The day is finally upon us. This week we will celebrate the coming of the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year! Observed since ancient times, the Summer Solstice represents the time when the sun traverses its greatest path through the sky before the days start to get shorter through the rest of the year. In some parts of the world, notably those near the North Pole, the sun will perform a magic trick by dropping toward the horizon before appearing to bounce up again and starting the new day without ever bringing on the night. These types of natural phenomena encouraged our ancestors to look to the heavens for inspiration and stability. Celebrations of the solstice symbolized the certainty of the return of a specific day each year that could be measured by nearly every civilization in the world. In that sense, amidst all the chaos and uncertainty in this world, there are still a few events that we can rely on with certainty. For this week, let us all concentrate on the certainties in our lives that can provide us with comfort and even relief. And then of course, six months from now, we can celebrate the other side of that certainty with the shortest day of the year in the Winter Solstice.
In other news, coming up on June 27, we have our annual trip to the Oakland Coliseum to watch the A’s play their Jewish Heritage Month game! If you would like to join us, please contact our office manager Brandy for information about tickets. We encourage as many of our members to come as we can to show our support for our hometown team and keep the tradition of the Jewish Heritage Month game alive!
Also, next month Temple Beth Hillel will be hosting a booth at the El Cerrito 4th of July festival on Tuesday, July 4. Larry has a sign up sheet for those who would like to volunteer their time to help spread the word about our congregation. Please email me or Larry if you would like to help out. In addition, on July 8 there will be a free showing of “A Room With a View” by the Actor’s Ensemble at Berkeley’s John Hinkel Park at 6:00 p.m. To sign on for the carpool or with questions, email Jane Kemp at jckemp5674@gmail.com. And on July 29 at 4:00 p.m. we will host our Movie Night Potluck, with our own Michael Cohen providing background, trivia, and other fun facts about the movie. There will be plenty of snacks and popcorn!
Finally, the next Shabbat Service will be held on July 7 at 7:30 p.m. Thanks everyone!
If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel
~ Anna B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel
From the Presidents – June 22, 2023
June 22, 2023 by tbhrich • president
Shalom Everyone!
The day is finally upon us. This week we will celebrate the coming of the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year! Observed since ancient times, the Summer Solstice represents the time when the sun traverses its greatest path through the sky before the days start to get shorter through the rest of the year. In some parts of the world, notably those near the North Pole, the sun will perform a magic trick by dropping toward the horizon before appearing to bounce up again and starting the new day without ever bringing on the night. These types of natural phenomena encouraged our ancestors to look to the heavens for inspiration and stability. Celebrations of the solstice symbolized the certainty of the return of a specific day each year that could be measured by nearly every civilization in the world. In that sense, amidst all the chaos and uncertainty in this world, there are still a few events that we can rely on with certainty. For this week, let us all concentrate on the certainties in our lives that can provide us with comfort and even relief. And then of course, six months from now, we can celebrate the other side of that certainty with the shortest day of the year in the Winter Solstice.
In other news, coming up on June 27, we have our annual trip to the Oakland Coliseum to watch the A’s play their Jewish Heritage Month game! If you would like to join us, please contact our office manager Brandy for information about tickets. We encourage as many of our members to come as we can to show our support for our hometown team and keep the tradition of the Jewish Heritage Month game alive!
Also, next month Temple Beth Hillel will be hosting a booth at the El Cerrito 4th of July festival on Tuesday, July 4. Larry has a sign up sheet for those who would like to volunteer their time to help spread the word about our congregation. Please email me or Larry if you would like to help out. In addition, on July 8 there will be a free showing of “A Room With a View” by the Actor’s Ensemble at Berkeley’s John Hinkel Park at 6:00 p.m. To sign on for the carpool or with questions, email Jane Kemp at jckemp5674@gmail.com. And on July 29 at 4:00 p.m. we will host our Movie Night Potluck, with our own Michael Cohen providing background, trivia, and other fun facts about the movie. There will be plenty of snacks and popcorn!
Finally, the next Shabbat Service will be held on July 7 at 7:30 p.m. Thanks everyone!
If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel
~ Anna B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel