Dear Congregants and Friends of Congregation Bene Shalom,

 

During the month of July there will be much to enjoy and think about. Our Shabbat services will resume Friday, August 1 at 7:30 pm, and until then we will continue the beauty of celebrating Shabbat at home with family, friends, and even alone. There is an energy that the sun and the warmth of the upcoming weeks will bring. Here are a few powerful blessings that I encourage you to recite and embrace:

 

The Shehecheyanu is recited the first time you do something each Jewish calendar year and to mark joyous occasions, such as the beauty of summertime:

 

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.

 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.

 

Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higiyanu laz’man hazeh.

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A BLESSING FOR SUMMER

 

For the lengthening of days, stretching sunshine far past its winter bedtime, For the bright blues and vibrant green and pops of color filling the warm world,

For the unrelenting humidity that reminds us to savor the sweetness of cooler breezes,

For all the sounds of summer – the jingling of ice cream trucks, joyful shouts of children splashing, lingering laughter over meals shared on patios, the shuddering clap of

thunderstorms demonstrating something more powerful than us,

For summer camps and vacations and time spent outside,

For good AC when we’re stuck indoors,

For sun,

For shade,

For all these things and more, we thank You.

And may God bless and keep the mosquitoes… far away from us.

Amen.

 

-Beth Kander-Dauphin

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A BLESSING FOR SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS WHEN ALONE

 

Master of the Universe, grant me the ability to be alone.

 

May it be my custom to go outdoors each day among the trees and the grasses, among all growing things. There may I be alone and enter into prayer to talk with the one that I belong to. 

 

Know that every shepherd and shepherdess have a unique nigun (melody) for each of

the grasses, and for each place where they herd. For each and every grass has its

own song and from these songs of the grasses the shepherds compose their songs.

 

– Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

 

I wish you all a wonderful month of July, and I look forward to seeing you August 1.

 

May your spirits be lifted with inspired faith, and may you feel God’s presence with you in all you do.

 

L’Shalom,

Rabbi Charlene Brooks

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During July, our office is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 AM – 3 PM