Rabbi's Column - December 2016

Dear Friends,

Chanukah is a wondrous holiday in its simplicity. We light candles and gaze upon the light. We add one more candle each day, increasing the light, the beauty, and the joy. While those candles are burning low we need to pause for a moment to remember why it is we light those candles. Some 2,000 years ago a King reigned in Syria who took control of the land of Israel. He insisted that the Jewish people observe the Greco-Syrian customs of the day. He denied us the right to practice our own religion. He went even further and made sure that our holiest space in the world would be desecrated. Pigs were sacrificed on the altar in an effort to destroy not only the Temple, but the spirit of the Jews.

Instead, it did just the opposite. It enflamed the Jews. It returned us to our core. The Maccabean

rebellion went on for three years, after which time they returned to the Temple, cleaned and refurbished it, and rededicated it to Jewish life.

It is for this act of rededication that the holiday of Chanukah was named. "Chanukah" means "to dedicate."

Rededicating Jewish holy space is what we will be focusing on this year at TBT. We hope to have our own "Springtime Chanukah" when we rededicate our own Temple on our 40th Anniversary in May.

Looking forward to celebrating Chanukah with you and reflecting on the dedication of the Jewish people and the rededication of TBT.

L'Shalom,
Rabbi Stacy K. Offner

Rabbi's Column - November 2016

As I write this column for November, I am still awash in the majesty and imagery of our High Holy Days. I can’t quite let go of them just yet, so permit me to begin this column with a THANK YOU to all of you who came with open hearts and open minds and ready souls. The intensity of sitting in shul for just about 24 non-stop hours is boggling. The words, the prayers, the readings, the presence of community all around, each do their part in making us truly reflect upon our lives. I hope that you were inspired to incorporate some of the important messages into your own life.

Being in synagogue all day with nothing else to do and no interruptions is actually quite a luxury - more than ever, in these days of non-stop beeps and texts and schedules. Of course this was a luxury created by so many people here at TBT that made our Holy Days possible. I must take a moment to praise our staff. We are truly ‘teammates.’ A big round of applause goes to our Administrator, Kim Romine and our Office/Clergy Assistant,

Bonnie Mahon, both of whom worked non-stop to make sure we were ready for the holidays.

Our volunteers were incredible. Thank you to Lisa Leventhal for all you did to make sure we had a wealth of participants involved in the service. Thank you to Doug Agranov and all our Ushers. Thank you to Shaun Glazier for the most spectacular floral arrangements. Thank you to our medical team: Dan Jacoby, Dan Greif, Lynda Rosenfeld, and John Foggle for allowing us to rest easy knowing you were on call for us. Thank you the entire Board of Directors for being wonderful Greeters.

Thank you to Sam Rader for an incredibly inspiring sermonette, inviting all of us to go through the portals of holiness. Jason Gaines led a fabulous study session on Cain & Abel. His reputation is growing as the library was full to overflowing. All our Torah and

Haftarah readers prepared and chanted with loving care.

Our Children’s Programming was better than ever - thanks to Kate Rothstein, Suzy Frisch, and our magnificent Salty BBYO youth group, led so wonderfully by our Salty Advisor, Stephanie Condoluci. Thank you to Judy Merriam for hosting our Tashlich Service and opening up the power and beauty of the shoreline waters for us to ritually cast away our sins, led ably by Cantor Margolius.

To Ted Langevin and the Parking Lot Crew - you are the first welcome as we enter, and welcome us you do! Thank you, thank you. Len and Dyanna are such a blessing - they are more than ‘custodians;’ they are a part of our TBT family. Bennett Paul and the Break-the-Fast crew provide a spread worthy of the wait until that last blast on the Shofar - thank you Eli Sherer and Jen Silva.

Cantor Margolius, now in his fourth year here at TBT, only gets better and better and better. He is truly an expert in Jewish liturgical text, and he combines that with a beautiful voice and a caring spirit. And the choir! Just breathtaking. With Walter Stutzman on the piano, and sometimes Stu Weinzimer, who also doubles as our fearless president, life is good.

How blessed we are! And now we look onward to November: our Scholar-in-Residence Weekend 11/12/13, our Interfaith Thanksgiving Program with all the community churches and our synagogue, and so much more. Peruse your Shofar, see for yourself, and come and join us.

L’Shalom,
Rabbi Stacy K. Offner

Rabbi's Column - October 2016

October 1, 2016

Dear Friends,

Finally! The New Year is upon us. If it seems like forever since last New Year...this time...You are right. Yes, technically they fall at the same time every year, but this last year was a leap year and we inserted an entire extra month into the year. So it has been 13 months rather than 12.

Did you know that the Jewish calendar is the only calendar in the world that is both solar and lunar? The Christian calendar is solar and the Muslim calendar is lunar. The Jewish calendar revolves around the cycles of the moon, but we do make seasonal corrections according to the sun - assuring us that while Rosh HaShanah can come as early as the beginning of September or as late, like this year, as October - you can rest assured that our New Year will always be a Fall holiday.

There is so much to consider this Fall as we turn from the Jewish year of 5776 to 5777. Our music will be transportive; we are so grateful for Cantor Margolius and all he does with his heart, his soul, and his vocal cords.

The sounds of the shofar, the sounds of the choir, the sounds of your chairs shuffling on the floor, all bring a tinge of excitement to the crisp Autumn air.

I am delighted to share these sermons with you:
Erev Rosh HaShanah: "Commanded to Hope"
Rosh HaShanah Morning: "The Art of Civility"
Kol Nidre: "The Sin of Certainty"
Yom Kippur Morning: "Opening Doors"

Our holidays would not be possible without the extraordinary behind-the-scenes work of our
Administrator, Kim Romine and our Administrative Assistant, Bonnie Mahon. They help to make this new year sweet.

L’Shana Tova Tikateivu,

May you and your loved ones be written in the Book of Life for good health, much happiness, and a good year ahead,

Rabbi Stacy K. Offner