March 2017 Adar/Nisan 5777 Volume XLVIII, No. 8
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Purim is coming and with it a host of activities for young people and adults at the Temple to celebrate this rowdy and traditionally irreverent holiday. While Purim is not the most solemn occasion on the Jewish calendar, it may be the most relevant, particularly now.
The Scroll of Esther (the Megillah) is unique among the books of the Bible because God is never mentioned. There are no supernatural miracles, no splitting seas, no plagues nor water mysteriously flowing from rocks. It is a story of human agency…of King Ahasuerus, an indifferent dilettante who delegates the running of his government to Haman. Haman hates the Jews and vows to destroy them. The heroes of the story are Mordecai and his orphaned niece Esther, average people suddenly and unexpectedly thrust into a moment of great consequence and peril. When the king finds himself without a wife, Mordecai encourages the beautiful Esther to enter the “competition” (perhaps the first installment of the popular television series “The Bachelor”?). Rabbi Robert S. Goldstein King Ahasuerus falls in love with Esther and makes her his queen. When Mordecai hears of Haman’s plot to exterminate the Jews he manages to get word to Esther: “You cannot remain completely silent at this time… who knows whether you have not come into the royal estate for just this purpose.” Moved by her uncle’s stirring plea, this unlikely heroine confronts the king who intervenes and saves the Jewish people of Persia. Why does this story have a contemporary message? President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free men.” He was talking about ordinary Americans speaking out and acting to uphold the freedoms we cherish. Democracy is less about the actions of politicians and far more about average people freely and forcefully expressing their will. I came of age during the ‘60s. Americans on both sides of the issues of the day were engaged and involved. There were protests and demonstrations, rallies both in support of and opposition to the government. Though circumstances are very different today, the rancor between the leaders of America’s two major political parties is at an all-time high. There is a war between the media and the administration with each questioning the legitimacy of the other. On the positive side, ordinary Americans, many of whom never engaged in the political process, are going to the voting booths, expressing their opinions on the streets, on the op-ed pages of our newspapers and in town hall meetings across the country. It is the apathy of average Americans that threatens our way of life far more than the views of editorial writers and political pundits. Though these are unsettling and unusual times, Americans’ renewed interest in politics is good for our democracy. Just as it always has been, it will be the wisdom of the people, responsible citizens of all political stripes, who will successfully guide our nation through the uncertain days ahead. Rabbi Robert S. Goldstein
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES of Brian and Michelle Friday, March 3 7:00 pm Sabbath Eve Service Devendorf and Stacey Roller, granddaughter of John and Saturday, March 4 Carol Devendorf, Gail and 9:00 am Chapel Service Mark Mitchell, and Sam and 10:30 am Sanctuary Service Audrey Friedman of Meyer Benjamin Rosen, son of Michael Rosen and Sunday, March 19 11:00 am Congregational Kathleen Connors, grandson of Judith and David Rosen and Sanctuary Service Chet and Margaret Connors Friday, March 24 7:00 pm Sabbath Eve Service Sunday, March 5 11:00 am Congregational Saturday, March 25 Sanctuary Service 9:00 am Chapel Service 5:30 pm Mincha Sanctuary Friday, March 10 7:00 pm Family Sabbath Eve Service and B’nai Mitzvah of Service and Purim Spiel Asher and Max Chamuel, featuring Grade Five sons of Nicole and Glenn Chamuel, grandsons of Laila Saturday, March 11 and Steve Chamuel, and 9:00 am Chapel Service Wendy and Marv Rudolph Sunday, March 12 11:00 am Congregational Sanctuary Service and Purim Megillah Reading
Sunday, March 26 11:00 am Congregational Sanctuary Service
Friday, March 31 Friday, March 17 7:00 pm Sabbath Eve Service 7:00 pm Sabbath Eve Service Saturday, April 1 Saturday, March 18 9:00 am Chapel Service 9:00 am Chapel Service 5:30 pm Mincha Sanctuary Sunday, April 2 11:00 am Congregational Service and Bat Mitzvah of Gretel Devendorf, daughter Sanctuary Service
READ YOUR BIBLE March 4 - Exodus 25:1—27:19 March 11 - Exodus 27:20—30:10 March 18 - Exodus 30:11—34:25 March 25 - Exodus 35:1—40:38 April 1 - Leviticus 1:1—5:26 CANDLE LIGHTING March 3 - 5:20 March 10 - 5:29 March 17 - 6:37 March 24 - 6:45 March 31 - 6:53