2019 High Holiday Message

I happened to glance up at the sky last night, noticing the full moon. “Ah,” my rabbinic brain calculated, “it’s about 6 weeks now until Rosh Hashanah.” My glance heavenward comes in a week that has been filled with blessings, two in particular.

A few nights ago, our community gathered at the Greenstein home for a community get-together, which in part, made it possible for me to meet so many of you. I was so gratified by the great turnout on a mid-August night. It only confirmed what I have been sensing over these past months – I am so lucky to have found Sha’arei Shalom as our family’s next congregational home. To those I have met along the way – and those of you I will meet in the weeks and months to come, thank you for your warm and gracious welcome. I look forward to the joys, learning and laughter we will share together, even as inevitably, we will share sadder times as well.

That brings me to this week’s second blessing – the enlargement of our family as we welcomed a new child, as my oldest son Benjamin and his wife Emily had their second baby, Henry, who takes his place alongside his 21⁄2 -year old big brother, Ian. Though I have been meeting the members of Sha’arei Shalom over these recent months, my wife Laura, and our children, and now grandchildren, will also look forward to meeting and becoming a part of the extended Sha’arei Shalom family.

We are nearly on the cusp of a new Jewish year – 5780. I look forward with great anticipation and excitement to welcoming it with you all – and to sharing its many blessings which we pray will include good health, new friendships, sweet times and most especially, the blessing of shalom!

Enjoy these waning days of summer – I look forward to being with you soon, and often in days and weeks to come.

Warmly,

Rabbi Eric