By Rabbi Alicia Magal
Shalom and greetings from the Rabbi, Board of Directors, and congregation of the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley.,
All the services, classes, and programs are listed on the synagogue website, jcsvv.org. Visitors are welcome to attend services.
On Friday, November 18, a Friday evening Erev Shabbat service, led by Rabbi Alicia Magal, begins at 5:30 pm both in person and on Zoom, and live-streamed for members and their invitees. Verses from the Torah portion Chayei Sarah (Genesis 23:1 – 25:18) tells of the burial of Sarah. Abraham wishes for his son Isaac to marry, and sends his servant Eliezer back to his homeland where Eliezer finds Rebekah, who is the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother. She agrees to come back to Canaan, and marries Isaac. Abraham dies peacefully and is buried by Isaac and Ishmael at the side of Sarah in the Cave of Machpelah. It is now up to Isaac to carry on Abraham’s beliefs. Blessings for those who are ill, and a Mazal Tov for those celebrating a birthday or anniversary will be offered at the Kabbalat Shabbat service. Kaddish, the Mourner’s prayer, will be recited in memory of those who passed away either recently or at this time in past years. Shabbat offers a time out from work and worry, an opportunity to be grateful for our lives and the bounty with which we are blessed.
The Adult Jewish Education Committee is offering a class based on the curriculum “10 Paths to God,” created by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, and facilitated at the JCSVV by Paul Friedman and Rabbi Magal in person and on Zoom: Tuesdays through December 15, 2022 at 3:00 pm MST. Registration is through the synagogue website, JCSVV.org, under Learning.
Wednesday mornings at 8:30 a.m. Rabbi Magal leads a morning minyan on Zoom, with traditional prayers sung or read in Hebrew and English by the participants. Join through the website link to support each other needing a minyan to say Kaddish for a loved one.
Meditation class, led by Rosalie Malter and Rabbi Magal, will meet on Wednesday, November 23, at 4:00 on zoom.
On Thursday, November 24, we will take a break from Torah study because of Thanksgiving. Commentaries and questions to consider will be sent out to the study group on the Torah portion of the week: Toledot (Genesis 25:19 – 28:9), telling of the birth of twins, Esau and Jacob, to Isaac and Rebekah who have been praying for years to have children. This portion contains the story of Esau giving up his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup, and near the end of Isaac’s life Jacob’s tricking his father into giving him the blessing for a first-born.
The Social Action Committee is continuing to collect food for the local Sedona food pantry. Please drop off cans or boxes of non-perishable foods in the bin provided for collections at the stairs leading to the synagogue sanctuary.
Orders for Deli Week in December are being taken now. See the website for the order form.
The Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley, located at 100 Meadow Lark Drive off Route 179 in Sedona, is a welcoming, egalitarian, inclusive congregation dedicated to building a link from the past to the future by providing religious, educational, social and cultural experiences. Messages to the office telephone at 928 204-1286 will be answered during the week. Updated information is available on the synagogue website – www.jcsvv.org.
