How you can help?
Please consider donating to the organizations assisting those affected by the War in Israel. Your contribution can make a significant difference in providing aid and support to the countless individuals in need.
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Why do we feel out of control or unbalanced in our lives? In my Kol Nidre sermon, I explored how we often are drawn to pleasures that leave us feeling worse, unbalanced, and unfulfilled. I spoke about a tool called an “Excitement Fast,” where we abstain from overly pleasurable activities in order for us to restore a sense of balance in our lives. However, this is difficult to do alone without the support of people who are going through the similar challenges.
We are forming an online group in October called “Centering Circle,” to gather and gain insights from Jewish tradition and support one another. We will relinquish short-term enticements that detract from our well-being and support each other through the process.
How do I know if I should engage in an excitement fast? If your behaviors are leading to guilt or shame, or if you can’t stop thinking about your excitement of choice, then you might want to engage in this fast.
YOUR EXCITEMENT OF CHOICE MAY BE: Alcohol ● Drugs ● Exercise ● Gambling ● Romance Novels ● Sex/Pornography ● Shopping ● Social Media
Our Centering Circle will meet online Mondays and Wednesday, October 2 – November 1, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. and will be facilitated by Dr. Ken Elman.
Registration is not required, however if you would like to receive a reminder about the meeting, please email centeringcircle@atadelohim.com.
To join our Centering Circle without registering, click here.
Have you experienced déjà vu where you feel as though you have seen something before and are reexperiencing it at the moment? It is a strange feeling, to be sure. I had that same experience the first time I visited Israel. Somehow, it felt I had been there before. Many people looked vaguely familiar, as if I attended a Jewish summer camp with them, and the Hebrew letters, written on so many street signs, reminded me of the prayers I learned in Hebrew school.
Many members of our congregation have gathered to experience Israel together. Some of our members are being joined by other family members from around the country, and other participants found out about our trip and will be joining the TAE family, at least temporarily.
This ten-day trip is more than just a gathering of people going on vacation together, rather we are like pilgrims, exploring the possibility of discovering deep religious, historical, and cultural significance in the ancient stones and modern sky scrapers of this second home of ours. It is a strange feeling to be traveling to a new place, feeling like it is a return home. This is exactly what many people feel when they land at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
I hope you will join Sandy and me along our journey through Israel as we discover its beauty, understand its struggles, and work for its betterment.
Sometimes we crave clarity but it’s just not there.
A television show I tend to watch is called “Hoarders,” a show about hoarders who live inside homes overflowing with objects and trash they never throw away. Compulsive hoarding is a terrible disease that deserves compassion. By the time the professionals from the show are called, the hoarding is out of control and hoarders’ lives are unmanageable. What I always wonder is what preceded the hoarding? Could they have caught it early, before the pattern was set?
While hoarding is relatively rare, the pattern of waiting until behaviors get out of control is more common. For example, you may have elderly parents who have lost the ability to care for themselves. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that you will be called upon to evaluate whether someone in your family is able to care for themselves.
What if we catch the pattern early and get ahead of the care? What if we can identify how to gain control of other patterns before they get out of hand? During Shabbat on Friday, June 16, at 7:00 p.m., in our series on Wisdom Lists, you will gain some insights you can use when loved ones might be losing the ability to live on their own. We hope to see you for this important discussion!
L’Shalom,
Rabbi Diamond