Let me be upfront: This is not a terribly original move on my part.  Other rabbis routinely send out weekly notes to their congregants.

For a time I rather worried about the fact that everyone’s inbox is so cluttered these days that the last thing I wanted was for you to feel your rabbi was in on the mess-making.

Then I decided that if I named this just right, you would easily be able to recognize what had landed in your email and whether you had time to take out a moment for a little pre-Shabbaty message.

Of course, I hope you will!

Here, then, is my first pre-Shabbat Shabbat-O-Gram.

Once upon a time, a not so long time ago, Jews invited friends to dinner on Friday nights.  The candles were lit, husbands delighted their wives by reciting Eshet Chayyil, A Woman of Valor (a lovely litany of praises from Proverbs 31:10-31), the kids got blessed, and everyone sat down to an awesome meal.  After eating: digesting with the help of merriment, song, and all-round good cheer.

Tomorrow night, on February 17, at 6:30 at McGill Baptist Church, our congregation is holding its first-ever congregational Shabbat dinner – a large-scale version of an old tradition.  Candles will be lit, anyone who wants to can rise to praise their partner, spouse, or good friend, parents will bless their kids, and everyone will sit down to an evening of good food, a bit of song, some silly ice-breakers and a whole lot of schmoozing.  We are offering folks a chance to get to know our congregation at this event and our congregation a chance to know one another better.

Shabbat is about taking sweet moments to acknowledge our blessings and remind ourselves of the goodness of life itself.  Shabbat is about being with each other and learning more about friends and neighbors.  Shabbat is a way to make time holy with laughter, with prayer, with song, with pure fun.  Enjoy your Shabbat by joining in on Shabbat – at Temple Or Olam’s First Congregational Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner!

P.S. Those who haven’t officially signed up can still bring something yummy and join in!  Just let President Judah (jmalin@trimarkusa.com) know if you’re coming so we can make sure we have enough  chairs and tables set out….