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The latest news and events from Temple Beth Sholom staff.

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Rabbi’s Corner: Ted Lasso, Strengthening Bonds, & Our Preneg Pilot Program (5:15 pm today!)

I needed a little distraction to help me unwind immediately following Rosh Hashanah before diving into preparing for Yom Kippur. Many people recommended that I watch Ted Lasso, they said it was fantastic. I am hooked! Ted Lasso is a heartwarming comedy series. Despite the fact that Ted has absolutely no soccer experience whatsoever, he’s been […]

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Rabbi’s Corner: 500 Bags (or more) of “Wildly Unimaginable Blessings” – A New Year Challenge and Blessing

Curious about how the items in this photo are connected? Pasta sauce and candle sticks. Beans and decorations for my Rosh Hashanah table.  Apples and a new box of pasta. They are all part of our High Holy Day “Wildly Unimaginable Blessings” – blessings for ourselves and blessings to bestow on others. Tonight, we welcome […]

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Rabbi’s Corner: Breathing Our Way Into the New Year

In music, the breaths, rest notes, pauses, and the spaces between the notes are just as important as the musical notes themselves.  If there were no breaths, rests, pauses, or spaces, we would just have a jumble of non-stop music.  We wouldn’t understand the message that the composer was trying to convey.  We need those […]

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Rabbi’s Corner: “Oneg” Means “Joy”

  Did you ever wonder why the desserts and treats we enjoy after our Erev Shabbat service are known as an “Oneg Shabbat?” The phrase “oneg Shabbat” literally means “the joy of Shabbat.” We learn from a tapestry of Jewish sources that Shabbat is to be celebrated with such joy that even mourning the death […]

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Rabbi’s Corner: Opening Our Hands and Hearts

I have always lived in places where the issue of homelessness was present and growing: Boston, Jerusalem, New York City, Toronto, Chicago and now here in Orange County. In New York City, Boston and Toronto, ‘Faith-Based Shelters’ tried to address some of the immediate needs of the homeless, especially in the winter. Synagogues, churches and […]

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Rabbi’s Corner: Summer Challenge Check-In

At the end of May, I proposed a “Summer Challenge” (see below for details). This challenge has no bounds: it is for everyone, every age, and every circumstance. It can be approached as a philosophical exercise, an emotional exercise, a spiritual exercise, or just simply to challenge yourself. We are now one month away from […]

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Havdalah in the Park

Join Your TBS Family for a Picnic and Havdalah service Saturday, August 26 4:00 – 7:00pm at Yorba Regional Park in Anaheim 7600 E. La Palma between Imperial Hwy & Weir Canyon Road (Pavilion #7 – Parking is directly across.) Register Here

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“Nachamu, Nachamu – Comfort, oh Comfort My People”

(The front covers of the major Israeli newspapers on 7/25/23. The text at the bottom says: “It is a black (dark) day for Israeli Democracy.”) This Shabbat has a special name: Shabbat Nachamu – Shabbat of Consolation. The name is derived from the opening words of the Haftarah for this week, Isaiah 40:1-26. This Haftarah speaks of comforting or consoling the […]

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Echoes of Elul 5783 / 2023

TBS is pleased to announce the return of our popular blog called Echoes of Elul, beginning on August 17. Submissions now being accepted. Our theme is: Strengthening Bonds. Echoes of Elul 2023 Submission The Echoes are a compilation of personal reflections, memories and insights we have experienced in the past year. Contributions are shared online […]

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