Originally posted June 13, 2024
This week, Jewish communities around the world celebrated the holiday of Shavuot, marking the culmination of our Omer cycle and our receiving the Torah. Tradition tells us that every single Jewish soul – past, present, and future – was present at Sinai in the foundational covenantal moment of our people. This expansive understanding of who was present at Sinai even includes those who choose Judaism through conversion. Jews-by-choice are just as much a part of the Jewish people’s covenant with the Divine as someone born Jewish.
At Temple Shalom, where inclusion is at the core of who we are and what we do, this can seem really obvious! And yet, no matter how good we are at welcoming new faces, there is always more work to be done. I hope you’ll join us this Shabbat as we celebrate Shavuot – not only with delicious ice cream, but by welcoming the newest members of Temple Shalom, including those who have recently joined the Jewish people, affirming what we’ve known since Sinai – that we are united in a common destiny. And if you’d like a closer textual look at who was present at Sinai for revelation, please join me at Torah study before services!
Rabbi Miriam Farber Wajnberg
