Seeking to Know God

Many exciting and adventurous things occur in this weeks Torah portion, Ki Tissa. It begins with the decree for each Israelite to make a contribution for the building of the portable sanctuary used while the Israelites wander through the desert. Moses then appoints two artisans to oversee its construction and beautification. The narrative switches over to the iconic description of God giving the Ten Commandments to Moses on top of Mt. Sinai. While Moses is up on the mountain for 40 days and nights, the Israelites get anxious and worry that he wont be coming down. They turn to Aaron, who eases their fears by building the Golden Calf, a physical representation of a god for the people to worship in place of Adonai. This of course does not make either God or Moses too happy. When Moses sees the people dancing around the Golden Calf, he smashes the tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them, melts down the calf, and forces those who were worshipping it to drink the liquid.

Moses, however does not entirely give up on the people. He knows that he has to regain control, both of the people, and of his own anger. And so he turns to God. Moses encounters Gods presence in the Tent of Meeting, the portable sanctuary. God is visible in the form of a pillar of cloud so that all the Israelites can see and know Gods presence. The Torah tells us that Moses and God would speak panim el panim, face to face, until Moses and God were both ready to lead their stiff-necked flock to the Promised Land. And yet, this isnt good enough for Moses. He has a strong desire to know who God is, what the essence of God is.

When Moses ascends Mt. Sinai for the second time in order to re-receive the Ten Commandments, he asks God to reveal Gods true presence to him. Moses yearns to experience Gods true nature personally.

This is something that many people also strive for in their life  to know Gods presence, to feel Gods presence, to understand that God is with them as they go through their lives. Yet, this is also something that can seem very hard to achieve. How do we truly experience God in the world?

It is different for different people. No one way is right or wrong. Some people feel Gods presence during Shabbat and holiday services when they are sitting in the sanctuary at KI or in other religious institutions. Some people experience the Divine while hiking or boating, or taking an airplane ride through the open sky. And others recognize Gods presence in the small, daily miracles of raising children and grandchildren, doing kind deeds for others, or learning something new.

As a Jewish community we seek to find moments of holiness in times of joy and times and sorrow. We can find God in face-to-face encounters with our family and friends. We can help reveal the Divine presence in the world when we study Jewish topics and pass down Jewish traditions from generation to generation. This Shabbat, I encourage you to take a few moments and think about ways in which you connect to God, to holiness, in your life. Perhaps you can even share your thoughts with your family and friends over dinner. After all, our tradition teaches that when two people sit and study Torah, or share spiritual ideas, the Divine presence dwells among them.

Shabbat Shalom!!

NEXT WEEK - Friday, March 12 - Evening Service at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, March 13 - Torah Study Havurah at 9:00 a.m.; Junior Congregation at 10:30 a.m.; Morning Service at 10:30 a.m.; Havdalah Service at 5:30 p.m.

COMING UP - Friday, March 19 - Blue Bell - Tie Dye Shabbat at 6:00 p.m. led by Kitah Bet. Elkins Park - Evening Service at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, March 20 - Torah Study Havurah at 9:00 a.m.; Morning Service at 10:30 a.m.; Rydal Park Service at 2:00 p.m.

RABBI'S FORUM: "Art and Judaism: A Visual History" - "Beyond Judaism: Jews in the Secular Arts" - Rescheduled to Sunday, March 21 at 10:00 a.m. in the Rothschild Auditorium.

GOT A FACEBOOK PROFILE? Become a fan of KI's Facebook Fanpage. Search Facebook for Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel. Stop by regularly for events, music, video, pictures and more. If you have digital photos or video of KI events that you'd like to see on the page, please email them to Tracy.

KI USHER CORPS - Interested in becoming an usher at KI? Contact Nathan Zinberg at 215-884-5050.

BUY SCRIP - Support KI's Shabbat and High Holy Day Radio Program. Click here to see how!

Outreach at KI - Here's What's Happening!

OUR KI PROGRAM - Are you in an interfaith relationship or are your children in an interfaith relationship? Are you a non-Jewish parent raising your children as Jews or are you a grandparent with grandchildren growing up in religiously mixed household ? Are you looking to study Judaism with conversion in mind? Then "Outreach at KI" is for you!!!! We want you and your loved ones to feel at home at KI. For information, please contact Rabbi Sussman at 215-887-8702. Click here for related program.

PROGRAMS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS -
Jewish National Fund Spring Break Program.
RAC Internship in Washington DC.
Taglit-Birthright Israel Program.

PARENTS NIGHT OUT - Confirmation Class babysits at KI. Click here for information.

KNITTING FOR 2ND GRADERS - Click here for details on March 7 program.

AUTHOR LESLIE KIMMELMAN - Library program for pre-schoolers on Sunday, March 14 at 10:00 a.m. For more information, click here. Order books here.

YOSI IN CONCERT - Sunday, March 14 at 2:00 p.m. Click here for details.

NEXT HOLIDAY STORY HOUR - Sunday, March 21, at 12:15 p.m. in the Meyers Library. Stories about Passover.

FAVORITE READ-ALOUD STORIES - from Ellen Tilman, Director, Meyers Library. Click here.

KI/WRJ GIFT SHOP - Start thinking about Pesach! The Sisterhood Gift Shop can help with your kosher wine needs. We have Reds, Whites, Dry, Sweet and Sparkling to go with your Seder. Our hours are Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We also have a full line of hostess gifts, games and books for the children along with Haggadot. Come on in and check us out. THANKS FOR THINKING KI FIRST!

"A CONVERSATION BETWEEN MILI DUNN WEISS AND RHEA DENNIS" - Sunday, March 7 at 11:00 a.m. Click here for more information.

MIMOSAS AND ALL THAT JAZZ - Sunday, March 7 - Champagne Brunch at 12:00 noon with Jazz Concert featuring the 2009 Fischoff First Prize Winners for the world's best quartet, the Redline Saxophone Quartet from the Eastman School of Music. Jazz so hot, it's real cool! Brunch at 12:00 Noon, concert at 12:45 PM. Adults $28, Students $15 all inclusive. From Joplin to modern.

NEXT BROTHERHOOD BOARD MEETING - Tuesday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room. Info? Contact Barry Glachman.

SISTERHOOD'S ANNUAL CHINESE AUCTION - Wednesday, March 10, 6:00 p.m. at the China Bowl Restaurant, Huntingdon Valley, PA. Click here for details. Questions, call Ann Schrage, 215-659-4153.

CULTURAL COUNCIL 60+ - Thursday, March 11 - Ray Landis, AARP Pennsylvania Advocacy Representative, will speak - "Health Care Reform - A Dialogue."Lunch at 11:30 a.m. Reservations $15. At the door: $17. Sponsored by the Rosenau Fund.

EXCITING THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT KI! - Tuesday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. we are having a special benefactor's dinner at Philly's hot new restaurant, R2L, on the 37th floor of Two Liberty Place, with guest speaker Buntzie Ellis Churchill, President of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia for 23 years and co-author of Islam: the Religion and the People with Bernard Lewis, world's leading Middle Eastern historian. $500, $1000, and $1800 donations will guarantee you a place. On Saturday, May 1, we are having our Annual Spring Party starting with dinners graciously donated by KI members in their homes followed by fabulous desserts, wine, beer and music at KI for $250 a person. Or you can come to KI for wonderful desserts for $50 a person and enjoy the wine, beer and music with your friends. Come one, come all. Let's celebrate our synagogue, our place, our home away from home! Contact Tracy Greenbaum for more information. 215 887 8700

YOGA AT KI - Mondays 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. - Click here for details.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS - Available from WRJ Sisterhood. Click here.

SEARCH THE WEB AND HELP KI - See Quick Link to the left.

COLLECT BABY ITEMS FOR HAITI - Click here for details on Sarah Godel's Mitzvah Project.

URJ RESPONSE TO HAITI EARTHQUAKE DISASTER - Your donation will help bring relief and hope to the victims. Click here

COOKING FOR SHARING IS CARING - Men and women volunteers needed - ESPECIALLY SOMEONE WHO CAN LIFT LARGE POTS OF WATER - to help assemble meals in the K/G kitchen for clients of the home-delivered meal program at the Klein JCC from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 23. Information: Gladys Segal (215) 654-1223 (new number).

PARTNERSHIP WITH LOWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - Click here to see the opportunities.

HELP CLEAN UP AT KI - Click here for details.

WE'VE "ADOPTED" SGT AARON SILTON'S MARINE UNIT - Here's how you can help! Click here for more items.

YES WE CAN - Make a difference in the lives of those in need. The non-perishable food items you bring to KI will go to the Interfaith of Eastern Montgomery County Food Cupboard in Abington. Collection bin is in the Main Lobby.

CLOTHING DRIVE BENEFITS CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA FOUNDATION - Bring gently used clothing and shoes to the collection bin along KI's driveway. Proceeds will go towards improving the quality of life of children afflicted with this dreaded disease. For more information, visit their website.

ISRAEL SCIENCE QUESTION OF THE WEEK - Given Imaging developed the first ingestible video camera (Pill Cam) to view the small intestine from the inside, and help doctors diagnose diseases. Where is this company located?

Answer: Yoqneam, Israel

(Over 65,000 patients worldwide have swallowed the M2A capsule developed by Given Imaging.)

Click here to learn more about science in Israel and here for all the weekly questions so far.

NEWS FROM THE MEYERS LIBRARY
 

GRATZ -MELTON PROGRAMS - Click here for details.

BE THE MATCH - Click here to register as a bone marrow donor. This request came specifically from the family of Jeff Toll, who has non-Hodgkins lymphoma and needs a transplant. If you register, you can use his promo code, "hope4jeff." Even if you are not a match for Jeff, you might be for someone else.

SIGN UP FOR LOCAL CSA - Click here for information about this Community Supported Agriculture program

REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS AT JFCS HOLIDAY SERVICES - Celebrate Passover and help make a Caring Connection to Jews who are Isolated in residential and nursing home facilities. Click here for information.

LIMMUD PHILLY - 2nd annual on March 6-7 - Click here for all the details.

CREATIVITY FOR PEACE - Talk at Arcadia University by three women from New Mexico nonprofit with operations in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The discussion is Tuesday, March 9, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Castle Rose Room. Sponsored by the Political Science/International Peace and Conflict Resolution departments. Click here for more details.

MARCH MADNESS PHONE-A-THON - for the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Two locations. Click here for information.

COMMUNITY PRESENTATION OF THE 2009 FEDERATION POPULATION STUDY - March 22 at Gratz College. Click here for information.

"NAVIGATING THE NEW REALITIES OF GIRL WORLD AND BOY WORLD" - Program on April 14. Click here for details and registration information.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP - Click here for information.

SUMMER VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS IN ISRAEL FOR 22-28 YEAR OLDS - Click here for information.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIS FROM JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICE - Deliver challah to patients in local hospitals.

SILVER WHEELS PROGRAM - Silver Wheels, a volunteer transportation program, needs volunteers to steer older adults in the right direction. Become a volunteer and provide easy, accessible, and affordable transportation for older adults. There are no minimum time requirements or set schedules. And volunteers get mileage reimbursement. It makes all the difference to a senior who can no longer drive. Please call or email Lisa Tischler at 267-256-2082. Click here for more infromation.

HEBREW FREE LOAN SOCIETY - Interest-free loans for families in need. Visit their website or call 267-709-9652.