Voices

Bylined opinion and news columns published by United Hebrew Congregation Terre Haute.

Student Rabbi Rocki Schy brings love of history, teaching and Torah to UHC term

By Student Rabbi Rocki Schy
unitedhebrewth Leave a comment

My name is Rocki Schy, and I am thrilled to be your student rabbi for the coming year!

I had a varied Jewish upbringing. I attended a day school when I was young, and became B’nai Mitzvah in the Conservative movement. I spent some time in Modern Orthodox and Conservative synagogues as I was growing up. I was drawn to the vibrancy and progressiveness of the Reform movement as an adult.

I attended Temple University in Philadelphia, where I studied history and education. During that course of study, I taught students of many different ages.

Read More

Rabbi Miles will come home for the Holidays

By Rabbi Stanley R. Miles
unitedhebrewth Leave a comment

In the title of his most famous novel, Thomas Wolfe warned, You Can’t Go Home Again.

Earlier this year, when United Hebrew Congregation invited me to lead High Holy Days services this year at the Temple, that phrase was constantly with me. From 1948-1966, your congregation was a center of my Jewish life.

Those years were, from my perspective, very good for the Terre Haute Jewish community. That was the time when my parents (of blessed memory), extended family and so many others set me on a life path that remains an incredible blessing.

Read More

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

By Betsy Frank
unitedhebrewth Leave a comment

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!

Read More

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

By Student Rabbi Matt Derrenbacher
unitedhebrewth Leave a comment

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.

Read More