===Rabbinic Reflections
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H A R 5 N A T E M P L E ===== RABBINIC REFLECTIONS ===== I am not much of a bike rider. From time to time I do attempt to ride but, thankfully, not too often. After a long ride, which I define as half an hour, my legs begin to hurt and I get winded. Also, the bicycle seat seems to be a bit too small for my posterior. Yet, bicycle riding is probably one of the simplest motions in all of sports. Basically, all you have to do is pedal, steer and make sure you don't fall down. Bike riding generally does not involve the same skill level as basketball, foot ball, tennis, baseball, and other competitive sports, which require not only a sim ple motion, but also dexterity and some athletic ability. Even track and field 8:00pm events involve a certain amount of physical aptitude. In track and field, timing is important as well as the ability to precisely sense the movements of your body in juxtaposition to everyone else. Friday, SepteIDber 16 8:00pm Bike riding not only involves the simplest of motions, but you also have tPe 8BABBAT SERvo AND advantage of the bike to help you succeed, whereas in walking and running it is BoAIDAlLATION INsT you against the world with nothing in between to negotiate gravity. Even though competitive biking could be considered somewhat boring, tens Saturday, September 17 10:30 am of millions of people across the world took tremendous delight in Lance Bat Mitzvah Armstrong's winning of his seventh To ur De France. This accomplishment is con NatalieBernstein sidered one of the greatest in all recorded sports ... especially because Lance Armstrong's personal story is so compelling. This is a man who was afflicted with Friday, September 23 8:00 pm cancer; he was able to overcome so many difficult obstacles in order to achieve KEHlLAT SHABBAT SERVICE his singular lofty goal. His name has become synonymous with courage and July, August, September superhuman effort. BirthdayBlessings So even though bicycle riding requires the simplest of movements, attaining simplicity in many of life's pursuits is often difficult. Lance Armstrong proved that Friday, September 30 8:00 pm simple is not so simple. With the simplest of movements, he was able to rivet the SHABBAT SERVICE attention of the entire world to a sport that is often relegated to the back burner of the sports page. He overcame the complex vicissitudes of life by mastering the rudimentary rotation of his legs. Judaism also encourages the simple path in life. Even though Judaism can be a highly intricate faith, especially when considering its dauntingly intellectual demands, still the actual practice of the tradition, and what the tradition demands of the adherent, can be quite simple. Two thousand years ago, Rabbi Ta rton stat ed that to teach someone a complex task might be easier than teaching some one simply how to relate to others. In the book of Deuteronomy, which we are reading this month, we find this quotation, "For this commandment which I com mand thee this day, it is not too hard for thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heav en that thou shouldest say, 'Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?' Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, 'Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?' But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it." continued page 2 RABBINIC REFLECTIONS CONTINUED _ I We sometimes encounter people who are capable of Sometimes we forget that the simplest path, the straight solving a complex mathematical equation but who are inca est path, is the most productive one. So we bask in Lance pable of simply appreciating the world around them. Armstrong's glory because he took the simplest of motions In the famous story of Rabbi Hillel, when he was asked and raised it to an art form that we can all appreciate. And in to summarize Judaism in one sentence, he simply said, this we learn that our humanness depends more on how we "Love thy neighbor and all the rest is commentary." In other first master the basic rubrics of our existence rather than words, he distilled the essence of our tradition into the sim feeling that we need to become perfect in those aspects of plest of injunctions. life that are far beyond our control. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE _ MARILYN WEINSTEIN [email protected] For many people August was a vacation month, filled these areas. When this task is completed, we will have with relaxation and renewal. I hope that you had a good architectural drawings that will actually show what the inte summer and will take full advantage of the remaining warm riors of the building into which we are moving will actually days ahead. August was a special time for Har Sinai as look like. To say that the excitement is building is indeed an well, but on vacation we were not! The summer here was understatement! filled with activity with membership renewals, planning the Meanwhile, several other committees are hard at work, school year, committee meetings on all topics and contin planning programs and events for the next several months ued work on our moving plans. We have exciting plans at Har Sinai. The "Year of Shabbat" Committee is finalizing ahead for the coming year, some of which I'd like to share plans for the first of a series of innovative Friday night serv with you now. ices which will encourage congregational participation. We are making real progress on the Route 31 building This service is scheduled for Friday, September 23, 2005. project. Nancy LaPosta and her committee have engaged The Fund Raising Committee is arranging a terrific Fall specialists to cover all aspects of the next phase of zoning event, namely a wine tasting dinner hosted by Spencer �pprovals, which include a number of different environmen Christian, to take place on Saturday, November 12th at Tre tal studies required by Hopewell To wnship. The Pre Piani in Princeton. You will be receiving more information Construction Committee includes some of Har Sinai's most shortly about what should be a great evening. Sisterhood dedicated members. When a meeting is called (and there will be starting the year with a "How to Play Mah Jongg" are many of them!), everyone either attends or calls in with session on September 15th, to be followed in October by a his or her updates and views on the current issues. The "Dinner and Bingo" evening. Steve Miller and the Men's underlying message is that every member of the Club are planning an event on September 22nd, a "Learn To Committee cares very deeply about Har Sinai and its future. Play Poker" evening which should be great fun (too bad it's The Campaign Finance and Campaign Fund Raising only for men!). Committees are also finalizing budget and financing plans I am also very excited by what I see happening with Har as part of the moving/closing process. These committees Sinai's Youth Groups. HSTY has already planned a full pro are all making a concerted effort to insure that there is com gram with a lot of great events coming up which you'll be munication between each piece of this important endeavor, seeing in future mailings. This year, Har Sinai has a new so that we all go forward together. We hope to be able to Junior HSTY group, to bridge the gap between Shovavim take the next step, getting site zoning approval (which and HSTY-what a great idea! You'll also be receiving infor includes the above environmental clearances), by the Fall mation about Shovavim's future programs as well. of this year. If we make that timetable, we still expect to Our publicity effort is beginning to bear fruit: news close on the Route 31 site in either late 2005 or early 2006. about various aspects of Har Sinai life have appeared or Our goal is to have the new school and multi-purpose room will shortly be appearing in several area newspapers, completed by Fall, 2006. including the Yardley News, Pennington Post, Hopewell The Pre-Construction Committee has also begun coor Valley News, Tr enton Times, NJ Jewish State and the New dinating the building programming phase, meaning the Jersey Jewish News. This is a work in progress, and we're actual planning of the "insides" of the building that will aiming to be part of the calendar portion of some of these become our religious school and worship space. This papers on a regular basis. includes scoping out the number and size of future class I hope to see you back at Har Sinai in September to rooms, offices, the structure of the multi-purpose room, a take advantage of one or several of the great things that we library, etc. This is being done with the help of various have in store. And stay tuned for more news on our move Committees and Temple staff who are involved in each of and additional programming updates! September 2005 • PAGE 2 A du (t E due a t ion. • • ,'�" '.:��' . ,- SHABBAT SERVICES AT GREENWOOD HOUSE Each Friday Morning in September at 10:30 am Join Rabbi and/or Cantor every Friday at Greenwood House for a Shabbat Service with the residents.