This month, we celebrate the minor festival of Tu B’shvat — the 15th day of the Hebrew calendar month of Shevat. We call Tu B’shvat the “birthday” of trees, because it is a marker of time from which we count whether a tree is old enough to bear tithe-worthy fruit.
That is, is this tree mature enough, strong enough, to bear fruit from which we must dedicate a portion to others?
December is a month steeped in the stories and expectations of miracles.
Across different faiths and cultures, this season is the time when we remember powerful acts of divine intervention, from the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days during Hanukkah to the Christian belief in the miraculous birth of Jesus.
These ancient stories serve as anchors, reminding us of the extraordinary ways the divine intersects with the ordinary world.
But miracles are not just events locked in history books. They happen every day, often hiding in plain sight, waiting for us to open our eyes and our hearts to recognize them.
Hanukkah reminds us of our longing for light, and the Torah portions traditionally read at this time of year reflect upon the building of the mikdash — a dwelling place for God on earth, literally, a “place for the holy,” which we often translate as “the Temple.”
Our synagogues are sometimes called a mikdash me’at, or a “miniature Temple.”
Rabbi Jennifer Lewis will officiate High Holidays services in the sanctuary at United Hebrew Congregation and via Zoom for the New Year 5786, beginning with Erev Rosh Hashanah services at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22.
Rosh Hashanah services will follow at 10 a.m. Monday.