Shabbat Message
Celebrating Pride (and good health)

Posted on by Reb Moshe

This week’s Torah portion, Beha’alotecha (Num 8:1-12:16), includes an incident in which Moses might feel that his leadership was being challenged. Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses, the first Syrian-Jewish woman to become a rabbi, suggests in this brief commentary that how Moses responds is a good lesson for leaders and for parents.

There is no Shabbat service tonight. Instead, join us at the Odd Fellows Hall in Half Moon Bay for a live performance and an interfaith panel discussion on DIVINE PRIDE.

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Dear CJC Members & Friends,

I am grateful for my good health, especially now as I am recuperating from knee surgery. (I had a torn ACL repaired two days ago.) I’ve learned that staying in bed is harder than I expected and more draining. So I’ll keep this message short, but I want to at least highlight two important events – one happening tonight and the other happening next Friday night.

Tonight at 6pm, CoastPride is hosting DIVINE PRIDE, an evening of honest conversation, reflection, and celebration at the intersection of faith and LGBTQ+ identity. The event will take place at the Odd Fellows Hall in Half Moon Bay. Doors open at 5:45pm. After a few songs performed by the Coastside Pride Chorus, I hope to be well enough to join several local clergy on a panel speaking about LGBTQ issues from a religious perspective. You can read more about the event below, and you can register here or just show up.

Next Friday night (June 12), CJC will host its annual PRIDE SHABBAT at 7pm. (Please RSVP to Brianne, and she will send you the location & link.) In the context of a joyful and musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum will speak with us via Zoom about her 32-year career as the rabbi of the world’s largest LGBTQ synagogue in NYC. We are extremely honored to have her as our guest!

“I think politically and spiritually it’s important for me to say and to be out there saying God loves queer people. This isn’t a mistake that God’s embarrassed by and is tolerant of, but this is essentially part of God’s plan.”

– Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum

Please join us for both events, tonight and next Friday, and read about our other events below. Hopefully, I’ll see you at one of them, to celebrate our good health and the good that Pride has brought into our lives and into our faith community.

Shabbat Shalom,

Reb Moshe

 

Read the complete Message (including pictures) 

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