Join us for the Annual Temple Emanuel Reverse Tashlich – an event that not only cleans up a beach, but symbolically—and practically—removes people’s sins from the ocean.
“For hundreds of years, Jews have symbolically thrown their sins into the water on Rosh Hashana,” says Karen Fenichel, chair. “We’re going to remove some of humankind’s sins by cleaning up the beach as part of Reverse Tashlich.”
Individuals, families and friends are invited to join the effort, which nationally is part of the Annual Reverse Tashlich. While we are working on a CT Beach, Jews around the world will be cleaning up waterways and beaches near their homes. The effort is the largest Jewish aquatic restoration community in the world. The Reverse Tashlich is sponsored internationally by Repair the Sea. Locally, Save the Sound is assisting with our effort.
“Doing Reverse Tashlich around Rosh Hashana allows us to connect spiritual and ethical values with environmental stewardship,” said Adam Spiewak. “When you realize how much trash there is on the beach, it really makes you think about what we’re doing to the world and what we can do about it.”
For the 33rd consecutive year, your Tikkun Olam Committee will be holding its High Holy Days Food Drive, donating much-needed food to the food pantries of both Jewish Family Service (JFS) and the Town of Orange. And, once again this year, we will be giving you a variety of choices or options as to how you would like to participate. Both food and monetary donations will be accepted through the Sukkot holiday.
For folks who would like to donate actual tangible food items, you can leave your food donations in the rear of the social hall when you come to the synagogue for services. Please be as generous as possible with bags, boxes, and cans of a wide variety of non-perishable food items. As much as you can carry! But also please remember, no outdated or open packages and, at the request of both agencies, no glass jars or containers.
For those of you who would feel more comfortable donating by check to the JFS Food Pantry, you can mail your check directly to JFS Food Pantry, c/o JFS of Greater New Haven, 1440 Whalley Ave., New Haven, CT 06515. Important: Please remember to write Temple Emanuel on the memo line as that’s how we’ll be credited.
For those of you who would feel more comfortable donating by check to the Town of Orange Food Pantry, you can make out your check to Treasurer, Town of Orange and mail it to Stacey Johnson, MSW, c/o Community Services, 525 Orange Center Rd., Orange, CT 06477. Important: Please remember to write both Food Pantry and Temple Emanuel on the memo line as that’s how we’ll be credited.
Please be as generous as you’ve always been in the past. Remember, we’re “the little shul with a big heart” and we’ll be helping our neighbors right here in our own communities. And as the Torah teaches, “If one fails to share G-d’s bounty with the poor, then the observance of the holy days would be unacceptable.” Todah rabah!
Will Sherman and Alla Bernshteyn, Co- Coordinators, Food Drive
I am so excited to share that we have finished our EasyShul implementation. EasyShul is our new membership database which makes it easier for all of us to connect and has features to help TE run more smoothly.
From an office perspective, EasyShul is the system that Sara, Lynn and our treasurers use to organize our TE membership. It also allows us to manage our school, share events and track prospective members. All of this helps the office run smoother and more efficiently.
For all of us, the EasyShul portal and app allow us to easily access a membership directory, make donations, view our calendar, sign up for events, and pay invoices. I am excited to see how EasyShul continues to help us connect and engage with each other.
Can I ask a favor? If you haven’t logged into EasyShul yet, please do. It’s very easy, you just go to https://tegnh.easyshul.com/. If you run into any challenges logging in just reach out and I’m happy to help (I even make house calls).
If you don’t like dealing with the 6 digit security code (EasyShul uses a security approach called OTP authentication which replaces passwords with single-use, time-sensitive codes) or just prefer the ease of an app, I highly recommend you download the EasyShul app on your phone.
Now a second favor… As of this writing 69% of TE households have logged into EasyShul which is really great considering we only launched it a few weeks ago. But, only 12 of us have added a picture in EasyShul. Can you do me, and all of us, a favor- log into EasyShul and add a picture of yourself to your profile. This makes it more personable when using the site, and it also helps those of us who remember faces and names but sometimes struggle putting the face and the name together
In our tradition, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are known as the most awe-inspiring and powerful Holy Days of the year. And in our modern reality, they continue to draw Jews together in a remarkable way. For many people, whether they are in the synagogue every week or only occasionally, coming together as a community on the Days of Awe remains an important and meaningful part of Jewish life.
For those who may not spend much time in synagogue during the year, the High Holy Days can sometimes feel like a lot to take in. There are unfamiliar prayers, plenty of Hebrew, long services, and traditions that may not always be immediately obvious. It is perhaps no surprise that bookstores and websites are filled with titles such as “How to Survive the High Holidays” and “Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Survival Kit”! Somehow, this most profound experience of the Jewish year can also be one of the most challenging to navigate.
And yet, there is something wonderful about the way people return. Synagogues open up walls to social halls and bring in additional chairs, making room for everyone who wants to be part of the community. For so many Jews, hearing Kol Nidrei and Avinu Malkeinu, and experiencing the ancient sound of the shofar, remains one of the most important moments of the year. Whether we come every week or once a year, there is something deeply comforting about returning to these familiar words, melodies and rituals.
The Days of Awe, Yamim Noraim, are the ten days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur. They are a time for reflection and introspection—a time to conduct what the rabbis call heshbon hanefesh, an accounting of the soul. We are encouraged to seek forgiveness for the wrongs we have done: first from other people, our loved ones, our families and friends, as well as those we may have hurt without even realizing it, and then from God. We come together to pray the familiar words of supplication: slach lanu, mechal lanu, kaper lanu—forgive us, pardon us, grant us atonement.
But this process does not actually begin on Rosh Hashanah. It begins earlier, in the month of Elul that precedes the New Year.
The Selichot prayers, the “prayers of forgiveness,” are recited during the month of Elul, preparing us spiritually for the Days of Awe that lie ahead. In Sephardi tradition, Selichot are recited throughout the month of Elul, while in Ashkenazi tradition they begin at the end of Shabbat immediately preceding Rosh Hashanah. Traditionally, these penitential prayers were recited at midnight—a physical reminder that this is a time to pause, to look inward, and perhaps to see our lives and ourselves in a different light.
For many years now, the Reform congregations of Greater New Haven have come together for Selichot. It gives us a once-a-year opportunity to share worship with one another and to experience ourselves as part of a larger Jewish community and family. There is something especially meaningful about entering the High Holy Day season together. This year, our Selichot service will be hosted by Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden. On Saturday, September 5th at 7:00 pm, we will come together for a special evening to help set the mood for the upcoming Holy Days. Our keynote speaker will be authorMarjorie Ingall, whose recent book on the art of apology at home and at work offers a particularly fitting way to begin the High Holy Day season. I hope you will join us as we begin this journey toward the Days of Awe together.
Wishing you all Shanah Tovah U’Metukah—a sweet and happy New Year 5787 ahead! I can’t wait to see you all in our sanctuary this High Holy Day season!
*Excerpts of this article appeared in the September 2011 Shofar
Rosh Hashanah I day Saturday, Sept 12 @ 10:00 AM Rosh Hashanah Children’s Service Saturday, Sept 12 @ 9:45 AM Tashlich Saturday, Sept 12 immediately after the kiddush
For 50 members of Temple Emanuel of Greater New Haven, cleaning up trashhelps right some of the world’s wrongs
MILFORD, Conn. – It’s amazing what you can find on a beach. About 50 members of an Orange synagogue picked up a watch, a hotel key, a paring knife, sunglasses and even a pair of shorts as they scoured Woodmont Beach Sunday as part of their fourth annual beach cleanup.
“We call it Reverse Tashlich,” said Dr. Karen Fenichel, who organized the event for Temple Emanuel of Greater New Haven. “Jews have a tradition called tashlich of throwing crumbs into the water to get rid of their sins. The water is supposed to carry their transgressions away. In Reverse Tashlich, we take mankind’s sins – all the pollution people create – out of the water. It’s a great time for entire families to spend some quality time on the beach doing something good for the community.”
Fenichel works with the religious school at Temple Emanuel to assure that students as well as the adults are involved. This year, about 50 congregants and friends came together for the event. In addition, she coordinates with Repair the Sea, an international Jewish environmental preservation group; Save the Sound, a regional group dedicated to protecting Long Island Sound; and the City of Milford’s Open Space Preservation office.
“It’s amazing to think Jews all over the world this week are cleaning up beaches and celebrating the Jewish New Year by literally saving the world,” added Fenichel. “The best part is that the kids are deeply involved.”
Kids and adults moved up and down the beach in five groups, picking up trash, putting it in bags and documenting what was found. They looked for all sorts of trash. Cigarette butts were deemed particularly dangerous to wildlife because of the materials used to make them. About 183 cigarette butts were dropped into the plastic bags. In addition, Styrofoam cups, syringes, paper, fishing tackle scraps, pieces of glass, rubber material and other trash filled seven bags totalling almost 50 pounds. And the students fully understood what they were doing and why.
“The animals don’t deserve to have so much trash in their habitat,” said Ben Carmelli, 11, who tallied the trash for one group.
“This is a season when we are thinking about our actions and their impact,” said Rabbi Michael Farbman. “This is a wonderful opportunity to combine our traditions with those of the rest of the world. It also makes you think about your own actions the next time you walk on the beach.”
“It’s a way for the TE Community to give back to the wider community,” added Lindsey Sussman, temple president. “It’s a recent tradition to make the world better from generation to generation.”
byLindsey Sussman, Rabbi Michael Farbman, Olga Markus, Jeffrey Levick and Melissa Perkal
Lindsey: l’dor va’dor
My first core memory at TE was the Rosh Hashana service I attended shortly after we joined, over a decade ago. I had never been to a high holiday service and I went with a friend and her parents. My friend grew up at a conservative temple in Massachusetts and was also a new member and young mom at TE. I was sitting in a row with them and felt uncomfortable at such a big service and knowing so little. There was clearly a known orchestration to the day. As I sat there, I was in awe of how everyone knew the words, knew the order and joined in at the right times. What struck me at that moment was that generations of family members attended services just like this one, over decades and centuries, and recited the same words. Parents taught their children, who taught their children. I was jealous and impressed. I knew I wanted to be part of this tradition, to have the comfort and connection of this history and know it will live on beyond me. As my oldest daughter has shared with us, her favorite hebrew phrase is l’dor va’dor, from generation to generation and I understand why.
A decade or so later, I was struck with another powerful moment when a few of us had the honor, on behalf of the TE community, to deliver the gift of a Torah scroll to a new community in Valencia, Spain. Seven of us attended a Friday night service with members of Shir Jadash Comunidad. We entered an unmarked building on an industrial street. No signs or markings on the door. Inside was a large, modest space with a handful of folding chairs. Within an hour, there were at least 50 of us. Families from throughout the region, some who drove nearly an hour to attend, seniors, children, and even two families from Washington, D.C. who were in the area and heard about the congregation. While most of us didn’t speak the same language, we quickly fell into a shared experience. The service was done in a mix of Spanish, English and Hebrew. While our melodies were a little different, we were all having the same experience and knew the same words, the same flow. When Rabbi Farbman led us in Lecha Dodi on a borrowed guitar, the energy in the room expanded so quickly. You could feel it. Children were clapping along, voices were getting louder. It was amazing. The service continued with beautiful energy. Children were noisy on the floor in the corner, engaged but playing. Then after the service concluded, the congregants set up a dinner for us. Everyone helped bring out food, take care of one another. After dinner, without discussion, clean up happened, again as a group activity. Jim is sweeping the floor with one of the local congregants, Scott is folding tables, Melissa is clearing food. Our TE group was seamlessly meshed with their community, not just for the service but for the small details that make a community work.
From that unmarked building, I could close my eyes and would think I was at TE. The songs, the words, the children, the energy. This congregation is like TE at its start, and in many ways still how we operate. We function only because of the community, those who donate their time and resources to make TE run. We have a lovely building and a strong and diverse community but at its heart we are still the same. It’s the person who picks up the broom, bakes the challah, has an aliyah, speaks up, shows up, that makes our community so strong. Valencia reminded me of that, but with the added joy and curiosity of a child, still feeling things out.
Rabbi Farbman: Torah as a living document…
In the midst of the celebration, a few of us were pulled aside by a member of the community who is a local journalist, for a few moments of reflection. The language barrier made it a little difficult to communicate, but we managed nonetheless!
They asked me to talk about this moment, about bringing the Torah. I shared briefly the journey, and the challenges – making it through security at JFK with the Torah required three levels of authorization, but we succeeded. Being allowed to bring the scroll onto the plane was not an easy feat, but with a little perseverance, the willingness of Iberia staff to listen to my explanations, the letters we prepared in advance and, perhaps most importantly, the articles in Spanish press published ahead of time, I was ushered onto the plane and shown to the overhead compartment in first class, where the Torah safely traveled (while we were at the back of the plane in our seats:).
I also acknowledged that of course, the most economical way of delivering the Torah to Valencia would have been to pack it carefully and to ship it with a courier. But the most economical is not always the most appropriate or the most meaningful! Navigating all the challenges along the way, and bringing the Torah by hand was not easy – but I cannot think of a more fitting way to bring the Torah from one community to another.
As I sat in the small, hot room, I proceeded to tell them that a community needs people – without people wanting to be together and spend time together, you don’t have a community. The community can exist without the building – even though having a place to call home is very, very helpful. The community can exist without the rabbi – even though having the rabbi teach and lead the community can help transform it in great many ways.
Rabbi Alona Lisitsa is helping Shir Jadash from afar, as she is only able to travel to Valencia a few times a year, but her knowledge, her teaching, and her support enable this nascent community to flourish and continue to grow. The community can exist without the formal prayerbook – TE had famously compiled many a loose-leaf prayerbook in its early days, leading to publication of our beloved ‘blue’ Seder T’filot Emanuel, long before we adopted Mishkan T’filah prayerbook of our movement. These days, one can even project the words of the prayers onto a screen or a wall, with visual t’filah! The presence of the well-laid-out prayerbook that contains transliteration for those who are only learning their way around the service is super helpful, even if it is just a printout, but a beautiful prayerbook does not make a community.
All of these elements are important, and as I said – none of them are enough if you don’t have people who want to come together, spend time together, pray and eat together and make a living community.
You can even make do without a Torah scroll – you can study from the book, and in the absence of a Torah scroll you can even read the weekly portion from a book – although customarily people are not called up for an aliya in those circumstances. But when you enter the Torah scroll into a small rented room, and place it into the hands of a community who are thirsting for its presence, you see the instant transformation, and it is beautiful.
I was honored to stand there, to witness the tears, to add my own tears to those of others in the room, as we celebrated this powerful moment in time. It was a true blessing to get to experience this moment of joy and community.
Jeffrey Lelvick: Community
In the beginning of this year, I noticed a short blurb in this publication that mentioned that TE was donating one of our Torah scrolls to a new Reform community in Valencia, Spain, and that a small delegation of congregants were planning on taking the journey to Spain to hand off the scroll in person. As a filmmaker, I recognized a compelling story and knew immediately I wanted to document it. It had all the makings of a great narrative: a nearly 100-year-old Torah from Poland, that had already lived a long life here in the U.S., was being donated to a community in a country where Jews were expelled over 500 years ago.
As I began filming and editing some initial footage, I was surprised to find myself welling up and crying at various points of the process. I was overwhelmed with emotion watching the scribe restore the scroll. As I recorded the Shavuot service where Rabbi Farbman read the Ten Commandments from the outbound Torah, I couldn’t take my eyes and camera off the flickering candles and the smiling faces of our fellow congregants who warmly followed along, nodding and singing during this intimate service. A few months later we did it all again, but this time in the company of our new friends and fellow Jewish travellers–the members of Shir Jadash in Valencia.
A sun-scorched Valencia was awaiting us when we arrived with the Torah in early July. And while the sparkling Mediterranean Sea and waving palm trees indicated that our humble home in Orange was far away, the community and warmth of the members of Shir Jadash felt incredibly familiar. Its members welcomed us into their small space with smiles and open arms, as if we had known each other for years. It was as if somebody started playing a vinyl record in Connecticut, lifted the stylus, and it put it back down in Spain. The language barrier was real, however, when Rabbi Farbman began strumming and singing Lecha Dodi, if there was any space between our communities, it quickly evaporated, and in that moment, we were one community, sharing our customs and hymns as they have been passed on through generations. As the president of Shir Jadash tightly held the donated Torah under the chuppah the group had created with a tallit, tears streamed down his cheek. From behind the camera, I too, choked up witnessing such beauty derived from such a natural act of providing this community an essential part of our tradition.
At various moments, I found myself wandering away from my camera to sing along and pray with the group, as if I were being pulled in by an unseen force. I’ve come to understand that force as the need for any of us–all of us–to be part of a community. I instinctively felt like I was part of the small community there and part of a much larger Jewish community during my few days in Valencia. As I spoke with the local members, who came from diverse backgrounds–from Catholics who became Jews by choice to others who had been unknowingly practicing Jewish rituals as children, I realized that they had found a community that spoke to them, that fulfilled the need to be together, to share meals, and to sustain themselves. The neshama of their community is deeply Jewish, and I’m not sure if that’s because of its diversity or in spite of it.
As I dig deeper into my footage to revisit and log what I captured, I’m struck by how much I shot of the Torah itself. From the scroll being placed in the overhead bin on the plane to being gently placed into the arc of Shir Jadash for the first time, it is clear to me that this sacred object is not one to be placed on a shelf and admired, and that perhaps the sacredness is not necessarily only from the words scribed on its parchment, but stems from the community it creates when it is unrolled and read in together in a shared space.
Olga: Pride and Joy
Pride and Joy—these are the two most powerful emotions that continue to resonate with me following our recent journey to Valencia, Spain, where we had the profound honor of accompanying a Torah scroll to its new spiritual home, on behalf of the Temple Emanuel community. As I stood before the congregation of Shir Jadash Comunidad, presenting the gifts from our Religious School—talitot and a Torah yad purchased with Tzedakah contributions from our students, families, and faculty—I was filled with an indescribable sense of pride and deep, abiding joy. What a blessing it was to take part in such a sacred mitzvah.
The weekend was marked not only by ceremony, but by a heartfelt human connection. There were tears of gratitude, hugs of friendship, and bursts of laughter that echoed across language barriers. We embraced one another not as strangers, but as a long-lost family. The shared joy, the emotional resonance of the Torah’s arrival, and the warmth of genuine hospitality created moments I will never forget.
Following Shabbat lunch, a member of Shir Jadash asked me, “How does it feel to leave your Torah scroll behind?” I paused for only a moment before responding without hesitation. I replied, “It doesn’t feel like leaving it behind at all. On the contrary—I am filled with deep gratitude and immense pride, knowing we have delivered the Torah into the welcoming arms of its new, loving, and gracious home.”
Shir Jadash Comunidad, in so many ways, mirrors our own beloved Temple Emanuel. It is a warm, sincere, DIY-spirited congregation, full of individuals who open their hearts to newcomers. Despite our different native tongues, we felt entirely at home. The bonds we formed over just a few days were real and moving.
I believe this journey marks not an ending, but a beautiful beginning—a first step toward a long-lasting relationship between our two communities. There is something indescribably powerful about standing together with fellow Jews across the world, realizing that regardless of distance, language, or tradition, we are all united as part of K’lal Israel—the sacred and enduring global Jewish family.
As for me, I will carry this unforgettable experience in my heart, and do my best to share its spirit and meaning with all of you. Am Yisrael Chai—the People of Israel live!
Melissa Perkal: Joy
For me, my love of being Jewish is the joy. The joy of community, the joy of song, the joy of meals shared, the joy of prayer, the joy of being able to give back to those who need it, the joy of learning, the joy of shared experiences. Sometimes, that joy seems to go underground and become dulled by unthinking repetition. The trip to Valencia and Shir Jadash Comunidad was a return to joy. It was a profoundly joyful and rejuvenating experience. So many of the trip’s details have been shared by my fellow travelers, so I won’t repeat them here. I think my newest task is to help re-ignite the joy here at home. It’s made even more exciting by finding a community in Spain that reflects that joy back to us and is ready for us to return to them at any moment.
For most Jews, the Torah elicits a variety of feelings and meanings. The scrolls we use in our worship services teach us the lessons and history of the Hebrew people. Some think of the Torah as the divine word of G-d, others feel it is a chronological history of the beginnings of a people.
When the ark is opened and the Torah scrolls are revealed we can look in awe. It awakens a spiritual longing in many as well as a deep connection with who we are and what we are called upon to do. However, we relate to the text it is a symbol, perhaps the primary one, of our identity.
Temple Emanuel is currently home to five Torahs. Some we know a piece of their history and some we are less knowledgeable about. The following is a brief history of our Torah scrolls.
When Temple Emanuel first came together as a community in 1962, we did not have a Torah of our own. Instead, our student rabbi, Robert Goodman, would use a borrowed scroll when needed. In 1967, using our first Torah he performed a triple bar mitzvah for Andrew Levine, Jeff Lipson and Danny Salzman at the JCC in New Haven. TE had just acquired its first Torah, the Holocaust Torah.
Memorial Torah Scroll #1178
Written in 1880, the Holocaust Torah was used in Horazdovice, Czechoslovakia. During WW2 it was “collected” along with other articles of Jewish life, by the Nazis. The scroll’s congregation was exterminated. After the war, this Torah and approximately 1500 others were found and transported to Westminster Synagogue in London, United Kingdom. The synagogue had the room to store them and set about the task of having them restored and repaired. Once in good condition, they were given on permanent loan, to newly established congregations around the world. TE’s Lois and Paul Levine traveled to London to get ours. In 1967 we received #1178, our first scroll.
On a visit to Westminster, I was told that the restoration had been very slow and was expensive, as only trained scribes could do the work. However, in 1965 an itinerant scribe, David Brand, knocked on the door and asked if they might have any work? Twenty years later and after 770 Torahs, he had repaired all he could.
In 2007 this Torah was retired as it needed repairs. It was placed in a display case in the TE lobby until the congregation was able to restore it and return it to active service. It was returned to the Ark in 2020. Every family that wished was invited to work with the scribe and restore a letter, thus fulfilling the commandment to write a Torah. It was a wonderful experience. This Torah is easily recognized as the tallest and lightest in our ark. It is written in Beit Yosef font and is unglazed, making it lighter than a glazed scroll.
‘small’ Torah in our ark
In addition to the Holocaust Torah, Temple Emanuel acquired two Torahs in 1979 from Beth Israel in Derby, and in 1981 from Temple Rodeph Shalom of Ellenville, NY. The Ellenville scroll is a small, in height, Torah. It is glazed so it is heavy and is approximately 100 years old. It is originally from Romania and is currently in our ark along with the Holocaust Torah and a medium sized Torah, on permanent loan from the Jewish Home for the Aged by way of the Jewish Federation. We received this Torah in 2021.
‘medium’ Torah in our portable ark
The Torah scroll from Beth Israel in Derby was originally from Germany and is about 100 years old. It is said to have “beautiful writing” and is housed in a separate portable ark.
The other gift from Beth Israel, is a Polish Torah, approx. 100 years old. After having a scribe repair our Polish Torah, previously in the Rabbi’s office, Rabbi Farbman and a small group from Temple Emanuel escorted the Torah to its new home, Congregation Shir Jadash in Valencia, Spain. Our congregation was proud and pleased to provide this first Torah to a newly formed congregation. The Rabbi was able to conduct a Torah service in its new location on 7/5/25. May it have a long and flourishing life..
Torah scroll on permanent loan
Our final Torah is displayed in TE’s lobby. This Torah is also on loan from the Jewish Home for the Aged through the Jewish Federation. We received it around 2020. It is not kosher as it is not in perfect condition and is unrepairable. While we cannot use it for services it is a welcome reminder of who we are when we enter the Temple. It also provides an up-close view of the text and how a Torah is written.
Some information in this article was gathered from Congregation Beth El’s (Berkeley, CA) website and Temple Emanuel archives and interviews with past and present congregants.
Writing has never been my favorite form of expression. You see, I suffer from writer’s block which often leads to procrastination. My favorite form of communication is meeting and getting to know people in person.
This column is a unilateral activity. I write weeks in advance and don’t get to hear your feedback contemporaneously. Nevertheless, I am expected to write a message. So here it is: Let’s meet and talk in person at TE!
Don’t miss the many upcoming events which fill the pages of this month’s Shofar! From challah baking to our scholar–in–residence series, TE, as always, offers something for everyone! I look forward to meeting and talking to you soon!
As we approach the fourth anniversary of the Covid 19 lockdown and as we look back at the last four years, it is easy to be overwhelmed by what we have all lived through, what we have learned to live with (and, perhaps more importantly, what we have learned to live without) and what challenges we faced. It has taken us all some time to begin to return to ‘normalcy,’ both in our personal lives and especially in our communal lives. We have been back in our sanctuary and our building in person for a while now, even as we continue to live stream our services and events, making sure everyone has access to much of what we do as a community.
We had many exciting plans for this year, and were going to start working on some of them after the High Holy Days— but events of October 7th have stunned us all into a painful and anxious new reality. Every special occasion, every festival, every Shabbat comes with a dilemma: how can I find joy in traditional observances when there’s so much pain and suffering? Chanukkah lights gave us hope, and helped to heal our broken hearts, at least a little—but now with Purim on the horizon, what will our celebrations look like? What stories will we tell at our Seder table this year? How many empty chairs will we have to leave at the table?
Five years ago, a group of TE members attended a special gathering of the Holocaust Memorial Torah scrolls in New York City, bringing the TE memorial scroll (back then housed in a display cabinet in our lobby) with us. It was a profoundly moving experience. As I held TE’s Holocaust Memorial Scroll #1178, and as I marched in a quiet procession of over 70 Czech memorial scrolls, I was overwhelmed by the fact that in my arms I held not only an incredible treasure of the Jewish people that was created and lovingly maintained by previous generations of Jews I did not know, but a scroll that belonged to the destroyed Jewish community of Horazdovice, a community that perished in the flames of the Holocaust. This was not just the Torah connecting me to the Jewish past. This was a moment to acknowledge, once again, that the future of this Torah’s Jewish community of Horazdovice was wiped out by the cruelty of hate and yet somehow, miraculously, the orphaned Torah has survived and found its way into the loving hands of our community, right here in Orange, CT. Scroll after scroll paraded through the room packed with over 800 people from some 80+ synagogues in the Tri-State area, honoring the painful past and celebrating the miraculous survival of Judaism. I will never forget this moment and this feeling.
TE delegation with our Memorial Torah Scroll at the gathering in NYC
This year the Memorial Scrolls Trust celebrates its 60th anniversary, and there will once again be a gathering of the Torah scrolls in New York on Sunday, April 7th. This time we will return once again but as I carry our scroll in that procession, it will be a scroll that has been restored and is once again used to celebrate Jewish life as children of our community step up to the Torah celebrating becoming B’nei Mitzvah!
This year, as our calendar begins to fill up with learning opportunities, social gathering opportunities and celebrations, may we continue to be inspired by the story of our Torah scroll, by the resilience of the Jewish people, by our desire to live and build and preserve what we cherish.
We will learn with Dr. Liram Koblentz-Stenzler, as part of our Annual Scholar–in–Residence Program on March 20th and 27th, and engage in some challenging and timely topics. We will celebrate Purim (including, once again, a special Adult Purim party), and Passover with our Annual Second Night Seder at Temple Emanuel. We will visit the Beinecke rare books collection, and we will plan an opportunity to ice-skate together. We will march proudly with our newly restored Torah scroll, honoring the difficult past, and look towards the future. We will continue to find strength and joy in each other and in sharing our traditions. Am Israel Chai—the People of Israel Lives!
