Holidays

Jewish holidays at United Hebrew Congregation Terre Haute.

The Passover seder dinner means matzoh, wine, bitter herbs and the miracle of the shared meal

By Scott Skillman
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This year our Passover seder will be celebrated on Saturday, April 12, starting at 6 p.m. We will be led by our rabbi, Jennifer Lewis, and we will have a full seder meal. We will drink the wine; we will break the matzot and eat the bitter herbs.

We will celebrate while reclining (at least symbolically) the Exodus from Egypt and the miracles performed at that time, at that place. Those miracles are well retold in the seder, and the awesomeness of the Lord will be recounted.

But there is another miracle that arises from the seder that is not often considered. The miracle that I wish for us to consider is the sharing of a meal within our small community and, often, with the larger community. The miracle I speak of is the shared meal. The sharing of a meal has great power for all who attend.

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Passover represents a period of change. As Rabbi Nachman said, approach it without fear

By Rabbi Jennifer Lewis
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As we prepare to celebrate Passover together, beginning the evening of Saturday, April 12, we also note the start of the Hebrew month of Nisan. The trees and flowers are finally blooming in Terre Haute (and Cincinnati)! The Festival of Freedom will soon be upon us.

And yet, the transitional period from Winter to Spring, beautiful as it may be, comes with its challenges. Allergy season is here, for one! But seriously, as Winter fades and Summer is on the horizon, I am reminded of the wisdom of Rabbi Nachman of Brazlov : “The world is a narrow bridge; the most important thing is not to fear at all.”

Our tradition celebrates our journey from enslavement to freedom, also a time of great uncertainty. Moving from any profound period of change—from stability to uncertainty—can be frightening. This is true whether that change is economic, political, social, personal or spiritual.

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AI sleuths Ki Tissa while Rabbi Jen notes the Purim tradition of gift-giving and good works

By Rabbi Jennifer Lewis
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As we enter the joyous month of Adar, and in honor of the upside-down silliness often accompanying the holiday of Purim, I asked artificial Intelligence (a.k.a. “AI”) to come up with a Torah teaching for our next Shabbat together that combined sitting in a Starbucks and writing this month’s newsletter. Here is a snippet of the Al version:

“This week, as I sit in a cozy corner of my local Starbucks, I find myself reflecting on Parashat Ki Tisa and its timeless teachings. The bustling environment around me, filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the soft hum of conversations, provides an ideal backdrop for contemplating the profound messages within this portion. Ki Tissa reminds us of the essential balance between our spiritual commitments and earthly responsibilities, a theme that feels particularly relevant in our fast-paced, modem lives.”

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On Tu B’shvat, we contemplate the new growth of nature and our role in sustaining creation

By Rabbi Jennifer Lewis
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Happy Tu B’shvat, the Jewish Birthday of the Trees!

This year, the holiday (15 of Shevat on the Jewish calendar) begins on Wednesday evening, Feb. 12, and extends through sundown Thursday, Feb. 13.

In Israel — and other areas with a Mediterranean climate — almond trees begin to bloom and spring is in the air. Although spring will not be with us for a few months here in the Midwest, we reflect on the meaning of this holy occasion in the days and weeks to come.

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