CBENT: Rabbi and Cantor

MONTHLY MESSAGES FROM THE RABBI AND CANTOR
L’Chayyim – To Life – 2009

A Happy Healthy Secular New Year! Maybe you gathered with family and friends around the television to watch the ball drop at Times Square ushering in 2009. I hope you raised your glass and said, "L’Chayyim to life!" Throughout the day you may have caught a glimpse of the Mummer’s parade and watched several football games with bowl names that increase with each passing year.

The secular New Year will hopefully recharge our country with a promise of new hope and vision. Maybe our leaders can reverse the spiral of Wall Street and find the wisdom to end terrorism and war in numerous places around the globe. May Confidence and Trust with a strong dose of Faith help fuel our country as we seek to overcome the many obstacles ahead.

The secular New Year reminds us of the promises we made several months ago on the High Holy Days. Now is the time for a spiritual check-up. How many of the items on this list have you fulfilled?

1. Attended a Synagogue program
2. Given Tzedakah
3. Recited Kaddish for a loved one
4. Read a Jewish book or studied the weekly Portion
5. Called or visited a fellow congregant on the Get Well List
6. Attended Minyan
7. Purchased Israeli products
8. Found time to come to Synagogue on Shabbat to thank G-d for recovering from illness, escaping a dangerous situation or celebrating a significant milestone
9. Performed a Mitzvah to help make our community a better place- Tikkun Olam
10. Resolved a conflict with a family member or friend
11. Learned that recycling and saving the environment is important Jewish value- Baal Tashchit
12. Placed some change in the Pishka for the needy or dropped off canned goods at the Food Bank at St. Marks Church
13. Found time to volunteer and support our Synagogue, an important Jewish presence in the community

You don’t have to accomplish everything on this list at once! The challenge is to seize the opportunity to enrich our community and make the world a better place to live. Each one of us can make an important difference!

L’Chayyim – To Life! In the secular year 2009 strive to accomplish and reach for the stars.

Find time to pray, perform Mitzvot, and participate in the numerous activities found in your second home, Congregation Beth El –Ner Tamid.

Happy Secular New Year
Rabbi Barry Blum

A Time of Change

In a few short weeks we will all witness our country inaugurate her 44th President in an historic inauguration. We are faced with tremendous challenges in the years ahead, with the global economy suffering bruised and battered, with so much hatred in the world and people bent on harming us. I know that whether you supported the election of President Elect Obama or not, you will support him and pray for him to have the wisdom to guide our nation through these difficult and turbulent times.

January also brings another historic event as our “baby”, Zoe, turns 7 years old. I have to tell you that she is getting easier as she gets older. If you remember when she was a baby and during her toddler years, she would often present challenges to us. She was always doing her best to make sure we were paying attention and she knew how much we loved solving problems. What a giver she was - loved to give of herself even if it was at a very high pitch and involved dance. What dance you say? Well, she would position herself on the floor and move her legs and arms about (as hard and fast as possible) and couple that with her wonderful screaming, I mean singing!

Seriously, she is turning into a fine young lady. She does well at school, is well behaved and her teachers love her. Alisa and I sat at a recent first grade Parent/Teacher conference and scratched our heads sure that they were describing someone else’s kid. It’s hard to believe the first child to be sent home from Kindergarten (yes, Kindergarten) for an altercation with another student is now so adored by her teachers. It must be from my side of the family that she is so loved and well behaved, right?

Anyway, Alisa and I are privileged to have two wonderful little girls that we love and cherish and who I defeat on the Wii (video game console) on a regular basis. What? You expect me to let them win? No way! Even in their defeat they are gracious and don’t cry too much – just kidding folks (I hope you all know me by now). Some of our new members reading this are thinking, what’s the deal with this guy? To them I say stick around folks - like a fine wine I improve as you partake more and more.

Even though it’s really cold right now, I really would like to see more of you come out and join us at services. We have a great regular group that would be enhanced by you spending some of your Shabbat with us. Having more people at services warms the entire experience for all who attend. We are a close synagogue community and by having you come out and pray, sing, and laugh with us it just makes it all so much better.

Keep warm and be well,

Hazzan Hilton Maze