Yizkor Sukkot 5785- Wednesday Evening
Join us on Wednesday evening via Zoom for a brief Yizkor service. We will share prayers and have an opportunity to light our memorial candles at home.
The Zoom Link is here: ZOOM LINK
Temple B'nai B'rith of Wilkes-Barre, PA joyfully embraces Judaism as a way of life through prayer, music, social action, celebrating Jewish holidays, lifelong learning, and life cycle events. Through these activities, we seek to promote spiritual growth, moral values, and the social welfare of our community.
Feed the Hungry
Traditionally, we have had a food drive during the high holidays. With all the changes, this important mitzvah fell through the cracks. However, the needs of the hungry did not abate. Sara’s Table has been the food pantry we support.
Please bring non-perishable food items to the Freedman JCC at 613 S J Strauss Lane, Kingston, Pa 18704
Helping to feed the hungry is part of what we are supposed to do. Please contribute.
Sukkot 5785
We are about to begin the holiday of Sukkot. From My Jewish Learning, this is an overview of the holiday:
Beginning five days after Yom Kippur, Sukkot is named after the booths or huts (sukkot in Hebrew) in which Jews are supposed to dwell during this week-long celebration. According to rabbinic tradition, these flimsy sukkot represent the huts where the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after escaping from slavery in Egypt. The festival of Sukkot is one of the three great pilgrimage festivals (chaggim or regalim) of the Jewish year.
Here is the link to the full article: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/sukkot-101/
By using the Sukkah, we glimpse the experience of our vulnerability.
And this moment of vulnerability requires us to think of those held captive. We pray for and demand the release of the hostages.
We are told to eat at least one meal in the Sukkah. On a lovely fall evening, you can see the stars through the Skach, covering the top. But on cold or rainy evenings, it is another entirely different experience, and we certainly get the message of being vulnerable! (By the way, our great sage, Maimonides, suggests strongly that when it’s rainy, go inside!)
One of the interesting aspects of “dwelling in the Sukkah” is the ritual of inviting the Ushpizin. These are our revered forebears with whom we’d love to talk and glean some of their wisdom. It started with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and King David. It is extended to include the great matriarchs Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther. And it is a chance to broaden the guest list even further. I have invited loved ones, particularly my great-grandfather. Who is on your guest list?