From the Rabbi - January 1999

My Dear Friends,

The Torah portion for the first Shabbat in January is Vayechi. This portion concludes the story of Joseph and sets the stage for the Book of Exodus. Joseph is a fascinating character. He is both a dreamer and an interpreter of dreams. His vision is central to the process of our people's ultimate redemption.

During this month of January, we pay tribute to another "dreamer" - Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King's legacy of activism, moral courage and conviction literally changed the face of our nation.

On Monday, January 18th, at 1:30 p.m. our congregation will once again be hosting the 9th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. multi-cultural celebration. The mission of the celebration is to educate our community about and celebrate the values and the vision of Dr. King. At our annual birthday celebration we present a program that is a combination of performances by children and youth, inspirational speakers, the presentation of scholarship awards to inspiring and aspiring young people and the recognition of deserving community servants who merit the "KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE" award.

I hope that many of you will come to this year's celebration. It is truly inspiring to see the children who perform as well as those who receive scholarship and community service awards from the Celebration Committee. Cantor Shuchat-Marx and HaShirah have been working very closely with the program committee and will be an integral part of the program. I am very proud of the fact that our congregation has been at the center of our community wide celebration of the life of Dr. King for the past 9 years. We look forward to many more years of cooperation and partnership in the future.

B'Shalom,
Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Previous Bulletin Page
January 1999 Bulletin Home Page
Next Bulletin Page