Thank you to the hundreds of you who came through the tent over Yom Kippur (and Rosh Hashanah) and helped make one of the most beautiful and meaningful Yom Kippur's on record at ChabadSudbury!
From the packed tent and moving melodies of Kol Nidrei, to the meaningful morning services and Yizkor Memorial Service, and with standing room only at Neilah and the break fast, the sentiments in the tent were powerful, uplifting and inspiring all at the same time.
Each person who came helped make this a more impactful Yom Kippur, as we prayed, hoped, reflected, sung melodies, and yes more than a few tears, and of course joyously sang the uplifting song and said the Shema, before the sounding of the Shofar!
There were so many extraordinary moments, and one or two of them, I hope to share over the next few days!
Watching the community grow year to year and the many hundreds of returning faces along with so many new faces, is something we are so grateful for. Hearing kids running around the lawn and playing happily and as prayers ring out from the tent, children's services take place inside as well as a teen program, are all things that we don't take for granted.
We know that the generosity and volunteerism of so many is helping build this warm place of connection, community, faith, good deeds and care for facilitating room for personal growth, communal growth and our collective actions for making a better world.
Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped in so many ways, to all of the ushers and security team members who helped ensure safe and smooth services, to those who setup the break fast, chairs, tables and more, to Chana for running the Teen Program, to Sheva and Rina for running the kids programs, and to Mendel and DL for helping in so many ways to Chai Security, to Sudbury PD, to Junie, and of course to my brother Shmuel who helped lead so many of the services in such a beautiful way and while we are at it, we wish him a Happy 50th Birthday!!
Thank you to the many dozens of you who made kind donations in honor of the High Holidays and helped enable all of this and more. If you would like to donate or make a Yizkor pledge, you may use this link.
As we said at the end of Neila, we transition from beating and pounding hearts at the end of Neila to the banging of the Sukkah walls, as we take the inspiration of the holidays and translate it into another tangible Mitzvah, good deed, Mezuzah, Tefillin, Candle Lighting, Sukkah, Kindness, Tzedaka or any other Mitzvah!
May 5787 be an amazing year of growth, happiness, health, blessings, peace and more for all and looking forward to welcoming more and more people to the tent and community at Chabad of Sudbury.