Jewish Community of Greater Stowe

you shall take choice flour, clear oil of beaten olives

they shall be holy

you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger.”

— Rabbi Rachel Barenblat

Join Rabbi David Fainsilber on Friday, May 5, at 6 p.m., for a welcoming, uplifting and meditative musical Shabbat service as we celebrate our Olam Chesed year with families and friends, in our sanctuary and online.

Our Torah portion for this coming Shabbat is Emor.

Positioned between the priestly blessing regulations and the tabernacle are the regulations for our Shabbat and festivals. It is in Leviticus 23 that we are given a calendar of sacred occasions.

Throughout our history, Jews have risked their lives to mark holidays and festivals. Whether they observed Passover in concentration camps, studied Torah in caves, whispered the Shema in attics or lit candles secretly, all believed in the power of our holidays and festivals.

As you read this, we are counting the Omer. Once the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, the Omer could no longer be presented to the priest, and the counting of days between Passover and Shavuot were in danger of being forgotten. So, the rabbis decided to make it part of the daily liturgy. For modern Jews, it has become the numerical link between Passover and Shavuot, and most importantly, a timely contemporary reminder to count each day because life is so very precious.

Visit jcogs.org for further information.

— Patti C. Rubin