Yesterday, our staff gathered to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, performing an office-style tashlich by shredding notes on which we had written what we hoped to let go of, and blessing apples and honey, challah, and kiddush as we welcomed the new year together. And what a year it will be as we anticipate moving into the new Oshry | Kipnes Jewish Community Centre.
While you may have seen some of the many talents this dynamic team brings to the table, what you may not know is that Becky is an amazing shofar blower. We reflected that the shofar is one of the few ritual objects that has remained unchanged across thousands of years. As Rachel Goldberg-Polin has observed, so much has changed over time: the clothing we wear, many of the foods we eat, and the way we live. Yet the ram's horn we use today is the very same instrument that has called Jewish communities together for generations.
How appropriate that, after an incredible United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Campaign Launch honouring the heroes among our community, the one person in our office with this hidden talent to call us to action would be our senior director of strategic development.
The shofar is more than a sound; it is a summons. Its blast cuts through the noise of everyday life and calls us to attention, to remember who we are, what we carry, and what we are responsible for building together. In that spirit, the launch of our UJA Campaign is also a call: a call to awaken our generosity, to stand with our community, to honour those who have shown extraordinary courage, and to help ensure that Jewish life in Edmonton remains strong, connected, and prepared for the year ahead. Just as the shofar's ancient voice has stirred Jewish hearts across generations, may this campaign stir us to action, purpose, and shared responsibility.
Calls to attention come in many forms.
On this September 11, many of us also remember exactly where we were when we learned of the attacks that forever changed our world. In a different way, that day was also a wake-up call about the persistence of hatred and extremist ideologies, reminding us why we must continue to strengthen community, stand up for one another, and never take peace and security for granted.
Yesterday, I had the privilege of visiting with Irving Kipnes on the occasion of his 90th birthday, and we talked about tzedakah, reflecting on a lifetime of philanthropy. We shared a smile, and the truth behind it, about something a rabbi in Sarnia, Ontario, told him years ago: he had never known anyone to become poor from giving tzedakah.
Reflections from this past week include being inspired by our Dianne and Irving Kipnes Kavod Award honourees, Francie and John Nobleman, at the UJA Campaign Launch, where we also welcomed our shinshinim, who are already slipping seamlessly into our community. I am also thinking about our friends and family in Israel who continue the work of returning, rebuilding, and renewing during a fractious time.
In uneasy times, one constant is Jewish peoplehood, and I draw strength from knowing that we are connected to something larger than ourselves or, as Sarah Mali expressed to us this week, that we are all under one sky.
Last night, I was also grateful to attend the Chief's Community Council gathering with representatives from all of the councils. It was meaningful to learn more about the important work underway in recruitment, technology, and physical and mental health supports within the force. I was especially appreciative of the opportunity to reconnect with friends and allies from many other ethnic communities and to introduce them to honey cake, with wishes for a sweet new year.
May this Shabbat, and the sound of the shofar, remind us of what connects us across generations: generosity, peoplehood, courage, and community.
Shanah Tovah. May the year ahead bring strength, renewal, sweetness, and peace to our community here, in Israel, and under one sky.
Shabbat Shalom,
Stacey