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In our Torah portion this week, the people of Israel begin gathering the resources that will ultimately become their tabernacle and their tent of meeting. These two spaces, stationed in close proximity throughout the desert wanderings, would come to serve as the central gathering places for the manner in which our Israelite ancestors connected both to God and to each other. Created at the same time, it has become an understanding passed through the generations that while a community may be dedicated for a sacred purpose (i.e., the worship style that took place at the tabernacle), it falls short if ears are only direct toward the divine. Integral in the experience that would become Judaism was the important role of being in relationship with others.

Over this next week we will have the opportunity to dedicate ourselves to both of these tenets of Jewish life.

First, we can assemble to lift up and celebrate our connection to God over Shabbat. And while the stream enables us to participate virtually should the need arise, there is really no substitute to assembling in a space designed uniquely for the purpose of the sacred. 

As well, while there are many opportunities for gathering through the educational and programmatic life of Temple Sinai –  visit the calendar for a myriad of selections – the chance to gather on March 2 in conversation with others is not one to be overlooked. A part of our Culture of Belonging, the March 2 Listening Forum is structured in a manner that encourages congregants to either host or join a small-group conversation centered around our own feelings about “belonging” in the Temple Sinai community.

Of course, one need not be a sage of Jewish tradition to realize that, while the resources gathered are important and necessary for the success of the community, it is the participation of the people that is the most impactful offering – Terumah, as our Torah portion is called - making a community meaningful, sacred, and awe-inspiring.