Rabbi Howard Morrison

Later during the current month of Kislev, we will celebrate Chanukah. One of the differences between the celebrations in Israel and the Diaspora pertains to the letters on the dreidl. In the Diaspora, the letter "Shin" appears as the fourth letter. In Israel, the letter "Pay" appears as the fourth letter. The former stands for "Sham -there," and the latter stands for "Poh - here." In the Diaspora, we celebrate that a great miracle happened THERE. In Israel, we celebrate that a great miracle happened "HERE."

As a Zionistic congregation, we try as best we can to feel that Israel is here with us spiritually, even though it is geographically there, in another part of the world. 

Next Fall, for two weeks, we intend to bridge the gap and feel the "here" presence of Israel physically and spiritually. 

This past Sunday, over 30 people attended a briefing to discuss and review our planned itinerary. You can find it on our shul website. For those who are ready to make a preliminary commitment, you will be able to make a $200 U.S. deposit in the coming days.

With Chanukah coming soon, I encourage us all to consider joining Beth Emeth in Israel next Fall.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison