Dear Kol Rinah Family,
We’re trying something new with our Friday night services. Rabbi Shafrin, Karen Kern and I have created four “flavors” of services that we’ll rotate. We’ll be creating a schedule shortly, and announcing a few weeks in advance the upcoming lineup.
The rotation includes:
· First Fridays: Families, Wiggles and Ruach (with Karen Kern, Rabbi Shafrin and Rabbi Arnow)
· Kol HaNefesh: A Contemplative, A Cappella Experience (with Rabbi Karen Kern and Rabbi Arnow)
· Shabbat Rinah: Kol Rinah's Greatest Hits (with Karen Kern, Rabbi Shafrin and Rabbi Arnow)
· Shir Chadash: Sing New Songs (with Karen Kern and Rabbi Shafrin)
First Fridays will continue to be somewhat shorter and more kid- and family-oriented, although all are welcome!
Kol HaNefesh (voice of the soul) will be a quieter, more meditative welcoming Shabbat experience, with no instruments.
Shabbat Rinah (Shabbat of joy) will feature our best loved and most familiar Kol Rinah melodies.
Shir Chadash (a new song) will feature some of the newest Jewish music that’s being written these days.
Tonight, join Karen Kern and Rabbi Shafrin for Shir Chadash: Sing New Songs at 6pm in the chapel. Candle lighting is at 7:37pm.
Services tomorrow morning will be in the lower auditorium at 9am. We’ll be celebrating the anniversary of Bernard and Marjorie Feldman. Mazal tov! I’ll be leading Torah Talk at 10:10 in the social hall.
Mincha will be at 6:35pm and Shabbat ends at 8:36pm.
There’s lots happening Sunday, including tie dye shirt making, and a congregational update and informational meeting at 6:30pm.
This Tuesday night begins our Introduction to Judaism class. We have room for a few more people, so if you or someone you know is interested, sign up now at KolRinahStL.org.
Also on the website is information about our Elul High Holiday Skills classes, beginning August 28.
KoREH, our religious school, begins classes on September 8. If you know anyone who might want be interested, have them be in touch with Rabbi Shafrin. More info is on the website too.
If you haven’t driven by the new building yet at 7701 Maryland Avenue, it’s exciting to see all the progress. I was walking through on Tuesday, and it’s beautiful and inspiring. Can’t wait!
And now for a little Torah… What would you say are the two most important things in the Torah? A reasonable answer is the Shema and the Ten Commandments. And guess what—both are in this week’s Torah portion, Parashat VaEtchanan, Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11.
Of course, this the recapitulation of the Ten Commandments, that is to say, here, Moses tells the story of when God gave the Ten Commandments back on Mt. Sinai, which we read back in Exodus. There are a number of differences between the two versions of the Ten Commandments. One difference is that the explanation in Exodus for the mitzvah of keeping Shabbat is that God rested on the seventh day, whereas in the Deuteronomy version, the explanation is that you were slaves.
In the Friday night Kiddush, we actually mention both explanations. Pay attention tonight as you make Kiddush for both references!
One way I appreciate the two explanations is that there are times when I’m inspired by the created, natural world, far more than by anything people could make. And there are times when I find human beings, and their accomplishments of creating and caring and loving and kindness and justice unbelievably inspiring. We need both explanations of Shabbat, just for different moments in our lives.
Which do you need this week?
Shabbat shalom and see you in shul,
Rabbi Noah Arnow
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