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Happy June Temple Beth Israel, Hurray, it appears as though summer, at least officially, has arrived! Wherever summer travels may take you, I would like to encourage a sense of curiosity to explore the local Jewish community. Regardless if you’re visiting Jerusalem, Spain, or Hawaii, I always find it fascinating to partake in a local Shabbat service. I learn so much about the various Jewish customs and traditions when I take the time to meet the indigenous Jewish population.

Can you believe it's June already? It feels like just yesterday we were bundled up in our winter coats, and now we're debating whether the sanctuary air conditioning is too cold (it is) or not cold enough (also true, depending on where you sit). June is one of my favorite months — long days, warm evenings, my birthday, and a calendar that invites us to slow down, gather, and enjoy. And here at Temple Beth Israel, we are very good at gathering. June also marks the close of our

Dear Friends of Temple Beth Israel, May has arrived — and with it, longer days, blooming gardens, and that unmistakable feeling that the universe is nudging us to open the windows (both literally and metaphorically). Here in the Jewish calendar, we find ourselves in the heart of the Omer, counting our way from liberation toward revelation. It turns out that counting your blessings and counting the Omer go beautifully hand in hand. I'll be honest — when I agreed to write this

Happy May Temple Beth Israel, With Memorial Day parades and barbeques, May is the unofficial start to the summer season. In May, we also often celebrate Shavout, which marks the unofficial end to the major Jewish holiday calendar season, as it is the last of the shalosh regalim; the three pilgrimage festivals (along with Sukkot and Passover) when farmers in ancient Israel brough their first fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem. On Shavout we also read the Ten Commandments to com