Dear TEE community,
Spring is here! This Sunday we will welcome the season and the coming Jewish month of Nisan with a virtual New Moon Circle. Celebrating the beginning of each month is a practice that allows us to stay connected with nature and the earth based cycle of our Jewish traditions. This coming month of Nisan is when we celebrate Passover, a festival celebrating both birth of the Jewish people and the potential rebirth within each of us as we move toward freedom. These themes reflect the new growth we see around us in nature. In our circle this month we will explore these themes of birth and renewal in the Exodus story and our own lives. I hope you will join us.
The (mostly) warming weather also gives us an opportunity to be together outside. For those of you who are able and interested, a group of us will be meeting on Sunday April 3rd for a sociable stroll along the paved canal path adjacent to the JCC. (Click on the website calendar entry or check out this week’s newsletter for details). I hope this will be the first of many walks and hikes we take together, allowing us to both build community and honor our spiritual tradition which teaches us to appreciate the beauty of creation.
Another, more literal, connection to the earth is open to us through a project being organized by our Sh’mita Group in conjunction with the JCC. We’ll be working on creating a community garden to engage all ages and abilities and share our harvest with those in need. Planning is still in the early stages but we would be happy for any input you might have and hope you will volunteer in the months ahead to help us make this a reality. Please contact me with your ideas and interest.
With best wishes for a season of new growth,
Rabbi Drorah Setel