November 21, 2024

Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),

With Thanksgiving one week from today, I am reminded that Chanukah and the end of the year are right around the corner. At this incredibly busy time of year, it is nice to have a moment to slow down and celebrate our uniquely American holiday of gratitude with family and friends. After the turkey, it’s going to be a mad dash to the end of the year!

At our Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center, things are as fast-paced as ever. On Sunday, 180 children and their families joined us for our Betty & Marvin Zale Early Childhood Learning Center’s annual Character Breakfast. What a joy to be among our community’s young families as the little ones delighted in meeting Spiderman, Cookie Monster, and other favorite characters. On Tuesday, our Tables of 8 event offered the opportunity for community members to gather in groups of 8 for dinner at one of four different restaurants in Mizner Park. After dinner, all of the groups came together in one restaurant for dessert. I really enjoy this event each year because it is such a great way to mingle and meet new people and share information about the many wonderful programs the Levis JCC offers.

This week’s Torah portion is Chayeh Sarah (The Life of Sarah) in the book of Genesis, the first in the Five Books of Moses. In it, Abraham’s servant Eliezer is sent, carrying gifts, to Charan, to find a wife for Isaac. At the village well, Eliezer asks G-d for a sign: when the women come to the well, he will ask for some water to drink; the woman who will offer to give his camels to drink as well shall be the one destined for his master’s son. The beauty of Torah teachings are in how relevant they are for us even today. From this story, we learn that a little bit of extra kindness and consideration can go a very long way. That is as true today as it was in the time of our forefathers.

Light candles Friday night at 5:10 pm.
Shabbat ends on Saturday night at 6:05 pm.

Shabbat Shalom
Am Yisrael Chai!

If you would like to support the Levis JCC and its programs and services, click below.

Marty