Usually I write these emails from my office, but today, I’m writing from home, on the couch in my bedroom. We’re trying to have as few people in the office at any one time, ideally just one. So like most of you, I’m home.
This has been hard for us in all different ways. If you'd like to set up a time to talk with Rabbi Shafrin or me, just email or call us, or call the office.
We're also trying to organize a group of Kol Rinah volunteers to call a set group of congregants weekly. If you'd be willing to make calls, please respond to this email and let me know how many people you'd be willing to call each week.
Also, if you know of any older adults who might need some extra support during this time, please let me know.
The Crown Center is offering delivered kosher meals to older adults in need. For more information, call 314.991.2055 or email info@crowncenterstl.org
I’m going to share a lot of links to online events, to things to read, to some music, related to this time, Shabbat, and Pesach.
First, Kol Rinah events.
Minyan We’ve been gathering for minyan every morning at 7am (8am on Sundays) and evening at 6pm, except on Saturdays, and we’ve had a minyan every single time (except for maybe the first or second day). You can find all of the log-on information on our website, www.kolrinahstl.org.
Kabbalat Shabbat Tonight, we’ll gather at 6pm for mincha (the afternoon service), Kabbalat Shabbat and a short time of sharing. One of the things I’ve found is that the words of the siddur (prayer book) are sustaining, but also seeing and hearing everyone’s voices and having a short time to speak with each other has been so important too. So join us tonight at 6pm here: https://zoom.us/s/771412751
Candle lighting tonight is at 7:03pm and Shabbat ends at around 8:07pm.
Music If you're missing some of your favorite Kol Rinah music, you can listen to some of it here: https://www.kolrinahstl.org/music-gallery , which Rabbi Shafrin, Karen Kern and I recorded over the winter.
Passover Prep Sunday 3/29 at 11:30am our very own Dr. Wendy Love Anderson will be teaching a class entitled, “Why is this Night Different from All Other Nights? A History of Children Asking Seder Questions.” More info is on the website, but the simple link to join the zoom class is here: https://zoom.us/s/501870031
On Tuesday 3/31 at 11am and 7pm, Rabbi Shafrin and I will be offering a Passover Q&A—bring (or email us in advance) your questions about anything related to Passover, specific to this year, or not. All the info is on our website, https://www.kolrinahstl.org/passover-information.html#.
Online learning There's a a ton of general Jewish stuff happening live on the web now. The Center for Jewish Learning at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis has been collating resources here. https://www.jfedstl.org/virtual-learning/
And now for a little Torah... I spent a month of the summer after college in Israel at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. It was my first time learning Jewish text on a continuous basis, and it was a great. It was program they offered once, for graduating high school seniors, and they gave us a madricha, a counselor, to take care of his a little. Her name was Tammy Jacobowitz. She subsequently got a Ph.D. in Midrash from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a wonderful teacher (as she had always been) and scholar.
Her focus particularly has been Leviticus, and the midrash on Leviticus, Leviticus Rabbah. And this week, we begin reading Leviticus, about sacrifice and ritual purity and impurity. Dr. Tammy Jacobowitz's reading of Leviticus in light of this time of COVID-19 spoke to me, and I hope you'll read it and appreciate it as well. https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/in-need-of-wisdom/ Shabbat shalom, and we'll see you on Zoom, Rabbi Noah Arnow
Kol Rinah 829 N Hanley St. Louis, MO 63130 314.727.1747 kolrinahstl.org
MISSION: Create a welcoming community that embraces Torah, meaningful worship, lifelong learning, music, Israel, and tikkun olam, guided by the tenets of Conservative Judaism.
Phone: 314-727-1747