Parashat Shemot 5784
01/03/2024 12:46:53 PM
LL Giordano
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Parashat Shemot 5784 / פָּרָשַׁת שְׁמוֹת to be read on January 6⎮25 Tevet In the beginning of the book of Exodus, a new Pharaoh rules Egypt. Out of fear of the strength of the Israelites, the Pharaoh enslaves them and goes so far as to command the midwives to slay the Israelite baby boys at birth. The mother of Moses saves her child by setting him afloat in a basket on the Nile. Moses is rescued from the water by Pharaoh’s daughter. Moses grows into an adult. He witnesses an Egyptian taskmaster beating an Israelite slave and kills the taskmaster. He flees to Midian and marries Zipporah only to return to Egypt to liberate the Israelites after encountering God in a burning bush. On the way, God seeks to kill Moses and is saved when Zipporah circumcises her son and consecrates him to God. Pharaoh refuses to the let the Israelites go and God promises to punish him. "...People don’t deserve freedom because they’re good. People deserve freedom because they’re people." Rabbi Joshua Gutoff points out that the experiences of Isaac and Moses are not so different (God sought to kill both for inexplicable reasons and both are saved by the magic of substitution). So it is interesting that these two men lived such radically different lives. Where Isaac appears unable to fully recover from his experience on the sacrificial altar - describing God as his Terror (Gen. 31:42, 53) and ending his days duped and unable to understand his own children - Moses becomes God's friend and the person who leads the Israelites to emancipation. What makes the difference here, according to Rabbi Gutoff - the reason why God does not become Moses' terror - is that, in response to a terrifying and dangerous God, Moses works to redeem that God, pursuing the liberation of those who suffer oppression and violence. "The act of liberation allows Moses to live with a frightening God, even an apparently demonic God, because the act of liberation is about God." LLGiordano |
Fri, April 4 2025
6 Nisan 5785
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AprApril 6 , 2025Services 101: A workshop for new service leaders & perplexed participants. Session 2 Topic - Prayer
Sunday, Apr 6th 3:00p to 4:30p
Understanding keva (doing it right) and kavannah (feeling it) through close readings, deep engagement, and thinking through how to make the text your own. -
Sunday ,
AprApril 13 , 2025
Sunday, Apr 13th 4:30p to 8:00p
Join us for a community-led second-night Seder. -
Saturday ,
AprApril 19 , 2025
Shabbat, Apr 19th 10:30a to 1:00p
Alyssa Appelman leads with a D'var Torah on our ecological responsibilities. Vegan Kiddish lunch to follow. -
Monday ,
AprApril 21 , 2025Muralist Dave Loewenstein
Monday, Apr 21st 6:00p to 7:00p
The LJCC is exploring a possible partnership with local muralist Dave Loewenstein to adorn our humble building with a community-created mural! Come meet Dave and learn about his work. -
Wednesday ,
AprApril 23 , 2025
Wednesday, Apr 23rd 7:00p to 8:30p
Though Lawrence Jews incorporated a congregation and acquired Bene Israel cemetery in 1869, it took nearly 80 years to acquire a building and more than a century to use Bene Israel as a communal burial grounds. Professor Emeritus David Katzman's talk will illuminate the history of earlier Lawrence Jewish communities, organizations and individuals, and explain why Lawrence Jews did not form a permanent organization until after World War II. -
Friday ,
AprApril 25 , 2025
Friday, Apr 25th 5:30p to 7:00p
Join us for an early family-friendly nosh and Shabbat. We'll Nosh and then Shabbat with services starting at 6:30pm. The LJCC will provide a main. Potluck contributions are encouraged. If possible, let us know in the notes section what you will bring. -
Saturday ,
AprApril 26 , 2025"Transplanting Heritage:" Reception & Havdalah at the Watkins
Shabbat, Apr 26th 6:00p to 7:30p
The LJCC is partnering with the Watkins for a reception & Havdalah during the "Transplanting Heritage: Judaica from the Klein Collection" Exhibit. See the exhibit at 6pm before a Havdalah observance at 7pm with the LJCC Ritual Committee. -
Sunday ,
MayMay 4 , 2025
Sunday, May 4th 3:00p to 4:30p
A look at the daily prayer cycle, the weekly liturgical cycle, and the annual cycles of Torah readings and holidays.
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