This week brought both mourning and celebration of Israel with Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut. Thanks to Temple Beth El for hosting our community Yom Hazikaron memorial, and to Rabbi Estrin for leading the service and providing us with such a wonderful mix of Israeli music afterward. And last night we had an amazing celebration of Israel’s 77th birthday celebration at the JCA - complete with an Israeli rave! And if you haven’t yet heard the story of Keren and Harel Oren, I would encourage you to look them up. They are both incredible people, and gifted speakers, and their story of surviving the October 7th attacks, working to rebuild, and finding hope for the future is inspiring to us all. It has been a privilege hosting them and getting to know them this week, and we look forward to staying connected on future visits to Israel.

May is Jewish American Heritage Month. Formally proclaimed by President George W Bush in 2006, the purpose of Jewish American Heritage Month is to celebrate the contributions of Jewish Americans to the history and culture of the US. The Maine state legislature issued a proclamation honoring this year’s Jewish American Heritage Month, you can watch Representative Sam Zager’s remarks on the proclamation. The Jewish American Heritage website has incredible resources; in particular, I would draw your attention to their section on resources to educate the broader public about antisemitism and their “Read, Watch, Listen, Make” section for a curated list of cultural content that brings Jewish stories and voices to life. 

I’m excited to report that a draft of our Community Study has come in! We’ll be launching the results with a series of events beginning next month and continuing through the summer. We’ll have fascinating updates on Jewish life in Maine, and look forward to meaningful discussions about how to utilize the data to continue building thriving Jewish life in Maine. 

Lastly, see below for information on how to vote in the World Zionist Congress. This group plays a crucial role in the distribution of millions of dollars in aid to Jews throughout the world, it’s very important to make sure your voice is heard! Vote now, voting closes on May 4th!

Shabbat Shalom,

Leslie