By Amy Unger
Please Join Us for a Yom Ha’Shoa Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day
On April 6, Congregation Or Atid, in partnership with local Jewish organizations, will host a Yom HaShoah Community-Wide Remembrance Commemoration (with brunch) honoring Alex Keisch, a local Holocaust Survivor.
The 2025 theme is for a better future. The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of liberation from Auschwitz and Birkenau, the 30th anniversary of genocide in Bosnia, and, more recently, the one-year anniversary since Oct. 7.
Congregation Or Atid has an unwavering commitment to honor the legacy and memory of Survivors and victims of the Holocaust. Every year, we pause and reaffirm our commitment to their memory, and we hope you will join us in doing so on April 6, from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
For details and to RSVP, visit:
www.oratid.org/event/yom-hashoah—holocaust-remembrance-day-commemoration-honoring-alex-keisch.html
The Tastes and Teachings of Tu B’Shevat
In honor of Tu B’Shevat, our Helen and Sam Kornblau Religious School students made apple tarts and pineapple lollipops!
The students had a blast and enjoyed their beautiful creations. The teachers and students discussed the meaning of the Tu B’Shevat holiday. This was such a fun and meaningful way to celebrate the holiday together! (See photos above/below)
An Insightful Scholar in Residence Weekend
Congregation Or Atid held a very special Scholar in Residence Shabbat weekend on Feb. 14-16.
Our guest, Rabbi Natan Margalit, Ph.D., gave three wonderful presentations where he successfully combined ecological science with modern Judaism. Rabbi Margalit is the author of The Pearl and the Flame: A Journey into Jewish Wisdom and Ecological Thinking. He holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from UC Berkley and is the Chair of the Rabbinic Texts Department at the Aleph Ordination Program, where he also directs the Earth-Based Judaism tract.
Rabbi Margalit philosophy is based on three major principles: emergence or minyan; mikdash or nestedness; and mitzvah or turning point.
With emergence you see the environment as a whole, not reduced to a million tiny parts or phenomena. This corresponds with what is taught in freshman Biology termed emergent properties where there are levels of life each building on the other from atoms to the whole ecosphere.
The second concept is mikdash or nestedness, which suggests the complexity of oneness where all domains in our lives are interrelated. Freshman biology students learn about communities where completely different species in a small area such as a pond are highly connected. The third concept is mitzvah or tipping point. This suggests that Judaism proposes we should have hope in this era where the world, especially its environmental qualities, seem to be at a turning point.
Several members of the congregation had touching examples of mitzvahs they had performed or witnessed. The total impact of this fascinating weekend is that Judaism, one of the most ancient faiths in the world, can adapt to our increasingly complicated environment both technologically and naturally.
Those attending over the weekend thoroughly enjoyed Rabbi Margalit’s visit and appreciated the uplifting experience he provided.
Shabbat for the Senses
On Friday Feb. 28, attendees at Congregation Or Atid experienced a “sensory” Shabbat for Friday night services where they were immersed in the mystery of the Mishkan (the portable Tabernacle).
The Or Atid sanctuary was transformed into an immersive and tactile experience for attendees, hearkening to the days of the Mishkan.
The entrance to the sanctuary was festooned in red, purple and blue – the colors of the Mishkan.
The parsha for that week related how Moses collected materials for the Tabernacle, including providing details on how it is to be built down to exact dimensions.
Interesting details also included how the doorway was to be on the east side and the ceiling was to be overlayed with embroidered purple linen, then goat skin, ram skin and finally a heavy rain proof top.
Attendees experienced hearing the bells of the “High Priest”, seeing the stones of the breastplate, smelling the fragrance of the incense, and standing in the middle of the Tabernacle’s boundaries.
Congregant, Frankie Snyder (pictured below) provided interesting details about the Mishkan including demonstrating the placement of the bread, incense and Menorah in the Mishkan.
This was such an informative and engaging Shabbat!
A huge thank you to all who prepared this excellent sensory experience!
Nurturing Wellness
On Feb. 16, Samantha Haswell, MS, RD, gave an insightful lecture on “Tu B’Shevat: Nurturing Wellness Through Plant-Based Eating.”
Samantha spoke about how the traditions of Tu B’Shevat can inspire healthy, plant-based eating habits to enhance overall wellness. She related how the nutritional benefits of plant-based foods can contribute to a balanced and sustainable lifestyle.
“The Afterlife In Judaic Thought”
On Sunday evening March 9, several members of the congregation and the Jewish community joined Rabbi Sherry for an insightful discussion on Jewish views of the afterlife, including reward and retribution, soul immortality, resurrection, and reincarnation.
Together we learned that Rabbis teach us that “even though the body dies, the soul never dies.”
We also discovered the meaning behind Jewish mourning traditions, such as why we follow a timed grieving guide of 7 days Shiva, 30 days mourning, followed by a 1 year Yahrzeit, signifying that “it’s now time to complete the grieving period and move on with your life.”
Rabbi Sherry referenced several passages from the Torah, Shabbat services and other sources, such as Maimonides 13 Principles of Faith, in a thought provoking, participative discussion.
