Shabbat Shuvah (Parashat Ha’Azinu)
Gmar Chatima Tova
Shana Tova dear friends,
In my Rosh Hashanah drosh in 2018, I wrote about living in the moment.
I said, “A very important rule in Avodas Hashem (serving Hashem) is to only focus on what one has to do today. Whatever it may be - a job, work, learning... One should always only focus what he has to do that day and not think ahead and look at everything he has at once. Focus on what you need to do at that moment alone.”
When I wrote this I could never have imagined that Hashem would create a world-wide situation in which we all have no choice but to live in the moment alone.
Planning for the High Holy Days and upcoming Bar Mitzvahs has been challenging to say the least. One can try and prepare for as many contingencies as possible, but ultimately, there’s only One who knows the future and the rest of us have to do our best to respond accordingly!
This being said…
While we cannot predict the future, we can influence it!
The biggest day of the year which enables us to be sealed for a good year in the book of life is, of course, Yom Kippur. Whether you are able to attend Shul this year, or whether you fast and pray at home, make the most of this awe-inspiring day.
There has been a lot of talk about physical cleanliness this year. We are constantly told to “WASH YOUR HANDS“, but what about spiritual cleanliness. The Torah tells us that Yom Kippur is the time for this.
“For through this day He will atone for you to cleanse you. Of all your sins before Hashem, you will be cleansed“
The cleaning of our souls is the most difficult task we face, but can be the most rewarding one. Let’s all live in the moment and make the most of this unusual but meaningful time.
Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom, G’mar Chatima Tova and well over the fast.
Rabbi Friedler
The Friedlers’ Highlights
All Welcome to Celebrate Hillel’s Bar Mitzvah
We were thrilled to hear that the Government plans to move Auckland through the alert levels in time for Hillel’s Bar Mitzvah. We hope and pray that this means that we can share in the Simcha with all of you!
Please RSVP to join us in celebration to Hillel.Friedler.Bar.Mitzvah@gmail.com.
Another Meaningful Selichot
Thank you to the 10 men who represented us all for another meaningful Selichot service this week. If you would like to learn more about Selichot and the 13 Attributes, click below!
Rosh Hashanah in our Homes
Thank you for the lovely feedback on our Symbolic Foods of Rosh Hashanah video (link below) and to those sent us pictures of your cooking and tables. It was really special to see the ways you were celebrating in your homes. Thanks Tanya for this awesome picture of your table!
Night to Unite Australia and New Zealand Communities
An inspiring night with our friends across the ditch. If you missed and would like to hear about Deb’s talk on Connecting and Repairing Relationships - Metaphor of Strings and Our Connection with Hashem, then click on the link below for a short video (featuring an ever-growing baby Achiya!).
Thank you to the AHC Board of Management
We felt very blessed to receive such beautiful flowers and a lovely card from the Board for Rosh Hashanah. Thank you to our Board member volunteers for all the time and energy they put into the community.
Pre Rosh Hashanah Paparazzi!
After our Pre Rosh Hashanah Extravaganza, enjoying the sounds of Alan, Azriel and Julz, we received this picture. A special shout out to the Lord children who snapped a double-screen shot of the Zoom celebrations while they danced along to the music of Rosh Hashanah!
Rabbi Gets Help Dressing the Torahs
Every year we change the Torah covers to white as a symbol of the purity of the New Year and the High Holy Days. This year the Rabbi got some help! The children of Preschool learned about the upcoming festivals and assisted the Rabbi in preparing the holy scrolls for the upcoming services.
Ben is Ready to Read from the Torah
Mazel Tov to Ben Silverman and all the family on his upcoming Bar Mitzvah. Learning with Ben has involved plenty of jokes and laughs, but don’t let that fool you. At our last practice he read his maftir as fast as he could just for fun (definitely the fastest I have heard!) and impressively there were no mistakes.