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, October 28 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. This is the New Member Shabbat to welcome those who joined in the last two and half years, since it was not possible to hold this welcoming service during Covid. Congregants participate by lighting candles, doing a reading, or having an Aliyah for the Torah service. Verses from the Torah portion will be chanted from the Book of Genesis about Noah and the Flood, and the tale about the Tower of Babel (Genesis 6:9 – 11:32). 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 Membership Committee is sponsoring the Oneg refreshments.
Meditation class will meet on Wednesday, November 2 at 4:00 on zoom.
On Thursday, November 3, at 4:00 pm, Torah study, led by Rabbi Magal on Zoom, will focus on the Torah portion Lech Lecha (Genesis 12;1 – 17:27) about Abraham and Sarah, the first patriarch and matriarch of the Jewish people, and the monotheistic religions.
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. Sign-ups for Mitzvah Day projects (November 13 in the afternoon) can be done through the form on the website. Please join for this half-day of service projects.
The Jewish Film Festival, coordinated by the Cultural Committee, is scheduled for the evening of November 5th through November 7. See the SIFF website for information and tickets: sedonafilmfestival.com.
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.