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Cantor Manny

Fall '24/Winter '24

OCTOBER 7, 2023 is a date that changed our lives forever.

That was the horrible day when 1,200 people were slaughtered in an unprovoked attack in Israel that rivaled the Nazi massacres of the 1940s.

It was a wake-up call not only for us as American Jews, but for the entire world.

Two of our widely held assumptions were shattered on that day:

1. That after the Holocaust, no mass murder of Jews could ever occur again.

2. That Jews and the nation of Israel are fully accepted in the West, especially in the United States of America.

But equally as shocking as the hatred unleashed on October 7, was the enthusiastic support of the murderers that we soon saw on college campuses all across America.

Still, we have reasons to hold our heads high and be hopeful about the future.

In the end, light will win out over darkness.

As columnist Gerard Baker wrote in The Wall Street Journal:  “What the Jewish state has done in the past year -- for its own defense, but in the process and not coincidentally for the security of all of us -- will rank among the most important contributions to the defense of western civilization in the past three quarters of a century.”

May God bless the brave soldiers of Israel fighting for freedom and human dignity.

OCTOBER 7, 2023 is a date that changed our lives forever.

That was the horrible day when 1,200 people were slaughtered in an unprovoked attack in Israel that rivaled the Nazi massacres of the 1940s.

It was a wake-up call not only for us as American Jews, but for the entire world.

Two of our widely held assumptions were shattered on that day:

1. That after the Holocaust, no mass murder of Jews could every occur again.

2. That Jews and the nation of Israel are fully accepted in the West, especially in the United States of America.

But equally as shocking as the hatred unleashed on October 7, was the enthusiastic support of the murderers that we soon saw on college campuses all across America.

Still, we have reasons to hold our heads high and be hopeful about the future.

In the end, light will win out over darkness.

As columnist Gerard Baker wrote in The Wall Street Journal:  “What the Jewish state has done in the past year -- for its own defense, but in the process and not coincidentally for the security of all of us -- will rank among the most important contributions to the defense of western civilization in the past three quaters of a century.”

May God bless the brave soldiers of Israel fighting for freedom and human dignity.

Summer 2024

It’s hard to believe, but this will be my 25th year singing at our High Holiday services. To put that in perspective, Rabbi Aaron had not yet become a Bar Mitzvah when I first came to Temple Beth El in the summer of 2000.

And his wonderful wife Wendi was probably still in kindergarten! I’m not jealous of their youth. Well, maybe just a little. Especially at the High Holidays, we are made aware that time is marching on. We must all adapt to changes and be grateful for the blessings of everyday life!

Like all people and our beloved pets too, synagogues face new challenges that come with age. And Temple Beth El is no exception. Our building has undergone massive repairs and improvements in the past two years.

We are now the senior congregation in Broward County. But the one thing that made Temple Beth El so special for decades is still strong— the warm feeling of being a cohesive community that is really like one big family.

From the moment I walked through our doors and applied for the cantor’s position 25 years ago, I had a wonderful sense that I was home. And that feeling has never left me.

I hope that’s the feeling you get when you come to Temple Beth El! This is your home and each one of you is a beloved and treasured member of our family.

L’shana tova u’m’tooka.

Best wishes for a good and sweet year.

With love and gratitude,

Cantor Manny

Spring 2024

May 1, 2024 - Summertime is my favorite season of the year. Even in sweltering Florida! But this year, the joy of summer is greatly dimmed by the war in Israel and the anti-Jewish hate it has unleashed here in America and around the globe. Most of the world has lost its moral compass – and the distinction between good and evil is no longer clear.

The difference between the truth and lies is no longer clear either. The daily outpouring of hate has stunned Jews everywhere. Nearly every day we see demonstrators blocking highways, airports, train stations, and college campuses, screaming that Israel is an apartheid country committing genocide and that it has no right to exist. What rubbish! 

We Jews know from history what propaganda can do to weak minds and we know we must fight back. One of the things that really upsets me is when I see news reports of Jewish students cowering in fear of what’s happening on their college campuses. I don’t share their fear. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a rough neighborhood in Philadelphia – or maybe because I lived in Israel – or maybe because my parents taught me to only revere God – but fear is not part of my make-up.

For me, faith is the antidote to fear. I believe that the Jewish people are an eternal people and we will survive this too. Just a few weeks ago my close friend from Jerusalem sent me an email saying that the one word to describe Israel nowadays is RESILIENT. So instead of living in fear, let’s band together and be outspoken and resilient too! One of my favorite verses from the Bible is found in Psalm 97: “You who love God must hate evil.” Let’s show everyone that we’re strong and proud Jews who stand for justice and will unite to eradicate evil from the planet.

Fri, November 8 2024 7 Cheshvan 5785