A poem of comfort shared by Rabbi Helaine at our last shabbat service

 

Ribbono Shel Olam,

 

Merciful One of the Universe,

As winter arrives, 

And the snow falls,

And everything is covered in pristine white,

 

As difference disappears 

And the landscape becomes soft, monochrome,

And cold,

 

Do not forget about me.

Please God, 

Do not forget about

Little… old… me…

 

I am in need of warmth

From the hearth

And from the heart.
 

As it becomes difficult to travel,

As many seclude in the warmth of their homes,

Let me not be forgotten.

 

Let a spark of fire,

Of warmth,

Of time, 

Float upon the winter winds to my home.

 

May the spark find my hearth prepared,

The wood stacked,

The kindling waiting.

 

May that little spark find its way to my home.

May it find its way into my arms,

And may the fire in my heart be kindled,

Stoked, burning brightly.

 

May I be lit, and then share my fire from within.

Amen

 

A Blessing for Warmth in the Winter -- Jewish Ritual (ritualwell.org)

PRS to hold virtual tu b’ish v’at seder!
What is a tu b’ish v’at seder you ask? It is an annual celebration of the “Birthday of the Trees” – the world’s first environmental holiday. We acknowledge our connection to the world of nature and our interdependence by eating a variety of fruits and nuts with symbolic meanings. And of course we drink wine – both white and red – which we mix together in a specific way to symbolize the passing of the seasons.

We hope you can join us on line for this event which is open to all who might wish to join. We are holding it on January 17, Martin Luther King Day, beginning at 5 PM. The evening will have meaning for both adults and children, so families are encouraged to attend.
 

Rabbi Helaine Ettinger will be leading us on zoom. To help us prepare for the seder she will be sending out to us a list of fruits and nuts you are welcome to purchase for your in home experience.
 

To join us, please contact Cathy Duke at 914 450 4188 or cathye95@aol.com no later than January 15. We hope to see you there!

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PRS TO HOLD SHABBAT ON LINE SERVICES AGAIN

In light of the rising number of covid cases, PRS will be holding a number of virtual Shabbat services to help us keep connected. Our first Friday evening service was held this Friday, July December 17 at 6:30 pm. Our next Friday evening service will be Friday, January 28, at 6:30. If you have not yet joined with us for our virtual services, we welcome you! Bring your candles and wine if you like, and your good humor. The camaraderie cures the winter blues, and cuts through the isolation. Rabbi Helaine always has some interesting readings to share. For your zoom invitation please contact Cathy Duke by Thursday, January 27th.

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We are looking forward to our special community dinner, Shabbat Across America Friday night, March 4 Shabbat Across America is an event dear to our hearts. Congregations all across America choose an early Shabbat in March to have a true Shabbat meal. We
recite the prayers (with a little help from our little booklets), and eat a terrific meal prepared by those who come.
 

We at PRS have a special reason for celebrating this particular Shabbat. It is our synagogue’s anniversary!
 

It’s the first event we ever held and like all good get togethers with delicious food it made quite an impression on those present.

So we invite all who may be interested in discovering PRS to join us! Just contact Adele Stern, at (845) 265 4432 or  ajstern1@gmail.com.

 

What has PRS been up to recently?
We had the privilege of participating in our
community’s ecumenical Thanksgiving dinner. Together with our faith partners from St. Mary’s Church and Our Lady of Loretto we helped to prepare and serve more than 185 delicious Thanksgiving dinners for those who
were unable for reasons of health, finances or other circumstances to prepare their own. What a great act of tzedakah!

We held an adult oriented Hanukkah party held with safety and fun In mind. The homemade latkes were yummy and matched with homemade applesauce. The wine was delicious. But it was the company that made
the party. We all enjoyed lighting our family menorahs, and enjoyed the lights that cheer us at this time of year.
 

The event was made meaningful by some special prayers that Rabbi Helaine Ettinger offered.