Rabbis' Weekly Message

 

Dear Kol Rinah Family,

This week, I wish more than anything that I could be writing about the joy of the new Hebrew month of Cheshvan. I want use metaphors of rainbows for peace, to talk about a shelter from the storm and how wonderful it was to have a semi-normal week after the conclusion of the many holidays that fall during the month of Tishrei. But sadly, this week was anything but normal, or at least not the calm, peacful, refreshing week we all might have hoped for. 

On Monday, our community was rocked but the horrors of gun violence, this time claiming three lives, including the assailant's, and injuring many others at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School. We are heartbroken for the loss of Alexzandria Bell, teacher Jean Kuczka, and the sense of safety that every student, staff member, and parent should feel during the school day. That the attack was carried out by a former student, whose family had asked law enforcement to take his guns away because they were worried about him, only compounds the unnecessary tragedy we feel this week.

It is tragically ironic that this week also marked four years since the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburg. With mourners in St. Louis feeling the freshness of their pain and loss, along with others hundreds of miles away still realing from the anguish of gun violence in a house of worship, it is easy to believe that the problem is too great and too overwhelming.

Even in our Torah portion, the crisis caused by violence is called out, as God explains to Noah, "I have decided to put an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them (human beings): I am about to destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:13). Ramban explains this verse by saying that the people living in the time of Noah were committing various evils, but only when violence spread unchecked did God decide to intervene because violence perpetrated against others does damage to people, to the lives of those they loved, to the world, and to the sacred Divine Image that resides in each of us.

The violence around us in our community has stripped to many precious lives from our world. But I am encouraged by the ways in which people are coming together. One group of interfaith clergy have banded together to offer spiritual support and counselling to students and families dealing not only with violence but with anything they might need. Another group of community organizations has banded together to form the Interfaith Gun Safety Initiative, who have been working with national gun safety partners, local organizers, and law enforcement to find meaningful, local solutions to end gun violence. Their first initiative will be distributing free gun locks through houses of worship and community centers to anyone who wants one, as well as partnering up and knocking on doors in neighborhoods throughout St. Louis to talk to folks and educate them about basic gun safety.

There is more we can do, and more we must do. Even as we are still reeling from the tragedy this week at Central VPA, we must stand together and commit to actions that will help us curb the violence in our community and our world. I encourage you to look toward our Jewish Community Relations Council, follow the Interfaith Gun Safety Initiative ( https://bit.ly/interfaithxgunviolence ), and see where you can be of service.

Adonai, Our God, Holy Blessed Creator,
May it be Your will that our children go to school in safety and in peace. 
May it be Your will that we act to ensure that every person can live freely. 
May it be Your will that humankind should no longer know war and violence. 
May it be Your will that we can all lie down, and no one will terrify us. 


Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Scott Shafrin
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So many exciting things to celebrate together!

Mazal tov to Zach Rosenblatt and Laura Goldsticker on their wedding coming up this Sunday, as well as to Guy Dobrin, our wonderful ShinShin, on his bar mitzvah last Shabbat. 

Mazal tov, also, to Ella Kalachek on being called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah this Shabbat, and mazal tov to Ella's parents, Josh and Cindy Kalachek, and brother Jacob Kalachek. We are looking forward to celebrating tomorrow with you, your family, and all your loved ones!

We will be having Torah Talk today on Zoom at noon! Rabbi Arnow will be leading our learning session on the aptly named Parashat Noach, taking a look at some of the interesting intricacies that can be found in this familiar narrative. 

Tonight, we will have Kabbalat Shabbat in person Kol Rinah starting at 6:00 pm in our chapel.

Tomorrow, we will be meeting in the sanctuary for Shabbat morning services starting at 9:00 am (livestream link below).  The link for the Shabbat livestream can be found below.

We know that several of our community members have been having difficulties watching our livestream. We are aware of the problem, which is not with our equipment or our internet, but rather is a specific issue with our service provider. We are working to address these outages in the short term, as well as actively reviewing other service providers to solve the issue long term. Please be patient with us as we work to corrent the problem and ensure that everyone who wants to can view our services remotely.

Mincha/Ma'ariv for Shabbat this Saturday evening begins at 5:35 pm.

Candle Lighting Friday night is at 5:48 pm 

Parshah: Noach
Shacharit 9:00am (New Time)
Torah Reading: Genesis 6:9 - 11:32
Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1 - 55:5

Havdalah will be at 6:50 pm
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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 ( tinyurl.com/KR-EveningMinyan )
Sunday-Thursday evenings at 6pm

Morning Minyan on Zoom ( tinyurl.com/KR-MorningMinyan )
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 7am; Thursday mornings are in person only at Kol Rinah starting at 7:00 am. Sunday mornings and national holidays at 8am (not including Jewish holidays)

Learning Opportunities
Torah Talk with Rabbi Arnow or Rabbi Shafrin ( tinyurl.com/KR-TorahTalk )
Every Friday at 12pm
Join us for study and discussion of the week's Torah portion.  

Kabbalat Shabbat/Shabbat morning ( tinyurl.com/KR-Streaming )
Fridays at 6:00pm, Saturdays at 9:00am, as well as the first day, seventh and eighth days of Passover
Click the link below, then click the triangular "play" buttom:

https://player2.streamspot.com/?playerId=3506a4c8

Until shortly before the service officially begins, there will a filler screen, but livestreamed video and sound will both start before the start of the service.  

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.”