Dear Kol Rinah Family,
LOTS OF IMPORTANT STUFF THIS WEEK--READ TO THE END.
There's a particular agony of being struck, hurt, pained, afflicted, by something you thought was gone and in the past, and that you thought you were safe and immune from.
There's the pain itself.
There's the old wound, the scar tissue, the memory of trauma, which reawaken and flare up again.
And there's the nauseus feeling of realizing that your assumptions, your feelings of safety, maybe your sense of optimism--were wrong.
Twenty days past the attack on Israel, I'm feeling all of these.
I don't have answers about what exactly Israel should do.
I don't have answers about how we can effectively respond to the scary antisemitism we are seeing and hearing.
I am thinking about consolation though. What will help me, will help us, move through this period of loss, of grief, of fear, of uncertainty, of destabilization?
Presence helps. Having people sit with us through all the feelings, just hearing, and being present with us. That's why when people who are not Jewish, who are not as connected to all this, sit with us in our pain, it helps. That's one dimension of consolation.
Mourning alone is also hard. When no one else understands what we are feeling, as well-intentioned as they might be, there's still a disconnect. Being with other people who are feeling similarly to you can console, can help us feel less lonely, can remind us that we don't need to hold this all by ourselves.
This is both a Conservative Movement/Masorti and a St. Louis Israel Solidarity Shabbat. Just being together, with each other, in solidarity with Israel, I know will be consoling for me, and for so many of us. We'll have the blue ribbons. Just bring yourselves.
And while there is that particular, awful feeling of having to deal with something we thought was finished, one thing that gives me a sense of hope is thinking back on the generations of Jews that came before us. Attacks on Israel, and on Jews are not new. Our people has endured, and thrived. And we will endure and thrive.
If the Jews of Ukraine can survive, so can we. And we'll learn more about them this Shabbat from our scholar-in-residence, Prof. David Fishman of the Jewish Theological Seminary. You can read some of his recent writings about the situation in Ukraine here.
Candle lighting is at 5:49pm.
Tonight, we'll welcome Shabbat with a musical Kabbalat Shabbat in the chapel beginning at 6pm.
Following services, we'll have dinner for those who RSVP'd. At about 8:15pm, Professor Fishman will speak on "When Ukraine Was the Center of the Jewish World." Even if you're not coming for dinner, you can join us for the learning.
Saturday morning, we'll begin at 9am. It's an Enchanting Shabbat--congregants will be our Torah readers. Thanks to Jalna Papour for coordinating!
I'll be leading Torah Talk at about 10:10am in the community hall, where we'll be looking at why Abraham's nephew Lot was held captive by warring kings, and some details of Abraham's rescue of his captive nephew. If this sounds relevant for a time when more than 200 Israelis are being held captive in Gaza, it is.
During services, at about 11:10am, Professor Fishman will speak on "Ukrainian Jewry Under Soviet Rule," considering the question of how Jews made it through more than 70 years of travail.
There will be kiddush, and after kiddush, at about 12:30pm, Professor Fishman will speak in the community hall about Ukrainian Jewish life since the fall of the Soviet Union, including during the current war.
His visit is sponsored by the Hereld Institute for Jewish Studies of JTS and the Leo and Sara Wolf Adult Education Fund--thank you to both!
Shabbat ends at 6:46pm.
For many efforts going on in the community to support Israel, and for lots of related resources, see the Jewish Federation of St. Louis's Israel Resources page.
I know we are all concerned about security. We have requested security here at Kol Rinah for this Friday night, Saturday morning, and Sunday morning for KoREH.
We are in regular communication with the Jewish Federation of St. Louis's Community Security Director, the Clayton Police Department and the ADL. Each has informed us that there is no current known threat to our community and they recommend that we maintain the security protocols we have in place.
If we need to adjust our security and protocols, we will respond accordingly.
Next week, we'll have our musical Kol Chadash service.
Our next Shabbat dinner will be November 17 with STAAM, Wash U's Jewish A Cappella group.
May the one who makes peace in the heavens make peace over us, and over all Israel, and over all who dwell in the world.
See you in shul,
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)
Morning Minyan on Zoom
Monday-Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7am; Sunday mornings and national holidays at 8am (not including Jewish holidays)
(Please note that Thursday morning minyan is now being held in-person and is not on Zoom)
Friday nights and Shabbat mornings
Fridays, 6pm in the chapel (no streaming)
Saturdays, 9:00am (9:30am when we are doing our musical Kol Chadash service)
Click the link below, for the stream, as well as for additional instructions:
https://www.kolrinahstl.org/kr-streaming
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