Parashat Shoftim
Rabbi’s Drosh
This week we had the opportunity to attend the Jewish Leadership Conference featuring a range of local and international (Zoom) speakers offering leadership learning.
Deb and I were particularly inspired by Rabbi Shmuel Reichman’s session on resilience and how to keep your energy as a leader high. He spoke about the importance of having a big life goals and a clear vision and then priming yourself each day to achieve this.
To summarise, he suggested starting each day reminding yourself of your three top goals (for life or for the year), three smaller goals which could feed into those to achieve today, and then three things you are grateful for.
This art of priming oneself or others with reminders of both one’s mission and what one needs to be grateful for are not just a modern day idea expounded by one of today’s Rabbis, but rather something as ancient as the Torah itself!
In this week’s Parasha, Moshe continues his final speech to the children of Israel reminding them what their big goals need to be and what they need to be grateful for. He is priming them to keep up their energy for their mission, even at a time when they will be losing their leader.
May we all be blessed to find inspiration from our goals and our gratitude to keep our energy high as we approach the High Holy Days!
A special Mazel Tov to Kadimah for their 50th Anniversary celebrations - join us in Shul this Shabbat as we celebrate this significant milestone.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Friedler
The Friedlers’ Highlights
Kaddish Class - Plus the power of AMEN
It was fascinating to look into the Kaddish prayer with a focus on the Mourner’s Kaddish at one of our classes this week. We explored the impact on mourners, the departed, the responders, the community, and even Hashem! We looked at the meaning and power of the word 'AMEN'
Jewish Leadership Conference
A huge thank you to the New Zealand Jewish Council, the Ethnic Communities Development Fund, Daniel Rosenbaum, the Astor Foundation, Gael Keren, David Cumin and all those involved in the Jewish Leadership Conference this week.
Grow15 Class - Psalm 27 Challenge
This week Deb’s Grow15 class looked at the power of Psalm 27 (which we recite morning and night from Rosh Chodesh Elul until Shemini Atzeret). There are so many powerful hidden secrets in this beautiful Psalm which can help evalate us during this time of year…so take the Psalm 27 challenge and start reciting it each day!
Mazel Tov to Kadimah
We started the celebrations with Kadimah this week as the school marks 50 years! Deb was a student at Kadimah in the 90s and our boys have all attended the school (even Achiya who enjoys popping in when Aba is teaching!).
Rosh Chodesh Elul
We welcomed in the month of Elul this week in the lead-up to the High Holy Days and it was wonderful to also have visiting friends from Wellington joining us. Please join our Sunday minyans throughout Elul for learning at the end of the service and the Shofar.
Preshool Shofar and Elul Learning
During the month of Elul I will be in preschool regularly to blow the Shofar for our young friends. The excitement that the children have for the shofar is contagious and a great reminder that this special wake-up call is something we need to teach to our children!
Lewis Road
This week’s inspections included Lewis Raod. It is one of my favourite inspections in my Kosher Kiwi calendar. I really enjoy visiting our friends at Lewis Road and seeing what new and exciting products they are working on that they want to certify.
SHOFAR OPPORTUNITIES
Would you like to hear the Shofar? There are many opportunities to hear the Shofar at Kadimah School and at the Auckland Hebrew Congregation, but if you can’t make it in person and miss that soul searching cry, then please click on the link below.