B’nai Midbar Celebrations

Melanie Einbund

Our last summer lay-led Shabbat Service was attended by many on a very warm Friday evening at the home of Bonnie Lasky and Irv Rothenberg. Susan Kravitz led the service, which included music, song, and history. Herb and Sue Cohn offered readings and prayers. Celebrating Shabbat together is special and always a treat at the end of services by celebrating with an Oneg.

Onegs are a time to meet with everyone after worship. Exchanging thoughts, events, and activities in a relaxing atmosphere is always welcome. If you wish to commemorate or recognize a special occasion, memory, or honor, contact Judi Friedman at judi95476@gmail.com to arrange the sponsoring of an Oneg.

Repeated but Important:

We Greet High Holy Days 5779

A primer:

Rosh Hashanah is a celebration, a time for joy and new beginnings. It is a moment to look forward to the year ahead with hope and optimism while also reflecting on the past year’s deeds and seeking forgiveness where necessary.

A custom is the eating of apples dipped in honey, symbolizing wishes for a sweet new year. Many of us perform Tashlich. This ritual involves going to a flowing body of water and tossing pieces of bread or pebbles into it, symbolizing the casting away of sins and mistakes of the past year with the intention of starting anew.

Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is Judaism’s holiest day of the year. It is a day dedicated to public and private confessions of sins, seeking forgiveness from God. Yom Kippur concludes the 10-day period known as the High Holidays. The holiday involves fasting, prayer, and synagogue attendance.

Our services will be led by Rabbi Daniel Price, our cantorial soloist Eliyanah Powers, and Rouzbeh Tebyanian, accompanist. Kol Nidre is the opening prayer for Yom Kippur evening service. This year, Aidan Kram, an accomplished violinist, will perform this mesmerizing composition.

Shabbat Services (7 p.m.)

Oct. 17

Nov. 21

Dec. 19

B’nai Midbar

Melanie Eibund

Celebratory Events:

Nov. 15: Celebrating B’nai Midbar’s (formerly IJSS) 25th Anniversary

Dec. 12: Annual meeting

Dec. 21: Chanukah Party

2026 dates and events to come will be published after the High Holy Days.

Once again, Rabbi Price will conduct adult education classes of Jewish text study based on Jewish Ethics. The dates are Dec. 16, 2025, and Jan. 20, March 17, and April 14, 2026. More information will be coming.

Remembering loved ones during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is a custom that many of us hold dear. Our thanks to Bonnie Lasky and Sue Spaniol in preparing The Book of Remembrance.

Congregation B’nai Midbar does not have a brick and mortar building. The digital wall/memorial is a great way to memorialize your loved ones and pass on your family heritage. Thanks to Jeff Syden and Joel Weinberg who included B’nai Midbar on this site for us. To access the site, go to www.nationaljewishmemorialwall.com/ijss/bnai-midbar. Directions are self-explanatory; however, if you need further information, please contact Jeff at jefsy760@gmail.com.

Our Community’s Loss: Sam Horowitz, a longtime member of Congregation B’nai Midbar, a previous president of our board (IJSS), was lost to us in mid-August after a long battle with leukemia. Sam’s character, knowledge, humor, and all-around nice guy took us through many circumstances and unknown territories with a forbearance and sense of awe. Personally, Sam was a very close and personal friend to my husband and me. We could always count on him to help, lead, and answer the many questions we had regarding our community at SaddleBrooke and our Jewish knowledge and heritage. Sam will be truly missed.

Our Jewish Links and our website Bnaimidbar.com will keep you up to date. Please subscribe and/or log into the website for more information. Bonnie Lasky, bglasky1836@gmail.com, and our volunteers have worked hard to provide you with up-to-the-minute information!

Our annual Meet and Greet event on Aug. 31 was a time to catch up, hear from Rabbi Price, and enjoy each other.

We have a new address! We have a permanent address where we can mail correspondence, membership renewals, donations, special events, and Book of Remembrance entries, among other items:

Congregation B’nai Midbar

P.O. Box 9223

Tucson, AZ 85738

Congregation B’nai Midbar is celebrating 25 years since the founding of your Jewish community. Our history and much more can be seen on our website at bnaimidbar.com/history! Explore our website and learn about us and what is happening! We are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt congregation. Contributions are welcome.

Congregation B’nai Midbar is a congregation that provides individuals of all backgrounds the opportunity to celebrate, practice, and learn from Jewish culture and religion in a welcoming and socially fulfilling environment. For information, contact Joy Erickson at infocbm@gmail.com.

In celebration of the High Holy Days, we wish all of you “A Sweet New Year.”