By Rabbi Alicia Mgak
Sedona, AZ –All are invited to Erev Shabbat service on Friday, October 2 at 5:30 pm led by Rabbi Magal. Join in singing songs to usher in the Sabbath, prayers of healing for loved ones, congratulations for those celebrating a birthday or anniversary, and Kaddish, the Mourner’s prayer in memory of those who have passed away recently or around this date in past years. A selection will be read from the very last portion in the Torah, V’zot Ha-Bracha, Deuteronomy 33:1 – 34:12, in which Moses blesses the Israelite tribes, then ascends Mount Nebo and views the whole land, after which he dies and is mourned for thirty days. Stay to enjoy Kiddush and Motzi (wine or juice and challah), refreshments, and socializing after the service.
Saturday evening, October 3 at 6:30 pm will be the culmination of the High Holy Days with the celebration of Simchat Torah, the joy of ending the Torah’s yearly cycle of readings and immediately rolling the scroll back to Genesis and beginning from the account of Creation with a new perspective and level of understanding. The evening will begin with a brief Yizkor memorial service followed by a Havdalah ceremony ending the Sabbath day. A selection from the very last portion of the Torah will be read after which the congregants will circle the sanctuary seven times with joyous singing in honor of the Torah which will be rolled back to the very first passage of Genesis, so that there is continuity in reading the Torah.
Egalitarian, participatory Morning Minyan meets on zoom Wednesdays at 8:30 am with traditional morning blessings, healing prayers, and Kaddish, the mourner’s prayer. Come be counted in our minyan! Link on the website.
Meditation class will meet on Wednesday afternoon, October 7, at 4:00 pm, led by Rabbi Magal and Rosalie Malter on zoom. A focus on the breath and diving more deeply into phrases from sacred texts offer another gateway into Jewish tradition.
Torah study led by Rabbi Magal will be held on Thursday, October 8, at 4:00 pm on zoom, beginning again the first chapters of the Torah: Bereishit…Genesis: “In the beginning.” This new cycle of Torah study will offer an opportunity to view the texts and commentaries with a new perspective.
The Social Action Committee is collecting non-perishable foods, as well as infant formula and personal care products, for the local Sedona food pantry. Please drop off your donations in the bin provided for collections located at the bottom of the stairs in the parking lot. People continue to need sustenance. Let’s keep them in mind.
The Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley, located at 100 Meadowlark 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. Visitors are welcome to attend services after a security check. Those who cannot attend in person can access the service through zoom. The JCSVV offers soul-enriching services, programs, concerts, and classes, all listed on the synagogue website, jcsvv.org. Office telephone: 928 204-1286.
Rabbi Alicia Magal
Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley, Arizona, USA
www.jcsvv.org
Office: 928 204-1286
“A Jewel of a Shul”
Mission Statement:
The Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley 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. We choose to remain unaffiliated in order to respect and serve the rich diversity of our members and visitors.