Rabbi's Corner

Rabbi Amy Sapowith

It’s back to school week for those in the Loudoun County Public School system! Some of you have been busy visiting new schools and familiarizing yourselves with imposing corridors, mapping out how to get from homeroom to class to the gym. Many have received their class schedules, shopped for fun new clothes and other school essentials. Tithadshi!  That’s the blessing for enjoying a new “thing.” I hope you’ve all had fulfilling summers and are now excited by the coolness in the air and the color on the leaves as we head into the new year.

This week’s Torah portion begins, “See this day I set before you blessing and curse” (Deut. 11:26). It’s a reminder that every moment contains a potential blessing and a potential curse. How we choose to view an event or new situation often determines which it will be. We are encouraged to find the blessing in each moment as life’s changes bring loss and grief as well as joy that comes from new opportunities as well as from reliable pleasures and old friends.

We’re also in the period between Tisha B’av and Rosh Hashanah where the haftarah readings for each of these seven weeks include words of comfort for our people. We learn there is comfort in loving another. There is comfort in routine and ritual. There is comfort in forgiveness.

These are all themes of the Jewish new year 5786. I look forward to seeing you all during the High Holy Days. Our new sanctuary should be ready to greet you and to see it is to be inspired!  Our synagogue home is emerging from its chrysalis like a beautiful monarch butterfly. Our schedule of services can be found elsewhere in the EBlast. I also look forward to seeing you at our first day of school, Sunday, Sept. 7, and at our community picnic immediately following at 11:30 am at the Hal and Berni Hanson Park, Pavilion #7.

We have before us each day, the potential for blessing and for curse. Together, let us choose blessing for each of us individually and together as our BCRC family.