Dear Kol Rinah Family,
I spent this week (Sunday to Thursday) at the Rabbinic Training Institute (RTI), a program sponsored by JTS (where I went to rabbinical school). It takes place every year at the Pearlstone Retreat Center outside of Baltimore, and I go most years.
It's referred to affectionately sometimes as "rabbi camp."
It's an opportunity for me (and the other fifty or so colleagues there) to pause, breathe, connect, learn, and reflect. I always come back renewed in ways I couldn't have precisely expected. In conversations with colleagues, I'm inspired by their creativity and insights, and always get some good ideas about things I and we could be doing. It's also a very helpful time for reprioritizing and thinking a bit more big-picture than I sometimes have the chance to do. Through hearing from colleagues, I am also reminded of the ways our congregation is successful and working and is wonderful, and of the things that I am competent at and have figured out.
Moses is beginning his encounters with Pharaoh in this week's Torah portion (Va'era). He approaches this task with trepidation and self-doubt, uncertain that Pharaoh or the Israelites will take him seriously and listen. It's the beginning of his journey towards leadership and competency. One could say that he fails nine times until after the last plague, when he's finally successful.
What are the areas of your life in which you are feeling competent right now, that feel signficant? Perhaps you are feeling competent in a newish dimension of your work life, or in caring for someone in your personal life. Maybe you are feeling competent in being in a particular relationship, or in caring for yourself in newly needed ways. Or maybe in any of these ways you're noticing the ways you're not feeling competent, whether yet or anymore.
Moses is lucky to have Aaron by his side as a support, literally holding the staff that does much of the work, and speaking for him. And they have God backstopping them both.
That support gives Moses (and Aaron) the time to fail and grow and learn and to develop a sense of competence.
Who is or could be a support you? What resources do you need to feel a bit more competent where you're not feeling it in your life right now?
And who could you support in their journey to feeling, and being, competent?
***
Candle lighting tonight is is at 4:43pm. We'll gather at 6pm for an a cappella kabbalat Shabbat.
Tomorrow morning, we'll start at 9am. Karen Kern will be leading a singing Torah Talk at 10:10am.
Shabbat ends at 5:45pm.
As you know, the weather this weekend is looking... interesting. Please come to shul if you can, and definitely do not come if it does not feel safe to you.
Sunday marks the 100th day of the captivity of the Israeli hostages in Gaza. Rachel Goldberg, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a Hamas hostage, is asking people to wear a piece of masking tape with the number "100" written on it on Sunday, as way of remembering and bringing attention to her son, and all the hostages. Details here. Bring them home, we pray.
Sunday afternoon at 4pm, Verein will offer the first in a series on the history of the Yiddish theater, with this presentation being from Ralph Graff. It's both in-person and on Zoom. Details and sign-up here. Two more sessions are planned for the following Sundays.
Our grief group, led by Rabbi Jessica Shafrin, continues this Wednesday evening at 6:30pm in person here at the synagogue. All are welcome; you need not have come to previous gatherings. Details and schedule are here.
Next Friday night, 1/19, we'll have an Israeli-themed Shabbat dinner following services, perhaps with a little informal singing to follow. All are welcome, and the deadline to sign up is Tuesday 1/16.
For more and collected Israel information, see this page on our website, as well as the Jewish Federation of St. Louis's Israel Resources page.
Every Shabbat morning, we are still reciting a prayer for the State of Israel, a prayer for Israel Defense Forces soldiers, and a prayer for hostages.
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)
tinyurl.com/KR-EveningMinyan
Meeting ID: 911 4900 3178
Password: 474833
Morning Minyan on Zoom
Monday-Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7am; Sunday mornings and national holidays at 8am (not including Jewish holidays)
tinyurl.com/KR-MorningMinyan
Meeting ID: 924 8595 7378
Password: 274580
(Please note that Thursday morning minyan is now being held in-person at 7am (8am on national holidays) 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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