November 2025
Letter from the Rabbi
Dear Temple Israel Community,
We have officially made it through our season of Fall Holidays and arrived at, arguably, the most exciting season of Torah reading. In October, we gathered in great numbers for Yom Kippur, followed by joyous celebrations of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah! Special thanks are due to everyone who helped to plan and execute joyous days of song, food, festivity and learning over Sukkot, including a Shabbat dinner in the Sukkah and the Sunday Sukkot with the Rabbis program.
Rav Talia and I enjoyed sharing songs, sweets, and words of Torah with you as well as having the opportunity to schmooze and connect. The holiday season came to a climax with an amazing Simchat Torah celebration in which young and old members of our community, long-time, new, and not-yet members of TI, danced with the Torah, embracing and celebrating the heart of Judaism, the Tree of Life as our people have called Torah for generations.
This time of year, our annual Torah reading cycle returns to the foundational and fascinating stories of our earliest ancestors. From Havah and Adam, to Noah, and now to Avraham and Sarah and their descendants. The narratives of Bereishit are rich with complexity, and filled with layers of meaning which we can appreciate anew as we grow and mature. Each year when we return to these same stories, we are gifted the opportunity to gain new insight into who we are, our own families, and the journeys we have been on in life.
Remarkably, this year several members of our community have resolved to read passages from Sefer Bereishit from the Torah, and to learn to lead new parts of the Tefillah. Last week on Shabbat Lekh L’kha, and in the coming two weeks Shabbat VaYera on 11/8 and Shabbat Chayei Sarah on 11/15 we will celebrate the ongoing commitment of members of our community who choose to embrace our living tradition through giving voice to Torah! Please, consider joining us!
We also will look forward to another Shabbat dinner on Friday 11/14 after services. These Shabbat dinners will be a great opportunity to connect with other members of our community! Please, join us and volunteer to help out as you can.
In the past month, we have revived Shabbat morning programming for children with the help of Binghamton University students. On a regular basis, we will have college students with us on Shabbat morning to engage children in learning, song, play, and connection in the spirit of Shabbat. It is our hope that this can help parents to participate in Shabbat morning services and offer more learning experiences for children in our community.
Finally, learning continues for all ages! With the Global Day of Jewish Learning on November 9th we will partner with the other local shuls in coordination with Jewish community on 6 continents to recommit ourselves to shaping Torah for our lives. Then on November 12th, Hadassah Mativetsky will begin facilitating a new course in partnership with the Pardes Center for Jewish Studies on the Torah of Being an American Jew. It promises to be fascinating and thought-provoking. Finally, my weekly Torah in Our Times class continues with a dedicated group of regular participants and an open door for anyone who would like to join on Tuesdays at 4:30 before our minyan.
As we return to Breishit “In the beginning,” let’s return to each other and renew our efforts to learn, grow, and connect with our local Jewish community!
L’shalom,
Rabbi Micah R. Friedman
הרב מיכה שמחה פרידמן
