Dear all,
Last Sunday, Temple Akiba participated in the Los Angeles Shofar Wave along with dozens of Jewish organizations. As we gathered, I noticed something interesting…. People who I didn’t recognize came to not only hear the Shofar … but some brought their own as well.
And it made me realize…. There are some things in our culture that touch the Jewish spirit in ways that transcend organized religion…
The sound of the shofar.
The taste of homemade mandel bread.
The smell of horseradish on a Seder plate.
The sight of a yarmulke when you are traveling.
The feel of a dreidel as you release it from your fingertips.
All these can capture our senses in a fleeting moment in time that might take us off-guard. These are the things that – even if we rarely enter a synagogue, animate our spirit in a very deep way.
Where have you experienced this? Who was there? What memories were tapped? And how did they inspire you?
Wishing you all a New Year filled with goodness!
Gamar tov,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
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