Director of Innovative Learning, Youth & Engagement:
On September 11, 2001, 19 men boarded four airplanes and turned them into weapons of hate. Tomorrow, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we will remember the 2,973 people who were killed and the 24 who remain listed as “missing” as a result of these horrific acts of hate.
During this season of High Holy Days, may the Shofar’s blast be a reminder to all of us to...
Remember their names.
Remember they were people with lives to live and stories to share.
Remember that we must heed the call and work together toward peace.
And remember the fragility of life.
May the Shofar’s blast be a call to all of us to remember, to act, and do the work that is necessary.
May our acts of Teshuvah (Repentance), Tzedakah (Charity), Teffilah (Prayer), Avodah (Work), and Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) bring about a more just and Holy world.
Please join us this Shabbat morning (tomorrow) as Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham and Cantor Sharon Nathanson help us commemorate the 20th anniversary of the tragic events that occured on September 11, 2001.
This Week's Torah Portion is
Vayeilech
Shabbat Shuvah Service Schedule
& Candlelighting Times
Shabbat Candlelighting:
Friday, September 10 at 6:59 pm
Havdallah, Saturday, September 11 at 7:46 pm
Friday, September 10 Friday Evening Services with Cantor Sharon Nathanson in the Guller Chapel: 6:00 pm In-Person, Livestream, FB Live, and Zoom
Saturday, September 11 Tefillah with Cantor Sharon Nathanson and Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham in the Main Sanctuary: 9:00 am
Our Service will include a special 20th anniversary commemoration in honor and memory of the victims of 9/11.
Pre-Yontif Visitation to the Burial Places of our Ancestors & Teachers: 10:30 am
At the B'nai Amoona Cemetery located at 930 North and South Rd, St. Louis, MO 63130
D'var Torah From Rabbi Neal Rose
- Vayeilech-
One of the most important ingredients for a successful High Holy Day prayer service is reciprocity: the combined intentions and efforts of both the leaders of the service, and those who attend. Before the advent of the printing press very few people had copies of the Siddur, or what we call the “prayerbook.” Individuals attended a prayer service and they learned to answer Amen at appropriate moments in the service. But, in order to really experience the service properly, all kinds of rules and regulations were created so that people did not simply let the word "Amen" roll off their tongues. Rather, each Amen was to be said with one's full attention, and with an open heart.
The importance of reciprocity can also be seen in the way we relate to the Mitzvah of the Shofar. While the Torah commands us to blow the shofar, later Jewish tradition understood that the essential quality of the ritual was for us to actually hear the sound. Hence the Brachah recited before the sounding of the ram's horn reads: "To Hear the Shofar” - which is to say that what is most important about the Mitzvah is that we allow the sound to penetrate deeply into our hearts and minds. This is why the emphasis of the ritual is on the hearing and not on the sounding the sacred horn.
A key section of the Rosh Hashanah prayers is known as the Musaf service. This particular service was considered so critical that whoever chanted it would first offer a prayer asking for the strength and the ability to articulate the prayers in the most appropriate fashion. In our High Holy Day prayerbook this prayer is normally recited by the Cantor. It is known as Hineni - a prayer in which the Chazzan calls out to God asking to be empowered and enabled in their efforts to be worthy of representing the community - who imagines itself standing before the heavenly tribunal.
The sensitivity of a modern Chazzan is beautifully articulated by Cantor Shira Adler in a personal version of the Hineni that she shared with us a few years ago. Like the traditional version, she implores the Divine to imbue her with the strength and wisdom to carry out her role as the voice of her community. She goes beyond the traditional text, however, and she raises the question: what is the role of the congregation in all of this?
She directs her question to us personally, asking "what is your role in this prayer experience… Don’t you know that you can't just sit back or be distracted anymore than I can… You have to actively listen… We we are in a reciprocal relationship.”
Cantor Adler invites us to compose our own Hineni. After all, she says, “We have to see ourselves as if we were at the beginning of a potentially life changing journey as we each come closer to the New Year.”
Her address to us, and her original rendition of the prayer reminds us to see ourselves as part of something greater, part of a group effort - a communal effort -one that is meant to improve us and affect the world around us, as well.
Morrey Finke; beloved husband to Ruth Finke (Z"L); devoted father of Howard Finke, Leslie (Catherine Tantau) Finke and Marcia (Dr. Kenneth) Kram; loving grandfather of Ashley Finke and Emily Kram; proud great-grandfather of Layla Kram and Brayden Kram; cherished brother to Shirley (Z"L) (Samuel Z"L) Schwartz and Mildren (Z"L) (Milton Z"L) Moss; dear brother-in-law to Leonard (Joyce Z"L) Wispe and Dian (Z"L) (Newton Z"L) Karp.
Betty Steinbach Glaser Spitzer; beloved wife of A. Fuller Glaser (Z"L) and Norman Spitzer (Z"L); loving mother of Andy Fuller (Nancee) Glaser, Jr. and Patricia Ann Glaser; sister-in-law of Sandy and Gloria Spitzer; loving Gigi to her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Norman Stanely Fott, father of Laurie (David) Sheinbein.
Weekday Minyan Information Join us In-Person or on Zoom, BA Livestream or Facebook Live
Regular Morning Minyanim
Sunday Morning Minyan: 9:00 am
Monday - Friday Morning Minyan: 7:00 am
In-Person, Zoom, Livestream, and FB Live
Regular Evening Minyanim
Sunday - Thursday Evening Minyan: 6:15 pm
via Zoom, Livestream, and FB Live
Kol Nidrei and Yom Kippur
Individuals streaming Yom Kippur Services may now pick up their Yizkor Memorial Book. Yizkor books can be picked up at B'nai Amoona during business hours either Monday, September 13 or Tuesday, September 14.
Below is our updated Kol Nidrei and Yom Kippur schedule, we kindly request that you take a look and contact Anita Kraus at 314-576-3699 or anita@bnaiamoona.com with any questions. For more information regarding the reason behind this change, please read BA President Jeff Singer's letter by clicking HERE.
KOL NIDREI – Wednesday, September 15
Outdoor Intergenerational Service: 4:45 - 5:30 pm
Minchah: 6:15 pm
Musical Prelude: 6:30 pm
Kol Nidrei Service Followed by Arvit: 6:45 pm
YOM KIPPUR – Thursday, September 16
Morning Service: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm **New Time**
Yizkor: 11:30 am
Full menu (including kid's meal options) can be found on the registration page by clicking the green button below. Gluten free options available upon request. ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Todah Rabbah To The Jewish Federation of St. Louis
Grants from the St. Louis Jewish Federation have helped Congregation B'nai Amoona in a wide variety of ways. In 2020-21, we received grant funding for the Chesed Fund, support from the Staenberg Family Foundation for both our Seder and necessary technology, support for older adults, closed captioning from the Joslin Fund, and COVID assistance including technology, two food investments, and additional Chesed Funds. We are deeply appreciative of the support and necessary assistance these Grants provided. Todah Rabbah!
Jewish tradition teaches “Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh,” meaning that we are all
responsible for each other (B.Talmud Shevuot 39a).
Our B'nai Amoona Klei Kodesh is proud to join other local Jewish spiritual leaders in issuingTHIS STATEMENTin favor of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, continuing to wear a mask and practice social distancing as recommended by the CDC and other medical and other public health authorities.
As more people receive the Covid-19 vaccine, we encourage you to download and print the prayers below. We recommend you say them when you receive your vaccination.
