We are very excited to share with you that we have completed our plans for many awesome events and programs for the upcoming year, including new programs that will be announced shortly. You will be able to see it all online and in our community calendar that is almost complete and going to print.
We have developed a safe and comfortable way for you to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at Synagogue with the community.
More details and seat reservations coming early next week.
Regular daily and Shabbos services with a minyan have been going on at our synagogue for almost two months now. With G-d's help, and with the safety guidelines we have implemented all is well. If you feel comfortable, please join us!
Hebrew school enrollment with both in person and online options are filling up. Don't Delay, Enroll Today! See below for more information.
Rabbi Mendel and Aron Dyadyuk discuss life, work, school, and how to balance those aspects of life to be successful both at home and at work.
Aron is one of our teens who started a podcast to help teens in the job market. Click to listen, learn or subscribe.
With so many new families moving into the area we are happy to announce a brand new project that will welcome new families to our community. Please spread the word to your friends and new neighbors!
As in person Synagogue services continue safely and successfully, with more people beginning to join, we will continue to offer our online services for those who are still not able join in person.
Supporting our community
As we open Synagogue, we continue to provide online resources for you, and for those who are not ready to join Synagogue just yet.
Hebrew School registration is now open for the 2020-2021 year! Options are available for full in-person classes or virtual online classes which will have a dedicated fully present teacher fully engaging children just like in persson classes.
Our Hebrew school offers engaging and interactive lessons, dedicated and energetic teachers, and individualized learning where children grow and flourish in Jewish life!
We are happy to announce that we have begun to work on our beautiful full color community calendar for the new 5781 year.
You can help make it happen, please support the calendar by placing an ad for your business.
Join us for a delightful Mother and Daughter outdoor evening making your own traditional round challahs in honor of the High Holidays.
Reserve your table with family and friends. All supplies will be individually packed and ready for you.
This year's Challah bake will be outdoors under our huge tent.
The story is told of the gentleman who was on the phone to his friend, back in the days when the operator had to connect you.
"Chaim, can you lend me ten dollars?"
"Sorry, Yankel, I can't hear you—it's a bad line."
"I said, can you lend me ten dollars?"
"Still can't hear you. Speak more slowly."
"Can you please lend me ten dollars?"
"I'm really sorry, can't hear a word—perhaps try calling me back later?"
At this point, the operator interjected: "I can hear him just fine."
To which Chaim replied, "Well, you lend him the ten dollars then!
WEEKLY eTORAH
Freedom of choice is one of the core principles of our religion, and indeed every judicial system is predicated on the idea of free choice. A robot or computer is not rewarded for executing a noble mission, nor does it deserve punishment for doing an immoral task. We don’t have prisons where we store computers which have spread viruses; all credit or blame belongs to the programmers.
If man were also a robot with no ability to freely choose, then he too wouldn’t be liable for punishment. Certainly, the most violent elements of society would still have to be restrained in some sort of correctional facility—not because they can be blamed for their behavior, but to protect the rest of the population, much as wild predators must be kept away from society—but one couldn’t blame them for their acts, just as one cannot condemn the lion or eagle for their predatory natures, or give credit to the dolphin for its friendly disposition.
The fact that we do penalize criminals—and this has always been the accepted method of dealing with criminals, by all civilizations throughout history—shows that society has always recognized that the human being possesses the intuition to distinguish between right and wrong and has the ability to choose between the two, and is therefore responsible for whichever choice he makes.
But is this factually correct? Does the human being really enjoy freedom of choice? Is there really a difference between the human and all other creatures which G‑d created, which are bound by their G‑d-given nature—for better or worse?
Today we are told that almost any harmful behavior can be blamed on genetics. Or, if a gene isn’t at fault, then it must be a traumatic childhood experience. Perhaps he lost a loved one in his youth, was abused by his parents, comes from a dysfunctional family or didn’t receive enough positive attention from his teacher. If none of these factors explain the person’s destructive conduct, that only means that he can’t afford a top-rate psychologist—one who can make a better diagnosis, and explain why he really isn’t to be blamed . . .
This is why G‑d declares, “See, I set before you today blessing and curse.” Indeed, freedom of choice isn’t a quality which is natural to the human being; naturally, the human should be compelled to behave according to his nature—a nature which is formed by a combination of genetics and life experiences. But G‑d tells every person, “No matter your nature, upbringing and intelligence, no matter how many hard knocks you may have experienced, I guarantee you the ability to be a saint like Moses.” And the same is also true in reverse: even one who has been raised by righteous parents, and is naturally disposed to doing that which is right, has the ability to choose evil and stray from G‑d’s ways.
One should never think that he can never be a spiritual person, that “it’s not within my nature.” A person’s nature is merely a challenge which G‑d guarantees that he or she can overcome.
