MIR ZAYNEN DO! WE ARE HERE!
11/07/2022 02:29:28 PM
ALL IN ONE WEEKEND AT ADATH SHALOM! On Thursday, there was an FBI alert requiring us to strengthen our security measures. Maybe some communities would have shut down, but we did not do anything of the sort. We strengthened our security and police presence and carried on. We had so many amazing and rewarding activities all in one weekend. So mnay vounteers were involved in organizing each activity. We kicked off shabbat with a musical Kabbalat Shabbat and celebrated Liam Schlam becoming a bar mitzvah. On Shabbat morning I had the privilege of participating in the first Open Door Minyan of this year. It was such an uplifting experience to see what a positive impact Adath Shalom can have on the lives of these beautiful, special souls.
On Sunday morning, at religious school I sang shabbat songs and prayers with our youngest students, followed by an introduction of Tallit and Tefillin with our zayin students. AFTER religious school, I bowled with our 3rd, 4th and 5th graders and visited Arbor Terrace to see the Fiddler On the Roof rehearsal directed by Rabbi Rudin. In the evening, over 80 people participated in a mesmerizing commemoration of Kristallnacht. I drove home feeling elated by the impact of each one of these activities and amazed at all the volunteers who made these programs happen. I was filled with so many positive vibes from each activity.
I did not take actual pictures, but I am left with the following mental images of this wonderful fall weekend: The voices of our Gan and Aleph students as they learn to recite the shabbat blessings and the shema; a madricha sitting in the midst of a small group of students helping them learn to read Hebrew, the Zayin students struggling to learn the mystical art of tying tzitzit, the cheers of a 9 year old bowling a spare, Jewish kids socializing at the bowling alley - brought together by the sheer connection to Adath Shalom, the 86 year old pianist playing the score of fiddler by memory - her strong fingers hitting the keys - the 15 seniors singing the hits, and finally the singing of the Partisan Song, the hymn of the Jewish resistance fighters and the final words: "WE ARE HERE". The weekend began with a threat, but it ended with a confirmation of Jewish resilience and the statement that MIR ZAYNEN DO! WE ARE HERE!