From the Reb's Desk...
 
Reb Irwin Huberman
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October 17, 2008
Sukkah Hop!
Get ready for CTI's religious/social event of the year.
This Saturday evening, CTI will hop from Sukkah to Sukkah as we spend time eating, singing, and partying in celebration of Chag (The Sukkot Holiday.)
There will be guitars and other musical instruments on hand as we move in a convoy from house to house across the Glen Cove area.
We'll begin at 7:00pm at Cantor Gustavo's house, located at 8 High Pine, and proceed on our holiday caravan.
Please e-mail me if you have any questions.
Family Sukkot Event: Awareness of the Needy
One of Sukkot's most important purposes involves heightening our awareness of the needy and homeless. And we believe that teaching of this lesson involves parents in leadership roles.
On Sunday, our ongoing Family (Mishpuchah) Education Program continues at 10:30am with a special Sukkot session dealing with compassion for those less fortunate.
Children of all ages and their parents are welcome to assemble food baskets for the Inter Agency Nutritional Network (The INN) which is Glen Cove's primary agency involved in helping to feed the needy.
Indeed, it is vital for the Jewish people, who wandered in the wilderness for forty years, to acknowledge and assist those who do not have a permanent home in our community.
This is a wonderful opportunity to enhance the spirit of Menchlekeit (compassion and goodness) in our homes and our community.
Please join us at 10:30am on Sunday.
Simhat Torah Wrap
Tuesday night will be big at CTI. Very big.
We will usher in Simhat Torah, a celebration to mark the end of the yearly Torah cycle, by unraveling the entire Torah and extending it around the total circumference of the ballroom.
Everyone will have a chance to hold up a portion, and together review the entire Torah in 10 minutes.
This will be a wonderful family evening as we celebrate with food and spirit.
We'll begin at 7:00pm.
Read Hebrew America
We now have confirmed times and dates for CTI's five week Hebrew reading courses.
There will be two classes offered on Monday nights beginning Monday, Nov. 3 and ending on Dec.1. For beginners, we offer a five week crash course from 7:00pm to 8:30pm, following by Hebrew II which will run from 8:35pm to 10:00pm.
The Crash Course is for total beginners, while Hebrew II is designed for those with some knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet.
Read Hebrew America is part of an ongoing effort to enhance Hebrew reading skills and is particularly aimed at those who have tried learning but who have been frustrated in the past.
CTI will be following an established and proven curricula prepared by Read Hebrew America.
There is no cost for the program, but we need to know how many books to order. Please e-mail me if you are interested in participating.
The End, The Beginning
One of the most beautiful passages our entire tradition is read this week as we conclude the yearly reading of the Torah.
We conclude the Torah with the death of Moses and the passing of the torch to Joshua and beyond. The Talmud tells us that Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, the elders to the prophets, and the prophets handed it to the Great Assembly.
Ultimately the chain extends to you and me, and to generations to come.
Our Torah is a living Torah, full of ancient stories, lessons, laws, and history which serve as a platform that helps us as Jews to live lives of compassion, lovingkindness, and care to this day. We will celebrate this precious tradition this week as we open the entire Torah on Tuesday night, and read "the end" of the Torah.
This Torah lives in our hearts and in our homes, and comes alive in our interactions with others and in the way we pass this ethical tradition to our children and grandchildren.
This Saturday, I will share with you one of the most touching Midrashim (learned myths) of our tradition, as God in a final act of physical love bids farewell to Moses.
It is a lesson of love and care which extends from God to humanity. Come this Saturday and hear the moving end to the Torah as we close another yearly chapter in our lives, and move back to the beginning of our never-ending story.
Shabbat shalom, Chag Sameach (Happy Holiday,)
Reb Irwin Huberman
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