A Palace in Time - our new vision for Shabbat
“A palace in time” is what Abraham Joshua Heschel has called the Sabbath. What does he mean by this? He claims, “All week, we may ponder and worry whether we are rich or poor, whether we succeed or fail in our occupations; whether we accomplish or fall short of reaching our goals. But who could feel distressed when gazing at . . . eternity, except to feel startled at the vanity of being so distressed.” Heschel reminds us that Shabbat is here to lift us up from the worries and pain of our life, to infuse our lives with peace and hope and joy.
It is with this vision of Shabbat in mind that we are dedicating this New Year, 5768, to Shabbat and to making the Shabbat experience at Rodef Sholom the most spirited, inspiring, and renewing possible. The clergy, along with the worship committee and Board of Directors, have spoken with many members of our congregation, to better understand what you want. We have worked hard to refine and renew Shabbat services in response to what we have heard from you. Below you will find an outline of our plan for Friday night services for this New Year, 5768.
1. We are adding services at synagogue as well as making the times more consistent in order to accommodate more congregants. Beginning October 5th, the Shabbat on which we read the first portion of Torah, Bereshit, service times will be (please note that on the 3rd and 4th Fridays there will be two services each night):
- 1st Friday 6:15 pm
- 2nd Friday 6:15 pm
- 3rd Friday 6:15 pm and 8 pm
- 4th Friday 6:15 pm and 8 pm
- 5th Friday 6:15 pm
2. There will still be a festive oneg Shabbat following the 8 o’clock services. A pre-Oneg (with wonderful food) will be added each Shabbat at 5:45 pm. 6:15 pm services will conclude early enough so that worshipers can have Shabbat dinner following services. Come at 5:45 or arrive at 6:15 for services, or for those of you coming from southern Marin (like me) or San Francisco, arriving late is fine, too!
3. There will be a congregational Shabbat dinner on the 1st Friday of each month. Whereas previously Friday dinners were generally held for religious school families, we will now host a festive Shabbat dinner for anybody who wishes to attend, complete with music, singing, and of course, a wonderful meal.
4. On the 1st Friday each month, we will continue to have birthday blessings for all whose birthdays fall in that month. Additionally, we will be adding special blessings to the fourth Fridays and a healing component to services at the 5th Friday service.
5. In order to include families and children while maintaining the dignity of Shabbat services, we will be providing childcare every Shabbat evening (during the early service) for children three through seven years old. . While we encourage children to attend services, we also strive to maintain a sense of holiness and respect in the sanctuary. The childcare will enable us to do both.
6. In order to make our liturgy more accessible, we have purchased the Reform Movement’s new prayerbook (which will be available in mid-fall). Mishkan T’filah will have transliterations for every prayer to enablee all to participate. Additionally, thanks to the generosity of Fred and Nancy Levin, we have prepared a new congregational CD with all of the Shabbat music we will be singing during services.
7. We have made these changes to better meet your needs and to bring renewed energy and spirit to our Shabbat services. If you have concerns or questions, please feel free to contact me or any of the clergy.
I look forward to a wonderful new year with each of you, a year where the peace and joy of Shabbat will lift our souls and renew our lives.
Rabbi Stacy Friedman
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