I have to begin this month’s message with a note about last month. We had a very successful Passover Dinner Pickup and Zoomed Second Seder. I want to thank David Margolis and his committee for organizing and distributing the 145 dinners and Passover necessities. It was very well received by those who participated.

As it is said: “April showers, bring May flowers” and everything seems to be blooming. With vaccinations progressing, we have gotten through the longest winter of our lives from last March to the present. Now is the time to begin to cautiously enjoy our friends and family! Happily, this year we can spend Mother’s Day with our loved ones.

We are hoping everyone will join us at our big fun-raiser of the year on Saturday, May 8th. We are Zooming a Mentalist, Eric Dittleman, for what should be a very curious and interesting evening. Hinda Piscitelli and her committee have done a great job putting the event together.

Shavuot, celebrates G-d giving Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Erev Shavuot we will have a Tikkun, which is a study session. We are supposed to stay up all night studying the Torah anxiously awaiting its arrival. Don’t worry, we won’t be all night. Our sanctuary will be decorated again as usual with flowers. Tradition says that the reason for decorating our shul with plants and flowers on this holiday of Shavuot is that when the Torah was given on Mount Sinai, the barren desert bloomed with flowers as the earth rejoiced. It was also at this time that people would begin to bring bikkurim, their first and choicest fruits and vegetables, to thank G‑d for Israel’s bounty. Unfortunately, we will not be bringing Bikkurim (fruit and vegetables) this year due to the Covid circumstances.

Fortunately, our shul family has been able to stay connected via Zoom. As our management of the virus progresses, we are coming closer to the time our shul family can reconnect in person.  

Stay safe. Stay well.

Joan