June/July 2007

As the weather heats up in Tucson, things here appear to quiet down. We switch to “summer mode” and suddenly our calendars are nearly empty of activities, classes and meetings. One might think the Jewish community is on retreat from the heat. But that’s not true at all, at least not at Congregation Chaverim.

I’m fond of pointing out that Judaism doesn’t take a vacation. So, as you see from the notice above this column, our Shabbat evening services continue uninterrupted all summer. However, we are experimenting with an earlier beginning time, in the hope that families with children will find it easier to attend.

Our less obvious but equally important summer activity is High Holidays planning. It takes a committee of ten to replace the hard-working Kenny and Sandra Wortzel who have organized our High Holiday services for years, or is it decades? After they begged for several years to be relieved of the responsibility we finally took the hint.

Elizabeth Jackson has stepped forward to chair a committee of congregants and staff. They will be busy this summer making sure that all goes smoothly on Rosh Hashanah (September 12 evening and September 13 day), and Yom Kippur (September 21 evening and September 22 day). We will again be at the Unitarian/Universalist Church on 22nd Street, except for Rosh Hashanah morning services on Mt Lemmon and In Town in our sanctuary.

In the middle of the summer--a distant thunder roll before the High Holidays--is Tisha b’Av, the 9th of Av. Because it falls in the summer, this holiday is too often overlooked. But Judaism doesn’t take a vacation. On Tisha b’Av we come together to lament our communal tragedies. The holiday connects us to the dark side of our history, so that we can all the more strongly appreciate the bright celebration of Rosh Hashanah. Tisha b’Av begins Monday evening, July 23. More information about our observance is inside this newsletter.

If you spend the summer in town, please join us for Shabbat services and our Tisha b’Av observance. If you are traveling, remember: just because you are on vacation doesn’t mean Judaism is! Stay connected by exploring the Jewish community wherever your travels might take you. You might be surprised by how at home you will feel.

L’shalom,
Rabbi Helen