I hope the summer finds you all well and healthy. At Anshe Emeth, we are already starting to gear up for the High Holy Days. By now, you have probably heard that we will not be holding services in person. I must admit that it is weird getting ready for a “virtual” High Holy Day service. These services are going to be different, and complex, and definitely not what we are normally used to, but I promise you, it will still feel like home.
That is what the virus has done to us. It has changed things and we have had to be innovative and put our creativity into overdrive so that even if we are doing things remarkably different than they were before the outbreak, Anshe Emeth still feels like Anshe Emeth.
I am so grateful to see how many of you have logged on to experience our community in virtual ways. I have long struggled with our use of the term, “virtual.” To me it implies, “not real” or “fake.” The truth is, I don’t think “Virtual High Holy Days” or “Virtual Anshe Emeth” is appropriate. It isn’t a virtual service, it is our High Holy Day service. It isn’t a virtual community, it is our Anshe Emeth community and family. I hope that you feel as I do, that even if a lot of what we are doing is streaming into your home via the internet, it still feels like you are a part of the Anshe Emeth family and community.
Please join us for our regular Town Hall events so you can stay apprised of all the tweaks and changes that are coming to Anshe Emeth to keep everyone healthy and safe in the time of COVID-19. May you have a safe and relaxing summer and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Rabbi Philip Bazeley
