Save the date and hold your corkscrew!
The next TSS Wine Club meeting will be on Saturday, March 22nd, at the home of Cheryl and Richie Shadick. An excellent selection of Pinot Noir/Pinot Gris will be there, carefully chosen by our TSS sommelier.
Mishloach Manot
February 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Mishloach Manot —
As the holiday of Purim is coming upon us (March 16th), one of the most important aspects in the celebration of Purim is the sending of food – an assortment of treats and good wishes to our fellow members – Mishloach Manot.
This Purim Project is new this year and is being sponsored by our very own TSS Sisterhood. It will give you the opportunity to reach out to fellow members, friends, family, and neighbors in joy and friendship, emphasizing one of the major themes of this holiday. Every TSS family will receive a Purim gift bag which will include various Purim-themed goodies (including hamantashen) and a list of contributors to that particular family’s bag. The funds raised by the TSS Sisterhood will go towards general TSS expenses and future Sisterhood and TSS events.
How it works:
Choose which Temple members (as well as non-temple members) you would like to send well wishes to. Once you have filled out the order form, send the form and payment to Susan McNamara. Deadline is February 24, 2014.
Click here for MISHLOACH MANOT ORDER FORM. You can direct any questions to Susan McNamara at sjm16@outlook.com. Please consider participating in this important fundraiser for Temple Shirat Shalom.
Thank you for your support!
TSS Sisterhood
Still got questions? Mishloach Manot Q&A
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TSS Educational Moment: What the heck is Mishloach Manot?
Mishloach manot (Hebrew: משלוח מנות, literally, “sending of portions”) also called a Purim basket, are gifts of food or drink that are sent to friends, relatives, neighbors, teachers, business associates, and any other acquaintances on Purim day. The mitzvah of giving mishloach manot derives from the Book of Esther. It is meant to ensure that everyone has enough food for the Purim feast held later in the day, and to increase love and friendship among Jews as a counter to Haman’s assertion that the Jewish people are characterized by strife and disunity. According to the halakha, every Jew over the age of Bar and Bat Mitzvah should send a food gift consisting of two different types of food to at least one recipient. The practice is a fairly prominent feature of Purim.
For questions about the project, and for TSS membership list, please contact Susan McNamara (sjm16@outlook.com).
Give gifts with a pure heart!
January 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment
In this week’s Torah portion, “The Lord spoke to Moses saying: Tell the Israelite people to bring me gifts, you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart shall move him” (Ex. 25: 1-2). The Torah portion is called T’rumah for the Hebrew word for gifts. God tells the people they have to help build the Mishkan or sanctuary. The Mishkan is the place where all the religious observances will take place. God does not want this holy place to be sullied by those who are not pure of heart and intentions. That is why those gifts given begrudgingly are not to be accepted. It is the same thing with TSS, we cannot make you join, support or donate, all we have is moral persuasion. We want you to be with us, participate and donate time and money. Involvement in Temple life is a blessing, we can offer you the ability to lead a rich Jewish life, please come with a full heart as God commanded.
Transform your individual spark into a warm and vibrant flame of Jewish learning and Jewish living!
January 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment
A spark of Judaism lives within all of us, as Cantor Sussman explained to the hardy congregants who made their way to services. Cantor spoke of recent and past examples of how that spark came alive and vibrant among Jews who were facing particularly challenging circumstances – at the end of their lives, during illnesses, and when they have simply forgotten what being a Jew meant.
This spark comes alive most often when the Sh’ma is said or when an aliyah is spoken. While years or decades may have passed, how many of us experience the ease with which the Sh’ma comes from our lips? How many of us still remember the first line or two of our Bar or Bat Mitzvah Torah portion or our Haftorah portion?
It is during times of joy and sadness that this spark enlightens us from within and gives us pause to recall what we’ve had all along…the proud awareness of being a Jew. If your spark has dimmed a bit, please attend a Friday Shabbat service or attend a TSS event and let your spark be renewed.