The Shofar, Temple Beth El’s monthly publication, keeps community and temple members up to date on what’s going on. Take a look at this month’s Shofar to see what’s coming up or browse through the archives to see all that we’ve done!
Rabbi Jonathan Klein’s Reflections
Forward March
March might have been named thus because of the march of time. The earth is showing signs of awakening:
● Blossoms fill the almond trees just east of the I-5 as I wind my way to the wonderland of our community.
● The coldest days are over; the rains are lessening.
● The last of the lingering Chanukkah decorations that we keep forgetting to put away are finally, ridiculously, shoved into the Chanukkah box.
● Weird Pesach memes start to appear in social media:
On March 21 st , 2018, I woke up bright-eyed and posted on Facebook “Happy Spring!” 10 hours later, I admitted myself to Cedars-Sinai Hospital at the urging of the urgent care, only to discover that I was having a heart attack. A week later, I was falsely accused by an employee of horrid activity. A downward spiral shifted my reality in multiple ways; how could I have known that my life would change so radically? I should have, indeed, heeded the soothsayer’s advice: “Beware the Ides of March.”
And yet, the seasons have gone round. That challenging March gave way to so many blessings in my life. Were it not for that upheaval, I would not have found Temple Beth El. I would not have taken on the personal journey of self-discovery that has led me to far more self-actualization than ever before (and as we know, the journey is NEVER over). I would not have come to understand what matters, and what doesn’t. I would not have seen so many more possibilities than I had conceptualized for myself, prior to that transitional March in 2018.
Perhaps March is not just another month; perhaps it is a call to action.
Forward! March!
Rabbi Jonathan Klein
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