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 very welcome to attend services.
On Friday, November 25, 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. 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. Verses will be chanted from the Torah portion 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. How different each twin is, and how differently their parents treat them, and how different their actions and destinies! 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. 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.
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,
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 Wednesdays, at 4:00 on Zoom.
On Thursday, December 1, Torah study , led by Rabbi Magal in Zoom, will focus on the Torah portion of that week: Vayetze (Genesis 28:10 – 32:3), telling of Jacob’s escape from the anger of his brother, Esau. Jacob lies down and dreams of angels ascending and descending on a ladder. This dream gives him hope for his life ahead. He meets Rachel by a well, falls in love, and has to work seven years to acquire her as a wife. That is definitely not the end of the story which will be discussed, along with commentaries on how Jacob matures over the next twenty years.
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. In addition to corned beef sandwiches, gluten free and vegetarian choices are available.
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.
