Rabbi's Blog

Friends,

According to some, it will be 7,500 years before Thanksgiving and Hanukkah coincide again as they do tonight and tomorrow!

There are, of course, similar themes to these two holidays and when they converge, I suppose our sense of gratitude and appreciation for all of the large and small miracles in our lives, and for the people we love and those we don’t even know increase exponentially!

It has been a hard few months for sure with all of us still feeling the aftermath of the flood and it’s effect on our daily lives.  At Bonai Shalom, we continue to be wandering Jews with our offices at Har HaShem, our school at the JCC, Shabbat services at the UU Church and Thursday morning minyan at Aish Kodesh.  It’s exhausting!  But is also inspiring and humbling and there is so, so much thanks to be offered!

I want to thank all of the institutions who have opened their doors to us; I want to thank all of Bonai’s board, staff and volunteers who have had so much patience and flexibility and tenacity to keep us going; I want to thank all of you who have contributed so generously to our flood relief fund; I want to thank all of you who have not yet given, but will give a gift soon so that we can all be part of our rebuilding; I want to thank Jewish Colorado, USCJ and dozens of synagogues, JCCs and foundations across the country who have supported us so generously.

There really are so many miracles in every moment and as we light that first Hanukkah candle tonight, we know that one tiny light can illuminate even the very darkest spaces inside us and in the world around us.  My blessing is that the light of Hanukkah will shine so brightly into our future as a community and world offering us resilience and hope and courage!

Thank you everyone for all that you do!

A very Happy Thansgivukkah to all!

Rabbi Marc

PS – Please join Reb Zalman and Janine Starr for a special Thankgivukkah shacharit at 8 am on Thanksgiving morning at Aish Kodesh, 1545 Cherryvale.