NO FRIDAY NIGHT SERVICE THIS MONTH
There will be no Shabbat evening services on Friday, September 25. Instead, everyone is invited to observe Sukkot at the synagogue on Sunday morning, September 27. (See related announcement.)
Torah Study, 1st and 3rd Saturdays 8:30 am via Zoom
ZOOM LINK BELOW
Contact Suzanne (suz_darby@hotmail.com) for information and study guide
Topic: Torah Study Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Meeting ID: 845 9030 4211
COME CELEBRATE SUKKOT ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27 10-12 AM
Our Religious school will be hosting our fabulous Sukkot celebration on Sunday morning. Please contact Melissa Gilpin at Mel.gilpin81@gmail.com to let her know if you will be attending. Join us as we enjoy the autumn harvest and remember the fragile shelters that our ancestors used during their journey out of Egypt.
YOM KIPPUR 5787 AT CONGREGATION SHA’ARE SHALOM
SIMCHAT TORAH CELEBRATION!
OCTOBER 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Our string of fall holidays continues! The major harvest festival of Sukkot begins on Friday night (September 25th).
Sukkot is immediately followed by Simchat Torah, “the joy of the Torah,” the day on which we complete the reading of the Torah and immediately start it again. Although Simchat Torah this year falls on October 2-3, we will observe it at our regular Shabbat morning service on October 10. We will be parading our Torah scrolls around the sanctuary with singing and great joy!
The celebration will also include everybody who is present getting an aliyah. The final group will be our children, who will be blessed after the Torah reading in their honor has been completed. We hope that a lot of children will be in attendance for this and to lead the Shema and V’Ahavta earlier in the service.
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL SCHEDULE FALL 2026
We will not have Hebrew School on 10/4
The fall schedule is as follows:
10/10 (Saturday, simchat Torah)
10/18
10/25
11/8
11/22
11/29
Investigating the Israelites: When the World Ended (and Israel Began)
5 sessions with Rabbi Gail
Alternate Sunday evenings at 7 PM ET on ZoomOct 11 – Oct 25 – Nov 8 – Nov 22 – Dec 6
A five-week investigation into the biggest cold case in ancient history
I always assumed the Bronze Age just faded into the Iron Age the way the Copper Age faded into the Bronze — a better material came along, and people just adapted their existing technology to accommodate it. I was stunned to learn that’s not what happened at all.
Around 1200 BCE, the ancient world’s superpowers collapsed. Egypt, the Hittites, the Mycenaeans: gone or decimated, in the span of a few decades, for a multitude of possible reasons.
And in the middle of that wreckage, small groups of formerly powerless people were able to start to build new kingdoms of their own. One of these was Israel.
Was it an invasion? A refugee crisis? A slow blending of cultures nobody planned? The evidence is stranger, sparser, and more compelling than you’d think — Egyptian names buried in the priesthood, a stone inscription with the first written mention of “Israel,” and a text that may be older than the rest of the Torah.
Five sessions. A pile of extraordinary books. One really old mystery.
No prior knowledge required — just curiosity, and a willingness to read, think, and discuss. The format this time involves a lot more reading material than in my past classes. I will provide all of the material to you as always; we will touch on the high points in our sessions together, and you are welcome to read as much of it as piques your interest.
Bring your questions. Bring your skepticism. We’re going to need both.
To register, please email me directly at rabbigailfisher@gmail.com by October 8th at 5 PM.
Fund Raiser For Safety Personnel
Dear Members,
Congregation Sha’are Shalom has started a never ending Fundraiser to pay for Security at our synagogue.
We want all our members to feel safe coming to services and events at the Synagogue, so we will be having
Security Personnel there at all events.
There will be a tab under Donation on our website where you can make a donation for Security.
Thank you in advance.
Jackie – Treasurer
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR MEMBERS
The Brag Space for Members to share special moments and events
Special Announcement From Rabbi Gail Fisher
It really takes a team. I could never even begin to run our High Holyday program all by myself. We have people stepping forward to read the Torah, to come up to the Torah, to do the English readings, to manage all the food, to handle our printing needs, to oversee the Zoom, to set out and put away chairs and tables, to blow the shofar, to keep the building in good order and provide all the supplies we need, and of course we have people who play more visible roles every year, like our very gifted cantorial soloist Valerie. I am beyond grateful for this whole team, which is why things go as smoothly as they do. May all of you and those you love have a happy, healthy, and peaceful new year.
Shalom,
Rabbi Gail Fisher
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Lead a Friday evening Shabbat service — we’ll help you!
Our prayer book makes it easy — just choose your favorite reading from each two-page spread, either in English or Hebrew, spoken or sung. We even have some pre-chosen plans to use. The pressure is very low — the audience is usually small and supportive. If you’d rather not write a brief d’var Torah (a mini-sermon on how something from the week’s Torah portion might apply to our lives today), Suzanne Darby has volunteered to write it; and if you’re hesitant about leading songs, I can help out with that.
We’d just like more of our members to come up and play a part in services, and so we’re eager to help any way we can.
You don’t have to know Hebrew, and you just have to be past bar/bat mitzvah age. You can even enlist your spouse and/or kids to be your co-leaders. We’re looking for volunteers for Friday evenings. Please contact me at myerspat@gmail.com to sign up or for more information.
See you at our next service
HELP WANTED
Dates Available for Oneg Sponsors
Shar’are Shalom each Saturday morning (every 2nd Saturday) and Friday night (every 4th Friday) service at the temple ends with the pleasure of fellowship. A little nosh usually makes this fellowship last longer and adds to its delightfulness. Each post service nosh or oneg requires an Oneg Sponsor. Whether it is wine, juice, a challah, and some cookies, or even more – it is always appreciated by those in attendance.
Contact Marshall Jones (Mjones.shaare@gmail.com) if you would like to sponsor an oneg or lead a Friday Night Service or have any questions about doing either.