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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 

February 2026

Letter from the President

Dear Members and Friends of Temple Israel,

I hope that your New Year 2026 is off to a great start. Whether you are dressed in layers against the frigid temps, or basking in the sunny South, Temple Israel is here for you! The warmth of our building, and the friendships within, are welcome respite from the tumult that surrounds us daily. When antisemitism appears everywhere, the news seems worse than dreadful, and it is difficult to separate fact from fiction in our multi-media world, take some time out to participate in Temple Israel services or study, and explore the fundamental truths that underpin our faith. Join us in-person if you can, or on zoom if you can’t, for our services, classes, and programs. 

Our Rabbi Search Committee is working diligently to secure a successor to Rabbi Friedman. Resumes have been reviewed, several zoom interviews have narrowed the field, and we are starting to organize visits with the best-matched candidates. We will keep you informed of how you can participate in the next steps of the process. Meanwhile we are privileged to continue to study and pray under the leadership of Rabbi Friedman. Current educational programs include Rabbi Friedman’s weekly exploration of Torah in our Times on Tuesday afternoons, and a new adult learning session on Mondays designed to enhance our understanding and appreciation of Hebrew in our Weekly Parasha.

The new Temple Israel Mah-Jongg group has been meeting regularly and growing – two foursomes gathered last week and clearly enjoyed themselves. Contact Rivka Channin or the TI office for information on how you can join the fun.

I hope you have saved the date for our tenth anniversary celebration – Sunday, June 26th, in the afternoon – to enjoy a participatory family celebration for all ages! Planning is well-underway, and volunteers are needed for multiple activities. Please contact a committee member (Al Lavker and Steve Gilbert, to name a few) or call the office to register your interest in helping out.

Quick quiz: Did you accept my New Year’s challenge to find one or two new ways that you can support our synagogue? We need you; whether you volunteer for Chevra Kadisha or stay after Kiddush to help wash dishes – all are valued contributors, helping to sustain our synagogue for us and for future generations. Please answer the phone when the Nominating Committee comes calling, and accept your invitation to serve.

As always, I remind you that we rely on your participation, your Annual Dues, and your generous donations to our standing funds and fund-raisers. Tickets are still available for the Temple Israel 2026 Lottery Fundraiser. You may have missed the first few drawings, but $25 still buys you hundreds of chances to win, six days a week, all year long, and every ticket sold helps Temple Israel. We appreciate your donations of any size, to celebrate a simcha, memorialize a loved one, wish someone a speedy recovery, or just to sustain your synagogue.

Enjoy the Winter – It only comes once a year!

Art

Arthur B. Siegel
President – Temple Israel