Hooray, we have finally reached March, which means spring is right around the corner! After what has been a brutal winter, the coldest in recent memory, we can set our sights to warmer days, more sunshine, the blossoming of flowers, and hopefully less winter weather. At the beginning of the month, we turn the clocks forward and after a few months without major Jewish holidays, we begin to awaken from the festival-less doldrums. As we turn the calendar to March, we usher in t

February is an odd month on the calendar. While there aren’t any major Jewish holidays, the month is filled with humorous attempts by humanity to distract us from the fact that February still feels like the dead of winter. Groundhog Day: A Quirky Tradition Groundhog Day is the quintessential “weather-related” holiday. The entire event focuses on whether a rotund rodent, known as Punxsutawney Phil, is frightened enough by his own shadow to remain burrowed for another six weeks

Happy March Temple Beth Israel, As we turn the calendar to March, we usher in the Hebrew months of Adar , followed by Adar II ; a time according to our rabbis, when we increase our joy each day. As the days pass, we focus our hearts and our souls in preparation for the celebration known as Purim . The Jewish New Year and the Hebrew calendar, Rosh Hashanah , don’t offer the same rowdy, ruckus and light-hearted affair that the Gregorian calendar allows for on Dec.31st/Jan.1st.

The beginning of February is a beautiful time in our Torah’s journey. We often read about the Passover saga, the parting of the Red Sea, and the wonders of receiving the Torah at Sinai. While we read these events in late January or early February, they feel more like Spring holidays- an odd misplaced distortion of time and celebrations. As we have arrived at a point in the Jewish calendar, in-between Tu B’Shevat and Purim, where the peak of winter has reached its darkest, col

Happy January Temple Beth Israel, In what is generally understood to be a quite time on the Jewish calendar, the dead of winter allows us a chance to catch our collective Jewish breaths in between the joyful chaos associated with our Jewish holidays. It was an absolute joy to celebrate Chanukkah together with so many of you, both in our community wide lighting in Trinity Park as well as the Chanukkah party held at Temple Beth Israel. It  warmed my heart to see new and familia

Good afternoon friends of Temple Beth Israel and the greater Plattsburgh community, We are still in complete shock of Saturday morning’s barbaric attack against Israel. In what should have been a joyous occasion, the holiday of Simchat Torah turned into an unimaginable massacre and the worse loss of Jewish civilian life since the Holocaust. While Israelis and the Israeli Defense Forces begin the hard work of securing their land, we ask for continued communal support during th

Shalom folks, Hopefully everyone is enjoying this beautiful summer weather during our current Fall harvest festival-Sukkot! Here are a few photos from our Pizza Shabbat in the Sukkah, on Friday, Sept. 29th. Thanks to everyone who helped decorate our sukkah and wave the lulav and etrog!

October Film Event 🎬 Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz “The fascinating story of Ben Ferencz—the last surviving Nuremberg prosecutor and lifelong advocate of “law not war.” 10/22 2pm *Discussion will Follow

Welcome Back to the Temple Beth Israel community! As folks return from a busy summer filled with traveling, cookouts, and family gatherings, we here at Temple Beth Israel have been hard at work ramping up for the next year of Jewish life in the greater Plattsburgh area. We are extremely proud of our High Holiday programming. Student Rav-Hazzan, Emily Howard Meyer will once again lead us in melody over Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We’re very excited to usher in the new year t

ON THE SCENE: Antisemitism in the North Country MAY 4, 2023 NAJ WIKOFF Columnist Since 2013, the annual number of antisemitic incidents in the United States has tripled, with New York state leading the way with 580 reported last year. Of those, 16% were assaults, roughly 44% were vandalism, and 40% were harassment. About half of the reported cases occurred in public spaces, 84 at Jewish institutions, 78 at private residents, 43 at businesses and the balance at non-Jewish K-1

Insidious Evil Revisited: A Historical Analysis of Antisemitism Throughout the spring, Temple Beth Israel will offer a weekly course, outlining a historical analysis of antisemitism. These informal workshops are designed to educate, generate discussion, and learn more about literature and academic scholarship on the various periods of antisemitism. While literature and follow-up material will be referenced, absolutely no prior knowledge or in-depth expertise are required to l