Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family

For over a year and a half, shuls around the world have relied on Zoom to gather for prayer during the pandemic. While many shuls used this medium to connect on weekdays, some used Zoom and others a livestream for Shabbat and holy days.

The electronic platforms have been a gift when otherwise we would have been shut out from the world and from each other.  In virtual prayer platforms, relatives and friends have been able to mourn together, observe a yahrzeit together, celebrate a Bar/Bat Mitzvah together, commemorate a baby naming together, and more, from across the globe.

As some shuls like ours are gradually having more services in shul, I know of some communities who are preferring the Zoom model even when returning to shul is safe. Such a notion scares me. 

My colleague, Rabbi Neil Kurshan, living in New York, recently wrote an article entitled, "After nearly two years of Zoom, I yearn to feel the tug on my sleeve." In it, he misses the Minyannaire, the frail person standing to recite Kaddish, the parent and grown child who start their day in shul and kiss each other before embarking on their separate day's activities, the banter which takes place during and after davening. 

More importantly, Rabbi Kurshan and I miss the tug on the sleeve.

Beth Emeth services will continue to be livestream accessible for anyone who cannot physically make it to shul, for reasons of health, geographic distance, or otherwise. Beyond that however, it is time to come back home, to shul - weekday, Shabbat, morning or soon to be, afternoon. 

In Parshat Vayigash, once the family of Jacob is reunified, the first thing Jacob does is to send Judah ahead of him to Goshen where they will reside. Why is Judah sent ahead? What is the purpose? Says Rashi, based on an earlier teaching found in the Midrash, to set up a physical spiritual center from where Torah will be taught. 

Those who founded Beth Emeth knew this lesson well. In the 1950's, new residents to Bathurst Manor and beyond saw the need for a physical spiritual center from where Torah would be taught, and daily communal prayer would be practiced.  We today are the beneficiaries of those who made tremendous commitments several decades ago.

We will continue to be a hybrid of in person and electronic platforms as necessitated. However, all morning services now occur in shul, and on Jan 3, all services, morning and afternoon, will emanate from Beth Emeth.

For all who can, I yearn to feel the tug on my sleeve.

Rabbi Howard Morrison