A New Year For Us
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| Community Events |
A New Year For Us |
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Erev Rosh
Rosh River Service
Shabbat
Erev
Erev Sukkot
Sukkot
Shemi
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For over three generations Black rabbis have been leading their congregations to a body of living water at Rosh Hashanah where they could perform the traditional Tashlich service and blow the ancient rams horn called Shofar. For us these rivers connect us across time and space with our Israelite ancestors.
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Yom Kippur Mussing Rabbi Malchah Netanyahu's prodigious scholarship in well known in our community. She is a graduate of Jewish Theological Seminary who became a professor in the Israelite Academy in 2010. Her articles and lectures on a wide variety of subjects have been most stimulating. However, the essay in this edition is perhaps her most thought provoking. Entitled "Yom Kippur Musing," Rabbi Netanyahu invites the reader into her own heart and mind as she wrestles with herself and with her God. Not since Jacob wrestled with an Angel have we seen a rabbi struggle so honestly to find answers to difficult questions about God. We welcome responses from our readers and a public forum is envisioned. (Read Article)
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Israeli Ambassador Visits On July 23, 20011, Dr. Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the United States, took the unprecedented step of visiting Congregation Temple Beth El in Philadelphia, one of the largest Black synagogues in the United States. The occasion was the tenth anniversary of Rabbi Debra Bowen, whose mother, Elizabeth Dailey, founded the congregation over sixty years ago and led them on a spiritual journey that brought them out of Christianity and to an embrace of Judaism . (Read Article)
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The Evil Tongue: Did you know that there are more commandments in Torah that forbid evil speech than there are against eating pork? The nineteenth century rabbi, Yisroel Kagan, better known as the “Chofetz Chayim,” identified thirty-one prohibitions against spreading gossip. Perhaps there are more warnings about this sin than eating swine because when you violate dietary laws you harm only yourself, but when you convey hurtful or derogatory information about others you harm three people immediately: (1) you damage your own soul, (2) the person who listens becomes an accomplice to the act, and (3) the victim of the evil report is injured. If the damage were only limited to those three it would be serious enough, but each act of evil speech adds a little more poison to the relationships within any congregation, organization, or community that is not on guard against the evil tongue. This lesson on lashon harah (הרע לשן ) which literally means “evil tongue” is intended to educate our community about God’s laws on this subject. A thorough study of what constitutes evil speech and an understanding of the very limited circumstances under which you may convey negative information about any person will help you to “keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking deceitfully” (Psalm 34:13). Once we understand that evil speech is a cancer that is spread mouth to mouth then we will be as careful about the words that come out of our mouths as we are about the foods that go into them. (read article)
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Israelite Hebrew Calendar For several years now the International Israelite Board of Rabbis has produced a truly unique calendar. It has the complete schedule of Torah parashot and Haftorah Readings for the entire year. It has the dates of all the High Holy Days as well as civic holidays so that you can also use it appointments. However, what truly makes our calendar so priceless is that each month is filled with historic pictures of people from our community. Hence, at Hanukkah you see our children, at Passover you see our festival observances, etc. In addition, only this calendar provides the Yarzheit dates of our leaders so that you may remember them in prayer. You may download it today for free, but if it is a blessing to you then we ask that you show your thanks by sending us a gift of support. (Downlaod Calendar)
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The Joyful Noise: A Poem
A shofar sounds Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah.
White is worn Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah
At the river Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah
Prayers are made, Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah
Oh solemn fast Tekiah, Teruah, Tekiah-Gedolah Rabbi Sholomo Levy
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Black Jews at the White House
“The stone which the builders rejected is become the chief cornerstone. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” Psalm 118:22-23 There was a time when Black Jews were not welcomed in the halls of power. Those days are gone forever! Today, Rabbi Shmuel Funnye travels the world meeting heads of state in Israel, Africa, and America. Most recently he and Miriam went to the Whitehouse to visit his cousin, Michelle, and her husband, Barack, for their Hanukkah Party. President Obama told the story of Hanukkah himself and explained to the assembled guests how much this celebration of freedom means to him. Rabbi Funnye, who attended a similar ceremony at the Whitehouse with President George W. Bush said the difference was “President Obama understands the Israelite Community because he has family members who are Black and Jewish. President Obama understands us because he understands the struggles of people who are marginalized because of their identity.” (Read full article)
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