Hear Our Voice

For all of our technological advances, our lack of control over the weather can feel as daunting as it was for the ancient Israelites.  Rain was the lynchpin of life in ancient Israel, and this extended period of heat and lack of rain here in Houston, should remind us of its import to our lives, our health, and to the functioning of our city.  Maybe a rain dance is called for?

Back in the day (the ancient day, that is), the people of Israel would gather back in Jerusalem, offering first fruits, participating in rain dances (remember the Mayim dance from Hebrew school or camp?), and eventually adding a liturgical plea for rain in its season with the words, mashiv haruach u-morid hagashem, (the One who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall).  Sukkot was the ultimate rabbinic “two-fer.”  This is the time to offer gratitude to God for the summer harvest AND to pray for a benevolence of rain for the fall.  Water was life then, and it is for us still.  I pray (and I do not use that term poetically that the temperatures will drop, rain will come, and fall will indeed “fall” upon is.

“THANK YOU” to:
Tiffany Halfon, our Program and Operations Manager, 
your grace and tenacity led us flawlessly through our High Holy Days.

Rabbi Laura Sheinkopf and Hannah Madeleine Goodman, 
you are stars who shine so very brightly, you lead our way forward.

Kelly Dean, Andrew Lienhard, Jose-Miguel Yamal, Daphnee Johnson, Josh Sheiman, Leo Hernandez and Lenny Golub, 
your music and your love of it inspires our prayer and lifts our souls.

Cappy Selig and Mickey Blake, your kind and firm direction of the bima kept us in the flow of these days.

Linda Goldstein, Lenny Golub, Rachel Schwartz, Aleks Chen, and Alison Altenberg, and Samuel Hausman-Weiss, your Torah readings made the words come to life. 

Laura Rose, Peter Berry, and Amber Hoffman,
you inspire all of us to write ourselves into the book of our own lives with tenacity and grit.

Rochelle Mannigel, Nanette Tashnek, Ann Friedman, Laura Rose, Carol Pock and Rachel Kosoy, your commitment to helping deepen the impact of our days together is inspiring.

Stuart Dow, David Rawls, Ivan Ventura, and the EWS Team, your wonderfully supportive and "in it to the last minute commitment" make all the difference! 

Logan Mack, thank you for shedding the light! 

To the mutiple volunteers who helped us make these High Holy Days meaningful for all of those who attended in person and online.