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 that 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, email 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.
Dates to Remember
Shabbat Services (at 7 p.m.)
- Friday, October 17
- Friday, November 21
- Friday, December 19
High Holy Days
- Monday, September 22 — Rosh Hashanah Evening Service
- Tuesday, September 23 — Rosh Hashanah Morning Service
- Tashlich (our thanks to HOA-1! We have a lake!)
- Wednesday, October 1 — Yom Kippur Evening
- Thursday, October 2 — Yom Kippur Morning Service, Study Session, Afternoon Services and Break the Fast
Celebratory Events
- Saturday, September 13 — Havdalah
- Monday, October 6 to Tuesday, October 7 — Sukkot
- Saturday, November 15 — Celebrating B’nai Midbar’s (formerly IJSS) 25th Year Anniversary
- Friday, December 12 — Annual Meeting
- Sunday, December 21 — Chanukah Party
2026 Dates and Events to come will be published after High Holy Days.
Once again, Rabbi Price will conduct Adult Education classes of Jewish Text Study based on Jewish Ethics. The dates are Tuesday, December 16, Tuesday, January 20, 2026, Tuesday, March 17, 2026 and Tuesday, 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 one’s 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, visit nationaljewishmemorialwall.com/ijss/bnai-midbar. Directions are self-explanatory; however, if you need further information, email Jeff at jefsy760@gmail.com.
Our Community’s Loss: Sam Horowitz, a long time 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 demeanor 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 I. We could always count on him to help, lead and answer the many questions we had regarding our community at SaddleBrooke, 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 onto 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 Sunay, August 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 to Congregation B’nai Midbar, PO Box 9223, Tucson, AZ 85738.
Congregation B’nai Midbar (formerly IJSS) 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, 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, email Joy Erickson at infocbm@gmail.com.
In celebration of the High Holy Days, we wish all of you ‘A Sweet New Year.’
Plans floated to reopen San Manuel Mine as part of regional copper development
