And Happy Secular New Year! We hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s celebration as we look ahead to an eventful year in 2024. And in the spirit of the season, we can take a moment to observe the unusual nature and tradition of the timing of both the secular and Jewish new year. In ancient times, the new year generally fell in the spring, coinciding with the start of the harvest and the emergence from winter. The Jewish new year, however, in the observance of Rosh Hashanah, happens in the seventh month of Tishrei, at the end of the harvest. The secular new year, in an even more bizarre twist, occurs right at the beginning of winter, when the harvest is over but the new one has not yet begun. Regardless of the reason for these traditions, they both demonstrate that calendars can be manipulated by individuals and societies to their whim. As a result, people can attempt to bend nature and even time itself for our own purposes, giving us a vast amount of symbolic if not practical power. That kind of power can give us hope for the future, especially in the midst of uncertainty.
We also wanted to express our deepest thanks for all our members who are assisting in helping us find TBH’s next rabbi. We will all miss Dean very much after his retirement in 2025 but this also marks the next chapter in the story of TBH. As a reminder, please fill out the survey the Rabbi Search Committee sent out detailing what qualities you would like to see in our future Rabbi. We look forward to hearing from all of you and welcome your input.
We also have plenty of other major holidays to celebrate in the near future, including Tu B’shvat, Purim and Passover. You can help make a difference by volunteering to help with the Purim Carnival and Passover Seder. Assisting with any of these events allows us to connect with the community, perform a mitzvah, and make the Temple Beth Hillel experience even better. And for those who wish to make a difference in our community, we highly encourage you to consider joining the Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors next year. Our Board is always on the lookout for members who have ideas for the future of the temple and the ability to carry out that vision. Serving on the Board makes us appreciate how much Temple Beth Hillel means to us and our children.
Finally, our next regular Shabbat Service will take place on Friday, January 5, at 7:30 p.m. And for our new members, we will be holding a special Shabbat service for all of you in the second week of February so please come join us. Torah Study will take place Saturday at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom, and the Adult Education class will be hosted by Rabbi Dean (see calendar for dates). And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services at Religious School when we return on Sunday, January 7, at 9:30 a.m. Thank you 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 – January 5, 2024
January 5, 2024 by tbhrich • president
Shalom Everyone!
And Happy Secular New Year! We hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s celebration as we look ahead to an eventful year in 2024. And in the spirit of the season, we can take a moment to observe the unusual nature and tradition of the timing of both the secular and Jewish new year. In ancient times, the new year generally fell in the spring, coinciding with the start of the harvest and the emergence from winter. The Jewish new year, however, in the observance of Rosh Hashanah, happens in the seventh month of Tishrei, at the end of the harvest. The secular new year, in an even more bizarre twist, occurs right at the beginning of winter, when the harvest is over but the new one has not yet begun. Regardless of the reason for these traditions, they both demonstrate that calendars can be manipulated by individuals and societies to their whim. As a result, people can attempt to bend nature and even time itself for our own purposes, giving us a vast amount of symbolic if not practical power. That kind of power can give us hope for the future, especially in the midst of uncertainty.
We also wanted to express our deepest thanks for all our members who are assisting in helping us find TBH’s next rabbi. We will all miss Dean very much after his retirement in 2025 but this also marks the next chapter in the story of TBH. As a reminder, please fill out the survey the Rabbi Search Committee sent out detailing what qualities you would like to see in our future Rabbi. We look forward to hearing from all of you and welcome your input.
We also have plenty of other major holidays to celebrate in the near future, including Tu B’shvat, Purim and Passover. You can help make a difference by volunteering to help with the Purim Carnival and Passover Seder. Assisting with any of these events allows us to connect with the community, perform a mitzvah, and make the Temple Beth Hillel experience even better. And for those who wish to make a difference in our community, we highly encourage you to consider joining the Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors next year. Our Board is always on the lookout for members who have ideas for the future of the temple and the ability to carry out that vision. Serving on the Board makes us appreciate how much Temple Beth Hillel means to us and our children.
Finally, our next regular Shabbat Service will take place on Friday, January 5, at 7:30 p.m. And for our new members, we will be holding a special Shabbat service for all of you in the second week of February so please come join us. Torah Study will take place Saturday at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom, and the Adult Education class will be hosted by Rabbi Dean (see calendar for dates). And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services at Religious School when we return on Sunday, January 7, at 9:30 a.m. Thank you 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