blogs/brentspodek

These are difficult and unsettling times for all of us. 

One thing we know is that the Divine dwells in the space between us, so in this moment of physical distancing, we are working to provide opportunities for social and spiritual connection.

If you are a member of BHA, you should be receiving a call from a member of our Hesed Team within the next few days; if you have needs or issues with which BHA might be able to help, please let them know.  

As far as our public programming, we are moving everything to online platforms for the time being, and as always, our most up-to-date calendar is here. To take advantage of these, please make sure to have zoom and/or whatsapp installed on your device. 

Daily

• 8:30am  Meditation with Cantor Ellen
• 10am Learning for Masa Students grades 3-6
• 1pm Meditation with Rabbi Brent
• 4:30pm Storytime for Masa Students grades K-2

Weekly

• 6:30pm Seeds of Light Chanting on Tuesday evening
• 5pm Mindful Hasidism on Friday evening
• 6pm Mini-Minyan on Friday evening (children ages birth-7).
• 6:30pm Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday evening
• 10:30am K’hillah for Masa Students on Sunday morning

Also, we wanted to share some whatsapp groups that will allow you to stay connected to other BHA members. If you would like to join any of these groups, just make sure you have whatsapp installed, and then click on the relevant links.

• BHA Rosh Hodesh 
• BHA Putnam County 
• BHA Orange County
• BHA Masa Parents
• BHA Mindful Hasidism

We also wanted to share some on-line spiritual resources from other worthwhile organizations:

• The Institute for Jewish Spirituality, the organizational home of R. Shelia Weinberg who visited BHA this fall, has shared Resources for Challenging Times.
• The Hadar Institute, the organizational home of R. Shai Held who visited BHA earlier this year, has shared Learning Resources for Quarantine.
• Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, where I did my rabbinic fellowship, is offering a wide array of resources for Prayer at Home . Also, the Rabbinical Assembly 

We are still in the Hebrew month of Adar, the season of Purim, and I find myself returning again to the teaching of the Aish Kodesh, the rabbi of the Warsaw Ghetto. In the ghetto, in 1940, he wrote,
 

“it is not only one who is already happy who is obligated to rejoice on Purim; rather, every person, even if they are lonely and brokenhearted, with mind and spirit crushed, can and must find a way to bring a spark of joy to their heart.” 

So may we all find sparks of joy in these hard times.