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Donations | Calendar

May 1, 2020

Connecting to the Sacred

TIA_Web / Cantor Kathy Fromson /

Our new mission statement states: “Kindling the passion to connect to each other, to the sacred, and to the world.” I pose this question to you: How do you define sacred? And how do you connect with it?

There are many ways to define sacred — both as a noun and as an adjective.

  • If we use it as a noun, we could use these definitions: a “divinity that is inclusive, allowing each of us to define the term for ourselves in a way that aligns with who we are and the relationship we have to a higher power — that which is bigger than ourselves.”
    We could say that it is something that is always there, always available, and that resonates with us. We can also say that the sacred is something within us, that the “divine is us and we are the divine, or that as our liturgy says we are “created in G-d’s image” (b’tzelem Elohim).
  • If we use it as an adjective, it could mean something that is spiritual or holy. In Hebrew, the word holy is “kadosh” which comes from the word “kedushah” which literally means to set aside. If the word sacred is used in this context, it could refer to setting aside time or setting aside a space. That which is sacred can also mean sanctifying time for your own version of sacred moments.
    With the many ways to define “sacred”, it is up to you to decide what meaning works for you.

After defining sacred for yourself, then ask yourself how you connect with it.
For many of us, while we struggle to maintain day to day modern life, we become disconnected. We are hyper-focused on the mundane, on the material world. We are more concerned with how we look, with our bodies, with our homes, our cars, our bills, our jobs, our possessions. And this takes away from our ability to connect to the sacred. So how do we connect?

What can Temple do to kindle that passion to help you connect?
There are many ways to help you connect to that which is sacred. There is meditation as a way to train your attention and awareness in order to be mentally clear and emotionally calm. There is prayer, where our liturgy brings meaning into our lives. For me, personally, there is music, which allows the universal language to penetrate my soul. There is service to others, whether that means interacting with your family, friends or helping to serve the under-served members of the community. And finally there is space — creating the space for the sacred.

It will take time to be able to answer these questions and certainly many of us have an ample amount of personal time right now. So we, at Temple, are here to help you. We are here to help you understand what is sacred. We are here to be the sanctuary for you as you set aside time to discover what sacred means for you.

Hopefully, we can return to our building to physically help you connect. Until then we can be your virtual mishkan, your virtual tabernacle, to help you connect to the sacred, to each other, and to the world.

April 1, 2020

This Virtual World: Singing to Yourself

TIA_Web / Cantor Kathy Fromson /

One major change in our Temple lives is having online-only services for now. While many have used our live stream to pray with us virtually, those of you who are new to it can find comfort that we will still be with you for Shabbat. By viewing our prayer book online, you can follow along with us as we sing the familiar songs in prayer, read the words of our liturgy and share in the joy of Shabbat together.

Also, you can link to the Prayer Packet and its accompanying audio files for the highlighted prayers of the service. These files can help you learn the prayers and songs so that, when watching the service, you can sing and pray in the privacy of your own home.

This then begs the question: “What does it mean to pray and sing to myself?” Without the assistance of the congregational choir or the community of congregants, does that change the way you pray? Does it make it easier to pray? Does it make it more comfortable to sing out loud?

After you have watched services and prayed along with us from the sanctuary of your living room, how do you feel when the service is over? If your answer is that you had a good experience but still are unfamiliar with the prayers in song, then I have a solution for you. I will be teaching part 2 of the “Make Shabbat Music” class as a Zoom meeting that you watch on your computer (or device). Even if you missed part 1 of the class, I will be happy to review the prayers we covered and then continue with those we have yet to learn. Currently this class is scheduled for Sunday, April 26 at 10:30 am. We will keep you posted if anything changes. [NOTE: This information no longer applies as of May 1, 2020.]

Also, in March I started leading a Musical Meditation (Mondays) and Wee Sing on the Web (Fridays) with Facebook Live. [During April Cantor Kathy also had a Kids Song and another Wee Sing on the Web.] Check the online calendar for times and dates.

As we face uncertainty in our lives, may you know that the clergy at Temple Israel is always accessible to you and will continue to be with you — in person or in our virtual reality.

April 1, 2020

The Temple’s COVID-19 Response

TIA_Web / Co-President, Rabbi Josh Brown /

In consultation with medical professionals we have written and put into place a pandemic response plan for Temple Israel. This will allow us to remain proactive and informed about what necessary steps we can take as a Temple Israel community to ensure the safety of all of our members. In an abundance of caution we have closed the public areas of our building through the end April (and possibly longer) and postponed all events. Should there be a change in our plans, we will keep you informed. Also, check the online calendar for new offerings and any adjustments or cancellations. See the back page for how to access online offerings.

What this means for you:

  • Friday night Shabbat Services continue at their regularly scheduled times online either through our live- streaming service or Facebook Live. Saturday morning Torah Study is available as a virtual meeting.
  • We’ve instituted some online-only events such as Lunch & Learn, Coffee & Conversation and Musical Meditation.
  • In-person sessions of the Religious School, Hebrew School and Teen Night are postponed until further notice. Our Director of Education, Lauren Trexler, is coordinating online Zoom rooms.
  • All committee and small group meetings will take place outside Temple or be rescheduled for a later date. Please refer to your group leader for information.
  • Cancelled events were removed from the Temple calendar. Should plans be made to reschedule any events, you will be informed by email.

The Temple offices have been closed, but the staff and leadership continue to check voicemail, email and postal mail regularly. Please stay safe and know that we are there to help you and for support. If we can help you during these unusual and trying times, please contact the Temple Office or the Co-Presidents (Mike Segal and Dr. Bob Lazarow).

March 1, 2020

Vote Jewish! Vote Reform!

TIA_Web / Rabbi Josh Brown /

This month, as the primary elections make their way to Ohio, there will be no shortage of campaign ads flooding our inboxes, robocalls on our phones and political promises on our television. As always, but particularly in a period of time when anti-Semitism has been more evident and on the rise, we absolutely must bring our Jewish voice to the polls and make sure that we participate in our democracy. I ask all of us eligible to vote in March and in November to take the obligation seriously and make sure that our community’s voice is noticed by our representatives.

But I want to give attention to an election that you will not hear about on television, listen from your voicemail or see on a flyer in your mailbox. Every five years, the Jewish community of the world is asked to participate in the World Zionist Congress Election. These elections have taken place since Theodore Herzl founded what was then known as the Zionist Congress. The election serves to choose representatives from around the world who will serve as the “Parliament of the Jewish People”. This body of 500 representatives meets every ve years to discuss the agenda of World Jewry and to allocate funds to non-governmental organizations in Israel.

Do not get lost in the noise of our political environment. There are a lot of voices, shouting a lot of messages at us. The power to vote requires that we listen, but the act of voting is our chance to speak up. Let’s make our voices heard at home and in our Jewish homeland. It is our obligation and it is the key to a future that speaks to us, wherever we are.

VOTE REFORM HERE: WWW.ARZA.ORG

February 1, 2020

Asking Our Allies

TIA_Web / Rabbi Josh Brown /

The following is an excerpt from my sermon after the anti-Semitic attacks in New York last December.

Rabbi Donniel Hartman recently wrote: “I was raised on the belief that [we]… had a critical choice to make between Auschwitz and Sinai, as to which was to guide our lives and shape our core identity. Auschwitz was to be remembered and mourned, but it is Sinai and the teachings of the Jewish tradition that give Jewish life meaning and value, and consequently, a future. I hate what anti-Semitism does to Jews. I hate the fear it instills… I hate the attention it demands.”

Hartman is right to point out the risk of our present situation. If we become Auschwitz centric, only focused on anti-Semitism and not the value that Judaism adds to our life and our world, then we succumb to what he refers to later in his article as a “spiritual ghetto”.

But while we are focusing on Sinai, we should be asking our friends to focus on Auschwitz. [In January,] Temple Israel hosted Christian youth groups for Interfaith Youth Shabbat, joined the Interfaith Justice series for an MLK Day service and continued our Muslim-Jewish dialogue at ISAK. All of these are annual programs reflective of the deep relationships we have with our interfaith partners. It is time that we ask our friends, both personal or communal, to focus on Auschwitz. More specifically, to be allies, standing up for us while anti-Semitism is on the rise.

Just as racism is not a problem caused by African Americans and homophobia is not a problem caused by the LGBTQ community, anti-Semitism is not a problem caused by the Jewish community. It is our job to be responsible for a vibrant Jewish life. No one else will do that for us. Let’s ask our brothers and sisters, spouses, parents and friends of other faiths stand up and talk about Auschwitz so that we can continue to stand up and talk about Sinai.

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