Yizkor? It’s not Yom Kippur!

Shalom!

This Sunday morning is Shavuot!  Shavuot is one of the holidays commanded in the Torah and is as important as Passover and Sukkot.  We read from the Ten Commandments during this holiday, commemorating the gift of Torah given to us at Sinai.

Each Festival features a time when Yizkor memorial prayers are included in the service.  The Yizkor service on Yom Kippur is longer than the we take on Festival mornings, yet the intent is the same.  Four times a year we include a Yizkor services–and the next opportunity is this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

If you are recently bereaved, then consider joining us for the service on Sunday–and we’ll include your loved one’s name.  If you are remembering a parent, spouse, sibling, child, or other family members, consider making all of our Yizkor service opportunities a way to remember your departed family members in a loving and supportive community.

Friends and family have shown me that paying attention to our loss can instruct us on how to be with the living.  Knowing that part of our service is dedicated to God’s gift of memory can help put the death of a loved one in perspective–and that is among the healthy reasons we include Yizkor four times a year.  Should it be your tradition, you may also wish to kindle a Yizkor candle on Saturday night at sundown.

Whether you’re in mourning, remembering loved ones from years past, or looking forward to celebrating Shavuot–I look forward to seeing you on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. in our Greenberg Sanctuary.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Samayach.

Rabbi Sandford Kopnick

The Valley Temple