Today is DAY EIGHT, which makes ONE WEEK and ONE DAY of the Omer.
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Torah for Today Cantor Sarah Silverberg
"Uvitvunah m’shaneh itim, umachalif et hazmanim…” “…thoughtfully alters the time and changes the season…”
After a month of living in quarantine my family doesn’t quite have a routine, but we do have a few new elements of our daily rhythm together; laundry (because there is ALWAYS laundry), eating meals together, and daily walks. The walks are my favorite new part of the day. My three year old daughter and I walk together, sometimes quietly and sometimes talking. I can feel my body relax and release tension that I hadn’t even realized I was holding. Even though we spend all day together, walks with my family are an incredible moment of reconnection.
It’s also been a month of watching reconnection to nature as we watch our neighborhood blossom into springtime. We started taking cold walks in mid-March with only dreams of when the warmer weather would arrive. A month ago, we passed by a beautiful magnolia tree in our neighborhood and saw the first signs of tiny buds on the trees. Excited to see this early sign of spring, I pointed it out to our daughter telling her that it would soon be beautiful flowers. Day by day we passed by the magnolia tree; the tiny buds grew larger and larger. And then a few days later we could see the beautiful pink petals of the closed buds. And then a few days later the buds opened into the stunning pink flower. Just today we passed by the magnolia tree again and the flowers are already starting to fall off of the tree.
If this month of quarantine has taught me nothing else, I have come to appreciate the miraculous changing of the seasons. Our evening liturgy speaks of the God who “…thoughtfully alters the time and changes the season…”
Nature truly does come to life in such intricate, thoughtful, and layered ways. The trees don’t all blossom at the same time, it happens in overlapping stages. The magnolia blossoms opened slowly enough over the period of a month that I could truly appreciate the full cycle. One day the yellow forsythia bushes suddenly appeared! God’s thoughtful hand is so evident to me on these walks. In a time when there is so much isolation and loneliness, it’s nice to know that God’s presence is all around.
Celebrate Shabbat
*LIVE* Candle Lighting and Shabbat Blessings
Friday, 4/17, 6:00pm
Check your daily email for the Zoom meeting info and phone number.
Bring your candles, your wine, and this week we're back to challah! Or just bring yourself, and we'll welcome Shabbat together.
Friday Night Shabbat Service Video
Watch Any Time!
This week featuring the return of Kol Dorot Music Director Jim Rensink! The service will be posted on Kol Dorot's Facebook Page and distributed by email immediately following the live candle lighting.
Shabbat Morning Torah Study
Saturday, 4/18, 9:00-10:00am
Check your daily email for the Zoom meeting info and phone number.
\LIVE* ght-provoking, interactive way to engage with Judaism's foundational text. There is no wrong time to check out Torah study. But now is a great time! All are welcome, and no experience necessary.
*LIVE* Havdallah with Rabbi David and Family
Saturday, 4/18, 8:00pm
Go to the Kol Dorot Facebook Page
Rabbi David will be leading Havdallah LIVE on Facebook. Join us in real time to leave comments and conclude Shabbat.
