My dear North Shore Synagogue Family,
Our year began, as it always does, in the month of Tishrei (approximately mid-September) with our High Holy Day services and programs. We welcomed Cantor Steven Hevenstone and his wife, Kathy, to our community as he lifted our prayers to the heavens with beautiful songs. We celebrated Sukkot in our Sukkah with Shabbat Under the Stars and began our B’nei Mitzvah season. Then, on Simchat Torah, our Jewish lives were shattered with the horrific, brutal October 7th attack on our people in Southern Israel.
We immediately mobilized with a “stand with Israel” rally that involved 9 synagogues and Faith Lutheran church with over 400 people in attendance. Only a short while later, we at NSS organized a Neshama Carlebach and Noah Aronson concert as a fundraiser for Israel which boasted over 800 people in attendance and over 36 Long Island synagogues and NY Jewish organizations taking part. We raised over $25,000 dollars to benefit Israel that night alone. We also helped collect medical supplies and clothing, pack them, and fly them over to Israel.
Since then we have come together with our larger community to fight the massive rise in antisemitism in the world, our country, and our community. We supported our college students who have faced antisemitism on their campuses. We attended rallies and board meetings and even helped to create a new, unified group of Jews in Syosset known as AJACS. We have continued to celebrate with an amazing Chanukah magic show, planting parsley for Tu B’shevat to use on Passover. A wonderfully connecting Women’s Seder accompanied a fun and meaningful Second Night Seder followed an incredibly successful Purim Carnival and show by our religious school children.
We continued to pray, learn, and gather together to socialize AND to make the world a better place. We, as a community, have grown. We are flourishing and we are creating the kind of synagogue everyone wants to be a part of. We should be proud of our accomplishments, especially in this world that we live in today.
Now we are about to embark on a summer. Many people (except camp directors) use this time to reset and rejuvenate in preparation for the upcoming year. Perhaps many of us will be able to do this with sunshine and beaches as well. For many of us, we may remain in the muck, trying to figure things out in our lives, our world, our families. In today’s world, I offer you this:
North Shore Synagogue does not go anywhere during the summer. We come together (religiously) every Friday evening to pray and enjoy each other’s company afterwards at the oneg. We join together on Saturday mornings to challenge each other, to vent and share about the world, and to study what our ancient texts teach us about today. We study together on Wednesday mornings either in person or via zoom (both are an option). And those are just the recurring programs!
Our doors are open, our phones are on, our emails are checked. Help us help you rejuvenate and refresh. When the world wants us to disappear, let’s show up.
Coming Together and Rejuvenating (Rabbi Shalhevet)
August 18, 2024 by nssadmin • Blog
Our year began, as it always does, in the month of Tishrei (approximately mid-September) with our High Holy Day services and programs. We welcomed Cantor Steven Hevenstone and his wife, Kathy, to our community as he lifted our prayers to the heavens with beautiful songs. We celebrated Sukkot in our Sukkah with Shabbat Under the Stars and began our B’nei Mitzvah season. Then, on Simchat Torah, our Jewish lives were shattered with the horrific, brutal October 7th attack on our people in Southern Israel.
We immediately mobilized with a “stand with Israel” rally that involved 9 synagogues and Faith Lutheran church with over 400 people in attendance. Only a short while later, we at NSS organized a Neshama Carlebach and Noah Aronson concert as a fundraiser for Israel which boasted over 800 people in attendance and over 36 Long Island synagogues and NY Jewish organizations taking part. We raised over $25,000 dollars to benefit Israel that night alone. We also helped collect medical supplies and clothing, pack them, and fly them over to Israel.
Since then we have come together with our larger community to fight the massive rise in antisemitism in the world, our country, and our community. We supported our college students who have faced antisemitism on their campuses. We attended rallies and board meetings and even helped to create a new, unified group of Jews in Syosset known as AJACS. We have continued to celebrate with an amazing Chanukah magic show, planting parsley for Tu B’shevat to use on Passover. A wonderfully connecting Women’s Seder accompanied a fun and meaningful Second Night Seder followed an incredibly successful Purim Carnival and show by our religious school children.
We continued to pray, learn, and gather together to socialize AND to make the world a better place. We, as a community, have grown. We are flourishing and we are creating the kind of synagogue everyone wants to be a part of. We should be proud of our accomplishments, especially in this world that we live in today.
Now we are about to embark on a summer. Many people (except camp directors) use this time to reset and rejuvenate in preparation for the upcoming year. Perhaps many of us will be able to do this with sunshine and beaches as well. For many of us, we may remain in the muck, trying to figure things out in our lives, our world, our families. In today’s world, I offer you this:
North Shore Synagogue does not go anywhere during the summer. We come together (religiously) every Friday evening to pray and enjoy each other’s company afterwards at the oneg. We join together on Saturday mornings to challenge each other, to vent and share about the world, and to study what our ancient texts teach us about today. We study together on Wednesday mornings either in person or via zoom (both are an option). And those are just the recurring programs!
Our doors are open, our phones are on, our emails are checked. Help us help you rejuvenate and refresh. When the world wants us to disappear, let’s show up.