Congregation Shalom Newsletter & Shabbat Message

www.shalomsa.org

Friday, January 20, 2023
28 Tevet 5783

Shabbat Evening Worship at 6:45 PM

Service Leader: Rabbi Lisa Goldstein
Musical Accompaniment: Mike Stern

Join us here on Zoom
or on YouTube

Wendy and Stan Drezek - 53 years!

Of Blessed Memory
Yahrzeits
James Elmore - brother of Dawn Elmore

Sunday, January 15, 2023
22 Tevet 5783
Kesher at 9:30 AM

D'VAR TORAH
Torah Reading

Va-eira: Exodus 6‍‍:‍2‍−9‍‍:‍3‍5‍‍

What’s in a name? So much of our identity is wrapped up in our names. I’ve become even more acutely aware of this lately as more and more, my name in the community has morphed from “Lisa” to “Rabbi.”

I always wanted a nickname when I was younger, but it was really hard to make a nickname out of “Lisa.” My father, not even knowing my secret desire, called me “Leesee” and “Liza Jane” (instead of Lisa Jill), and my sister’s Hebrew school friends mercilessly teased both of us when they twisted her Yiddish name – Eidel Gittel – to call me “Little Gittel.” I was over the moon when I went to Camp Yavneh, then a Hebrew speaking camp, and the Israeli faculty dubbed me “Gingit” – Israeli slang for “redhead.” The nickname stuck for all six summers I attended Camp Yavneh, and even today is part of my personal email address.

So it should not surprise us that such an emphasis is placed on God’s introducing God’s self to Moses yet again at the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Va-eira. God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am יהוה. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself known to them by My name יהוה.” You can read Parashat Va-eira here.

The truth is, if we look back at Genesis, we will find many, many instances when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob addressed God as “Adonai.” So what is this statement really all about?

According to our tradition, God is known to the Jewish people by many names – we can find many of them in our prayerbook – but the personal name of God, יהוה, is the most common and the least understood. It expresses the personal relationship between God and the people of Israel as a collective, but also with the individual Jew. Tne tradition takes the vowel from Adonai and places them under the consonants יהוה. Thus one does not pronounce this four-letter name (or tetragrammaton) – replacing it with “Adonai” instead. Never pronounced, it implies the more personal attributes of the God of Israel, rather than the powerful energy of Elohim, the God of the ordered world.

The next time you come to services, I encourage you to pay attention to the various names for God that are included throughout our liturgy, and see which hold the most personal meaning for you. And then… when we reach the conclusion of the service – Aleinu – they all come together when we call God “Ein Od” – the One Who has no beginning or end, the One Who is all encompassing.

What’s in a name? It’s all in your perspective.

To add or remove a name to/from our Mi Shebeirach (Prayer for Healing) list, visit our website at
https://shalomsa.org/mi-shebeirach-prayer-for-healing/

If you or a loved one is in the hospital or ill at home and would appreciate a call or a visit, please let Rabbi Lisa know.
Email: lisa@shalomsa.org or call: (210) 474-6082

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY!
We are hiring an Administrative Assistant.
This is a part-time, 12-15 hours/week,
contract (1099) position. It is mostly remote, with an occasional need to be on-site (i.e. High Holy Days).
For job description and application information, click here.

**************************************************************

Prayer: A 3-Part Series

Sundays, 1:30-3:00 pm
In-person at House of Prayer Lutheran Church
10226 Ironside Drive, 78230
Each session will stand on its own;
together, they form a cohesive series.
There is no fee for these classes

January 29 - Why Pray?

What is the purpose of prayer, according to Judaism? What can we hope to achieve? Is God listening? And if we can't know, why bother?

February 26 - Movement in Prayer

When do we bend and bow, stand and sit, go on tiptoes, cover our eyes, and all those other strange movements we see at services? What do they mean, and why do we do them?

March 26 - The Music of Prayer

How do you decide which music to use for each of the prayers or for each service? Why is the music for High Holy Days so different than for Shabbat? And what's with all the new melodies? Can't we just sing the ones we know already?

Sponsor an Oneg Shabbat!

Do you have a birthday or anniversary coming up in our family? Sponsor an Oneg Shabbat to celebrate your simcha (joyous occasion)! Your donation of $36 helps to cover the cost of wine, baked and paper goods, and soft drinks. If you prefer, bake or purchase brownies, cookies, or cake to donate. If you bring a large batch, we can store them in the freezer for a later date. Please let Sondra Singer know if you can bake.

We are Grateful to...

TO MAKE A DONATION

P.O. Box 700187
San Antonio, TX 78270

or use the link below to donate by credit card

NO FEES with Zelle!

We can now accept payments and donations through Zelle with no fees to either you or to Congregation Shalom! You can find us by scanning the QR code in this box or by searching Congregation Shalom of San Antonio at lisa@shalomsa.org.

Congregation Shalom of San Antonio
PO Box 700187
San Antonio, TX 78270

Congregation Shalom phone number:
(210) 474-6082

Invite a Friend to Join Congregation Shalom

NOW is always the perfect time to become a member of Congregation Shalom! Invite your friends to our joyful and friendly Shabbat services and extend a warm invitation to join our congregation.

Congregation Shalom Membership Applications

If you or someone you know would like to become a member of Congregation Shalom, please contact Rabbi Lisa at Lisa@shalomsa.org or (210) 474-6082 for an application or visit our website.

If you see or experience an act of antisemitism, report it:

Report to ADL (Anti-Defamation League)
Report to JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council of Jewish Federation of San Antonio)

COMMUNITY NEWS AND UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES

This is an event for people of all ages, ethnicities, religions and singing abilities!!! The group will be taught different parts of one song and then join together as one large chorus, combining the different elements together. It will surely be a fun and inspiring experience for everyone. Please register at www.rodfeisholom.com.

KooLuLam describes itself as “a social musical initiative aimed at empowering communities and strengthening the fabric of society.” Their goal is to bring together people of different backgrounds, cultures, faiths and geographies through collaborative creative experiences. Their name, a mashup of the Hebrew words for ululation & everyone, reflects this purpose.

EVERYONE NEEDS A LITTLE HELP SOMETIMES!

If you do, or if you know someone who does, please reach out to the Hebrew Free Loan Association of San Antonio. Donations are also very
welcome! Please click HERE for more information.

SAJSS SHABBAT DELIVERIES

This Week