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Happy Spring! We want to remind you of the many opportunities that we as Jews have to connect with nature during springtime. From our sedar plate and the parting of the Red Sea at Passover, to Shavuot and the celebration of the giving of the Torah and the harvest of the first “fruits,” we find many connections to the natural world. Lag B’omar is celebrated on the 33rd day between Passover and Shavuot. This minor holiday has an agricultural heritage and reminds us of the rhythm of the harvests. There is a tradition at this holiday to go outside, to have bon fires, to take a break and enjoy nature and the outdoors.
All of these holidays, events and upcoming holy days remind us of our connection to the earth and how powerful Mother Nature and the importance and need to care of her. This past month, when a volcano in Iceland wrecked havoc with our “modern” world, we were reminded once again about the power and force of our natural world.
At TBR, we are renewing our commitment to our sustainability programs and have replaced our first “reusable” black mugs, with new ceramic blue and red ones. As you enjoy your coffee or tea after services, or at your next Temple meeting or event, take a moment to reflect on all that we have accomplished at our Temple home to honor and respect our planet and all of the gifts God has given us!
P.S. Red and Blue mugs, you ask? Why two colors? In keeping with our kashrut observances at TBR, we will be using the blue mugs for every day. The blue mugs are “dairy” to be used with milk or cream. The Red mugs should not be used with dairy – they will be used for meat meals and at Friday night’s Oneg Shabbat. They can be used with pareve coffee lighteners.
Please help us explain this distinction to visitors to our Temple, and to our congregants and staff who might be reading this.
Any questions, or to find out what is happening with or to join our T’Green Olam Committee please contact Harriet Shugarman, aajhrs@aol.com or Mark Niederman , mniederman@earthlink.net.
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