Rabbi Carl M. Perkins 
Cantor Gast�n Bogomolni 
Bruce D. Berns, President
 



Rosh Hashanah is coming...



19 September 2014

24 Elul 5774

 

(For a special Rosh Hashanah treat, read all the way to the end of this email.) 

 

Dear Friends,

 

For those of us who love summer, this is a wistful time.  (Is there anyone who doesn't love summer in New England?)  No one needs me to state the obvious: there is a crispness in the air.  There is a palpable sense that summer has definitely come to an end.  Yes, we may get a few more warm days:  after all, there may yet be a so-called "Indian summer" (which, by the way, I recently learned may have nothing to do with American Indians; click here for details) -- but if so, that will be just a tease.

 

 

 

Change is in the air.  What about within our souls? 

 

This is the season for reflection. The High Holidays, which are about to descend upon us, are a time for stepping back, catching our breath, taking our pulse, and figuring out how we might re-direct ourselves in the year to come. 

 

More than on nations, politics or world-wide events, the focus of the High Holidays is on the self, and how we individually can and should be acting.  How are we relating to our family and friends?  Is there any "unfinished business" we should be attending to?  Are we bearing grudges or resentments that we should seek to address openly?

 

We maintain our focus on these important reflections through our worship, i.e., our davening.  That's why we spend so much time davening on the High Holidays. 

 

This year, our davening will be a bit different, so let me say a word about that.

 

As you may know, Cantor G is still recovering from his recent throat surgery.  He is making wonderful progress and we wish him continued recovery.  Because he is not yet permitted to sing, he will not be leading our davening over the holidays.  Instead, we will see many members of our congregation, who have worked with the Cantor or me over the summer, standing in for him during this season.  I want publically to thank all of our members who've stepped forward and have contributed much time and attention to our communal worship.  (If you're curious who will be chanting which service or reading which Torah or haftarah portion on which day, check our website; that information will be posted shortly.)

 

In addition to our davening, we are sponsoring many other programs over the holidays, including activities and services for children of all ages.  (See our website calendar for details.) My purpose here is to sketch out for you the arc of the davening for the first part of this season: 

 

We will begin by gathering tomorrow (Saturday) evening, September 20th, at 8:00 pm.  After Havdalah, in lieu of a formal Selichot service, we will view and discuss Woody Allen's classic film, "Crimes and Misdemeanors."  This is a very engaging way to prepare for the work of heshbon ha-nefesh (self-inquiry) that the season demands of us.

 

On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Wednesday, September 24th, we will begin with a TA-K26 get-together entitled "Sweets and Reflections" for our families with school-aged children.  Afterwards, everyone is invited to Erev Rosh Hashanah Minchah and Maariv services at 6:15 pm.

 

Shaharit services on the first day of Rosh Hashanah (September 25th) begin at 8:30 am.  Let me give you a piece of advice.  Come early.  I say this not only because you will find it easier to get a seat, but because the earlier you come, the more you will be exposed to the more personal, reflective themes of the liturgy.  As the service continues, the vantage point of the liturgy moves back, and the focus shifts outward from the self to the family to the community to the world.  If you are looking for spiritual exploration that focuses on the individual, come early.

 

At 4:00 pm, there will be a Temple Tots service in the chapel and a get-together for everyone else under the tent.  Then, at 5:00, everyone is welcome to join us for Tashlich at Walker Pond, followed by Minchah and Maariv at 6:15 pm.

 

On the second day of Rosh HaShanah, we offer three options in the morning:  (א) a Meditation Service that begins at 8:15 am; (ב) our main Shaharit service that begins at 8:30 am; and (ג) a Temple Tots service that begins at 9:00.  In our main service, we will hold a Creative Musaf Service as we have in the past: in lieu of a formal repetition of the Musaf amidah, we will incorporate song, melody and meditation to help us reflect on the themes of the High Holidays.  We ask that people try not to come and go during the meditation so that we can maintain our focus.  Minchah and Maariv services to conclude Rosh HaShanah and usher in Shabbat begin at 6:15 pm.

 

The Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (September 27th) is called Shabbat Shuva or Shabbat Teshuva, the Shabbat of Repentence.  Our Torah and haftarah readings that morning seek to focus our attention on the work of repentence that will take us through Yom Kippur and beyond.  

 

Our busy four-day weekend will conclude with a special jubilee gathering honoring our founders on Sunday, September 28th.  (Details are available on our website.)

 

I hope to provide details about our Yom Kippur services in a subsequent email message after Rosh Hashanah.

 

In the meantime, "The Shofar is Calling."  (See below.)  Let me wish everyone a happy and a healthy new year of promise and possibility.

 

L'shanah Tovah Tikateivu v'Teikhateimu,

 

 

Rabbi Carl M. Perkins

 

P.S.  Here's the treat for those of you who've read all the way to the end of this letter:  an intriguing Youtube video entitled, Shofar Callin', brought to you by G-dcast, a creative Jewish educational enterprise. What I like about this video is that it helps connect the Torah readings on Rosh Hashanah, the blowing of the shofar, and where it's all supposed to lead us.  The shofar is calling.  Are we listening? Click here and enjoy! 




Temple Aliyah | 1664 Central Avenue | Needham, MA 02492
Phone: 781-444-8522 | www.templealiyah.com