The New Shul

Parshat B’hukotai

In the haftarah for parshat Bhukotai, Jeremiah teaches: “Blessed is the one who trusts in God. . .  for he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out its roots by the river. . . [It] does not worry in a year of drought, nor cease bearing fruit.”

Jeremiah, who struggled a great deal in his life, knew better than to claim that trust in God will save us from bad things. He knew that drought strikes good and bad people alike. What he promised was something else: not that God will prevent good people from suffering, but that during times of trouble their trust in God will enable them to persevere, to keep bearing fruit. When our superficial sources of nourishment are cut off, faith provides a deeper source of strength.

One of the purposes of a spiritual community is to help us to discover deeper sources of nourishment in our own lives, so that during times of drought, we too can still bear fruit. May our shul help us to tap those hidden streams.

  • The New Shul’s Shabbat services are on Friday evenings from 6 to 7 pm, and on Saturday mornings from 9 am to 12 noon. The kiddush-lunch this Shabbat, June 1, will be sponsored by Ruth Silon and Zera Lipetz in honor of Ruth’s 73rd birthday and Zera’s 98th.
  • Childcare is available on Shabbat mornings from 10 am to noon.
  • Minyanim during the week are on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am, and on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7 pm.
  • The festival of Shavuot begins on Saturday night June 8. Please join us for our all-night Tikkun Leil Shavuot, from 9:30 pm until dawn on Sunday morning. Our service for the first day of Shavuot, Sunday morning June 9, will begin at 4:30 am.
  • Our service for the second day of Shavuot, Monday June 10, will begin at 9 am, and will include Yizkor, the memorial prayer.