Betsy Frank is UHC para-rabbinic fellow and president.
Our prayer book says that on Shabbat we should pray, rest and attend to the House of Study.
Yes, you can do all these things in the privacy of your home. And, yes, the practice of Judaism includes personal practices.
But…. Judaism also stresses the need to practice our rituals in community. The minyan is evidence of that. Our weekly Shabbat services allow us to gather as a community and pray together.
During Sukkot there is a tradition of welcoming guests or strangers into our sukkah. The tradition comes from the story in Genesis wherein Abraham welcomes guests he doesn’t know.
In our partisan world, what does it mean to welcome the stranger? Welcoming the stranger can mean a radical action such as housing a refugee or a more common action such as welcoming a visitor to our synagogue.
How can we respond to the hate that surrounds us? Many of us attended the vigil in support of Charlottesville held in August at the Vigo County Courthouse.
I spoke, as did Sara Wormser-Waltermire. Others in the congregation also attended and brought their children. But this demonstration is just the beginning.
As I write this column, the Congregation has just finished an important rite of spring, the congregational annual meeting. Congratulations to all the board and I hope that UHC members will feel free to contact any of us with your ideas and concerns.
Sadly, we also say goodbye to our student rabbi, Aaron Rozovsky. We wish him well as he finishes up his fifth year of studies.