Rabbi Howard Morrison

Today is the actual Hebrew date of Yom Ha'Atzmaut, the fifth of Iyar. The celebration was pushed back to Thursday so that there would be no celebratory conflicts with the onset of Shabbat.

How appropriate that last night our shul's executive gave the okay for me to begin organizing a Beth Emeth trip to Israel. Due to the pandemic, we have not traveled as a shul community in a long time. In November of 2019, we saw Jewish historical highlights in Spain, Gibraltar, and Portugal. We were last in Israel as part of a Poland-Israel experience in November of 2015. We were last in Israel exclusively for a two week trip in the Fall of 2013. It has been a long time.

Now that the pandemic's force is lessening, and travel restrictions are down to a minimum, it is time. Israel needs to see us, and we need to see Israel. Next year, Israel will celebrate its 75^th modern birthday. While there are community trips already being arranged, I am calling a meeting for Beth Emeth families to come together and express what will work best for us, in terms of time of year to travel, demographics, duration, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and more. Hopefully, at an initial informational meeting, we can already begin to outline and form the next Beth Emeth trip to Israel.

No commitments are needed at this time. Anyone who is even slightly interested is invited to a preliminary meeting with me on Tuesday evening May 31 at 7PM. I look forward to seeing you and hearing your ideas.

Chag Yom Ha'Atzmaut Sameach and Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison