November 17, 2022

Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),

As I write this Shabbat message to you, Lori and I are counting the days until our son comes to visit for the Thanksgiving holiday. We haven’t seen our youngest since July, and we really can’t wait to spend some time with him. Our sweet granddaughter Emi Lou is now 7 months old, hitting milestones including cutting her first 2 teeth! We continue to work on home improvements, and Lori and I both feel settled and very much a part of our warm community. This is a wonderful time to reflect with gratitude on all of the blessings we have in our lives.

This past Sunday our Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center’s Betty & Marvin Zale Early Childhood Learning Center presented its annual Character Breakfast. I quickly learned exactly why this event is a favorite in our community. Hundreds of adorable children, their parents and grandparents spent the morning with favorite characters including Mickey Mouse, Elmo, characters from Frozen, and so many more, interacting with them, taking photos and just having a wonderful time as they explored our outstanding preschool and met our warm and caring teachers and staff. I hope that these moments are some that they will remember fondly for many years to come. I was even able to get a photo with Queen Elsa! Events such as this one truly highlight the joy and warmth our community feels when attending Levis JCC programs and events. That’s something else I am quite thankful for!

This week’s Torah portion is Chayei Sarah (The Life of Sarah) in the book of Genesis, the first in the Five books of Moses. In it, Both Sarah and Abraham pass away, and thus their son Isaac and the wife he betroths in this portion, Rebecca, step into their roles as leaders. Seeing the happy and sweet faces of the children and their parents this weekend reminds me that we are all always engaging in the circle of life. It is exciting to see the next generation of our Jewish people and our community here on campus, engaging in Jewish life and enriching programs. I am filled with joy and gratitude and I hope you feel that way as well. I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving and hope that you enjoy the holidays.

Light Shabbat candles Friday night at 5:11 pm Shabbat ends Saturday night at 6:05 pm

Shabbat Shalom,

Marty