February 2026

Letter from the Rabbi

Dear Temple Israel Community,

This year the first day of February corresponded with Tu BiShvat, the Jewish “New Year of the Trees.” While Tu BiShvat is certainly not a major holiday, it represents the first movement towards Spring in the Jewish calendar. With mounds of snow piled in the corners of the Temple Israel parking lot and all around the Southern Tier, Spring may feel far away. Yet, through the minor holiday of Tu BiShvat our calendar reminds us to look ahead to warmer, brighter, and more fruitful days ahead.

While the month of February promises to be another cold month, our shul will be filled each week with the warmth of small groups gathering to learn, pray, sing, and play together! Over the past few weeks, children have returned for weekly Hebrew school classes and adult learners have joined me for my new class on Hebrew in the weekly Torah portion as well as Torah in Our Times. On Wednesdays, the building buzzes between Hillel students, Mah Jong players, and Hebrew school children! We continue to gather in good numbers on Shabbat and to share heartfelt, meaningful conversation over kiddush and, once last month over Shabbat dinner.

In one month, we will celebrate our next holiday: Purim! This year Purim begins Monday night March 2nd and we are planning a joyous celebration intertwining comedy and the reading of the Megillah. Please, mark your calendar and plan to join us! For the weeks building up to Purim, on Tuesdays during Torah in our Times, I will return to much of the material that I put together last year for my class titled: The Whole Megillah. We will learn to take the Megillah seriously as a text that speaks to the ridiculous and dangerous nature of Kings and empire. Simultaneously, we will carry on our people’s ancient tradition of laughing in the face of darkness and reaffirming our commitment to the perseverance of hope through seasons of darkness.

It’s an honor to nurture this community alongside you! Looking forward to learning, singing, laughing and eating together in the weeks and months ahead!

L’shalom,

Rabbi Micah R. Friedman

הרב מיכה שמחה פרידמן