Letter from Rabbi Ross
Hi All,
In the haze of life in self-quarantine, it’s a delight for me to write to each of you this week. I miss our gatherings! I miss seeing your smiling faces! As I mentioned last week, all TBS gatherings and events are cancelled through April. Special arrangements will be made for a virtual TBS Seder and the Galperin Bar Mitzvah. We are trying something new!
SOULFUL DISTANCING
Rabbis are spending a lot of time these days trying to re-invent their work so they can stay connected to their communities during these days of self-quarantine. TBS will have to spend some time imagining how we can begin to connect to each other via the internet, email, and telephone. As we begin to practice social distancing, how can we come together to socialize, sing, and share? To that end, we are going to begin a few experiments at TBS.
We will try and come together on Zoom, an online meeting platform. We will use this platform for this Friday night’s Kabbalat Shabbat service at 6 pm, with Robin Selinger, Rachel Brown and me. (I would recommend spending a few minutes to download the Zoom software beforehand, if this is your first time using the platform, at zoom.us.)
This Saturday morning, at 9:30 am., we will have a special Zoom Torah Study – “Jewish Life in Quarantine: Hand-washing and Social Distancing.” This group will meet for about 90 minutes. The links to these two meetings will be below in our calendar section.
TBS’ board will have a special Zoom meeting to address our new reality, and we will keep you updated in all the ways we hope to connect to each of you in the days and weeks ahead.
If you need anything from me please reach out by email (rabbimichaelross@gmail.com), text, or phone.
I have begun using the term “soulful distancing” in my emails. May we keep the distances we need to be healthy, and may we find ways to connect to those we love and care about during this time.
SHABBAT
As we deal with our new reality, let me invite each of you to reclaim a Shabbat practice, where you can let go of the crazed stress that we are finding ourselves, and open to your own time to be with family, to be in prayer, and to be in community. We need each other now more than ever.
DAILY ANXIETY
This is also a time to reclaim your self-care practices: exercise, gardening, meditation. Find time to nourish yourself each and every day. Find a few minutes to reconnect to nature and the world around you. Develop a gratitude practice and see the world from a positive perspective.
May you be healthy, may you be at peace, may those who are ill, find quick, complete healing.
UPCOMING TBS EVENTS:
Mar. 20, 6:00 PM: Kabbalat Shabbat – with Cantorial Soloist Robin Selinger and Rabbi Michael Ross
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/708964713?pwd=eVlUOThzYkdqN2Rrc1F5ZmVFVStCZz09
Mar. 21, 9:30 AM: Special Torah Study Session–Jewish Life in Quarantine – with Rabbi Ross
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/356451654
Mar. 22, 10 am: Special TBS Board Meeting via Zoom