January 4, 2024

Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),

Lori and I just returned from St. Louis where celebrating the New Year was everything we hoped it would be. Our granddaughter, now 20 months old, is running around, speaking beautifully—it was magic spending time with her and her parents, our children. There’s so much to look forward to as this new year begins: my 60th birthday is coming up on January 11th, our son and his fiancée will be visiting us later this month, and Lori and I are very excited to travel on one of the Levis JCC’s “Jewish Geography” trips to Cuba in March.

Our Adolph & Rose Levis JCC Sandler Center rang in the New Year with a sold out concert on New Year’s Day. Next up is the Nina & Marty Rosenzweig West Boca Theatre Company production of the Neil Simon classic comedy The Sunshine Boys running from January 3-17. A Literary Afternoon with Anne Burt, author of The Dig, will be held on Tuesday, January 9th at 2:00 pm. Another don’t miss concert is the always popular Aaron Kula and the Klezmer Company Jazz Orchestra presenting Gershwin, Bernstein, & Sondheim in Song: An American Legacy on Monday, January 29th at 7:30 pm, and a fascinating exhibition in our Judi & Allan Schuman Museum Gallery: Joseph Bau—Artist, Counterfeiter and Mossad Agent opens with a reception on Thursday, January 4th at 3:00 pm, and runs through February 8th.

This week’s Torah portion is Shemot (Names) the first portion in Exodus, the second in the Five Books of Moses. In it, we are introduced to the greatest character in our 4,000 plus year story: Moses, who with his older brother and spokesman, Aaron, assemble the Israelites. Pharaoh refuses to set the Israelites free from their slavery. Moses protests to G-d “why have you done evil to this people?” G-d promises that the redemption is close at hand. As a people we find strength in that promise even today, when there are so many who mean to do us harm. Light Shabbat candles Friday night at 5:24 pm. Shabbat ends Saturday night at 6:21 pm.

Am Yisrael Chai!
Shabbat Shalom

Marty