I was amazed when Carrie and I were in Vienna for the day and needed some help at the train station. I asked some random person in English and he did not speak English. He said: slicha (excuse me). We had to converse in Hebrew in the hometown of Hitler because that was our shared language. All around the world these things happen all of the time. Jews happen upon Jews at the most random of times and feel a sense of home and a sense of belonging. As the perennial “other” it’s nice when we do belong and have a long-lost relative right in our midst.
The very first comment on the Torah by Rashi, the famous 12th century French commentator, is why didn’t the Torah begin with Exodus 12 “HaShem said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you…” This chapter marks the beginning of the Jewish people. It’s here the process of freedom begins. It’s here we find the beginning of the process of us entering into a group covenant with God. It’s from this point forward the Jewish (Hebrew or Israelite at that time) people will begin to see their communal belonging and obligations to each other. Our bonds are thick and our bonds are deep. Our bonds link us together by so much more than what divides us. We can travel the world and find people who have so much more in common with us than we ever thought possible. This is because all around the world there are people who have been on the same journey we’ve been on and are waiting to meet us and travel by our side.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Hearshen
Candlelighting on January 27 is 5:45 pm.
Friday, February 3
Erev Shabbat Services on Friday, February 3
will be held in person at OVS at 6:00 pm.
There will be no Zoom service next Friday.
Community Passover Seder
We're trying to gauge interest in a Passover Seder at OVS on the 2nd night of Passover, Thursday, April 6. Estimated cost is $60-70 per adult and $36 for children 12 & under.
Click here to email Nicole if you'd be interested in attending and let us know how many people you think would join you.
BIRTHDAYS
Shabbat Jamie Cohen Richard Kalson
Sunday Donald J. Pascale Nazanin Nooromid
Monday Alexandra Johns Daniel Tache Louise Benatar Yonah Feiss
Tuesday Ernie Eichenbaum Samantha Michelle Leff
Wednesday Benjamin Sobel
Thursday Renee Arogeti Solomon Cohen
Friday Abram Shlimak Hava Shlimak
ANNIVERSARIES Shabbat Bobby and Nazanin Nooromid
Meldados
Shabbat Walter Diamond Purim Ilyayeva
Sunday Victor Benator Elie Levy Nathan Gershon
Monday Leonora Avzaradel Anna B. Godgelf Harry Wiener Fannie Shetzen
Tuesday Emily Amato Liliane Yurkofsky Ronald S. Ladden Ruth A. Cohen Rose Cooper Rebecca Berman Joy Diamond Alice Julia Block Selber
