BETH ISAAC SYNAGOGUE
OF TRENTON

2730 EDSEL DRIVE

Erev Rosh Hashanah

Sunday, September 20th, 7:30 pm
Rosh Hashanah
Monday, September 21st, 10:00 Followed by Tashlikh Service
Erev Yom Kippur (Kol Nidre)
Tuesday, September 29th, 7:30 pm
Yom Kippur
Wednesday, September 30th, 10:00 am
Yom Kippur Afternoon Service and Memorial Service
Wednesday, September 30th, 5:00 pm

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THE SEPHARDIC COMMUNITY
OF GREATER DETROIT

ES THE 1998-5759 HIGH HOLIDAYS AT
CELEBRATES
THE AGENCY FOR JEWISH EDUCATION
21550 WEST 12 MILE ROAD, SOUTHFIELD
Rosh Hashanah
Sunday, September 20th, 7:15pm

Monday, September 21st, 9:00am
7:00pm
Minha
Tuesday, September 22nd, 9:00am
7:15pm
Minha
Yom Kippur
(Kol Nidre) Tuesday
September 29th, 7:00pm
Wednesday, September 30th, 9:00am

HAZAN SASSON NATAN
RABBI HANOCH GEZ

For further information please call (248)865-0717

Torah Portion

The First Fruits
And Personal Pilgrimage

Although the harvests and the holi-
days come every year, there was cer-
tainly something dynamic and unique
within the bikurim ceremony that
addresses us whenever we read its
description with the Jewish past, pre-
sent and future. It is a singular act,
highly visible, acknowledging some-
frequently refer to it as the
thing new with the continuous cycle
"Pledge of Allegiance of the
of nature.
Jewish people." Our Torah por-
Perhaps, in many ways, this is also
tion for this week begins with
our call to our Yamim Noraim —
the mitzvah of bikurim (first fruits of
Days of Awe. After all, in announcing
the spring harvest), a declaration to be
the ram's horn with the words, "Tik'u
recited at the climax of one's festival
bachodesh shofar
sound
pilgrimage to Jerusalem:
the shofar at the month's
"When you enter the land
start," we similarly can say,
... and you occupy it and set-
"Tik'u bachodesh shofar —
tle in it, you shall take some
sound the shofar to
of every fruit of the soil,
announce that which is
which you harvest from the
new!
•
land .. put it in a basket and
We can similarly appro-
go the priest in charge at that
priate another verse form
time and. say ... 'I acknowl-
this week's portion to refer
edge this day, before God,
to the new year, "This day
that I have entered the land
you have become a people."
RABBI
which God swore to our
(Deuteronomy 27:9) The fes-
NORMAN T.
fathers to give us ... My
tivals, harvests and holy days
ROMAN
father was a fugitive
are opportunities for great
Special to
Aramean. He went down to
custom and tradition; they
The
Jewish
News
Egypt with meager numbers
are also times for renewing
and sojourned there; but
the covenant and openly
there he became a great and very pop-
identifying with am Yisroel, the Jewish
ulous nation ..."' (Deuteronomy 26:1-
people.
3.)
We come together publicly in great
Although we associate this declara-
numbers. We recite personal and com-
tion with Pesach and the Hagaddah,
munal prayers and pledges; we seek
the ceremony being described is actu-
forgiveness and cry at traditional
ally the forerunner of our festival of
melodies; we heed the blast of the sho-
Shavuot. It has thematic relevance for
far and commit ourselves to teshuva
our understanding of the Days of Awe
— (repentence). We declare that we
as well.
have come to celebrate that which will
Maimonides describes the great
be new in our lives, that we will har-
event of bikurim in Jerusalem. After
vest a sense of awe and wonder as
preparing for days or even weeks, the
Jews.
pilgrims would be sleeping in the
May each of us see these High
streets of their cities until a communi-
Holy Days as an opportunity to renew
ty leader would cry out with the
our covenant with our people and our
words of the Psalms, "Come, let us go
God. As did the Israelites in
up to Zion, to the mountain of God."
Jerusalem, may we each discover
A procession, led by animals to be sac-
meaning in reciting our people's histo-
rificed on the festival would wind its
ry as a personal biography and may
way toward the holy city and the tem-
the first fruits of 5759 be sweet. El
ple, with the people singing.
It was a magnificent outpouring of
national excitement and thanksgiving,
the most visible corning together of a
people, the only formalized "prayers" or
"pledges" in the Tanach recited by the
What are some of the new things
masses and not just by the priests. With
in your life that you can celebrate
great ceremony and pageantry, the
at this time? In what ways can
Jewish people pledged allegiance to
each of us participate in identify-
their history, their faith and their unity.
ing with Israel's past, present and
future? What are some things that
we can express our thankfulness
Norman Roman is rabbi at Temple
Kol Ami.
for in this new year?

Shabbat Ki Tavo:
Deuteronomy 26:1-
29:8; Isaiah 60:1-22.

I

—

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