This is a picture from Simchat Torah last Sunday night. For our celebrations we honoured David and Abigail Dolan as Chatan Torah and Kallat Bereshit in the evening and David Hoffmann and Lesley Urbach in the morning. I don’t think it would be overstating to say ‘we had a blast’. Between Torah limericks, unrolling and over 35 opening verses of parshiot (portions) read, we were astounded by the turn out of our Jewishly literate Liberal congregation. That truly was a joy.
The last letter of Deuteronomy is a lamed and the first letter of Bereshit a bet. Put together lamed and bet and you get lev a heart. I’m reminded of the heart of this community again and again. Throughout these Tishri festivals we have come together again and again. Just as we read as we finished Torah, so may it be for each one of us: strength strength, let us be strengthened.
After this Shabbat, Bereshit, I’ll be taking some time off as we reach the end of the HHD season and head into the quieter month of Cheshvan.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Rebecca