Congregation Or Chadash THE NEW LIGHT Volume 21 Issue 9 September 2020 Join us online for 2021 High Holy Days Services 5781 Click here for schedule L’shanah Tovah May You and Your Family be Blessed with a Healthy and Sweet New Year! From The Board, Clergy, and Staff at Congregation Or Chadash Our Rabbi The New Light Dear Friends, The Newsletter for Congregation Or Chadash Most days I wake up feeling that COVID-19 is taking its toll on me, our community, and all of humanity. It Congregation Or Chadash affects every decision we make and has changed all A warm and welcoming Community where all Robert Weintraub Photography expectations of a return to normality in the very near can experience God future. As you can imagine, this has greatly influenced how we will embrace our High Holy Days this year. And I do mean “embrace.” There is no alternative to this besides to turn 3939 N. Alvernon Way Tucson, AZ 85718 away. And, that we will not do. The Holy Days – no matter what is www.octucson.org happening around us – are the time when Jews recognize the (520) 512-8500 importance of and our reliance on Jewish community. Together, let’s MISSION STATEMENT courageously step forward and embrace a shared unique experience To instill and foster Jewish identity and community, to perpetuate Judaism by being a for High Holy Days 5781. community of life-long learners, and to enhance the quality of life through the practice of Torah, Sunrise S’lichot Service, Sunday, September 13 at 6:00 a.m. Avoda (Worship), Gemilut Chasadim (Acts of Loving Kindness) and Tikkun Olam (Repair of Each year on S’lichot we prepare our souls for the High Holy Days. We the World) judge ourselves and God will judge us. On S’lichot, we also prepare our sanctuary. To help us change as we reach for holiness, we change our Thomas A. Louchheim Rabbi Janece E. Cohen Cantor Torah covers to white ones in order to signify purity and sanctity. As Rina Liebeskind Executive Administrator we “purify” our scrolls, we take this opportunity to purify ourselves. & Director of Youth Engagement Eileen Cook Executive Assistant This year, a few of us will gather for a service on our patio as the sun Jim Liebeskind Events & Facilities Manager Sarah Bollt Clergy Assistant rises over the Rincon mountains. As the new day dawns, we will Jim Neal Accounting Manager stream a live S’lichot service to you as we change our Torah mantles Jenifer Gold Religious School Assistant and symbolically change ourselves for the better. You may view this Board of Directors live or when you awaken from your slumber. Elaine Jones President Gary Kippur First Vice President Rosh Hashanah, Friday & Saturday, September 18-19 Beverly Sandock Vice President Yom Kippur, Sunday & Monday, September 27-28 Steve Caine Secretary Mark Ross Treasurer We are looking forward to combining our services with Temple Emanu Benjamin Vogel Immediate Past President -El this year. While services will not be held in a sanctuary this year, Dana Adler we have worked diligently to ensure that they will be spiritually Benjamin Goldberg uplifting. Each service will be approximately 1 to 1.5 hours long. Steve Groff David Markzon We are adding elements of “live” engagement between congregants Morris Riback Marc Sbar and our clergy from both congregations. We are looking forward to seeing you then. AUXILIARY REPRESENTATIVES Laurie Kassman Sisterhood Tashlich, any day between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Steven Oscherwitz Brotherhood For many years we have gathered at the water’s edge at Fort Lowell www.octucson.org Park to cast our sins (fish food) upon the waters. The ceremony includes the last verses from the prophet Micah (7:19), “He will take us back in love; He will cover up our iniquities. You will cast all their sins Office Hours: into the depths of the sea.” Water is symbolic of the creation of all life Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. — 1:00 p.m. and is the element that represents the cleansing of our souls. Gift Shop Hours: by appointment contact Laurie Kassman This year we cannot gather, but we encourage you to perform this [email protected] ritual within your own family unit. We will have a Tashlich Service or the office at 512-8500 Packet that you can use to aid in this ritual. Call the office to arrange to pick up your packet. Continued on Page 3 September 2020 2 Our Rabbi Continued/Cantor’s Notes Continued from Page 2 Sounding of the Shofar, Sunday, September 20 at noon around town We have added an additional community element to our High Holy Day observances this year. We have invited six of our finest shofar sounders (Ba-alei T’kiah) to provide an extra opportunity for us to hear the shofar “live”! There will be one at each of the parking lots at Temple Emanu-El and Or Chadash, and the other four will be scattered throughout the city. We will inform you of their exact locations soon. You are invited to those locations, remaining in your cars, so that you may hear the shofar blast. Kever Avot, any day between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur A special mitzvah for the Ten Days of Repentance, Kever Avot is our tradition of visiting graves of loved ones between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This observance connects us to the themes of renewal, repentance, reflection, and growth through the memories of our loved ones. Cantor Cohen and I will be recording the special prayers for this memorial that you will be able to download onto your mobile device and bring with you on your visit to the cemetery. Marcia and I wish you and yours good health, safety, and a Happy New Year 5781. Rabbi Thomas Louchheim Cantor’s Notes clergy assistant Sarah Bollt, and our ever- fabulous High Holy Days committee. We Dearest Friends, barely had to think of logistics because Jim Liebeskind and his crew took care of all our Okay. I admit it. I was a little bit setup and sound needs. worried about how blending the So, I was concerned about how our hamishe (a musical traditions of Congregation Yiddish word for warm and welcoming) Or Chadash and Temple Emanu-El congregation would react to the different would play out. I had always had musical stylings of another congregation. autonomy in the choice of music Would Marjorie and I be able to blend our that was included in Or Chadash’s High Holy Days styles into something cohesive, spiritual, and services. Cantorial Soloist Marjorie Hochberg and beautiful that would uplift the members of her musical director chose the music for Temple both of our congregations? Emanu-El’s services. I had no idea what it would be like to collaborate with someone whose musical Good news. I believe the answer is a style was different than my own. resounding yes! First of all, I had to remind myself that the members of Congregation Or I admit, I have also been spoiled in the complete Chadash have always impressed me with clergy partnership I have enjoyed with Rabbi their receptiveness to new music. While Louchheim. We have planned High Holy Days many cantors have complained that they are services, actually all worship services, together for rarely ever able to introduce new music to the last 20 years. Anything that had to do with their congregations, our community has music was left entirely up to me. My creative proven open to new experiences and styles. suggestions have been welcomed enthusiastically, The proof of this was how fully everyone and we worked together to craft spiritually accepted Friday Night LIVE! when we beautiful worship services with the help of our introduced this wonderful Klezmer service all choir, assistant choir director Trudy Haggard, Continued on page 4 3 Cantor’s Notes continued/News from our Joint Religious School Director Cantor’s Notes Continued from page 3 those years ago. On Shabbat and holidays, I have introduced new melodies on a regular basis, always keeping in mind that people are comfortable with beloved familiar tunes as well. Let me assure you that Cantorial Soloist Marjorie Hochberg and I have found kindred spirits in one anoth- er. While our styles are different, we believe that we have managed to blend those styles into a harmoni- ous whole that will uplift both of our congregations and will help all our prayers soar though the very gates of heaven. I fervently hope you will join us with that well-known open-mindedness that I brag about at every cantor’s conference that I attend! Musically yours, Cantor Janece Cohen Dear Religious School families, are meeting regularly to create meaningful rd th Welcome to our Joint Religious services geared for students in 3 through 8 School! We kicked off the school grade. They will also be looking to engage our year last week, and we are excited Religious School students in reading, singing, and pleased with the turnout! Since and performing parts of the service. Please early May, our Youth Education reach out to me if your student is interested in Task Force has been meeting participating - we will find them a part. In the coming days, watch for announcements Photo by weekly to help bring the Cathy Slatas Or Chadash and Temple Emanu-El regarding the formats we will use to conduct Religious School communities together. I would our Tot and Youth Services. like to thank each one of the members of this Task We can persevere if we are together.