The week after Labor Day is often filled with feelings-for the end of summer, for the beginning of school, for sending our children to college, for the change in light, for the hint of a cooling breeze, for the start of a new to-do list. And these feelings may run the gamut, bringing us sadness, excitement, anxiety, exhaustion, and optimism. We might even feel all of these emotions in a single hour. As our summer routines end, and our fall routines begin, we are navigating the spaces in our lives in new ways that can both frustrate and delight us. Some of these spaces might be new – to us, to our children – and some of them might seem familiar although we are most likely different. And that first week is sometimes where it all plays out. The Beach Shabbat of Welcoming, on Friday evening, September 6th, will be a chance to conclude that meaningful, challenging, and exciting week together as a community. Whatever that week brings up for us, Shabbat is the space where we can feel it, acknowledge it and in a sense watch it pass along with the sun as it sets over the water at Rabbi Jodie’s Beach. (Beachway, Port Washington!)
Our Beach Shabbat of Welcoming will be a conclusion of the summer and a kick-off to the building of community at RSNS in the coming year. We have been gearing up for this exciting Shabbat throughout the summer-our Membership Committee, our Shabbat Band, our Synagogue School Faculty and our madrichim will all be on hand to welcome you as we usher in the sweetness of Friday evening, adding to it a joyous burst of Jewish pride with music, with play, and of course with pizza! Dinner will be served!
I have been visiting summer camps to soak in all the magic that happens there and bring pieces of it to RSNS and especially to Shabbat. Our teens and teachers will lead all of us in community-building experiences before services that encourage us to connect with old friends and meet new ones, as we celebrate our Jewish identities outside and with pride. You may be asked to discuss such lofty matters as, “What’s your favorite Jewish Holiday?” or “Has anyone been to Israel?” or “What is something you are looking forward to in the coming year?” During Where Do You Stand, our entire congregation will divide over such hot topics as: “Butter or Cream Cheese on Your Bagel?” or “Passover or Purim?” or “Latkes versus Matzoh Balls.” These, and other fun games, allow everyone to delight in Jewish identity, discover new things about each other, and enter into Shabbat with humor, joy, and connection.
At the heart of everything RSNS does is creating a sense of belonging. The Beach Shabbat of Welcoming seeks to strengthen that sense of belonging through multiple lenses, with the understanding that Judaism is experienced in mind, body, and soul – through music, food, movement, moments of contemplative prayer, and an awareness of the healing powers of nature. In our school, in our teen programs, with our seniors, and in all our programs, we are constantly asking ourselves, “How does what we are doing help build community?” The Shabbat of Welcoming seeks to answer this question by placing it in a beautiful outdoor setting, through the uniting energy of a shared meal, through interactive engaging experiences, and through the power of Shabbat to hold us in something bigger than ourselves, connecting us to Jewish peoplehood over time and space.
This is a unique first week back, with more challenges facing the Jewish people than at any time in recent history. At a time when Jewish joy is needed more than ever, and as we enter into a period of reflection and commemoration this coming October, The Beach Shabbat of Welcoming seeks to place Judaism and Jewish living into the fabric of our community with open arms and full hearts. I hope you will join us…starting at 5:30 pm!
Rebecca Hirschwerk
Director of Congregational Education
