The New Shul

Parshat Ki Tetzei

This week’s parashah, Ki Tetzei, teaches: “If you see your neighbor’s ox [shor]. . . gone astray, do not ignore it. You must return it to its owner.”

The Hebrew letters that spell shor [ox] also form a rare Hebrew root that means “see” or “envision.” The S’fat Emet interpreted the verse to mean that, if your neighbor has lost perspective and cannot see clearly, you must help to restore that lost perspective.

At times of crisis and loss, we all lose perspective. We become trapped in ourselves and cannot see beyond. It is then that we depend on those around us to restore our vision by their caring and support, by being compassionate presences.

It is not only in times of crisis that we lose perspective. Life in general has a way of distorting our priorities, of making us forget what matters most. The High Holiday season is a time for us to get refocused, and for that too we need each other. As we search for clarity during the Days of Awe, the presence of community can help to ground us in reality, to make our work a little easier. As we search for our path forward for the new year, may the support of community help us to see more clearly.

  • Shabbat services at The New Shul are on Friday evenings from 6 to 7 pm, and on Saturday mornings from 9 am to 12 noon.
  • Childcare is available from 10 am to noon on Shabbat mornings. Children’s services this Shabbat are: Munchkin MInyan for ages 2 to 4 from 11:00 to 11:30 am, Beyond Bim Bom I for grades K to 1 from 10:15 to 11:00 am, and Beyond Bim Bom II for grades 2 to 3 from 10:15 to 11:00 am.
  • Minyanim during the week are on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am, and Wednesday mornings at 7 am.
  • On Monday September 3, Labor Day, The New Shul community will serve meals to the hungry at St. Vincent de Paul’s Jackson St. dining room. Please let us know if you can help.
  • Adult classes begin during the first week of September. Please visit our website for more information.
  • Join us for S’lihot on Saturday night September 8. We will begin at 9 pm with a screening and discussion of the film The Human Resources Manager by Eran Riklis (2010) as a text on teshuvah. The S’lihot service follows at about 11:30 pm.
  • Erev Rosh Hashanah is Sunday evening Sept. 16. You can find complete information on The New Shul’s services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur here.