March 2020

I went to Florida last week to visit my mom. It was a great trip.  Lots of warmth and sunshine, blue skies and low humidity. We visited with friends, ate a lot, I swam in the pool, and we had a great time together. Lots of people do this during the winter.  I never have but now I understand the allure.  It’s a break from the drab, grey skies of New England in winter.

But alas, it also broke my rhythm of attending Shabbat services and thinking about my existence and how I can give back to the world. I have to admit that I enjoy attending Friday night services as well as those on Saturday morning, and they’ve become a part of the rhythm of my life. I always learn something from Rabbi Poirier’s D’var Torah and find the readings in the prayer book very contemplative. The services give me a break from my work life, a peaceful and meaningful sanctuary from the world that’s moving too fast.  Why don’t more of us take advantage of this thing that’s available to all of us for free? And we offer food as well?!

The Board and I have been talking about what we can do to attract more people to services.  Should we offer speakers? Should we change the start time? In the end, those things don’t really matter.  What matters is that we provide a peaceful, meaningful, and accessible place that’s open to everyone when they need it.

Our most successful endeavor is SholomPlex. Thank you to all the people who work to create this wonderful experience for our community, as well as those who have provided the financial and other critical support. We’re thinking of ways to expand this gem to more people in our community by offering a Tot Shabbat that welcomes in the youngest in our community.  We may also expand the program to a monthly basis (don’t expect to get a Bat Mitzvah style lunch every month, but your Brotherhood friends will always be there to welcome you with something good to eat).

This month, we have even more going on. From the Community Tikun Olam dinner to the Purim carnival and Megillah reading, we have something for everyone. Our Weekend of Learning welcomes back Rabbi Lenny Gordon and Dr. Lori Lefkovitz to the bimah, and Havdalah at the FSU Planetarium welcomes families of all ages. There’s so much good happening at TBS – take a break from the complicated life out there and come in for some warmth and sunshine.

Is there something else you would like to see happen at TBS?  Speak to me or the Rabbi and we will work with you to create something that’s meaningful to you.  Keep in touch! We need your hands and minds to help us succeed.  Thanks.

Evie Shorey, President