UHC joins Jewish Community Legacy Project for virtual Elul events; prepares for holidays

By Betsy Frank

The month of Elul that began August 26 precedes the High Holy Days and begins our process of Teshuvah, or repentance.

More traditional congregations blow the shofar each morning during Elul to remind Jews of the holiness of Rosh Hashanah.

In small congregations such as ours, we prepare for the High Holy Days largely on an individual basis.

However, this year during the month of Elul, our congregation, along with a group of legacy congregations in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana, are participating in a pair of special online programs to help prepare for the High Holy Days.

We also welcome Rabbi Stanley Miles, who grew up in our congregation, to lead High Holy Days services!

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We count the Omer on our journey from slavery to freedom to transformation

By Student Rabbi Matt Derrenbacher

Spring is a season of transition: Pesach is just behind us, we’ve switched from praying for rain to praying for dew, and we engage in the practice of s’firat ha-omer, counting the Omer.

Pesach is our foundation for this season of transition where we personally and communally experience the transition from slavery to freedom.

That freedom, then, sets us out on our journey to true transformation.

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We’re thankful for the freedom to celebrate Judaism in meaningful fashion

By Betsy Frank

As active as our congregation remained during the period of Zoom-only, and then hybrid worship, we hadn’t held a large social gathering since Purim in March 2020.

That changed April 23 with our Passover Celebration in the Vestry Room at the Temple.

More than 20 people attended in person and more attended online. As United Hebrew Congregation moves forward from the pandemic, we have learned more than ever that we can be engaged in multiple ways.

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