Mem, Mem Sofit, Chirik, and Atonement!

Hey everyone- busy week for everyone as we prepare for the big event on Sunday night-- the family Kol Nidre service! I'm really excited as we have some great content and look forward to making the Yom Kippur evening service into an interactive learning experience-- that is (and I'm not sure if it should be or not...) fun, yet still respectful and true to the spirit of the event.

Ruach is the word that comes to mind when Judy, the Rabbi, and the Cantor and I sit down to prepare these alternative services. We want to capture the spirituality and energy that can come from these events. To me there's nothing more spiritually unpleasant than sitting in a large room full of people who repeat liturgy without 1) understanding the personal meaning behind the words and melodies that our people have chanted for hundreds if not thousands of years; and 2) feeling a connection to the event. The liturgy and content of conservative services is deeply significant and has been to our people (and other faiths) for centuries.

The best example I could give is the Hashkiveinu prayer we chant every Friday night. The words, both in English and Hebrew, are beautiful and motivational-- yet most of us blindly chant the Hebrew without stopping to appreciate it. Same goes for Modim Anachnu Lach at the end of the Amidah-- these two prayers, at least to me, are the essence of Shabbat. I'll go into more detail on these after the High Holidays.

Anyhow (FO-CUS, Mr. Rob) back on topic -- we look to capture the same feeling and explore the deep meaning of the Yom Kippur liturgy and do it in a way that connects to us as 21st century families.

Class today was limited to 2 topics- and they're important: Atonement (and not just saying "Sorry"); and Hebrew reading including Mem/Mem Sofit and the vowel Chirik (long e sound). If you missed class this week you can download the homework by clicking on these links: Lesson 4a , Lesson 4b then printing the sheets.

REMINDERS: 1) YES there is class this Sunday!!! We will be learning some songs for the Kol Nidre service! Please attend!; 2) Class Shabbat and 3rd grade Consecration is coming up on 10/2. SAVE THE DATE! We will be leading part of the service.