December 15, 2023

Rabbi Wilfond’s Weekly Message

Dear Friends,

Last night we looked at the Menorah full with eight candles on the final night of Hanukah. Seeing the
full menorah can fill us too with light and hope. We need hope. Especially now in this doubly dark
period of Israel in its longest and deadliest war in 75 years, concurrent with the worse rise in anti-
Semitism in America in more than a century.
Despite this, we have seen an uptick in people coming to the synagogue. Jews are feeling a need for
community unlike anything we have seen since the beginning of Covid. People who had been sitting on
the side-lines are coming to our Temple’s programs and activities. Last week our Night of Lights
attracted a tremendous turn-out, particularly of our younger families in search of friendship, fun and
lots of latkes.
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Yesterday began the new Jewish month of Tevet. The word Tevet in Hebrew is connected to the word
for “drenching.” Tevet is Israel rainiest month. Like the old saying “April showers bring May Flowers,” it’s
the rains of Tevet that bring us the flowers of Shevat at Tu B’Shvat. The buds of life are already waiting
to spring open.
This week light was restored. The moon is reborn with the new moon of Tevet yesterday. In just a few
days, after the dark depths of the solstice on December 21, the days begin to get longer once again and
light grows around us. This increase in sunlight and moonlight is like the increasing light we experienced
yesterday on the final night of Hanukah.
May we draw strength from the light around us to create light within our homes, our community and
our world.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi David Wilfond