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The New Shul

Parshat B’midbar

This week’s parashah, B’midbar, teaches about the commandments that God gave to Moshe, not on the summit of Mount Sinai but in the desert below.  “God spoke to Moshe in the desert of Sinai. . . ”  The Torah teaches here that revelation occurs not only at the peak moments of our lives, but also at the ordinary elevations, where we live day-to-day. The desert floor, like the mountaintop, can be called Sinai if we train ourselves to pay attention.

The purpose of a spiritual community — a community of prayer, learning, and compassion — is to sensitize our hearts so that we can hear God’s wordless call, even when we have no mountaintop to stand on. The purpose of Shabbat is to quiet the everyday noise that can so easily drown out that call. May our community, and the Shabbat that we create together, help to make the world in which we live our ordinary lives a place of revelation.

  • 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. The kiddush this Shabbat, May 24, is sponsored by Randi and Jon Brodsky.
  • Childcare is available from 10 am to 12 noon on Shabbat mornings.
  • There will be no regular minyan on Sunday morning May 25 because of The New Shul retreat. Wednesday morning minyan will be at 7 am as always.
  • Join us for our Tikkun Leil Shavuot, our all-night study vigil on the night of Shavuot, Tuesday June 3 beginning at 9 pm. Our theme this year is The Mussar of Mount Sinai. We will explore the character traits that we can cultivate to help us to be more open to revelation in our lives. The Tikkun will end with morning prayers outdoors at sunrise on Wednesday morning.
  • The New Shul is collecting food donations for “Just Three Things,” to help young adults who have aged out of the foster care system. Please bring packaged items that are either ready-to-eat or require only microwave preparation. Contact usto arrange a drop-off time.
  • Please note that there will be no e-bulletin for the next two weeks. The bulletin will resume on Thursday June 12.