Kesher Quick Blog

Open the Gates!

We are now in the midst of the yamin noraim / the Days of Awe, those ten days that begin with Rosh HaShanah and end with Yom Kippur.

Our Sages describe Yom Kippur as a ‘doorway’, an existential threshold from which we can pause, look back, gaze forward, and fortify ourselves for what is to come.

Judaism has always held doorways as places of vulnerability because they are liminal, the space between here and there.  This is why Jews in ancient Babylonia buried bowls of water underneath their doorways, and Jews of ancient Egypt put lamb’s blood above their gates, to keep their spiritual thresholds strong, and misfortune from entering their homes.  Read more here

Operation Isaiah, Temple Emanu-El's annual canned goods and coat collection until October 15.

Join us in our effort to feed the hungry and clothe those who are cold. This year, we are collecting new and gently used books for children ages birth to 10 years-old. For your convenience, collection barrels will be labeled and located at Davis Lower School and in the temple lobby. We will also have barrels in the Administrative Entry Way. 

Start the new year off right by doing a mitzvah! Your generosity goes a long way toward helping the most vulnerable.

There are two mitzvot pertaining to the Shabbat meal. One is oneg, the mitzvah to delight in Shabbat, as it is written: “Call Shabbat ‘delight’ (oneg)” (Isaiah 58:13). Oneg is fulfilled primarily through the meals, but snacks and a Shabbat nap are parts of it as well." (Peninei Halakhah, Shabbat
7:2:2)

Providing the Oneg is performing a Mitzvah for our community.

Hosting an Oneg is not only a Mitzvah, but it can also be a way to celebrate a family event and share the good news with the congregation.

Her ways are pleasant and all her paths, peaceful.
She is a tree of life to those who grasp her,
and whoever holds on to her is happy. Proverbs 3:17–18

Honor a loved one or a special occasion by purchasing a leaf on our Tree of Life

I will give them, in My House
And within My walls,
A monument and a name
Better than sons or daughters.
I will give them an everlasting name
That shall not perish. (Isaiah 56:5)

We are commanded not merely to grieve but also to remember and to observe.

Temple Emanu-El’s Yahrzeit plaques both perpetuate the cherished memory of the loved ones we have lost and create a permanent family legacy.

Memorializing our loved ones in this way fulfills the commandment to give tzedakah in their honor.