Posts by Peter Shir

Please remember that there are no services on Saturday, April 12. The Synagogue will be closed as most families will be busy preparing for the first night of Passover. Feel free to tune into a Drash from one of the previous weeks or watch a recent teaching you missed on our YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@tikvat If…

In our community, many like to celebrate the last night of Passover with The Meal of Messiah (Seudat Mashiach). It’s a relatively new tradition, primarily associated with Hassidic Judaism. It is less than two hundred years old, and as far as Jewish traditions go, that is new. The meal is like a Seder, but it…

Passover is a family holiday, and the most spiritual part of it takes place around the family table (in 2025, Passover begins on Saturday night, April 12). At Tikvat David, we celebrate the first night in our homes, but on Monday, April 14, we will host a communal Seder meal to make sure that everyone…

We have been talking about this and planning this for a while… Our Synagogue is taking all of our Hebrew School students to visit the US Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, this upcoming June. Of course, while visiting our nation’s capital, we plan to visit some important sights connected to our nation’s history as well.…

Our new Torah scroll is such a blessing… In December, as I chanted verses from Miketz from the old scroll, I realized that next week, we will have a dedication for the new scroll. And then, every Shabbat to follow, the new scroll will be read from and will have that place of honor. The…

We recently had Judy S. come and speak to us after the service. Like many Israelis, she was called in to report for active duty in the wake of October 7. But Judy wanted to do more than just offer her service to the country she loves, she wanted to help beyond that and knew…

The October 7 with Hamas is an old news for most people. But we urge all people of faith who stand with Israel to continue praying for the miracles, for release and return of Israel’s captives until of them are returned to their families. As we celebrate Passover this is a second year that we…

Connection with a greater community is essential in Judaism. Some religious activities can be solitary yet other worshippers have always played a crucial role in Jewish spirituality. An overwhelming number of commandments in Torah instruct us about our relationships with others. And there is a reason why many Jewish prayers are usually written in plural.…