7:00 p.m. Between “Before Ramadan” and “The Day After” will be the topic of Shabbat services, led by Rabbi Rachlis and Cantor Braier. It’s time for us, as a congregation, to continue our discussions about Israel and the Palestinians that have dominated so many of our Shabbat services since late 2023. While we all share the same pain, we also have diverse views on the priorities of the war, the realistic possibilities of destroying Hamas, how to best get the hostages out as soon as possible, and the steps that both sides will need to take to ensure that the war doesn’t go wider during Ramadan that begins in a few days.

Neither side can fully anticipate or control what the other will do, but we all know that the war will eventually come to an end and that each side will have to show a willingness, in order to engage the support of the world, to express a level of openness to meeting the needs of the other. Hopefully, “The Day After” of this war will come soon! As the Biblical Book of Ecclesiastes reminds us: “there is a time for war and a time for peace.” May we celebrate Israel’s 76th birthday this May with relief, with its hostages home, with its soldiers and citizens safe, and with a hope for, if not peace, a respite from hostilities.

Register for in-person services below. Enter names of all attendees in the Notes section. 

Click here to watch via live stream from your home, or access the video at a later time.