We invite you into our real home, which is also a Sanctuary. Joining our Temple you will learn how to transform every room of your own home into a sanctuary.
After the Revelation of the Ten Commandments we are instructed by God to “Make Me a Sanctuary so I may dwell among you.” (Exodus 25:8)
Our Ten most fundamental teachings make no mention of building a holy place. To Remember to Observe the Sabbath day and make it Holy is mentioned, and this is instructive. It is time for a housecleaning of beliefs, to redefine the rules of Sabbath observance. Also, since the Sabbath is a sanctuary in time, we ask, how do we enter?
Make me a Sanctuary so I may dwell among you may also be translated “Make Me a Sanctuary so I may dwell within you.” A third reading of the verse indicates that God is the Sanctuary .This reading reminds us of another verse in the book of Exodus (20:24) “In every place My Name is mentioned I will come and bless you.” The pilgrimage to the Sabbath begins within, as we seek a way to experience the Peace of the Sabbath (Shabbat Shalom).Peace in the home is experienced when the home becomes a dwelling place of the divine. The Rabbis teach that peace on earth begins with peace in the home. Peace in the home begins with the sanctification of our dinner tables as an altar to God.
Our focus is to teach you how to practice in your heart and in your home. This is also our “hierarchy”; First, God in the heart, then in the home, then in the structures of community.
The mission of Temple Shabbat Shalom is to teach individuals and families the core spiritual values of the Torah. (Bible) To bring these values into our everyday lives we suggest a certain order (Seder) for observances that sanctify time in your home.
Active Learning Programs
Encountering Rabbinic Narrative
Our tradition teaches that we responded to The Revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai by saying: “We will do and we will listen.” The programs that follow are all action oriented. Every home becomes a sanctuary when these programs are done at your table. We accept the challenge to do and to listen by retelling our story based on the following Active Learning Programs.
Everyone is familiar with the Passover Seder. Seder means order. The text of the Passover Seder is a Haggadah, a narrative of the first exodus. The Haggadah is ordered around four cups of wine which symbolize the four epochs of history and remind us that the story of liberation is not yet complete. In fact, the word Haggadah is from the same root as Aggadah, which means the lore and legends of our people. Encountering Rabbinic Narrative one discovers a story that is far from over. Shabbat and every holyday and holiday narrate a different dimension of the (H)Aggadah. A Shabbat Seder, A Shavuot Seder, A Tisha B Av Seder, A Purim Seder an Elul Seder, etc, are extensions of the genre. The great innovation of these alternative learning program Seders is that they lead us back to tradition.
Families are invited to create unique and individualized table services for their dining room tables. Each Seder sanctifies and orders the table as an altar. We accept the challenge to do and to listen by retelling our story based on these alternative learning programs. Call (518) 893-0808 now if you are interested!
Kindly call 518-893-0808 today to discuss.
