May 2026
Letter from the Rabbi
Dear Temple Israel Community,
I hope that this bulletin message comes your way as you enjoy the beautiful sunshine of this Spring season in our region! This year, we begin the month of May in the midst of the season of sefirat haOmer – the counting of the year – which carries us from Passover – the season of our freedom – into Shavuot – the season of the giving of our Torah. We are officially over the hump of the Omer, with May 1st being the 29th day of the 49 days between Passover on Shavuot. During this time of year when the transformation of the natural environment around us is so striking, counting the Omer offers us an opportunity to pay attention to the more subtle shifts that happen within each of our hearts, gradually, as we journey through life’s many challenges and blessings.
When we come to Shavuot this year on May 21st, we will gather in joyous celebration, learning, and song! For the 2nd year in a row, we are partnering with Temple Concord to host a Tikkun Leil Shavuot – a mystical practice of studying Torah late into the evening on Erev Shavuot in preparation for receiving the Torah anew. We will come together at Temple Israel for an evening interspersed with sweet treats, prayer, song, and study sessions exploring the theme of V’zot haBerakhah – The Many Facets of Blessings. Please join us! We will also gather on Friday May 22nd to read the revelation of the Torah and 10 Commandments and on Shabbat May 23rd, the 2nd day of Shavuot, we will recite Yizkor in memory of our loved ones departed from this world.
Before Shavuot, we will come together on Friday May 15th for a Shabbat Dinner Cookout! The Community Shabbat dinners we’ve been hosting for the past couple years have been uniquely sweet moments that bring together different corners of our community to break bread together, get to know each other, and share in the celebration of Shabbat. I hope you will be able to join us in two weeks and, if you’re able, volunteer to help set-up, clean-up, or sponsor the costs of the meal.
We continue to find ourselves in a stage of uncertainty about who will take reigns of Temple Israel leadership, with the the Rabbinic Search Committee continuing to work diligently to find an arrangement that will meet the needs of the shul come July and Nominating Committee actively looking for volunteers with a passion for shaping a vibrant Binghamton Jewish community to become an officer or trustee. To use a seasonal metaphor, maybe you will be the heavy hitter who steps up to the plate and helps Temple Israel to continue on our current path of growth!
While uncertainty abides – and challenges are inevitable, I am certain that the future of Temple Israel is bright and strong! We will celebrate our past and our future together in late July as we mark 10 years since the rebuilding of the shul! Now is your chance to join in our collective effort to forge a stronger future by participating in our communal life!
L’shalom,
Rabbi Micah R. Friedman
הרב מיכה שמחה פרידמן
