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No matter what level of observance, Shabbat and Holiday services are spiritually enriching and inspiring.
Services Saturday morning are at 9:00 A.M.
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From The Rabbi's Desk
Jews live according to the rhythm of two different calendars - the secular and the sacred. To a certain extent, living by both of them leads to a kind of schizophrenic experience..
The night of December 31st is an exciting time in one tradition, but meaningless in the other. And at the same time, the first of Tishri takes on cosmic meaning for the Jews, but has no meaning for the secular world.
According to the Mishnah, there are four different new years: one for kings and festivals, one for cattle, one for years (sabbatical and jubilee), and one for trees. On Saturday, January 30th, we will celebrate Tu B’Shvat, the New Year for trees. In the context of the rhythm of our secular calendar, celebrating a new year for trees in the dead of winter seems at best, incongruous. The trees around us become bare, their green leaves turn brown or fall off, branches sway perilously in winter winds, and winter descends upon us. But Tu B’Shvat reminds us that the rhythm of the Jewish calendar, our frame of reference, is ever present in our lives.
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