The Bigger Picture

Posted by Elaine Zecher
On December 29, 2017
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Welcome to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection as we move toward Shabbat. Every year around this time, people say, “Happy New Year” and I catch myself from saying, “Shanah Tovah” in return. “Happy New Year” and “Shanah Tovah” are worlds apart. This week’s Torah portion drives this lesson home. We reach the end of […]

Posted by Elaine Zecher
On December 22, 2017
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Welcome to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection. This week’s Torah portion, Vayigash, is about bravery and courage. Its title is the verb attached to the idea of being willing to step forward without certainty of the reaction. We are in the middle of the Joseph narrative. Joseph has already arrived to Egypt and achieved status […]

Posted by Elaine Zecher
On December 15, 2017
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Welcome to Shabbat Awakenings! We are right in the middle of Chanukah. And right in the middle of the Shabbat service, we add this prayer (Mishkan T’filah pg. 265) for the Festival of Lights: We thank You for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds and saving acts, brought about by You, […]

Posted by Elaine Zecher
On December 8, 2017
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Welcome to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection as we move toward Shabbat. I am participating in our Reform movement’s Biennial gathering held here in Boston joined by dozens of TI folks. It’s a wonderful equation for a vibrant and actively engaged present and future. At the same time, we all are paying close attention to Israel. The Union […]

Posted by Elaine Zecher
On December 1, 2017
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Welcome to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection. It’s an ancient problem that won’t go away. Recent articles have spoken about it as if it’s a realization not considered until a mere few centuries ago. But it goes back much further than that. Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, chief of the country, saw her, […]

Adult

Youth

The Bigger Picture

Courage Vayigash

A Prayer for Chanukah

Biennial

By Force