Sign In Forgot Password

Pride Shabbat and Shavuot!!! from Rabbi Arnow 6/3/2022

Dear Kol Rinah Family, 

This is a big weekend at Kol Rinah--read all the way through for the full details!  

As I've gotten older, and been a rabbi for longer, read the Torah more times through, encountered more and more of our tradition, and been through and helped others through more life experiences, my experience of Torah has changed.  

I used to find myself searching for and jazzed by texts and commentaries I'd never seen before.  "New" stories in the Talmud, a "new" comment on some problematic passage in the Torah--with "new" meaning I'd never encountered it before.  

In that sense, the idea of revelation (of Torah) felt like archaeology, or exploration--discovering new but ancient Torah.  

Over the last year or two, though, I've experienced Torah "revealed" in a different way.  Rather than "new" texts, I've felt able, or inspired, to read familiar stories and laws in new ways, through new lenses of experience.  Covid, the politics of our nation and world, the war in Ukraine, the epidemic of mass shootings, and for the Kol Rinah community, creating a new physical home for our shul--these have all opened up paths of interpretation, ways of reading that I could not have seen before.  

One way of thinking about Shavuot is as an opportunity to reflect on how the way we see the world has changed since last Shavuot, or throughout the years.  One mystical teaching says that God's revelation, God's voice, emanates still and at every moment from Sinai, but whether we can hear, and what we hear, changes.  

What have you heard this past year, and what do you hope to hear this new Shavuot? 

For a few more musings on revelation and Shavuot, you can read my
d'var Torah that was published in the (online edition) of the St. Louis Jewish Light this week.  

No Torah Talk today.  Hope to be back next week! 

At 6pm, we'll have an outdoor shortened Kabbalat Shabbat and maariv, our "First Fridays" service, geared towards folks with kids and to which everyone is welcome.  

Candle lighting is at 8:04pm.  

Saturday morning we'll celebrate Pride Shabbat.  Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael (our congregant and Director of Training and Education for Keshet) will be giving the sermon.  After kiddush, Rabbi Buck-Yael, Maharat Rori Picker Neiss (the JCRC's Executive Director) and Rabbi Daniel Bogard (a rabbi of Central Reform Congregation) will share some of their experiences from the last year advocating for trans youth and consider how their Jewishness informs their resilience in the face of the recent attacks on transgender rights in America and in Missouri. 

Thank you to Skylar Swim, the chair of our Community Learning Committee, for helping to organize Pride Shabbat.  

Saturday evening we'll have mincha at 7:55pm, followed by some pre-Shavuot learning on the theme "New Torah."  We'll also enjoy some cheesecake! 

After maariv, I'll be walking over to Bais Abe for the Tikkun Leil Shavuot there, which begins at 10:30pm, and will go until about 1:30am.  All are invited.  The
full schedule of teachers and sessions for the tikkun is available here (page 7).  

Sunday morning at 9:30am we'll have Shavuot morning services, including Akdamut, the liturgical poem that we read before the Torah reading.  

Sunday at 6pm we'll have mincha, maariv and yizkor.  

Monday morning at 9:30am will be Shavuot Day 2 morning services, with the reading of the book of Ruth and yizkor.  

The holiday ends at 9:11pm Monday evening.  Please note that all services will be in person, and morning services will be livestreamed.  Zoom minyanim will resume Tuesday morning.  


May we all stay safe and healthy, and I hope to see you soon. 
Shabbat shalom and chag sameach,
Rabbi Noah Arnow


ZOOM AND STREAMING LINKS
To join our Zoom Minyanim or classes, click on the desired meeting link, or call into either of the following numbers: 
 
+1 312 626 6799
+1 646 558 8656
Then, when prompted, enter the Meeting ID of the desired minyan/class then press #.  Then, when prompted, enter the password then press #.  
 
Services (all times Central)
Evening Minyan on Zoom
Sunday-Thursday evenings at 6pm (but not on Jewish holidays)
Friday evenings when not in person one hour before candle lighting

 
Morning Minyan on Zoom
Monday-Friday mornings at 7am; Sunday mornings and national holidays at 8am (not including Jewish holidays)


Learning Opportunities
Torah Talk with Rabbi Arnow or Rabbi Shafrin
Every Friday at 12pm (NOT THIS WEEK)
Join us for study and discussion of the week's Torah portion.  


Friday nights when in person and Shabbat mornings
Fridays, 6pm
Saturdays, 9:30am
Click the link below, then click the triangular "play" buttom:

tinyurl.com/KR-Streaming

You can also set your computer or device in advance so that this link will continue streaming continuously and you will not have to press any buttons on Shabbat. To make sure that your device will not shut itself down or do into sleep mode, follow the directions below to disable sleep mode:

For PC:
To disable automatic Sleep:
1. Open up Power Options in the Control Panel. In Windows 10 you can get there from right clicking on the start menu and going to Power Options
2. Click "change plan settings" next to your current power plan
3. Change "Put the computer to sleep" to never
4. Click "Save Changes"

For Apple Products:
1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click "Energy Saver."
2. Do either of the following:
          a. Set the amount of time your computer or display should wait before going to sleep: Drag the “Computer sleep” and “Display sleep” sliders, or the “Turn display off after” slider.
          b. Keep your Mac from going to sleep automatically: Select “Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off.”
Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784