Friday, April 19, 2013  -  3:00pm

Because of a continuing policy advisory in Brookline, and an order by the state emergency management agency that Brookline residents continue to remain indoors, we are cancelling tonight's Shabbat services at Temple Sinai.  We are sorry to have to do so, because we value the opportunity to come together as a community, and because tonight, our Israel Committee had invited a speaker to celebrate Yom Ha'atzma'ut, but we want to be helpful to the Brookline Police, and are concerned for the safety of our entire community.

As of now, our Shabbat morning schedule is unchanged, with services planned for 10:30 a.m., including the Bat Mitzvah ceremony for Frannie Kass, daughter of Marilyn Kass and Marty Teicher.  Unless you hear otherwise, we will hold Shabbat morning services tomorrow.  (And we wish Frannie and her family a quiet evening, and a wonderful celebration tomorrow!  Please join us.)

Most of all, we hope that everyone in our community will remain safe.  The unexpected events of this entire week, beginning with the Marathon and continuing last night until now, remind us of our vulnerability as human beings, and, ultimately, of the precious value of human life.  Our thoughts are with those who are mourning, including the relatives of those who lost their lives on Monday, and the relatives of the two police and security officers killed in the last 24 hours.  We also add our prayers for those injured on Monday, that they may be blessed with renewed strength and healing, healing of body as well as of spirit.

As Shabbat approaches, we pray for protection and safety.  The words of our prayer book guide us: "Spread over us Your shelter of peace, over all we love, over Your Jerusalem and ours."  May all that we love be safe, may we lie down in peace, and wake up renewed.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Andy Vogel