Congregation Or Zarua  
A Traditional, Egalitarian, and Participatory Conservative Synagogue             Founded 1989
127 East 82nd St, NYC 10028 • 212.452.2310 Dr. Harlan J. Wechsler, Rabbi  •  Andrew Frackman, President
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Orot 5766


Adorned with Memory

Ron L. Meyers, Editor
The Day of Remembrance is upon us. As if we didn't all have enough to remember already. Remembering things is what we do all the time, and now we take a holiday to remember some more.
I recall my cantor teaching my Hebrew High School class that we wear a talit over our shoulders on Shabbat to replace the loads that we carry in our labors during the week. Wouldn't this point be better made, I asked, if we kept our shoulders entirely clear? No, he taught, to leave them empty demonstrates nothing; we don't merely remove the weight from our shoulders, we replace it. We are not merely relieved of a burden, we are going further and adorning and ennobling the shoulders that are weighed down on the other days of the week.
On Rosh HaShana, we are adorning ourselves with remembrance, clearing our minds of the demand to remember every quarter-hour's obligations, and delving instead into the remembrance of our longer-term commitments. At a minimum, we look back at the past year. Looking back at where we have gone off the track during the year, and also at what we have seen and learned. In this edition of Orot we have insights gained from the past year's travels, in Israel and in China, and from recurring visits with long-familiar texts. On this festival of memory, the longer view of history concerns us as well - personal histories are recounted here, as well as the 350-year history of our people in our city.
We celebrate this birthday of the world by remembering where it has been, and also where we have been.
Contents of the 5766 edition of Orot:
Climbing Higher Rabbi Harlan J. Wechsler
An Educational and Spiritual Journey Elaine Blum
Looking for My Grandma Alice Canick
Our Word, Our Bond, Our Selves: Kol Nidrei Stephanie Failla
Jews in Colonial New York Barry Feldman
Toward a Jewish Architecture Benjamin Marcus
Akeida: The Unasked Question Ron Meyers
The Flame of the Swirling Sword Jay Palmer
A Reward in This World Mark Somerstein
Services
July 25 - 31, 2010
Or Zarua Services are Lay Led
High Holiday Service Times
Morning Minyan:
Weekdays at 7:15 am
Shabbat at 9:00 am
Sundays at 8:45 am
Check Calendar for changes
   to starting time, if any
  Our Morning Minyan is
  open to the Community.
SHABBAT:
Friday, July 30, 2010:
Candlelighting 7:56 pm
Minhah and
Kabbalat Shabbat at 6:45 pm
Saturday, July 31, 2010:
Shaharit at 9:00 am Children's Services 10:30 am
This week's Torah reading:
Parashat Ekev
   Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25
This week's Haftarah:
Isaiah 49:14 - 51:3
Shabbat Ends:
9:01 pm
New Audio Recordings:
O"Z Klezmer Band
  at the 21st Annual Meeting
  Tuesday, May 10, 2010
David Roskies
  Dawidowicz Lecture
  Wednesday, Jan 27, 2010
Rabbi David Silber
  The Akedah
  Wednesday, Sept 23, 2009
Join Us:
Talmud Class
Wednesdays 8:00 - 9:30 pm
No previous experience required.
For complete information on all events, click here.
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