Shabbat Shemini 5780

Dear Friends,

I hope that you had a meaningful Pesah, and that you are enjoying hametz again in good health. We are entering what are known as the Israeli High Holy Days. This week, we commemorate Yom HaShoah veHagevurah; the following week, we will mourn for Israel’s fallen soliders and terror victims, and then celebrate her independence. These days are an emotional rollercoaster under normal circumstances.

Click here for my Shabbat Dvar Torah. In it, I explore silence as a response to grief. But, as I write, there are other ways to respond. This Koolulam video is deeply moving; click that link to be inspired by the impulse to live–and sing!

Even silence has a sound, as Simon and Garfunkel taught us. Click here for a recent version of their classic song by Shulem Lemmer.

And though Pesah is over, you can still enjoy this fun video by Cantor Daniel Mendelson, who has been one of Cantor Zim’s concert guests in the past.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and good health

Rabbi David Wise